Copyright
2003. All Rights Reserved
Under
rare circumstances and in rare times, individuals are born that go
beyond merely being classified as intellectually bright or brilliant.
Rather, for exceptionally gifted individuals we reserve other figures
of speech exploiting light: “illuminated” and “enlightened.” The
illuminated mind that enters into the disciplines of science uses
their faculties to explore the empirical world of the senses. These
individuals are heralded as the great geniuses that uncover and reveal
the secret mechanisms of nature, systems and structures in nature
that are not readily accessible through simple observation but through
extraordinary powers of insight and perception.
Another type of illuminated mind uses their gifts not to shed light on the natural
world of the senses but of the world of inner space and consciousness itself.
More controversial and misunderstood than the celebrated explorers of the natural
world, these geniuses of the inner dimensions—metaphysicians, gnostics,
esotericists, occultists, and theosophists—claim to have discovered the
realities of the invisible world, the world beyond the five senses.
An astrological
signature often found in the birth charts of esoteric seekers involves
aspects between Jupiter and Uranus. Acting synergistically, Jupiter
and Uranus in combination in a birth chart is often the symbolic
referent of the metaphysician, the spiritual seeker who eventually
stumbles across the keys that open up and reveal the architecture
of the mind of God and the greater mysteries of the universe: Why
are we here? Where are we going? Are there higher realities other
than the earthly plane? What’s out there, anyway? What’s
our relationship to God?
Uranus,
the higher octave of Mercury, is often affiliated with the higher
mental faculties, intellectual powers that go beyond analytical reason
and rationality. The faculty of intuition is particularly associated
with Uranus. Intuition is simply the immediate apprehension of an
idea or concept that is not received through the physical senses.
All of us utilize intuition everyday, and more significantly, we
often make our more important decisions in life based on intuition
rather than our senses or analytical reasoning. Intuition is what
allows us to conceive of notions like archetypes, Ideal Forms, Pythagorean
numbers, and sacred geometry. Intuition can allow us to envision
our own personal future, or it can be used to gain insight into the
workings of the archetypal realm, the invisible realm, or cosmic
system that orders and structures the visible universe.
Where
Jupiter is in our birth chart gives us a good sense of what our orientation
in life is, what our biases are, and what gives us meaning in the
world. Jupiter is the part of our psyche that allows us to philosophize,
to take a portrait of the grand scheme of things. Mythmaking, storytelling,
and higher education are all thought to be Jupiterian because, simply
stated, they help us make sense out of the chaos that is our world
and help us to find an orientation and meaning in the larger scheme
of things. As a psychological drive, Jupiter is associated with the
part of us that quests to broaden our horizons. Certainly, Jupiter
is affiliated with academic learning—as this might be the most
obvious way to increase our awareness of the world around us—but,
generally speaking, Jupiter is closely aligned with that drive to
take in more and more experiences so that we can accrue wisdom.
When Jupiter
aspects Uranus in the birth chart, it tends to amplify or increase
the intuitive faculties. Jupiter, for better or worse, simply expands
and dilates anything in the birth chart it aspects. Thus, genius
or mental plebian, being born with a prominent Jupiter-Uranus aspect
in the birth chart is a good indication that one’s intuitive
faculties are heightened and wide open (even if one is aware of this
or not). On a deeper level, however, Jupiter aspecting Uranus tends
to orient our ‘inner philosopher’ to Uranus’s realm
of archetypes, the causal plane, and that which lies behind the world
of form and phenomena.
Thus, being born with a Jupiter-Uranus aspect usually implies that our orientation
in this world is going to be guided by a sense of intuition and a belief that
there is a latent potential for ever-increasing levels of good, truth, and
beauty to manifest in this world. The die-hard belief in the unfaltering goodness
of progress is often a key notion to the person born under Jupiter and Uranus
in aspect. Finally, the drive of Jupiter’s archetype to believe in something
is going to be aligned with the Uranian concept of an ordered, principled,
evolving, and systematic universe.
