Lucifer: Adversary vs. Bearer of Light as Seen Through the Mystic Rectangle of Scorpio/Taurus/Pisces/Virgo

Although the concepts of good and evil are familiar to us all, it was astrologer Jeffrey Wolf Green who brought the archetype of evil and the asteroid Lucifer to light in relation to the paradigm of evolutionary astrology. The archetype of evil as seen through the horoscope is associated with Pluto, Scorpio and the 8th house. Since the soul itself is also represented through Pluto, Scorpio and the 8th house, we can see that the possibility for the influence of evil is intrinsic to the soul, just as the influence for good is intrinisic to the soul, since it was created by God.

Lucifer, along with the other archangels, was given the charge of serving humanity. However, Lucifer refused to serve humanity as God had directed, and therefore, was 'expelled' by God, which is a phenomenon I understand is unique to archangels when they refuse to do what God has asked them to do. Now feeling victimized by God (Pisces) and refusing to take the responsibility for his own actions (Capricorn), Lucifer blamed the very humans he was supposed to have helped in an effort to bring them down in the same way that he had 'fallen.', i.e., 'misery loves company.'

As we know through the paradigm of evolutionary astrology, as well as through some of the great spiritual teachings of the world, the soul contains two opposite and antithetical desires. One desire is to separate from the Source of creation--God, Goddess, Spirit--and one desire is to return to that Source. Through our desire to return to the Source, that Source, or God'dess, is continually coaxing us back, encouraging our desire and efforts to return. Through our myriad desires to remain separate from the Source, Lucifer, or evil influences or urges us to remain separate. The intent of Lucifer/evil is to separate, not unify.

Given that Lucifer himself was created by God, then he too carries the natural dual desires of separation and return. However small the desire to return to God may be, there is at least some of this, even within Lucifer. Therefore, even Lucifer could use his free will at any time to choose to accept the responsibility for his own actions, repent and to know God and God only. And, if Lucifer were to choose to repent and desire to do just that, then God, being the lover of it's own creation and always ready to forgive, would indeed forgive Lucifer and restore him once again to his position among the 'angels, archangels and all the company of heaven."

This topic of evil and Lucifer is not an easy or comfortable one. Most of us would rather hide our head in the sand and simply deny (Virgo) that God (Pisces) could have created such an energy or consciousness in the first place. But nothing can exist that does not come from God, so that, of course, includes evil. One reason we may wish to deny the existence of the energy we call evil is that if we acknowledge and accept its existence, then we have to acknowledge that the possibility for this influence, this energy, lies within us. However, any and all possibilities were 'born' at the very moment of creation as God'dess also gave intelligent creatures free will. Even though God did not create Lucifer as evil, per se, the possibility for that choice via free will lay within Lucifer, as well as within each of us.

The great Avatar Paramahansa Yogananda taught about evil: why God created it and how we can use it to our benefit and rise above it. "The truth is that God is using evil, not to destroy us, but to make us disillusioned with His toys, with the playthings of this world, so that we might seek Him. This is why the Lord Himself permits injustices and evil. But I have said to Him, 'Lord, You have never suffered. You have always been perfect. How do you know what suffering is? Yet You have put us through these tests; and You had no business doing it. We didn't ask to be born as mortals and to suffer.' (He doesn't mind that I argue with Him. He is very patient.) The Lord answers, "You don't have to go on suffering; I have given everyone the free will to choose good instead of evil, and thus come back to me. So evil is the test of God to see if we will choose Him or His gifts. He created us in His image and gave us the power to free ourselves. But we don't use that power." Why God Permits Evil and How to Rise Above It.

Through the paradigm of evolutionary astrology, and specifically through the archetypes of Pluto, Scorpio, the 8th house and the location of the asteroid Lucifer, Jeffrey gave us a way to determine where this influence of evil might be felt, how it might manifest in the individual birthchart: where it can either exacerbate our desires to remain separate from God/Source, which are only limited (Scorpio/Taurus) by our imaginations (Pisces), or via the polarity point of Lucifer, where it can enhance our own personal desire (Taurus) to return to that Source (Pisces). It can manifest through our feelings of powerlessness and our desire for power (Scorpio).

Another place where we can particularly feel the influence of Lucifer/evil is where we are most emotionally weak, where it uses our own emotional weaknesses, weaknesses that are intrinsic to us, to keep us separate. This influence can distort our personal needs and desires (Taurus) into selfishness. Thru Scorpio/Taurus, it can really manifest itself thru sexuality, as well as thru the very instinct to survive, i.e, through a myriad of possible behaviors/manifestations if one's life is or appears to be on the line.

Since Lucifer (evil) made the choice (Scorpio/Pluto) to not do what God asked him to--serve (Virgo) humanity--and Virgo being what I consider the microcosm of the macrocosm (Pisces), then in each of our own cases, determined by evolutionary condition, it is where we can choose to cooperate with God thru our service to humanity or not. Thru Virgo it can be where we can be in denial of our own inner workings, of our actual desires, denial of our intentions and motivations (sextile to Scorpio), or denial of the divinity within each of us (opposition to Pisces). Through the Pisces/Virgo opposition, it can also operate through our feeling of being so small in the face of that which, until this point in time has been considered perfect, that we feel unable to move forward at all.

