CHAPTER 5
Table of Planetary Powers
PLANETARY POWERS
One of the most important tables to memorize in studying astrology is what is called ‘Planetary Dignities.' On this rests all your understanding of ‘the laws and the prophets.' In some signs the power of energy we call a planet is able to project itself without any hindrance for it is functioning in a field harmonious to its own nature. In other signs a planetary energy is blocked by being in a sign not compatible to its nature and its full expression is hindered. You will find the ability to judge the power of a planet very necessary in interpreting charts, especially when you are interpreting horary charts.
When a planet is in the sign it rules, it is said to be dignified because it is powerful in its own sign, and can express itself freely.
Planets in opposite signs to the signs which they rule are in their detriment. Their power is lessened by being placed in signs that are uncongenial to their own nature. For example Saturn rules Capricorn and the sign opposite it is Cancer and Saturn is in its detriment in Cancer. The mothering, nutritive, sentimental sign of Cancer is not a good place for the contractive, cold, practical Celestial Schoolmaster. It constricts and inhibits Cancer.
It is not hard to memorize the tables of detriments if you know the signs the planets rule. The detriment is the opposite sign. Planets in their detriment are regarded as unfavorable and weak.
Every planet has one particular sign apart from the one it normally rules in which it seems able to express its nature harmoniously and to the best advantage. This is its sign of exaltation. Here we see the expression of the energy in its highest form. Planets are only exalted in signs of compatible elements. Exaltation may be regarded much the same as a powerful and favorable aspect.
Planets that are in signs opposite to their exaltation are in the sign of their fall. It brings disappointment to the concerns of the planet and to a certain degree, those of the house in which it falls.
When a planet is placed in an angle (near or in the 1st, 4th, 7th or 10th house) it becomes very important. Hence, because of its place and not because of its sign, it is accidentally dignified.
A planet in its own sign is similar to a person in his own house. One is able to entertain as he sees fit or do as he wishes in his own home. He has the authority to do so. A planet in its detriment is like being in someone else's house. He is not free and cannot do exactly as he pleases. Someone else has the power so he is limited. A planet in its exaltation is similar to a person who is not only able to entertain in his own home, but has plenty of substance so he has no limitations whatsoever. A planet in its fall is like a person who has neither the substance nor the home in which to entertain. He must go to work to earn it. In the area where that planet is placed by sign he has failed to use, or perhaps has abused, the energy tied up in that sign.
SUN: Let's consider the Sun, the symbol of spirit, the life force of the universe. It is the greatest dynamo of all. It rules Leo, sign that rules the spine and the heart in the physical body. Will (spine) and Love (heart) are the motivating powers of desire and the will to be. Without the driving power of desire there would be no motivation of Will. In August, sign of Leo, the Sun is all powerful as far as self-consciousness is concerned. The Sun in the heavens is at its greatest power. In February, sign of Aquarius, the Sun is in Saturn's positive sign. It is held by the clear, cold, electrical power of Aquarius, congealed and crystallized. The personal warmth and affection of Leo are replaced by a cool, impersonal and intellectual approach to life. Here the Sun is in its detriment. Does not the Aquarian need to remember that no chicken trying to break out of its shell ever hatched in a refrigerator. It takes loving warmth to bring forth new life and new desire to be. In doing charts it is well to remember that Aquarius is ruled by two planets, Saturn and Uranus. Freedom (Uranus) without discipline (Saturn) is license, not liberty.
The Sun is exalted in Aries. Aries initiates activity. It is the impulse to be—the divine spark in each of us coming into matter. Wherever Aries is placed in the chart is where we begin to operate; where we plunge into activity and this energy has all the power of the solar ego behind it. In nature lies the secret of life. The Sun force that pulls the sap up in the trees and the plants in the spring is the force that starts new energy flowing. There are two pulls operating all through nature. The Sun force pulling everything upward and the Saturn force pulling the roots downward, centering them in the earth. The Aries person rushes into activity propelled by the will and the desire to achieve a sense of livingness. No Aries is ever still for long. Unless they are active they are not happy.
In Libra the desire toward self-motivation has to take a back seat. The ego has to step aside for the sake of the other person. In a field where Saturn has full sway (Saturn is exalted in Libra) the Sun (Will) has no power of its own. The Sun falls in this sign for neither the soul nor the personality dominates; they cancel each other out. The individual stands at the midpoint between them. This is the reason Librans find it so hard to come to a decision. They want to be liked by all, so they sit on the fence and try to take two sides at once. This can lead to difficulties.
