CHAPTERIXA TYPICAL CASE
The ancient secret records embody a tradition of the going down of Atlantis into the depths of the sea after the perversion of a race of humanity whose physical culture, civilization and scientific attainments eclipsed anything of which we have modern example.
The Hebrew records give us the familiar case of Babel, that achievement of human arrogance which reached to the gates of the Sun. The great civilizations of Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, Greece and Rome have gone the way of all things temporal. In the modern endeavour to “beat the record” there is an element of danger which is too lightly regarded by those who have no knowledge whatsoever of the forces with which they are playing. These are not of the air and wave alone but of the whole universe, as well spiritual as physical. Let us look at the matter in the light of a modern example.
I have no record as to when theTitanicwas keeled, but there is certain knowledge that it was launched on the31stof May, 1911 at Belfast, the time being Greenwich Mean Time, 12.42p.m.The ship was well-named, not only because it was thegreatest embodiment of human engineering and ship-building skill, a veritable monster of a modern Frankenstein, but also because it was the embodiment of human pride and daring. The Titans, it will be remembered, were a race of giants, sons of Heaven and Earth, who were hurled into the abyss for daring to make war against Zeus. It is the Greek story of the submersion of Atlantis.
Ambitious in design, colossal in form, and inclusive of the very latest of modern luxury, this floating city took the water for the first time at a moment when the whole amphitheatre of heaven was witness of indications of impending disaster. I do not pretend to know what particular Master of Wisdom it was who set Argo Navis in the heavens as a symbol of all that maritime prowess with which the world has grown wonderful. I only know that in whatsoever horoscope a malefic planet occupies that particular part of the heavens it stands for a symbol of disaster by navigation. It is associated with Cancer. Neither do I know who it was gave to Neptune the traditional rule of the ocean, but yet I find it a prominent and malefic factor in all significations of shipwreck.
Now we have said that the time of the launching of theTitanicwas effected under portents of disaster. Let us go more closely into the particulars. At the moment of launching the19thdegree of the sign Virgo was rising at Belfast with the planet Mars just below the eastern horizon. The ruler of the horoscope was Mercury, and we find it in the9thdivision of the heavens, that part which has significance ofvoyages, and in conjunction with Saturn, the significator of delays, obstacles, obstructions and collapse. Both Saturn and Mercury were opposed by Jupiter. The Moon was in the “ocean” sign, Cancer going to the opposition of Uranus, the symbol of sudden catastrophe.
The most striking point is the ruler of the horoscope, Mercury, in the House of Voyages conjoined with the malefic planet Saturn.
TheTitanicset out for Southampton to take up its first commission on the2ndof April, 1912, at 9.20a.m.
At this time Cancer was rising, and the Moon was therefore ruler of the horoscope. It is found in opposition to the Sun and in square aspect to Neptune in Cancer just below the horizon. Here again we have the ruler of the horoscope just separating from eclipse and applying to an evil aspect with Neptune, the traditional ruler of the ocean.
The leviathan left Southampton on its maiden voyage at noon of the10thof April, 1912. At this time we find the sign Leo rising, and the Sun, ruler of the horoscope, in quadrature to Neptune in the12thHouse, an indication of hidden dangers.
Thus in every case we find the ruler of the horoscope to be significantly and severely afflicted. But that which was specifically indicated as regards theTitanicwas generally indicated by the position of Neptune in the8thHouse (death) of the Vernal Ingress preceding the event, whereat the Sun was in quadrature to Neptune, and this indication was repeated in the horoscope for the sailing from Southampton on the10thof April.
Figure 6.Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Among many notable passengers on board the fated vessel, none was better known or more generally respected than Mr.W. T.Stead. He was born, according to his own statement, on the5thof July, 1849, “before breakfast.” The horoscope which fits the events of his life is one set for that date at 7a.m., and the above is the figure of the heavens at that time.
Here again we find the Sun, ruler of the horoscope, in the significant sign Cancer afflicted by the opposition of the Moon and the quadrature of Saturn, thelatter malefic being in the9thHouse, which has already been defined as that of “voyages.” The fateful planet Neptune holds the8thHouse in the watery sign Pisces.
The indications of a violent and unnatural death are clearly defined by Ptolemy, who informs us that when both the luminaries are afflicted by the same malefic, or when each luminary is separately afflicted, there being no assistance from the benefic planets (Venus and Jupiter) the native will die an unnatural death. Here we find both the Sun and Moon in quadrature to Saturn in the9thHouse, showing as clearly as anything can be, that there would be danger of death in a foreign land or while on a voyage, and that by violence. I have no doubt at all that Mr. Stead met his death through a blow upon the head, as there are evident signs of collision, but none of suffocation.
