MaKaRa hosts the Collected Works of Michael D. Robbins
Petal 1 | Petal 2 | Petal 3 | Petal 4 | Petal 5 | Petal 6 | Petal 7 | Petal 8 | Petal 9
(in progress, February 2011)
Astrological Signs
in relation to the Petals of the Egoic Lotus
and their Processes
Petal 2
The Petal of Love for the physical plane. Unfolds through physical relationships, and the gradual growth of love from love of self to love of others. (TCF 539)
b. Petal 2...Love on the physical plane.
Colours: Orange, rose and blue. (TCF 822)
1. Major Sign in Series Beginning with Aries in Counter-Clockwise Order
a. Taurus—has certain well-recognized qualities:
i. Physical magnetism. We might almost call it “animal magnetism”. We have to remember that the human being (though learning what love means in a higher sense than was possible during Petal 1, is still very much under the sway of the animal nature.
ii. In early days a strong emphasis upon physical desire, leading to physical relationships.
iii. Taurus with Libra is one of the foremost signs indicating the sex-impulse.
iv. Certainly there is in Taurus, at first, a strong love of self. What later becomes Taurean pride as first manifests as love of one’s own physical nature, physical body.
v. Taurus has an innate sense of beauty (under the fourth ray). We learn that when the second petal is under development forms which express some sense of beauty can be created.
It might be added here that creative activity in the field of art becomes possible when the first aspect of [Page 18] the bridging energy of man can function and the soul (manifesting its third or lowest aspect) can begin to work. Creative work can be carried forward when two of the "knowledge petals" of the egoic lotus are unfolded. The man can produce, through knowledge and creative energy, something upon the physical plane which will be expressive of the soul's creative power. (ENA 17-18)
vi. Cultivation of the vegetable kingdom would also be expected under Taurus and in relation to settlements rather than a hunting society (expected under Aries). We do know how Taurus likes to ‘settle down’.
vii. With community and settlement comes the factor of “building” to which the Taurean energy strongly inclines.
viii. The desire nature is strongly stimulated under the influence of Petal 2. We know that for some Taureans, desire seems to know no bounds. This is, in many respects, the ‘Atlantean Petal’. Atlantis was characterized by the development of inordinate desire. Heights of luxury were then reached which would astonish us now. Luxury is one of the qualities associated with the lower expression of the Taurean stream of energy. Stability
2. Major Sign in Series Beginning with Aries (as ruler of the first petal) in Clockwise Order
a. Pisces. If Aries ruled the first petal then Pisces would rule the second. The following qualities can be associated with Pisces and would be prominent during a period in which the astral body was being developed.
i. Emotionalism
ii. Psychism. During the Atlantean phase of development the humanity of the period was given to rampant psychism. Average people were normally psychic. Their type of psychism was shared with the animal kingdom.
iii. Is psychism spirituality? The experiences of the second petal are occurring too early in the developmental process to be called “spiritual”; they cannot touch the soul or the spiritual triad but vague religious instincts can be felt—a reaching for something higher or more refined.
We respond to something subtle but is it spiritual? Not really. The Science of Dreams, we are told, comes from Atlantis. Atlanteans spent a good deal of time out of the physical body. They escaped from the physical body onto the astral plane. Eventually lower psychism can lead to higher psychism, but the mentality must first be cultivated.iv. Emphasis upon the sixth ray, the ray which generically rules the astral body. Pisces distributes the sixth ray and second—correlating with the second petal.
v. Jupiter is blue and ruler of Pisces, The color blue is found in the second petal along with rose and orange.
vi. The astral body is known for its negativity and impressionability. These are qualities which accord with the lower nature of Pisces.
3. Major Sign in Series Beginning with Pisces in Clockwise Order.
It is also possible to take Pisces not Aries, as the starting point—i.e., the ruler of the first petal. If Pisces were to rule the first petal, then Aquarius would rule the second.a. Aquarius
i. The evolutionary mantram for Aquarius (a lower mantram, obviously) is “Let desire in form be ruler”. This obviously fits with second petal processes.
ii. The group (i.e., the family and tribe) become more important. As we are told in the brief description, love becomes more important—not just “love of self” which is instinctual, but “love of others”—at least incipiently.
iii. Aquarius is not only a mental sign but one closely associated with the fluctuations of the astral body. The astral body is known for its swings between the pairs of opposites, or, in a lower stage of development between feeling emotionally satisfied and emotionally unsatisfied. These are the emotional highs and lows which correlate with the wave form of the glyph of Aquarius.
