Makara Homepage Volume III Table of Contents Essential Energies Combinations Cancer and Ray 5

Tapestry of the Gods Volume III by Michael D. Robbins (c) Astro-Rayology in progress Cancer & Ray 4 Introduction - Expression in the self-centered - Expression in developed man - Expression in disciples and initiates - Directives - Mantra - Symbols - Contrasts - Similarities - Famous People

Sun or Ascendant in Cancer with Ray 4   .	Sun Cancer (or Ascendant Cancer), R4P (or R4S) Plus Constellationally Transmitted R3 and R7 A strong reinforcement of ray and astrological energies emerges due to the transmission of the fourth ray {at least symbolically} through the Moon—the exoteric ruler of Cancer. The reinforcement is strongest in the case of the average human being, still conditioned by his lunar vehicles. If Neptune {so associated with the fourth or buddhic plane} transmits the fourth ray through any aspect of its energy structure—the personality, for instance—then the mutual reinforcement would be strengthened, especially in the lives of disciples and initiates—those responding to the esoteric and hierarchical rulership of Cancer by Neptune. This general rulership reinforcements are further strengthened by the Moon’s rulership of the first decanate of Cancer {considered in esoteric order} and of the last decanate {considered in exoteric order}. Fourth ray Mercury is the ruler of the central decanate both exoterically and esoterically considered.  Further, Neptune, the esoteric and hierarchical ruler of Cancer, is exalted in Cancer {along with Jupiter” and, again, is strongly associated with the fourth or buddhic plane. The most applicable category is Strong by Rulership—Class 1. Neptune’s associations with the fourth ray would have to be considered rather Mild, as Neptune is a synthesizing planet, and the fourth ray would be expressing through the personality or one of the personality vehicles {such as the mind}. But Neptune’s general fourth ray associations add to the quite significant strength of the Cancer/fourth ray interplay.
Selfish, Self-Centered or Self-Serving Human Being	Selfish, Self-centered or Self-Serving Human Being i.    The “thin-skinned” emotionality of the self-centered Cancer person combines with the unpredictable moodiness induced within the insufficiently spiritualized personality by the fourth ray. ii.  The changeability of Cancer combines with the inconsistency and vacillation of the fourth ray. iii.    Excessive reliance upon the feeling function. iv.    Moodiness; capricious and irrational change according to the feeling of the moment. Moods change for obscure reasons rooted in the unconscious. v.   Emotionalism; emotional instability. Emotional equilibrium easily disturbed. vi.    Swept by the contradictory, irrational attitudes of the mass consciousness. vii.    Unpredictable approach/avoidance behavior. Attraction and repulsion alternate unaccountably; “love” and “hate” alternate rapidly. viii.    Touchy”, “thin-skinned”, tendency to react suddenly to real or (often) imagined “slights”. Retreating, “wounded” within the Cancerian “shell”. ix.    Easily overwhelmed by contents of the “unconscious” (i.e., the astral plane). x.    A stressful turbulence forever brewing, stewing, simmering within the psyche. Negative feelings build up because they are withheld. xi.    An ongoing condition of fret and worry with only rare moments of harmony. xii.    Lack of confidence. xiii.    Constant fighting with members of one’s own family—both the inner ‘family’ of energies and forces (internecine warfare, and problems within the realm of character), or one’s actual, physical family. “A house divided against itself”. Trouble “at home”. The dysfunctional family. “Your enemies are of your own household”. xiv.    The distressed psyche.
Advanced Human Being; Aspirant; Disciple: Additionally, where relevant, combine Ascendant Sign with the ray of either the ray of the personality or soul.	Advanced Human Being; Aspirant; Disciple i.   The desire for integration and ‘whole-making’ characteristic  the advancing Cancer individual combines with the power to harmonizeinduced within the spiritually unfolding personality by the fourth ray. ii.  Bringing peace to the ‘family’—whatever the nature of that family. iii.   Understanding that peace begins “at home”. iv.   The imaginativeness of Cancer combines with the creativity of the fourth ray. v.  The capacity to bring beauty into the ‘home’—whatever the nature of that home. vi.  Artistic mediumship. Capacity to embody quality according to inspiration. Considerable musical ability in evidence—(Neptune, ruler of Cancer combining with the fourth ray of Harmony, Beauty and Art). vii. Growing capacity for the skillful practice of  psychology. Intuitive grasp of the well-springs of motivation, both personal and spiritual. viii.  On the Path of Discipleship: understanding that one’s fellow disciples are really members of one large family, and that (literally and over the centuries) many of them have actually been related to each other within the normal family setting. The understanding comes, that no matter what the apparent differences and persistent disagreements, “one must get along with members of one’s family”. ix.   On the Path of Discipleship: the tendency to understand the limitations of personalism and personal conflicts, and to be skillful in the reconciliation of those conflicts. x.  On the Path of Discipleship: the understanding of life within the three worlds of human evolution as essentially, conflictual, and that only the love and beauty will reconcile those conflicts.
