THE 26 KEYS

THE MAGIC OF THE ASTRAL LIGHT

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THE 26 KEYS
The Magic of the Astral Light

by David Coleman

I dedicate this book

to all the unseen beings of astrology,
to my father
and to my mother,
because angels are real.

© 2011

Cover design by Florian Forster

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & THANKS

The course of instruction in this book arose out of my

own initiation with the practice of magic, using the system
given by Franz Bardon in his book "Initiation into
Hermetics", a journey further guided by the commentaries
on this work and its concepts and practices by Rawn Clark
in "A Bardon Companion".

Many astrologers, friends and students of astrology also

contributed to my own understanding and thus to this
book; here I would especially like to thank Rainer Arnst
for his support and Florian Forster for his amazing cover
image. A big thank you must also go out to my oldest
friend Justin, you know why.

I also owe a debt of thanks to the planets themselves,

this book having originally emerged out of contact I had
with Pluto in the 1990s during its passage through
Scorpio, and my development and testing of these
methods from that time onwards.

Without these assistances the book you are reading now

could not exist and I am deeply grateful for them.

Thank you, One and All.

 INDEX OF TABLES, KEYS & ILLUSTRATIONS

ASPECTS AND THE ZODIAC 55, 473

PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA'S BIRTH CHART 64
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA'S SUN KEY 93, 236
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA'S MOON KEY 105, 243
SYMPATHIES OF ACTIVATORS AND CONDUCTORS 127
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS 1" TEMPLE KEY 130
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS 2'D TEMPLE KEY 143
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS 3RD TEMPLE KEY 152
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS 4- TEMPLE KEY 160
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS 5TH TEMPLE KEY 167
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA'S 6' TEMPLE KEY 175
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA'S 7r" TEMPLE KEY 183
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA'S 8r" TEMPLE KEY 193
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA'S 9' TEMPLE KEY 201
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS 10r TEMPLE KEY 209
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA'S 11 TEMPLE KEY 218
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS 12- TEMPLE KEY 225
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS MERCURY KEY 254
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA'S VENUS KEY 261
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS MARS KEY 268
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS JUPITER KEY 278
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS SATURN KEY 284
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS URANUS KEY 300
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS NEPTUNE KEY 311
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS PLUTO KEY 325
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDAS CHIRON KEY 340
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA'S DRAGON'S HEAD KEY 355
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA'S DRAGON'S TAIL KEY 356
TIME EXCHANGES TABLE 393
NODES OF THE CENTAURS AND MYTHIC WORLDS 461
APHELION AND PERIHELION OF THE CENTAURS AND MYTHIC WORLDS 465
ORBITAL PERIODS & QUALITIES OF ASTEROIDS, CENTAURS & MYTHIC WORLDS 469
EXAMPLE OF APPROPRIATE CONDUCTORS FOR AQUARIUS 15° 476
SYMPATHIES OF THE INNER WORLDS 477
THE NATURAL ARRAY/GRA TREE OF LIFE 482
SYMBOL GLOSSARY 501
 CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS 3
How TO USE THIS BOOK 9
THE SYNTHESIS OF MAGIC & ASTROLOGY 13
WHAT IS MAGIC? 19
WHAT IS ASTROLOGY? 23

A HERMETIC PERSPECTIVE ON ASTROLOGY 28

THE PLANETS 32
THE LIGHTS 33
THE INNER WORLDS 34
THE MEDIATORS, THE GIANTS 37
THE OUTER WORLDS, THE TITANS 39
THE ZODIAC 42
THE TEMPLES 46
THE ASPECTS 52

THE 26 KEYS 59
UNDERSTANDING THE 26 KEYS 65
PRINCIPLES OF ACTIVATING PLANETS 69
WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY 73
AS AN ORACLE 74
AS SYNTHETIC ASTROLOGY 78

CREATING THE 26 KEYS 81

I. CONSTRUCTING THE MASTER KEY 81
BABAJI'S MASTER KEY 83

II. CREATING THE SOLAR MAP 84

BABAJI'S SOLAR MAP 86
WORKING WITH THE SOLAR MAP 88

III. CREATING THE SUN KEY 89

FORM OF CONDUCTION 96
MANIPULATING THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY 97
EXAMPLE OF ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR 101

IV. CREATING THE MOON KEY 104

V. CREATING A MAGNETIC CONDUCTOR 109
CONDUCTION BY PHASE 111
EXAMPLE OF MAGNETIC CONDUCTORS 115
SUMMARY OF TYPES AND METHODS OF CONDUCTION 120
VI. CREATION OF ALL REMAINING KEYS 120
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FUNCTIONS OF THE KEYS 122
PLANETARY SYMPATHIES 125
PLANETS AND THE FLUIDS 125
PLANETS AND THE ELEMENTS 127
PLANETARY JOYS 129
THE 12 TEMPLE KEYS
1ST TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF BEING 131
EXAMPLE OF TEMPLE CONDUCTION; RECTIFICATION OF BIRTH TIME;EXPERIENTIAL
EXPLORATION OF HOUSE SYSTEMS; THE RULING PLANET KEY; DIETING, HEALTH AND BODY
SHAPING; TIMING OF MAJOR PROJECTS OR LIFE CHANGES; MAGIC OF TIME AND THE
ETERNAL Now; MAGIC OF CONSCIOUS BREATHING.
2ND TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF ACQUISITION 144
TEMPLE CONDUCTION; DETERMINING LIFE PHASES; FINANCIAL INVESTMENT; USING TEMPLE
KEY ACTIVATIONS IN TEMPLE CYCLE WORK; TALISMANOLOGY, MAGICAL TOOLS AND
AMULETS.
3RD TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF COMMUNICATION 153
TEMPLE CONDUCTION; COMMUNICATION STUDIES; MENTAL AND INTELLECTUAL GROWTH;
DEVELOPMENT OF WRITING SKILL; BIKES, TRAINS AND CARS; MENTAL MAGIC.
4TH TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF MEMORY 161
TEMPLE CONDUCTION; MAGIC OF INTROSPECTION; DEPTH POINT AND PAST LIFE RECALL;
RESEARCHING FAMILY TREES AND ANCESTRAL WISDOM; HOME IMPROVEMENT; ESTABLISHING
A BASIS FOR GOALS; FAMILY RELATIONS; MAGIC OF MEMORY.
5TH TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF Joy 168
TEMPLE CONDUCTION; THE ARTS AND CRAFTS; MAGICAL TOOLS; GAMBLING AND
SPECULATION; FAMILY PLANNING; MAKING LOVE; RELATING TO CHILDREN.
6TH TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF SERVICE 176
TEMPLE CONDUCTION; HEALTHCARE AND HEALING; ZODIAC SIGNS AND THE PARTS OF THE
BODY; PLANNING OF DAILY SCHEDULES; PHYSICAL EXERCISE, DIET AND NUTRITION;
EMPLOYMENT AND WORK RELATIONS; RELATING TO DOMESTIC ANIMALS.
7TH TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF PARTNERSHIP 184
TEMPLE CONDUCTION; RELATING; PROJECTION; PUBLIC RELATIONS; CONTRACTS AND LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS; TRANSFERENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS.
8TH TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF RELEASE 194
TEMPLE CONDUCTION; SEXUALITY AND OTHER HOT STUFF); DEBT MANAGEMENT; DRAWING
UP OF WILL, LEGACIES OR INSURANCES; MAGICAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE ASTRAL
CHARACTER; ASTRAL SEPARATION; MORTALITY.
9TH TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF DISCOVERY 202
TEMPLE CONDUCTION; PLANNING HOLIDAYS; EDUCATIONAL APPLICATIONS; MAGICAL RITUAL
(CEREMONIAL); SELF INITIATION; COMMUNION WITH THE GREATER SELF.
10TH TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF DESTINY 210
TEMPLE CONDUCTION; PROMOTION OR SIMILAR RISE IN PUBLIC STATUS; ATTAINMENT OF
IMPORTANT GOALS; LIFE PERSPECTIVE; POLITICAL BODIES AND HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURES;
DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC; QUADRAPOLAR SYNTHESIS.
11TH TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF FELLOWSHIP 219
TEMPLE CONDUCTION; SOCIAL ACTIVISM; GROUP DYNAMICS; FRIENDSHIP AND NETWORKING;
SEEKING OF PURPOSE; PLANETARY ALLIANCE.
12TH TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF UNDOING 226
TEMPLE CONDUCTION; TACTICAL RETREAT; HEALTHCARE AND PREVENTION OF ILLNESS;
ENDING THINGS GRACEFULLY; MAGIC OF INTROSPECTION; MAGICAL EQUILIBRIUM; ASTRAL
MAGIC; KARMIC REDEMPTION.

THE LIGHTS 235

SUN KEY 237
HEALTH AND ENERGY LEVELS; SUN SIGN ASTROLOGY; IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SOLAR
MAP; INTEGRATION OF PLANETARY PRINCIPLES INTO CONSCIOUS INDIVIDUAL AWARENESS; As
A FOCAL POINT FOR WORK WITH TEMPLES; MAGIC WITH THE SOLAR PRINCIPLE AND VITAL
ENERGY; MAGIC OF LIGHT AND EQUILIBRATION OF THE TEMPORAL MENTAL BODY.
D MOON KEY 244
BEGINNING WORK; HEALTH; INNER CONTENT; BIOSPHERE AND ENVIRONMENTAL
AWARENESS; MOON MAGIC; KARMIC REDEMPTION; PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FUNCTIONS.
THE INNER WORLDS & THEIR MEDIATOR 251
V MERCURY KEY 255
INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT; TESTS AND EXAMS; MOBILE PURCHASES AND CARS;
COMMERCE; AS A SUPPLEMENT TO OTHER TEMPLE KEYS; MENTAL PLANE MAGIC AND
MENTAL WANDERING; OBJECTIVE MENTAL PERCEPTION OF THE PLANETS.
9 VENUS KEY 262
HARMONY; THE MAGIC OF FEELINGS; RELATING; ARTISTIC EXPRESSION; LOVE MAGIC;
FINANCIAL SECURITY; As A SUPPLEMENT TO TEMPLE KEYS.
cf MARS KEY 269
MEET MARS; COMPETITIVE SPIRIT; ANGER MANAGEMENT; ACTIVISM; TIMING OF ACTIVITY;
INTEGRATION OF PLANETARY PRINCIPLES INTO THE INDIVIDUAL WILL; PRIMARY AND
SECONDARY FUNCTIONS.

THE MEDIATORS OF THE NATURAL ORDER 275

1. JUPITER KEY 279
SYNCHRONISING WITH JUPITER'S GROWTH CYCLE; As A GUIDE TO THE FAVOUR OF
FORTUNE; MAGIC OF JUPITER; EXPLORATION OF EXPANSION/CONTRACTION; As A
SUPPLEMENT TO THE TEMPLE KEYS.
f SATURN KEY 285
SYNCHRONISING WITH SATURN'S GROWTH CYCLE; THE SATURN CYCLE; EXPLORING THE
NATURAL ORDER; LIFE STRUCTURE; BREAKING THE EFFECT OF FEAR, LIMITATION OR
BINDING CIRCUMSTANCES; BRIDGING GENERATIONS; TIMING OF MAJOR PLANS AND EFFORTS;
COPING WITH FAILURE; KARMA; MAGIC OF BINAH AND THE AKASHA; As A SUPPLEMENT TO
THE TEMPLE KEYS.

THE OUTER WORLDS, THE TITANS 297

1( URANUS KEY 301
GENERATIONAL AND PERSONAL ACTIVATIONS; GENERAL CHARACTER OF URANIAN
INFLUENCES; SYNTHESISING THE URANIAN PRINCIPLE; GROUP DYNAMICS; PROTEST
MOVEMENTS; FRESH STARTS; SCIENCES, TECHNOLOGY AND THEIR FRINGES; MAGIC,
KABBALAH AND ASTROLOGY; As A FOCAL POINT FOR RADICAL LIFE CHANGES.
y NEPTUNE KEY 312
GENERATIONAL AND PERSONAL ACTIVATIONS; GENERAL NATURE OF NEPTUNE INFLUENCES;
UNCOVERING NEPTUNE'S PERSONAL FOCUS IN YOUR LIFE; SOCIAL REFORM; CREATIVE
IMAGINATION; DRUG USE; ASTRAL MAGIC, EVOCATION, VISIONOUEST AND MAGICAL
SYMBOLISM; PSYCHIC DEVELOPMENT; REFINEMENT OF IDEALS INTO REALITIES; BIRTHING THE
COLLECTIVE; UNCOVERING MYSTERIES.
PLUTO KEY 326
GENERATIONAL AND PERSONAL ACTIVATIONS; GENERATIONAL SPANS AND TRANSMUTING
THEIR PATTERNS; GENERAL NATURE OF PLUTO INFLUENCES; CONJUNCTIONS OF THE 26
KEYS; FINDING ROTTEN APPLES; TRANSFORMATION; COLLECTIVE REGENERATION AND
TRANSFORMATION; ALIENATION, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES AND DEPRESSION; HEALTH
CONCERNS; MORTALITY AND IMMORTALITY; OCCULT INVESTIGATION AND DETECTION;
SOLVING OF MYSTERIES; INVISIBILITY; MAGIC OF THE DEPTH POINT.

THE EMISSARY OF THE OUTER WORLDS

g CHIRON KEY 341
THE ASTRO—COSMIC STRUCTURE; PERSONAL ACTIVATIONS; COLLECTIVE ACTIVATIONS;
HEALING THROUGH HOLISTIC INTEGRATION; COMING UNSTUCK; WISDOM; NATURE SPIRITS;
MEDITATION AND TEMPORAL MECHANICS; COLLECTIVE REBIRTH; CHIRON RETURN; BRIDGING
OF GENERATIONS; CHIRON'S TEMPLE; MAGICAL INITIATION.

THE CELESTIAL DRAGON

a DRAGON'S HEAD KEY & U DRAGON'S TAIL KEY 357
FOCUS OF THESE ACTIVATIONS; CONNECTIONS; SIGN POLARITIES; SELF INITIATION AND SELF
DEVELOPMENT; RECYCLING; DOT CONNECTING; MAGIC OF THE ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC
FLUX; PAST LIVES AND KARMA.
DIVING DEEPER 369
LIGHT AND INNER WORLD DEVELOPMENT 369
FINDING PROGRESSED ACTIVATIONS 371

VII. SOLAR PROGRESSIONS 374

BABAJI'S PROGRESSED MASTER KEY 376
UNDERSTANDING AND WORKING WITH THESE ACTIVATIONS 379

VIII. LUNAR PROGRESSIONS 381

PROGRESSED LUNAR PHASES 389
TIME EXCHANGES 393
UNDERSTANDING & WORKING WITH THESE PROGRESSED LUNAR ACTIVATIONS 395
PROGRESSED MOON VOID OF COURSE 401
DESCRIPTION OF LUNAR PHASES 406
STRUCTURE OF MEANING OF THE PROGRESSED MOON INFLUENCES 409

IX. INNER WORLD AND MEDIATOR PROGRESSIONS 410

TIME EXCHANGES (PROGRESSED MERCURY) 412
UNDERSTANDING & WORKING WITH THE PROGRESSED INNER WORLDS &
MEDIATORS 416

X. BRANCHING OUT 420

WORKING WITH ELEMENTS, REALMS AND PLANES 420
ADDITIONAL KEYS 427
ASTEROIDS 431
CENTAURS 432
CHIRON, CHARIKLO, ASBOLUS, NESSUS, PHOLUS, HYLONOME, AMYCUS.
MYTHIC WORLDS 442
VARUNA, IXION, QUAOAR, ORCUS, SEDNA, HAUMEA, ERIS, MAKEMAKE.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVATORS 466
LENGTH OF INNER WORLD CYCLES 471
WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR INNER WORLD ACTIVATORS 472
ADDITIONAL CONDUCTORS 472
EXPANDED SOLAR MAP 477
EXPLORING SYNASTRY & COMPOSITE KEYS 478
USING DIFFERENT ZODIACS & TEMPLE SYSTEMS 480
GUIDED EXPLORATIONS 481
BEING FULL OF STARS 483
HOW STELLAR INFLUENCES MANIFEST 484
WORKING WITH STARS 491
SOME STAR MEANINGS 494

CLOSING WORDS 499

SYMBOL GLOSSARY 501

ORDERING YOUR 26 KEYS 502

SOURCES 504
 HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

The only way to learn how to swim is to get in the water.

Computer games won't do it for you; nor will books. They can show
you the way, give you the knowledge and instruction, but until you
have the experience, you won't understand.
This book is all about giving instruction on diving into the deep
waters of astrology. It's not designed just to be read and thought
about. It's designed to be used and applied like an instruction manual
of techniques in the pursuit of your own discoveries, not a mere
absorption of knowledge but as a practical approach to exploring it. I
am not attempting to prove astrology to anyone in this book because
it is not up to me or anyone else to do that. However, even the most
extraordinary of things leaves no room for doubt in the mind of
someone who has experienced it directly for themselves, again and
again and again. This writing is about equipping people with the
tools they need to prove it for themselves, whether or not they
already know about navigating the ocean having looked at an
astrological chart before. Anyone can come at this book and use the
tools it provides to explore the magic of astrology for themselves.
Unlike the vast numbers of 'how to do astrology' books that have
already been written, the course you take through this book is not
merely an intellectual journey, but one which embraces the whole
being. The techniques in this book are there for any person of any
disposition to approach astrology from an experiential angle and to
conduct their own experimentation and it is this approach to
astrology that is the heart of the book. Instead of being told about the
influences over your life shown in a chart and having them described
to you, this book enables you to actually experience the meaning of
astrological influences for yourself and encourages you to draw your
own conclusions. This is the essence of what I wish to communicate:
there is another way to interact with astrology, a less intellectual way
which not only proves its validity, but more significantly opens the
perceptions to a direct relationship with it, a new way of being and a
new way of appreciation for the flow of life and its meaning. This
way can be used to supplement the absorption of knowledge from
astrologers and their books, but it could also be used alone and
replace it entirely.
However, apart from describing the techniques I have also
included a sharing of what I have learned from my own experience
in creating and practising these techniques and provide it here and

9
there throughout the book, with a more detailed exploration of the
theory behind it from a magical point of view collected at the
beginning. This will help the reader who is unfamiliar with either
astrology or magic to grasp some of the concepts discussed in the
keys but it is not necessary to grasp these concepts beforehand
because the keys will lead you to grasp them experientially on your
own terms. This theoretical explanation of astrology is neither
conclusive nor definitive and is not necessary to know in order to
practise the techniques. The techniques emerged from my hermetic
approach to astrology and so the theory is a hermetic one, exploring
the relationship between magic and astrology. I discuss magic in
general and hermetic magic in particular, and try to explain the path
of the magician to the astrologer and vice versa. It will be of interest
to students of either hermetics or astrology, but especially to those
interested in both, but it is not the point or the conclusion of this
writing, only a supplement to it, one which I have been asked by
other initiates to write and present with this material, and which is
well suited to share alongside the practical techniques. The keys -
the practical tools I teach you how to create and use which appear
later in the book - are the main subject matter and they are
completely independent of the theory. However, in the keys
themselves I have added some suggestions and techniques which are
relevant to the observations made in the theory because they touch
upon aspects of magic or hermetic praxis. The vast majority of
suggestions in the keys, however, are relevant to anyone wanting to
work with astrology experientially, not just hermetic practitioners. It
is my hope that people of all kinds will find their way to trying out
the techniques in the 26 keys and bring their own individual and
personal character to it.
The keys are in fact waiting for this to happen. We are facing
unprecedented challenges as a species and we have been confronted
with a much bigger solar system than the classical one used by
astrology for millennia, and I will also provide what guidance I can
on both these matters in the course of the book, because they are
both vital to the future of astrology, and, indeed, our entire world.
Many complex issues are raised by the presence of these challenges
and I attempt to shed light on them from a hermetic perspective,
sharing what I have learned from my own experience of turning the
keys.
In order to construct the keys you will need a copy of your birth
chart and an ephemeris, and a large pad of paper if you are working
by hand without a word processor. Your chart and ephemeris must

10
include the positions for the centaur called Chiron, as well as the
North and South Nodes of the Moon. All of these things can be
obtained free online, but it is strongly recommended that you buy a
printed copy of an ephemeris. The ephemeris needs to cover your
birthday and the 85-100 years which follow it.
The unorthodox but recommended approach to using this book is
basically - it depends on your needs. If you are interested in magic,
particularly hermetic magic, or if you are interested in what a
magicians point of view on astrology looks like, read the book from
cover to cover as usual. If on the other hand none of these things
appeal to you, or you just want to begin practising straight away, skip
the first part of this book, 'The synthesis of magic and astrology', and
go immediately to the section introducing you to the 26 keys,
proceeding from there. If you have an urge to do both, skip
immediately to 'The 26 keys', start the work with the Solar map and
the first Light key and then return to the theory section in the
beginning of the book, reading it while you practice. People who
come to this book and dive straight into the practice have in my view
got the right idea, but the choice is yours.
The gist of it is: come on in and play! Don't waste any time
listening to me chatter about how fun it is in the water! Don't be
discouraged if you do not agree with or understand the theoretical
parts of this book, just put them aside or on ice and experience what
is there for you to experience.
And welcome to the ocean of the sky!

11
 THE SYNTHESIS OF
MAGIC & ASTROLOGY
The practice of astrology and magic share a common ancestry
which stretches back many thousands of years. They are rooted in a
common philosophy and share a model of the universe. This model is
encapsulated in the phrase "As above, so below". This philosophy
holds that the inner and the outer worlds are connected by awareness,
by consciousness, that they are essentially a 'One thing'. The origins
of this philosophy are lost to history, and can only be traced back as
far as Egypt and Babylon, beyond which the sight of history fades
into amnesia.
The awareness of this common philosophical root between these
two practices has never been entirely lost; the student of one can
readily find broad common ground with students of the other even
today because the underlying notion about the universe each shares
with the other remains unchanged. Certainly, over the centuries both
astrology and hermetics have developed in ways which the other
would find incomprehensible — ask a hermetic practitioner about the
influence of the progressed Lunar phase on his or her initiation and
you are likely to be met with a look of puzzlement that mirrors the
astrologer's when they are asked by the initiate about the equilibrium
of the Elements in the astral body. They speak a different language,
but the fundamental truth the astrologer and the hermetic hold about
the universe remains the same. This is true whether or not we are
talking about a Jungian astrologer and a pagan, a fortune teller and a
ceremonial magician, an astrological relationship counsellor and a
kabbalist or any mix of the large variety of different approaches
existing under the umbrellas of 'astrology' and 'magic' — the core
philosophical truth between them is the same: "As above, so below".
This fundamental bond, the essential cord of understanding between
them, has never changed.
Something fundamental has changed, however. The lives of the
ancient astrologers and magicians were not only intertwined at the
root philosophically but also at the level of practice, particularly in
the ancient mystery schools of the hermetic tradition. This is not the
case in the present day, except in a few individual cases. At some
point in their development, the practice of astrology and the practice
of hermetic initiation diverged, allowing them to develop distinct and
separate approaches to the core philosophy they shared, a path which
allowed them the freedom to create their own languages and

13
practices, but without the richness of context they once enjoyed
together. Only fragments of their once total synthesis remain today.
Such fragments are usually incomplete, impractical or just fantasy.
This book restores the relationship between magic and astrology at
the practical level. It will provide a new system for doing so which
draws on the essence of the ancient practices of both. It will also
show how the practice of magic and astrology were always designed
to be used together and that in the restoration of the practical bond
between them something magical is restored to both. I make
reference to hermetic magic because it is the approach I have
personal experience with, but many of my comments and the
methods described can be applied to any form of magical training,
because the system I will outline is itself a form of magical training.
This book will therefore be of use to both the student of astrology
and the student of magic, particularly hermetics. However it will also
be of great use to anyone seeking to investigate astrology, because it
gives them the means to do so without an astrologer. This
necessitates a new approach to the craft of the astrologer.
As I explained in the section on how to use this book, in this first
part, which might be classed as the theoretical part, I will discuss this
and lay down some groundwork which attempts to bridge the gap
between the knowledge of the astrologer and the magician by
describing the essence of each. The synthesis of the two provides
numerous benefits to a practitioner of either discipline, and these will
be outlined. A hermetic philosophy of astrology will be given which
will enable practitioners to regard the practices of this book in a
hermetic context, should they wish to work with it this way.
In the second part of this book, which is its substance, instructions
and techniques will be given for combining the practice of both
magic and astrology through the use of a set of tools called the 26
keys. The reader will learn how to construct these keys and use them
in any area of life, and in this respect they are given not just for
astrologers and magicians to play with, but for anyone to use to
experientially grasp the workings of their own astrology. These tools
and the methods for turning them form an important bridge between
the world of the astrologer and the world of the magician.
In synthesising magic and astrology together we are confronted
with a seemingly insurmountable task. Countless volumes have been
written about the practice of both magic and astrology, particularly in
the last century, and while many authors in both fields have made
mention of both subjects, few if any have presented a treatment
which fully synthesizes both. There are probably several reasons for

14
 this. Both areas of study are truly vast and invite a lifetime of
learning. Each of them contain a Pandora's Box of wonders which,
when opened, continue to unfold a variety of new avenues for
investigation to the serious student, and mastery of any one of these
specialisations is a daunting task.
For the astrologer there is not only the basis of the craft to master,
the complex and intricate art of birth chart interpretation, but also a
bewildering array of other territory to venture into, including the art
of natal prediction, the comparison of birth charts in relationship to
one another, the influence of star constellations, the study of events
known as mundane astrology and the divinatory art of horary
astrology (the art of answering questions) to name just a few; each of
which has its own rules set, and each of which subdivides even
further into different schools, approaches both ancient and modern,
from the Babylonian and Hellenistic astrology of antiquity to the
Jungian and chaos theory approaches of the 20th century. All of them
are fascinating. There are numerous zodiacs to consider — sidereal,
tropical, Chinese, Aztec — and numerous systems of house division
too. Given this diversity, no single astrologer can hope to know
everything or even something about everything; indeed, in recent
decades, the boom in astrological diversity has reached such epic
proportions that it has become increasingly likely for two astrologers
to speak entirely different technical and symbolic languages with one
another. The computer age has greatly enhanced the research and
technical capabilities of astrology, but it has also fractured
astrologers into increasingly numerous and arcane factions.
For the magician the basic training of initiation opens up a similar
array of options, for given a degree of development they may choose
to practically specialise in the art of magical evocation, kabbalistic
utterance, talismanic magic, alchemy, etc., each of which can entail
a lifetime of study and focus. The basic training of the magician not
only prepares the way for an exploration of these areas at will, but
also in itself opens up a universe of possibilities to consider such as
mental wandering, transference of consciousness, mastery of the
Elements and so on, each of which offers a literally endless number
of opportunities.
Life is relatively short, and the choices we make are made
meaningful by this brevity. The branches that stem from the trunk of
the tree of astrology and magic continue to shed their leaves and
grow new ones, and it does not truly matter which path we take,
which leaves we gather from the great tree of knowledge, so long as
it enriches our lives with what is meaningful to us — ultimately, while

15
they provide specific insights available only in their respective fields,
all these paths lead to the same destination, the trunk of the tree,
which is the awareness that everything is interconnected. The
alchemist finds their way through the introduction of essential
meaning into matter, the synastry counsellor through the interactivity
of human relationships, but both are learning about this fundamental
reality.
These two subjects — magic and astrology — are therefore so broad,
so fruitful and so involving that they have largely resisted being
synthesised together completely; over the centuries they have
intertwined, but remained distinctly separate disciplines, each
developing not in isolation of the other but with a degree of
autonomy and self determination that have resulted in many schools
and approaches to both. This is clearly a good thing because it has
allowed both to flower of their own accord, but this situation was not
the case in the practice of the ancient astrologers and magicians. In
their experience, magic and astrology were a single thing.
In the practice of magic, astrology still has a place where it is used
in many different ways, such as the gathering of plants in plant
alchemy, the timing of ceremonial ritual or the evocation of
immaterial beings. However this use of astrology in magic is
piecemeal, it is mentioned and built upon here and there, but its use
is like that of a spice in cooking. Some magical schools have built up
astrological systems of initiation, for example the Rosicrucians, but
such systems have been largely secretive and reflective of specific
spiritual doctrines. In short, the implementation of astrology in magic
is sparse and comes down to individual magicians often working in
isolation of others within a specific field of interest.
By contrast, astrology has distanced itself from magic even more.
As a 'Logos' it has been drawn into the realm of logic, of science, as
its repeated historical attempts to rationalize itself into the scientific
paradigm show. By this I do not wish to imply that it has lost its Art
and that astrologers today are deluded, only that its focus has moved
by greater degrees away from the fusion that magic and astrology
once shared, thus away from the magical view of the universe
towards a reductionist and logical one. This seems to have become
the destiny of modern astrology in the Hellenistic era alongside the
development of horoscopic astrology i.e. the use of the ascendant.
The rational codification of astrology that took place in this period
and later in the mediaeval period sewed the seeds of the modern
approach to astrology. The magic inherent in astrology is still there
waiting for curious explorers to stumble across, because it works, it

16
 isn't just a fancy theory but a substantive reality, but the presentation
of astrology in modern times is on the whole rational and logical, it
regards itself as a science rather than as magic.
But astrology is not just a road map, it's a living thing. It is an
oracle and a teacher. It speaks in a symbolic language that is
universal and personal at the same time. As such, astrologers are
expected to do the same. They are expected to be fluent in this
language and to read it in both universal and personal terms, like any
oracle is. However, this puts astrologers in the position of making
forecasts and being — along with astrology itself - judged according
to their success at interpreting the personal significance of patterns of
meaning.
This was not the ancient way and it will never be the true purpose
of astrology. This role of astrologers — and hence of astrology — is
only a recent phenomena in terms of the length of time astrology has
been around. It initially developed when astrologers placed
themselves as seers and counsel to Pharaohs and kings. They became
in effect high priests of the arcane, prognosticators and stargazers
whom others came to expecting to be told answers from the heavens.
Before this development, people still came to astrologers for their
wisdom and guidance in answering questions, but it was not the
focus. Instead, astrology was a magical art and science which
unveiled the Mysteries of the cosmos and revealed the workshop of
life. This was an era of great stones arranged in circles to measure
and focus the ever shifting tides of the universe, and of pyramids
aligned with the stars, the 'home of the gods'.
Astrologers were people who could open the doors to these
temples, they possessed the keys that turned in their locks and they
used them to bring others into the folds of the Mystery, to reveal the
unity of and the invisible connection between all things. One of the
ways they did this was through ritual, timed to coincide with stellar
and Lunar events. They understood the symmetry of the moment,
and guided others in making contact with 'the gods', the symbolic
faces of essential meaning, sometimes by calling them into their own
bodies, and at others by calling them into the presence and awareness
of those gathered. People went away from these experiences not with
answers but with transformations.
This lost magical art of astrology is not entirely lost. It is still
practised by aboriginal peoples across the world, but the great sites at
which these rituals took place have largely crumbled and vanished as
we have collectively forgotten their significance along with our
connection to the cosmos. To restore this magical art to its former

17
state we would have to rebuild, renew and reconnect the magical
sites they depended on. Fortunately, we do not have to do this, as we
do not need to restore the former state of things. Time moves on, and
so do we. Astrology has always adapted and so all we need to do is
find that adaptation. This book is my contribution to this endeavour.
The astromagical approach presented in these pages differs from
the astrological approach in one significant respect — it is an
experientially based method of exploring astrology, rather than an
intellectual exercise or a discourse between a professional 'expert'
and a client. Investigation of astrological influences is not made
through the medium of an interpreter — the astrologer — but through
direct experience on the part of the practitioner. The method for
doing so is simple and does not require any kind of magical maturity
to practice; in fact it serves as a natural way to develop such magical
maturity as it trains the physical and non-physical senses to perceive
and interact with the various states of being that make up a human
awareness. To be clear — no degree of magical training whatsoever is
required to practice this magic. Having a degree of such training will
undoubtedly enhance your experience of using these techniques, but
it is not necessary. In fact, these techniques gradually train you in all
forms of magical awareness, drawing their power from the natural
connection you are always continuously experiencing to the flow of
essential meaning that we call astrology.
The tools, which I call keys, allow you to begin immediately
exploring the objective reality of astrology and enable you to
harmonise your life with the message of your birth chart and the flow
of essential meaning through time — using these keys you will no
longer feel lost in the course of life, you will always know where you
are, and what to expect from the immediate and long term future.
This does not mean there will be no surprises. It means you won't be
blind any more. You will be able to plan ahead into the future with
less uncertainty and greater confidence that your efforts in specific
areas will be supported by auspicious timing, a sense of being the
right person in the right place at the right time. The keys are flexible
enough to encompass any activity or dimension of experience that
you want to develop in, whether it is an external circumstance such
as your relationships with other people, your financial security or
your long term goals, or part of your internal landscape such as your
sense of self worth, your confidence or your fears. At the beginning
you will have to proceed on the basis of trust, but as you observe and
your experience with these keys broadens it will also deepen and you
will no longer have to trust that these techniques actually work, you

18
will know that they work from your encounters with them. They
bring about a direct revelation of the reality and existence of
astrology, beyond which intellectual arguments about its veracity
become meaningless.
In effect, the keys are your sacred stones, arranged in a circle with
you in their centre, watching the backdrop of the heavens move
through the doorways they create onto the cosmos. You will always
be aware of not only what is beyond those doorways but also what is
going to appear in those doorways at any time in your life, and you
will have at least a general idea of what that means. This practical
synthesis of magic and astrology transforms your experience of astral
Light from a logical basis to a magical one.
In building a theoretical basis for the synthesis of magic and
astrology we have a much bigger problem. To even begin to address
it, we have to define what we mean by each, which means we have
to go back to the roots, to the ancient ways which understood this
synthesis, and we need to define what we mean by the terms 'magic'
and 'astrology'. After addressing these questions I will describe the
simple method I have used in my own practice of using the two
together when exploring a chart, before looking at the functional
structure of astrology from a hermetic perspective.

What is Magic?

The easy way to answer this question is to say what magic is not:
it's not spells and incantations, rituals and ceremonies, secrets and
power that lead to the fulfilment of all our earthly wishes. Ninety-
nine percent of the time, it's not what people see in TV shows, films
or novels. These things are just the trappings and tropes of magic,
and while some of them have a place, they are not its essence.
The essence of magic is self realisation. It is a path of
transformative inward self journeying and mastery which ultimately
leads to its reflection in the external universe. The phenomena that
people associate with magic — mental telepathy, astral travel,
communication with spirits and animals and so on — arise as a
consequence of the magicians self realisation, and through the direct,
consciously developed application of this realisation in the external
universe. They are sign posts and natural aptitudes that develop as
the magicians awareness of their inner reality is intentionally trained
to be made to manifest in their outer reality. The magician must
continually resist the temptation to toy with these gifts as they
distract from the 'Great Work' — the continual work on the inner self

19
 __-IMMLLLAIN

and its expression — but the path of the magician does not ignore
these gifts, as a mystic might, it requires the magician to develop and
explore them and learn to put them to use responsibly, or lose them
and, far more seriously, halt their progress with magic and the true
aim of self initiation. Thus the path of the magician is a balancing act
which requires a careful and continuous decision making process to
be made about the use of their particular gifts, without ever being
tempted to use them for selfish purposes.
So the essential aim of the magician is to know themselves — a
goal that all astrologers will find great kinship with - but also to
fully engage with the universe through this knowing. In a sense, a
magician shares a connection to the shaman in that neither can just
sit back passively and do nothing, they must do something that
benefits the tribe, the community, they must offer their Light or lose
touch with it. However, unlike the shaman the magician does not
ordinarily take any public credit for these acts, for which there are
complex reasons; karma, attention, pride and the power of silence
being among them. A shaman is also deeply familiar with the
inhabitants of the non-physical worlds, being a translator between
them and the tribe, which does not necessarily have to be the case for
a magician. We can say that shamans are magicians, but not all
magicians are shamans.
This seems a good point to mention that while in this book and in
this discussion I am making references to the practice of hermetic
magic and its process of initiation, the essentials of this process hold
true for any magical tradition or practice, although they may use
different concepts, symbols and means to reach the same end — self
realisation, radiated magically into the outer universe. Whether or
not they talk about the four western Elements or the five Chinese
Elements, the Tao or the ritual of oak and mistletoe, all magical
traditions are rooted in the same universe and apprehend the same
reality, they touch the same truths and come to the same
fundamentals, like the different systems of astrology. They speak in
different tongues but they are branches of the same tree, expressions
of the same Mystery.
The philosophy and practice of hermetic magic holds that as the
magician achieves an internal mastery over themselves this opens the
potential to work with universal forces. In other words, a genuine
magician will have reached a certain stage of maturity with their
inner mastery because without it no act of magic is actually possible.
The reason for this is that in the beginning the initiates capacity to
perceive the reality of the universe is occulted, subject to their own

20
 subjective perception — the way they personally see the world is
loaded with personal experiences, biases, fears, fantasies,
assumptions and frequently a lack of self discipline emotionally and
mentally. The path of the magician systematically removes this
subjective content from perception so that an inner equilibrium is
found which permits an objective perception of the universe — our
natural state of perception - to shine through.
The astrologer will recognise in this the process of liberating
oneself from the matrix of the birth chart, the task of meeting the
challenges and changes called for by the astral patterning we are
born into. Before a magician can begin to work magic, they must
have transformed the influence of the birth chart into a positive
expression, i.e. the negative potential of the astral pattern must be
neutralised by being re-expressed in a positive way. This is the pre-
requisite for actually being able to work an act of magic, and Franz
Bardon calls it the astral equilibrium. It is something the magician
must continually develop throughout life as a work in progress,
because it is never a static thing but a matrix in flux with life — again
the astrologer will recognise the influence of transits and
progressions, which are emerging influences through time which
exert certain tendencies over the astral pattern of birth.
The astrologer will also immediately recognise the basic units with
which the hermetically trained magician deals in this process of
equilibrium — the four Elements of Fire, Air, Water and Earth. One of
the early tasks of the hermetic initiate is to thoroughly evaluate
themselves and create two 'soul mirrors' which contain a description
of their negative and positive qualities, then to analyse these
character traits assigning them to one of the four Elements. This
vision and radically honest evaluation of the soul in relation to the
four Elements is then used as the basis for attaining the astral
equilibrium, the harmonisation of the Elements in the astral body.
Some initiates, for example, find they lack a positive connection to
Fire and grow pushy and bossy with others when they are impatient
or are easily frustrated by failures, and their task will then be to
transform these negative Fire qualities into positive ones. The
techniques for doing so are numerous and well described by Bardon
in his book, but they lie primarily in becoming conscious of the
reasons for the negative trait and then reformulating it so that it
fulfils a positive need. The trait is arrested in the moment it arises
and replaced with its new expression. It is not about denying the
negative trait completely or destroying it, but consciously
recognising it as it occurs and transforming it so that it has a new,

21
positive expression. This process, which as I have said is absolutely
essential to the ability to work magically, is itself the first taste that
the initiate has of the true power and significance of magic, as a long
standing, persistent character trait is magically transformed into
something satisfying and empowering.
Eventually, this process results in the majority of negative
character traits and all of the major ones being uprooted and
transformed, and the astral equilibrium of the Elements is reached.
The magician is able to reach this stage because alongside this astral
body development, they have also been training their mental and
physical being in ways and disciplines which enable and support it.
They have learned not only to focus and concentrate their mind and
creative imagination in every respect but also to completely clear
them of all distraction. Through a safe and gradual pyramidal ascent
on all three levels, physical, astral and mental, a thorough sweeping
out of all the neural pathways has taken place which has given them
a degree of mastery over their own emotional and mental being.
At this stage, having a fluid but strong balance of the Elements
within themselves, the magician is now able to connect with the
objective universal Elements, the factual Elements that permeate the
universe. These are of course the very same Elements that
astrologers speak of as the primal forces of astrology, along with the
planets. The objective connection with the universal Elements is then
trained and this experience leads on to other degrees of initiation,
most significantly to contact with the Akasha principle, the infinitive
and eternal realm which is the ultimate source of the Elements, and
thus of all created things. The magician meets with the 'Greater' Self,
the eternal mental body, the spirit. This relationship is the most
transformative experience of magical initiation and by this stage the
magician is at the end of one road and the beginning of another.
I have greatly simplified the process for ease of understanding but
this is the essence of the journey. Readers wishing to know more
should obtain a copy of Bardon's first book 'Initiation into
Hermetics'. The important point I want to make about this in relation
to astrology is that the process of initiation is founded on instantly
recognisable astrological principles but that it is an experiential
process, a journey in which the magician verifies the objective
existence of universal forces for themselves, and can, if they choose,
demonstrate this to others. It is this experiential and practically
demonstrative approach that I think modern astrology needs.

22
What is Astrology?

The easy way to answer this question is again to say what it is not:
it's not fortune telling, fatalistic prognostication, daily horoscopes,
superstition, mediaeval nonsense, 'what's your sign?' or a chat up
tactic (just ask any astrologer who has been asked "So what do you
do?"). Ultimately it's not even about where your planets are or what
they are doing to your ascendant. Again, these things are just the
trappings and tropes of astrology, and while some of them have a
place, they are not its essence.
Its essence is the search for meaning. For the natural order. It was
born in us when we first looked up and saw patterns in the way the
sky moved, saw the objective reality of the cycles described there,
the passing of day into night and the phases of the Moon and the
stars, and told ourselves living stories to explain them. These stories
became magically attached to significant places in the sky and
allowed the flow of meaning to manifest itself in the human world. It
was a primal era in which our (then non-subjective) consciousness
became cognizant of the cyclical nature of time and space and
created systems with which to interpret the emergence of patterns
from out of the seeming chaos.
We do not know when this actually occurred; the origins of
astrology, like those of magic, are so ancient that there is no way to
tell how old they are. We can trace its development back to Babylon
and Egypt, and we can point to stages along the way in which it
emerged into its present form, but we cannot say "they invented it".
My own feeling is that it did not originate with any single culture but
arose relatively simultaneously among the people of the world, but I
do not think that this was in our world, but in a previous habitation of
the Earth by human beings. There is ample evidence to show for this
as any amount of open minded digging around the area of
archaeology will show.
So it's incredibly ancient, and this means it has survived countless
attacks upon it made by the establishment (which it was once a part
of) and has continuously adapted to the turning of history through the
ages, stubbornly refusing to die out. It has been with us through
every age and has accrued a rich contextual tapestry of symbolic
meanings with which it can speak to us. It is, in effect, a living thing,
given form by our cultures, myths and stories. The magician reading
these words will understand that astrology is the astra-mental
medium through which we engage in communication with the
continual flux of essential meaning that manifests out of the Akasha.
The astrologer might be mystified by these words, however, so I

23
had better translate: the universe is held in a state of perfect
equilibrium by virtue of the infinite infinitude of its nature.
Everything that exists is at the centre of its own universe. If we
meditate on an apple, for example, looking for its deepest most
central point, we can keep going deeper and deeper as the infinite
property presents itself. Eventually we realise the apple is at the
centre of its own infinite nature, the centre of its own universe, the
infinity stretches from its core in every direction at once. The same is
true of all things, even a feeling or an idea, and yet they are all
equally the same centre, regarded from a different point of view. This
is the Akasha, the fabled 'Fifth Element'. It is from this infinite point
that all created things emerge, primarily the four Elements. The
modern discoveries in quantum sciences are venturing into this
territory.
So the Akasha is the realm of causation and thus of effect, i.e.
karma, and it gives birth to the physical universe through the
emanation of meaning. The essential meaning of a thing — the fact
that it exists — issues out of it into infinity, connecting it with
everything else in the universe and defining its relationship to
everything else in terms of time and space. Here is the basis of why
astrology works. It is the art of measuring and interpreting the ever
changing flow of essential meaning as it manifests in present day
human culture in this specific solar system. The planets have
essential meanings. The signs have essential meanings. The stars
have essential meanings. Everything in the heavens has an essential
meaning that can be interpreted through a symbolic language -
astrology. The universe is fundamentally held in a perpetual state of
equilibrium through the activity of the Akasha principle and the
movements and shifts of planets symbolically depict the adjustments
it is making in our local space. We can get in line with those changes
or we can resist them and block the transition. Every astrologer
knows what happens when this is the case. We get sick, life gets
hard, we feel like we are pushing against the tide of the universe,
because we are. There is another way to be, another way to live, as
every astrologer knows. This way does not remove the problems of
life, like magic, but it changes the game, and that is magical in itself.
So, astrology is an objective reality, not one we have invented but
one we have discovered and given a certain shape and contour. We
have interacted with it and thereby created many different systems
with different symbolic languages to decode the meaning, and
thereby given life to certain aspects of its nature, but ultimately it
existed before we discovered it because it is rooted in the causation

24
 of matter and universal principles. This is why it has survived. Even
if this civilisation was wiped out leaving no record of our astrology,
it would resurface in time like a hydra with a new head. What I wish
to say to astrologers here is that there is no need to defend astrology
or to be insecure about its scientific validity, no need to even have to
justify its existence as I will propose later, because while these things
may be interesting they are not really our job, like fortune telling.
Our job is to illuminate the patterns in peoples lives and help them
make more informed choices about the roads they are travelling. I
think many of us already understand this now, but I feel it is an
important point for us to communicate to the world.
Secondly, I draw attention to the distinction between those aspects
of astrology that we have created and given life to — the various
forms of houses, the signs, constellations etc. — and those we have
not. We have given symbolic forms to the essential meaning behind
these things, a form which reflects such aspects as culture, ideology,
mundane concerns and all manner of things that are intrinsically and
beautifully human, but they also exist as living, self aware entities in
their own right — the Akasha principle sees to this. This is a magical
universe; everything is alive and aware of itself as existing, even
though it may be in a form alien to our human awareness, and we
will therefore anthropomorphise it so it makes sense to us. This is
true even of pure concepts like house systems, which have an
existence only in the mental plane, as ideas. We are ourselves
embodiments of an idea on the mental plane — our personal mental
body — and while its life may be very strange to us, a house system
or a sign shares in this existence. For many rational astrologers this
will sound completely crazy, but it is the truth. Such ideas are mental
beings whom we interact with and are inspired by and they are the
source of all our knowledge, science and even of our thoughts and
emotions, from which they are nurtured.
Arguing about the differences in form in the craft of astrology may
be an interesting intellectual exercise that can generate new ideas and
feed a lot of ever hungry astrological intelligences but ultimately we
are arguing only about the symbolic systems we will use to interpret
meaning and its significance, systems we create and structure. This is
why different astrologers using different house systems or even
zodiacs can come to the same conclusions, interpreted through the
filter of their specific symbolic language, their way of interacting
with the astrological influences. The system does not really matter,
so long as it works for us. We do not need to find a universal practice
or system and nor should we try.

25
 While the techniques in this book employ the western tropical
zodiac and the western view of astrology most readers will be
familiar with, they could be adapted to other zodiacs or other
approaches to astrology with some work. The only real requirement
is that the Sun, Moon and perhaps the planets are involved. Any kind
of house system could be employed, and the keys present interesting
possibilities to people wishing to explore different house systems,
through which they may experientially compare them. The approach
presented in this book invites an experimental approach to astrology
through which its many branches can be explored, as I will show in
the latter part of this book.
Over the years I have looked at a number of these branches of
astrology, some more in depth than others, and the approach I use
today as an astrologer is a blend of many different sources, a pattern
that I am sure is very common. Unlike in other fields considered
'occult' there are many good and truly insightful but practically
focused writers and speakers on the topic of astrology, and I continue
to learn from what is being written and said by other practitioners
and thinkers — wonderfully so, with many surprises — but in my own
practice and in the development of the 26 keys I have drawn most
significantly upon my own meditations and my personal experience,
and this has been even more meaningful for me than the many
inspiring words I have read. Direct experience is revelatory, it is the
difference between knowledge and understanding, and I have tried to
base my astrology, like my magic, on understanding.
Knowledge, however, is a thing of beauty too. To know about
something — to be able to read a book on it, for example — is a
privilege and a treasure, a gift. This book is all about my
understanding of astrology being translated into knowledge and
communicated to you — things will be lost in this process, mysteries
will be glossed over, lids lifted, understanding will be stripped of its
skin and flesh, leaving only the bare bones scrawled across the page
like the scribblings of a spider with ink on its legs. The web is gone.
But with the tools that this knowledge equips you with you can re-
translate the knowledge back into understanding — your
understanding, born of your experience. You can build your own web
of understanding in your own corner and see what flies into it, or just
what flies straight through the gaps.
This attitude to astrology is fundamentally different to the one
most people encounter when they go and see an astrologer. They go
seeking answers, and good astrologers give them guidance on the
right kind of questions. They connect the individual with the

26
 universal and dissolve the individuals sense of meaninglessness and
isolation, but they do it by talking about the birth chart, or whatever
particular astrological tool they are using to interpret symbolic
meaning. They are 'the expert', but the good ones all know that they
are not the expert, that the seeker is the real expert, and that they
need only be guided to this realisation with the help of the big picture
they are a part of, an insight into the meaning of the natural order.
The astrologer is no doubt the expert on astrology in general, but it is
the person or persons they are communicating with who hold the key
to correctly interpreting the meaning of their specific astrology — all
they need is for the astrologer to instruct them in the symbolic
language. If a person comes to an astrologer asking if they should
leave their partner and end their marriage (a situation any good
astrologer should dread), it is not the stars or the astrologer who hold
the answer — it is the individual themselves, but they cannot see this
objectively, given the subjective whirlpool of the experience they are
inside, and so they need the perspective of astrology to gain the
clarity they seek. The astrologer, like the shaman with their spirits,
then consults the universal flow of meaning through their symbolic
language and relays this information to the seeker. They may suggest
interpretations for these symbols and be correct, but it is the seeker
alone who can always correctly decode them, because only they walk
in their shoes all the time.
So while I have drawn some instruction in the form of knowledge
of astrology from books and speakers, it is from people and my own
experience with astrology — primarily my own — that I have drawn
my understanding. The techniques for doing this I have had to
develop for myself, and some of these techniques I am sharing in the
main part of this book, but this is also an appropriate place and time
for me to share what I have learned about astrology and magic by
using them side by side, and so in the following pages I will attempt
to do so.
Again I wish to stress that the keys which are discussed later do
not require any magical training and nor do they require the
practitioner to take the hermetic perspective on astrology which I
will shortly discuss. Any form of approach can be taken to working
with the keys. The keys however emerged out of a hermetic approach
and are therefore ideally suitable for such a perspective.

27
 A HERMETIC PERSPECTIVE ON ASTROLOGY

The primary way I have used a magical approach in my practice of

astrology is really quite simple: once a birth chart is drawn, I spend a
period of time in analysis of it, but not long — only a few minutes in
most cases. I do what most astrologers are trained to do, I look for
the patterns and the overall first impression the chart makes, and am
guided by what stands out and is most striking. I will then print the
chart out and carry it around with me, folded up in my pocket, but
this is because I use computer software to draw up the charts. In the
beginning I drew them all by hand, and if you are completely new to
astrology and want to understand its mechanics - a very rewarding
understanding to have - this is the method I still recommend. It is a
significant advantage and often essential for an astrologer to
understand the basic mathematical structures of astrology and you
only acquire this if you learn how to draw charts up by hand.
Furthermore, the drawing of the chart by hand contributes to the
building of the astral bond between the astrologer and the subject.
However some people are just not mathematically minded, and
naturally baulk at being asked to calculate sums of time in base 60,
for example. If this is the case, it is best if you don't get hung on up
on it, but don't give up, come back to it after time and have another
go. Many books are published with tricks or tables which make the
process easier, but they are often lazy and the student would be better
with a more solid grounding of the calculations required and
familiarity with navigating the ephemeris and the tables of houses.
Do not cut corners here if you can avoid it, but do not let it stop you
from getting a copy of your own birth chart in the work ahead.
Once I have the copy of the chart I am going to work on, I carry it
with me everywhere. Every now and again, I take it out and look at
it, and I reflect on it, perhaps choosing one area such as one of the
planets for special consideration and noting its sign, aspects, etc.
Then I look around me at my current life situation — the event or
situation I am currently dealing with in the present moment. I might
be waiting for a subway train, for example, and then I would ask
myself, what might this part of this persons chart make of that person
over there, or my clothes, or the need to wait 5 minutes, or the poster
advertising the latest film? I seek the significance of what I am
seeing for the other person using the chart as a guide. I will meditate
on this, considering different possibilities until I find one that 'feels'
right, at least in that moment, and I recognise this as a sense of
meaning flowing through me. Once I have this sense of meaning, I

28
 immediately consider the subject matter from my own birth chart, i.e.
I let myself fully experience whatever it is I am considering,
forgetting the other person entirely and just allowing my own
relationship to its meaning to emerge. I then contrast this with the
first charts impression, and look for the connection. The connection
is the real magic of this process. It is the connection that forms
between me and the other person, a connection of significance that
guides everything I do when I come to write about the chart.
Significance is the lifeblood of the astral realm and in this process,
which is repeated randomly over the course of a couple of weeks or
more, the bond of significance between us deepens and widens and it
informs me of the chart, as well as my relationship to the perspective
it represents. This helps me to be more objective in my perception of
what the chart signifies, as I learn to separate my own perspective
from that of the other person as well as combine it. Sometimes I will
go back to the person and ask them pointed questions — what they
think of that latest film, for example — to see how objectively
perceptive I have become, but most of the time it is not necessary as
the astral bond is also being strengthened by the desire of the person
on the other end, the desire for the process to go well and for the
astrologer to 'get it right', and this eventually leads to a point where I
feel that I get it enough to be able to start writing.
I find it is important in this process for me to remain completely
open and not to edit the matters I focus on, to let my attention fall
where it will and not pass over any subject as 'trivial' or 'obvious' -
frequently the astral bond has something to show me, some kind of
vision to unfold, and I only find it when I follow where it leads. This
vision may not always be of my subject — it can be of a particular
astrological entity, myself, someone around me, or some aspect of
life experience. Again I find that I must put aside any expectations or
prejudgements of where this journey will lead.
During the process of creating the connection I will also meditate
on the depth point of the chart, that is I will place myself into my
own depth point and then transfer this awareness to the chart. This
process is always revealing as it both strengthens the connection and
reveals its essence as layers of symbolism are penetrated. The chart
is regarded as a living entity, an incarnate embodiment of a specific
temporal and spatial meaning. It exists at the centre of an infinite
tapestry of connections to every other thing, and I simply follow the
threads which lead back to my own depth point. From the depth
point of the Akasha there is also the option to create an Elementary
being with the purpose of nurturing the connection, or take this

29
further and give life to it as an Elemental.
This approach differs from the popular deductive logical approach
to perceiving meaning through astrology, which often draws on
astrological 'cookbooks' which list the meaning of this planet in this
sign and this house and so on, and assemble the parts that relate to
the individual chart without relating them together, such as the
output created by a computer programme. On the other hand, some
people may read all this and say "But you are just using your
imagination!" Indeed I am and I love this part of my job!
Imagination is the key to getting this whole process going, and in the
early stages I let it out to play at every opportunity I can, seeing
where it leads. So the early stages of the bond are open to the
influence of my imagination because this is what allows the
connection to emerge. However. the end result of the connection is
not imaginary, nor is it created through logical deduction but very
real and very independent of my imagination for its continued
growth and existence, although I still use my imagination to engage
with it. It only begins to dissolve once I turn to another chart, when I
consciously will it to loosen and release its astral substance. I very
rarely completely sever these bonds, though I am able to. They mean
too much to me and there is no harm in maintaining the level of
connection that I retain, which is a mental one. I find I can quickly
re-establish the astral connection with the essence of the mental
connection — it simply comes to life again once I return my focus to
the chart. It is a living mental intelligence and is often as happy as a
puppy dog to see me again.
The reason why this process leads to an objective perception of the
chart and hence of the reality of the other person rather than
remaining purely in the realm of my imagination is the law of
attraction on the mental plane, the natural law which causes like
ideas to add themselves together. By creatively using my imagination
to build the connection of significance the mental and astral
awareness of the other person is given a conduit to my own, and this
conduit of significance eventually draws us into contact. If they are
sensitive enough they can feel this connection but it is not necessary,
not does it interfere with the process; instead, it typically enhances it.
The intelligences of astrology — the astra-mental entities which
inspire and drive it — also play a significant role in this process. In
fact, the connection itself is such an entity, or an assembly of them.
They not only help to build the connection but very often will draw
my attention to a particular area of the chart, an area the person will
often be having present difficulties with, or a persistent pattern of

30
 behaviour it represents that is in need of transformation. Sometimes
it is the part of the chart that I need to understand more objectively
by contrasting it with my own experience. They are involved at every
level of the process, of course, but especially in the beginning and
during the creation of the astral bond which leads to the
crystallisation of the mental intelligence behind it. A magician who
involves these beings in the work through invitation will be richly
rewarded by their eagerness to do so.
Of course I can only work this way because I have a grounding in
both astrological and magical training, so to gain the most from this
method you need at least a familiarity with both. The question of
magical training has been covered in the books of Franz Bardon and
the modern commentaries on these works by Rawn Clark; here I am
addressing the astrological training that the magician or anyone so
inclined may acquire through direct experience, so that they can if
they wish choose to work in the way I have just described. This is the
training suggested in the 26 keys. You must master the turning of the
two Light keys by all 3 methods of conduction first but then you may
begin any kind of exploration of the keys, being guided only by your
own needs. This will give you a complete education in the
astrological symbols and what they signify. Obviously to begin
working with the meaning embedded in the birth charts symbolic
language you must first be familiar with that language and aside
from reading books, working with the two Light keys as described
later in this book will provide this instruction in a relatively short
time, depending on the individual.
It is really no exaggeration at all to say that many volumes could
be written about the synthesis of astrology with hermetic philosophy.
The method of working with astrological charts by creating an astral
bond which I have described is only one way to proceed, a way that
is ideally suited to my own astral pattern, it comes through and from
my chart, but others may find a different way that achieves the same
result. Many other techniques are available to the magician wishing
to understand astrology; for example, I have a magical talisman
created from meteor rock which helps me in my work. Aside from
techniques, there is also the matter of relating the concepts of
hermetics to astrology, which indeed we can do and find surprisingly
easy. The basic components of natal astrology can be broken down
into the matters of the zodiac, the planets, the houses and
aspects,which I will now discuss starting with the planets. Here I will
be concentrating on the classical components of astrology and not
the newest discoveries which are discussed in greater detail in the

31
final part of this book, with the exception of Uranus, Neptune and
Pluto which I will mention briefly below.

PLANETS

From the astrological perspective the planets include the Sun and
Moon, although it is obviously understood by astrologers that these
are not planets, merely that they produce astrological effects like
those of the planets. In fact the astrological effects they produce do
have some important differences to those supplied by the planets,
which is why in this book I will refer to them as the Lights, rather
than as planets. Furthermore, the remaining planets can be grouped
into three distinct types, each of which has a slightly different
function.
Collectively, these celestial bodies comprise the family of the
human solar system, they are the loci of essential meaning, the
conduits through which it flows into symbolic form and by which it
accumulates enough astral density to manifest in physical form
through and around us. Visibility and brightness to the naked human
eye is a factor in their ability to create a physical causation i.e. to
affect the material world humans inhabit directly. The Sun is the
most powerful of these, giving us the seasons of the year. This means
that Uranus, Neptune and Pluto can only affect the material world
through causations which they introduce into the astral and mental
world, although Uranus hovers on the edge of visibility. Regarded
from a position on Earth, these bodies typically move in a circle
through a region bound to the ecliptic, the apparent motion of the
Sun against the backdrop of stars as the Earth revolves around it
once a year. The Moon is the fastest moving of these bodies because
she circles the Earth, but she is still somewhat bound to the plane of
the ecliptic because she follows the orbit of the Earth around the Sun.
Every now and again, however, she does something extraordinary,
breaking free of the zone surrounding the ecliptic to inseminate
herself with exotic stellar influences outside of the zodiac. In fact,
only Saturn and Neptune never leave this zone to venture outside of
it, ifs just that when the Moon does so it is more spectacular and
significant due to her status as a Light.

32
THE LIGHTS

OD
The two Lights we see in the sky are the obvious representations
of polarity, of night and day, light and dark, the positive and negative
and thus from the hermetic perspective are regarded as the
embodiment of the Fluids. They are essentially giant Fluid
condensers. As such they are the root of all astrological influences.
We observed them first. Our history with them is rich with eons.
Each of them acts as a conduit or channel for the astral Light, the
influx of meaning, giving it form in our consciousness and astral
awareness.
The Sun as the root of the Electric Fluid is the giver of life,
animation and consciousness. When we turn our eyes upon it, its
blinding power forces us to look away. It is the spark of being, the
outwardly spiralling mote of the Electric Fluid in the spirit or mental
body. The Moon as the root of the Magnetic Fluid is the gatherer,
weaver and shaper of this spark of being into form, the astral
adornment of this mental being with the personalised characteristics
of the soul. When we look on her face, we are drawn in, not forced to
look away. They are the core essence of a thing and its personal inner
reality. As Lights they act to illuminate things and give them a
fundamental life and shape. We can regard them from the hermetic
perspective as the consciousness of the temporal mental body, the
spark of Eternity which the Greater Self emanates as an individual
spirit (Sun), and the astral awareness of the soul (Moon).
The Sun's Light, the Light of consciousness, is the most outwardly
active and expressive of the two, being Electrically charged. Other
than at an eclipse, it always looks the same. It is a function that is
always 'on' and cannot be switched 'off; the Moon, however, as the
Light of astral awareness, is in flux as she collects the Sun's Light of
being and reflects it to Earth through patterns, cycles which begin
empty, wax, reach fruition, and then wane to empty out again, like
the rhythmic life of the soul itself She reflects the more transient
state of mood, as compared to the more permanent state of being that
is of the Sun. She moves in, through and around the ElectroMagnetic
aura of the Earth, creating the astral and physical tides and leading to
the need for Earthly beings to move in harmony with them and thus
with her in an astral equilibrium.
Because the Lights are so fundamental, each of them shapes the
landscape of astral Light we experience at any given time. They
underpin and inform the entire influx of essential meaning being

33
communicated by the symbolic language of astrology, just as the
Fluids underpin the workings of the four Elements. For all Earthly
beings, it is either night, where the Magnetic Fluid predominates, or
it is day, where the Electric Fluid predominates, or the brief but
magical times of pre-dawn and twilight when one becomes another.
They and our own planet Earth (an ElectroMagnetic entity) are the
absolute basis of what we see in the sky. For this reason they are the
primary tools for accessing the sky's symbolic language and
communing with it, they are able to conduct any kind of cosmic
influence because they are Fluid condensers. This function of the
Lights will be further discussed in the section on their keys; for now
it is enough to understand that they are the cosmic root of the Fluids
and act as our planet's Fluid condensers. Both Fluids also express
themselves through the other planets, but because the planets are not
pure Fluid condensers they must do so on equal terms, through the
antra-mental prism of the zodiac, as I will explain later.

THE INNER WORLDS

V9 e
The inner worlds are the three rocky planets which lie closest to
the Earth. Their solid composition expresses their focus on the
material world and in particular the dimensions of personal
experience of the material world.
The planets Mercury and Venus, which inhabit the space between
the Earth and the Sun and orbit more rapidly around it, are therefore
tied to the Sun and follow it closely in the sky. Frequently they will
be found in the same zodiacal sign as the Sun, or if not a
neighbouring sign of the zodiac. Their closeness to the Sun describes
their intimate relationship to the Light of being, or consciousness -
they represent two fundamental principles through which
consciousness expresses itself, thought and feeling. However,
because both thought and feeling are personally subjective, they are
also informed by the astral awareness, which acts to give form and
shape to their expression as astral force (Venus) and astral form
(Mercury). As I stated above, the Lights are fundamentals that
illuminate and give life to all other astrological influences, but they
are especially influential over the expression of Mercury and Venus.
Mars is given greater freedom to roam, as I will explain, a factor
which can give him some distance from the influence of the Lights
and lead him into further realms or darkness.

34
 These two planets — Mercury and Venus, the only feminised
planets of the solar system (Mercury is hermaphroditic) - are the
primary inner worlds of the astrological model and give further
definition to the spirit and the soul, contouring it with sympathies
and perceptions. Furthermore, their proximity to the Sun causes them
to appear and disappear as they move in and out of its corona
frequently. As I stated above, visibility — the fact that an object can
actually be seen with the naked human eye - is a significant factor in
astrology. A potentially visible object is empowered to manifest a
physical causation in the material world, it acts directly on the
material world and therefore its influence is felt more directly and
immediately in physical life. The more visible or bright a planet is,
the more effective it is at manifesting a material effect, and the inner
worlds function this way at the personal level. When a planet is non-
visible, either by being too close to the Sun or too far away for the
human eye to see, its influences are withdrawn into the astral and
mental realms and must accrue enough substance to manifest in the
physical world before they can directly influence it. However, this
does not weaken the planet concerned, it may in fact strengthen it
depending on the individuals relationship to the astral and mental
planes. Such a planet can be saturated with symbolic essential
meaning and more adept at inspiring us with it because its influence
is not entangled with the static forms of the physical world.
The fact that Mercury and Venus move freely and frequently
between the visible and invisible worlds (by moving in and out of the
Sun's disc of Light) means that they are the avenues through which
personal consciousness navigates between the two functions of
thought and feeling. They fertilise and impregnate consciousness and
astral awareness. We have thoughts and feelings and then we try to
express these through communication and acts in the material world.
We reflect inwardly and then we become aware of something
consciously. We experience an inner landscape filled with the beings
of thought and feeling and we bring this world into conscious
expression. As this process continues, in each day and in each
moment, some people focus on acting upon ideas and feelings and
giving them material form, and some on the essence of experience
within them. This is the subtle but essential difference between a
visible and invisible planet. A visible Venus might want and need a
relationship with someone while an invisible Venus wants and needs
to relate. A visible Mercury might seeks its information from a study
course or a book, while an invisible Mercury might be inspired to
seek it in the mental wandering of a daydream.

35
 So we can regard Mercury and Venus from a hermetic perspective
as belonging to the personal realm and informing the personal mental
and emotional bodies. They are luminous planets bound to the Sun
who wander in and out of the astral and mental realms and bring its
content with them into conscious awareness and being, astrally
shaping it as personal significance. This makes them the primary
inner worlds.
Mars is also an inner world, but it bridges the distinction between
the primary inner worlds and the gas giants, the mediators called
Jupiter and Saturn. Its orbit of the Sun is longer than ours, being
further away from it, and this means it is the first planet which
challenges us to grasp its cycle, it distances itself from Earthly
consciousness (and thereby remains visible most of the time, stirring
up events in the physical world and rarely retreating from that front
line position). Having a cycle almost twice that of the 365 days our
conscious awareness is accustomed to we have to expand our
conscious awareness before we begin to comprehend its patterns;
they are not neatly circumscribed and embraced by our earthly
experience like those of thought and feeling. This is a form of
training that Mars brings for grasping the much longer cycles of the
giants, Jupiter and Saturn. We are tested by being challenged to look
beyond the comfort zone. But we are tested by Mars not only
because of the scale of its cycle, but also because of the way we
handle his essential nature.
Many astrological books of centuries past have laid all kinds of
atrocities at the feet of Mars: war, burnings, chauvinism, wife
beating, rage and the spilling of blood issue forth from the texts as if
they were natural parts of life that we just have to learn to cope with.
These things are not its true significance but its perversion. Mars is
very often grossly mishandled by human beings and this has resulted
in, for example, millennia of war and violence against women in a
male dominated paradigm. Western society is built upon centuries of
an unhealthy relationship with desire, glory, superiority,
competitiveness and power, and these have corrupted the true
significance of Mars, leading to us needing to confront these issues
whenever Mars is involved before we can touch its natural essence.
When we move through them we find within ourselves this essence
of Mars, which is to define the individual self by asserting it. Mars
discriminatingly filters out all the things we don't want to have any
part of and sharpens the expression of self by honing the distinctions
between things — an act of intentional will is involved when we set
ourselves goals, or assert our differences with other people. We are

36
defining who we are as individuals through Mars, but we have
collectively become trapped by our fixation on this at the expense of
other ways of being. We live by the sword that only the strongest and
most powerful survive and those incapable of defending themselves
must rely on champions to shield them. It is not the function of Mars
to stir up discord and crush all opposition in attaining great goals, it
is the function of Mars to show us how we can act on the gift of free
will — choice — both responsibly and in ways which truly empower
us, leading to a uniquely distinct and self crafted individual will. It is
this which enables and empowers us to work completely consciously
with the influences of the Giants and the Titans.

THE MEDIATORS, THE GIANTS

Jupiter and Saturn are the last of the visible planets - Uranus is
sometimes faintly visible to the naked human eye appearing as a dull
star, allowing it to cross the boundary between material and astra-
mental causation, but it is largely invisible and thus an outer world.
The cycles of these two planets are approximately 12 and 28-30
years respectively, which means their focus is broader in terms of
human experience, and they have more permanent effects as a result.
The influences of the inner worlds and the Lights are often transient
and pass in a matter of days or hours, while those of the Giants are
self sustaining and enduring structures that stride across years of
time.
Hence, they are the principle players in the creation of material,
astral and physical structures which have endured through time,
including religions, sciences, nations, governments, cultures and
philosophies. They bring about the continual emergence of these
things through the ability to build one thing upon another, inflating
them like gas balloons. They concern themselves mostly with
building the individuality in the human being rather than the
personality which is more the province of the solid inner worlds, but
these distinctions are generalisations and not rules. All our astrology
goes into a complex and is unified by us.
The fundamental property that these two planets share is their
staging of the individuals life into discrete, measurable phases which
give the larger whole a context of development. They give an
overarching form and structure to life through which it is supported,
expanded and given a fundamental shape. They allow the general

37
meaning of experience to be apprehended because their patterns are
so broad, and in doing this as time goes by they place our individual
experience into a wider context, a context which opens the way for
the outer worlds to manifest themselves.
Thus, both of these worlds can be regarded as the mediators of the
natural order because they ensure that the development of the
individual and personality (Lights and inner worlds) is kept in
equilibrium with the laws of the greater universe (outer worlds) and
that there is continuous growth and crystallisation of this process.
Jupiter is expressive of commonality, of a larger implicit order and
the magnitude of possibility being expanded ever more as things pile
up sequentially, leading them to become more than the sum of their
parts. Through Jupiter the more abrasive distinctions of Mars are
softened by the fact of similarity and common ground between
individual things. As Mars emphasises how different individual
things are, Jupiter emphasises how alike they are. It groups them
together on different scales of commonality which ultimately show
that we have more in common than we don't with everything else
that is. This form of awareness — empathy - is a precondition that
must exist before we can begin to grasp the function of the outer
worlds and it gives us hope, faith, a sense of belonging, mercy and
loving kindness.
As the last visible planet Saturn is the last to have the capacity to
move in and out of the material and astra-mental planes in terms of
astrological causation. It becomes invisible by disappearing into the
Sun for about 36-40 days each year, and its influence is therefore
fundamentally physical not only because it is visible most of the time
but because it is the furthest visible planet in the solar system. It is
the final arbiter of what can be manifested in the physical realm, and
is therefore firmly connected with the workings of karma and the
shaping of material life by the eternal mental body (the Greater Self,
our immortal spirit) as well as with the fundamental physical
structures of existence, such as the bones of the skeleton and the
influence of time. In terms of the natural order, Saturn provides form,
the vehicle that processes time, and an understanding, ultimately, of
the laws which govern physical existence, fundamentally of cause
and effect, the fact that we cannot run from or escape the
consequences of the past, but must eventually face it and deal with it,
often at a degree magnified by the fear of running from what we do
not want to accept. Its lessons, whatever they are, give form and
support to our efforts to concretely express our being in the material
world, a grounding in actual realities and the nature of physical

38
being. We must learn to be responsible for our own spiritual well-
being and seek our own spiritual counsel. These, too, are pre-
requisites to meeting the challenges of the outer worlds.

THE OUTER WORLDS, THE TITANS

Beginning in the mid 18th century astrology was confronted with

the need to transform its paradigm with the discovery of the first
world beyond Saturn, Uranus. In the time it takes for Uranus to make
one complete orbit of the Sun, a second outer world presented itself,
Neptune, followed in the 20th century by Pluto. These planets
remained undiscovered by modern society for so long because they
are so far away, their presence was largely detected and deduced
through mathematical calculations and our knowledge of astronomy.
This permanent cloak of invisibility means of course that their effects
are always astra-mentally generated and that they manifest in many
people as unconscious forces.
The discovery of these planets had an interesting effect on
astrology: it catapulted it back in time to the earliest days, in a sense,
because it forced astrologers to stop looking at their charts and start
observing the external reality for signs of these planets natures.
There were no ancient writings on these planets to consult, thus also
no dogmas to decode, giving and indeed forcing upon them the
freedom to begin again.
This is essentially what the outer worlds offer us all, collectively.
The freedom to begin again. The arrival of the outer worlds in our
awareness is the herald of a transitional stage in the life not just of
human beings on Earth, but the life of the planet itself. Together the
outer worlds offer transcendence, transformation and rebirth, a new
paradigm of existence which involves dimensions beyond the purely
material. This is only potentially what they offer, though — it is up to
us to give form and life to that potential and thereby to make it
happen. However, failure is not really an option as the outer worlds
ensure a new beginning one way or another, even if it means our
virtual extermination, a reset which has occurred before in the
forgotten halls of human history.
Essentially what the outer worlds are offering us is the chance to
birth a collective awareness, a collective consciousness that can
sustain itself. In order to give birth to this collective consciousness
we must collectively and individually meet the challenges set by the

39
outer worlds. These challenges are given support by gifts of
technology from the outer worlds — not just physical technology like
the computer I am writing this on, nuclear power and quantum
science, mobile phones or the internet, which certainly play their
part, but also astra-mental technologies, including psychotherapy,
hypnosis, psychic sensitivity and formerly highly esoteric areas such
as magic. They reveal these things to us, as Prometheus revealed the
secrets of fire, and we must then prove we are mature enough to
handle them or get burned.
Getting burned, in this case, means we will destroy ourselves and
much of the planet in the process. This has happened before and so
we are in the process of repeating history. If the collective is stillborn
again, everything will suffer greatly. These planets are the most
challenging forces we have to deal with in astrology both as
individuals and as a species. This is why, in terms of their
astrological effects, life changes irreversibly when we are touched by
them. They move so relatively slowly around the Sun that any
contact we have with them is never to be repeated - a one off. The
events they generate in our lives as part of this birth of the collective
are frequently titanic, earth shattering, life changing events, often
involving large masses of people or memes which sweep through our
societies having overwhelming expressions in our personal lives.
Each of the outer worlds has given us new gifts and further
challenges. Uranus has given us (among other things) electricity and
everything that comes from it, and challenges us to recognise that
our differences are to be celebrated and exalted without splitting us
apart. The bottom line with the Uranian challenge is that we must
consciously recognise that we are all human and that regardless of
race, creed, sexual orientation, or shape and form of any kind, we are
connected and we are family and we need to treat each other
accordingly. Failure to birth the collective at this level causes us to
fall apart, to fracture and splinter into ever smaller and independent
cliques which ultimately tear one another apart because they have
nothing in common. Neptune gifts us with psychic technologies and
an awareness of the multiverse, the existence of non-physical
dimensions and parallel realities, and extends the challenge of unity
to encompass not just humans but all life, everywhere. The bottom
line with Neptune is that we must learn to treat the entire planet, the
animals, plants, stones, winds and oceans and ultimately whatever
else we encounter in the universe with as much as if not greater
respect and reverence than we afford ourselves, to see through
delusions of grandeur and species arrogance to the unity of all life,

40
 and yet at the same time remain grounded in the lessons of Saturn, to
not float away into a fantasy la-la land. Failure to meet this challenge
results in a mass escape as people switch off from reality and tune
into fantasies, such as virtual worlds or cultish spiritual movements
which have no grounding in Saturnine reality, people become more
paranoid and jaded, deluded by the collective denial; the collective
disperses in a miasma of confusions, or is misguided by falsehood,
mass manipulation and conspiracies. Pluto's gifts are the most
powerful and mysterious of all — nuclear power, the secrets of the
Akasha and the fundamental genetic code of matter. The power of
life and death on a massive scale. No one needs to be told the
consequences of failing at this level, where the challenge is to truly
merge with the infinite and behold our own deathlessness, or be
annihilated by our fear of mortality. Pluto exacts a heavy price on
corrupt ways and is not to be bargained with over them; the darkness
must be faced before it devours.
The outer worlds are the most powerful influences you will deal
with in the practical work with the keys. They are not the primary
engine of the keys — those roles belong to the Lights (as conductors)
and also to the mediators, which activate more frequently — but they
are their most powerful drivers. The outer worlds have no inherent
natural rulership of any of the 12 signs of the zodiac, as will be
shown in the following pages, but they are gradually in the process
of assuming connections to various signs, including Scorpio (Pluto),
Aquarius (Uranus) and Pisces (Neptune). If the collective challenges
we face are met the birth and existence of the collective
consciousness will at least initially reflect in its character the
qualities of these three signs. This will only confer rulership of these
signs at the collective level to the outer worlds; Mars, Jupiter and
Saturn will still function as their personal zodiacal rulers via the
relationship they will maintain with them through the Fluids
(described in the next section).
The three keys for these outer worlds and their employment as
activators given later in this book are tools for helping to meet the
challenges of birthing a collective awareness both as individuals and
collectively. Once it is understood how to work with them they can
be employed to birth the awareness of the collective at any of the
stages it will go through as it seeks life in your front room, so to
speak. This will be discussed in their keys. I will also have more to
say on the functions of the planets and Lights in the various keys
which relate to them. In addition, later in the book I will also address
the essential meanings of the new discoveries we have made in the

41
solar system in recent years, such as the asteroids and dwarf planets.
along with techniques for interacting with them.

THE ZODIAC

The seven traditional, visible planets of astrology - the Sun, Moon,

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — express the Electric and
Magnetic Fluids as Elemental planetary intelligences which organise
themselves into a single entity, the zodiac. To put this another way, it
is a magical universe wherein everything is alive and this includes
the planets and the signs of the zodiac, which are Elemental beings
generated by the Electric and Magnetic expressions of the 7
traditional planets. The origin of the form and the essential meaning
given to these intelligences is stellar i.e. drawn from constellations of
stars, but their substance and quality arises from the Fluids
expressing through the Lights and visible planets. These beings are
given a shape and a form by human consciousness and have become
the 12 signs of the tropical zodiac.
So the signs are living beings or rather an assembly of them. Their
essential meaning was evoked from constellations of stars — those
which are close to the ecliptic through which the solar family were
seen to move — and was then given a symbolic form through our
tales, myths and cultures. This meaning then attached itself to the
essential meaning of the visible planets and was reflected back to us
— as we observed the patterns of the sky a bond of significance was
created, layer upon layer, in a manner similar to the forming of the
astral bond which I described creating when I am working with a
chart. The essential meaning provided by the stars and planets was
adorned with human significance, giving us the symbolic essential
meaning of earthly consciousness encoded in the zodiac.
In essence the zodiac is a living astra-mental prism through which
the Light of essential meaning shines upon the Earth through the loci
of the planets. It is a self aware multidimensional lattice of symbolic
essential meaning specific to the Earth and the present habitation of
the Earth by human beings, because it is a co-creation of human and
astra-mental beings. The Elemental beings of Fire, Air, Water and
Earth have created it between us and the visible planets as a means of
communication, the communication of the complex pattern we call
astrology.
It is therefore independent of yet continually evolving in parallel
with us and it connects us through the Elements with the essential
meaning of the planets and Lights which are transmitted through it. It

42
symbolically describes the processes of the physical universe (the
kabbalistic Malkuth, the Earth Zone) that apply to existence on the
Earth, and thus it is the driving intelligence of the seasons, which
rotate with the turning of the Earth about the Sun. The ancients
would say that the zodiac turns the world.
The four Elements express themselves via three modalities into
twelve signs — there are Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable expressions of
each of Fire, Air, Water and Earth, making 12 'signs', stages of
Earth's seasonal cycle. The Cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra
and Capricorn, which I call Active signs, are the initiating
expressions of the Element, the direct and dynamic expression of its
purpose, the beginning of the seasons. The Fixed signs, Taurus, Leo,
Scorpio and Aquarius, which I call Stable signs, are the concentrated
expression of the Element, the coalescing and thickening of it at the
heart of the seasons when its extremes are obvious in nature. The
Mutable signs, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces, which I call
Reactive signs, are those periods in which the seasons are in
transition, the weather is more inconsistent as the flux of nature takes
hold. These are the most flexible signs which end the seasons so that
new ones can begin.
Analysis of the zodiac by astrologers thus often follows the pattern
of the seasons as they play out in the northern hemisphere, where
western astrology emerged. Since the seasons are traditionally held
to begin in the spring with the arrival of new life the sign of Aries
which begins at the spring equinox is traditionally taken as the
starting point of the zodiac. However the zodiac is a continuum, not
a line with one thing at the beginning and another at the end. The
fixation on Aries being the beginning of the zodiac arises from the
human perception of time, which regards it as a straight line with
past, present and future neatly arranged in a sequential order. In fact
if we think about the present moment we find that it always eludes
our grasp, because time is not linear it is a continuum like the zodiac.
At any given moment our human perceptions can only decode a
single frame of this continuum — the infinitely elusive present
moment — but it is still a continuum where all points are touching all
other points. This is the mystery of Pi, the magic of the circle and of
eternity.
This linear perception of the zodiac when it is in fact a continuum
seems to have inclined some astrologers to take a mechanistic
approach to the universe and to have somewhat lost touch with the
basic structures which underpin the zodiac, the Electric and
Magnetic Fluids (Yang and Yin in oriental philosophy). To restore

43
this awareness, instead of taking a single sign as the starting point for
analysing the zodiac we must start with two, the signs which are
ruled by the two Lights, Cancer and Leo.
These two signs are next to one another in the linear, seasonal
order of the zodiac:

Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra,

Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces

This is because they are ruled by the two Lights, the Sun and
Moon, the localised roots of the Electric and Magnetic Fluids, and
the remainder of the zodiac is structured outwards from there. In the
diagram below I have 'broken' the continuum of the zodiac at the
signs of Cancer and Leo, dividing it into two columns by counting
backwards from the Moon's sign, Cancer, and forwards from the
Sun's sign, Leo, one sign at a time.

Cancer Leo
Gemini Virgo
Taurus Libra
Aries Scorpio
Pisces Sagittarius
Aquarius Capricorn

Now the order and structure of the zodiac in relation to the planets
and Fluids can become clear to the mind. The Sun as the condenser
of the pure Electric Fluid generates only one sign, Leo, and the
Moon as condenser of the pure Magnetic Fluid again only one sign,
Cancer. The first pair of two signs underneath Cancer and Leo are
Gemini and Virgo, the signs of the zodiac ruled by Mercury, which is
the first planet in the order of planets from the Sun in the solar
system. Thus, Mercury generates or 'rules' an Air sign, Gemini, and
an Earth sign, Virgo. About twice as far out from the Sun as Mercury
we find the next planet, Venus, so the next two signs, Taurus and
Libra, are given to her. After Earth (which is at the centre of the
zodiac) we have Mars, so it generates Aries and Scorpio, followed by
Jupiter, so Pisces and Sagittarius, then Saturn, which rules Aquarius
and Capricorn, which lie next to one another and close the
continuum of the zodiac.

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 Sign Sign Ruling Planet
Cancer Leo The Lights
Gemini Virgo Mercury
Taurus Libra Venus
Aries Scorpio Mars
Pisces Sagittarius Jupiter
Aquarius Capricorn Saturn

Thus, each of the 7 traditional planets, except the Sun and Moon
which are the sources of the Fluids, express themselves as both an
Electric and Magnetic sign. The Electrically based signs spring from
the Fire and Air Elements (although Air is neutral it carries a slight
Electric emphasis), while the Magnetically based through Water and
Earth signs (Earth is ElectroMagnetic but with a slight Magnetic
emphasis). The sequential current of the zodiac alternates between
the two, Electric/Magnetic, giving it great stability. Gemini (Air) is
the Electric manifestation of Mercury, while Virgo (Earth) is the
Magnetic — both are also Reactive signs, so the Fluids expressed as
signs by Mercury are mercurial and keep things in flux. Taurus
(Stable Earth) is the Magnetic expression of Venus, Libra (Active
Air) the Electric. Aries (Active Fire) is the Electric expression of
Mars, Scorpio (Stable Water) the Magnetic. Pisces (Reactive Water)
is the Magnetic expression of Jupiter, Sagittarius (Reactive Fire) is
the Electric (both of which are Reactive, like the signs of Mercury,
but involving different Elements), and the Electric sign of Saturn,
Aquarius (Stable Air), lies next to the Magnetic, Capricorn (Active
Earth). This whole transition and translation of the Fluids from the
Lights outwards to Saturn through the structure of the zodiac
represents the dynamic of Light (essence) turning to Darkness (form)
and vice versa, mirroring the activity of the two Fluids as they
interact with one another on a universal scale.
In essence, using the pattern provided by groups of stars each of
the Electric and Magnetic expressions of the visible planets gives
form to one of the 12 astra-mental intelligences which make up the
zodiac, from which all human character traits are drawn. For
example, the beings of Scorpio are the Magnetic beings of Mars, or
rather those that have dealings with the planet Earth. Our human
interaction with these beings, along with their own delight and
dedication in fulfilling their purpose in interacting with us, have over
the millennia given rise to the structure we call the western tropical
zodiac. Thus, the stars of the ecliptic and the 2 Fluids as expressed
through the 5 visible planets and the 2 Lights are the core structure of
the zodiac, the 4 Elements and 3 modes are its substructure and the

45
12 signs are its outer structure. The zodiac is a living, self aware
Fluidic continuum, an emanation of the stars and the visible planets
given symbolic form by the rotation of the Earth around the Sun and
our interaction with it. This structuring of the Earth's zodiac also
gives rise to the essential nature of the aspects used in astrology, the
angular relationships between different objects in the chart, so I will
revisit this topic in the discussion of aspects later. I have also given
more information on the 12 signs of the zodiac in the section of
techniques for the Dragon's keys.

THE TEMPLES
Aside from its rotation around the Sun which gives form to the
seasons and the zodiac the Earth also rotates on its own axis. This
rotation every 24 hours causes the Sun, Moon and planets to appear
to rise in the east, climb the ecliptic into the sky, and then descend it
into the west where they disappear from view, but eventually return
to rise in the east again. Thus, even though each of the planets moves
around the Sun at different speeds and thus each appears to be
travelling through the zodiac at a different rate, with Saturn taking
the longest at 28-30 years but the Moon only about 28 days, they all
appear to arc across the sky every day at the same rate of speed.
Saturn can be creeping along in the zodiac, but every 24 hours, he
will rise, culminate, set and then reappear in the sky just like the Sun
and at relatively the same speed as the Sun as far as the human eye
can discern. This is why the stars seem to move faster than the Moon
when we watch the night sky for any extended length of time. The
stars seem to move towards, penetrate and emerge from the Moon,
fertilising her.
It is also worth meditating on the fact that as they move through
the zodiac in one direction, very slowly inching their way around it
from Aries to Pisces, the Lights and planets are seemingly being
pulled every day in the opposite direction by the rotation of the Earth
on its axis, creating a dynamic tension between the two directions of
movement. For example, let us picture Saturn in Aries directly above
our heads. He is trying to move through Aries to Taurus, very slowly.
We can see Taurus is in front of us about half way between Aries and
the eastern horizon. It will take him about 7 years to get to that
region of space. But if we wait and watch the sky, Aries and Taurus
will seem to shift dragging Saturn with them, until they begin to set
in the west and he is gone with them. When we see him the next day
rising in the east, he will have made a tiny progress forwards in Aries
towards Taurus, but not much.

46
 These two types of motion, one generated by Earth's daily rotation
and one by the rotation of planets around the Sun, are called primary
and secondary motion and they are involved in the generation of
physical effects upon the Earth — they create a charge, a tension
which is absent when planets are retrograde (appearing to move
backwards in the zodiac because of the perspective we have from
Earth — only Sun and Moon are never retrograde). When planets are
appearing to move backwards in the zodiac the dynamic tension
generated by the interaction of primary and secondary motion is
nullified and this results in a grinding withdrawal of the planet's
entire account from material issues, it takes a vacation, so to speak, a
periodic factor which causes disruptions and problems with physical
travel and communication during Mercury retrograde periods, and so
on.
Where the phenomena of the Earth moving round the Sun gives us
12 signs, the phenomena of the Earth turning on its axis - the rising
of the Lights and planets every day and their setting in the west
called primary motion - gives us the notion of 12 houses in astrology,
divisions of the sky into regions wherein the planets can be found in
relation to a specific time and place. Each of the houses is given a
specific area of human life which it is expressive of. The area of the
7`h house, for example, is the sky just above the western horizon, and
is given to the activity of relating to others, while planets in the 4th,
which is far below the horizon and thus underneath the birth place, is
given to home and family. My notes on these 12 zones are given later
in the book.
The primary places in the sky are the places where objects pivot in
relation to the horizon, that is, the eastern horizon where things begin
to rise, the west where they set, the pivot at the top of the heavens
where they begin to descend, and the pivot at the bottom where they
begin to rise. These are the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses.
Historically the houses developed before the use of the ecliptic out
of the observances of early astromagical traditions like those of the
Babylonians and Egyptians. These early cultures and tribes, which
include all aboriginal peoples who followed the movements of the
sky, understood that if they did not do so their world would literally
end in chaos, the story of The People becoming unhinged from that
of the gods in the heavens. So they watched the emerging sky story
intently, comparing the rising, culmination and setting of the planets
against the backdrop of star constellations and noting the events that
took place in the material world, offering sacrifices to ensure that
immortal beings would be appeased or rise again to visibility. The

47
constellation we call Orion, for example, was taken by the Egyptian
astrologer-magicians to literally be Osiris, the Father of all Pharaohs,
and so activity involving the visible planets or the Lights in these
constellations were taken to be signs of events involving the God-
King Pharaohs, such as their birth or ascension into the heavens.
As the Earth moved around the Sun different constellations were
seen to rise and set before the Sun or to journey with it, setting the
tone for different times of year and the hours of the day, even
different epochs as the scenery changed over centuries. At certain
times, some constellations would seem to remain in the sky all night,
joining the Eternals (the stars that never rose or set at that latitude of
location, who thus remained in the heavens for eternity, such as
Polaris), but eventually some of these stars would navigate the night
sky until they appeared in the west just before sunrise and would
then disappear from view, entering the Underworld, which meant
they had left the Heavens (they are hidden in daylight and thus
would no longer be listening to supplication) and were walking
among us. The epic story of the sky became wedded to physical
happenings, which is the source of much mythology and legend,
including some of the stories in the Bible such as the bright star and
the shepherds of the nativity, the 'fall' of Atlantis and the mythos of a
resurrected god, to name just a few.
Also evolving out of this epic sky mythos came the journey of Ra
and other Solar deities, the Sun, who in the Egyptian universe
travelled the heavens in a fiery boat, appearing in the east every day
in a blaze of light with his planetary passengers for that day (those
planets which rose before the Sun were 'in the boat of Ra'), the entire
entourage climbing and finally sinking into the west — 'dying' - to
journey through the Underworld before being reborn again the next
day — proof of immortality, like that of the stars. To mark the stages
of this celestial journey as well as the hours of the day, division of
the sky into zones was formulated throughout the ancient
astromagical cultures — the basis of the 12 houses we have today.
So the houses originated in the observance of the motion of stars
and planets through the zones of the sky as the Earth turned on its
axis, i.e. out of primary motion, while the zodiac emerged as a result
of the Earth's rotation around the Sun, i.e. out of secondary motion.
The zodiac and the houses measure two different but interlocking
dimensions of time relative to the position of Earth and Sun which
we know as the cycles of the day and the year. However because the
position of a planet or star in the sky is relative to the observers
location and the time of day as well as to the date of the year, the

48
 positioning of celestial objects in houses is unique not just to a
specific time, but also a geographical location. The positions of
planets in the zodiac do not change much over the course of a day,
meaning everyone born on the same day of any particular year will
have very similar planetary astrology (the astrology of that day), but
through the primary motion of the houses this fundamental astrology
is made entirely specific to a place on the surface of the Earth and a
specific time in that day. The houses thus materialise the astral Light
into Earthly manifestation, they personalise it. They are a forum that
step down the cosmic charge of the motion of the heavens and
translate vast and impersonal planetary energies into human
experiences — into temporal space. This is why I have chosen in my
own practice to call them temples, because rather than simply 'house'
the planetary energies, they also bring it within reach of our grasp,
they evoke it into a sacred space. They are the areas of earthly life in
which we can meet with the gods, the planets and Lights, while the
signs are the places in astra-mental life in which we meet them. The
temples are constructs in which our 'deities' are 'worshipped' and
experienced physically — the analogies associated with these temples
are influenced by human desires, they reflect human concepts and
experiences, and their meaning emerges through the ages with
human societies as a result. Another reason I use the word 'temple' is
to emphasise that the physical universe — the realm of time and
sequence called the Earth Zone by Bardon - is a sacred space into
which the Divine emanates.
The 12 signs of the zodiac and the 12 temples with their two
motions interlock in the birth chart and are represented in a two
dimensional image, the circle of the birth chart, with the planets
placed in the appropriate degree of the zodiac and thus into a temple.
But the boundaries of temples have no physical representation in our
world - unlike the zodiac which has a physical representation in the
stars of the zodiacal constellations, we cannot point to anywhere in
the material world for its physical roots or the places where one
temple begins and another ends — so the evolution of different
systems for calculating the cusps or beginning points of the temples
has emerged. The earliest and simplest method was to simply
observe which sign was rising in the east and then call that sign the
sign of the 1St temple, regardless of which degree of that sign was
rising. In the Hellenistic era this began to develop into the numerous
house calculation systems we have today, as the temples were then
beginning to be calculated with reference to the actual degree that
was rising and using more intellectually complex methods of

49
calculating the other temple cusps, a trend which grew more
elaborate over the centuries to the point today where astrologers are
often accused of having 'fudged' the issue, at least intellectually, and
do not universally agree on which to use, even though they do agree
for the most part on what each temple involves. Many western
astrologers today use the Placidus system like I do, but by no means
all, and it doesn't really matter which one is used so long as it is
shown to work, because we are dealing with a magical universe full
of symbolic meaning rather than a mechanistic one run purely by
mathematics.
The important aspect of temples is that they personalise the
meaning of that day to a specific time and place on the Earth, the
moment and place of birth. They act to ground the astral Light of the
planets into areas of life experience. There are two ways in which
this happens. First, the planets are placed inside specific temples, and
thus given a task to focus on. Mars placed in the 11th temple will be
busy with networking, friends and alliances, for example. The
essential meaning of the sign that Mars is found in with respect to the
zodiac shows the Elemental qualities he will employ in this area of
life. Mars in Aries in the 1 1 th, for example, can show someone
needing to encounter confrontation, the need for fearlessness and
competition in their allies, and such a person may then find
themselves drawn into contact with the armed forces. This is still
their choice, not something that has been ordered from the cosmos,
but something they have done with the general imperative they are
given, a pattern their evolving soul is involved with. If the same
Mars in the 11th is in home loving Cancer instead, the impetus to do
something with friends will still be there but the astra-mental
qualities will be entirely different, they are more driven to take care
of and protect their friends as if they were family members and this
imperative being different will more incline them to stay away from
conflict, but not necessarily as other chart factors can change the
tone of Mars or the 11th temple and lead the person into service to
defend their homeland, for example.
So the first way the temples channel down the meaning of the day
is through the positions of the planets themselves, by which temple
they are in. Some astrologers, myself included, have noted that this
question is not always technically clear cut, and that planets
approaching a new temple start to behave differently and take on the
qualities of the following temple. The cusps of the temples are not
`on-off' switches, nor is astrology a clockwork perfection, the
temples are a continuum like the zodiac and life experience, and

50
therefore in practice the influence of the next temple starts to take
over about 5 degrees prior to the actual degree where it technically
begins.
The second way the temples personalise the planetary forces is
through the zodiac. As I explained previously, the signs of the zodiac
are ruled by the Lights and the visible planets. If a sign is placed over
the cusp of a certain temple it confers rulership of that territory to its
planetary ruler. Thus, if the sign of Leo is seen on the 5th temples
cusp, then the Sun becomes the symbolic ruler of the 5th temple, its
significator. Since there were only 7 visible bodies in the sky and 12
signs and temples, this allowed astrologers to delineate the matters of
life represented by temples which had no planets placed within them.
If the 9th temple is empty, then to analyse the matters of that area of
life the astrologer looks to the planet which rules the sign which
begins or opens the 9th temple.
Thus, the temples give an earthly function to the astra-mental
processes indicated by signs and the dimensions of experience
represented by the planets and Lights. The temples are regions of the
sky which assign rulership of various areas of life to the Lights and
planets — they give them a dharma, a job which they then employ
their essential nature in. Venus, for example, is always the planet of
love, of feeling itself, but through the primary motion of the temples,
which revolve every 24 hours with the rotation of the Earth, she can
be assigned a number of the 12 dharmas or duties in the horoscope,
perhaps to develop feelings in the field of creativity and art (by being
in the 5th temple), in terms of caring for the body (by being ruler of
the 6th), or in face to face relationships (the 7th), or through parental
experience (4th), etc. She will take a combination of some of the 12
temples and blend them together.
Through both these ways the planets and Lights step down their
influence by taking on board material purposes. The Lights most
often take only 2, the other planets commonly take 3. Thus through
the interplay between these three dimensions of planets, signs and
temples, astrology already begins to reveal a rich tapestry of
meanings being woven together in time and space, in a simple 2D
image. However, this is only the beginning of the basic properties of
its elegant symbolic complexity and richness.

51
THE ASPECTS

Astrologers measure the distance between two bodies in terms of

the 360 degrees of the zodiac and call some of these distances
'aspects'. An aspect has an inherent property through which the
meaning of the planets in signs and temples will travel and interact.
The meaning of one part of the chart will connect with the meanings
of other parts of the chart through lines of connection like wires in a
board.
Thus, if two planets are 180 degrees away from one another, they
will be on opposite sides of the circle of the zodiac (and so on
opposite sides of the Earth) and astrologers call this aspect an
opposition. This is generally taken as a relationship of polarised
differences, an aspect of tension. It involves denial as one side or the
other of the opposition assumes dominance while the other is
projected onto others or onto external circumstances, resulting in a
need for balance so that a stabilised form can emerge involving both
of the opposing drives — the centre of the see-saw must be located
and sat upon to avoid going up and down. This is never easy, as it is
a juggling act of some kind that requires continuous attention. The
opposition is also an aspect which emphasises one of the Fluids as it
will naturally only occur in Earth/Water or Fire/Air combinations,
these Elements lying opposite one another in the zodiac. The two
signs of the opposition also involve the same modality — both of
them will be Active, Stable or Reactive.
At half this distance, 90 degrees apart, the aspect is called a
square. This aspect is regarded as one of abrasive friction, challenge
and open conflict between the two principles involved. The square is
a dynamic, energy releasing configuration which shakes things up
and heralds change for both principles, sometimes one more than the
other, and also brings the pressure that brings this change about as an
urgent need — it is inherently about crises, the square is a sharp, 90
degree turning point with the breaks cut. It gives great energy, often
an over stimulus, along with the potential for continuous forward
momentum in a certain area. It naturally occurs in combinations
which involve different Elements and Fluids (the only major aspect
to involve both Fluids), such as Fire/Water or Air/Earth, but the two
signs involved will share a modality like the opposition so they are
taking a different approach to different goals with different Elements
and Fluids but using the same methodology.
At 120 degrees, the aspect is called a trine. This is a completely
different aspect than the square or opposition. It is a relationship

52
 wherein the triangulation of the two principles results in a relaxed
flow of both which does not require conscious effort to maintain. The
word often used to describe a trine is 'harmonious' and there is some
truth in this in that the two principles are harmonically attuned like
two voices rising in harmony, complementing one another, but the
common misconception is that this is a wholly 'good' or 'lucky'
aspect and that charts with many trines are 'blessed'. Trines are
inherently lazy and indulgent, they expect things to go their way, and
tend to squander what they have. The trine is essentially about
building a form which actively channels the planet's harmony rather
than wastes it, but it does not provide the motivation to do so, so a
wash of trines over a chart often indicate a person or situation that is
too easygoing and just keeps drifting, going with the flow and never
seizing the day. Trines emphasise just one of the 4 Elements and thus
one of the Fluids because the 3 signs of each Element are all in trine
naturally in the zodiac — Earth sign Virgo is in trine to both other
Earth signs, and all three of the Water signs are in trine, etc.
However, the modalities of the two principles in trine will be
different, for example, Active Air with Stable Air, thus the trine
indicates different methods working in harmony.
At 60 degrees a sextile occurs and this is considered similar to the
trine but 'weaker' — a value judgement that is only partially true and
does not help students to understand what it signifies. The essence of
a sextile is stimulus which attracts. It is a relationship in which the
two principles arouse one another into invigoration and excitation
but lack objectivity and a purpose other than to keep the stimulation
going. The sextile needs, like the trine, to be given a focus beyond its
own existence like a pair of lovers enchanted by the glamour of loves
spell. If this is achieved it becomes highly creative and acts to attract
situations which keep it stimulated without becoming indulgently
jaded. Otherwise it tends to amount to a lot of thunder and no
lightning, a flash in the pan. It is an opportunistic aspect which
emphasises different modalities and different Elements of the same
Fluid, thus Fire/Air or Water/Earth combinations.
Finally at 0 degrees two planets form a conjunction, an aspect of
binding in which two principles fuse themselves together into a
unified field, a synthesis. Aside from this quality the results of
conjunctions are perhaps more neutral than any other aspect and
depend largely on the nature of the two principles being conjoined
and the ability of the subject to handle the concentration of energy
they bring. A common need with many conjunctions is to learn how
to separate one thing from another, e.g. the feelings from the

53
thoughts, so that greater clarity can be gained, but essentially they
are about bringing things together, merging them into a synthesised
whole. It places emphasis on one Fluid, one Element and one
modality - in short, it emphasises oneness.

d Conjunction (0 degrees): synthesis, fusion, oneness. The same Fluid,

Element and modality.
* Sextile (60 degrees): invigoration, enchantment, excitation. The same
Fluid, different Elements and modalities.
O Square (90 degrees): friction, challenge, creative pressure. Different
Fluids and Elements, but the same modality.
A Trine (120 degrees): harmony, co-operation, flowing. Same Fluid and
Element, but a different modality.
• Opposition (180 degrees): tension, polarisation, projection. Same Fluid,
different Element, same modality.

These are considered the major aspects by the majority of

astrologers, and have been for centuries, and there is no doubt that
these angular relationships are very significant. They reflect the
power and magic of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 as they divide the
circle into these segments. Mysteriously, the aspect of 72 degrees
which divides the circle by 5 is omitted from general use and comes
up only in rare instances, having little to no traditional background.
Some other aspects are also used in support of the major ones,
especially in modern times, the most widespread of which are those
of 30 degrees (division by 12) and 150 degrees.
Why 150? The answer helps us to penetrate the other mystery
about the missing significance of the number 5. The base numerical
unit of the zodiac is the number 3 - 12 signs of 30 degrees each. The
reason for the 5th harmonic - called a quintile aspect - being largely
omitted from practice even though it divides the circle evenly while
the inconjunct of 150 which does not finds greater mention is that
astrologers are trained to count in terms of entire signs rather than
degrees when looking for aspects. Signs are always 30 degrees each
in length, so the unit of 30 degrees becomes the factor which is used
to delineate the major aspects:

0 degrees - conjunction d
30 degrees - semisextile
60 degrees - sextile *
90 degrees - square 0
120 degrees - trine A
150 degrees - inconjunct
180 degrees - opposition ef

54
 This helps us to understand something of the basic dynamics
involved in astrology and why the quintile of 72 degrees has not
been given much credence, but it doesn't fully explain why
astrologers have been trained to think in terms of signs when it
comes to aspects. The common apprehension is that these aspects are
just the easiest to recognise when glancing at a chart and that it stems
from the use of the whole sign house system popularly practised in
the ancient world where degrees were not counted in aspects at all -
aspects were made from one entire sign to another, i.e. everything in
Virgo was in trine to everything in the other Earth signs, Taurus and
Capricorn, regardless of whether there actually is an angle of 120
degrees between them - but the root of this approach is in more than
just the ease with which it affords a visual recognition of aspects to
take place. It is rooted in the structure of the zodiac itself, along with
the inherent nature and quality of the most used aspects.
As was shown earlier, the zodiac is an earthbound expression of
the Fluids through the visible planets and its structure can be seen as
flowing from the two signs which are generated by the local roots of
these Fluids, the Sun and Moon, which are Cancer and Leo. On the
table below I have reproduced this structure and added the aspects
which tie into it:

Sign Sign I Ruling Planet Aspect Nature

Cancer Leo The Lights Conjunction (0) Fusion,
as
..0 ,12 DI0 cf synthesis,
unity.
Gemini Virgo Mercury Semisextile (30) Inquiry,
II ITV V y mimicry.
Taurus Libra Venus Sextile (60) Invigoration,
d ..,.
9 4* excitation.
Aries Scorpio Mars Square (90) Friction,
T rn, cf 0 dynamism.
Pisces Sagittarius Jupiter Trine (120) Harmony,
3E pz 2i- A commonality.
Aquarius Capricorn Saturn Opposition (180) Polarisation,
II t: d' tension,
balance.

The aspects have been added according to how far apart the two
signs are from those of Cancer and Leo. The count goes
anticlockwise from the Moon's sign and clockwise from the Sun's
sign. For example, in the row for Venus, her two signs are given as

55
Taurus and Libra. Taurus is 60 degrees anticlockwise away from
Cancer, and Libra 60 degrees from Leo, therefore, this row is given
the sextile aspect. The two signs of Mars, Aries and Scorpio, give us
the square because Aries is 90 degrees from Cancer and Scorpio is
90 degrees from Leo. We can regard the semi-sextile as having a
mental influence and to be fleeting (reactive), changing its inherent
nature in response to stimulus — which explains why in practice it is
not given much attention.
Because the visible planets and Lights are the generating factors of
the zodiac — they split their expression into Magnetic and/or Electric
signs — it is also primarily they that lend their qualities to the aspects.
So the sextile has the qualities of Venus (the two planets feel like
they are falling for one another), but not really of her signs Taurus
and Libra. The opposition has the nature of Saturn (the two planets
are distant and often burdened with carrying one another until
balance is found), not so much the nature of Capricorn and Aquarius.
But if Saturn happens to be involved in an opposition while in
Capricorn or Aquarius, or Venus involved in a sextile while in Taurus
or Libra, the themes of that planet will be especially strong in that
interaction. Astrology is all about a confluence of forces interacting
all together and when inclinations are supported and then reinforced
they gather weight and significance.
This also means that the aspects of 72 degrees and 150 degrees
and many others used today have no inherent planetary nature — they
do not have an essential nature which connects them to the essential
nature of a visible planet or the Lights. This doesn't mean that
aspects without planetary natures are ineffective, however, or that we
should ignore them, merely that they have a less readily identifiable
significance. In fact every degree of separation from 0 to 359 has a
significance; since the zodiac is a continuum where all points are
touching all other points it must ultimately be considered a whole
wherein all its functioning parts are in contact with and aware of one
another. Every degree of a circle — in this case the zodiac - is in a
relationship with every other degree. The zodiac — and the
astrological chart — is not made of bits fused together, but is a
functioning whole, a continuum. However, astrologers have
identified the key relationships which exist in the zodiac as a means
to sift the sieve of the finer details so that the fundamentals can be
seen.
I hope to have done the same for the fundamental principles of
astrology in this analysis of the planets, the signs, temples and
aspects. Once we understand the basic polarity of the sky - night and

56
 day - is speaking to us about a basic polarity of existence — the Fluids
— we can see how in the continuum of the zodiac surrounding the
Earth these substances are expressed through the planets as Elements
which animate the astra-mental planes with a specific symbolic
meaning which is then rooted into the Earth through the life activities
called the temples. In this model of the structure of the zodiac the
primacy and overwhelming significance of the Lights is restored as
their ownership of one sign instead of two clearly identifies them as
the core from which the outer branches stem. Furthermore, their
primacy in the aspects is clear, as they lend the conjunction not only
a life giving illumination but also the nature of unifying things, of
synthesising them into the astral awareness of the personality or soul
and the consciousness of the individual. This is why the conjunction
is the basis for the 26 keys and why the Light keys are heavily
employed in every working with them.
Taken together, the interlocking layers of meaning provided by
planets, signs, temples and aspects comprise the basic building
blocks of astrology and weave a rich, symbolic tapestry which can
reflect a great number of different potential expressions. The art of
the astrologer is to match this tapestry of symbolic meaning to the
experience and existence of the entity it describes, to gauge how the
individual is interacting with this tapestry and thus how it is
manifesting in their lives, making reference to the current or future
symbolic tapestry we will experience to do so. My own method for
doing so has already been described, but most astrologers arrive at
this point by interacting with the subject of the chart face to face,
talking it over with them, explaining the symbolism and gauging
their responses to it, or simply considering the chart and its
implications as a whole. Some astrologers find this very easy — often
those who already have an innate understanding of human nature
and/or symbolism — and others will sometimes employ psychic
faculties if they have them. Those who do not have such advantages
must rely on a gradual process of accumulating experience with
charts and people to acquire them, but significantly, even an absolute
beginner at the subject with a minimum of knowledge can frequently
and accurately point to the areas of life where the individual is
focused, and make seemingly magical and startling predictions about
that persons life. They could easily be able to say, for example, that a
person they have never met is heavily involved with making as much
money as they can, that another is a sensitive artistic soul, or that the
year 1992 was a huge year that changed everything for a third,
because general patterns, unlike specifics, are crystal clear. But the

57
public and science has always demanded more. In many respects
using astrology this way is like being a weather forecaster and being
asked to tell when and where the first drop of rain will fall when
there is a heavy cloud over Europe. We know there is rain, and that
it's in Europe, but that is as safe a bet as it gets.
The person who draws up their chart on a whim and flips through
its meanings in a book will have their first taste of the magic of
astrology, the magic of realising that it is real. This is a magic where
the universe can come alive again, a moment when, as Kahlil Gibran
wrote, "the soul glimpses itself as eternity gazing into a mirror".
Exploring this magic and learning about astrology on the way is the
path you will take if you follow the instructions outlined in the
remainder of this book. They utilise the fact that the sea of essential
meaning is always changing, as the planets are always moving, the
Earth turning, and that as movements in the ocean ripple outwards,
they reach the shores of you and I, making contact with the worlds
within us, which they resonate with. In this way, we can interact with
what we came with, as well as what we are becoming, and we can
move in harmony with what is as we discover what we are: eternal
life.

58
 THE 26 KEYS
The study of astrology is a study of life, or rather, its dynamic
structure. It is a look into the patterns of life and the cyclical but ever
changing nature of the universe, a sea of eternal movement, and our
birth chart is just a snapshot taken of a single moment in this infinite
ebb and flow. The birth chart encapsulates and crystallises the
essence of the moment and the place we are born, and so describes
`us' as we are in relation to the universe spatially and temporally. We
do not arrive as completely blank slates; we come with physical,
emotional and mental qualities that we learn to express or repress
within the framework of our environmental experiences. We become
living embodiments of the universe as it existed at the time and place
we entered it. As Jung said, what is born of this moment has the
qualities of this moment, and there is never another moment exactly
like this one.
Yet even though the birth chart is a depiction of a
multidimensional field of continuously shifting patterns, it is still
only a static, two-dimensional form, and is limited by this form, most
especially in showing the influence of time, the temporal sphere, and
the emergence of the pattern we are born with into the future. We are
not frozen in time and space, we move through it in an eternal now,
experiencing the ever changing flow moving through us, but the birth
chart only shows us the frozen moment of the beginning of all the
cycles, the filters through which the flow of events will always
move. This results in astrologers telling people what their chart
means and the static fixing of identities with simplistic catchphrases
like 'I am a Scorpio'.
The 26 keys attempt to address this deficiency. They align us with
astrological influences in the temporal flow and enable us to
synthesise them as they occur, using the personalised matrix we
inherit at birth. In application, the keys have the effect of focusing
our attention on specific areas of life at specific times, gradually
harmonising us with our astrology in a natural progression that is
assisted by the universe. They teach us to see our lives not as a
random series of events but as a nexus through which interlocking
cycles are continually playing out. Perceiving these cycles opens us
to an awareness of ourselves as being part of a larger and more
contextualised whole — it lends fluidity to our notion of self identity

59
 At

and gives meaning to life by revealing its shape through time. By

orientating ourselves in the horoscope through time, we can learn to
more fully interact with the universe directly, and astrology comes to
life. Perhaps most importantly, in a world where astrology is largely
practised through written reports by remote 'experts', the techniques
supplied for working with the 26 keys put you back in the centre of
everything, they take the astrologer out of the central role of
analysing what the birth chart means and making predictions from it
and place this responsibility in your hands. The interpretation of
your birth chart by an astrologer can then be used as a guide through
which you can make your own connections with the planetary
principles directly, and learn from them what they mean in your life.
Astrologers have always used planetary cycles and the
relationships these have to our original astrological character to make
forecasts and predictions. The main techniques western astrologers
use are called transits and progressions. The keys utilise these
techniques but go beyond them through means of an experiential
system of interaction with them. The 26 keys can be used to make
predictions, although the picture they will reveal will be far from
complete, because they are not primarily intended as an oracular
tool. When used purely as an oracular tool, they will show only a
number of major events, not all of them, and you will experience
difficulty in correctly interpreting astrological symbols into specific
details. However given the interest in this area most people naturally
have, I describe in the following pages a workable method of using
the 26 keys as a simple and basic oracular tool, through which
accurate but general forecasts of future trends can easily be made.
The main focus of the instructions which follow, however, will focus
on using the 26 keys to synthesise with astrological influences. This
is a practise which gradually transforms the various levels of being
through contact with planetary principles.
To create the keys you will need a copy of your birth chart and an
ephemeris which preferably covers 85 years of your life or more.
This ephemeris must include Chiron and the Moon's nodes, as must
the copy of your birth chart. These can both be obtained by free
online services, but I recommend you obtain printed copies of them
(which likely means paying for an ephemeris or two, since one may
not cover the time you need). I recommend you use a midnight
ephemeris (with GMT positions for midnight), as this will make your
calculations easier. If you are creating the keys without a word
processor you should also have a medium to large size notebook in
which you will write down the keys and about half a dozen or more

60
 different coloured pens (although this is not necessary, it will help
with visual identification when you are working with the keys). Once
you have these you can go on to begin creating the first keys and are
only a short time from being able to begin with the most basic
practices.
Before learning about the creation of the keys it will be helpful to
have some familiarity with the concepts and terms which are behind
them, most of which are astrological in basis but some of which are
not, so before you learn about the keys some information will be
given about the various parts that they consist of. In 'Understanding
the 26 keys' you will learn about the basic principles and terms used
throughout your experience with the keys, in both building them and
interacting with them (called 'turning the keys'). A description,
definition and breaking down of each of these words and phrases will
be given so that we have a language with which we can discuss the
ideas simply. In addition, to help you read your chart I have provided
a glossary of the astrological symbols we will use at the back of this
book.
In the chapters ahead I will take you through the creation of each
tool you will use in an order which builds naturally. Later, each key
has a description of its essential meaning, suggestions for use and in
some cases an example. As an illustration I will provide a step by
step creation of all 26 keys for the chart of Paramahansa Yogananda,
the beloved teacher who brought the philosophy of India to the west,
whom I will hereafter refer to as Babaji out of love for both him and
my fingers.
The first key you will learn to construct is really just a basis from
which the remaining keys are most easily created. It is called the
master key, is the simplest key to create and will make your work
constructing the 26 keys much easier. The master key is also useful
to have if you do not decide to create the keys yourself (for example,
if you decide to have an astrologer calculate the keys for you) as it
will be needed in the creation of Magnetic conductors in step 5
(which you could also ask an astrologer for help with on a regular
basis, thus dispensing with the need for the master key).
After the master key, which will take very little time to create, you
will use it to make the next tool, the Solar map, which is a conductor
- a component which allows you to turn the keys - but it can also be
turned by itself and thus gets you going as quickly as possible. It is
very simple to create and will allow you to immediately begin with
the most basic practical work in exploring the magic of the astral
Light. It is advised that you do not wait to construct any of the keys

61
before you begin working with the Solar map as it is the core around
which much of the other work you do will be built around, so the
sooner you begin work with it the better. The technique you learn
here is a fundamental technique that will be used throughout your
life with astrology as a practice. It is the heart-star. I will show you
how to apply this technique in two different ways, one which
generates an astra-mental effect (one you can mentally and
emotionally sense), the other an astra-physical effect (one you can
physically feel). It may take some time before you are consciously
aware of these effects, however.
You will then learn how to create the two Light keys, and
depending on you this may require some time to grasp or it may be
immediately apparent. If it confuses you, don't despair! I will try to
simplify it as much as possible and ultimately you do not have to do
all or even any of the legwork yourself, there are other options.
Following the construction of the Light keys, you will learn about
two more types of conduction for turning the keys (each of which is
a simple adaptation of the technique you have already learned but
which brings about a different result), providing you with a total of 3
types of conduction and 2 ways to employ each of them, and these
methods will again be used throughout the 26 keys — they are the
same methods used in turning any of the keys. If it is possible given
your current astrology, immediate practise at this level will then
begin using the Light keys.
Having learned how to create the Solar map and the two Light
keys and to turn them in a multitude of ways you will then discover
how to create the remaining keys, using the methods you have
learned in creating the Light keys. I will show you how to create
them all at once using the master key, saving a great deal of time.
You will then be able to turn all these keys with the conduction
methods taught to you, opening up a vast realm of possibilities, at
least one of which you are very likely to be able to begin working
with immediately. Some final advice concerning the keys and signs
will then be given which you can apply to the practice
All 26 keys will then be presented and described in the groups
they belong to: 'Temple keys', 'Light keys' Inner world keys',
`Mediator keys' or 'Outer world keys', followed by 3 more keys, one
which relates to the mediators and outer worlds, and two which
relate to the Lights, each of which have important functions but
which do not truly belong to any of these categories. If you wish to
go in blind and make your own discoveries about astrology without
any preconceptions, ignore this entire section. You could also read

62
 the relevant parts of this section as you come to experience them
yourself in the practical work, using it as a kind of hitch hikers guide.
This is the bulk of the book. It is a sharing of what I have learned
from my own experience. The techniques and suggestion given for
each key are only a starter kit, a tiny selection of the vast possibilities
that can be discovered with a little sprinkling of your own
imagination.
Following the description of all the keys, in the third and final part
of the book I present some advanced material, discussing
possibilities for anyone wishing to take the work further, including
turning the keys with other methods, exploring them systematically
rather than engaging them as they become active by the natural flow
of time, involving stars in the turning of the keys and building and
working with other keys. This section contains a description of the
new solar system and the meaning of the objects which we have only
discovered in the last decade or so, and the remainder of the
instructions which complete the practice of the astral Light by
allowing you to interact with any and all kinds of astrological
influence, rather than the synthetic ones this book focuses on. This
gives you a complete system of practical astrology.
In creating the keys by the method I describe you will not gain the
same degree of accuracy in locating astrological effects as you would
by the services of a professional astrologer with a computer
programme that compiles the information quickly and nearly
flawlessly, but as you will see you do not need such a high degree of
technical accuracy in practical work with the keys because you are
working within a window of time that will capture it wherever it lies.
You only need to know the general time in which these effects are
active, not an exact one, and by creating the keys yourself you will
gain the benefit of perceiving a mathematical expression of the
patterns you will be working with. However, the help and services of
an astrologer can be extremely valuable and time saving in creating
the keys, especially the advanced work of step 8, which could take
many moons to finish by hand. So that people have the option of
beginning the work straight away without spending a considerable
amount of time creating the keys, I offer the reader the chance to
obtain an inexpensive computer generated report which contains all
the information they will need to begin as quickly as possible.
Instructions for ordering this report are found at the back of the book.
I have also listed the options that an astrologer must select to create
the keys using their own astrological software, so that any astrologer
can quickly and simply generate such a report.