iv. If Aquarius carries water it is this related to the astral plane. This water-carrying will relate to the building of community.
v. Jupiter as the planet of ‘engulfment’ can easily be understood in relation to Pisces, but Jupiter is also the esoteric ruler of Aquarius and its energy can be distorted to incline the individual to be “at sea” in a great number of astral energies.
vi. Under Aquarius we will slowly see the growth of community and a less instinctual love of others.
vii. Aquarius also rules the nadis and, thus, the nervous system related to solar plexus center—a center which is pronounced in an astral phase of development.
viii. Aquarius also rules standardization which will be expected when early communities begin to develop. This is tribalism which expects that there will be no individual assertion beyond the standards of the tribe.
ix. Perhaps, in relation to the experiences of this petal, the first movement towards community rather than just family and small tribes occurs.
x. Perhaps under the influence of Aquarius there was settlement around rivers which nourished small communities with the literal “waters of life”. In this community development we can expect the growth of agricultural life styles, rather than those based exclusively on hunting. Taurus fits well in relation to the plant kingdom and in relation to the entire idea of “settling” in an agricultural life-style.
xi. Under Aquarius we would have, eventually, a greater sense of group identification. Trade, barter, hospitality, exchange, etc.
xii. We are dealing with water in relation to this second petal, water and the astral plane. Aquarius is a part of the sky where there are found constellations which have much to do with water, with, for instance, the flooding of the Nile. Thinking of Taurus, earlier mentioned, the Hyades always associated with floods are found there, and the river Eridanus is associated with one of the decanates of Taurus from which Piscis Austrinus the fish associated with the last decanate of Aquarius, drinks.
xiii. There comes an Aquarian relative ‘abundance of life’ when you settle rather than hunt (or be hunted).
xiv. The sacral center is very strong in this second petal, but in alliance with the incipient energy of desire/love. Interestingly, water is the element associated with the sacral center, and Uranus, orthodox ruler of Aquarius, is given as the ruler of the sacral center (EA 517).
xv. Highs and lows of the mystic are typified by the symbol of Aquarius, though the true mystical phase has not been reached. Still there are highs and lows.
xvi. Relating and not relating is the concept of Aquarius--rebellion and isolating, based on attraction and repulsion. This sign has much to do with the Law of Attraction and Repulsion.
xvii. Culture and civilizations emerged even in late Lemuria, the late first petal, and here we are dealing with the second petal, so this is a petal in which the growth of culture and civilization will be found.
xviii. Under the second petal and Aquarius a collective consciousness is developing and a greater respect of the feminine aspect. Atlantis was a Matriarchate, and matriarchies are associated with the astral body. We think of the “woman at the well”. We have both the feminine principle and the drawing of life-sustaining water symbolized by Aquarius.
xix. We can see how both Pisces and Aquarius fit with the water imagery of the second petal.
xx. We also see the Aquarian distribution of water, money (Taurus is involved), energy, goods and service with the community and to and from the community.
xxi. We have to realize that even today, there are many human beings who do not have their second petal fully unfolded. It is amazing how slowly this unfoldment proceeds, especially in the first circle of petals.
4. Other Signs Implicated and Meaning of this Implication:
a. Taurus for physical relationship based on sex and desire. This has been discussed quite fully above. The beginning of commerce to satisfy more than instinctual desires is also indicated.
b. Libra begins with “unbalanced fiery passion” and, indeed, the sacral center is still very important in relation to the processes of this petal. But Libra, being a dual sign, begins to mean something more in relation to this petal of duality.
c. With Leo we certainly have the “love of self”. We enter the second petal with this lower type of love firmly established.
d. However, Libra inclines us to move from the Leonian “love of self” to the “love of others” a quality deeply associated with Libra, even in early forms of its expression.
For the kind of community which begins to be built under this influences of second petal processes, there must arise a consideration for others—another Libran trait.
Expressing the energy of the cohesive and beautifying Venus, both Libra and Taurus are building energies—Taurus building in physical matter and Libra building relationships.e. Second ray Gemini is implicated in this “ love of others” –in the acknowledgement of relationship. We have the seed in this petal for the quality of “brotherly love” which we learn is ruled by Venus, the esoteric ruler of Gemini. (I will deal with the planets in relation to the petal processes later.)
Petal 2 is a dualistic petal, filled with contrasts under the Law of Attraction and Repulsion.