MOON: Symbol of the feelings and the subconscious. It rules Cancer, the mothering, nuturing sign, that has so much to do with the ebb and flow of the tides, whether physical, emotional, or mental ups and downs. In Capricorn the Moon is in its detriment. Here the personality has congealed and crystallized and needs to break up the selfishness of a negative Saturn. The Moon rules the personality. Note the difference between the person with the Moon in Taurus (where the Moon is exalted) and the person with the Moon in Capricorn. They can be equally worthwhile, but the person with the Moon in Capricorn has a harder time selling himself to the public. He has subconscious fears and an undercover pride and ego that is felt by others even though not a word is said. With the Moon in Taurus the personality operates in a Venus way drawing to itself through the attracting power of love.
The Moon is in its poorest place in Scorpio because it is in its fall. Here the aggressive, combative power of Mars dims the feminine quality of the Moon. However, there is a feminine magnetism based on the pull of the sexes. Here the personality must take a back seat (which it does not want to do) and let the sun light of the Self shine through.
MERCURY: Planet of consciousness; messenger between heaven and earth. Why is Mercury in its detriment in Sagittarius? There is a mystery hidden here and it is one of the secrets hidden in initiation. Mercury rules the dual sign, Gemini, but in the sign of the Universal Mind there is no duality. All is truly one. When the link is made between the Universal Self and the personality then truly “I and my Father are one,” and the mind as we know it no longer operates. This is a clue to the reason why Mercury is in its fall in Pisces. The critical, analyzing Mercury must be dissolved in the love and compassion of Pisces. When this is so, man needs no mediator but deals directly with his emanating source. For the un-evolved soul, Mercury in Pisces sensitizes him; first, to his own suffering, and then to the suffering of others. Doubt and depression are his greatest enemies.
Mercury in Aquarius is its best position for an earthling, and Mercury in Virgo is the secondary place. Uranus, higher octave of Mercury, lends intuitiveness to the intellectual gifts of Mercury. Here the mind is not fogged up by emotion. Mercury in Virgo gives a practical common sense to the airiness of Mercury. Mercury in Leo is in its fall. The mind is dissolved in the light of the spirit (the Sun). On the personal level the ego must be dissolved and vanity and pride must depart.
MARS: Mars rules Aries and Scorpio. One goes forth to battle, the other retreats. The same energy is behind both signs. Scorpio's way of fighting is not direct and uncomplicated. It is subtle and powerful because it is contained and concentrated. Aries' battlefield is the world; Scorpio's battlefield is himself. Aries rules beginnings and Scorpio rules death, so the personality must die in Scorpio in order that the soul can come into activity.
Mars is exalted in Capricorn. Mars is the producer of conflicts and in Capricorn we have the triumph of matter. Mars in Capricorn is the warrior battling the earth in himself as well as the world outside. He has tremendous strength at his disposal and the power to use it. Mars in Cancer is shorn of strength where aggressiveness and combativeness are concerned. They are anemic psychologically as well as physically. They would rather run than fight and need to learn to face life with courage. Running away from conflict does not erase it. It is the postponement of an issue that must be faced later.
Mars is the polar opposite of Venus. Venus draws through the attracting power of love. Mars goes out to wrest it from circumstances. Venus is not happy in Mars' territory as Mars is unhappy in the territory ruled by Venus. Mars in Libra and Taurus are not very happily placed. Mars in Taurus is in a feminine sign; its difficulties have to do with overpossessiveness and jealousy. Mars in Libra is very difficult in a feminine chart for a masculine aggressiveness is apparent. The power of Mars is lessened in Libra for Libra is the halfway house between the sheep (Aries) and the goats (Capricorn). This deals with the positive and negative qualities; between those who follow blindly, either by tradition or instinct, and those who climb freely where they choose, and are self-directed. This direction ma£ follow selfish desire or spiritual aspiration, but they will use their minds to decide which it will be. This gives a clue to the reason why Saturn is exalted in Libra. When one has reached the point where he can choose, he must be responsible for his decisions.
VENUS: Why is Venus in its highest position in Pisces? Because only through compassion does one sacrifice cheerfully and joyfully and not count the cost. The highest type of love is often misunderstood and crucified by the children of earth. So many of the great who came in Love to help the children of earth have been martyred; Jesus, Ghandi, Joan of Arc, Dag Hammerskjold and so many more. Venus in Pisces has a very difficult time on the planet. Their ideals of love are not geared to the earth. They are a bit different from the complaining one who said:
“Must I keep giving and giving again?
‘No.’ said the angel, piercing me through.
Give ‘till the Lord stops giving to you.”