63
 Paramahansa Yogananda
Jan 5 1893 NS, Thu 8:38 pm LMT -5:33:28
Gorakhpur, India 26°N45' 083°E22'
Geocentric, Tropical, Placidus, True Node

Name !Long. Pt. Name Long.

I Pt.
D Moon 25'41 35'49" )1( Uranus _.! 10°f11, 02
0 Sun 15°n 34'23" I T Neptune 08° II 59 P
Mercury 23°,21 17 kft, Pluto 08° II 11 13,
9 Venus 117°, 06 , Chiron 03°117 37 P
cr Mars 05°T 40 CI N. Node 05° tS 03 R
24. Jupiter 16°T 13 U S. Node 05°11 03
tz Saturn 12°-.t.= 35

rHs I Long. Hs Long.

1 1 28°S1 52 7 28°= 52
1
2 25°1117 10 8 25°X 10
3 25°-= 07 9 25°T 07
4 27°111, 13 10 27° t3 13
5 29° pa' 12 11 29°31 12
29°11 52 12 29°8'D' 52
 UNDERSTANDING THE 26 KEYS
A key is a list of astrological influences arranged in chronological
order from the day of your birth that relate to a specific area of life.
Each key relates to a different area or dimension of human
experience, but every key will overlap with at least one other and
share some qualities with other keys. A key will therefore have an
essential function which is entirely its own and universal for
everyone, and one or more other functions which it shares with other
keys and are yours alone. The essential function of a key will be the
same for each and every individual, but the personalised functions
will vary widely. Each of the astrological influences given in the key
will apply to and be useful for all its functions. So, for example, the
essential function of your Mars key will be the same for everyone,
being about what Mars does, but the other functions will be about
what he does for you, and the influences in the Mars key will involve
both being blended together.
Each key contains a list of influences. Most keys have around
twenty such influences stretched out from birth to a recommended
minimum of 85 years (or however long you decide the keys will
cover — I use 100 years of life in my general practice). Once the
advanced material from the last section is added the Moon key has
by far the most entries, but these entries can be split into several
blocks which make it easier to read. Each of the influences in a key
is written on a single line with the date upon which it is centred and
(if desired, and it will be helpful) your age at that time.
The long list of these entries resembles the shape of a key with
many teeth of differing lengths for turning in the keys lock, its areas
of life, on in other words for interacting with its primary and
secondary functions. Some entries are longer because of multiple
activations occurring — as you may remember from the theory
section, planets sometimes slow down or reverse their secondary
motion, and can 'hover' in the zodiac for long periods — this is
retrograde motion. These longer 'teeth' of each key [shown in
bracketed italics, but usually visually indicated by me through a red
highlight] are indicative of more intense and involved activations.
They are considered ideal for synthesis work because of their longer
span of influence allowing more frequent turnings of the key and
wider windows of opportunity with which to interact with it.
Here is Babaji's key of memory, a key which in its primary
function relates to his ability and opportunity to transform the
influence of his own past:

65
Activation Age
Uranus: 28 Dec 1896 [13 May 1897, 16 Oct 1897] 3-4
Saturn: 1 Jan 1897 [21 May 1897, 30 Sep 1897] 3-4
Chiron: 20 Jan 1898 [3 May 1898, 4 Oct 1898] 5
Jupiter: 12 Dec 1899 6
Jupiter: 27 Nov 1911 18
Jupiter: 12 Nov 1923 30
Saturn: 9 Nov 1926 33
Jupiter: 27 Oct 1935 42
Jupiter: 27 Feb 1947 [29 Mar 1947, 10 Oct 1947] 54
Chiron: 7 Nov 1948 55
Saturn: 16 Dec 1955 [23 Jun 1956, 5 Sep 1956] 62-63
Jupiter: 20 Jan 1959 [18 May 1959, 19 Sep 1959] 66
Neptune: 14 Dec 1968 [23 May 1969, 18 Oct 1969] 75-76
Jupiter: 30 Dec 1970 [4 ✓ul 1971, 14 Aug 1971] 77-78
Uranus: 10 Dec 1980 [10 Jun 1981, 26 Sep 1981] 87-88
Jupiter: 12 Dec 1982 89
Saturn: 2 Feb 1985 [10 Apr 1985, 24 Oct 1985] 92

In the example given in this book I will be using a span of 100

years for Babaji's life, even though he did not live beyond 60,
because it will be useful for illustrative purposes in some of the keys,
such as the Uranus key.
There are 17 influences in this particular key, which we will call
`activations'. In the 26 keys, I use the term 'activation' to signify a
stimulus and an opportunity to connect and interact with the area
being activated. Every activation is provided by a planet, referred to
as an 'activator', reaching a critical degree of the zodiac — a key.
Each key lists a sequence of these activations beginning with the
earliest and ending with the latest in life. Activation is simply a
moment when the flow of the universe is moving in a certain
direction through us. Simply put, an activation is one of the dates in
the key, during which a specific essential meaning will be presented
to you to synthesise into your life. The activations in each key
proceed in chronological sequence from the top to the bottom, and so
progress along it in life can be marked with a 'next activation'
marker which moves down the list as you grow older. Some people
find this disturbing, like watching sand run through the hourglass of
your life, but this is part of what the keys gift us with, an awareness
that we must seize the moment.
The 26 keys are made from the activations throughout life of the
most sensitive degrees in a birth chart, the degrees inhabited by
Lights, planets and temple (house) cusps. The activations of these
degrees are provided by a number of factors, mostly the continuously
moving current positions (transits) of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
Neptune, Pluto, and the planetoid Chiron — the activators. The

66
 , _1

activations of these 26 most sensitive points are made by these 6

bodies, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Chiron, as they
conjunct (reach the same degree of the zodiac as) one of these 26
most sensitive points. Simply put, the 26 keys are like a clock with
26 positions around the face (keys) and 6 major moving hands
(activators) with a few other smaller hands and some dials
(conductors and other optional components added in the advanced
work) all moving at different speeds, and sometimes even going
backwards. When any of the hands or dials reach a point on the clock
face, a synthesis occurs from the activation of that point by the
nature of the hand or dial pointing to it. A 'click' can be heard
coming from within the mechanism of the clock as two things lock
together. Often, due to the many numbers of hands and points on the
clock, several 'clicks' occur alongside each other to form a constant
shifting 'whir', a synthesis of many different astrological effects.
And sometimes, everything goes quiet, but things are continuously
ticking on. It is the shape of your birth chart which determines these
rhythms — it is inside the mechanics of the clock, co-ordinating it all.
Each of the 26 sensitive points or keys — the 'hours of the day' on
our clock face - has a different character, a different focus of
meaning, and each of the activators — the dozen or so hands which
point to the time - also has its own quality, which is what it uses to
activate the sensitive point when it reaches it. In fact, each of the
activators (our clock hands) also has a key named after it (an hour on
the clock) through which it can also be interacted with, and which it
is often also able to activate. So, Jupiter has a key, and it may be
activated by the hand of Jupiter, as well as by the hands of Saturn
and Pluto and the other activators. All the activations of the 26 points
by the activating planets are cyclic, the shortest complete orbital
period of all points being Jupiter's of about 12 years. In other words
it will take the hand on the clock face that is given to Jupiter about
12 years to go all the way around once. All of these activations are
also synthetic. They are activations in which astrological influences
can be synthesised into the various aspects of life and being, points at
which we can unite with planetary principles at different levels.
Every 'click' relates to unity, fusion and the onset of major cycles of
consciousness and astral awareness, to becoming personally and
individually aware of life and to integrating things into this
awareness.
We already recognise such cyclic activations in the form of the
birthday, the time when the Sun returns to the same place it was
when we were born; the hand of the Sun is then pointing at the clock

67
position of the Sun. On this day, attention centres and focuses itself
on us and there is a bright illumination of our life and its importance
to those who socially encircle it as a cycle ends and a new one
begins. Our conscious awareness (Sun) synthesises another year of
physical existence. We add another digit to a tally. In the same way,
the times when any of the activators reaches one of these sensitive
points signify stimulation in a certain way, a signpost within a cycle
in which something is synthesised. These activations, however, are
part of much larger cycles than a year, ones which do not occur with
the frequency of a birthday (the shortest as stated is Jupiter's of 12
years) and so frequently we do not recognise them easily because we
do not draw the connections that reveal an overarching scheme.
The 26 keys clearly show this scheme, by revealing the initiating
points of all the major cycles — the activations show the beginning
and thus the end of all the major natural cycles of life we encounter
in a span of human life, plus a few more. Each key clearly reveals all
the activations made in sequence, so by comparing life events with
times on the keys, you can track the development of these cycles in
your past as well as your future. You can see, for example, all the
activations Jupiter makes to the Sun key, 12 year intervals when vital
energies are boosted and you have an opportunity to unite more
consciously with Jupiter's principle, to fuse it to your consciousness
with the techniques I will describe for turning the keys. You can
begin to draw connections through time around these activations and
begin to perceive the astrological web that connects experience
through time and space. For example, you may note a pattern in
which Jupiter presents you with meaningful relationships that change
the way you look at yourself. Recognising these patterns is extremely
valuable and visually the keys enable such recognition quickly.
But the keys and activators show more than just when an
activation occurs and where its focus in life lies, they also show what
type of activation is occurring, what kind of patterns are being
brought to bear upon the key, and thus what is actually happening.
They show what, when and where: the why is up to you. The
activators used in the key are the answer to the 'what' part of this
information so their principles are important. It is the principle of the
activator (the hand of the clock) that acts upon the key (the position
on the clock face), not the other way around. The six main activators
have the following principles which must be remembered and
applied in each key (more will be said on these planets in the
description of their keys and you will learn the most directly from
them, this is your primer):

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Principles of Activating Planets

)=. 4. Jupiter: principle of commonality, benevolence, learning from

success or squandrance, enrichment, spiritual knowledge, expansion,
abundance, enlargement, the unstoppable growth of the natural order
and faith that life will deliver the needed goods, even if they are not what
we want. Activations by Jupiter will typically increase the quantity of
supply, forcing the need for restraint and the avoidance of waste. They
make things larger, more broad and inclusive, open doors to new
opportunities, attune us to future possibilities and can indicate problems
with overextension, indulgence and saturation. Jupiter activations serve
to broaden our experience and increase the flow of meaning in the key
being activated, but they can quickly grow beyond control due to rapid
scaling. They indicate lessons in moderation, being humble and
receptivity to abundance. It is the source of all needful things. The
periodicity or cycle of these activations is about 12 years.

➢ $ Saturn: principle of the crystallisation of form through the natural

order, maturity, mastery of time and reality, contraction, learning from
failure, limitation and effort. Activations by Saturn will typically decrease
the quantity of supply, forcing greater resourcefulness. They make
things more compacted, delayed, tighter, harder, heavier, more serious
and enduring, and can indicate problems with repression, fear, need
and the effect of age and time. These activations concentrate and slow
down the flow of meaning — they serve to restructure our approach and
conserve resources in the key being activated and if we lack grounding
in realities they make these more obvious and obstructive. They are
significantly constructive when we have been working at long term goals
and do not require grounding in reality, or when we have achieved a
degree of responsible maturity. Saturn matures with age like vintage
wine, but he can grow bitterly cold and mean with it too. His activations
indicate lessons in rigidity, failure, realisation and maturity. We grow up.
The periodicity of Saturn activations is about 30 years.

➢ )( Uranus: principle of individuation, individual freedom, the

collective human mind, magical sciences, awakening to the new and
rapid revolutionary change. Activations by Uranus cause sudden, often
unexpected upheaval; they shake things up, disrupt, speed things
along, revolutionize or shock us out of complacency and stimulate
greater freedom of expression. Flexibility and an open mind are key to
navigating Uranian activations. They serve to break down old patterns
so that new ones can suddenly emerge, and teach us about the
relationship between individual freedom and collective responsibility.
They indicate lessons in liberty and self determination (choice and free
will) and the awakening into an awareness of our collective destiny as a
species. The periodicity of Uranus is about 84 years, which places it at
the outer limits of a human lifetime, so this is the last planet to make at
least one activation of all 26 keys; Neptune and Pluto will not activate
every key. However, the centaur Chiron will.

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➢ Neptune: principle of dissolution, refinement, unity, spirits,
imagination, the hierarchy of parallell realities and the universal
collective mind. Activations by Neptune are subtle and can be difficult to
perceive, they stimulate idealism and empathy, and serve to refine
things by blurring distinctions and boundaries, but they can undermine
and dissolve substance. The fringes of things can become frayed
leading to a revelation of alternate possibilities as astra-mental
boundaries become indistinct. They can coincide with psychic
experiences, spirit contact, confusion, delusion, 'madness' (completely
or partially losing touch with Saturnine reality), visionary capacity and
the development of these states through a slow refinement, through
meditation or mystical encounters with the All that Is. To gain the most
from these contacts we must have a solid grounding in the Saturn
principle. They indicate lessons in discernment and the broadening of
the collective human consciousness to encompass all other things - the
universal oneness. If there are illusory or over idealistic attitudes
Neptune can be hard, but only if we resist facing up to reality, otherwise,
it opens our eyes. Neptune has a periodicity of about 164 years, which
further makes its cycles difficult to fathom.

➢ Pluto: principle of infinite depth, rebirth, transformation and

renewal, the initiator of the human underworld and the harbinger of new
worlds. Pluto activations uproot any hidden matters and bring them to
the surface, and can be emotionally compelling and lead to a greater
obsessiveness in the matters of the key. They are often intense, major
life events which lead to a complete change in the concerned area of
life. Pluto represents upheaval, much like Uranus, but with a stronger
emotive power which can lead to power struggles, or efforts to maintain
control or suppression. These activations serve to put us in touch with
ourselves on ever deeper levels and they consign old forms to the fires
so that we can experience regeneration. On a gross level they indicate
lessons in power and manipulation, are frequently of a sexual quality,
and often hidden from our awareness because they are transcendent. In
the birth of the collective these activations spew up the darker content of
the human story so that it can be cleared out, purged, but this
continually confronts us with our own collective destructiveness
because it is a deep root of so many of our problems as a species. A
clear awareness of Pluto at the collective level brings about an end to
the fear of oblivion at both the individual and collective levels through a
responsible use of the power of life and death and greater contact with
the Akasha. Pluto has a periodicity of about 248 years, and is therefore
dealing with cycles that are outside of the scope of a human lifetime, but
which carry a power relative to their rarity, i.e. because these activations
are so infrequent, they signify extremely powerful influences which often
completely change things for the key concerned.

➢ g Chiron: the principle of holism, the suffering of dis-integration,

healing, repair, the mending of disparate polarities and restoration.
Activations by Chiron are often initially painful, because they bring to our
awareness any woundedness in the area of life being stimulated, often
so that healing or a teaching can take place. Even a little pain can make
us greatly receptive to learning, so that we avoid it in the future, and this
is often all Chiron needs, but at times Chiron can bring intensely acute

70
 pain for complex reasons, whether it is physical, astral or mental, and it
is a simple fact of physical existence that everything is breakable when
worn down with use and that life sometimes hurts, prodding us to fix
things. These activations result in both wounding and healing, in events
that lead to irreversible changes (burnt bridges) or reconciliation. They
can also bring information relevant to the healing of human nature and
society. They serve us by bringing lessons in holism, the art of being
whole, and also the knitting together of the disparate ideologies of the
human collective. They are important activations for all healers and any
work on healing the self, the planet or the collective, especially with
regard to our relationship to nature. In my personal experience they
seem to be accruing a deeper significance in animal healing, probably
because the animal realm has been made a victim of so much suffering
by human beings, and because Chiron is a nature spirit. Astrologically,
Chiron is the leader of a group called the centaurs (for an explanation
see his key and the advanced material) orbiting between Saturn and
Uranus and has a periodicity of about 51 years, and therefore will
activate all keys once in a normal lifespan.

Do not worry much initially about remembering these words — in

your work with turning the keys you will directly interface with and
experience each of these planets many times, allowing you to build
your own experiential understanding of their effects and to compare
them with these guidelines. Be forewarned, however: they are all
deeply transformative! Some preparation is probably wise, hence this
simple guide to their nature.
So, referring back to Babaji's key, we see that in November of
1926 there is an activation by Saturn, and since this is the key of
memory, the focusing influence of Saturn will be acting in that area
of his life, as described in the key. What it essentially means is that
sometime around late 1926 a window of opportunity opens around
him in which he can mature, grow up, master reality (Saturn), and
that it opens up in a way related to the key of memory, in essence his
ability to learn from the past (among other things). Furthermore,
such an opportunity will not arise again for another 30 years — it's a
significant event. We don't know exactly what it is, but perhaps if we
were Babaji living just before that time, events would already be
emerging that seem to be taking this essential shape, such as an
elderly person who takes an interest in his spiritual life, but we don't
need to know the specifics because the task is to discover and
explore them while synthesising the essence of the meaning being
communicated to us.
Even though each of the 26 keys has a specific nature and effect
described in their sections of this book, they can also be grouped into
two kinds. Twelve of the keys, called the temple keys, are indicative
of broad phases of focus and experience, basically of general, long

71
term internal and external effects which may in cases last several
years but with triggering events at the beginning during the
activation, while the others — world keys - are generally more
focused and short term in effect and signify major events, internal
and external, that typically do not depict overall trends that will
continue in the background except in terms of their consequences.
Some keys have a mix of both types if the advanced material of steps
7-9 is followed.
In other words, some influences weave through and underlie the
others — they are phases of life, marked with events at the beginning
that initiate them and then they play out as themes for an extended
period of time, and these are given in the 12 temple keys and added
to in the advanced material. These influences underpin the astrology
that is happening around and within you. The remaining keys show
not phases, but happenings. They arrive, they unfold, and they end,
in most cases within a year. When all the technical work is
completed, the Light keys, inner world keys and the Solar map show
a mix of both kinds, phases and happenings.
So we can also say that because it occurs in a temple key the
activation by Saturn of Babaji's key will be the start of a relatively
long phase in his life when the themes of Saturn and the key of
memory will be playing out, probably with some strong effects at the
time of the activation, a nexus which sets things going. Again, we are
not asking ourselves what this will specifically be here — we are only
looking for the essential meaning of the window itself and when it
operates.
The question of how long the windows last is usually determined
by astrologers through measuring degrees of the zodiac and giving
aspects an 'orb' of influence in which the influence will play out. For
example, they might use an orb of 6 degrees for the conjunction,
allowing planets to be in conjunction whenever they are 6 degrees or
less apart in the zodiac, so a planet at 22 degrees of Gemini will be in
conjunction (the 0 degrees aspect) with any planet in Gemini 16-28.
However, for our purposes with the magic of the astral Light rather
than use a measurement of the zodiac we are better suited to using a
measurement of time. Since the activators move at different rates of
speed, they have different windows of time. In my own practise I
have observed the following guidelines:

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Windows of Opportunity

➢ Jupiter: 1-2 months either side of the activation, characterised as

an increasing ease of flow and elaboration in the area activated.
➢ Saturn: 3-4 months either side of the activation, with intensity
strong at exact activation where encumberances or non-negotiable
blocks that must be moved around or climbed over are often
encountered.
➢ Chiron: 4-6 months either side but more subtle than Saturn, and
frequently with a sharper or more acute encounter close to the
activation.
➢ Uranus: Often breaks the rules. He will frequently manifest
Electrically and suddenly at the time of the exact activation, but can
be effective up to 6 months away. We may act suddenly at the time
of the activation, or things may seem to happen out of the blue, but
in reality they will have been heading in this direction for months,
often years beforehand.
➢ Neptune: 6-12 months away, as a long, gradual build up until a
time of clarity or thickening confusion, dissolution and disillusion at
the activation. These influences often creep up on us through the
imagination and can be difficult to discern without psychic
sensitivity. They are often more visibly and tangibly significant for
people with substance addictions or for those on a spiritual
pathway, and for anyone who works with music or imagination i.e.
those who in some way physically work with the meaning of
Neptune.
➢ Pluto: Up to 2 years away, but with a Magnetic intensification and
accumulation throughout this period which can suddenly be
released all at once in an explosive discharge, in the way that
obsidian stone behaves when magically charged. This will often
occur repeatedly, orgasmically, creating a window of opportunity
many years wide. At the time these activations can seem fatalistic
and overwhelming. The meaning is not always clear until many
years have passed, as the objectivity of time allows us to perceive
a bigger picture into which they fit. In most cases Pluto represents a
resurrective internal process, but these activations can also signify
highly significant events which precipitate or occur as expressions
of this internal process.

These are of course only guidelines, and a person with sufficient

sensitivity will be able to detect influences long before they even
begin as a flux in the continuum of the zodiac affecting their present
moment of time. They are still just general windows of time,
however, and we need to interact with this window of time if we
wish to make the most of it. This practise is not about passively
waiting for things to happen with a 'wait and see' attitude armed with
a little forethought. To capture the essence of the essential meaning
that the window of time shown in the key describes so that we can
work with it experientially, we have to employ a new factor, a

73
conductor. The conductor will allow us to commune with this
specific essential meaning and to learn from it, possibly even to give
it a form and purpose, depending on what the ever surprising creative
universe has in mind. The use of conductors will be explained later,
but it is important to understand that the conductors are, along with
our own intentions, the agents which 'turn' the key, and thus unlock
its potential at the right time.
It's the turning of the keys with a conductor during their windows
of opportunity - a process called a conduction - that opens the
conduit between you and the essential meaning of astrological
effects. We open the door by turning the key at a specific time, and
we go through to the other side as what lies beyond comes to us, but
as many doors present themselves to us at any one time we have a
degree of freedom in choosing which doors we explore, which keys
we turn and in which order. Our choices define and transform us.
This is the magic of synthetic astrology, the magic of planetary
conjunctions. The keys alone do not have this power, but they could
be used just as they are as an oracle, rather than as a means for
interacting with astrology. While it is not the purpose of this book,
prediction of future trends is a popular curiosity, so I have no doubt
many people will be tempted to use the keys this way, and they are
certainly a helpful tool in this even if they are not designed for that
purpose. There is nothing wrong with this and you will probably
learn some important things, but if you are going to proceed with
using the keys as an oracle there are some things you should know
first.

AS AN ORACLE

The activations of the 26 keys are so significant that they will

always show up as something internal and/or external occurring in
your life and character. The coincidence of important external events
with activations will be very high, but there will always be an
internal event, sometimes very obvious, sometimes not. For example,
when Jupiter's principle of abundance activates the key of acquisition
you can expect your attitude to that area of life to become enriched,
and possibly this means receiving greater income. You just apply the
principle of the activator to the principle of the key and you have
your delineation for a certain period of your life.
Some important strictures apply to this oracular use of the keys. In
using the 26 keys as an oracle, these limitations must always be
remembered:

74
The 26 keys do not show all astrological influences, only a tiny
portion of them: This is the most important and significant limitation.
There are very many more astrological influences that influence our
lives than the handful presented in these keys. Since almost all of
these keys have activations created by conjunction aspects of 0
degrees and mostly only those of the planets Jupiter to Pluto and
Chiron, huge quantities of other aspects — squares, oppositions,
sextiles and trines, etc. — simply will not show up in the keys. In the
case of very important questions you are better off asking an
astrologer to look at the period in question so they can give a more
complete picture. However, if you are willing to accept this
limitation and experiment anyway, you will still find that these
activations are often very much like what you expect them to be like,
and that you can rely on them for general purposes, because the
conjunction is so powerful it is almost never completely swept aside.
Especially useful then are the activations of the 12 temple keys
which signify the onset of a period of general influence. With these
activations you can confidently forecast periods of greater need to
save money, for example, around the activations of Saturn to the 2'
temple key. It is wise to prepare for each activation ahead of time as
the activation itself is often around the nucleus of the event — it may
be too late to act on the date itself. For example, if you are about to
experience the aforementioned Saturn activation of the 2' temple,
about a year before it you should be saving money and putting it
aside to set against the potential of less income which may come
when Saturn activates the 2' temple key, and then begins to drift
through it for some years. Plan ahead of the activations and not
directly upon them, and you come in riding the wave. This leads me
to -

The timing of activations for oracular purposes is imprecise: An

effect will very rarely happen on cue because the universe is
infinitely more elegant than the finest piece of Victorian clockwork.
It takes a variable amount of time for astrological influences to
coalesce into material forms and there is nothing mechanical in
astrology itself that can reveal this. Events may manifest before,
during or after the dates listed for an activation, and there is no way
to tell (at least from the keys) when this will be. Therefore, as
previously mentioned, it is best to allow an 'orb of influence' for an
astrological effect to manifest, a span of time in which the expected
events will occur. In general, a span of one month before to one
month after the activation date is useful as this will give the Moon
two passes of the critical degree, but in more specific terms, the orb

75
or span of time to use is complicated by the fact that the planets
move at different rates of motion, therefore the different planets have
different orbs of influence when acting as the activating planet of a
key. Use the guidelines already given for the span of influence each
activator has. An event may occur at any time in that window.
In fine tuning the timing, it is a good idea to look at the Solar map
and the Sun key, because the Sun often acts as trigger for astrological
events. Mars also acts as a trigger, so activation of its key can push
things along, but only a few of these activations are given in the
Mars key, there are simply too many of them to list. Also as
mentioned above Uranus is very Electric and can often act as a
trigger for other astrological effects. This brings me to -
The activations must always be considered alongside all concurrent
activations: Once you have identified an orb of influence for an
activation you wish to work with, you must search the other keys
looking for other activations which fall around that time. All
astrological influences must be considered together and harmonised
into the oracles answer, remembering that you have only seen the
conjunctions of the planets Jupiter through Pluto and Chiron — the
major ones — and a few others. Look at the underlying influences
given by the 12 temple keys, and if you are working with the
advanced material include that information too, to see what kind of
general territory you are in. Then look for any current activations in
any of the other keys, remembering their windows. I advise you also
to look at any previous activation in the key your query relates to,
then looking further back into what happened at all previous
activations of that key, and adding this pattern to your consideration
of what might happen next. Also, I suggest you look at the most
recent previous activation in a different key by the activator (easily
located on the master key), and applying your experience of that time
and of how you handled that. Also, look at the context you are asking
the question in, what is happening now, what has been happening,
relate the keys activation to what you already know of your life. And
finally, look at the context made by your astral pattern, the birth
chart, the filter through which all this will move, but this now brings
me to -
The activations must be compared with birth chart patterns: If the
birth chart does not indicate much chance of being wealthy, for
example, no activation of the keys can ignore this. We are the forum
through which the energies move. Our consciousness determines
what will happen to us. If a tendency in the birth chart contradicts

76
one provided by the activating planets in the keys, by and large the
pattern in the birth chart will prevail because it is not so transient.
When activations of the keys harmonise with or echo what is written
in the birth chart, the effect is cumulative and it multiplies. More
importantly, since you are the forum through which the energies
move, the more you understand your astrology, the more you become
empowered by it, and the more you can experience during the
activations. The quality of your experience = the quality of your
consciousness. This brings me neatly to -
Clarity of questioning: The quality and clarity of your questioning
determines what you will get out of the augury. Why are you asking
this question of the oracle? What is your true motive? If you do not
examine it, the oracle will only reveal your ignorance. Our state of
consciousness will be reflected in our interpretation and in the
eventual outcome of the inquiry. This is important to understand.
Continually asking of the oracle 'oh, when will I be married?' will
cause it and future events to reflect your own frustrations at you, so
that you can overcome them. You must examine yourself for the true
motive of any question as the clarity of questioning will determine
the clarity of the answer. A deeply considered question will be given
bright illumination by the oracle. An oracle is not meant to be
consulted for trivial purposes. It is a source of wisdom to turn to
when you have already thoroughly examined your question from
every angle and seek further insight. It cannot give a definitive
answer; it can only really serve to open your awareness. Therefore,
and finally:
The activations must never be used to solely decide important
questions: You alone must make your choices, and take
responsibility for the consequences, do not blame 'the stars', and
conversely do not abuse them by demanding every question be
answered by them. Use these keys as a rough guide to the weather,
nothing more. Asking more of them than this not only skewers your
perceptions, it robs you of your power.

Pay heed! Forget these strictures, and you will get into trouble!
Beyond this, use your intuition and do not be afraid, everything is an
opportunity to learn. The use of the 26 keys as an oracle is otherwise
obvious using the principles of the activating planets I have outlined
and the suggestions in each key.

77
AS SYNTHETIC ASTROLOGY

When used not purely as an oracle but as a toolkit for the practise
of synthetic astrology, the 26 keys are not so limited. It does not
matter that they are only a portion of the astrological effects moving
through us, because the others do not concern us until we reach the
advanced levels of practice, where means are provided to interact
with them. The omitted astrological effects are mostly non- synthetic
(they are not conjunctions), and more importantly, our focus of
awareness in synthetic astrology is on one specific area with which
we are consciously interfacing, in other words synthetic astrology is
a practice of intentional self development and this intent is all we
need be concerned with. We do not even need to consult other keys
to check concurrent activations elsewhere, unless we wish to. The
timing of synthetic astrology is completely precise, simply being the
moment we choose to interface with any activation. You do not have
to consult your birth chart either, other than in the creation of the
tools to explore it, since you will learn directly from experience, and
since every activation has both a universal and a personal influence
and in synthetic astrology we primarily seek to move beyond the
personal to the universal connection. The personal connection can
and should be explored as well, and this is far easier because we are
only concerned with a single activation. And since you are not asking
questions, unless you are employing the 26 keys in a kind of sorcery
that manipulates the astral to do your will, the entire problem of
motive, clarity of intent and the interpretation of an answer is
irrelevant. Your motive is simply to experience, your intent to learn
and apply the activations in transformational ways.
There is no truly 'universal' system for practising this form of
astrology, no 'step by step' method of self initiation, nor should there
be. It is in practise different for each and every individual, in the
sense that activations will occur in different orders and at different
times, so that no overall schema of work can be established.
However this is one of the strengths of synthetic astrology, it leaves
the tailoring of the practice to you, and your needs become the
driving force behind your own self development. Additionally,
because the activations of the keys will occur differently for you than
they do for anyone else the practise is tailored to suit your own
astrology. In other words, you can easily create a system of practise
which harmonises with your astrology as it teaches you about it.
I recommend that you begin with such a practise as this establishes
a strong foundation for all later work, and so the training method in

78
the following pages follows this scheme, introducing you to the
creation of each tool required and then discussing its use in a format
which introduces you to the practical work and the fundamentals of
your astrology quickly. There are other ways of organising the 26
keys into a working practise of synthetic astrology, however, and I
will also outline some of these in the advanced material.

79
 CREATING THE 26 KEYS

I. CONSTRUCTING THE MASTER KEY

The master key is the blueprint around which all the other keys
and the conductors are constructed. It makes the creation of all the
tools easier. The master key is different for every individual except
those who share the same day, time and place of birth i.e. identical or
astral twins. It is very easy and should only take a few minutes to an
hour to create, perhaps more if you are new to the subject of
astrology.
Simply put, you must list the zodiacal positions of every important
degree in the chart, starting with those which are in Aries. The
symbol for Aries represents the curled horns of the ram: T Many
printed copies of charts will contain a box listing the positions of all
the objects in the chart, and if you have this your work will be a very
easy ordering of this information.
Starting with this sign, you must move around your chart in an
anti-clockwise direction, following the order of the zodiac signs,
noting the zodiacal positions of the following objects and writing
them down in sequence as you come to them:

• The Sun -
• The Moon - D
• Mercury -
• Venus - 9
• Mars - d'
• Jupiter - 24.
• Saturn - tZ
• Uranus - )1(
• Neptune -
• Pluto - (sometimes denoted as e)
• Chiron - g
• The North and South Nodes of the Moon - and tj
• The 12 temple (house) cusps (shown as 12 lines delineating 12
segments in the chart)

Look at the chart for Babaji again. Note the position of Aries, in
the region of 2 o'clock around the wheel. There are three objects
from the above list in the Aries region — Mars, Jupiter and the 9th
temple cusp (the place where the 9th temple begins). These will be

81
the first three objects placed on the master key and we will place
them there in sequence beginning with Mars, which is at an earlier
degree of Aries:

1. Mars (05 degrees 40 min. Aries)

2. Jupiter (16 degrees 13 min. Aries)
3. 9th temple (25 degrees 07 min. Aries)

If you are colour coding your master key you can colour this
sequence red, because it belongs to the Fire Element.
The next sign along, Taurus, contains two objects, the North Node
of the Moon (which I will hereafter call the Dragon's Head, referring
to the South Node as the Dragon's Tail) and the 10th temple cusp
(also called the midheaven). These are the next two objects to add to
the master key, and we can colour them brown or green for the Earth
Element:

1. Mars (05°40' Aries)

2. Jupiter (16° 13' Aries)
3. 9th temple (25° 07' Aries)
4. Dragon's Head (05° 03' Taurus)
5. 10th temple/midheaven (27° 13' Taurus)

The next sign, Gemini, has 3 objects — Neptune, Pluto and the 11th
temple cusp, and we can colour them blue or yellow for the Air
Element:

1. Mars (05°40' Aries)

2. Jupiter (16° 13' Aries)
3. 9th temple (25° 07' Aries)
4. Dragon's Head (05° 03' Taurus)
5. 10th temple/midheaven (27° 13' Taurus)
6. Pluto (08° 11' Gemini)
7. Neptune (08° 59' Gemini)
8. 11th temple (29° 12' Gemini)

There is one object in the next sign, Cancer, the 12th temple cusp,
so we add that in a green or blue colour for the Water Element.
Continuing in this way all around the wheel once we end up after
Pisces with Babaji's master key:

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Babaji's Master Key
1. Mars (05° 40' Aries)
2. Jupiter (16° 13' Aries)
3. 9th temple (25° 07' Aries)
4. Dragon's Head (05° 03' Taurus)
5. 10th temple/midheaven (27° 13' Taurus)
6. Pluto (08° 11' Gemini)
7. Neptune (08° 59' Gemini)
8. 11th temple (29° 12' Gemini)
9. 12th temple (29° 52' Cancer)
10. Moon (25° 35' Leo)
11. 18t temple/ascendant (28°52' Leo)
12. Chiron (03° 37' Virgo)
13. 2"d temple (25° 10' Virgo)
14. Saturn (12° 35' Libra)
15. 3' temple (25° 07' Libra)
16. Dragon's Tail (05° 03' Scorpio)
17. Uranus (10° 02' Scorpio)
18. 4th temple (27° 13' Scorpio)
19. Venus (17° 06' Sagittarius)
20. Mercury (23° 17' Sagittarius)
21. 5th temple (29° 12' Sagittarius)
22. Sun (15° 34' Capricorn)
23. 6th temple (29° 52' Capricorn)
24. 7th temple (28° 52' Aquarius)
25. 8th temple (25° 10' Pisces)

Look at this sequence. In essence we have cut the zodiac at the

junction of Aries with Pisces and unrolled it into a strip. If we have
colour coded the key, we have an immediate visual representation of
the presence of the four Elements. Here, all four Elements are
represented in their proportions — if there is emphasis on one
Element, it means your connection is strong and you will experience
this in all your work. If it is scarce, you may need to develop the
connection to this Element.
The qualities of that Elemental connection are also shown — note
that Babaji's Water is of the nature of the planet Uranus, the Dragon's
Tail, and the LIth, 8th and 12th temples. Additionally, the master key
also shows the sequence in which astrological effects will be
activated. Later, when you understand a bit more about your
astrology, you can come back here and learn far more than just the
presence of Elements in your chart. The master key is a profoundly
useful tool to meditate upon as it contains a compacted essence of
your astrology. Don't worry if none of this makes any sense to you at
this point, it will. For now, we are going to use it as a tool to create
the keys and the conductors, starting with the Electric conductor, the
Solar map.

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II. CREATING THE SOLAR MAP
Have the master key in front of you and your ephemeris open to
the year of your birth. In fact, any year will do, preferably avoiding a
leap year. Now, consult the master key looking for the part which has
the nearest later degree than 10 degrees of Capricorn, i.e. the first
entry that comes after that degree. Split the master key into two parts
at this entry, so that the entry you identified is placed at the top. In
Babaji's master key this is the Sun at 15° Capricorn, so we place the
Sun at the top and the rest in order from there:

1. Sun (15° 34' Capricorn)

2. 6th temple (29° 52' Capricorn)
3. 7. temple (28° 52' Aquarius)
4. 8th temple (25° 10' Pisces)
5. Mars (05°40' Aries)
6. Jupiter (16° 13' Aries)
7. 9th temple (25° 07' Aries)
8. Dragon's Head (05° 03' Taurus)
9. 10th temple/midheaven (27° 13' Taurus)
10. Pluto (08° 11' Gemini)
11. Neptune (08° 59' Gemini)
12. 11th temple (29° 12' Gemini)
13. 12th temple (29° 52' Cancer)
14. Moon (25° 35' Leo)
15. 1st temple/ascendant (28°52' Leo)
16. Chiron (03° 37' Virgo)
17. 2nd temple (25° 10' Virgo)
18. Saturn (12° 35' Libra)
19. 3td temple (25° 07' Libra)
20. Dragon's Tail (05° 03' Scorpio)
21. Uranus (10° 02' Scorpio)
22. 4th temple (27° 13' Scorpio)
23. Venus (17° 06' Sagittarius)
24. Mercury (23° 17' Sagittarius)
25. 5th temple (29° 12' Sagittarius)

Why this degree of the zodiac, Capricorn 10? Because the people
with a Capricorn Sun at this degree happen to be born on New Years
Day, January 1", the start of our calendar year, and the Solar map is
an annual calendar of the Sun's influences. We are going to map out
the entire year from the Sun's point of view as it circles the entire
chart, month by month, starting with January, and on January 1St, it's
always at about 10 degrees of Capricorn.
The next step is to add calender dates to each of the entries from
the top down. We are looking for the days of the year when the Sun,
as it moves through the sky, reaches each of these degrees. In the

84
 ephemeris you will see a column with the symbol for the Sun - 0 -
and a column for the date of that year. The positions in the column
for the Sun correlate to the zodiacal positions of the zodiac that the
Sun has reached on that day. You will see the Sun is quite regular and
clicks off a bit more than 1 degree every day. Look forward in the
ephemeris for the day when the Sun reaches the first entry in your
list. Write that day next to the entry. Do this for each and every entry.
Before you go racing off, however, an important point has to be
made — the ephemeris lists the positions for the planets at a certain
time of day, most often midnight, and for Greenwich Mean Time.
This means if you live outside of that time zone you will have to
occasionally adjust the date backwards or forwards a day for
complete accuracy, but even if you get the wrong day, you will still
be in the ballpark, so you don't really have to worry too much about
this. Just be aware of it.
For example, the first entry on Babaji's list is the Sun at 15 degrees
and 34 minutes of Capricorn. The ephemeris tells us the Sun is there
about 4-5 days after January 1st, on January 5th, so we write this date
next to 'Sun'. It's his birthday. Actually, depending on which year we
are looking at, Sun at 15 degrees of Capricorn could also show up on
the day after or the day before his birthday, because of the way our
calendar contains intermittent leap years, and he might also be in
America at this time rather than India where he was born, but as I
have said above and as you will learn in practice, exact timing is not
necessary, so don't sweat it.
So we write 'January 5th' next to the Sun, the first entry in the list,
and then we look up the next entry, the 6th temple, and so the
entrance of Sun into the region of the 6th temple. This happens when
the Sun reaches 29 degrees Capricorn, just before it enters Aquarius.
The ephemeris will tell you this is around January 19th -20th; choose
one or write both down as it suits you, placing them next to the 6th
temple.
Go on all the way down the list and you end up with something
like this, the Solar map:

85
Babaji's Solar Map

1. Sun (15° 34' Capricorn) January 5th

2. 6th temple (29° 52' Capricorn) January 19th
3. 7th temple (28° 52' Aquarius) February 17th
4. 8h temple (25° 10' Pisces) March 15th
5. Mars (05° 40' Aries) March 26th
6. Jupiter (16° 13' Aries) April 5th
7. 9th temple (25° 07' Aries) April 14th
8. Dragon's Head (05° 03' Taurus) April 25th
9. 10th temple/midheaven (27° 48' Taurus) May 18th
10. Pluto (08° 11' Gemini) May 29th
11. Neptune (08° 59' Gemini) May 30'h
12. 11th temple (29° 12' Gemini) June 20th
13. 12th temple (29° 52' Cancer) July 22nd
14. Moon (25° 35' Leo) August 18th
15. 18' temple/ascendant (28° 52' Leo) August 21St
16. Chiron (03° 37' Virgo) August 26th
17. 2nd temple (25° 10' Virgo) September 17th
18. Saturn (12° 35' Libra) October 5th
19. 3rd temple (25° 07' Libra) October 18th
20. Dragon's Tail (05° 03' Scorpio) October 28th
21. Uranus (10° 02' Scorpio) November 2nd
22. 4th temple (27 deg. 13' Scorpio) November 19'h
23. Venus (17° 06' Sagittarius) December 8th
24. Mercury (23° 17' Sagittarius) December 15th
25. 5'h temple (29° 12' Sagittarius) December 20th

We can allow a window of opportunity for these events which is 2

or perhaps 3 days long either side - think of how you start to feel
your birthday approaching a few days beforehand, and then it stays
around you as an atmosphere or a glow for a few days after (another
reason why time zones do not need to be accounted for in consulting
the ephemeris for the Sun's position). This then covers a large portion
of the year in Solar influences. What you are looking at is the
Electric core of Babaji's astrology as it plays out every year in this
rhythm with only a small variation across the days. It is his personal
Solar blueprint, his map of the Solar journey which occurs in a
consistent fashion every year. We are looking at the 'birthdays' of all
his planets and temples, the time when the Sun comes round to itself
being his actual birthday, but the year containing a similar activation
for each and every part of his chart. These are dates when they are
being energised by the Sun.
This energising by the Sun is a form of activation, bringing the
part of the chart concerned to life, it is shining a bright Light of
illumination on that area but more than that it is animating it with
vitality, conscious awareness and warmth. The Sun activates all the

86
 keys by vitalising them and drawing them into the centre of life, but
its activations only animate and bring life to major events when
concurrent with other activations — otherwise, they tend to be
ordinary everyday kind of events. In this way, the Sun acts to
Electrically conduct the influence of major astrological influences by
giving them life, Light and power.
The temple activations in the Solar map, however, are indicative of
different phases in the conscious life of the year, times when our life
focuses on different themes and the areas of life which reflect them.
As the Sun reaches a temple, it will sometimes bring about some
kind of event related to the new temple, but not always, and then
regardless of this a period of some weeks will follow in which the
Sun shines light on that temple's area of life. So in Babaji's key, each
and every year there is a period of time in which the Sun focuses life
upon his friendships (11th temple, from mid June to mid July). He's
more likely to find allies in this period, or to have some kind of light
shone upon that area of his experience. The essential meanings of the
temples will be summarised later. The important point is that the
Sun's entrance into a temple will be charged with meaning at the
beginning and then become a natural part of life for the period until a
few days before the Sun reaches the next temple. This is different to
what happens when the Sun reaches the position of a planet, as these
indicate happenings which do not result in extended phases.
We will use this conductor extensively in all synthetic work as it
has the effect of bringing astrological significance and meaning into
our conscious awareness by Electrically stimulating our interaction
with it. The Sun is a cosmic Fluid condenser — it acts to generate,
focus and radiate the Electric Fluid, which means we can employ it
as a conductor for the astral Light, the substance of astrological
influences. It will hold them and it will transmit them, just as our
consciousness itself does. Our intention can then direct a major
influence around the entire chart in a circle of Light.
Furthermore, its regularity allows us to attune to its cycle very
easily, we can connect with the Sun almost immediately, within the
space of a year or two or less, because its pattern — the Solar map — is
the same each and every year of our life. Once completed, you never
have to change this conductor. So we can build up a powerful charge
when working with the Sun, as we can fall into its rhythm easily and
naturally and stay in its groove, accumulating a denser and more
rewarding relationship with it as the years go by.

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 So begin immediately to observe where you are on your perpetual
Solar cycle. What was the last activation of the Solar map, and
when? Where and when is the next? Which temple is the Sun
currently in? With these steps, you begin your exploration of the
astral Light.
Let us imagine that Babaji is looking at his Solar map for the first
time, and it is October 15th. The Solar map shows us that his last
activation was of Saturn (October 5th), and the next will be of the 3rd
temple, on the 18th. So the Sun is currently in his 2' temple (as the
Sun and all the planets move from temple 1 to12 in numerical order)
but — remembering the Sun's window of opportunity of 2-3 days - it
is really focusing on his 3' as it prepares to shine on that temple, and
it's recently come from a meeting of some kind with his Saturn. This
happens to him at the same time every year. He should try to figure
out what it has signified in every year of his past, so that he has a
better understanding of what it does to him, and what he does with it.

WORKING WITH THE SOLAR MAP

Just begin observing. Note where you are currently, and follow the
course of the map for an entire year. You might keep a journal of
what occurs on and around the dates in the map. A personal record of
what happens in all your practical work with astrology is invaluable
because it allows you to discern more of the patterns. As you follow
the Sun try to observe what happens to your consciousness as well as
the events that you find yourself involved in. Note the fluctuations in
your vitality. The first time you turn the Solar map you may or may
not wish to consult the guidance I have given later in this book on
each of the objects the Sun will reach, given under their keys. This
can be a wonderful way to read and use this book as a hitch-hikers
guide to the galaxy.
In the beginning you may only notice some of the activations,
such as your birthday, or the taste of equilibrium and heightened
astral awareness that comes when the Moon is activated in the Solar
map. With repetition, however, you will begin to build up a volt or
battery which will eventually bring conscious awareness of the entire
map. It will become a natural instinct, a yearly flow that your
consciousness becomes a part of. This harmony will have gradual but
significant effects on your health, your energy levels, your awareness
of yourself as an individual on all levels and eventually the
interaction you have with the living entity that is our most sacred
star, the Sun.
Once you are familiar with this natural rhythm, it will feel like you

88
are beginning to dance through the year, rather than blindly fumble
in the dark. If you wish to, you can then add more notes to the music
of the Solar map, completing it. The activations the Sun makes
during the year given in the Solar map are all conjunctions -
distances of 0 degrees between the Sun's current, actual position and
your birth chart positions — which mark the initiating points of the
cycles (the 'birthdays' of the planets in your life). The other aspects -
influences with a different nature — which the Sun makes can also be
added to the map and this will give you a complete picture of the
Solar rhythms. Instructions for doing this are given in the advanced
material, because at this point it is better to focus on developing a
strong connection and awareness of the synthetic activations, the
conjunctions given in the Solar map. They are the core around which
all of your work with astrology will be built. Harmonise your life
activity with it as much as possible and start to record your
encounters so that you begin to sense the astral Light at work in your
life.
The Solar map is by itself a powerful and effective tool, but it
really comes into greater power when employed as a conductor for
turning other keys. In order to do this, you have to create a key
which the Solar map can turn, so we will now create the Sun key, the
first of the two Light keys, and the key which has the most affinity
with the Solar map itself.

III. CREATING THE SUN KEY

The creation of the Sun key is a fairly simple process that may at
first appear to be confusing if you are unfamiliar with consulting an
ephemeris for planetary positions, but with experience it soon
becomes as simple as scanning the small ads in a local paper. If you
are doing this yourself by hand it will take you some time to finish,
but the process should not be too difficult.
To begin, note the Sun's position in your master key. In Babaji's
key, we see it is at Capricorn 15 degrees (sometimes written as the
16th degree of Capricorn, as 0-1 degrees is the 1St degree). In this
case, we need to pay attention to the precise position of the Sun, so
we must look at not just its degree but also the minutes (1/60th
fractions) of the degree. For Babaji this is Capricorn 15°34'. Find
your Sun's degree and minutes on your master key.
Now open your ephemeris to your birthday on the year you were
born. You must look for the times after that point when the major
activators reach this degree. The major activators are:

89
 2i. Jupiter
tz Saturn
V Uranus
kl) Neptune
41Pluto
g Chiron
If working by hand with pen and paper it will be easier and
quicker if you look for all 6 at the same time, as then you will not
need to arrange things in a chronological order afterwards. They
have their own columns in the ephemeris marked by their symbols
just like the Sun did when you were creating the Solar map. Find
these columns. They are usually on the right hand end of the monthly
table. In the case of Chiron, you may not have a column, you may
instead have a box with a monthly rather than daily position. This
doesn't really matter as his movement is so slow. Just do your best to
guess where such objects are on any given day from the information
you have.
Now, you must scan down all these columns for every month after
you are born, looking for the activators to reach the position of the
Sun, which in Babaji's case is 15 degrees of Capricorn. Don't worry
about looking for the minutes until you spot the magic number of the
degree in the right sign. You will notice that Jupiter moves quickest
and Pluto moves slowest. If you build keys which cover 100 years,
then not counting retrogrades when the degree is hit three or five
times in succession over a period of many months, Pluto will only
make it once. Pluto may in fact never reach the degree of your Sun, it
depends on where he is in your birth chart in relation to where the
Sun is. Neptune is the same. You will definitely see one period
where Uranus and Chiron are at the relevant degree within 100 years,
sometimes two. Saturn takes about 28-30 years to make a complete
orbit, so it will only make 3 or 4 activations in 100 years, while
Jupiter will make them every 12 years, yielding 7 or 8. So in total
you are looking for between about 12-18 individual activations of the
relevant degree, some with retrogrades which cause them 3-5 times.
You must write these down in chronological order, which is why
when using pen and paper rather than a word processor it is better to
look for them all at once. When using a word processor you can
make it a lot easier for yourself by first looking up the positions of
Pluto, and then Neptune, Uranus and Chiron one at a time, as there
will only be at most two of these activations of the Sun for each of
them. Then you can look for the others — Jupiter and Saturn - one

90
activator at a time, and finally order the activations in chronological
sequence with a simple cut and paste. Colour coding can be added to
each activation to enable easy visual identification — I use blue for
Jupiter, black for Saturn, green for Chiron, violet for Uranus,
magenta for Neptune and silver-grey for Pluto activations. Your Sun
key is then finished. When writing by hand, however, you are better
off scanning all 6 columns in the pages of the ephemeris at once,
month by month. You will grow used to the speed at which things
move and see that the task is not as daunting as it first appears.
Either way you do it, every time you find a month in which one of
these activators is reaching the degree listed next to 'Sun' in your
master key, slow down and look for the day when it becomes exact
by the minutes as well. Write this day down with the name of the
activating planet. Then check to see if this occurs again in the near
future — sometimes the activator will switch to retrograde motion
and travel backwards in the zodiac. You will then see it hit the Sun's
degree once again after the second activation, as the retrograde
motion switches off and the forward travel resumes. This gives you
three activations in a sequence, spread out over a period of time.
Rarely, most often with Pluto, Chiron and Neptune, the retrograde
then happens again, and then you end up with a sequence of 5
activations. Just note the date of the first activation and then place
the subsequent dates in brackets afterwards as I showed earlier. If the
time seems to be spread out over several days, because the planet is
about to change direction and is seemingly hovering in one place,
just pick a date in the middle and let go of the need to be
intellectually precise. It is not necessary to be precise to that degree
for the purposes of this work.
So if we are doing Babaji's Sun key, we will be opening the
ephemeris and starting from the date of his birth we scan the
columns that relate to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Chiron, Neptune and
Pluto looking for the magic degree of Capricorn 15. When we find it,
we write it down with the name of the activator and the day upon
which the activation is exact not just by degree but by minutes, and
add his age in years at the time because it will be an asset later.
For example, the first time this happened for Babaji was on March
25th 1901, when Saturn reached 15°34' of Capricorn. Babaji was then
8 years old, so the first thing we have to write down is

Saturn: 25th March 1901 8yrs

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 When we look ahead in the ephemeris again, we see that Saturn
actually comes back to 15°34' Capricorn a couple of months later, on
May 28th, so he has retrograded. He makes a final pass of 15°34'
Capricorn on December 13th, so we open up a pair of brackets and
write both these dates after the first one:

Saturn: 25 Mar 1901 [28 May 1901, 13 Dec 19011 8yrs

This completes the description of that activation, because Saturn

does not retrograde again. To continue, we must go back to the first
time it occurred (March 25th 1901) and continue looking for the next
activator to reach the magic place. If we were to do that, we would
see that this happens when Jupiter reaches 15°34' of Capricorn on
December 6th 1901. Jupiter does not go retrograde, so there is no
repeat of this activation — it happens, and it passes. We add this to
our key:

Saturn: 25 Mar 1901 [28 May 1901, 13 Dec 1901] 8yrs

Jupiter: 6 Dec 1901 8yrs

Then we return to scanning the ephemeris, looking not just for

Jupiter but for any of the activators to reach 15°34' Capricorn,
building the key up a step at a time.
Notice that although the activation by Jupiter happens on
December 6th, the last activation by Saturn happens after, on
December 13th. Saturn is not done yet, and the Jupiter activation is
simply adding to it. This also means there is a Jupiter-Saturn
conjunction in late 1901, because they are both in the same place in
the sky at the same time. Notice these things as you build the key. Be
aware of them, as this awareness provides a fertile atmosphere for
your experience of astrology to develop in.
In the end, we have the following list of activations for Babaji's
Sun key:

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 THE SUN KEY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Capricorn 15° 34')
Primary Function: 5th temple
0 Secondary Function: 1st temple
Sympathies: Saturn activation
Unsympathetic to: Lunar conduction and Jupiter activation

Activation Age Significance

Saturn: 25' Mar 1901 [28 May 1901, 13 Dec 1901] 8 [Growing up, body matures]
Jupiter: 6th Dec 1901 8 [Growing up, body grows]
Chiron: 3 Jan 1903 9 [Potential childhood illness]
Uranus: 24 Feb 1908 [21 Jun 1908„ 14 Dec 1908] 15 [Meets Sri Yukteswar Giri]
Jupiter: 28 Mar 1913 [13 Jun 1913, 16 Nov 1913] 20
Jupiter: 1 Mar 1925 [26 Jul 1925, 22 Oct 1925] 32 [Established S.R.F. in LA]
Saturn: 16 Jan 1931 38
Jupiter: 9 Feb 1937 44
Jupiter: 23 Jan 1949 56
Chiron: 21 Jan 1953 [2 Sep 1953, 10 Oct 1953] 60 [Death]
Saturn: 26 Feb 1960 [1 Jul 1960, 25 Nov 1960] 67
Jupiter: 7 Jan 1961 68
Jupiter: 22 Dec 1972 79
Jupiter: 5 Dec 1984 91
Saturn: 31 Dec 1989 96
Neptune: 10 Feb 1991 [30 Jun 1991, 14 Dec 1991] 98
Uranus: 2 Feb 1992 [19 Jul 1992, 23 Nov 1992] 99
UNDERSTANDING & TURNING THE SUN KEY

As I mentioned previously, after a while you will quickly

recognise that Jupiter's activations are spaced out at about every 12
years, Saturn's at every 28-30 years and the others will only make
one activation, if any. This is the same phenomena you have already
encountered in the Solar map — cyclical repetition, rhythmic pulsing,
it's natures biggest and most fundamental trick. This work is easier
than it might seem at first, you just have to move with the beat.
Every planet has a beat and this makes grasping their cycles easier
once we recognise its rhythm and keep our mind on the music.
As you can see, Pluto never makes it to Babaji's Sun, and Neptune
does not reach it until he is almost 100 years of age. This leaves the
planet Uranus as the big hitter in the key, at 15 years of age, with the
next most significant (in terms of frequency) coming from Chiron
when he is 9 and 60 (he dies on 7th March 1952, just before this last
Chiron activation, while entering its window of influence).
This does not mean that you will die when Chiron activates your
Sun key. Such an activation has many possible outcomes, and the
point of placing events on the key is not to make predictions but to
learn the nature of the planets and the astrology we are working with,
what they signify to us. It's about getting familiar with these people,
the planets, and our relationship to them. One may wonder, for
example, whether Babaji was sick or injured during the first Chiron
activation of the Sun key when he was 9, because this would signify
that his relationship to Chiron affected his health, at least when it
interacted with his Sun. But we could not predict his death just from
this single piece of information, nor should we try. The point is to
look for the patterns: the slower moving activators punctuate the key,
dividing it into rough phases between themselves. Jupiter and Saturn
actually weave in-between the gaps of these more rare activations.
They mediate between them. Notice this. You are looking at a
weaving of major influences around his consciousness (Sun) as it
travels through time.
Notice too that there are fallow periods between activations that
can last as much as 12 years, but no more than this because Jupiter,
the fastest activator, has a recurrence of 12 years. The fact that there
is a 12 year gap between the ages of 20 and 32 in Babaji's Sun key
does not mean that there are no influences over his Sun in this
period, just that there are no major synthetic activations of the Sun,
no conjunctions. There will be other influences on his Sun in that
period, such as a sextile from Jupiter to the Sun (a 60 degree angle of

94
 separation from the Sun rather than a 0 degree angle), but these are
not as conducive to synthetic operations and are dealt with in the
advanced material.
To put it simply, the 26 keys are made up of conjunctions, and
conjunctions are best assimilated through the Sun and Moon. So how
do we do that? Since in this case we are talking about a Sun key we
will talk first about using the Sun itself as a conductor for its key, but
in the next key, the Moon key, instruction will be given for using the
Moon as the conductor. We could use the Moon as the conductor for
the Sun key, or the Sun as the conductor for the Moon key, which
will produce different effects in different time frames, but the
simplest conductor for you to use will always be the Sun as it is
simply the use of the Solar map in conjunction with the relevant key.
Let's look at an example. Let us imagine that it is 1930 and Babaji
is 37 years old. At this time he has already established a
headquarters for the Self Realisation Fellowship in Los Angeles
(which occurred under Jupiter activation of his Sun key) and his
writing is beginning to increase.
Looking at the key, he sees that he will soon experience a Saturn
activation, which becomes exact on the 16th of January 1931. He
decides to turn the Sun key with the Sun as a conductor to see what
Saturn and the Sun have to say to him at this time. Since he is using
the Sun as a conductor, he will be using the Solar map to turn the
key. And since the Sun key is the focus, he should work with the
Sun's activation in the Solar map. If this were the Jupiter key, for
example, he would look for Jupiter in the Solar map.
He looks on the Solar map for the day when the Sun will be
activated there, which is of course his birthday, January 5th. He can
also look on the Solar map for the day when the Sun activates the 1"
temple, August 21". Either of these dates will do, but the birthday is
more favourable in this case because it involves the Sun, and the
main activation by Saturn is also to the Sun.
So the Solar map gives us two dates — January 5th (Sun) and
August 21" (1" temple) — and the Sun key gives us one date -
January le 1931. Babaji now has some options in terms of how he
wants to approach interacting with the influence of Saturn. He could
just wait and see what occurs around January of 1931, forewarned
with the knowledge that it has something to do with his Sun and the
influence of Saturn. This is the naturalistic approach, the receptive
approach, and there is nothing wrong with it, in fact in the very
beginning it is the way you can gain instruction on your astrology,
but there is another, more active approach he can take using the Solar

95
map. He can turn the Sun key by following an entire run through of
the Solar map during that time, either beginning on January 5th 1930
(thus ending on January 5th near the apex of the Saturn activation of
the Sun key in January 1931) or beginning on January 5th 1931 (thus
with the most powerful stage of Saturn activation at the beginning),
following the Solar map for one year in each case, or he can begin in
January 1930 and work two cycles of the Solar map, so the Saturn
activation will be in the middle, and finish up on January 5th 1932. Or
he can do any of that but using the date of August 21st instead, the
date when the Sun is conjunct the ascendant, the 151 temple, as the
starting point of the conduction.
So when turning a key with the Sun as a conductor we use the
dates in the Solar map as the starting point for the conduction, and
the date in the key as the focal point during that year/s. These are the
timing choices you need to make based on your needs and your
lifestyle when using the Sun as a conductor — which key to turn at
the appropriate time, and when to begin. There are some qualitative
differences you need to be aware of when making this choice, which
I will outline in a moment. You also need to make choices about the
basic approach you are going to take:

1. You can take a naturalistic approach, similar to observing what

happens and responding without turning the key, but you do this
throughout the entire conduction through the Solar map, i.e. you
turn the key, following the Solar map at the time of its activation,
and just observe what happens, responding to it appropriately but
without trying to manipulate it.
2. You can take a more pro-active approach, turning the key and
intentionally shaping its direction throughout the course of the
turning, engaging in a dialogue and a dance with the agenda of the
planet. For example, you might be working on a book, and engage
in a synthesis with a planet as you guide it through to manifestation
with that planet's help. This is more a give and take relationship
than many people will realise.
3. Or you can make a mix of the two approaches either alternating
between receptivity and activity, intuitively blending them together,
or spending one half of the Solar map in reflection and the other in
expression.

In terms of timing choices, if Babaji chose to start on January 5th -

beginning from the Sun in the Solar map - the experience would lead
him to learn more about the nature of his Sun, because the cycle of
the Solar map would begin and end at the Sun. I call this a planet
conduction because it begins from a planetary object or one of the
Lights. If he began on August 21", then his experience would be
more rooted in the temples, because it would involve following all
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12 of them in sequence, and this would lead him more on a path of
exploring their meaning in terms of his life experiences but within
the context of the activation of the Sun key. I call this a temple
conduction.

1. Planet conduction: begins from a Light or a planet. Emerges the

meaning of that planet or Light through the activation of its key. Has
a more astra-mental focus.
2. Temple conduction: begins from the 1st temple. Emerges the
significance of any and all current activations in the different areas
of life. Has a more astra-physical focus.

Whichever path he takes, he will meet a juncture or nexus of

Saturn/Sun essential meaning in January of 1931. Saturn will be at
the same zodiacal degree as his birth Sun (Saturn activates Sun key),
at around the same time as the Sun has also returned to this place
(Sun activates Sun in Solar map). A window opens in which he can
interact with the meaning of these influences and experience them
for himself directly, learning about his particular astrology and
hopefully maturing his consciousness.
The question arises, however — what if the activation of the Sun in
the Solar map is not January 5th, which is so close to the date of the
Sun keys activation by Saturn, January 16th, but is instead May 5th,
four months later? Does the window still open? The answer is yes, it
does, and there are three main reasons for this:

• The Sun and Moon are massive Fluid condensors which act to
Electrically and Magnetically transmit influences around the sky, so
they can collect and radiate influences from one place to another in
the manner of a conjunction. Basically, they rule the sky and
naturally act to overcome the limitation of windows of opportunity
when employed as conductors. In fact, as you will see, windows of
opportunity are never a problem when turning a key with the Moon,
because she only needs a month to orbit the chart. This only leaves
us with the problem of using the Sun, which takes a year.
• The activations also have orbs of time in which they are effective,
as described earlier. The slowest moving planet, Pluto, has the
biggest window of opportunity, but retrograde activations can make
this even longer, and the same can happen with Jupiter activations
so the window of Jupiter is then expanded. When the window of
opportunity provides a span of time longer than a year, the Sun's
conduction can always catch and collect it. Simply put, the problem
is mostly with Jupiter and Saturn as the other four activators of the
keys give generously wide windows of opportunity. This only leaves
the problem of conducting Jupiter and Saturn activations through
the Sun when they do not cross windows with it. Fortunately, there
is another factor which can come into play.

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 • The intention of the participant — your consciousness — can
ElectroMagnetically attract the astral Light, bringing it to you from
just outside the window of opportunity. If you are calling out to a
particular planet at a particular point in time when it is near enough,
it can hear your call and come to you. Additionally, the Lights are
supreme conductors. Thus when the window of opportunity is too
small, both these factors can be employed to manipulate the
window of opportunity. As pointed out above, this will most often
happen when Jupiter is the activator and you are using the Solar
map, and only sometimes when Saturn is the activator. In such
cases, the procedure depends on whether or not the key's
activation window occurs before or after the window in the Solar
map. If the Solar maps window is before the key activation, such as
a single Jupiter activation of the Sun key that occurs in July while
your Solar map shows the Sun being activated in January, you
must begin with the intention of connecting to that Jupiter
activation, calling it to you with your actions, thoughts and feelings,
your desire to meet with it. The Sun will transmit this through the
sky for you as astral Light, building a connection to the window.
The longer you spend building up to the activation by Jupiter or
Saturn, the more likely you are to pull it out of its small window of
opportunity into your present moment. Regardless of whether or
not this happens, you should then move through the main
activations window, come out the other side, and continue following
the Solar map until you close the cycle. If on the other hand the
Solar maps window is after the key activation, you must bring the
activation energy forward in the Solar map by weaving it into
everything that follows. In this case, you have to exert greater
effort, as the life of the activation is shifted into decay rather than
formation. Either way, these solutions work best using the
ElectroMagnetic method of conduction, described shortly, because
it is more adept at capturing and transmitting the influences.

So that this is clear, lets pull it all together and look at a full
example of turning Babaji's Sun key using the Solar map as the
conductor. We'll look at a different activation of the key this time, the
activation by Uranus in 1908.
First of all, note that this is a 'long-tooth' of the key, a retrograde
activation. It has 3 'hits' in sequence throughout 1908, the first in
February, the second in June, and the third in December. It's worth
mentioning here what this sequence of multiple hits signifies — the
first activation is the initiator, the start of the influence, thus it
introduces a new essential meaning being observed as a new
development for the first time, a new situation or a new condition in
life. The second is the activation in which we are more able to
respond to this development, the time in which we can get to grips
with it rather than be taken by surprise, a point at which denial of the
new situation becomes impossible, and the third is the wrap up, the

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 final test, the chance to correct mistakes or the closure which occurs
as the astrological influence begins to withdraw, it is a time in which
we have a chance to absorb the essential meaning as a new skill or a
new way of life. Sometimes, you will see 5 activations in the
sequence, and this represents an activation with multiple challenges
or stages to pass through, a gauntlet. If Pluto is the activator, such an
activation can blow open a window several years wide and be thick
with denial at the beginning if it is a situation we do not accept.
So throughout the whole of 1908 there is a window of opportunity
for Babaji to engage with the influence of Uranus in the Sun key. We
can look even further for the general parameters of this window
because Uranus has a range of influence in time which extends up to
6 months away from each activation, during which it will still be
capable of producing powerful effects, so in this case the window is
more like July 1907 — July 1909. Uranus will sometimes actually be
able to influence events outside of that window, especially through
the astral and mental planes, and especially when the activation he
makes is a retrograde one (for instance, Babaji met his mentor in
1910, a beloved soul he had often beheld in his meditations
beforehand), but in this case this window is more than enough for
our purposes — we need just one year to capture it using the Solar
map, and we have two. The conduction by Solar map will easily
catch the Uranian activation.
Suppose we had instead chosen the Jupiter activation of December
6th 1901. Jupiter has a window of opportunity lasting 1-2 months
either side, so it is open from about October 6th 1901 — February 6th
1902. His Solar map comes to Jupiter around April 5th, giving a
window over the first week of April every year. The two windows do
not overlap. To address this, Babaji could begin earlier than October,
in April 1901, and focus his mind on the upcoming activation by
Jupiter, bringing it to him by simply proceeding as if it were already
there. As the time approaches in October 1901 when the window will
be opening, this work will have evoked an atmosphere into which the
Jupiter activation can move, even before October. He would then
move through the window between October and February, collecting
the Jupiter activation as he does so, and bring it to the Solar maps
activation of Jupiter in April 1902.
Next, we need to decide on the approach, either a simple 'watch
and see' passive observation of the significance as it unfolds, perhaps
noting it in a journal as a new event in the story of our exploration of
astrology, or a more active approach using the Solar map as the
conductor of the astral Light. Let us assume for the sake of example

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that Babaji decides to invite this window of opportunity to enlighten
him, to open his consciousness to a more radiant expression of his
inner Light through meditation. He might instead have chosen to
employ it in helping him break free of an inhibiting relationship
(Uranus helps us to be freed from any kind of limitations), or even to
learn a new skill or acquire knowledge of something new such as
astrology — all of which are among the possibilities offered by this
activation. The specific intention behind the work is up to you, and
you will reap whatever you sow, but you will likely do better if you
match it in some way to the nature of the activator and/or the the key
you are working with, preferably both. The activating planet or the
activated key may have another agenda, one which clashes with your
intention, and if this is the case, you will be notified. Communication
is a two way street. Do not bully anyone. Especially not these guys.
In my experience, even when the planets have a major agenda with
you at that time, their energies are usually generous enough to leave
you with something to play with outside of that agenda, so learn to
be similarly accommodating with them - instead of rejecting the
situations you don't like, take them on board as part of what you
need to do and respond to them. If no agenda seems to roll itself out,
you are practically being given an invitation by the activating planet
to give the activation an intentional shape, a form of your choosing.
Choose wisely during these encounters — your actions will have far
reaching consequences as you will set the tone for future interaction
with both the activator and the key.
The next choice to make is when to begin conduction. This is an
activation of the Sun key, so we need to look up the Sun's position in
the Solar map for a starting date. We can also use the 1" temple -
always — as the starting point of any conduction, because it is the
temple of beginnings. So once again, Babaji can begin from January
5th or August 2155, and since he wants to collect and interact with the
influence of the planet Uranus over the Sun key throughout 1908,
Babaji can do two cycles of conduction that fully encompass that
year, for a two year synthesis, or instead do just one year (which in
his case could also almost fully encompass the year of 1908 if he
starts on January 5th):

1. August 21" 1907 or 1908 — August 21st 1908 or 1909: a one year
temple conduction
2. January 5th 1907 or 1908 — January 5th 1908 or 1909: a one year
planet conduction
3. August 21st 1907 — August 21' 1909: a two year temple conduction
4. January 5th 1907 — January 5th 1909: a two year planet conduction

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 For the sake of this example we will assume the work will take
place between January 5th 1908 and January 5th 1909, i.e. a one year
planet conduction. The journey then looks like this:
ELECTRIC PLANET CONDUCTOR for the SUN KEY ACTIVATION by
URANUS of 1908:

• Sun (15° 34' Capricorn): January 5th 1908 — begin cycle —

• 6th temple (29° 52' Capricorn): January 19th
• 7th temple (28° 52' Aquarius): February 17" [1" activation of Sun
key by Uranus on Feb 241
• 8th temple (25° 10' Pisces): March 15"
• Mars (05° 40' Aries): March 26th
• Jupiter (16° 13' Aries): April 5th
• 9th temple (25° 07' Aries): April 14th
• Dragon's Head (05° 03' Taurus): April 25th
• 10th temple/midheaven (27°48' Taurus): May 18th
• Pluto (08° 11'. Gemini): May 29"
• Neptune (08° 59' Gemini): May 30"
• 11th temple (29° 12' Gemini): June 20th [2nd activation of Sun key by
planet Uranus June 211
• 12th temple (29° 52' Cancer): July 22nd
• Moon (25° 35' Leo): August 18th
• 1" temple/ ascendant (29° 52' Leo): August 21st
• Chiron (03° 37' Virgo): August 26th
• 2nd temple (25° 10' Virgo): September 17th
• Saturn (12° 35' Libra): October 5th
• 3rd temple (25° 07' Libra): October 18th
• Dragon's Tail (05° 03' Scorpio): October 28th
• Uranus (10° 02' Scorpio): November 2nd [could be significant in
terms of Sun/Uranus]
• 4th temple (27 deg. 13' Scorpio): November 19"
• Venus (17° 06' Sagittarius): December 8th
• Mercury (23° 17' Sagittarius): December 15th [3rd activation of Sun
key on December 141
• 5th temple (29° 12' Sagittarius): December 20th
• Sun: January 5th 1909 — close cycle -

It is worth spending some time meditating on the conductor once

you have it, there is a story being told here, look at the way it all
leads to Mercury and the 5th temple key in this case, for example.
This will always be the sequence in which Babaji conducts the astral
Light through the Solar map by planet conduction whenever the Sun
key is activated, i.e. whenever he turns the Sun key by planet
conduction using the Sun as a conductor, this is the path he walks,
it's his Solar journey. Even the dates remain unchanged except the
year.

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 Look also at the places where the exact activations from Uranus to
the Sun key will occur — they are shaping its expression in the year.
The first one is involved with the 7th temple, the second one with the
11th temple, and the last one with Mercury. Note also that the first
week of November 1908 sees a lively interaction between Sun and
Uranus in his life, as Uranus is activating Sun as Sun is activating
Uranus. This could be as significant as any of the three periods when
the Uranus activation is exact — they are all marking a high tide in
the flow of this influence over the year. Find these places in your
own conduction and exert greater effort within them at the
appropriate time in the appropriate way.
Using this conductor Babaji would start turning the Sun key on his
birthday in 1908, perhaps by beginning to reflect on where he wants
to be at the conclusion of the work, or simply opening his mind to it.
He just has to get it going in some way and mark this beginning
consciously. He would then follow the course of the conductor — the
Solar map — so that on or around January 19th, he would try to bring
his intention to the matters of the 6th temple. Perhaps he reflects on
his health, since the 6th temple has this significance, and how this is
being affected by the Uranian activation of his Sun key (which is
getting stronger). He would continue this theme right the way
through to February 17th, when he brings the intention to the
concerns of the 7th temple. The first planet he brings the work to is
Mars on March 26th. At each stage along the way the intention must
be synthesised with the appropriate area of the chart, so that as you
proceed you bring the work to every part of yourself and your life,
step by step. At this point, around the end of February, the first major
activation of the Sun key by Uranus is happening and whatever that
signifies must be responsibly dealt with and properly synthesised,
and Babaji could expect something quite significant to be happening
which has a Uranus-Sun nature, perhaps a quickening of
consciousness, something entirely new and refreshing entering his
conscious awareness, a new direction or a new him. If so, he should
integrate it with whatever his intention is — in this example, this
might not be difficult, as a quickening of consciousness supports his
intention to gain enlightenment. If he were trying to break free of a
relationship, he would have to fmd an inventive way of applying the
inspiration given to him by this quickening. In essence, he should use
what the astral Light supplies him with to forward his intention. If
this sets up a challenge, he should meet it head on. He continues in
this way moving all the way through to his next birthday in 1909,
which closes the cycle. This is his opportunity to fuse all that he has

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 experienced in the last year to his conscious awareness so that it
becomes a way of being.
The descriptions of the keys which follow can give you some
guidelines as to what to expect or involve at various stages, but you
may want to ignore that and just investigate for yourself without too
many preconceptions about what they hold; the best teacher is your
experience accumulated from turning the Solar map. Let the Sun
teach you. It is experienced beyond the limits of human imagination
in walking every nook of this pathway!
This process of using the Sun to turn a key through the use of the
Solar map can be applied not just to the Sun key but to any of the
other keys as well — this is the method by which the astral Light is
Electrically conducted. Once you have created the other keys, you
can turn any of them by this method and will thereby have numerous
continually evolving opportunities to explore astrological influences.
However, you will shortly learn another method of turning the keys,
the Magnetic conduction, and this will add another dimension to
your experience which can be used by itself or in conjunction with
the Electric method to produce an ElectroMagnetic conduction.
So what do you do with all this? If you have absolutely no
experience of astrology at all, at first you should probably just take a
naturalistic view of engaging with it and allow whatever is going to
happen to happen while you observe it and participate in it. In this
way you will be given a swift education in your astrology by the
activating planet, especially with respect to the key it is activating. In
our example Babaji would learn an incredible amount about the
effect that the planet Uranus has in general, as well as the nature of
his Sun. This magic would be so powerful it could easily change him
in exactly the way he intends it to with even just a slight nudge in
that direction, but it could and likely will also have something
surprising to teach him along the way.
If on the other hand you are already familiar with your birth chart,
then it's really time to dive in and truly explore it first-hand. In this
case, you can start playing with intentional self transformation,
knowing something of what the existing pattern of behaviour
attached to a part of your chart is and what it signifies for you. You
can actually engage in a dialogue with the temples and planets and
their keys, asking questions of them and receiving answers from the
experiences you have. For example, it is possible to ask of the planet
Saturn what your greatest fear is, and to receive an answer when he
is either an activating planet or his key is activated. You can ask
Jupiter what the problem you have with receiving abundance is

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really all about, and if you turn his key at the right time, he will tell
you, at least from his perspective. And so on. Even philosophical
questions and quests, such as the meaning of life, can be enriched in
this way. The curriculum of instruction is partly up to you — it
depends on which keys you turn and what you ask of them — but you
must observe the significance of timing and circumstance. It's no
good asking Saturn a question if he is not being receptive to giving
you an answer, but the keys show when he is. Before you can turn
any of the other keys however you must construct them, and the next
key I recommend you create is the other Light key, the Moon key.

IV. CREATING THE MOON KEY

The creation of the Moon key in its most basic form is fairly
straightforward if you have already constructed the Sun key. In step
8 in the advanced practice I will show you how to complete the
Moon key so that it is much more complete than the one you create
and work with here. Here we will be working with only a small
portion of the complete key so that you are not overwhelmed with
details at this stage.
Very simply, the creation of the Moon key follows the same
process as that of the Sun key, but instead of looking for the Sun's
position at your birth in the ephemeris you search for the Moon's
position at your birth. You are looking for the same activations i.e.
the columns for the activators Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus,
Neptune and Pluto, but to a different degree of the zodiac (unless you
are born on a New Moon, in which case your Sun and Moon keys
will be identical, or nearly so — in this case, simply base your
construction of the Moon key on the work you have already done for
the Sun key).
In Babaji's case, the master key tells us that his Moon is located at
25 degrees of Leo:

• Moon (25° 35' Leo)

So to create his Moon key in its most basic form we have to

compile a list of all the times when any of the activators reach 25°35'
of Leo, exactly as we did previously for Capricorn 15°34' when
making the Sun key. When we do this, we end up with something
like this:

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 THE MOON KEY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Leo 25° 35')
Primary Function: 1s` temple (at the place of power)
Secondary Functions: 121h temple
D Sympathies: Solar conduction
Unsympathetic to: Saturn and Uranus activation

Activation Age Significance

Jupiter: 6 Sep 1896 3
Jupiter: 23 Aug 1908 15 [Spiritual Instruction]
Saturn: 15 Oct 1918 [5 Feb 1919, 5 Jul 1919] 25-26 [Founds a boys school in India]
Jupiter: 7 Aug 1920 27 [Arrives in America]
Neptune: 17 Sep 1926 [15 Feb 1927, 20 Jul 1927] 33-34 [Establishes a Spiritual Fellowship]
Jupiter: 21 Jul 1932 39 [Major period of writing and teaching]
Chiron: 7 Oct 1942 [23 Feb 1943, 17 Jun 1943] 49-50 [Parent dies (father)]
Jupiter: 13 Nov 1943 [13 Jan 1944, 3 Jul 1944] 50-51 [Writing of autobiography]
Saturn: 14 Aug 1948 55 [2 yrs after autobiography is published]
Pluto: 16 Sep 1954 [12 Feb 1955, 23 Jul 1955] 61-62 [Death]
Jupiter: 14 Oct 1955 [23 Feb 1956, 10 Jun 1956] 62-63
Uranus: 10 Nov 1960 [22 Dec 1960, 10 Aug 1961] 67-68
Jupiter: 25 Sep 1967 74
Saturn: 24 Sep 1977 [7 Mar 1978, 12 Jun 1978] 84-85
Jupiter: 8 Sep 1979 86
Jupiter: 22 Aug 1991 98
 Again, spend some time looking at this key, as well as your own
once you come to create it. Look at the major activations — the ones
by Pluto or Neptune — and pay attention to them first of all. They are
like exclamation marks, they are unique, life changing activations,
but don't ignore the others. Add whatever notations you can come up
with about the possible significance of these activations in the past,
as I have done for Babaji, remembering that the activators have a
window of time to play out in and that the invisible activators
(Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Chiron) must accrue enough astral
substance to manifest physical events and thus take longer time in
some cases.
Look at the overall structure, and compare it to your Sun key — in
Babaji's Sun key, Pluto did not make an activation, but in Babaji's
Moon key he does. Note the sensitivity that Babaji seems to have
shown to the Moon key, rather than to the Sun key — it seems to have
been involved with more significant events, including the creation of
his legacy, the Self Realisation Fellowship, under Neptune activation
(he is also known for his love of cinema and his metaphor comparing
life to the projection of light through a film — Neptune is sensitive to
the concepts of both imagery and metaphysics). In fact this is in
keeping with the highly prominent placing of the Moon as compared
to the Sun in his birth chart (close to his Pt temple key, a powerful
position). Do the same thing for your Moon key and the known
events of your life. Which of the 2 Lights are you more sensitive to?
Careful notes will help you in your dealings with future astrological
times. If there are issues left over, for example, from a previous
activation of the same key, they will tend to become significant again
the next time it is activated. The activators can also accrue karma this
way, so that if you made a big mess when Saturn last activated a key,
the next key he activates can develop the consequences.
With some reflection you will soon realise that the Moon key is
showing you some incredibly sensitive times in your life, times in
which you went through some kind of personal change. Such change
is very often of an internal nature as we respond to events that take
place around or within us, but it can also show itself in our private
life, our home and family experience for example, our self image or
our personality. This is the fundamental difference between Sun and
Moon — the Electric nature of the Sun is analogous to the spirit, the
individual consciousness or the individual mental body, while the
Magnetic nature of the Moon is analogous to the soul, the workings
of the inner personality and the astral awareness of the astral body.
Therefore, when turning the Sun key we encounter experiences

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 which shape the Light of being, the essence of our very nature, our
spirit, and when turning the Moon key, we encounter forces which
shape the Light of soul, the astral body, the reflection of our
individual essence in a shaped personality. The Moon key is sensitive
to the patterns of our past experiences, especially those we inherit
from our parents and those who first nurture us in life, and the Sun
key is sensitive to a more immediate experience of present time
awareness, to the living moment. To put this another way, the soul
(Moon) is more subjective and involved with personal experiences
and the consequences of history, but the spirit (Sun) is more
objective and involved with the essence of experiences, the
ramifications of the present, with what and how things are and mean
without the bias of past experiences getting in the way. The Lights
manifest this as both keys and conductors.
Each of these two keys can, with a little imagination, serve a
variety of purposes. On a mundane level they can help you prepare
psychologically ahead of time for significant changes in your life as
they will always redefine what it is to be you on some level. Either of
them can be turned whenever you are looking for a fresh start to
open up new dimensions of awareness that can lead you forward.
They can obviously be used to explore what it is to be you, who you
are at a fundamental level, your basic nature being encoded by the
Lights, but since the Lights also have a fundamental connection to
being alive they can be employed in healing work, in fitness
programmes and diets, and any kind of activity which focuses on self
improvement, from deep therapy to a cosmetic makeover. They can
be used to explore the relevance and significance of the Elements,
signs and temples that the Sun or Moon are involved with in your
chart, and the aspects they make to other planets, because at the time
of the activation of the key all your Solar or Lunar astrology is
brought to life. In magical work, the Sun key can serve as an
instructor in the Electric Fluid, the Moon key in the Magnetic Fluid,
or you can turn the Sun key while exploring the mental equilibrium
and the Moon key when working with the astral equilibrium. Moon
magic can be timed to coincide with the Moon key activations, and
Solar rituals with the Sun keys.
You could, in fact, stop here. This is the most basic level of
practice that produces holistic and effective results, but with huge
potential. It would literally require at least an entire book to cover all
the possibilities, techniques and suggestions for just these two keys,
and there are many writings by astrologers on the nature of the Sun
and Moon that can be experientially explored and empirically

107
investigated using the Light keys. As an example, let us say you have
a Pisces Sun, and you have read an astrologer's idea that a Pisces Sun
has sensitivity in the feet. By having a foot massage or reflexology
while the Sun key is being activated by Jupiter, you can test whether
or not this applies to you during a fertile time when its significance is
meant to be high. Activation by Saturn however would likely not be
a good time to test this theory, as the influence of Saturn as an
activator is inhibitive and disciplining. For Saturn activating the Sun
key, you are better off trying something like a diet, something which
reduces weight being more akin to Saturn's nature, or training
yourself in reflexology, calling on the extra discipline he offers.
Your notes and your own introspection can be cross referenced
and brought in here — imagine you have an early activation of your
Moon key by Chiron, a period in childhood during which time you
grew very sick, and that during this time you had to stay indoors a lot
and this led to an instinctive response forming so that whenever in
your adult life you are forced to stay home for long periods of time
you are reminded of the childhood event and parts of it seem to
resurrect themselves. Your mood shifts, you tend to get irritable
when home alone and have the feeling that history is repeating itself
when you are ill. The fact that this original event occurs under
Chiron activation of your Moon key means that this pattern of
behaviour is encoded with that significance, so that when the Moon
key is activated again, especially by Chiron but really by any means,
you have an opportunity to re-experience it and actually transform it.
Not only this, but any activation by Chiron of any key can potentially
allow you greater access to this pattern, because it was woven into
the thread of your life by the needlework of Chiron — elevating the
status of your relationship with the essential meaning of Chiron will
have the effect of transforming all that Chiron manifests in your life.
We have relationships with each of the activators and these
relationships are what determine the level and quality of interaction
we have with them.
There are even existential questions being addressed in the
structure of the keys, such as the age old debate between pessimism
and optimism: optimism wins. The merest glance at the keys with
their abundance of Jupiter activations is comforting — and it is meant
to be! Life is indeed more full of opportunities than we expect, and
the frequency of Jupiter activations write this loud in every single
key, because more often than not fresh opportunities arise, even in a
crisis. All things are indeed loved and cared for far beyond the scale
they imagine for themselves. The danger of this, of course, is that we

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 can become complacent, greedy, indulgent or wasteful of the
cornucopia of life that is being poured over our heads, and this is
exactly the problem posed to us by Jupiter.
So there are many ways you can explore these two keys, and what
you decide to do with them is up to you. You can pick up works by
astrologers for inspiration on the Sun and Moon and the signs and
temples they occupy in your chart, or the aspects they make, and
draw from them the many different ways these keys could be used,
trying their theories out in practice. You can also learn an incredible
amount about how you can use them just by turning them using the
Sun as the conductor as I have described, as the experiences you
have while doing so will inform you of their role in your life, which
will suggest uniquely personal ways for you to use them.
However, your options are only just beginning to show
themselves. At present, you know how to turn the Sun and the Moon
key by the method of Electric conduction using the Solar map. This
method takes one year to complete, a length of time which is
naturally assimilated by our spirits mental awareness because it
mirrors our calendar and the primary cycle we all recognise, that of
the birthday and the seasons. It's primed to our consciousness. The
effects of this conduction originate in the mental plane, the realm of
our spirit, and so they are most effective at that level, but they can
become dense enough to assume astral substance very quickly, which
is when you really start sensing the presence of the astrological
influences, you start to feel them happening around you, and this can
then take on physical form, such as a gradual vitalising of your body.
So that you can work directly in the astral realm and explore what is
behind the doors of these keys even more thoroughly and quickly
you will now learn about the Magnetic conduction method, which is
very similar but only takes a month to close. The Solar map will not
be used in this method. Instead, you must create a new sequence to
follow, because you are using a different conductor, the Moon.

V. CREATING A MAGNETIC CONDUCTOR

With the exception of its simplest form, the creation of a Magnetic

conductor must be done anew for each conduction. Unlike the Sun
and thus the Solar map, which have an annually repeating pattern,
the Moon and thus the Magnetic conductor do not repeat in a cyclical
pattern that synchronises with our calendar days so you must
continually go back to the ephemeris — or your astrologer — to find
the Moon's position for any given day. Consequently, you must

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become very familiar with these instructions because you will be
following them whenever you want to create a Magnetic conductor.
There are two approaches to Magnetic conduction, a simple one
which focuses on building a relationship with the Moon itself, and a
complex one which supports the exploration of other chart factors.
Either approach can be employed as the conductor of a keys
activations. I will first describe the simple method and go on to
describe the complex method.
The simple method of conduction is to follow the cycle of Luna as
she begins with her enigmatic dark face and waxes to the fullness of
her bright face, before emptying out again into the mystery of the
dark. To do this, you just need to start on the New Moon and follow
the phases of Luna as she turns about the Earth during your
activation period. Your ephemeris will likely list these phases in a
monthly box, and today there are also many software programs that
can display this information on a desktop.
For example, in Babaji's Moon key, there is a Neptune activation
opening across 1926 and 1927. At any time in that period, but
preferably encompassing the dates listed in the key, he could begin a
Magnetic conduction of the Neptune activation during the New
Moon. The New Moon occurs when the Sun and the Moon are in the
same degree of the zodiac, so these days can easily be found each
month by scanning the columns for the Sun and Moon, and noting
when the Moon catches up with the zodiac position of the Sun in
those pages. This is the day when you begin the conduction. You
don't have to pay any attention to where the objects in your chart are
through looking at the master key, you could just watch the Moon
changing shape for a month and pay attention to your inner mood
and how it fluctuates. However, you can involve your chart simply
by noting which areas of it Luna passes through as she changes her
shape. If you do this often enough, you will see a pattern emerging as
her Full Moon cycles through the 12 signs. For instance, if Cancer is
the sign of your 1st temple, you will see the Full Moon there every
year around late December or the first three weeks of January, when
the Sun is in Capricorn.
The Moon has essentially 8 faces, 4 waxing and 4 waning, each of
which has its own essential meaning, as she is shaping the Light of
the Sun in a different way. Longer descriptions of these faces are
given in step 8, but they can be brought in here as well. Below is a
summary:

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 New Moon: Mystery. The Moon is Dark and cannot be seen (in the
underworld). Origins. Beginning. A time of planting.
Crescent Moon: Nurture. The Moon is a sliver of crescent Light.
Manifestation, the cresting of visibility. The onset of assertion
through emergence of the seed.
First Quarter Moon: Growth. The Moon is a semicircle of Light.
Activity, the rise of stability. The exertion of effort as the plant
attempts to thicken and stand high.
• Gibbous Moon: Birthing. The Moon is ovoid. Expression, the
emergence of communication. The plant begins to grow leafy and
bud.
• Full Moon: Fruition. The Moon is a disc of bright Light. Flowering,
the gathering of the harvest. The plant bears its fruits.
Disseminating Moon: Reflection. The Moon is ovoid again. Wilting,
the time of assessment and an evaluation of the harvest. The plant
begins to lose height and drop its petals, fertilising its own soil.
• Third Quarter Moon: Reaction. The Moon is a semicircle again, but
Light falls on the other side to the First Quarter. The time of
reorientation and preservation, or a change in beliefs and
approaches. The fruits of the plant are crushed and fermented, the
flowers are pressed. The plant begins to restructure itself.
• Balsamic Moon: Repose. The Moon is crescent shaped again, but
facing the other direction. Release and decay, the storing and
clearing away. The harvest is stored and the ground is prepared for
the next cycle of growth. The awareness of the plant retreats to rest
deep within its roots.

If you begin with this simple method you will already be familiar
with these aspects of the advanced material when you come to them,
which will help you. You will note that I have only given somewhat
vague visual tips about the different phases of the Moon — this is
intentional, you will have to decide for yourself from observation
when one phase of the Moon begins and another ends. The
recognition of the fluidity of the Moon's rhythms is an artful sense
that must be cultivated but soon blossoms in us as it is extremely
ancient.
Since the Moon takes about 28 days to go through all these phases
you will have about a month to explore an activation. Ideally you
want the exact date of the activation of the key you are turning to fall
somewhere within that month, so you want to start from at least the
New Moon before the date listed in the activation in order to do this.
As an example, if we were using Magnetic conduction to turn
Babaji's Neptune activation of the Moon key in 1926-27, we would
want to start at the New Moons before or just after these dates:

• Neptune: 17 Sep 1926 [15 Feb 1927, 20 Jul 1927]

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 So, the New Moons before or just after (preferably before)
September 17th 1926 or February 15th and July 20' of 1927. But this
is if we are only doing one cycle, one turn of the key at a time. If we
want to do more than one, and this is recommended because the
Magnetic conduction method has a powerful cumulative effect, then
we should begin sometime well before those dates, somewhere
within the orb of influence the activation has. Given that Neptune
has a window of opportunity pushing on at least a year he can start
synthesising it in September 1925, if he wants, and go on month after
month for years, until about July 1928. This would create a powerful
Magnetic volt of Neptune energy. Or he could pick it up at any New
Moon in that whole period, if he wanted, and focus more on
following the Moon during the times of the Neptune activation, using
only her 8 phases to turn the key, to conduct the whole process with
and through her. He would learn huge amounts about the Moon's
faces and the moods that take him as she changes her shape in the
context of the Neptunian activation of his birth chart Moon. He
might experience incredibly vivid dreams — messages from Luna — or
find that his souls capacity to feel compassion (another Neptune
theme) is heightened, or he could find himself mired in a fog of
delusion as Neptune challenges his souls idealism in an attempt to
clarify its vision. All of this is possible, and more. The longer he does
it, the more intense the Magnetic accumulation will become.
The more complex approach to Magnetic conduction requires the
use of an ephemeris for the time of the activation. This follows the
same routine as the creation of the Solar map but instead of looking
for the Sun's positions over a year you will be looking for the Moon's
positions over a month or a series of months. This is a fairly easy but
time consuming process by hand, and in the beginning it can throw
up some quandaries, so be patient. Unlike the simple method of just
watching the Lunar phases and guiding your exploration through
their essential meaning, this method will connect with your birth
chart and allow you to explore its content and bring it to whatever
activation you are playing with. This approach allows a much greater
influence over the outcome of the conduction.
Suppose Babaji decides to use this method of Magnetic
conduction to turn the Moon key once (i.e. for a month) while it is
under the Neptune activation. Instead of looking for the New Moon,
he needs to begin somewhere else. He could begin from the 1"
temple (temple conduction), which is the temple of beginnings, or he
could begin from the Moon (planet conduction), because the Moon
key is being activated. He could also begin from the Sun, because the

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Sun has such primacy in all astrological meanings being the heart of
the cosmic court, but this will then involve the Sun more, or he could
begin from any planet with a similar result, but since this is a Moon
activation, it would be better to begin from the Moon in his chart, so
he decides to begin from there.
He then takes the master key and breaks it into two at the place
where the Moon is positioned, and he places the Moon at the top and
the other half below it, like so:

• Moon (25° 35' Leo)

• 1st temple/ascendant (28°52' Leo)
• Chiron (03° 37' Virgo)
• 2nd temple (25° 10' Virgo)
• Saturn (12° 35' Libra)
• 3rd temple (25° 07' Libra)
• Dragon's Tail (05° 03' Scorpio)
• Uranus (10° 02' Scorpio)
• 4th temple (27° 13' Scorpio)
• Venus (17° 06' Sagittarius)
• Mercury (23° 17' Sagittarius)
• 5th temple (29° 12' Sagittarius)
• Sun (15° 34' Capricorn)
• 6th temple (29° 52' Capricorn)
• 7th temple (28° 52' Aquarius)
• 8th temple (25° 10' Pisces)
• Mars (05°40' Aries)
• Jupiter (16° 13' Aries)
• 9th temple (25° 07' Aries)
• Dragon's Head (05° 03' Taurus)
• 10th temple/midheaven (27° 13' Taurus)
• Pluto (08° 11' Gemini)
• Neptune (08° 59' Gemini)
• 11th temple (29° 12' Gemini)
• 12th temple (29° 52' Cancer)

Now he has to put dates next to these positions. The Moon's

ephemeris positions for the year of the activation will tell him these
dates. The Neptune activation is taking place throughout 1927 but it
is strong in late July around July 20th, so lets assume that this is the
time he wants to interact with it (since it is the last of 3, he will by
now have had some time to live with it as an influence in his life and
may know what it signifies). The first item on the above list is the
Moon, positioned at 25 degrees of Leo. He needs to now look in the
ephemeris for the day before July 20th 1927 in which the Moon was
at that degree. Looking down the column for the Moon in the

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ephemeris for July 1927, he finds that the Moon is listed as being at
25 degrees Leo on midnight of July 3rd. This is the GMT zone, of
course, so if he is east of there it will happen later than midnight on
July 3rd, while if he is west of there, it will be earlier than midnight
on the 3", sometime during the 2nd. He writes both these dates down
next to Moon:
• Moon (25° 35' Leo) - July 2nd and 3rd 1927

The next object on his list is the 1St temple, which comes very
quickly afterwards at 28 degrees of Leo. The ephemeris says that by
midnight GMT of July 4th, Moon is in Virgo, at 7 degrees, so the
Moon reaches the 1' temple on July 3'. If we want, we can signify
that it occurs later than the previous entry by framing it within a later
part of that day, for example, 'afternoon':
• Moon (25° 35' Leo) - July 2r'd and 3rd 1927
• 1st temple (28° 52' Leo) - July 3rd (afternoon)
3rd,
The next position is Chiron's at 03 degrees of Virgo — still July
so we can add that to the list immediately, and if we wish we can set
aside the evening for that part of the exploration:
• Moon (25 degrees 37 min. Leo) - July 2nd and V, 1927
• l'd temple (28° 52' Leo) - July 3rd (afternoon)
• Chiron (03° 37' Virgo) - July 3rd (evening)

This is basically telling us that all three are happening at the same
time, that the 2nd and 3rd days of July 1927 are all about daily activity
involving these principles, Moon, 1St temple and Chiron, along with
Leo and Virgo. If he wants, he can simplify this process by ignoring
the time of day and just deal with all 3 throughout this period as a
single unit:
• Moon (Leo) July 1st-4th
• V temple (Leo) July 1st-4th
• Chiron (Virgo) July 1st-4th

Here, a day either side has been allowed as a window of

opportunity which this period of the conductor can take place in. It
encompasses the period of the 2nd and 3', and gives him more time to
play around with.
To complete the conductor all he has to do is follow this process
for the entire sequence:

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 MAGNETIC PLANET CONDUCTOR for the
MOON KEY ACTIVATION by NEPTUNE of 1927:

STAGE OF CONDUCTION DATE

• Moon (25° 35' Leo) - begin cycle - July 2nd and 3'd 1927
• 1St temple/Ascendant (28° 52' Leo) July 3rd (afternoon) - 4th
• Chiron (03° 37' Virgo) July 3rd (evening) - 4th
• 2nd temple (25° 10' Virgo) July 5th - 6th
• Saturn (12° 35' Libra) July 6th-7th
• 3rd temple (25° 07' Libra) July 7th_8th
• Dragon's Tail (05° 03' Scorpio) July 8th - 9th
• Uranus (10° 02' Scorpio) July 9th _10th
• 4th temple (27° 13' Scorpio) July 10th-11th
• Venus (17° 06' Sagittarius) July 12th-13th
• Mercury (23° 17' Sagittarius) July 12th (afternoon) - 13th
• 5th temple (29° 12' Sagittarius) July 12th_ 13th
• Sun (15° 34' Capricorn) July 14th- 15th
• 6th temple (29° 52' Capricorn) July 15th- 16th
• 7th temple (28° 52' Aquarius) July 17th-18th
• 8th temple (25° 10' Pisces) July 19th- 20th
• Mars (05° 40' Aries) July 20th- 21"
• Jupiter (16° 13' Aries) July 20th- 21st [time of 3d
Moon key activation by
Neptune]
• 9th temple (25° 07' Aries) July 21st - 22nd
• Dragon's Head (05° 03' Taurus) July 22nd - 23rd
• 10th temple/midheaven (27° 13' Taurus) July 23rd (afternoon) - 24th
• Pluto (08° 11' Gemini) July 24th (morning)
• Neptune (08° 59' Gemini) July 24th (afternoon)
(significant juncture)
• 11th temple (29° 12' Gemini) July 25th - 26th
• 12th temple (29° 52' Cancer) July 28th - 29th
• Moon (25° 35' Leo again) - close cycle - July 30th 1927

Reflect on this - just as with the master key and the Solar map,
there are many things which can be learned just from meditating on
this sequence. There is a message here and perceiving even just a
part of it will help you enormously in walking the pathway it
describes. If it were you walking this path with Babaji's chart, when
actually walking the path the meaning of Neptune will clarify and
become far more tangible to your astral awareness around the time it
activates the Moon key (July 20tht), and especially just after on the
24th of July when the Moon itself is in the same place as Neptune
was when you were born. The roving, wandering Moon is now in the
same place as Neptune was when you drew first breath, and the

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incredibly slow actual position of Neptune has drifted over to where
your Moon was placed when you were born — the meaning of Moon
and Neptune is flowing out of the contact they are making in your
life, from out of their mutual exchange within you. It's a window of
astral significance filled with Moon and Neptune, and you can touch
it and discover what it means to you.
Don't ignore the other parts of the conduction though. Look at
their overall placement in time. Because the planets in Babaji's chart
are spaced apart in a kind of splash pattern, he has a continuous
stream of significance to encounter in the conduction sequence — just
as one encounter ends, another one is beginning, so he stays active
throughout the entire conduction, bringing in different factors at
different times. If his chart were more focused into one area, such as
having many planets in Scorpio, he would experience a different
dynamic in the conduction. There would be quiet or fallow periods,
followed by a peak of activity as the Moon reached the area of the
chart with most emphasis. Notice your own rhythm of conduction. Is
there always a steady stream of incoming influences but coming
from different areas, a concentrated effect focused in one area, or a
mix with different clumps of activity spaced apart from one another?
This will not only help you in the conduction, it will inform you of
the underlying pattern behind your experience with the astral Light
in general.
Look at the sequence in more detail. Where do you encounter the
Lights? What surrounds and brackets the Lights? In Babaji's
example, the Sun is in the exact middle of the conduction on July
14th — 15th. This implies the middle part of the conduction is the time
when he can become most consciously aware of the main activation
(Neptune to the Moon key). It is bracketed by the 5th and 6th temples,
so it is in a period which begins in a 5th temple form, and moves on
to take a 6th temple form. Conversely, the Moon comes at the
beginning and the end — because this is a planet conduction of the
Moon key — which means that the journey will begin and end there,
that it will be about the Moon in a fundamental way. It is bracketed
by the 1St and 12th temples, so it involves them somehow as initiating
and summing up factors. Next, notice the period given in the
conduction to the activator of the key you are turning, in this case
Neptune. This will always be a significant moment in the
relationship you have to that activator, not just in terms of its
essential nature but also its natal position in your chart and the key it
is activating. In Babaji's case this is toward the end of the conduction
around July 24th — just after the exact activation of the Moon key by

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Neptune, as we have already noted. Where and when does this
synergy occur in your conduction? Do the same for every planet and
point, especially those you are interested in exploring or seem to
have a particular affinity with.
Also, note that as with Electric conduction the times when the
temple keys become involved are the start of periods which last until
the next temple key is involved. During this period your efforts
should in some way focus on the area of life signified by this temple.
The day of the temple becoming involved is the key time to
completely switch your focus onto that area of life and explore it
intently, or if you are trying to shape the influence, the time to shape
it in the appropriate way. You may find that the temple which gives
you the strongest feedback is the one which contains the key - in
other words, if your birth Moon is in the 9th temple, the time when
you bring the conduction of a Moon key activation to the concerns of
the 9th temple will likely be the time in which you encounter strong
effects. In a planet cycle, this will always occur towards the end of
the cycle.
If we had decided to begin the conduction from the 1St temple,
instead of from the Moon itself, these temple activations would be
more significant as they will occur in sequential order, and begin and
end at the 1St temple, like so:

STAGE OF CONDUCTION DATE

• -
1" temple (28° 52' Leo) begin cycle - July 3' (afternoon) - 4th
• Chiron (03° 37' Virgo) July 3" (evening) - 4'h
• 2nd temple (25° 10' Virgo) July 5'h - 6'h
• Saturn (12° 35' Libra) July 6th-7th
• r temple (25° 07' Libra) July 7th-8th
• Dragon's Tail (05° 03' Scorpio) July 8th - 9th
• Uranus (10° 02' Scorpio) July 9th -10th
• 4th temple (27° 13' Scorpio) July 10th-11th
• Venus (17° 06' Sagittarius) July 12"-13th
• Mercury (23° 17' Sagittarius) July 12th (afternoon) - 13'h
• 5th temple (29° 12' Sagittarius) July 12th- 13th
• Sun (15° 34' Capricorn) July 14th- 15th
• 6th temple (29° 52' Capricorn) July 15th- 16th
• 7th temple (28° 52' Aquarius) July 17th-18"
• 8th temple (25° 10' Pisces) July 19th- 20th
• Mars (05° 40' Aries) July 20th- 21"
• Jupiter (16° 13' Aries) July 20th- 21" [time of 31'
Moon key activation by
Neptune]

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• 9th temple (25° 07' Aries) July 21st- 22nd
• Dragon's Head (05° 03' Taurus) July 22nd - 23rd
• 10th temple/midheaven (27° 13' Taurus) July 23rd (afternoon) - 24'h
• Pluto (08° 11' Gemini) July 24' (morning)
• Neptune (08° 59' Gemini) July 24' (afternoon)
(significant juncture)
• 11th temple (29° 12' Gemini) July 25th - 26th
• 12' temple (29° 52' Cancer) July 28th - 29th
• Moon (25° 35' Leo) July 29' - 30"
• 1st temple (28° 52' Leo) - close cycle - July 30th (afternoon)

In this kind of conduction, a temple conduction, the focus is not on

the Moon itself, but on the cycle of experience which the temples lay
out. The Neptune activation of the Moon key (active the whole time
thanks to the window provided by Neptune) will be brought to each
temple and thus every area of life in a sequence which naturally
harmonises with your astrology and guides your focus through a
natural order of manifestation. There is a subtle emphasis in temple
conductions which leads us to explore the meaning and significance
of the astral Light in our physical experience of existing in the world
— the tasks of maintaining relationships, building careers, looking
after our health, etc. - whereas a planet conduction, one which begins
and ends from one of the Lights, focuses our attention on a particular
dimension of that experience, such as feelings (start from Venus) or
intellect (from Mercury), astral awareness (Moon) or conscious
awareness (Sun). So it makes sense that in a planet conduction you
focus more on the involvement of all the planets and the Lights,
while in a temple conduction you focus more on the temples, but you
can involve both whichever type of conduction you decide to do.
You can also use the simple method of involving the phases of the
Moon in the more complex conduction, to create a richer and more
visual level of interaction with the Moon, but the times when the
New Moon and the start of the conduction coincide will be rare (but
very special!). Just begin as usual and note the phase the Moon is in
when you do, following her phases from there, and blend in the
meaning of the phase with whatever you experience or do.
Again, what you bring to the table at each of the stages of
conduction is partly up to you so long as it involves the essential
meaning of the relevant keys and the activator, and I have given
some ideas to consider in the explanation of the keys later in this
book. I have written this book in a way that enables you to choose
between reading that material or making your own discoveries
without it. For this reason, I will not give a full and detailed example

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 of conduction here, as it would reveal the essential meaning of the
keys.
One thing that should be remembered when using the Moon as
conductor instead of the Sun is the fundamental difference between
the two Lights. The Sun acts to conduct influences into conscious
awareness, the Moon into astral awareness. The Sun is the head of
the diurnal hemisphere (the day time) while the Moon is the head of
the nocturnal hemisphere (night time). This means that Solar
influences will tend to occur during the daytime while Lunar
influences will tend to occur during the night, i.e. during sleep, in the
astral state. Pay close attention to all your dreams and any night
encounters when using Lunar conduction and use the magical time of
transition into and out of sleep to explore the astral awareness,
perhaps by placing suggestions into it. Magnetic conduction is a
great asset to any Moon magic, work with the astral or the sub-
conscious and unconscious, and any kind of habitual behaviour
patterning and its modification. If I want to feel something more
completely or deeply I will conduct with the Moon, but if I want to
be something, I will conduct with the Sun.
If I want a truly powerful experience, I will use both methods of
conduction at the same time, following the course of the Sun in the
Solar map for a year during which I also conduct 12 or 13 turns of
the key using the Moon. This is an ElectroMagnetic conduction
which has many benefits, for example it enhances our physical,
emotional and mental health and greatly assists in the process of
finding and keeping the state of magical equilibrium described in
Initiation into Hermetics. This combined form of conduction is the
essence of synthetic astrology. It has the potential to teach you
everything you need to know about astrology and your own astral,
mental and physical being. A serious practitioner will practice this
method of ElectroMagnetic conduction all of their life, regardless of
whether they use it to turn keys. They will simply observe the
position of the Sun and Moon at all times and relate it to their birth
charts keys, noting what is being emphasised. However when this
method is used to focus on the major activation of keys by Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto or Chiron, ElectroMagnetically
turning the keys they activate at a particular juncture in time, it truly
comes alive in our hands and its potential uses are limited only by
our imagination, karma and the general significance of the times.
For clarity, here is a summary of the various types and methods of
conduction:

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 • Temple Conduction: Begins from the 1st temple. Emphasises the
temples and is astra-physical in focus.
• Planet Conduction: Begins from a planet or one of the Lights.
Emphasises that planet or Light and is astra-mental in focus.

Either of these types can be conducted one of 3 ways:

• Solar/Electric Conduction: Uses the Solar map. Cycle takes at least
1 year. Harmonises with consciousness and being.
• Lunar/Magnetic Conduction: Uses the Moon's position from the
ephemeris or the Moon's phases, or both together. Cycle takes at
least 28-29 days. Harmonises with astral awareness.
• Solar and Lunar/ElectroMagnetic Conduction: Uses Solar map and
Moon's position. Cycle takes at least 1 year. Harmonises with all
aspects of self.

These techniques are those used to turn any of the keys, but they
can also be explored independently of the keys, i.e. just by
themselves. The keys are really showing times in which employing
any of these techniques will have a certain significance. So that you
can do that, I will now describe how the remaining keys are created.

VI. CREATION OF ALL REMAINING KEYS

Every item on your master key must have its own key. Each of the
remaining keys is made in the same way as the Light keys, but
looking for the degree of the zodiac the relevant temple or planet has
on the master key. Babaji's 2' temple, for example, is given as being
at 25 degrees and 10 minutes of Virgo, so to build his 2t temple key,
we make a chronological list of every time after he was born in
which Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto or Chiron reach this
place in Virgo.
This will be a time consuming process, but you will never have to
repeat it and when you finish you will have a truly unique map of
your astrology. If you have an astrologer or a word processor to do
this with the process will be made easier. An astrologer can create
your keys by following the instructions given at the back of this
book. Using a word processor you can write headings or open up a
page for every key you have to make and work on them
simultaneously. If you are working by paper, I have a few tips to pass
on to manage the mass of work and cut the time down dramatically.
There are 23 other keys to create. You will save an enormous
amount of time if you create them all together, rather than
individually. The easy way to do this is to collect together 23 sheets
of paper, and write the name of one of the keys you have to create on

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the top of each sheet with the degree of the relevant key in the top
right corner of its page Then order them in the sequence they occur
in the master key, and staple or bind the whole lot together. Have this
with you along with the master key when you come to look through
the ephemeris.
Turn to the date and year of your birth in the ephemeris. Look at
the positions of the activators — note that they are all the same as
their positions on the master key. This is birth — the onset of all life
cycles. Now, going forward from there, scan the columns of the
activators carefully, all of them together, month by month, checking
their monthly motion against the master key. When you come across
one of the degrees listed there (ignoring Sun and Moon as you have
already done them), turn to that key in your pages and write the
activation down underneath any you have already written there.
Remember before returning to the master key to check ahead to see
if the activating planet goes retrograde, in which case you will have
extra dates to add to that activation before you return to scanning the
ephemeris for the next one.
Take care in this process, there are quite a few activations to find
and catalogue, be kind to your eyes and let them rest occasionally,
take your time. You will probably find you get into a rhythm of
recognising what is going to happen next, as the planets move slowly
and the master key shows the order in which things will always
occur. For example, look at this section of Babaji's master key:
• 4th temple (27° 13' Scorpio)
• Venus (17° 06' Sagittarius)
• Mercury (23° 17' Sagittarius)

If you have just noted that Neptune has activated the 4th temple,
you know it will next activate Venus, followed by Mercury. This will
be true for any activator. And since of the activators the fastest will
take 12 years to completely orbit the zodiac, some spans of time may
occur in which there are no activations, especially if your chart
shows a clustering of planets in one place. This means you will often
be able to skip long periods of the ephemeris.
Scanning for all the activators and all the keys at once frees you
from having to repeat this laborious process multiple times. By the
end of this careful cataloguing of activations your 26 keys will be
complete and you will be able to turn any of them as you choose
whenever they are activated. Before you go on to do this, however,
you may want to work out the functions and sympathies of all 26
keys as a final step to the basic work.

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 As I mentioned earlier, each of the keys has an essential meaning,
and one or more other functions, a personal significance. The
essential meaning is the same for everyone and everything, but the
personal functions of that meaning as it manifests will vary. In the
pages that follow I offer some thoughts on the essential meaning of
all the keys, but I can offer none on the significance of the other
functions as the variations are too numerous. However, I can tell you
how to determine these functions, and how to use them generally,
and in the process pass on another piece of knowledge about the
activators themselves along with a few insights from the more
ancient world of astrology and a couple from the cutting edge that
can be useful to know because they contribute to the effectiveness of
the planets in fulfilling their functions and enrich your understanding
of all the keys you have created.

Primary & Secondary Functions of the Keys

These are both simply determined from the rulerships that planets
have over signs, as depicted on the cover of this book:
Aries: Mars
Taurus: Venus
Gemini: Mercury
Cancer: Moon
Leo: Sun
Virgo: Mercury
Libra: Venus
Scorpio: Mars
Sagittarius: Jupiter
Capricorn: Saturn
Aquarius: Saturn
Pisces: Jupiter

The signs act as an intermediary between the planets and the

temples. The placing of a sign over a particular temple in your chart
creates a link between that temple and the planet which rules the
sign. For example, if you are born when the sign of Libra is the sign
which lays across the start of the 2' temple, then Venus is the planet
connected with the 2' temple.
In addition, the planets and Lights also take on functions related to
the temples they are placed within in your birth chart, so if your
h
Venus is placed in the 4th temple, she will also have a 4t temple
function, along with her 2' temple one. Your Venus key will then be
suitable for 2nd and/or 4th temple work, a blend of the two, or a blend
of them including the qualities of Venus, and activation of any of
these keys can have knock on effects in the others. They are a
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blended whole and part of the same thread, the Venus thread.
Thus each world, including the Lights, is connected with one or
more temples, either because it is placed within that temple or
because its sign lays the foundation there. In the keys, these
relationships are shown in the information above each key. Each
temple key has an associated world key, which is the key of the
planet or Light which rules its affairs, and (if applicable) a contents
list which includes the planets or Lights which are within it.
Conversely, each world key including the Lights has a primary
function, which is the temple it is found in, and one or more
secondary functions, which are the temples it founds through the
Fluids as its sign or signs.
The essential meaning of the key will be applied across all its
functions or contents, challenging us to find our own way of bringing
them harmoniously together and making it work as a life. So while
Jupiter has the essential meaning of introducing an infinite
elaboration of commonality and the growth of empathy, something
he does for everyone and everything on the Earth, for you he might
develop this dimension of awareness primarily through your working
life, but secondarily and in the background, also through your family
and marriage.
Here is a list of these relationships in the keys to Babaji's chart, so
you can check them against it and see what I mean:

• Sun: has secondary functions related to the 1st temple (Leo is on

the 1st temple) and a primary function related to the 5th (Sun is in
the 5th).
• Moon: has secondary functions from the 12th through the sign of
Cancer and primary functions related to the 1st (Moon is technically
contained in the 12th but is more functional in terms of the 1' ; see
note below).
• Mercury: has a primary function related to the 4th and secondary
functions related to the 2nd and 11th temples — he is in the 4th, and
the ruler of the signs which open the 2nd and 11th temples, Virgo
and Gemini.
• Venus: has primary functions related to the 4th (by position) and
secondary functions related to the 3' (rulership of Libra), and 10th
(rulership of Taurus) temples.
• Mars: has primary functions related to the 8th (position) and
secondary functions related to the 4th (rulership), and 9th (rulership)
temples.
• Jupiter: has secondary functions related to the 5th (rulership) and
primary and secondary functions related to the 8th temple (by both
position and rulership).
• Saturn: has primary functions related to the 2nd and secondary
functions related to the 6th and 7th temples.

