The following post was sent to members of the Institute for Hermetic Studies via its mailing list at Teachable. It has been lightly edited for placement here for a wider audience.
The short version is this: the lunar forces (as Fire-Horse is a lunar New Year) will be very active in the domain of purification this year. So purifications practices, rituals, and actions involving fire will be beneficial. This will clear the psychic channels and energies as the “horse” is the symbolic animal associated with the movement of the psychic energies – hence the “Wind Horse” and horseheads as crown symbolism in Vajrayana, but also the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”
These ‘four horses’ are the four Elemental energies, and their related qualities, intelligences, and expressions across the realm of duality. Here, they have a particular emphasis – in relation to the Year of the Fire Horse – in purifying the psychic energies in and through the subconscious and material domains. Meaning, this is not an intellectual or abstract notion of ‘bathing in fire’ but a very real experience of inner and outer heat. A heat that transforms, nurtures, or destroys depending on our relation to it.
By making one choice we automatically exclude all others. This is known as “opportunity cost” and that that is the natural effects of karma – cause and effect. You cannot do everything, time limits, choices must be carefully selected. In writing to you I am making a choice, It is my sincere desire that it will have a meaningful effect on some of you that in turn will create causes and conditions for your Illumination and from that, Service to others as they walk the Path of Return with you. That also means I give my life to you. Think long and hard about that. Re-read it and let it sink in. To whom and what are you giving your life to? Who or what ideal do you Serve? Too many people take these emails, podcasts, and lessons for granted. For them, it has always been here so naturally it always will. There is no sense of karma, causation, the basic law of existence itself. Without that knowledge spiritual awakening is nearly impossible. Know clearly that there is a time stamp and an expiration date on all of this which we will see below.
And yet, the Saturn’s Narrow Gate is upon us. Make sure you are on the inside when it narrows or even closes.
Meditations on the fiery or active, initiating, and fiery aspects of Jupiter/Chesed, Mars/Geburah, and Sun/Tiphareth can be undertaken but with discipline and completion. A slower but equally important and effective approach is the Fiery aspects of Venus/Netzach, wherein we experience the powerful energies of Life and Love (Eros) and its expansion beyond our narrow concerns into an all encompassing experience. This is movement from a narrow Venus of personal pleasure to Venus as Queen and Mother of Creation – Venus Genetrix. With this is her role as Venus Obsequens, or Gracious Venus, mother of prosperity and agriculture. Again, see the discussion in the IHS Monograph, Wisdom’s Bliss: Developing Compassion in Western Esotericism (as part of the course, Unfolding the Rose – Illumination in Western Esotericism). This is no small role, and IMPLICIT in the role of Saturn Conjunct Neptune at Zero Degrees Aries.
Leadership will be the deciding outcome of this year. Leadership that will be the deciding factor for years, possibly decades to come. Part of this leadership, which deals with the head, and Aries rules the head, will be collapse of leadership in various forms as unconscious, that is assumed and uncritically accepted, unquestioned fantasies (Neptune) about leadership on all levels comes under the blade of Saturn. This blade will be metaphorical for many, resulting in loss of privilege, status, credibility, and for some – their freedom and life itself. It should not come as a surprise that many have been evoking the ghosts of 1789 in this instance. A shade we strongly discourage from evoking to physical manifestation. If you do not want a Napoleon, then you must first avoid a Robespierre. Those with Gesar of Ling empowerments from the Tibetan lineages will find them helpful, for those in Western Esotericism a ritual or meditation practice on the idea of “enlightened leadership” is encouraged.
BEWARE! Decapitation means that the head is without a body and the body without a head. See the Vedic references to the Head and the Tail of the Dragon for additional insights on this topic. Whereas the “head” may have disdain for the “body” or the masses, they both need each other. The body, or masses, is reactive and instinctual, and therefore on an individual and social level when it “looses its head” it is reckless, destructive, cruel, and sadistic. It is stupid, as it injures itself and causes tremendous harm, thereby giving rise to a “new head” or leadership to stop it from further injuring itself. More often than not, because the ‘head’ or leadership can only come from the ‘body’ or society that engendered it, the self-abuse continues on a slightly different form and takes generations to rectify. This is how Hell Realms, and Demons are enlivened, created, and the Gates of the Qlipoth opened upon the earth. As they say, “The path to hell is paved with good intentions” and then it becomes paves with corpses, so keep your sanity and self-reflection intact.
Which leads us to the next point.
Historically, Saturn Conjunct Neptune has been a very difficult time for esoteric movements and organizations. We need only look back to the Satanic Panic as it morphed into the Anti-Cult Movement.
1917 – Bolshevik Revolution – this an event that still effects us today, so do not take these dates lightly.
1486 – The Malleus Maleficarum is published, and the impact is multi-generational and centuries..
1952-53 was the start of the McCarthy Hearings at the height of the Cold War, coming less than a decade after the end of World War Two, four years after the Berlin Crisis, two years after the invasion of Tibet by Communist China, and in midst of the Korean War. We also see the official start of the CIA Project MK-Ultra in 1953 (and the death of Stalin). Television also becomes more popular – meaning affordable and available – during this time.
We also see a host of anti-Masonic activities happening on or near Saturn-Neptune Conjunctions. To list them all would unnecessarily lengthen this essay.
It is suffice to say, again without listing that details, that in my conversations with many authors, lodge masters, and people who spend their time professionally or as disciples studying spiritual systems, I can say with confidence that their observations coincide with our video from four years ago, “The Future of Esotericism”. In summary: quality information in both Western and Eastern systems is reducing, as are qualified teachers, and dedicated students to support the institutional structures needed for their survival. While information will continue to be available on a massive level of video and publishing content, the people needed to make it a living, viable, and continuous Tradition or system of organic, tested, and trusted philosophical concepts, practices, and corporate history and knowledge, are on the decline. This means, anything, at any time, for anyone will be available – except the discriminating capacity to know truth from falsehood, information from study, and entertainment from practicing a Path of Illumination. The Virtue of Discrimination, the first step on the Path is weaking for too many and will only continue during this next period. However, so will the opportunity for turning ignorance into genuine Illumination and Wisdom if acted upon.
We’ve seen the numbers, we’ve talked to people, this is the fantasy bubble of New Age Spirituality that is going to pop will be messy. There will be many groups and movements that do not survive, or will be dramatically reduced in size and scope, the coming “reaping” or even “decapitation” of Saturn. The way to avoid this is to “get right with Saturn” and to ameliorate the effects of previous negative actions (karma) that we have created regarding our spiritual path through misunderstanding, fear, and selfishness.
Or in terms of the Classical Greek and Roman philosophies upon which Western esotericism and Theurgic practices stand, the Four Cardinal Virtues:
Wisdom or Prudence (sophia or phronesis in Greek, sapientia or prudentia in Latin)
Justice (dikaiosunē in Greek, justitia in Latin)
Courage (andreia in Greek, fortitudo in Latin)
Temperance (sophrosunē in Greek, moderatio or temperantia in Latin)
To sum it up, in some ways this year will be like any other before and after it, and yet, it will be more intense and thereby purifying. It will give a tremendous amount of effort to reduce the negative accounts in your karmic ledger so to speak (the sum of your negative habits) if you are courageous enough to act on the opportunities given. In many ways, this year and what follows from it for a decade or more will be a very strong embodiment of the old adage, “Lead, follow, or get out the way.”
To this end we encourage you to show your commitment to a new future – a genuine New Age as tomorrow’s conjunction is a once in a civilization birthing era. Start this 0 degrees Aries conjunction with your support of the IHS Collection. No better time than the present. In fact, the present is the only time there is.