Uranus
aspecting Jupiter gives the philosophical quest excitation and sporadic
stimulation. The revelatory ‘aha’ experience associated
with Uranus—the brainstorm of mental creativity that is the
hallmark of the planet—joins forces with the broad, expansive
vision affiliated with Jupiter. Thus, Uranus aspects to Jupiter can
translate in the sudden, if not shocking, illumination of the larger
overview of things, the big picture. Quite suddenly, a possessor
of a potent Jupiter-Uranus aspect can receive something akin to a
revelatory experience, whereby a grand vista of the human project
is given full-blown illumination. With very little effort, a sudden
bolt of intuition can flood one’s experience, widening our
normally small perspective on human experience to create a vast diorama
of meaning.
The following
represents a small sample of explorers born with important Jupiter-Uranus
aspects that have mapped the terrain of the inner dimensions of experience.
The common denominator between these explorers is that they are futurists,
they believe in the progressive evolution of humankind, and believe
in hidden forces latent within nature and humans that can be uncovered
and developed through systematic disciplines. Many of their ideas
are controversial because they cannot be tested through empirical
means (at least not currently). However, their popularity and staying
power through the decades suggests that they tapped into ideas and
profound truths of our world that are accessible to all of us.
Emanuel Swedenborg
(1688-1772)
Although as a child and early adult Swedenborg was concerned with spirituality
and the nature of the soul, the Swede’s primary vocation was as a
scientist, inventor, and philosopher. In 1744-1745, Swedenborg received
visions of the spiritual world and devoted the last phase of his life to
writing the results of his investigations of the spirit realm After receiving
visions and visitations, Swedenborg became a cartographer of the spiritual
realm, and, in a sense, lived between two worlds as he went about his daily
business.(1)
As Uranus
formed a trine to a Jupiter-Mercury conjunction by birth, Swedenborg
used the powers of his inventive and intuitive mind in the realm
of Enlightenment era science,
establishing himself as a pioneering scientist and inventor. (2) Although his
discoveries and designs had practical application in his own time, Swedenborg’s
intuition led him into territory that was unprecedented and which could often
only be applied or confirmed by twentieth century science.
A great
transition in his work occurred in late mid-life as Swedenborg became
disturbed by extremely powerful visitations and visions of the spirit
world. From these initial visitations, Swedenborg developed the belief
that he was designated as the great revelator of God’s plan
for humanity and the nature of the spiritual realms. Much of Swedenborg’s
focus as spiritual revelator could be called thoroughly esoteric,
as he confirmed the belief that the nature of the spiritual world
corresponds thoroughly with the design and form of the earthly world;
his visions confirmed the age-old metaphysical belief that “As
Above, So Below.” Moreover, Swedenborg placed tremendous emphasis
on the spiritual world’s ability to influence the worldly sphere,
believing that all thoughts, feelings, and actions ultimately had
origin and were caused by the realm of spirit. From this vantage
point, the realm of humanity was simply the outer realm of effects
reflecting the spiritual realm’s causes. Finally for Swedenborg,
like the spiritual realm, earthly existence was comprised of hierarchies
of being. To progressively evolve through these hierarchies, one
must actively engage life, not renounce life through ascetic withdrawal.
Swedenborg
was a devout Christian and yet controversial especially in his native
Sweden because of his exploration of the esoteric side of his religion.
We see his Jupiter-Uranus aspect noticeable through his philosophical
journeying into the unmanifest, invisible realm of archetypes (to
divest his explorations from religious nomenclature). Moreover, Swedenborg
thoroughly renounced the concept of Original Sin. Rather, Swedenborg
embraced a much more evolutionary conception of the relationship
between humanity and God. This belief in the progressive betterment
of humankind is surely a characteristic conviction of those that
possess Jupiter-Uranus aspects, for Jupiter grants faith to the Uranian
belief that humanity possess the ability to transcend initial conditions
and to become more Godlike.