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 J.L

• 1St temple: world key is the Sun key (through Leo), content is the
Chiron key.
^nd
• z temple: world key is the Mercury key (through Virgo), content is
the Saturn key.
• 3rd temple: world key is the Venus key (Libra), contains the
Dragon's Tail and Uranus keys.
• 4th temple: world key is the Mars key (Scorpio), contents are the
Venus and Mercury keys.
• 5th temple: world key is the Jupiter key (Sagittarius), content is the
Sun key.
• 6th temple: world key is the Saturn key (Capricorn), no contents.
• 7th temple: world key is the Saturn key (Aquarius), no contents.
• 8th temple: world key is the Jupiter key (Pisces), contains the Mars
and Jupiter keys.
• 9th temple: world key is the Mars key (Aries), contains Dragon's
Head key.
• 10th temple: world key is the Venus key (Taurus), contains the Pluto
and Neptune keys.
• 11th temple: world key is the Mercury key (Gemini), no contents.
• 12th temple: world key is the Moon key (Cancer), content is the
Moon key (see note).

Note: In my experience, the 12 temples do not have distinct boundaries but the
zodiac signs do. When the Sun is in the last degree of Pisces, it still emanates the
Piscean qualities, but as soon as it enters Aries, Pisces is gone. The temples do not
behave the same way. They are more fluid because they are even more expressive of
the temporal continuum, the flow of time, than the signs are. This means that when a
planet or one of the Lights approaches the cusp of a new temple, it starts to take on
the qualities of that temple beforehand. So in Babaji's chart, where the Moon is
technically in the 12th temple, I have grouped it as a 1" temple influence because it is
so close to the ascendant, the cusp of the I" temple. I have grown accustomed to
allowing 5 degrees of the zodiac for this phenomena, sometimes more when the Pt
or 10th temple is the cusp involved, occasionally also giving more when it is the 4th
or 7th. The brighter Lights also seem to have a widening effect on this phenomena.
However, from a technical point of view, his Moon is in the 12th. I use the approach
outlined here when determining everything but the contents list for the temple keys,
because it is more useful to know the content from the technical point of view since
this is where you will encounter it in the temporal sequence of a conduction.

In practice you use these connections to expand your options for

working with specific parts of your astrology and for understanding
the finer mechanisms involved in it. If, for example, you want to
work with the 4th temple key but the next activation is 4 years away,
you can turn to its world key or its content, which will allow you to
work with the 4th temple. These connections also educate you in the
reality of your astrology as an inter-related whole, a dynamic multi-
layered tapestry, a multidimensional pattern rather than a two
dimensional image. These relationships are the dharmas of the

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planets, the tasks they have undertaken in physical existence, the
most natural avenues of expression they find into the world and the
ways they develop themselves in us through experience.

Planetary Sympathies
Aside from the personal connections that they have with temples,
planets also have personal connections with the signs, which are
expressions of their relationships to the Fluids. Unlike the
relationships they form with temples, however, these relationships
are not temporary but rather fundamental and relatively permanent.
The relationship each planet has with the Fluids and thus the
Elements does change, but only very gradually over eons of human
time. In this section, we will look first at the relationship each planet
has with the Fluids and what this means in practice, and then its
relationship with the Elements and what this means in practice.

Planets and the Fluids

The two Lights are the root of the two Fluids, at least in our local
space. Each of the other visible planets must manifest as both Fluids
(two signs) but the Lights only manifest as one (a single sign). Each
of the planets will, however, exhibit a preference towards one of the
2 Fluids. The two Lights then become the leader of two groups, an
Electric and a Magnetic, which astrology anciently refers to as 'sects'.
The Electrical group, called the diurnal sect, is led by the Sun and
includes Jupiter and Saturn. The nocturnal group, led by the Moon,
includes Venus and Mars. Mercury is neutral but will exhibit a
tendency to the Electric Fluid and thus the diurnal sect if he is seen
to rise before the Sun as a morning star (in which case he will be
located clockwise from the Sun in your chart), but towards the
Magnetic Fluid and the nocturnal sect if seen to set at sundown (in
which case she will be anticlockwise from the Sun).
The question of why cold, silent Saturn is in the diurnal sect while
hot-blooded Mars is in the nocturnal when their natures strongly
suggest otherwise is answered when we understand that these two
planets have a more extreme tendency towards one of the 2 Fluids
and therefore tend to be more 'malefic' when out of our control.
Saturn therefore needs to be warmed up, and Mars to cool it, because
this is when they produce more balanced and controllable results.
A chart which is for a birth in the day will then favour the diurnal
sect, and vice-versa for a birth in the night. Such planets are 'in sect',
meaning they have a basic and powerful Fluidic support in the chart.

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Those out of sect do not suffer terribly, but they lack an edge that
those in sect do have. This edge is usually in terms of being able to
produce physical effects or some other kind of expression in the
physical world.
Additionally, it is even better if the planet is in the appropriate
hemisphere of the sky, so that if you are born in the day, it is better to
have Sun, Jupiter or Saturn above the horizon in the light of the day
(temples 7-12), and to have the nocturnal planets in the night area,
temples 1-6, and vice versa if you are born at night. This gives
further support to the planet at the level of the Fluids.
The fmal way in which the planets and Fluids interact is through
the signs. The Fire signs are purely Electric, thus better for the Sun,
Jupiter and Saturn. The Water signs are purely Magnetic, thus better
for Moon, Venus and Mars. The Air signs are neutral, favouring
Mercury, but they contain a slight emphasis towards the Electric
pole, thus they are better for the diurnal sect, while the Earth signs
are ElectroMagnetic but contain a slight bias towards the Magnetic
pole and thus support the nocturnal sect.
If all 3 of these levels apply, a planet is powerfully supported by
its position. If it fails to meet all 3, its relationship with the Fluids
needs to be strengthened before it will be capable of manifesting
physical effects and it will be quite uncomfortable with where it's at,
requiring us to tend to it. In the case of Mars and Saturn, this can
create many problems for us to deal with.
This information can be used to work with the Fluids in the
turning of keys. If you know that, for example, your Mars is heavily
charged with Electric Fluid, being in Aries, above the horizon in the
8th temple, and in the blaze of daylight as you were born at midday,
any hot temper or other Mars issues you have can be transformed
through working out your burning connection to the Electric Fluid.
You might conduct an experiment in the Electric Fluid under a Mars
key activation, perhaps transporting it round your chart through
conduction. Additionally, well supported planets in strong positions
will respond to conduction more energetically, and you can expect
the activations of their keys to reflect this too.
The planets also have affinities with certain signs, and antipathies
in others. These relationships are also Elemental in basis and those
relating to the activators and conductors will now be discussed, but
every planet has them and they can be used to give further evaluation
to how comfortable they are.

126
Planets and the Elements

The planets, including the activators and Lights, each have a

nature which can be either supported or undermined by certain signs
of the zodiac in which they find themselves. Saturn, for example,
which is the ruler of Capricorn and Aquarius, finds his nature
supported when moving through these signs, he is in his own
territory, in his own realm. Conversely, he finds himself far from
familiar or comfortable territory when in Cancer or Leo, which lie
opposite to the signs he rules. Tradition tells us he is also exalted in
Libra, but depressed in Aries. When he is found in any of these signs,
his activations will be affected. So if any of the keys you have
created involves any of these signs (which is very likely) it may be
easier or more difficult to connect with him under his activations of
those keys, and if the Saturn key itself is in one of these signs, all its
activations will contain this potential. The other activators and the
Lights have affinities as well, which for ease of use we can divide
into sympathetic and unsympathetic signs:
Activator /
Conductor Sympathetic signs Unsympathetic signs
Jupiter Cancer, Sagittarius, Pisces Gemini, Virgo, Capricorn
Saturn Libra, Capricorn, Aquarius Aries, Cancer, Leo
Sun Aries, Leo Libra, Aquarius
Moon Taurus, Cancer Scorpio, Capricorn

This much has been agreed by astrologers since antiquity. The

remaining activators are more modern and thus we have no
traditional experience to turn to. The following are my observations
of the affinities of these other activators:

Activator Sympathetic sign Unsympathetic sign

Uranus Scorpio, Aquarius Taurus, Leo
Neptune Libra, Pisces Aries, Virgo
Pluto Capricorn, Scorpio Cancer, Taurus
Chiron Virgo, Sagittarius Gemini, Pisces

These are my findings from personal experience and I have used

them in Babaji's keys in the following pages. Note that these do not
replace the traditional sympathies, they augment them with an
entirely new level of astrology, the collective level. Now, granted, I
have not experienced what, for example, Pluto in Cancer is like
because I have never lived through it, nor will I in future, but I have
known people who do have it as a birth influence, and in the cases

127
where no-one alive has experienced a particular planet in one of
these signs, for example Neptune in Aries, it is still possible to
acquire a feel for how Neptunian energies play out in Aries through
the conduction of Neptune activations and a study of historical
personalities. Additionally, these newer worlds seem to conform to
the general pattern of the traditional ones, which have their
sympathetic and unsympathetic signs opposite one another.
In evaluating what the effect of a planet or Light being in a
sympathetic or unsympathetic sign actually is, we have to be careful
of materialistic value judgements about strength and weakness. The
sympathetic signs do indeed support that planet's or Lights nature
and will serve to give it greater freedom of expression and liberty to
do what it does (but at what cost?), but the unsympathetic signs do
not reduce this capacity, they merely cloak or obscure it and lead it
down a less conventional pathway of expression. This can make it
more difficult for us to connect with that part of ourselves or more
difficult to gain recognition for it by others, and it can end up
demanding more of us as the effort required of us by the planet will
be greater, but these difficulties will be because we do not conform
to the status quo with regard to the planet, not because the planet is
'weak'. A Moon in Scorpio, for example, is a deeply shrouded and
private Moon that rarely comes out from its dark cave, preferring to
sit back and observe carefully and give nothing away. This is seen as
an anti-social form of behaviour by some people (even though Moon
in Scorpio people are frequently loyal and offer penetrating
perceptions), and even as a cause for concern, a danger sign that this
person is somehow a threat. This is the Moon in an unsympathetic
sign. It's still a powerful and effective Moon, seeing deeply into
things going on around it, but it is made somewhat uncomfortable
with that by societal and cultural norms. The other unsympathetic
placements describe similar conditions.
So the activators and the conductors have certain signs where they
flourish and others where they don't, and this can help you in your
interaction with them or explain why they seem to be less
forthcoming in certain keys. This is just another layer of information
you can look at.
Finally you can also consider the more permanent and universally
shared connections that some of them have to the temples, which are
an ancient connection called the joys of the planets:

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 • The Sun has its joy in the 9th temple
• The Moon has its joy in the 3rd temple
• Jupiter has its joy in the 11th temple
• Venus has its joy in the 5th temple
• Mercury has its joy in the 1" temple
• Saturn has its joy in the 12th temple
• Mars has its joy in the 6th temple

These joys are the temples where the activation or conduction of

influences involved will be slightly strengthened. So for example the
activations of the 11th temple key by Jupiter are more joyous for
Jupiter, his principle is strong when working in this temple and this
can counteract him being in an unsympathetic sign (giving us the
confidence and support to shun convention). The activations of
Saturn to the 12th temple key see Saturn given greater strength,
because the activities of that area of life are supported by his nature,
his principle enhances them. And in conduction work, the use of the
Sun as conductor is boosted once you come to the 9th temple because
it illuminates essential meaning, while the use of Moon as conductor
receives a boost once you bring your attention to the 3rd temple,
because the Moon has an affinity with this place as the Light of the
personal mind. The joys also apply to the contents of the temples, so
if your 12th temple key contains your Saturn key, the key is in a place
of joy for Saturn and activations of that key will be lightly supported
by this condition.
With the functions of the keys worked out, an insight into how the
Fluids are supporting the keys and the awareness that the activators
and conductors have sympathetic and unsympathetic places, along
with the methods you have already learned for turning the keys, you
can now proceed however you wish to practice and uncover the
primary meanings of the keys for yourself, or you can read on and
learn some of what they signify according to my own personal
experience of them and the wisdom of astrology, which are
essentially in accord but differ in some respects because of my
experiential findings.
From this point on, I will present each key in a format which
begins with Babaji's key before going on to a description of its
essential meaning — its function in every chart — followed by a select
handful of techniques, pointers and suggestions for how it can be
used. Descriptions of the 12 temple keys will be given first, followed
by descriptions of the world keys.

129
 THE 1St TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF BEING
0$
Activation

Paramahansa Yogananda (Leo 28° 52')

World key: Sun key
Contents: Chiron key
Sympathies: Solar conduction
Unsympathetic to: Saturn and Uranus activation
Age Significance
Chiron: 16 Mar 1893 [4 Jun 1893] 0-1 [Chiron is retrograding after birth]
Jupiter: 22 Sep 1896 3
Jupiter: 7 Sep 1908 15
Saturn: 3 Aug 1919 26
Jupiter: 22 Aug 1920 27 [Arrives in America 4 days before]
Neptune: 29 Oct 1927 [5 Jan 1928, 21 Aug 1928,
7 Apr 1929, 11 Jun 1929] 34-36 [Potential indicator for rectification]
Jupiter: 6 Aug 1932 39 [Involved in teaching Kriya Yoga]
Chiron: 20 Nov 1942 [6 Jan 1943, 17 Jul 1943] 49-50
Jupiter: 20 Jul 1944 51 [Writing autobiography]
Saturn: 9 Sep 1948 55 [Saturn is in this temple at his death]
Jupiter: 6 Nov 1955 [28 Jan 1956, 1 Jul 1956] 62-63 [After his death]
Pluto: 8 Sep 1956 [3 Mar 1957, 13 Jul 1957J 63-64 [Potential indicator for rectification]
Uranus: 5 Oct 1961 [9 Feb 1962, 21 Jul 1962] 68-69 [As above]
Jupiter: 12 Oct 1967 [7 Mar 1968, 7 Jun 1968] 74-75
Saturn: 29 Oct 1977 [24 Jan 1978, 16 Jul 1978] 84-85
Jupiter: 23 Sep 1979 86
Jupiter: 7 Sep 1991 98
 THE 12 TEMPLE KEYS
THE 1ST TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF BEING
ESSENTIAL MEANING

This is one of four temples which are the most sensitive and active
of the 12 temples, and of these 4 it is the primary one. The others are
the 4th, the 7th and the 10th. The keys to these temples can bring in
significant life changes because these temples are the pivot points of
the sky where objects rise, set, begin to descend or begin to ascend
towards the horizon. They are the places where the Earth touches the
sky as it turns, the inspiration behind the sacred symbol of the cross
of matter which has dominated religious iconography for many tens
of thousands of years.
This is the key that relates to the astrological rising sign, the
degree of the zodiac that rises in the east at the time and place of
your first breath. As a marker for the beginning of physical life this
place is the place of beginnings and of origins, of things which start
anew, and therefore can be taken as a starting point for all cycles, a
planting zone, which is why we can use its degree to work a temple
conduction. Here is where things can be seeded and later born. Here
is the breath of life. Also, due to this place being connected with
physical incarnation and the emergence of our physical body into the
physical universe, it has a great sensitivity to the physical body itself.
But fundamentally, it is connected to our conscious awareness of self
identity and our demeanour, the qualities we identify ourselves with
and do not mind admitting to others. In fact, just as we use our
physical bodies to interact with the world, bodies which are shaped
by the qualities of this temple, we also use the astra-mental qualities
of this place to interact with the world. It is the front door to the
world of us.
The connection this key has to the moment and place of birth and
its relation to the point of direct interaction we have with the external
world lends it analogies to our face, our body, our mannerisms, our
gait, the overall presence we contribute to an atmosphere when
standing in a room with others and the experience we have of the
now moment, the present, a state of awareness we enter the world in
and which was reflected in the events and people around us when we

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were being born. So what we see in this temples symbolism is a
description of our own birth process — the separation from the womb
state - and how it has shaped us, primarily physically but also astra-
mentally i.e. in terms of our feelings and our mentation.
Therefore, activations of this key represent times when we can
change physically or in terms of character, or the way people see us
changes significantly, periods when we may significantly alter our
clothing, hairstyle, appearance and mannerisms as an expression of
changes in our identity that we want others to see. Our health can
also go through changes, and we can experience a new beginning of
some kind, even a rebirth through the power and principle of the
activator. When this key is activated, the essential meaning of the
activating planet is integrated into our self identity more completely,
so much so that we may come to identify ourselves with it
personally. We start to show its expression in our bodies, often in our
eyes or our face, and we often feel some kind of urge to put the
activator out there somehow, to embody it in some way. We may
become living expressions of the activating planet's qualities,
possessed of its outlook, experiencing it directly in the physical
universe as a way of being. So when Saturn is the activator, we
become more Saturnine, perhaps more pessimistic and serious, and
when Jupiter is the activator we tend to go the other way into
optimism because the future looks promising, and so on.
So the activations of this key are highly significant. We are being
visited by one of the gods. They are knocking on our door and
coming inside. We are becoming them, we identify with them, we
sense them inside of ourselves and we cannot really resist showing
them to the world. Importantly then, since it is such a sensitive
degree and is closely connected to our immediate awareness, its
activations are opportunities to more immediately sense astrological
influences related to the activating planet, opportunities to truly
experience them in a direct way. Our actual rising sign, with its
aspects and Elemental bias, will always translate this raw influence
into available information — we will experience what is going on
with our rising sign and our 15t temple when this key is active, as
well as our relationship to the nature of the activator. Thus, its
activations also teach us about the qualities of our rising sign, our
overall expression of our chart as a persona or demeanour we adopt
to interface with the world, our sense of being physically,
emotionally, mentally and spiritually nurtured through being
connected to the material and temporal world and all that this entails
for us.

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TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Temple Conduction: As described earlier, this temple is used in the

turning of keys through temple conduction; the master key is just
rearranged so that the 1St temple is at the top, giving you the
sequence in which you encounter the objects in your chart. Only the
degree of the 1" temple key is used in this technique, not the
activations in the 1St temple key itself, although temple conductions
can be built around the activations of this key so that you can focus
work on the temple of being.
Since no example of this has been given, I will provide one here,
split into 12 parts over the 12 temple keys. For this example I will
imagine that Babaji is seeking to intentionally shape an astrological
influence as it occurs, he wants to interact with it and give it a
purpose in his life, and he chooses the 1st temple key's Jupiter
activation of August 6th 1932 as his activation to work with. He could
have chosen any activation from any key, provided it is current or
about to be. He also decides to do this over the course of a year,
using the Solar map to conduct things.
His current concern is a problem he is having in helping a
particular student with their meditations. He decides to employ the
potential for fertility, empathy, luck and growth offered by Jupiter at
this time and transfer it through his teachings to the student. He
basically decides to wrap it up as a gift to this student, but to also
grow himself through this experience.
To create the conduction for this activation he decides to use the
more appropriate method of beginning from the 1St temple, since this
is a Pt temple key activation. So he takes the Solar map and he
breaks it into two parts at the 1St temple, placing the part with the 1St
temple at the top and the other part below, so that the temples appear
in a sequential order from 1-12:

• 1St temple/ascendant (28° 52' Leo) August 218t

• Chiron (03° 37' Virgo) August 26th
• 2nd temple (25° 10' Virgo) September 17th
• Saturn (12° 35 Libra) October 5th
• 3' temple (25° 07' Libra) October 18th
• Dragon's Tail (05° 03' Scorpio) October 28th
• Uranus (10° 02' Scorpio) November 2nd
• 4th temple (27° 13' Scorpio) November 19th
• Venus (17° 06' Sagittarius) December 8th
• Mercury (23° 17' Sagittarius) December 15th
• 5th temple (29° 12' Sagittarius) December 20th
• Sun (15° 34' Capricorn) January 5th

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 • 6th temple (29° 52' Capricorn) January 19th
• 7th temple (28° 52' Aquarius) February 17th
• 8th temple (25° 10' Pisces) March 15th
• Mars (05° 40' Aries) March 26th
• Jupiter (16° 13' Aries) April 5'h
• 9th temple (25° 07' Aries) April 14th
• Dragon's Head (05° 03' Taurus) April 25th
• 10th temple/midheaven (27° 48' Taurus) May 18th
• Pluto (08° 11' Gemini) May 29`h
• Neptune (08° 59' Gemini) May 30th
• 11th temple (29° 12' Gemini) June 20th
• 12`h temple (29° 52' Cancer) July 22nd
• Moon (25° 35' Leo) August 18th
• 1st temple (closes cycle) August 21S'

This is the conductor.

Since the timing of the activation he wants to work with is August
1932, and the activator (Jupiter) can be given a span of time lasting
1-2 months, we are safe assuming that the effect of this Jupiter
activation can be felt in time between the start of June and October
1932. He could begin on August 21" of that year, right in the heart of
this activation and then the first few months would be the time to
exert greater effort, or he could start a year earlier on August 21st
1931, so that the Jupiter activation comes at the climax of the years
conduction. Since he is using the Solar map, whichever year he
chooses the conduction will be the same, it will start and end on the
same dates and involve the same days of the year, so he could also
do two cycles of the conductor, from August 21St 1931 - August 21'
1933, placing the activation in the middle of this work. For the sake
of this example we will assume he begins a year early, in August of
1931, and we will follow him for one year.
In August of 1931 the Jupiter activation is in the future a year
away, it's not happening yet, so there may be other activations he can
find elsewhere in the keys for this period in 1931 to employ in
shaping the beginning of the cycle, but it is not necessary to do so.
He can just begin the work without the help of Jupiter and without
looking for other activations that might be useful. Assuming he
ignores this potential, his task on August 215t 1931 is to get things
going with his student, to mark the time with his intention to
transform his ability to help them. He has to set the tone for what he
hopes will come in some way, so perhaps he announces his intention
to help the student in front of the class. He also envisions for himself
where he generally wants to be with this person in 12 months time -
specifics are okay, but they shouldn't be exclusive of other options,

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 they should be flexible and in Babaji's case he also does some
reflection at this time and realises he will have to avoid pride and
being pushy and bossy (he has a Leo rising sign, which he knows
from past experience can sometimes tend to make him act that way).
This is all that is really necessary at this stage of the conduction -
some genuine self reflection on where you are and where you want
to be, a conscious recognition of any intentions, and a marking of all
this at the appropriate time. You are sending up a flare, a signal, and
it is being received by the universe. It is a period of conception and
birth. The period which follows the start of this time working in the
temple of being is really the time to prepare, look at where you are
and who you are, and do whatever you need to do to get going.
How long does this period last, and are there further events to
consider within that period? Looking at the conductor, we can see
that before the 2nd temple is involved, around the 17th of September,
there is an involvement of Chiron on August 26th. This tells us two
things: first, that he must continue to focus on the issues of the l'
temple until the 2' temple becomes involved on September 17th, and
second that around the 26th of August he has to bring in something
related to Chiron, or face up to an event staged at that time by
Chiron, even if it seems completely unrelated to his intention. He is
beginning to dance here, and his first partner in the dance is Chiron.
Chiron might actually step on some of his toes as it comes in with a
rhythm of its own, and this must be dealt with, whatever it is, and
analysed for potential messages about the intention. Once you have
begun, the magic sees to it that everything occurring is relevant at
some level; indeed, highly significant issues will frequently surface
and engage you in a sparring match. This kind of engagement with
astrological influences stirs the pot of life. Things bubble up.
Chiron is partly about our relationship to suffering. So Babaji
decides to discuss suffering and pain with his student and within
himself, trying to explore this theme to see what it throws up. He
keeps this theme for a few days, and then begins to let go of it. He
probably starts around August 24th and lets it go around August 28th.
However if the issues raised turn out to be significant ones that
cannot be dealt with in this time they must be carried forward to the
next step, and translated to every step of the conduction until there is
no further need or possibility of exploring them. So if this talk turns
up something painful that needs further work, it is brought forward
to the 2" temple on September 17th. Everything you do must be
translated from one part of the chart to another, you must create a
momentum like a rolling snowball. The whole of the transformative

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process must be honoured during conduction, not just a part of it,
because we are holistic entities, not a collection of bits but an
integrated whole — and incidentally, finding this holistic existence is
really the essence of Chiron.
I will continue this example in the 2' temple key.
Rectification of Birth Time: Regrettably and somewhat foolishly, in
our society we do not keep accurate birth records in many countries.
Birth time is not actually recorded in most cases, leaving astrologers
with many people to obtain birth information for, or forcing them to
discard the information generated by birth time and focus on what
remains. Most of the people I have worked for supplied a birth time
that relied on their mothers or fathers memory, and many of these
times were suspiciously on the hour or the half hour. Because the
wheel of the zodiac rises a further degree every 4 minutes of the
hour, the birth time must be quite accurate or the temple keys will be
inaccurate. In some cases, a difference of 4 minutes will put a new
sign over the eastern horizon, leading to an entirely different rising
sign and a radically re-focused astrology.
There are many good methods of chart rectification developed by
modern astrologers and the keys are another tool that can be used
this way, and quite simply. We only consider the 12 temple keys and
the Moon key in this because the other objects will likely not move
much over the course of a day. All that needs to be done is to scan
these 13 keys for the activations by Pluto, Neptune and Uranus, one
at a time, noting the times when this has already occurred, i.e. in the
past. For example, I have placed remarks on Babaji's key of being,
which indicate possible periods the chart can be rectified through.
Look at your own key of being then try to figure out what these
periods signified for you.
If the majority of the events these activations signify occurred in
times earlier than those listed in the keys, then it is an indication that
your birth time is actually earlier too. If the reverse is true, then your
birth time is probably later. If there seems to be a general pattern in
how early or how late, for example, the Pluto activations seem to
describe events that happened 3 or 4 years before the times listed, it
is a strong indication that your birth time needs to be adjusted by a
certain number of degrees.
In the advanced material you will learn about other very slow
moving objects that can be used to rectify the birth time through the
temple keys and the Moon key. For now, when in doubt follow the
same procedure with the activations of Saturn and trust in your
instincts; after all, you were there.
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Experiential exploration of house systems: Modern western
astrology employs a number of different systems for calculating the
boundaries of the 12 temples or houses in the birth chart. Some of
these systems yield radically different results, leading to debate and
confusion as to which to use. As I discussed in the earlier part of this
book in my experience house systems are similar to zodiacal systems
in that their significance is informed by human use, that is they are
given life by our use of them; in other words they are all valid, just
as different forms of art are still valid forms of art. I have used a
commonly used system to create the keys for this book because it
works well for me, but you can create temple keys for other house
systems and compare them to find the one that seems best for you.
Just have your chart drawn up for those house systems and create
keys for those degrees. The keys for your planets and the Lights will
only be changed at the level of their secondary functions — their
activations will not change. Only the activations of the temple keys
are changed through different house systems.

The Ruling Planet Key: The planetary ruler of the sign which
opens this temple is called the ruler of the chart. This title is not an
exaggeration. The ruler of a chart is the giver of its life, the planetary
force which enabled our being to be born, and so the activations of
its key will have significant consequences. We can regard this body
as being as important and fundamental to our existence as the Sun
and Moon are. In Babaji's case, the ruling planet key is the Sun key
because Sun is the ruler of Leo, therefore his Sun key is made more
sensitive. The ruling planet key will often present us with themes
connected to the l' temple, such as health, appearance, being,
identity and self awareness, employing its own essential nature in
these areas. However, it is also possible that a planet close to the
beginning of the Pt temple (even if placed at the end of the 12th) can
take on similar qualities as the ruler of a chart, and even in some
cases replace its functions, which is what we see with Babaji because
his Moon is sitting on the eastern horizon just above the ascendant.
The Sun is still important for him because it does not lose the
rulership of the chart, but it must share it with the Moon. This dual
rulership of Babaji's chart by the Lights accounts for his great
charisma, the warmth and light he was shown and gave in his life
and his popular, broad appeal — everyone identifies with Sun and
Moon and such people have a knack of lighting up rooms (in Babaji's
case, entire auditoriums).

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Dieting, Health and Body Shaping: The key of being is very
effective at introducing stimulus which changes the shape, form or
appearance of our body, particularly the face and the light behind our
eyes, but also including things like the choice of clothing and colour
we wear. Its activations are often good times to overhaul our
appearance in whatever way desired, but Saturn tends to age us.
Saturn has other offerings though - weight gain is more likely if we
indulge during the activations of Jupiter but weight loss is more
likely if we diet during the activations of Saturn. During Jupiter
activations, weight gain is usually easier and quicker, and during
Saturn, slower. So if for example you want to lose weight, you
should eat less during Jupiter activation, and if you want to gain it,
use the Jupiter activation to time the optimal times for building up
your body. This applies to exercise as well as diet. Likewise, during
Saturn activations, you can probably get away with eating more, and
gain less weight as a result — but don't push it! - Saturn is a master of
long term consequences.
This is an effect of the planets on metabolism and the assimilation
of energy, it can affect the form of the body and its health through
appetites and the consumption of substances. And it is worth
remembering that while dieting is often best begun under Saturn
activation that if you can resist an increased temptation towards
indulgence, the luck, buoyancy and optimistic spiritedness of Jupiter
activations can work equally well. Saturn here is often about
overcoming a pessimistic, defeatist attitude to life and taking
challenges and setbacks as an invitation to cultivate discipline and
patience.
The Chiron activations can be critical healing crises for the bodies
(physical, emotional or mental, wherever the pain is); if there is
anything wrong, it will likely reveal itself and require mending or at
least some kind of recognition or treatment. This means of course
that if you pass through a Chiron activation of this key without
getting sick or losing a tooth you are probably in good shape. For a
healer, especially one practising on the fringes or in so called
`alternative' medicine, these activations can be extremely powerful
instructional activations in which you learn a great deal about your
craft. Chiron activations of the 1St temple key are often difficult but
they can also bring in a great deal of teaching and opportunity,
especially related to the healing arts. These activations are also rare
opportunities to personally bring some kind of lasting healing to the
collective mind, as described in the Chiron key. All you need to do is
look for the nearest suffering entity that you can offer solace to. You

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 may not find this difficult at all at this time as your awareness is
attuned to the pain around you.
The Uranus activation is probably quite earth shattering and
potentially very liberating, a time when we feel freer than before, but
it can also lead to sudden health failure if our constitution has been
weak or we take on too many things. We tend to fall into two danger
areas with this activation — one is being selfish and stubbornly
insistent on our own way, the other is taking on so many new
opportunities or experiencing such a shock that we run the risk of
entering into a mental or nervous breakdown. We can become
accident prone from a lack of foresight and care, often around
electrical devices. Uranian influence on the 15t temple can lead to
more rapid body shape changes, especially when mental energy is
channelled into physical activity, and he tends to support weight loss
because it is freeing and disencumbering. Our health can be affected
by electrical fields and devices as we can become more sensitive to
many kinds of invisible technological influences in the environment
such as radio waves. We also become more aware of the collective
mind and the laws of the mental plane and hence receptive to
telepathic contacts. Apart from this potential, this activation can be
very stimulating and lead to the sudden end of long oppressive
conditions and old limiting ways or a sudden stroke of inspired
genius, a sense of being woken up, sometimes rudely - a once in a
lifetime 'Eureka!' moment that causes us to go running down the
street naked, proclaiming our new awareness. We also tend to get
more reactionary and tetchy and jump to conclusions more
frequently and readily. This activation is also an opportunity to
directly connect with the collective and personally shape the overall
expression of the identity of the human race, the body and face of the
collective, as described in the Uranus key, but we can become
overexposed to collective influences very quickly.
Neptune activations are the first that will not happen to everyone
who lives to a ripe old age. They can be either highly confusing, in
which case we have usually been living in a bit of a dream world for
some time before and the confusion is just becoming conscious, or
they can be highly enlightening and offer us a once in a lifetime
opportunity to transcend ourselves. Weight loss can actually be
easier, it is weight gain that becomes more difficult. We can also
glamorise ourselves under this activation, or completely change or
disguise our appearance and the way people see us. Our health can
become mysteriously or more powerfully affected by allergies, drugs
and chemicals or by vaporous particles in the air and viruses, the

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dream state can creep closer to conscious awareness and we can start
losing our grip on reality. Neptune is enchanting and elusive, we can
feel lost at sea or in the fog in terms of our self identity, or slip from
one reality into another, one ethereal possibility into another. This is
obviously a great blessing to some (artists, visionaries, 'imagineers',
musicians, religious people) and a bit of a problem for others
(corporate executives, drug addicts, gamblers, liars). If these rare
activations occur in adult life they are also potentially an opportunity
to shape the universal vision of the collective mind, as described in
the Neptune key.
Pluto activations are even more rare but they will still happen to a
large number of people. They are big signposts proclaiming "Before
and After" - there will be a sense of life completely changing around
these times, a profound transformation of some kind that often
involves a compelling encounter with our deepest fears and our
deepest needs, or the things we have kept hidden from others, but not
necessarily, Pluto can also be awesomely empowering. The body
shape can completely change, the eyes can grow more intense and
focused, and weight will more often tend to fall away very quickly.
Pluto can give us enormous, occasionally supernatural strength and
endurance, a power of will to overcome obstacles, the kind of urgent
inner strength that comes from nowhere and allows a mother to lift a
car off of her child. Our health can be affected in significant ways,
for good or ill, so Pluto can bring miraculous recovery or sudden
crisis. This is not to be feared. There are often intense experiences
and struggles involved in just being who we are, not necessarily
tragic or traumatic ones as Pluto can truly set us free from the
underworld like the Greek Persephone, but those outcomes are
certainly possible. In such cases Pluto keeps building up pressure
around the deepest issues of your life over a period of years trying to
guide you to initiate a transformation which re-empowers you. If he
has something in your life in his sights, something that needs to be
returned because it no longer serves you even though you have
become compulsive about keeping it, your life will be turned upside
down and inside out until you surrender to the inevitable. It may well
seem to be cursed in this way, but that is just his stalker way of
loving you. Pluto does not rest until he has gotten to the bottom of
things. If illness comes at his activations there may literally be
nothing you can do about it physically — your body just needs to
purge, to go through the flames of some kind of phoenix like rebirth -
but he will often at the same time empower you emotionally,
mentally and spiritually with the fortitude to face it. It needs to

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 always be remembered with Pluto that while the circumstances at the
time are often 'not good' they are ultimately happening for a reason
and the reason is that it's time to move on. So whatever he has in his
sights, whatever he seems to be targeting, is something that is in need
of rebirth, something in danger of becoming too rotten that will be
good for us to confront now, but it will take time, often years before
we can recognise this because our emotional compulsions at the time
annihilate this awareness.
Pluto also has a role at the collective level, and targets to stalk and
take down there too. He seeks to show us that everything is eternal,
and that destruction is just what creation looks like from the other
side. The thoughtless and cruel use of the power to kill, to destroy
and not just conquer but crush and consume is the darkness of Pluto
we have to collectively face, a darkness that has dominated our
history on the planet. At the present time he focuses on the problems
of race hatred, nuclear proliferation and environmental catastrophe,
but recently his concerns have also involved our use of genetic
manipulation. Ultimately Pluto activations of this key are
opportunities to come to a state of peace with mortality through
which we overcome the irrational fear of oblivion and wield the
ultimate power of life and death that we have more responsibly — this
is what he has in his sights for us collectively. His activations of this
key are about getting you closer to that place as an individual. In the
right circumstances Pluto can propel people to power or infamy so
that they have a profound impact on the collective psyche.

Timing of major projects or life changes: If you begin a major

project of some kind during Jupiter activation you start it at an
auspicious time that will see it ripen more abundantly over the
following 12 years, especially if you keep an eye on Jupiter's
subsequent movements to activate other keys through the master key
and structure the following 12 years around it. This is really like
having the best uncle in the world open all the doors of opportunity
for you; your attention is focused on all the potential for growth that
comes into your life, a perspective which trains your awareness to
look on the brighter side; an astrological remedy for chronic
pessimism. This is also an excellent way to get to know the influence
of Jupiter, especially if you do conductions of the activations he
makes over those 12 years.
Major life changes of all kinds are also supported by astrological
influences if they are made during the activations of this key,
regardless of the activator, but you will make the transition more

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smoothly if you keep its principle in mind. For example, to make a
major life change during Saturn activation, you cannot just drop your
current responsibilities, you must honourably fulfil, discharge or
delegate them.

Magic of Time and the Eternal Now: This key is attuned to our
capacity to concentrate on the immediacy of the present moment and
the activations of this key can illuminate or interfere with this
capacity. Saturn is likely to increase powers of concentration, for
example, so that we can keep our attention fixed on one thing for
longer periods of time. Uranus will likely awaken and scatter our
attention so it is better for diversifying it to encompass many
different things or levels at once — here we are encountering our
awareness of simultaneous parallel time, which we call multi-
tasking. Neptune can be employed to lose all sense of present time
altogether, or to slip into a Dreamtime experience, at least
temporarily. Pluto activation can help lead us to discover the depth
point, the infinite now of time, the point at which it passes over an
event horizon and collapses into a singularity, while Chiron offers
teachings about the relativity of time, Saturn initiates us into the
meaning of time and Jupiter yields insight into the sequential nature
of time.

Magic of Conscious Breathing: This technique, described by

Franz Bardon in Step 1 of Initiation into Hermetics, is a simple
technique which binds the conscious awareness with the breath. You
simply concentrate on a specific idea, such as the healing of an
internal organ or an increase in your vitality, which you imagine you
inhale into your body with the intake of breath. The greater the
concentration of imagination you are able to bring to this process the
more quickly you see the results. This technique is able to remedy
many but not all physical, emotional and mental disturbances.
Since this key is sensitive to the moment of our first breath it can
serve as a stimulus to this magical practice, and indeed any
meditation which focuses on the breath. Any activation of this key by
Jupiter or Neptune and potentially by Pluto as well can serve to
heighten our experience of this practice and lead to new levels of
exploration. Saturn and Chiron activations may require extra effort
here but Chiron's potential for healing can actually help the process if
that is the goal, while the effort required by Saturn is as ever a gift,
as our efforts are what make our achievements worthwhile and the
discipline we gain is enduring.

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 THE 2nd TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF ACQUISITION
Paramahansa Yogananda (Virgo 25° 10')
World key: Mercury key
Contents: Saturn key
Sympathies: Chiron activation
Unsympathetic to: Jupiter and Neptune activation

Activation Age Significance

Chiron: 7 Sep 1894 1
Jupiter: 4 Oct 1897 4
Jupiter: 19 Sep 1909 16
Saturn: 29 Aug 1921 28 [Note the synchronicity with the activation below]
Jupiter: 3 Sep 1921 28 [This is 1yr. after coming to America]
Jupiter: 17 Aug 1933 40
Neptune: 24 Nov 1939 [1 Feb 1940, 16 Sep 1940,
4 May 1941, 7 Jul 1941] 46-48
Chiron: 10 Oct 1944 51
Jupiter: 4 Dec 1944 [20 Feb 1945, 30 Jul 1945] 51-52 [Funds related to his autobiography]
Saturn: 6 Oct 1950 57 [Last 2"° temple activation before his death]
Jupiter: 8 Nov 1956 [31 Mar 1957, 7 Jul 1957] 63-64 [After his death]
Uranus: 24 Sep 1967 [17 May 1968, 17 Jun 1968] 74-75
Jupiter: 20 Oct 1968 75
Pluto: 24 Sep 1969 [21 Apr 1970, 18 Jul 1970] 76-77
Saturn: 22 Nov 1979 [23 Feb 1980, 11 Aug 1980] 86-87
Jupiter: 4 Oct 1980 87
Jupiter: 18 Sep 1992 99
THE 2nd TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF ACQUISITION

ESSENTIAL MEANING

Despite its title, I'm afraid this is not the key to the fabled "Rules
of Acquisition" of Ferengi lore from 'Star Trek'. While this key can
help you manage your finances, and can indeed help you to acquire
things, and there is nothing wrong with that, this is not its essential
function and so your ability to fashion it to these ends is limited. To
put it simply, the essential function of this key is to bring you
experiences which involve physical objects, including paper money,
so that you can understand the value of these things, and more
importantly, the value of your own self worth. The true revelation of
this temple is not a giant hoard of glittering gold and gems but
something far more valuable — the realisation that our self worth
cannot be and is not dependent on external crutches like how much
money and stuff we have, but instead arises from our internal attitude
in knowing that we contribute something that is valuable. If we are
wealthy this actually involves seeing through our thick wall of
possessions and finding something of value to do with them — it is
harder to know the true value of things when they are
inconsequentially afforded or attained by being bought without much
effort at saving for them, and we can quickly lose all sense of real
value this way and remain wretched in terms of real self worth; but if
we are poor, the inner journey is perhaps easier because we have less
in the way, but we have to cope with the harder external journey, the
effect of poverty and what this does to peoples self esteem in a
system which evaluates success and worthiness almost entirely on
the basis of income level.
A healthy self esteem is not a given by birth. The joy and the
wonder and the potential that our parents see in us when we are born
is not always something we can share, but something that we need to
acquire for ourselves. Our most important and primary possessions -
the physical senses with which we can enjoy the tactile world — can
become dull, stymied through overexposure to all the possessions
humans have created to stimulate them, and sometimes certain
physical senses can be completely absent from birth. When we lose
access to one of our physical senses, such as sight or taste, we are
forced into a re-evaluation of the physical world as an entire realm of
physical qualities are removed or muted, we can struggle with issues
of self worth, and internally the same kinds of things can happen

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 when other types of physical security are threatened, such as when
we face poverty. So our relationship to our being in a body, our
resourcefulness and our sense of being supported and comforted by
the physical senses and through this the value we see in ourselves as
well as the value we see in things which we seek to acquire are the
essential concerns of this temple.
Externally this key relates to our personal liquidity, our personal
income, resources, possessions and all personal physical property
which we can stake a claim to and carry around with us (the concept
of 'home' is in the 4th temple, this is all the stuff we own inside of it)
and it is related on an internal level to our self worth and our values.
Our value system and the enjoyment we get from physical
possessions and tactile experience in general undergoes stimulation
through this key. In terms of the progressive cycle of activations
through the 12 temples, the 2nd temple builds on the 1St, by taking
what was expressed as part of the being, and turning it into
something we possess, a change in values, attachments or income — it
is the point at which we involve or assess our available resources and
whatever we have to use. For example, when Saturn activates the 1'
temple, we may take a more serious approach, and express ourselves
more maturely, we learn who we really are on our own terms, and
when it reaches the 2' temple, this approach can extend and reflect
itself in a change in what is important to us, and how much self
worth we feel (which is intimately connected to what we earn). In a
conduction, the 2' temple is the stage at which to involve all these
things.
The following are some guidelines for the activities of the
different activators in this temple. I present them along with all
examples in this book not as definitive examples but as possibilities.
They are only intended to guide your exploration not limit it.
New possessions may be acquired during Jupiter activations, old
ones may become more important or need replacing with Saturn
activations. Although these two planets generally increase and
decrease the flow of supply respectively, it does not always turn out
so, very much depends on our previous handling of resources. In fact
during Jupiter activations we are more likely to spend and waste or
squander resources leading to short term gain, while during Saturn,
we can save, invest and tighten belts more, leading to long term gain.
So in the case of activations of these planets to this key, and to every
key in general, the best course is to enjoy the benefits of the Jupiter
activations without overextending or squandering the supply and
perhaps to put some of it away for leaner periods, while during

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Saturn the best course is to slow down in output and scale back in
scope, conserve what is gained, restructure the approach, and be
prepared to put in greater effort to achieve a long term effect.
Activations by Uranus will be once in a lifetime events that lead to
a suspension or complete reversal of the status quo situation - a
sudden change with revolutionary consequences, possibly offering
greater freedom and independence financially, a total unexpected
collapse that shakes us so thoroughly that we change our value
system completely, or a sudden windfall that brings surprising and
rapid changes to our self worth and value system. We want to be
financially free and independent under these activations and there is
a good likelihood we will be able to. If events are not so dramatic,
income will still likely not be as binding an issue as you normally
experience until Uranus activates the 3rd temple key, but other
activations and the content of your birth chart may overrule this.
Neptune exposes delusion, refines idealism (fantasies about the
lifestyles of the rich or the 'glamour' of working class life) and subtly
undermines any grossness in our approach concerning money, the
'class system', possessions and what is important to us, sometimes
setting us up to encounter fraud or deceit, or inviting us to take part
in 'too good to be true' financial schemes. The task of Neptune is
always to consider the possibility that you are deluded, confused or
only partially aware, to proceed carefully and intuitively through the
clouds being guided by the whispering of the conscience. The
visionary magic of the imagination must be guided by an objective
perception of reality to make the most of any Neptunian influence.
In childhood, Pluto activations here can make kids very possessive
of their stuff, jealous of other kids stuff, and intensely and wilfully
driven about getting what they want. This is going to be strong for a
couple of years and then scale back in intensity, but it will be a theme
that the guardians will have to deal with in a sensitive way for many
years as the usual methods of discipline may not work. Any Pluto
activation happening in the early part of your life is something that
you aren't going to have any control over and may not be aware of,
but it may lead to something that profoundly shapes your psyche, in
particular your self esteem when the 2nd temple key is concerned.
You might not even be aware of what these things are consciously,
they could have been hidden from you but still deeply sensed. In
adult life Pluto frequently leads to major transformations with
financial consequences that as I have said in the l' temple are often
so great that there is always a 'before' and 'after' feeling to life in
relation to them. Our entire attitude to money and the things we have

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around us can undergo a death followed by a rebirth as we will see
the deeper value of things and not be satisfied with superficiality or
mediocrity. In some way, Pluto is always like New Year -
irrevocably out with the old, and in with the new — and our
relationship to what he does is largely determined by whether or not
we are ready for a completely new year, how attached we are to the
things he claims and spirits away to the underworld. This is a good
time to purge your life of possessions and values that you would be
better off without, as Pluto receives such gifts and submits them for
recycling. If we have been using corrupt ways to acquire what we
want or our value system or self esteem is rotten, Pluto will be
calling a hunt that will be aimed at bringing it to light, often by
offering us a tempting chance to mire ourselves in deeper.
Chiron can certainly bring on the pain of not being able to afford
things, but this is not a punishment it is some kind of learning curve
in making the most of what you have. Chiron is also sometimes very
subtle, and heals our attitude to ownership and the body, our only
true possession. As healers, Chiron activations of this key bring
opportunity for generating income, but if we have issues over
charging money for healing, or if it's really all about giving our own
self esteem a boost, Chiron pushes those buttons. The same can be
said for teachers and anyone who makes money from the basic
physical needs of others. At other times, if our value system itself is
broken it can become painful enough to force us to repair it — nothing
has any lasting value then, because everything is broken. Chiron
activations also highlight the collective pain of the monetary system
itself, where every gain is made at the expense of the most deprived
and impoverished.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Temple Conduction: Continuing the example, Babaj i conducts the

work to the 2nd temple on September 17th:

• 2nd temple (25° 10' Virgo) September 17th

• Saturn (12° 35' Libra) October 5th
• 3rd temple (25° 07' Libra) October 18th

At this point the Sun is also still in Virgo, so if he wished he could

involve the qualities of Virgo in the work, to see what they yield. The
texts on astrology say these qualities include analysis, simplicity,
modesty, empirical experimentation and reductionism. He can also

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ignore the influence of Virgo and concentrate on the issues of the 2'
temple, which is the real focus of this time. At this stage he might
assess what he personally has to give this student and what value this
will have in reality, and how his students self worth and financial
background play a role in the situation. The students interaction with
any of the five senses could be engaged or an object or token
representing what Babaji wants to achieve could be involved.
He keeps this theme for the whole time the 2nd temple is involved,
which is until just before October le. But on October 5th, he might
focus on a more sober and discipled approach for a few days as this
is the time of conduction to Saturn. He might leave the student
entirely alone at this point because Saturn is about scaling back and
learning to metaphorically or literally stand on our own two feet.
Conversely, he might take a more strict or disciplined tactic,
depending on what he feels the student needs. These are good times
to look at the role of fear and limitation and then try to strategize a
long term approach to tackling them. Or, Saturn can be given a voice
through the seeking of an elders counsel. However, since this is a 2nd
temple Saturn, and since it is in Libra (a socially active sign),
patiently talking to the student one on one about the impermanence
of material values would also be highly appropriate.
All these themes can be explored as he wishes but all progress
must be shifted forwards around October 18th, when the 3rd temple
becomes involved.

Determining life phases: The temple keys are showing phases of

life, periods in which something is going on. These phases begin
during the activation listed in the keys, and end when the activator
reaches the next temple key in the sequence of 12.
So by comparing the entry of a planet in this key with its nearest,
earlier entry in the previous key, you can determine how long it
spends in the 1St temple. Similarly, by looking up a planet's nearest,
next activation in the 3rd temple key, you can see how long it takes to
move through the 2' temple.

Examples:

Babaji's 1st temple key is activated by Pluto in 1956-57. Pluto's

activation of the 2nd temple key is in 1969-70; therefore, it takes
Pluto 13 years to move through this temple.

His 1st temple key is activated by Jupiter in September 1908, and

the next time in which it reaches the 2nd temple key is September
1909, so it takes 1 year to pass through.

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 • This 2nd temple activation by Jupiter does not end until it next
reaches the V temple, which as the 3rd temple key shows is
October of 1910, a passage of about 13 months.

This technique can be used with every temple key and shows you
how long each of the 12 phases of development last and how fast the
activating planets move. The activation of the temple by a planet acts
to decisively begin this phase, but as long as the activating planet is
in the temple itself it continues to exert its influence and the theme is
still there, and may at times release greater amounts of energy,
depending on its exact position and the relationship of this position
to all other chart factors. Sometimes this period of activity comes
from the activation of a planet key within a temple, but more often it
does not and instead arises from the internal geometry of the chart.
Researching these details yourself would drive you nuts, bog the
keys down and likely lead to meaningless information, an infoglut; it
is enough to know the general influences indicated by the presence
of planets in temples and to prepare for events in the relative areas.

Financial Investment: Will generally produce greater returns under

Jupiter activation, provided it is sound and not an extravagance,
whim or a superficial idea. Under Uranus activation, it is unwise to
act off the cuff, without forethought, but equally important to think
outside the box, to be inventive and also to seek greater financial
independence. During Saturn activations you may often need to cut
back expenses, but can always use these times to make realistic
financial plans and savings. Similarly, you are more likely to succeed
at applying for a raise under Jupiter activation.

Using Temple Key Activations in Temple Cycle Work: Although

the 1St temple key is the most significant one for practising synthetic
astrology because it is the starting point of temple cycles, the other
temple keys activations can also become a focus of cyclical
synthesis. To do so, after choosing a temple key activation to work
with you must still begin your work at the time in your Solar map the
Sun activates the 1" temple key, but you will experience a nexus of
astrological influences at the date the Solar map shows activation of
the temple you are working with. This nexus is where you
concentrate the majority of your efforts. For example, consulting the
key above, there is an extremely long Neptune activation centred on
1940-41. It is decided that it will be explored by Babaji. Looking on
the Solar map, he then locates the day of the year the Sun will also

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activate the 2' temple — September 17th. He must therefore begin his
exploration on the usual day of August 21st (in this case in the year
1940) and he will experience a powerful nexus of astrological energy
focused on the 2' temple around September 17th, where he should
concentrate most of his efforts. After the nexus occurs, he must bring
this energy forward and complete the cycle, bringing it back to the 1St
temple, or he will risk losing whatever control of its direction he has
set in motion or the power he has raised and will not synthesise it
fully. Neptune will be activating the 2nd temple the entire time,
bringing this influence to every stage of his conduction.
The only thing you need to be aware of here is doing this with the
activations by Jupiter and maybe Saturn to the 3rd -12th temple keys.
The activations of Jupiter to these keys can be brief, and you will
then not be able to catch them with your conduction by the Sun
starting from the 1" temple, as it will take some months to reach
them. The timing may not work out. In this case, you have two
choices. Either you must use the Moon as the conductor, possibly
along with the Sun which will help build up a charge, and you must
follow the advice I gave earlier about reaching out to windows of
opportunity with your heartfelt intentions. In the majority of cases
this will then work out. Or alternatively, you begin the work from
one of the other 3 temples of power, the 4th, 7th or 10th temples, and
complete the round of all 12 temples ending wherever you begin,
although this is not the recommended approach unless you wish to
focus on one of those 3 temples. Conductions beginning from any of
the other temples — the 2', 3rd, 5th, 6th,
8th, ',tit,
1 1 th or 12th - are
generally not effective enough.
In these ways, you can synthesise the effects of these outer planets
as they influence every part of the chart. You can truly mine all the
temple keys, and you are not limited to working with one at a time,
but may work with any of them that are active at once, opening your
awareness to the way they interact together.

Talismanology, magical tools and amulets: Objects can be

imbued with values and qualities and actually possess and embody
them in the same way that we recognise some things have a
sentimental value. Work with this magic is assisted by the activations
of this key, especially those of Jupiter, because Jupiter embodies
symbolic essential meaning. The planetary principles can be
objectified, symbolised in physical objects and possessions and more
easily externalised and given a value. This is especially true when
involving the principle of the activating planet, for example, when

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creating a talisman for healing purposes under Chiron activation of
the 2' temple, or a talisman of Saturn under Saturn activation,
especially if the value also relates to matters of the 2' temple. Note
that this temple is concerned chiefly with the imbuing of essential
meaning into physical matter (thus also to alchemical processes), the
attribution of significance to such an object, rather than with its
design and crafting which is more a matter of the 5th and 6th temple,
but the 2' also makes itself useful for these matters as it concerns
possessions in general and the gathering of needed resources.
Another astrological influence can be added if you consider the
Solar map for the Sun's activation of this temple (for Babaji this is
September 17th) - this is an especially useful day when working with
the vital energy or the Electric Fluid in terms of loading objects with
it. Any magical workings with your own physical body and
especially its senses (your primary possessions) are also assisted by
activations of this key, provided you work comfortably with the
activating planet's principle.

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 THE 3rd TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF COMMUNICATION
Paramahansa Yogananda (Libra 25° 07')
World key: Venus key
Contents: Uranus and Dragons Tail keys
Sympathetic to: Lunar conduction (joy) and Saturn and Neptune activation
Unsympathetic to: Solar conduction
Activation Age Significance
Saturn: 27 Jan 1894 [9 Feb 1894, 27 Sep 1894] 1 [A quiet baby?]
Chiron: 27 Dec 1895 [27 Mar 1896, 29 Aug 1896] 2-3
Jupiter: 3 Nov 1898 5
Jupiter: 20 Oct 1910 17 [Meets mentor]
Jupiter: 4 Oct 1922 29 [Giving many lectures]
Saturn: 3 Nov 1923 30 [Begins speaking tour]
Jupiter: 17 Sep 1934 41 [Many writings, tours]
Jupiter: 3 Jan 1946 [22 Mar 1946, 30 Aug 1946] 52-53 [Autobiography]
Chiron: 7 Oct 1946 53 [Autobiography]
Saturn: 16 Dec 1952 [29 Mar 1953, 10 Sep 1953] 59-60 [Time of death]
Neptune: 29 Nov 1953 [30 Mar 1954, 1 Oct 1954] 60-61
Jupiter: 8 Dec 1957 [30 Apr 1958, 7 Aug 1958] 64-65
Jupiter: 20 Nov 1969 76
Uranus: 13 Nov 1973 [1 May 1974, 30 Aug 1974] 80-81
Jupiter: 3 Nov 1981 88
Pluto: 8 Nov 1981 [1 May 1982, 3 Sep 1982] 88-89
Saturn: 18 Oct 1982 89
THE 3' TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF COMMUNICATION
ESSENTIAL MEANING

"I think, therefore I am". But what is thought? Do thoughts live?

Do we really possess them, or do they temporarily possess us? Do
things like stones and rivers have thoughts? How are different
thoughts related to one another like siblings? How does our thinking
inform our perception of new information? And how do these
patterns of perception interact with our capacity to express them and
shape our ability to communicate?
Questions, questions...which always seem to lead to fewer answers
than they do questions. The faceting of ideas and their multiplication
through communication is a fundamental aspect of life. It leads us to
study things in an effort to understand them intellectually and to
express them in codes like languages to enable social interaction in
which they can be exchanged. Everything around us begins life as an
idea in somebody's head. This temple relates to the generation of
ideas, the process of communication, the activities of the personal
mental body, our relationship to neighbours and siblings, activities in
the local environment where we live and short trips and excursions to
nearby surroundings. It involves us in the realms of thought, the
exchange of ideas and information in words, classes, everyday social
interaction and study. It differs from the Mercury key because firstly
it gives us broader periods of time in which these things are in focus,
and secondly because Mercury represents the qualitative functions of
our intellect, whereas this temple represents the expressions of those
functions as activities.
The sign of the zodiac on this temple colours the tone of our early
social and mental experience — most often the time when we are at
school — with certain experiences that define the basic patterns of
behaviour of our personal mental awareness. The signs are generally
indicative of astra-mental processes through which we assimilate
things, the temples indicative of physical activities that we apply
those processes in. As a simple example, someone with the Fire sign
of Aries the Ram in control of this temple might experience
excessive bullying in school years as an experience which toughens
and heats their ability to speak up for themselves. However it must
be distinguished that where this temple is concerned, these early
experiences shape the mental awareness far more than the emotional
or astral awareness — those factors are shown in the next temple.

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 The traditional view of this area of the sky is that it relates to our
siblings, the people with whom we have our first social contact. If
we grow up with a brother or sister we end up with a very different
(not necessarily better) kind of mental and social awareness than a
child who grows up without them. Siblings shape our mental and
social awareness because they are the first people beyond our parents
that we must learn to get along with. Learning is a significant
experience and a fundamental aspect of the 3', 6th, 9th and 12th
temples — the 3rd is about activity focused on mental and social
learning. The experience we have of this and our relationship to these
people are shown by this temple.
If we are without any siblings the 3' temple can take expression
through our contact with neighbours (which is becoming
increasingly more rare these days — we are living through a shift in
what this temple means to us as the concept of a neighbourhood goes
global and we are tending to stay out of our physical neighbours
way), or it can delineate our experience with early schooling, or
those who are not flesh relatives but social ones and are considered
brothers and sisters. This isn't our gang, that is more shown by the
11' temple, or our clan (the 4th), it is the people in the immediate
environment we hang out in, whom we talk or exchange information
with regularly, and through whom we become aware of new
situations in our own back yard, wherever that is.
Centuries ago, this temple had another significance. It was
connected with the magical, religious and spiritual practices of the
hearth, the things we did with those concepts in our daily lives such
as the small offerings we left for the Fae and the magic of midwifery,
and how we experienced sacred mysteries in private reflection of
nature, the great outdoors just beyond our homes. This was the
temple of the Moon Goddess, which is the reason why the Moon joys
in this temple and Lunar conduction comes alive when she visits it.
This balances with the 9th temple which lies opposite the 3', the 9th
being the temple of the Sun God which concerns itself with public
ritual and spiritual practice as a vocation, a calling in life and a
source of enlightenment, and journeys to the wilds of far away lands.
The significance of this temple as a place of personal spiritual
activity and connection to the sacred 'feminine' mysteries is not lost
and can still be tapped into, it's just that now the guidance we receive
when leaving our offerings here has changed in form, it used to come
in the form of the words of a priestess or the whisper of the wind in
the trees but now it comes in the form of new information from
things like news reports, magazines, a short trip in the car through

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 the countryside, an email or a call on the telephone. The essence is
messages, communication of essential meaning in a way which
touches the mental body.
Its key activations frequently coincide with the arrival of
important news or ideas or some kind of outer journey to increased
knowledge. The process of communication becomes more strongly
characterised by the activating planet, so that Jupiter makes us more
talkative or bombastic, Saturn more silent and sober in our thinking.
If we have any brothers and sisters, whether actually related by blood
or more metaphorical in nature, those bonds can also be influenced.
There can also be an effect that causes us to make many short trips,
such as in the car or by train, an expression of the planet's principle
through our experience of being able to move around in the mental
realm, through mental wandering or physical travel. Uranus
generally tends to increase and accelerate along with Jupiter, Saturn
and Neptune to slow down, while Chiron and Pluto have variable
effects but imply a more emotive activation, one in which the
experience is perhaps troubled or troubling, or urgent.
In a conduction the involvement of this temple signifies it is time
to express the synthesis in words, ideas or study and to examine the
way we think. This can also be a time to make the call, write the
letter, or go for a short trip somewhere looking for inspiration. The
activation of this temple key stimulates the process of
communication and is therefore of special interest to writers and
orators or people involved in schooling. A writer working
synthetically with a strong Jupiter activation of this key will have
more words, an easier time choosing the right ones, and will derive
greater enjoyment out of the process. Conversely, Saturn activation
can coincide with writers block, which could be thoroughly cleared
by a temple conduction that reveals the root issue or supplies new
enthusiasm or discipline. Saturn activation can also be very helpful
for writing which involves the need for a structured, organised
approach, such as a rulebook or a study plan. Uranian activation of
this key is a great stimulus for science fiction, scientific papers,
alternative or fringe subjects and electrical or computer related
writings, or just the themes of freedom, liberty, revolution or
massive, unexpected change. Neptune is ideal for poetry, religious
texts, the writing of musical scores, or even movie scripts, Pluto for
suspenseful thrillers, mysteries, occult works or anything with the
theme of transformation.

155
TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Temple Conduction: Here is the part of the conductor we are now

working with for the activation of Babaji's 1St temple key by Jupiter
in 1932:

• V temple (25° 07' Libra) October 18th

• Dragon's Tail (05° 03' Scorpio) October 28'h
• Uranus (10° 02' Scorpio) November 2nd
• 4th temple (27° 13' Scorpio) November 19th

As with the previous steps, the activation by Jupiter is still in the

future so he is laying the groundwork for that activation to attach
itself to. This is because he began the conduction the year before the
activation, in 1931, but it could have been started in 1932, during the
activation itself, which means his efforts at this point in 1932 would
be in giving expression to that influence, rather than laying a
structure down — evoking an atmosphere - for it to manifest within
in the future. If the activation is in the middle of the conduction the
process is a combination. This is the subtle difference between
having an activation placed at the beginning or end of the
conduction, and shows just one aspect of the great flexibility of
conducting things with the Sun's Solar map.
Beginning on or around the 18th of October (you can allow a day
or two either side for the Solar maps dates) it becomes time to
involve the matters of the 3rd temple. At this stage, Babaji could
decide to talk through any of the issues raised so far with his student
and generally involve the process of communication more. He might
also ask the student to walk with him for a while as they do this,
passing through some nearby territory and inviting it to speak to
them. Perhaps they go for a walk in a local park, sit under a tree and
talk a while, and then just enjoy the breeze. This may also be the
time for Babaji to pass on some kind of instructions.
Ten days later, Babaji meets the Tail. The Tail is a place where
things are less controllable and more difficult to direct. Something
old and meaningful may show itself. It is often wisest to see what the
Tail brings and to work with that. If we imagine that at this point the
student has to go away for a few weeks then the task set before
Babaji is to accommodate this in the conduction in some way,
perhaps by agreeing to write a letter in that time or finding some
other way to maintain his connection to the student. Other concerns
may be involved at this stage, such as the breaking of certain ties or

156
an exploration of past lives and the karmic causes for the students
difficulties, all of which resonate with the meaning of the Tail.
The time around November 2nd is the time to take a radical new
approach of some kind and to shake things up. The planet Uranus is
symbolic of the collective human mind, so throwing the situation
open to the other class members can work here, especially if they
might introduce a new tactic, perspective or a new way of thinking.
A new idea can be understood and the mechanics of how things work
can be more instantly grasped. Something unexpected may happen,
and synchronicity may come into focus. Rapid progress becomes
more possible, but tangents must be somewhat contained as the
tendency to become sidetracked increases. These are the potentials of
this stage because they are some of the Uranian methods.
For the next 2 weeks, about 17 days, the focus remains on the
matters of the 3rd temple, so any situations relating either directly or
indirectly to the intention must be dealt with through communication
and the referencing of facts and knowledge, etc. By November 19th
Babaji brings the work to the next place of power, the 4th temple,
where this example continues.

Communication Studies: The activations of this key are good

times to employ the use of communication and to study the dynamic
and practice but not so much the philosophy of language and
interpersonal communication (the philosophy of these things relates
more to the 9th temple). Good communication is an important part of
life upon which much depends that is not taught in schooling beyond
how to speak and write a language. How we communicate our ideas
is often as important as what our ideas are, sometimes more than, at
least in terms of getting people to listen to them and thus growing
them and spreading them around. Furthermore, the process of good
communication depends much more on good listening than on
expression — don't forget this in your work with this temple. A good
listener is an excellent communicator.
During Jupiter activations, we have more confidence in
communication, but tend to waffle a lot more and broadly generalise.
During Saturn activations, we grow more serious minded and
thought processes slow down and become less abstract, more
focused, and we are often better listeners — more responsible in
communication and the sharing of information. Uranus can actually
inspire us with sudden illumination, and bring about a 'eureka'
moment concerning a much thought through notion. In general it
exposes us to new ideas and is a good influence for a group

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communication dynamic. The activations of Pluto can make us more
obsessive and driven in making our points and opinions known, but
can be used to put important ideas across with great inner conviction.
Chiron activations are good times to heal broken communications or
to work on expressing your understanding of healing processes
mentally and intellectually. They also open opportunities to heal the
local community in some way.

Intellectual and Mental Growth: Courses, studies, tests and

anything related to intellectual achievement will generally tend to be
more auspicious and abundant during Jupiter activation, more serious
and slow and require more effort during Saturn activation, more
unpredictable but potentially providing new insight under Uranus
activation, more intense and transformative during Pluto activation,
more painful or healing during Chiron activation. This includes
driving tests and oral as well as written tests.

Development of Writing Skill: Writing flows more abundantly

during Jupiter activation, and takes more effort and time during
Saturn activation. It becomes erratic and restless but potentially more
inspired and exciting during Uranus activation, and more powerful
and intense during Pluto activation, but prone to meandering and
poetic metaphor or factual inaccuracy under Neptune activation.
During Chiron activation; writing with a teaching or healing focus is
assisted. Similarly, information is absorbed and understood and also
explained more concretely during Saturn activation.
This temple is also very sensitive to folklore, the telling of tales by
word of mouth, and other forms of knowledge transmission used by
aboriginal peoples, the magic of tale-craft and of naming.

Bikes, Trains & Cars: This temple concerns our interaction with all
forms of local transport. Chiron, Uranus and Saturn activations can
lead to motoring breakdowns or the need for repairs, unexpected
twists in journeys or a need for new parts or travel papers. All kinds
of situations which affect personal transport can be influenced by this
key.

Mental Magic: All mental magic, including mental wandering, all

the mental steps of magical initiation, thought transference, telepathy
and the mental equilibrium are all influenced by activations of this
key (especially when the Mercury key, the world key or the keys of
the contents of this temple are also activated alongside it). Jupiter

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can increase mental faith and empathy and the ability to perceive the
universal laws. Saturn increases concentration and the faculty of
mental condensation, the magic of giving form to ideas. Uranus
quickens the influx of Light into the personal mental body and
increases its reflexiveness, stirring it up and often leading to rapid
development. Neptune can open up the psychic perceptions of the
mental body so that it can perceive the mental plane with greater
clarity and Pluto can lead to a deep transformation of thought and a
mental perception of the Akasha principle. Mental wandering to the
spheres is assisted by your own natural mental connection to a
planetary principle when conducted under the influence of that
planet's activation of this key — mental wandering to the Saturn
sphere, for example, is assisted when Saturn is in this temple. The
mental body can work with the planet's principle to achieve
numerous effects more easily. Lines of mental communication to the
planets and the spheres can be opened. You can learn to speak the
language of these places.
Also, because of this temples ancient association with feminine
mysteries, moon magic such as fertility rites and the fashioning of
charms, such magic can also benefit from the involvement or
activation of this temple, but you may have to dig a little to connect
with this association as it lies beneath our more modern attributions
like cars, phones and bikes. Practitioners of Initiation into Hermetics
will find this keys activations to be very useful in the practice of
looking in the soul mirrors and the writing of the magical diary.

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 THE 4th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF MEMORY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Scorpio 27° 13')
World key: Mars key
Contents: Mercury and Venus keys
Sympathies: Uranus and Pluto activation
Unsympathetic to: Lunar conduction
Activation Age Significance
Uranus: 28 Dec 1896 [13 May 1897, 16 Oct 1897] 3-4 [Has memories of past lives in Himalayas]
Saturn: 1 Jan 1897 [21 May 1897, 30 Sep 1897] 3-4 [See above; also, bonding with his elders]
Chiron: 20 Jan 1898 [3 May 1898, 4 Oct 1898] 5
Jupiter: 12 Dec 1899 6
Jupiter: 27 Nov 1911 18
Jupiter: 12 Nov 1923 30 [Settling down & rooting self in America]
Saturn: 9 Nov 1926 33 [S.R.F. base is established in L.A.]
Jupiter: 27 Oct 1935 42 [Travels in Europe, India; revisits homeland]
Jupiter: 27 Feb 1947 [29 Mar 1947, 10 Oct 1947] 54
Chiron: 7 Nov 1948 55
Saturn: 16 Dec 1955 [23 Jun 1956, 5 Sep 1956] 62-63 [After his death]
Jupiter: 20 Jan 1959 [18 May 1959, 19 Sep 1959] 66
Neptune: 14 Dec 1968 [23 May 1969, 18 Oct 1969] 75-76
Jupiter: 30 Dec 1970 [4 Jul 1971, 14 Aug 1971] 77-78
Uranus: 10 Dec 1980 [10 Jun 1981, 26 Sep 1981] 87-88
Jupiter: 12 Dec 1982 89
Saturn: 2 Feb 1985 [10 Apr 1985, 24 Oct 1985] 92
THE 4th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF MEMORY
ESSENTIAL MEANING

This temple relates to the past and to foundations. It governs the

influence of our childhood generally, the things we remember, the
relationship we have with our parents, early experiences of an
emotional nature which deeply imprinted our personality, the
experience of the private and home life, our habits and conditioning,
and the influence of family and ancestry, our blood karma — our
genetics if you like (astrology is not threatened by new discoveries, it
always just absorbs them). This is the sacred space of our most
internal, private matters which the external world does not typically
see. In our society, if the matters of this temple do become visible
publicly it usually means something is wrong.
This is the inner sanctum of physical and emotional life, the home
(all of them, but especially your oldest remembered and current
home) and the people you share or have shared it with and the
contribution this has made and makes to your life. It is an
introspective place that leads us to withdraw and seek protection and
inner nurturing and this can lead to shyness when the activations are
strong or the temple is heavily emphasised in the chart.
Activations of this key can have powerful effects because this is
one of four regions (the 1st, 4th, Th and 10th) which are the places of
power and have the most far reaching effects of all the temples. The
4th temple is the nadir of the sky, a place in your chart like the 10th
temple where objects are pivoting in their movement with respect to
the horizon, going up or moving down to the east or west. The 4th
temple is the underworld, the part of sky directly below you when
you are being born, the place where ancient lore speaks of the spirits
of the ancestors and their bones. It is literally and metaphorically the
ground upon which we walk and a ladder of souls reaching back into
the shrouded past. It is grounding with the Great Mother Earth and
awareness of those who came before us.
Primarily, major activations of this key will influence your home
(literally and/or conceptually), its location, form or atmosphere, and
by extension your relationship to the people who share it, and they
will influence your private space, the time you have at home and in
your private life generally. Often, especially if relations with people
you live with become troubling, beneath this there is a pattern, an
astral influence which needs to be unearthed and transformed,
something you or they have carried from the past. When this key is

161
active or you bring this temple to conduction it is always a good time
to focus activity not only on the home but on your own past, your
memories, and especially your parental relationships, to look at
history and especially to what is hiding in its shadows. It is the key to
work with when planning major moves or home renovations but also
h
when seeking an exorcism of demons from the past. The 8t temple
key is always also good for this last theme, but there is less control
there and more need to surrender to a greater power so that a purge
can take place. The 4th is more manageable but only if we dig deep
enough to understand the root.
In other cases however, activations of this key will coincide with
changes in the professional life and in the seeking of ultimate goals,
as if the 10th temple key had been activated. This is because there is a
sensitive relationship between these two temples, much as there is
between the 1" and the 711. These two temples are a polarity
representing our past and our future. Events can actually occur in any
of the focus areas of the temples of power whenever any one of them
is activated, so the 4th temple keys activations can act like 155, 7th and
le temple key activations, but they will more tend to focus the
changes around 4th temple areas. The areas of life represented by
these keys — self identity (Pt), family life (4th), relationships (7th) and
career (10th) — can all have knock on effects with one another, as
most people will understand from experience.
Another essential quality of activations of the key of memory is
that of laying down a base, whether this is a physical base or a
metaphorical one, or the urge for something to be remembered. In
the conduction and activation cycle of the temples whatever was
started in the 155, resourced in the 2nd, and studied or communicated
in the 3' can now have a base of some kind laid down for it,
especially in terms of astral attitudes. This temple of power is deeply
connected to the ingrained habits of the soul, the astral body, and can
bring things up out of the ground where they lay, or hand us a spade
and compel us to dig. The activations of the 4th key assist in bringing
about the laying down of astra-physical foundations, and so this is
the time when firm foundations can be established which will
support the growth of the project we are nurturing. The work done on
this will often be of critical importance at the time the conduction is
brought to the 10th temple or, in broader terms of years, when the
natural path of the activator next reaches the 10th temple key (a
minimum of 5-6 years if the activator is Jupiter).
Also, quite frequently this key is involved in transitions people
make from adulthood to parenthood. It not only influences our

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relationship with our parents, but our relationship to ourselves as
parents. And in explorations of our own depth point and in
introspection generally it can be very useful, especially during Pluto
or Neptune activation.
In conduction, at this stage you will have moved one quarter
around the chart to the second of the four main stations, the 1", 4th, 7th
and 10th. These are the turning points, they are initiatory. The planets
like to set things up for us to encounter around these stages. It is at
this stage we may experience the need for greater effort to continue,
or some adjustment may be occurring. There may be a test or a need
to establish something very firmly so that you rest upon a more
secure foundation. If no challenges or obvious manifestations occur
you should spend a large part of this time examining your past
behaviour in relation to what you are synthesising, and examining
your parental relationships and early experiences for sources of
habitual behaviour and conditioning. If you are creating something,
you should now make an effort to put down some kind of roots
which will anchor it. You could bring it to your domestic life and to
any surviving parents. You can turn to Mother Earth or consult with
your ancestors for their wisdom, either physically or perhaps in a
shamanic voyage to the human underworld, or plant a tree in the
Earth which you will nurture alongside your intention. Or you can
simply close the door for a while and retreat into your private life to
enjoy family or examine your motives in what you are planting.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Temple Conduction: Babaji brings the work to the 4th temple stage
on November 19th:

• 4th temple (27° 13' Scorpio) November 19th

• Venus (17° 06' Sagittarius) December 8th
• Mercury (23° 17' Sagittarius) December 15th
• 5th temple (29° 12' Sagittarius) December 20th

He will keep the themes of the 4th temple in focus until December
20th. During that time he has to synthesise the intention with Venus
and Mercury. He might look at this and come up with an overall
activity to bring in during this period, perhaps a time to inquire what
the student thinks (Mercury) and feels (Venus) about their past
experience with the exercises they have trouble with, focusing on
those two areas at the specified times. Or, he could express each part
of this time as a separate activity, perhaps inviting the student to

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meditate with him in his home during the 19th, seeking the advice of
a close female family member (Venus) on December 8th, and
spending time in deep introspective thought (Mercury) on his
motives around December 15th. He might also place something on his
home altar for the student sometime in this period.
Difficulties may show themselves in this period as the conduction
is reaching a turning point. The challenges would be met by Babaji
as the means to transform the situation.
I am being deliberately vague and playing loose with this example
because I do not want anyone to let it limit their thinking. There are
really many, many ways in which each stage of the conduction can
be handled, so do not be afraid to try out things I do not discuss
anywhere in this book.
This example continues in the 5til temple key.

Magic of Introspection: The influence of the past is stronger in

some way and therefore easier to discern through introspection
during activations of this key. We can more easily get to the root of
our habitual behaviours, and transform them by re-expressing them
more intentionally. The work with the soul mirrors, especially the
work on reflecting on our past and how it has influenced us, can be
especially productive during any planet's activation of this key.

Depth Point & Past Life Recall: During activations of this key,
past life recall is assisted by the influence of the activating planet,
but will also be coloured by it as well. This key is especially
productive when turned as an exploration of how past lives have laid
foundations for this one. Neptune and Pluto activations are especially
responsive to this. This key also aids transference of awareness into
the depth point, especially of self and memories. Pluto activations
are especially potent here.

Researching Family Trees & Ancestral Wisdom: Historical

research of most kinds but in particular of ancestry will produce
more results during Jupiter activations, and during Saturn activations
the wisdom of family elders can yield very useful or important
information. Pluto activations will unearth buried secrets and deeply
hidden matters, and Neptune activations are ideal for researching
ancestral spiritual beliefs. Shamanic voyaging to the underworld is
ideally timed to this key, especially its activation by Pluto and
Saturn, but any activation can open these portals in our awareness.

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Home Improvement: Any expansion of the home begun under
Jupiter activation is more auspicious; likewise, any move of home,
setting up of a base, or other family activity. Any repair work done
during Saturn activation is more enduring and stable but more time
consuming. The problems with Saturn are usually blockages or age.
Decoration, renovation and just clearing away all the clutter for
recycling to others or to a bonfire can completely transform your
home during Pluto activation (but watch that fire closely!), and
Chiron activation is also good for making smaller repairs around the
home. Some kind of completely new look or an entirely new location
is typically good and sometimes forced during Uranus activation, but
this activation can lead to unforeseen upheaval. Magically blessing
the home under any of these activations can be more effective.

Establishment of a base with strong foundations for the

reaching of future goals: If you place a foundation for something
down during a Jupiter activation of this key and devote the next 6
years to its growth — which is approximately how long it will take for
Jupiter to activate the 10th temple key - you will make a more
significant advance towards your goal because you have the strong
base or foundation to act from. Likewise, using Saturn in this way, an
even more significant achievement can have its foundations laid
during a Saturn activation of this key, be synthesised by a conductor,
and through steady, persistent effort, come to manifestation 14 years
later around the time Saturn activates the 10th temple key. In both
cases, expect some kind of test to present itself at the half way stage,
so after 3 years or so for Jupiter, and 7 for Saturn.

Family Relations: We may be too rigid, pessimistic or fearful in

family interaction during Saturn activations, but have an opportunity
to establish boundaries and handle our responsibilities as well. We
may tend to retreat behind walls, look on the past and see what went
wrong there as a reason to be cautious and even concerned now. We
will tend to feel more empathic with family members during Jupiter
activation, more sensitive to their pain and their flaws during Chiron
activation, and more idealistic or confused about them during
Neptune activation. The Uranus activations can lead to big changes
and a sometimes selfish desire to be free and break out of limitations.
They are also an opportunity to bring history to the surface.
Note that given the deep reach of the 4th into the past, its
recognition of family members can transcend our present
circumstances and embrace souls who were family members in past

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lives but with whom we have a different relationship today. Such a
relationship will always feel like a family bond at a deep level. The
activations of the key of memory can bring all these things to our
attention.

Magic of Memory: Any activation of this key can help here, but if
you want to remember hard facts and specific details you should
avoid Uranus and Neptune activation. However, those activations
and the activations of Pluto are an asset to past life recall and
regression or trance therapies.

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 THE 5th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF JOY

Paramahansa Yogananda (Sagittarius 29° 12')

World key: Jupiter key
Contents: Sun key
Sympathies: Jupiter and Chiron activation
Unsympathetic to: nothing

Activation Age Significance

Saturn: 14 Jan 1900 [1 Aug 1900, 3 Oct 1900] 7
Chiron: 5 Jan 1901 8 [A memorable birthday?]
Jupiter: 15 Jan 1901 8
Uranus: 22 Feb 1904 [17 May 1904, 7 Dec 1904J 11 [Sudden death of his mother]
Jupiter: 30 Dec 1912 19
Jupiter: 14 Dec 1924 31 [Tiring - speaking to very large audiences]
Saturn: 28 Feb 1929 [21 May 1929, 23 Nov 1929] 36
Jupiter: 28 Nov 1936 43
Jupiter: 11 Nov 1948 55
Chiron: 31 Jan 1951 [30 Jun 1951, 29 Oct 1951] 58 [Time of death]
Saturn: 29 Dec 1958 65
Jupiter: 25 Feb 1960 [16 Jun 1960, 21 Oct 1960] 67
Jupiter: 2 Feb 1972 [3 Aug 1972, 15 Sep 1972] 79
Neptune: 23 Mar 1983 [9 Apr 1983, 28 Dec 1983,
24 July 1984, 25 Oct 1984] 90-91
Jupiter: 15 Jan 1984 91
Uranus: 28 Jan 1988 [16 Jun 1988, 18 Nov 1988] 95
Saturn: 5 Feb 1988 [21 Jun 1988, 4 Nov 1988] 95
THE 5th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF JOY
ESSENTIAL MEANING

Life is meant to be enjoyed. For every individual there are some

things in life which satisfy this need more than others, and those are
the concerns of this temple. Whether those activities are sports,
games, heart pounding romance and seductive flirtation, arts or
crafts, they are found in this temple. The pursuit of joy is in itself an
art, as we have to know what will give us true bliss, and what will
not. This, too, is part of the territory of the 5th temple - knowing what
makes us truly happy. If there are problems in this temple then it
affects the whole chart through our inability to enjoy life.
The ancients called this place 'the lesser fortune' and gave it
signification as the place of luck and fertility, a place where the
procreative and creative barrenness or fruitfulness of a person was
evaluated. These associations stand true today, but we must look
deeper than the ancients did if we are to understand the connection
between our capacity to foster children, our leisure interests and our
'luck'.
First we must understand what luck is. This temple is given to us
to discover that and work with it. Luck is a combination of
circumstance, timing and the radiation of our consciousness. When
these three things interact in just the right way, we get 'lucky'. We are
the right person in the right place at the right time being or doing the
right thing. This key and the techniques in this book supply the
timing and support the radiation of consciousness, but this does not
always provide any circumstances for luck to occur in. In order to
provide this, you have to take a risk, and it is is here that the
radiation of your consciousness plays a key role, because if any part
of it expects the risk to fail it will radiate that into the situation. You
have to be willing to lose, prepared to face the consequences of risk
just to feel lucky and your attitude here plays a role in the fortune of
the outcome.
So risk and its management in life are an inherent property of this
temple. All its matters involve some kind of risk — gambling, playing
sports, dating, falling in love, having kids, the rolling of dice in a
game — and the adrenaline we feel in these situations is what we seek
because the risk makes us feel alive. Our attitude to risk and thus our
capacity to experience 'luck' is our attitude to the joy of being alive
itself. Activations to this key can change the consequences of all this.
The fact that our luck and our ability to experience the rush of
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 being alive are connected to our ability to radiate our consciousness
is the notion at the very heart of this temple. This area of the sky not
only gives us fun things to do, self confidence and thrills, it helps us
to express ourselves as individual beings, to hone a radiant self
expression of our inner light. Human art is the current epitome of this
theme for us. This temple shares a relationship to the 1" temple,
being about the expression of our identity, but the 5th is the temple in
which this is creatively expressed and externalised as something
which is pleasurable for us and can also be enjoyed by others either
as entertainment or fun. As the temple in which our identity is
creatively expressed, it also governs our fertility, procreative power
and our relationship to children in general, even if they do not belong
to us. Children of a certain age have not yet learned to cloak their
inner light in a shield of false signals — they simply radiate who and
what they are without thought for how it will be perceived, leaving
them to enjoy life. This is the state of consciousness represented by
the 5th, it's what we seek to re-connect with when creating art or
playing games. This is the temple for parents seeking to understand
their child's point of view and anyone working with young children
in general. The care and protection of children can become hot issues
around you when there is stress here.
There are also some other quite hot issues with this temple in our
society that can become involved at the time of this keys activation.
The truth is we do not have a terribly healthy relationship to the
concerns of this temple as a people. The inclusion of an area of sky
for risk taking, pleasure and fun alongside more seemingly high
brow notions like 'discovery' and 'partnership' tells us something
important about how life should be lived, and also that life isn't
meant to be entirely a big ball of happy fun, sometimes for instance a
strong emphasis here can lead to reckless risk taking and ruin
through gambling, or to endless flirtation with no lasting happiness
or commitment (which comes from the 7th temple). And it seems
western culture at least has developed several unhealthy attitudes in
this area of life alongside obvious ones like gambling addiction, such
as the way we measure and focus success and happiness in life or
even live our lives through both our children and love affairs (single
people can't possibly be happy people), leading to it feeling like the
end of the world for those who can't have them or collectively
excluding others who choose not to; also, the attitude that you are
nobody unless you are famous (or infamous) for something and the
obsession with glamour and external beauty, we see violent clashes
beneath the surface of football matches (no longer just games for us

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to enjoy but tribal showdowns in which massive egos can clash like
giants), population soars and the arts are continually sidelined in
favour of hard sciences and starved of funding, while millions spend
millions trying to win millions on lottery tickets. And let us not
overlook the near universal worship of the pacifying glass nipple of
the entertainment god, `Televisu-el'. All are manifestations of a
collectively unbalanced approach to this temple, a need for life to
always be light, frothy, entertaining, rewarding, pleasurable and easy,
a need to 'win' all the time. In many ways we have become
excessively addicted to or demanding of this temples affairs, as we
have become focused on material, external circumstances — a lucky
win on the lottery, fame, a surprise result at a football match, a
perfect, happy, beautiful life - to affirm and focus the radiance of our
being, having lost sight of the co-creative power within us. Thus, the
task of the initiate in this temple is to focus the light of being and
radiate it into the world not as a means to acquire security for the
identity through acknowledgement from outside of its brilliance, but
to secure it through the sheer joy of expressing and sharing that
which is unique to it. In other words to forget the performance and
the audience and just be the role.
Activations of this key are times in which we should look at any
risks we are taking more carefully and closely. We should not be
discouraged and should in fact take heart that now is a good time to
speculate, so long as we have the confidence to accept any losses,
and remember the influence of the activating planet. Often these will
be creative times, or they will influence our sense of life's wonder.
These are good times to spend doing things that make you happy to
be alive, and good times to use your activity in creative ways. In the
synthesis of an activation to this key the activating planet's principle
must become part of the radiant expression of your identity, it must
be displayed in ways which bring you joy in order to fully engage
with it and you must create something with this. This is the time to
express your intention artistically, creatively and dramatically, and
above all to have fun with it, without expecting much more reward
than the simple childlike joy of being alive to do it.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Temple Conduction: In our example the next stage of the

conduction begins in the last week of December around the solstice
and goes through to mid January:

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 • 5th temple (29° 12' Sagittarius) December 20th
• Sun (15° 34' Capricorn) January 5th
• 6th temple (29° 52' Capricorn) January 19th

If Babaji were inclined to observe the solstices and equinoxes in

some ritualistic way he might like to be a bit more creative with that
this year and blend in his intention to help the student. Or, sometime
around the 20th he could spend some time with his student playing a
game with some children, simply basking in the atmosphere of pure
joy they can bring as they let their inner light shine without
limitation and he might relate this to whatever problems in life the
student has. Alternatively, he could visit the theatre, an art exhibition,
a crafts fair or play a game with his student himself. Anything that
has already been touched upon in the time since he announced his
intention to help the student can be given a creative expression and
the joy of it can be increased and shared.
This focus on the temple of joy continues until the 19th of January,
encompassing his birthday on the 5th. He might choose to enjoy this
day doing something fun with his student, just giving them the light
in his eyes and his beautiful smile. This is also a day in which things
can be brought more vividly to life, and he can choose to give that to
the work just by be-ing around. Our birthday is a time in which we
can consciously realise and see things in the full light of day so to
speak, not necessarily always good things that cheer us up, and the
task is to see our life as it is and not judge it but allow the picture to
shine.
This example continues in the 6th temple key.

The Arts & Crafts: If you are a performer or any other kind of artist
or craftsperson this temple is very important because it depicts the
flow of creative energy in your life and the opportunities you have
to express them. The activity in this temple is also often a direct
measure of popularity and can coincide with things happening like
auditions, roles and phases or styles in your art. The 11th temple,
which lies opposite the 5th, also has a balancing part to play in these
happenings. We can view these two as the performer and their
performance (5th) and the audience appreciation or reaction (11th). If
you play around with these two temples you start to develop your
feel for the spirit of performance, the ability to gauge and respond to
the needs of the audience, to play them as you might play an
instrument.
The same rules can also be applied to other forms of
entertainment, like sports. However here, instead of playing the

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audience these activations are more about playing the game and the
spirit of sportsmanship. You might be inclined to win more under
Jupiter or Uranus but only by stretching or breaking the
rules...whereas under Saturn, you will probably play more strictly by
the rules but luck will not be on your side so much. This is the old
argument between the roles of skill and experience (Saturn) and
those of sheer luck (Jupiter) when it comes to game theory; the keys
show that luck is the more frequent factor, but not necessarily the
most significant as significance is tied to the frequency with which
an activator circles the chart, the slower (non-visible) ones being
more significant.

Magical Tools: The artistic phase of the creation of magical tools is

assisted by this key, especially those intended for purposes related to
an activating planet's principle, such as a healing robe being hemmed
under Chiron activation of this key. The activation by the planet's
principle stimulates a more confident creative expression in art and
brings about more auspicious circumstances for any kind of creative
endeavour. In general terms the buying of materials for a tool or the
introduction of a meaningful value into it are best timed to 2nd temple
activations, its symbolic decoration and artistry to the 5th, and its
dedication to the universe by the 9th temple. Each of these places, the
^lid,
Z 5th and 9th, has a connection either to objects, creative self
expression or magic itself, and is therefore of use in this respect. The
6th is a suitable temple for making repairs or employing physical
skills in the crafting of the object.

Gambling and Speculation: So you want to be rich? Are you sure?

The activations of Jupiter are typically the best times to try your luck
in Vegas or the lottery draw, also the activations of Uranus, but only
if you are already really down on your luck, as Uranus works with
reversal of fortune. Jupiter activations are also good for investment
in stocks or other financial speculations, and is the best influence for
all round risk taking so long as you do not go overboard — as a tactic
Jupiter ultimately rewards moderation the most of all. The Saturn
activations are good for making long term investments into stable
and solid areas like investment portfolios. It is probably best to avoid
gambling entirely during Neptune visitations to this temple as at such
times we do not see clearly and our radiation of consciousness is
frequently contaminated by idealistic expectations and the
unconscious, subtly or not so subtly. If you take any kind of risk in
life when Pluto visits here, be prepared to face more than you

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bargained for, but with potentially bigger rewards. Obsessive or
compulsive behaviour often leads to great catastrophe with Pluto but
he will also intensify and heighten emotion, so in this temple the
temptation of joy must often be resisted.

Family Planning: The activations of Jupiter increase the chance of

conception by any method, magical, natural or 'artificial'. The Uranus
activations also increase this chance, but generally only if it is
unexpected, as Uranus is typically contrary. This planet is
stimulating but can induce nervous behaviour. Greater care should be
taken by all pregnant women during these times, and if necessary
their nerves should be kept under control through some kind of
mental relaxation. The Neptune activation can create confusion
around what is wanted in these issues, but inclines to difficulty with
conception as the substance of things is diluted by Neptune. The
Saturn and Chiron activations are times when conception is less
likely to occur, but not by much — if there are lessons in
responsibility that can only be gained from having children, or other
karmic reasons why, Saturn activations can create the situation as
much as Jupiter. However if you are seeking to have children and are
experiencing difficulty it may be because either you or your partner
has Saturn currently in this temple. Usually this will only take 2-3
years to pass if it is the case, at which point your chances will
improve. This is not good advice for people seeking to do away with
contraception! The advice I have to give in the paragraph below may
also help couples who are seeking to have children to increase their
chances. It would certainly be a great gift to any child conceived that
way.

Making Love: One of the most sacred, powerful and mysterious arts
of this temple is the magic of making love. This is not the mere act of
sexual intercourse or pleasure, but a far more profound and life
affirming process which can only take place when there is a genuine
understanding and trust between two people. The act of making love
is one of the highest co-creative acts human beings can engage in
because it is a true sharing of our inner light with another, so mastery
of the art of making love is not buried in the secrets of some ancient
sexual practice from the Kama Sutra that requires a gymnast to pull
off, way out of reach of the ordinary person. Instead it lies in
understanding yourself and your lover so completely and loving both
of you so unconditionally that you are able to offer your partner
exactly the kind of love they need in the completely unique way you

173
have to give it. When both partners share this state of awareness, and
are giving of their uniquely expressed love to one another in a way
which is magically sympathetic to the needs of the other, then they
are literally making love together all the time. This key is a powerful
teacher and initiator into these mysteries.

Relating to Children: When Saturn activates this temple people can

sometimes act more sternly in their behaviour towards children or
just be perceived to be this way. They in turn can perceive us as more
of an authority figure, but we can also earn their respect for our
maturity and their appreciation for our protection. Saturn activations
here are often good influences for grandparents. With Jupiter
activation the influence is more buoyant, less encumbered, a kind of
aunt or uncle relationship or an increase in our ability to relate to
them on an equal level, especially through fun and games, and art.
With the Neptune activations, a spiritual connection can be made
with children, one in which the shared imagination brings empathy
and sympathy. Neptune in this temple is an excellent guide for
anyone seeking to work with the imagination and limitless wonder of
young children. Pluto here is often indicative of trouble if there are
teenagers in your life as Pluto often rolls out some kind of intense
power struggle wherever he goes, but he can just as easily gift you
with a profound bond of connection to your child that brings you an
indescribable joy. What is really certain is that if you do have
children of your own or you have a life closely involved with them
there are going to be some major changes around them but this can
serve to intensify the relationship creatively rather than destructively,
it will often depend on your reaction to what is happening. An art or
sports teacher could make major breakthroughs with a class, for
example.

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 THE 6th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF SERVICE
Paramahansa Yoganada (Capricorn 29° 52')
World key: Saturn key
Sympathies: Saturn and Pluto activation
Unsympathetic to: Lunar conduction & Jupiter activation

Activation Age Significance

Jupiter: 6 Feb 1902 9
Saturn: 18 Jan 1903 10 [Losing weight, possible childhood illness]
Chiron: 16 Apr 1904 [26 May 1904, 11 Jan 1905] 11-12 [After his mother dies, constitution is weak]
Uranus: 28 Jan 1912 [9 Sep 1912, 7 Nov 1912J 19 [Being of service to awakening enlightenment]
Jupiter: 21 Jan 1914 21
Jupiter: 5 Jan 1926 33 [Just after S.R.F. is founded; busy times]
Saturn: 22 Feb 1932 [15 Aug 1932, 18 Nov 1932] 39
Jupiter: 19 Dec 1937 44
Jupiter: 11 Apr 1949 [28 Jun 1949, 30 Nov 1949] 56
Chiron: 26 Jan 1955 62 [After his death]
Jupiter: 14 Mar 1961 [/3 Aug 1961, 3 Nov 1961] 68
Saturn: 2 Jan 1962 68
Jupiter: 22 Feb 1973 80
Jupiter: 6 Feb 1985 92
Saturn: 5 Feb 1991 98
THE 6th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF SERVICE
ESSENTIAL MEANING

The life we build for ourselves on the physical plane requires our
continuous daily maintenance. We have to feed, clean, organise,
schedule and go to work to obtain the money to keep it all going. We
need to continually service what we have done to the natural order of
the world, the systems we have created and absorbed as routines. We
have over the course of many generations learned some important
things along the way, things we have passed down to others such as
the knowledge and skills of medical practitioners, and at one time we
had guilds and apprentices learning these skills but now they are
almost gone. Today we need people who know how to work the
machines that have replaced the apprentices. Slaves have been and
still are being used to fulfil all the requirements of daily life. Even
human slavery has not ended, either literally or metaphorically, as
people are still being sold into slavery in many regions and the vast
majority of the western world exists in a kind of slavery to their 9-5
routines, the jobs which turn all the machinery.
We need to be of service. It's in our bones. Work is love made
visible. The only question is, what can and should we be of service
to, and how? Should we give ourselves, body and soul, to a life of
drudgery and toil every day turning wheels for a society that may
itself be sick and need us to supply a remedy? What could we
contribute to it that will improve things? And when? How do we take
care of our own and others physical well-being, and what is there for
us to learn about the material world in this journey, day in and day
out? These are the issues and core questions of the 6th temple. It is a
place of skills acquired through material experience as well as the
temple of services which we do for our bodies and others.
As a region of physical space it lies just below the western horizon
and was called 'the evil fortune' by the ancients, gaining this
reputation largely because of its connection to the frailty of the body
itself and its potential to become sickly. We may do our best to
maintain the physical body but we cannot completely undo the
influence of time as things are worn down. So there is a direct
connection to health here as there was in the 1", but this place is
about what is more likely to go wrong with that through overwork or
gradual wear and the treatment we should apply for it. This is a
healing place, a healers place, as well as a place of service to the
physical self and others. This is the region of sky which gives us

176
 those people who are always helping out others. Note too the
obvious relationship between health and going to work every day,
from the well known 'sick day' excuse to the fact that this is often
where viral and bacterial infections are transmitted, not to mention
that the work most people do is not good for their health physically,
emotionally and mentally.
So this temple is about service, employment, skills, work and
labour, our everyday routines, and sickness and disease (often
because of the way we work, but sometimes for other reasons, like
neglect of our bodily needs, karma, environmental pollution and diet,
or because we work as a healer). One of its essential qualities is
purification — planets here initiate some kind of physical activity that
cleans up, purifies or detoxifies some area of regular daily life. This
is a place where physical things are being reduced to their essences,
where what needs to be done is done, even if it involves a sewage
plant and a very long brush.
The activations of this key can coincide with physical health
problems, regardless of the activating planet, if there is a need in the
physical body to purify itself of something. Essentially these are
times in which you are being examined medically by the activating
planet and its first act will be to make a diagnosis known. It doesn't
inflict illness, something else does that, it merely makes us aware of
its physical existence. So if you pass through an activation of this
temple and absolutely nothing happens to your health, it is often a
good sign. The activations of Neptune can require medical attention
that involves medication or pharmacy support. Saturn can bring out
conditions related to ageing, blocks, dryness, weight loss or rigidity
while Jupiter often tends to bring some kind of exhaustion or
breakdown connected with overworking, problems related to being
overweight and our diet. The activations of Chiron are excellent for
seeking or practising healing, but our own health must be reasonably
good or the Chiron activation will trigger a healing crisis so that we
become a better healer. Those of Pluto are dangerous if they coincide
with illness, and so any sickness should not be taken lightly or
ignored. Of course, in synthetic astrology, we can use any of these
times to initiate a healing cycle for our body or to learn about the
practice of healing in general — each activating planet has something
different to teach us and at the point where it activates this temple we
are the ones who are ready to hear that lesson.
The activations of this key can also coincide with changes in
employment status or our relationship with employers, co-workers or
the people we employ, and they can have temple cycles conducted

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around them that focus and direct this emphasis just like any other
activation. Periods of unemployment or dearth in our work and a
greater need for more effort, responsibility or co-operation with the
boss should be planned for during Saturn activation, while during
Jupiter activation, we may have too much on our plate and risk
overextending. A radical change will probably be necessary during
the Uranus activation, and it should lead to greater freedom, not less.
Changes of employment are also fairly likely under Neptune because
it dissolves things and can create confusion or a need for daily
routine to be more imaginative. As ever, these are just some
suggestions to get you thinking.
In the cycle of the temples what has been creatively expressed
during the 5th temple period can now be practically applied as learned
skills, things which are practised and honed in daily life. Projects can
be put into motion practically, and begin to take shape. Lessons can
be learned from the process of working at the project which lead to a
purification of methods. It is a time of honing, of trying to apply your
intention in your daily existence so that it becomes a routine, a
schedule or a skill.
At this stage of the synthesis we may be very close to attaining it,
be ready to take a significant step, or even have attained it already,
but to integrate it fully we have to close the cycle. Things are not
always as clear cut as they appear to be. The activation of or
conduction to this temple is significant because it is the last temple
that lies below the horizon of the chart, therefore is internal and more
2nd, 3rd, 4th,
private, and this means that in a temple conduction the Pt,
5th and 6th temples are the half of the cycle where you should be
focusing more internally.
The simplest way to do this is to reflect on the principle you are
working with in the 1" temple, exploring what it means to you, to
examine how much of it you possess and want to possess in the 2nd,
to look at your own thoughts and notions surrounding it in the 3rd,
your emotional response and past experience in the 4th, how
creatively and radiantly you express it and how it could be in the 5th,
and in the 6th, make your greatest daily effort to bring it all together
in a way which manifests as a measurable change. If you continue
this effort daily through to the activation of the 7th temple, there is a
good chance your intention will materialise or purify itself in some
way and you will then need to begin directing it outwards. There is a
natural flow at work here which means even if you do not succeed at
this time, events must eventually bring about the manifestation of
your efforts in some form, even if this occurs after you end work

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with the conduction. No effort is ever completely without effect.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Temple Conduction: In part six of the example we are looking at

the following four week period:

• 6th temple (29° 52' Capricorn) January 19th 1932

• 7th temple (28° 52' Aquarius) February 17th

There are no contents to the 6th temple, so no world or Light keys

will be involved at this stage, meaning he only has the themes of the
6th temple and the two signs of Capricorn and Aquarius to involve.
Beginning around January 19th, Babaji could decide to look at the
students diet and make suggestions to him about certain herbs or
other remedies that may help them. He might teach them a yoga
position to hold their body in so as to shape the mental awareness
and anchor it in a certain way. He might look at the students physical
health with them, to see if diet or exercise might help. Alternatively,
he could just look for any way he can be of service to the student or
others, because doing something for someone else at this time may
be reciprocated with something that inspires his intention. He should
try to focus this effort around the 19th if possible, and keep it going
through to the 17th of February.

Healthcare & Healing: The influence of this key in this area is

threefold: it is effective in terms of prevention, diagnosis and
treatment. This key is very useful for people with chronic conditions
like diabetes, asthma, allergies, epilepsy, etc. or anyone catering to
an illness in others or themselves or those interested in caring for
their own physical well-being as part of a daily routine. It cannot
promise to cure things even though that is possible, but it can very
often help with the daily management of any disease.
If a debilitating condition has been ignored any activating planet
will tend to manifest it as physical symptoms when it approaches this
key. Observe your state of well-being in the period well before the
activation of a planet to this key, bearing in mind its window of
opportunity, and if necessary employ preventative methods and make
changes to your daily routine in advance. Do this regardless of the
acting planet's principle, but especially when the planet is Pluto or
Saturn. General tiredness and sluggishness are early warning signs.
During Jupiter activations, really try to open yourself to a greater
healing power in some way. Attempt to expand your awareness of

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your physical weaknesses and address them. During Uranus
activations, become more experimental than ever before with your
own healing: open your mind, think way outside the box and watch
your nervous system. During Saturn activations, pay attention to any
blockages, and rather than try to push them away or disperse them,
try to cleanse and purify them. During Chiron activations, seek both
to be healed and to teach what you have learned from being healed
and by being healing toward others.
When working astromagically, i.e. when using the techniques in
this book, you will obtain better results in any kind of work if you
involve the analogies of the zodiac signs in your work. This is
significant in the 6th temple because the sign which opens this place
in the sky is connected to a part of the body which may require
greater care. The regions of the physical body including all of their
organs, bones and muscles are given over to various signs, as
follows:
• 1' Aries: Head including the brain, except the tongue and lower
jaw.
• 2:$ Taurus: Neck, shoulders, tongue, vocal chords (teeth are shared
by Aries and Taurus, upper and lower jaws).
• 31 Gemini: Lungs, upper rib cage, arms and hands.
• TO Cancer: Chest, breast, lower ribs, stomach, pancreas,
diaphragm.
• (I) Leo: Heart and spine.
• IV Virgo: Intestinal system, liver and the abdomen.
• := Libra: Renal system, kidneys, bladder, pubis, vascular system of
the skin.
• rib Scorpio: Reproductive organs, elimination system.
• 721 Sagittarius: Hips and thighs, upper leg joints.

• b Capricorn: Knees, nerves of upper to middle leg.

• z% Aquarius: Ankles, shins, spinal nervous system.
• X Pisces: Feet.

These are not strict delineations but they point to the relevant area
of the body — this is a complex area that also involves the planets and
the four Elements, for example Saturn also has a connection to bones
and the skeletal system generally, so you are only seeing basic
tendencies in this list of signs but it is a good place to start. There are
many texts written on these matters which I will not reiterate here
but which you can examine using the method in this book.
The places in your chart that can indicate problems with health or
suggest remedies for it aside from this temple are numerous. The Sun
sign area can get worn down more quickly because of combustion or
heat — the Sun dries things up and is always consuming vital energy

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because it is always putting it out astra-mentally. The Moon sign area
can lead to many kinds of fluid imbalances or a disturbance of
physical rhythm if the emotional content of the Moon is toxic.
Conditions arising from the Moon are more often sourced in the
astral body and may require treatment there. The 12th temple, which
lies opposite the 6th, can also become involved in more chronic or
severe illnesses which require institutionalisation in a hospital or
ward, in other words around the clock monitoring in specialist care.
And the 8th temple is sometimes a factor in illness which leads to
death, but this is often known in advance and this reputation is not to
be feared because it is relatively rare. Additionally, the world key or
contents of the 6th, 8th and 12th along with the world key or contents
of the 1' can involve themselves in health issues through their
various functions.
It is worth pointing out here that while these activations are
happening in your chart they do not necessarily happen to you
personally, but within your sphere of experience. This is what the
chart describes, the sphere of our experience and our interaction with
it. Sometimes this affects us directly, at others indirectly.
Planning of daily schedules: During Saturn activation our
schedules can go more slowly and the things we have to carry and
the tasks we must do every day seem heavier, but if we already have
a well established stable routine these times have the potential to
proceed relatively smoothly, or as we expected. Not having any
routine at all when Saturn turns up in this temple is an invitation to
be trained into having one or to experience the consequences. During
Saturn activation daily routine is perhaps somewhat mechanical and
dull but with plenty of effort regularly applied throughout. Delays,
however, may be more likely as a need for patience and steady
pacing in life is high.
Conversely, during Uranus activations daily routine can easily go
all over the place and be full of unexpected surprises, so greater
flexibility in the calendar is often needed for these years. Jupiter
mostly tends to make us involved with many things in the workplace,
and can lead to less social life as we clock up the overtime, while
Neptune can make it altogether difficult to get a clear picture of our
schedule. Pluto activation can result in something more meaningful
and urgent interrupting our regularly scheduled programme and tends
to make us more compulsive about sticking to schedules.

Physical exercise, diet and nutrition: This key's activation can be

used to optimally time a new regime for fitness and assists in the

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building of healthy habits if we are ready for some daily training.
Jupiter can help by giving us a boost of confidence, Saturn can assist
if we take a disciplined approach, Uranus assists when we get
involved with other people in groups, Neptune when we employ our
imagination and Pluto when we are ready for a thorough clear out or
an intense purification ceremony, such as a sweat lodge.
Employment & work relations: Activation of this key can also be
employed directly in the workplace. During Saturn activation, you
can deal responsibly and maturely with authorities and superiors, but
do not expect them to give way much or for negotiations to proceed
swiftly. During Jupiter activations, look at the big picture, or deal
with unions. If you hire people to work for you, be careful (on any
side) of deception during Neptune activation, rebellion during
Uranus activation and corruption or manipulation during Pluto
activation. Optimally, you should hire during Jupiter activations, as
there is greater probability of receiving applications, but if you are
looking for a more mature applicant, a senior employee or someone
whom you wish to employ over the long term, Saturn activation is
more supportive.
When planning on making changes in employment Uranus and
Jupiter are supportive, while Saturn tends to make it harder for us to
escape past commitments or find new employment. Neptune
activation tends to make us too idealistic to have an objective view
of what is realistic but can help us slip out of any unwanted daily
bonds as easily as Houdini. Pluto never makes things easy, and can
signal a transformative phase that is literally a rebirth, but
compulsive emotions and fatalistic power struggles can play a
destructive role.
Relating to domestic animals: Our relationships to cats and dogs
are especially expressive of this temples meaning but any animal
kept as a pet can be interacted with using this key. A very deep and
wordless form of communication can take place under Neptune
activation, a deeper bond of empathy under Jupiter, a factor of
mutual respect under Saturn and a factor of mutual understanding
and respect for one another's uniqueness under Uranus activation.
Do not engage in any power struggles or confrontations with animals
under Pluto activation unless you have to, the trouble here is that
they will sometimes sense a threat around you even if there isn't one.
The above can be applied to wild animals rather than domesticated
animals if you use the 9th or 12th temple keys.

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 THE 7th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF PARTNERSHIP

Paramahansa Yogananda (Aquarius 28° 52')

World key: Saturn key
Sympathies: Saturn and Uranus activation
Unsympathetic to: Solar conduction

Activation Age Significance

Jupiter: 15 Feb 1903 10
Saturn: 1 Apr 1905 [1 Sep 1905, 27 Dec 1905] 12 [The first year without his mother]
Chiron: 3 Mar 1910 [23 Sep 1910, 24 Dec 1910] 17 [Possibly a difficult encounter with admirers]
Jupiter: 30 Jan 1915 22 [Named Yogananda and takes sacred vows]
Uranus: 10 Mar 1919 [14 Sep 1919, 29 Dec 1919] 26 [Breaking away from India to come to the USA]
Jupiter: 13 Jan 1927 34
Saturn: 5 Feb 1935 42 [Final meeting with his mentor, saying goodbye]
Jupiter: 5 May 1938 [8 Aug 1938, 23 Dec 1938] 45
Jupiter: 9 Apr 1950 [26 Sep 1950, 21 Nov 1950] 57
Chiron: 8 Mar 1960 [11 Sep 1960, 31 Dec 1960] 67 [After his death]
Jupiter: 20 Mar 1962 69
Saturn: 14 Mar 1964 /7 Oct 1964, 26 Nov 1964J 71
Jupiter: 3 Mar 1974 81
Jupiter: 15 Feb 1986 93
THE 7th TEMPLE' KEY: THE KEY OF PARTNERSHIP
ESSENTIAL MEANING

Human beings are social creatures. We need to relate to others.

Close personal interaction is like looking at yourself in a mirror, it
reflects back what we see in ourselves, what we identify with or do
not. A things identity is distinguished by other things, by
juxtaposition with other identities. Arthur Rimbaud said it
philosophically when he wrote is another'. When we interact with
someone else up close and personal our identity adapts its expression
through the interaction of the two auras involved and we then have
something called chemistry between people. This chemistry is
powerful and addictive stuff, full of surprises as a continually
changing magic enjoyed by every culture that has walked the Earth.
In the 3rd temple we encountered the early shaping of our
socialisation, the immediate vicinity of our current and past social
environment and the effect of these things on our thinking patterns
and communication skills. Now we come to another socially focused
temple, but this one is more intimate and involves close-up face to
face encounters, the significant others in our lives and thus our
ability to relate socially with another person on a more regular basis,
our ability to co-operate. Here are our entanglements with the people
who may complete us or complement us as well as the people who
rival us and may be considered our competitors or publicly known
'enemies'.
As a temple of power lying just above the western horizon, the
setting place of the sky, this temple is supremely sensitive to
relationships. It governs all our face to face interactions with
opposite numbers, whether through marriage, rivalry, business
partnership or competition. It is concerned with our public life,
because it is above the horizon, like the remaining temples. Each of
these temples relate more to external experiences but in progression
they gradually shift back to the internal (at the 12th temple), just as
the first 6 have been more internal but gradually becoming more
externalised to become a physical habit used in daily life in the 6th.
Positioned directly opposite the 1" temple which is the temple of
being and self identity, the 7th temple introduces polarity by
reflecting this in our ability to identify with others. To relate to
someone or something you must identify with them or it, and so this
temple engages our capacity to do that, it can help us see things from
another point of view. The relationship between knowing who you

184
 are and being able to give that to someone else as well as the
relationship between the person you spend most of your time with
and your own self identity should be obvious.
This introduction of polarity, with the first and most primary
polarity being 'self-other selves', or you and me', is reflected in the
fact that these two temples are the places of dawn and dusk, the
times of transition between the cosmic polarity of night and day,
light and dark. The Sun in the 1St temple is rising (start of day), while
the Sun in the 7th is setting (start of night). These two temples
delineate the horizon line of east-west and are the prime polarity of
the chart, which we will call the polarity of identification. The
concepts of the remaining six temples all polarise with their opposite
number in a similar fashion as I will describe in the following
temples, but the notion of polarity itself is most present in the 7th
temple. Relating is all about balancing different polarities in human
nature by identifying with them, first within oneself (1St temple) and
then within others (7th). The beauty and magic of this is that the more
we discover ourselves the more we find we have within us that we
can identify with others, and the more we truly identify with others
and allow them to be who they are without imposing our own
identity on them, the more they show us about our ourselves.
Activations of this key can bring important figures into our lives,
and significant developments in our most close relationships. They
act to externally focus all of the energy gathered by the planet in its
journey through the previous temples. So when Jupiter reaches this
key, it is releasing the significance that it has gathered over the last 6
years through your experiences as it activated the 1,t, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
& 6th temples. Suddenly all this significance is externalised through
the law of mental attraction and this is why it often draws into our
mental awareness a figure who takes things to the next level. In the
life cycle of a long term project this is the time to look for a partner,
or to focus on face to face public relations or the signing of legally
binding contracts.
Conduction to this temple can bring about similar effects. In
synthesis you may experience a manifestation of your intent in the
figure of a person who represents the intention or what you most
need to synthesise before you can move on. You might even find
yourself with a rival or critic on your hands, a sign that actually
things are working because this has been set up as a test for you to
meet; greet it as the gift it truly is. Regardless, you should turn your
attention to interpersonal relationships at the onset of this activation,
very sharply if need be, and begin to focus on what others are

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feeling, saying and doing in response to your actions and any
modification you are making in your behaviour.
Aside from introducing new characters onto the stage the other
common feature of these activations is some kind of adjustment in
existing personal relationships. Contrary to what might be feared,
Saturn is actually a cementing influence which serves to seal
relationships for the long term, but only if they are ready, otherwise,
they tend to fail from the pressures and additional responsibilities
they come under. It is Uranus activating this temple key that leads to
more divorces and separations as its influence is towards
independence, freedom and rebellion against confinement or from
having to listen to what others say. However, if this influence can be
handled well or you both seek greater freedom at the time, Uranus
can bring new life to partnerships and in other situations, such as a
strong but flexible relationship (one that allows freedom for both
partners) or being single, this activation can bring in many new faces
for us to interact with. Neptune can also be difficult to handle,
especially if there are any secrets or a lack of clear boundaries in a
relationship. It requires a refinement of your relationships to take
place, a letting go of deluded idealism and a knocking down of any
idolising pedestals. Any past or present deceptions will come into
view, and any idolisation or idealism in the partnership is also likely
to coalesce and then disintegrate. As usual, it is usually the end of an
era when Pluto arrives, but this doesn't automatically mean that a
relationship will end, only that it will be intensely transformed
throughout a passionate and powerful time of transition that will
never be forgotten.
Finally, as a temple of power the 7th key being activated can lead
to events involving the other temples of power through their intimate
connection together. Most often this involves something connected
with the identification polarity of the 1St and 7th temples. There is
such a sharp distinction between the effectiveness of the temples of
power and the other 8 temples that if you wished to trim the temple
keys down you could reduce them only to these four, regarding them
as the stations of a sacred or magical cross or the four bases in a
baseball game (see 'Quadrapolar Synthesis' in the loth temple key).

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Temple Conduction: The conduction in this example comes to the

7th temple on February 17th 1932:

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 • 7th temple (28° 52' Aquarius) February 17th
• 8th temple (25° 10' Pisces) March 15th

Being a place of power, and given that Babaji is trying to help

someone else co-operatively, the conduction may reach a critical
stage at this point, particularly if the 7th temple key is active at this
time - it is not, but it is always worth looking for these things as if
any are found they can be added to the conduction (see the 10th
temple key for an example of this).
Notice also that at the beginning of this period the influence of the
zodiac is Aquarian but because it is the end of Aquarius (28 degrees)
the next sign Pisces is about to take over in a couple of days. So
while the powerful beginning of the conduction period through the
7th temple is of Stable Air — Aquarius - the majority of this period is
of Reactive Water and Pisces, a very different quality indeed. This is
one way in which the influence of the Elements can be explored and
directly experienced, particularly when you relate them to the
matters of the temples they influence at the appropriate time. In this
book I have chosen to refrain from providing any detailed
commentary on the nature of the 12 signs, as this is an area of
research best investigated directly, but I have provided some
guidance on their essential meaning later.
So on the 17th of February, just before the Sun enters Pisces,
Babaji may try to make a breakthrough or reach a moment of sudden
illumination by keeping an open mind with his student since
Aquarius supports this possibility. Later he may try a less mental and
more emotionally empathic approach to attaining the goal (Pisces). It
is quite possible that the goal is achieved at this point because he is
exactly half way through the conduction and what he planted at the
Pt temple can suddenly appear on the horizon for the first time as it
reaches a point of projection into the outer world. Or it may be that
suddenly Babaji has another student interested in the same ends, and
begins to include them too, allowing the interaction between all three
of them to bear its fruit. Or a person could appear in Babaji's own life
who holds an important clue as to what is required for the intention
to manifest. He could also consult any partners in his life.
Throughout this period, until the 15th of March, he should focus on
trying to walk in the students shoes, and seek to improve the co-
operative balance between them. This may mean accepting some
kind of reciprocal action of thanks from the student, but at the very
least he should try to empathise with them more.

