In contrast to the planets (see last month's issue), zodiac signs aren't actually physical things at all... they are fields of energy or, more accurately, they are fields of awareness or Divine Intelligence. We mentioned last time the "what, how, and where" of astrology and that the planets describe "what" is being studied. In the same vein, the zodiac signs describe "how". The Zodiac Sign tells us something more about the energy of the planet in question. So, for example, an Aries Moon would be very different from a Cancer Moon. While the basic qualities of the Moon remain the same - the zodiac sign will always give us more of the bigger picture about an individual's instinctive or emotional nature, telling us more about how that emotional energy is being expressed (or not).
Your Soul Sign
Earlier in this series we discussed how your soul is indicated by your Rising sign (Ascendant). This is the sign that was rising on the horizon at the time of your birth and, as the dawn of your life, it is considered by soul-centered astrologers to be the most important sign in astrology, precisely because it indicates your soul’s path, purpose and expression.
Personality and Soul Signs
In Soul Astrology we are often speaking on two levels. It is important to understand the difference between the ego-personality expression of your Soul Sign and its higher, Soul-Centered expression. The 12 Zodiac signs represent 12 Divine Intelligences. In their purest form these energies carry a high vibration and Divine Purpose. By the time this energy has filtered its way through a foggy, confused and conditioned, egoic human mind, its original “tune” is distorted somewhat. This ‘distorted’ expression of the energy is your ego-personality and once you have fully ‘healed’ by clearing your conditioned behavior you are said to be fully integrated. In other words the process of personality-Soul fusion that we talked about earlier in this series (link) is then complete. You can then fully express the Soul Centered vibration of your Soul Sign AND your personality signs.
Each sign has a higher vibration (or Soul-Centered) expression and a lower vibration (personality) expression. If we think of the octaves of the musical scale, we can get an idea about the lower and higher vibrations of each sign. The lower octaves are fear-based and come from externally imposed ideas about how we ought to be, while the higher octaves are love-based and arise purely from within our own heart. This is an important key, not only to understanding the lower and higher expressions of each sign, but for knowing how to shift from lower to higher expressions for yourself. The shift is from fear to love, but this is meaningless until you experience the shift in perspective that comes from navigating the octaves on the spiritual spectrum. When you come from a place of love within, you will naturally express the highest octaves of your sign.
Your Personality Signs
As mentioned above your Soul's journey is indicated by your Rising Sign, so what of the planets? Well, they are indicating the embodied patterns that you carry in your energy field from this and past lifetimes. In other words they reflect what Western Psychology would refer to as your 'personality'. This is especially the case with the Sun and Moon, since they are the most personal planets, but also Mercury, Venus and Mars will also play a significant part in shaping your personality. Whatever signs your personal planets are in, are your personality signs.
The light of your Soul, indicated by your Rising Sign, is focused through the lens of your personality. So you could say that your Soul Sign indicates what you came here to do, while and your Sun and Moon signs show how you will do it.
The Soul-Centered Meaning of The Signs
The Soul Centered meaning of each sign is it's highest vibration and expression. In Soul Astrology Zodiac signs not only tell you something about your own energy field (your horoscope reflects your own personal energy field - the energy you were born to express in this lifetime) but (through your Soul Sign) they also tell you something about the journey of your Soul, as developmental stages, from Aries through to Pisces.
At Soul level each sign not only brings deeper awareness, realization and understanding for us as individuals, but also a greater capacity for us to benefit humanity and progress towards our collective spiritual awakening. Below is an overview of the 12 signs (there is much more in-depth information in Soul Astrology) to give you some sense of the Soul-centered meaning for each Zodiac sign, which can serve as a basis for your own meditation, observation, and deeper contemplation:
Aries
At the Soul level Aries is the sign of existence itself and in Esoteric Astrology it is said to be the sign that is ‘closest to God’. The highest vibration of Aries is Divine Inspiration, initiating Divine life force energy itself, pouring into existence from a single point (or source).