H.B. Blavatsky
(1831-1891)
Certainly one of the most well-known and controversial metaphysicians remains
to be Helena Blavatsky, founder of the modern day Theosophical Society.
Blavatsky’s influence is broad and goes well beyond her arcane school
of metaphysical teachings. Blavatsky and Theosophy were primary conduits
for introducing Eastern ideas and teachings into the West in the nineteenth
century. Through her influence, concepts like karma and reincarnation—concepts
that are in mainstream American discourse—became popularized in the
West. Moreover, Blavastky’s stress on the common core of wisdom at
the heart of all the world’s religions gave considerable momentum
to the current popularity of ecumenical societies and organizations. Finally,
much of what we consider New Age can be directly traced to Blavatsky’s
writings, and she herself believed that she was simply a recipient of ancient
wisdom.
Blavatsky
was born with her Sun opposite a Jupiter-Uranus conjunction and was
certainly an embodiment of the truth-seeking pioneer that the Jupiter-Uranus
combination can manifest. Born to aristocratic parents in Russia,
Blavatsky was expected to conform to social standards of the day
and marry within the privileged class; however, her penchant for
seeking wisdom was to override any societal imperative. She traveled
widely throughout her young adulthood, developing her budding occult
powers through the knowledge of spiritual teachers. It was in Tibet
where she apparently met the Masters, a small group of self-realized
beings who incarnated to assist in humanity’s evolution and
awakening.
Blavatsky
was to impart her teachings and act as a mouthpiece for ancient wisdom
at a time when the Western world was thirsting for alternatives to
Christianity and scientism. Europe and America were to go through
a renaissance in spiritual awakening at the end of the nineteenth
century. Movements that countered the prevailing materialism, such
as Christian Science, the Society for Psychical Research, and the
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn were flourishing at the time. Blavatsky’s
Theosophical Society quickly took hold in the spiritual foment, establishing
theosophical branches with swelling memberships throughout the world.
Arguably
no know in the history of metaphysics mapped such a vast expanse
and convoluted—often contradictory—spiritual territory
as Blavatsky. The hierarchies, cycles, races, planes and sub planes
she introduces in her masterwork, The Secret Doctrine, were excessive
as they were dazzling. A great synthesizer, Blavatsky borrowed liberally
from modern science, Neoplatonism, nineteenth century occultism,
Eastern religions, and Hermeticism. However, Blavatsky was also an
innovative thinker in her own right, adding new lexicon and concepts
that had influence well beyond the confines of the Theosophical Society.
Through
her life’s work, Blavatsky displayed both the benefits and
problematic consequences of a highly potent Jupiter-Uranus aspect.
The creative fire of Uranus and the search for meaning associated
with Jupiter were indefatigably strong for Blavatsky, pushing her
to the extreme limits in a quest for esoteric truth and assisting
her in constructing one of the most stunning maps of the geography
of the inner dimensions we have. However, the vastness of her work
and the propensity for brilliance may be proportional to some of
the weaknesses. The overabundant detail of the “meaning of
it all” —the Rococo metaphysics displayed in Blavatsky’s
larger works—is certainly a signpost of Jupiter’s fondness
for excessiveness and overindulgence. Where a ‘less is more’ philosophy
may have made much of Blavatsky’s metaphysics more enduring
and more applicable, Blavatsky instead preferred to create an elaborate
system that boggled the mind and captivated the imagination but toppled
under the weight of its own grandeur.
Annie Besant (1847-1933)
Truth,
above all else, was paramount in the life of Annie Besant. With a
very tightly aspected t-square involving Jupiter, Mercury, and Uranus,
Besant was consistently restless in her pursuit for ever-higher meaning
and wisdom. Abandoning Christianity for secularism but ultimately
choosing theosophy, Besant was motivated for truth in a way that
most of us cannot comprehend.