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Relating: You can synthesise any of these activations through the
usual method of timing a cycle beginning with the Sun or Moon at
the 1" temple so that at some stage its conduction to the 7th temple
coincides with an activation window of the 7th. This will have an
effect on the relationships in your life. There are other ways of using
this key however.
One helpful technique is to use the activations, especially the
Jupiter and Saturn activations, to symbolically or literally reaffirm
your vows or to change your commitment to your partners in some
way upon each activation of the 7th temple these planets make. This
simple intentional focusing of your awareness on the significance
and meaning of relationship at these times can have powerful effects
on you both and keeps the relationship adapting to changes in both of
you.
Another method is simply to note which day of the year this
temple is reached by the Sun (the Solar map shows you) and then on
which day of that month this temple is reached by the Moon (the
ephemeris shows you) — a symbolic and often literal New Moon in
the 7th temple. This offers a fresh start for a relationship. There will
be only 1-2, maybe 3 times per year for every person when this is the
case, depending on the span of their 7th temple and the movements of
the Lights that year. On these days, when both Lights are shining on
this temple, you will have a great advantage in being able to see your
partner for who they really are if you try to perceive them
objectively, especially when there is also an activation of this key.
You will also find this period of a few days, which will be in the
same general time of the year every year but on slightly different
days, is a powerful time to forge bonds and connections with others
and for exploring the magic of identification. You can also involve
another time in this method, the Full Moon in your 1" temple, which
will happen in or adjacent to the same month as the New Moon
effect but about 14 days apart and it will carry a more tense or
balancing dynamic. If your 7th temple is very narrow, however, then
some years you may not experience either of these events. This
method and its advice can be applied to any of the temples, giving
opportunities for a clean break in every temple, but it works
especially well for exploring the temples of power.
If there are contents in this temple, such as a Saturn key or a Sun
key that is situated between the 7th and 8th temples, those keys can
also be used to explore relationships, and the world key of the 7th
temple is also directly connected to its issues, as explained
previously. So in Babaji's key he can use the Saturn key in place of

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the 7th temple key because they share a function, but there are no
contents here so this is his only option. However, even though along
with Venus these factors of our astrology are the primary ones
involved in relating, all of our astrology is experienced by other
people when we relate to them and so any key can be used to explore
different aspects of relating to others, it's just that these areas are the
most specific and sensitive to it.
If you want to examine the astra-mental chemistry of a particular
relationship, it is better to have an astrologer do this and discuss it
with you. Briefly, the charts should be compared and all of their
interactions should be catalogued, and all of the mutual inter-aspects
between the two charts should be found to uncover the basic
chemistry. A mutual inter-aspect occurs when a particular
combination is mirrored between one chart and the other, for
example:

1. Person A has their birth chart Sun conjunct (in the same place) as
person B's birth chart Moon, and
2. Person B's birth chart Sun is conjunct person As birth chart Moon.

In this search the astrologer must search for all aspects, not just
conjunctions, and in terms of a mutual aspect it does not matter if the
aspects involved are different, but if it is the same aspect (such as in
the example above where it is a conjunction) then the mutuality will
be far stronger. Attention should be given chiefly to contacts between
the peoples Sun's, Moon's, r temple and its world key, 10th temple
and its world key, as these will describe the essence of the chemistry
and will be very powerful indicators of basic harmony or disharmony
in a long term relationship. Venus and Mars, along with Saturn,
should also be carefully examined.
Once this is done the chemistry can be delineated by being
referenced back to the two individual charts, so in the above example
the astrologer would look at the couples Sun's and Moon's and figure
out the general chemistry between the two influences by virtue of the
analogies of the signs and temples they inhabit. For a synthetic and
experiential discovery of this bond one or both individuals could
then focus conductions built around the keys identified by their
particular chemistry, transmuting and evolving it as they desire.
Additionally, the astrologer can draw up a composite chart for the
relationship, a combining of the two to yield a third chart which
describes the relationship itself as an astra-mental entity. This chart
can then have keys generated for it and the activations of these keys

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can be used to explore that entity, that specific relationship. I will
mention this again in the advanced material.
Fundamentally, the activations of the 7th temple key are
opportunities not only to nurture the magic in relationships but also
to explore and transmute all the astrological influences that inform
them, a time to learn what the birth chart has to say to us about how
we can change to have the relationship we want and need. The
activations of this key help us to understand our own needs in
relationships and to avoid many potential problems, especially those
which arise from changing needs. Sometimes we need freedom and
independence (Uranus), sometimes we need commitment and
reliability (Saturn), sometimes we need healing and comforting
(Chiron), and sometimes we need more from our partners than
before, or to give more (Jupiter). Sometimes there are fatalistic
encounters or a compulsive element in our relationships (Pluto) and
sometimes we really don't know what we want even when we think
we do (Neptune). These are just some examples of what the
activators can bring, but whatever they bring these are our needs -
during such times we can forget this as we focus on how others can
fulfil them for us or on what they are or are not doing.

Projection: When an activating planet reaches this key we

sometimes begin to externalise our experience of it onto other
people. It is helpful to understand this for many reasons. First, it
shows us what we are projecting onto them. Often for example with
Jupiter activations we will see only someone's virtues, their charity
and noble qualities. During Neptune activation, we may not be
seeing the other at all, only an imagined picture of them, and must
then beware of fraud and delusion. During Uranus activation, we see
them as more distinct individuals, and we notice their quirks and
foibles, and during Saturn activations, we see their flaws, their
limitations and their fears. And just as often, they reflect those things
about us, to us. So we can learn from these activations not only how
we see others, but how we don't see ourselves.
It is also helpful to understand that there are reasons why we
might develop fixations on certain people at certain times, and to
know how long that fixation will last. A problem that we develop
with someone during Pluto activation has a much longer shelf life
than one developing under Jupiter, because Jupiter will be out of the
7th temple within a relatively short time, but Pluto may be there for
over a decade or even more, depending on the span of the 7th temple.

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Public Relations: Jupiter activations of this key are often good
times to engage in public relations because there is support for the
spread of your word. During Saturn activations, a more conservative,
low key approach should be taken. The use of mass media
technology like the interne — access to the human collective — can be
effective during a Uranus activation of this key but you may have to
deal with an instability it brings to your partnerships (e.g. "You
spend more time talking to that computer than you do to me").
The approach used in relating to the public should be keyed to the
activating planet (and the sign involved, if you wish) — Jupiter is
promotional and plays up virtues and benefits but tends to make
overblown promises that cannot catch the bus, Saturn is functional
and appeals to peoples need for support but tends to cynicism,
Uranus encourages experimentation but tends to be lawless and
Neptune empowers the use of film and imagery which are evocative
of mood, but tends to be vague and evasive, and to make slip-ups.
Chiron is auspicious for promoting anything connected with health,
bringing the collective closer together or holistic awareness but there
will often be a price in terms of facing a painful relationship or
interpersonal dynamic.

Contracts & Legal Proceedings: Legal proceedings come under

the influence of this temple because they are face to face
confrontations and negotiations of equality in the public eye as well
as binding agreements of partnership. During Pluto activation you
should be very wary of any action that could result in legal
proceedings, as this could be more drawn out and intense than
anticipated, with many criminal or hidden undercurrents. The same is
true of Neptune activation, as here the truth may just never come out,
or if you have been deceptive, you may find the same deceptiveness
used against you. Jupiter activations are the better times to take any
needed legal proceedings, to sign contracts, or to renegotiate an
existing legal tie. Saturn can also be good provided there is legal
precedent and the case is not a criminal one against you.
The signing of contracts should be closely scrutinised if not
avoided entirely when Neptune comes to this temple. Things may not
be clarified properly, subject to deliberate deceptions, confused or
fudged, unable to hold water. Saturn is better, provided you are not
being forced into it and have a good position to negotiate from.
Jupiter activation here is usually benevolent, but check for waste or
overestimation in the agreement. Uranus can lead to the breaking or
re-negotiation of contracts and Chiron can signify amendments or a

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process beginning in which you break free of them if they are
painful.

Transference of consciousness (mental shapeshifting): This

magic is directly connected to this temple and its key can be turned
to explore it. You will find that Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto bring the
most profound experiences and that it is most sensitive to the spirit
within other human beings, but that any of the activators can open up
new dimensions in this respect.
The methods for achieving this transference are given in Franz
Bardon's first book. Essentially, the shape of the mental awareness is
changed by the magicians creative imagination to assume the shape
of the subject into which awareness will be transferred, and through
absolute concentration the consciousness is made to inhabit the depth
point of this subject and experience whatever it experiences. This is a
deeply transformative magic which changes the magicians
relationship to everything they interact with, from so called
inanimate objects, to animals, planets and stars.
Part of the beauty of astrology is that it allows a temporary
glimpse of magical states of awareness to those who have not
undergone the training. The turning of the key with the intention to
develop in the appropriate area at the right time creates the
circumstances which otherwise can take many years of practice.

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 THE 8th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF RELEASE
Paramahansa Yogananda (Pisces 25° 10')
World key: Jupiter key
Contents: Mars and Jupiter keys
Sympathies: Jupiter and Neptune activation
Unsympathetic to: Chiron activation

Activation Age Significance

Jupiter: 8 Feb 1904 11 [Mother's death]
Saturn: 17 May 1907 [3 Sep 1907, 7 Feb 1908] 14-15
Jupiter: 2 Jun 1915 /4 Sep 1915, 19 Jan 1916] 22-23 [Initiated by guru]
Chiron: 7 May 1916 [22 Aug 1916, 6 Mar 1917] 23-24 [Further initiation]
Uranus: 3 Jun 1925 [28 Jul 1925, 12 Mar 1926] 32-33
Jupiter: 8 May 1927 [19 Oct 1927, 20 Dec 1927] 34
Saturn: 15 Mar 1937 44 [Guru's death]
Jupiter: 18 Apr 1939 46
Jupiter: 31 Mar 1951 58
Jupiter: 15 Mar 1963 70 [After his death]
Saturn: 25 Apr 1966 /3 Oct 1966, 17 Jan 1967] 73-74
Chiron: 10 May 1966 [19 Aug 1966, 8 Mar 1967] 73-74
Jupiter: 26 Feb 1975 82
Jupiter: 9 Feb 1987 94
THE 8th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF RELEASE

ESSENTIAL MEANING

This region is the place where objects begin to rapidly descend

from the sky into the west, as if plummeting to the ground. It is a
temple of descent and mystery. Its essence is more difficult to define
than the other temples, and more veiled in cultural taboos. Mystery is
a good word for what it feels like to be in this territory, and life
should and does indeed hold mystery in everything, a sense of the
unknown and unknowing. We can call it the temple of mystery
because it represents arcane experiences or complexes which we do
not understand or which sweep us away body and soul on a wild ride
we cannot stop, but we can also call it the temple of death or sex or
taboos or instinct or even of taxation and debt because it connects
with these concepts too. In the 26 keys I have called it the temple of
release because its function in conduction and the essential approach
its matters call for is one of an attitude of letting go and surrendering
control.
This temple, which lies opposite the temple of acquisition, is about
what we must give up or share more of so that a recycling takes
place, and often we must confront our deeper instincts in this
process, our sexual or survival instincts and our fear of mortality
being the most significant ones. It relates to our emotive contact with
a lot of things many people experience compelling and strong
feelings towards, such as death, psychotic violence, personal power,
sexual desire, paying taxes, joint accounts, wills, legacies or
insurance, taboos (specifically, what we forbid ourselves to feel or
look at), the handling of debt and the astral transformation that
follows when we release character traits that impede our progress,
the release of our hidden potential.
There are astral and mental complexes in each of us — complex
interconnections of feelings and perceptions at a deep level within
us, emotive drives we all share with one another but have different
degrees and forms of access to. The deeper roots of why we behave
the way we do are often obscured by these complexes so that we act
on them instinctively, biologically, emotionally and mentally. Our
sexuality for example is one of these complexes. People have a vast
variety of turn-ons reflecting the general character of these
complexes. Sexuality is not an unnatural thing by any means, but its
mystery arises from the fact that it stirs deep emotional responses in
us which override the normal and natural cognitive process, we lose

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 ourselves in it and there is an exhilarating freedom as we are released
from our own consciousness, or rather the complexes we have placed
around it. Feelings bend the concrete we surround them with and
emerge like bold dandelions in the middle of the street for everyone
to see. In human terms, this is what happens when the 8th is very
active — and a lot of the time, we had no idea that the dandelions
were even there. This is the deep magic of the 8th, the magic of astral
transmutation. It involves an often initially intimidating process that
must be gone through, surrendered to, a losing control before the
transformation can occur.
The activations to this key then have a number of effects and are
not easy to control; in fact, control is the very opposite of what is
needed here, surrender is more appropriate an attitude to take. This is
the unknown, mysterious and seductive — we don't have any great
control here. In surrendering to the events of these activations, we
may be taken on a hair-raising journey, and we may find parts of
ourselves consumed on the way, our normal state of consciousness
can die, but only if those parts need to be regenerated so that we
come into contact with a deeper power.
In the cycle of the temples being activated or involved in a
conduction, this phase sometimes relates to a profound test of the
true motives involved in a project and the significance of power and
money wielded by other people. At this stage in synthesis, deep
rooted compulsions underlying your work may surface and need to
be experienced for you to be able to release them, and these may
manifest in changes to your desire for power, control and sometimes
your expression of sexuality. You may have to give something up or
away to move through this temple when it is activated.
Magically this is a time in which deep astral transformations can
take place more easily as the planet's activation of this key can assist
the process if we work with its influence. It is also a period in which
we can make progress in dealing with any sense of loss, grief, self
destruction or tragedy in life, provided we open ourselves to
experience it afresh so that we can move through to the other side. It
is an excellent temple for working with psychotherapy and
psychoanalysis, provided emotional compulsions are not strong
enough to completely eclipse objectivity.
As the polar opposite of the 2' temple, the temple of acquisitions,
the temple of release reflects the things we need to let go of and learn
to share in life (often bravely), and together the two temples form a
pair which relate to the physical and emotional needs of being alive,
the things we need to have or relinquish to feel secure and safe.

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These two temples are the sensual polarity because they relate to the
sensual world, especially its physical and astral aspects. Everything
in the sensual world is temporary and on loan, and we are merely its
custodians.
Typical of the most significant activations of this key are
experiences with the death of people around you, brushes with
mortality, the development of compulsions and obsessions, increased
sexual arousal, the paying or incurring of debts, an overall deepening
of concerns, and a compelling urge to probe the secrets of life,
especially the 'dark' ones, such as murder, rape, and the threat of
global annihilation. This can be turned inwards to uncover personal
darkness, the things we hide from others and ourselves. Some form
of powerful astral experience takes place during these activations, we
feel pulled in some way or stirred more intensely, which leads to a
profound transformation through the emergence of deep astral
complexes. If there are demons to face they tend to show themselves
and instead of submitting to them or running away we need to look
them straight in the eye and see them for what they are. Saturn or
Pluto activation can be especially compelling and profound in this
respect as they can reflect our fears of mortality to us, so that we will
hopefully see through them and glimpse our immortality. It is
sometimes a hard or dark road yet if we are willing to undergo the
transformation offered up by this temple, it is potentially the most
empowering region of the heavens because it releases hidden
strength from deep within us and gives us a taste of pure ecstasy.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Temple Conduction: Here is the section of the conductor now

being used in the example:

• 8th temple (25° 10' Pisces) March 15'

• Mars (05° 40' Aries) March 26th
• Jupiter (16° 13' Aries) April 5th
• 9"' temple (25° 07' Aries) April 14th

Looking at this in advance tells Babaji that this will be an

interesting period of the conduction because of the involvement of
Mars and Jupiter, so he has an opportunity to experience what those
planets signify for him and bring it to the teaching of his student. If
something were to happen in his life in this period which fits the
description of the 8th temple, Mars or Jupiter, he responds to it not in

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a controlling way but in an accepting way, seeking to understand
what it wants him to let go of. Whatever happens which fits the
profile of the temple or planet you are working with at the time must
be regarded as a stage you must go through to reach the end, so if
something you deem to be bad happens at the time the 8th temple is
active or involved in a conduction it is time to let it go and move on
rather than fight for control of any situations.
Suppose suddenly things don't work out so well for Babaji and the
student. Maybe the student starts to feel they will never get it. Maybe
Babaji does. Things go into decline. The territory here is not to grab
control of that decline and try to reverse it, it is to let it happen
without ego interference to see what emerges next. So, to surrender
to what will be, but not to give up.
Sometime in the middle of March around the 15`h Babaji might
discuss the theme of mortality with the student or somehow try to
uncover the mystery surrounding his problem more. He might start to
relax control at this point allowing whatever is emerging to do so,
but when he comes to the 26th he might take a firmer stance with the
teaching as Mars can imply pushing through, but he needs to avoid
being too forceful. The gentler and more charitable approach of
Jupiter given over to the 5'h of April may help him to soften any
abrasive or sharp action he instinctively takes under Mars, or he
could use that time to increase the efforts being made with an
optimistic attitude.
Continuing this way brings him to the 9`h temple key in the middle
of April.

Sexuality (and other hot stuff): Explorations of sexuality are

ideally timed to this temples key. Pluto is the most powerful activator
of all to have in this key. Through Pluto you will feel more deeply
and be more uninhibited than you ever imagined possible if you will
take the first steps to surrender to what you feel. But be warned -
with Pluto here you must trust whomever you are with because dark
strangers are more dangerous, and perhaps more importantly, you
must hold back on any manipulation. If you're the predator, the news
is that you just became the prey of a much larger force than you and
your time is probably up one way or another. The planet Uranus is
especially appropriate for seeking greater sexual freedom and for
experimenting with greater inspiration and freedom, to break down
inhibitions, find it all interesting again or try something for the first
time; Neptune is more concerned with subtle sexual-emotional states
that connect people in spiritual ways. Jupiter is of assistance

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generally but especially when there is an empathic bond and Saturn
can help us deal with fear, shame and immaturity. Chiron activation
helps us to accept sexual hang-ups and promotes a healing aspect.

Debt management: Only the Jupiter activations of this key are

good times to apply for a loan, go into debt or enter into joint
financial agreements — the other planets will often present difficulties
if this is undertaken during their activations. With Jupiter activations,
the resources of others (another 8th temple matter) will more likely be
there for you to benefit from, but you must be careful of going too
much into debt. Uranus may sometimes turn things unexpectedly in
your favour, but this can never be counted on. During activations by
the other planets it is probably wisest if you do not attempt to enter
any joint financial schemes, with a bank or anyone, unless you have
to. Instead, focus your efforts on repaying any debts that you already
have.

Drawing up of Wills, legacies or insurances: These follow the

same guidelines as those given for debt management, but the
activation of Saturn is supportive in this respect, as it assists us in
being level headed, practical, structured and sensible, and to give the
matter serious thought.

Magical transformation of the astral character: The magical

transformation of the astral character is assisted whenever there is a
planet in this temple and particularly at the beginning, when it is
being activated, but Saturn can demand great effort to break through
resistance and blockage with commensurate levels of reward.
Activations of this key assist this process in several ways,
regardless of the activating planet's principle. First, they allow for a
deeper astral connection generally — they bring deeper soul qualities
out. Second, they focus this deeper astral connection on the hidden
aspects of the character. Third, they bring them forcefully to the
surface as instinctive and emotive urges. Fourth, they assist in the
process of consciously arresting any negative expression of these
needs by increasing our astral will. And fifth, they 'grease the
wheels' of the process whereby the final transmutation of the
character trait is made through the combined action of the previous
things. In other words, these activations can assist through every and
any stage of the process of astral transformation if we work with
them — in fact, in many cases these activations are nature's sweet
way of making these things happen without our wilful intent, from

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time to time. With synthetic astrology however we are intentionally
joining ourselves with these windows of opportunity and it is
possible to evoke complexes into manifestation so they can be dealt
with.
These 8th temple key activations are also generally auspicious for
any kind of occult activity because they deepen astral power and
psychic instinct. In the transformation of character traits they are
ideal for breaking down and releasing negative qualities i.e. for astral
decay and reformation (while the 9th temple is generally better for
broadening or introducing positive qualities).

Astral separation: The activations of this key by Jupiter, Chiron,

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are favourable influences for achieving a
conscious separation of the astral body from the physical body. All
activations are also very favourable influences for meditation and
contemplation on death and the nature of mortality and for any
magical work involving the spirits of the departed. Saturn activations
require greater effort to separate the consciousness because the astral
matrix — the bond connecting the astral to the physical body - tends
to become 'denser' or more intense.
This advice also applies to other forms of astral separation, such as
breaking away from a relationship

Mortality: The keys are an hourglass and the sand is continually

running out, so it is a blessing when our eyes are opened to what
really matters deep inside of us. This key can help us reach into those
deep places and face whatever is hidden there. One of the things we
will find is our own fear of death — ours and that of our loved ones -
and the instinctive awareness we have of its utter inevitability. There
is nothing to fear here - for those who are wise enough to go into its
dark recesses, this temple holds genuinely priceless treasures and
profound empowerment.
In using the keys as an oracle, it is extremely unwise to predict
either your own death or that of someone else, unless you have prior
knowledge that death actually approaches, in which case an
activation of the key may indicate the time frame, and even then, it
should be seen merely as a tentative sign that you can use to
cautiously prepare yourself or others involved. That is all they can be
used for in this respect. There are too many varied and individual
astrological influences at work in the moment of death to reduce
them to a simple key and more importantly the timing of death is not
determined by astrological patterns related to the Elements but by the

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Akasha, which has no single astrological representative (although
Pluto and Neptune come the closest).
This key is very useful when we must deal with grief and loss after
the fact, even if it has lingered with us long after a loss has been felt.
Another quite sensible use of this key is to take serious note of any
illnesses or powerful psychological compulsions that trouble you
during these activations, as they are a bit more likely to develop into
fatal or obsessive conditions if ignored and given enough time. In
other words, learn to take the hint and make corrections.
More significantly, these activations are opportunities to regard
your life as if it were already over — what have you done, what did
you not do? — thereby gaining insight into what is truly important
while you are still here. The perspective you have on what really
matters to you will be given focus by the activator. The deeper root
of the content of this temple is the fear we have of being annihilated,
of oblivion, and this fear truly occults our awareness of our
immortality until we face it, which the key of release can help us do.

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 THE 9th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF DISCOVERY

Paramahansa Yogananda (Aries 25° 07')

World key: Mars key
Contents: Dragons Head key
Sympathies: Solar conduction (joy and sign)
Unsympathetic to: Saturn and Neptune activation

Activation Age Significance

Jupiter: 3 Mar 1893 0-1 [Early awareness of having lived in Himalayas]
Jupiter: 22 Jun 1904 [19 Oct 1904, 9 Feb 1905] 11-12 [Death of mother leads to more spiritual inquiry]
Saturn: 8 Apr 1910 17 [Meets Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, his guru]
Jupiter: 30 May 1916 23 [Educational graduation and spiritual initiation]
Chiron: 1 May 1925 [9 Nov 1925, 28 Feb 1926] 32-33 [Founds school of spiritual teaching and healing]
Jupiter: 12 May 1928 35
Uranus: 15 May 1933 [26 Oct 1933, 7 Mar 1934] 40-41 [Series of lessons for home studies created]
Saturn: 15 May 1939 [29 Nov 1939, 24 Jan 1940] 46-47
Jupiter: 25 Apr 1940 47
Jupiter: 8 Apr 1952 59 [Time of death]
Jupiter: 22 Mar 1964 71
Saturn: 15 Jul 1968 [29 Aug 1968, 22 Mar 1969] 75-76
Chiron: 4 May 1975 [4 Nov 1975, 3 Mar 1976] 82-83
Jupiter: 4 Mar 1976 83
Jupiter: 25 Jun 1987 [15 Oct 1987, 11 Feb 1988] 95
 11111' I 1 I 1 .1•1•1

THE 9th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF DISCOVERY

ESSENTIAL MEANING

After mystery there is revelation. The earthly life of every created

thing is on its own unique journey of discovery. The scale and scope
of the universe, even the immediate and relatively tiny slice of the
infinite physical universe we encounter, is so immense that it forever
retains the capacity to surprise us and teach us something new. There
is no mastery of lore, there is only mastery of the process of
becoming. Even the most knowledgeable scholar in their field never
possesses more than a thimble of the infinite truth.
To cope with this without going insane or being rudderless in a sea
of meaningless random chaos, we create models of the universe.
These models — religions, sciences, faiths, philosophies, astrology
itself, which is a search for meaning — are all forced to engage in a
continual state of adaptation as new discoveries are made, as if they
do not they lose their capacity to model the universe meaningfully.
This undermines the entire purpose of the model in the first place,
which is to confer some kind of finite meaning on life's infinite
complexities. So the true initiate in the search for meaning must
always be seeking to widen and broaden the horizons of their world-
view, willing to look beyond any dogma defined by the context of
their paradigm of the universe, even ready to ditch it entirely should
some revelation come.
However, the need for a world-view cannot be denied entirely. It is
a basic fact of life that we all have such a world-view, even if we do
not think about it much. If the model of life that we hold is too
inflexible or does not satisfy the inner need all things have to
experience a meaningful life, it will eventually collapse and take
much of our lives with it. If however the model is capable of
adapting to the emergence of new discoveries and new patterns and it
satisfies our need to experience a meaningful life, it will endure and
blossom into a lotus flower of enlightenment, regardless of what it
actually is.
All this is connected to this region of the sky, the 9th temple, the
temple of discovery and revelation. It is the place wherein the
information communicated to us by the 3' temple is placed into a
context which adds up to something bigger. In the 3rd temple we learn
facts, but in the 9th, the broader implications of the facts we hold to
be true are laid bare. It is a temple of illumination and enlightenment
because when we place things into context with one another they
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 throw light on broader issues and suggest connections. It is a restless
temple because the absolute truth is elusive, there is always more to
explore, more to discover in life. As the partner of the 3rd temple it
forms the cognitive polarity, the capacity to grasp, recognise,
assimilate and transmit information. In the 3rd, information is
collected from various sources, and in the 9' it is collated into a
meaningful pattern.
This temple concerns any activity which serves to broaden our
individual horizons through discovery and our exploration of the
wide beyond. It is characteristic of our general view of life, our
philosophy or paradigm. It is the place of involvement in institutions
of moral and intellectual learning, universities, religions, faith,
spiritual initiation, colleges and archives of publications. It also
governs long distance travel, religious or magical ritual and
ceremony, contact with foreign cultures (those not of the native land
of birth), our mentors, teachers or gurus and in hermetic practice the
connection we have with our Eternal Guardian, the Greater Self,
which we commonly experience as our conscience.
Activations of this key therefore often coincide with enrolment in
courses, examinations, journeys and vacations, stimulus of the
conscience and lessons of a moral and ethical nature. In the pursuit
of any path of spiritual initiation, the activations of the 9th key are of
major significance, as they are times when our conscience is
sometimes 'pricked' by the principle of the activating planet, and we
can come to a broader, more universal and truthful expression of its
principle and of what we believe. These are times to learn with an
open mind and be keen to explore the emergence of the eternal, to
move beyond boundaries and to adventure. They are times to learn
by leaving behind dogma. In the natural cycle of the temples in terms
of either activations or conduction this is the period in which projects
should be more widely publicised, horizons should be expanded and
any broader issues or international business should be taken care of.
Also, we must relate what is happening to our world-view and adjust
it if it seems necessary. When we bring an intention to this temple we
should try to broaden our experience of it some way and perhaps
approach a mentor or institution that contains further knowledge. We
could use this time to explore the wider meaning of our experiences
and beliefs.
At the time of Solar conduction to this temple in the Solar map the
Sun's influence can reach a tipping point leading to the conscious re-
cognition of an important truth. A similar thing can happen at the 3'
temple when conducting an activation with the Moon over the course

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of a month, but in the 9th life is less likely to present important
information and more inclined to lead you to see what it all means.
Thus, this is a place where by Solar conduction the essential meaning
of what you are doing is illuminated.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Temple Conduction: Here once again is the section of the

conductor we are looking at now:

• 9th temple (25° 07' Aries) April 14'

• Dragon's Head (05° 03' Taurus) April 25'
• 10th temple/midheaven (27° 48' Taurus) May 18th

So Babaji begins to intentionally involve this temple's matters just

before April 14th, and he holds them as a main focus until May 18th.
If you will remember from earlier, Babaji is focusing his work
around a Jupiter activation of the Pt temple in early August of 1932,
and the conduction is now approaching the window of opportunity
that is opened by Jupiter (2-3 months). This is the time to really take
note, especially if up until now you have not noticed much
astrologically. A Jupiter activation of a temple of power is an event
that happens about once every 3 years, and this particular pattern
with the 1St temple last emerged 12 years ago, so it is unlikely to be a
major thing that will alter life radically, but it's still highly
significant. Some ways in which Babaji might experience this
include feeling more jovial, more optimistic, more confident, more
radiant (he has a Fiery Leo 1St temple), his heart might undergo a
change, physically or astra-mentally, (Leo again), some good fortune
might come his way, he might start gaining weight (Jupiter), and so
on. There are numerous ways in which this pattern can express itself,
but if Babaji is aware of the pattern as it emerges he can intentionally
shape it into or away from certain forms. Jupiter is in fact going to be
very responsive to his intentions at this time. As he enters this
window of opportunity he keeps this in the forefront of his mind
while remaining politely open to the suggestions that may come from
the perspective of Jupiter itself as it emerges through him. He now
has a guest and while he plays the part of a gracious host he will try
to introduce this guest to his student.
Here I want to mention the significance of synchronicity, which
may arise within the window of opportunity out of the interaction
between the flow of astrological meanings, the conduction and your
conscious intentional interaction with them. Synchronicity may

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 occur at any point in the conduction process but it more often occurs
within the window of opportunity because it is empowered by the
activator and whichever of the two Lights you are conducting things
with working in tandem with your desire. When this occurs it means
that an old pattern has been transmuted at the astral and mental levels
completely releasing its stored power (this is the feeling of
astonishment you experience at the moment of synchronicity) which
the activating planet uses to insert a synchronous event (returning the
released power to you), leaving you to complete things at the
physical level and thus begin the emergence of a new form for the
pattern. This is a beautiful gift, an embrace and a kiss from the
activator, an intentional giving back to you from the universe (you
are being conducted back!), it is not random chance so remember to
say thank you!
Given that Babaji is seeking to teach his student Kriya yoga,
which is a spiritual breathing technique (1St temple, the breath of
life), and given that this is a mentor-apprentice relationship (a 9th
temple theme), the conduction to the 9th temple can be a significant
time. Babaji could simply use this time to focus on his intention
because it fits the nature of the 9th temple. He might try to involve it
more by seeking out his own guru or trying to broaden his own
comprehension of Kriya so that he can teach it better, or he could
talk to someone from outside of India, a geographical or
metaphorical outsider and seek their perspective on the situation. He
can also explore the world-view of Kriya with his student, or the
students world-view.
It's possible that Babaji has a revelation at this point, perhaps he
realises himself that he could involve the zodiac signs in the
conduction more because they relate to the chakras involved in
Kriya, in which case he can start to include this and it will broaden
his ability to pursue the intended results.
On April 25th, Babaji encounters the opposite end of the Dragon's
Tail, the Dragon's Head. This is often another point at which new
patterns can be woven, much like the occurrence of synchronicity,
because the Dragon's Head signifies an opening into which we can
pass and find ourselves in new territory, the Head presenting
something new and significant. It is a juncture, a crossing, a meeting
of paths or the opportunity to create them. Something can be tied
together or set in motion. So he decides to use this opportunity to
introduce his student to the person who taught him, his guru. This
also satisfies the nature of the 9th temple.
This example continues in the 10th temple key.

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Planning holidays: These should be timed ideally to the activations
of your 9th key, its world key or its contents. Jupiter activation is
often best, but not always, sometimes there is a danger of
enthusiastic overextension. Chiron activation can expose you to
foreign illnesses or to the learning of a valuable lesson. During
Saturn activations of this key delays and difficulties in long journeys
are more likely, and you may not be meant to go, but not necessarily
so — it may just be that travelling carries responsibilities and
obligations and is not suitable just for fun, or that you are tired.
Travelling under Uranus activation of this key could revolutionise
your view of the world and itineraries will not go entirely as planned,
but you will have your awareness thoroughly opened and could
experience something completely refreshing for your paradigm. An
ocean voyage synchronised with Neptune activation can have more
of an ideal tone to it but deception and fraud can also play more of a
role, as can more contact with the water than you bargain for. A
scuba dive into the ocean could be particularly spectacular and shift
your way of looking at the entire world. During Pluto activation, if
you stay safe you can go further than ever before as you have a kind
of supernatural faith or a more dogged determination that can
uncover deeper matters and so this is an excellent (once in a lifetime)
opportunity for astronauts, archaeologists, explorers,
palaeontologists, people who want to climb Everest, etc., but the
dangers of death or just vanishing without trace are more real at such
times, often because we are tempted to push ourselves too far over
the limit.
Sometimes the 9th temple comes to us. The same guidelines also
apply to any dealings with foreign cultures or peoples, the
representatives of far away lands who find themselves in our own
region or with whom we interact.

Educational Applications: You will encounter more meaningful

concepts and grow your horizons much more if you make such an
effort during Jupiter activation. During Saturn activation, you can
apply the energy to concentration and serious scholarly work, but
progress is slower. During the time a planet is in this temple, in other
words during its whole period here not just the activation itself, it
connects with all interaction we have with gurus, teachers, mentors,
and any institutions which house them.

Magical Ritual (ceremonial): The timing of any magical ritual we

experience during activation of the 9th temple key will allow the

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activating planet to guide and inform this experience and to shape its
scope and shape. Any ceremonial magic undertaken at the time of
one of these activations can have powerful astrological assistance
available for being tapped into, especially if its purpose is
sympathetic to the activating planet. This applies not just to magical
ritual but to any ceremonial ritual, such as those performed by the
state or a church. The 9th is also the temple of dreams, prophecy,
divination and sacrament.

Self Initiation: Any activation of this key can aid in any part of self
initiation, all that is really required is the awareness of the activations
existence and essential nature and a creative application of this
meaning in your initiation. We can break the mechanical influence of
routine patterns in our lives on a broad scale and intentionally 'seize
the day' by synthesising the message of the planet through
conduction with the Sun or Moon during the period of activation.

Communion with the Greater Self: During activation of this

temple it is possible to receive assistance from the universe in
connection with and through the conscience. The connection to the
conscience can be strengthened by the activating planet. The
principle of the activating planet must be explored and integrated
into your view of the universe for this to happen. For example, under
Saturn activation we must look at what we believe and pay special
attention to what the conscience tells us is too rigid and inflexible
(Saturn). This rigidity of belief must then be restructured (Saturn
again). Under Jupiter activation, we must again look at what we
believe to be true about the world, and pay special attention to what
the conscience tells us is in need of greater optimism and faith, and
which less. We must then of course put this guidance into practice.
The activations of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are
especially powerful in this respect. During these times it is possible
to learn much about the universal laws and their application, and to
perceive the essential meaning of any life events that occur around
the time these planets are in this temple. The activations of Uranus
here are sometimes experienced as sudden and shocking, a shattering
of cognition or of time and space as we know it, but can be
extremely liberating and refreshing to the individual spirit. The
activations of Pluto are often too intense for objective perception and
frequently involve a compulsive, perhaps overly obsessive
questioning of what we hold to be right, true and moral, but they can
also lead to a deeper perception of the universal laws once time has

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passed (often years later). The activations of Neptune could employ
the creative imagination and work with symbolism to refine psychic
perceptions. The activations of Saturn can be of assistance in any
work with kabbalistic Binah or the understanding of time, etc.

Objective Perception (truth detection): At this point in its cycle

through the 12 temples, the activating planet has something to teach
us about its own nature and the universe. By being receptive to this
influence, we can experience a communion with it that has often
been described by those susceptible to them as a 'state of grace', or a
`communion with God' — a mystic revelation or profound discovery.
The principle of the planet reveals something of the universal laws
and this is perceived as 'the meaning of life'. For example, during
Uranus activation, the message often received is that all beings are
free to choose. During Jupiter activation, that one must have faith in
a greater power. During Saturn, that there are rules and strictures to
be followed (commandments, in religious terms), in hermetic terms,
that there is a perfect law to understand, and be guided by.
It is important to remember during such experiences that this is
just the essential meaning of life that we perceive, and only in the
present moment, by the grace of the activator. It may not be a
universal truth, even if it seems to apply to everything and everyone,
and if it is an absolute truth, it may not be the only one.
Essentially the activations of this key sharpen, broaden and scale
our capacity to perceive the objective reality of life. By being aware,
listening to intuition and conscience during these activations, and
working with the principle of the activating planet in some way that
adventurously broadens our experience, we can learn something truly
meaningful and come to perceive the essence of what that planet
means for us in a more complete way. As the temple in which the
meaning of life experiences are clarified the 9'h is the sacred place
where consciousness encounters its own eternity.

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 THE 10th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF DESTINY

Paramahansa Yogananda (Taurus 27° 13')

World key: Venus key
Contents: Neptune and Pluto keys
Sympathies: Lunar conduction
Unsympathetic to: Uranus and Pluto activation

Activation Age Significance

Jupiter: 29 Jul 1893 [12 Nov 1893, 18 Mar 18941 0-1
Jupiter: 6 Jul 1905 [31 Dec 1905, 11 Feb 1906] 12-13
Saturn: 12 Jun 1912 [21 ✓an 1913, 5 Feb 1913] 19-20 [Nearing end of Calcutta university programme]
Jupiter: 17 Jun 1917 24 [Founds a progressive school for boys]
Jupiter: 31 May 1929 36
Chiron: 11 Jul 1932128 Oct 1932, 29 Apr 1933] 39-40
Jupiter: 14 May 1941 48
Uranus: 4 Jun 1941 119 Dec 1941, 20 Mar 1942] 48-49 [Death of father; writing of autobiography]
Saturn: 2 Aug 1941 [20 Oct 1941, 16 Apr 1942] 48-49
Jupiter: 27 Apr 1953 60 [After his death]
Jupiter: 9 Apr 1965 72
Saturn: 27 May 1971 78
Jupiter: 30 Jul 1976 [10 Nov 1976, 19 Mar 1977] 83-84
Chiron: 1 Aug 1982 [4 Oct 1982, 12 May 1983] 89-90
Jupiter: 6 Jul 1988 [25 Dec 1988, 15 Feb 1989] 95-96
THE 10th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF DESTINY

ESSENTIAL MEANING

Every human being, indeed everything, has a relationship with

destiny which it can fulfil in the material world. There is a drive
upwards in the heart of every life which can be found and which
leads to us playing a role in physical life which was ordained for us
to play. This is not a purpose compelled upon us by outer forces but
one we have as a natural result of who we are. Regardless of whether
this role is to play the king or a baker this purpose is of equal
significance because its fulfilment is not dependent on the material
status or influence of the role but on the development of the
individuals ability to make it a fulfilling and satisfying expression of
their need to contribute something meaningful. As a drama teacher
once taught me, "There are no small parts, only small actors". It does
not matter whether we are a leader or a follower, we each have goals
to reach and whether we reach them or not is less important than
how we reach them and what we reach for, what we hold aloft as
being important. What we seek to become and what we will do with
that are fundamental questions that every life is given to answer for
itself using the natural resources it has been given to do so. For some
it is an easy question to answer, for others not.
The 10th temple is the final temple of power, the last of the four
celestial way-stations. It is the place in the sky where the Sun and the
other celestial objects reach their zenith each day and begin to
descend towards the west, a specific degree called the midheaven in
astrology. The Sun is here at midday. Thus it is the crowning point of
the heavens, the top of the sky and the place where the power is that
of looking down upon the physical world from the highest vantage
point, a position not just of status but of surveillance. The advantage
and indeed the destiny of this highest point in the sky can translate
either as attainment or as perspective. It is a place where our lives are
mapped out for us, not so often in terms of an inescapable fate, but
more in terms of destination, where we want to be going and what
we will see along the way there. The inescapable fate part can
happen though, such as when we are born into a family like the royal
family which holds a position of status that each young child is
taught must be strictly upheld, and for some of them this feels like
being placed in a straitjacket from birth. It can be our destiny to
experience inescapable conclusions and binding expectations of us
by society, as I am sure many people will recognise, but this never

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 completely disempowers us if we are able to bring something of our
uniqueness to it. It is always possible of course to rebel against any
destiny which has been set aside for us if we are prepared to lose the
position and privilege it might afford or we are prepared to stand up
to its imposition upon us by another.
So the destiny written in the le is never written in stone. The
future is ours. We must accept, however, that if we decide to live in
Rome, we had better like being Italian. The choices we make about
what we want to achieve have consequences which involve going
certain places and doing certain things, becoming certain people, and
often these will be unforeseen. This, too, we must accept as a part of
that destiny.
For those people who are not born to be kings or queens there is a
challenge to meet in life in terms of what to do with it aside from try
to survive. We have to first know what is important to us and then we
have to set out to get there. We each crave to contribute something
significant to the world, something that we will leave behind us as a
legacy or an expression of what we are capable of. Whereas in the 6th
temple the employment we have does not advance these ulterior
goals and is just a means to put daily bread on the table, in the 10th
we are talking about the vocation which calls us, the profession we
choose to make money from if we can, our own business or the
ultimate goals we seek to reach in the material world. Note that these
goals are not exclusive to professional careers, they can also include
less well recognised roles in society such as those of mothers and
fathers just wanting to be good parents. So long as the goal will take
many years to reach and represents the pinnacle of attainment for
you, the crowning achievement of life, it fits into the temple of
destiny.
Astrology only provides clues as to what this could be. The chief
astrological indicators we have to work with in our profession are the
qualities of the sign opening this temple, the planet ruling this sign
and its condition including its sign and temple position and its
aspects to other chart factors, and any planets found in the 10th itself.
Other chart components, especially those connected with the other 3
temples of power, can also factor in this but frequently not as
significantly or as often. These are the clues which help us to avoid
the unfortunate fate of becoming square pegs in round holes.
More importantly than these influences, however, is the attitude to
why we do what we do. If the attitude is superficial or purely
materialistic, for example you want to be a rich and famous movie
star because you want the adoration and the life of luxury, it will be a

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let-down even if you get there because as human beings we don't
really crave for money or attention we crave for success and in
particular successful recognition in doing something that is deeply
important to us and others. This is what makes us feel like we are
fulfilling our destiny. It has to come from within us and be a pursuit
of that, not just a pursuit of something outside of us.
This temple is sensitive to all these issues and can additionally
clear the air around you, giving you a panoramic perspective on your
entire life as if you were looking down upon it in a valley from the
peak of a high mountain. You have reached a plateau in which the
landscape you have traversed is suddenly all visible. This is often an
opportunity to shape your destiny by choosing your next path. The
world key and any contents of this temple can also serve these
functions.
As the polar partner of the 4th temple the 10th temple balances the
habitual programming of the past with attention to the implications
for our future. We move from the background and history we have in
the Lith into the territory of the 10th as we climb the path of ambition.
Sometimes we seek to attain goals as a result of the past, perhaps to
prove something to the world or to break free of certain memories,
and sometimes we can use the past to justify our fear of moving
forward into the future — it all went wrong before, so it will go wrong
again. So these two temples are the axis of the temporal polarity, our
relationship to past and future time (the 1" temple, which lies half
way between them, is our awareness of the now moment, the present
tense). They can therefore be used to explore our relationship to
time. See the Pt temple key for more direction on exploring the
magic of time.
Activations of this key and its timing in conduction show changes
in what is important to you, can represent important developments in
the pursuit of a career or any long term goal, and can also, by
reflexive association with the 4th temple key, lead to changes in
home, family and your attitude to the past. At the 4th, a base or a
foundation could have been laid down which will be the platform
that supports the activation or conduction of this temple. This is the
most visible portion of the sky and thus the place where we should
attempt a visible manifestation of intention. The 10th region crowns
the chart, and because it represents what we aspire to be or attain in
material or physical terms it can bring about the material realisation
of our goal in conduction work or a change in perspective towards
what is important about it. In the cycle of the temples, the time when
a planet reaches the 10th is when it can make an impression on the

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physical world that will last. In other words, it is a good time for
projects to actually reach completion, for the rocket to be launched
and actually land on the Moon. It is a time in which we should apply
the intention we are working with to our profession and goals in life,
and consider what it means for and in terms of the most important
things to us. At this point, we should also begin letting go of our
work, giving over to manifestation by the universe, as the last 3
temples gradually bring the conduction to a close.
If failure or collapse is experienced at this time, use it to reflect on
the past, and draw whatever lessons can be learned. 'Failure' in fact
may just be what you need to get you out of a situation that does not
serve your future growth.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Temple Conduction: The example reaches the 10th temple in the

third week of May:

• 10th temple/midheaven (27° 48' Taurus) May 18th

• Pluto (08° 11' Gemini) May 29th
• Neptune (08° 59' Gemini) May 30th
• 11th temple cusp (29° 12' Gemini) June 20th

This is perhaps a time for him to focus on why it is important to

attain the goal. He could speak to his student about the effect it will
have on his future and ask them why they want to attain it. Any of
the 10th temples analogies can be brought in for synthesis.
This is an interesting period for Babaji because it involves the very
close alignment of Neptune and Pluto in his chart. As will be further
explained in their keys, this conjunction of Neptune and Pluto is not
Babaji's alone, it belongs to everyone who was born in the same year
as him, and a few years either side. It's a generational influence that
incarnates as millions of individual expressions of a single collective
trait. This is to say that everyone born around the same year as him
will now be experiencing something happening to all of them, but it
will only last a few days before the Sun moves on in their Solar
maps, and they will all experience it in their individual and personal
spheres differently. Whatever the alignment of these two planets
signifies it will have light thrown upon it at this time in every year.
The Moon will do this to them all every month. This is how
collective memes are born, how ideas catch the imagination of a
generation and are carried by them into manifestation at certain times

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(i.e. during major activations). When we come to the final set of
world keys I will show you how to work at a collective level to
actualise the power you share with others to create collective
changes. This is an entirely new form of astrology that has never
been practised or practicable before.
So when Neptune and Pluto become involved at the end of May he
should first of all look around him for anyone at all that is born in the
same year, or failing that a year or two either side. He should then
seek the commonality of experience he has with those people and
seek to involve them in the emergence of the intention. These people
will likely have important influences on the work now and more
importantly in today's world connecting with them can enable the
collective awareness to take shape. He should especially look for
anyone important or in a position of authority, someone above him in
terms of either status or influence, because the planets are in his 10th
temple. Some figures may not be entirely supportive of him reaching
his goal, in which case he needs to deal with that now using methods
that do not compromise his progress.
Aside from this involvement of his conduction with the collective,
he can also just experience for himself the effect this conjunction has
on his consciousness thereby learning what it does to him as an
individual. Given the nature of these planets and his background it is
likely that he experiences some kind of transcendental effect at this
point, which he can offer to his student. If the student makes a
breakthrough at this point he does not stop the conduction and begin
something else. He goes through the entire conduction and treats any
remaining time as a cooldown and an opportunity to reflect and build
upon what has emerged.
It can also be noted that at the time of the conduction to the 10th
temple on May 18th 1932, Babaji's 10th temple key is being activated
by Chiron (exact July 1 1 th). This influence can be included in the
conduction for this period, and may in fact disrupt his intention or
otherwise provide a hurdle for it to jump over. If you cross paths
with an activation in your conduction that is not part of what you are
intentionally working with it will sometimes serve to boost it, and at
other times to test it.
The example continues in the llth temple key.

Promotion or similar rise in public status: The best times to seek

advance are when Jupiter activates this key, but you must beware the
traps of overconfidence, arrogance and inflated self importance.
Never promise to deliver more than you actually can when Jupiter is

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around, because the consequences will be bigger. During Saturn
activation, you have an attitude which can impress those in positions
of authority and this can be a time of lasting achievement, but if you
have not worked hard enough or you must simply struggle on longer
then it can feel like failure or not having what it takes. The key here
is to be disciplined and accept the necessity of responsibility and
hard work in eventually reaching your goal. Complete career
changes are best made under Uranus, Pluto or Jupiter activations.
Stated goals should be carefully scrutinised under Neptune activation
to ensure there are no 'fuzzy' points. If a struggle for position
emerges during Pluto activation, it will be to the death, symbolically
or literally, and so you had better be sure that you want the fight.
Pluto activation of this key can also propel people into a completely
different future, or change its prospects profoundly. Any corruption
at the top will probably be exposed.

Attainment of important goals: In the activation cycle of the

temples (i.e. the movement of the activators from temple 1 to temple
12) this is the time when the goals you have in life can often actually
be attained if you have guided them through manifestation at every
previous stage. At this point, the universe simply notices your entire
endeavour and unleashes the result of all your efforts, bringing about
a materialisation. This is especially the case with Saturn when
working a 28-30 year cycle or with a 12 year Jupiter cycle, beginning
them from the 1St temple. This only happens if you have put in the
work to manifest it over the intervening years, but it means you will
leave a lasting legacy behind you.

Life Perspective: You can turn this key to gain perspective on your
life, particularly on where you are going. It will show you a birds eye
view of things when it is activated and allow you to map out the road
ahead. This can help you get your priorities in order and also to
evaluate your accomplishments. Any activator can help you here, but
always remember they have their own distinct nature which will be
colouring your perspective. Saturn, for example, often shows where
we have failed, or put in the greatest continuous effort.

Political bodies and hierarchical structures: The activations of

this key can show changes in our own political stance but can also be
used to gauge and bolster our own effect in the political arena
(wherever it is staged) because they influence how the wider public
will perceive us. The Jupiter activations are the most favourable

215
times generally to seek election or influence, and Neptune and Pluto
activation are often bad times because of the danger of scandals,
power struggles, illegality and deception. During Uranus activation,
the political campaign with you at its heart will be dogged by
unexpected turns and twists, and will not stay on its original course,
but is ideal for revolutionising the party. During Saturn activation, it
is more difficult to make an impression on the public, and we can
come over as too authoritarian and cold, but if we have put in a lot of
work, we can actually make an enduring impression.
Note that this key is focused on the substance of traditional
political activity within the structures that exist and on general
policy; political activism against such policies, canvassing votes and
political zeal or ideology is more a concern of the 11th temple, but
both keys are sensitive to political aims.
Any kind of hierarchical structure can be engaged through the
turning of this key. This includes the hierarchy of non-physical
entities such as the hierarchy of ideas or spirits, but it specifically
relates to those hierarchies of the material world rather than those
beyond it, which is more signified by Neptune.

Dealing with the public: This temple relates to how we are seen by
people who do not know us, the appearance or role we take for the
public when visible from a socially distant perspective. When
seeking to make an impression or build a reputation for something
this key can also serve as a guide in our interactions with the public
generally. During Jupiter activations, we will find it easier as the
connection with the Jupiter principle brings confidence and a
'common touch'. During Saturn activation, public exposure can be
tedious, tiring, and present many obstacles. During Uranus
activation, we can act as a lightning rod for public opinion,
especially if it is progressive and radical and we push for change.
Pluto will often expose corruption and power plays. Whatever role
we take in the public eye can be adjusted to incorporate the principle
of the activating planet, and this will spark a reaction in them, but not
one we can control.

Quadrapolar Synthesis: As previously mentioned, the temples of

power and especially the degrees of the zodiac which begin them are
especially sensitive to the emergence of astrological patterns in the
material world. The 12 temple keys can be trimmed down to just 4
temples as follows:

216
 1. 1st temple: What do I want to be or do?
2. 4th temple: How can I lay down a foundation for it?
3. 7th temple: Who can co-operate with me?
4. 10th temple: How do /get there?

Thus the conduction is divided into four stages, and this should be
repeated until the intention is manifested. In this respect I find it
better to begin with a Magnetic conduction of 1 month to start to get
a feel for the answers to these questions and continue this until I
decide to work with what I am intending directly, at which point I
would start to use the Sun and Moon together in an ElectroMagnetic
conduction.
This method is extremely powerful, especially when there is
activation to any of these four temples, and is recommended if you
are not sensing a connection with astrological forces or you want a
simplified form of practice that is still effective.

217
 THE 11th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF FELLOWSHIP
Paramahansa Yogananda (Gemini 29° 12')
World key: Mercury key
Sympathies: Jupiter activation (joy)
Unsympathetic to: Jupiter and Chiron activation
Activation Age Significance
Jupiter: 14 Aug 1894 [7 Jan 1895, 4 Apr 1895] 1-2
Neptune: 19 Sep 1900 [16 Oct 1900, 28 Jun 1901, 24 Jan 1902, 23 Apr 1902] 7-9 [Many spiritual beneficiaries]
Jupiter: 27 Jul 1906 13
Pluto: 21 Jul 1912 [12 Dec 1912, 6 Jun 1913, 14 Feb 1914, 10 Apr 1914] 19-21 [Bonds with guru]
Saturn: 15 Aug 1914 [17 Dec 1914, 4 May 1915] 21-22 [Graduation]
Jupiter: 9 Jul 1918 25 [Socially active]
Jupiter: 23 Jun 1930 37
Chiron: 14 Aug 1937 [6 Dec 1937, 19 May 1938] 44-45
Jupiter: 7 Jun 1942 49 [Father's death]
Saturn: 14 Jun 1944 51
Uranus: 9 Aug 1948 [4 Dec 1948, 27 May 1949] 55-56
Jupiter: 20 May 1954 61 [After his death]
Jupiter: 13 Sep 1965 125 Nov 1965, 1 May 1966] 72-73
Saturn: 26 Jul 1973 [18 Jan 1974, 8 Apr 1974] 80-81
Jupiter: 16 Aug 1977 [6 Jan 1978, 6 Apr 1978] 84-85
Chiron: 12 Jun 1988 95
Jupiter: 27 Jul 1989 96
THE 11th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF FELLOWSHIP
ESSENTIAL MEANING

This region of the sky, which lies halfway between the eastern
horizon and the zenith of the midheaven, is a place where celestial
objects start to really break away from the horizon line on their daily
ascent up the stairway of the heavens. It is a place of swift climbing
and of reaching out to find the destiny written by the midheaven, the
10th temple. The ancients fabled this place with an auspicious
reputation and regarded it like the 5th as a place of fortune, but unlike
its opposite partner the 11th was not primarily a material fortune (the
5th is below the horizon line of the Earth and thus of an earthly
nature), it is above the horizon in the sky and thus a spiritual benefit,
which is why they gave it the name 'the good spirit'.
By 'good' we must be careful of making black and white
assumptions — the 'good' being referred to here is simply that of
something which is obviously beneficial to us; the 'evil' of the 6th
temple ('the evil fortune') and the following temple, the 12th, ('the evil
spirit'), is not a religious or moral evil but something which is not
obviously beneficial and in many cases seems to be detrimental. In
other words, good and evil in this context are factors of how
obviously beneficial a type of experience is, they are descriptive of a
type of benefit we are given. Even our ills and our troubles can be
beneficial to us, they just require a different perspective to find it.
So the 11th is a place of ascent and of a beneficiary who extends
their hand to help us climb the sometimes steep stairway of life. Like
the 10th it is future oriented but where the future of the lOth is a
realisable goal which we can achieve for ourselves, the future of the
1l`" is a (hopefully) realisable goal that we can realise for the
collective human society. As the temple of the good spirit, the 11th
can bestow upon us a gift, a wish or a dream, and furthermore, with
the good spirit of others who will help us to achieve that dream. The
good spirit being referred to by the ancients is the spirit of
fellowship, companionship and allies, the people whom we count as
friends and with whom we share a common wish.
So this temple is concerned with our allies, friends, companions,
group dynamics, shared hopes (or fears) for the future and our sense
of purpose. We are social creatures who need not only neighbours
(3rd) and partners (7th) but also friends (11th). It gives us the ideology
which lends life a greater purpose, something which can complement

219
our philosophical model of the meaning of the universe which is
represented by the 9th temple — the 11th is what we hope will come
out of that world-view, not just for us as a realisation of truth and
meaning, but for the world itself, primarily for human society. It is
often connected with the hopes we have which inform these ideals,
with notions which inform our awareness of the future - hopes,
aspirations and purpose - and which can only be achieved through a
network and are for the greater good of all people. Stimulus of this
ideology through the interaction we make with other human beings
shapes those ideals and gives us greater hope because of the sense of
shared purpose and direction. It is sensitive to our sense of having a
direction which harmonises with that of others, our awareness of the
opportunity this offers and the potential of the collective human race,
thus again to our sense of hope, or its inverse, our fear of what is
coming.
As the giver of help which moves you up this temple is
empowered to bring many benefactors into your life or the fulfilment
of a wish. Such occurrences are gifts from the activators but they are
of our own making and what we do with them will determine how
much benefit they bring. So if you are having trouble with shyness
and the activation of Jupiter to this key brings you into contact with a
confident new acquaintance you will gain nothing unless you follow
the invitation to befriend them. You must show your own 'good spirit'
and seize the opportunity.
With its polar partner, the 5th, the 11th temple delineates the co-
creative polarity, the capacity of all things to be uniquely co-creative
intelligences with all other things. It is the axis which enables us to
work with life as the performance of a role which includes the cast of
humanity, both as audience and participant in the drama. We are all
co-creative influences over the story which unfolds, the acts of the
play are written, performed and lit by our own inner light and the
interactivity of this light with everything else. This polarity allows us
to explore these things.
Activations of this key bring about changes in our social life, they
introduce new friendships, lead to old ones fading away, put us in
touch with clubs, societies or groups, and stimulate us to work
together with others in some common aim. Awareness of our overall
direction and the possibilities the future contains can undergo
alteration. They lead to changes in our sense of purpose and our
ideals and in terms of the temple's activation or conduction this place
relates to the time when a project may be strongly reacted to by its
intended audience, a time when we should begin to network and

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focus on feedback and what the future direction should be now that
the aim is accomplished, or not. We should try to integrate the
intention into our companionships and any shared vision of the
future that we have while studying the group dynamics we are
involved in for the clues we need.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Temple Conduction: We are now nearing the end of the

conduction. As the section below shows, the work in this temple
begins on or just before June 20th (in 1932):

• 11th temple cusp (29° 12' Gemini) June 20th

• 12th temple (29° 52' Cancer) July 22nd

So at this time Babaji could focus the work around something

more communal, he could invite the student to sit with him and his
teacher in meditation or otherwise involve his allies, friends and
contacts. He should also use this month to examine where the student
will be going with the intention in the future, or simply to make a
wish upon his future. Perhaps he might set aside this time to get to
know his student more, forgetting about all the meditation and just
exploring the kind of company they keep together.
The Jupiter activation of his 1St temple, which the work of
conduction is built around, is drawing ever nearer, the window filling
with Jupiter's essential meaning. He could start feeling more
buoyant, more exuberant and hopeful that the future holds promising
opportunities, and he could share this with his new friend.
This example concludes in the 12th temple.

Social Activism: This is the temple to focus on when seeking some

kind of social change, either in your circle of friends or more widely.
During Uranus and Pluto activations, we are best able to start
revolutions. We can stir the group to take radical action, but this can
easily get out of control and we must avoid trying to manipulate
things for selfish purposes — the group must be carefully consulted as
to the best use of this influence. During Saturn activation, the
influence over tradition, organisation and order you have will be
stronger, and so these times are best used for dealing with collective
authorities, councils and chambers of responsibility (the 11th shares
some overlap with the 10th temple in this matter, but the 11th is more
associated with boards and chambers of authority rather than

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figureheads like monarchs or a boss). If you involve yourself in aid
or charity work or any social causes which affect the masses, the
times when you can be more beneficial are probably in the Jupiter
activations. This temple is currently especially sensitive to
environmental, humanitarian and `globalisation' issues such as the
spread of social networks, hopes of a new age and fears of a dark fate
ahead, experiences which are leading to a collective awareness and
purpose, or a collective doom. More on how we can face these
challenges using the wisdom and timing of astrology is provided in
the final world keys.

Group Dynamics: Activations of this key flood all group

interaction with the activating planet's principle as it is moving
through us into the egregore (the group mind) — we become conduits
for the planet as it moves through our interaction with the groups we
are part of. When this is Jupiter, we are more confident in all our
social interactions and we emphasise inclusiveness in the group
dynamic, but we can become bombastic or pompous and tend to
overgeneralise. When it is Saturn, we are best suited to positions in
the group with responsibility and authority, and may be more
withdrawn from social interaction generally. We can give structure to
the group dynamic. When Uranus is the activating planet, social
structures and the dynamic itself tend to explode through our
influence - things often really take off, with many invitations to join
different groups and many more doorways opening in unexpected
directions. During Chiron activation, we can act to heal the group
and to build bridges between individual members or different
ideologies, but such interactions may be painful for us.

Friendship & Networking: It is often easier to make friends and

forge alliances during Jupiter and Uranus activations of this key,
likewise when seeking to build up contacts, but they must be worked
on if they are to last. Jupiter is especially potent as an activator of
this temple because it joys here, adding its capacity to generate fresh
opportunity and find common purpose with others. During Saturn
activation you may outgrow and need to let go of old connections so
that new ones can arise, or you may find yourself drawn to older
friends (or much younger ones — the quality here is 'age and
experience gap'). Pluto sometimes brings in contacts within the
criminal underworld, the occult or people who will turn our lives
upside down. Sometimes compulsive or obsessive fandom can be an
issue, or stalking. It's never all bad with Pluto though, as these

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experiences can be transformative and there are times when the
intensity given by Pluto is enjoyable. If we have good friends, people
who do not need to be seen in a new light, then Pluto can intensely
deepen the emotive bonds of friendship and loyalty we feel. During
Chiron activation attempts at making friends are frequently painful,
unless they are focused on the healing of pain for others; however
human society and group interaction currently has many ills, and this
activation is ideal for soothing the more painful ones if we can build
the necessary bridges between our sharper differences.

Seeking of Purpose: There are many people who seem to lack a

sense of an overall purpose in life, a clear direction. This is quite
different to not knowing what is important enough to devote your life
to (the 10th), the purpose we can find for ourselves in human society,
it is more what the purpose of human society itself is and thus what
to hope for overall. The two can become easily confused when we
lack a clear direction from astrology in both the 10th and 11th temples.
Any activation of this key but particularly those by Jupiter can
provide an opportunity to find a broader purpose and some reason to
hope, but it will often only be temporary. If it is to truly last, it must
not merely be a passing interest or a fad, or something that is done
because everyone in the crowd is talking about it, but something that
truly stimulates your vision of a better future for society, not just for
yourself. It must be meaningful to you and come from within you.
Then you must have or build a circle of company or fellowship that
reflects and supports it, and finally you must not become enchanted
by the future, you have to stay grounded in realities and live in the
now, because the future is an enchanting place which is never here.
Given awareness of these things and a strong activation of this
temple key, you should find what you are looking for or be nudged in
a particular direction which you must then begin to travel.

Planetary Alliance: During the activation of this key we can

intentionally befriend the activating planet (or any planetary 'friend'
already in this temple at birth i.e. the content of the 11th). We can
engage in a dynamic interaction with it by focusing our awareness on
its principle and inviting it mentally and socially, perhaps also
spending time with it in a conduction. For example, we can
intentionally befriend the principle of Jupiter when it reaches the
temple of fellowship by focusing on its expansive quality, and using
our mental awareness we can benefit from the effect of this
expansiveness in our social interactions. This will help build a
relationship to Jupiter characterised as 'friendly'.

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 For obvious reasons, the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Chiron,
Neptune and Pluto are powerful allies to have, the ultimate 'friends in
high places'. The friendship you develop with these six entities will
be among the most rewarding you can have. However, friendship
must always be earned and it is always a two way street. In the case
of the last four in this list, there may come a time when you find
them asking you to do things to bring about the birth of the collective
awareness, which is their task. By befriending them you signal that
you are ready and willing to do this, but there will always be
something about your part in it that appeals to you, it is never just a
sacrifice of your personal and individual time but more of an
investment of it in something you already know how to do or want to
do. This book, for example, is the result of a collaboration with Pluto
begun during his passage through Scorpio in which I learned a great
deal about myself and my relationship to the universe.
We can make offerings to the principle of the planet, expressing
gratitude for its assistance, and at this time we can feel its response,
its own gratitude. The offerings can be ritualistic or simply in the
form of thoughts and feelings. These activities invite the future
assistance of the planet's principle into our mental awareness. These
times are ideally suited to this process because the planet is in a
position where it is most able to grant our wishes in the future by
setting up opportunities which will lead us in a particular direction.
They can act to attune our mental awareness to the planet's principle,
so that we can perceive its workings in society and in ourselves more
completely. A form of interactive communication — contact — can be
established. Thus the activations of this temple key can be used to
assist in all synthetic work generally through an alliance that is
formed during the activation.

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 THE 12th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF UNDOING

Paramahansa Yogananda (Cancer 29° 52)

World key: Moon key
Ind Contents: Moon key
Sympathies: Lunar conduction and Jupiter and Saturn activation (Saturn by its joy)
Unsympathetic to: Saturn and Pluto activation

Activation Age Significance

Jupiter: 4 Sep 1895 [2 Mar 1896, 16 Apr 1896] 2-3
Jupiter: 18 Aug 1907 14
Neptune: 18 Sep 1914 [20 Dec 1914, 16 Jul 1915, 6 Apr 1916, 14 Apr 1916J 21-23 [Mystical initiation]
Saturn: 15 Oct 1916 [10 Dec 1916, 23 Jun 1917] 23-24 [Strict Meditations]
Jupiter: 1 Aug 1919 26 [Leaving India]
Jupiter: 16 Jul 1931 38 [Social retreat]
Pluto: 27 Sep 1937 [5 Dec 1937, 30 Jul 1938, 13 Feb 1939, 8 Jun 1939] 44-46 [Astral experiences]
Chiron: 28 Sep 1940 [29 Dec 1940, 15 Jun 1941] 47-48
Jupiter: 30 Jun 1943 50
Saturn: 1 Aug 1946 53
Jupiter: 10 Nov 1954 [23 Nov 1954, 12 Jun 1955] 61-62 [After his death]
Uranus: 22 Aug 1955 [31 Jan 1956, 7 Jun 1956] 62-63 [Astral disintegration]
Jupiter: 26 Sep 1966 [17 Jan 1967, 22 May 1967] 73-74
Saturn: 15 Sep 1975 [16 Jan 1976, 4 Jun 1976] 82-83
Jupiter: 4 Sep 1978 [2 Mar 1979, 18 Apr 1979] 85-86
Jupiter: 17 Aug 1990 97
Chiron: 20 Jul 1991 98
THE 12th TEMPLE KEY: THE KEY OF UNDOING

ESSENTIAL MEANING

Everything we encounter in life must end, including the grasp we

have on our identity. The rainbow melts, the cloud evaporates, the
Sun is eclipsed by the Moon. But the end is the beginning, so nothing
ever truly begins or ends. Life is a continuum, like consciousness. It
is eternal, and only the outer forms it displays undergo the cyclical
process of being born and coming to a natural end. This we witness.
This we run from. Endings trouble us, unless they are the closure of
a painful chapter of life. We tend to try to escape from trouble and
endings, as if they were avoidable instead of beautiful, and if we
cannot avoid them we attribute them to curses or wallow in self pity
rather than accept them as part of the natural scheme.
Here is where many people go wrong and trip up: life is troubling.
To a degree, it's meant to be. If it were not, the soul would not learn
because there would be nothing to overcome or face. In the words of
Maya Angelou, "You may encounter defeats, but you must never be
defeated." The 'you' she is referring to here is your consciousness,
your relationship to being alive. You can lose everything else, but
you cannot ever lose your consciousness, you can only smother it in
drugs, pity and ignorance so that it does not pain you when it is filled
with unhappiness. It will still be there waiting for you when (if) you
ever make it back to reality. And so will the pain.
How we deal with this is the concern of the 12th temple. Like the
6th temple the ancients gave this region an evil reputation, calling it
'the evil spirit'. They called it the place of witchcraft, of curses,
imprisonment and madness, a reputation it has only recently started
growing out of. Woe betide the person with a planetary pile up in this
temple, say the old texts. It gathered this reputation partly from its
relationship to the horizon, which it lies just above in the east. This is
the place where the Sun rises over the ground every day, after
leaving the 1' temple which lies just below the eastern horizon. Why
is this a difficult place in the eyes of the ancients?
First of all, this is a difficult place because it is the region of sky
where things are stretching their limbs, yawning and waking up but
are not yet alert. It is the place of rebirth. They are just emerging
from passage through the human underworld (underneath the Earth)
and they are loaded with an often dark mythic potential, a little bit
grumpy or withdrawn, caught between rest and activity. They haven't

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 had their first cup of coffee until they get to the 11th temple. Its a
lazy place where very little can happen because it is not yet
awakened, a womb-like temple of dreamy half-consciousness, the
chill out zone of the sky which they must shrug off if they are to
battle their way up the stairway to heaven.
Secondly, very little is clearly visible here. A large part of the
horizon obscures the view we have of this area, especially when we
live in the city or a town. Buildings, forests, mountains, hills and
light pollution conceal this vista from view, and visibility (or at least
potential visibility) is an important factor in astrology. The same
could be said of the western horizon, the 7th temple, where we do not
see other people as clearly as we might like to, but over in the west
celestial objects are retiring for the day, going down, not trying to
climb up — there is less pressure, less toil than in the 12th. This
reputation for invisibility is further enhanced by the fact that
anything in this region of sky when the Sun rises will be suddenly
extinguished as the Solar radiance washes over it. Brightly shining
stars, planets and even the Moon are suddenly snuffed out just as
they show themselves, and if they are close enough to the Sun itself
they will then not be visible in the sky at all, perhaps for weeks in the
case of the slowest moving visible planets. When this happens, the
celestial object can be thought of as being in the underworld of the
gods, a different concept to the underworld of mortals which they
visit every day (temples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 represent this mortal
underworld, but the planets travel these temples in reverse order
every day, even though over the long term they move through them
more slowly in the opposite direction as they travel forward along
the zodiac). A completely invisible planet, i.e. one that is in the
underworld of the gods because it is close to the Sun, loses part of its
ability to manifest in the physical world and so its meaning becomes
more astral and mental in expression. It becomes bound to
consciousness and in terms of a birth influence we become that
planet in a way which we cannot deny and lack objectivity over.
For this reason the place of the 12th temple is considered evil
because the benefits it brings are not obvious. The influence of the
planet is intangible, of the otherworlds, not the visible material one,
and because this influence was regarded superstitiously, many evil
things — demons - were imprisoned in this temple. This situation has
only been changed quite recently in astrological history with the
advent of our understanding of the unconscious mind. This is the
place where we find the workings of the unconscious and
subconscious mind as they interact with our conscious identity and

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awareness in the now moment which is symbolised by the ascendant,
the start of the 1St temple.
This is the 'evil' spirit that the ancients were referring to, because
if we consciously intend to do something but unconsciously we
don't, it's the unconscious that will win because it will trip us up and
through repetition appear to take on the characteristics of a curse. So
here we find those things which we are not aware of consciously to
at least some degree and the life path will then lead us on a journey
of becoming more conscious of these factors. This will involve
having to look within our own consciousness, so the 12th must
become a place of inner reflection. Instead of escaping from the
issues, we can then transcend them, but it will always involve a
sacrifice, a making sacred of what has been neglected and
overlooked. By taking this path the undoing of our conscious
intentions becomes the undoing of the complexes which undermine
them, an undoing of our own evils and troubles in a state of empty
peace and solitude, being nothing but fully conscious.
The final temple is therefore one of retreat and withdrawal as we
begin to reach the end of a cycle and must synthesise the essence of
what has gone before. Here too is where we may experience a final
test in the form of a tripwire which we may have set up for ourselves
in previous days, especially if we have let success go to our head. It
is the region of the unconscious and subconscious, of introspection,
seclusion, and the undermining influence of our hidden qualities that
can be turned to our advantage only after we have consciously
perceived their mechanism. It is often related to karmic
responsibilities left over from previous incarnations, things we have
some catching up on to do or which need closure or redemption (to
be given a new value). In the cycle of the 12 temples, this is the
dissolution phase when we must let go of our attachment to the
project, extract the essence of all that has been learned, and prepare
for a new project to begin. We should look inwards and withdraw
from interaction with others if necessary to achieve this. We need to
be still so that we can feel the energies we have raised.
Activations of this key can bring about isolation and forced retreat
from society so that we look within for the source of what ails us.
Things can also just reach a natural end. If we can consciously and
willingly work with our need to withdraw at these times, things will
go easier for us. The best uses of these activations are those in which
we go on an inner journey to meet the activating planet's principle
within ourselves. We work then to transform its non-conscious
influences and unlike the work with complexes we might have done

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 in the 8th temple, which required an intense process or purge to go
through, or the work of outgrowing habits ingrained by the past
which we gain from the 4th temple, in the 12th there is the possibility
of immediate transcendence because the process has already been
gone through in the whole of the temple cycle. Thus where the 1St
key marks the time of beginnings, the 12th marks a time of closure, or
of the need to rerun the cycle to achieve a more complete and deeper
synthesis.
As the final axis of the chart the polarity delineated by the 6th and
12th temples is the essentializing polarity; its themes are all aligned
toward the goal of reducing physical and astral experience to their
essences. These two temples are places of redux where experiences
and qualities are brought back or are reduced to their most naked
form. In the 6th temple, the necessities of daily life reduce our
mundane activities down to their essences (eat, drink, work, clean
etc.) and in the 12th temple astral significance is reduced to its most
essential components in preparation for transcendence. Through the
grounding provided by the 6th temple and the transcendence or
liberation offered by the 12th we can boil things down to their bases
and reveal the minutiae and the fundament. If either temple is out of
balance, the result is that our lives become unstable at a basic
physical and astral level through illness or the disruptive effect of our
own unconscious. An imbalance at this level of the chart can result in
mysterious ailments, uncertain work conditions, an urge to be helpful
that ventures on martyrdom and most fundamentally to problems
with learning on a physical and astral level because we do not know
how to extract the essence of experience from the lessons of life. A
strong and equilibrated essentializing polarity has learned how to
turn the influence of the unconscious to its advantage through
introspection and the resultant transcendent clearing of the 12th
temple strengthens the physical body against disease at the astral
level, while the grounding of the 6th temple, attained through daily
physical experience, prevents the transcendent experience of the 12th
from losing touch with realities. It has learned how to care for the
body by providing it with what nourishes it, and to care for the soul
by revealing it through introspection, nourishing it with the light of
consciousness.

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 M

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Temple Conduction: The final stage of the conduction is as

fol low s:

• 12th temple (29° 52' Cancer) July 22nd

• Moon (25° 35' Leo) August 18th
• lst temple (closes cycle) August 21't

If by July 22nd Babaji has not already achieved his aims, he should
not despair. Instead he should withdraw from the process and look
within him for possible reasons why, and he should spend as much
time in quiet reflection as he can, far from any crowd. He could
perhaps take the student with him to any place which is peaceful.
Around August 18th he may in fact have a final chance to realise
the intention, as the Moon is a Light and one he has a particular bond
with, and the activation of the first temple by Jupiter to the Pt temple
is also wide open and the outcome can then manifest through it. It is
sometimes surprising how this works out, it may seem to have
nothing to do with Babaji, the student might just turn up one morning
and announce that they have cracked it. This is an astral mechanism
at work which was created by the conduction itself. What Babaji
must not do is try to start anything new with regard to the intention
in this period, this is the wrap up time so only activities or
approaches he has employed already should be involved, and he
should be far less active. In fact this is an ideal time for him to pull
the entire project together and to try to attain the intention using the
effect of the conduction to bring it closure.
Around August 21' the cycle closes at the time of Jupiter's
activation — a big finish. At this point Babaji may learn something
highly valuable from Jupiter itself, and if this happens it should be
given to the student as Babaji intended to. Giving thanks and
gratitude for the blessing of the work, regardless of its outcome,
Babaji can now continue with the same theme (conducting the
Jupiter activation for another year, the first 2 or 3 months of which
will be with Jupiter helping him) or turn to a different theme (turning
a different active key with a new intention). He could also use a
different key, thus taking a different tactic overall, but keeping the
intention to teach Kriya to the student. He only has to scan the keys
for a suitable activation, and can immediately begin on August 21' if
he uses the Solar map as his conductor. He can also change the
intention but keep Jupiter as the focal activator, so he might now stop

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teaching Kriya to the student and instead do something else related to
Jupiter and the 1" temple.

Tactical Retreat: There are times when we should leave the main
arena of life and become invisible. We need to learn how to go into
retreat and withdraw from outer life over certain periods so that we
are not overexposed like bathers on a tropical beach, but also so that
we get in touch with the richness of inner life within. Some people
live their entire lives this way as hermits, with periods wherein they
can achieve a deeper state of solace and communion with nature and
the divine. Every activation of this key is such a time, and it will
continue in general being such a time until the activator concerned
next reaches the 15` temple key. So these are times in which you can
take a break away from the concerns of the mundane or the city and
go out alone wandering in the wilderness or lock yourself away in a
sanctuary to find that the activator then reveals itself. With many of
the activators the time they spend in this temple can be years, and
during these years you should not only proceed more carefully
because of the danger of unconscious sabotage, you should
periodically retreat entirely to reflect inwardly. You don't have to
disappear entirely of course — including the span of time the
activations have that would sometimes leave you almost no time to
be active! - but you should at least spend a part or parts of that period
out of the limelight. Ideally at such times the part of the year when
the Sun is in the 12th temple should be completely retreated from, and
in the course of any single month, the days when the Moon is here. If
you simply must or want to be completely active and visible during
these times you should look at all the other keys to see what is
receiving stimulus, because these areas will be where you can
potentially stay active — but look out for trouble caused by your own
unconscious, karma or a combination of the two.

Healthcare and Prevention of Illness: During any activation of

this key but especially by Pluto, Saturn or Chiron, any developments
in your mental, emotional or physical health should be taken
seriously but not fretted over. They may be warning signs of
conditions that may eventually lead you to hospital (a form of
imprisonment) but you will not help by anticipating something
horrific behind it, which is what the unconscious tends to suggest by
default. A calm, positive attitude and a commitment to dealing with
whatever happens is the best attitude to take in these cases. Uranian
activations may be more sudden and unexpected but ultimately more

231
temporary like a warning flash. Those people who have the
impression that Jupiter is wholly benevolent may have an awakening
when he comes to this temple and the consequences of laziness,
overindulgence, waste and an attitude that life will roll on forever
emerge. With Neptune, there is a possibility that symptoms will be
mysterious, imaginary or psychic in origin or that drugs will be
involved.
As with the 6th temple key, attention should be given to the period
before the activation of the 12th, in other words in the years or
months before it becomes exact, as during the exact activation it may
be too late to prevent certain events. This temple has an affinity for
chronic illnesses, ones which require regular treatment,
hospitalisation, have astral causes or which have built up over many
years. If you are aware of such things, you can work carefully with
the activations of the 12th key to administer an astrological treatment
alongside your other medical needs. You must focus here on the
underlying astral pattern in the subconscious towards your condition
and attempt to transform it. Any form of mental or emotional illness
can become more significant but you can also get to the bottom of it
more readily.

Ending Things Gracefully: There are two places in the sky where
things can be put to rest, brought to an end or otherwise made to
move on peacefully, and they are the 8th and 12th temples. As the
place where things set, the 7th was also associated with the end part
of life by ancient astrologers, but this association has much faded
from use. However, it is still there. Any of these 3 temple keys are
responsive to any desire to bring closure of all kinds.

Magic of Introspection: Use the activations of Saturn to delve

deeper than before into your soul mirrors in hermetic practice and
your inner life. Use these times to understand what you have
accomplished and failed to accomplish, in this or other lives. Simply
observe the present realities and how they came to be, do not
evaluate or judge yourself too harshly or self pityingly. Your ability
to focus and concentrate inwardly increases during these periods, so
use it. During Jupiter activation, take note of the increased fertility of
your unconscious and subconscious mind, and enjoy your time alone.
The Jupiter activation can stimulate compassion and sympathy, and
is thus a good time to take care of others. It also broadens the
capacity to see the connections between different non-conscious
mechanisms, so it helps to see the broader patterns of the world

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 1.11.111.

inside. It generally increases our sense of isolation, but makes it

easier to handle unless we have great difficulties with the idea. With
Uranus activation, our subconscious and unconscious mind can
become Electrified, vivified with unusual activity, and this may
cause some of it to unexpectedly trip us up if we are not already
aware of it. Uranus activation is ideal for breaking the hold of
ancient patterns of the soul and establishing a new and fresh
direction. He delights in bringing synchronous events when in this
temple. Pluto activation can help you understand the inner core of
your soul over the scope of many lifetimes and what has been left
undone. Neptune can lead to great confusion but it is also visionary
provided you are not deluding yourself, and can therefore be an aid
in developing clairvoyance if you are well grounded.

Magical Equilibrium: A check on magical equilibrium or the soul

mirrors at the time of activation of the 12th temple key can prove
fruitful. The activating planet helps you to perceive more deeply into
the workshop of the soul and into the influence of the unconscious
and the Akasha of the astral (the karma of the soul).

Astral magic, autosuggestion, evocation, breaking of curses or

bad luck, exorcism, invisibility, shamanic visionquest: All these
kinds of magic can be assisted by the activations of this temple,
although Saturn can create more difficulties and the need for greater
effort. All that's required to utilise this window is the awareness of
the magician of the astrological influence and its incorporation into
the tripolar intent (the focused physical, astral and mental awareness
of the magical will). However it should also be noted that these
voyages and operations are all inward journeys, a voyage of
discovering the planet's and Element's principles within you and may
reveal things you were not prepared for. This is a temple of learning,
like the 3', the 6th and the 9th, but it is an astrally focused learning.

Karmic Redemption: This is the final temple and at this stage the
activating planet or conductor has travelled through almost the whole
chart and releases its content, in other words there is often a subtle
karmic release of its essence. How we have handled the activating
planet or the conductor in its journey around the entire chart
determines what we experience. Sometimes, if we have handled this
well, a significant encounter will occur with someone or something
which begins instruction at a new level. If we have made mistakes,
then now is the time when we must face the consequences of those

233
mistakes, and come to terms with our failings. The activations and
passages of Jupiter and Saturn through this temple are often our best
opportunities to do so on a larger scale. Jupiter is especially
connected with this kind of karmic reset, as its cycles are more
frequent at 12 years each.
Troubles may indeed befall you but they are not a punishment,
even when they feel like it, they are opportunities like everything
else is. As Franz Bardon writes in his third book, 'The Key to the
True Kabbalah':
"Over and over again, man on this Earth is challenged to
learn, to develop, and to perfect himself. He may enjoy the good;
he should learn from the evil; but he must never give up, for
nothing on this globe happens without good reason: everything
that befalls him happens for a purpose, and always at the right
time."
However, the universe is big, so vast that its totality is forever
incomprehensible to us mere humans. We can only grasp it in
wordless states of enchantment, so if something unfathomable
happens, it's important to remember these words, and to seek solace
in the calm sea of peace within us.

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 THE LIGHTS
0D
The two luminaries of the night and the day are the fundamental
influences over all earthly life, physical, astral and mental. They are
the givers of life and the powers of life. Without them, life on Earth
would be dark and still. As the prime movers and the core of life, the
Sun and the Moon are the indicators of our expression of the Light of
life and consciousness, our mental, emotional and physical being as a
whole, but each of the Lights also focuses its life giving power into
one of the planes as a primary effect, a source of its Light. Thus, the
Sun is analogous to what some religious and philosophical models
call the spirit, while the Moon is analogous to the soul. The
relationship between these two aspects of being, namely that the
Light of the spirit is cast upon the face of the soul giving it life, is
reflected in the patterns which Luna makes as she receives the Light
of Sol, filling and emptying out in a rhythmic cycle. They are lovers,
true equals who share our sky and periodically meet to embrace
again, and they have been sharing this way for eons beyond our
knowing.
If we wish to take a psychological perspective on the Lights we
can regard the Sun as the root of the individuality and the Moon as
the root of the personality, with each luminary having a pair of
worlds through which its state of being is elaborated on. The
personality is more fluid and changeable, but the individuality
changes only slowly and with less visibility. The personality, which
contains and gives expression to personal thoughts (Mercury) and
personal feelings (Venus), contrasts with the individuality which
gives expression to individual commonality with others (Jupiter) and
individual difference to others (Mars). Saturn is then the structure in
which all these complexes operate, its form and its limitations.
The hermetic perspective is that the Lights are Fluid condensers
which act to generate, focus and shape the creation and turning of
life and that they therefore represent the temporal mental body and
the astral body in symbolic form, along with our awareness of these
bodies.

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 THE SUN KEY
0 Paramahansa Yogananda (Capricorn 15° 34')
Primary Function: 5' temple
Secondary Function: 1'' temple
Sympathies: Saturn activation
Unsympathetic to: Lunar conduction and Jupiter activation
Activation Age Significance
Saturn: 25' Mar 1901 [28 May 1901, 13 Dec 1901] 8 [Growing up, body matures]
Jupiter: 6th Dec 1901 8 [Growing up, body grows]
Chiron: 3 Jan 1903 9 [Potential childhood illness]
Uranus: 24 Feb 1908 [21 Jun 1908„ 14 Dec 1908] 15 [Meets Sri Yukteswar Giri]
Jupiter: 28 Mar 1913 [13 Jun 1913, 16 Nov 1913] 20
Jupiter: 1 Mar 1925 [26 Jul 1925, 22 Oct 1925] 32 [Established S.R.F. in LA]
Saturn: 16 Jan 1931 38
Jupiter: 9 Feb 1937 44
Jupiter: 23 Jan 1949 56
Chiron: 21 Jan 1953 [2 Sep 1953, 10 Oct 1953] 60 [Death]
Saturn: 26 Feb 1960 [1 Jul 1960, 25 Nov 1960] 67
Jupiter: 7 Jan 1961 68
Jupiter: 22 Dec 1972 79
Jupiter: 5 Dec 1984 91
Saturn: 31 Dec 1989 96
Neptune: 10 Feb 1991 [30 Jun 1991, 14 Dec 1991] 98
Uranus: 2 Feb 1992 [19 Jul 1992, 23 Nov 1992] 99
 0
THE SUN KEY
ESSENTIAL MEANING

Sun is life. It is consciousness, vitality, charisma, individual Light

and the uniqueness of our overall attitude to existence, the view of
the infinite universe from our individual centre. In astrology, the
central significance of the Sun is the radiation of the spirit, the spark
of life. The spark is perpetual (eternal) but must still be nourished by
being enshrined in a living, non-eternal body.
A living being — consciousness — is sustained by more than just
food and maintenance of the body, it is nourished by feelings and
thoughts and experiences gained while in physical form. The Sun
sign is the clue we have to what truly brightens and enlivens our
consciousness in the core of our being. The 12 zodiac signs — which
are rooted in the patterns formed by constellations of other Sun's in
the sky through which our Sun passes — encode the wisdom and
secrets of earthly human consciousness in symbolic form.
Consciousness on Earth has family, tribe, the basic attitudes we share
in common with people who share our Sun sign. However, each
person will express this essential nature in a unique way (by
including all their astrology) and will seek to express it in a
particular direction (the temple the Sun is in).
The Sun key activations are very significant and can shape our
state of health through their connection to consciousness, the Electric
Fluid and vital energy, they can emerge patterns in our whole way of
being and view of life and our conscious awareness of ourselves on
every level. These activations commonly influence our well-being
and come into our conscious awareness immediately. They add to
our life story.
For obvious reasons everyone will understand, the Sun is stronger
in the day, just as the Moon is stronger in the night. These two bodies
are the leaders of the planetary sects (as shown in the first part of this
book and the discussion on sympathies) and they and their signs
express the qualities of the pure Electric and Magnetic Fluids. The
Sun will therefore be a stronger influence when we are born in the
day and it is in one of the Electrically biased or diurnal signs, those
of Fire and Air. This means that people born in the day in the times
of Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius or Aquarius often have the
brightest and most recognisable Solar natures. Other people, such as

237
those born in the night, may display more of their Lunar sides as the
Moon may be stronger. The placing of the Lights in the temples of a
chart can sometimes add to this, as a Light within a temple of power
will become more active.
Unlike the other accretions of energy we call 'planets' which are
analogous to a specific function in the whole human being (for
example, Mercury has chief functioning through the brain and
nervous system, the Moon over all fluids and rhythmic cycles, Mars
the pumping of blood, hence heat), the primal and vital energy of the
Sun — consciousness itself — is a field distributed or radiated
throughout the whole being, making every cell, every organ a living
thing with its own core of life, and so the Sun equally permeates its
commanding force throughout each of the bodies, physical, astral
and mental, but it has a strong connection to the heart. Just as the
Universal Light (consciousness) radiates through every created thing
from the inside out, so too the Sun's light and warmth radiates
outwards from its core in all directions, equally, at once, as we also
radiate the essential energies of our Sun sign throughout life and the
bodies, in all areas and in all directions at once, without even trying.
In other words, the Solar nature is always 'on', it cannot be switched
`off' at any time, even when we sleep, and it comes naturally to us,
being the radiation of spirit as consciousness.
This is by no means a uniquely human condition — it is universal.
This arrangement is found even on the microscopic and microcosmic
levels, such as in the spiral helix of DNA and the nuclei of cells. All
things are alive as the central Light of consciousness for their unique
point of orientation within the universe. They are all their own Sun,
their own centre of creation. Life does revolve around you, but not
you alone, it revolves around all things simultaneously. All things are
in motion around a centre, and all things are a centre around which
things are in motion. This centre is consciousness. This perpetual
equilibrium of all the infinite parts of the creation in spiral motion
around an individual centre is a crucial element in the universe for
without it the orbits of all cells, planets and moons would dissolve
and decay into chaos, and there would be no order of things, no
Creation and no life itself at all, in fact. Knowing this centre we
know the source of all life, Light and the individual beauty of the
eternal Self in all things, the source of all strength, endurance, and
the eternal beauty and divinity of the infinite uniqueness of being.

238
TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Health & Energy Levels: This key will always have some effect on
our health and energy but not necessarily bad ones, however the
advice I give here will be focused on some of the bad ones so that
their influences can be mitigated. It is wise to slow down when
Saturn comes around and to do as much as you can to relieve any
pressure. Depression is a sign that you are looking at life too
fearfully or that you need to restructure your consciousness so that it
is less rigid. Vitality will often go down or compress itself during
Saturn activation, but in Jupiter activation you have to slow down or
risk exhaustion through overextension. Neptune activation tends to
drain vital energy and to refine it or cloud consciousness in escapism
which brings about poor health (such as through alcohol), and
Uranus and Pluto can give good cause to look at any stress on our
heart, immune and nervous system. Chiron activation may require
time for recuperation and recovery if you have been ill in the period
before, and it can sometimes signify a new illness developing or an
accident, like Uranus.
On the pro-active and more positive side, any activation of this
key can be turned to explore the area of health and develop patterns
around it which lead to an intentional result. If you want to be
thinner, fitter, fatter or just happier being conscious in your own
body, turn this key and change your consciousness and body with it.
Use the stimulus of the activator to conduct the transformation over a
period of months or years. The Sun within you is the life of your
body down to every cell, organ and bone, and the radiation of that
life as the field of life around you, the Light in your aura. All these
things can be changed when we change our consciousness by turning
this key. The goal with health to reach for in terms of the Sun is the
warm and brilliant radiation of your consciousness into every part of
your being.

Sun sign astrology: Even though our astrology is infinitely more

complex than a simple Sun sign there are always going to be traits in
our Sun sign description which we recognise because these traits are
the ones we consciously recognise in ourselves. This means that
other traits from all 12 signs are there but we do not recognise them
as consciously as we do our Solar nature. Also, because signs are
processes it is misleading to think of the self as being a particular
sign because this puts you in a box which ultimately only stereotypes
you and your behaviour. Sun signs are powerful things but they are

239
not all powerful and ultimately they only describe a way your
consciousness processes life, not your consciousness itself, and this
process is continually emerging.
Many books have been written about the qualities of the Sun
signs, some more perceptive and accurate than others, but none have
offered the reader the chance to conduct their own ongoing
experiment on the statements in these books for themselves, beyond
encouraging them to observe others and themselves born under a
particular sign. The 26 keys can fill this gap because they allow you
to observe, investigate and potentially manipulate influences over
your Sun sign at opportune times.
Two things should be noted here; first the regular nature of the
Sun means that you will be sharing all your Sun key activations with
everyone born on the same day as you, or a day either side, in any
year, for the rest of your life. So, being born on May 16th means that
when your Sun key is activated, everyone else born on May 16th is
having the same activation. The interesting point here is that these
activations will become stronger when such people are acting in
concert.
Second, this same regularity can be applied throughout the chart,
as the positions of every object will correspond to a day in the Solar
year, the same day every year. This is what the Solar map shows. If
you take the dates in your Solar map as birthdays then the people
born on or around those days will have a consciousness which
stimulates that part of your astrology. For instance, if Babaji wants to
have some light shed on his feelings, he could try to strike up a
friendship with someone born on and around December 8th, the time
of Venus in his Solar map. Likewise, if he wants a partner in the arts,
he could look for someone born on or around December 20th, the
time the Sun moves to the 5th temple in his Solar map.
This is a very basic form of astrological matchmaking and it is far
more reliable and accurate than a daily horoscope because it is more
specific to you rather than just the masses of the tribes of the zodiac.

In conjunction with the Solar map: Used in conjunction, these two

keys reveal very powerful and basic astrological influences. You
could therefore dispense with the other 24 keys and concentrate only
on the Sun key using the Solar map, or just one of them. In doing so
you would lose a lot of the detail, but you would still obtain a good
overall view of the astrological influences affecting your life, year by
year, or day by day. Customization options to this reductionist
approach are highly flexible - large gaps in the Sun key can be filled

240
I I ll .11.4 1 _.I ,L131 I1

in by additions from any other keys, provided you remember their

focus, because really everything relates to consciousness.
If you added in use of the Moon key to the Sun key and Solar map
you have a toolkit which will be enough for most general purposes,
another casual use of the keys but with more detail. In using the
whole of the 26 keys, these keys — Sun and Moon - are very good
places to begin, either with synthesis or just in terms of general
inquiry into what is happening because they will show fundamental
influences. Simply proceed in intuitive fashion, following the most
logical course through the keys, once you identify something
currently going on in the Sun or Moon keys or in the Solar map. The
Sun and Moon keys and the Solar map are fundamental influences
which can be considered a boiling down of the most essential
information. The most logical step up from here are the temples of
power starting with the 1St temple and the planet keys which relate to
these temples. In this way you could gradually explore all 26 keys
beginning with the most powerful ones.
In terms of their relationship to one another the Solar map acts as a
trigger for events in the Sun key. If you have a birthday falling
within the ranges of a window of opportunity indicated by the Sun
key, that year will be particularly powerful and significant because it
will lead to something emerging in consciousness through plot
developments in your life story. Babaji is born in January so his Sun
key activation by Chiron in January 1903, his activation by Uranus
in February 1908, and by Saturn in January 1931 are all examples of
this (in fact, Babaji has an unusual amount of such occurrences -
every activation of his Sun key is close enough to his birthday to
have an active window during his birthday). You can apply the same
principle with the other world keys, that is with the Saturn key the
date for Saturn in the Solar map can be used to examine the power
and probable timing of each activation of the Saturn key — if they
coincide, the activation will be strongly energised by the Sun in the
period identified.
The Sun key itself can also be a trigger for the other planet and
temple keys, as activations of the Solar principle have a generally
radiant effect on all our astrology. In other words, activations in the
Sun key can fine tune the timing and enhance the power of other
activations just like the Solar map.

Integration of planetary principles into conscious individual

awareness: By opening your individual mental body — your spirit -
to the influence of the activating planet of this key at the appropriate

241
time, you can attune your consciousness to it and synthesise it more
completely into your life. This key allows you, for example, to know
the times when your consciousness is most open to Jupiter, when its
principle will be suddenly rising like a burning disc of light in front
of your awareness of life, and can not only be received by the
conscious awareness, but equally radiated by it. This is often very
much more potent than the 1St temple key activations, as it fills our
entire conscious being more fully, commandingly and radiantly.

As a focal point for work with temples: The Sun's primary and
secondary functions are vivid ones that are blended together to create
your Sun's 'mission' in life, the arena's within which it will most
develop. So Babaji's Sun not only has qualities associated with a
Capricorn consciousness, it radiates those qualities into the 1" and 5`h
temples. His Solar nature is at its root a dynamic complex of these
factors emerging through time. Thus, as he turns his Sun key he also
encounters these temples and they change with his Sun.

Magic with the Solar principle and vital energy: Under Jupiter
and sometimes Uranus activation of the Sun key work with the Solar
principle will flow more readily and abundantly. Under Neptune
activation, evocation of Solar spirits is assisted because Neptune is
the chief influence over the art of magical evocation. However if you
have a good relationship with the Saturn principle, then these
activations can be the most instructive of all, for example they can
help bring about a much denser accumulation of the vital energy.
Pluto activation can increase the power of will which the magician
can radiate, and thus their command of their consciousness, but the
increase in power will be deep and intensive and so require a
surrender of control to some degree if a transformative effect is
sought.

Magic of Light and Equilibration of the Temporal Mental Body:

Sun key activations of any kind can be supportive of any operation
with the magic of Light, especially Adonai Light (this is the Light of
the Divine as it radiates through the prism of being as a rainbow
hued Light, in other words it is the only and most precious thing we
truly have to give because it is the unique Light of our being). They
are also significant in the equilibration of Elements in the mental
body or spirit.

242
 THE MOON KEY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Leo 25° 35')
Primary Function: 15` temple (at the place of power)
Secondary Functions: 12' temple
D Sympathies: Solar conduction
Unsympathetic to: Saturn and Uranus activation

Activation Age Significance

Jupiter: 6 Sep 1896 3
Jupiter: 23 Aug 1908 15 [Spiritual Instruction]
Saturn: 15 Oct 1918 [5 Feb 1919, 5 Jul 1919] 25-26 [Founds a boys school in India]
Jupiter: 7 Aug 1920 27 [Arrives in America]
Neptune: 17 Sep 1926 [15 Feb 1927, 20 Jul 1927] 33-34 [Establishes a Spiritual Fellowship]
Jupiter: 21 Jul 1932 39 [Major period of writing and teaching]
Chiron: 7 Oct 1942 [23 Feb 1943, 17 Jun 1943] 49-50 [Parent dies (father)]
Jupiter: 13 Nov 1943 [13 Jan 1944, 3 Jul 1944] 50-51 [Writing of autobiography]
Saturn: 14 Aug 1948 55 [2 yrs after autobiography is published]
Pluto: 16 Sep 1954 [12 Feb 1955, 23 Jul 1955] 61-62 [Death]
Jupiter: 14 Oct 1955 [23 Feb 1956, 10 Jun 1956] 62-63
Uranus: 10 Nov 1960 [22 Dec 1960, 10 Aug 1961] 67-68
Jupiter: 25 Sep 1967 74
Saturn: 24 Sep 1977 [7 Mar 1978, 12 Jun 1978J 84-85
Jupiter: 8 Sep 1979 86
Jupiter: 22 Aug 1991 98
 D
THE MOON KEY
ESSENTIAL MEANING

The Moon, like most people, is far from what it initially might
appear to be. It is no lifeless rock - it is the custodian of the Earth's
mind, a living repository of the Light of consciousness that
Magnetically collects, binds, rhythmically orders and sets in motion
vast cosmic energies within the earth zone (in effect, saving us from
being fried by their raw force but compelling all life on Earth to
move in rhythm with her) and is the chief astrological influence over
the plant kingdom and the rhythm of all fluids. It describes the
rhythmic waxing and waning of the soul's travels, everything that
ebbs and flows from darkness into light and back again, a deeply
nurturing cycle, and so Luna is a symbol or accretion of the
reflective and astral aspects of our self that represents what we feel
we need in order to be emotionally secure, what we need to do to
take care of ourselves. She represents the connection we have to the
ever shifting astral realm which perpetually moves in equilibrium
with the whole, just as the tides flow around and embrace the Earth.
Yet in her astral tugging, she gives form to the need for balance on
this planet, the need to equilibrate the pull of the soul.
Luna is, by her reflection of Solar Light and other astrological
forces, the High Priestess of Earth. She evokes essential meaning
into the astral realm, acting as its messenger or conduit. She is the
cosmic counterpart to the Sun, from the earthly - and human -
perspective appearing to be of the same size, and thus creating the
symbol of universal balance and harmony that is the total eclipse of
the Sun. Some may wonder what 'miracle of chance' must have
occurred for the Moon to be just the right distance from Earth to be
perceived as the same relative size as the Sun, and to periodically
directly cross its disc. Or why her rotation is in synch with the
Earth's so that she only ever shows the same face to us — in other
words, there is a true dark side of the Moon which we never see.
Some may then also wonder what her ever veiled and shadowed face
looks like, her Dark Face that looks upon the stars, and what it sees.
Luna is the embodiment of both rhythm and mystery. So called
`miracles of chance' such as these are natural occurrences, rhythms
occurring by natural laws outside of our comprehension. Our
universe abounds with such 'co-incidences', for it is perfectly
balanced and unified in its every personification at the highest or if
244
 you prefer the deepest level. In our corner of creation Luna fulfils a
vital role in this, and has done so for eons of our time.
The Moon in esoteric teachings is the seat of the soul, the astral
mind, the keeper of secrets and the hidden influences of the karmic
past, the principle sphere influencing the nocturnal forces of the
night and the plant kingdom and thus the growth of vegetables
(especially those which are of the nocturnal, watery variety, such as
cucumbers and lettuce), our most direct link to the next plane of
existence beyond the physical earthly one, the primordial astral
energy of the cosmos, and in both the Egyptian and later Hermetic
mystery schools, the first 'extra-terrestrial' initiation the aspirant
faced was that of the Gate of the Moon (the kabbalistic Yesod), in
which the foundations of both the soul and the universal laws which
govern its growth were revealed.
In hermetic teachings and many others the Moon is identified with
silver, the force of purification and protection, as the Moon's silvery
Light offers protection to those who travel by night, except when she
grows Dark, which is one reason why the Dark Moon has a
superstitious reputation. She is the primary cosmic conductor of the
Magnetic Fluid which balances and gives form to the raw force of
the radiant Electric Fluid, its cosmic counterpoint (gold, embodied
by the Sun). She shapes the Light of our Sun into curved forms and
cloaks herself in his Solar winds; in other words our consciousness is
given a personal expression by the Moon as an emergence of soul.
She is continually interacting with the Sun and the Earth, acting as
both a shield and a counterpoint — our souls express, nurture, shape
and shield the Light of our consciousness. The amount of light on the
face of the Moon when you are born shows how much of yourself
you ordinarily consciously show to the world.
The Moon also plays a karmic role in the life of the soul. The
Moon and its two nodes or the Dragon's Head and Tail, and also
Saturn, symbolise most directly all our previous cycles, our past lives
and karma, all that goes into the astral foundation of our life.
Additionally, some of the places in the horoscope - the 4th, 8th and
12th temples especially - have deeply karmic connotations, and the
outer planets all tend to be karmically significant, but karma (being
the law of cause and effect) is present in every chart factor, it's just
concentrated and often more significant in these areas. The Moon
especially is sensitive to the karmic complex we call personality, the
inner image of our character as it was, exists now and is set to unfold
in the future. These are all properties that must often be exposed to
the light of further individual awareness and clarity of expression in

245
this life, things we need to work with personally in continuous
rhythmic cycles, through instincts we have a deep inner connection
with or resistance to.
The Moon thus holds many mysteries, not only concerning our
own behaviour but also of life and its conception. The recent
discoveries of water frozen at both poles of the Moon are only
scratching the surface of revelations regarding the truth of the solar
system and life on Earth as well as throughout the galaxy (it's
everywhere, everywhen), and we are also tampering with the natural
conception of life. Speaking purely in terms of scientific discovery,
we are on the precipice of paradigm altering discoveries, but at the
same time, we threaten our own extermination because we have in
no way mastered our relationship to our own planet Earth; instead we
have largely ignored that relationship and doomed many of the
Earth's species to certain extinction in the future and the present. Our
advance to the surface of the Moon is a step that distances us further
from the Earth, and reveals more of the universe. We have already
seen, for example, a shocking revision in the attitude towards the
abundance of water in the universe, Pluto has forced a transformation
in our understanding and definition of planets, and the number of
planets and moons thought capable of sustaining life throughout the
universe has been wildly upgraded from near zero to tens of billions
in my lifetime. All these are partially in connection with our advance
to the Moon. She reveals mysteries.
She also remembers things for us. The Moon is alive as the
repository for all our memories as humans, and more importantly and
significantly alive as a keeper of the memory of the life of this entire
biosphere, and thus is akin to an ancient temple or library containing
the forgotten records of life on Earth, which she has circled for
billions of years, rhythmically bisecting into its ElectroMagnetic
field on a regular basis. The advance to exploring her physically is
the beginning of our initiation onto a greater arena of universal
awareness, our collective voyage into inner space and the history of
our past cycles as much as a voyage into outer space and our
understanding of the universe. And the universe is watching from
both sides. Yet there is no way forward into space collectively unless
we deal with the mess down here first, with the tidal pull of the
collective past over the present, specifically, our immature and
destructive relationship to our own planet. The current race for the
Moon has always been just another human conquest, another big
corporate land grab, an attempt to take the human race game to the
next level and will not be a 'giant leap for mankind' as it truly should

246
be, because we have not matured enough and have no collective
connection to the Earth as a living entity that nurtures all life upon
her. Soon we may see commercial advertisements reflected from her
surface, and then her true physical face will be lost to our sight. Yet
even then, she will move through the undercurrents of all life,
bringing her ebb and flow, and revealing her Mystery to those who
seek her out.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Beginning Work: This key is ideally suited for immediate use like
the Sun key is because it is so fundamental and will introduce you to
the essence of your astrology. It is more personal than the Sun key,
closer to home in every shade of meaning, so you may find that
where the Sun key eludes your senses, the Moon key does not. Be
aware that when approaching Luna, you should have the same
attitude of respect that you have towards a mother who has loved and
cared for you all your life. If you have never even had one, she has
the magic to be that for you.
A good way to begin building a connection to Luna is to follow
her in a conduction beginning from the time of the month she
activates your Moon key and then around the chart 12 or 13 times
from there, watching her change shape throughout the year in the sky
as she does so. In this conduction, simply observe the moods she
brings you at each of the stages of the conduction. Later you can then
use this information to begin more targeted work with her.
Unlike the Sun which tends to be commanding, Luna is a
receptive conductor. This means she is very sensitive to your input
and is more able to respond to your intentions. She still has an
agenda as a conductor, but it is more fluid and flexible. Her key also
has these qualities, so that the activations affect our sensitivity. They
can make us notably more touchy in some respect and more aware of
what is being felt rather than done.

Health: The Moon has great significance for our health, in particular
the way our moods and emotional baggage or lightness can affect it.
Any activation of the Moon key can influence our health through the
astral body and our awareness of it. One of the most significant
things you can do for your health under or while turning a Moon key
activation is to recognise and honour the sacred nurturing given to
you by the Earth.

247
Inner Content: If there is something making you uncomfortable,
either inside or around you, turn the Moon key and try to transform
it, or how you feel about it. Be aware that the activation you turn will
play a role in the process, and co-operate with it.

Biosphere and Environmental Awareness: As the chief influence

over plants the Moon key can help you cultivate a fruitful
relationship with them, and you can counteract or even outgrow a
lack of green thumb in doing so. Plants are deeply responsive to the
Moon so if you let the Moon in you speak to them you are using their
language. The same is also true of the animal realm, but the
relationship to Luna is less direct and more conditional on nocturnal
activity there. Beyond growing house plants or allotments, the Moon
key can have extensive use in the local environment, and even play a
role in addressing the global catastrophe human beings have created.
Activation of Pluto, Neptune or Uranus to the Moon key, for
example, can bring this to and over your doorstep.

Moon magic: All kinds of Moon magic, including mastery of the

Magnetic Fluid, are stimulated by this key. During Jupiter and
Neptune activation of the Moon key the connection to the astral
realm is abundant or made more accessible, and it is often more
rigid, contained and dense during Saturn activation. During Uranus
activation, the astral awareness is Electrified and behaves more
erratically but is capable of universal insight and greater leaps.
During Chiron activation, the astral awareness is very sensitive to
pain and the need for wholeness but there is an auspicious influence
for the healing magic of the Moon.
As mentioned earlier, the Moon is the leader of the nocturnal sect,
the body of worlds which are favoured by night conditions because
they are soothed by the Magnetic ambience. Venus and Mars are the
others in the sect. If you are born at night and the Moon is in a
Magnetic Earth or Water sign — Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio,
Capricorn or Pisces — then the Moon will be quite strong and the
activations of this key will be more powerfully experienced. This
affinity of the Moon with the night also extends to activations and
conductions — the Moon key is the key to turn when involving any
activity which usually takes place at night, and if you focus activity
in the night during conduction of the Moon key or when using the
Moon as the conductor you will accumulate a more rapid
accumulation of astral Light. The Sun key and the Solar map have
the same properties for day activities.

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Karmic Redemption: Any activation of the Moon key can open an
opportunity to explore this area, but the most complete way to do this
involves the use of the advanced material from step 8.
Karmic events can emerge strongly under any of the Moon
activations, but they will tend to be more complex under Pluto, more
shrouded by Neptune, and more sudden and multi-faceted by Uranus.
If it seems that karmic consequences arise in your life out of the
activation of this key it is because you are ready to deal with the
effect of something you have set in motion in the past, even if you do
not remember it personally. The wise and honourable thing to do is
to gracefully accept this fact and deal with whatever has emerged.

Primary & Secondary Functions: Just like the Sun and the other
planets, the Moon will have a connection to certain temples, her
primary and secondary functions. Thus, the Moon key can be used to
explore these temples.
Babaji's Moon presents an interesting case - the Moon is by
degrees technically in the 12th temple, above the horizon line, but
because it is within 5 degrees of that line, the ascendant, it is more
directly attuned to the 1St temple. Any object within 5 degrees of a
new temple begins to behave as if it were in that temple. This is like
when you are walking to school in your school uniform, behaving
because you know you can be easily identified — you are not yet
there, but in terms of behaviour, you are. This distinction in planetary
behaviour is especially true with the four temples of power and the
Lights. So in practice, Babaji will find that his Moon key has a
primary function related to the 1st temple, not the 12th, but this
primary function will be supported by the 12th temple as a secondary
function because Cancer is only just over the start of the 12th temple.
In some house systems like the Placidus system used here, whole
signs of the zodiac can lose their contact with the temples by being
bracketed within them, while another sign will have two temples.
The signs with no contact with a temple cusp are called intercepted
signs. Intercepted signs only arise in certain systems of creating
temples and will always come in pairs. With an intercepted pair of
signs like Cancer and Capricorn, the qualities and processes
represented by those signs will actually take the function of the
temple they are in and contain it within themselves, i.e. they devote
their entire existence to it in terms of our astrology and then underpin
and absorb that experience hungrily. However, in doing so they often
lose their contact with the position of being able to directly change
an area of life, and they sometimes become frustrated by this in some

249
way, a state we often experience as a sense of great potential which
is locked up inside or unacknowledged by the world, especially if
there are any Lights or worlds in that sign. So in Babaji's case, the
sign of Cancer has almost taken the function of the 11th temple into
itself (being almost completely inside the 11th), and the sign of
Capricorn has almost taken the function of the 5th temple — but not
quite. If this were the case the Moon would then be discharged of
any direct connection to his 12th temple, handing it to the Sun key
through Leo instead — a radically different quality. Saturn, on the
other hand, would not lose his connection to the 6th temple, because
he would gain it through his other sign, Aquarius, which lies next to
Capricorn.
This is just one of the ways in which the keys can be used to test
out the realities involved in the different house systems astrologers
have devised - an intercepted sign will not pass any temple
connection to the world key which rules that sign.

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 THE INNER WORLDS & THEIR
MEDIATOR
9a
The inner worlds are the dimensions of the personality. They
describe and define the qualities, attitudes and realms of intellect and
feeling and the defining properties of the soul, its capacity to
distinguish and define itself. Whereas the Moon is the awareness of
the personality as a whole, the inner worlds describe its discrete
properties as separate principles. Every personality has each of the
three things symbolised by the inner worlds — a rational intellect or
personal mental body, an instinctive feeling or personal emotional
body, and a will or a desire nature which directs and defines them.
These are the worlds of Mercury, Venus and Mars, respectively.
The primary inner worlds are Mercury and Venus, intellect and
emotion. The will or desire nature of Mars straddles the boundary
between the personal and the individual levels (which are not clear
cut anyway and ultimately merge into the whole self), and so, quite
rightly, he charts his own course through both. He is not a true inner
world like Mercury and Venus because his orbit is not within the
Earth's orbit like theirs — he is twice as further out from the Sun than
Earth, and so he negotiates between the inner worlds and the gas
giants, Jupiter and Saturn, which are truly individual functions. Thus
we can define Mars as the mediator between the inner worlds and the
gas giants (who are themselves mediators of the natural order), but
his solid rocky nature shows he is more truly an inner world.
These are worlds of great beauty that appear to our eyes as stars.
What sets them apart from the stars is that they move towards and
away from one another, and for two of them, Venus and Mercury,
there are regular periods where they do not physically appear in the
sky because they are bonded in orbit around the Sun, being closer in
than we are, and so they regularly disappear behind him or are
cloaked in his corona. But when they do appear, they shine in the sky
at sunrise or sunset, heralding and shepherding the transition of
twilight like radiant pearls, jewels of pristine light in a crown of
stars.
The close bonding of Mercury and Venus to the Sun means that
Mercury can never be more than one sign away from the Sun sign
(giving each Sun sign 3 Mercury types), and Venus never more than
two (giving each Sun sign 5 Venus types). In the first section of this

251
book I wrote of how the nature of the 30 (one sign) and 60 (two sign)
degree aspects used in astrology arises from these two planets. Here
we see this connection also being geophysically represented. This
physically close bonding between Mercury and Venus and the Sun
reflects the fact that a certain type of consciousness can only
manifest a certain type of thinking and feeling when taking physical
form upon the Earth. That is to say, a Virgo Sun sign can only have
the following possibilities:

1. Mercury in Leo, Virgo orLibra and

2. Venus in Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra or Scorpio

Emotional attitudes are given greater lassitude and flexibility in

this bonding of attitudes to consciousness. Intellect is more firmly
limited by being bonded to consciousness. This relationship between
different types of thinking and feeling and different types of Sun sign
is a big factor in why certain people do not seem to fit their Sun sign
as it is written up in many popular works. To understand the
complexities of our Sun sign nature we must look at what the
blending of these 3 planets says about our type of consciousness. In
essence they are personalising our individual consciousness by
adding a way of thinking and feeling to it.
This personalisation of consciousness is complex because it means
that each expression or type of consciousness shown by the 12 Sun
signs has 15 basic archetypes through which it can personalise itself,
i.e. each Sun sign has 15 subtypes, yielding 180 fundamental
archetypes of personal consciousness. However, this basic
personalisation of consciousness is given a final twist by the
positioning of the Moon, which is not bound to be near the Sun, and
can therefore appear in any of the 12 signs. All of these combinations
will be composed of parts which interrelate with one another, in
different ways creating a different chemistry, like ingredients being
stirred into a sauce and melting together, especially when time is
then introduced into the equation i.e. you grow up. Our astrology
undergoes alchemy through time. So the astrological factors which
go into the personality are extremely complex, but it is the inner
worlds and the Moon which provide the basic ingredients we start
with, and the inner worlds are tied to types of consciousness or
temporal mental body, symbolised by the Sun.
Mars, as previously indicated, is really in a class of his own, a
brilliant ruby light that has heroically escaped to choose his own path
and may even oppose the Sun and stand apart anywhere in the sky,

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but always eventually returns to rest and refuel in the embrace of the
Sun's radiance, as if drawn back by the allure of Venus. Mars adds
spice to the personality. He is the will which drives its activities and
the cutting, defining sword which sets us apart from other individuals
and personalities. He sifts, forms and facets the personality by
imposing the individual will through it, so that it will be and allow
some things but not other things. Thus he is the architect of the
personality, the agent of the individual self as it seeks to shape the
expression of both personality and individuality, soul and spirit. He
gives the personality a sharper definition by distinguishing thoughts
and feelings from one another and by determining how we will act
on them, a process which we ultimately learn is guarded by the gas
giants, the natural order of life.