Venus in Taurus is the earth Venus. Venus in Libra is more cultured and artistic. Venus is in its fall in Virgo. This is an indication that the critical and analytical mind is far from an understanding of love. When a person has Venus in Virgo they may be discriminating and proper but they are extremely unloving and apt to be faultfinding. They have not yet learned to love and have difficulty in attracting love because of their own lack. They can change, and the secret is hidden in the higher meaning of Virgo; service and humbleness of heart. Willing to be nothing in order that the hidden Christ can come forth. Venus in Scorpio or in Aries is not happily placed for the animal self (Mars) overpowers Venus.
JUPITER: Rules Sagittarius and is co-regent in Pisces. The energy that deals with the Superconscious or Universal Self. In the sympathetic, mothering sign of Cancer it is in a powerful position. It is exalted. It expands the feelings and expansive, optimistic feelings are the secret of living fully. In Gemini, where it is in its detriment, the Higher Mind is brought down to the level of the scattered and dualistic Gemini. There is waste for it dribbles away in non-essentials. Jupiter in Capricorn is held back by the materialism and cautiousness of Capricorn. In this sign Jupiter reaches its lowest and densest material aspect. Selfishness and materialism must be overcome.
SATURN: Lord of the World in us all. Keeper of the Records. Lord of Karma. Dweller on the threshold but also the Angel of the Presence. Here is a mystery and when one pierces through the veil Saturn proves to be the Angel of Light that reveals the meaning of it all. He plays a dual role. The greatest mystery sign of the zodiac is Capricorn. If the symbol of Capricorn is made correctly you will see that it is made up of Aries and Leo. The head and the heart. Do you remember what it said in the Scriptures? “The lion shall lie down with the lamb.” When the head and the heart are united Saturn's work is done. The lion is tamed and the Ram is the Lamb of God. The goat becomes the unicorn (whose horn in the middle of the forehead depicts the third eye) and the going up to town of the old nursery rhyme (the lion and the unicorn were going up to town) contains the secret of the going up of the human being to the door of initiation. The defeat of the king of beasts (personality) and the emergence of the Initiate dedicated to selflessness and World Service are shown.
Saturn in Libra is exalted. Libra is the sign of union, of marriage, of cooperation and learning to compromise. What calls for more discipline (Saturn) than this? There is great strength and great power at the disposal of anyone with Saturn in Libra. They are not young souls and have been long on the path of evolution. The life may be one of struggle, but it will be a life of power if rightly used.
Saturn in Aries is in its fall. Saturn is the angel who ‘followed the sons of man into their lowly place.’ Saturn was the angel picked to play the least understood role of all; that of Satan or the devil. He puts the brakes on when Aries wants to go too far, too fast.
Saturn in Cancer is in its detriment. Like the Moon in Capricorn it congeals and crystallizes the nurturing, mothering principle. It inhibits the feelings and gives subconscious fears that are unrecognized by the individual. The person with this configuration needs to learn to mother; to pour themselves out whether it is returned or not. Thereby they will clean up their karmic slate.
URANUS: Uranus and Neptune are higher octave planets, and their powers are aligned to Mercury and Venus, respectively. Mercury is Intellect and Uranus is Intuition. Uranus works with the rapidity of lightning, and intuitive processes work as quickly. The intellect has been compared to a farmer, plodding along at 10 miles per hour and the intuition to a high-powered car passing the farmer at 60 miles per hour. The intellectual finds it difficult to understand the intuitive person. He finds him frustrating. The intuitive has reached his goal but do not ask him how he reached it because he does not know. The logic and reason of the intellectual individual concerns him not at all. He knows, and knows that he knows. Mercury (the Intellect) knows why he knows.
Uranus rules Aquarius. This explains the rapidity of vibration at the present time. An Aquarian Age is dawning and everything will be stepped up. The vibratory rate of the earth is changing, and this means every bit of life on it will be affected. Flexibility is the quality that has to be built into the consciousness of every earth child. Uranus is in its detriment in Taurus, the world of crystallized substance. Matter and material things are all important to the Taurian consciousness. The Uranian individual couldn't care less. Uranus' effect on Taurus is devastating for Taurus loves a rut and doesn't like change. Uranus went into Taurus in 1934 upsetting the world market and we went off the gold standard. The economic situation between 1934 and 1941 changed the status quo forever.
Uranus is in its detriment in Leo. This may be so on the outer levels, but this rule does not apply on the inner levels. On the personality, the Sun represents desire and the will; too often, self-will. When the little Will and the desire for significance have been turned over to the Higher Will, then Uranus in Leo can align the two selves, the little self and the High Self, and illumination is the result. It can be a very potent position for attunement.