In her
young adulthood, Besant was a radical freethinker who cared very
little of what other people thought, pushing the envelope against
the Victorian morality of her day. A secularist who devoted much
of her life to women’s rights, Besant was a tireless worker
who helped advance the more liberal social causes of her day. However,
during her Uranus opposition transit around the age of forty, Besant
got ‘turned on’ and became transfixed by much of the
spiritual phenomena and ideas manifesting in the United States at
that time. Before the turn-of-the-century, Besant joined the Theosophical
Society and would ultimately become a very close friend and confident
to Blavatsky. By 1907, Besant would become President of the Society
and served the position until her death in 1933.
Like all
theosophists, Besant spent much of her energy devoted to the esoteric
architecture of the cosmos, and, similar to Blavatsky, she elaborated
a highly complex version of levels and energies that permeate the
universe. Before her death, Besant would write nearly forty books
on spiritual topics, elaborating Blavatsky’s metaphysics with
a particular emphasis on spiritual concepts borrowed from the East.
The aforementioned
t-square between Uranus, Jupiter, and Mercury can be seen through
Besant in her tireless, restless, and highly productive mind but
also in her extraordinary intuitive capacity, assisting her in elaborating
the invisible structures of the universe. This intuition allowed
Besant to penetrate into the nature and essences behind the visible
world. Chakras, thoughts, vibration, energy, and spiritual laws were
as bedrock to Besant as material reality is to the majority of us.
As seen through the t-square, Besant’s awakened mind was wide
open but the force and tension of the aspect pushed her ceaselessly
to manifest something tangible through her writings.
Conclusion
Throughout
the remaining months of 2003 and well into 2004, Jupiter and Uranus
will form an opposition. Just as the Jupiter and Uranus aspects in
the birth charts above mirrored an increased intuitive capacity for
those individuals, collectively, the intuitive capacities of the
Anima Mundi will be heightened and more accessible to us culturally.
This heightened intuition—this immediate apprehension of ideas
and concepts beyond the physical senses—can translate into
the aha experience that allows for scientific and technological breakthroughs
and innovative theories. This heightened intuition can also allow
us to peak into the true nature and essence of things, into the archetypal
nature of reality.
Individually,
you may encounter ideas and theories at this time that seem ‘far
out’ and test the limits of your analytical, rational mind.
Some of these ideas may indeed be truly absurd and nonsensical. However,
some of these ideas may lead you into new levels of truth about the
world and your place in it. Theories and ideas that we take for granted
and form the foundation of our worldview—evolution, the heliocentric
solar system, the law of universal gravitation—were the result
of scientific investigation but also very much the result of insight
and intuition. With the intuition of the global mind running high
over the course of the next several months, you may just stumble
upon the controversial theory or idea that forms the cornerstone
of the worldview for new generations. Use your intuition to judge
what is truth from what is false.
(1) It
should be stated that Swedenborg was born with his Sun at the midpoint
of Jupiter and Neptune. More than theosopher or revelator, Swedenborg
was a medium in the sense that he claimed to have visitations from
the other side. As Uranus may be correlated with the sense of intuition,
Neptune is more symbolic of actual spiritual phenomena.
(2) Often Jupiter and Uranus aspects are signatures of pioneering scientific
minds as well as metaphysical speculation—or, in the case of Swedenborg
and others, both. Einstein, born with a Jupiter opposition to Uranus was reported
to keep a copy of Blavatsky’s Secret Doctrine at his work desk at all
times. Newton, born not only with a trine between Jupiter and Uranus but possessing
his Sun at the Jupiter-Uranus midpoint, devoted as much, if not more, of his
time dabbling with metaphysics than his scientific investigations.
Data:
(1) Emanuel
Swedenborg
January 29th, 1688 (New Style)
12:00 PM
Stockholm, Sweden
(solar chart)
source: www.swedenborg.net
(2) Helena
Blavatsky
August 12th, 1831 (New Style)
2:17 AM
Ekaterinoslav, Russia
source: www.thenewage.com
(3) Annie
Besant
October 1st, 1847 (New Style)
12:00 PM
London, England
(solar chart)
source: www.thenewage.com
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