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 v
Activation

THE MERCURY KEY

Paramahansa Yogananda (Sagittarius 23° 17')
Primary Function: 4'h temple
Secondary Functions: 2nd and ll'h temples
Sympathies: Jupiter and Chiron activation
Unsympathic to: nothing
Saturn: 11 Mar 1899 [24 Apr 1899, 24 Nov 1899]

Age
6
Significance
[Becoming mentally aware of adult world]
Chiron: 16 Feb 1900 [23 May 1900, 10 Nov 1900] 7
Jupiter: 20 Dec 1900 7
Uranus: 14 Jan 1903 [24 Jun 1903, 4 Nov 1903] 10 [Death of his mother]
Jupiter: 4 Dec 1912 19
Jupiter: 18 Nov 1924 31 [Planning of a teaching Fellowship]
Saturn: 28 Dec 1928 35 [Physical establishment of the Fellowship]
Jupiter: 14 Mar 1936 [8 May 1936, 31 Oct 1936J 43 [Physical travel and astral meetings]
Jupiter: 12 Feb 1948 [21 Jun 1948, 8 Oct 1948] 55
Chiron: 6 Dec 1950 57
Saturn: 8 Feb 1958 [2 Jun 1958, 7 Nov 1958] 65 [After his death]
Jupiter: 22 Jan 1960 67
Jupiter: 5 Jan 1972 78
Neptune: 7 Jan 1981 [22 Jun 1981, 10 Nov 1981J 88
Jupiter: 20 Dec 1983 90
Uranus: 26 Dec 1986 93
Uranus: 25 Jul 1987 [8 Oct 1987, 13 Dec 1987] 94
 V
THE MERCURY KEY
ESSENTIAL MEANING

Mercury is the quickest world, orbiting close to the Sun and thus
bonded intimately to local starlight, having a year of 88 days — a year
which happens to be shorter than a day on Mercury as it only turns
1.5 times on its own axis for every orbit of the Sun it makes. This
orbit viewed from planet Earth enables it to go backwards and
forwards through the zodiac by apparent retrograde motion more
frequently than any other planet. In other words, sometimes — about
4x a year - Mercury appears to shift into reverse gear and cover old
ground, a fitting description of the way the intellect can switch
perspective or change its opinion (although this is not the
significance of a retrograde Mercury in a chart). This kind of mutable
flexibility, spatial and temporal dexterity and mental gymnastics are
all characteristic of Mercury. So is the notion of dualism. One face
boils in the fire of the Sun, while the other plunges into freezing
darkness. Depending on which side you view it from, Mercury is
either red hot or unimaginably cold, much like an idea itself. Thus it
represents the object-subject dualism of perception and the
hemispheres of the brain. It is the world of the personal mental body
and is the principle of co-ordination, thinking and ideas,
communication, and all personal exchanges that occur on a mental
level.
Note that in the 3rd temple, matters are focused on the methods and
activity of communication (writing a letter, driving a car) and in
Gemini on informative processes (listening, comparing ideas,
juxtaposing them in consideration), but in Mercury this theme is
more concerned with the function, capacity and dimension of being
from which communication arises (the notion of intellect and what it
perceives). This is the subtle but significant distinction between a
sign, a planet and a temple. The capacity to make distinctions like
these ones and give them labels is also of Mercury.
Much of astrology has links to ancient practices and myths, the
most obvious example being that the planets are named after various
gods, all of them male but for Venus, with Mercury's androgyny
becoming more masculine over time as human culture fell
prejudicially into the province of masculinity and women's wisdom
was cast down or neglected. Our gods have worn different masks for

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different cultures and times, adapting to reflect different eras,
different human developments; this is why the fate of both mortals
and immortals are often bound together in mythologies. For example,
we know that to the Romans, Mercury represented trade or
commerce (among other things), and they had a strong connection to
this facet of its nature because they developed the system of roads
which allowed more effective communication between their
merchant cities, and simultaneously this opened up trade and traffic
between populated centres as never before. They effectively
materialised this facet of Mercury through their actions. Yet there
were secretive cults in Rome who taught the importance of Mercury
in magic, for even earlier Mercury was Tehuti, Thoth, and Hermes,
the Egyptian and Greek gods of science and magic (which were
analogous; writing, mathematics etc., as well as reason itself were
initiatory magic — many people regarded being able to spell and add
up as magic). Beyond Tehuti there is Nabu, Babylonian god of
scribes, thieves and messages, and a host of now forgotten deities.
And today, our Mercurial gods and their gifts are inventions and
witty celebrities, i-pods, trains, planes and automobiles, all new
forms of transport, mobile phones and thinkers and writers and
scientists in white coats explaining the quantum math of reality, but
all are still astrological representatives of Mercury. So, each of these
early gods and modern inventions represents a different human
connection to the world of intellectual ideas, each Divine face and
gadget represents a different cultural experience of what it is to
reason and be mentally transported, and there is a sequential chain
linking them all together that can be researched. Modern Mercury
also contains its ancient layers beneath its more current
manifestations. It reflects them all simultaneously. This is the Great
Library of Hermes in which all human thought is stored.
So Mercury represents everything given to us by intellect, thought,
perception, the calculating mind, learning, knowledge, commerce
and rational intelligence - everything that has to do directly with the
personalised mental body, and with mobility and co-ordination, the
magic of number (specifically, how numbers are factors of one
another which indicates the geometric relationship of ideas) and of
all thought coding through language and the light of reason, and
everything that has proceeded from these things, including the
multiplicity of new questions each continually generate. There is a
phrase encapsulating the hermetic philosophy of Mercury, written by
Paul Foster Case in his 'Pattern on the Trestleboard':

256
 " I look forward with confidence to the perfect realisation
of the Eternal Splendour of the Limitless Light. "

The personal intellect and its perceptive ability to probe and

absorb information or messages is a faculty of all things which are
conscious, i.e. everything in our universe has its own personal mental
body, an intelligent self-aware mind capable of its own kind of
reasoning. By itself this faculty is essentially "colourless" — clear,
clarified, neutral - because in essence the mental body is a vessel
both empty and infinite, a clear light which splits into a rainbow
prism of infinite notions when thought passes through it, an 'Eternal
Splendour' that becomes visible as form (subjects, the faceting of
ideas) whenever it reflects a thought. The more we look into
something, the more facets it reveals, the more questions we then
find there are to ask, and the more there is to think about, and this is
literally endless, for everything. What Mercury does is arrange this
Limitless Light into patterns that are transmittable and digestible for
our personal minds — contextual, rational concepts which we can
perceive and comprehend logically. However, it frequently becomes
trapped in the limitless pursuit for knowledge, information and the
ultimate reasons for things.
Even though it is by essence neutral (neither Electric nor Magnetic
in essential nature) our personal mental awareness is altered in form
by perception, giving it a specific charge. To say this in a different
way, our mental state is naturally neutral but as soon as we perceive
something in it — as soon as we think — it alters its form and takes on
the quality of what it perceives. Think about your happiest memory
for a minute and observe what this does to you. The empty neutrality
of mental awareness and its mutability make it a transceiver of
thoughts on the mental plane, where the law of alikeness operates to
draw thoughts together that are of like mind. This is how we learn by
making connections between ideas. This is also how our thoughts
attract certain outcomes.
The so-called 'new age' movement has popularised this law of
attraction on the mental plane and many books have been written
about how to exploit it for personal gain. What most of these books
do not make clear, however, is that first the subconscious mind must
become a clear light, or else we run the risk of creating a negative
outcome which backfires on such mental magic, or it just does not
work. Additionally, the law of attraction is still circumscribed by the
greater laws of karma and so we cannot simply wish whatever we
want into existence by meditating on it. It seems there are many

257
movements afoot which hold that we can simply imagine a new
world into existence without facing the consequences of what we
have done to this one and this is simply not the case.
The neutrality of Mercury makes him more adaptable than any
other planet. Gemini and Virgo are the two signs given to Mercury,
its Electric and Magnetic expression as astra-mental processes. The
Electric sign of Gemini is concerned with the transmission of
information and the Magnetic sign of Virgo with the digestion of
information. If Mercury is placed in either of these signs his nature
will be very strong in that particular direction. Furthermore, if he is
seen in the morning then he becomes more Electric, and if he is seen
in the evening then he is more Magnetic. The easiest way to tell
which of the two expressions he is taking in a chart is to compare his
position to that of the Sun; if he is clockwise from the Sun, he will be
more Electric and if counter-clockwise, more Magnetic. An Earth or
Water sign Mercury will also be more Magnetic, while a Fire or Air
sign Mercury more Electric. Thus, Mercury in Aries clockwise in
position from the Sun is very Electric, he is pushy and presses the
advantage in any argument, while Mercury in Pisces counter-
clockwise from the Sun is very Magnetic, she is receptive and
changes her mind by being open to the input of information. Such
factors can be very significant in terms of your intellectual
experience while turning the Mercury key.
The activations of this key stimulate our personal mental body and
their approach will be experienced as a growing influence over it.
They are all opportunities to play with the concepts described above.
Sometimes they bring new ideas, new concepts and new forms of
communication (perhaps under Jupiter or Uranus activation), at other
times, thought gets heavier and more serious and the planets slow
down the process of mental interaction and narrowly focus or restrict
it (Saturn), or create fog banks of confusion and doubt (Neptune).
Sometimes, the mind is preoccupied with fixing things and healing
itself (Chiron), and sometimes it grows very intensely driven, even
obsessed in a certain direction and undergoes regeneration (Pluto).
These activations are often not immediately apparent in the physical
universe because the activations focus on the mental awareness, but a
strong activation will eventually manifest in ways apparent to others
as the changes in perception influence what we think and
communicate and ultimately how we appear and what we
experience.

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 TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Intellectual development: Turn this key under Jupiter activation

when you want to expand your mental awareness of any subject, or
turn it under Uranus activation to leave behind all your
preconceptions or to involve yourself in a completely new field.
Saturn can be helpful if you want to concentrate more on something,
and Neptune if you want to study religion, symbolism, spirituality or
something truly abstract or metaphorical. Pluto activation is ideal for
in-depth research in archives but what you discover will have been
hidden for a reason.

Tests and Exams: This key can help you figure out the answers to
questions, provided they are not emotional situations. Tests and
exams will be more auspiciously favoured under Jupiter activations,
as will any form of study or intellectual development. Discipline,
good use of limited test time and soberness of thought can be
invested by Saturn. Neptune is good for any imaginative intellectual
work, such as fantasy writing, but in a test situation it can lead to
misunderstandings so be sure to read the question and ask yourself
what it is really asking. Uranus is helpful for any form of electronic
information gathering such as the internet or for any examinations
involving scientific or technological subjects. Pluto favours intensive
and deeply transformative studies and tests, for example, involving
the occult, sexual orientation and our attitudes to mortality.

Mobile purchases, car repair, driving tests and car use: It is

probably wise to avoid buying a car or some other form of mobile
property or machinery during the Pluto, Neptune, Chiron and Saturn
activations. You will likely be more satisfied with such purchases
under Jupiter activation. Similarly, avoid going on trips during the
activations of Saturn, Pluto, Neptune and Chiron, or sending a car or
valuable device in for repair. Use the Jupiter activations instead,
unless you are planning a cruise or buying a boat, in which case the
Neptune activation can be very supportive.
Turning this key is ideal for learning about all methods of
transportation.

Commerce: No signings of important documents or important

business decisions should probably be made under Neptune
activations as the potential for confusion, fuzzy logic, fraud and

259
deception increase. Nor should such decisions really be made on the
spur during Uranus activation as these times are best used for
generating new ideas rather than committing to them. Jupiter
activations are the best times to conduct any kind of commerce or
paperwork, unless you need to really concentrate on the details, in
which case Saturn or Chiron is better, but both invite mistakes so
greater care must be taken.

As a supplement to other temple keys: As the occupant and ruler

of the T1d, 4th and 11`h temples in Babaji's natal chart the Mercury key
can take on their qualities, it has functions related to these activities.
It can stimulate ideas in those areas. He could merge the Mercury
key into each of those temple keys in its entirety to expand them.

Mental plane magic, mental body exercises, mental

wandering: All these activations can positively stimulate any
magical work with the mind, the physical brain, the mental plane,
and the mental exercises of initiation. Even Saturn activations in this
key can be helpful because they can narrow our focus and condense
concentration powers, help us deal more practically with mental
influences, and restructure the thinking patterns that underlay our
opinions and ideas, although they often require more mental effort
generally.

Objective mental perception of the planets: By timing a

conduction to coincide with the activations of the Mercury key the
mental awareness can be more easily trained to perceive the
influence and qualities of the activators. This is applicable in many
respects — to perceive the natural universal laws (Jupiter and Saturn),
to achieve a freer range of wandering in the mental plane (Uranus,
Neptune), to perceive the essential meaning of ideas (any planet,
each uses a different method to stimulate the perception of
connections), to learn new methods of healing (Chiron), or the nature
and activity of the mental body after physical death (Pluto). The
Uranus activation brings an opportunity to truly shake up all rigid
outmoded ideas and to think in more revolutionary terms. This is
often a period of rapid enlightenment but it can easily get out of
control causing loss of focus and perspective. It is however a
valuable opportunity for intellectual magical paths - the Neptune
activation is more mystical, the Pluto more shamanic.

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 THE VENUS KEY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Sagittarius 17° 06)
Primary Function: 4' temple
Secondary Functions: 3rd and 10' temples
Sympathies: Jupiter and Chiron activation
Unsympathetic to: nothing
9
Activation Age Significance
Saturn: 26 Dec 1898 [15 Aug 1899, 27 Aug 1899] 5-6 [Friendly talks with spiritual elders]
Chiron: 16 Dec 1899 6
Jupiter: 22 Nov 1900 7
Uranus: 9 Dec 1901 8 [Encouraged to walk a spiritual path]
Jupiter: 5 Nov 1912 19 [Deciding to not have a family life]
Jupiter: 22 Feb 1924 [20 May 1924, 17 Oct 1924] 31
Saturn: 7 Feb 1928 [20 May 1928, 4 Nov 1928] 35
Jupiter: 28 Jan 1936 [30 Jun 1936, 21 Sep 1936] 43 [Guru dies & astral meeting occurs]
Jupiter: 10 Jan 1948 55 [Income from autobiography]
Chiron: 13 Jan 1950 [3 Jul 1950, 2 Oct 1950] 57
Saturn: 11 Dec 1957 64 [After his death]
Jupiter: 24 Dec 1959 66
Jupiter: 8 Dec 1971 78
Neptune: 11 Jan 1978 [2 Jun 1978, 15 Nov 1978] 85
Jupiter: 22 Nov 1983 90
Uranus: 5 Feb 1985 /9 May 1985, 22 Nov 1985] 92
Saturn: 17 Jan 1987 [19 Jun 1987, 16 Oct 1987] 94
 9
THE VENUS KEY
ESSENTIAL MEANING

The touch of a hand on your body, a ray of light on your face, the
scent of a spring meadow and the rise of a stirring chorus of music
converge on your senses as someone feeds you melted chocolate. Or,
you recline and exalt behind the wheel of your perfect new car as the
wind blows sea-breezes in your face. Or you wake up on New Years
day to find your best friend in bed with your lover. Again.
Venus: the dramatic, alluring, dangerous and powerful magic of
the world of feelings. She has gone by many names in our cultures -
Ishtar, Isis, Aphrodite — always beautiful, always incandescent,
always powerful, sometimes terribly so. Venus is our astral force, our
radiation of the smouldering world of the personal emotional body,
of pure, raw feeling. She is concerned chiefly with love, with seeking
balance through relationship, with the magic of sympathy and
attraction, but also with pleasure, aesthetic appreciation (life as art),
relaxation and the harmony of peaceful equilibrium, with financial
matters, sexual attractiveness, the urge to be desired and our
emotional values (what we feel is valuable, and is valuable to feel).
Chiefly however Venus is goddess of love and encapsulates our
loving interactions and our connection to the realm of feelings (astral
force) which underlay those interactions.
The world of feelings is a living realm filled with living beings
which we interact with through the human apparatus of the body and
the astral body. These beings are essentially Magnetic on the inside
and reflect the whole range of emotions, but the most influential and
superior of these beings are expressions of pure Divine love.
Feelings are not trivial in comparison to intellect and those who
experience them more directly are not 'weak' or `girly' but treasured
intermediaries between our world and the world of these enchanting
beings. These beings are also supremely attractive when they appear
because they manifest in the form that is most magnetising to us. We
perceive them with our astral senses as the epitome of perfection in
terms of appearance, which is their challenge to the maturity of the
magician, for if they do not see through this to the Magnetic nature
of the being, they will become enchanted by its glamour and thus
never behold the truth of what they have fallen for, a thorn in the rose
much like the trap set by Mercury which leads to endless questions.
Thus, Venus reveals what attracts us and tempts us towards
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 pleasurable experiences but is calling on us to look further than just
skin deep to see the instinctive essence of what draws us to particular
types of people and specific persons and emotional experiences, to
look beyond the natural advertisement of seductive appearances to
the true realm of feelings they mask and which we contain. This is a
naturally reciprocal world: when you bend closer to enjoy the scent
of a rose, the rose is also enjoying you. In many ways, art is the
process of giving form to this reciprocity, to these beings. So too are
our feelings.
It should always be remembered here that we are dealing with
pure emotion, the pure force of the astral mind, and not its form,
which is of Mercury (pure intellect). This means intellectual
assessments of Venus, such as this written document, cannot
penetrate her true mysteries. If it were possible at this point for me to
only communicate to you with pure feeling, without words, I would
do so. Instead, you must lift up the skin of words I am placing before
you and behold her face for yourself with your feelings, before much
of this will truly make sense. You may perceive the intellectual truth
of the words but this is not what matters to Venus; she is interested in
your emotional truth. If you know how to connect with this internally
and have a good relationship to your feelings you can connect with
Venus quite easily through synthetic work with the astral Light — she
is very receptive to those who seek her out, unlike Mars, for
example, who will often make you work for it.
Mars is another celestial partner of Venus, less of a sibling and
more of a lover. Their love affair is literally legendary. Hers is the
magic of Magnetic sympathy, of calming and softening, cooling and
soothing. She puts smiles on our faces and tears in our eyes, but
Mars is the magic of the will, of asserting difference, not sympathy,
he puts frowns on our brows and passion in our heads, not so much
our hearts. Together they are a formidable couple, true equals
perpetually embracing one another both in the sky and within us in a
devoted and loyal relationship. Our feelings stoke our will into action
and lead to the pursuit of their satisfaction, to their gratification and a
temporary reprieve of hunger. Will and feeling complement and
arouse one another. They are another way of expressing the natural
dualistic partnership of Sun/Moon but in more gender specific terms.
Venus is an urge towards harmonization and adjusting through
personal emotional relationship, a sympathetic approach that
diplomatically resolves conflict; Mars is basically an urge for
conquest and asserting oneself over or with others to fulfil individual
desire and to assert ones difference or individual distinctiveness, a

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 _11

natural survival and discriminatory instinct. It is inaccurate to label

them as feminine and masculine because they are both truly
universal and transcend physical gender - Venus is the urge to share
with another, to be desired, whereas Mars symbolizes the passion
which seeks to be expended upon another, the more direct urge to
desire — these are universal urges shared by both men and women. It
is more accurate to say that Venus and Mars have been 'feminised'
and 'masculinised' and thus that men conventionally identify with
Mars and women with Venus, but these conventions are
disappearing.
So in western culture, whose attitudes are now almost global, the
value of Venus — the only goddess among the planets - has been
partly but significantly lost to us for millennia in favour of the value
of Mercury and Mars, and as in any relationship this robbing of
Venus has had consequences for our connection to her sibling and
her lover. Human beings need to redress this collective imbalance, a
process which is already under way and which can be achieved not
by removing or repressing the development of the other two but by
collectively elevating the expression of Venus to match them. This is
the priority agenda at this time as far as Venus is concerned with
humanity.
To help her achieve this aim the other goddesses have begun to
return to the sky, as you will discover in the advanced material.
Together these goddesses will re-consecrate the feminine by
initiating the consequences of what we have done with it over many
hundreds of years and by reconnecting us with its essence.
The activations of this key stimulate all these concerns, and bring
about emotional development of the astral body, much like the
Mercury activations bring about the development of the personal
mental body, and activations of the Moon key bring about
development of our astral awareness, the awareness of both thought
and feeling. So the subtle difference in terms of the effect of the
Moon and Venus keys is that in the Venus key we are dealing directly
with the emotional body, and in the Moon key we are dealing with
our awareness of both this and the personal mental body, together,
i.e. with the combination of intellect and feeling and our awareness
of them at the personal level. And because in the Venus key we are
dealing with purely emotional origins these activations are all about
how we feel. The approach of the activation can be connected with
through the feelings and you must work directly with your emotions
when turning the key. They can influence how attractive you feel,
how happy and content you are, and how you cope with the

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emotional ties you have or want with other people. Any kind of
emotional state can be explored by turning this key. They can also
have a consequential effect on your experience and skill with artistic
expression, lending greater feeling and charm and providing a
stimulus towards what you find to be aesthetically pleasing, and also
play a role in matters of financial income and the comforts and
pleasure this can bring. Ultimately, however, the journey for all of us
with Venus is to develop a better and less brutal relationship to her
world, restoring an ancient, more intuitive and sensitive way of being
to ours.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Harmony: Any activation of this key can be turned to add some

peace and calm to the world and to restore harmony at any level. You
only have to be careful of letting personal emotional reactions rule
your thinking rather than be a guide to it. Every time this key is
active, you can also find an opportunity to raise the awareness of
emotional significance around you and contribute something to the
restoration of our relationship to Venus.

The Magic of Feelings: Each of us is born with a different

relationship and connection to the world of feelings which can be
explored by turning this key. Any emotional state can be addressed
through the Venus key, not just the pleasant ones. So, if you lack a
connection to feeling in general, develop it under Jupiter activation,
and if you have painful feelings, deeply feel the pain and heal it
under Chiron. Saturn can be very helpful in bringing any depression
to the surface and Pluto reveals things we did not know we felt at all,
or even could feel. Neptune and Uranus will bring the emotional
awareness of some people to the brink of either madness or
enlightenment, depending on what needs to happen. Neptune is
especially powerful when you have a strong feeling nature and can
open the awareness to connect with Divine love, a form of bliss
which refines the way feelings are experienced. A more subjective
experience attaches itself to a physical entity — often a person -
which is then idealistically viewed.

Relating: All the activations of the Venus key emphasise some kind
of influence that can be brought to bear in relating to others, like
those of the Th. During Saturn activations, long term commitments

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can be sealed and you can apply the wealth of time and experience to
the process of relating, but emotional flexibility is not good and
feelings tend towards inhibition, fear and caution. During Jupiter
activation, you may feel truly happy with your emotional
connections and can share a lot more of your feelings with others
because you feel you have much more in common with them, but
you may have to exercise a little more restraint. If you really need to
move on to grow but you don't want to, Jupiter can actually be the
friend who gives you a push. The same is true of Uranian activation.
During Uranus activation, so long as you have not been feeling
stifled and trapped in a relationship or you are in a comfort zone that
you don't want to change, things tend to get very exciting and
refreshing with many opportunities for connecting with others, but if
you have been emotionally hemmed in, frustrated or controlled by a
particular emotional relationship, this is a time when you are more
likely to 'suddenly' break away and go it alone (or find your partner
does). In other words, it's the time when limits which have been
exceeded will cause change. During Chiron activation, things can get
painful but this can be healing and bring you closer together with
loved ones once something painful has been faced. Chiron is not to
be feared, he is a teacher, and does not always bring pain out for us,
only when it is necessary like drawing poison from a wound. His
activations of your Venus key can act like pathfinders showing you a
way to feel less suffering. During Neptune activation, there is only a
danger of deceiving yourself or of being deceived or the deceiver, if
you can avoid the temptation to see things through rose tinted lenses
then this can be a very romantic time, even a fantasy come true; at
the very least our emotions will be refined into something more
subtle. And during Pluto activation, feelings can really intensify and
any strong emotional attachment grow more deeply profound, but we
must sometimes become freer of any grief, manipulation or power
struggles to experience a major life changing transformation.
More guidance on using the keys to explore relationships is
provided in Step 10.

Artistic Expression: Activations by Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus are

often extremely good for artistic inspiration and expression.
Activations by Pluto can be purgative and deeply profound but can
lead to our greatest work. Activations by Saturn can help build up
structure, form, technique and method. Activations by Chiron tend to
invite technical mistakes in craft but can support the expression of
emotional pain.

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Love magic, operations in the Venus sphere, sympathetic
magic: All such forms of magic are auspiciously timed by the
activations of Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune. The activations of Saturn
and Pluto can be inhibitive and compulsive and so are less suitable
unless you have a very firm handle of the Venus sphere energy.

Financial Security: Venus is connected with finances because it is a

means to pleasure, therefore her key activations in general are
especially suitable times to focus on money, income and savings.
Jupiter activations are times when you can expect (but never count
on) greater supply, and greater enjoyment from what you have.
Saturn activations should be times when you are prepared to get
through a possible lean period, but they can also be quite financially
supportive if you are not already in trouble and if you are ready to
restructure the financial landscape you live in. Uranus activations
can see a sudden change in the current circumstances and you should
prepare for the need to make rapid changes. Pluto activations can be
trouble, usually on the poverty side of the scale, but on rare
occasions they can bring about enormous wealth — too much for us to
responsibly handle. The destructive power of money and love are
highlighted by Pluto.

As a supplement to temple keys: Venus is the planetary ruler of

the 3rd and 10th temples in Yoganandas chart and thus activations of
her key may have effects characterised by this rulership. She also
transmits influences akin to the 4th temple when activated because
she is placed there. Of these relationships, her primary function lies
in the 4th temple, and she employs her essential meaning directly in
this area, supporting it with her background work in the 3rd and 10th.
In Yogananda for example we see a blend of all three in his
conscious decision to not settle into a domestic family life with
children and a loving wife (Venus and the 4th temple) but to choose
another destiny (10th) as an orator and writer (3') through which to
express his emotional self.

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 THE MARS KEY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Aries 05° 40')
Primary Function: 8'h temple
Secondary Functions: 4' & 9th temples
Sympathies: Solar conduction
Unsympathetic to: Saturn and Neptune activation
Activation Age Significance
Jupiter: 24 Mar 1904 11 [Mothers death; see primary function]
Saturn: 6 May 1908 [14 Oct 1908, 27 Jan 1909] 15-16
Jupiter: 8 Mar 1916 23
Chiron: 15 May 1919 [6 Sep 1919, 14 Mar 1920] 26-27 [Leaving India, pained farewells]
Jupiter: 20 Feb 1928 35 [After SRF is founded, also see below]
Uranus: 6 May 1928 [22 Sep 1928, 26 Feb 1929] 35-36 [Very active and busy]
Saturn: 10 Mar 1938 45
Jupiter: 14 Jun 1939 [13 Sep 1939, 30 Jan 1940] 46-47
Jupiter: 18 May 1951 [31 Oct 1951, 29 Dec 1951] 58
Jupiter: 28 Apr 1963 70 [After his death]
Saturn: 19 Apr 1967 [3 Dec 1967, 15 Dec 1967] 74
Chiron: 16 May 1969 [3 Sep 1969, 16 Mar 1970] 76-77
Jupiter: 11 Apr 1975 82
Jupiter: 26 Mar 1987 94
 e
THE MARS KEY
ESSENTIAL MEANING
Throughout the centuries, many astrologers have cast Mars as a
malefic planet, a violent, dangerous world of primal instinct, rage
and flames. He gave us feverish plagues, they said, cut us with
knives, set fire to our homes and started wars. He did none of these
things. We did them all, often through shameful or mindless misuse
of the truly awesome power he represents.
Mars tantalises us, just as power itself does. He has done this
throughout history. For instance, the advancing and receding polar
ice caps together with linear markings criss-crossing the surface
which give him a mysterious appearance (the infamous 'Martian
canals') were thought to be evidence of a civilisation like ours as
recently as the 19th century. They were later explained away as the
result of wind blown dust, until more recent years. Analysis of
erosion and rock on the surface along with other declassified and
uncovered evidence now mounts to support the past and current
presence of water and life there, especially under the surface.
Recently, interest in Mars is peaking again in mythic ways, capturing
and tantalising the collective in new expressions, and as our closest
habitable neighbour he would be ready to reveal many wonders to us
if we were not so driven by urges of war, fear, conquest and
dominance over one another. Instead, progress towards Mars
physically will lead us into a confrontation with these man-made
demons. Even if we get far enough to collectively pass this test, we
must still make amends for our past misuse of our will and our
survival instinct.
What tantalises us is not often seen clearly, but Mars not only
tantalises us, we adore him. He is worshipped as practically every
action movie hero that has ever been. We worship his strength, his
cunning, his determination to succeed, his muscles, his guns and
weaponry, his attitude of shoot first and ask questions later and his
caustic sense of humour. He is the primary god of our society, the
one whose statue is everywhere. It's just changed form, no longer a
sculpture but a flickering image of light.
Yet there is something fundamentally wrong with our relationship
to him that threatens life on Earth with great destruction. It isn't that
we have not learned to manage our anger, or that men have been in
control for too long, or that we can be selfish creatures who always
want more and desire to conquer all who oppose us, although all

269
these things are serious Martian issues which we must deal with, the
root issue is elsewhere and yet everywhere and has been largely
overlooked. It is the relationship we have to the power of free will
and individual and collective choice.
All things have been given a will with which to choose between
one thing or another. This is what distinguishes differences between
things and thus is an expression of our individual uniqueness. You
choose one thing and I choose another, we differentiate through this
choice, but if our choices lead to conflict, we humans tend to polarise
things into a fight and try to overwhelm the 'opposition'. We attempt
to crush the free will of the opponent by imposing our own over it.
Sometimes this appears to be the only way to resolve an impasse, but
far too often this form of conflict is unnecessary, we can instead
learn to live with individual differences and celebrate them as a
source of strength through diversity. Yet we have an instinctive,
knee-jerk reaction which makes us feel threatened by individual
differences and a certain inability to share victory. This is a feature of
the collective human desire body, the karma of the way we have used
Mars in the past as a species.
This is, however, not how Mars energy is best used at all - it is a
utilising of Mars energy by the personal self, an approach to using
the will which basically seeks to distinguish itself through conflict,
having proceeded from an assumption that the fittest survive. At its
root it arises from our lack of emphasis and connection to what
Jupiter represents — empathy with one another — and the
consequences of over-emphasising our differences which lead to
struggles for dominance. People idolise rippling muscle power and
two fisted brute strength because deep inside they are afraid of their
own powerlessness. Our heroes are all unstoppable warriors because
that's what we think we need, given the enormous threats ranged
against us in modern life. But this is not our true power or our true
will. When we act wilfully with an awareness of empathy as well,
and try to exercise the gift of having free will in ways that truly do
justice to this gift, it harvests the power of what hermetic philosophy
calls the Divine Will, our 'True Will'. A fundamental difference and
shift here is between power over to power with other individuals, it is
in asserting our own individual differences without attacking that
which is different, or even needing to defend oneself from it, and in
appropriate uses of our power to choose and to act showing respect
for the free will of all life, not just that of humans. In other words,
we do not do justice to the great gift of free will when we attempt to
crush the free will of other living things mercilessly, this establishes

270
 a destructive not a co-creative relationship to free will, it
impoverishes it in us, cultivates fear and makes us incredibly
dangerous as a species to all other species. These are the tests of
Mars, his fundamental purpose being to align us with this magical
`True Will' in every action. When we realise this we fully appreciate
the great power and responsibility that the gift of free will is, and so
we seek to do justice to this gift by expressing it in appropriate ways
and actions. We make better choices.
The function of Mars, then, is not to provide us with motivation,
zest, thrust and confidence, or to stir up conflict, trouble and anger -
these are results of our interactions with it — but instead the purpose
of Mars is to sift and differentiate one thing from another by
emphasising uniqueness in terms of individual differences, like a
sieve sifting through grains. Through Mars, we learn what is right for
us and how to pursue that without being threatened when others do
not agree with it and without pushing them aside ruthlessly. We cut,
carve and facet the expression of the personality and the
individuality, the soul and the spirit, turning it into a radiant jewel of
breathtaking and exhilarating uniqueness. This is his inner world, a
world obscured to astrology by the human worship of Mars and the
nature of our collective interactions with it. If we had a different
relationship to Mars collectively then war and conflict would not be
so constant, and may even be a rarity, since the differences between
different individual views would not be a cause for fighting, but one
for celebration — an increase in everyone's individual power. But we
would have to learn to share too, which is part of our collective task
with Venus.
The activations of the Mars key can highlight all such issues and
be very pressured or busy times, but they are primarily all
opportunities to give form or direction to your individual will and to
learn about free will and its immediate consequences. They can let
out the wild side of our nature and stimulate our capacity to
distinguish what is right or wrong for us. We get stronger urges in
general and impulses to assert our individual desires in a way
characteristic of the activating planet, and how we handle this
determines whether we experience the negative expression of Mars
(the killer instinct, combative, confrontational, frustrating, enraged),
or the positive (the survival instinct, pioneering, thrusting forwards,
motivating, encouraging, strengthening). Often, there will be an
adjustment in how we assert ourselves, what we want, how we are
going about satisfying our desires, and possibly a change in our
physical-sexual energies. In short, Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto

271
activations of Mars are often motivational bursts of energy and drive
which must be carefully handled and given a direction or they can
lead quickly to some kind of showdown or breakdown. The
activations by Saturn, Neptune and Chiron slow things down or lead
to difficult challenges for the will and this means we often have to
deal with frustration, the consequence of past actions catching up or
a need to take the pressure off.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Meet Mars: Mars is the most 'in your face' planet and so the
activations of this key often have a different quality as he rushes up
to meet you. We are often immediately challenged by Mars to get a
handle on all of the astrology he represents so that we can get down
to business together. So what this means is that you will quickly
encounter the most raw and immediate quality of connection you
have with him when this key is activated; if you are angry, you will
feel even more angry, if you are frustrated, you will feel more
frustrated, if you are horny, you will get hornier, etc. Temptations
grow stronger and potentially more frustrating or selfish. These
challenges are all about establishing boundaries of behaviour with
your will, clearing any destructive relationship you have with Mars
so that you can access the fighting spirit he represents and channel it
in a satisfying and creative direction. He has the most 'what you see
is what you get' attitude for us to encounter and can therefore be
considered very eager to teach us how to get along with him.

Competitive spirit: Apart from Saturn and Chiron activation,

perhaps also Neptune depending on your relationship to Neptune, the
activations of the Mars key are times when most people will feel
more daring and competitive and have stronger urges to distinguish
themselves from others. Greater energy for pushing through
obstacles, barriers, potentially accidental impulsiveness and general
thrust in life are given in these periods, with the reverse being the
case under Saturn or Chiron. Racing ahead either literally or
metaphorically at Saturn and Chiron activation times can result in
failure or exhaustion — the better tactic is to pace your energies and
conserve your efforts.

Anger Management: Some activations are more likely to bring out

anger than others, but they can all do this, just in different ways.
Saturn can cause anger to manifest through impatience or a sense of
frustration, inadequacy, fear or failure. Jupiter just blows it up out of

272
 L LL

all proportion or uses deliberately excessive force to blast opposition

out of the way. Chiron enrages by sticking fingers in wounds and
twisting them ever so slightly, just enough to get our attention on
them. Neptune slips anger under the table as a subtle but gnawing
irritation, while Uranus plays it as a joker or a surprise — an ambush.
Pluto is potentially the really dangerous one because he can bring out
the killer instinct, a deep, primal response which actually exists
buried in all of us.
However, Pluto is deeply transformative when we own it and don't
project it onto the world, Saturn can inhibit temper through self
discipline, Jupiter can help you draw upon empathy when asserting
your wants and needs, Chiron offers a pathway out of the pain of
anger while Uranus can break the pattern of rage and Neptune
dissolve the thirst for it.

Activism: This world needs a lot of change, quickly. There are any
number of ways individuals can make a difference, and all of them
can be helped by paying attention to the Mars key because he
provides impetus and thrust, energy and action. Progressive
momentum, morale and a more empathic approach can be
manifested under Jupiter activation, new strategies, information and
tactics can be transmitted by Uranus, ideals and visions can spur
action under Neptune, support structures can be built under Saturn
and formidable determination given under Pluto. Chiron can provide
the opportunity to mend and repair burning bridges or the chance to
make amends for thoughtless actions.

Timing of activity: The Mars key is a good timer for any kind of
activity which takes us forwards. Major efforts and activities should
optimally be timed to the activations by Jupiter because you will
have abundant energies, more resources and can move forward
quickly without treading on toes if you are mindful enough. We
encounter resistance and greater possibility of failure when we act
forcefully or push things too wilfully under Saturn activation of this
key. These are times to wait, assess tactics and formulate long term
strategies. Chiron activation is risky because you may overstretch
yourself and do yourself or others unintentional but serious harm. It
is also risky to act impulsively under Uranus activation, because it is
accident prone and likely to overlook things by scattering the focus
of activity, and also under Neptune activation because it is prone to a
confusion of motive, and a lack of clarity about what you really
want. Pluto activation is a time when you must really try to control
your temper, and find a safe outlet for the enormous pressure that

273
will build up — self destruct at these times is usually extremely high.
This is a time of great challenges and struggle and it may feel as if
your survival depends on a certain outcome, but if you persist
without losing your cool the rewards of success are unparalleled as
the will can be transformed into a more potent individualised
expression. It all depends on how you handle desires, whether they
motivate or consume you.

Integration of planetary principles into the individual will: As

with the other world keys you can use this key to integrate the
principle concerned (in this case Mars) into your life, for example in
astromagical training of the will. Work on transforming the will with
the aid of the activating planet's principle. For example, during
Saturn activation you might work on the concentration power, the
persistence and endurance of the will. Any magic of the Mars sphere
is supported and often balanced under the influence of Jupiter
activation of this key, but it can also grow out of control easily.
Of particular importance collectively are the integration of Jupiter
with Mars, as this restores an imbalance by including the quality of
mercy into assertiveness. Any activation of this key can introduce us
either to greater power or its misuse. As Bardon says in Initiation
into Hermetics:
"...each science can serve good as well as bad purposes. Let us
take the example of a knife, an object which virtually ought to be
used for cutting bread only, which, however, can become a
dangerous weapon in the hands of a murderer. All depends on
the character of the individual."
In the activations of this key, such metaphorical knives can be
handed to us, sharpened or forged with the essential meaning of the
activating planet, presenting us with the choice of how to wield it.
Primary & Secondary Functions: In Babaji's chart, Mars is
connected to the 8th, 4th and 9th temples, with the 8th being its primary
function. Note that the first Jupiter activation coincides with the
death of his mother (Mars in the 8th) and that the Chiron activation
when he is 19 embraces all three themes together — he chooses
(Mars) to leave his native land (4th, 9th), saying a tearful farewell
(Chiron, 8th) to his friends and family, and embarks on a voyage to
spread enlightenment across the sea (9th). The other major activation,
the Uranian one, sees him very spread out in terms of activity
(Uranus), laying down a base (4th) for a school of philosophical and
religious wisdom (9th) and probably having to involve himself in the
management of its finances (8th).
274
 THE MEDIATORS OF THE
NATURAL ORDER
2f- tz
Far beyond the orbit of our planet about three times as far as Mars
ever travels from the Sun lives the first of the gas giants, Jupiter,
fabled in mythology as the overseer of the gods. The sheer scale of
Jupiter in comparison to the other planets is his primary physical
feature. He is so huge that all the other planets in the solar system
could fit inside of him. The Earth would completely fit inside his
second notable physical feature, the giant storm called the Great Red
Spot placed in the bands which girdle his centre like a royal belt.
More than 60 moons are locked in his orbit, four of them notably
larger than others, one of these being larger than Mercury, and a fine
ring of cosmic dust circles his centre of gravity. If we were to view
Jupiter in other spectra we would see a vastness of scale in every
respect, including a huge magnetosphere transmitting intense radio
waves. So Jupiter is massive in scale, truly staggering to behold and
thus an initiator into the greater world of experience, a reminder of
how big the universe really is.
We must travel just under twice as far as Jupiter is to get to the
orbit of the next world, Saturn. This is a huge leap into much colder
and darker regions of space, but the journey is so worth it. Venus
may be the jewel of the inner worlds, but Saturn is the crowning
glory of the solar system, the most visually beautiful world to
behold. To behold Saturn is to understand that there is a complex and
staggeringly beautiful natural order to the universe. Yet here on
Earth, Saturn appears as only a yellowish-white dot in the night sky,
if at all. His breathtaking spectacle of complexly interacting moons
gracefully throwing elliptical shadows across rings of ice sparkling
like diamonds is lost to our sight. We do not hear the music he makes
in our souls and must go through time, maturing and experiencing,
failing and encountering limitation before we come to grasp the
realities of the natural order of things.
These two worlds may be grouped together as a pair because they
share some significant features. First, they are not made of rock but
of gases, indicating their less material focus, but they are also still
near enough to Earth to be visible with the naked eye, so they still
directly connect with our physical experience i.e. the physical world
of the senses. So they condense their physical effects from within the

275
mental plane and are the architects of human interaction with it, they
are crystallising something in the mental plane throughout the
physical universe, and this is the emergence of the individuality of
things. It is of note here that if Mars once had abundant surface water
it would have served as our connection to the astral realm in the
same way that Jupiter and Saturn as gas giants serve as
intermediaries with the mental realm. The catastrophic loss of water
on Mars, perhaps connected to the remains of a lost planet in the
region of the asteroid belt between him and Jupiter, may be part of
the forgotten story of life on Earth and explain why he tantalises us.
Jupiter and Saturn also have orbits which allow them to make
more than one pass of every key in a natural lifespan, Jupiter only
taking 12 years to go through the entire master key, Saturn about 30.
This differentiates them from the other gas giants, Uranus and
Neptune, which are much further away, therefore much slower, and
will not make multiple passes. Thus, Jupiter and Saturn allow a sense
of broad context in life as through them we can view larger cycles to
it, the broadest threads we have to weave and work whole patterns
with. We see significant things being built up gradually and thereby
come to perceive a natural order at work.
They can also be regarded as a pair because they express a clear
polarity of meanings: containment and lassitude, contraction and
expansion. They express this polarity in their physical appearance,
through the ordered, carefully structured geometrical form of Saturn
and the grand, majestic, imperial stature of Jupiter. One is concerned
with teaching us through resourcefulness and awareness of our
limitations, the other through abundance and moderation, the
avoidance of waste and excess.
So both of these worlds can be regarded as the chief initiators of
individual self expression who employ Mars in the faceting of the
personality and they share a common goal but go about different
ways of reaching it. Of the two, however, it is Saturn that we have
greater difficulties with, because he represents an aspect of
awareness which is largely absent in many people, being more
remote and at the limits of visibility. He must be regarded as the final
arbiter of what we are capable of achieving on the Earth, a head
teacher if you like, with the task of evaluating our maturity and
capacity to handle the responsibility of dealing with our physical life,
but both of these worlds concern themselves with the natural order of
life on Earth.
Jupiter and Saturn are therefore the mediators of the natural order
and serve as intermediaries between the inner and outer worlds. If

276
enough individuals have a strong enough relationship to both of
these worlds, i.e. if enough people truly realise themselves as
individuals and align themselves with the natural order of things,
then Jupiter and Saturn will open greater access to the potential of
the further flung outer worlds by withdrawing some of their
association from the signs of Aquarius and Pisces, giving this to
Uranus and Neptune at the collective level i.e. a process of the nature
of Aquarius and Pisces will transform the collective through these
individuals. This process has in fact already begun. The same can be
said of Mars and Pluto through the sign of Scorpio if enough people
gain mastery of Mars. Thus, these three worlds, Mars, Jupiter and
Saturn, can be thought of as the worlds we need to deal with if we
are to create the conditions that can birth and sustain a collective
awareness at an individual level. Having individual or collective
problems with any of these worlds keeps us from figuring out who
and what we are as an individual species and more seriously it keeps
us in a place that is disharmonious with the natural order.

277
 THE JUPITER KEY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Aries 16° 13')
Primary Function: fr temple
Secondary Functions: 5'" & 89' temples
Sympathies: Solar conduction
Unsympathetic to: Saturn and Neptune activation
Activation Age Significance
Jupiter: 5 Jan 1893 0 [Birth, the emergence of all cycles]
Jupiter: 8 May 1904 11 [V Jupiter return; puberty, adolescance]
Saturn: 28 Apr 1909 16 [Meeting his guru]
Jupiter: 21 Apr 1916 23 [2"d Jupiter return; young adulthood]
Chiron: 26 May 1922 /16 Sep 1922, 26 Mar 1923] 30
Jupiter: 5 Apr 1928 35 [3rd Jupiter return; adulthood]
Uranus: 21 Apr 1931 [11 Nov 1931, 6 Feb 1932] 38-39
Saturn: 13 Jun 1938 [17 Sep 1938, 3 Mar 1939] 45-46
Jupiter: 19 Mar 1940 47 [4th Jupiter life; post-midlife]
Jupiter: 1 Mar 1952 59 [5th Jupiter return; becoming an elder]
Jupiter: 24 Jun 1963 [25 Sep 1963, 9 Feb 19641 70-71 [6th Jupiter return; elder adulthood]
Saturn: 11 Apr 1968 75
Chiron: 28 May 1972 [12 Sep 1972, 27 Mar 1973] 79-80
Jupiter: 29 May 1975 [10 Nov 1975, 9 Jan 1976] 82-83
Jupiter: 10 May 1987 94
 4
THE JUPITER KEY
ESSENTIAL MEANING

The essential meaning of Jupiter is that of the sheer jaw dropping

majesty of the boundless, ever-changing infinite universe all about us
and its eternally growing degree of similarity as each point
sequentially emerges into and out of the awareness of its united
connectedness - as Jupiter smiles, a quadrillion flowers open on a
distant world and each releases a quadrillion spores that float in
every direction at once; elsewhere, onlookers in the gulf of space are
awed as they watch two distant galaxies collide together, bringing an
end to countless civilisations and worlds that have danced for
billions of years. This is Jupiter, or rather, the universal principle or
sphere of existence which the planet Jupiter signifies for life on
Earth. It is grandeur, scale, majestic scope and the connectivity of
life, an inspirer of awe.
All creation and destruction occurs by natural laws. Saturn
represents the ultimate arbiter or architect of those laws for us, but
Jupiter symbolically formalises and enacts them. The Jupiter sphere
(a realm of existence which our planet Jupiter is a symbolic
expression of) receives the Saturn spheres supernal (timeless) energy
and arranges it into ever developing individualised sequences,
distributing them lawfully and so bringing order to the limitless but
otherwise chaotic potentials, a process of elaborating and expanding
upon the infinite pattern of the Creation. It brings sequence and
context through growth and addition, it increases, time passes,
fortunes come and go, consciousness expands and by such
enlargement, by this progression, Jupiter's sphere brings expansion
of meaning through greater and greater context, connecting one thing
with another. It never ceases to pour out this unending fountain of
abundance.
So Jupiter symbolises the fertility of an unstoppable, limitless
abundance, a faith in and connection to something, a confidence and
trust in its affairs which shows the way in which we develop through
and expand our infinite horizons. It is connected with human belief
but more than that, with the necessity of any belief - faith. Faith is
not a devout worship of an unknowable and remote deity, it is any
trust that there exist greater forces in the universe than we, and this is
a key to happiness in life as those who have no faith in something

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greater than themselves live in brutal, vulnerable places from which
they can perceive little mercy in the universe. But faith can be
expressed in many different ways; one does not have to be religious
or even spiritual to have faith - faith can be placed in a marriage,
work situations, political bodies, the evidence of the eyes, etc. It
distinguishes from belief because it is not something that we claim,
but rather trust in, even know. Jupiter's growth transforms belief into
faith and gnosis through this increase of trust.
He moves through all the keys in a stately sweep elaborating and
enlarging upon every aspect of our existence over a course of 12
years, stimulating us towards greater trust, inclusion, expansion and
grace, giving a meaningful and satisfying relationship to the natural
order or a connection with something broader than the personal self.
Whereas Mars defines individuals by emphasising the conflicts or
differences that provide them with a more distinctly unique form,
Jupiter groups them together according to alikeness, individual
commonalities that supply a more abundant force than that of a
single lone will, he tempers the more abrasive nature of the will with
trust and mercy, with similarity, not difference. Ultimately through
our experience with Jupiter we contrast it with our experience of
Mars and find that the things we have in common with all other
things far outweigh and outnumber the ways in which we are
different. For instance, all things love, they just go about different
ways of getting and expressing it, but they still all share the
commonality of wanting to experience love. Even rocks love — they
love to hold things up or weigh them down. This is an inclusive
universe, it includes everything in an interconnected whole that is
greater than the sum of its parts but we have to broaden our minds to
encompass it - continuously.
This inclusive nature of our experience has high tidal points
shown through the activations Jupiter makes in this key, called the
Jupiter returns because they are the times when he has returned to the
same place in the zodiac he was located in at our birth. Since Jupiter
has a regular cycle of 12 years, these intervals occur every 12 or so
years for everyone. These are times in which you can very easily
observe the existence of Jupiter's principle in your life. Each of these
times is a growth spurt of our body, individuality and personality.
The first time this happens it is most obvious and physical as we all
experience puberty — a physical ripening. The second time this
happens around age 22-24, we start to feel capable of handling the
adult world for the first time — an emotional growing up into our
personality. The third time this happens around our mid 30s we are

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 mentally fully grown individuals, adults looking at making some
kind of impact in the world, and so on. Seven of these ages of Jupiter
— 84 years - make up the current natural span of a human life. We
have these common experiences but in our own unique way.
As time passes for us and more of these Jupiter returns pass
through the hourglass we see that life is like a wheel of fortune
which spins, things go up and things go down, our fortunes and our
friends fortunes move back and forth, and Jupiter is the finger of
destiny pointing to a particular place on this wheel. This, coupled
with his providential nature, has given him a reputation for being
'lucky', the 'Greater Benefic' of the sky (Venus is the somewhat
disparagingly titled 'Lesser Benefic'). He is a provider of all needful
things, a fountain of both wisdom and substance that never runs dry
but continues to issue forth a bubbling jet of opportunity which we
must chase like laughing children in a field of butterflies.
So he determines our ability to accept changing fortunes in life
philosophically, humbly and gracefully but above all trustingly and
joyously. Our ability to enjoy the good fortune of others as much as
we enjoy our own is a measure of our empathy. Likewise, our ability
to show mercy to those who are less fortunate than us is also a
measure of our empathy, our capacity to see commonality in other
beings. When we seek only our own fortune we are not living in the
full light of abundance Jupiter offers, and this is indeed unfortunate.
So the activations of the Jupiter key are experiences in which we
grow through a widening of our horizons and an enlargement of our
interest in our potential. Very often they affect our future plans. They
also often influence spiritual development as a result of expanding
concepts. Fortunes can change, along with what we find we have in
common with other individuals. Gurus, guardian angels, teachers and
guides can show us the way into a vaster comprehension of things,
we can get connected to a larger order of being and be supplied with
what we need, or we can find ourselves abruptly disheartened by the
lack of common empathy in modern human life, engaged in seeking
a broader meaning to events, squandering the bounty of life entirely
in a string of wasted opportunities or taking joy in the game of life as
we go chasing its magical spores and butterflies.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Synchronising with Jupiter's growth cycle: This is best

undertaken starting at the time of a Jupiter return. At the time of the
Jupiter return, meditate deeply on its principle and set into motion an

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intentional effort to grow or expand your individual awareness in a
specific way. Set yourself a goal that will require at least 6 years to
accomplish. During the next 6 years, strive to accomplish your goal.
If you do not achieve it by the 7th year, re-examine your intention in
light of your experience and try again, aiming for success by the next
Jupiter activation of this key. In other words, start at any Jupiter
return, or half way between them.
What you are doing with this practise is using the Jupiter principle
as a springboard, starting major projects at the tides of the Jupiter
principle. It gives your intention force and it attunes you to the
Jupiter principle in ways that gather both momentum and fortune.
The reason why we use a 6 year period instead of a 12 year one is
that by this time Jupiter will be half way around from its natal
position, on the other side of the chart, and opposing its own natal
position. The half way points in the activators cycles are often times
when the energies from past interactions we have had with that
activator are laid bare.
There is also the possibility of doing this work with a 12 year
cycle in a more structured and methodical way by beginning with
Jupiter's activations of the 1" temple key. You follow Jupiter through
the entire master key from there, until you return to the 1" temple
key 12 years later. You can intentionally expand upon every aspect of
your life within 12 years this way.
Following Jupiter like this and using either of these methods or
both of them, you gradually train your connection to and perception
of the influence of Jupiter. This enables you to work with his future
activations more intentionally and with greater personal reward. This
journey will also lead you to contribute something to the need for
human beings to be more merciful and empathic, addressing some of
the collective issues we have with Mars.

As a guide to the favour of fortune: Fortunate speculations are

more likely under Jupiter and sometimes Uranus activation, but
people tend to be far too overconfident at such times. Luck is not
such a reliable factor during Saturn and Chiron activation. Neptune
activation makes us tend to miscalculate the odds. Pluto activation is
often far too risky to gamble with — you could win it all, but you are
far more likely to compulsively lose it all.
More importantly, these activations are a chance for you to look at
your entire attitude to luck, to try to give good fortune to others, and
to share in any success, both your own and others. They can help you
transform any bad attitudes that are themselves unlucky.

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Magic of Jupiter: All applications of the magic of Jupiter (talismans
of Jupiter, luck magic, empathy, symbolic essential meaning, etc.)
can be assisted by activations in this key. Evocation of Jupiter
intelligences are assisted by any activation but especially by Pluto,
Uranus, Neptune and Jupiter. Any activations of the Jupiter key are
always interesting times for anyone with religious or spiritual
practices.

Exploration of Expansion/Contraction: Use this key alongside the

Saturn key. Look for intervals and windows in which they coincide
as activators, and blend them together through simultaneous cycles
with the Sun and Moon as the conductors.

As a supplement to the temple keys: Babaji's Jupiter is firmly

established in matters of the 8th temple, but also concerns itself with
those of the 5th. He could add this key to either or both of those
temple keys.

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 THE SATURN KEY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Libra 12° 35')
Primary Function: 2"° temple
Secondary Functions: 6th & Th temples
Sympathies: Saturn and Neptune activation
Unsympathetic to: Solar conduction
Activation Age Significance
0 [Birth]
Satum: 5 Jan 1893 [6 Feb 1893, 12 Sep 1893]
Chiron: 21 Sep 1895 2
Jupiter: 5 Sep 1898 5
16-17 [Meets guru]
Jupiter: 24 Dec 1909 [6 Mar 1910, 19 Aug 1910]
Jupiter: 27 Nov 1921 [15 Apr 1922, 27 Jul 1922] 28-29
29 [1St Saturn return]
Saturn: 20 Oct 1922
Jupiter: 8 Nov 1933 40
52 [Autobiography]
Jupiter: 23 Oct 1945
52 [Autobiography]
Chiron: 25 Oct 1945
[Life summation]
Neptune: 7 Dec 1947 [22 Feb 1948, 2 Oct 1948, 27 May 1949, 20 Jul 1949J 54-56
58-59 [2"d Saturn return] *
Saturn: 2 Dec 1951 [20 Mar 1952, 26 Aug 19521
Jupiter: 7 Oct 1957 64
Jupiter: 22 Sep 1969 76
Uranus: 2 Dec 1970 [7 Mar 1971, 15 Sep 1971J 77-78
Pluto: 30 Oct 1976 [11 Apr 1977, 27 Aug 1977J 83-84
Jupiter: 5 Sep 1981 88
88 [V Saturn return]
Saturn: 4 Oct 1981
Jupiter: 22 Dec 1992 99
Saturn return it is also interesting to note that his flesh
• Yogananda died just before the 2" activation of Saturn in this period, March 2nd 1952. In light of his death during
of Forest Lawn Memorial-Park: "No physical disintegration
remained incorruptible up to at least twenty days after, as testified in a notarized statement signed by the Director
was visible in his body.... it was apparently in a phenomenal state of immutability."
 t/
THE SATURN KEY
ESSENTIAL MEANING

Over the ages human kind has progressed in many ways, building
one thing upon another and advancing in many respects in its
mastery of the material world. Through slow, gradual efforts,
generation after generation have built up structures, rules and an
enduring understanding of the physical world as they marched
through time. Nothing truly meaningful has even been built without
the continued and sustained efforts needed to establish and maintain
its form. Things crumble, age and whither, they must be preserved
against the decay of time if they are not to be lost. This includes not
only physical structures but also ideas and concepts.
Stasis is death. In order to continue, things must adapt through
time. When they cease to adapt, run down or simply become
irrelevant their form is no longer properly maintained and will
eventually turn back to where it came from, the Earth. This is the fate
of all physical things because they are subject to time, the greatest
universal limitation of our existence.
Time is the chief architect of the natural order, governing
everything with a physical existence. It divides everything into three
distinct eras — past, present and future — only one of which is ever
here, now, and so our reality. In the span of human life we see also
the threefold division of time into youth, adulthood and elder years,
the three stages which have their transitions marked by Saturn's
return to the place he was when we are born, the Saturn returns.
Aside from time, the other chief architect of the natural order in
the physical universe is form, the inherent nature of a thing giving it
a certain self repeating and self sustaining structure — a pattern -
which moves through time interacting with other patterns. The
expression of an entities essential nature in a suitable form for
gathering experience through time is the essence of Saturn's function
and the engine which drives the emergence of the natural order.
Form is limited by both itself and by time. If you have one leg, it
limits your capacity to run, and if you have 3 minutes before your
last breath, you had better finish that magnum opus you have been
working on for 30 years. So form and time are limiting, and limiting
is in human terms mostly regarded as 'negative'. However, these
limits give meaning to our experiences and achievements. Life is
made meaningful by its relative brevity and the understanding that it

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might end in the next moment, and it is also made meaningful when
we struggle against the limitations of our lives and learn to work
within them, through hardships or around them. This instils faith far
more than when things happen which confirm our expectations and
hopes, because it requires us to take responsibility and to have our
resolve and faith tested by setbacks.
The ancients called him the 'Greater Malefic', an unkind title and
an umbrella for all the colder evils that the human race can imagine -
death, famine, poverty, illness and infirmity, the callous heartlessness
of detached authorities and wasting plagues like the Black Death. We
have outgrown this perception but we still see his glory only dimly.
Saturn is where the buck stops, where the individual sands of time
drift across dunes and disappear into the dust ocean of the desert. He
is the timekeeper and the grim reaper, the wise old man or woman of
the solar system, the old crone, the wizened hermit in the woods, the
gravedigger. He deals with the fundamental realities of physical life
and our relationship to them is guided by him in the ways of the
world, the laws of the natural order. He shows us the hard truths of
our existence, no matter how difficult it may be to face, no matter
how fearful we may be of it, so that we come to know our limits and
work within the natural laws, thus avoiding the necessity of him
interfering with our course.
And interfere he will, indeed must, if we resist or violate the
natural order of things or try to pervert them. His interference will
not often be rapid, he allows the natural course of things to emerge
and lead inevitably to the restoration of its harmony, the
consequences and hopefully correction of our ignorance. But if it is
not rapid, his action is always firm, stern, irreversible and extremely
serious. This is not a punishment, it is part of the natural order itself,
the law of cause being followed by effect, karma. Karma is therefore
an aspect of time and both are aspects of the natural order.
We tend to fear the influence of time and karma as much as we try
to push back our limitations. Getting old is not valued in modern
society the way it was by our aboriginal elders. Being old is
associated with being weak and wasted more than being rich with the
autumn of life. We are afraid of dying, of being left in a cold, dark
box and left to rot, turning into dust. We respond by trying to cling
on to life for as long as possible, pitting ourselves against the natural
order in a vain effort to hold it off. We could instead grow old
gracefully and appreciate, honour and celebrate the end of life as a
return to the Earth as our ancestors did.
They understood Saturn better than we do because their

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 relationship to him was not limited by their fear. Saturn remembers
this and seeks to lead us back. Our fear of dying, of time always
running out, is the root of much if not ultimately all of our
destructive behaviour as a species, and the reason why this is so is
that our fear of dying is really our fear of the natural order. This fear
has blinded us to the cyclical nature of life, we see it in the turning
seasons but looking at it within ourselves means we have to face the
inevitable cold and dark winter of life which we have built so many
walls to hide from and so many controls over. But time does not
stand still for anything, all things pass, and then they are reborn in a
new form. This is what we have forgotten in our fear of the natural
order, an understanding of physical life that is so fundamental that
we can only have lived in its shadow once we turned away from it,
never really knowing its true purpose and being disconnected from
the natural order.
These are the gifts Saturn wishes to return to us — a sane
relationship to time, maturing like good wine as we grow older, a
reconnection to nature itself. Saturn is the path to the Great Mother,
our connection to the Earth who sustains and nurtures all forms of
life upon her surface, the living planet whose natural order we are
destroying with our unbalanced presence. Through her we can be
grounded. Through her we can be reborn. Saturn is the guide who is
leading us back to that state, individually and collectively, slowly,
gradually, patiently, so that we can heal the damage we have done,
the relationship we have to the natural order, and the relationship we
have to ourselves. Only when we reconnect with our responsibility to
care for the Earth and work with the natural order again can we
proceed as a species or as individuals to master the issues of the
outer and mythic worlds.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Synchronising with Saturn's growth cycle: This is done in the

same way as synchronising with Jupiter's growth cycle but the
measure of time used is 28-30 year cycles with half way intervals
every 14-15 years. On Babaji's key, we can see that his first Saturn
return is in 1922, so we can approximate a half way point around
1907-1908 (at age 14 or 15) and one following on from 1922 in
about 1936-37. These years of 1907-8, 1922 and 1936-7 are periods
in which the interaction he has with Saturn is at a kind of high tide
and can be used as powerful starting points for interacting with him.
In other words, during his activations of this key and half way

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 1

between each of them there is a window of opportunity in which you

can begin following him.
You can also follow Saturn from an activation of your first temple,
Sun or Moon keys for a period of 28-30 years, so any activation of
Saturn to these keys can be your time to get on board. The periods
in-between these times, 14-15 years after each activation of Saturn to
the Sun, Moon or 1" temple, are not as suitable to begin working
with him as the times between his returns.
Or you can just begin observing him now and from here on in. Just
look him up and see where he is as an activator of the master key.
Look at where he has just been, too, and where he is going next,
using the master key to find the path. Use conductions to explore his
activations along this path and try to translate their light to every part
of your life and being. This is the way to begin if the dates obtained
from the above methods are too far away.
Any of these techniques are good for steadily but permanently
altering your connection with the natural order in your life and
Saturn in general. They gradually lead you into perceiving the way
the real world works around you and hone your ability to express
yourself as an individual by removing the influence of fear and an
avoidance of taking responsibility, they align your awareness with
the maturing influence that time has over you.
The cycle of Saturn can be further subdivided into four phases,
each of which lasts about 7 years. So, if you count blocks of 7 years
on from the date of his return in this key you find the general timing
of one of these four transitional times. These four stages are the
critical stages of any work with Saturn, times when we encounter
something significant in the natural order. They have some general
qualities as I will now outline:

The Saturn Cycle

• Phase 1: The Saturn return: this is the beginning and the end of the
cycle. It can be a time in which long term situations are begun or reach
a conclusion, often both at once. The natural order of our life becomes
clearer and we embark on a new journey armed with greater experience
of it. These are shown in your Saturn key as Saturn activations.

• Phase 2: The first test: seven years later, the structure you are building
along the path you are on is tested to see if it is in harmony with the
natural order. Often this is a time in which some challenge presents
itself to determine whether you have what it takes to keep going longer
term. An adjustment often needs to be made, rules obeyed, procedures
followed or discipline maintained. Passing this test means that the form

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 of the structure you are building up is made more enduring, while failing
or ignoring it incorporates a fatal flaw which will later topple it.

• Phase 3: The realisation: seven years after phase 2, your plan will
either be realised or you will realise that you have failed, and will seek to
understand why. If you succeed, you reap the rewards of time, effort
and of meeting the earlier challenge and must continue to implement
what you have instituted in the physical world. If you fail, you have to
start over as if you were back to phase 1, but hopefully having learned
something very valuable about the way the world really works. Our first
phase 3 experience is always around the age of 14 or 15, when we are
challenged by adolescance and tend to resent any kind of imposition by
authority. Typically, we are forced into growing up and experience
greater insecurity and responsibility.

• Phase 4: The second test: seven years after phase 3, another test
comes from Saturn. The nature of this test will often depend on the
outcome of phase 3, on whether you were successful and handled it
well or not. A failure seven years ago leads to a new opportunity to learn
what you should have in the first test, a chance to put it right or at least
do it differently this time. If you do, you will meet with success at the
next return. A success earlier in phase 3 means that now the test is
really for you to start letting go of that success story so that you can
begin a new one at the next Saturn return. It's about letting the natural
order take over and giving up control, involvement and too rigid an ego
attachment to material attainments. Seven years from now a new cycle
will begin as Saturn makes a new return.

This is a very powerful way to work with Saturn, especially if you

also watch his activations of keys during and throughout these
phases, and observe that he will pass through each of the 4 Elements
along the way.
The beauty of Saturn is that he expresses the above pattern of
behaviour towards every activation, the same natural order, and in a
manageable time frame, so the phases I have outlined above can be
applied not just to his activations of the Saturn key but his
activations of any key. So, for example, if we want to apply the
above four phases to Babaji's Moon key, we can do that just by using
an activation by Saturn to the Moon key as phase 1, rather than using
a Saturn return as phase 1, and count 7 years on from there for each
new phase. In this way you can investigate Saturn and the laws of the
natural order from any number of different perspectives, given the
significance of the Lights, inner worlds and outer worlds, or even the
temples. The temple keys are less responsive to the testing of phases
2 and 4, however, except for the four temples of power, the l', 4th, 7th
and 10th. At phases 2 and 4 the influences over the other temple keys
are not sensitive enough in practice to respond.

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Exploring the natural order: Jupiter and Saturn are the mediators
of the natural order and using their keys or their activations allows us
to explore its working in our life, especially when we use them
together. We can do this in any way that appeals, either just watching
the activations they make elsewhere as well as those which are made
to their keys, or using some of the suggestions I have given on
synchronising with them like the four phases of Saturn above.
One of the most instructive and complete methods is to combine
the use of the four stages of Saturn outlined above with the four
stages of Jupiter, which are interspersed at intervals of about 3 years
each because Jupiter has a 12 year cycle. The four stages of Jupiter
are very similar, with the exception that they are of the nature of
Jupiter rather than of Saturn and emerge in intervals of every 3 years
rather than every 7. They develop the natural order by expanding
upon things rather than by crystallising them in a reality check, but
they follow the same pattern with challenging tests at stages 2 and 4
and opportunities at stages 1 and 3. If you follow both as you are also
ElectroMagnetically conducting their influences you will learn very
quickly. This is one of the more powerful and intensive ways to
harmonise with the natural order of life, connecting with a far
broader sense of self and gradually pushing back the boundaries of
your life as you do so. It is a path to take if you are interested in a
truly experiential knowledge of the natural order, such as a natural
philosopher, a person of faith or a magician in training.

Life structure: This key and the activations by Saturn to other keys
are revealing basic life structures or changes in the fundamental
realities of your life. Some of these are yours alone, while others are
stages of life shared by everyone at about the same time. A portion of
these shared experiences are shown by Saturn activations to the
Saturn key (others will be explained in the keys which follow).
Just like the Jupiter key where the first Jupiter return leads to the
emergence of puberty, the first return of Saturn leads to our
emergence into true adulthood. It is not until Saturn has made one
full circuit of all the keys that we have enough experience in life to
really and truly know our own place in its natural order. This occurs
just before we turn 30 — a widely recognised milestone in growing
up. Fifteen or so years before that, when Saturn is at its first phase 3,
we are challenged by teenage adolescence, often a time in which we
strongly resist the imposition of any authority and are faced with the
responsibilities of the adult world before we are given any status in
it. Fifteen or so years after our first Saturn return, we are in our early

290
to mid 40s and we call this 'mid-life crisis'. We become undeniably
aware of the fact that time passes like water and never returns as
most of our physical prime time is over. At the time of the second
Saturn return around the late 50s, time is really starting to run out for
us so we tend to evaluate our life and judge it to be a success or
failure, but it isn't necessarily over yet, there is now an opportunity
to begin again, perhaps to retire and enjoy the fruits of wisdom, work
and experience. This 3rd cycle can in fact be the most rewarding of
all, because Saturn is vintage, he gets better with age, provided we
do not grow cold and bitter on him.
These are basic life structures which we all experience at the same
ages, but it must be remembered that the Saturn activations of this
key and the 4 phases he goes through between them are ones you
share at the same general time of life with everyone else who was
born within a few months of you. The other activations in this key
and the activations Saturn makes in all previously discussed keys are
still affecting the realities of your life, but they are far more your
experience alone.

Breaking the effect of fear, limitation or binding circumstances:

The sometimes negative effect of Saturn in human experience -
coldness, poverty, illness, meanness, depression, a sense of failure
and low self esteem - can be shattered and revolutionised during the
Uranus activation. It is also easier to break free of such influences
during Jupiter activation. It is harder to try to do so under Saturn,
Chiron and often Pluto activation but these activations can still be
constructively used and if successfully navigated lead to permanent
changes.
Saturn is ominous - he is heavy - but ultimately what hides behind
this threat is our own fear of dying, our denial of our mortality and
the ticking of the clock, if we look at this fear directly in the face it
lights up and we see that what we are afraid of is just the measure of
our love of life, we see that love carves deeply into our hearts so that
it fills up more. And we see that what matters is that we seize the
day, take every moment as if it were our very last breath and live life
and deal with all our relationships with this awareness of the
precious nature of time. And then we find this incredible power
because we are no longer resisting the laws of the natural order, no
longer afraid of them, because they are helping us to live.
And this is when gentle, wise old Saturn slowly reveals the
spiritual understanding that life is in reality unending, because only
then can we take it and bear the responsibility.

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Bridging Generations: We can learn to value the wisdom and
experience of those older than us with this key, or to find ways to
reach out to younger generations, bridging any gaps in our collective
awareness from different times. Any work with Jupiter or Saturn,
either with their keys or their activations, can help do this. Jupiter
permits similarities, shared wisdom and empathy to emerge, while
Saturn enables the spreading of understanding and experience and is
especially good for dealing with people much older or younger.
Blocks may have to be worked through and given time in the case of
bridging Saturnine gaps, but the techniques in this book can assist
this process.
Aside from employing the techniques in this book for the purpose
of bridging the generation gap, there are some tricks to this Jupiter
and Saturn would like you to be aware of. They can assist the
bridging of any generation gaps through shared experience of life's
natural order. Each generation shares a relationship to the natural
order that was preceded and is shared by earlier generations, so that
there are fundamental patterns between the experience of your
generation and the experience of other generations, commonalities
that you can build on that differ in form but not in essence. The trick
is knowing which generations these people belong to, but in the end
it is relatively easy mathematics thanks to the celestial pattern being
followed by the mediators of the natural order.
Firstly, you will share commonality of experience with respect to
the natural order with everyone born in the same general time frame
as you, i.e. the same season or more of the same year, provided
neither Jupiter nor Saturn are at the end or beginning of a sign. So if
your Jupiter key is at Taurus 14 and your Saturn key is at Leo 20,
you will share commonality with a lot of people born in the same
year as you because neither are near the end or beginning of a sign. If
however your Saturn key is at Leo 29, or your Jupiter key is at
Taurus 02, things get less easy to call and you will only share
commonality with some people in that year as you are born at a
transition point in the emergence of the natural order.
In other words, the commonalities we are discussing arise in charts
which have the same sign positions of Jupiter and/or Saturn. The
planet must be in the same sign as the same planet in the other
persons chart, so having Saturn in Virgo will not give much
commonality with someone who has Jupiter in Virgo. There will be a
connection, a similarity of sorts, but not the one we are looking for
here.

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 This commonality will therefore be shared with previous and
future generations in the following way:

• Everyone born in the years which are intervals of 12-13 years after
or 12-13 years before you will very likely share commonality
through Jupiter, and

• Everyone born in intervals 28-29 years after or28-29 years before

you will very likely share commonality through Saturn.

In other words, you share a commonality of experience of the

natural order with everyone born in the years around your Jupiter and
Saturn returns, and everyone else who was born in increments of 12-
13 or 28-29 years before you were. This basic connection can be
relied upon to enrich interactions which occur across these
generations and bring them closer together. It means that when you
are turning 30, the people being born have Saturn in the same zodiac
sign, and the people who are about 56-58 will too, along with anyone
surviving to the age of 84-87, which means that as time passes you
will all be able to relate your experiences together even though they
come from very different generations. You may not be able to name
this bond but you will experience it as an undeniable alikeness. This
is another reason why Saturn represents relations with elders and
grandparents — this knowledge was experientially acquired from
observing the influence of Saturn's cycle and perceiving how it
connected with actual experience. They did not simply decide that
Saturn influenced relations with elders, they observed it at work
because they were in greater harmony with the natural order.

Timing of major plans and efforts: Beginning major efforts

(regardless of how long they are intended to take) is much better
under Saturn activation (Saturn return) and Jupiter activation of this
key, because at these times, the natural Saturnine qualities in us are
either enlarged or firmed up, leading to greater practicality and
common sense, an ability to see the big picture, better concentration
and understanding of the realities involved.

Coping with failure: There are times in life when we may justifiably
feel like giving up. This is a natural experience to go through, part of
the natural order of things, because we cannot always succeed and
indeed failure is a necessary and valuable learning device. Saturn can
sometimes accentuate these things, especially when our relationship
to him has been impoverished by the hardness or cruelty that the

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human world can bestow upon us. Our relationship to our sense of
failure can be explored and transformed using the Saturn key or his
activations elsewhere as a guide, something that may be necessary
and can be very helpful if we have had a burdensome experience of
life.

Karma: Karmic consequence is often most severe or pressing during

Saturn activation, but that is when it can be dealt with most
permanently. During Jupiter activation, we have the capacity to
embrace our karma more fully and to take it less seriously, but
sometimes the 'expand/contract' nature of these two planets creates
great pressure that needs releasing.
Magic of Binah & the Akasha: All activations of this key are
supportive of this. The Chiron activations are suitable for learning
about healing from the Saturn sphere, especially healing the pain of
the planet and our collective disconnect from it. If any of the outer or
mythic worlds activates this key it can be especially significant in
terms of a magicians experience with the Akasha and the Greater
Self.

As a supplement to the temple keys: Saturn has functioning

related to the 2', 6th and 7th temple keys in Babaji's astrology, but
especially the 2' as it is where he is placed. The activations of the
Saturn key may act as focal points for changes that relate to the 2nd
temple while the activator is moving through it, so he can use the
Saturn key to fine tune his information about these periods in his life.
Note, for example, that Jupiter activates the 2' temple in September
1909, and moves through it until October 1910. This is therefore a
phase involving Jupiter and the 2nd temple. We can then determine
the high points of this phase because the 2nd temple key has a content
— the Saturn key. The times when Jupiter activates Saturn will be
very intense in terms of Jupiter in the 2" temple:
Jupiter: 24 Dec 1909 [7 Mar 1910, 19 Aug 1910J 16-17

Here, the long retrograde activation including its window of

opportunity engulfs the entire passage of Jupiter through the 2nd
temple, showing that it will be strongest of all in three periods, late
December 1909, early March 1910 and mid August 1910. At this
time, he met his teacher:

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"We entered a oneness of silence; words seemed the rankest
superfluities. Eloquence flowed in soundless chant from heart of
master to disciple. With an antenna of irrefragable insight I
sensed that my guru knew God, and would lead me to Him. The
obscuration of this life disappeared in a fragile dawn of prenatal
memories. Dramatic time! Past, present, and future are its
cycling scenes. This was not the first sun to find me at these holy
feet."

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 1“1.1,•.

THE OUTER WORLDS, THE TITANS

The remembered story of the human race and consequently all life
on Earth stands upon the brink of unprecedented changes. The arrival
of new worlds in our awareness of the solar system signals that a
time of change is occurring in human awareness itself, only the first
inklings of which we can see today. The time has come for us to
move on and grow up and we do not have any choice in whether or
not massive transformation will emerge, we only have choice over
the form it will take. If anyone has reason to doubt the truth of these
words they have only to look outside their window and see the
overwhelming changes that are occurring on a daily basis and the
rapid developments that have taken place in human society since the
late 18th century when the first of the outer worlds were rediscovered.
Astrologers have spent this time detecting the influence of these
new worlds through charts and world events and have made
significant progress in identifying and agreeing on their activities,
but up to now compared to the writings on the 'traditional' planets
little has been said or agreed about their essential meaning or their
overall agenda in the human story because they are such recent
additions to our awareness. It is a testament to the flexibility,
endurance and insight of astrologers and astrology that they have
adapted to such a shocking revision of their centuries old, trusted
classical model with only 5 planets and 2 luminaries. They have
made some mistakes along the way, but that is not the point - the
point is they have welcomed the new paradigm and made it their
own without jettisoning centuries of historical practices in the
process. Modern astrologers have done exactly what the ancient
astrologers did when they looked up for the first time and saw Venus,
or Mercury or Jupiter, and watched them, then magically named
them, attaching significance to them. One can think of few other well
established traditions which would adapt to such fundamental
changes so eagerly and do it by instinctively falling back on roots
lost in the mists of time.
This is how we must respond collectively to the changes that are
coming. We must seek them out and not wait for them to reveal
themselves and we must draw on the wisdom of our so-called
'primitive' ancestors. If we wait, we will see change forced upon us
of a kind that we do not consciously want, change which is a
consequence of continuously living out of harmony with the natural

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order and which we will increasingly not be able to control. Just as if
astrologers had ignored the presence of the new worlds 200 years
ago they would now be in turmoil and serious trouble, so too are we
now as a species and will continue to be in the future if we continue
to ignore the issues the outer worlds represent. Therefore the
challenges of these new worlds are of paramount importance and
their significance is increasing over the issues of the inner worlds
and the mediators with each second that ticks by. Eventually, if we
continue to ignore this situation, we will be thrown back into an era
of pure survivalism as our societies collapse and catastrophically
take our ecosystem with them.
Yet if we pass the challenges set by the titans, if we tame them, we
enter an era of new hope, a resurrection of the human spirit in a new
paradigm. We will be collectively gifted with the blessings that the
outer worlds hold which are prizes which far exceed any sacrifices
we would have to make to reach them, and more importantly we will
begin to reverse the damage we have done by living so far outside of
the natural order of life on Earth. This will allow us to advance to
space — as humanity, not as nation states - and ultimately to contact
and enter other realms of existence far beyond anything we can
presently imagine.
However, we are far from where we need to be in order for this to
happen, and we seem to be intent on dragging our heels and clinging
to the old ways. We see the problems, we see the outcomes looming
on the horizon and spilling over into our headlines, but we too often
feel powerless or blocked by the wheels of bureaucracy in the halls
of power we have built. The old paradigm has humanity in a
hypnotic embrace even as it sucks the blood dry from itself.
However, no individual is powerless in this drama, indeed quite the
contrary, it is only through the actions of individuals that we can deal
with this dilemma and avert the catastrophe that threatens not only
future generations, but all living things on Earth. Each of the outer
worlds holds a piece of the puzzle we must put together, together,
and each of them gifts us with tools and technologies with which we
can do it. If enough people work together in doing this, the
destructive collective path we are on can be altered and the human
race and life on Earth will begin to move in a different direction.
Time is of the essence. We all sense and know this; or if we do not,
we will.
The keys to the outer worlds are a way to explore, become familiar
with and apply these technologies so that the challenges can be met.
In the following pages I will attempt to explain these challenges and

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the blessings each of the three outer worlds brings, its role in the
drama, and its consequences if we fail. In the advanced material, you
will learn about the very latest discoveries and their significance, the
mythic worlds, and in the key which follows these three outer worlds
you will learn about Chiron, who can help you connect with these far
reaching worlds, both outer and mythic.

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 THE URANUS KEY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Scorpio 10° 02')
Primary Function: 3'd temple
Sympathies: Lunar conduction and Uranus and Pluto activation
Unsympathetic to: Lunar conduction (an 'unconventional joy')
Activation Age Significance
Uranus: 5 Jan 1893 [25 Mar 1893, 17 Oct 1893] 0 [Birth; potentially a sleepless baby]
Saturn: 3 Nov 1895 2
Chiron: 20 Dec 1896 [11 May 1897, 29 Aug 1897] 3-4 [Radioactivity discovered]
Jupiter: 13 Feb 1899 [6 Mar 1899, 23 Sep 1899] 6
Jupiter: 4 Jan 1911 [28 Apr 1911, 3 Sep 1911] 17-18 [Studies enlightenment with guru]
Jupiter: 14 Dec 1922 [11 Jun 1923, 2Aug 1923] 29-30
Saturn: 10 Dec 1924 [15 May 1925, 5 Sep 1925] 31-32 [Starts Fellowship for enlightenment]
Jupiter: 26 Nov 1934 41
Jupiter: 11 Nov 1946 53
Chiron: 10 Oct 1947 54 [Sound barrier broken]
Saturn: 18 Oct 1954 61 [After his death]
Jupiter: 26 Oct 1958 65
Neptune: 3 Dec 1960 [27 Apr 1961, 7 Oct 1961] 67-68 [First human spaceflight]
Jupiter: 10 Oct 1970 77
Uranus: 13 Dec 1976 [23 Apr 1977, 1 Oct 1977] 83-84 [Uranus return; arrival of computer age]
Jupiter: 10 Feb 1982 [9 Mar 1982, 23 Sep 1982J 89
Saturn: 23 Nov 1983 [22 Jun 1984, 2Aug 1984] 90-91
Pluto: 6 Nov 1987 [17 Jun 1988, 20 Aug 1988] 94-95
 1( )
THE URANUS KEY
ESSENTIAL MEANING

The discovery of Uranus in 1781 heralded the industrial revolution

which kick-started the modern technological age and leads us now
into the quantum age. He was discovered with use of a telescope and
has since then opened up a Pandora's box of new scientific and
technological discoveries. So since his arrival, when human societies
first began to mechanise themselves up to the quantum science age
where interconnected electronic computers are in many homes and
electronic gadgetry is everywhere, Uranus has bestowed upon us a
cornucopia of scientific and social breakthroughs which have
challenged us to keep up with an ever increasing pace of invention.
As time passes this pace only increases as the effect is exponential
and leads to an ever increasing degree of mental awareness or
fractious confusion in the collective human experience. Eventually
we must realise that our capacity to invent things is reaching critical
mass, a point at which it will either consume us or liberate us.
So if technology, especially electrical technology, is one of
Uranus' gifts, one of the first dilemmas he poses us is "Do you really
want to invent this? Have you thought about the fact that there will
be unforeseen consequences in releasing this particular genie out of
its bottle? Are you ready to handle the responsibility of wielding this
dazzling new lightning?" A thing need not be invented just because
we can. We need to learn to be discriminating with our intellect and
make sensible choices without rushing to embrace everything new
that makes our lives easier or more interesting. Freedom is good, and
technology is a form of freedom, but is that freedom worth having if
the cost to future generations is disaster? The motor car is an
excellent example of this dilemma, but only because it has been
around long enough for us to see its drawbacks. Everything we have
invented in the last 200 years has a dark side we either know only in
part or have never suspected. Uranus knows what they are but he
doesn't tell; nor does he ask us to go back. This is the last thing he
wants. He is all about leading us into the future, but we have to
master these issues or he will overwhelm us.
The second gift Uranus gives us is a consequence of his first and
has complex ramifications — a global communications and travel
network which enables social and cultural barriers to be shattered.
We had the telegraph, then the telephone, then the television and so

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on up to the emergence of the internet and twitter. All this is
supported by revolutions in transportation, from cars, to trains, to
planes and helicopters and on into faster than light superluminal
craft. This permits the transition of information through space
regardless of barriers and begins connecting individuals of vastly
different backgrounds into ever growing networks. All data is
rendered vulnerable to being liberated and broadcast instantly
everywhere so the controllers of information can only watch as their
protective barriers are removed and their secrets exposed. Anyone
can access any information about any subject known to the masses
and the rest becomes a target. A danger here is that the flood of new
information becomes an infoglut where all information becomes
meaningless, so this challenges us to be discerning and to manage
and compare data from different sources. The computer redefines
human beings as information processors.
By being placed into greater contact with one another we are also
posed another conundrum by Uranus: "Are you an original or a
clone?" The logical mathematics of this are simple to understand -
the more people you are aware of, the more you have to do to
distinguish yourself as an individual from them. In a world of 7
billion souls, the relative difficulty of showing yourself to be a one of
a kind original, a true individual, are complicated by the awareness
we have of the presence of so many other individuals. If I put you in
a room with 3 other people and say "be completely different to all of
them" you might not think that too hard, but you will perceive this
task to be much harder if I instead put you in a field with 3 million.
The key words in this last paragraph and the keys to this
conundrum are perceive and logical. First, we are using a logical
method of thinking in arriving at this conclusion and Uranus is not a
logical entity. He defies logic, in fact, physically displaying this in
his rotation, which does not move in the same direction as the other
worlds of the solar system but orientates itself almost into the Sun, so
that his poles are placed where other planets have their equators. He
is a capricious, mischievous figure with a dash of lightning in his
eyes whose sense of humour goes far beyond the lewd suggestions in
his name, it is a learning device he uses to enliven social interactions
at a collective level, often also expressed through coincidences
(especially meetings) and other instances of events which defy
logical explanation. So we have to think outside of logical
frameworks when dealing with him and keep our mind wide open
and our sense of humour intact.
Second, it is a fact that we only perceive this task to be more

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 difficult when there are greater numbers of people. It does nothing to
change the ease with which you can be unique, because you are
unique. Your uniqueness is a condition that cannot be taken away
from you and the task is just for you to be yourself. So even if you do
dress identically to someone else by choice or by accident, it doesn't
turn you into a clone. Appearances do not a mental body make.
Through the breaching of social, knowledge and spacial barriers
the new world of communications and transportations ultimately
challenges the species to get along and not fracture into an ever
increasing number of conspiratorial cliques, to pull together and see
through their differences to something we can all agree on — what it
means to be human. This gift of Uranus forces us to look at one
another and to live with one another as if we were in one another's
homes. We can switch the news off but we cannot erase our
knowledge, our mental awareness, of what is happening elsewhere.
The choice for us here is to either use the technology to overcome
our differences together or to withdraw behind it. If we use it to
overcome our differences and can forge a common standard for
human behaviour as a collective, one that is seen to be so in deeds as
well as words, we pass the test that Uranus sets us. We become 'The
People' again, the aboriginal way we used to think of ourselves when
we were connected to the Earth and the natural order, a one people of
many different tribes. If we fail the challenge of Uranus its
technological gifts become something which promote distance and a
lack of real contact between people, they alienate us and make
contact seem trivial instead of drawing us closer together, and
eventually we tear each other apart because we cannot exist together
as people, nor cope with our new-found freedoms: society fails and
breaks down. We then lose access to all our inventive progress in a
series of sudden shocks and are forcibly thrown back into the
embrace of the Earth. This has happened with human beings on the
surface of the planet before, in the last instance the collective was
stillborn, it did not unite and attain cohesion, instead it fell in on
itself and imploded beneath a series of catastrophes causing a
massive collective amnesia of the events and our history on the
planet. The aboriginal peoples were the survivors of this last
catastrophe, the only ones who really knew what we had to do when
this time came. This drama is cyclical and the stakes grow higher at
each iteration.
The final bolt of lightning that Uranus gifts to humanity which I
will discuss here is a metaphysical one. Each of the titans offers
humanity a different path to unity and can therefore alter what we

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perceive of the natural order of things. The first of the titans focuses
on the mental plane and is the easiest of the three for us to resolve.
The Uranian path is simply to bring awareness of unity to the
collective level of mental awareness in human beings so that it
encompasses more of the natural order and is not pre-limited by a
closed mind. Essentially, the metaphysical function of Uranus is
analogous to the principle of quantum tunnelling, the passing
through of barriers and the interconnectivity of all things through a
multiverse of transcendent relationships. It connects distant points in
space with an evanescent wave coupling effect. This is the means by
which telepathy and mental transference are possible. It's the social
network principle of six degrees of separation reduced to one degree
of separation. Ultimately this is his greatest gift, but we can only
really enjoy it once we have reached a certain maturity of individual
or collective awareness. Until then this gift is only partial and
piecemeal, a flash of insight here, an illumination there, a dangerous
invention from out of the primordial past there. Eventually, all this
light adds up to a collective 'Eureka!' in which we grasp a
fundamental truth known by mystics for untold eons — we are all of
one mind, looking at itself. Here we begin to grasp at the essence of
consciousness itself as we see it as a field of awareness shared by all
life. We understand that not only are all human beings mentally
connected together, but that all life is in fact connected together. If
we look at the latest thinking in quantum biology we begin to see the
emergence of this awareness. This understanding is a pinnacle of
Uranian connection which supports our interaction with the state of
awareness that Neptune represents, the next outer world. However,
even beyond this pinnacle he has more to show us that makes his
earlier revelations seem tame. He is, in fact, perpetually ready and
equipped enough to surprise us with unexpected new futures for all
eternity.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Generational & personal activations: The first thing you need to

know about this key is that it has a different nature to all the previous
keys, which have all been personal and individual to you. This key is
only partly personal and individual, and mostly generational. All the
activations of your Uranus key will be shared by everyone born on
the same day and year as you, even the same month or more in most
cases, and everyone born in the same year will have the same
activations in slightly different time periods of life because Uranus

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 moves so slowly that his position in the zodiac does not change
much in the course of an entire year. In this key and the other outer
world keys only the activations of Jupiter and to a lesser extent those
of Saturn tend to be more individual, the rest are generational.
For example in Babaji's case Uranus had just arrived at Scorpio 10
and did not move from Scorpio 10 until March 27th, almost 3 months
later; it then returned to Scorpio 10 in mid October and stayed there
another month, so everyone born in these periods will have an
identical Uranus key. Additionally, everyone born in the several
years in which Uranus was in Scorpio will have somewhat similar
experiences in relatively close time scales as far as their Uranus key
is concerned.
This means that the Uranus key is the first key that you can turn to
work with issues that involve generations of people. If you need to
do anything together with others, or anything which involves issues
which are 'bigger than just me', you can find help here. This planet is
a sky god, a mental entity who is a freedom lover revelling in change
and transition, the remover of obstacles. It also means that if you do
this together with people born in the same years as you, co-ordinated
efforts can become focused by the same astrological activations
occurring across the board and being focused into a collective
movement. If you have a group of people gathered together all with
Jupiter activating the Uranus key, they become empowered together
by both Jupiter and Uranus for that particular moment in time and
this can then be raised and sent in a certain direction. This is the key
that gives power to the people, but it must be used respectfully
because Uranus only truly rewards us when we treat each other as
equals, which is why he has issues with many authorities. I will have
more to say on generational activations in the following pages.
If you are looking for more personal interaction with him there are
two places for you to look for this. The first is in any activation he
makes in any of the other keys, with the exception of the outer world
keys - all his activations to the other outer world keys (including to
an extent the Chiron key) are generational. So your temple, Light,
inner world and mediator world keys all contain activations by
Uranus which are personal contacts he makes with you. Especially
significant are his activations of your Light keys, your temples of
power and the activations he makes to the world key or contents of
your 1" temple.
The second kind of personal interaction you can find is through
the presence he has in the temples at birth and his current position in
the temples. Personally, individuals experience the effect of Uranian

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issues most directly through the primary function Uranus has in their
chart, his temple position at the time of their birth. This temple is the
arena of life in which you can meet the challenges and explore the
agenda of this titan for yourself. His influence in this temple will be
to radically shift your perspective around, to expose your mental
awareness to something completely new which you will then have to
incorporate, and this will then lead to a cascade of emotional and
physical changes as you open your mind. These changes will
position you mentally, astrally and physically in the right place for
the birthing of the collective awareness. Often such changes are
extremely radical and people who have trouble being personally or
individually flexible experience the most upsetting events. The
temple position of Uranus is also the area of life where you receive
most misdirection and misleading advice from other people because
it is where we must think for ourselves and do things differently than
the status quo expects of us, because in order to create a collective
awareness we have to break out of the limiting structures we have
created with our connection to Saturn i.e. the natural order of things
we have created. This is part of the mission of the Uranus key and he
responds swiftly to any who signal their readiness to move on so if
you focus your attention on this temple you will eventually and
probably quickly encounter his influence.
His current position in the temples is where his focus is presently
gathered in your life. Simply look through the temple keys seeking
the last activation he made; that is where he is presently active,
unless it is a year or two from his next temple key activation, in
which case the focus of the new temple is emerging. He will be very
powerful and active when in any temple of power, especially if these
places have any contents, and he will be very personally active in
any temple where your Lights, inner worlds or mediators are placed.
His activity in this temple of life is identical to that described above
for his birth temple, except that it is temporary. These temporary
effects sometimes seem new and disconnected but always eventually
relate themselves back to the permanent birth temple effects.
The guidelines and distinctions between personal and generational
activations outlined above are helpful but not strict ones; you can use
any activation involving Uranus either as a key or an activator to
explore any of the themes he expresses. The same is true for all the
outer worlds.

General nature of Uranian influences: Activations of this key or

by Uranus in other keys can be explosive. They can trigger radical

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 behaviour of all kinds. They can break all the rules and turn things
around so that they start going in the opposite direction, mislead us
with curiosities or the misguided advice of others or overwhelm us
with options. They can unleash a torrent of change and shake up our
lives in ways which feel titanic and out of control. They are
metaphorical and literal earthquakes, lightning struck towers,
serendipitous convergences of parallel realities ('miracle of chance'
occurrences) and unexpected twists. They can bring in an influx of
new social connections, a sudden awakening or refreshment of our
individuality, involvement in group efforts and a desire to break free
of bindings. They can bring new ideas that revolutionise our view of
society and a stronger connection to the collective mind, either
through technology like mass media or magic.
Often, strong activations in this key or activations Uranus makes
itself as an activating planet in other keys will seem to precipitate
sudden events, as if they have come completely out of the blue, but
in reality, if we look deeper, we see that this was just the point at
which we would no more put up with binding situations. For
example, in the activations of Uranus to the 10th temple key, we may
suddenly quit our profession and go off in a new direction entirely,
but in actuality we will have been contemplating such a move for a
long time, it's just that the Uranus activation means we have finally
had enough and so we act seemingly very suddenly. Events can also
transpire in this way, that is, we may suddenly find ourselves losing
our job, forcing us to try something new. This may seem thrust upon
us, but the reality is it is of our own engineering.

Synthesising the Uranian principle: Although its orbit through the

entire chart is about 84 years and therefore we cannot work with it in
a whole cycle (unless we begin a cycle in youth or infancy and live
to a ripe age), we can work with half a cycle when Uranus activates
the Light keys, the 1 st temple key or the world keys of the 1St temple.
It is also possible to do this from one of the inner world keys or the
mediators, but you must then intentionally involve their nature in the
work, which in the case of the mediators is somewhat more
abstracted and operates at the level of individuality.
You just begin a 42 year exploration of its principle when it
activates one of these keys. Indeed, you may not finish this, but at
least you will learn something and there will be a connection made
just from having decided to try. This is a very abstract influence to
synthesise, but following the pattern laid out in the description of
synthesising Saturn given earlier in the Saturn key, there will be a

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transition stage at about 21 years (a quarter of the cycle on, the
equivalent phase 2) after the work is begun. Also observe the time
when he crosses one of the temples of power in this period, and
when he reaches the Lights, if he does. This is a lengthy engagement
but it can teach you a lot about his nature that you cannot learn by
other methods. In all, however, it is swifter and perhaps ultimately
more productive to synthesise any and all Uranian activations
through conduction with the Sun and/or Moon, and to generate the
connection by focusing this repeatedly.
Some of us will live to see a complete set of activations by
Uranus, one in every key. We have to get to our 70s or 80s before
this is possible, and the cycle doe not properly close until the Uranus
return which is timed to occur for all of us in our early to mid 80s.
The magic of the Uranus return is that of a complete cycle of
individual experience and an opportunity to be reborn, a moment like
the Saturn return in which the whole of the cycle is laid bare, but it is
the whole lifetime that is involved, not just one cycle of maturity
(youth, adulthood, elder), but all three at once. Since it occurs not
just to us but to everyone who was born around the same time as us it
is like a Pt Saturn return for our entire generation. At this time many
people have a 'second wind' of life take hold of them, they start to
want to live all over again, yearning for the freedom of youth or
becoming interested in something new or taking new interest in the
world, seeing how far the collective has come. They have impulses
to get out and see and do as much as possible, often surprising the
people around them. In other cases, the return to youth is more literal
as the cohesion of the mind becomes weakened by the removal of
structures that give it support and grounding, the mind cannot cope
with how much change it has seen, leading to senility. In most cases
things are not so extreme and people are able to look back and see
ultra-radical changes that have taken place across the entire spectrum
of life, but alienation from the collective and a fear or uncertainty
about the future then takes hold. It is really the responsibility of
younger generations to be more inclusive of older generations so that
these conditions do not arise. The insight we have into human nature
at this time and beyond it is often extremely valuable to the
collective human experience. It is not just from our youth but also
from these people that the 'pulse' of the collective human awareness
can be taken as they have the perspective and potentially the wisdom
to see where it has been going all their lives and thus where it is
headed in the future.

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 Group Dynamics: Our ability to operate within a group by finding
connections and commonalities within the membership is greatly
enhanced by Jupiter activation and potentially inhibited by Saturn
and Chiron activation of this key, which instead help us to give it
structure or to build bridges between camps. Pluto activation can
lead to tyranny and the influence of corruption in group dynamics -
if hidden they tend to emerge to be purged, quite explosively, but
Pluto also gives great power to radically transform things, or the
depth of perception and commitment to get to the heart of what the
group stands for. Neptune influences group interaction subtly and
can be manipulative and secretive but also potentially refining,
smoothing differences by smudging them with empathy. Neptune
activation of this key is visionary stuff for an entire generation and
can inspire many kinds of poetic musing on the future.
As I stated above, the activations by Uranus in other keys can also
apply themselves to group dynamics, just as they can apply
themselves to the other themes mentioned in these suggestions. The
distinction is that when working with these themes using the Uranus
key you are dealing with something that can easily be amplified by
working together with others from your generation.
Protest movements: Joining in any kind of social activism is
potentially more effective under Jupiter activation of this key but
may encounter resistance and a harsher, harder response from
authorities under Saturn activation. Under Pluto activation it can be
revolutionary, but self destructively or compulsively driven. Under
Chiron activation of this key we may experience problems in our
dealings with others that are painful but we have a once in a lifetime
chance to offer healing to the collective. Neptune activation of this
key is best for transmitting an ideology or a vision through the
collective.
Fresh starts: These are best timed to Jupiter activation and probably
best avoided under Saturn and Chiron activation. Under Pluto
activation you can have an intense brush with fate and a complete
new beginning can be experienced if it is necessary. This will be
happening to your generation so it often signifies a threat or a
potential threat which applies to many people across the world at
about the same time. These generational Pluto activations of the
outer worlds are extremely significant for everyone born in a certain
period of time.
A more personal fresh start can be found in the area of the Lights,
inner worlds or temples whenever Uranus is activating them.

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Sciences, technology, and their fringes: The Uranus key and the
Uranus activations can be helpful when breakthroughs are needed in
programming, scientific researches or when you have to work with
technology. They are also good for anything connected to the fringes
of these areas, such as ufology, anti-gravity, etc.

Magic, Kabbalah, astrology and Uranus sphere operations: All

these are assisted by activations of the Uranus key, especially
activations by Jupiter and Saturn. The activations of this key can
have a very powerful effect on any magical work because we have a
planetary connection to the collective mind and to the universal
language. The same is true when Uranus activates other keys, but the
potential there is dependent on our connection to the world or temple
it activates.

As a focal key for radical life changes: The primary function of

your Uranus key will show you which temple you will experience
the greatest changes in your life through. This is not generational, it
is personal to you. Therefore it is an indicator of where you must
follow the guidelines for interacting with him, namely, keep your
sense of humour, open your mind, be flexible and above all, remain
calm ("Don't Panic!").

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 THE NEPTUNE KEY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Gemini 08° 59')
Primary Function: 10'h temple
Sympathies: none
Unsympathetic to: Jupiter and Chiron activation

Activation Age Significance

Neptune: 5 Jan 1893 [31 Mar 1893] 0
Pluto: 16 May 1893 [20 Jan 1894, 24 Mar 1894] 0-1
Jupiter: 14 May 1894 1
Jupiter: 28 Apr 1906 13
Saturn: 9 Jun 1913 20 [World War I; use of chemical warfare]
Jupiter: 21 Aug 1917 [9 Nov 1917, 8 Apr 1918] 24-25 [End of World War I; Russian revolution]
Jupiter: 25 Jul 1929 [21 Dec 1929, 13 Mar 1930] 36-37 [Financial crash, change of global fortunes]
Chiron: 6 Aug 1934 [28 Oct 1934, 16 May 1935] 42 [Rise of Fascism, Great Depression]
Jupiter: 5 Jul 1941 48 [The holocaust; USA joins World War II]
Saturn: 22 Jul 1942 [2 Dec 1942, 10 Apr 1943] 50 [The holocaust; World War II (Stalingrad)]
Uranus: 31 May 1944 51 [The atom bomb, end of World War II]
Jupiter: 17 Jun 1953 60
Jupiter: 31 May 1965 72
Saturn: 23 May 1972 79
Jupiter: 15 May 1977 84
Chiron: 1 Jun 1985 92
Jupiter: 28 Apr 1989 96
 I'
THE NEPTUNE KEY
ESSENTIAL MEANING

In just under the span of time it took the newly discovered world
of Uranus to orbit the Sun once, a new world emerged in our
collective awareness, Neptune. Discovered in Berlin by suitably
arcane mathematical equations in late 1846, we deceived ourselves
by passing it off as a star when it was observed in 1795, and even
earlier by Galileo in 1612. So a cloaked, mysterious, elusive,
ethereal, visually enchanting, fantastical and intangible quality
presented itself before we even consciously knew Neptune was there.
This continued to emerge after it was discovered to be a planet,
showing itself as the theosophy movement and the Golden Dawn, the
spiritism of the late 19th century, the rise of photography, cinema and
opium (later LSD), psychotherapy, hypnotism, the periodic table of
elements and other advances in chemistry, physics and visual
entertainment, all laying the groundwork for what was to come in the
20th century and beyond. Yet behind these gifts the agenda of
Neptune remained shrouded, as intangible as wisps of mist floating
on a fen. Some of his voices said a new age was coming, a
transcendent awakening into a new reality, while others spoke of
deception, escapism, lies, illusions and fantasies. Only very slowly
and gradually has our awareness of what this world represents
refined itself into what we can see of it today, and it will continue to
refine itself so that what we see today is always only a partial
unveiling of the great mystery of Neptune.
Neptune is the Lord of the Deeps. In mythology, he is the god of
the oceans wielding a trident as a symbol of his power. This trident
represents the physical, astral and mental planes, signifying his
power over each, but as Lord of the Deeps he is more directly
associated with the astral world. It is his task to evoke our awareness
of unity in the human astral realm, just as Uranus is the guide to
awakening unity in the human mental realm. In order to fulfil this
task he is effective in the three planes of experience, physical, astral
and mental, and his gifts are those which lead us to this state of unity
by revealing the hierarchy of creation and the equilibrium of the
entire universe in the universal consciousness. Neptune is essentially
our emissary from the consciousness of the universe itself, a
consciousness which speaks in symbolic astral messages and codes

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 which must be decrypted before their significance is revealed. We
can call these messages muses, visions, prophecies, dreams, the laws
of physics, miracles or even God but they are ultimately impulses
arising from outside or beyond our normal consciousness which we
cannot see or touch in our mundane experience so we experience
them symbolically and give them a symbolic form of expression
which must be continually refined.
The universe is a conscious entity which guides all its creations in
a steady but sure path towards full self realisation in the awareness of
their connection together as a single entity. This is not an
evolutionary path, it is a path of emergent consciousness. To say that
it is an evolutionary path implies that we are more progressed along
it than the apes or the ants and in many individuals this is not the
case. A tree exists in closer union with this universal awareness than
most of us do, because it does not filter its experience subjectively.
There are many sentient species on the Earth with us who are far
more advanced in terms of their awareness of the universal
consciousness than even the most enlightened of us. Even a blade of
grass may be seen to express more of this consciousness than the
typical human being because it does not filter the awareness of the
universal consciousness which flows through it. We are
comparatively behind in this awareness, where many animal and
plant species are ahead. This is why animals often appear in
significant dreams or visionary experiences and were chosen along
with plants as totems of the spirit world, as well as why they were
placed in the sky as our constellations of the zodiac. Animals and
plants are our teachers.
There are more worlds than the one we can hold in our hand.
There are worlds of music and worlds of feeling, worlds of pure
thought and worlds of dream, worlds of dog and crow, the world of
trees and clouds, worlds that will be, will never be, should have been
and never were. There are worlds that lie beside and inside ours,
around and beneath, through and outside, beyond and behind. All
invisible, inter-penetrating ours unseen, all real. They are worlds
filled with living beings, some of which are aware of our existence,
some of which are not, some of which work with us and some of
which do not. We have been knocking on the door of many of these
beings since the discovery of Neptune but many have been
interacting with us for eons. The difference now is that we are
approaching the point as a species in which our actions can impact
them more directly, which means theirs can affect us more directly
too.

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 In many religious and spiritual traditions these beings are known
as spirits. They are as infinite in variety as imagination itself and
have been called muses, ghosts, faeries, totems, angels, devils and
demons; in the modern day we also perceive them in the form of
extraterrestrial visitors, and whether or not they originate from
another planet, another sphere of existence or another dimension,
they are always otherworldly beings and they have always been with
us.
From any one position in the universe we can look outwards and
inwards from our own consciousness and perceive a hierarchy of
awareness and intelligence with regard to the universal
consciousness, and this hierarchy is the hierarchy of spirits. In other
words, there are some entities in the body of the universal
consciousness which exist in dimensions adjacent to ours, and some
which are very remote, giving human beings a hierarchy of spirits,
but for another species this hierarchy of spirits will be different
according to their perspective of the universal consciousness. As we
interact with the inhabitants of our particular hierarchy we are
interacting with the universal consciousness which uses symbolic
essential meaning to communicate with us, so we have to decode the
imagery and symbolism to perceive the objective reality. This
decoding is the initiatory process that we go through as our
consciousness is refined by contact with the universal consciousness,
so the symbolic form of the spirit is always significant. We may see
an angel in our dreams, and this being may give us a message which
makes perfect sense at the time, but when we awake and return to
our normal state of consciousness, it seems scrambled and we must
decipher it. The deciphering is not a problem — it is part of the gift,
part of the message. As we figure it out a subtle alchemy is being
worked on our consciousness, re-aligning it with the universal
consciousness. The spirits are intermediaries between the physical
world and the consciousness of the universe itself. The universe is so
big (actually infinite) that we can only address it through these
intermediaries.
Thus, Neptune is the contact we have with the universal
consciousness through an infinite hierarchy of non-physical realms, a
contact with otherworldly beings which gradually leads us to the
universal consciousness itself. Their forms change as we do but the
unity behind them — the universal consciousness itself — remains
immutable. It is, if you like, God, but you can also think of it as a
Unified Field Theory, Kabbalah or whatever else that works for you
— they are different paths which all lead to the same thing in the end.

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 In Cairo and throughout Egypt recently, an uprising against the
president led to Muslims and Christians standing together in
solidarity and forming protective rings around one another when
times of prayer were called for. Despite the spirit of the times which
dictates that they should behave with suspicion towards one another
these people had instead seen beyond these veils to the essence of
their faiths. The challenge for us now that Neptune has appeared is to
realise this attitude at a collective level. To look at all our faiths, all
our deities, all our spirits, all our theories of life and see beyond the
masks they wear to their essence, to see that they point to one thing -
the universe is a One thing. It is to extend the mental awareness of
the human connectedness established by Uranus from the mental
level to the astral in a perception that we are not only connected as a
people but that we are connected to everything that is or ever was or
will be. We are, in modern parlance, in a quantum entanglement with
the entire universe. This awareness will lead us into a more intimate
relationship with the universe through the development of
compassion and unconditional love.
To reach this awareness we have to gain a measure of collective
objective perception of the realities we live in, including all of the
non-physical ones, so we are being taken on a journey into
wonderland by Neptune and we risk losing our sanity as our
conscious mind comes into contact with the universal consciousness.
We need to not only accept the reality and validity of all faiths, we
need to be able to discern when we are deceiving ourselves. We need
to know if we are looking at a star or an undiscovered world. So
Neptune often has to divest us of illusory or imaginary self
deceptions so that we can lift the veils we have placed over things
with our naivete or ignorance.
To fail this task is to become mired in religious and political
dogma, divisive 'us and them' conspiracies and clashes of ideologies
including science vs. religion, race vs. race, species vs. species. It
leads to a paranoid inability to cope with material life and therefore a
collective escape from reality into drugs, virtual holographic worlds
and other fantasies of our own making. The gauntlet thrown down to
humanity by Neptune is for the collective to find a common vision, a
shared set of ideals which it adheres to and grounds in the physical
realm, gradually evolving that vision into reality. Without a shared
vision for itself our collective and thus our civilisation will lose
cohesion and disintegrate. The only perpetually stable vision for a
collective to share is that of the eternal unity of all life, and so this is
the agenda of Neptune, one individual at a time.

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TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Generational & personal activations: Like Uranus, Neptune has

two spheres of operation, a collective and personal one. These
spheres are inclusive, so they are not separate but a single entity
expressed in different scales. However we can distinguish between
activations involving Neptune which are collective in origin and
focus, and activations which are personal in origin and focus.
The following are collective in origin and focus: all the activations
of the Neptune key except for those made by Jupiter and Saturn,
which are semi-collective because they are mediators between the
outer and inner worlds. Additionally, all the activations by Neptune
in any of the outer world keys (including the Chiron key) are also
collective.
All activations by Neptune in any key except for the outer world
keys are considered personal in origin and focus. They might be
affecting a large number of people at once but there will be less
common thread in the experience they are having and they will not
be instigated by a collective happening, an event or a Zeitgeist, a
spirit of the age.
The collective activations involving Neptune are transpersonal,
they transcend one individual to affect the collective so they are
things happening to that generation of people. In Babaji's Neptune
key you see my remarks about the activations which signify events
his entire generation had to witness and their internal response to
them. These events then become part of a certain planetary agenda,
in this case Neptune's, for that generation. This is an especially
important technique for astrologers to look at because it shows them
the generational karma signified by the outer worlds and when it
comes due, as well as how and when the outer planets gain their
karmic content for future generations. Historical events are not only
mirrored in the ongoing relationships between the slow moving
planets, they are also mirrored in the way those events relate back to
the birth charts of previous but still living generations, factors which
are only clearly seen in the keys. This forecasting of generational
influences relates to the subjective experience that each generation
has in their reactions to world events, reactions which will be
different for different generations and which will also play out at
slightly different times within the same generation.
With a little familiarity these patterns are as easy to read from a
birth chart as other major transits are, at least generally. For example,
if a generation of people are born with Pluto in Sagittarius and

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 Uranus in Pisces, as happened recently, they will all eventually
experience Pluto activating the Uranus key. When it comes this will
happen slowly, over the course of a decade or so, depending on how
long Pluto takes to pass through Pisces. This is indicative of a major
trend sweeping through that generation during a specific foreseeable
period, one which can be reflected differently in the outer world keys
of other generations at the same time, depending on how massive an
event it is.
This means that the placing of the outer planets Uranus, Neptune
and Pluto in the signs are the most significant threads which weave
the story of human generations and that the expression of these
threads as time passes depends on which of these three worlds most
closely precedes the others in the signs of the zodiac. For example, a
generation with Uranus in Aries, Neptune in Pisces and Pluto in
Capricorn (everyone being born today) will mostly experience itself
through activations of both Neptune and Pluto to the Uranus key,
because those activators are positioned behind the Uranus key.
Neptune will come to activate the Uranus key, and Pluto both the
Neptune and Uranus keys. It will not be until it has gone almost all
the way around the zodiac — something like 80 years — that Uranus
will make activations to an outer world key, summing up what that
generation has been about and the novelty it has introduced.
This is really a very large area of study, and one that deserves
more investigation in the times ahead.

General nature of Neptune influences: Refinement, imagination,

idealism, empathy, dreaminess and vision are the hallmarks of
Neptune contact, whether it is collective or personal in origin. The
principle of Neptune is that of transcendent oneness, the universal
awareness, it is the astrological representation of the Mystery of the
One Self and the infinite hierarchy of the spiritual realms, the eternal
cosmology. This principle dissolves boundaries and acts to gradually
refine our spiritual growth, our ideals and our imagination. It causes
parallel worlds to bleed into one another and sets wild poems and
metaphors racing across the landscape looking for poets to catch
them. The imagination and compassion or unconditional love are
strongly associated with Neptune, as are psychic perceptions and any
magical work with beings from other dimensions or intangibles. He
strips away the outer appearance of things and makes superficialities
transparent by unveiling essences.
The activations of this key are therefore very important for all
spiritual or religious activities, as are Neptune activations to all the

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other keys. These activations are subtle spiritual influences that
refine our perception of the universe so that it becomes more
objective and inclusive, but only after we have passed through doubt
and a period of seeming unreality as one reality seeps into another.
Often this will involve veils of illusion falling away, confusion,
mysterious feelings and a need to guard against madness or fantasy
as this process emerges. They are also very important activations for
anyone who works with the imagination, especially with the visual
imagination, such as movies, imaginative fiction or fantasy art, as
these activations are stimulating the faculty of imagination with
aspects of the universal consciousness. Anybody who works closely
with music, poetry, chemicals and gases, theoretical physics or
hypnosis may also find these activations important.
Certainties erode and reality goes up for grabs in some way
through Neptune. A confusing undermining of distinctiveness and
solid ground can take place as perceptions of the universe are shifted.
Through Neptune we enter a nebulous zone where nothing is easily
defined or contained by the definitions we apply. This is often a
training ground for the flowering of our psychic perceptions.
Feelings are stimulated by Neptune because he removes the
personal barriers we use as shields against empathic and sympathetic
connection to one another and the universe. Often the feelings he
brings are transcendent or despairing ones, they exalt and lift us up
or cast us down and sap us emotionally, depending on what there is
around us or what we need to go through. This is a part of the
equilibrium of the collective awareness at the astral level of being.
Another feature of all kinds of Neptune activation is that they are
often gradual and subtle but they become very acute and enchanting,
often like a spell or music that is woven around our consciousness
seducing us with something ethereal and intangible the more we
listen to it. We become enchanted by something we cannot put our
finger on or label and neatly fit into a box, something that creeps up
on us like a lovers crush. Time can seem to be suspended, but as it
passes the activation eases off and the enchantment fades, so that we
see the frog in the prince or the less glamorous reality behind the
movie screen we have been watching. It is important to understand
that not only are we more prone to fuzzy thinking and feeling at
certain times, but also that this does not invalidate what we have
experienced when we wake up from the dream. Neptune contacts are
never pure fantasy. We tend to fantasise through them, but there is
always something real about them. The task is to discern what this is,
which means we have to view circumstances objectively and non-

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 personally. Connection to Neptune can be clarified and this can
reduce and even completely vanish the potential of Neptune to cause
disorientation, but this requires a well developed connection with
Saturn to stand upon.

Uncovering Neptune's personal focus in your life: There are

three main ways in which Neptune can be engaged at a more
personal level of contact.
The first is through his primary function. In Babaji's case this is
the 10`h temple. This is the area of life in which Babaji met Neptune
and expressed it — he is well known for having established eastern
spiritual practises in the west through a foundation, a spiritual and
religious calling in life which is symbolised by his Neptune's
primary function. Just by involving yourself in this primary function
you will develop a more personal relationship with Neptune, but if
you focus intentional work around it and nurture it through
conduction every year and month you will make much faster
progress, especially when any activation involving Neptune is going
on at the time. Be patient, Neptune is ethereal.
The second way to develop a more personalised relationship to
Neptune is by his present temple position, which you find by looking
for the most recent activation of a temple key made by Neptune.
Turn your attention to that area of life as a secondary focus to the
primary function. If he is a year or two away from activating the next
temple key, pay attention to that area instead.
Lastly, he will not make a complete circuit of the chart in your
lifetime, unless radical changes occur in human life expectancy.
Neptune's orbit is very lengthy, it takes him just under 165 years to
completely orbit the Sun and pass through all 12 zodiac signs; in fact
in 2010 he made his first circuit of the zodiac since his discovery,
consciously clarifying his essential meaning through us for the first
time. This has important implications for the 26 keys because it
means Neptune will not activate every part of our chart, since only
about half of it will be visited by Neptune in a normal human
lifespan. It means that the influence of Neptune is not only subtle and
difficult to discern due to its slow movement, but also that its
influence is more focused than any other planet except Pluto. So
make a note of which keys he does activate, and in which order too.
This will show the span of his focus across the temples and which
world keys he will encompass in this reach. Use these rare
opportunities to build your connection with him through conduction
but also as a general map of the territory he takes you through.

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Social reform: Neptune has an influence on the break-up and
disintegration of rigid and outdated social patterns like Uranus, but
unlike Uranus it does so subtly and through slow wearing away or
osmotic disintegration, seeping through but permeating everything
with a damp atmosphere. He is a spy, not a revolutionary. He
changes the way people feel rather than what they think. He
infiltrates and takes over from within, rather than overthrowing the
old order. He is the difference between a revolt (Uranus) and a
fashion trend (Neptune) or a pressure group and an aid concert. The
two planets are complementary forces in our awakening into new
societies. Uranus awakens us to new alternatives and innovations,
new mental paradigms, and Neptune brings visions, access to astral
paradigms as immaterial realities and the possibility for collective
escape or transcendence. Uranus is more concerned with freedom
and human rights, Neptune with ideologies and environmental
issues.
The collective activations involving Neptune are indicative of
broad sweeps or changes of ideology in the generation concerned.
They are the spirits of the times, memes which move through the
collective imagination of a group of people, new sounds which
captivate them, movies which encapsulate their dreams, events
which shape their vision of our future, etc.
The personal activations involving Neptune can stimulate our
ideology and our desire to refine social structures. We can have
personal visions of a better world, a more caring world, or see
opportunities for deception which we can exploit or give ourselves
to, temptations that Neptune has summoned to test our commitment
to the truth of the objectively real world.
Any change induced by Neptune is gradual like the effect of a
narcotic drug. It will take time to emerge but when it does its effects
will be powerful. So if no immediate changes are seen as a result of
working with Neptune, do not give up, keep going. Neptune only
asks that you stay true to the essence of your dream, grounded in the
natural laws of Saturnine realities and respectful of the equality of all
life before he will lend his titanic aid, but sometimes we have to see
with better eyes.

Creative imagination: In terms of the Neptune key, works of

creative imagination flow more abundantly during Jupiter activation
and will likely require greater effort under Saturn. Greater intensity
can be directed through the imagination under Pluto activation, and
greater inspiration received under Uranus activation. Chiron

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 activation of Neptune stimulates the creative imagination with a
desire to heal the collective.
On the more personal side any activation Neptune makes to the
temple keys, Light keys, inner world keys or mediator keys can serve
to open the imagination to new realms and to encounter vistas of
inspiration through the magic of the muses.

Drug use: Many people have to use pharmaceutical substances in

their daily lives, for example diabetics, so this advice applies not just
to alcoholics and recreational drug users but all use of drugs, herbs or
other substances which alter consciousness or body chemistry. In
terms of the Neptune key any kind of drug use, whether it is for
medical treatment or recreation or spirit journeys, is more intense but
much more dangerous during Pluto activation. Unexpected side
effects are also more likely to result under the Uranus activation, and
during Saturn activation fear and resistance can be a problem. Jupiter
activations are also slightly dangerous in that there is more risk of
overdose, and during Chiron activations recreational and non-
essential drugs are best avoided entirely because of the risk of side
effects or harm. This activation is for healing purposes only.
Again, my suggestions here as elsewhere are only pointers to some
of the kinds of expression these activations have, they are not
certainties or even high probabilities, they are just a few of many
possible outcomes.
Substance addiction is another matter but again this is not limited
to what we commonly consider drugs. With Neptune there is always
a danger of substance addiction as a form of escape, whether the
substance is crack or communion wafers and a confession box,
paranoid conspiracy theory, alcohol, failed relationships or
daydreaming. These addictions have filters of perception which must
be passed through and lifted so that what is hidden beyond the veil
can be perceived. Jupiter activation of Neptune can actually make
this more difficult by tempting indulgence and opening up
opportunities for supply, whereas Saturn activation helps us abstain
and stay 'dry' by seeing the realities in material costs.
With any addiction you have to get to the root cause of why you
feel you need the thing it gives you in your life. There is a positive
benefit to any negative form of behaviour, a benefit that addresses a
need you have, the negative behaviour is just a poor, unwise or
unsatisfying expression of that need. When you know and truly
understand what that need is, you can work on replacing the negative
expression of that need in a positive way which will be permanent.