Uranus is exalted in Scorpio, for there is great affinity between Mars and Uranus. Both are explosive, rapid, impulsive and work with great speed. Uranus is the healing power of Spirit. Mars is the celestial surgeon who cuts away all that hinders the flow of spiritual power.
NEPTUNE: Neptune is the higher octave of Venus. Venus is exalted in Pisces. Neptune is exalted in Cancer. Where Venus is personal love and affection, Neptune is Divine Love, sacrifice and compassion. Venus says, “I will love you if you will love me.” Neptune says, “I will love you for it is the nature of Love to love.”
Neptune is the Universal Solvent that melts all barriers with its persuasiveness. It is a feminine vibration of great exquisiteness. Neptune rules Pisces, the sign of understanding, and the last sign of the zodiac. Divine love is the final attainment, where sacrifice is joy, and suffering is lost; there is no personal self left to suffer.
Neptune is unhappy in the critical, analytical, detailed Virgo. Here it is in the sign of its detriment. Virgo discriminates, weighs everything to see if it is worthwhile in an earthly sense. Neptune has no sense of its own worth nor suffers from a lack of it. Naturally, it does not feel at home in Virgo. Neptune is exalted in Cancer. The emotional, nurturing, maternal side of Cancer makes Neptune feel at home in that sign. Cancer, on the higher side, is the Cosmic Mother; she who has been denied and rejected in our Solar System. Yes, there is much talk of the Father and the Son. How could there be a Father and a Son without a Mother? In Capricorn Neptune is in its fall. Saturn, its ruler, is Lord of the World of Matter. He is big business, politics, everything that is materialism and worldly. Neptune has no part of the world; it deals with the intangible realms and the next dimension.
THE ORBS OF HIGHER POWER
It has often occurred to me that to many students the term “higher octave” might be merely a high-sounding phrase. It is my purpose here to examine the subject with the hope of offering some uesful observations.
The meaning of the higher octave can be brought out by comparing it to the octave in the musical scale. The octave note, or eighth note of the scale, is exactly like the first note but with twice the vibrations. Sounding it completes the harmonic structure of the musical scale, thus fulfilling a periodic law. Then this final or completing note becomes the first of a new series which is like the first but on a still higher tonal vibration. Thus, each octave note is at once the ending and a new starting point. When radio evolved from the telegraph, a higher-octave step was made.
To call a planet a higher octave is to say that it connotes a fulfilling and renewing of the higher qualities of the lower octave planet with whom it is related. The higher octave planets also symbolize spiritualizing processes. In the individual horoscope, the octave planet symbolizes the potentiality to develop and improve special talents as well as to unfold spiritual powers in response to life's experiences. Thus, the octave planets represent man's advancing physical, mental, emotional, intuitional and soul powers.
What does it mean that Uranus is the higher octave of Mercury? Mercury symbolizes the consciousness, the reasoning, analyzing, discriminating, knowledge-seeking mind; the expressing of abilities whether of mind or hand. Uranus is the intellect released from prejudice, precedent and tradition. Uranus awakens the mind to new knowledge or the seeking of it, which is beyond the range already achieved by Mercury.
Uranus stands for occult knowledge because it represents that which is hidden from common knowledge. It is the force which beckons to the discovery of the undiscovered. Thus, we associate Uranus with science and invention, psychology, metaphysics and with all forms of communication which transcend physical mediums—such as telephone, telegraph, radio, as well as such higher-sensory perceptions of the mind as telepathy, clairvoyance or psychometry.
Uranus is the persistent seeker of truth and wisdom, accepting nothing as final, always driven by the urge for richer experiences of life and for newer means of self-expression. If and when the individual becomes responsive to the octave development of Uranus, he has an inward feeling of what is right for him to do. His intuitions make his decisions for him, and he is not afraid to trust them.
The particular arts and sciences which may be described by Uranus are those of architecture, designing, engineering, scientific or metaphysical writing,
Neptune as the higher octave of Venus carries the objectified love nature—as well as the love of beauty, harmony and order which Venus represents—into higher realms. The passionate love of Venus—capable of its jealousy as well as tenderness, its possessiveness and absorption in another—becomes in Neptune a sacrificing, compassionate, selfless love. It is not that one should lose the capacity for human affections, loving individuals in family and marital relationships and in friendships, but that love nature finds its truest expression when it expands beyond the purely biological and possessive into the idealistic love which is giving and sacrificial. Only that nature which is capable of loving humanity as a whole is capable of loving individuals wisely.
Ed. note: See p. 287 ff. for discussion of Pluto.