Advanced Disciple; the Initiate: Additionally, where relevant, combine Ascendant Sign with the ray as either the ray of the personality or soul.	Advanced Disciple; the Initiate Additionally, where relevant, combine Ascendant Sign, Cancer, with the fourth ray as either the ray of the personality or soul i.    A broadly tolerant embrace of the human family despite its troubles, conflicts and turmoils—an attitude possessed by the soul-infused disciple/initiate born in or under the sign Cancer, combines with an intuitive familiarity with and understanding of the inescapable extremes of human nature—and understanding induced within the soul or spiritualized personality by the fourth ray. ii.  Capacity to identify with humanity—individually or en masse—especially from an emotional/intuitive perspective. iii.    Capacity to look on understandingly at the inevitable human conflicts, as if these conflicts were taking place within “one large family”. Through long experience, skill has been developed in reconciling these conflicts. That skill is largely based upon the realization that all grievances must be heard and that  no member of the family can be excluded. iv.    Capacity for wide tolerance (embryonic buddhic realization) in the face of persistent conflicts within the mass consciousness. Through extensive experience with the personal/lunar factors of life, a benevolent impersonality develops even in the midst of ‘mass-personalism’. One earns the right to rise about the personal by having passed through it fully. v.  The capacity to bring synthesis within the field of the psyche, achieved through a process of “harmony-through-conflict”. Facility in the field of “Psychosynthesis” can be applied to the personal or transpersonal fields and, finally, can apply internationally (globally) to a desirable state of ‘pan-human Psychosynthesis’. vi.     Intuition furthered by imagination. Access to buddhi is promoted by the Neptunian rulership of Cancer and Mercury’s association with the fourth ray (both being conduits to the fourth, or buddhic, plane). vii.     In short, the growing capacity to harmonize the human psyche, and bring it into the field of integration with the multi-leveled planetary psyche and, thus, eventually, into a state of wholeness.
Directives (On Behalf of Humanity and the One Great Work. These are Meant to be Suggestive; Your Intuition Will Supply the Directives and Counsels Most Suitable to You)	Directives for Cancer the Fourth Ray (On Behalf of Humanity and the One Great Work) 1.      Achieve Serenity; Release Yourself From Worry And From Fear 2.      Attend To The Resolution Of Conflicts In The Home 3.      Attune To The “Near Ones” Through Empathy 4.      Be As A Vessel For The Reconciliation Of The Opposites 5.      Beautify The “Lighted House” 6.      Become An Expert In The Field Of Family Therapy; Understand That All Therapy Is Family Therapy, And All Conflicts Within The Human Race Are Family Conflicts 7.      Break Forms Which Must Be Broken Through The Application Of Sound And Color; The Causal Body Is Such A Form 8.      Bring Peace To The Family; Bring Peace To The Group 9.      Bring The Personality Elementals Into Accord 10.    Build And Protect Sacred Spaces 11.    Carry Into Outer Expression The Spiritual Beauty And Harmony Of The Ashram 12.    Create A Protected Space To Surround The Integration Process 13.    Define “Home” As The Place Where Buddhic Harmony Prevails 14.    Develop A Keen Understanding Of Family Dynamics 15.    Do Not Rest From Your Harmonizing Efforts Until The Family Is One—Until The Group Is One 16.    Draw A Circle; Create Harmony Within 17.    Draw Together The Pairs Of Opposites; Let Them Find A Common Home 18.    Empathize With Humanity’s Struggles; They Are Your Struggles 19.    Ensure The Presence Of Harmony So That Spiritual Energy May Be Summoned For Localized Expression 20.    Establish A Home For The Expression Of The Arts 21.    Express The Loyalty A “Mother” To Her Children—Ever The Same Despite Their “Ups And Downs” 22.    Find The Third Point ‘Above’ Bi-Polar Conflict And From The Point Unite The Warring Opposites; Thus Preserve The Integrity Of The Whole 23.    Focus On The Form And Correct That Form 24.    Gather Together Those Who Must Come To An Agreement 25.    Gather Many Into One And Harmonize Their Interplay 26.    Guard The Field Of Harmony; “Let No Discord Enter Our Dwelling” 27.    Harmoniously Integrate The Many Sub-Personalities Who Dwell Within Your Psyche; Then Do The Same For Others 28.    Harmonize The Home; Harmonize The Personality 29.    Harmonize All Human Interplay Whenever, Wherever And However You Can 30.    Hold Everything Together Through Your Power To Create And Maintain Harmony 31.    Let It Not Be Said Of You That Your “Enemies Are Of Your Own Household”; Beautify Your Relationships With Those Closest To You 32.    Let Peace And Harmony Reign In All Places Of Resort 33.    Let Your Home Be A Refuge From The Discord Of The World 34.    Live Beautifully, The Better To Express The Beauty Of The Soul 35.    Look Back; Learn From The Conflicts Which History Reveals 36.    Meditate Between Conflicted Family Members 37.    Offer Streams Of Beauty And Refinement For The Elevation Of Mass Consciousness 38.    Overcome Fear And Worry; Your Sensitivity Need Not Be Debility 39.    Participate In The Interplay Between Form And Formlessness 40.    