The Pillars of Wisdom are also established during Atlantean times, and forerunners of the Rites of Initiation found in middle to later Atlantean times begin to appear.
We can also related Gemini to the instability of the emotional nature, its fluctuations. We have to realize that even so-called ‘mental signs’ do not function in a truly mental manner when the development of the human being has moved no further than the astral body.f. We can find the influence of Pisces, secondarily, to begin melting the ring-pass-not of selfhood, thus encouraging the “love of others”. Venus, the “planet of love-wisdom and brotherly love” is exalted in Pisces. Certainly love is prominent in this second petal no matter how beglamoured and bound to desire it may be.
g. We will find Scorpio prominent for the increasing depth of emotion to be felt as the second petal continues to open. Scorpio can even be related to the “rampant emotions” and unnatural desires (leading to spiritual death) which the Black Lodge encouraged and abetted during the Atlantean phase of civilization. It is also clear that negative emotion would have to make its appearance during this lengthy period and that the Black Lodge is much associated with the sign Scorpio as it is with Capricorn.
h. Sagittarius, as an influence, carries rays four, five and six. The Atlantean period, in general, was ruled by rays four and six; the Atlantean root-race was the fourth and the desire body correlated with the sixth or astral plane was prominent. Sagittarius most strongly distributes the sixth ray—the ray of emotion.
Under Sagittarius there would arise the question of the orientation of desire—low desire or higher desire. During the expression of this petal we will grow towards aspiration following the line of increasingly elevated desire—always something a little higher, even if we would now look upon such objectives as still very material
We would find the growth of religious feeling; Sagittarius often rules the simple type of religiously oriented person. Pisces was also involved in such feeling. Such faith and simplicity is all we could expect to find under the influence of the second petal. We would not find the religious theology of the fifth ray.
The “rose of aspiration” (Pisces) would be found later in the petal’s process. There would be a ‘looking towards heaven’ even if ‘heaven’ were not understood mentally. It should be noted that some of the lower heaven worlds are found upon the astral plane, to which the Atlanteans had considerable access.i. Capricorn, would be perhaps a secondary influence, but could suggest that the best and worst people were found in Atlantean days when the Black Lodge had made such headway. Capricorn rules the kind of depravity (including sexual depravity) into which the Atlanteans fell. Later the need for regulation (Capricorn) was deeply sensed and suppression entered to correct the license of the period. Thus began the disease, cancer.
j. The emotional sign Cancer is indicated simply for its connection to the astral plane. This was also a period of “mass consciousness” which Cancer rules. Further Cancer nourishes the sense of community and a growing “togetherness”.
While Cancer ruled by the Moon is an instinctual sign, it also encourages sacrifice for those “near and dear”. This indicates a variety of the “love of others” which is developed during the unfoldment of this petal.
The feminine sign Cancer also furthers themes of the Atlantean matriarchate.
As well, ruled by Neptune and inherently associated with the astral plane, it is a sign encouraging the growth of desire which is found in second petal processes.
With Cancer the family and near one matter more than during the first petal period. Family is not just an extension of the self (though in most cases it would tend to be that). But the possibility exists that a cohesiveness based on “love of others” could arise. During the experiences of the second petal, there is the growth of valuing others not just as objects for gratification, but the beginning of recognizing them as human beings with their own desires. They are valued as “another” and not just as an “object”. All of this is based upon closeness of feeling during which it becomes possible to feel the desires and feelings of others.k. Virgo would definitely have its place of influence in relation to the second petal for its emphasis upon the feminine principle and for its love of cultivation—agriculture; for its inherent relation to the vegetable kingdom. We remember that the constellation Bootes related to Virgo was the cultivator and also a Christ figure.
The growth of the ability to cherish emotionally would come under this sign.
Of course the material side of Virgo would still be prominent for matter would still reign, but some discrimination in relation to the desire nature would enter later in the development of the second petal.l. As for Aries it represents the wild horses of unrestrained emotion—emotion, out of control. Later represents the unrestrained mind.
m.Again, we have reviewed all the twelve signs in relation to second petal processes. Perhaps not all the signs are equally influential, but it is clear that during the millions of years of the Atlantean period, the human being will be born in or under all the twelves signs. Each of these relationship could be extensively elaborated but probably we have the hint we need.
5. Signs Implicated on the Basis of Color:
a. Orange—Leo
b. Rose—nothing definite. (Pisces has some association with Rose through Venus and Neptune.)
c. Blue—Taurus (Deep Blue) and Sagittarius (Rich Blue)