CHAPTERXVIICELESTIAL MAGNETIC POLARITIES
It has already been shown by one of our Kabalas that there is a certain polarity existing between the planets of the system by which they become natural antitheses and thus stand in certain relations of polarity. Hence it is that the numbers attaching to them are interchangeable. Thus it was shown that Mars and the Moon, the one having its exaltation sign in Capricorn and the other its rulership in Cancer, the opposite sign, were numerical resolvants. Also that Mercury, having its exaltation sign in Aquarius, was resolved into terms of the Sun, whose rulership is vested in the opposite sign Leo. Further, that the Moon, having its exaltation in the sign Taurus, was interchangeable with Mars, whose sign is Scorpio, in opposition to Taurus.
The scheme of Planetary Hours involved the whole of this question of Planetary Numbers, and it was shown that the matter was open to considerable controversy, necessitating prolonged observation and research.
There is another point in connection with the interchange of Planetary Numbers which requires consideration. It is that of polarity. Astrologerseverywhere recognize the fact that the signs of the zodiac are alternately active and passive, or positive and negative, male and female, and the Houses or twelve divisions of the visible heavens are said to have the same polarity as the signs with which they are associated, as Aries with the1stHouse, Taurus with the2ndHouse, and so on.
Now, at a mean rate of motion, which is attained at the equinoxes, the apparent transit of the Sun through the Houses or divisions of the Prime Vertical is at the rate of 30°, or the space of one House in two hours. Therefore, if the Houses are to be regarded as having the same polarity as the signs they are associated with, then the first 30° of the Sun’s diurnal arc will be negative in action and the next positive, and so on alternately. But it has already been empirically proved that the quadrant from sunrise to noon is positive, that from noon to sunset negative, from sunset to midnight positive, and from midnight to sunrise negative.
For a demonstration of this principle I refer my readers to “The Law of Sex” developed in myManual of Astrology. This law requires that the majority of influence exerted from theS.E.quarter of the heavens, which extends from the Sun’s rising to its culmination, shall be positive and tending to male generation, while that from theS.W.quarter shall be negative and tending to female generation.
But it can also be shown that the Planetary Hours, each of which occupies the time of the Sun’s passage through one-half of a House, or 15°, arealternately positive and negative. We then derive the following useful diagram of the
Figure 20. Polarity of the Houses.Figure 20. Polarity of the Houses.
Figure 20. Polarity of the Houses.
Figure 20. Polarity of the Houses.
In this diagram the inner circle shows the polarity of the Houses, whether positive or negative, the next circle outward shows the polarity of the Hours, and the outside circle shows that of the Quadrants, which is summative of the Houses and Hours.
Applying this to the subject of planetary action, it will be seen that a planet occupying theS.E.quadrant of the heavens will exert a positive influence, but that its influence will be largely negatived when it occupies the second half of the11thHouse in the course of its rising, and similarly, that a planet in theS.W.quadrant will exercise a negative influence, which will be rendered more positive when the planet comes to the first half of the8thHouse in the course of its setting. The fact that male horoscopes are generated from theS.E.andN.W.quadrants and female from theS.W.andN.E., goes to show that these ascriptions are valid, and when we further consider that human vitality is lowest at the two points that are occupied by the negative influence, and highest at those that are here shown to be positive, should, in my opinion, go a long way towards establishing this order in our astrological scheme of things.
Now, if we consider the whole earth to be surrounded with etheric vibrations and interpenetrated by them, we may also legitimately refer these vibrations to colours and sounds since all the forces of Nature are interchangeable and convertible. Such a conception lends itself at once to experimental proof, and, as the result of researches carried on during successive years by Carl von Reichenbach, we have a definite scheme of colour attributable to the different sections of the heavens. It is shown that there is a form of electricity visible to persons of a highly sensitive nature when placed in the dark. InThe Sensitive ManReichenbach has given a mass of experiments which show that the Od fluid undergoes a variety of changes according to the magnetic relations of the subject or object from which they proceed. In the second volume there is a description of the Earth-Aura. This is not, as one might suppose, a composite of the various auras of its geological constituents, but a thing apart and independent of human, animal, vegetable and other emanations. Every body has its own aura, and these blend upon contact or within auric distance, producing changes in the magnetic relations of thebodies concerned. The human aura is like that of the crystal and has an obvious polarity. Thus the auric colour at the head is blue while that at the feet is dark red; the right side is grey-blue and the left side yellow. Now this answers exactly to the polarity of the visible heavens, for it is observed that Blue, the most magnetic colour, is associated with the North or midnight point; Red, the most electric, with the South and mid-day; the neutral to the East and the dawn; and the Yellow to the West and sunset.