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Use the method of conducting the astral Light in this book to help
you accomplish all this, drawing in the help of any activations you
are experiencing at the time. A Jupiter activation of the 11th temple
key, for example, can be a signal that it is a good time to join a
support group.

Astral magic, evocation, visionquest and magical symbolism:

As an initiator into the transcendent nature of the astral realm and a
significator of pure essential meaning and the hierarchy of spirits,
Neptune activations and the Neptune key can be turned to explore all
these areas.

Psychic development: Here I am talking not just about the

development of psychic perceptions, including clairvoyance,
clairaudience, mediumship, psychometry, divination by tarot and
magic mirror, etc., but also all psychic states which relate to
meditation i.e. the ability to acquire such psychic perceptions, and
the development of our awareness of symbolism.
In terms of the Neptune key, there are points in time at which an
entire generation are given opportunities to develop together in this
respect. These are shown by the activations of Chiron, Uranus,
Neptune and Pluto. Everyone born in the same year or the year either
side of you will experience these activations alongside you. This
generational activation will span itself out over a period of years,
touching every individual. If at these times collective efforts are
made by such people to focus meditation or psychic development
together then greater results can eventually be seen to manifest
themselves. The Jupiter activations are ideal, as are the Uranus
activations. The Chiron activations work well for psychic and
spiritual healing practice. The Pluto activation is potentially
extremely powerful in this respect but there must often be an
intentional use and training of psychic faculties. The Pluto activation
has the potential to open a generations 'third eye', even if only for a
brief time.
With Neptune activations elsewhere in the keys, not including the
outer world keys, there are more personal opportunities for psychic
development. As Neptune passes over a key, activating it, the psychic
perceptions and states can be trained in that area. Temple key
activations show areas of life while world keys show dimensions of
being in which the training can occur. If Neptune reaches any of the
Light, inner world or mediator keys it will be an especially
significant time in which you can gain assistance in penetrating one

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 of the seven veils said to cover the third eye. This signifies the
emergence of a psychic connection to the seven celestial bodies
known to the ancients - Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter
and Saturn. Each planet's sphere has a 'veil' which is lifted when the
required maturity is reached, revealing a new formerly hidden
dimension of consciousness and the beings which inhabit it. The
lifting of these veils is really the raising of the awareness so that it is
able to encompass and perceive the realms symbolised by the
planets. This is not as esoteric as it sounds; in fact, people do this all
the time but do not fully penetrate to the depth point of the realm, so
they only connect with the personal surface layers. Consider the last
time you had a feeling so strong that you could not think straight -
your awareness in such an experience is placed in the realm of
feeling, the Venus sphere, so completely that you cannot access any
rational thought process — the Mercury sphere. The same is true of
the magic of moving the astra-mental awareness around to different
places — people do it all the time, for example, when they stub their
toe and all they can think about is the throbbing toe. The difference
between this kind of transference of awareness and a magical one is
that the magical one is fully, completely conscious and under our
direction and observation, and the magician inhabits that level of
awareness with the entirety of their being, completely concentrated
and yet completely relaxed in that realm of awareness. This kind of
fluidity of consciousness is what Neptune attempts to teach us.
The agenda of Neptune is to lead us individually and collectively
on a gradual ascent through the hierarchy beyond each of these veils,
revealing the invisible worlds around us, gradually unveiling the
unity of all things. He is therefore eager to train us in being able to
move our awareness freely from one realm to another without barrier
or impediment, befriending all the beings found there and making
this earthbound by bringing it back to our reality so that all levels of
awareness remain anchored and unified within us.

Refinement of ideals into realities: Any activation of the Neptune

key but especially the Saturn activations are an opportunity for a
generation to refine or ground its ideals into realities. You must look
at the realities you are dealing with and discern how objectively
achievable your ideals are. This can be a time of accomplishment in
which you materialise a vision into expression through the natural
order, but only if great effort has been made in the past.

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Birthing the collective: The Neptune key activations are part of the
birth of the collective mind so working with them can move this
process further along. The task with Neptune is to coalesce and
evoke a collective vision which is in harmony with the natural order
so that it takes form in our collective acts, a process which will bring
our collective awareness into focus astrally. As an individual on this
path at first you have to deal with Neptune as it manifests in your
personal circumstances but later, once you have an awareness of the
reality it represents, awareness and visions can emerge which guide
you to see the bigger picture taking shape.

Uncovering Mysteries: Any activation involving Neptune is prone

to uncovering the many mysteries of life, but don't expect to solve
any of them - the next outer world is the one to ask for help there.

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 THE PLUTO KEY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Gemini 08° 11')
Primary Function: 10th temple
Sympathies: none
Unsympathetic to: Jupiter and Chiron activation

Activation Acme Significance

Pluto: 5 Jan 1893 [6 Apr 1893] 0 [Birth]
Jupiter: 10 May 1894 1
Jupiter: 24 Apr 1906 13
Saturn: 3 Jun 1913 20 [World War I]
Jupiter: 15 Aug 1917 [16 Nov 1917, 4 Apr 1918] 24-25 [End of World War I]
Jupiter: 21 Jul 1929 [28 Dec 1929, 6 Mar 1930J 36-37 [Global financial crash]
Chiron: 21 Jul 1934 113 Nov 1934, 5 May 1935] 41-42 [Fascism, The Depression]
Jupiter: 1 Jul 1941 48 [World War II]
Saturn: 14 Jul 1942 [12 Dec 1942, 1 Apr 1943] 49-50 [Holocaust]
Uranus: 6 Aug 1943 [25 Oct 1943, 18 May 1944] 50-51 [The atom bomb, end of World War II]
Jupiter: 13 Jun 1953 60
Jupiter: 28 May 1965 72
Saturn: 17 May 1972 79
Jupiter: 11 May 1977 84
Chiron: 19 Aug 1984 /9 Oct 1984, 22 May 1985] 91-92
Jupiter: 24 Apr 1989 96
 1/41,
THE PLUTO KEY
ESSENTIAL MEANING

There is much in Pluto that we are afraid of because we have

placed a great treasure with him which we are collectively afraid of
reclaiming, arguably our greatest. The terrible power which Pluto
holds over us is our collective fear and fascination with reclaiming
this treasure, but the last of the titans is not going to let us just walk
away with it. It is with him for a reason — we have to prove to
ourselves that we are worthy of it. He cannot be cheated,
manipulated, charmed, beaten or conned out of the prize; he is
immune to all our control, invulnerable to our weapons and armed
with the most destructive arsenal of death that we can imagine. He
coolly plays a game of nerve with us where the stakes are all life on
Earth, carefully squeezing the trigger on the arsenal we have given
him and then relaxing his grip when we begin to react to the threat,
but since we do not face him down and stare him full in the eye, the
game continues and one day we may grow so complacent of the
continuous threat that the trigger may be pulled. The short answer
on what Pluto means is 'game-over' — one way or another. He is the
cosmic reset button. The shell over the world we have made will
crack one way or another revealing what is behind it. He brings
sweeping change whether it is forced upon us or chosen. We should
always choose, because leaving it entirely up to him is never a good
idea. Choosing, however, means looking him directly in the face,
which requires all our nerve, courage, strength and determination and
above all a reaching within for our inner light, and then telling him
straight what we want. This is always more complex and difficult
than we expect, because when we look into his eyes we see our own
souls dancing on the surface and see deeply into our darkness and
our capacity for cruelty, our existential hopelessness and despair, the
insignificance and oblivion of all we stand for; it can hypnotise us or
drive us mad with petty power plays as we foolishly try to make our
mark on eternity, which is why we need that inner light held aloft in
front of his face.
Pluto arrived in our collective awareness in the 20th century and
has stirred controversy ever since, both in worldly terms and for
astronomers trying to decide what he is. He is tiny, smaller than our
Moon. He does not follow the path of the ecliptic like the other

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 worlds, but is inclined at an eccentric orbit around the Sun which
breaks free of the line of the solar family. This means that he passes
through areas of the starry sky that other celestial bodies cannot
reach, such as Cetus the Leviathan, and that he does not pass through
some stars at all, such as those of Libra and Scorpio, but instead goes
around them. The scales of Libra are the ancient Gates to the
Underworld through which the Sun passed at the turning of the year
to autumn, depicted in Egyptian lore as the Divine scales of Maat
which weighed the heart of the soul against a feather to determine
what it needed to leave behind before it was light enough to enter the
afterlife. Mythology depicts Pluto as a Lord of the Underworld, a
rival brother to the gods of the sky and the heavens, an often
vengeful or roguish figure given to abducting young maidens and
keeping them in his jewelled palace of underground delights. Earlier
depictions of Pluto however emphasise not a masculine but a
feminine model, such as passionate Erishkigal of Mesopotamia, so
what has occurred here is that a sexualised myth of abduction and the
usurping of feminine power by masculine force has been overlaid
onto a more primal and now more mysterious source, shrouded in the
mythology we have cloaked it with.
To get to the root of Pluto we have to employ all our powers of
detection because he is cloaked in layer upon layer of these
fabrications and denials of what he really represents. Yet even when
we do intellectually probe deep enough into his secrets and
understand what he represents, it is still not enough because there is
something visceral missing. Pluto is meant to be felt in our gut, to
inflame our hearts with intense passions and stir our spirits to build
spectacular things with the secret of the awesome power he holds, he
is deeply emotive and so our intellectual dissections of him will
always miss this point. So Pluto is deeply mysterious to us -
fathomless in fact - and not just for these reasons, but for many. This
is quality number one, the first clue that he is active in our life, an
aura of fathomless mystery that is more profound, visceral and less
ethereal than the touch of Neptune.
As we draw nearer to him things start getting intense. We feel an
overwhelming instinct to back away hand in hand with an undeniable
urge to push and probe further. We become conflicted by the
compulsion to uncover what is hidden and something unnameable
and unspeakable which threatens our comfortable existence. Here we
see the Magnetic nature of Pluto, the hypnotic feminine principal
which Magnetically compels us to probe the mysteries of life. Pluto's
power always builds slowly, compressing by greater and greater

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degrees until it reaches absolute pressure and absorption and
suddenly explodes, releasing all the energy in an overwhelming burst
of explosive transformational force. So we start to feel something
like a rumble in the ground and in our bones as a volcano prepares to
erupt beneath our feet. We can start to feel swollen with these
energies, empowered by them, or a growing panic as we realise that
what we have created is about to be blown apart. Yet there is still a
haunting call beyond and within which beckons us to keep going, as
if there is no turning or even looking back, as Orpheus found when
walking out of the underworld.
As we draw even closer, his presence throws our life into stark
contrast, our personal and individual effectiveness seems to shrink to
a pinpoint of light that merely flickers in the depths of our heart. We
see that all our efforts and accomplishments turn to dust and that all
struggle against this is futile, that in fact all human accomplishments
are less significant than dust in the grand scheme of things, we are
crushed by our own insignificance and our soul begins to burn in the
fire. The pain we have to endure becomes momentous, catastrophic,
totally wiping out everything else in our consciousness. We can lose
it all and briefly see the naked truth. But if we have held onto that
flickering spark of light in the depths of our being, faint and dim as
the Sun appears in the sky when seen from Pluto, we ultimately
emerge in a transcendent burst of flame like a phoenix reborn from
its ashes. We survive the catastrophic change because we held on to
that light.
Slowly, then, normality returns. The dark clouds part, revealing
the blue sky and the birds, singing in the wind, and we take off into
the sky, more powerful than ever before because we have faced and
accepted our own demons and not succumbed to despair. Part of the
magic of Pluto is that if we can accept the transience of all physical
existence we are actually empowered by it because we see a deeper
existence beyond the mortal futility of the material world. So long as
we do not look beyond the physical for meaning we will always be
disillusioned because we will be focused on the material world
which is subject to the complete destruction and recycling of its
forms. All constructs are transient, things must be flushed away, the
plug is always pulled, all things go down the drain and disappear
from our view, they die or become erroneous. So our religions,
beliefs, arts, sciences, love affairs and our bodies — everything we do
with the physical universe, great or small - are all temporary,
corruptible and artificial because they are covering an infinite
universe of experience. Pluto keeps revealing the emptiness or the

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 infinity behind pure experience, removing the structures we place
around it. All is One self— there is no personality, no individuality, no
self that is not part of everything else or must eventually make way
for something else. Don't believe it, or don't want to? Pluto will
show you. If it has had its time, he will hunt down whatever you
think is inviolate or an exception to this fact, chase it across the
world with a pack of white dogs and drop its corpse at your feet
silently. It does no use getting mad at him for it, it's his job.
So what are we to make of this, and what does it mean for the
human collective? What is this treasure that he is guarding for us?
Our responses seem to boil down to four, either as individuals or a
collective. First, we can ignore him: this is fatal and futile and
eventually catches up with us so we can no longer ignore him. We
cannot run or hide from Pluto, his pursuit is relentless and his
perception unerring. In fact the more we run the more spent and
exhausted we will be when he catches us. Second, we can fear or
resent and rage against him, or try to negotiate with him, trying
vainly to make our mark on the face of eternity in response to our
insignificance. This, again, is fatal and futile and does nothing to
impress him. In fact he mocks this attitude and is compelled to poke
it, hard. This attitude always backfires and is the province of
impotent people with insecurity riddled minds like Napoleon and
Hitler. This brings us to the third response, an extension of the
second - we may try to use the compelling power of Pluto for
personal gain. This is perhaps the biggest mistake of all. To try to use
Pluto to achieve your own little ends is like using radioactive waste
to clean your home. Any achievements you do make will become
toxic and destroy not only you and everything you have built but
everyone who comes into contact with you. Retribution will be more
terrible than you ever imagined.
That leaves us one option: acceptance and surrender. Because this
is not truly a futile universe, here is where we find hope. Hope is a
powerful thing which can banish even the mightiest of demons but it
flees as soon as you do not see it anymore. If there is also love, then
hope is even stronger. With enough hope and enough love, we can
face anything. Neither of these things are about controlling. They are
both about surrendering control, and this is a key factor in dealing
with Pluto. We have to just let go and follow the white knuckle ride,
but there are no safety measures on this roller-coaster and no
guarantee that the track doesn't just end in mid-air. The threat is real.
However the fact that the threat is real makes this a truly
transformational journey and not just an amusing ride.

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 As for where it leads we won't know until we get there, but we can
already see the pathway that is opening up. The collective is
tinkering with the base codes of physical life in an attempt to cheat
death. It runs from death as a taboo and is scared to talk about it
openly. War is constant. Our corporations are trying to patent seeds,
thus assuming controlling power over the worlds food supply. We
use the collective power of life and death we have in a near merciless
manipulation and slaughter of other life to get what we want without
thought for the consequences, and as nations we threaten one another
with oblivion through an armada of ever evolving and secretive
weaponry. Crude oil which we use for plastic bags and cars spews
out into the Gulf of Mexico and exterminates the ecosystem which
has taken millions of years to evolve; our response is to change the
channel. In essence we see the enormous threats against us and life
on Earth and respond with options 1, 2 and 3. The consequences of
this are obviously extremely dire. We must turn from this path and
accept our own mortality as a gift which gives life more meaning and
power, not less. We must understand that all the power that ever was,
is, or will be is with us here now, and that with this power we can
make great changes to the direction the world is going in. While
alone we have no effective power over the Armageddon scenarios we
are faced with, collectively we have that power in abundance.
Together we can turn the world in a new direction and clean up the
mess we have made, indeed we must do this, or all our individual and
personal goals, all that we are doing for the future now, in fact all life
on Earth will pay the ultimate price.
If we are able to do this, and quickly, something magical will start
to happen: a wave of transformations will go through the collective,
leading to global changes which themselves set up further waves.
These waves will circle the Earth and bring more and more people
into the process, so that it gathers momentum and power at a
breathtaking pace. The renouncing of power struggles and the
refocusing of our collective will on the crises facing our planet will
be the first steps we take out of the darkness. It will return to us the
power we placed in Pluto when we turned from living in balance
with the Earth and became the Ghost People we are today, a
transformation that will happen slowly at first but eventually
complete itself so that we come to understand it for what it is — the
inner light that sees us through all our trials is our awareness of our
eternal nature as spirit, for life is everlasting and we are life.

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TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Generational and personal activations: As with all the outer

worlds, Pluto activations can be grouped into these two categories.
These are not strict divisions as any Pluto themed activation can
bring about personal or collective changes, one individual can
change the collective but the collective experience can also change
the individual, but they do show whether it is you alone who
experience the activation itself or everyone in the same generation.
Pluto's generational activations are all the activations in this key
except for those made by Jupiter and Saturn (which mediate between
the personal/individual and collective levels of awareness), and all
the activations Pluto makes in the other outer world keys, including
Chiron's key. His personal activations are all the activations he
makes in everything except for the outer world keys.

Generational spans and transmuting their patterns: How long

do the generations created by the outer worlds last when they are
emerging? How big is a generation of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
individuals? This is a complex question involving many astrological
factors such as the aspects being made between the outer worlds, but
the simplest way to answer this question is to make reference to the
sign positions of these planets. So long as an outer world is in a
particular sign of the zodiac, the individuals being born are of the
same generational type. The length of time the outer worlds spends
in any one sign varies but there are some general patterns - Uranus
changes signs once every 7-8 years, Neptune every 13-14 and Pluto
greatly varies his speed, picking up speed in Virgo, Libra, Scorpio,
Sagittarius and Capricorn, in which he spends 12-15 years, but
moving more slowly through other signs, taking about 20-30 years.
Here is a rough guide to the generational patterns from 1900-2100:

Uranus: 1904-1912 (Capricorn), 1912-1919 (Aquarius), 1919-1927

(Pisces), 1927-1934 (Aries), 1934-1941 (Taurus), 1941-1948
(Gemini), 1948-1955 (Cancer), 1955-1961 (Leo), 1961-1968 (Virgo),
1968-1974 (Libra), 1974-1981 (Scorpio), 1981-1988 (Sagittarius),
1988-1995 (Capricorn), 1995-2003 (Aquarius), 2003-2010 (Pisces),
2010-2018 (Aries), 2018-2025 (Taurus), 2025-2032 (Gemini), 2032-
2039 (Cancer), 2039-2045 (Leo), 2045-2051 (Virgo), 2051-2058
(Libra), 2058-2065 (Scorpio), 2065-2072 (Sagittarius), 2072-2079
(Capricorn), 2079-2087 (Aquarius), 2087-2095 (Pisces), 2095-2103
(Aries).

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• Neptune: 1901-1915 (Cancer), 1915-1929 (Leo), 1929-1943 (Virgo),
1943-1957 (Libra), 1957-1970 (Scorpio), 1970-1984 (Sagittarius),
1984-1998 (Capricorn), 1998-2012 (Aquarius), 2012-2026 (Pisces),
2026-2039 (Aries), 2039-2052 (Taurus), 2052-2066 (Gemini), 2066-
2079 (Cancer), 2079-2093 (Leo), 2093-2107 (Virgo).

• Pluto: 1912-1939 (Cancer), 1939-1958 (Leo), 1958-1972 (Virgo),

1972-1984 (Libra), 1984-1995 (Scorpio), 1995-2008 (Sagittarius),
2008-2024 (Capricorn), 2024-2044 (Aquarius), 2044-2068 (Pisces),
2068-2097 (Aries), 2097-2129 (Taurus).

If you are born around the changing of a sign, you will need to
look up the date of your birth in an ephemeris (or the position of the
world on your master key) to determine which of the two possible
generations you emerge from i.e. which sign the outer world is in.
Looking at these patterns we can see the essential themes which
the generation is faced with, for example, consider the equalisation
of the genders pushed for during Pluto in Libra, or that the Pluto in
Scorpio generation were forced to change their sexual behaviour
through the arrival of HIV in the collective awareness. Pluto in
Sagittarius brought us mass animal killings from corrupt food and
welfare standards, '911' and the ominous threat of an ideological
religious war in the middle east, and recently the Pluto in Capricorn
generation have been handed an economic meltdown to grow up
into, which as Pluto clearly shows is far from over as this theme will
develop for several years. Such themes will often make themselves
visible around the beginning of each period, either just before or just
after the new sign is reached.
Note that the outer worlds develop huge themes when they pass
through the signs, and when another outer world reaches that sign it
will again pick up those themes. As far as the outer worlds are
concerned, the signs are like deposit boxes which store our
interaction with the past. Thus, when Pluto entered Leo in 1939, it
picked up the themes woven with Neptune in Leo between 1915-
1929, and these themes will again be picked up by Uranus in 2039.
This pattern indicates that when Uranus in Leo arrives the events of
the two world wars of the 2e century will become significant again.
It doesn't mean we will have a third, but it does mean we have
greater potential to experience it in that period. Note also the
presently emerging connection between Uranus in Aries and global
economic conditions, the urge for freedom from poverty and slavery.
We are not fated by the outer worlds in this way, we are only fated by
our actions.

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 This means that when all three of the outer worlds are bunched
together closely, generational themes are picked up and developed
over an extended period of time, issues do not go away, but when
they are spread apart, issues change more frequently and only return
much later. The period between 1988 and 1995, for example, was of
a Capricorn nature, because both Uranus and Neptune were passing
through this sign. This was when we began waking up to the damage
we were doing to the Earth (Capricorn is concerned with the physical
structures which make up our existence, not just governments and
financial powers but also the land we live from). This was the
'yuppie' era in which people were told they could have it all, also it is
the period of the fall of the communist power bloc through people
power led pro-democracy movements. All these themes are now
being picked up by Pluto in Capricorn, leading to the collapse of
many institutions but more importantly raising the stakes on the
environmental themes, especially concerning oil and nuclear power.
So it seems that with Leo, we have a theme of war and tyrants, and
with Capricorn, themes of environmental catastrophe and the role of
corporations and greed and democratic freedoms. These notions are
in those boxes, collectively speaking, and so we may encounter them
whenever these signs are involved in our astrology, both collectively
and individually. The fact that we can experience these thematic
elements in our personal lives through any planets and thus keys that
we have in Leo or Capricorn is a means by which we can change the
contents of these boxes for the collective. If you thematically go to
war when your Leo astrology is activated, you will be contributing to
the content of the box, but you can change it through behaving
differently, by expressing Leo in a peaceful manner for example, and
alongside collective efforts this can gradually transmute the content
of the box for future generations so that when they open it there is
something else entirely.
If you have a different outer world but in the same sign as
someone else, for example having Neptune in Capricorn while
someone else has Pluto in Capricorn, a generational connection still
exists between you but it is more complicated, and the success of that
connection will depend on how you both handle these complications.

General nature of Pluto influences: Pluto is the planet of

transformation and regeneration. Its action is to bring to the surface
hidden factors and expose them and to tear down structures which
are no longer sustainable or viable. It is the principle of resurrection
and eternal renewal, of things which cannot be judged by their

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external appearance because they operate at a far deeper level. For an
individual, Pluto can be overwhelming but he can also be
empowering and intensifying, a bringer of great passion and
penetrating insight. With his help you can make great changes in
your life and transform things which have been corrupt, bring hidden
qualities to the surface or find a deep power of conviction to see
things through.
The activations involving Pluto are powerful, whether they occur
in the Pluto key or in the other keys. They are deeply transformative
and known to leave corpses behind them, in the sense that everything
or something changes irrevocably. Our resistance to this is what
makes Pluto potentially the most traumatic astrological influence of
all. An intentionally chosen complete and total rebirth of certain
areas of your life through conductions timed to the Pluto activations
in the keys can have powerful and far reaching effects and put you in
touch with yourself on a far deeper level. Pluto brings great change
but also a deeper contact with the power of will to see them through.
At the collective level Pluto's gifts are the most powerful and
mysterious of all — nuclear power, the secrets of the Akasha and the
fundamental genetic code of matter. The power of life and death on a
massive scale. No one should need to be told the consequences of
failing at this level, where the challenge is to truly merge with the
infinite and behold our own deathlessness, or be annihilated by our
fear of mortality. Pluto exacts a heavy price on corrupt ways and is
not to be bargained with over them; the darkness must be faced
before it devours. Pluto shows us this darkness in ways we cannot
continue to deny any more. He is therefore the guardian of the path
the collective must not stray from if it is to avoid self destructing. It's
all or nothing with Pluto, to pass the challenges posed by Pluto is in
may respects an auto-pass at all other outer world levels, but if we
fail, we are utterly devoured by the power we unleash.

Conjunctions of the 26 keys: Have a look at Babaji's Pluto key

again, and then compare it to his Neptune key. You will see they are
almost identical, with only a few days difference between the same
activations in many cases. This is because Babaji has a conjunction
between Neptune and Pluto in his birth chart — they occupy the same
degree of the zodiac, just different minutes of that degree.
Experientially, a conjunction equates to simultaneity in time — the
planets in a conjunction will always activate close together in time.
The closer the conjunction, the closer together in time the planets
are. The success of a conjunction depends on how well you cope

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 with this "double-whammy" going off in your life every now and
again, how well you can fuse these two things together. Some people
are born with a series of conjunctions in their charts, with all the
worlds bunched together. These worlds form a chain so that the
world at one end of the chain is in a conjunction relationship with the
world at the other end. They all go off at once in a chain reaction
whenever any one of them is activated, but the focus is always on the
activated world. Such people will have periods of quiet in life
followed by periods of accelerated activity.
Magnetic conduction can be applied to these situations to
intentionally separate out the different parts of the conjunction, look
at them separately, and then recombine them. For example I have
Moon in an exact conjunction with Venus at birth, so when they are
activated together I can do a 2 month conduction cycle with the first
month dedicated to exploring Moon and the second month to Venus,
perhaps followed by a third month of exploring their synthesis. This
separating and recombining of the Moon and Venus through the
focus of my awareness will help me to be more objective about what
Moon and Venus signify. This can be important because as anyone
who has been in a close relationship knows, it is not often easy to be
objective or to find the appropriate blend, and the same applies to the
relationships between planets called conjunctions.

Finding rotten apples: The activations by or to Pluto can show you

whatever is rotten in your life so that you can weed it out. To ignore
this corruption at the time Pluto unearths it for you is to signal to him
your acceptance of it and the consequence of leaving it to poison
every apple in the barrel.

Transformation: As noted above, an intentionally chosen path of

self transformation conducted around the activations of Pluto can be
undertaken. The structure of this path will be different for each
individual. To find it, simply look at which keys Pluto will activate,
first in the temple keys. Write these down in a list. Here are the
temple keys which receive Pluto activations in Babaji's chart over
100 years:

• 11th temple: July 1912

• 12' temple: September 1937
• 1St temple: September 1956 [this will likely be the most significant,
being a temple of power]
• 2nd temple: September 1969
• 3rd temple: November 1981

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 These represent the 5 temples in which Babaji should focus his
work and the periods in which he should do so. Next, look at the
contents of these temples to see if there are any world keys in them.
If there are, add these to the list as stages in the journey, because
Pluto will activate them too:

• 11th temple: July 1912

• 12th temple: September 1937 [end of this phase contains Moon key
activation, 1954-55]
1St temple: September 1956 [start of this phase contains Chiron key
activation, 1958-1960]
• 2nd temple: October 1969 [mid-phase contains Saturn key
activation, 1976-1977]
• 3rd temple: November 1981 [contains Tail and Uranus key
activations, 1985-1986, 1987-1988]

Babaji would then do conductions around all these dates with the
intent of transforming himself, especially in the areas indicated by
the key Pluto activates. In the times between these activations he
defers to the temple phase he is in, so in the 1940s he defaults to 12th
temple transformation. During this time he can then work closely
with transforming his experience with the 12th temple key, so he
looks at the 12th temple key and lists all the activations that occur in
the 1940s:

• Pluto: 27 Sep 1937 [5 Dec 1937, 30 Jul 1938, 13 Feb 1939, 8 Jun
1939]
• Chiron: 28 Sep 1940 [29 Dec 1940, 15 Jun 1941]
• Jupiter: 30 Jun 1943
• Saturn: 1 Aug 1946

These are his opportunities in the 1940s to more deeply explore

the meaning of Pluto in the 12th temple. Sometimes there won't be
any activations of the temple key in the period you are looking for,
which is a sign that this may be a less intense Pluto visitation and
that there may be more room for you to guide the astrology in a
certain direction. However there is no guarantee of this without
looking at other influences arising from Pluto's position which are
not considered in the 26 keys.
Any of the outer worlds passage through temples can be used in
this way to build up a structure for intentional self transformation.
The outer worlds are three different paths and gateways to a
transcendent experience and the temples are where we meet them.

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 Collective regeneration and transformation: The Pluto key is
timing when your generation can make an impact in seeking the
transformation it wills. Collective efforts are more quickly and
powerfully accomplished and obstacles swept aside under Jupiter
and Uranus activation. Under Saturn activation, you have to learn to
be more resourceful and to assume responsibility for your own self
transformation, to work within the rules of the establishment and
change them if they are corrupted.
Pluto does not reward martyrs, but he does reward those who are
cognizant of their own insignificance next to the scale of the issues
we face collectively. He also rewards any emphasis on recycling and
the sharing of power and any effort to purge things from wherever
they are hiding.

Alienation, suicidal tendencies and depression: This is more

likely (and thus transformable) under Saturn and Chiron activation of
this key, but can occur with any activation involving Pluto as a result
of often mysterious hidden undercurrents emerging. Often just
knowing this is part of a natural process can help you through it and
can provide context and thus meaning if you examine the process as
a part of a cycle. In any case, such crises serve to put you in touch
with yourself on a deeper level.

Health concerns: Any activation of this key or an activation by

Pluto in other keys that coincides with health concerns should be
thoroughly looked into. It may be a warning sign of something
deeper. Often what you will need to look at are the underlying mental
and emotional reasons for physical problems you are having. There
is no doubt that Pluto can initiate a life or death struggle, but such
instances are rarer than the times when he unearths a potential future
problem.

Mortality and immortality: Any activation involving Pluto

anywhere in the keys can help us when we have to deal with grief or
deep losses. They do this by making the emotional and mental
torment more intense so that things are brought up from the still
darkened places in which they lie. Thus they can help us access
deeply buried grievances, even those which source themselves in
other lives. Normally these deep emotions will stay fallow even
under Pluto stimulus unless there is an urgent need for them to be
addressed, in which case they erupt, but with a conduction timed
around Pluto they can be coaxed out into the light more easily when
your intent focuses on it.

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 At a collective level Pluto is leading us through a horror show
psychodrama in which we are tempted by technologies and our own
self importance to cheat death and attain some kind of physical
immortality. This is really just a faint and juvenile echo of our
ancient awareness of our own Divinity, which is what he is really
leading us back to, the treasure he guards being our indestructible
nature. The physical body is a mortal and temporary vessel for an
immortal and eternal spirit, a spirit which passes through physical
forms like the wind in the trees, giving it a voice and animation, but
in our turning from this understanding of nature and our connection
to it we have lost sight of this immortality. Through Pluto we are
being returned to this awareness, either by an apocalyptic abortion of
the collective and a reset or an intentional return to loving the Earth
as the source of our ever changing physical forms. Pluto therefore
ultimately brings us back from our mortal fear of the natural order
and into an awareness of our immortal nature, but to do this we must
face what we have done with death.

Occult investigation and detection: Pluto gives us the word

'plutocracy' — power provided by wealth and riches. He is the lord of
the underworld and all the glittering jewels hidden there. The wealth
signified by Pluto is more spiritual than material, however. His is the
wealth of lore held by our ancestors, the sacred secrets of occult
magic and the miracle of renewed life in rebirth. He has the power to
unearth all these treasures or to grant them to a seeker who is willing
and able to meet his tests. Of all the worlds he has the most to offer
in terms of things which have been lost and so therefore may be
regarded as a true custodian of secrets. Any matter relating to magic,
the occult, the lore of the ancients or the afterlife can benefit from his
merest touch.

Solving of Mysteries: Goes better overall when Jupiter or Uranus

activates this key (although Uranus can complicate things), and can
have progress blocked under Saturn and Chiron activation. Use the
helpful activations to solve mysteries by researching at a deeper
level.

Invisibility: Pluto is a specialist in the magic of being undetected.

However, he sees through any pretence to your true motivation in
wanting to hide something and if this motive is corrupt or selfish, he
shows it to you, and often to others as well. So in mundane terms he
is an ally to turn to when you are seeking to be discrete or proceed

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without drawing attention to yourself, provided you do not have
selfish or shadowy ulterior motives.

Magic of the Depth Point: Pluto is symbolic of our immediate

point of personal contact with the Akasha, the depth point of the
body, soul and spirit. Any magician training themselves to perceive
or work with the Akasha will find a differing form of assistance at
any time Pluto is involved in their astrology in the keys. To gain the
most from this you must transfer yourself into the depth point of the
temple or world he is activating. You can in this way receive
profound instruction in the Akasha and your own astrology.
In the Pluto key itself we can regard the activations as discharges
from the depth point of the human race which are experienced by a
cross section of the population as sweeping changes. These changes
always serve to demonstrate that the only true constant in life is that
we exist, and in a state of continuous flux. They are collective
initiations into the reality of the Akasha which release its karma in a
transformational wave.

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 THE CHIRON KEY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Virgo 03° 37')
Primary Function: ls' temple (at the Place of Power)
Sympathies: Chiron activation
Unsympathetic to: Jupiter and Neptune activation
Aqe Significance
Activation
Chiron: 5 Jan 1893 [21 Jul 1893] 0
Jupiter: 17 Oct 1896 [8 Mar 1897, 14 Jun 1897] 3-4
Jupiter: 30 Sep 1908 15
26 [Consequences of WWI]
Saturn: 10 Sep 1919
Jupiter: 13 Sep 1920 27
Neptune: 4 Sep 1930 [25 Mar 1931, 3 Jul 1931] 37-38 [Great Depression]
Jupiter: 28 Aug 1932 39
Chiron: 23 Aug 1943 50 [Chiron return]
Jupiter: 12 Aug 1944 51
Saturn: 23 Oct 1948 [11 Feb 1949, 14 Jul 1949] 55-56 [Consequences of WWII]
Jupiter: 26 Jul 1956 63
Pluto: 18 Oct 1958 [26 Jan 1959, 18 Aug 1959, 2 May 1960, 27 May 1960] 65-67 [Decolonization]
Uranus: 10 Oct 1962 [14 Feb 1963, 27 Jul 1963] 69-70 [Cuban missile crisis]
Jupiter: 14 Nov 1967 [29 Jan 1968, 8 Jul 1968] 74-75
Saturn: 24 Aug 1978 85
Jupiter: 19 Oct 1979 [8 Mar 1980, 14 Jun 1980] 86-87
Jupiter: 29 Sep 1991 98
 THE EMISSARY
OF THE OUTER WORLDS
g
THE CHIRON KEY
ESSENTIAL MEANING

To understand Chiron, we must go on a journey, and follow a

pathway into unexplored territory. He is the leader of the centaurs,
and we must leave the beaten path and go on a rambling quest before
we can perceive where he is leading us. So pack your bags, we are
leaving our old familiar world behind, and going on a trek.
In recent decades our knowledge of the solar system has cascaded
into a far more complex picture than ever before. We are now aware
of tens of thousands of new bodies out there which were previously
unknown. As many have already noted, we have a new solar system
and thus astrologers have yet another challenge to adapt astrology,
one which cannot be ignored (because these objects do have
significance) but at the same time truly threatens to undermine
practical astrology because it involves accounting for so many
factors, an infoglut in which all information is made meaningless.
The task of today's and tomorrow's explorers of astrology is to
map out the significance of this new territory and in doing so they
face a challenge which is greater than that faced by any astrologers
in memory. Consequently this task is not something that can be
addressed by a single astrologer but something that must be
addressed by pulling together, it is a collective challenge which can
only be met by a collective effort of mind. It is in fact part of the
journey that we must take as a species if we are to emerge from the
global crisis we are in. An understanding of the new paradigm will
lead to an understanding of the challenges and of the goal that
humanity must attend to. If astrologers can map out the paradigm of
the new solar system, they will be able to guide humanity with it, but
to do so they have to avoid becoming caught up in all the detail, they
have to look at essences and the basic structure of what is out there.
Never were the stakes higher than this.
Essentially there are three areas of the solar system that we have to
look at, each telling its own story. The first is the belt of asteroids
that drift and collide together between Mars and Jupiter, some no

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larger than a particle of dust, the largest just under 1000km in
diameter. In the first half of the 19th century the largest and first to be
spotted were thought to be planets, until we gave them the new name
'asteroid'. More than 13,000 of these objects now have names, but
there are many more. These names include human names, animal
names, mythological names, place names, types of love like lust,
mutual and unrequited, occupations and even celebrities. However,
even though they are placed within a visible distance from Earth
even the largest of them, Ceres, who is big enough to have been
recently reclassified as a dwarf planet, is still far too small and dim
to be clearly seen with the naked eye, like Uranus and everything
beyond him. Thus, these are objects which have an astra-mental
causation and are primarily concerned with creating effects from out
of the emotional and mental states of being. They are not able to
directly impact the physical world, except through the medium of the
astral and mental worlds, much like the far distant outer worlds or
like the inner worlds or mediators when they temporarily disappear
from the sky because they are too close to the Sun to see.
They also have much more specific and narrow meanings than the
more fundamental ones signified by the traditional planets and the
Lights. They can fill in many of the details of our astrology, but they
can also be trivial and inconsequential. Much depends on how much
significance the name we place on new objects can hold. A name like
'Hilary Clinton' does not have a mythic resonance that will last for
long beyond her death. In a short time her name will mean nothing to
the people living on the face of the Earth. Astrology, being the art of
signifying meaning, enables us to attach significance to these objects
and thus give a symbolic form to their meaning, but if the name is of
no significance, it will eventually fail to express any meaning and
then the significance will be empty until we rename it. There is a
quantum mechanical process occurring in our naming of planets and
other objects which we need to be more collectively aware of.
The current conventional theory on where the asteroids came from
is that they are the remaining mass of the solar system that failed to
accrete into a planet due to the influence of Jupiter. An alternative
theory is that Jupiter is innocent and this is the remains of a
cataclysmically destroyed world that may also explain the loss of
water on Mars and numerous anomalies in the solar system such as
the eccentric orbit of Pluto. By Bodes Law, which correctly predicted
the location of Uranus, a planet should be there.
The asteroid families also lie in-between Mars and Jupiter, which
signifies that they are related to the process whereby the personal and

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 individual will (Mars) is kept in equilibrium with the natural laws of
growth and fertilisation (Jupiter). They are the minefield we must
navigate through to connect the personal and individual worlds of
experience, the flotsam and jetsam floating on the waters of human
life. They are the means by which the personality is aligned with the
individuality and the severity of the will is tempered with empathic
connections, the material which must be mastered in the personality
and holistically combined into an individual self expression. They
are expressions of our personal and individual human experiences,
facets of both that can be treated as the dots above the astrological 'i'
described by our more fundamental astrology. They add small but
pungent details, and in their use we must be careful like a cook with
spices, being guided by intuitive processes as we blend them
together. This again reflects their role in the aligning of the
personality with our individual self expression, as this process is
intuitive and experimental. It is no coincidence that many of these
asteroids have been given the names of goddesses and the mother of
them all, a perfectly round sphere, iridescent like a pearl or smoky
quartz, is named Ceres. None of these asteroids have been included
in the 26 keys but later in this book I have some advice on how to
approach them, along with the inhabitants of the other areas we must
look at.
The second area of the solar system we have to look at is where
we find Chiron, discovered in 1977 and the leader of the centaurs
who followed him. The very numerous and scattered objects in this
region lie in elliptical orbits between Jupiter and the outer edge of
the solar system surrounding the orbit of Neptune, the third region
astrology must examine. The centaurs and the other objects in this
region are roaming wanderers with eccentric paths around the Sun,
some of which like Chiron even have cometary tails. They circle the
space between the mediators and the outer worlds and beyond, acting
as the emissaries and escorts between the outer worlds and the
individual, and Chiron is their leader, but each of them has a message
for us from the outer limits and escorts us to a different region or
realm of transpersonal awareness. So far, we have named them
Pholus (Chiron's brother), Nessus (slayer of Herakles), Asbolus (who
divined through flights of birds), Hylonome (a female centaur) and
Chariklo (a nymph and Chiron's wife), among others. These are all
free spirited nature spirits because they form links between the
individual and the mythic realms of the outer worlds, fertilising the
individual with primal mythic archetypes. They are all important for
us to interact with in the process of creating a stable and sustainable

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collective human awareness because their messages come from the
deeps. As with the asteroids, advice on interacting with the centaurs
is given in the advanced material.
So this is where Chiron lives, but before discussing his specific
role in this scheme in more detail we need to briefly look at the third
region of space we are discovering, the realm beyond Neptune,
because it is where we find the mythic archetypes that many of the
centaurs interact with. For ease of discussion, we will simply call this
region the outer limits, and its inhabitants mythic worlds, although
many astrologers also call them 'trans-Neptunian'. As we have peered
further into the outer limits of the solar system we have come to see
that there are many such worlds here. Actually, the fact that there are
objects in this place is nothing new to us — Pluto is one of them,
which is why he has been reclassified as a 'dwarf planet' leaving
Neptune as the outermost planet in the solar system. Pluto is
included as an outer world in the presentation of the keys because he
has acquired enough significance to be considered one at this point.
We have just found more of his kind now, thousands more, and each
one represents an aspect or initiator of the universal awareness
symbolised by Neptune. These worlds do not orbit the solar system
along the same horizontal plane that the other worlds do. To put it
simply, the disc of the solar system is like an old, slightly warped
vinyl record with the Sun in the middle, and the planets including the
asteroids are spaced outwards in rings with Neptune at the edge. But
the centaurs and the worlds beyond Neptune slice into the disc from
different angles, cutting across it from above and below, inside and
outside, and in many cases have more elliptical orbits than rounded
ones.
And there are many of them out there - we are only now just
scratching the surface and surprises are still coming. We have
discovered Varuna (2000), Ixion (2001), Quaoar (2002), Sedna
(2003), Orcus, Haumea and Makemake (2004) and Eris (2005), to
name just a few. Many still await the magic of naming. These worlds
are initiatory ones for our collective consciousness, they herald
important and significant changes in our collective awareness. When
Eris the goddess of discord appeared, the entire way we look at the
solar system was immediately forced into a re-organization that
redefined the word 'planet', a somewhat kludged repair that will
likely undergo further re-organization in the future. Perhaps most
intriguing and telling of all is Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the deep
whose location is far beyond any region of space formerly connected
with the solar system, up to 32 times as deep and distant as Neptune,

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 where no centaurs roam. She takes almost 12,000 years to orbit the
Sun. If we continue to look there are sure to be an overwhelming
number of such discoveries made in the 21st century. The danger for
astrology is that it will become trapped in an endless logistical
nightmare in trying to account for so many factors and become
misguided by not having an overall map for the emerging paradigm.
In this book I have attempted to contribute to this challenge by
presenting a model of the new solar system which adds to the old
without abolishing it in any respect, but does not become so
cumbersome that it collapses. This model was given to me by the
grace and generosity of the inhabitants of the astral world but I
believe it to be accessible and adaptable to people of any philosophy
because it regards us as being composed of a trinity of personal,
individual and collective (transcendent or spiritual) existence. This,
in essence, is a summary of the structure I have described in this
book:
The Astro—Cosmic Structure

The temples: Realms and arenas of experience in which we encounter

all that follows below personally. Structurally, arises from our localised
perception of the daily rotation of the Earth (primary motion).

The zodiac: The Elemental processes of life on Earth, through which

all that follows below is expressed. A co-creative relationship between
humans and the beings of the Lights and planets expressed as native
Elemental processes, particularly the processes of the seasons,
therefore, partially human in creation and reflective of different
cultures and ages of human societies. Astrological aspects are of the
zodiac, being the harmonic interaction it contains, its geometry, and the
Lunar nodes are also part of this structure (see Dragon's Head & Tail).
Structurally, arises from our perception of the rotation of Earth around
the Sun (secondary motion), but has its earliest roots in the patterning
of stars (see below).

The Lights: The essence of life on Earth expressed as consciousness

(Sun, the mental awareness of meaning, existence and life, the focus of
our individuality) and astral awareness (Moon, the personal awareness
of significance, the focus of our personality). The conductors of the
celestial music of life on Earth.

The inner worlds: The solid, visible worlds of the personality -

intellect (Mercury), feeling (Venus) and will (Mars). However, Mars is
also involved in an individual process of aligning our personality with
our individuality (he is an architect and enforcer of the mediators and
inner worlds who decides which ideas and feelings to act upon).

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• The asteroids: The minutiae of the specific material of the personality
and individuality which must be made integral and assembled into a
harmonic whole. Our relationship to the many details of the personal
and individual world which we must discern and integrate.
Harmonising Mars with Jupiter is an important overall aspect of this
process because this places our seemingly vast and fractured individual
differences in context with our greater quantity and quality of
individual similarities. Largely invisible and therefore astra-mental in
causation.

• The mediators: The gaseous worlds of the individuality, the guardians

of the natural order, endless expansion (Jupiter) and endless
crystallisation (Saturn). They are mediators between the zone of the
Lights, inner worlds and asteroids (the inner zone) and the zone of the
outer and mythic worlds (the outer zone), therefore, mediators between
the personal/individual and the collective or transpersonal. Visible,
therefore able to create a physical causation directly.

• The centaurs: Emissaries and bridges to the collective and

transpersonal, our ties to what lies beyond the mediators and thus
escorts to the outer and mythic worlds. We must always go to the outer
and mythic worlds and bring back what we learn for the collective,
individual and personal worlds. These are our guides and companions
for that journey, they are teachers and the givers of knowledge from
beyond, the threads which connect the individual to the wider collective
or spiritual and thus bind them together. Any other objects found
among the centaurs and named for hybrid or mythical creatures will
also serve a similar function of introducing us to the outer or mythic
worlds. Not visible with the naked human eye, therefore astra-mental in
causation, but still capable of condensing a physical effect through the
geometry of the zodiac.

The outer worlds: Uranus and Neptune, representatives of the

collective human awareness that we are all one mind, and the universal
awareness that all existence is one mind. Uranus hovers on the edge of
visibility with the naked eye like some of the asteroids, but is more
effective on an astra-mental level than a physical one, like Neptune.
Again, this does not mean they cannot create physical effects, only that
they always begin with an astra-mental one. Shapers of generations of
people.

The mythic worlds: Pluto and other invisible worlds beyond Neptune;
concern the emergence of mythic archetypes and are heralds of
realisations and states emerging in the collective human awareness as it
encompasses more of its infinite nature and the universal
consciousness. Transmuters of the collective and representatives of

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 aspects of the universal consciousness. Transcendental portals through
which consciousness touches the infinite and eternal. Shapers of fate.

The stars: Underpin all of the above with pure essential meaning
through quadrapolar relationships to the Earth (see advanced material).
The essence and font of pure astral and mental meaning which becomes
clothed in and expressed through the planetary fabric of our solar
system. Stars represent influences over the creation of a spirit.
Constellations relate to the facets of the Greater Self (the immortal
spirit) as it turns its infinite face through physical eternity, therefore to
the turning of celestial ages.

So now, our journey with Chiron has brought us to a place where

we can at last perceive his role in this new solar system, because
Chiron is the primary centaur — the one who leads us out of old and
into completely new paradigms as well as a healer who is able to
bridge, mend and repair fractured and injured realities (note here that
Babaji's Chiron is in the primary place of power close to the
ascendant - he brought the philosophy and spiritual ideas of the east
to the west). Chiron is a voyager who can lead us out of the
crystallised Saturnine world we have built and currently exist in to a
wondrous new realm, but there will often be a long and painful
journey to go through. Being a centaur who does not venture as far
as Neptune he restricts himself to movement between Saturn and
Uranus — he is the emissary who leads us from a non-collective,
individually separated world (Saturn) to a collective, individually
interconnected world (Uranus), bringing messages and acting as our
go-between. This could turn out to be a robotic and soulless
collective which eventually destroys itself painfully or something
more beautiful depending on our choices.
The question of why this is a painful process is answered by
remembering ones own birth. We are being squeezed down a
collective birth canal and Chiron is the midwife. The pain associated
with Chironic activations are not inflicted on us because we deserve
it but because we need to go through it to the other side somehow. In
a fully functioning, self sustaining collective society, Chiron's
function is not pain but integration. He is the one who makes us
whole, he stitches our wounds together and thus brings us closer to a
collective state of awareness, but at a cost. This entails a journey in
which the physical, astral and mental wounds we have as individuals,
which have been caused by our lack of being collectively aware, are
removed by a merging of these three levels of awareness together. He
is a naturalist who is returning us to our natural way of being. He can

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also be seen as Doctor Frankenstein bringing together the many
different fragments of humanity and stitching them together in
preparation for the spark of life that will come like a bolt of lightning
from the planet Uranus. Or, if you prefer a less creepy metaphor, he
is the bridge across troubled waters to the world of the future.
Chiron's pain is sometimes a teaching device, at others a fact, just a
symptom of a necessary transition.
He is also somewhat wild and pointed, a maverick who goes his
own way and does not align with any factions, urging us to listen to
all parties first, and he must also keep urging us onwards out of our
comfort zones, traditional ways and concepts of limitation before we
get smothered by them. We have to get a little bit crazy if we are
going to shake up the changes we need, a little bit maverick if we are
to escape the velocity and gravity of the course we are on. People
have to be willing to hold peaceful but pointed gatherings like those
recently seen in Cairo so that their collective power is realised. We
cannot just play it safe anymore. He often has to show us just how
broken we are before we will seek to fix it. This is another reason
why he brings us pain: it is a stimulus to act collectively or
individually to end the pain.
Chiron's mythology distinguishes him from the other centaurs in
two important respects: he was not descended from the same
progenitors, he was the offspring of Cronus (Saturn), therefore
immortal, and consequently unlike the rowdy, lusty and hedonistic
kin in his band who were born of sun and raincloud, Chiron was
cultured, kindly and more rational than instinctive. He is a giver of
wise natural knowledge and a teacher of medicine who mentors and
empowers many legendary figures such as Jason, Asclepius, Theseus
and Achilles. However his story is the essence of tragedy — he is
accidentally wounded in a drunken brawl by an arrow dipped in the
Hydras blood and is tortured in an immortal agony from which he
cannot heal himself, so he relinquishes his immortality and sacrifices
himself in an act which later opens the way for humanity to gain the
gift of fire from Prometheus. The resonance in this story with pain,
tragedy, nobility in the face of excruciating loss, grief and the
apparent pointlessness of such things in the perspective of the
present moment speaks to us of the sacrifices we must make if we
are to join together and let go of our tormented nature. Our society is
contorted by agonising pains like Chiron's which it cannot fix or
repair, but can only 'di& through. The blood of the Hydra is the
poison of the many headed serpent of society which devours
everything in its path, the many brained collective of separated

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 individuals and groups striking against everything, including each
other. In many ways, this is the poison which prevents us from
healing ourselves and weakens our medicine because it only focuses
on physical symptoms and causes.
He also helps us integrate our understanding of the whole of the
solar system i.e. to become whole people in the truest sense of the
word. Chiron's activations are opportunities for the individual to
become whole enough to be part of a collective, they teach us not
only to go beyond established limitations but to map out unfamiliar
territory together, with each other. He is therefore a force in bringing
the collective together and seeing it through its birth pains, so that,
eventually, it will one day be free to roam the new solar system as a
band of humanity. He is the critical teacher who brings us back to a
natural way of life which does not cut, divide and conquer the world
but restores its wholeness. Alternatively, he increases the pain we
feel from being separated until we can bear it no longer and tear
ourselves apart; but then, he doesn't really do any of that, we do.
Since we have only been observing Chiron since 1977 and his
orbit is between that of Saturn and Uranus at a length of just under
51 years, our awareness of his significance and meaning is still
emerging (the same is true of the other centaurs and the mythic
worlds). Sometime around 2028 our collective awareness of Chiron
will reach a point where it will be able to say with greater surety
what he has to teach us and his presence will be much more clearly
felt by all human beings, as his meaning will be clarified by his first
consciously observed orbit. Other times, discussed in the advanced
material, can also be opportune periods to work with him, but it will
still take many decades before we have a deeper understanding of
what he represents. This means that explorers choosing to voyage
with Chiron are true pioneers into uncharted territory and the Chiron
key is given for them to proceed more quickly.

TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS

Personal activations: Chiron's activations of the temple keys, Light

keys, inner world keys and mediator keys are personal. These are the
activations most suitable for personal work with Chiron. Chiron
activations of the mediator keys are more focused on the individual
level, but can shape the personality from there.

Collective activations: The activations of the Chiron key are

transpersonal and collective, except for the Jupiter and Saturn

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activations which are individual (the individual expression of a
generation also transforms). Chiron's activations in the outer world
keys are also collective.
These activations are very important ones for the human race as a
whole because the collective activations involving Chiron are
opportunities for an entire generation to heal something which pains
it. They are times when the shared pain of being in a troubled world
can bring us closer together and thus represent the potential for the
collective to move forwards into manifestation. If enough people
with collective activations of this kind simply connect together at the
appropriate time, they can discover remedies to the things which
collectively ail them, draw attention to things which need fixing or
demonstrate a peaceful willingness to make any necessary sacrifices
for noble causes.

Healing through holistic integration: It is important to understand

that when Chiron brings some kind of wounding, personally or
collectively, the pain is a diagnostic call for a particular medicine,
physical, astral or mental. The activation can bring this need to the
surface, but it can also help us on any quests to find its remedies.
Chiron has shown that he has an affinity for all forms of naturopathy
and any therapy which sees and treats the whole of the human being
rather than just the flesh, although he is also associated with surgical
treatments.

Coming Unstuck: Sometimes we need to be shaken out of a rut or

goaded to remove ourselves from painful circumstances, and the
activations involving Chiron can bring this about. For example,
during Chiron activation of the Mercury key, any attachment you
have to certain ideas you have can come unstuck, initiating a painful
learning process as you peel away a part of your mentation from
where it has been unnaturally glued.
As the escort between Saturn and Uranus, Chiron borrows some of
this trait from Uranus but always brings it back into stability through
Saturn. He is essentially chipping pieces away from the edifice of
Saturn whenever they become too ossified and brittle. So when we
need to break away from an old pattern of behaviour, either Chiron
or Uranus are excellent initiators and mentors.

Wisdom: Chiron is a mentor, teacher and guide to legendary heroes.

Who are the legendary heroes of today? As we look behind us and
see nobody, we realise they must be us because we have several
quests to go on and numerous monsters to do away with. So he
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 comes ready not to arm us but to teach us so that we may be wise
enough to avoid the pitfalls ahead.
His special gift to us collectively in this respect is his talent for
being able to apply the age old lore of natural wisdom to brand new
situations. He is not a warrior but a sage and a healer, so his wisdom
is not dominating or power based but harmonious and soothing. He
is a quintessential diplomat and philosopher who listens to all advice,
remains mindful of realities, blends reasoning power with intuition
and seeks the broader truth of things by making reference to nature.
Any activation involving him can therefore be instructive in all these
areas. His particular fields of speciality in terms of instruction are
astronomy and astrology, biology, chemistry, physics, metallurgy,
oceanography and all earth sciences, including all the subdivisions of
these. He can however lead to us acquiring greater knowledge of any
area of study through the application of philosophical wisdom, and
he can also develop in us the ability to teach and mentor others.

Nature spirits: Chiron and the other centaurs are initiators into the
world of nature spirits for those who show themselves to be
trustworthy enough. Any person seeking to befriend and restore our
connection to the world of the nature spirits will find them able to re-
open these bridges and the centaurs can serve as envoys to these
beings in cases where they are unreachable i.e. they can help us
restore their environment. The activations of Chiron in the Jupiter,
Saturn or Neptune key, the activations of Jupiter, Saturn or Neptune
in the Chiron key, and the activations of Chiron to the 3' or 9th
temple key (also their world key and contents) or the Light keys are
of greater significance here.

Meditation and temporal mechanics: As the mediator between

Saturn and Uranus, Chiron has a role to play in leading us through
our own perception of time to the other side, eternity. Saturn is
essentially the understanding that crystallises as time passes, he is
our concrete sense of time with a past, present and future. Uranus, on
the other hand, interrupts this with a multi-spacial awareness in
which the conventional orderly perception of time is disrupted,
revealing that it is an illusion arising from perception itself. Chiron is
the path of transition between these two, or relative time.
Pain, for example, is experienced in relative time. So is ecstatic
joy. We talk about how "time flies when you're having fun" and how
"time just dragged by". This is the varying experience and perception
of time as it passes according to circumstances. As Einstein said:

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 "When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a
minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and its longer
than any hour. That's relativity."

This is once more Chiron chipping away at the edifice we have

made out of Saturn through our perception of time — the collective
awareness we are emerging into is multi-spacial in its awareness of
time, it is able to view things across the world and occurring in
different time zones. So we tend to experience Chiron in extreme
conditions or in meditative or altered states, in experiences of
relative time as we move beyond the temporal into the infinite. Any
activation involving Chiron can be used to explore this relativity of
time.

Collective rebirth: We are collectively pregnant and Chiron is

attending to our unborn child. Perhaps the most important role
Chiron has to play for us is that of integrating human existence so
that a collective identity can be born. This means integrating all our
different faiths, scientific theories and discoveries, cultures, versions
of history and our individual identities into a group mind structure
which is stable enough to allow all individuals to co-exist. Such a
structure must be in harmony with the natural order or it will
collapse, and it must be capable of resolving disputes and differences
without stripping anyone of their personal truths. These are qualities
Chiron is perfectly situated to teach us.
However, birth is painful and this birth, if it does not abort, is
potentially more painful than any we have encountered before. We
have to do whatever we can in our lifetimes to ensure that it will be
as painless as possible, and this involves absorbing the influence of
Chiron as individuals and putting this stimulus into play individually
and collectively. Some of the more painful situations we have to heal
first are our relationship to authority (Saturn) and our relationship to
one another, to the collective of unique individuals (Uranus). We
must learn that we no longer need authorities to rule over us, and at
the same time get to the place where we take care of one another
collectively. All activations involving Chiron have this as a core
theme at this time and can be used to advance in these agendas, but
his activations of the Saturn and Uranus keys, as well as his own key
(see below) are obviously significant.

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 Chiron return: The activation by Chiron in the Chiron key is the
Chiron return. This is a crest of Chironic significance which occurs
for everyone just after the age of 50. It is one of the less well known
'life crises' because our consciousness of Chiron has only arrived
recently. It is at this point that the individual has completed an entire
activation of all 26 keys by Chiron, leading to a summation and
rounding up of all their life experience.
This can be a period in which sickness or illness which will be
with us through old age becomes more acute or is diagnosed, but it
can also be a time in which we are hoisted onto Chiron's back and
moved swiftly through the collective, literally or metaphysically. We
can become fully cognizant of ourselves as individuals in terms of
our role in the collective — by this time much of our adult life is
behind us and we can see what we have contributed to humanity and
wonder what comes next. This can also make it a difficult transition.
What is essentially happening at Chiron return is that there is an
unveiling of how much harmony there is between the personal,
individual and collective or spiritual world you exist in. Any lack of
true harmony between any of these aspects of your being will
become visible as painful transitions which are intended to realign
them. It is an opportunity to become truly wise in the ways of not
just our world but the entire human world, wise in the ways of
nature.

Bridging of Generations: Like Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus, Chiron

is able to bridge generations for us. Whereas Jupiter operates on a
11-12 year scale, Saturn on a 29-30 and Uranus on an 84 year scale,
Chiron fills the huge gap between Saturn and Uranus at 50-51 years.
Practically, what this means is that each of these planets acts to
bridge a different span of experience:

• Uranus: bridges experience between the very eldest and the newly
born (age gap is approximately 84 years and 1 year)

• Chiron: bridges experience between generations of great

grandparents and grandparents and their grandchildren, similar to
above (age gap is 51 years and 1 year)

• Saturn: bridges experience between generations of adults with their

elders and children (traditional parenting, age gap is 30 years and 1
year)

• Jupiter: bridges experience between any of the above generations

(age gap is 12 years old and 1 year old)

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 Since these are all activators of the 26 keys they enable us to
nullify the problem of generation gaps entirely. During any of their
activations we can use the bridges these planets create between
generations to share information and wisdom and overcome
differences by seeing behind the form of experience to its essence.

Chiron's temple: The temple where Chiron resides at the time of

our birth is where me meet him most directly and immediately in
daily life. He will be more active throughout our life if he is found in
any of the temples of power at birth, especially when he is near their
cusps. He will become more active in any temple he activates or
visits in the 26 keys, and this too will be among his most personal
contact with us, especially the times when he reaches the temples of
power.

Magical initiation: The Chiron key and all the Chiron activations in
other keys influence our journey towards wholeness. This is not
merely a physical journey but an emotional, mental and spiritual one,
for each is a part of the whole. In this, we see Chiron as an influence
of core importance in initiation - he describes the process of aligning
the personal and individual self with the Greater Self. This is the path
of initiation - to be truly ourselves, not one of the crowd, to be a
whole self, healed of the wounds inflicted by the way we have lived.
Many people today live almost completely entangled in their
personal pain, never knowing the sense of themselves as unique
beings but only as parts of a machine, cogs in a broken society that
no-one seems able to fix. Chiron's magic is an integration of all the
aspects of self awareness, an astrological influence that creates
adjustments that edge us towards the point where all parts coalesce
and our personal and individual selves are aligned with our Greater
Self awareness.

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 DRAGON'S HEAD KEY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Taurus 05° 03')
Primary Function: 9'h temple
Sympathies: Solar and Lunar conduction (solar by joy)
Unsympathetic to: Uranus and Pluto activation

Activation Age Significance

Jupiter: 16 Apr 1893 0
Jupiter: 31 Mar 1905 12 [Mother's death]
Saturn: 7 Jul 1910 [1 Oct 1910, 24 Mar 1911] 17-18 [Meets Guru]
Jupiter: 10 Aug 1916 [9 Sep 1916, 12 Mar 1917] 23-24 [Graduation]
Chiron: 22 Jun 1927 [28 Sep 1927, 16 Apr 1928] 34-35 [Establishing S.R.F.]
Jupiter: 1 Jul 1928 [31 Oct 1928, 17 Feb 1929] 35-36 [Building on the above]
Uranus: 8 Jul 1935 [14 Sep 1935, 18 Apr 1936] 42-43 [Final return to India]
Saturn: 30 Apr 1940 47
Jupiter: 8 Jun 1940 47
Jupiter: 20 May 1952 59
Jupiter: 3 May 1964 71
Saturn: 12 Jun 1969 [3 Nov 1969, 3 Mar 1970] 76-77
Jupiter: 16 Apr 1976 83
Chiron: 29 Jun 1977 [18 Sep 1977, 21 Apr 1978, 10 Jan 1979, 20 Jan 1979] 84-86
Jupiter: 31 Mar 1988 95
 DRAGON'S TAIL KEY
Paramahansa Yogananda (Scorpio 05° 03')
Primary Function: 3rd temple
Sympathies: Lunar conduction and Uranus and Pluto activation (Lunar by joy)
Unsympathetic to: Lunar conduction (an 'unconventional joy)
Activation Age Significance
Saturn: 25 Dec 1894 [9 Apr 1895, 20 Sep 1895] 1-2
Chiron: 11 Nov 1896 3
Jupiter: 25 Dec 1898 [28 Apr 1899, 25 Aug 1899] 5-6
Jupiter: 6 Dec 1910 [16 Jun 1911, 19 Jul 1911] 17-18 [Meets Guru - see also above]
Jupiter: 19 Nov 1922 29
Saturn: 28 Oct 1924 31 [Plans to found Self Realisation Fellowship]
Jupiter: 3 Nov 1934 41
Jupiter: 19 Oct 1946 53 [Promoting Autobiography]
Chiron: 20 Dec 1946 [2 May 1947, 27 Aug 1947] 53-54 [Promoting Autobiography]
Saturn: 5 Dec 1953 [10 May 1954, 31 Aug 1954] 60-61 [Death]
Jupiter: 3 Oct 1958 65
Neptune: 11 Nov 1958 [17 May 1959, 13 Sep 1959] 65-66
Jupiter: 26 Jan 1970 [16 Mar 1970, 15 Sep 1970] 77
Uranus: 3 Dec 1975 [26 Apr 1976, 19 Sep 1976] 82-83
Jupiter: 25 Dec 1981 [29 Apr 1982, 24 Aug 1982] 88-89
Saturn: 13 Oct 1983 90
Pluto: 6 Nov 1985 [31 May 1986, 27 Aug 1986] 92-93
 THE CELESTIAL DRAGON
fl DRAGON'S HEAD KEY
U DRAGON'S TAIL KEY
ESSENTIAL MEANING

Long ago in the age of legends, a great battle took place between
the forces of creation and destruction. Two armies, one composed of
demigods, the other of insatiably hungry demons, fell upon one
another in a struggle for dominance. Because the demigods had been
cursed to lose their immortality by a short tempered sage who had
been offended by their lack of graciousness in accepting his
offerings, they lost and the demons assumed power over the entire
universe, placing a demon emperor on the throne of heaven.
The demigods turned to their leader for advice, a supreme deity
who supported, sustained and governed the universe and originated
and developed all the elements within it. Acting on this advice, they
sought alliance with the demons, securing their co-operation in a
mutual goal — the nectar of immortality. The demigods sought to
regain their immortality but could only do so if they worked with the
demons, and the demons, being greedy and mortal, were tempted and
agreed.
So it was that the churning of the great ocean of life began, for the
nectar could only be extracted from it if the demons and demigods
pulled on either end of the king of the serpents, who obligingly
wrapped himself around the great mountain of existence which
turned and churned the milk of life. The demons pulled on his head,
and the demigods pulled on his tail, and the grinding rock of
existence stirred the ocean of milk. The supreme deity assumed the
form of a turtle and held the mountain above the ocean to prevent it
from sinking, but a second disaster threatened to undo all of creation
as the serpent king, placed under agonising strain by the ordeal,
vomited a noxious poison that choked those assembled and
threatened to negate existence entirely. One of the gods, in
compassion for all life, swallowed this poison and became an avatar
of destruction and transformation.
Many herbs were cast into the churning sea, and treasures emerged
from the ocean of milk — a goddess of fortune and a goddess of
misfortune, a magical conch shell, a Divine horse with seven heads,
a wish granting cow, an elephant and the Moon, before, finally, the

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physician of the demigods waded out of the maelstrom with the
nectar of immortality held aloft.
Immediately the two armies fell upon one another again for
possession of the draught, but a winged eagle-god spirited the nectar
away from the battle. The demons pursued him and eventually
obtained the nectar for themselves, but were tricked out of it by the
supreme deity who distracted them by taking the form of a seductive
enchantress at their victory celebration. However, on returning the
nectar to the demigods the supreme deity was followed by two
demons who disguised themselves and infiltrated the gathering. The
demigods drank of the nectar and recovered their immortality, but
just as the disguised demon was pouring the nectar into its mouth it
was detected by the luminous sight of the deities of the Sun and
Moon and swiftly decapitated, leaving only an immortal head and a
thrashing tail upon which some nectar had dropped.
Enraged and tormented, the demon swore an eternal revenge upon
the Sun and Moon, vowing to pursue them for all time. And so it is,
from time to time, that the Sun and Moon are caught by the head or
tail of the demon and are swallowed up by him so that they disappear
from the sky, but being immortal, they always emerge, again, and
again, and again.
This extremely ancient story is from the Hindu creation. It is rich
with meaning and significance being a tale not only of primordial
creation but also of the epic journey of existence and our
fundamental dilemmas, the intrinsic tug of war between our inner
light which seeks to recover its immortality and our material flesh
which hungrily pulls us toward mortal experience. This is the
essence of our astrological Dragon's Head and Tail and they must
always be considered together because they are expressive of two
sides of the same notion, always a pair. They are junctures in which
spiritual and physical meaning and significance collide and consume
one another.
The Dragon is an invisible serpent coiled around the Earth who
only becomes apparent to us when the Lights go out. Its head and its
tail are always opposite one another. They are formed from the
intersection of two discs or circles - orbits. The first is the orbit of
our planet around the Sun. Imagine this disc now, with the Earth
placed upon it and moving around. As it moves around this circle,
the Moon is also moving around the Earth, but in a circle which is
inclined into the first, like a small ring placed around the first circle.
At the two points where this smaller ring crosses the first one, both
ascending and descending, we find the nodes of the Moon, the

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 Dragon's Head and Tail. If there is a New Moon or a Full Moon at
either one of these points an eclipse will occur, either a Lunar eclipse
(Full Moon) or a Solar eclipse (New Moon). In other words, if you
are born during an eclipse, the Sun and Moon will be very close to
these two areas of the zodiac. Simply put, they are the places where
there would be an eclipse if the Sun and Moon were positioned there.
They are places which express a conjoined relationship between
Earth, Sun and Moon.
An eclipse is a magical moment which none who have witnessed
can walk away from without feeling awed by something
unnameable, a strange mixture of being touched by ones own
insignificance and something more profound which leaves a silence
in the soul. The world is held in suspended animation for a moment
as the conductors of the celestial music of life reach a crescendo and
dramatically pause, transmitting a wave of raw ElectroMagnetic flux
that acts to disrupt the fundamental flow of life on Earth. The visual
spectacle in the sky is mirrored in the internal landscape of the
perceiver, suddenly stilling the churning waters within, a feeling
which we find weirdly exciting and eerie. This is the magic and
awesome power of the Dragon at work. He is reminding us that the
entire universe is bound together.
Unlike the planets and the Lights which generally move forwards
through the zodiac signs, these places almost always move
backwards through them but may also move forwards for a brief
time, thus churning the milk of life. It takes just over 18 years for
them to move once through the entire zodiac, or on average 18
months per sign, so they are seeding meaning and significance into
relatively short human generations like Jupiter. Being eternally
invisible except in its effects (snuffing out the Lights) the Dragon is
not capable of physical causation astrologically, but instead operates
on the astra-mental plane to produce its effects. However, there is a
very deep and powerful content to the Dragon which means it is
easily capable of creating an effect in the physical world which is
just as potent as either of the Lights which it temporarily consumes.
In other words the Dragon contains the essence of both Lights, but it
is never able to fully digest them because it does not have a stomach.
Where is the stomach? Well, we are. We are the only means
through which the content of the Dragon can be assimilated. By 'we',
what is meant really is the actuality of being alive in a physical
universe, not anything special about human beings. We progress
along the path of exploring the more spiritual meaning and
significance of the universe when we are walking around in it

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physically because it is the arena of real time experience which
develops our spirit and soul, our individual mental body and our
personal astral body. So the Dragon represents two portals through
which either new or old raw essential meaning and significance can
suddenly emerge, confronting us with the need to digest and
assimilate it. At times, the meaning of things will be obscured by the
overwhelming significance we fmd in them and the light in life can
seem dimmed (Solar eclipse); at others, a bloodied shadow falls
across the significance of things and the meaning seems very remote
and polarised towards them (Lunar eclipse). Either of these two
things can symbolically occur in our life whenever either the Head or
the Tail are activated because they are a pair. At such times, we are
being forced to deal with something new and significant, or
something old and meaningful, and to digest it.
The Head is the part that is more all-consuming but ultimately less
primal and more controllable. Here we are able to exert greater
control over what is coming into our life or even use the Head to
open a way forwards. It is the part that is new and significant. The
Tail is far less easy to control, as it thrashes mindlessly, but it is less
rapacious, less hungry for new experience, more instinctive and more
uncontrollable. It is old and meaningful. Whenever we experience
one of these things we are not as far away from the other as it might
appear. New and significant situations can be very old and
meaningful ones dressed up in new clothes and faces, while
encountering very old and meaningful patterns in our lives can give
them a new significance.
In an hermetic context, there are karmic and deeply magical
connections in both parts of the Dragon. They show our relationship
to the Akasha as it relates to our karma, especially our astral and
mental karma, and the pathway that the soul must walk to join itself
with the spirit in a magical eclipse — the magical equilibrium and the
tripolar awareness (simultaneous awareness of self as a physical,
astral and mental body). This is the magic that people briefly feel
during an eclipse when they look up and feel the wonder of the
cosmos as it perfectly aligns — the nectar of immortality itself. We
can regard the Dragon as our teacher and supplier in this process, a
being who ensures that the entire Earth is continually fed new
experience which it must apply to its old patterns.

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 TECHNIQUES & SUGGESTIONS:

Focus of these activations: The Dragon's keys are primarily

focused on the experience of the individual level of being, however,
they also address themselves to small numbers of individuals and are
somewhat generational as well. The Dragon is in fact the shaper of
individual generations who works with both Jupiter and Saturn in
this process. This is because the Dragon takes only 18 months to
move through an entire sign, and when he enters a new sign a new
kind of individual is being seeded into the generational pool
established by the slower moving outer worlds.
• Jupiter takes about 12 years to go through all 12 signs, and so
gives us generations of 1 year for each sign
• The Dragon takes about 18 years to do the same and so gives us
generations of 1.5 years for each sign
• Saturn takes about 30 years and gives us generations of about 2.5
years for each sign
• Uranus takes about 84 years and gives us generations of 7 years
for each sign
• Neptune takes about 165 years and gives us generations of 14
years for each sign
• Pluto takes about 248 years and varies more extremely but on
average produces generations of about 20-21 years per sign.
So, within the broader framework of the 7, 14 and 21 year periods
of the outer worlds, Jupiter, the Dragon and Saturn weave a finer
thread into the tapestry of individuals being expressed through birth.
They elaborate and specify the way individuals will express the
broader collective influences.
Furthermore, the fundamental relationship the Dragon shares with
the Lights and their relationship to the Earth involves him in the
personal level of being, at its core. Therefore, the Dragon is truly
expressive of all levels of being, personal, individual and collective
or transcendent because he interacts with all three at once. She is the
connector between these three levels of being who can bring
significance and meaning to all of them at once or speak of the
complex of how they are related. She often acts to bring forth the
meaning or significance of the activator so that we can behold it and
hopefully assimilate it and becomes wiser and more powerful beings,
like the old woman in the mysterious forest of our fairy tales.

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Connections: As an abstract point in space connecting two celestial
circles, the Dragon is expressive of connections and junctures. This
quality means that people or situations will often enter or exit your
life through the Dragon and that he has some hand in the way we
connect with a group awareness. When either of these two keys are
activated you may find people or situations arriving or leaving the
story of your life and these times may also be employed to either
break or extend connections. You can also work with any group
awareness more directly.
From a hermetic and magical perspective these connections are the
emerging astra-mental bonds which we attract into our awareness
either because they pre-exist, i.e. are karmic, or because we have
generated an astra-mental causation which has led to the
convergence of paths i.e. the student and teacher are ready to meet
one another. Such a case can be seen in Babaji's Dragon keys, as he
meets his mentor during an opposition of Jupiter and Saturn, while
both are activating the Dragon. So these keys can be employed to
explore the manner in which the soul acts as a transceiver for
physical experiences under the direction of the mental body and can
teach us how to distinguish between experiences which have karmic
origins and those which are created by the law of astral and mental
attraction.

Sign polarities: The Dragon, being split into two opposite ends,
expresses itself not through one sign but through two. This is
different to the nature of the world keys, and somewhat like the
nature of the temple keys which have an opposite number. Like the
temple keys, the Dragon is a zodiacal polarity but more so than the
temple polarities the Dragon expresses an urge to unite the two
opposing signs. This draws us, inevitably, to seek for the essence of
both signs in our life, as if it were the key to immortality.
The 12 signs, like the 12 temples, exist in a state of balance with
one another that occupy six pairs or polarities. Unlike the temples
which are concerned with life activities, the signs are concerned with
physical, emotional and mental processes. Within the zodiac, these
processes always follow the following pattern:

• Fire is polarised with Air

• Water is polarised with Earth
• Active, Stable or Reactive signs are polarised with one of their own,
thus active Elements polarise with active Elements.

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 This gives the 6 polarities of the zodiac, the pairs of signs which are
opposite one another. These pairs of signs always have certain
qualities in common, certain traits that they share and which bind
them together, because they share an Active, Stable or Reactive
nature, they just express this through different Elements, and thus
have different ways of expressing the same basic processes. And
importantly, because Fire and Air are mostly Electric and Earth and
Water are predominantly Magnetic, the potential for common ground
between opposite signs increases further. Below are the
characteristics of these polarities with some example qualities which
both signs share:
Aries and Libra: Active Fire and Air, activity, stimulus-seeking, artful - the
creative processes, with Aries representing externalisation and Libra
internalisation. Libra is the internalised mental expression of the Electric
Fluid of Venus into the astral plane (perceiving a balance of things at a
mental level and seeking to express it at a personal level), while Aries is the
external expression of the Electric Fluid of Mars as the causative aspect of
the spirit and life force (the will to be). Aries seeks mastery of Fire as a
creative process and Libra seeks an astral mastery of Air as a creative
process.

Taurus and Scorpio: Stable Earth and Water, loyalty, determination,

dependability - the binding processes, with Taurus as the externalisation
and Scorpio as the internalisation. Taurus is the externalisation of binding
processes as the Magnetic Fluid of Venus in the causal plane, while Scorpio
is the internalised mental expression of the Magnetic Fluid of Mars into the
astral plane (pursuing individual mental mastery of the astral awareness).
Taurus seeks mastery of Earth as a binding process while Scorpio seeks an
astral mastery of Water as a binding process.

Gemini and Sagittarius: Reactive Air and Fire, loreseeking, flexibility,

spontaneity - the informative processes, with Gemini as their internalisation
and Sagittarius as their externalisation. Gemini is the internalised expression
of the Electric Fluid of Mercury into the mental plane (a highly curious and
questioning expression of Air), while Sagittarius is the external expression of
the Electric Fluid of Jupiter as informative processes in the astral plane (the
most restless and fluid expression of Fire). Gemini seeks mastery of Air as
an informative process on the mental plane and Sagittarius mastery of Fire
as an informative process on the astral plane.

Cancer and Capricorn: Active Water and Earth, devotion, persistence,

protection - the constructive processes, with Cancer as their internalisation
and Capricorn as their externalisation. Cancer is the internalised expression
of the pure Magnetic Fluid into the mental plane (a deeply introspective and
protective nature) while Capricorn is the external expression of the Magnetic
Fluid of Saturn in the astral plane as Elemental Earth (a form building
process). Cancer seeks mastery of Water on the mental plane as a
constructive process and Capricorn mastery of Earth on the astral plane as a
constructive process.

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1._.1 111 1 111 1111111111 1•11.11.1

Leo and Aquarius: Stable Fire and Air, brilliance, autonomy, self
determination — the emanatory processes, with Leo as their externalisation
and Aquarius as their internalisation. Leo is the external expression of the
pure Electric Fluid in the mental plane, the radiation of the spirit as a
dazzling mote of Divinity, while Aquarius is the internalised astral expression
of the Electric Fluid of Saturn into the physical plane (the emanation of self
illumination in the experience of physical reality). Leo seeks mastery of the
emanation of Fire on the mental plane and Aquarius mastery of the
emanation of Air on the physical plane.

Virgo and Pisces: Reactive Earth and Water, sifting, altruism, passivity — the
refining processes, with Virgo as their externalisation and Pisces as their
internalisation. Virgo is the external expression of the Magnetic Fluid of
Mercury in the mental plane (a highly discerning and mentally digestive
influence), while Pisces is the internal astral expression of the Magnetic
Fluid of Jupiter into the physical plane (the most receptive and inclusive of all
signs). Virgo seeks mastery of Earth as a refining process on the mental
plane and Pisces mastery of Water as a refining process on the physical
plane.

So, both Taurus and Scorpio are loyal, given to make binding
commitments, it's just that with Scorpio it's more emotionally rooted
and is an internalised process, but with Taurus it's more practically
based because it's an Earth sign and is externalised, often as a firmer
and less volatile commitment because it is more solid, but there is
more conviction and passion involved with Scorpio because it is of
Mars, and so on.
If you meditate on the above you can begin to unravel why each of
the signs have the many qualities that have been ascribed to them
over the centuries. Each of the visible planets not only has an
Electric and Magnetic manifestation through the zodiac (i.e. an
active and a passive) but also both an external (outwards) and
internal (inwards) projection, except for the Lights which have only
one, with the Sun being the pure external force and the Moon the
purely internal. Many other connections can be perceived. For
example, the two signs of Venus, the Electric sign of Libra and the
Magnetic sign of Taurus, are involved in the creative and binding
processes of life, like the two signs of Mars, and they share the
external and internal expression of these processes using all 4
Elements to do so, which is why they are so resonant with human
relationships. If you go deep enough and consider enough of their
qualities you soon realise that the opposite signs are like two sides of
the same coin, bringing us to heads and tails again. In fact the traits
these pairs of signs share in common are the ones that come from
deep within them both. Other traits the signs gain are really just
extensions of these core traits. The old saying that 'opposites attract'
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 certainly applies in the zodiac.
Furthermore, these polarities have important implications for the
study of generations, because the pairing of the signs through their
shared processes can form a bridge across the generations involved.
This connection will be different to the connection formed amongst
people who share an outer world in the same sign because it will
involve more of a balancing act between you. For example, if you
are born with Uranus in Taurus, someone born with Uranus in
Scorpio will have a relationship with you at the level of Uranus
characterised as 'binding'. Essentially, you will both have an access
to the collective human awareness which is formed by binding it to
you in some way, but each will use a different method of doing so.
Such generations may have the common experience of knowing how
to pull humanity together. These connections also increase in
complexity to form between different outer worlds in paired signs,
for example Pluto in Sagittarius can form a link with any outer planet
in Gemini or Sagittarius, a generational connection which will be
characterised as 'informative'. However, when working in unison
they will need to balance one another so that this quest for
information does not become all consuming.
The same is true of personal relationships with other people, but
here you must look more at the signs of the inner worlds and the
Lights and mediators. So, for example if you have a Sun key in Aries
if you want to explore your creative process you should look to team
up with someone who has a Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars,
Jupiter or Saturn key in Aries or Libra.
These are just a few examples of the uses of these polarities. The
Dragon is perfectly situated to teach us about all these mysteries
through the turning of its key. It is a master not just of polarity in
general but a specific polarity of processes, the polarity it expresses
in your birth chart by both signs and temples. For Babaji this is the
binding process (the Taurus-Scorpio Dragon), and in fact he did
display great loyalty and also experienced an overwhelming
welcome when he arrived in the west (after coming to teach from
India on a long journey — the 3rd and 9th temples). He was told early
on that his mission in life was to bring humanity closer together by
bridging east with west. He was learning in his life how to internalise
and externalise these bonding processes, primarily at the physical
and emotional levels. The 'old and meaningful' part of his Dragon,
the Tail in Scorpio in the 3' temple, represents the schooling and
instruction he gained in the mental mastery of his astral awareness,
while the Head in Taurus in the 9th temple, the new and meaningful

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part of his Dragon, represents his establishment of an institution of
higher learning and enlightenment in a foreign country, which he
achieves during its Chiron activation.
Self initiation and self development: The Head of the Dragon has
a rapacious appetite for a certain flavour of life experience
symbolised by its temple and sign position. If it is near anything it
will seek to devour it, so a person with Venus near the Dragon's Head
has a soul that is hungry for something Venusian. This imperative is,
however, something that must be discovered and chosen, it will not
be forced, only suggested at first. Until then it tends to lay fallow in
the soul but this robs us of our most valuable experience. However,
when it is found it can easily become all consuming.
The Tail on the other hand is where we are very sated already, we
are comfortable and attached to this way of behaviour and the
activities of life it concerns itself with. However this self satisfaction
is not inclined to be as rewarding to us now as we have grown
accustomed to expecting, a situation which is meant to lead us (or
swat us) out of its comfort zone and into the arms (jaws?) of the
Head, hopefully to discover the promise it holds which would
otherwise lay dormant. So the Tail is the suggestion to move towards
the Head. Ignoring it and sticking to the pattern of the Tail leads to
greater inexplicable failures as we are relying on outmoded tactics,
but throwing ourselves into the jaws of the Dragon is not the answer
either.
The balanced attitude to the Dragon is to feed the Head carefully
and selectively and digest the experience while you apply it to the
pattern of behaviour indicated by the Tail. This is the journey or arc
that the soul can take to develop along its pathway. It leads you to
unfamiliar territory, to look at life from an opposite perspective to
one you are used to, there to see that there is a polarity between the
old and the new ways which I have described in the discussion of
sign polarities. We have to stay continually attentive to this balance
as a swing towards one end or another can eventually upset the
whole balance of our lives.

Recycling: The Dragon is a master of the waste of nothing. It is

continually recycling itself by eating and feeding its own tail, and so
it is sensitive to any attempt to extract the essence of things and
recycle the rest. When the Head is activated, seek to make room for
new input, but when the Tail is activated, turn to what you have and
try to find a new way to use it or just let it go with a blessing.

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 Dot connecting: The Dragon's keys are also very useful for figuring
things out and for seeing how they connect through a shared meaning
or significance. The Jupiter and Uranus activations are especially
conducive to this intent and are especially appropriate for creating
socially based connections. The Pluto and Neptune activations are
more appropriate for investigating mysteries.

Magic of the Electric and Magnetic flux: The Dragon is an

expression of the relationship between the Sun, Moon and Earth and
most obviously manifests itself during an eclipse, which gives the
Dragon a connection to the two universal Fluids, the Electric and
Magnetic, and thus the ElectroMagnetic. He is the only entity who is
able to temporarily suspend this ElectroMagnetic flux across the
surface of the Earth. This means that the Dragon is an instructor in
the magic of the Fluids and its activations can be employed in these
studies.

Past lives & karma: Traditionally and commonly, astrologers hold

that the Tail represents past lives and the karma attached to them, and
that the Head as the ascending node is the indicator of where we
need to be going, and there is some truth in this but it is more that the
Dragon itself represents two aspects of karma and experience which
we are trying to bring balance and equilibrium to in this one. For
example, someone with the Tail in Aries may have a lot of life
experience in battle which they are tapping into, but with the Head in
Libra they may also have a wealth of experience as a diplomat or an
artist, and they will be seeking to bring equilibrium to both these
patterns.
Also, it is important to understand that the positions of the Dragon
are not the only past lives of the soul, they are only the ones it is
intently dealing with in this incarnation as a primary matter of self
realisation. The soul, in its wisdom acquired through ages of
experience and its connection to the eternal spirit, knows precisely
what it requires to mature and develop in a way which truly
expresses its own inner light, and this awareness is symbolised by
the Dragon and can be contacted and connected with more
consciously when the Dragon is activated.

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 This concludes the explanation of the 26 keys. At this point you
have everything you need to explore your own astrology for the
remainder of your life, using the conductors to turn the keys as you
wish. You will experience many other astrological influences which
are not shown in these keys, some of which will be small and
superficial and others which will be very significant, because I have
not attempted to represent all astrological influences, only a majority
of those which mark the beginning and the end of emerging cycles,
which are the ones most amenable to intentional shaping and
synthesis. These keys introduce you to all of the factors involved in
the fundamental ingredients of your astrology so the experiences you
gain with the 26 keys will provide you with a rich basis for dealing
with any kind of astrological influence.
There are potentially many lifetimes of work and investigation in
these techniques and in actuality only one life to do it in, leaving you
to decide how to approach it and what to focus on in the time you
have. Additionally, the handful of suggestions which I have shared
for each key are only a select few of those which I could have
provided. A little imagination and your own investigation will
multiply the possibilities for using these tools much further.
However, what has been presented so far as a basis for working with
the magic of the astral Light can be taken only as a beginning. I have
tried to supply a course of instruction which enables a quick and
relatively easy beginning so that people can start to explore for
themselves as early as possible. There are areas in which you can go
from here which advance deeper and more completely in this field,
enabling you to interact with your astrology at more complex and
powerful levels. In the last section of this book I will provide some
advice on these matters for those wanting to explore further.

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 DIVING DEEPER
Astrology is a vast area of study developed over millennia of
observation and practice and in recent years elaborated upon at an
ever more swift and bewildering pace given the advent of technology
and the rise of the collective awareness. It would take countless
volumes to cover this material giving attention to the magical and
synthetic approach to it in even the most superficial way, leaving the
student a particular dilemma in deciding what to choose to focus on.
Even the magic of the astral Light described in this book has only
been presented in its simplest form - for ease of access to people
wanting to just dive in I have stripped the practice down to its barest
essentials leaving out many significant and important details.
In the last section of this book I will address the most important of
these omissions and offer some guidance on how your practice can
be elaborated upon in various ways. I have tried again to limit myself
to only the most fundamental areas into which you can proceed and
to only offer brief suggestions in most cases, leaving the vast
remainder for you to discover and contemplate for yourself. The
most important of the additions you can make, which I will address
first, require some time to explain and to grasp, as well as some time
for creating the tools they utilise. They are however of great
significance and well worth the effort involved. Some of these
instructions may be confusing and act as an impediment to some
people, in which case they should ask an astrologer to calculate the
information. This is in my opinion more preferable at this stage than
in the earlier making of the 26 keys for yourself, as the education
gained in creating the keys provides insight into the rhythms of the
activators, but some of the work involved in the pages ahead is
lengthy and perhaps more easier to understand in retrospect, with the
information it produces already at hand. Astrologers with computer
software can calculate this information quickly and easily leaving
you free to contemplate and experience it. For those without such
help or wishing to work out these factors from an ephemeris, the
following steps will need to be followed carefully.

VII-IX. Light and Inner world development

The practice of astrology outlined in the keys uses the ongoing

present time movements of the slower moving worlds — from Jupiter
outwards - to identify major opportunities to interact with your

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astrology, a practical method of engaging what astrologers call
'transits'. The Solar map and the world and temple keys show when
the transiting positions of the Sun and these slower moving worlds
reach the same degree as a certain object in your birth chart, a transit
called a conjunction.
However aside from transits there are other methods of delineating
astrological influences and these can also be accounted for in your
practice with only a little modification. The most important of these
methods are called 'progressions' — of which there are many kinds,
and here I will deal only with those termed secondary progressions.
Progressions serve as a supplement to transits rather than a
replacement, having subtle but significant differences to them by
virtue of arising from a different philosophical source.
To be clear, transits arise from our perception of temporal
causality, they are mechanical and universal and are made active in
our personal and individual lives through a connection the transit
makes with the birth chart. If Jupiter reaches the 13' degree of Pisces
by transit it does so for everyone all across the world, and it can be
predicted that this will happen again in about 12 years and every 12
years thereafter. Thus, everyone with anything at that degree of
Pisces will have an activation when Jupiter reaches that degree,
every 12 years. Or to give another example, Jupiter and Saturn may
be in a conjunction by transit, i.e. conjunct in the sky as you are
reading this, but this conjunction will only be strongly felt by you if
it emphasises something already in your birth chart (so a conjunction
of Jupiter and Saturn in present time will be shown in some keys as a
simultaneous activation of the same key by these planets).
What transits show are the continuously changing ebb and flow of
universal essential meaning as the universe turns around us and we
interact with it. The greatest and most powerful of them arise from
the motions of the furthest worlds from the Sun, from Jupiter out.
These are global influences that rise, flow into and then drain out of
the entire world, finding expression in our comprehension of their
meaning as they go by. Individuals therefore act as springs through
which this sea of universal essential meaning fountains as it pours
out over everything.
Progressions, however, emerge from within us, they are the flow
of personal essential meaning as we blossom like plants through time
giving form to all the information contained in an inner seed. They
are personal influences that break the surface of the inner world and
manifest themselves in the outer world. Furthermore, they are
independent phenomena which do not need to make a connection to

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 the birth chart, although some of them do, giving rise to two types of
progression, essentially distinguished by a degree of conviction felt
in the inner truth being symbolised by the progression. A
progression which does not relate back to the chart is more
passionate and felt with greater inner conviction, it is one of those
situations where we might say "take it or leave it, it is what it is and I
can't change that right now, or don't want to", while one which does
connect to our chart is more open to compromises and seeks the
input of others. The greatest and most powerful of both types of
these progressed influences arise from the motions of the inner
worlds nearest to the Sun, from Jupiter in.
Progressions also arise from a different perspective of time, not
one in which we are moving through time but one in which time is
moving through us, changing us from within and seeking a way out.
This relationship is formed in the first three months of life and will
therefore only be shared with someone born very close to us in time.
This is because secondary progressions are just the transits of the
first 90 days of life, but expressed as 90 years through a time frame
of 1 day being equal to 1 year. Thus, the activations by secondary
progressions are far more personal than those so far used in the keys,
because they are wholly dependent on what happens astrologically in
the 3 months after you are born, while the newborn soul is gestating.
If we want to take a purely rational approach to the subject of
progressions we can say that they are sourced in the imprinting of
earliest life experience onto the unshielded and open consciousness
of a newborn child, the direct shaping of the unconscious in the first
80-90 days of life and its manifestation in later years as conscious
self realisation. There is far more than this involved in the
mechanisms of progressions, however, for this is the magic of the
seed which contains the mighty oak tree. This is the magic of the
emergence of the infinite within us, as opposed to the magic of
encountering the infinite outside of us. Taken together, progressions
and transits allow us to explore both at once and thus build bridges of
understanding and unity between them.

Finding progressed activations

The first two sets of progressions to look at are the most

fundamental, those of the Lights. Of these, the Sun is relatively
simple to figure out, while finding the Moon's is the most complex
task of all in the 26 keys. The remaining progressions will then be
easier and less time consuming to calculate.

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 While it may seem straightforward enough to create progressed
activations of your keys by looking at the 90 days following your
birth in an ephemeris and noting down the positions, there are some
complications which make doing so inaccurate. The biggest of these
is the fact that ephemeris positions are set for midnight (sometimes
to noon) GMT (Greenwich Mean Time, the time zone for London
and other cities north and south of it), therefore, the ephemeris itself
is only showing progressed positions for someone born in GMT at
exactly midnight (or noon if it is a noon ephemeris). This isn't a
problem when dealing with the slower moving outer worlds because
their motion will not change significantly over the course of a few
hours, but it becomes crucial when dealing with progressions which
involve the faster moving bodies of the inner worlds and the Moon.
If you are lucky enough to be born on or very near midnight in GMT
then the progressed positions of your planets can simply be read out
of the ephemeris using the formula of 1 day = 1 year, so that if you
are born on October 31st 1970, the ephemeris positions for November
d
1" 1970 are those for your first birthday in 1971. November 2n will
then show them for your 2' birthday, and so on.
For the vast majority of us this will not work, and if our birth time
is late in the afternoon or we are born in Australia, the error can be
very wide. To get over this problem we could go a very long way
round it which involves creating a chart for every year of life we
want to look at, set at the same time and place as our birth but on
each of the 90 days following it, but fortunately there is another,
easier solution — we can break away from the birthday itself and fmd
an artificial birthday either before or after our actual birthday which
reflects this discrepancy and will do so every year. If the positions
listed in the ephemeris at midnight on your birthday are not the
progressed positions of the planets for your chart, then there will be a
date elsewhere in the year for which the positions at midnight on that
day will be correct. We can then measure your progressions from that
date rather than from your birthday, and by measuring them from this
date we can know their positions for any time in your life. This date
is called the adjusted calculation date (ACD) and it is found quite
simply as follows:
1) Find the GMT of birth
2) Subtract this from 24 hrs.
3) Find the Sidereal Time of your birthday listed in the ephemeris
4) Add the result from steps 2 and 3 together
5) If the sum exceeds 24 hours, subtract 24 hours.
6) Find the result as a Sidereal Time in the ephemeris; this day is your
ACD.

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 I promise you, this is all a lot easier than it sounds! The confusion
of calculating progressions arises from having to switch our
perception of the normal workings of time. It is a bit like learning a
language or riding a bike for the first time, or realising as a child that
there are 60 minutes in an hour, with practice it quickly becomes
more natural to think this way.
So, let us imagine that you were born in Nuremberg, Germany, on
April 15th 1976 at 17:49. Nuremberg is 1 hour ahead of GMT, so to
find the GMT of birth we must subtract 1 hour from your birth time,
giving us 16:49.
Next we have to subtract this from 24 hours, which leaves us with
7hrs llmins.
For the next step we need the ephemeris which will list the
Sidereal Time of the birthday, April 15th 1976, often in a column on
the far left of the monthly tables, next to the dates of the year. The
ephemeris shows this to be 13hr 33min 07sec.
We then have to add 7hrs and llmins to this sum, and if it takes us
over 24 hours we then have to subtract 24 hours:

13h 33m 07s +

07h 11m 00s

20h 44m 07s

Since this sum is not greater than 24 hours, the last step is just to
scan the ephemeris looking in the Sidereal Time column again for
20h 44m 07s, and the day this time occurs is the ACD. The
ephemeris shows that this is August 2', and it can be noted now that
it doesn't matter which year we look at, the Sidereal Time will
always be 20h 44m around this time of year, in this example I looked
at the year 1976. So, August 2" is the artificial birthday which
reflects the discrepancy between the time used in the birth chart and
the time used in the ephemeris of midnight GMT.
Importantly, there is however a mathematical catch which affects
many people born in the earlier parts of the year - if the ACD is later
than your birthday, then the ephemeris positions for the planets on
the day of your birthday are actually their progressed positions for
the year before you were born, beginning from that ACD.
In our example, August is later than April, thus:

• April 15th 1976 = progressed positions for August 2nd 1975 (in the
year before birth)
• April 16th 1976 (1 day after birth) = August 2nd 1976 (the birth year)

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 • April 17th 1976 (2 days after birth) = August 2'd 1977 (the year after
birth)
• April 18th 1976 = August 2nd 1978, and so on

If the ACD is instead before your birthday in the calendar year,

then the positions for the planets on the day of your birth are those
for the year in which you were born, starting from your ACD, and
those for the next day are for the year after your birth, starting from
the ACD. So, if the ACD had been January 2nd instead of August, the
positions for April 16th 1976, the day after birth, would be the
progressed positions for January 2' 1977:

• Ephemeris positions for April 15'h 1976 (birth day) = progressed

positions of planets on January 2"4 1976.
• April 16th 1976 = January 2nd 1977
• April 17th 1976 = January 2nd 1978, and so on

Write out a full 90 days or three months of this list as it will save
you counting and translating days into years in the work ahead. It
will help you avoid common mistakes like forgetting about the extra
day in February during leap years, the need to deduct a year with
later than the birthday ACDs or the number of days in each month. It
may take some time to write all 90 days out, but ultimately this
method will fix things in your mind more quickly. This is an
expansion of the master key used for working with the creation of all
your progressions. We will call it the progressed master key.
Once you have the ACD and you understand that if it is later than
your birthday it gives your progressions starting from the year before
you were born, and ideally have also mapped out this progressed
master key, you can start working out the progressed positions of the
planets and Lights, starting with the simplest and most orderly, the
Sun's.

VII. Solar Progressions

Since the Sun has a very regular motion through the zodiac of
about 1 degree per day, it will progress through 1 degree of the
zodiac every year. This means that by the age of 30 the Sun has
already progressed into a new sign (because signs only have 30
degrees each). This is the first kind of Solar progression we will look
at, and it is counted as a non-chart related progression because it
does not refer back to the chart but is present in and read only from
the ephemeris. Therefore these progressions are internally very

374
 significant and meaningful because they describe changes at our
inner core of being, in our conscious awareness of life, changes
which we will not compromise over and will seek to continually
radiate and gain command of from thereon in for about 30 years.
Since the Sun never retrogrades, this gives each person a reach of
about 2, maybe 3 signs through which the Sun will progress, and
they will always be those immediately following the Sun sign in the
zodiac. So an Aquarius Sun will experience a progression into Pisces
sometime before or at the age of 30, and a progression into Aries
before or at the age of 60, while a Virgo Sun will experience a
progression into Libra followed by Scorpio at the same upper age
limits. This describes the journey that consciousness takes as it
emerges through life — the Libran spirit first becomes more
emotionally and astrally involved with life (Scorpio), then more
exploratory and philosophical (Sagittarius) etc.
The Sun can first progress into a new sign at any time before the
age of 30, depending on where it is placed in its sign, but from
thereon afterwards it will always enter a new sign in 30 year periods.
When the first sign progression will occur is actually easily
determined without consulting the ephemeris, as you can deduce it
from the Sun key — the position of the Sun in your birth chart by
degrees can be deducted from 30 to show when it will progress into
the next sign in years. In Babaji's Sun key, which is configured
around Capricorn 15°, he experiences the progression into Aquarius
at about age 15 (30 -15), and the progression into Pisces at age 45
(30 years later). If we look in the ephemeris about 15 and 45 days
after he is born, we will see the Sun entering these signs on those
days, confirming this.
Do this now with your own Sun key, and then look up the results
in your ephemeris. You may be a day or so off because the Sun does
not move precisely 1 degree a day and our clunky calendar requires
the use of leap years from time to time, but if you find that the
ephemeris roughly matches your Sun key within a day, you have it
right. Just remember that those dates relate to the years between your
ACD, shown on your progressed master key, not the years between
your birthdays.
If the above confuses you, just ignore it and look in the ephemeris
for the days in the three months following your birth when the Sun
changes signs. Look up this date on your progressed master key. This
will give you the year in which the Sun progresses into a new sign.
Repeat this for 90 days i.e. three changes of the Sun's sign.
I will now do this for Babaji (who has an ACD of May 20th). Here is

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the beginning of the progressed master key for his chart. Remember
that because his ACD is later than his birthday (January 5th 1893), the
sequence starts the year before he is born:
Progressed master key
January 5th 1893 = May 20th 1892
January 6th 1893 = May 20th 1893
January 7th 1893 = May 20th 1894
January 8th 1893 = May 20th 1895
January 9th 1893 = May 20th 1896
January 10th 1893 = May 20th 1897
January 11th 1893 = May 20th 1898
January 12th 1893 = May 20th 1899
January 13th 1893 = May 20th 1900
January 14th 1893 = May 20th 1901 and so on, so that
February 18t 1893 = May 20th 1919 and
March 18t 1893 = May 20th 1947

..and so on until April 5th 1893, 3 months after his birthday

This means that, for example, the positions listed in the ephemeris
for January 13th 1893 will be the progressed positions of his planets
on May 20th 1900.
Equipped with this information we look in the ephemeris at the
first three months after his birth, seeking the days when the Sun
enters a new sign. That year, the Sun entered Aquarius just before
midnight on January 20th, which means that for Yogananda the Sun
progressed into Aquarius in 1907, just before May 20th. We write this
down as follows:

• Pr. Sun into Aquarius: spring/first quarter 1907

You do not need to be any more specific than this. You could even
just date it simply as '1907'. In predictive astrology, the astrologer
will calculate the precise day in 1907 by working out the average
monthly motion of the progressed Sun, and you could do that too
quite easily but a rough stab at the appropriate month or season of
the year is all we need for our purposes of intentionally meeting with
it in time. In the section on the Moon I will show you how to be
more precise.
Now, we return to the ephemeris looking for the time when the
Sun will reach a new sign again. We see that in 1893 it enters Pisces
about half way between midnights on the 1 8th and 19th of February -
on February 18th 1893 the Sun is at 29° 36' Aquarius, and on the 19th
at 00° 36' Pisces. February 18th 1893 is equivalent to May 20th 1936,
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 and February 19th to a year later, so this is halfway between them,
sometime in the last quarter of 1936:

• Pr. Sun enters Aquarius: ist quarter 1907

• Pr. Sun enters Pisces: 4th quarter 1936

Again we look into the ephemeris, and there we find that in 1893
the Sun entered the next sign, Aries, around midday on March 20th
which in Babaji's progressions is equivalent to half way between
May 20th of 1966 and 1967, or about 6 months after May 2061:

• Pr. Sun enters Aquarius: 1' quarter 1907

• Pr. Sun enters Pisces: 4'h quarter 1936
• Pr. Sun enters Aries: 4' quarter 1966

These are the progressed Sun sign changes for his chart. They can
be considered activations and as such they should be added to the
Sun key in the appropriate places. At the end of these instructions I
will provide some guidelines for how to approach them as they have
a different nature to the other activations. For now we will move on
to find more of the Sun's progressions, this time some which are
chart related.
The chart related progressions of the Sun we are going to add are
primarily its temple progressions but there may be some others too
depending on your chart. During the time it moves through three
signs by progression the Sun will also move into new temples by
progression. It might also meet the position of planets in your birth
chart. The original master key tells you which of these will be
involved. Look at the section of the master key that follows on from
where the Sun is placed, up to three signs on from your Sun sign.
Here is the relevant section of Babaji's master key in order of
sequence:

1. Sun (15° 34' Capricorn)

2. 6th temple (29° 52' Capricorn)
3. 7th temple (28° 52' Aquarius)
4. 8th temple (25° 10' Pisces)
5. Mars (05°40' Aries)
6. Jupiter (16° 13' Aries)
7. 9th temple (25° 07' Aries)

This includes all the entries relating to the three signs into which
his Sun progresses, Aquarius, Pisces and Aries, as well as the parts of
his natal Sun sign, Capricorn, through which it progresses. It

377
immediately shows the order in which these chart related
progressions will occur. All that is needed is for us to look in the
ephemeris and figure out when they will occur. So that it is clear I
will now take you through this process with the above as an example.
The first item in the list (ignoring the Sun itself which marks the
day of birth) is the 6th temple, at 29 degrees and 52 minutes of
Capricorn.
In the ephemeris for 1893, the Sun is at 29 degrees and 52 minutes
of Capricorn on the 19th January. It is actually at 29° 11' at midnight
on the 19th and at 00° 12' of Aquarius at midnight on the 20th, so it is
in the last quarter of the day and thus the last quarter of that period
that the Sun reaches this position. (This is easily calculated by
dividing the distance the Sun travels that day by four to find the
motion for every 6 hours).
January 19th is equivalent to May 20th 1906 in Babaji's secondary
progressions (shown on his progressed master key), and January 20th
is equivalent to May 20th 1907.
Therefore, his progressed Sun will reach 29°52' of Capricorn
sometime in the first quarter of 1907:

• Pr. Sun enters 6th temple: lst quarter 1907

The actual day this occurs is January 20th 1907, but this degree of
accuracy is not necessary for our work. We only need to orientate our
awareness in time generally. If we have the exact day it can help us
mostly in ritual or ceremonial work, but even then it is not necessary
in synthetic astrology.
The next item on the list is the 7th temple at 28°52' Aquarius. In the
ephemeris for 1893, the Sun is at 28°35' Aquarius on the 17th
February, and at 29°36' Aquarius on the 18th. This is a motion of 1°
01' or 61'. Dividing 61 minutes motion over 24 hours by four (to find
the quarterly motion) gives us just over 15' every 6 hours. This
means that the Sun will progress 15' every 3 months. So, by 6am on
the 17th February (6 hours after midnight), the Sun will be at about
28°50' of Aquarius (15' later than its midnight position), which is
close enough to 28°52 Aquarius for us to stop.
Given that in his progressed master key 17th February 1893 is
equivalent to May 20th 1935, and that 18th February is equivalent to a
year later, then the Sun progresses to 28°52' Aquarius about 3
months after May 20th 1935:

• Pr. Sun into 7th temple: 3rd quarter 1935

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 Again, the precise date is actually September 1" 1935, but this is
accurate enough.
When eventually finished with this process, we have this:

• Pr. Sun enters 6th temple: 1st quarter 1907

• Pr. Sun enters 7th temple: 3rd quarter 1935
• Pr. Sun enters 8th temple: 4th quarter 1961
• Pr. Sun activates Mars: 2nd quarter 1972
• Pr. Sun activates Jupiter: 1st quarter 1983
• Pr. Sun enters 9th temple: 2nd quarter 1992

In the case this is not clear, a careful re-reading of the above

should help, but if it is truly beyond you then simply use the services
of an astrologer or a free online programme for calculating your
secondary progressions. Do not let the maths stand in the way of
your practice.
These progressions should be added to the Sun key like its
progressed sign changes, but you can also add them to the keys being
touched by the progressed Sun, in Babaji's case these being the 6th,
7th, 8th and 91̀1 temple keys and the Mars and Jupiter keys, adding one
activation to each key. Lastly, these activations can be added to
whichever temple keys serve as the primary and secondary functions
of the Sun key (in Babaji's case, the 5th and 1St temples).
This almost completes your work with building the Sun key
because it adds in all the remaining synthetic activations for this step.
A few more may be added in step 9.

Understanding and working with these activations

Firstly, you can build a conduction around any of these activations

in the usual way. The Sun is the best conductor for these influences,
but the Moon is also suitable and brings a softer, more internalised
experience. This should be done in the year of the activation itself,
adding in the year either side if you wish a more complete
exploration, but it should always encompass the time of the exact
activation. During this time the significance of whatever the Sun is
activating is illuminated within you and may more brightly shine out
in the rays of your consciousness. This illumination within you can
serve as a catalyst for an externalised experience in which you
interact with the relevant astrology.
Some of these activations have longer durations of effect than
others. The ones which have short durations are the progressed Sun's
activations of the world and Light keys (e.g. Pr. Sun activates Mars

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or Moon). It is possible that you do not have any of these. If you do,
they will have a workable effect which lasts about a year but the
months surrounding the activation itself will be saturated with the
essential meaning. The others — the sign and temple progressions -
last many years. The Sun sign progressions last 30 years, while the
temple sign progressions vary in the years they last depending on
where your temples are. These are phases of consciousness. The
beginning of these are again saturated in the essential meaning as
when it emerges exposure is fresh and our consciousness encounters
it raw, but consciousness quickly becomes accustomed to the change
and it becomes natural for us to express ourselves in the new way.
This new way is a modification of our birth Sun sign and its temple
with the new meaning. Life itself not only seems different, it is
different. The story of our life has gone in another direction or has
become more elaborate.
It should be remembered that Sun sign changes are more internally
rooted and less open to compromises, they are issues of principle and
character over which you will not willingly back down and in the
beginning they can be very startling for others to encounter as they
can run contrary to what has up until now been expected and
characteristic of you. The other progressed activations are those
which you are more likely to negotiate terms over and you will seek
more for the input and opinion of others over the life changes they
unfurl.
Also, there is a relationship between the Sun's progression into
new temples and all its other progressions during that period in that
they are all somehow expressive of the themes of the temple the
progressed Sun is in. When progressed Sun is in the 5th temple and it
enters Taurus, it means something completely different than when it
is in the 8th temple and enters Taurus. In the first case, the new
Taurean meaning will apply itself to the matters of the 5th temple, and
in the second to the motif of the 8th. To know which temple your Sun
is in, you only have to look at which temple it last activated (if there
are none, it remains in the same temple as it is in your birth chart).
Since it is always the time of activation which is saturated with
essential meaning the ideal time to work with the phased influences
of temple and sign progressions of the Sun is during the activation
itself, but there is a possibility to work with it at any time in the
period the Sun spends in the sign or temple. Apart from the Sun's
progressed activation of the contents of a temple the best times to
conduct the work are whenever that particular sign or temple
becomes involved through another activation of the 26 keys. For

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 example, Babaji's progressed Sun is in the 6th temple from 1907-
1935. In that span he has 6th temple key activations in the following
periods, all of which are ideal for 6th temple work because the
progressed Sun is also there:

• Uranus: 28 Jan 1912 [9 Sep 1912, 7 Nov 1912] 19

• Jupiter: 21 Jan 1914 21
• Jupiter: 5 Jan 1926 33
• Satum: 22 Feb 1932 [15 Aug 1932, 18 Nov 1932] 39

You could also conduct this process using the sign progressions of
the Sun alongside any keys which involve those signs, which gives
you a more Elemental scheme to work with. These activations could
then be colour coded gold to show their support by the progressed
Sun. We can expect them to be more alive and consciousness
expanding than other 6th temple key activations. All the progressed
Sun's activations provide an animating life energy to anything they
touch. They invigorate, brighten, vivify and scintillate it. They send
waves of vital energy into the area they activate and awaken us to
what it means, like the fingers of brightening light which set fire to
the world in a dawn chorus. The birds within us sing, the plants
begin to unfurl their blossoms and leaves, the earth warms and the
water and air are stirred by heat. They focus bright attention on the
development of our individuality and our life journey. However, they
also illuminate the darkness, leading us to confront aspects of
ourselves which require a more conscious awareness and integration.

VIII. Lunar Progressions

The next step is to calculate the Moon's progressions, a process

which is more involved and time consuming because the Moon
moves much faster through our zodiac than the Sun or any of the
solar systems worlds, so there will be more information to gather. We
will again find both types of progression using the same method, i.e.
identify every time the Moon progresses to a new sign, temple or
reaches a natal planet, but we will add a greater number of
activations and a larger variety of them will be non-chart related
progressions. While the work involved is considerable, the value in
finding all of these progressions and the meaning they contain is
easily commensurate with the effort required. I have tried to keep
things as simple as possible, but again, do not let calculations stand
in your way of playing in the water, ask an astrologer to figure these
things out if you have problems.

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 Unlike the Sun the Moon does not have a continually fixed rate of
motion, it speeds up and slows down in terms of its movements
through the zodiac, but it always takes about 28 days to move
through all 12 signs, which is where we get our unit and word of
'month' from. So given that when we look for progressions we are
looking at the patterns for about 3 months after birth, the Moon will
make 3 complete orbits of the chart and thus 3 activations of all the
keys in that time. In addition she will pass through all 12 signs, 3
times. This means in total you have to find over 100 activations by
the progressed Moon rather than the handful of progressed Sun
activations found in the previous task, and not only that, you have to
be more exacting in your calculations because of the varying speed
of the Moon.
There are two ways to do this, both of which utilise the original
master key. The first way is to find them by looking day by day in
the ephemeris using your master key as the guide for what to look for
next, one day at a time, gradually building 3 or 4 columns of
information. However, when you do it this way you must not forget
to include all 36 sign progressions of the Moon (the days she
changes signs), because the start of signs are not recorded on your
master key. What makes this method a good one is that it
automatically structures your findings in a chronological sequence. It
is the simplest method.
The other way is to do it is in blocks and then to recombine these
blocks into a chronological sequence afterwards (this is a lot easier
than it might sound, but is made much easier if you use a word
processor). In addition to the chronological sequence this method
gives you a series of progressions sorted by zodiac signs and
Elements and can therefore be useful if you are interested in working
with progressions as Elemental influences or in exploring the
qualities of the signs. It is a slightly more complicated method but it
lends a greater context to the activations. This is the method I discuss
first, but the same process is followed in both methods, the only
difference is in how the process is structured. Whichever method you
use you will follow the same process, just in a different order. To set
things up for either method just follow the instructions below:

1) By following the master key: Take the original master key and
break it at the Moon, placing the Moon at the top just as you did
with the Sun in creating the Solar map. Next, insert 00° of all 12
signs in the appropriate places. For example, if you have the Sun at
Leo 11 and the Moon at Virgo 15, place 00° of the sign of Virgo
after the Sun because it lies between the Sun and Moon. This is so

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 that you do not forget to look for the Moon's progression into new
signs.
2) In blocks: Divide the master key up into blocks by zodiac sign,
starting with the sign of your Moon. Place all keys belonging to the
same sign in one block with the earliest parts of the sign at the top.
Then, add 00° of that sign to the top of each block. Finally, create
new blocks for any signs which have not already been given them
and place 00° of that sign as the only entry in that block. This gives
you 12 blocks sorted by zodiac sign, beginning with the sign the
Moon was in when you were born. Note: if, like me, you end up with
a huge block because your planets are clumped together, split the
block into managable portions.

I will describe the way it is done by working in blocks and discuss

the simpler master key method afterwards.
Here is the first block for Babaji's chart, the Leo block:

• 0° Leo
• Moon: 25° 35' Leo
• 1St temple: 28° 52' Leo

This is the first block because it contains the Moon, along with
everything else in Leo. We are going to find each of these places 3
times, giving us 9 activations. Normally we would start from the top
of the block and work down, but this first block will be treated
slightly differently than those which follow because it contains the
Moon itself. You begin instead from whatever follows on directly
after the Moon in the list and return to the top when you reach the
bottom, finishing when reaching the Moon's position for a third time.
Working with Babaji's chart the first object we will look for is the
1St temple at 28°52' of Leo. The first step is to look in the ephemeris
starting with the day of birth for the first time when the Moon
reaches this place.
Yogananda was born on January 5th 1893, and the position for the
Moon in the ephemeris for this day is 17°02' of Leo (he is born late
in the day and the Moon moves through many degrees before he is
born with the Moon at 25° Leo). The next day, January 6th, the
ephemeris has the Moon placed at 00°34' of Virgo. So the Moon
reaches Leo 28° sometime late on January 5th, after he is born but
before midnight.
In terms of his progressions, the positions in the ephemeris on his
birthday are equivalent to May 20th 1892, and those listed for January
6th are his progressions for May 20th 1893. We now need to know
when in that period it will cross Leo 28°52' Leo. Here is how we do
that.

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 First, we find the total distance that the progressed Moon travels in
that day by finding the difference between its position on January 5th
and its position on January 6th in the ephemeris.