Promote Harmony Among Those Who Approach The Ashram  41.    Protect Cultural And Aesthetic Values 42.    Provide Safe-Haven For Conflict-Resolution 43.    Provide Sanctuary For The Expression Of Beauty 44.    Realize The Human Drama Is A Family Drama 45.    Receive And Hold The Light Which Pours Into Your Personality Vehicles When You Have Transcended Conflict 46.    Reduce Tensions (At Home Or In A Group) Through Humor 47.    Regard Humanity As A Warring Family In Need Of Harmonization 48.    Release Your Imagination; Learn The Relationship Between Fantasy And Form 49.    Reunite The Severed Parts Of The Whole 50.    Rise Above Liking Or Disliking Those To Whom You Are Attracted And Those From Whom You Are Repelled 51.    Save To Support The Arts 52.    See The Whole As One Despite The Many Contrasts 53.    Seek Not Overmuch To Protect Yourself From Painful Experience 54.    Sensitively Perfect The “Art Of Living” 55.    Serve As A Bridge Between Insular Domains 56.    Skillfully Avert Conflict With Those Who, Perforce, Must “Dwell Under The Same Roof” 57.    Synthesize The Many Qualities And Colors Within The Whole 58.    Through The Stilling Of The Lower Vehicles, Reflect The Harmony And Beauty Of The Higher Worlds 59.    Transcend Insularity Through The Stress And Suffering Shared In Common 60.    Transform The ‘Lunar Vessel’ Through The Application Of Beauty 61.    Transform Strictly Personal Interactions Into Harmonious Soul Interplay 62.    Understand: No Matter How Fractious The Human Family, There Must Be Peace 63.    Use Music To Promote The Harmonization Of The Astral Nature 64.    Utilize Or Build Retreat Centers To Promote Individual, Interpersonal And International Harmony 65.    Work For The Development Of Harmonious Group Relations 66.    Work Through Family And Group Difficulties Using The Technique Of “Harmony Through Conflict”
Mantra	Mantra for Cancer and the Fourth Ray Mantram for the Disciple’s Consciousness Sensitive to beauty and alert to every dissonance, I harmonize all conflict so the Whole may stand revealed as One. Mantram for the Initiate’s Consciousness “Two Merge as One” in Beauty when the Harmony Divine reveals the Oneness of the Whole.
Proposed Symbol, Image, or Scene	Proposed Symbol for R4/Cancer Vibrantly responsive to the scintillating ‘Spectrum of all Rainbow-Colored Tones’, the ‘Artist of his Life’ surveys all conflict and all dissonance within the gathered whole; and then, with sensitivity, embracing all substantially, his intuition finds a way to reconcile all forces of division into concord, into harmony—creating, thus, an integrated Whole.
Discover Potentials to be Derived from Energetic Contrasts	Discover Potentials to be Derived from Energetic Contrasts Between Cancer and R4 Utilize these contrasts to understand how these two energies may contrast or conflict with each other when they are found together within the human energy system. Cancer In Comparison With Ray 4 1.   Transmits R3 and R7 constellationally   1.   R4 2.   Transmits principally R4, and R6 through its planetary rulers   2.   R4 3.   Colors: violet (given by D.K.) and possibly (on a hypothetical color-scale incrementally related to the chromatic musical scale) yellow-orange, yellow and yellow-green.   3.   Colors: yellow, green, cream 4.   Note: Possibly MI flat or E flat   4.   Note: MI or E 5.   Expresses through solar plexus center and centers in the breasts. Later, via Neptune, there may be compassionate heart-center expression   5.   Expresses through the ajna center at a relatively advanced point of evolution. Related as well to the fourfold base chakra 6.   Creative Hierarchy number V, in process of liberation   6.   Creative Hierarchy number II, liberated, and Creative Hierarchy number IV/IX, unliberated 7.   Hypothesized as especially expressive in relation to the Mineral Kingdom via the Moon, the Vegetable Kingdom via the Moon and Neptune, the Animal Kingdom via the Moon, the Human Kingdom via the Moon and Neptune.   7.   Related to the Vegetable Kingdom and the Human Kingdom 8.   Closely associated with the third aspect of divinity   8.   Serves as a bridge between the third aspect of divinity and the higher aspects (soul and spirit) 9.   Closely related to instinct   9.   Closely related to intuition, which energy focuses upon the fourth plane 10.   Confers tenacity   10.   Confers discontinuity with frequent weakening of the power to hold 11.   A centralizing and enclosing force   11.   A bridging and relating energy 12.   From one perspective, connected closely to condensed form   12.   Closely related to the “Mountain whereon Form dies” (EP I 71) 13.   Moves with continuity, groping, feeling its way between successive hand-holds   13.   Moves capriciously, with discontinuity, or guided by the winds of inspiration. One hand-hold may be released before the next is secured. 14.   Always conscious of security   14.   Risk-taking, even reckless—“the dashing cavalry leader” (EP I 206) 15.   Often seeks protection from new experience   15.   Often seeks engagement (whether conflictual or harmonious) with new experiences 16.   Frequently evidences timidity (other factors notwithstanding). Thus, an instinct to retreat.   16.   Frequently evidences courage, and confrontational attitudes (though timidity, as the opposite pole is also likely). Thus, a tendency to both advance and retreat.