When the body is laid horizontally, with the head to the North, the colours were seen at their greatest brilliancy, passing from blue at the head through blue green to dark green, light green and yellow, golden yellow, and orange to deep red at the feet. But the most remarkable effect is that if the body be gradually revolved so as to pass through the successive points of the compass, a series of remarkable changes take place in the colours of the aura, and the original colours are no longer seen, but the blue at the head undergoes successive changes by the admixture of other colours according to the angle of deflection, and in effect we have the—
Colours of the Twelve Houses.
1st, Grey;2nd, Blue-grey;3rd, Blue with red rays, Violet;4th, Blue;5th, Dark Green;6th, Light Green;7th, Yellow;8th, Golden;9th, Orange;10th, Red;11th, Violet-red, Purple;12th, Grey-red or dull Red.
Now the presence of a planet or of a group of stars, such as enter into the composition of a constellation, may reasonably be held to effect some magnetic change in the radical nature of the vibrations emanating from that quarter. The planets are found to exert an influence on the magnetic needle, and both Venus and Jupiter, as affecting the earth in its orbit, may be regarded as instances of the interplay of cosmical factors. The medium by which the magnetic needle is affected by these planets is doubtless the magnetic aura of the earth.
The planets could, indeed, affect us through their light rays if by no other means, for experiments have shown that by directing the rays of Jupiter and some of the fixed stars through a telescope on to a selenium screen at a distance of ten feet, the comparative effect was, of a candle light 1, of Procyon 0·261, of Cygnus O·262, of Aldebaran O·279, of Orion O·685 and of Jupiter 3·272!
Astrologically we are able to distinguish the psychically gifted by the presence of the planets in the lower meridian, but especially Sun and Mercury, Saturn and the Moon. This answers to the point of magnetic intensity at the maximum which is registered about midnight, and this observation leads to the conclusion that the planets do not of necessity influence us by their direct rays, but by the changes that they cause in the earth’s magnetic aura at various points in the circle of the visible heavens. Primarily the Sun must be the cause of the normal magnetic aura of the earth, and the planets would in this sense be moderators, which isthe old name applied to them by Ptolemy. Thus the presence of several planets or the luminaries in the lower meridian at the time of a person’s birth will render that person particularly negative or sensitive to the changes taking place in the auric consensus of environment, and those who are in the habit of classifying and collating horoscopes will have abundant proof at hand that this is the case. On the other hand, we find extremely positive people to be produced by the presence of planets in the10thHouse, near the South Meridian, and especially such as have Mars (colour, red) reinforcing the natural auric colour of that part of the heavens. Two examples come readily to my mind, that of Kaiser Wilhelm, in whose horoscope both Neptune and Mars are in the Mid-heaven, and that of the late WilliamT. Stead, in whose horoscope Mars and Uranus are close to the Mid-heaven.
In effect we have the earth as the centre of a vast kaleidoscope, undergoing changes of colour from hour to hour by reason of the Sun’s passage from one rising to the next. Obviously there can be no universal red or blue since the Mid-heaven of one place is the horizon of another that is 90° East or West of it. Consequently there must be some factor that produces local colouring, which at the zenith produces vibrations which manifest as red and at the nadir as blue. This factor must be the Sun, since it is the only cosmic factor that has a constant relation to any part of the earth at the same hour each day. The planets in their courses will then intervene to bring about modifications ofthe colours or vibrations instituted by the Sun, and of these the Moon, as the quickest moving in its orbit, will be the chief. Mercury will come next, and then Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, so that in effect we have the Chaldean order of interpretation once more.
The question then arises as to whether that part of the earth’s aura where the Sun is at any moment should not always be taken as the positive maximum answering to noon and the colour red. If so, then it follows that the time of birth becomes a very important factor in the constitution of what may be called the magnetic constitution of a person. The whole subject is full of suggestions of the utmost significance, but hardly at this date in a condition to admit of dogmatic statement. The subject is therefore better left for future consideration.