Thru Virgo and the archetype of self-improvement, evil can manifest through our desires to simply make changes and/or to know God. It can be where we see only the problem (Virgo) instead of the solution (Pisces), or it can create doubt about what we can and cannot do and create crisis (Virgo) when there doesn't need to be one. Thru the sextile between Virgo and Scorpio, evil can influence us through the continuing recycling of our thoughts and feelings of being powerless or by ruminating on our perceived 'deficiencies,' and therefore, we form relationships to something that symbolizes what in our own estimation we currently don't have and think that we need. We can also see the connection, thru the mystic rectangle, to overt forms of S & M behavior (both sexual and non-sexual), as well as any kind of self-undermining behavior that keeps us from moving forward, etc. There is also a connection thru the mystic rectangle, between our feelings of not having what we think we need (Scorpio/Taurus) and our feelings of lack and imperfection (Virgo/Pisces), the two of which I think are closely related. By the same token, it can also be where we over estimate and/or become deluded about who and what we are, what we are capable of and what we are not.

Perhaps Milton had the Virgo archetype in mind/nailed down in Paradise Lost with the following quote: " The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven."

And, as Paramahansa Yogananda states: "Everyone has self-limiting idiosyncrasies. These were not put into your nature by God, but were created by you. These are what you must change -- by remembering that these habits, peculiar to your nature, are nothing but manifestations of your own thoughts."

Through the mystic rectangle we can see that Lucifer comes from God/microcosm (Pisces) into the individual/microcosm (Virgo). Lucifer manifests right at crossroads of the dual desires of soul (Pluto-Scorpio/Taurus), one desire to return to that which created us and one desire to remain separate from that which created us (Pisces), with Taurus being ruled by Venus, the higher octave of which is Neptune, ruler of Pisces. So now we have sextiles between Pisces and Taurus and Scorpio (limitations) and Virgo (lack) and trines from Pisces to Scorpio (Source and Soul) and Taurus (feelings, personal desires) to Virgo (thoughts), and the obvious opposition of Pisces (Solution) and Virgo (Problem): the mystic rectangle.

The term mystic itself according to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language means: of or relating to religious mysteries or occult rites and practices. This reflects the astrological archetypes of Pisces (religious mysteries) and Scorpio (occult rites and practices). Another meaning is: inspiring a sense of mystery and wonder.

According to Dane Rudhyar, "unlike the Grand Cross or Square, the Rectangle points in a certain direction and presents a challenge for a particular kind of integration. The rectangular shape was used in many temples and chambers of initiation, and the buildings themselves were built to symbolize the process of transition from one stage of personal-spiritual unfoldment to the next - the fulfillment of a great goal. Seen on the vertical plane, the rectangle becomes a DOOR, something to pass thru to enter a new realm." Astrological Aspects: A Process Oriented Approach

Dane Rudhyar came to call the mystic rectangle, the "Harmonic" Rectangle. "One of the most practically constructive and spiritually harmonious possibilities of any rectangle is indicated when the 2 oppositions are linked by sextiles and trines." Where fully active, this 'Harmonic Rectangle' points to the potential development of a character strongly organized in an attempt to take an important step in personal growth and/or spiritual development. The configuration tends to bring the polarized elements symbolized by the oppositions into a unity, because a strong sense of organization (sextile) and a cohesive, purposeful vision (Trine) are potential in the personality. Whatever tensions arise in the life or personality that are symbolized in the opposing planets (or opposition) don't necessarily 'go away.' But, they can be "laid on the altar," or channeled toward the concrete completion of a significant life-task." ibid.

So the mystic, or harmonic, rectangle is simply another way to shed more light on the influence of Lucifer both as the Adversary and as the Bearer of Light thru the interrelated archetypes of Scorpio, Taurus, Virgo and Pisces.

What I have begun to observe is that all of the above archetypes of Lucifer as the adversary can also be seen by superimposing the mystic rectangle formed by the signs Scorpio-Taurus-Pisces and Virgo on an individual chart, and then locating their rulers, to see exactly what areas of life will be affected by this energy and where that energy is likely to be even more pronounced, due to the connections made through the oppositions, trines and sextiles of the mystic rectangle. As the archetype of the Bearer of Light, we can see where we can identify and link what we desire (including our desire to know God, our desire to return), what we need, what we love, how we serve, what kinds of symbols we can align with and osmose to God'dess herself. We can identify specific methods that help eliminate the emotional weaknesses, the feelings of powerlessness or lack, and therefore some of the separating desires, which in turn leads to a strengthening of our desire to change and/or know Goddess. So again, the solution lies within the problem, i.e., changing those 'messages' to the opposite and being our own alchemist and turning our inner 'lead' into 'gold,' indicated by the houses that contain this mystic rectangle, which include the 'method' (Virgo) for our own metamorphosis (Scorpio).

Another thing I found is that where the mystic rectangle becomes a total opposition, i.e., thru the overlay of Pisces/Virgo on and/or in 2nd/8th, or vice versa; and Scorpio/Taurus on and/or in 6th/12th or vice versa, then the archetypes become even more emphasized, either as Adversary or as Bearer of Light, and whether on an internal or external level and/or both.

So we can see that the mystic rectangle of Scorpio/Taurus/Pisces/Virgo encompasses the very places where Lucifer is most likely to influence us: through our natural desires to separate or return (Scorpio), our deepest emotions (Pisces and Scorpio), our feelings (Taurus) and our thoughts (Virgo). Again, it is these areas where Lucifer is extremely invested in influencing us. The mystic rectangle, though, also offers us the mutability (Pisces/Virgo), or ability to change and adapt, the fixidity (Scorpio/Taurus) we've experienced to this moment in time and to make changes to all these dynamics. It can become, as Rudhyar stated, that door thru which we pass into a new realm.

Example to follow