00° 34' Virgo [the Moon's position on January 6th]

- 17° 02' Leo [the Moon's position on January 5th]

13° 32' [the Moon's daily motion]

So there is a difference of 13°32' between the Moon's position on

January 5th (which is its progressed position for May 20th 1892) and
its position on January 6th (progressed position for May 20th 1893).
Therefore the Moon progresses 13°32' in that year.
We now need to divide this by 12 to find its monthly motion. The
easiest way to do this is to covert degrees into minutes and divide
those by 12, then reconvert back to degrees:

13° = 780' (13 x 60)

add in the remaining 32' = 812'

812' ± 12 = 67.6'

Moon's monthly motion is therefore 67' or 1°07'. Before you go

any further, record this on the progressed master key next to January
5th 1893, so that you do not have to work it out again:

• January 5th 1893 = May 20th 1892 (Pr. Moon's monthly motion
between this and the next date: 1°07')
• January 6th 1893 = May 20th 1893

With this information, we can finally calculate when the Moon

will progress to reach the 1St temple at 28° 52' of Leo by adding this
monthly motion of 1°07' to its position on May 20th 1892:

May 20th 1892: 17°02' Leo

June 20th 1892: 18°09' Leo
July 20th 1892: 19°16' Leo
August 20th 1892: 20°23' Leo
September 20th 1892: 21°30' Leo
October 20th 1892: 22°37' Leo
November 20th 1892: 23°44' Leo
December 20th 1892: 24° 51' Leo
January 20th 1893: 25°58' Leo
February 20th 1893: 27°05' Leo

384
 March 20th 1893: 28°12' Leo
April 20th 1893: 29°19' Leo
May 20th 1893: 00°34' Leo (the effect of the different
lengths of calendar months has been rounded in here)

From this we can tells that the Moon progresses to 28°52' of Leo
sometime in April of 1893:

• Pr. Moon enters 1st temple: April 1893

Just to give you an idea of the accuracy of this method, even

though we have fudged the maths by rounding down fractions and
ignoring the different lengths of months, the precise date on which
the Moon progresses into his 1St temple is April 4th 1893.
The next step will be to look for the next time that the Moon
reaches 28°52' of Leo, which the ephemeris will give us about a
month after the first instance, sometime in early February, and repeat
the entire process:

Moon's position on February 2nd 1893: 24°58' Leo

Moon's position on February 3rd 1893: 08°22' Virgo

Next we go back to the progressed master key looking for these

days:

February 2nd 1893 = May 20th 1920

February 3rd 1893 = May 20th 1921

The next step is that we find the monthly motion of the progressed
Moon:

08° 22' Virgo (it can help here to just add 30° to Virgo's
position)
- 24° 58' Leo

13° 24'

13° 24' = 804'

804' ÷ 12 = 67' or 1°07'

Thus, Moon's monthly motion between May 20th 1920 and May
20th 1921 is 1°07' exactly. We add this to the progressed master key
before we forget:

385
 • February 2nd 1893 = May 20th 1920 (Pr. Moon's monthly motion
between this and the next date: 1°07')
• February 3rd 1893 = May 20th 1921

We now add this monthly motion to its position on May 20th 1920
until we reach 28°52' Leo:

• May 20th 1920: 24° 58' Leo

• June 20th 1920: 26° 05' Leo
• July 20th 1920: 27° 12' Leo
• August 20th 1920: 28° 19' Leo
• September 20th 1920: 29° 26' Leo

Thus, the Moon next progresses into the 1" temple in September
of 1920:

• Pr. Moon enters 1" temple: April 1893

• Pr. Moon enters 1" temple: September 1920

We can note that there are nearly 28 years between these two
activations — this is the progressed Moon's periodicity, the time it
takes to completely orbit the chart and activate all the keys. We can
already tell that the next time it reaches this place by progression will
be around 1948.
We repeat this process a third time looking into early March 1893
for the last activation of the 1" temple the Moon will make. When
this is done we have these three activations:

• Pr. Moon enters 1" temple: April 1893

• Pr. Moon enters 1" temple: September 1920
• Pr. Moon enters 18t temple: January 1948

This 3rd activation is usually as far as you need to go unless you

want to know the progressed Moon's positions for your 80s or 90s. In
that case, instead of 3 months of ephemeris, you have to look as far
as 100 days ahead of your birthday. If we did this for Babaji we
would add one more activation:

• Pr. Moon enters 1" temple: April 1893

• Pr. Moon enters 15t temple: September 1920
• Pr. Moon enters 15' temple: January 1948
• Pr. Moon enters 1" temple: April 1975

386
 This completes the first set of activations in the Leo block. Next
we proceed through the Leo block to the next activation:

• 0° Leo

Which means we must now find the time when the Moon enters
Leo, using the same method as for when we looked for 28°52' Leo.
There is no difference in the process, and we end up with 3 more
activations (4 if you want to know about old age):

• Pr. Moon enters Leo: August 1918

• Pr. Moon enters Leo: November 1945
• Pr. Moon enters Leo: February 1973

Which we add to the Leo block in chronological order:

• Pr. Moon enters 1st temple: April 1893

• Pr. Moon enters Leo: August 1918
• Pr. Moon enters 1st temple: September 1920
• Pr. Moon enters Leo: November 1945
• Pr. Moon enters 1st temple: January 1948
• Pr. Moon enters Leo: February 1973
• Pr. Moon enters 1st temple: April 1975

Finally, we do the same with the last item in the Leo block, the
Moon itself:

• Pr. Moon activates Moon: June 1920

• Pr. Moon activates Moon: October 1947
• Pr. Moon activates Moon: January 1975

These three activations are called Progressed Lunar Returns and

they have a special significance in synthetic work which I will
explain at the end of these instructions. They are added to the Leo
block, completing it. The next task is to move on to the Virgo block,
beginning with 0° Virgo, and then to move through all the blocks in
zodiacal order until they are finished. The beauty of this process is
that after a while, if you have remembered to record the Moon's
monthly motions on your progressed master key, the calculations you
need to make are shortened and proceed more quickly.
Once all the blocks are finished you should make a copy of it
which rearranges every activation into a single chronological
sequence. When you work from the original master key instead of in

387
blocks, the way you work saves you from having to do this. When
you work from the master key you start with the item that comes
immediately after the Moon itself, which in Babaji's case is the 1St
temple. You then create three columns each headed by the 1 SStemple
and you write the activations you find across them:

1st temple: April 1893 V temple: September 1920 1t4 temple: January 1948

If you look into old age, you simply add a fourth column for your
fourth activation. Then you search the ephemeris for the next item on
the master key (for Babaji this is the Virgo sign, followed by Chiron)
placing these findings below what you have already written, building
up the columns like this:

1st temple: April 1893 1st temple: September 1920 1St temple: January 1948
Virgo: May 1893 Virgo: October 1920 Virgo: February 1948
Chiron: Aug 1893 Chiron: Jan 1921 Chiron: May 1948

Once you have passed through every item on the master key you
finish with the Moon itself. By then you have three columns of
activations which can be placed in chronological order by joining
them top to bottom.
Whichever method you use delivers the same results. These should
be merged with the Moon key, greatly expanding it. The Moon key
should then be split into blocks of decades to make it easier to read.
The activations can also be added to the keys that the progressed
Moon is activating, adding 3 or 4 activations to each of the keys,
spreading the information across all 26 keys.
However, this does not complete our work with the progressed
Moon: there is still one more sequence of activations for us to find,
and it is a very important set of non-chart related progressions which
determine the natural life cycle of the soul as expressed by the
relationship between both Lights: the progressed Lunar phase. These
progressions are among the most fundamental ingredients of our
astrology, and to fmd them we must return to the ephemeris. In the
process of learning how to calculate your Lunar phases you will be
drawing on the progressed master key and the work you have done
there in building up a picture of the progressed Moon's monthly
motion, and I will also show you another way in which the timing of
progressions can be quickly calculated.

388
 Progressed Lunar Phases
The Moon is a dancer, she pirouettes through space spinning the
Light of the Sun into shapes and forms which she reflects to the
Earth. Everyone knows that the Moon goes from darkness into a
fully radiant disc bursting with Light, and that she cycles through
different shapes as she moves back and forth between the two every
month. This is the most obvious and one of the most spectacular
displays of her magic and it is this magic that we will now seek to
tap and interact with through her progressed phases.
The cycle of the Moon emerges in 8 phases, 4 of which are waxing
(filling up) and 4 of which are waning (emptying out) in Light. Step
5 employed the use of these phases in Magnetic conduction. These
phases, which are really the stages of her dance to the rhythms of the
celestial music, proceed from the New or Dark Moon and continually
return to it:
1. Dark Moon: No visible moon in the sky. The dance of mystery.
2. Crescent Moon: A sliver of curled Light in the sky. The dance of
nurture.
3. 1st Quarter Moon: A half-disc of growing Light. The dance of
growth.
4. Gibbous Moon: A swollen egg-womb of Light. The dance of
birthing.
5. Full Moon: An orb of soft pearly brilliance. The dance of fruition.
6. Disseminating Moon: An ovoid shield or brooch of Light. The dance
of evaluation.
7. 3rd Quarter Moon: A half-disc of darkening Light. The dance of
adjustment.
8. Balsamic Moon: A vanishing trickle of Light. The dance of repose.

More will be said on the meaning of these phases after the

instructions in this section. Technically, these phases of the Moon
begin at the following times:
1. New: Moon is 0° from the Sun
2. Crescent: Moon is 45° ahead of the Sun
3. 1 dr Quarter: Moon is 90 ° ahead of the Sun
4. Gibbous: Moon is 135° ahead of the Sun
5. Full: Moon is 180° from the Sun
6. Disseminating: Moon is 135° behindthe Sun
7. 3rd Quarter: Moon is 90° behind the Sun
8. Balsamic: Moon is 45° behindthe Sun

Each phase has a range which lasts until the next phase begins, so
the duration of a New Moon is the time when the Moon is from 0° to
up to 45° ahead of the Sun, while that of the Full Moon is when the
Moon is 180° to 135° behind the Sun.

389
 Note that here 'ahead' and' behind' the Sun do not necessarily refer
to the order of zodiac signs, unless you let them overlap from Pisces
to Aries; it is possible to have the Sun in Aries (the first sign) and the
Moon in Sagittarius (the ninth sign), and this is a Disseminating
Moon. Instead, being 'ahead' or 'behind' the Sun is most easily
determined by checking whether or not the Moon is nearer in a
clockwise or anticlockwise direction from the Sun when viewed in
the chart. When the Moon is nearer in a clockwise direction, it is
behind the Sun in one of the last 4 phases, and when it is nearer in an
anti-clockwise direction it is ahead of the Sun and therefore in one of
the first 4 stages.
The task ahead is to find all of these phases for the first 3 months
of life and calculate when they will occur by progression. This is
going to be easier than it sounds because the tools you have already
built are going to help you. You will find 3-4 instances of each of the
8 phases, leading to 24 or more dates which cover about 90 years of
your life.
The first task in this process is to identify which of the 8 phases
you are born under. This is done simply by measuring the distance of
the Moon from the Sun in your chart and noting whether it is nearer
clockwise or not. In Babaji's chart the distance between the Sun and
Moon is just under 140° in a clockwise direction from the Sun,
therefore he has a Disseminating Moon (the nearest phase to 140°).
This represents the essence of his souls journey — he is joining us
during the dance of evaluation. His life will embody the essence of
this dance.
The next step is to build up a list of all 8 phases, three times,
starting with the phase of Moon that follows the one after your birth.
For example, after the Disseminating Moon comes the 3' Quarter
Moon, so the list for Babaji looks like this:

• 3rd Quarter: Moon is 90° behindthe Sun

• Balsamic: Moon is 45° behindthe Sun
• New: Moon is 0° from the Sun
• Crescent: Moon is 45° ahead of the Sun
• let Quarter: Moon is 90 ° ahead of the Sun
• Gibbous: Moon is 135° ahead of the Sun
• Full: Moon is 180° from the Sun
• Disseminating: Moon is 135° behindthe Sun
• (...followed by a repeat of all the above, from the top, Woe)

This yields the order in which the phases occur and will be sought
in the ephemeris. We next look at the date and year of our birth and
examine the three months that follow it looking for these phases.

390
 1.1.11 L 11

Here is where you gain an advantage by having an ephemeris

which contains a monthly box listing the days on which the Moon's
phases occur. Often there will be four of them — the New, Full and
the two Quarter Moons — leaving you to find the other 4. If the
ephemeris provides them just write the dates on which you see these
phases next to each entry on your list of phases, one at a time. Be
careful that you only include dates which occur after your birthday.
If your ephemeris does not contain information on the moons
phases or list all 8 of them, you will have to figure these out. In
either case, the procedure for finding the Lunar phases is as follows.
Look at the position of the Sun in the ephemeris on the day after
you are born, then look at the position for the Moon. Look at their
sign positions. Each sign is 30° in length. They proceed in this order,
returning to the beginning at the end:

• Aries
• Taurus ti
• Gemini II
• Cancer To
• Leo 11
• Virgo 117
• Libra `-
• Scorpio
• Sagittarius 72'
• Capricorn VI
• Aquarius
• Pisces

Each sign is 30 degrees away from the last. This means that if the
Sun is in Aries and the Moon is in Gemini, then they are in the
region of 60 degrees — two signs - apart. Likewise, if Moon is instead
in Aquarius, which is two signs from the Sun backwards, they are
about 60° apart. Furthermore, if you have to count backwards in the
above sequence to find the Moon first then she is behind the Sun, but
if you count forwards to find her first she is ahead of the Sun. This
immediately gives you a most likely suspect for the moons phase,
although it will not be assuredly known until you calculate an exact
distance between Sun and Moon. In the above example, with Moon
in Aquarius and Sun in Aries, we are probably looking at a Balsamic
Moon, but we would need to check that by finding the exact distance
between Sun and Moon in the ephemeris. Once this distance is found
you can verify whether your assessment is accurate.

391
 I will now do this for Babaji's chart. The first item on the list is the
3rd Quarter Moon, so we begin looking in the ephemeris for the first
after Moon after his birthday. His Sun is in Capricorn, and a 3'
3rd Quarter
Quarter Moon is 90 degrees (3 signs) behind the Sun, so we count
backwards 3 signs from there to arrive at Libra. We can therefore
expect the next 3rd Quarter Moon to come when the Moon enters
Libra.
We look in the ephemeris for the days following his birthday of
January 5th 1893 and find the Moon entering Libra on the 8th,
reaching 08°40' Libra by the start of the 9th. On January 9th the Sun is
at 19° 00' of Capricorn. The next day on the 10th the Moon is at
20°43' Libra and the Sun is at 20° 01' Capricorn. They are just over
90° - 3 signs - apart and thus the Moon is in its 3' Quarter phase.
This date of January 10th is written down next to the first entry for
the 3' Quarter Moon on the list, like so:

3rd Quarter: January 101h 1893

• Balsamic:
• New:
• Crescent:
• 1s' Quarter:
• Gibbous:
• Full:
• Disseminating:

The next item on the list is the Balsamic Moon, which occurs
when the Moon is about 45° behind the Sun. 45° is 1.5 signs,
meaning we have to look 1 or 2 signs back from the Sun. Provided
the Sun remains in Capricorn, this will lead us to look for a Moon in
Scorpio or Sagittarius. In fact when we look in the ephemeris we find
that the Sun and Moon are 45° apart on January 14th 1893, when
Moon is in Sagittarius, so this is added to the list, and you continue
like this until the first 8 items on your list are done:

• 3"' Quarter: January 10'h 1893

• Balsamic: January 14th 1893
• New: January 18th 1893
• Crescent: January 21st 1893
• 1st Quarter: January 25th 1893
• Gibbous: January 28th 1893
• Full: February 1st 1893
• Disseminating: February 4th 1893

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 At this point, you return to the top, and start looking for each
phase in sequence again, going through another month in the
ephemeris before repeating it one final time. You will then have a list
of 24 Lunar phases with dates in the 3 months following your
birthday. You can do another cycle if you want to cover a longer
period of your life, but this should be enough for most people.
The next part is to convert these dates into progressed positions
using your progressed master key. In Babaji's astrology, the 3rd
Quarter Moon on January 10th 1893 is equivalent to May 20th 1897
(as his progressed master key shows). However, the ephemeris
positions of January 10th 1893 are for midnight and the Moon will
often enter a new phase at a time other than midnight, meaning it
progresses into that phase at a different time in the year. For instance,
On January 10th 1893, the Moon is at 20° 43' Libra and the Sun is at
20°01' of Capricorn, 90° 42' apart, which means that the Moon is in
its 3' Quarter just before midnight on the 10th. This is problematic
but there is a solution which is easy to apply and which yields a
workable result.
When we were creating the progressions for the Moon earlier a list
of the Moon's monthly motions was made next to the progressed
master key. This showed that, on average, the Moon moves about 12°
per day in the ephemeris, which equates to about 12° per year by
progression, 1° per month. It sometimes speeds up and slows down
to 11° or 15° a day but 12° is a good figure to use for its average
daily motion.
If by progression 1 day is equal to one year and the Moon moves
on average 12° in that time, then it follows that:

Time Exchanges:

• 1 year = 1 day = 12°

• 6 months = 12 hours = 6°
• 3 months = 6 hours = 3°
• 1 month = 2 hours = 1°
• 1 week = 30 minutes = 15'

Therefore we can use this to convert zodiacal distance into time.

In the above example we know that Sun and Moon are 90°42' apart,
which means they are 42' away from an exact 90° aspect (a 3rd
Quarter Moon), and thus using the table above we can estimate this
to be a difference of almost 3 weeks. This difference is then deducted
from the ACD for January 10th (if the Moon was becoming 3rd
Quarter later than midnight on January 10th we would add it instead):

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January 10th 1893 = May 20th 1897
- 3 weeks = Late April/Early May 1897

This is close enough to the time when the Moon will be in its
exact 3' Quarter phase for us to leave it there (computer calculations
place it at April 28th 1897). However, one final adjustment must now
be made which I have verified to be necessary through my own
practice. An entire year must be deducted from this date because the
Moon is not a computer chip that switches things on and off but a DJ
who blends them in and out, creating seamless, soulful music. Her
phases actually start to emerge just before she shows them in their
fullness, which in my experience begins about a year before, so
finally we can now add this to our list, with the exact time of the new
phase being a year later:

• 3rd Quarter: Early May 1896 (becoming exact in early May 1897)

The next item on the list is the Balsamic Moon on January 14th
1893, which the progressed master key tells us is equivalent to May
20th 1901.
At midnight on the 14th of January 1893, the Sun is placed at
24°06' Capricorn in the ephemeris. The Moon is placed at 08°02'
Sagittarius.
The Moon will be exactly Balsamic when they are 45° (1 sign and
15 degrees) apart.
They are currently 1 sign, 16° and 04' or 46° 04' apart.
This is a difference from 45° of 1° 04'
1 degree of motion on the time exchanges list given above equals
1 month in terms of progressed motion. The 04' is negligible but
amounts to about 2 days.
This is then added to the date in the progressed master key for
January 14th (because in this case the exact Balsamic phase comes
after midnight of January 14th in the ephemeris), and then we deduct
an entire year to obtain the phase onset:

• Balsamic: Late June 1900 (exact late June 1901)

Here is one more quick example, looking for the New Moon of
January 18th 1893.

1) Progressed master key says January 18th 1893 = May 20th 1905 by
progression
2) On January 18th 1893, Sun is at 28° 10' Capricorn

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 3) Moon is at 27° 27' Capricorn
4) The New Moon occurs when Sun and Moon are 0° apart, later that
day (so we add in step 7)
5) The Sun and Moon are 43' apart
6) Time Exchange says 43' = about 3 weeks
7) May 20m 1905 # 3 weeks = June 1905
8) Minus 1 year = June 1904
9) New Moon onset: June 1904

This is done for the entire list of all 24 phases of the Moon over
the 3 months following your birth, giving you a lifetime of
progressed Lunar phases. If necessary, use the Moon's monthly
motion in the progressed master key to work out time exchanges for
the times when it moves faster than 1° per month.

Understanding and working with these Lunar activations

You now have a lot more information relating to your Moon. This
section is for helping you to understand what it means and how to
use it in synthetic astrology. I will give some advice on organising
this new information and then some advice on approaching each
particular type of Lunar progression, including its sign changes,
temple activations, world key activations and phases.
Like the information on the progressed Sun all the Moon's
progressions can be added into the Moon's key, greatly expanding it.
This information should be broken into about 10 blocks of a decade
each so that it is more easily readable. You can also add temple and
world key activations by the progressed Moon to all the relevant
temple and world keys, adding about 3 activations to each of the
keys. The sign changes and phases of the progressed Moon should
remain in the Moon key.
Adding all these activations to the temple keys which are
secondary or primary functions of the Moon key does not work out
too practically because it distorts them with too much extraneous
information. For example, if your Moon is in the 5th temple and
Cancer (the Moon's sign) is opening the 9th temple, adding all the
progressed Moon's activations to the 5th and 9th temple keys will
flood them with information which is only indirectly related to their
affairs. Instead, only the progressed Moon's activations of these
temples should be added in, perhaps with any activations of their
contents too, and special attention would be paid to these activations.
If you want to keep the Moon key simplified, another method of
organising this information is to treat it as an entirely new key, the
progressed Moon key, and just compare it to the Moon key when you

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need to. Your progressed Moon key can be chronologically ordered
starting from your birth, or you can choose to split it another way so
that different Lunar cycles are shown. There are 3 main cycles I
would advise you to look at, one dealing with the astral body itself,
the other with the matrices which it is at the centre of:

1. The Lunar cycle. This begins and ends with the progressed Moon's
activation of the Moon. The first cycle begins at birth and closes for the
first time at the age of 28 for everyone, and thereafter every 28 or so
years (like all progressed Lunar cycles). The progressed Moon has
returned to the position it was in when you were born. This cycle and its
sequence (which unlike its timing will be different for everyone) shows
the development of the soul and the astral awareness as it biologically
and astra-mentally matures. It has a strong affinity with the cycle of
Saturn (see the description in the Saturn key). This is the most astrally
focused cycle and is ideal for any kind of astrological work and any kind
of astral magic.

2. The Soluna cycle: This begins and ends with the progressed Moon's
activation of the Sun. The time of life in which this activation occurs for
the first time depends on the Lunar phase your were born under. People
born near a Full Moon experience it around adolescence (14-15), 15t
Quarter Moon's in their early 20s, 3rd Quarter Moon's when they are
children around the age of 7, Balsamic Moon's as toddlers around the
age of 3 or 4, Crescent Moon's around the mid-20s, Disseminating
Moon's around puberty (11 or 12), Dark Moon's either shortly after birth
or latest of all around 28 years of age. This is the cycle which shows us
how we can express who we are to the world. Dark Moon's can take the
longest of all because they have the deepest to go to find their inner
light and the longest journey to take to show it, but some of them come
into life already equipped with this awareness and simply claim it in the
months or even days after birth (they are born just before or at the New
Moon, rather than after it). This cycle and its sequence show the
development of the relationship between spirit and soul, the path we
take to expressing ourselves as individuals by the radiation of our
uniqueness through our personality and the harmony this brings to our
life. This is an astra-mental cycle which is ideal for working with mental
and emotional harmony i.e with the mental matrix connecting the mental
and astral bodies. It is the cycle of the magical equilibrium because it
aligns soul with spirit.

3. The temple cycle: This begins and ends with the progressed Moon's
activation of the 1St temple. The Moon then passes through all 12
temples in sequence activating all of their contents. There is no simple
method for determining when this will begin as it depends on the
position of the Moon in relation to the horizon when you were born, but
those with the Moon in temples with higher numbers will begin the first
cycle earlier, so that a Moon in the 12th will begin this cycle earliest of
all, while a Moon in the 1st will begin much closer to the upper limit of 28
years. This cycle is a materialising cycle which manifests the Lunar

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 nature into physical existence. Following this cycle over 28 years an
astral awareness can be trained in every area of earthly experience and
developed into a tool which is able to manifest itself in the physical
plane. This cycle is astra-physical and integrates the astral mind into
the physical body, making it ideal for work with the astral matrix.

In each of these cases, the cycle is composed of all the world and
Light key activations the progressed Moon makes over a 28 year
period, starting from the relevant object, Sun, Moon or 1" temple. In
the case of the temple cycle, all 12 temple keys are also part of the
cycle. It is this sequential component with gives the temple cycle its
more physical focus.
These cycles can be followed independently (ignoring the others),
or all 3 can be followed at once, or any 2. If you follow one cycle
independently it is better to join it at the beginning, so for example if
you want to follow the Soluna cycle you should join it when the
progressed Moon activates the Sun. Each of these occasions will
only occur once every 28 years so you have limited opportunities. In
the case where there are no available entry points for you, it is
possible to default to the world key of the 1' temple for the
beginning of any of these cycles, (which will not help if you have
Leo or Cancer rising, as this leads back to the Lights). In these cases
however you have to make more of an intentional effort to develop in
the way you desire — you have to give the cycle the meaning, rather
than receiving it through the nature of the cycle. This involves being
commanding enough over the affairs of the world key of the 1st
temple, the ruling planet of the chart, as well as any content of the 1"
temple.
In cases where the above default does not produce an available
starting point, you must begin at the next activation by the
progressed Moon to a world key — any will do - and make an even
greater effort to shape the pathway of the influences using that
planet's essential meaning. For example, suppose you want to start
the Soluna cycle, but you have no available starting date in the very
near future even considering the world key of the 1st temple. Your
progressed Moon's next activation is to the Mercury key, so you
would use that time to focus your intellect on joining the Soluna
cycle.
In such cases it will be extremely helpful to examine the history of
the cycle you are joining, as this will be the material you encounter
when you start to join it. In the above example, you would look back
over the progressed Moon's previous activations until you found its
activation of the Sun key, or just back to birth if there is no such

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activation, and then you would look at each activation it has made
since then, trying to perceive the pattern among them. In cases where
you come across times when you made a big mess of things, those
things may become important as you join the cycle. These are the
tests that the cycle presents not to challenge you but to draw you in,
to bring you up to speed and prepare your readiness, they are your
ticket to the ride, so you must meet their with a spirit of enthusiasm
not despondency.
Look also at all the future activations that remain before the cycle
closes. These show what you have left to work with and thus what
you can do with the pattern you inherit when you join the cycle. The
best time to join these cycles, failing their beginning and end points,
is actually half way through them, but these activations are not given
in the keys. Instead, you can roughly calculate them as being 14-15
years before and after the beginning of each cycle. So if your
progressed Moon next activates the Sun in 2030, 20 years from now,
you could more easily join it around 2015.
The reason why this is so is that the half way point of all these
cycles is a summing up of what they contain that allows us to either
begin again in the case of serious mistakes or to see the culmination
and fruition of our efforts. Either way they make strong starting
points, just not as strong as an activation. The Saturn key contains a
more detailed explanation of the nature of cycles, including the
quality of all four of the main turning points they make, and because
the progressed Moon is on a similar trajectory through the zodiac to
Saturn, both at 28-30 years for 1 orbit, the guidelines and time
frames given in the Saturn key can be applied to the progressed
Moon's cycles as well without adjusting the timing mentioned. This
is a major clue! The nature of the Moon and Saturn are rhythmically
connected through time because they are both the architects of the
soul.
In terms of the meaning of these activations and their functioning,
they have some similarities with those of the progressed Sun. The
temple changes of the progressed Lights focus attention into a
particular area of life, using the processes of the sign which open that
temple. They illuminate things, and this illumination brings life.
When the progressed Lights change signs after entering a temple,
they signify a change in the processing of the matters of that temple,
and when they activate a world key, important occurrences related to
the temple can signify a new act or actor in the drama of life. Then,
when a new temple is activated, the scene changes and life focuses
on the new temples affairs. When the Moon changes temples or

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 activates a world key, we are more likely to seek the input of other
people on any new developments, but when it shifts signs, things are
not nearly so negotiable and we may require adjustments to be made
on the part of others.
Here are a few examples from Babaji's astrology to illustrate what
I mean:

In March 1914 his pr. Moon enters the 10th temple, beginning a period
of activation related to his attainment of destiny and life goals and his
awareness of what is important. His astral awareness begins
illuminating these things, perhaps showing a path ahead, and it will feed
from this area of life, nurturing itself there until it reaches the 11th
temple.
His 10th temple is in the sign of Taurus, so it begins in some kind of
external binding process (perhaps as extra work duties, harder
persistence or stubborn determination to move ahead - anything which
binds him to something externally)

Two months later, in May 1914, his progressed Moon enters Gemini. At
this point, an inner urge within him will shift attention to more
internalised mental processes which lead to new information - a change
of mind, a new perspective, a fluid questioning of goals, his own and
others, which he will not compromise over or find it easy to change. In
real terms he may find himself less bound to his destiny and more able
to gather information on it.
Later that year, in December 1914, pr. Moon activates the Pluto key,
and then in January 1915, the Neptune key, signifying that the transition
has led to a place of deep transformation and renewal (Pluto) and
ultimately to either illusion or greater clarity (Neptune). These can be
significant passages in the Moon's travels through the 10th temple as he
can become aware of what these complex worlds signify there.
Pr. Moon enters the 11th temple in June 1916, ending the 10th temple
activation period but bringing its results forward to the 11th temples
affairs. In fact, the Moon will begin reflecting the 11' temple themes
about 4-5 months beforehand, as she merges one temples themes with
anothers.

Additionally, if any other activations of the 10th temple occur in

this period of time, they will be amplified by the spotlight of the
progressed Moon and will shine with an inner power and Light
which makes them brighter and more active. Even more powerful
than this are the times when both the progressed Lights are in the
same temple together at the same time, a coincidence of cycles that
will happen at least twice in a natural lifespan. The temples these
coincidences occur in are of great import, especially if any major
activations of that temples key (or its contents or world key) also

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 Mr. MM.

occur in this time. Then you are looking at a major life story event
and a unique opportunity to transform your life in the area of the
temple being illuminated.
The Lights being sources of illumination and life do not really do
anything except throw light onto things and enliven them, the
Moon's Light being softer and more mysterious and personally felt as
internally revealing events, the Sun's more dazzling and externally
revealing. You can think of them as roving spotlights moving around
the chart, the blindingly bright Sun only arcing through about a
quarter of it, the softer, moody Moon embracing it three whole times
in a natural span of life. Wherever they fall, the spotlight is on that
area of your life and it becomes time for you to shine in that respect,
or to look upon what you are and what you have done there.
The progressed Moon also has some important differences to the
progressed Sun. First of all, in terms of its basic nature the Sun is
intensely externalising, it radiates outwards and animates the spirit, it
is blinding and forces us to look away when we nakedly view it, but
the Moon is internally illuminating, it feeds the soul and draws us in,
hypnotically. The soul is hungry and requires nutrients to maintain its
integrity just like the physical body does. These nutrients are the
significance which it is able to extract from experience. If you fall in
love then the significance you attach to 'love' becomes the degree to
which your soul is enriched or stirred by your love affair, the degree
to which love can nurture you, for example. These needs and
appetites for experience and the personal significance we are aware
of in them change as life moves on.
The progressed Moon shows where the soul is feeding from at any
given point of time, the experience it is hungry for. This appetite is
experienced as an urge to focus private inner attention on a certain
area of life (the temple position of the progressed Moon). The temple
position of the progressed Moon is the arena of life the soul is
presently being nurtured by, in addition to the continuous nurturing it
will seek from the temple the Moon is placed within when you are
born. So if you are born with Moon in the 4th temple, but your
progressed Moon is currently in the 11th, both the 4th and 11th temples
combine to produce the appetite of the soul - the friends (11th) of the
family (4th), perhaps.
So the first thing to understand is that while the Sun is an
animating power of life, the Moon is a nurturing power of life and
this is enacted through their progressions. When either of the Lights
progress into a new sign, a process begins to occur in the emergence
of our spirit or soul (the nature of which is shown by the new zodiac

400
 sign) and this is a shift of basic attitudes which we will not be able to
go back on but must learn to communicate to those around us or we
will find a degree of estrangement creeping in. This is often less
troubling with the progressions of the Sun into a new sign because
the Moon is not Electric in nature but Magnetic and therefore she
collects and gathers information into herself which she must then
adapt, relinquish or discharge before she can take on a new
influence. This discharge of her Magnetic astra-mental field occurs
in the period before she enters a new sign and is called 'void of
course' by astrologers. A void of course Moon is simply at rest and in
a period of temporary repose, clearing out her associations in
preparation for a new signal to emerge from within the seed of the
soul, similar to when she is in a Balsamic phase and emptying out
just before a New Moon (described in the following pages). Since
she is the shaper, messenger or transceiver of other planetary
influences through her phases, including those of the Sun, the entire
foundation upon which astrological influences rest becomes volatile
during the void of course Moon, meaning that any activation in this
period is weakened or somewhat suspended.
In practical terms, this means that the period before the Moon
progresses into a new sign is swampland through which you must
proceed carefully. Things that you begin to build on this territory
may just sink without trace, disappearing into the void. This 'plug-
pulling' period can be over a year or more before the progressed
Moon actually changes signs, or it can be only a few days, depending
on where planets are placed in your chart. The general rule to
observe is that (discounting the Moon itself) the more planets you
have in your birth chart in the last 5 degrees of any sign, the likelier
it is you will have shorter void periods when the progressed Moon is
about to change to a new sign, and the more planets you have in the
first 5 degrees of any sign, the more likely they will be longer.
However there are two complications to this general rule:

1) Planets can go retrograde. This means that if you are born with planets
in the early parts of a sign, they can slip back into the later parts of a
previous sign and thus suddenly contribute to a shorter void of course.

2) Fast moving objects — the Sun, the inner worlds and to an extent Jupiter
— can and often will move into a new sign relatively quickly and so when
placed at the end of a sign can eventually contribute to a longer void of
course. The Sun and inner worlds will move through a number of signs
in the 3 months following birth. Thus, fast moving objects are not
suitable for estimating the typical length of a progressed void of course.

401
 _

Given these two general rules, it is reasonably safe to assume that

in most cases:
• If in your chart you have a slow moving mediator or outer world in the
early degrees of a sign (05° or less), and if that planet is not retrograde
and does not go retrograde in the weeks following your birth so that it
leaves that sign, your void of course periods will often be long, but this
only applies if and when the following is not applicable:

• If in your chart there is at least one mediator or outer world key in the
later degrees of its sign (25°+), and those planets do not all leave that
sign in the 3 months following your birth, your void of course periods will
very probably always be short.

These facts coupled with the knowledge of the progressed master

key allow us to make a general estimate of the length of the void of
course we typically experience. The following are simple
instructions for calculating a typical void of course period which will
apply in many cases, but not all, followed by some guidance on a
more precise and accurate but fairly simple method of finding it for
any given time in which the progressed Moon changes signs.
In order to estimate a typical void of course period we have to
identify the void planet. The void planet is the world from which the
length of the typical void of course will be measured. Very simply,
this is the mediator or outer world which sits at the latest degree of
its sign on your original master key. For Babaji, Jupiter at Aries 16°
is the void planet. Next, check the two conditions above to see if it
satisfies any of them — in this case, it does not. If it did, we would
still continue, we would just already know what to expect.
Next, check your ephemeris to see how far the void planet moves
over the 90 days following your birth. As it rises in degrees towards
the end of its sign the void of course grows shorter and shorter, until
the void planet enters a new sign and it then ceases to be useful as a
void planet. So look to see if it goes into a new sign, and if it does,
relate this date back to your progressed master key to find the time in
your life when it ceases to apply as a measurement of the void. Then
find the new void planet from the ephemeris positions for that date
rather than your master key.
For example, in Babaji's case, Jupiter moves all the way through
Aries and enters Taurus on March 25th 1893, almost a full three
months after he is born. The progressed master key says that March
25th 1893 is equivalent to May 20th 1971. So he will be about 78
when Jupiter ceases to be useful as the void planet. This is most of
his life. If we want to find the void planet for after this time, we look
at the ephemeris positions for March 25th 1893, seeking the mediator
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 or outer world in the latest degree of its sign.
To calculate the length of the void of course period for any given
year in which the progressed Moon will change signs, you must note
the position of the void planet in the ephemeris, observing how many
degrees it must go before it reaches the next sign. This difference is
the answer in months. Thus, at the beginning of his life, Babaji's void
periods last 14 months, because Aries 16° is 14° away from the end
of the sign. As he gets older, these periods will shrink, and
sometimes they will be much shorter (as faster moving worlds like
Mercury and Venus can shorten it), but they will not grow longer
than this. In other words, this estimate is the upper end estimate of
what could happen, the maximum length of time that the typical void
of course can last for. So in the ephemeris when Jupiter reaches 25°
of Aries (which occurs on March 2nd 1893, which in his progressed
master key progresses as May 20th 1948), the maximum length for
void of course periods is only 5 months. When Jupiter is at 29°
(March 21" 1893, which for him progresses as May 20th 1967), his
maximum void of course is only 1 month.
Suppose your void planet changes signs early, around 15 days
after you are born, meaning it ceases to be effective as a measure of
the void after about the age of 15. In this case, looking at 15 days
after your birth, you must check the mediators and outer worlds for
the one which is now in the latest degree, and this thereafter becomes
your void planet, until the ephemeris shows it entering a new sign.
Sometimes your void planet will go into a new sign and then
retrograde back. In this way, it is possible for it to become the void
planet again.
In fact, the void planet is always the planet (including the Sun but
not the Moon) which is in the very latest degree of any sign, not just
the mediators or outer worlds, the above method has used these as a
simplified way of estimating a maximum length to how long the void
period can last. The more complete and more accurate way is to look
at the ephemeris positions for Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, noting which one is in the latest
degree of its sign, figuring out how many degrees it is from the end
of that sign, and converting this number into months. Thus, if you are
30 years old and the progressed Moon is about to change signs, then
the positions in the ephemeris 30 days after your birth are consulted,
looking at the planet in the highest degree of its sign. If this is, for
example, Venus at 26°, then she is the void planet and the void
period is only about 4 months. This is not an upper estimate, it is a
more exact figure of the actual length.

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 Some astrologers maintain that there is a further condition on the
void of course, essentially that the void planet does not count if it has
a weak geometric relationship to the Moon, namely, if it is 1 sign
(30°) or 5 signs (150°) away, it will not count, because these are
'minor' aspects. They maintain that the sign of the progressed Moon
in relation to the sign of the void planet is significant:

If progressed Moon is in Aries, a void planet in Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio or

Pisces will not count towards void of course.
If progressed Moon is in Taurus, then a void planet in Aries, Gemini, Libra or
Sagittarius will not count.
If progressed Moon is in Gemini, then a void planet in Taurus, Cancer,
Scorpio or Capricorn will not count.
If progressed Moon is in Cancer, then a void planet in Gemini, Leo,
Sagittarius or Aquarius will not count.
If progressed Moon is in Leo, a void planet in Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn or
Pisces will not count.
If progressed Moon is in Virgo, a void planet in Aries, Leo, Libra and
Aquarius will not count.
If progressed Moon is in Libra, a void planet in Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio or
Pisces will not count.
If progressed Moon is in Scorpio, a void planet in Aries, Gemini, Libra or
Sagittarius will not count.
If progressed Moon is in Sagittarius, a void planet in Taurus, Cancer,
Scorpio or Capricorn will not count.
If progressed Moon is in Capricorn, a void planet in Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius
or Aquarius will not count.
If progressed Moon is in Aquarius, a void planet in Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn
or Pisces will not count.
If progressed Moon is in Pisces, a void planet in Aries, Leo, Libra or
Aquarius will not count.

Therefore, if this is the case, should the aforementioned Venus at

26° be in Sagittarius, and the Moon in Scorpio moving to
Sagittarius, Venus will not act as a void planet and you will have to
look for another. Whether this is the case should be investigated for
yourself. In my experience, there is still an effect and the above does
not apply. It is also unclear at this time whether or not Chiron can act
as a void planet, or indeed any of the new worlds we will meet later
in the book. These matters also need investigation.

404
 These guidelines are enough for practical use, which is to be
aware of the additional difficulty and challenge you will experience
in making constructive progress during these periods and the edge
they give you in being rid of situations and patterns. The qualities of
the void planet will often be amenable to any kind of draining,
unwinding, scaling down or banishing activity conducted during the
void of course period, so that, for example, Venus acting as the void
planet supports the banishment of states of feeling, the volume on
anger, jealousy or other unwanted emotions can be turned down.
Access to all the qualities of the progressed Moon can also be
suspended, such as the connection it affords the astral awareness to
one of the Elements, or its temple activity. They will then begin anew
when the Moon progresses into a new sign.
If you want to know a more precise time for the progressed void of
course, you can often obtain this information from the ephemeris
which shows when the void of course occurs in a box, and then
calculate this time as a progressed master key date in the same way
you calculated the progressed Moon's activations, or easiest of all
just ask an astrologer with computer software to tell you when these
occur.
Finally, there are the phases of the progressed Moon, which
underpin everything else, not just your Lunar astrology, but
everything. We have come here last because it is the most complex
matter of all for people to calculate their way through, but it is the
most fundamental influence over the expression of the astral Light.
The astral Light as a whole is transmitted through these phases,
making them extremely significant. We experience an ebb and flow
of astral tides around us just as the Earth is embraced by the
Magnetic tugging of the Moon; the tide comes in, flooding the
landscape, and the tide goes out, revealing the landscape. The
landscape we are speaking of here is the inner landscape of the soul.
When the progressed Moon is waxing, i.e. from the New Moon
phase up to and concluding in its waxing climax at the Full Moon,
then the tide is coming in, and when it is waning, i.e. from the Full
Moon up to the climax at the New Moon, it is going out. When the
tide is coming in, the astral Light is increasing in intensity and
activity, and when it is going out, it is decreasing in brightness and
becoming restful and revelatory. We have about 14 years of the tide
coming in and 14 years of it going out. When it comes in, we should
be building up to something which will become manifest at the Full
Moon, and when it goes out we should not attempt to make great
impacts on the world around us but should instead recoup and gestate

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our energies for another cycle while evaluating the success of the
waxing phase we have just been through.
To gain the most benefit from astrology in achieving major life
goals you have to align with this fundamental cycle, you have to
learn not to expect great things of the activations at certain times and
to push with all you have at others. If you are making great efforts
trying to attain important life goals and the progressed Moon is in a
Balsamic phase, you will likely be frustrated, and if the Moon is also
void of course at the same time, almost nothing can happen because
there is no astral Light to support its manifestation and appearance,
there is only decay. On the other hand, you could completely miss
out on a rare opportunity to personally shine if you do not know
when your progressed Moon becomes Full of Light.
Additionally, because the progressed Moon's phase underpins and
gives expression to all other astrology, the other activations of the
keys are affected by it, even the progressions of the Sun. If the
progressed Moon is New or Balsamic when you have an activation
of Jupiter to the le temple key, that activation will be far less
immediately fruitful than one during a progressed Full Moon phase,
because it is planting time. This is a major reason why astrological
influences seem to have more power at some times and very little at
others. Therefore, expect activations which occur during your Full
Moon phase to be extremely significant and powerful, fully charged
with significance, while those at Balsamic to have a lesser effect and
to be more entropic and restful i.e. to focus on winding down and
breaking things down so that new growth can emerge later.
Aside from this, the 8 phases of the progressed Moon have their
own particular rhythms, which I will now describe:
• New Moon: The dance of mystery. The most primordial and enigmatic
phase of Luna's dance, embodying pure potential. Planting time; the
beginning, the time when new things are set into motion. Something
new arrives in your life and a new seed is placed in its soil, and from this
point on it will be different. The darkness of the New Moon means you
or others are unlikely to see any visible signs of these new
developments at this time (a seed is not visible once placed in the
Earth). Visible signs will come at a later phase once the astral Light
increases. Instead you will explore the new thing more privately now as
you come across it buried inside of you, but the type of new
development being germinated is shown by the sign and temple position
that the progressed Moon is currently in. This will show the theme that is
being developed in the background of your life for about the next 28-30
years. This is the basis, the seed that is growing behind all other
astrological factors. It is Dark because it is dense with mystery and
because the darkness triggers emergence from within. The dancer feels
the pulse of the new rhythm within her and seeks to nurture it.

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Crescent Moon: The dance of nurture. The seed of the New Moon now
enters a phase of initial emergence. The astral Light manifests itself as
an awareness of what is growing within us. This is a time of assertion
when the visibility of what was planted first shows itself. The Crescent
Moon is the time of a tentative unfurling of the seeds greenery as you
begin to display its potential and what has now taken root shows its first
shoots above the fertile soil. People start to see the changes in your
behaviour that were previously mostly invisible. It is no longer wise to
plant seeds, this time has passed and now you have to nurture the
sprouting of whatever you have planted, shaping its form in your life. As
time passes, energy gathers and the astral Light is increasing, leading
to a building of both momentum and inspiration in the dancers
movements. She has caught the rhythm of the beat.

First Quarter Moon: The dance of growth. The glass is half full. Now
Luna's movements begin to display far greater activity and energy as
she elaborates wildly. The 1st Quarter Moon is a period of action, the
time when you make an exerted effort to physically manifest the desires
planted 7 years ago at the New Moon. Be aware that this is a critical
time of no going back, as the action you take here will lead you on a
particular course for about 7 years, most likely in terms of where you are
with yourself and your feelings about your self image. A time of rapid
growth now takes place in which your plant must gain the height and
stability needed to support fruition at the Full Moon phase. The astral
Light begins to take on greater bulk and weight very rapidly from here
on in, so that life becomes action packed. This is a time when you are
pushing harder and your behaviour should be all about assertively
acting on the astrological influences that affect you, while at the same
time acting on the impulse of the seed you have planted. Now the
dancer is inside of the music, she is 'in the groove' and everyone can
see what was placed in the ground, the type of plant you are growing.
The world awaits its fullness of expression, leading any astrally sensitive
spectators to feel an excitation stirring their souls when around you.

Gibbous Moon: The dance of birthing. Now the dancer is an

enchantress approaching ecstasy, her every movement expressive of
the music and verging on magically directing its flow through her will,
moving beyond anticipation to actually changing the music by her
motions. This is the phase of magical expression when the first petals of
the flower appear, the first buds or the first tiny fruits, the time when you
openly convey and express the developing desire planted at the New
Moon as an offering of your nature. Since the 1g` Quarter Moon your
confidence in what is happening has been growing and you want to
communicate the knowledge you have gained and the inspiration that
has flowed from your activities. The plant is starting to put out the first
signs of fruiting but it is not yet ripe for picking, yet things are changing
rapidly as the astral Light is reaching a brilliant climax. However at this
point it will also be clear to you whether or not there is going to be a
satisfactory outcome — if things are not beginning to shows signs of
fruition or you have planted weeds (or worse, GM crops) you will feel a
sense of panic at the imminent failure or wrongness of the harvest.
Activations in the 26 keys will then be clearly showing you what you

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L_A_±l1111all _III_L111

have to do about it, but ultimately if you reach this point there is no
undoing the consequences of what has been set in motion, only a
chance to minimise them.

• Full Moon: The dance of fruition; the culmination of the waxing cycle in a
hopefully abundant harvest time. The glass overflows into an ocean as
the whole of the Moon shows herself. The music and the dance reach a
climax in which the full potential of the seed is made manifest. The
dancer reaches such a height of ecstasy that she not only takes herself
out of her body, she lifts the audience out of theirs too and shows them
the face of the Moon Goddess, who takes their hands and pulls them all
into the dance with her. This is the time of fulfilment when the fruit is ripe
and you pluck it from the vine or the mighty oak drops its acorns.
Whatever was planted 14 years ago has now reached its prime, for
good or ill. This is not the time to try to begin anything; it is the time to
collect the rewards. The Full Light of the Moon puts the astral Light at
high tide, flooding other activations with powerful significance and
putting a spotlight over you and your actions over the last 14 years that
illuminates in fully rounded, no uncertain terms whatever you have
brought into existence through your personal actions. Enjoy this time for
it is truly your time to shine, but do not seek to hold onto it, only to share
it as fully as you can while the time lasts and then allow another to lead
the dance. Then the Goddess will never truly abandon your steps, and
will shine through you even more when you let her hand go. If things do
not work out for you now, you will learn why and how to start over during
the next 7 years, the waning half of the cycle.

• Disseminating Moon: The dance of reflection and evaluation, when the

astral Light begins to recede from the shoreline and reveal what it has
washed up from the deeps. The Goddess departs so she can take the
hand of another soul and the dancer begins to unwind the vortex of
energy she has raised. Her moves become reflective, her gestures a
blending of those already made, but in slower motion, as if gliding
through the air. Here is where the treasures are counted and begin to
be synthesised; the time of the end of the harvest, the beginning of
assessment when we measure the crop and share it with others. The
abundant flowing of growth and achievement wanes and the fruiting
ceases as the astral Light begins to recede, but this begins to reveal the
treasures which have been deposited on the shore. This is the time
when we have achieved all that can be achieved with the desire that
was planted and must begin to look elsewhere while we examine the
harvest. It is a time when we analyze what we have gained and start to
look for ways it can be shared and combined with others. As time
passes, this information leads us to adjust our orientation as we prepare
for a new seed to be planted.

• Third Quarter Moon: The dance of adjustment and reaction. The glass is
half empty. A time of harmonisation in which the dancer begins to
decrease in activity rapidly, her movements winding down again,
becoming more balanced and then more intricate and delicate. This is
the phase in which we hone and refine the crop. If we were growing
grapes we would be pressing the fruit, making wine out of it to lay down.

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 Here we should work on restructuring the skills we have acquired rather
than on introducing any new ones. The journey we have taken with the
seed is reviewed and while new ideas may come we should relate them
to old situations rather than develop any new issues - the dancer seeks
to relate herself back to the activity of the 1 st Quarter Moon, seeking the
balanced response to it. Here, as at the 1st Quarter Moon, the astral
Light is at half measures, half dark, half light, but the difference is that
here the darkness is increasing, so the edge is with decay rather than
growth. The plant has now spent all it has in giving its fruit and begins to
droop as it withdraws its awareness back into the seed for winter, but
many of the oceans secrets and treasures washed up by the tide now
stand revealed.

Balsamic Moon: The dance of repose; the emptying time of clearing out.
Finally, the dancer comes slowly to a place of rest, her energies nearly
spent. She conserves her strength but does not cease moving and
continues to engage the music. However, she gradually begins to let go
of the muse, blessing it with her gratitude, before finally coming to a rest
and retreating into the shadows. In the lifetime of the seed, the ground
must be raked and prepared for a new cycle with nutrients. Thanks must
be given to all the beings who have made the harvest possible. This is
the time of closure when we should make space for new things to enter
our lives at the next New Moon. The wine is now pressed, bottled,
corked, and sits in the cellar maturing. It is time for us and for the
dancer to rest, let life be empty, clear out all the clutter and let go of the
cycle. People, situations and things may leave your life, and you should
probably let them go rather than try to cling on to them. Astrological
influences at these times are not potent given the sliver of astral Light
supporting them, especially if the progressed Moon goes void of course,
but the waning cycle and the Balsamic Moon in particular can also be a
great asset in banishing, releasing or dissipating negative astral
conditions. There is also a pattern here - most of the time the Balsamic
Moon will be in the same sign and temple as the New Moon which
began the cycle, with the next New Moon being one sign and temple
further on. Therefore, this is a time in which the ultimate outcome of the
earlier New Moon seed is reborn and becomes the germinating potential
for the next cycle.

The complicated interaction of the progressed Moon's influences I

have described in this section are blended together into every
activation of every key, giving each one a unique foundational
quality. While this information has been detailed and probably
overwhelming for a beginner, the structure of it is really quite
simple. The hierarchy of meaning of the progressed Moon's
influences is as follows:

I. Progressed Lunar Phase: represents the amount of astral Light

available and its potential.
II. Temple position: represents the playing field of experience, occurs
in the context of the above.

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 III. Sign position: represents the processing of experience, occurs in
the context of both of the above. Sign transitions are preceded by
suspensions of the astral Light (void of course Moon's).
IV. Activation of a temple keys contents by the progressed Moon and
all other concurrent activations by any activator in any key, but
especially to the key of the temple the progressed Moon is in:
happenings which occur in the context of all of the above.

The progressed Sun adds a further dimension to this territory, as

do the progressions of other worlds, as I shall now explain.

IX. Inner world and mediator progressions

The next and last set of progressions to look at are those for
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn and they have some
interesting features which set them apart from the Lights. The first of
these is the retrograding of these planets, which is when they move
backwards through the zodiac. You should first check the ephemeris
for the 3 month period following your birth to see if any of these
planets go retrograde in that time — this is usually listed in the
planet's column with a small 'R' next to its degree position for a
particular day, after which it will decrease in zodiacal degrees. The
popular 'Michelson New American' ephemeris shows retrograde
periods with an easily identifiable shaded grey area. These planets
may also be retrograde at the time of your birth, in which case you
must note this and look for any time in the 3 month period during
which they reverse this and go direct (forward) in motion through the
zodiac once again. In rare cases, you will see a planet go retrograde
and then direct and even retrograde again in the 3 months following
your birth. Make a careful note of this.
Should you find any days in which the above named planets
retrograde or turn direct, look this date up in your progressed master
key. For example, in the 3 months following Babaji's birth, both
Mercury and Saturn turn retrograde. Neither of them return to direct
motion within three months of birth, so we only have to find these
two dates. Saturn is retrograde at 12° Libra on January 22nd 1893,
and in Babaji's progressions January 22nd 1893 is equivalent to May
20`n 1909. Therefore, by May of 1909 his progressed Saturn is
retrograde. We do the same for when Mercury turns retrograde.
Mercury turns retrograde on the 23' March 1893 at 16° Aries. 23rd
March 1893 is equivalent to May 20th 1969 — very late in his life;
Mercury is direct again by April 15th 1893, having travelled
backwards to 4° Aries. This is after the 3 month period and so we do
not need to look into it unless he lives to a very senior age.
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 These are actually your first progressed activations for this step,
and they belong to the non-chart related category because we have
read them only from the ephemeris. The retrograde period will
actually begin sometime in the year before the year you have
calculated, these times are just the points at which it is a certainty to
have begun. So you will feel the effect of these changes in the year
approaching the activation itself. The nature of these activations is to
slow things down in the areas and concerns connected with the
planet in your life, to cause plots to thicken and old ground to be
recovered. Essentially, the spiral of growth emerging from that
progressed planet has turned either inwards or outwards again. When
the retrograde period begins you turn inwards with the planet, so that
you become more introspective and less vocal under Mercury
retrograde, perhaps more shy under Venus and so on. This is really a
quality which persists for the entire retrograde period. When it turns
direct, you start externalising that spiral of growth and begin an outer
journey with it. Either way it is something those around you will
have to work around because it won't be something you either choose
or are capable of compromising over much.
Furthermore, when the planet changes direction either way there
will be a period of a month or more when its significance in your life
becomes thicker and more prominent astrally. So we can expect that
for Babaji, there will be a strong Saturn presence sometime between
May 20th 1908 and 1909, as Saturn will be slowing down to a
standstill (stationary) before going retrograde. For Babaji, any Saturn
activation in that period is potentially much more powerful, so we
would add this to his Saturn key and check it against all his other
keys for Saturn activations occurring there at the same time. Think of
this as an occasional and rare boost in your interaction with that
planet.
This done, the next part of this step is to look for the sign changes
of these planets over the 3 months following your birth and to
convert these dates into your progressed astrology. It is easiest to
begin with Saturn and work back through Jupiter, Mars, Venus and
finally Mercury, because this is their order in terms of how slow they
move and therefore how likely they are to change signs. Add these to
their relevant keys, so for example when Mercury changes signs add
this to the Mercury key in the appropriate chronological place.
In most cases you will find that the planet changes into a new sign
sometime in the day so that by midnight it is at an early part of the
new sign, and you cannot tell which part of the progressed year he
enters the new sign. For example, Mercury might be at 29° 34' Leo at

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midnight on one day, representing your ACD of 2011, and at 01° 17'
Virgo the next, representing your ACD of 2012. What it means is that
Mercury moves into the new sign sometime between your Adjusted
Calculation Dates for the two years in question, so in Babaji's case it
would happen sometime between May 20th of 2011-2012. If we want
to know when, exactly, we just use the time exchanges table I gave
you earlier, but we first have to find the total distance moved by
Mercury in that day and break it down. In this case, Mercury has
moved from 29°34' Leo to 01°17' Virgo — a total of 1°43'. We run
this through the time exchange table as follows:

Time Exchanges (progressed Mercury):

• 1 year = 1 day = 1° 43' or 103'

And then we extrapolate the rest:

• 1 year = 1 day = 103', therefore -

• 6 months = 12 hours = 51', therefore -
• 3 months = 6 hours = 25', therefore -
• 1 month = 2 hours = 8', therefore -
• 1 week = 30 minutes = 2'

Next we use this information. In this case progressed Mercury is

listed at 01°17' Leo on the later day and we need to know when he is
at 00° Leo — entering the new sign. All we need to do is figure out
what 1°17' is in the time exchanges table above and deduct this from
the ACD of May 20th for the later of the two years, 2012. Since 1°17'
or 77' is equal to about 9 months on the above table, we can place it
around 9 months before May 20th of the later year, at about August
20th of the previous year, 2011. This is the method to use if you want
greater accuracy with the timing of any of the calculations in this
step — further examples are given in the following pages.
After finding all the progressed sign changes, you turn to look for
some chart related progressions using the original master key. You
first find all the temple changes of the progressed planets (Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) and the times when they activate
their contents, the other world keys, if that happens. Again it will be
helpful to start from Saturn and move in towards Mercury. The
process is easily accomplished using the tools you have and the
methods already explained but I will describe it using the example of
Babaji's progressed Venus so that you have a full and clear example.

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 The first thing to be done is to find just how far Venus will
progress over the 3 months following his birth from her natal
position of 17°06' Sagittarius on January 5th 1893. Three months
after that, Venus is shown in the ephemeris as being at 08°18' Aries.
She has exited Sagittarius, moved all the way through Capricorn,
Aquarius and Pisces, and made it into the first third of Aries. This is
how far she progresses in 90 years of his life.
With this information we now pick up the master key (the original
one, not the one used in progressions). We break it at Venus, placing
her at the top, and we only need to look at the parts that contain all
the signs she will progress through:

• Venus (17° 06' Sagittarius)

• Mercury (23° 17' Sagittarius)
• 5th temple (29° 12' Sagittarius)
• Sun (15° 34' Capricorn)
• 6th temple (29° 52' Capricorn)
• 7th temple (28° 52' Aquarius)
• 8th temple (25° 10' Pisces)
• Mars (05° 40' Aries)
• Jupiter (16° 13' Aries)
• 9th temple (25° 07' Aries)

The last two items do not need to be found because they are after
08° Aries, and the first one is birth. This gives 7 activations by
progressed Venus to seek — first Mercury, then her entrance and
activation of the 5th temple, followed by her Sun key activation, 6th
temple key activation, and so on until the Mars key activation. All
that needs to be done now is to look up when Venus reaches the
above positions and to convert them into his progressed astrology.
The first item is Mercury, which is at 23°17' Sagittarius. In the 3
months after his birth, Venus reaches this position sometime on
January 10th 1893 — she is at 22° 32' Sagittarius at midnight on the
10th and at 23° 46' on the 11th. So really it is closer in time to the llth
of January than the 10th that Venus reaches 23° 17'.
In his progressed astrology, January 11th 1893 = May 20th 1898, so
Venus is activating Mercury just before then. We can leave it there,
because precision is not too important here, but if we want to know
when more precisely we use the time exchange table to do it. To do
that we figure out just how far Venus moves in that day (which will
be how far she progressed in that year), in this case the difference
between 22°32' and 23°46' of Sagittarius, which is 1°14' or 74'.
Breaking this down on the time exchange table we get:

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 • 1 year = 1 day = 74'
• 6 months = 12 hours = 37'
• 3 months = 6 hours = 18'
• 1 month = 2 hours = 06'
• 2 weeks = 60 minutes = 03'
• 1 week = 01'

So now we know roughly how fast Venus is moving by

progression in this period, and we also know this:

January 10th (which is equivalent to May 20th 1897): Venus is at 22°

32' Sagittarius
• January 11th (equivalent to May 20th 1898): Venus is at 23° 46'
Sagittarius

We need to know when she is at 23°17 Sagittarius, where his natal

Mercury is. This is only 29' before the position for January 1 1 th.
When 29' is exchanged on the above table, it equates to a week less
than 5 months. So about a week short of 5 months before May 20th
1898 is when Mercury is activated by progressed Venus, sometime
around December 27th 1897. And in fact even though we fudged
things by rounding fractions down the effect was insignificantly
slight because the date calculated by computers is December 27th
1897.
Next we would move onto the 5th temple placed at 29° 12'
Sagittarius and repeat the process until we have finished everything
for the progressions of Venus ending with her progressed activation
to Mars.
When you have done this from the top 5 times - for Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - you may wish to also look at the
progressions of Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Chiron and the Dragon,
which are much more slow to move and therefore entail less work a
lot of the time. This is something I will occasionally do if the need
for it arises, but for the purposes of this book and its course it is not
necessary for me to explain how to do it here, the method is the same
it just yields less information because they will only move a small
distance in 3 months. If these worlds change signs this will be
something happening to an entire generation, while if they progress
to new temples or activate the contents of temples, the influence is
specific to you.
The final set of progressions you must look for are non-chart
related. There are a large variety of these but for the purposes of
synthetic astrology the only ones you need to find are related to any

414
 conjunctions or close conjunctions in your birth chart. The easy way
to find these is as follows. Starting with the Sun and moving through
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune and
Pluto, make a note of the distance each travels in the 3 months after
you are born. The Moon will be treated separately here.
Here is the relevant list for Babaji, looking at the 90 days
following January 5th 1893:

Sun: Capricorn 14° - Aries 15°

Mercury: Sagittarius 22° - Aries 16°
Venus: Sagittarius 16° - Aries 08°
Mars: Aries 05° - Gemini 04°
Jupiter: Aries 16° - Taurus 02°
Saturn: Libra 12° - Libra 08° (retrograde)
Chiron: Virgo 03° - Leo 28° (retrograde)
Uranus: Scorpio 10° - Scorpio 09° (retrograde)
Neptune: Gemini 09° - Gemini 08° (retrograde)
Pluto: Gemini 08° - Gemini 07° (retrograde)
Dragon's Head: Taurus 05° - Aries 28° (retrograde)
Dragon's Tail: Scorpio 05° - Libra 28° (retrograde)

Be careful to note the range in terms of degrees of any planets that

change between retrograde and direct motion. Beginning with the
Sun you must now cross reference every item on this list with every
other item, looking for times when they will share the same sign. So,
starting with the Sun, in this example we see that the Sun moves
through the last half of Capricorn, all of Aquarius and Pisces, and the
first half of Aries. Looking down the list we can immediately see that
this does not bring the Sun into the signs of Saturn (Libra), Chiron
(Leo and Virgo), Uranus (Scorpio), Neptune or Pluto (Gemini), nor
with either part of the Dragon. This leaves only Mercury, Venus,
Mars and Jupiter.
The next step is to seek in the ephemeris for the dates when the
Sun will be in the same degree as these planets, and then convert this
day into a progressed date using the progressed master key and, if
necessary, some time exchanges. So in this example we first want to
know when Sun and Mercury are in the same degree of the zodiac,
i.e. conjunct, and then what year this day is for Babaji in terms of
progressions. In this example we find this almost exactly on
midnight of 17th February 1893, which for Babaji is May 20th 1935.
As an activation in the keys I denote this in the following way:

Pr. Sun activates pr. Mercury: [May 20th 1935]

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 This differentiates between the different types of activation that
can be provided by Jupiter, Saturn and the other activators.
We continue this with every item on the list so that we find all the
days when these objects inhabit the same degree as any of the others
and then convert this into our progressed astrology. After that, we
have to look for each of the times when the Moon will reach each of
these worlds, which is most easily done by going back to the top of
the list and then checking the ephemeris for when the Moon is in the
right area of the zodiac. So when checking for Venus in the list
above, we want to know when in the 3 months following his birth the
Moon will be in the signs between Sagittarius and Aries, and when
we find that time we will check the current position of Venus and
look to see exactly when the Moon reaches her. This day, with the
Moon and Venus in the same degree, will then be turned into a year
using the progressed master key and recorded (probably in the Venus
key). The Moon will thereby progress to activate every progressed
planet 2-3 times in your life.
All these activations are powerful flowerings of the self. They are
periods when profound changes can occur in our internal state,
changes which we do not consciously instigate but which occur as a
ripening of the seed we are born with. They may show themselves in
life altering events, but such is not always the case, more often they
are felt as an urge or a drive which we cannot deny expression to
without causing ourselves some kind of problem or discomfort.

Understanding and working with the progressed inner worlds

and mediators
All these progressions should be added to the relevant keys. How
you choose to organise this information is up to you, you could for
example add all the progressions of Venus to the Venus key, or you
could add them to the keys that progressed Venus activates, or both
(my preference). The only really suitable place to add the progressed
sign changes is in the key of the progressed planet, though, so Venus
progressing into Pisces belongs with the Venus key.
The progressions of these planets operate within the same
parameters as the progressions of the Lights but are less fundamental
unless one of them also serves as the ruler of the chart, i.e. is the
world key of the 1" temple, or in less significant cases when it serves
as the ruler of one of the Lights e.g. given that Mars rules Aries and
Scorpio, if your birth Sun is in Scorpio then the progressions of Mars
will be important, and if your birth Moon is also in Aries or Scorpio
then the progressions of Mars become quite fundamental and even
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 more so if Aries or Scorpio also rise over the 1st temple. Then the
progressions of Mars would become fundamentally connected with
your astrology in a way similar to that of the Lights.
Each of the progressions of these worlds carries a different
meaning which sets the tone for our development and experience of
life for a certain period of time. These meanings have been explained
in the explanations for their world keys. All that needs to be done is
to relate that meaning to your circumstances and to your natal charts
astrology with an understanding of what each type of progression
signifies.
When one of these worlds changes signs, we begin to process its
input differently and gain access to a new expression of its meaning.
A new Element takes over as the primary mode through which we
assimilate the significance of this meaning. For example, Mercury in
Gemini progressed into Cancer suddenly finds they have less to say
and less mind chatter, as the natural way they have of processing
thoughts through Air as an informative process gives way to a more
empathic but worrisome quality in the Water of Cancer as a
constructive process — thoughts turn to building something that is
emotionally supportive. Such a person might suddenly feel less
mentally flexible and more stubborn, self preservative, defensive or
even 'crabby', but their thinking will be outgrowing a certain
superficiality, a tendency to gossip being replaced by a new
appreciation for privacy, perhaps. Or nervy intellectual insecurities
could take on a deeper emotional content as thinking and intellect
may become softer and more sentimental. They will try to adapt this
new way of thinking so that it segues as seamlessly as possible into
their natural way of thinking (the birth influence of Mercury in
Gemini remains) and at the same time they will be growing that
original way of thinking with a completely new type of information
and new ways of processing it.
Additionally it should be noted that these worlds do not have void
of course periods before they change signs — this phenomena belongs
only to the Moon. However, these changes can seem abrupt as the
continuum of the zodiac is based on the premise that each sign is a
reaction to the extremes of the preceding sign.
As noted previously, when it retrogrades or goes direct, the
development of the progressed world within us reaches a pressurised
apex and then reverses the flow of its expression between the internal
and external ("reversing the polarity of the neutron flow" as Jon
Pertwee's Doctor Who would say). This results in a kind of 'freeze
frame' in our life in which the structures and patterns emerging

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through that planet within us are made visible and draw attention to
themselves. If you punch the air in front of you but before you reach
arms length you will it to stop and pull it back there is a braking
point at which all the force you exerted in pushing out continues
forwards wanting to carry your arm with it, before it is gathered back
into your body by your will when you pull back. Some energy
disperses, however. This is similar to what happens when a planet
changes its direction — a jerky or grinding release of energy and
force, in this case the energy being the significance you have
accumulated with the planet.
In terms of which direction a progressed planet is going,
retrograde or direct, the retrograde is less capable of manifesting
external changes because it focuses on recharging itself by
reconnecting with its inner source, but this makes it more capable of
self empowerment, while the reverse is true for direct motion
planets. A progressed planet in direct motion is like a plant growing
leaves and opening blooms, while one in retrograde motion is
focused on sucking up nutrients, light and water into itself. They are
essentially an inhale and exhale of planetary meanings from and to
the universe through us.
Temple key activations by these worlds are, like the temple key
activations by the progressed Lights, indicative of the beginning of
phases of life experience. Each phase will often be initiated by some
change in your life which emerges its significance over the time
which lasts until the progressed planet activates another temple key,
and these phases may also contain activations of world keys
depending on how your chart is structured. For example, if your
progressed Venus enters the 7th temple, passes all the way through it
to the 8th, but activates your Saturn in that period, what can happen is
that you meet someone you feel things for when Venus enters the 7th,
find and explore the significance of this emerging in your life while
Venus is passing through, and experience some kind of Saturnine
encounter related to this experience when she activates the Saturn
key - a long term commitment, for example.
Also like the progressed Lights, these phases form the scenery or
terrain in which all our astrology takes place, but this influence is
limited to the concerns of that planet and is not an illumination and
enlivening or a spotlight on that area as a whole such as provided by
the Lights. The phases of these progressed worlds through the
temples are not as fundamental and are far more specific than those
of the Lights. Venus progressing is all about our emotional
development, Mercury our intellectual development, Mars the

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 development of volition or the expression of our individual desires,
Jupiter with the development of wider context and individual
resonance within the greater whole (growing alongside other plants
in the garden of Earth), and Saturn with the supportive structures
within our physical existence and our maturity as souls (standing on
our own feet).
However, even given that they offer a more specific focus of
progression through life these worlds can have powerful influences,
they will just very often be far less visible and apparent only to those
within our inner circle of contacts. They act to shape the activations
of the keys going on around them. This is especially true for the
temple key activations by these progressed planets, so that for
example if progressed Mars is in the 6th temple, then all of your 6th
temple key activations during that period will be given a Martian
edge, while the rest of your astrology will also be underpinned by
this influence of Mars in the 6th temple until Mars moves to a new
temple. If he is actually just entering the 6th temple, thereby
activating its key, the effect will be stronger. Or if Venus has
progressed from Pisces into Aries, not only will all your Venus key
activations have a new Aries tone underpinning them, but all other
activations you experience in that period will have an emotional tone
with those qualities.
As I have said before patterns are the bread and milk of astrology.
One indication in a chart is a tendency, two indications pointing in
the same direction is an interesting trend, but three or more pointing
in the same direction are a powerful pattern and approaching a
certainty. Look for the patterns these progressed worlds make with
the Lights and the keys, seeking the coincidences of meanings. If
progressed Mercury activates the Sun key at the same time as Jupiter
activates the Mercury key, it creates a swell of Mercurial significance
in that period of time and the activation of Mercury by Jupiter will be
underpinned by the activation of progressed Mercury to Sun. Simply
put, the temple key activations by these progressed worlds give a
specific context to everything that happens around and within us,
they elaborate the underlying tapestry of things going on, and while
they quietly provide scenery around everything, whenever they find
a commonality with other activations they assume a directorial role
in shaping them.
The periods of retrograde and direct motion and the sign and
temple changes of these progressed planets are all types of phases
with an extended duration, but they will be initiated by something
when they begin. The world key activations by the progressed

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planets are somewhat more temporary and will therefore tend to be
more intense as the influence is forced into a narrow time frame. All
types of these activations have windows of influence which bring
them around at least 3 months prior to their occurrence, sometimes
more in the case of the progressions of Saturn, Jupiter or Mars. For
these three it is safe to assume the presence of the activation building
up to 6 months or more beforehand.
All these influences can be intentionally perceived, grasped,
explored and guided into form using the conductors and the methods
I have described earlier. With the work you have now done on
progressions you have expanded all of the keys and have many more
activations to play with. This step is really the last with important
'nuts and bolts' which I recommend all serious practitioners to
assemble. By reaching this stage you have the most fundamental
tools you need for working with the astral Light and need only
employ them as it suits you. In the pages which follow, I will only be
providing embellishment and elaboration on where you could go
from here. There are many mysteries before us and many matters to
tackle in the years ahead. This material is entirely optional and can
be ignored or chosen as a focus of investigation.

X. BRANCHING OUT
In this final section, I will discuss a number of different ways in
which you can apply and advance the foundation that has been laid
out in the previous 9 tasks. This collects together a number of ways
in which you can work with the keys, guidelines on how to adapt
them to different forms of astrology, an expansion of the 3
components of the practice (activators, conductors and keys) which
opens the way to practical work with any kind of astrological
influence rather than just the conjunctions, and an expanded
description of the new solar system we are now dealing with, along
with practical instructions for exploring it.

WORKING with ELEMENTS, REALMS and PLANES

In the hermetic philosophy there are four main planes of existence

through which the Elements are radiated until they reach the physical
plane which our sensory consciousness experiences. These planes
are not separate from physical reality, they all exist alongside one
another, much as your thinking, feeling and sensing exists as one
body of awareness. Everything is made up of the Elements and

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 contains all of the Elements but displays them in unique proportions
and forms. We could use many poetic metaphors to describe this,
such as light passing through a prism or overflowing streams of
water pouring into crystal chalices stacked on top of one another, but
the basic concept is like that of the four different states of energy we
call matter, liquid, gas and plasma or light. We do not regard any of
these states of energy to be superior to any of the others or
subservient to them, but instead they interact together as a singular
thing — the universe - and are given equal value. So it must be with
the 4 planes with none of them having a 'higher' status. Regardless of
how conceptually close it is to the Divine which is the origin of all
things, the Divine is as present in the physical realm as it is in any of
the others.
The four Elements and the four planes have a quasi-relationship
which leads them to share certain qualities. These qualities arise
from the essential meaning of the universal Elements which form the
planes, specifically through their interaction placing emphasis on a
different Element in each of the planes. Thus, in the mental plane the
interaction of the Elements emphasises the nature of Air, but all four
Elements are still present in the mental plane, it's just that the
substance of the mental plane is more an expression of the quality of
Air, the quality of Divine Omniscience. From the perspective of the
mental plane everything has its own individual awareness, its own
intelligence and consciousness. This is the essence of Air given an
entire universal plane of existence i.e. the mental plane is
everywhere.
This is different to the Elemental realm of Air, however. The
Elemental realm of Air and the mental plane are not the same thing,
although they are connected. In the Elemental realm of Air, the
beings have forms which are pristine expressions of the Air Element,
whereas in the mental plane this is not necessarily the case.
Furthermore, the Air realm, while universal in nature, is shaped more
directly by the nature of the physical planet we inhabit, so the Air
Elementals we human beings interact with are those which are native
to the Earth itself, along with all the beings of the Elements. Such is
not necessarily the case with the beings of the mental plane.
So there are major differences between what we call the 4 planes
and the realms given to the 4 Elements and they must not be
confused although as I said there are connections between them that
can be opened up in an astrological practice. In engaging with the
Elements and the planes through the keys, you should look at the
following connections:

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 _I_ _J

A Fire is analogous to both the causal or primal plane, the plane of

essences, and also to the Elemental realm of Fire. The root of this
plane and Element is Omnipotence, the power of pure being and
existence and its infinite potential. The fact that something exists and
that this existence cannot be undone is its infinite power and gives
us the genesis of Fire as an Element. This is the most refined plane,
just as light is the most intangible of physical essences.
The Elemental beings of the realm of Fire often take the longest
time to become acquainted with because they are so energetic and
immutable, free spirited and abstracted from our Earth-centric
human perceptions. They are pulsating entities who radiate light and
the intensity and colour of this light signifies their connection to the
power of Fire.
The beings of the causal plane are all spirits of existence, essence
and eternity, including our own individual Greater Self, the Greater
Self of the Human, Plant, Star and Animal forms, etc.
The signs of Fire are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. Of these, Aries is
the most causal and primal expression of Fire, Leo is the mental
plane expression of Fire, and Sagittarius is the astral plane
expression of Fire. These signs are the ones to work with in any
energy raising, creative, life giving, or existential and spiritual
development. Whenever Fire is emphasised through these signs by
the means outlined below, astrological influences are supportive in
working with any of these areas.

Air is analogous to the mental plane, the plane of meaning, and

the Elemental Air realm. The root of this plane and Element is
Omniscience, the fact that all things not only have being and
existence through Fire, but also an awareness and consciousness of
that existence which is entirely their own, yet shared with all other
sentience.
The beings of the Air realm are diaphanous, intricate and
translucent creatures very much like the images we have of faeries
but not necessarily humanoid in form. The more significant they are,
the more ephemeral their form, so that the greatest among them are
very hard to grasp conceptually and perceptually. This is because as
they approach the level of Divine Unity they become more and more
all inclusive as intelligences and thus represent universal ideas.
The beings of the mental plane on the other hand are pure
meaning and ideation, they are notion in its purest form, the more
significant being those which inspire the consciousness of worlds
and galaxies and the patterns which give rise to them, and in
universal terms those which govern the spark of self awareness
itself.
The signs of Air are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Gemini is the
most primal or causal expression of Air, Libra the mental plane
focused expression, and Aquarius the most astral expression of Air.

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 These signs are the ones to work with in any mental, intellectual or
social development or in work involving the spirit (the temporal
mental body). Whenever Air is emphasised through these signs by
the means outlined below, astrological influences are supportive in
working with any of these areas.

V Water is analogous to the astral plane, the plane of significance,

as well as the Elemental Water realm. The root of this plane and
Element is the Everloving, the fact that all things are not only alive
and aware but also being continuously nurtured and provided with
what they need to learn and thus grow, while they are sustaining
countless other life the same way. This is really a gift of the Divine to
itself in its infinite manifestations through time. It is only our
reluctance to learn certain things which blocks the flow of this
nurturing love. Once we learn to learn from everything that happens,
to accept that we do not always know best for ourselves and remain
open to the guidance of inner feelings, we get out of the way and it
flows.
The beings of the Water realm are supremely Magnetic,
responsive and seductive because they embody that which is most
loved and attractive within and without us. Our capacity to love and
to perceive beyond the attraction of beautiful outer forms is therefore
the issue when interacting with them, and the more powerful the
Water being is, the more attractive it will seem to be to us. Generally
they appear in very fluid, lengthy and enchanting forms with rippling
movements which are evocative of aquatic creatures or of streams.
They are beings of pure feeling and stir this capacity in us.
The beings of the astral plane on the other hand are not
necessarily so Magnetic or attractive, they are beings of pure
significance, entities which embody the capacity for feeling to be
personalised symbolically. These beings connect the beings of the
mental plane with the physical plane by clothing them in personal
symbolism, making them less abstract concepts. For example, 'love'
in the mental plane is an abstract concept which we can only feel
when it attains an astral density by being symbolised as something
or somebody, a symbol through which the love can flow. This is what
the astral plane intelligences do - they reveal the symbolic
connection of things at the personal level through emotive
significance.
The signs of Water are Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, with Cancer
being the more primal and causal expression of Water, Scorpio the
mental plane expression of Water and Pisces the astral plane
expression. These signs are the ones to work with in any emotional
or astral development. Whenever Water is emphasised through
these signs by the means outlined below, astrological influences are
supportive in working with any of these areas.

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 Earth is analogous to the physical plane, the plane of substance,
and the Elemental Earth realm. The root of this plane and Element is
Omnipresence or Immortality, meaning that all physical things are at
all times a dwelling for the Divine, a vessel through which it
emanates. Although the outer physical form of a thing must crumble
away and disassemble because physical laws embrace both creation
and destruction, the spark which gave it existence cannot be
extinguished and that spark will inevitably become manifest again
after retreating through the planes like a tree withdrawing its spirit
into the ground at winter. There is never a moment or thing in which
the Divine is not present everywhere. The physical plane - the entire
physical cosmos for all of eternity - is literally the physical body of
the Divine, the vessel into which it has poured itself and in which it
dwells. Consider this and what it means for astrology. The gift of the
Divine to all things is all of its infinite self, each part of its expression
wholly alive, aware and essentially loving. The formation of matter on
the physical plane is the result of the Earth Element, which itself
results from the interaction of the other 3 Elements acting together.
The beings of the physical plane are, of course, not just us but all the
other equally Divine life forms with us in physical time and space,
from the largest super galaxy to the smallest quark.
The beings of the Earth Element realm, however, are those which
care for and guard the treasures of the planet Earth itself, from plants
to stones, often appearing as small or compact humanoids such as
gnomes, dwarves or hobbits who carry an external light source (very
different to the internal light source generated by the Fire Element
beings) and are commonly hard at work in dark toned clothing and of
good cheer. These beings are very friendly to humans and the
easiest of the Elemental beings for us to befriend because like us
they are resultant expressions of all 4 Elements. Conceptually and
socially, they are the most humanoid of the Elemental beings.
The signs of Earth are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. Of these,
Taurus is the primal expression of Earth, Virgo the mental and
Capricorn the astral plane expression. These signs are the ones to
work with in any physical or material development and when
seeking contact or discourse with the dwarven realm and its other
inhabitants. Whenever Earth is emphasised through these signs by
the means outlined below, astrological influences are supportive in
working with any of these areas.

The planes have complex relationships with the signs and the
realms of the Elements because they not only adhere to the above,
they also connect on another level:
• Causal: Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer are focused in
this plane, but all Fire signs concern themselves with
aspiring to its nature. Thus, Aries is the prime causal sign.

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 • Mental: Leo, Virgo, Libra and Scorpio are focused here, but
Air signs concern themselves with mastering its nature.
Thus, Libra is the prime mental sign.

• Astral: Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces are

focused here, but Water signs concern themselves with
mastering its nature. Thus, Pisces is the prime astral sign.

• Physical: None of the 12 signs has a physically rooted origin

because the zodiac is an astra-mental being, although the
constellations of stars can be regarded as such for the
zodiac signs they are based on. Earth signs concern
themselves with mastery of the physical plane, and
Capricorn is the prime physical sign, the most determined
and ambitious.

The Elements and planes outlined above become emphasised

through the 26 keys in a number of ways. The first and foremost of
these is through your actual natal astrology, your birth chart, which
will depict a default relationship you have to them throughout your
life. If you are born with many planets in Water signs, then many of
your keys will be keyed to stimulate things happening in the realm of
Water or the astral plane. Or if you are born with a planetary
emphasis on Sagittarius, your emphasis will be on the Fire of the
astral plane (i.e. the significance of Fire, what its personal truth feels
like to you). You will be focused on the astral plane but concerned
with aspiring to what causes it to be the way it is, a factor which can
lead you to be a philosopher and an explorer, a romantic wanderer, or
a crusader.
Just a look at the keys and which signs they belong to will quickly
tell you your natural balance. Count how many of the keys belong to
each Element, and then add 1 more each to the Element which holds
the Sun, Moon, the 1St temple and the world key of the 1" temple.
This will give you a good handle on the overall balance of the
Elements and what kind of emphasis you place on them. Then do the
same for the signs - just add up all the keys in each sign, adding
extra points to the signs with the above mentioned keys, and find the
plane/s and realm/s which your astrology places an emphasis on by
comparing it to your Elemental balance. Please remember that these
planes do not confine the influence of signs, they are merely an
origin in terms of its qualities - while Sagittarius is at its root
symbolic of the activity and processes of astral Fire, Sagittarius itself
is active on all planes at once.

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 When you add into this the fact that Sagittarius is also, as I wrote
previously, an externalisation of the informative processes of life,
meaning that it hungrily and optimistically seeks to quest, to
discover, to move ever on and outwards, like Fire, to new things and
new territory, you may begin to see where many of the qualities
associated with Sagittarius arise — its restlessness, its roguish inner
flicker, its gypsy charm, its capacity to have visions of things ahead
and to throw light on new paths, its love of philosophy and humour,
etc. Understanding these basic units of astrology can help you figure
out which pieces of your astrology will yield certain results when
you develop them.
The keys can be reordered into an Elemental or planar structure
quite easily and doing this allows you to work practically with them.
First of all, take all the progressions into a new sign by the Lights,
inner worlds and mediators and group them together into their
appropriate Elements (or planes if you are grouping them that way).
The progressed Moon will give you the most data as it will make 3
passes of all the keys. These are your Elemental/planar phases, they
show periods in which one of the Elements or planes is being
emphasised for a certain period of time. Again, as stated earlier, these
phases last until the planet/Light that is progressing reaches a new
sign. When your Sun progresses into Libra, it will be emphasising
that sign for about 30 years. The Moon will take about 2.5 years to
progressively travel through each sign. You are looking at the big
picture here, Element and plane wise.
Having done this, look for congruences — times when the same
Element or sign is being emphasised by different progressions,
especially when one or both Lights are involved. The progressed
Moon will be the main tool here. Simply start by looking first for the
time when the progressed Moon reaches your Sun sign. When you
find the first occasion of this, check to see if the progressed Sun has
entered the next sign before that date. If it has not, that is your first
congruence (progressed Sun and Moon in the same sign). If the Sun
has progressed to the next sign already, then look for the time when
the progressed Moon catches up with the progressed Sun, so that
they are both in the same sign at the same time. Work out how long
this lasts, which temple and sign it occurs in, and note this down.
Then look for this to happen again, probably when the progressed
Sun enters a new sign, about 25-30 years on. Keep doing this until
you find all the junctures in time during which Sun and Moon are
progressed in the same sign. There will only be a few such instances,
less than a handful.

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 Next do the same for the progressed Mercury positions you have,
simply look for all the times when the progressed Moon catches up
with and is in the same sign as progressed Mercury. Again only a
handful of these will be found. The same is then done for the
progressions of Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, each time you will
find only a few instances where the progressed Moon is also in the
same sign. Note all of these down.
Then, leaving the Moon aside, look at the other progressions and
see if there are any times when they add up to an emphasis by
combinations, for example, Mercury and Mars progressed into the
same sign, or Venus and Sun. Note all these details down. Finally, go
back over your list of periods and make a note of which progressed
Lunar phase they occur in. The times when both Lights are
progressed in the same sign will be around the New Moon phase — a
time of beginnings and mystery. This is an optimal time to begin
your training as within 14 years you will be basking in a progressed
Full Moon after the seeds you plant now have waxed. This is your
basic plan or outline for working with the Elements and planes using
your astrology as a guide.
To add to this, you just look across all the connected keys,
checking their activations in each of these periods you have
uncovered. For example, let us suppose you have a period of about
2.5 years when your progressed Lights are both in Pisces. Your 10th
to 1 1 th temples are also of Pisces. You would now check that 2.5
years in the 10th temple key to see if there are any activations at all
going on there in that period. If there were, it would be an optimal
time to focus on something related to the numerous analogies of
Pisces or Water or the 10th temple or the astral plane or all of them,
your choice.
The training itself is up to you in terms of its content and depth.
You simply use the techniques for conducting a turning of the key
within the window of time you have identified. Your needs determine
what you do — a magician in training may use it to connect with the
universal Elements or to contact their inhabitants or wander the
planes, a student of astrology to explore the signs, while a mother of
3 might use it to give her the energy she needs by focusing her
development on Fiery activations, etc.

ADDITIONAL KEYS

Given the rate of the discovery of space we are accelerating into,

astrology along with astronomy are experiencing the effect of an

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information glut; consequently, there are many options for anyone
seeking to add additional keys to the ones I have provided and
described. Indeed, this is the way for us to quickly explore and
investigate these new objects and to work with them in the
emergence of their meaning and significance in our Earthly lives.
Even though many of these new discoveries have inclined
relationships to the disc of the solar system, all of our solar systems
objects have some kind of relationship to the plane of the zodiac
because it is through this plane that we view them. The space of the
zodiac is like the housing of the solar system where the family of the
Sun reside, at least from an Earth-bound perspective, so any object
that registers on the zodiac can have a key of its own. Several of
these are discussed below.
It is important to understand what the above point means — it
means that while we can include asteroids and centaurs and the
mythic worlds beyond Neptune in the list of objects we can create
keys for, the stars are not involved in the mechanism of conduction
we use except where those stars are of the constellations of the
zodiac, which are the stars the Sun passes through. The conduction
we employ using the Lights is made through the tropical zodiac
which is tethered to the stars of those signs and many stars are not in
the zodiac, but outside of it entirely. This means we cannot conduct
their influence in the usual way by making a key for them. An
example of this would be the star Algol, which is the flickering eye
of the Gorgon. Its influence is to condense astral material into solid
physical material through the passions — 'turning something into
stone'. The position of Algol on the path of stars that gives us the
zodiac is currently 26° of Taurus; but Algol is actually in the hand of
Perseus, a constellation where the Sun's path does not journey,
'behind' the back of the Bull of Taurus. It is not part of the stars that
inform the zodiac and never enters this region (except perhaps by
drifting into it over millennia) and therefore a key set to the zodiacal
co-ordinates of Taurus 26 will not show its synthetic activations.
That is only its equivalent position were the constellation to be in the
zodiac, essentially an alignment or conjoining rather than a
conjunction and thus not available for synthesis in the usual way.
The point is that to trigger an astra-mental causation through our
tropical zodiac (which is what the keys employ) the conductor or
planet must move through or at least intersect in its orbit with a
corresponding region in the sky, and most stars do not exist in those
regions, nor do they move into them except over vast drifts of
millennia. Only the stars related to the zodiac signs and some groups

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 of stars near them can have functional keys made in the usual way
because they are the stars which share a closer personal relationship
with the conductors. These stars are like immediate relatives of our
Sun in the stellar terms of having a family. They are kin with our Sun
because they directly lend their light to the formation of individual
consciousness on our planet.
So a star like Antares, the heart of the Scorpion, is open to
conduction and to having a key made for it set at 09° of tropical
Sagittarius, where it currently resides. However, that key will be 09°
tropical Sagittarius for everyone, everywhere, because Antares does
not drift through the scenery of the sky like our planets and the
Lights do. In other words conduction of Antares will be of pure or
essential meaning, the essential meaning of Antares, through its
current tropical zodiac position of 09° Sagittarius, the significance it
has for everyone alive now and in the foreseeable future, since it will
take a long time for Antares to separate from 09° Sagittarius and thus
for a new significance to emerge.
However, even given a presence in a region which has proximity
within the zodiac, like Antares, conduction of the influence of that
star through the astral Light of the tropical zodiac will run into
problems because the act of filtering the essence of meaning
expressed by the star through the significance of the tropical zodiac
distorts it. The continuum of significance we have co-created called
the zodiac with its 12 signs is a filtering mechanism of different
processes through which the Lights and the planets of the solar
system reach the awareness of human beings on Earth, but the stars -
even the stars of the zodiac — have a different primary mechanism by
which they can all interact with Earth.
This may cause some confusion unless I explain that our 12 zodiac
signs gained their symbolic forms from the 12 constellations of stars
through which the Sun was observed to pass. This sidereal zodiac is
still the basis for Vedic (Hindu) astrology but it is not the zodiac used
in much of European astrology. The basis for western/European
astrology is the tropical zodiac we co-created with planetary and
Elemental intelligences when we began to observe the phenomenon
of the equinox, which is that the Sun very slowly appears to be in a
different constellation of stars when it rises on the spring equinox.
This observation contributed to our intellectual realisation of there
being cosmic Great Ages, aeons of time which had overarching
qualities (the 'Age of Aquarius' for example) specific to life on Earth,
and it also gave us the genesis of the astra-mental entity we know
today as our 12 tropical zodiac signs with all of their qualities. For

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example, the birth of young lambs in early spring and the urgent,
exuberant, impatient energy they display to quickly get on their own
feet in life were one factor which went into the significance of the
quality of consciousness that is Sun in Aries. Significance was then
fed, grown and elaborated on through our interaction with it and
evolved as an expression of our search for meaning in human
experiences. Thus, Scorpio became loaded with all that we did with
the essential meaning originally provided by the Scorpion, the stars
of Scorpio. It took on astral significance, such as vengefulness,
sexual magnetism, perceptive depth and secretiveness, etc., and this
is why our western astrology differs so much from the Vedic
astrology, where signs are not attributed such detailed character
qualities and the emphasis is more on the fundamentals of cause and
effect and the spiritual meaning rather than the astral significance of
things. In Vedic astrology, thought on Scorpio is not focused on long
lists of character traits and the psychology of the sign, but rather to
its meaning as an expression of Mars, the planet which rules it. Mars
will then be consulted and elaborately evaluated to see what effect
Scorpio is having.
When the zodiacs diverged over the observation of the spring
equinox in this way, it was an expression of the split which was
occurring between the consciousness of people in Europe and the
consciousness of people in India. The consciousness of the people in
Europe was becoming more focused on nature and the harvesting of
the seasons, on an investigation of external reality through
agriculture, masonry etc., while the consciousness of the people in
India was generally voyaging inwards towards internal reality. The
two journeys produced different systems of astrology from the same
meaning which was originally provided by the Lights and visible
planets and the stars they moved through. Neither is better or worse
than the other, they are more complementary than that.
So in terms of their relationship to the zodiac, stars are either a)
outside of its zone and therefore disconnected from conduction that
way or b) in the zodiac but forced to extrude their meaning through
the human material that has accrued around the 12 tropical zodiac
signs, thereby warping the stars essential meaning in terms of its
expression on the Earth. Applying the methods in this book to the
stars therefore leaves only a severely distorted form of conduction
that loses most of its effectiveness in terms of self transformation
because it only reveals the partial meaning of the star (this does
however make it an intellectually enlightening journey). Fortunately
for them and for us, stars have another way of touching the Earth and

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fully expressing their meaning without such filtering, and so we have
another way of interacting with them, which will be explained later.
For now it is important to understand that making keys for positions
of the stars in your chart is not the way to interact with them.
The following objects however can have workable keys made for
them using the methods described in this book, once you know
where they are in your chart in terms of their zodiac positions, which
can be discovered in many online sources. I have given some
guidance on how they might be used and on some of their features
which I think you should pay attention to:

All the asteroids: Explorers of keys for the asteroids should

consider using the guidelines for working with Mars under
'additional conductors' and 'additional activators'. Solar conduction is
also more suitable than Lunar conduction when dealing with an
asteroid key, although both Sun and Moon together work best in
almost all kinds of conduction.
These keys are concerned with the facets of the individuality. I
recommend you explore the Ceres key first, and then Pallas, Vesta
and Juno in any order, followed by any others you are drawn to.
These are simply the ones which have accrued the most significance
so far, but Ceres, now considered a dwarf planet, having a third of
the total mass of the asteroid belt, being spherical and likely to be
hosting water is obviously calling for our attention.
If we consider how individuals are composed of many facets,
some small, some large, a seemingly uncountable number, then each
particle of dust in the asteroid belt is symbolic of one of these
aspects. Since many do not yet even have names (they are regarded
as 'too insignificant') I suggest that individuals choose to give them
such a gift of significance by intuitively naming them for themselves,
then finding them in their charts (it is more productive this way than
the other way around), creating and turning their keys, and being
open to communication as a two-way street. Remember that in such
an act you are like the first person to encounter a new idea or a new
creature or being and that you represent all human beings, not just
yourself. This is one of the more exciting avenues you can explore
with the keys. In this you will create a personal significance for the
object which it shares with you, and if at some stage the object is
renamed by the collective, whatever significance you have created
for it will become part of that collective significance. You will then
be like one of the people who played among the lambs with Aries
even before it was named Aries. For those asteroids already named,

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just enjoy yourself as you explore keys for 'Beer', 'Chaos', 'Hathor' or
'TARDIS' and how you relate to them conceptually as an individual.
A good way to start is to look up the asteroid sharing your name, and
turn that key. This can be very instructive not just in teaching you
about your relationship to your name but also the connections you
share with the others who share it. And if your name has not been
assigned to an asteroid, assign it to one without a name. As I said,
this personal connection is still workable and what you do will not
become insignificant should a different name be collectively
assigned to it later.
Ceres is the mother key for all asteroids as hers is the key for
integrating them into a whole individuality, so you should try to
develop a relationship with her. She in turn has a very intimate
relationship with Mars, who acts to distinguish these individual
aspects from one another. She tends to tame his more abrasive
tendencies in us. Working with Ceres helps to bring our individual
expression of Mars and Jupiter into balance, often by placing greater
emphasis on Jupiter (mercy, commonality) over Mars (difference,
individual will), as well as serving as 'good references' for
interactions with the other asteroids.

The centaurs: Explorers of keys for these bodies should first be

very familiar with their Chiron key (by giving attention to Chiron
every year and month when the Sun or Moon activate it for you) and
have conducted at least 1 Chiron activation of one of their keys.
Failure to do so is the equivalent of showing disrespect to the
centaurs emissary, which makes them less inclined to listen to you in
future, and the stronger your relationship to Chiron is the more the
other centaurs will reveal to you about their own wanderings, which
have their own pathways. These pathways voyage to the known outer
limits of the solar system and the worlds which exists there as
described below. The centaurs are inspirers of the magic of the
natural world and are also adept at navigating through the mythic
territory of the outer solar system, thus they can teach us things by
bringing back information from the 'outer limits' of our awareness
and translate them so that it is comprehensible for us. You will gain
better results with the keys for the centaurs through ElectroMagnetic
conduction i.e. by using both Lights together as conductors.
Some centaurs have paths which go from one of the mediators
(Jupiter, Saturn) to one of the outer worlds (Uranus, Neptune) and
some go further to one of the relatively near mythic worlds (Pluto,
Orcus or Ixion). One (Hylonome) has a path that begins not from the

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 mediators but from the outer world of Uranus. These paths are
outlined below. Those which connect the mediators with the outer
worlds should have keys made for them and be journeyed with first,
because it is through them that basic knowledge of the territory of
the collective awareness and the fertilisation of it by the mythic
worlds is acquired. In practice what all this means is that you should
gain experience with the Chiron key and some familiarity with the
Uranus and Neptune keys first, and then create keys for both
Chariklo and Asbolus, followed by the others only afterwards when
you are ready.
Because the centaurs all have quite long orbital paths around the
Sun their keys have generational impacts and can be used in the
process of birthing the collective awareness, as well as in the
spiritual education and inspiration of individuals. The three named
above which orbit between the mediators and the outer worlds are
the centaurs who can most help us build and sustain a collective
awareness, while the others elaborate on its seed with inspiration and
potential.
Essentially, in the new solar system the outer worlds (Uranus,
Neptune) and mythic worlds (everything beyond Neptune) have a
direct link to us via the centaurs, a link which is formed by the orbit
of the centaur. That centaur will have an elliptical rather than circular
orbit which on its inward journey (toward us) brings it into or near
the orbit of one of our more familiar planets, such as Saturn, and on
its outer journey it will go beyond or relatively near to an outer world
or a mythic world, thus forming a path between the deep invisible
realm and the mediators and outer worlds. This link is characteristic
of the centaurs nature and the path it takes us on. It means that
centaur is a specialist in teaching the meaning of that mythic or outer
world to us. However, they are not confined to that teaching and
have insight to offer into all of the worlds in the outer limits of our
solar system. Furthermore, the deepest of the mythic worlds have no
known centaurs journeying out to them — these worlds must be
initially reached through a strong connection with Pluto until any
centaurs which connect them with our local space are discovered.
Only some of the named centaurs will be discussed in this book.
These are the ones I have had the time to become familiar with.

Chiron: is the pathfinder between Saturn and Uranus and reputed as

the wisest of the centaurs. He was the first centaur to be discovered,
in 1977. His key, explained earlier, contains a more extensive
description of his essential meaning. He brings the collective

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awareness to individuals, a process which is pained by our collective
blindness of our condition. He is the emissary of the centaurs
because he provides basic instruction in the reality of collective
awareness, which is the means by which we contact the mythic
worlds. He also initiates the individual and collective healing we
must undertake to become a whole people again, often by drawing
attention to where our human experience is most painful or in need
of repair. His medicine, like that of all centaurs, is naturalistic and
draws on our connection to all of nature. Chiron is one of the
centaurs with an observable tail, like a comets tail. A visible tail on a
centaur is not only indicative of a more active entity but also one
which seeks to lead us somewhere urgently. Of the centaurs
discovered so far only 3 have shown tails, Chiron being the only one
discussed here. The other 2 are Echeclus and another catalogued as
'166P/NEAT' (NEAT being the discovery programme at Palomar
Observatory near Pauma Valley, California).
General positions for Chiron are given below.

• Chiron in Aries: 1919-1927,1969-1977,2019-2027,2069-2078

• Chiron in Taurus: 1927-1934,1977-1984,2027-2034,2078-2084
• Chiron in Gemini: 1934-1938,1984-1988,2034-2038,2084-2089
• Chiron in Cancer: 1938-1941,1988-1991,2038-2041,2089-2092
• Chiron in Leo: 1941-1943,1991-1993,2041-2043,2092-2094
• Chiron in Virgo: 1943-1944,1993-1995,2043-2045,2094-2096
• Chiron in Libra: 1944-1946,1995-1996,2045-2047,2096-2097
• Chiron in Scorpio: 1946-1948,1996-1999,2047-2049,2097-2099
• Chiron in Sagittarius: 1948-1951,1999-2001,2049-2052
• Chiron in Capricorn: 1951-1955,2001-2005,2052-2056
• Chiron in Aquarius: 1955-1961,2005-2011,2056-2061
• Chiron in Pisces: 1961-1969,2011-2019,2061-2069

Note the slow passage through Aries and Pisces (7-8 years),
compared to the quick passage through Virgo and Libra (1-2 years);
this is the pattern that Chiron makes and repeats through its orbit,
which is inclined into the disc of the solar system and elliptical rather
than circular. Thus many more people are born with Chiron in Aries
or Pisces than in any other sign, which tends to encourage Chironic
minorities to feel more excluded unless they are given a greater voice
in the collective. Additionally, Aries and Pisces become the signs
which have greater significance in Chiron's agenda in the healing of
the collective (the making whole of all our individual points of
view). Taurus and Aquarius, followed by Gemini and Capricorn, are
the next most significant signs in this process.

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 Chariklo: Chariklo is a nymph, not a centaur, and she is the beloved
of Chiron, but astronomically at least she is actually the largest of the
group we now call centaurs. She was discovered in 1997, becoming
the sixth centaur to be identified. Chariklo provides a pathway
connecting the realm of Saturn and Uranus, like her husband.
However, Chariklo differs from Chiron in that she is less human in
perspective and represents the collective awareness that already
exists in nature — the collective awareness of the plants, animals,
rocks and waters which we must learn from and remember how to
emulate. She therefore teaches us about this collective awareness and
may show us how our non-collective (individually fragmented)
human awareness affects it and is affected by it, even as we go about
our business not even perceiving it.
Here are the general positions for Chariklo:

• Chariklo in Aries: 1911-1917,1973-1980,2035-2042

• Chariklo in Taurus: 1917-1923,1980-1985,2042-2048
• Chariklo in Gemini: 1923-1928,1985-1991,2048-2053
• Chariklo in Cancer: 1928-1933,1991-1995,2053-2058
• Chariklo in Leo: 1933-1937,1995-1999,2058-2062
• Chariklo in Virgo: 1937-1941,1999-2003,2062-2065
• Chariklo in Libra: 1941-1944,2003-2006,2065-2069
• Chariklo in Scorpio: 1944-1948,2006-2010,2069-2073
• Chariklo in Sagittarius: 1948-1952,2010-2015,2073-2077
• Chariklo in Capricorn: 1952-1959,2015-2021,2077-2083
• Chariklo in Aquarius: 1959-1966,2021-2028,2083-2090
• Chariklo in Pisces: 1966-1973,2028-2035,2090-2098

The orbit of Chariklo is slightly longer than Chiron's at around 63

years. Note that while she does display some bias towards certain
signs, emphasising Pisces and Aquarius (7-8 years each) and Aries
and Capricorn (6-7 years each) while spending less time (3-4 years)
in Virgo and Libra, Leo and Scorpio, her tendencies are far less
extreme than the other centaurs. Chariklos influence is in many ways
more rounded, balanced and harmonious, more stable than that of the
other centaurs. This is reflective of the stability of the collective
awareness shared by animals, plants and rocks, etc.

Asbolus: The fourth centaur to be found, discovered in 1995, has

an orbit of about 76 years and is the pathfinder between Jupiter and
Neptune, travelling beyond the orbits of Saturn and Uranus. Asbolus
does not actually cross the orbits of either Jupiter of Neptune, which
means he does not escort you all the way and you must begin and

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finish the journey without his guidance - Asbolus comes to you and
leaves when he wishes, which usually means he is not present with
you at the beginning or end of the conduction of his key, forcing you
to begin things yourself and draw your own conclusions afterwards.
The influence he bears on the process may also fluctuate. This is part
of his spirit, his intelligence, and not a sign of disrespect or problems
he has with you. He is capricious, whimsical and mysterious like
prophecy. However the fact that Asbolus penetrates closer to Jupiter's
orbit than the other centaurs makes him the most friendly of the
centaurs to humanity and one who is very familiar and wise in
matters of our religious and spiritual practices and customs,
particularly some of their roots in the worship of nature. Asbolus is
an excellent instructor in the divination of patterns from nature such
as the flight of birds. His key is ideal for turning when seeking to
recollect this lore. He is also a vessel of other kinds of nature magic
such as alchemy and herbalism.
Here are the general positions in the zodiac for Asbolus:

• Asbolus in Aries: 1929-1932,2005-2008,2082-2084

• Asbolus in Taurus: 1932-1937,2008-2013,2084-2089
• Asbolus in Gemini: 1937-1948,2013-2024,2089-2099
• Asbolus in Cancer: 1948-1966,2024-2041
• Asbolus in Leo: 1966-1983,2041-2059
• Asbolus in Virgo:1983-1992, 2059-2069
• Asbolus in Libra: 1992-1997,2069-2073
• Asbolus in Scorpio: 1997-1999,2073-2076
• Asbolus in Sagittarius: 1999-2001,2076-2077
• Asbolus in Capricorn: 2001-2002,2077-2079
• Asbolus in Aquarius: 2002-2004,2079-2080
• Asbolus in Pisces: 2004-2005,2080-2082

The emphasis of Asbolus lies heavily on the signs Cancer and Leo,
while he moves very quickly through the signs at the end of the
zodiac and also through Aries.

Nessus: Journeys much further than Chiron, from Saturn out past
the orbits of Uranus, Neptune, Ixion and Orcus to a point halfway
between the orbit of Neptune and Pluto. Nessus is an emissary of
Orcus/Pluto and thus an initiator into the magic of the underworld -
especially that of the animal and plant kingdoms and their
relationship to the human underworld - and our understanding of
death as an aspect of physical nature and the purpose of existence, as
well as a teacher of how we can connect with the worlds that are in

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 his orbit, but if we do not have a good relationship with Pluto first
the fact that Nessus only goes part-way to Pluto translates as a rude
awakening and being left in the abyss if we go too far, too soon. He
teaches a great deal about distancing self from guilt, judgement,
suspicion, jealousy, lust and the relationship between our urge for
violence and our sexual urges, our thirst for revenge or immediate
gratification and the meaning of the more violent events and
tragedies that can befall us. He is an appropriate centaur for ecstatic
visionquest or the enjoyment of sexual energy without the violence
that can result from its suppression or total unfettering.
Nessus was the third centaur to be found and was discovered in
1993. The naming of Nessus was significant in that the name was
suggested to astronomers by astrologers, the first time astrologers
have named a modern discovery. Therefore Nessus enthuses and
encourages the bridging quality of all centaurs, the fusion of
differing but symbiotic natures (man-horse) into a single whole.
Here are the general zodiac positions for Nessus:

• Nessus in Aries: 1913-1940,2034-2060

• Nessus in Taurus: 1940-1963,2060-2083
• Nessus in Gemini: 1963-1975,2083-2096
• Nessus in Cancer: 1975-1982,2096-2104
• Nessus in Leo: 1982-1986
• Nessus in Virgo: 1986-1989
• Nessus in Libra: 1989-1992
• Nessus in Scorpio: 1992-1995
• Nessus in Sagittarius: 1995-1999
• Nessus in Capricorn: 1999-2005
• Nessus in Aquarius: 2005-2015
• Nessus in Pisces: 2015-2034

Note that Nessus has an orbit of about 122 years with a similar
pattern to Chiron but far more extreme, passing quickly through the
middle signs (3 years), but much more slowly at the earlier and later
signs (27 years to go through Aries). Nessus places great emphasis
on Aries and Taurus especially, followed by Pisces and Gemini, and
significantly less on Virgo, Libra and Scorpio. Nessus has some
kinship with Chiron in this respect.

Pholus: was the second centaur to be found, discovered in 1992, and

is the pathfinder between Saturn and Orcus. This takes Pholus on a
91 year voyage from the orbit of Saturn beyond the orbits of Uranus,
Neptune and Orcus, approaching part of the inner edge of the orbital

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realm of Ixion. Pholus is a deep far voyager with the galaxy in his
eyes. He has a vast knowledge of what is out there and also what is
going on down here, especially with respect to the actions of our
authorities, our kings and leaders and the corruption and greed of our
systems. He also knows a great deal about the poisoning of the
natural environment we are killing ourselves with (something all
centaurs are concerned with). He is more gentle and wise than many
of the other centaurs, which in conduction of his key translates as an
easier time under activation and more potential for you to shape the
influence, but there is sometimes a challenge in the form of a need to
control strong instincts which we know are harmful to ourselves.
With Pholus there is also the essence of a fatal flaw, a quality of
character that while it may be friendly, noble or elevated, contains
the potential to bring about a downfall or doom. Pholus can teach us
about the meaning of these things but not necessarily how to change
them. "Curiosity killed the cat" is fair warning when turning the
Pholus key.
The Pholus key is also a good key to turn when preparing to work
with the Hylonome or Amycus key, and all 3 are useful in building
up to working with the key of Ixion, both as a method of building
strong astrological relations with the centaurs and transforming the
collective attitude to masculine force and power.
The general zodiacal positions for Pholus are:

• Pholus in Aries: 1981-1985,2072-2077

• Pholus in Taurus: 1985-1988,2077-2079
• Pholus in Gemini: 1988-1990,2079-2081
• Pholus in Cancer: 1990-1991,2081-2083
• Pholus in Leo: 1901-1903,1991-1993,2083-2085
• Pholus in Virgo: 1903-1905,1993-1995,2085-2087
• Pholus in Libra: 1905-1908,1995-1999,2087-2090
• Pholus in Scorpio: 1908-1914,1999-2005,2090-2096
• Pholus in Sagittarius: 1914-1928,2005-2018
• Pholus in Capricorn: 1928-1951,2018-2042
• Pholus in Aquarius: 1951-1971,2042-2062
• Pholus in Pisces: 1971-1981,2062-2072

Note that unlike Chiron, Asbolus and Nessus, Pholus spends much
longer in Capricorn and Aquarius than in any other signs, taking
about 43-44 years combined to pass through them, but that he takes
only a year or two each moving through Gemini, Cancer and Leo.

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 Hylonome: Hylonome was the fifth centaur discovered (1995) and
is a female centaur. This may help women seeking to build a
relationship with the centaurs, or men seeking to understand
feminine experience, particularly in terms of sexuality. For
Hylonome though, understanding from men is not enough, she asks
for a more mutual embodiment of sexuality with women so that it is
not stressfully burdened on them (i.e. so that they do not solely
objectify it) and they can be allowed to be sexual without fear and
without being objectified.
Hylonome journeys a path that begins at the orbit of the planet
Uranus and far voyages beyond the orbital paths of Neptune, Pluto
and Orcus, reaching as far out as the orbit of Ixion at his closest to
the Sun. Hylonome is a beautiful, free spirit with great insight into
the nature of love, including all of its great tragedy. She has a deep
insight into loving relationships and the way we can return to a more
loving relationship to one another through a more loving relationship
to the Earth and its creatures. In this her key has some connection
with the Chariklo key. Hylonome, however, has a more human
perspective than Chariklo does. She also teaches women how to
defend themselves and to assume greater control of their lives.
General positions for Hylonome are listed below:

• Hylonome in Aries: 1931-1948,2056-2072

• Hylonome in Taurus: 1948-1961,2072-2086
• Hylonome in Gemini: 1961-1972,2086-2097
• Hylonome in Cancer: 1972-1980
• Hylonome in Leo: 1980-1987
• Hylonome in Virgo: 1987-1993
• Hylonome in Libra: 1993-2000
• Hylonome in Scorpio: 2000-2006
• Hylonome in Sagittarius: 2006-2015
• Hylonome in Capricorn: 2015-2026
• Hylonome in Aquarius: 1901-1915,2026-2039
• Hylonome in Pisces: 1915-1931,2039-2056

Taking about 125 years to make her journey around the Sun, with
her swift passage occurring when she is in the middle of the zodiac
passing through Leo, Virgo, Libra and Scorpio, Hylonome
emphasises Aquarius, Pisces, Aries and Taurus.

Amycus: The last of the centaurs discussed in this book was first
identified in 2002. Another voyager into the mythic, Amycus begins
at the orbit of Saturn and travels beyond to the orbital path of Ixion

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like Hylonome, only from much further in at the beginning, from the
visible planet Saturn. As a centaur, Amycus was known for his
temper and for violence and thus has a great deal to teach about the
consequences of these impulses without pressing for their denial or
suppression. In other words he helps to avoid the unwelcome
outcomes of having violent urges and can help those seeking to
channel them. He also speaks to us about the times when life seems
to treat us violently or roughly. He has many other things to teach us,
but these are still emerging.
General positions for Amycus:
• Amycus in Aries: 1932-1953,2056-2077
• Amycus in Taurus: 1953-1970,2077-2094
• Amycus in Gemini: 1970-1982
• Amycus in Cancer: 1982-1990
• Amycus in Leo: 1990-1996
• Amycus in Virgo: 1996-2000
• Amycus in Libra: 2000-2004
• Amycus in Scorpio: 2004-2009
• Amycus in Sagittarius: 2009-2015
• Amycus in Capricorn: 2015-2023
• Amycus in Aquarius: 1899-1913,2023-2037
• Amycus In Pisces: 1913-1932,2037-2056

Again, Amycus loiters in the wilds of Aries and the deeps of

Pisces, but passes swiftly through Virgo and Libra, giving him a
kinship with Chiron and the other centaurs who linger in the territory
of Aries and Pisces. He takes 126 years to make a complete orbit,
making him one of the slower centaurs, along with Nessus and
Hylonome.

It bears repeating, often, that centaurs are to us very new entities

and that their meaning and significance is still emerging. The
tendency of astrologers in this situation is sometimes to make wild
guesses on flimsy evidence and to see how it pans out. There is often
value in this but it becomes quickly distorted and overly subjective
unless it pays attention to the astronomy and decodes this
astrologically. Furthermore the tendency to just invent or imagine
qualities for these new objects is very much heightened by the
numerous quantity of them, a situation which evokes a mild panic or
a form of denial or dismissive reactions in some astrologers. Yet
there is a pressing need to grasp what is happening out there because
the situation on Earth is so obviously critical.
The turning of these new objects keys by conduction as described
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 in this book is one way this can be contributed to without venturing
into a realm of pure speculation, because it can be observed
experientially and such experience can be repeated, collectively
shared and compared very quickly. Our theories can be tested and
grounded in monthly and yearly observation. At the end of this
discussion on additional keys I will provide direction on some other
ways in which we can identify individuals and times with a strong
connection to specific centaurs and mythic worlds and thus learn
what they have to show us. For now, we must look at the regions
these centaurs escort us to, the new worlds beyond Neptune and the
potential of their keys. I have shared some of my own findings about
these worlds in the following pages, but this information is even
more fresh than what I have written about the centaurs at this point
and I have restricted my comments to the main features which I have
verified for myself, and which I have been allowed to communicate.
It is my hope that others will explore these worlds and their keys, test
these claims and share what they discover because this is the best
way for us to uncover their mysteries.
There are other ways to do this, however, one of which is just
based on an understanding of astrology and does not require any kind
of conduction to apply. Astute readers will have noted that we can
not only experience a Chiron return (around the age of 50), but also a
Chariklo and Asbolus return at about the age of 63 and 76
respectively. They speak in phrases that the human mind can fully
comprehend. This is another reason why I recommend that you begin
with these centaurs, but this also means we can learn about these
centaurs from people who are experiencing those returns.
Furthermore, anyone living to the age of 91 with enough of their
faculties intact can offer us extremely rare and valuable insight into
the influence of Pholus.
The key to exploring these centaurs with or as people who live
long enough to see them return is to note the temple positioning of
the centaur in the birth chart and then probe how experience of this
temple has evolved and changed over the entire lifetime. For
example, someone who celebrates their 91st birthday with Pholus in
the 3' temple would look at how their capacity to communicate and
give expression to their ideas and opinions has personally changed
over the course of life, and also perhaps how attitudes to personal
transportation and schooling has changed, and themselves along with
it. If a theme can be identified that does not reflect other 3' temple
influences found in their chart, then the theme will be a quality of
Pholus astrologically speaking.

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 Only the most ancient among us can offer a holistic insight into
the natures of Amycus (126 years), Hylonome (125) or Nessus (122).
This leaves us with an incomplete relationship with these centaurs.
However, the centaurs are adept at filling in the gaps we make, and
so as a whole they operate to bridge the many different stages of life
and the gulf of experience which can separate them. This means
when we work with one centaur, we work with all of them at some
level, and that they continually interact with us as a tribe through
whichever representative we are dealing with. Thus it is possible to
develop a relationship with them as a whole and to learn about any
aspect of that whole from any one member of the tribe.

