Question: You say that Mercury is colorless and neutral in its influence. Would
not that indicate that the humanity of Mercury is at a very low stage of
development, and if so how can they have an influence upon the mind of
humanity in such a manner that it promotes reason? (Vol. II, #122)
Answer: During the first three and a half Revolutions of the Earth Period the
influence of Mars had been paramount to galvanize humanity into action, but
since the middle of the Atlantean Epoch, when mind had been given to all,
evolution and epigenesis (the exercise of man's own original creative talent)
are gradually bringing us Godward. While the influence of Mars was paramount
as said, the mercurial influence was almost nil, for the planet Mercury had
been in obscuration, undergoing one of the periodical planetary rests from
which it began to emerge during the Atlantean Epoch when the Lords of Mercury
were called upon by Jehovah to aid Him in counterbalancing the influence of
the Lucifer Spirits upon humanity. Since that time the influence of Mercury
has been constantly increasing, but it will take many millennia before its
full influence is felt. There are no sudden processes in nature and it takes a
long time for a planet to go to rest or come out from a period of obscuration.
It must not be forgotten either that we are not mentally qualified to take
full advantage of the Mercurial vibrations as they exist at the present time,
for the humanity of Mercury is far beyond our stage of development, though
they as well as all the other planets are following different lines of
evolution from that which is going on upon the Earth.
With respect to the color of Mercury, we may say that when one is in the
body and focuses his sight upon the World of Concrete Thought, the first color
he sees is blue-black or indigo, something like the intensified color of the
blue core of a gas flame. At times it appears darker than others, though
probably that may be due to conditions in the observer, but it seems entirely
vacuous. The feeling and sensation is something similar to that which one has
after being out in a very bright sunlight when one suddenly enters a house.
The sight has to be adjusted to conditions there and until that time all
appears black or dark. Then gradually one perceives a white light in and
through everything.
The whole Region of Concrete Thought is basically a dazzling, brilliant
white, or perhaps colorless, and in that the different things take unto
themselves a color which stands out all the more sharply and brilliantly
because of the absolutely colorless light which pervades the whole region. It
is probably because of that absolutely crystal clearness that there is no
space perception possible. The mind is formed of this colorless mind stuff and
because it is perfectly neutral it is able to show other things in their true
colors.
Perhaps the whole matter can best be explained by the illustration of a
field glass. If we take one that is of poor quality, we shall find that the
glass is not quite clear and that it shows a number of colors in the lenses.
Thus the objects upon which this glass is focused are seen but indistinctly,
their colors not being shown up true, but when we obtain a first class
instrument it is, as we say, chromatic. It will not show any colors in the
glass, and therefore it can properly transmit the true colors of objects upon
which it is focused. Being perfectly clear and absolutely neutral it may be
focused upon distant objects. The mercurial rays are singularly well adapted
to express the mental faculty for the similar reason that they are colorless
themselves.
The Balance of
Joy and Sorrow
Question: Is sorrow necessary in the great scheme of things? Is it not a part
of God's plan for us to be joyful? (Vol. II, #125)
Answer: When Tannhauser, driven by his unholy passion for the noble, pure, and
virtuous Elizabeth, wandered into the mountain and was attracted to the cave
of Venus as steel to a magnet, he was not only allowed, but encouraged to
gratify his sensual desires to the fullest extent. Naturally, he was soon
satiated with passion and he prayed to be released from the goddess Venus and
to be allowed to return to the Earth. In the course of his plea he utters the
truism that at the present stage of development man requires both joy and
sorrow for his proper development. In the philosophic mind this sentiment
evokes instant assent, for although we are all human enough to crave joy and
dread sorrow, we cannot upon proper thought fail to realize the fact that a
life of constant joy without the slightest sorrow to mar it would be
absolutely insipid and colorless. It is the proper blending of light and
shadow that gives beauty to a picture or landscape, and a similar arrangement
of sorrow and joy is required to lend zest to life and make it worthwhile.
From the astrological standpoint the light and the shadow of life is
furnished by the position and aspects of Jupiter and Saturn at birth, together
with their progression and transits in respect to the horoscope of any person.
The joy and the laughter come from Jupiter, the planet of benevolence and
optimism, who bestows upon us the favors of the gods in the measure which we
have deserved their bounties. On the other hand, Saturn, the planet of
pessimism and obstruction, is the dispenser of disfavors which we have
incurred by actions inharmonious with the law, and as we are still ignorant of
how to work in harmony with God's great plan of the universe, it is small
wonder that the switch of Saturn is needed to whip us into line when we have
departed from the path of virtue. However, it is a most significant sign of
our Father's love that Jupiter travels three times around the horoscope,
making aspects and bringing opportunities for good, to every revolution of
Saturn, which brings to us the experiences which are called evil by those who
lack understanding.
What a wonderful blessing astrology is, giving us an insight into the
infinite plan of evolution, whereby we are all slowly being educated from
ignorance to omniscience! Saturn is one of the main factors in this process of
enlightenment. To those who do not know astrology it may seem as if sorrows
come upon them for no reason that they can discover, and they very often envy
those who are more fortunate seemingly than themselves. However, once they
have learned to look for light through astrology the whole viewpoint of life
is changed. It then becomes evident that we are here not for pleasure but for
experience, and no matter how sad or how disastrous these experiences may be,
the true student of astrology welcomes them and seeks to find out the reason
from the astrological viewpoint, and the lessons to be learned. Furthermore,
he derives the comfort from his (or her) knowledge that the aspects which
produce disastrous effects are only passing and that in due season, which he
can definitely calculate, the whiplash of Saturn will disappear and the
benefic ray of Jupiter will again dispel the saturnine gloom and heal the
heart. This knowledge naturally gives him courage to bear up in the days of
trial and keeps him in a hopeful attitude of mind looking forward to the time
when the tribulation will be over.
When we live in ignorance of God's great plan and have no conception of the
cyclic ministrations of sorrow and joy brought into our lives for our own good
by Saturn and Jupiter, we are apt to become too elated and overjoyed when
Jupiter showers the good gifts of the gods — health, wealth, friends, success,
and prosperity — upon us. We are also prone to become unduly downcast when
under the scourge of Saturn we are deprived of all that makes life worth of
living. However, when the book of life has been opened up to us by the sacred
science of astrology and we recognize therein the benevolent purpose of God
and His minsters toward us, we gradually learn to keep our balance so that
when the joys of Jupiter come our way we are not too joyous, but receive them
in a chastened spirit and learn to consider ourselves stewards of all the good
things that are thus given into our hands. We learn that we are to use them,
not for our own selfish interests and purposes, but for the good of all, and
that some day an accounting will be required of us where we must show how we
have used the stores of our Lord.
On the other hand, the whiplash of Saturn will not be long or often applied
to one who uses self-examination to see wherein he is falling short and to
find the fault that is causing him tribulation whereunder he (or she) is
suffering. That lesson will certainly be found by the sincere seeker and when
it has been discovered the joy at having found a valuable pearl of knowledge
will far overbalance the pain involved in learning the lesson. In the course
of years there will be evolved that most valuable of all the Ego's
possessions, equipoise, which lifts the man who has it above the surging sea
of emotions into the realm of eternal peace that passes all understanding.
When he has arrived at that point in his development neither Saturn, Jupiter,
nor any of the other Planetary Spirits will have the power to move him, for he
has then learned to rule his stars and regulate his fate according to his own
divine will.
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