Taurus
At the Soul level Taurus is about revelation and illumination. It is a very mysterious sign, associated with the opening of the third eye. The highest vibration of Taurus is full spiritual awakening, in other words enlightenment.
Gemini
The energy of Gemini both creates and dissolves polarities in the Universal dance of Creation, which was known to the Ancient Rishis of India as the “breathing in and out of Brahma.” The highest vibration of Gemini is sacred communion with the Divine.
Cancer
At the Soul level Cancer is associated with emotional intelligence, empathy and Love. The highest vibration of Cancer is the highest Love of all: Compassion.
Leo
At the Soul level Leo is about power, purpose, creativity and the expression of Divine Will. The highest vibration of Leo is the ultimate Self-Realisation.
Virgo
At the Soul level Virgo is about bringing spiritual energy into physical matter. The highest vibration of Virgo is spiritual perfection, work as a sacred act, an expression of Divine Love in action.
Libra
At the Soul level Libra is about Divine harmony and balance. The highest vibration of Libra is Divine Law, Ultimate Truth, Harmony, and peace on Earth.
Scorpio
At Soul level Scorpio is about the transformation of darkness into light. The highest vibration of Scorpio is to embody Divine Love.
Sagittarius
At Soul level Sagittarius is about truth, freedom and wisdom. The highest vibration of Sagittarius is ultimate freedom through the true liberation of mind.
Capricorn
At Soul level Capricorn is about sacred geometry and the deepest mysteries of engineering structures of light. The highest vibration of Capricorn is living heaven on earth through the integration of light or rainbow body.
Aquarius
At Soul level Aquarius is about channelling and specifically directing the vital life force energies of love and life for the upliftment of humanity and the evolution of human consciousness. The highest vibration of Aquarius is the accumulation and dedication of personal spiritual energy for the benefit of the collective.
Pisces
At Soul level Pisces is about emanating radiant, unconditional Divine Love for the benefit of all. The highest vibration of Pisces is the expression of Christ Consciousness
This is only a very brief overview of the signs. It really can take a lifetime of self-observation through deep meditative practice before you fully recognise and understand your personality and Soul Signs as deep, energetic, patterns within you that you have come to heal and transcend in this lifetime.
In
Esoteric Astrology (and as we mentioned in earlier newsletters) the Tibetan Master describes how we are each on a path of
personality-Soul fusion. There is more to this deep process than we are able to cover here (you can read more in my book
Soul Astrology), but basically you are here to shift from the lower personality expressions of your signs to the higher Soul-Centered expressions, through a process of self awareness.
“There are no levels of Reality,
only levels of experience for the individual.”
- Ramana Maharshi
Whether you are able to complete this process in one lifetime, and live as a fully integrated Soul-Centered individual, depends upon your capacity for self-perception, in other words your ability to perceive your own energy field.
Optional Fieldwork for those wanting to go deeper:
- Download and read Your Essential Guide to Soul Astrology (if you haven't read it for a while, read it again to refresh your memory).
- Get two notebooks. Use one for your study notes (what you are learning about astrology); and use the other as a reflective journal where you write your deeper insights, self-observations and realisations about YOU that arise from your study, observations of your zodiac signs, and meditation.
- Deeper Self-observation. Take out your own horoscope (natal chart) and in your Soul Astrology journal -make a note of what your Rising Sign is, and what signs you have personal planets in, especially your Sun and Moon (the personal planets are Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars).
- Attune to the Zodiac Signs. If you didn't do so already, begin your daily meditation practice. In your meditation begin attuning to the energy of each sign. Take your time, you have the rest of your life for this! If you don't feel anything at first, contemplate the descriptions above and allow your imagination to take you into the imaginal realms. From there open your heart and mind and allow the subtle energies to guide you. Take as long as you need to, to build a strong connection. Write your experiences in your journal.
- Further Reading: In your copy of Soul Astrology study and meditate on Chapters 2, 3 and 4.