Those beyond, the mythic worlds: These worlds are worlds of the
One Self. Pluto was really the first of these objects to be identified,
and was originally classified as a planet, before the need to re-
classify it along with these new objects became clear after Eris was
revealed. Pluto may therefore be regarded as having a similar status
to Chiron in terms of being a leading influence of these worlds much
as Chiron is the leader of the centaurs — a definite promotion in
position for Pluto in celestial terms, not a demotion. These worlds
move only very slowly around the Sun and thus through the zodiac
and are indicative of influences that affect all human beings alive at
once in the same way, sometimes for many centuries. Often their
meaning and significance will emerge in an event which affects the
collective, stimulating it in some way to wake up or presenting it
with a new paradigm. Pluto itself, for example, is associated with the
detonation of the atom bomb over Japan. More recently, Eris
provoked a redefinition of the solar system and the word 'planet'.
Except in these exceptional instances which tend to manifest in the
years after their arrival in our awareness and when they are being
stressed by other astrological factors, they are very abstracted and
remote from the awareness we experience in our everyday state,
being more representative of magical states and shamanistic states of
consciousness. To interact with their meaning and significance we
have to go to them and this means expanding our awareness beyond
the ordinary terrestrial channels and outmanoeuvring the symbolism
we attach to that meaning so that it can be objectively perceived.
Developing a relationship with the meaning of the centaurs
beforehand facilitates this because they are the ones who know how
to trigger our awareness of how to get there. The centaurs are also
the ones who know how to relate the knowledge of these outer limits
with the collective and individual levels of awareness i.e. how to

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 1._

pass it on in a form which we can use both as individuals and as a

species.
I have included Pluto as an activator and the Pluto key in the main
body of work for the 26 keys for a reason and that is because as I
said above he has a function similar to Chiron vis-a-vie centaurs (and
for that matter Ceres vis-a-vie asteroids) but in relation to these
mythic worlds. We can say that, being the first of this new class of
bodies we discovered, Pluto is their ambassador to human awareness.
Therefore, a rich relationship with Pluto has enormous reward for
anyone seeking to work with these worlds and in some cases (such as
Sedna) an introduction through Pluto is essential. She simply does
not answer to any other call, at least for now. In this book I will
discuss only 8 of these new worlds - Eris, Varuna, Ixion, Quaoar,
Sedna, Orcus, Haumea and Makemake - but there are more and I
encourage you to look into them (or have them look into you!) for
yourself These worlds are small but that does not diminish the
significance of anything, instead it seems to focus and concentrate
the meaning. Keys for these worlds can be explored best using
ElectroMagnetic conduction and from the basis of a deep
relationship with 1 or more of the centaurs and Pluto. This
relationship to the centaurs will also signify a certain degree of
maturity with handling the Saturn and Jupiter keys, possibly also the
Uranus and Neptune keys, because such will have been involved in
the teaching of any of the centaurs.
I have spoken at length in this book about the meaning of Pluto,
and have deliberately kept my comments below about the meaning
and significance of the other mythic worlds to a minimum of what
could be said. The reason for this is that I wish to encourage people
to make their own explorations using the conductors so that the
awareness of what these worlds represent can emerge without being
forced to open like a genetically enslaved flower. Any excessive
sharing of the significance I have found in them will unduly
influence that process, and this is not the desire of the mythic worlds
themselves. Even our old friend Pluto is rightfully holding things
back from us so that we will discover them later for ourselves. The
true significance of these mythic worlds must emerge in the
collective awareness when it is ready through a collective effort and
not through the mind of any single individual. However, this said,
there are some technical things I can pass on along with a small part
of the significance I and others around me have found which it is
appropriate and timely to share. Aside from turning their keys in the
way I have described, which will open up their significance and

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meaning to you as a person and individual, a magician can also gain
knowledge of these worlds through mental wandering. The
descriptions below, presented in the order of their discovery, should
help with the necessary co-ordinates.

Varuna is a source of instruction in cosmic laws, particularly the

means by which substance adheres to astral material to create a form
which is an expression of its meaning. The Water and Air Elements
are also connected with Varuna — he is the God of the Celestial
Ocean and the Rig Veda tells us:

"...He knows the pathway of the wind, the spreading, high and
mighty wind: He knows the gods who dwell above. Varuna, true
to holy law, sits down among his people; he, most wise, sits there
to govern all. From thence perceiving he beholds all wondrous
things, both what hath been, and what hereafter will be done."

So this connection with wind and water is not just with the
Elements of Water and Air, but with the cosmic laws by which
consciousness itself is given a soul and the immanence of the Akasha
in all things.
The Varuna key is also an interesting key for anyone of Hindu
beliefs to turn, because it can unveil and emerge the significance of
Varuna as deity in their awareness. The same is true for any follower
of the other deities our worlds are named after or those asteroids
which are named after deities. Many more will eventually appear as
we name them — a form of collective magical evocation is taking
place. Varuna is a good key to turn when exploring the concept and
ramifications of deification and Divinity in general.
Physically, Varuna is estimated to be about 900km (estimates
currently vary), has a long orbital period of about 281 years, a rapid
rotation lasting only a few hours and is between about 40 and 45
times the distance of Earth to Sun at any one time. Although Varuna
was discovered in late 2000, he was first imaged in 1953 but was not
officially recognised until technology had improved. This indicates
Varuna has been growing more active behind the scenes for about 60
years and that he is now initiating a new awareness of our
relationship to the environment and our need to harmonise our
behaviour with cosmic laws, or face the consequences. This
essentially means learning about how our behaviour affects the
countless worlds which exist alongside ours in the physical universe,
the world of trees and frogs and clouds and all other things existing
on Earth with us, and what we are doing to them. Upon discovery it
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 was at Cancer 09° in the stars that make up the constellation of The
Twins, Castor and Pollux, just below Mebsuta in the left knee of
Castor. It had just crossed into the northern hemisphere and has been
climbing through the Twins since that time. These stars symbolise
the struggle and relationship between the negative and the positive
potential of the intellect and societies. They speak of the gathering of
voices, the sharing of information and the promotion of an idea
through activities like marching. Varuna is therefore appearing at this
time to motivate us to take action and to march for the ideas we wish
to promote, but this stirs up social unrest, and a broad debate about
the nature of information and the exchange of ideas. The sign of
Cancer is internally constructive — motherly, nurturing and
supporting the inner needs of self and others, building a nest for ones
biological or metaphorical children — and highly Magnetic in nature,
so it is receptive and sensitive, qualities we can all use to transition
this period.
Here is a reference list of his movements by sign from 1813-2091:
1813 - 1838: Varuna in Scorpio
1838 - 1863: Varuna in Sagittarius
1863 - 1887: Varuna in Capricorn
1887 - 1909: Varuna in Aquarius
1909 - 1929: Varuna in Pisces
1929 - 1949: Varuna in Aries
1949 - 1970: Varuna in Taurus
1970 - 1993: Varuna in Gemini
1993 - 2017: Varuna in Cancer
2017 - 2041: Varuna in Leo
2041 - 2066: Varuna in Virgo
2066 - 2091: Varuna in Libra

Dates given in this and other lists are for when the object finally
enters a sign, not necessarily the first time it does so, as it may
retrograde back into the previous sign before fully entering the new
one. This means if you are born on or near a changeover year you
should check to see which sign the object is in.
Note that Varuna is very even handed in the length of time he
spends in each sign, each one being given about 20-25 years. This is
because Varuna is in a near circular orbit around the Sun, similar to
that of Quaoar but more inclined. The orbits of Varuna and Quaoar
are also similar in other respects, signifying that there is a connection
between their principles. This connection is that of our relationship
to the environment, Varuna being connected with the expression of
cosmic law through acts of nature, and Quaoar with the balance or
imbalance of acts of humanity towards nature.

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Ixion is the mythic world which teaches us about the astrological
influences of the centaurs as a whole, being the patriarch of their
natures and concealing the wisdom of the sacred masculine. The
Ixion key relates to the dynamic masculine wisdom of nature as
compared to the dynamic feminine wisdom of nature — Eris. This is
the connection to nature and masculine power represented by entities
like Pan which later became subjugated and literally demonised by
religions into devils. Tangled up in this descent of masculine force is
the act of killing for pleasure or power and of violence in general. So
with Ixion, we have to remove all that symbolic warping and
perceive the essence of the natural masculine energy for what it is,
which means stripping it of a dominator agenda of power and
redefming it at the collective level. Co-mingled with this are the
negative consequences of what we have done with patriarchy in
society, the machinations of governments and corporations — Ixion as
tyrant. Rolling out the karmic consequences of being subjugated to
these authorities when they are misguided or given too much
freedom and power is also Ixions agenda, or part of it.
The connection Ixion has to the sacred masculine and what we
have done with it also gives him a connection to causation, the
reason why things occur. Ixion embodies the wheel which turns,
bringing back that which we ourselves have set into motion, and his
key can therefore be turned to discover the reasons why inexplicable
things occur, but we need to be ready for the raw truth before we will
get it. The mystery of causation itself may also be explored with this
key. When does anything truly begin in eternity? Feeding into this
are notions of feuds which persist because both sides commit
atrocities and wrongs against one another in perpetual payback.
Ixion is about 650km in diameter and orbits our Sun at a rate close
to that of Pluto, taking 250 years to move through all 12 signs, and it
also has a similar range of distances from the Sun — both Pluto and
Ixion come as close as about 30 times the distance from Earth to Sun
and move away as far as 49 times.
Ixion was discovered in 2001 at 05° Sagittarius (in Greek myth
Ixion is the mortal father of the centaurs, excepting Chiron), but
above the head of the stars of Scorpio, near the feet of Ophiucus the
Serpent Healer, which he has been steadily moving through. These
stars are the stars of Asclepius, the one who knows how to use the
serpent power of life, a power which can be used to heal or destroy
life (so that it regenerates by returning to the source, and thus moves
on). This discovery position above Scorpius echoes Ixion's
connection with the principle of Mars (in mythology, Ixion was a

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 despotic son of Ares, the Greek god of war).
Below is a guide to Ixion's presence in signs from 1845-2091:

1845 - 1861: Ixion in Gemini

1861 - 1880: Ixion in Cancer
1880 -1904: Ixion in Leo
1904 - 1933: Ixion in Virgo
1933 - 1964: Ixion in Libra
1964 - 1995: Ixion in Scorpio
1995 - 2020: Ixion in Sagittarius
2020 - 2039: Ixion in Capricorn
2039 - 2054: Ixion in Aquarius
2054 - 2066: Ixion in Pisces
2066 - 2078: Ixion in Aries
2078 - 2091: Ixion in Taurus

The awareness of what Ixion means is emerging in the mentality

of our youngest children — those born 2006 and thereabouts - at the
time of writing (see tables at the end of this section on additional
keys).

Quaoar: The Tongva tribe lived for thousands of years in what is

now the L.A. area before their culture was virtually wiped out and
their sacred lands taken by Europeans in the 1600s. Their creation
story was given a place in the physical heavens in 2002 when
astronomers discovered Quaoar and named it after their Creation
Force. At the time this was a very big deal in astronomy because
Quaoar was the biggest discovery in the solar system since Pluto,
having a diameter of about 1200km, a tenth of the diameter of the
Earth and about half of the size of Pluto. Soon after the other large
mythic worlds began to show themselves.
Quaoar ('Kwah-wahr') is remarkable in that it has a near circular
orbit taking about 286 years, is not strongly inclined against the
ecliptic (both of which are unusual for the new objects we are
discussing here) and is currently relatively close to Pluto and thus to
Earth. Sometimes Quaoar will even be closer to the Sun than Pluto -
an unusual period, given that he ranges from about 41-45 times the
distance from the Sun to Earth compared to Pluto's 29-48 - and we
are upon such a time, as after 2070, we will be entering a long period
of about 1-200 years in which this is the case. Quaoar was
discovered to have a satellite in 2007. The honour of naming this
moon was given to the Tongva who named it Wewot after the first
born of Quaoar.

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 The sacred tale of Quaoars creation is very resonant with hermetic
philosophy. These are the words of Mark Muria, a Tongva dancer
and elder:

"Quaoar' the great force of creation sings and dances the high
ones (Deities) into existence. While Quaoar has no form or
gender he is usually referred to with the male pronoun. He
dances and sings first 'Weywot' who becomes Sky Father; they
sing and dance 'Chehooit' Earth Mother into existence. The trio
sing 'Tamit' Grandfather Sun to life. As each divine one joins the
singing and dancing, the song becomes more complex and the
dance more complicated. In turn 'Moar', Grandmother Moon (a
very complex deity), 'Pamit' the Goddess of the sea, 'Manit', the
Lord of dreams and visions, 'Manisar' the bringer of food and
harvests, 'Tukupar Itar' Sky Coyote (who is also our major
hero), 'Tolmalok', the Goddess of Shishongna (the underworld)
join in the singing, dancing and creating. And finally the great
seven giants who hold up the worlds are created. The High Ones
in turn are aided by 'Eagle, Duck, Bear, and Frog' in a grand
earth diving story. Frog brings up soil out of the deep dark sea,
and the four animals dance it flat and wide. The 'Gods and
Goddesses' then furnish the world 'Tovangar' with hills,
mountains, trees, rivers, etc. 'Tobohar' (first man) and 'Pahavit'
(first woman) are also part of this great 'Creation song and
dance cycle.' "
So Quaoar was the largest and most significant of the mythic
worlds to reveal itself in the modern era after Pluto, and when he
revealed himself he began singing and dancing the other 'high ones'
into existence, leading to a cascade of new discoveries as larger
bodies were then uncovered, Sedna, Eris, Makemake and Haumea,
Eris probably being larger than Pluto itself. Quaoar literally changed
the solar system by beginning to dance it anew.
This means that the Quaoar key, among other things, is the key
which sings and dances things into creation. It begins a creative
process which sets in motion the natural and universal laws and leads
ultimately to the existence of a new expression of reality, a creation.
It is a key for anyone interested in any creative arts, particularly
those which involve wheels, circles, dancing or singing, which it
brings a greater spiritual awareness to through revealing the
immanent force within. Quaoar is expressive of the essence of
shamanic voyaging, visionquest and creation through vocalisation,
hence also Kabbalah.
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 Quaoar was at the zodiacal position of 10° Sagittarius when
discovered, suggesting an initiatory quality which restlessly pursues
the quest of experiential information about life itself. The appearance
of Quaoar along with Ixion among the stars of Ophiucus the Serpent
Healer (above and between the Scales of Libra and the Scorpion)
signifies a connection to healing and to the laws of appearance.
Quaoar presents us with an opportunity to collectively heal ourselves
by returning to an objective perception of the natural order and the
faculties of a human awareness which perceive the universal laws at
work in the appearance of things. Thus he emerges within us the
ability to perceive the meaningful pattern of things beyond their
appearances and to be healed by this knowledge so that what we sing
into existence is in harmony with all other created things.
General positions for Quaoar are as follows:

1803 - 1825: Quaoar in Aries

1825 - 1847: Quaoar in Taurus
1847 - 1870: Quaoar in Gemini
1870 - 1894: Quaoar in Cancer
1894 - 1918: Quaoar in Leo
1918 - 1943: Quaoar in Virgo
1943 - 1968: Quaoar in Libra
1968 - 1993: Quaoar in Scorpio
1993 - 2017: Quaoar in Sagittarius
2017 - 2040: Quaoar in Capricorn
2040 - 2062: Quaoar in Aquarius
2062 - 2085: Quaoar in Pisces

Orcus is a brother or twin of Pluto in many respects (mirror orbits in

terms of inclination, orbital size and orbital period), with many of the
same 'underworld' connections, but Orcus is more concerned with
ensuring that the vows we have made to one another are carried
through it to the other side of whatever we pass through, and that we
are given a choice to hold to our sacred word by being given
opportunities to keep it or to refuse that. In other words, if you make
a sacred promise, and your life ends before that promise can be
fulfilled, Orcus is the expression of meaning in that oath which
survives your mortal destruction and is handed back to you. His key
is the key for the magic of oaths in all their forms. He also helps us
to understand the purpose of our incarnation in the broad scheme of
things, the perspective we have gained from past soul incarnations
and how that has led us to where we are now.

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 Orcus is also connected with the lore of the 'wild man', the deep
knowledge of the forest which contains all the wisdom of all the
trees and creatures who ever lived there. This is because where Pluto
is a guardian of the human underworld, Orcus is guardian of the
animal and plant underworld. He therefore plays a role in
determining the lot of life for the many species of flora and fauna
and safeguards them when their mortal bodies are destroyed so that
their wisdom is reincarnated. It is partly through our misuse of Orcus
that we have begun to ignorantly tamper with their genetic material
for our own short sighted and selfish purposes. The mythic worlds
always empower us with some kind of Promethean gift and then train
us in a trial by fire through the responsibility it brings.
In mythology Orcus is often depicted as a bearded giant or a
Cyclops, and is feared for his appetite for human flesh. This is not
indicative of a brutal or demonic nature, it is a symbolic
representation of how we give our flesh bodies to the plants and
animals after we are done with them, thus feeding the underworld of
these kingdoms and bringing new life to them. So in an indirect way
we can say that Orcus represents the entire food chain, along with
our effect upon it. For example, it is through him that we learned
about colony collapse disorder, the widespread disappearance of
worker bees from causes still not fully understood.
Orcus was discovered early in 2004 (two years before CCD was
identified) in the head of the Hydra , the largest constellation in the
sky and a truly ancient presence in our tales, the Great Dragon
Tiamat, the Water Serpent and the World Serpent Yggdrasil being
among them. This is a warning, a caution that we are about to
encounter rapidly multiplying consequences — the many heads of the
Hydra which regrow two heads when one is severed - as a result of
our tampering with animals and plants. We are simply not aware
enough to be tampering with them at the genetic level and the
consequences of this blind activity threaten to get out of our control
very quickly. The oath we took of old to protect and nurture the
plants and animals — not to enslave them — is well remembered by
Orcus, and he is empowered to enforce the consequences of its
breaking. This is the key for any people or groups seeking to create
physical or astral sanctuaries for any non-human lifeforms of the
Earth facing the consequences of an over-active and overpopulated
humanity.
Upon discovery, Orcus was positioned in the tropical zodiac at 24°
of Leo, and has the following passage through the zodiac:

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 1844 - 1864: Orcus in Sagittarius
1864 - 1880: Orcus in Capricorn
1880 - 1893: Orcus in Aquarius
1893 -1905: Orcus in Pisces
1905 - 1918: Orcus in Aries
1918 - 1934: Orcus in Taurus
1934 - 1954: Orcus in Gemini
1954 - 1979: Orcus in Cancer
1979 - 2008: Orcus in Leo
2008 - 2037: Orcus in Virgo
2037 - 2064: Orcus in Libra
2064 - 2088: Orcus in Scorpio

People born in or sometimes near the years when he enters a new

sign may have either one of the two depending on which day they are
born. The same is true for each of these rough guides I have
provided. To know precisely where Orcus is on any given day, look it
up in an online ephemeris.
Unlike Sedna (described below), Orcus is reaching his furthest
point from the Sun. He does this when he reaches the Hydras head
and then passes into the constellation of Sextans, the sextant on the
Hydras back. A sextant is a tool for navigating by the stars and this
constellation therefore contains a path finding meaning. This is the
place where Orcus is furthest from the Sun on its 248 year journey,
which it reaches in 2019.

Sedna does not respond to conduction until you reach a certain

degree of maturity with what you are doing with Pluto in your life -
she is so deep that he is the only one who can reach her. The same
will be true for us at a collective level if we get to a collective degree
of self mastery in handling Pluto. For the time being, the mythology
of Sedna relates her key to the meaning of the relationship we have
with marine life and the treatment of the aquatic biosphere as well as
the dis-empowerment of women. She helps us to understand the
aquatic world as one which we co-exist with and have grown deeply
ignorant of after initially existing in a state of pure union with it.
Mythically Sedna is betrayed by her father, who first comes to
rescue her (from a man who is not a man but a raven) out of guilt
(for he is the one who forces her to go with raven as a wife), only to
sacrifice her when raven finds them escaping in a boat and threatens
to kill them both. Sedna is thrown overboard into an icy Inuit sea.
Horrified, she grabs the side of the boat but her father severs her
fingers to save himself. She tries again to save herself, and he cuts
off her hands. Thus, she sinks to the icy depths, her severed hands

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and fingers transformed by ravens magic into seals and whales, her
heart filled with rage and betrayal which she used to raise storms at
sea. Inuit shamans had to voyage to Sedna every year to comb her
hair, so that she would be appeased and release the mammals.
Like Eris, Sedna also champions the emergence of feminine power
from the frigid wastes it has been sent to. Sedna is tinged with red,
reminiscent of her fingerless hands, and very, very far away - at her
closest she is about 76 times as far away from the Sun as we are, but
at her furthest she is a staggering 960 times as far away. This means
by current estimates she takes around 11-12,000 years to go around
the Sun — just shy of a 1000 year average per sign. She is therefore
descriptive of the awareness that separates us from the peoples of
centuries or millennia ago — how if we were to meet someone from
the time of Ancient Egypt, communication between us would not
only be hampered by culture and language but by basic views of the
way the world works. A good example would be the way that ancient
astrologer priests did not take for granted that the heavens would just
keep turning — they had to observe them and offer the proper
libations or the universe would collapse.
However, if our current thinking is correct, Sedna does not take
1000 years to go through each sign, she has an elliptical orbit which
means she will speed through some signs and slow in others. When
she moves forwards very fast through the signs, events pick up such
a pace that we can look back only a century or two and experience
the same gulf as people in another slower moving era experience
only with people thousands of years ago in their past. Sedna has
been picking up speed since the 1600s, which has contributed to the
rapid distancing between human eras.
Sedna and Eris, which have orbits of 500+ years and 10,000+
years respectively, are therefore connected with the astrology of
civilisations more than any other objects in the solar system. Like
Eris, Sedna was discovered emerging from the head and jaws of
Cetus the Leviathan at 17° Taurus. This constellation represents the
collective unconscious, i.e. those parts of our collective identity
which are in shadow and threaten to rise and break the surface like a
devouring Kraken. The subjugation of the feminine has been going
on so long that it now threatens to bring imbalance to all life on
Earth and therefore must emerge into consciousness, one way or
another. The women's liberation movement is really the setting up of
an emergence of the feminine archetype, something that is about far
more than just the treatment of women in society, although this is an
initial issue that must be addressed. It is really ultimately about our

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 treatment of Mother Earth. Sedna emerged from the Leviathan in
2004 and will slowly drift beneath the belly and legs of the Bull,
passing the red eye of Aldebaran (2039) through the club of Orion
(2060s) and into the feet of the Twins when she will be at her closest
to the Sun (2076).
Below is a guide to her zodiac sign movements over the last 5000
years and into the next century Details on her orbit and thus her
presence in signs are still being investigated and verified, and so the
first and last dates in this list are more approximate, but her position
in recent times is more quantifiable.

circa 3000 BC - 1400 BC: Sedna in Scorpio

circa 1400 BC -25 BC: Sedna in Sagittarius
circa 25 BC - 1054: Sedna in Capricorn (1 millennia)
circa 1054 -1634: Sedna in Aquarius (six centuries)
1633 - 1867: Sedna in Pisces (quarter of a millenium)
1867 -1968: Sedna in Aries (only 100 years)
1968 - 2024: Sedna in Taurus (note how quickly this passes)
2024 - 2066: Sedna in Gemini (as well as this, which is faster)
2066 - 2107: Sedna in Cancer (only 41 years)
circa 2107 - 2157: Sedna in Leo (beginning to slow, but still
relatively fast)

From this information it can be seen that as she approaches us the

astrological expression of Sedna has been compressing into smaller
units of time and that something remarkable is happening in the 22nd
century — Sedna is passing through 3 signs because she is very close
to the Sun, relatively speaking for her anyway. She is waking up
from her slumber in the deeps and rising to the surface as she nears
our Sun and is warmed by its light. We need to add to that warmth
and light by completely reversing the violent suppression of women
and of the feminine and the consequence this has had on our
relationship to the Earth. I believe the great test of whether we have
succeeded at this will come in the mid 2060s when she enters the
sign of Cancer and crosses the club of Orion, but her presence in
Taurus has been awakening and driving it, empowering women with
more resources along with an awakening of Earth conscious
awareness, and I believe both will build in thrust and charge and
reach some kind of breakthrough or apex when Sedna passes below
Aldebaran while in the tropical zodiac sign of Gemini around 2039.
If this is the case it means that the women and girls being born today
are the last who will live in a male dominated global culture, and
also that we have limited time with which to act if we are to avert or
minimise the impact of a major environmental catastrophe — the last

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passage of Sedna through Taurus-Gemini-Cancer was around 10,000
BC when the world warmed up with the end of the last glacial period
and there was a global flood. Although a new glacial period is not
expected by natural means for another 50,000 years, it is certainly
possible that we may see something similar happening throughout
the next century, not just through human influence but through
changes which occur in the Sun itself. We simply do not know
enough about the more intricate physics of the universe to know, and
Sedna isn't talking to us much yet.

Haumea: This is another 'dwarf planet' - so far the objects classified

as dwarf planets are Pluto, Makemake, Haumea, Eris (the largest)
and Ceres (the smallest, but the largest object in the asteroid field,
containing a third of its mass). Haumea has two moons, spins on her
axis every 4 hours (faster than any other known object in the solar
system) and is currently believed to bear an ellipsoid shape, like a
bean or an egg. Interestingly, Haumea has some similarities to
Makemake in terms of their orbits, both of which are inclined toward
the solar systems disc at the same angle of 28°, Haumea approaching
as close as 34 times the distance from Earth to Sun and travelling as
far as 51 times (which she reached recently in 1992), and taking
about 284 years to make an orbit. She was discovered in the same
constellation as Makemake as well, combing the stars of the
Woman's Hair, being ahead of Makemake on the other side of the
constellation and moving into Bootes, the herdsman and farmer,
where she will move to be just below Arcturus in 2020. At that time
her significance will take on much greater gravity and weight,
perhaps in a literal sense, and a path will be opened by her through
which she will lead and we will be able to know more of her
message. This is because Arcturus acts as a stellar focus for the
universal principle of gravity and weight by which things come
'down to Earth'.
Mike Brown, the man who discovered Haumea on December 28th
2004, has never been officially credited with his discovery because
of an incident that occurred between his discovery and the writing of
his paper which would announce it:

"On July 7th 2005, as I was putting the finishing touches on the
scientific paper, in hopes of submitting it the next day, I had a
minor delay. My daughter was born. I had somehow convinced
myself that there was no way that she would be born for another
week. I was certain that I had more time. But I had no more
time, no more time at all."
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 He was subsequently 'scooped' by a Spanish team who claimed
they had made their discovery first and presented it without detailed
or accurate scientific data backing it up, a situation he was conscious
of being wary of throughout the first part of 2005. Neither claim to
discovery can be proved or disproved, but the result is that Mikes
daughter Lilah awaits the recognition her father deserves.
I mention this because Haumea is the Hawaiian goddess of
childbirth and fertility, the mother of Pele the fire goddess and a host
of other deities and creatures. As the IAUs official citation on the
name tells us:

"Haumea is the goddess of childbirth and fertility in Hawaiian

mythology. Her many children sprang from different parts of her
body. She takes many different forms and has experienced many
different rebirths. As the goddess of the earth, she represents the
Element of stone."

Her two moons were named after her daughters, Hi'aka and
Namaka, who were formed, like her children, from parts of her body.
This echoed the later discovery that Haumea is the central mass in a
cloud of objects leading to the theory that she is the biggest remnant
of a former planet. According to the IAU -

"Hi'iaka was born from the mouth of Haumea and carried by

her sister Pele in egg form from their distant home to Hawaii.
She danced the first Hula on the shores of Puna and is the patron
goddess of the island of Hawaii and of hula dancers."

"Namaka is a water spirit in Hawaiian mythology. She was born

from the body of Haumea and is the sister of Pele. When Pele
sends her burning lava into the sea, Namaka cools the lava to
become new land"

The sacred act of physically giving the self in birth — the act of
creating through giving your flesh, bone and blood and the essence
of your being - is of central significance to Haumea, and she may
therefore be seen as a herald of something that is being born, in this
case the awareness that we are one with nature and are harming our
own bodies in our treatment of the Earth. She is a patron of those
who work with ushering in new life and of mothers in general, a
goddess of fertility and childbirth, but she also speaks of "one body
with many names".

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 Haumea moved and moves through our zodiac as follows:
1818 - 1837: Haumea in Aquarius
1837 - 1852: Haumea in Pisces
1852 - 1867: Haumea in Aries
1867 - 1882: Haumea in Taurus
1802 - 1901: Haumea in Gemini
1901 - 1927: Haumea in Cancer
1927 - 1959: Haumea in Leo
1959 - 1992: Haumea in Virgo
1992 - 2022: Haumea in Libra
2022 - 2049: Haumea in Scorpio
2049 - 2074: Haumea in Sagittarius
2074 - 2098: Haumea in Capricorn

Eris is the one who finally overturned the centuries old apple cart of
classical astronomy enough to force its revision and a reclassification
of the word 'planet'. She is acting among us as a restorer of the
dynamic (as opposed to passive) power of the feminine. As the more
recently arrived goddess in the solar system she sees the treatment of
the feminine in humanity and she is not going to take it lying down
like Venus might (and has, in the view of Eris). She also highlights
the discord we are creating in the balance of life on the planet. Eris is
an initiator into the deeper feminine mysteries and the re-
empowerment of the feminine in all of us, the magic beyond the trite
'who is the fairest of them all' syndrome it has been bound by. She
introduces discord as a measurement of harmony so that any false
harmony is revealed. The truth is, we have to get a little bit crazy and
break out of our chronic rut of complacency before we are
empowered enough to face the challenges of these do-or-die times.
So Eris also signifies strife, she brings about discord such as the
economic crises we are facing today, but such strife is merely a
struggle to introduce something which is not unsustainable or too
ossified and orderly. As the 'Principia Discordia' says of Eris:

"I am chaos. I am the substance from which your artists and

scientists build rhythms. I am the spirit with which your children
and clowns laugh in happy anarchy. I am chaos. I am alive, and I
tell you that you are free."

The turning of the Eris key under its activation can trigger
intercessions or discord as a means to shake up an established and
stubborn status quo (either within or without of you) and it is also the
key to turn when seeking to understand how such discord manifests
in all life as a productive force.

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 Eris is (probably) larger than Pluto and at her furthest distance
about 97 times as far away from the Sun as the Earth is but can come
as close as 37 times the distance from Earth to Sun. Her orbit takes
557 years compared to Pluto's 247, meaning her presence in a single
sign lasts an average of 40-50 years (in actuality often longer or
shorter depending on which sign) and thus can show the most
divisive split among living populations. Everyone alive today, for
example has Eris in either Aries or Pisces (only the eldest among us
have Eris in Pisces). She was discovered at zodiacal Aries 19° but in
the southern skies in the constellation Cetus, the Leviathan of the
Deep, in its belly. She will remain in zodiacal Aries until the end of
the 2040s. Her passage through the stars over the next 100 years
takes her through the stars of Cetus, emerging from its body into the
knot which ties the Fish of Pisces in the 2040s, and then she will
climb over the ecliptic into the northern heavens towards the stars of
Aries the Ram and Perseus.
Here is a rough guide to the tropical zodiac positions for Eris
(which are different to the stars she passes in front of):
1604 - 1641: Ens in Gemini
1641 - 1660: Eris in Cancer
1660 - 1675: Eris in Leo
1675 - 1691: Eris in Virgo
1691 - 1712: Ens in Libra
1712 - 1738: Eris in Scorpio
1738 - 1767: Ens in Sagittarius
1767 - 1801: Eris in Capricorn
1801 - 1847: Eris in Aquarius
1847 - 1927: Eris in Pisces
1927 - 2048: Eris in Aries
2048 - 2147: Eris in Taurus

Again please note these dates are not precise but they do give you
a good idea of when these shifts occur. Regarding her previous
movements, it has been noted by many astrologers that the 80-100
years of Eris in Taurus has a pattern involving the collapse or
destruction of long established civilisations — first with the ending of
ancient Egyptian culture under Cleopatra with the arrival of the
Romans (the decades prior to and surrounding the switch from BC to
10E), then with the fall of Western Rome itself (late 5th century
through to early 6th), then with the final collapse of the Maya and the
beginning of the decline of the Byzantine Empire (late 10th century),
followed by the annihilation of the Aztec and other aboriginal
cultures and the Fall of Constantinople in the 1500s. Given this
pattern and the problems our civilisation faces in the 22nd century, the

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signs from Eris are that it will at least go into decline and that we
must all prepare ourselves and our children for exceptionally difficult
times. These times, while carrying notes of great strife, discord and
an intercession of the scheduled programme, all serve a purpose, as
the history of the pattern shows.

Makemake: This dwarf planet was discovered just after Easter

2005, and later given the name of the creator god of the Rapanui
people of Easter island. One of the largest known dwarf planets,
Makemake takes about 310 years to go around the Sun and orbits
from 38 to 53 times as far away from the Sun as Earth. At the time of
discovery Makemake was approaching its furthest distance, which it
reaches in 2033.
Given that the Rapanui are almost gone and their culture ravaged
we know very little of the mythology of Makemake. This itself may
be a telling expression of what Makemake signifies. What survives
in the present day is primarily in the form of a ritual challenge
undertaken by young men to retrieve the first egg from a distant
offshore island. The race of the 'Birdman cult' as it is called was
dangerous (many drowned or were killed by sharks) and competitors
were not volunteers but were instead revealed in visionary dreams
and these people then selected a champion to represent them. Upon
their return the champion presented the egg to the victor who won
the right to have his clan retrieve fledglings and eggs for that season
and then went into a 5 month retreat to confer with Makemake. Thus,
the significance of the sacred egg is connected with this world, as
well as our use of precious resources. It also speaks to us of
champions and heroics and sacrifices which are done for the good of
the tribe, of society.
At the time of discovery, Makemake was located in front of the
stars of Coma Berenices, the Woman's Hair or Crown. These stars
carry a quality of sacrifice, often a willing one which is made from
love (such as being eaten by sharks while trying to retrieve a magical
egg for your people). The story of these stars is of a lovelorn woman
who offers her hair to Aphrodite to ask for the safe return of her
husband from war. They are symbolic of a woman's power and
strength to give of her own body and light to bring life and love,
similar to the meaning of Haumea. In ancient times the hair of a
woman who loved you was regarded as one of the most powerful
talismans and was left in Egyptian tombs to guard the passage of the
soul to Osiris. Many legends show that hair is a source of strength,
often a feminine strength, and also a symbol of fertility, like the egg.

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 The re-emergence and rebirth of this empowered feminine is part
of the reason for Makemake's appearance, astrologically speaking,
but there is a ritual challenge to pass through before the sacred egg
can be claimed and brought back, and the challenge has teeth.
Intertwined with this message is one of environmental collapse
through short sighted actions and the squandering, conflict or abuse
of resources.
On a personal and magical level, Makemake can also teach you
about the empowerment and use of sacred objects such as talismans
and amulets, and he also has an affinity with all creatures who fly
and the wind.
Here is the rough transition of Makemake through the zodiac
signs:
1777 - 1810: Makemake in Sagittarius
1810 - 1835: Makemake in Capricorn
1835 - 1855: Makemake in Aquarius
1855 - 1872: Makemake in Pisces
1872 - 1889: Makemake in Aries
1889 - 1908: Makemake in Taurus
1908 -1931: Makemake in Gemini
1931 - 1957: Makemake in Cancer
1957 - 1984: Makemake in Leo
1984 - 2013: Makemake in Virgo
2013 - 2044: Makemake in Libra
2044 - 2079: Makemake in Scorpio

Before concluding these notes on additional keys I wish to make a

few final points about the overall practice of doing so.
Firstly, there are ephemerides online which you can use to
pinpoint the precise location of asteroids, centaurs and the mythic
worlds in your chart by zodiacal degrees. Simply enter your birth
data, making sure you select options for geocentric tropical zodiac
positions, and then proceed to build its key with the activators in the
usual way. A recommended link is given in the sources section at the
back of this book.
Before you create keys for the centaurs and mythic worlds,
however, I recommend you check the tables below as if you have
these objects near or at these positions you will find that your
connection to that objects influence is stronger, more dense and rich.
This will help you to identify where some of your natural
connections with these new objects lie.
There are four tables, each with 2 stages, making 4 entries for each
centaur or mythic world. These relate to four different stages or
turning points in the objects orbital pathway — its quadrapolar

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magnet, through which it gathers, communicates and distributes its
meaning and significance to the Earth. In each list I have given both
the tropical zodiac positions where these occur, as well as a time in
our past or near future when this happens. The zodiac positions given
vary as decades and centuries pass but are practical for the 200 year
period between 1900 and 2100.
The first two tables (below) are the nodal axis of the object (see
Dragon's Head and Tail for an explanation of the Moon's nodes).
Each of these far flung objects moves between the southern and
northern hemisphere of the sky, crossing the plane of the ecliptic
when it does so. When the object moves from north to south it is
called its south node or sometimes its descending node, and when it
moves from south to north, it is at its north node or ascending node.
Basically, the planet is in a rising/setting position with regard to the
horizon of the solar system, moving between an astral realm where
its significance builds (southern hemisphere) and a mental realm
where its meaning clarifies and is enacted (northern hemisphere). Its
meaning and significance emerge as it touches the disc of the solar
system and thus can be accessed more completely by the Earth and
her people. At these times the objects qualities becomes more
available for conduction and people born during these periods have a
stronger connection to it throughout their lives. Such people will
often have an understanding of that worlds role in relation to life on
Earth, often through the events they have to live through or are born
into. People born in these times will bring much more of that worlds
knowledge to us.
During the time when the object is at its south node i.e. moving
from the northern skies to the southern, the influence is tending more
towards the essence of the meaning and the mental nature of the
world, and of groups who come to gradually journey with that
meaning and explore its personal significance within us i.e. to
navigate its inner significance through an innate awareness of its
meaning.
The north node on the other hand embodies a time when the
significance of that world in Earthly terms is emerging as a search
for greater meaning. These times explore and champion the objects
meaning as an outer reality as it matters around us in situations and
environments, doing so from a basis of personalised significance i.e.
the people born have some kind of astral, personalised connection to
that world which they are externalising by harmonising the
significance of that connection to the universal meaning the world
embodies.

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 Nodes of the Centaurs
Centaur North Occurrences South Occurrences
Chiron 28°-',- 00°111., 1946, 2098 28°T - 00° ti 1976, 2027
Chariklo 29°IeS - 01°^A' 1958, 2021, 29°F8 - 01°( 1933, 1996,
2083 2058
Asbolus 05° - 07°T 1929, 2005, 05° - 07°(-u 1918, 1994,
2082 2071
Nessus 29°T - 02° b 1939, 2061 29°-= - 02°1% 1992
Pholus 28°E9 - 00°S) 1901, 1992, 28°11 - 000= 1950, 2041
2083
Hylonome 26° - 29°f! 1994 26° - 29°)E 1929, 2054
Amycus 14° - 17°tz 1904, 2029 14° - 17°Q 1993

Nodes of the Mythic Worlds

Mythic World North Occurrence South Occurrence

Quaoar 07° - 10°-11 1951 07° - 10°T 2091
Eris 04° - 07° b 2075 04° - 07°114 1715
Sedna 22° - 25°,11 2150 22° - 25°P"-• 1460s
Makemake 18° - 20° II 1921 18° - 20° yo 2103
Haumea 00° - 03°,11 1928 00° - 03°z' 2100
Ixion 09° - 12° II 1849, 2096 09° - 12°,2' 1758, 2006
Orcus 27°,2' - own , 1862, 2112 27° II- 00°8O 1952
Varuna 05° - 08°S 1998 05° - 08°n 1867

Remember that the zodiac positions given are for the period 1900-
2100 as these positions drift slowly over decades. For the technically
curious, these are the heliocentric nodes in tropical zodiac co-
ordinates. The dates I have given for the occurrence of these events
are not tight, the influence spreads itself out over several years as the
object makes its transition, so the 3-5 years surrounding them either
side are also saturated with the objects qualities, and they are
increasingly active about a decade either side as well.
From this it can be seen that these worlds will take some time to
fay emerge their significance and meaning for and in us, but that
some have already begun to do so. It can be seen for example that the
children born in the first decade of the 21" century are carrying
within them a mental awareness of the meaning of Ixion, and that

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they will begin a probing of its significance within us. Likewise,
children born between and around 1993-2003 are going to
experience some kind of personalised connection to the significance
of Varuna and this feeling will be applied to world events in search
of its meaning. However, we must wait over 100 years before the
qualities of Orcus are clarified through its nodal axis. This is because
Orcus is currently voyaging out there to gather something that it will
bring back as a path for us to walk (as explained in the table below).
However, if you belong to a generation which connects with one
of these times in the past before the physical discovery of the world
in question, then your connection is to some degree of a
subconscious or unconscious nature and your task in life is to bring it
to conscious awareness in some form, especially now that these
worlds are revealing themselves. So people born in or near 1952 will
have an unconscious connection to Orcus (as well as with Quaoar)
which will lay a foundation for later clarity to emerge in our society.
Thus, children born between 1997 and December 2000 have some
work to do in becoming consciously aware of their connection to the
significance of Varuna, but those born after December 2000 will help
them because they will have a more conscious connection to it,
Varuna being consciously identified by the collective on November
28th 2000, just as it was crossing its north node. Varuna is in flower
among us and those who came later will help to open those who
came first.
A great deal can be learned about these objects simply by
meditating on their orbital path and its four stations (the other two
parts of which are in the following tables), paying attention to the
degrees of the zodiac where they presently occur, and by reflecting
on their movements throughout history and their expression in world
events. It is interesting in this respect to look at the nodal axis of
Pluto as a case study, which we first classified as a planet and then
later re-classified to belong to the family of the group of objects we
are now discovering.

Pluto: north node: for the period 1900-2100, this is between

Cancer 18 - 21° (last occurrences: 1930, 1682)
Pluto south node: for the period 1900-2100, this is between
Capricorn 18 - 21° (last occurrence: 1770. Next occurrence: 2018)

This shows not only that the influence of Pluto was felt most
keenly in the life experience of the children born during the
Depression (the same children who grew up to witness the Atom
Bomb detonations over Japan as they turned of age) and that these

462
 children have been searching for its meaning from the impact of its
personal significance (Pluto north node) throughout all their lives,
but also that the meaning of Pluto in worldly terms is about to clarify
in some form in the next decade and that its significance will then be
explored more deeply and completely (2018 south node). Pluto
reaching its south node signifies something old and meaningful in
Pluto being given a new significance. This process is already
underway.
If you then wish to take this meditation on these orbital paths
further, you should consider the stars which are in the background of
these tropical zodiac positions, perhaps converting the above tropical
zodiac positions into sidereal ones, which will reveal more of their
essential meaning. Many volumes could be written about these
subjects, and in the old world of astrology this study of nodal
positions would be one way the influence of these new bodies would
slowly emerge, but our situation today is different as we can now
share information more quickly than we could through printed
publishing. Now we are challenged to grasp the numerous threads
that have started to unravel from the skies before our eyes and begin
to stitch them together through hands on experience, learning as we
go, for this journey will bring us closer together, but only if it is
predicated on experiential understanding and not on purely
intellectual conjecture. There simply isn't time for us to do it that
way, and we would not arrive at where we need to be as both
astrologers and people.
The next two tables, given below, are the times when the object
reaches aphelion or perihelion. Aphelion is when the object is
furthest from the Sun, perihelion when it is closest. These are the
other two stations in these object's quadrapolar magnet or 'cross of
manifestation', and their nature is essentially related to the Fluids. At
aphelion the object is Magnetically charged, it is gathering force into
itself and shaping it into form, which it will journey back inwards to
the Sun with. At perihelion, the object is Electrically charged and
transmits the influence it has gathered at its aphelion. Thus these are
times which are sensitive not to the essence of meaning and
significance, but to the objects agenda in the current era of history.
These times and their individuals will often have an insight into the
past, present and future functioning of that world.
At aphelion, individuals are born who know what needs to be
brought to consciousness by that object and who tend to have a
futurist view of its potential. They understand where it leads. At
perihelion we find that more pragmatic activists are born who are

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conscious of an agenda related to that world, an agenda that has been
brought forward and rolled out from the time of the last aphelion.
They know where it's coming from.
However, these conditions are more abstracted than the nodal
junctures which express the meaning and significance as given above
— they do not relate as much to the expression of the worlds influence
on the Earth, but more to its essential qualities abstracted somewhat
from experience. In other words, even though these two poles relate
to an agenda, it is not entirely an Earthly one, but one which involves
the evolutionary emergence of the objects principle. These points on
the orbital path can also take place outside of the belt of stars that
make up the zodiac, and often do, unlike the nodal crossing points.
For both of these reasons they do not add as much to the work of
conduction, but they are still important occasions in the unfurling of
the objects agenda.
The centaurs need some additional explanation, since they have
the function of bridging the mediating worlds of the natural order
(Jupiter and Saturn) with the outer worlds of the collective levels of
awareness (Uranus and Neptune), and with bridging both of these to
the worlds of the One Self, the mythic worlds (Pluto, Varuna, Orcus,
etc.), depending on the individual centaurs orbit. The times when a
centaur accelerates or slows through zodiac signs (given in each
centaurs description) are the times when it is taking the tightly
curved end of its elliptical orbit, which means it is nearing or at a
point either farthest away or nearest to the Sun, while other signs are
visited as it is travelling toward either aphelion or perihelion. The
table below shows when each centaur reaches these furthest and
nearest points.
As a centaur voyages 'out there' towards its aphelion it is exploring
and gathering from the fringes of our awareness (i.e. from the outer
and mythic worlds), and when it is approaching or closest to our Sun
it is teaching and bringing those notions into conscious awareness
through the mediation of Saturn or Jupiter, thus, via individuals as
individuation, through the connecting of people through both shared
hardship and shared empathy, or sometimes through Uranus or
Neptune i.e. through collective innovations and events expressed
through individuals, or through more subtle impulses which create
vogues and memes — Hylonome is an example of this latter kind of
centaur. She bridges the outer and mythic worlds and does not
involve herself with the mediators.

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 Aphelion and Perihelion of the Centaurs (1900-2100)
Centaur Aphelion Occurrences Perihelion Occurrences
Chiron 06 -10°T 1920, 1970, 06 -10°'. 1945, 1996,
2021, 2071 2046, 2097
Chariklo 28°)E - 02°1' 1910, 1972, 28°ITP - 02°- 1941, 2003,
2035, 2097 2066
Asbolus 24° - 28°8; 1964, 2040 24° - 28°1/ 1925, 2002,
2078
Nessus 20° - 23°T 1931, 2052 20° - 23°-- 1992
Pholus 23 - 26°1/ 1946, 2037 23 - 26° S 1901, 1991,
2083
Hylonome 02° - 05°T 1932, 2057 02° - 05°-= 1995
Amycus 12° - 15°T 1940, 2065 12° - 15°- ,- 2003

Aphelion and Perihelion of the Mythic Worlds

Mythic World Aphelion Occurrence Perihelion Occurrence
Quaoar 10° - 24°V * 1932 10° - 24°)E * 2075
Eris 12° - 15°T 1977 12° - 15°- 1699
Sedna Unknown ** circa 3-4000 04° - 08° ?..8 2076
BC*
Makemake 16° - 20°-Lt 2033 16° - 20°T 1880
Haumea 25°11? - 01°-tu 1992 25°)E- 01°T 1850
Ixion 10° - 15°(-- 1946 10° - 15°T 2070
Orcus 08° - 12°(17 2019 08° - 12°)E 1896
Varuna 27°11-17-13° * 2073 27°X- 13°T * 1932
Pluto 12° - 17° t3 1866 12° - 17°111, 1989

* Quaoar and Varuna have an exceptionally broad range for their aphelion
and perihelion positions.

** Ephemerides for Sedna at aphelion are still being clarified as there is little
data on her orbital path. As it becomes clearer, the orbital period of Sedna
may be revised. We do know that she will reach perihelion very soon,
relatively speaking, and that if current estimates are accurate that she was at
aphelion about 5-6000 years ago. But the point in the zodiac at which
Sedna reaches aphelion drifts over the centuries and so when it last
occurred it was not in Capricorn (opposite the upcoming perihelion sign of
Cancer), but a sign or more before it. Essentially, she is bringing something
back from prehistory which will emerge in the mid 2070s.
Again, the zodiac positions above are good for the period 1900-
2100 but become increasingly inaccurate outside of these years.

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 Given this information you should be able to identify the centaurs
and mythic worlds which you have a connection to, and you should
focus on the keys for these objects when adding additional keys. This
helps you to cut down on the potential for an 'infoglut', which aside
from complete denial is one of the problems facing us with the
arrival of the new solar system. It must be remembered that all the
mythic worlds represent aspects of the Divine, the infinite faces of
the One Self, and that they all lead to the same realisations by
different routes, and the centaurs act in the same way but with regard
to the collective and universal awareness of self, so ultimately it does
not particularly matter which one we choose for interacting with
these levels of being.
Aside from this, you could think about conducting a turn of their
keys when they are at any of their 4 orbital stations, as in this way a
collective communion with that object can be more quickly raised. A
widespread focus on the Orcus key in 2019, for example, could
reveal much about his nature, simply because at this time this nature
will be more expressive and Magnetic. Additionally, people with
other keys situated at the relevant degree of Virgo could turn them in
2019, considering Orcus as the activating planet, but this leads us to
a new subject.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVATORS

One of the first things you can do here is add the Dragon as an
activator. The Head and Tail of the Dragon take about 18 years to
cycle through all 12 signs, and so they make fairly frequent visits to
each of the keys. As a general rule these activations have windows of
opportunity which last longer than Jupiter, but less than Saturn, and
have an effect on our realisation of karmic consequences as they
translate the old into the new and back again. The Dragon is also
useful as an activator because it has an ElectroMagnetic nature
informed by the path of the Lights. Any of the qualities discussed in
the Dragon keys can play a role in the activations by the Dragon, so
simply apply the essential meaning described there to the essential
meaning of the key being activated.
All the asteroids, centaurs and mythic worlds can also be added to
the activators used with the keys. This is really just a simple question
of looking up their movements in an ephemeris and checking them
against your master key, remembering to add any additional keys you
are using to the master key (such as the Chariklo key) before you do
so.

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 These activators will have an influence on the keys much like the
other activators I have described, they simply bring to bear their
qualities over the qualities of the key at the time of the activation.
This can help us to collectively decipher their meaning and
significance more quickly and at a far more personal level than the
turning of their keys allows. However, we must be very patient with
most of them as they will not move very fast. Sedna, for example, is
currently moving at about 35' of Taurus per year — just over half a
degree. She is picking up speed, but given that she does not leave
Taurus until 2024, her use as a synthetic activator of keys is
somewhat limited to people with an emphasis on Taurus, until she
passes into Gemini. This still allows her to make an activation of at
least 1 temple key in that time in many peoples charts. After 2024, it
will be the turn of all our Gemini keys to be 'Sednafied', whatever
that means. So if we just pay attention to what our Taurus and
Gemini friends and the keys we have in those signs have to say about
life in the next decades, we may just be able to learn what these
activations mean, especially if we pay attention to what is
experienced when Sedna passes over the Sun or Moon key or
activates a temple of power. Basically, if we have a 1st temple, a
Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter or even a Saturn in Taurus, or
one of the other 3 temples of power (4th, 7th and 10th) in Taurus or
Gemini, then a time is approaching or has already passed in which
Sedna activated that key and made or will make it personally charged
with her qualities. We need to open our minds to the patterns each of
these new worlds is beginning to consciously weave through us and
get on their trail. The clues are everywhere and the game is afoot! It
is a truly momentous and unique time in history to be interested in
astrology.
We can learn about these new objects more quickly by using them
as activators for other keys than we can by turning their keys. The
reason for this is that for many people these very slow moving
objects will be in the same zodiac degree and therefore all those keys
will trigger around the same time, which means that the keys are
generational and collective. However, as an activator the object can
encounter the more personal chart factors such as our Moon if that
Moon happens to be placed near it and after it in the zodiac at the
time of our birth. For example, if you are born with Sedna at Taurus
10, and your Moon happens to be at Taurus 19, Sedna will eventually
activate your Moon key, producing a very personal level of
interaction with you. Conversely, your Sedna key at Taurus 10 will
only be activated when Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune or

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Pluto come to Taurus 10, and then it will be an activation involving
everyone with Sedna at Taurus 10 — vast numbers. Additionally, this
will happen relatively infrequently, given that the fastest of the
activators is Jupiter at 12 years.
So exploration of generational effects (exploring the mythic
worlds by turning their keys during activation) is somewhat slower
than a more personal development of the connection we can nurture
with them (exploring the mythic worlds by using them as activators),
which means exploring the wider implications of the mythic worlds
— what they mean for all of us - is at a slower pace than the
exploration of their personal implications. On the other hand, the
exploration of their meaning and significance on the personal level is
limited to individuals who have chart factors placed after them in the
order of the zodiac signs and relatively close by, in the same sign or a
sign or two away, and is more dependent on enough time passing.
Nobody else will generally live long enough to see them activate
anything of great importance.
This means we have specialists in the exploration of the personal
activations made by the mythic worlds. The information which I
have given showing the zodiac sign movements of these objects
reveal who these specialists are. For example, with Sedna, since she
only moves through Taurus and Gemini in the decades ahead, people
with Taurus and Gemini emphasised in their charts and with those
keys placed after wherever Sedna is are our specialists on learning
what the activations of Sedna mean at a personal level. Interestingly,
Eris has been in Aries since 1927 and does not leave it until 2048, at
the time of writing (2011) moving through 21° Aries, making
everyone with a Light, inner world or mediator in the last 10 degrees
of Aries some kind of personal specialist in her activations during
some period of time until 2048, a group which includes all Aries
people born after April 11 th (because their Sun key will then be in the
last part of Aries) as well as anyone else with a key at Aries 21° or
higher.
There is a way to explore the generational effects of the mythic
worlds more quickly however, and this is by using the asteroids as
activators for the mythic world keys. Asteroids move more quickly
around the chart than centaurs, and centaurs more quickly than
mythic worlds. Asteroids, centaurs and mythic worlds can therefore
be regarded as 3 categories of activators, each with a different range
of time which arises from their orbital period around the Sun. The
table below summarises the orbital period of the asteroids, centaurs
and mythic worlds discussed in this book.

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 ASTEROIDS ORBIT QUALITIES
(years)
Ceres 4.6 Not an asteroid but a dwarf planet. Goddess of
grain (fruition).
Pallas Athena 4.62 Goddess of wisdom acquired through effort.
Juno 4.37 Goddess of emotional commitment (marriage).
Vesta 3.63 Goddess of hearth and home.

CENTAURS ORBIT QUALITIES

(years)
Chiron 50.76 Lead centaur (holistic integration; human
collective).
Chariklo 63.17 Nature spirit (collective of the natural world).
Asbolus 76.88 Sage (teacher of natural law and its magic).
Pholus 91.85 Philosopher (revealer of hidden wisdom).
Nessus 122.42 Ferryman (escort between realities, especially
through darkness).
Amycus 126.12 Warrior (mastery of violent or destructive urges,
self preservation).
Hylonome 126 Romantic warrior (instructor in the martial art of
love).

MYTHIC ORBIT QUALITIES

WORLDS (years)
Orcus 245.18 Plutino, dwarf planet candidate. Animal and Plant
astral underworld.
Pluto 248.09 2nd largest dwarf planet. Human astral
underworld.
Ixion 249.95 Plutino, dwarf planet candidate. Sacred
masculine and power of Dominion.
Varuna 281.03 Dwarf planet candidate. Laws of Creation.
Haumea 283.28 4"' largest dwarf planet. Fertlity of Creation.
Quaoar 285.97 Potential dwarf planet. Song of Creation.
Makemake 309.88 3rd largest known dwarf planet. Sacred objects.
Eris 557 Largest dwarf planet. Emancipation through strife.
Sedna ca. Potential dwarf planet. Ocean of Life. Primordial
11,400 awareness.

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 So, if you we were to use the asteroids as activators for the mythic
world keys you could explore their effects on a 4-5 year cycle. The
Sedna key at Taurus 10, for example, will be activated every 4-5
years by Ceres, allowing everyone in that group to become familiar
with their shared Sedna key. This is where the asteroids really shine
as activators, especially those which have been named after deities,
because they are able to rapidly process the generational impact of
these mythic worlds throughout the collective of individuals.
However, they need the empowerment provided by the techniques in
this book to become significant enough to work with experientially.
Conduction really brings the asteroid goddesses to life.
As an activator, the asteroids bring about an emergence of the key
through the qualities of the goddess, god or conceptual entity they
are named after, which in the case of the four main goddesses of the
asteroid field are those of the feminine expressions of the Elements.
Our culture has emphasised the masculine qualities of the Elements
at the expense of the feminine ones, and the four goddesses in the
asteroid belt are the emissaries of these feminine qualities. Ceres as
Earthy provider often supplies something nourishing and teaches
about natural processes, while Juno is the Water goddess, Pallas the
Air goddess and Vesta is the Fire goddess because her presence is in
the sacred flame at the heart of the home. These goddesses are
therefore of general use in exploring the 4 Elements and their
activation of all of the keys over 4-5 year periods offers many
opportunities. Consider, for example, exploring the Elemental laws
of creation through the Varuna key or the development of greater
energy in your work as a singer during Vesta activation of the Quaoar
or Venus key.
Other asteroids such as those of names for people or places lead us
to explore the facets of those concepts when used as activators. For
example, if I elect to study an activation of my Sun key by the
asteroid 'Records', I will be exploring my conscious awareness of
records of all kinds. If, however, Records is activating my Venus key,
my feelings about records (keeping them, making them, listening to
them, etc.) will be a focus of the activation.
The activations by asteroidal bodies to the keys have short
durations. When they are moving fast, it takes one of the goddesses
about a month to move about 10 degrees of the zodiac. This slows
down to only 1 or 2 degrees when they are retrograding. This means
that under normal circumstances, when they are not retrograding or
approaching or leaving that point, their activations can last just a
week or two, building up, playing out and dissolving in about a

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 month tops. Therefore they are very transient sometimes and at these
times you can only catch them with Magnetic conduction through the
Moon. Under extended activations caused by retrograde movements,
it becomes more likely that you will be able to catch them with
Electric conduction employing the Sun.
The centaurs can also be used as activators, but none are faster
than Chiron (another reason why Chiron is included as one of the 26
keys and as an activator), and so the cycles of their activations are
slow to develop like those of the mythic worlds. Their use as
activators follows the same guidelines as that given for mythic
worlds and Chiron, but there are no specialists in their activations
other than those people who are born at their perihelion, aphelion, or
nodes as already described, because centaurs pass through many
signs in one human lifetime. The asteroids can also be used as
activators for the centaur keys, which allows for swifter synthesising
of the centaur keys generational and individual influences.
Activations by centaurs have a window of opportunity similar to that
of Chiron, i.e. 4-6 months either side, and frequently an acute
encounter close to the activation. The longer a centaur's orbit, the
wider its window of opportunity during activation becomes, so
Hylonome creates activations which last about twice as long as
Chiron's, but the effects will still be greatly concentrated in the 4-6
month period either side of the activation itself.
Aside from the asteroids, centaurs and mythic worlds, you can
also use the inner worlds as activators. Mercury, Venus, and Mars
will activate the keys in a way which resonates with their essential
meaning, stimulating the qualities of the key through it. Mercury is
the activator to use in developing the personal mental body and its
awareness (mastery of astral form), Venus the activator to use in
developing the personal emotional body and its awareness (mastery
of astral force) and Mars is the activator to use in both developing
the magical will and the individual expression of the chart (mastery
of the individual spirit and desire). Each of these worlds moves
through all the keys at a different rate, allowing for faster mental
body development and slower development of the awareness of the
individual spirit, with emotional development in between:

• Mercury: About 11-13 months to activate all the keys.

• Venus: About 9-14 months to activate all the keys.
• Mars: About 23 months to activate all the keys, but sometimes as
swiftly as 16 months.

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 The rough guide to the window of opportunity for the activations
made by the inner worlds is as follows:

• Mercury: a few days either side of exact activation to the key

• Venus: a week to a fortnight either side
• Mars: a fortnight to a month either side

Given this it is better to synthesise individual activations by

Mercury and Venus through Magnetic conduction, and if possible
activations by Mars should be synthesised using both Sun and Moon
in ElectroMagnetic conduction as this provides the best result. You
can often easily catch the activations by the inner worlds using the
Magnetic method of synthesis, but not so using the Electric method
because the Sun moves slowly. You will often be able to use Electric
conduction with Mars, but rarely with Mercury or Venus, without
making an extra effort to connect with the window of opportunity
they open over the keys.
Often, these activators will enter periods of retrograde movement,
meaning that they will frequently bring about extended activations.
These activations should be turned using one of the conductors in the
usual manner. However, a better way to build up your connection to
the inner worlds through their activations is to set out on a complete
exploration of the chart with them, beginning from the 1St temple, the
Sun or the Moon, their own key or that of the ruler of the chart.
Beginning with their activation of that key, you would then follow
them for 11-13, 9-14 or 23 months, as appropriate, and if you want to
add energy to this process you follow the Sun and or the Moon
throughout this entire period as well i.e. you conduct all the
activations in this period involving them in what you are doing as
they occur. This can be powerfully transformative and quickly
expand your awareness of these inner worlds.
The inner worlds, however, have another use which serves them
slightly better, which leads into another category of expansion for the
26 keys, additional conductors.

ADDITIONAL CONDUCTORS

In the 26 keys, the Sun and Moon are used as the conductors of the
activations to the keys. The activation itself opens a window of
opportunity to explore a specific astrological influence, but the
conduction allows you to engage that influence creatively and give it
a shape and purpose. Sometimes the conduction will begin outside of
this window of opportunity, presenting you with a warm up before
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 the main action, while at others you may be starting in the midst of
this window and riding it out like a wave. I have described 3 types of
conduction, the Electric, Magnetic and ElectroMagnetic, employing
one or both of the Lights.
These three types of conduction, each of which may begin from a
different place and thus lead to a different cycle for the synthesis of
the activation, are able to capture any kind of astrological influence
because the Lights are so fundamental to our astrology. This means
they can also be used to explore the influence not just of
conjunctions to the keys, but also other aspects that the activators
make to them, such as squares (90°), oppositions (180°), sextiles
(60°) or trines (120°). However, the Lights are far more effective at
capturing and conducting the influence of conjunctions, the 0°
activations used in the 26 keys, because the Lights express the
essence of the conjunction aspect themselves, giving us signs of pure
Magnetic and Electric Fluid nature in Cancer and Leo. Essentially,
Sun and Moon resonate with the conjunction aspect and thus are able
to best capture all of the activations we have used in the keys so far,
which are conjunctions.
As you may recall from earlier, the other aspects also resonate
with the natures of the visible objects in the solar system:

Sign Sign Ruling Planet Aspect Nature

Cancer Leo The Lights Conjunction (0) Fusion, synthesis,
unity.
Gemini Virgo Mercury Semisextile (30) Inquiry,
discernment.
Taurus Libra Venus Sextile (60) Invigoration,
excitation.
Aries Scorpio Mars Square (90) Friction, dynamism,
catalysis.
Pisces Sagittarius Jupiter Trine (120) Harmony,
commonality.
Aquarius Capricorn Saturn Opposition (180) Crystallisation,
tension, polarity.

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 Therefore, if we wish to explore the influence of a square
activation of a key we will do better if we select Mars as a conductor.
Similarly, if we wish to explore the influence of a sextile activation,
Venus is the best conductor to use. This applies regardless of the
activator involved and not only to the many aspects which the
activators make to the keys, but also to any such aspects in our birth
chart. Starting points for such conductions begin in the usual places
or at either end of the aspect.
For example, in Paramahansa Yoganandas chart Mars is sextile to
both Neptune and Pluto, which are conjunct. The best way for him to
explore and play with this sextile aspect is by using Venus as the
conductor, beginning from the l' temple, Sun, Moon or from either
of the two ends of the sextile, Mars and Neptune/Pluto. He will then
follow Venus around the chart for 9-14 months or so, closing the
cycle where he began. It would be best of all if he was also involved
in a continual conduction using both Lights, but this should only be
attempted when this practice is very familiar. If you can get to the
point where you are familiar with ElectroMagnetic conduction you
should keep it going as much as you can throughout your life
because it has many benefits without taking up too much effort, and
can eventually be handled without much attention i.e. it is very easy
to become accustomed to where the Sun and Moon are at any given
time and to harmonise your life with them with enough practice.
The trine and opposition aspects require a longer period of time to
explore through their appropriate conductors, at 12 years for a trine
through Jupiter and 28 years for an opposition through Saturn, but
this will lead to results and potential rewards which are greater
because of the effort and time involved. Conduction through Jupiter
or Saturn will end up affecting not just you but everyone and
everything around you. While some familiar with astrology may feel
12 years is excessive time and effort to work on a trine, which is
regarded as an 'easy' or 'soft' aspect, this is not the case. The trine
must be worked gradually and deeply. The trine is a cornucopia of
providence in potential and the more we work on it the more
abundant it becomes. The tendency of the trine is to let it flow
without effort, but the true appreciator of this blessing is always
doing something with it, always following the opportunities for
growth it brings, always increasing it by sharing it.
In these cases, you will be interacting with all such aspects that
you have in your chart, not just the one you pick to work with. So if
you employ Mars as the conductor for a square in your chart, and
you have a grand square (a pattern made of 4 objects each at 90° to

474
 two of the others), then you will be working with all squares
together, but your intention can focus activity into a part or parts of
it. Intention is always effective at some level and with practice can
be trained to handle different conductors. A core part of the
curriculum you will encounter by advancing to use Mars as a
conductor is the ability to focus your activities on expressing specific
aspects of your being and to move in and out of them at will, for
example. Each of the conductors trains you to focus and wield a
different aspect of your being in the process of transformation. The
conduction by Lights helps to integrate all of this, if necessary.
In practice all this means that if you have a single trine or a single
opposition in your chart, unless you want to explore it very deeply it
is probably better to stick to exploring it through the Lights, as you
will make swifter progress and you probably do not need to work
much at that level, but if you have 2, 3 or more such aspects, the
better choice is the longer path with Jupiter or Saturn as the
conductor, bringing both Lights along as well for a 12 or 30 year
journey.
In practice it also means that people with many conjunctions in
their chart at birth will experience a more powerful effect than others
when turning the 26 keys with the Lights, and that they can learn
more quickly from the process, but this advantage is often
concentrated into a specific area of both time and life, with quiet
periods between intense activity. My own chart carries such a
signature with Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Neptune
clustered around the midheaven, a pattern which has helped me
develop the ideas in this book quickly and intensively, but with gaps
where no inspiration flowed. However even without conjunctions in
your chart the magic of the Lights is more than enough on its own to
be effective. The benefit gained by people with many conjunctions is
considerable but this is not an obstacle to a chart with no
conjunctions and is offset by extended quieter periods in their keys.
As I said above, these conductors can not only be used to explore
aspects in our birth chart, they can also be employed to conduct the
influence of an activator over a key when that activator makes the
appropriate aspect. For example, if you have the Sun key at Aquarius
15, then the following is the case:

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Aspect Angle Happens when activator Use
is at

Conjunction 0° (same sign) Aquarius 15° Lights as

conductors
(universal
conductors).

Semisextile 30° (1 sign) Capricorn or Pisces 15° Mercury as

conductor.

Sextile 60° (2 signs) Sagittarius or Aries 15° Venus as

conductor.
Square 90° (3 signs) Scorpio or Taurus 15° Mars as
conductor.

Trine 120° (4 signs) Libra or Gemini 15° Jupiter as

conductor.

Opposition 180° (6 signs) Leo 15° Saturn as

conductor.

So, for example, if in the ephemeris Pluto is at Aries 15°, it will be

making a sextile aspect to the Sun key at Aquarius 15°, and this
activation can be conducted through Venus on a 9-14 month cycle,
starting from her activation of 15t temple, Pluto, Sun or Moon, or
another world key. This example is a good one because Pluto moves
very slowly and therefore the window of opportunity (at least a year
either side of exact square, so two years) is bigger than the cycle of
Venus at 9-14 months. Some activations are simply not suitable to
being conducted in this way, because the slower conductor cannot
catch the small window of opportunity, or because conductor and
activator are one and the same. For example, if Jupiter in the
ephemeris is in square to your Sun key, then if you use Mars as the
conductor you may not be able to catch the window of opportunity
lasting a few months around the time of the trine, because you must
start from a legitimate starting point in the chart, which is essentially
any planet, or the 1" temple cusp. By the time Mars reaches one of
these points allowing you to begin, the window may close. Or, if
Jupiter is activating your Moon key by trine, using Jupiter as the
conductor as well will not work unless he is also making a
conjunction to a point in the chart (i.e. activating one of the 26 keys
in the way described in detail in this book), and you are prepared to
gradually work on developing the initial influence of the trine long
after it disappears, for about 12 years. In this period, you will
ultimately encounter all trines Jupiter makes to your keys.
These issues become impossible to overcome in certain situations

476
 when you are using Mercury or Venus as additional activators. If
Mercury is in trine activation to your Mercury key, its window of
opportunity will only be about a week or two long, and Jupiter as
conductor will only move a few degrees in that period. In practice
this means that when using a fast conductor (Mercury, Venus) you
are better off looking for a slow activator (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto or
one of the centaurs or mythic worlds). In any impractical case,
simply defer to the use of the Lights to capture, focus and conduct
the influences. They are universal conductors who can capture any
kind of astrological aspect and synthesise its meaning and
significance.
Each of the inner worlds also have their own sympathies, similar
to those described for the main conductors and activators:

World Sympathetic places Unsympathetic places

Mercury Gemini, Virgo, 1St temple (joy) Sagittarius, Pisces
Venus Taurus, Libra, Pisces, 5th temple (joy) Aries, Virgo, Scorpio
Mars Aries, Scorpio, Capricorn, 6th temple (joy) Taurus, Cancer, Libra

Given this information it is now possible for you to work with any
kind of astrological influence, not just conjunctions. Conjunctions
have been chosen to introduce you to astrology because they are the
primary aspect, just as the number 1 is the primary number, and
therefore they teach you about every aspect of your astrology as a
whole, giving you a broad education in what is going on. The wider
exploration of astrological effects takes you into more specific
territory which is so vast that it cannot be considered in detail here,
but by this time astrology itself will be teaching you how to navigate
it.
EXPANDED SOLAR MAP

The Solar map, the Electric conductor, can also be expanded upon
quite easily. The way to do this is to find all the dates when the Sun
will be in any kind of aspect to one of your Light or world keys
(ignore the temples except for the 1" and 10th temples here). For
example, Babaji has his Sun key at Capricorn 15°. Sextile to this
degree are two other degrees, Scorpio and Pisces 15°. He then needs
to look in his ephemeris for the dates in the calendar year when the
Sun is placed at these degrees. On these days he will have a
stimulation of his Sun which has the qualities of a sextile
(invigoration). This can be included in any conduction he does.

477
 To begin with, look for all the sextiles, trines, squares and
oppositions the Sun makes to your Sun and Moon, because these will
often have the most striking character. Gradually add the remaining
worlds and the 1st and 10th temple keys as you come to work with
these areas in your practice, eventually working with a complete map
of your annual Solar rhythm. Add in the semisextile (30°) and the
inconjunct (150°) last. This will help you gradually ease into the
expanded Solar map as well as give you an education in the nature of
the aspects you are adding to the synthetic ones already in the Solar
map. This is a good way to begin approaching the use of additional
conductors as just described, since the experience you gain in these
different aspects in the Solar map will translate as familiarity with
the new conductors.

EXPLORING SYNASTRY & COMPOSITE KEYS

Relationships are complex. It is well understood by most people
that the complexities of one life are more than enough. A human
being is a vessel of consciousness holding the never to be repeated
pattern of an entire solar system in form, developing its expression
through time and transforming it through interactions with the
multitudes of other solar systems walking around as embodied souls,
while the whole living pattern around them which they were born
from and are part of is itself continually changing its expression. The
complexities are not just doubled when we interact with another,
they are multiplied exponentially, so that we can never really tell
what the hell is actually going on.
Actually, this is only partly true: we can tell what is really going
on, but it's still complex. We first have to understand who we are, and
what we have to offer to our partner, and how they need to receive it,
but the rest we can discover as we go along, which is part of the fun
of having relationships in the first place. Astrology has some
remarkable gifts to offer us as we make that journey. It cannot tell if
two people are 'meant' to be together, because that is up to them to
decide. But it can provide a great advantage in relating together that
can produce in minutes insights that would take years in therapy to
uncover, if at all. A large part of its magic in this area is that it
objectifies what is a supremely subjective experience, allowing
people to look at themselves in a mirror.
The easiest way to do this is to explore your keys together, paying
special attention to what astrologers call synastry, the relationships
which exist between two peoples charts. A simple synastry is the one
you share with everyone born on the same day of the year as you, -
478
 you will all have the Sun in the same zodiac degree, or the degree
either side. You will have a Sun-Sun type of chemistry, something in
common that comes natural to both of you because it is a way of
being. You may have very different methods of expressing it, but it
will still be the same at a fundamental level. Another example would
be if you have your Sun at Gemini 11 and someone else has their
Saturn at Sagittarius 11. This is a Sun-Saturn chemistry that will
have some of the qualities of an opposition i.e. likely to be tense and
polarising, but acting to crystallise something in each of you.
As you explore the keys together, you can explore all this synastry
as it becomes activated. This will teach you both about the unique
chemistry you have. If you involve the appropriate conductor for a
particular interaction of synastry, for example using Venus as the
conductor for a sextile aspect between your Sun and your partners
Moon, you can make even more informative discoveries together
about the Sun-Moon arousal you have between you.
Another method astrologers use, called the composite chart, can be
used alongside this practice or independently of it through the
creation of composite keys for that relationship. Composite keys
allow two individuals to explore the entity of their relationship
together or a single individual to explore for themselves what they
have with someone else. In every relationship between two people
there is what is brought by one person, what is brought by the other,
and a third entity which is the combination of what they have
together. The composite keys describe this entity and allow us to
work with it.
A composite key is made by finding the midpoints between two
keys. If your Sun is at 07° Cancer and my Sun is at 07° Scorpio, the
midpoint between our Sun's is situated at 07° Virgo (because 07°
Virgo is exactly between them), and thus our composite Sun key
must be calculated for 07° Virgo. Our composite Moon key will be
half way between our two Moon's, and so on.
For complicated reasons, finding the midpoints between two
peoples temples is not so straightforward. In order to accurately
pinpoint composite temple keys you have to ask an astrologer or
software to calculate a composite chart for you and your partner, and
I recommend using a method known as "derived ascendant" to
calculate the composite ascendant. For this, however, you need to
live in the same city. However even without the composite temple
keys you can still explore a great deal, just ignore the temples
entirely and focus on the worlds and the Lights, which are really the
essence of your chemistry.

479
 Once you have a composite chart, preferably with a derived
ascendant, then you can make your keys for it in the usual way and
begin the work of turning all these keys with the Lights, creating a
Solar map for the relationship and exploring it together or alone. All
the methods in this book can be applied to the entity of the
relationship, transforming the relationship itself, or in the case where
you are working alone, what you bring to that relationship in terms
of understanding what it is. If these two people are also conducting
individual cycles such as a continuous ElectroMagnetic conduction
of their charts, the relationship can emerge and bloom very quickly.
7th temple key activations, Venus key activations or other relationship
oriented keys can bring additional power to this process.
Later, after you have some familiarity with the astrology of your
synastry and composite keys, you can combine both methods and
progress from using the Lights as conductors, selecting the
appropriate conductor according to any synastry aspect it makes
between your charts. For example, in the case of having your Mars at
Leo 11° and your partners Mars at Taurus 13°, your Mars
relationship by synastry is Mars square Mars, allowing a few degrees
for the aspect of 90° that is called a square. Your composite Mars key
will be between Taurus 13° and Leo 11°, at about Gemini 27°, so
your composite Mars key will be at Gemini 27°. To explore the
quality of Mars in your relationship you would then use Mars as the
conductor of activations to the composite Mars key. If the synastry
relationship between the two placements of Mars is instead a sextile,
for example with Mars in your chart at Aquarius 13° and in your
partners at Sagittarius 13°, then you would use Venus as the
conductor of your composite Venus key, preferably with both Lights
conducting the procedure at the same time. This juggling of 3
astrological balls at once is not as difficult as it might first appear,
especially when two people are working at it together.
This fmal method has very revealing consequences for both people
regarding the nature of the key, the conductor and the activator and
their relationship to all 3 as well as to one another.

USING DIFFERENT ZODIACS AND TEMPLE SYSTEMS

The techniques and methods described in the 26 keys have used

the western tropical zodiac, but there is no reason why they could not
work through another such as the sidereal zodiac. Likewise, I have
used the Placidus house system in this book, but any kind of house
division system can be used. In fact, this is a way to experientially

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 experiment with different houses systems and investigate which ones
work for you.
In my experience, when using the sidereal zodiac as the
framework for this work what is experienced is more the essential
meaning of the influence, rather than its significance for me at that
time, whereas in the tropical zodiac I do encounter that significance
and I can then find the meaning through that significance. In the
sidereal zodiac a large portion of the significance is missing and the
conduction generates that significance from the essential meaning
involved, while in the tropical zodiac I encounter the significance
immediately and must decipher its meaning. For me this is more
transformative, while the sidereal zodiac is more instructive.
Ultimately if the ideas in this book are adjusted they can apply to
any form of astrology which pays heed to the Sun and Moon and
their cycles. Since zodiacs and temples are the interface through
which we interact with astrological influences, changing them
around is a bit like getting used to driving a new car. It still moves
and is operated the same way, but it handles differently.

GUIDED EXPLORATIONS

As I have presented it in this book the practice of astrology is

focused on engaging influences as they become active by the natural
flow of time. You move from key to key according to which ones
become active at any given time and work around and with what you
have, either with the intention to learn or a more focused intention in
shaping the patterns.
You can, however, take a more systematic approach to the
exploration of astrology, much like the way you can split the keys
across Elements and planes of activity. Another simple method of
doing so is to focus on one temple at a time, building a plan around
the activations of Jupiter or Saturn which begins when either of them
activate your 1st temple key.
However there is nothing stopping you from applying the
techniques in this book to other systems and other models of the
universe beyond astrology. You simply have to understand the laws
of analogy enough to be able to bridge the symbolism of astrology
with the symbolism of whatever system you are using. This is not
usually a problem because the symbolism involved in astrology is
extremely rich and adaptable. For example, you could, with a little
stretch of imagination, develop a system of practice using the 26
keys for an exploration of the chakras of the human body, just by

481
matching the signs, Lights and worlds keys to the chakras they are
analogous to.
Another system I have found interesting to work with
astrologically is the kabbalistic Tree of Life, but in this I have come
to rely on a little known version of the Tree referred to as the Natural
Array (see the list of recommended websites in the back of the book
for a good source of information on this subject). The Natural Array
or Gra Tree as I have come to know it is a much more expressive and
complete Tree with regard to astrology and can be very easily
combined with the techniques in this book to explore Kabbalah and
astrology alongside one another.

The Natural Array / Gra Tree of Life

Crown

P, TS'
3

6
141111ItS
Understanding

41111111R&&
4
Beauty
Wisdom

5
Severity Mercy

Foundation

■411 8
9
Splendor Vitality

wn *
1*

Domain

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 Many other models and systems can be used to provide the basis
for your exploration of the activations, the chakras and the Gra Tree
being only two of those which I have worked with myself Astrology
is a remarkably adaptable entity, something which has ensured its
survival across the ages.

BEING FULL OF STARS

Stars are the astrological influences which concern the equilibrium

of the temporal mental body, or spirit. They are the most formative
influences of our astrology, being the blueprint which it adheres to. It
would require many volumes to discuss these matters in detail -
simply covering the meanings of the 9000 visible stars and the
constellations alone would go far beyond the scope of this book.
Some stars have accrued greater significance than others through the
embedding of mythology or simply by being very bright or
appearing at certain occasions, but all stars impart qualities to the
astrology of the spirit and all have magical functions. Consequently
the task of the practitioner and this author is to condense and
simplify.
There are essentially 3 main ways for stars to express their
symbolic essential meaning as astrology:

1) Through a mythos, a holistic body of meaning which takes form in

constellations of stars.
2) As a mental seed (an impulse of the spirit) which originates the
emanation of an astra-mental body into a physical one.
3) Through the shaping of planetary influences as they inform this
developing astra-mental body.

In order to work with them you have to understand these three

means of communication. I will discuss each of these in turn and
then describe how to work with them using the techniques in this
book.
Regrettably, I cannot provide an easy means for the reader to
calculate their stellar influences as I have done with the planetary
ones — the stars do not lend themselves well to lists or tables, they
lend themselves to a visual field and not an intellectual one, which is
the route our chart loving astrology has gone. Before proceeding to
work with stars you may need to employ the services of a free report
online or ask an astrologer to generate the report for you. Some
authors have presented tables for the stars I will discuss but these
only tell part of the tale that emerges every year across the world and

483
do not convey the fluid richness of the sky, which our move from a
visually oriented astrology has become partially blind to. We really
need to reconnect with this dimension of astrology again if we are
serious about working with the stars, and we should be serious about
it because they are the origin of our astrology and without them it is
in danger of being abstract, myopic and unfocused. Therefore if we
want to work with stars, after obtaining the information on which
ones our astrology connects with we must look up from our books,
go outside on a clear night, and gaze, we must begin to look at them
again. In the pages that follow I will describe how we can work with
them, but in order to do that you have to make visual contact and
begin to observe them. Otherwise, you will only be taking an
intellectual journey because they do not manifest as directly as
planetary influences do. The work with stars is more fun if you like
an outdoors life and in fact demands a certain degree of actual
observation, or at least a lot of looking for them. The magic is all in
the ancient light falling into your eye and shining on your mind after
crossing countless trillions of miles through time and space to do so.
This is perhaps the most important thing of all to remember.

HOW STELLAR INFLUENCES MANIFEST

The stars do not use the vehicle of the zodiac to express their
meanings like planets do, at least not as directly. This is because
many of them exist outside of the belt of the ecliptic (the pathway of
the Sun) and never wander into it like planets do, and thus do not
belong to our solar family. Instead they primarily express themselves
firstly through the constellation they are part of which shapes their
meaning for human cultures (number 1 in the above list), and
secondly through direct interaction with the Earth via geocentric
visual relationships with the planets of the solar system and the
Lights, a means of communication of which there are two main types
(2 and 3 in the above list), which I will explain shortly.
A constellation of stars is a collection of meanings given a
symbolic shape and form — a significance - by human cultures. A
stars identity is bound up with the identity of its constellation, with
the mythology that has been attributed to it, and so an individual star
reflects a facet or aspect of the complex of meanings which its
constellation has accrued over aeons of human observation. This is
one of the more important and fundamental things to remember
when working with them. A stars constellation is its astra-mental
body and the mythology of the constellation is therefore an intrinsic
part of the meaning of the star. Thus when you work with a star you
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 work with all stars in its constellation.
If a constellation can be regarded as a larger body, the star itself is
an organ in that body. The question of whether the stars gain their
meanings first from their constellation or from some other feature of
their causation (such as the flood of the Nile when Sirius appeared)
is a factor in how much contact a star has with physical events,
because the constellations do not cause physical events, only
individual stars have enough focus to do this. Unfortunately we
cannot know where stars have gained their original meanings from
because they are so old, and the history of placing constellations,
while better chronicled, is still very sketchy. We simply cannot know
from books which stars gained their meanings from the
constellations they were placed in and the stories which were
attached to them over time, and which were attributed to them
through original causation. However, we can learn again simply by
observing them and the events that are caused around us. A star
which gained its original meaning from being part of a constellation
will embody more of the essence of the myths we have given it and
will have an effect on our feelings and thoughts i.e. on our astral and
mental nature where stories live, while one that has more of its own
identity and function which it imparts to that constellation will
instead be involved in more physical events. Such a star will be
among the more assertive, powerful and easiest to detect. However,
the stars which gained their significance from the tapestry of myth
woven around them by human beings will have their magical
functions cloaked and there will be a need to penetrate this before the
essence of the star is contacted.
However, by this stage, all stars have had their meanings heavily
cloaked in the significance of myth. It's just that some have found a
more complete and radiant expression of their meaning in that myth
than others, because we allowed them to communicate that meaning
to us before we gave them a significance.
So the first way stars speak to us is through their constellation,
which is a holistic body of meaning given a symbolic form and thus
a significance by the observation of human cultures, a significance
which empowers and assists their communication with us. In order to
speak their language, we have to decode our own myths. So the first
task I advise you to do is to pick a constellation, preferably one you
can physically observe, and start learning about its myths. Any
constellation will do because they are ultimately all different shaped
doorways to the same realm of awareness, but even more fortunately,
each person has a couple of constellations waiting to begin such

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instruction, personal guides to walking with the stars and
understanding this mythologised language. These are the stars which
belong to group 2 in the list above, the stars which act to germinate
the emanation of a soul, our astral body, which is then shaped by the
Lights and the planets according to our more familiar astrology.
Every person who is born is born under the auspices of a number
of stars which provide the most essential ingredients of their
astrology, even more essential than our Sun and Moon are because
these influences are established in the generation of the spirit
(temporal mental body) rather than in the soul. However, having no
direct contact with us through the zodiac like planets do, stars also
have no direct contact with temples except through the planets and
Lights, and so it is primarily only through planets (including the
Earth) that stars can directly influence the outcome and expression of
their meanings on Earth. This means that in order to interact with
their essential meaning we have to go through the planets or Lights.
The universal meanings of the stars are available to anyone by
simply meditating enough on them and their mythology, but their
astrological significance to us personally is in most cases only
encountered after it passes through a planetary filter which channels
it according to that planet's position in the birth chart relative to
signs, temples and the aspects it makes to other planets or Lights.
The Earth itself is a planet that is always involved in this process
because her positioning relative to the Sun is the main factor which
determines the stars we can see in the sky at any given time of year -
the stars behind the Sun will be lost in the daylight, snuffed out by
the Mother of Stars.
Thus, Earth and Sun are the entities who determine the scope of
the sky for any given time of year, everywhere in the world, they are
the main players in the stepping down of stellar influences, and so
the stars which have the most powerful and direct influences are
those which express their meanings through a combination of the
Earth and Sun, through the Earth-Sun planetary filter, because these
stars are the basis in the creation of a physically incarnated
individual spirit. The next most powerful and direct are those which
express themselves through an Earth-Moon filter, which are the base
influences in the creation of a physically incarnated soul.
At least two of these Earth-Sun stars will play a more significant
role throughout a persons lifetime, and have a special role to play,
especially when we come to seek out the influence of stars to begin
interactions with them. Almost all stars will channel their expression
through a planet or one of the Lights, but some of those which do so

486
 through an Earth-Sun channel will walk the Earth with us nakedly.
These stars are at the very heart of the generation of the temporal
mental body, the individual spirit, being the formative stellar
influences which the eternal mental body draws light from to form a
temporary vehicle.
These stars are called the heliacal rising and heliacal setting stars.
They are the stars which are seen to rise or set with the sunrise at the
place and day of your birth. The heliacal rising star is the star which
is seen at your birth place to briefly rise with or before the Sun on the
morning of your birth, the last star to be seen rising before night
ends, while the heliacal setting star is the star which set at or just
before sunrise, the last star to touch the Earth before night ends.
These stars shape the basic Sun sign influence for that day through a
specific latitude, a parallel of location north or south of the equator
across the curve of the Earth, because different stars will rise and set
with sunrise at different latitudes on the globe. This is part of what
differentiates the Solar nature or temporal mental body of people
born on the same day and year but in different locations.
For example, when the star Sirius is seen for the first time just
before dawn in Cairo, becoming the heliacal rising star, it will also
appear that morning in Libya, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia,
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Tibet, Florida, Texas and Louisiana,
because all these places lie on the 30th parallel with Cairo.
The fact that these and indeed all stellar influences vary according
to latitude and manifest themselves at different times of the year
should be carefully pondered. It is the reason for the location of
many ancient cities and sites and the practises which occurred there
under the wise watch of the ancients. The ancients took this sacred
architecture to great heights, building structures which were able to
host, amplify, circulate and transmit the essential meaning of 'their'
stars. This is extremely ancient astrology which once existed in a far
more exalted state than it does today, but it is still functioning just
beyond the notice of many astrologers. It has not required our
observation or even our acknowledgement to continue functioning.
Once you have the information on which stars are your heliacal
stars, begin by studying your heliacal setting star. By all means read
about it and learn what we know about it in every respect, but don't
stop there; if possible, try to physically see it, or at least part of its
constellation — remember that stars also express their essence
through the constellations we have formed with them, and are thus
present in the light of that entire constellation as well as in their own
individual light, where it is concentrated.

487
 The reason why you begin by becoming familiar with the heliacal
setting star and its constellation is because this is the stellar energy
which you embody as a gift to the world. We can regard this star as a
living god who walks with you through life, much as the ancient
Egyptians would. The sinking of the star into the Earth at the dawn
of your birthday is symbolic of a Divine essence which has
incarnated and walks among us — you and everyone else being born
on the same day at around the same latitudes. To the ancients, the
god of that star had left the heavens and became available for
worship and for counsel through incarnation.
Even though an individual star is designated as the heliacal setting
star, the entire constellation it belongs to becomes directly involved
in our astrology at the most formative level. This god, goddess,
sacred object or magical animal then becomes a kind a totem guide
which we may call upon when working with the stars. So if Regulus
the Heart of the Lion is your heliacal setting star, the Egyptians
would have regarded you as one of the brood of Sekhmet, or possibly
of Bast, someone considered special to the feline goddesses and able
to call on their protection and assistance.
If the heliacal setting star is a Divine essence descending the
heavens to touch and walk the Earth, then the heliacal rising star is a
Divine essence being resurrected from the underworld, appearing
again after a journey through it. The visual imagery of the initial
appearance of a heliacal rising star is that of a brief twinkle or flash
of light in the pre-dawn light, before the day washes it out. The next
morning, however, the star will be brighter and rise earlier, climbing
the stairway of the eastern skies. So when Bellatrix suddenly
appeared just before dawn with the rising of the left arm of the
constellation of Orion, which was literally the body of the god Osiris,
the Egyptians would know that Osiris had been resurrected and was
ascending to the heavens, being carried there in the fiery boat of Ra.
As the days passed, more and more of Osiris would rise out of the
Earth in front of the Sun at the end of night, until he stood
majestically over the world in all his glory again, as if standing
victorious over the drama that had unfolded in the heavens.
Thus, the heliacal rising star concerns itself with our initiation and
continuous rebirth into spiritual realities through mastery of our
earthly lessons. It is the stellar influence which leads us upwards and
onwards, the motivation and inspiration supplied by our mental
connection to the eternal spirit, the Greater Self in hermetic
terminology. This star supplies us with a road to travel and
challenges us to walk it. It is teacher and instructor to the setting

488
 stars guide and companion. The two have a synchronised function -
we uncover more of the gifts bestowed by the setting star the more
we have travelled along the path of the rising star, which we do by
applying the gifts and guidance of the setting star. Again, the entire
constellation and not just a single star is involved, because stars
express themselves through their constellation, which is their body of
meaning.
For technical reasons, the only stars which can become your
heliacal setting stars are those placed in your half of the hemisphere
of the sky. So if you live or are born north of the equator, only the
stars which have longitudes north of the equator can become heliacal
setting stars. Thus, the stars which watch over a hemisphere include
the spiritual intelligences which incarnate as souls in that
hemisphere. Regulus, for example, which lies north of the equator, is
a northern hemisphere heliacal setting star.
On the other hand, the heliacal rising stars come from the opposite
hemisphere to the one you are born in (or live in). They act as the
inspirational and motivational intelligences for souls born or living in
the hemisphere which is opposite to them. So a star like Regulus can
only be a heliacal rising star in the southern hemisphere. Similarly,
the head of the Phoenix, Ankaa, which is south of the equator, can
only be a heliacal rising star for people in the northern hemisphere.
This relationship is another important reason why many sacred sites
are built where they are.
As a development of the primary input of the heliacal stars the
influence of other stars is added, each star expressing itself through
an Earth-Light or Earth-planet combination as they seek the
condensation and deposition provided by the zodiacal objects of the
solar system. In this way stellar influences subtly but firmly shape
and move the quality of the Lights and planets in a certain direction
while they are in turn focused and concentrated by the zodiacal
matter they move through. For example, the star Alpheratz, which is
expressive of the universal Electric Fluid, can find itself a way into
our being and our life through having a connection to the Earth
through the planet Mars, or the Moon, or the Sun itself (which will
be different to the influence of Alpheratz via the Sun when it is a
heliacal star). That planet or Light will then have its astrology
underpinned by Alpheratz and thus be imbued with the universal
Electric Fluid. These types of connection between stars and planets
can lie fallow and then blossom in the different periods of life -
youth, prime or later years — and continue to flower from then on, or
they can be present from the very beginning, existing under the

489
boards and our use of them being more privately experienced in the
astra-mental disintegration following physical death i.e. in a
summation of our life.
Astrologers call these relationships 'parans', and again, they are of
an untold age and are only now beginning to make a wider return to
our bookish awareness with the advent of computer technology,
which can calculate them very accurately and quickly and represent
the sky visually. Essentially, a paran between a star and a planet or
Light is created when both of them are situated at one of the four
points where objects in the sky are seen to pivot - over the east or
west horizon, and at the midheaven and nadir of the sky. At these
places, stars and planets take a turn and either begin to rise or fall or
to appear or disappear in relation to Earth's horizon. So, if Mars is
rising, setting, culminating or anti-culminating it is at one of these
stations and if at the same time Alpheratz is also at any one of those
stations, they are in paran. This is an Earth-Mars-Alpheratz
relationship which expresses the meaning of Alpheratz through the
significance of Mars across a band of latitude around the Earth, a
meaning that will emerge at a predestined time in life as well as
serve to narrow the spectrum of potential that Mars embodies.
The time at which the stars influence will emerge is determined by
the position of the star. If the star is at its lowest pivot it will plant the
seed deep in the temporal mental body and this seed will take time to
emerge but will be present all throughout life, gradually becoming
more visible in the spirit and its life. If the star is rising it will plant
the seed so that it flowers in our childhood or youth, and thus often
concern itself with the emergence of our personality or astral nature
and all later consequences of this. If the star is culminating it will
plant the seed so that it flowers in the prime of life, thus often
involving itself in our emergence as individuals, and when it is
setting, the stars influence will show itself in the final periods of life,
as a factor which concerns the end of our life story. So if Alpheratz is
culminating, it will not show itself in our Mars until youth is passed
but after that point it will always be there.
Importantly, paran relationships do not have to exist at the precise
time of your birth because they concern themselves with the
temporal mental body, the material from which the astral body is
emanated. This means that they partially transcend the temporal
realm in origin and therefore apply to everyone born at certain places
over a 24 hour period. In practice this means we look for parans
which take place from sunrise on the day you were born to sunrise on
the next day — which in turn means you do not need a birth time to

490
 find your parans. However if you are born at the exact moment a star
is at one of these pivot points, it will be with you your whole life,
often as a potent physical or lifestyle factor. The sacred script of that
star is then pressed into a place of power and thereby made more
active in physical incarnation, a watcher of fate.
A more important question of timing is in how long to allow for a
star and planet or Light to be in paran, in other words how much time
to give a star and planet to actually be in that relationship, and thus
whether or not they remain active on a given day. The accepted
practice and the one I find best is to allow 2 minutes of time for the
star and planet or luminary to form the paran. So when Venus sets, I
will look at the 2 minutes of time on either side surrounding that
moment for any stars which are also pivoting. This equals about 0°
30' of longitude, or half a degree.
In this way the parans which form to the faster moving objects -
the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars - provide us with stellar
influences which last days or weeks as the luminaries and inner
worlds move out of the paran window quickly, while the slower
moving planets from Jupiter out can remain in paran for several
months. Such parans are collective influences and trigger world
changing events across the latitudes they occur in as the essential
meaning is consumed by human beings in its path. An example of
this occurred recently when Regulus in paran with Neptune brought
sweeping changes to the fate of the Arab world, Al-Qaeda and at the
top of the IMF. This paran is one which brings about the toppling,
death and removal of rulers and it was active across the parallel
where these events occurred in the first half of 2011.
WORKING WITH STARS

After you have the information you need on your heliacal stars and
the parans of stars to the planets in your chart, and you have become
familiar with the mythology of these stars and tried to observe them,
you can begin involving them in the turning of keys. By this time
you may already have a lot of inspiration and many ideas about how
they are working in your life. This information should be trusted and
nurtured and your relationship to your heliacal stars in particular
should always be developing.
The use of the keys with these stars is quite simple. The first thing
that you do is decide to spend a year following the Solar map with
the intention of learning about the influence of your stars. You may
wish to involve activations to your keys for that year or instead just
focus on the Solar map. On the day you begin, research when in the

491
year ahead your heliacal rising and setting stars become heliacal
rising or setting stars for your location. This will vary for different
latitudes. So if Sirius is your heliacal rising star, you need to find out
when it will become a heliacal rising star again, or if you have
moved to the other hemisphere, when it becomes a heliacal setting
star. In some locations this will not occur with either your rising star
or setting star (perhaps you moved to the north pole?). In these cases
you must proceed without the assistance of those stars (or move to a
warmer climate).
For example, Paramahansa Yogananda was born with Capella, a
bright star in The Charioteer, as heliacal setting star and Facies, a
stellar nebula in the Bow of the Archer, as heliacal rising star.
Assuming that he lives in Los Angeles and the year is 1928, we need
to know when in that year Capella becomes a setting star and Facies
a rising star. This will happen on December 31" 1928 for Facies and
last until January 6th 1929, while Capella does not touch the Earth
that year at that latitude. Therefore, in this place at this time, it is
with the constellation of Sagittarius and Facies in particular that he
must work, and in the period between December 31' and January 6th.
This time is added to his Solar map and so long as he stays in L.A. it
will not need to change much over the years.
Given that his Solar map can be followed beginning from his
birthday (January 5th), from his 1' temple (August 21"), or from the
Moon or one of the planets, depending on how soon he wants to
begin, at what stage in the cycle he wants to orientate the stars
influence (beginning, middle or end), or what kind of stellar
influences he will explore (which will be determined from the place
he begins in the Solar map), he has a lot of freedom in organising at
this stage. Of the temples, only the Pt temple is suitable for
beginning from, but this still leaves him with over a dozen dates to
start the cycle from.
This first cycle is conducted in the usual way, but from the very
beginning you must involve the meaning of the star as if it were an
activator, so in the example of Facies the qualities of this star and its
constellation must be contemplated and applied throughout the year.
When Facies actually appears as a heliacal rising star in late
December, Paramahansa prays for good weather and tries to see the
event with his own eyes. If he cannot see Facies for any reason, he
must try to perceive it with his minds eye and feel its presence in the
pre-dawn eastern skies of L.A. in the first week of January. In
magical practice a powerful evocation of that star can then be
performed.

492
 While he journeys around the Solar map in this time, he explores
the activation of each part as usual, except when he comes to a Light
or world key he pays attention to any parans which are active over
those keys. For example, Babaji was born when the star Alkes was
rising and Mercury was on the nadir, a Mercury-Alkes paran which
has been flowering since youth. When he comes to Mercury in the
Solar map, he involves Alkes. If Mercury has many active parans, he
may pick and choose which ones to explore, or explore their fusion.
The question of how we involve the stars at these times is up to us
to answer. A magician can mentally voyage to the star, evoke it or
employ whatever magical faculties it has chosen to give them. A
student of astrology can employ any of the symbolic analogies of
that star according to their understanding. A little thought on how
that star might be shaping the expression of the planet involved,
considering its mythology and reputation and some contemplation is
all that is really necessary. When you are unsure how to decode the
significance of the star, fall back on the guidance of your heliacal
stars. If this does not suggest anything, just move on, it may be that
you need to make a few passes of that place before you perceive the
pattern because these influences are often far more subtle than, say,
activation by Pluto.
The first few cycles should be exploratory. You should focus your
awareness firmly and primarily on the meaning and mythology of the
heliacal stars and use them to navigate and guide yourself through
the whole process. They will reveal many things, the most important
first. It may become clear that the process overall is heading
somewhere, that the journey with the stars is becoming a heroes
journey, in which case you should embrace the quest and try to
further it according to your ability and the instructions you receive.
Sometimes this path will lead you to visit or live in another place in
the world so that you can experience a particular stellar influence at a
particular time, If no such path seems to show itself, then you can
intentionally open one up yourself using the guidelines below. This is
also the way in which you can further a path that is presented to you
in the course of your first foray with the stars.
The key to encouraging the stars to show themselves more is to
address them in the proper language, the language they have chosen
to speak through you. This language is the planet through which they
form their paran and you speak it back to them by using that planet
as the conductor and/or activator. So if Mars is in paran with
Alpheratz, and this paran is active, then any activation of your Mars
key can be used to engage with the meaning of Alpheratz, and you

493
must conduct this influence around the chart in the usual way using
Mars as the conductor, ideally beginning with or including a Mars
activation of the Mars key. If this is impractical, the Lights are
always able to step in and serve as conductors, but they are
especially powerful when we utilise them to explore the parans of
our Sun and Moon. The meaning of Alpheratz must then be
circulated as a body of light around the entire chart, which in the
case of Mars will often take about 23 months to complete. At each
world or Light key you may choose to involve or explore the stars
which relate to that key through parans, or just ignore them and
concentrate on the star you are synthesising.
In following this path the inner and outer meaning of the stars that
play a role in your astrology will reveal themselves to you, and as
you do you should attempt to give them back the gift of light they
have shone upon your life by trying, some night, to gaze upon them
with yours.

SOME STAR MEANINGS

To get you started, here are some meanings for stars which I use in
my own practice, many of which were first supplied in the books of
Franz Bardon although I have added my own observations to each
where necessary. The stars are grouped in the constellations they are
part of and their position in the hemispheres is indicated by an (N) or
(S).

PEGASUS, THE WINGED STALLION

Algenib (N), the star in the wingtip and the loins, is expressive of the Fire
Element.
Alpheratz (N), the navel of the winged horse, communicates the Electric
Fluid and is expressive of the love of movement and unfettered freedom to
move across space, belt physical, emotional, social or intellectual.
Markab (N), the saddle of the winged horse, is a star of evocation,
combustion and fermentation, the alchemy of Light.

PERSEUS, THE HERO

Algol (N), the eye of Medusa whose head Perseus holds in his hand,
emanates the slowing and freezing of astra-physical substance
(materialisation and petrification). It can slow things down and intensify them
and is effective in raising emotional passions.

ANDROMEDA, THE PRINCESS

Mirach (N), the hip of the princess, expresses the active principle of nature,
causing activity to replace rest and stimulating things so that they progress
onwards.

494
 Almaak (N), the left foot of the princess, is expressive of the power which
drives the process of germination and propagation, the power of humans,
animals and plants to continue themselves by serving as their own creative
source.

CETUS, THE KRAKEN

Batem Kaitos (S), the belly of the Leviathon, is the compensating principle
between the positive (active) and negative (passive) properties of the Fire
Element and its Electric Fluid.

ARIES, THE GOLDEN RAM

Hamal (N), the bright star at the base of the right horn, causes the
enlivening of matter through the Fluids and therefore is connected with the
power of Electricity and Magnetism.

THE GREAT BULL, TAURUS

El Nath (N), the tip of the left horn, equilibrates the positive/active and
negative/passive forces, keeping them in balance through the Air Element.
Aldebaran (S), the red eye of the Bull, influences all beings capable of
thought.
Alcyone (N), the heart of the Pleiades, fosters self preservation.

ERIDANUS, THE CELESTIAL RIVER

Zaurak (S), the bright star of the boat, is responsible for the growth of
humans, minerals, animals and plants.
Achernar (S), the terminus of the River of Life, brings about swift and rapid
endings through crises and influences all aquatic life.

ORION, THE RESURRECTED GOD

Rigel (S), the Foot of the Reborn God, is the star of intellectual faculties
such as reason, logic, science and the comprehension of Divinity through
the mind.

THE TWINS, GEMINI

Propus (S), in the toes of Castor, imparts wisdom and knowledge of all
kinds.
Wasat (S), in the centre of Pollux, is a controller of the Magnetic Fluid.

THE LITTLE DOG, CANIS MINOR

Procyon (S), in the hindquarters of the puppy, controls the principle of
feeling.

THE HOUND, CANIS MAJOR

Sirius (S), The Shining One, is a controller of the Water Element.

CANCER, THE CRAB (SCARABAEUS)

Praesepe (N), the heart of the Crab, is a nebula expressive of the
effectiveness of the universal principle of Light.

-195
THE LITTLE BEAR
Kochab (N), in the shoulder of Ursa Minor, is a Guard of the Pole and a
bringer of Divine enlightenment i.e. an initiator into the existence and
mystery of the Divine self and the faculty of objective perception.
Polaris (N), the Lodestar in the tail, is a guide and a path finder. This star
never sets or rises, but can still form parans through culmination i.e. it only
ever seeds influences which emerge in the prime of life.

THE GREAT BEAR

Merak (N), the loins of the Great Bear, transfers a recognition and realisation
of Divine Virtues (mercy, understanding, wisdom, etc)
Alioth (N), the first star in the Great She-Bears tail, controls the harmony of
holistic health.
Mizar (N), the mid-tail of the She-Bear, brings about balance and equilibrium
in the laws of relationship, i.e. in how one thing relates to another.
Alkaid (N), the tip of the She-Bears tail, influences the universal urge for
propagation.

THE LION, LEO

Regulus (N), the heart of the Lion, is a radiator and materialiser of Divine
Light i.e. gives radiant expression to the individual spirit of things. It is a star
of royalty and rulers.

THE SACRED CHALICE

Alkes (S), the base of the Cup, is a vessel of life on the back of the Water
Serpent which influences the laws of dynamics and expansion.
THE MAIDEN, VIRGO
Vindemiatrix (N), the Grape Gatherer, controls the laws of attraction and
repulsion and can thereby influence sympathy and antipathy.
Spica (S), the bright star of the Wheat Sheaf in the outstretched hand of the
Goddess, is a star which brings cultivation of the gifts of the Goddess,
including harvests, science, magic and natural gifts of all kinds.

BOOTES, THE HUNTER & HERDSMAN

Seginus (N), the left shoulder of The Hunter, controls and watches the laws
of stability and cohesion.
Arcturus (N), the bright star in The Hunters tunic, influences weight and
gravitational attraction.

THE SCALES OF LIBRA

Zuben Elgenubi (N), the southern pan of the scales of balance, is the
Gateway to the Underworld which leads the spirit to Divine Justice (the 'Hall
of Maat') and an awareness of the laws which govern the life of the soul.

THE CROSS (QUADRAPOLAR MAGNET)

Acrux (S), the base of The Cross, expresses the laws of vibration and
oscillation.

496
 THE CENTAUR (CENTAURUS)
Toliman (S), Alpha Centauri, the right hoof of Centaurus, controls the quality
aspect of all things i.e. the qualities which are uniquely combined in each
created thing.
Agena (S), the left hoof of the Centaur, influences all kinds of radiation.

SCORPIUS, THE SCORPION

Graffias (N), also called Acrab, in the forehead of the Scorpion, ensures
adherance to the universal laws.

HERCULES
Ras Algethi (N), The Kneelers Head, expresses the natural order of things
through the laws of analogy and is therefore a star of natural philosophy.

OPHIUCUS THE SERPENT HEALER

Ras Alhague (N), the Head of Serpentarius (a.k.a. Asclepius), controls
appearances so that they are expressive of universal law i.e. determines the
forms which essential meaning may take.

DRACO, THE DRAGON

Eltanin (N), the Head of the Dragon, is an equilibrator of all things.

THE ARCHER, SAGITTARIUS

Facies (S), a nebula in the gaze of The Archer, expresses the laws of
crystallisation, fixation and solidification.

LYRA, THE CELESTIAL HARP

Vega (N), the Harp Star, influences the evolution of humans and animals.

CYGNUS, THE SWAN

Albirio (N), in the Beak of The Swan, is a controller of fate and karma i.e.
the univeral law of cause and effect.
Deneb Adige (N), the tail of The Swan, is an initiator into the Water Element
and the Magnetic Fluid.

AQUILA, THE EAGLE

Altair (N), the bright star on The Eagles back, is a guardian of the laws of
time and space.

CAPRICORNUS, THE SEA—GOAT

Nashira (S), in the tail of the Sea-Goat, causes the emergence of the
meaning of symbols and the cosmic language.
Algedi (N), the horn of the Sea-Goat, is an overseer of spiritual
development, a spiritual law giver.
Foramen (S), also called Armus, in the breast of the Sea-Goat, influences all
ideals.

497
AQUARIUS, THE WATER BEARER
Sadalmelek (N), the Urn of the Great One, is an initiator into kabbala and
magical science.

PISCES. THE FISH

Al Resha (S), the sacred knot in the astral chord, is expressive of astral
karma.

498
 CLOSING WORDS
The study of astrology is a unique tool with an ancient and varied
history that can be applied in many ways beyond its current primary
use in modern culture as an oracle. Foremost of these are its potential
to throw light on the soul and its spirit as a way of being and the
balance that exists between all things as they move in synchronous
orbits around the One that is All. All things are interconnected by an
invisible but tangible thread which weaves throughout the whole,
and astrology can show us the patterns this thread is weaving as it is
born into time and space. So long as we remember that it is all a One
thing, we will be guided to see our true part in these patterns.
But it is also a magical process that we take part in and contribute
to, not just watch and wonder over, and we can increase our
participation, but only when we recognise this gift and start acting
with it, not just dabbling or treating it as a sideshow form of
entertainment. And this is empowering. It is an incalculable loss not
just to our culture but to our very being that astrology is relegated to
the fringes, but even greater is the loss of its personal and practical
applications in a search for its valuable intellectual pearls. We lose
sight of the sentient ocean we live in in pursuit of its splendorous and
often titillating treasures, and our fascination with predicting the
future undermines and handicaps our ability to change the present.
We live in this infinite ocean, partially or completely blind to its
existence, at the dawn of a new era. We will learn to live in balance
with each other and nature, or we and all our descendents will reap
the consequences. There is no more critical time in history than
today. To meet the diverse and seemingly insurmountable challenges
of this age we need to become a One People again, as we were
before we turned from the path of unity. The threads revealed by
astrology can lead us there, and we have been given a vast new solar
system with which to weave it wholecloth. The scale of what
astrology must explore is in proportion to the scale of the challenges
that lie ahead for humanity, and the rewards for meeting those
challenges are in balance with the price for failure, a price that will
be paid not just by us, but by all living things on Earth.
The future is not scripted, it is improvised by the actors on the
stage at the time, according to the music that is being played and the
scenes which came before. The epic that is life has no end and no
beginning, but everything has its time before it makes way for the
next Act, the actors change their costumes, and the page is turned,

499
never to be revisited. There is no rehearsal. And as we look around
us, we hear the music rising to an absolute crescendo, every day. We
feel small, impotent to stop the tide of the tsunami, the running of
blood through the streets or to dismantle the uncountable arsenals
and scenarious of doom and death we are confronted with. We feel
disempowered and small because in truth we are small and
disempowered, being a fractured people, but the power was not
stolen from us it was just forgotten and has always been within our
reach.
The approach to astrology in this book is given to help us reclaim
it. I hope that you will join me on this journey, and I wish you good
luck in exploring all that there is out there and in here for you to find.

Everloving,
David

Berlin, 15:44
2nd May 2011

500
 SYMBOL GLOSSARY
LIGHTS & PLANETS ZODIAC SIGNS
0 Sun T Aries

D Moon ti• Taurus

V Mercury II Gemini
CT
9 Venus • Cancer

e Mars (1 Leo

4 Jupiter 117 Virgo

t/ Saturn -Z••• Libra

V Uranus in, Scorpio

ki) Neptune 721 Sagittarius

i
d Pluto vs Capricorn

g Chiron • Aquarius
a Dragon's Head X Pisces
U Dragon's Tail

ASPECTS ELEMENTS
cl Conjunction (0°) A Fire
AL Semisextile (30°) • Air
3( Sextile (60°) ✓ Water

El Square (90°) ✓ Earth

A Trine (120°)
7T lnconjunct (150°)

d) Opposition (180°)

501
 ORDERING YOUR 26 KEYS
If you do not wish to create the 26 keys for yourself you can order
them directly from me. I will send you your keys and your Solar map
in a raw unformatted report which you will have to spend a little time
to organise and sort, but this will save you a great deal of time in
getting started with practice. You will still need access to an
ephemeris to create Magnetic Fluid conductors, but these can also be
ordered from me for a period covering a 12 month period of your
choice.
If you want to do this, contact me through the website listed in the
"Sources" section of this book, stating your birth details. Details of
both services are provided on site. If you want to contact me
privately about something I am also happy to discuss the subjects in
this book with you personally, details are also provided online.
Alternatively, you may wish to use your own software to generate
the keys, or ask another astrologer to do that for you. To make this
easy, below are the guidelines that need to be followed to produce
the information in each step.

Step 1) The Master Key. List all objects and houses by zodiacal
longitude, including Chiron and the Lunar nodes, starting from Aries
00°

Step 2) Solar Map. List the annual dates of all conjunctions the
transiting Sun makes to the natal Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, the Lunar nodes
and all 12 house cusps, starting from Capricorn 10° (January 1st). To
create the more advanced version from Step 10, add all sextiles,
trines, squares and oppositions of the transiting Sun to these places,
ignoring everything but the 1st and 10'h house cusps.

Step 3) The Sun Key. List in chronological order all conjunctions of

transiting Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto to the
natal Sun over 100 years of life.

Step 4) The Moon Key. List in chronological order all conjunctions of

transiting Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto to the
natal Moon over 100 years of life.

Step 5) Magnetic Conductor. List in chronological order all

conjunctions of transiting Moon to the natal Sun, Moon, Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, the
Lunar nodes and all 12 house cusps for the period required.

502
 Step 6) Creation of all Temple and World Keys. List in chronological
order all conjunctions of transiting Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus,
Neptune and Pluto to the following natal objects over 100 years of
life: all 12 house cusps, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and the two Lunar nodes.

Step 7) Solar Progressions. List in chronological order all of the

following secondary progressions of the Sun over a 100 year period:
sign changes, temple changes, conjunctions to natal Moon, Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and
the two nodes.

Step 8) Lunar Progressions. List in chronological order all of the

following secondary progressions of the Moon over a 100 year
period: sign changes, house changes, conjunctions to natal Sun,
Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus,
Neptune, Pluto and the two Lunar nodes, and all Lunar phases and
void of course periods.

Step 9) Inner World Progressions. List in chronological order all

conjunctions of progressed Mercury, Venus, Mars Jupiter, Saturn,
Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and the two Lunar nodes to the
following natal objects over 100 years of life: all 12 house cusps,
Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus,
Neptune, Pluto and the two Lunar nodes. Add all the sign and temple
changes of these progressed objects. Then list all the conjunctions of
the progressed Moon to all other progressed objects and all
conjunctions of progressed planets to other progressed planets.
Finally, list all retrograde or direct stations of these progressed
objects.

Step 10) Additional Keys: List in chronoligical order all conjunctions

by Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto over 100
years to each of the following natal positions: Ceres, Juno, Vesta,
Pallas, Chariklo, Asbolus, Pholus, Nessus, Hylonome, Amycus,
Quaoar, Makemake, Varuna, Eris, Sedna, Ixion, Orcus and Haumea.
Stars: List the heliacal rising and setting stars, stars on a pivot point
at the moment of birth and all parans to Lights and planets within a 2
minute orb (0° 30') of duration from sunrise to sunrise.
Other aspects of step 10 must be handled on an individual basis.

503
 111.1- I III< Kill .11 11111.M.■■■111111■MW

SOURCES
Below are a few recommended places to go for more information
on both magic and astrology. The list is short because I have always
been a fussy reader, but there are plenty of very good sources out
there. Be guided by your own wisdom in exploring far beyond these
suggestions.

ONLINE
ABardonCompanion.com - the place to go to order your 26 keys or
to contact me. This is also a rich source of information on the subject
of Franz Bardon and his works, the Tree of Life and magic in
general. Articles by me on astrology can also be found there.

forrestastrology.com - the pages of Steven and Jodie Forrest on the

nature of Evolutionary Astrology, "the astrology of choice,
imagination and freedom".

skyscript.co.uk - the pages of Deborah Houlding, which have a focus

on horary astrology but also a wealth of material on all aspects of
astrology. Many articles of interest to hermetic practitioners appear
here.

zyntara.com - the pages of Bernadette Brady where you can find the
best information on stars and her software programme Starlight
which enables work with them. She also offers a free paran and
heliacal stars report.

true-node.com - an excellent online ephemeris which provides

positions for all asteroids, centaurs and mythic worlds.

astro.com - Astrology website with many offerings in multiple

languages, including a free birth chart generation. They also
maintain and provide a large database of charts.

BOOKS
Many good books can be found at the sites above. In particular the
following 5 books are recommended.

'The New American Ephemeris' - published by Starcrafts publishing.

There is a 20th and a 21st century edition, many people will need
both.

504
'Initiation into Hermetics', 'The Practice of Magical Evocation' and
'The Key to the True Kabbalah' by Franz Bardon — these offer
practical training in magic. The first work is the foundation upon
which the work of the later books is based and is in my opinion the
most important book on magic written in the modern day. The Dieter
Ruggerberg edition is a superior translation of the original text.

'A Bardon Companion 2nd edition' — Rawn Clark's collected

commentaries and elaboration upon the works of Bardon, providing
the modern reader and practitioner with greater access and
understanding of the training involved.

'Permutations of the Tree' — Rawn Clark's work exploring the Gra

Tree of Life, including practical exercises which perfectly
complement any exploration of astrology as described in this book.

505
 THIS BOOK PRESENTS A NEW AND
YET VERY ANCIENT APPROACH
10 ASTROLOGY.

UNLIKE THE VAST NUMBERS OF 'HOW TO DO ASTROLOGY' BOOKS THAT

HAVE ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN, THE COURSE IN THIS BOOK IS NOT
MERELY AN INTELLECTUAL JOURNEY, BUT ONE WHICH EMBRACES THE
WHOLE BEING IN A DYNAMIC MAGICAL INTERACTION...INSTEAD OF
BEING TOLD ABOUT THE INFLUENCES OVER YOUR LIFE SHOWN IN A
CHART AND HAVING THEM DESCRIBED TO YOU, THIS BOOK ENABLES
YOU TO ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE THE MEANING OF ASTROLOGICAL
INFLUENCES FOR YOURSELF AND ENCOURAGES YOU TO DRAW YOUR
OWN CONCLUSIONS.

WITHIN THE PAGES OF THIS BOOK YOU WILL FIND ALL YOU NEED
TO BEGIN EXPLORING THE ASTRAL LIGHT, INCLUDING:

A HERMETIC PERSPECTIVE ON ASTROLOGY AND THE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN ASTROLOGY AND MAGIC

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREATING THE 26 KEYS AND THE METHOD

FOR TURNING THEM TO UNLOCK THEIR MAGIC

DETAILED EXPLANATIONS OF ALL 26 KEYS,

INCLUDING TECHNIQUES AND SUGGESTIONS

A COMPLET E SYSTEM OF SELF INITIATION BASED ON

YOUR OWN PERSONAL ASTROLOGY

A DISCUSSION OF THE NEW SOLAR SYSTEM WE ARE FACED WITH,

INCLUDING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ASTEROIDS, DWARF PLANETS
AND CENTAURS

A UNIQUE METHOD OF WORKING WITH THE MAGIC OF THE

ASTRAL LIGHT TO TRANSFORM THE HUMAN COLLECTIVE