The horoscope is in other ways significant of the main facts of the life of the great journalist. Five planets in cardinal signs with Mars in the Mid-heaven testify to the tireless energy, executive ability, courage and daring for which he was remarkable. This elevated position of the planet Mars always denotes impulse and impetuosity, and it is similarly placed in the horoscope of Kaiser Wilhelm, in whom Mr. Stead would doubtless have found a congenial spirit. It gives that “scorn of consequence” which attaches to the enthusiast in every phase of life, and tends greatly to produce the pioneer spirit. With Gladstone, Mr. Stead shared the view that “psychical research is by far the most importantwork that is being done in the world,” but no astrologer would have recommended him to undertake it, for with Saturn in the9thdivision of the heavens afflicting the luminaries he could hardly hope for success in that direction, and there is little doubt that he was very grossly deceived by some in whom he placed great reliance in this matter. The trine of Neptune to Mercury would, however, impel him to such subjects.Borderlandwas not a financial success, nor was it much more than a ragbag of fragmentary and ill-assorted evidence. Julia’s Bureau was not a success either from a financial or evidential point of view. No message of warning came through from “Julia” to save him from his death voyage. Let us accept the suggestion that has been offered, namely, that he was wanted elsewhere. It was still open to those who were aware of the fact to say so, and thus contribute one of the most striking pieces of evidence for the operation in mundane life of extraneous intelligences, which would have gone further to uphold the claims of those who believe in spirit-guidance than all the literature Mr. Stead lavished on the subject.
At the time of the disaster we find the following arcs of direction measured in the prime vertical to be in operation—
Moon opposition Uranus,Sun conjunction Uranus,Moon parallel Mars,
Moon opposition Uranus,Sun conjunction Uranus,Moon parallel Mars,
Moon opposition Uranus,Sun conjunction Uranus,Moon parallel Mars,
Moon opposition Uranus,
Sun conjunction Uranus,
Moon parallel Mars,
while the Moon by secondary direction, that is,accounting one day after birth for each year of life and two hours for every month, was in 26° of Aries, exactly the longitude of the catastrophic planet Uranus at the time of birth!
Compare this horoscope with that of the ill-fated Captain of theTitanic. According to the local record Captain Smith was born at Handley,Staffs., on the27thof January, 1850. Here again we find the luminaries in opposition to one another as in the horoscope of Mr. Stead, and both are afflicted by the aspect of Mars. The time of birth was probably at about five o’clock in the afternoon, when the planet Neptune would be in the8thHouse and Saturn and Uranus in the9thdivision of the heavens. Sixty-two days after birth the planet Uranus had reached the Mid-heaven of the horoscope, and on the day of the disaster Mercury was in transit over the same point, while the great symbol of death and destruction, an eclipse of the Sun, fell in 27° of Aries on the17thof April, close to the Mid-heaven of this horoscope and on that of Mr. Stead’s horoscope. Further, the Moon at the birth of Captain Smith was in the4thdegree of Leo and on the day of the disaster Uranus was transiting the exact opposition in Aquarius 4. Moreover, at the time of the sailing of theTitanicfrom Belfast to undertake her ill-fated maiden voyage, the 5th degree of Cancer was rising, and on the day of the disaster Mars had reached this exact degree of the zodiac, being in 4° 56´ of Cancer at Noon.
No case that could be submitted more fully and completely illustrates the folly of disregarding thesymbolism of the heavens, or more forcibly accentuates the need of human conspiracy in regard to cosmical agencies. Man has harnessed some of the most potent forces of Nature and has constrained them to his service, but for some as yet undiscovered reason he prefers to remain in ignorance of the laws which relate him to his greater cosmical environment. We have imagined that by controlling these natural forces we have asserted our mastery over destiny. The heavens from out the immeasurable depths of space are the silent witnesses of our folly and arrogance. The same stars that fought against Sisera fight ever against the man who is ignorant of the laws of the universe which condition him. We are fated to the extent that we are ignorant of those laws, and culpable to the degree that we disregard those that we know. The sea, the vessels that are afloat upon it and all their human freight, are as nearly touched and as surely disposed by interplanetary action and cosmical forces as are the molecules of air and water that constitute the winds and waves. Never a ship was keeled or launched but into it were compounded the elements that respond to the great heart-beat of Nature. That man should use all his faculties to the greatest possible advantage to himself and through himself to the race at large, that he should put forth all his powers in the effort to master the forces which appear to be in conflict with him, would appear to be his supreme duty and his highest guerdon. But there is a more convenient and less dangerous way. Instead of defying the forces of Nature he can makeuse of them, instead, of ignoring the laws of Nature he can adapt himself to them. This is called the covert agreement. It is the ancient wisdom, the simple way, and those who anciently observed it found it to be effectual for good. Those ancient Britains who thought Canute to be so great that he could set back the ocean tides were of that order of Titans who would measure their strength with the Almighty. We, who have understood the laws governing the tides, have gained a mastery over them by the simple means of adaptation. In this instance we have adapted ourselves to Nature. It is possible to extend the process to include the election of times and seasons for any purpose whatsoever. Solomon, who is regarded by the average man as an inconsequent babbler of effete doctrine, affirmed that there is a time for every purpose under the heavens. A closer study of this doctrine of elections—as the proper choice of time for specific purposes is called in Astrology—would lead men to take a conscious part in the conspiracy of well-doing, by the adjustment of action to purpose and of both to astral and cosmical conditions. This would be infinitely better than “taking one’s chance,” and certainly more in conformity with the spirit of true religion. But before we can do this we shall have to instruct ourselves more generally in the symbolism of the universe and the reading of those symbols which from the beginning were set and appointed to us for “signs and for seasons, for days and for years.”
A knowledge of cosmical symbolism and of the facts of planetary interaction is that to whichscience will inevitably be compelled, and which sooner or later it will recognize as essential to a true concept of the relations of man to his greater environment. And when this system of Anthrocosmology shall have been established, as assuredly it will be, then will humanity perceive in all humility that God, and not Britannia, rules the waves, and that the planets are his agents.