This level of the vortex spiral relates to the galactic level of our existence. Our solar system is part of a greater stellar body called the Milky Way galaxy. This is a spiral cluster of around 100 billion stars which is approximately 100,000 light years in diameter. Our Sun is positioned about 30,000 light years from its centre, on one of the outer spiral arms. All the stars we see with our naked eye are within our own galaxy.
The zodiacal constellations are those constellations of stars
at the back of the path the planets mark out across the sky.
This path is called the ecliptic. As we saw earlier, manifestation
in an organised gyroscopic system, occurs on the horizontal plane.
It therefore appears everything in our Galaxy and Solar System
follows similiar paths, within their given system. Even though
the planets for instance are at different distances from the
Sun, the planets all revolve around the Sun within approximately
the same 5 degree arc of the sky. The fixed star constellations
in the background of this path, form what is called the Sidereal
Zodiac. The other fixed star constellations which occur all over
the sky, as seen from the Earth, are not however part of the
Zodiac. The horizontal plane of the Galaxy is the groupings of
stars called the milky way.
Until the time of Christ all cultures used the CONSTELLATIONS around the ecliptic as their zodiac. Since shortly after Christ (200AD) however our western cultures have developed a zodiac based on a division of the Sun's annual orbit around the Earth, starting at the northern hemispheres spring equinox. Rather than being based on the constellations which form the ecliptic background, this Tropical Zodiac starts each year when the Sun is at the vernal equinox. An equal twelve fold division of the Suns path is marked off from this point, thus marking off the SIGNS of the zodiac. At the time this system was reestablished by Ptolemy, the Vernal Equinox was at 0 degrees of the constellation of Aries. So it was a natural enough assumption to create a equal 12 fold division along side a unequal 12 fold division. It is important to note the Tropical SIGN Zodiac is a Twelve fold division of a planetary sphere - The Sun - anchored to the Earth, while the Sidereal Zodiac is a twelve fold division of the Fixed Stars based upon the axis of the fixed stars Aldebaren and Antares.
Due to the Vernal Equinox moving backwards through the constellations one degree every seventy- two years, the start of the Tropical zodiac is now at the third degree of the constellation of Pisces, each year. This has created a separation between the two zodiacs so that the moons path through a particular constellation now occurs two days before its journey through the corresponding Tropical sign.
At this stage let it suffice to say that both are right and that they have different applications. A more thorough investigation of this question is presented in "Spiral Astrology" in the chapters "The Question of the Zodiacs" and "Equinoctial and Seasonal Zodiacs"
The same rules and patternings we have seen in the previous layers of the vortex spitral all apply at this level. This is one of the most striking facts which acts as a certain proof that the Astrological Spiral is indeed a Universal Theorem. All earlier patternings are expressed in subsequent levels, while the last level includes all earlier patternings. This is indeed a wholistic formula, built out of the bones of outer creation to describe the inner workings of creation.So much so that it is easier to understand the constellations inner qualities (or Signs ) by seeing them as a sum of their parts rather than by learning each ones qualities individually. Each zodiac constellations influence is made up of one part of each of the previous layers, namely it is ruled by 1 polarity, 1 mode, 1 element and 1 planet.
At the 12 fold level we see the divisions made by the planets forming the primary basis of the patterning however each planetary piece now internally polarises to give us a positive and negative side of the planetary impulse. As an image of the 2 fold level carried to this higher level one side is govened by the Earthly Female pole while the other are of te Cosmic Male pole.
This polarising of the planetary influence provides us with a dual planetary reference. We now have a primary or Cosmic planetary process and a secondary Earthly planetary process. As well as this we can include the macro planetary division of the Outer and Inner planets. This provides a fourfold picture of Cosmic Outer planets, Earthly Outer Planets, Cosmic Inner planets and Earthly Inner planets.
Similar diagrams can be made for the other zodiacal associations
(I apologise for not having a third polarity curve between Taurus and Scorpio and Libra and Aries. They should be there but for some reason they would not come out as I wished. I will keep trying.)
A wealth of association develops from this.
The Law of polarity divides the zodiac into two groups. In the Positive Cosmic group all constellations are either of the Fire and Air element. The Negative Earthly group all the constellations are of the Water and Earth elements.
The macro polarities operating earlier between Fire and Air or Earth and Water are always in polarity to one another at the 12 fold level.
The Modes structure of Cardinal, Mutable and Fixed show up and further identify the four sub groups within the zodiacal diagram. Each organise themselves into Cardinal Mutable Fixed structures, true to Level 3. This fourfold process suggests the gyroscopic form and so from this cross reference it is possible to gain a suggestions as to the 'identify' of each of these four sectors of the zodiacal gyroscope.
To determine the characteristics of any particular Sign/Constellation, the individual parts are pieced together.
Take Aries for example.
From the chart it can be seen
that it is a positive , cardinal, fire sign ruled by the planet
Mars. This indicates that Aries is an expansive, leading, optimistic
sign that is prone to bursts of assertive action in the achievement
of its goals.
Scorpio on the other hand is also ruled by Mars, however the polarity is negative, the mode - fixed, and the element -water. It could be said that Scorpio takes assertive action to conserve and maintain the support structures it has attracted to itself.
All the above diagrams show the inherent harmony of the zodiac. All parts of the 12 fold level six relate to each other according to the 'laws' indicated at previous levels. In this way the conclusion can be drawn:
relationships and conclusions about the theorem must also be correct.
It is this essential harmonic phenomena, that all the parts make the whole and the whole reflects the parts, that most fascinates me with Astrology. This very phenomenon may well have been the downfall of Kepler, the famous Astrologer/Astronomer, who held that the paths of the planets must be perfectly circular and not elliptical. He possibly projected this philosophic harmony of Astrology onto his Astronomical observations of our complex living organism, the solar system.