Discover Potentials to be Derived from Energetic Similarities	Discover Potentials to be Derived from Energetic Similarities Between Cancer and R4 Utilize these similarities to further understand how these two energies may combine with or reinforce each other (for better of for worse) when they are found within the same energy system. A.      Related Through the Moon: These two influences are closely related through the Moon which rules Cancer and is the distributor of the fourth ray. B.     Fourth Sign, Fourth Ray: Cancer is the fourth sign and, hence, related to the fourth ray by numerical affinity. C.     Related to Physical Body: Both influences are closely related to the physical body. Cancer is related to the “dark light” of physical matter (cf. EA 329). The dense physical vehicle is, from one perspective, the fourth aspect of the personality and is therefore related to the fourth ray by numerical affinity. D.     The Fourfold Personality: Both influences as well are related to the personality considered as a whole. Cancer, the fourth sign, is associated with the fourth or personality elemental (which includes the lesser three elementals). The personality, itself, is generated from the fourth subplane of the mental plane. The center of the personality is the fourfold mental unit, found on the fourth subplane. The relationship with the fourth ray can easily be seen. E.     Mother, Matter and the Number “Four”: Both influences are closely associated with the “Mother” aspect of divinity which is (given a certain enumeration) the fourth—-Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Mother. Cancer (with Virgo) is astrologically the Mother. The Mother is matter.  Even the ‘m’ of mother and matter, sums (in the English alphabet) to the number thirteen or four, and, hence, the connection with the fourth ray. F.      Buddhi and the Intuition: Through Neptune, Cancer connects with the sixth principle, buddhi or intuition, focussed upon the fourth plane, the buddhic plane. The fourth ray (at a certain point in human unfoldment) gives direct access to this fourth plane and to the intuition which focuses there. G.     Personality Integration: Both Cancer and the fourth ray contribute to the process of personality integration, finally achieved under Leo. Cancer tends towards whole-making, bringing the various aspects of the personality into one field in which they are forced to confront each other, and achieve a necessary harmony which is facilitated by the fourth ray. H.     Related to the Astral Body: Cancer is an emotional sign with a close connection to the astral body. On the astral plane, the “dual forces” are to be found (cf. TWM 217), and the pairs of opposites are in constant conflict before they are harmonized. This astral conflict and subsequent harmonization are related to the fourth ray. I.   Defensiveness: Both of these factors share the tendency towards defensiveness. Over many ages the fourth ray type has learned to fight using the entire “panoply of war” (EP I 37). What he defends is variable. The Cancerian readily adopts a defensive posture, always to protect the sensitivity which is found within the ring-pass-not, the Cancerian ‘shell’. J.   Moodiness: Both influences strongly incline to moodiness.The Cancerian individual evidences many “sea changes” (according to the condition of the waters—the astral body). The mercurial changeability of fourth ray types is well-recognized. K.     Related to Certain Processes of the Fourth Initiation: Cancer is the fourth sign and rules the “mass” or “mass consciousness” into which the initiate must descend in preparation for the fourth initiation. Similarly, the fourth ray governs the fourth initiation. (R&I 340) Cancer rulers the personality of eighteen subplanes which must die down and finally be relinquished under due to the “evocation of the will” at the fourth degree. From another perspective, Cancer rules the causal body as a ‘container of the past’. The causal body is, of course, destroyed at the fourth initiation.
A List of Famous Individuals for whom this combination is prominent	Ray 4 Cancer William Blake Poet, Painter, Engraver, Visionary Gaetano Donizetti Opera Composer Stephen Foster Composer of lyrical, sentimental songs Vincent van Gogh Painter Francisco Goya Artist Herman Hesse Author Amadeo Modigliani Artist Franz Peter Schubert Composer Richard Strauss Composer