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THE LIBRA FESTIVAL 2019
13 OCT 2019
© Malvin Artley
On legal matters
Libra
Esoteric Venus
Chinese connections
Venus and integration
Venus and destiny
Libra and the Path
Loving ourselves
Libra, Uranus and Saturn
Libra and the emerging order
The full moon
Operation Peace Spring
Septiles
The full moon and Victory from God Almighty
Protests in Iraq
The Libra nations
The City of London and Brexit
Disaster capitalism and shock therapy
The Chicago School
Tariffs, sanctions and instability
Brexit, Wall Street and the City
National charts and synthetic rulers
Corruption in US politics
The power of the people
The ‘kids’ in Hong Kong
The Chinese
Hong Kong, a perspective
China and our indoctrination
Speaking truth to power
Breathe the air
Greetings Everyone!
I recently received an email from a friend, who opened our correspondence with a question: “Could the world be more intense? OMG! Hard to get through a single day…..breathe…” Indeed, I thought. Given the rapidly unfolding world events and the intensity of reactions and sentiments I read in comments on every matter under the sun, it is a wonder we are not all at war with ourselves. The great climate debate, the latest accusations about Trump, Hong Kong, Brexit, the trade war between the US and China, Abqaiq, and a host of local issues – everyone has their opinion, everyone claims to be right and there seems to be no resolution or middle ground where we can all meet and find some common ground and solutions thereby. And to make matters worse still, the emotions involved are often inflammatory and prevent conversation, usually devolving quickly into insults, derision and complete dismissal of the other person’s or peoples’ views.
On legal matters: I am certain most readers have been through the experience of being in situation where we just wish it would finish, one way or the other, and the people involved would just get on with whatever needed to resolve, so that we could move on with our lives. On an everyday level, such is often the case with messy impasses in relationships, and more especially, legal matters. Having consulted astrologically in legal matters in the past, these can be particularly troublesome, as the battling parties jockey for the best positions and outcomes and the lawyers sometimes drag the matters out to ensure a steady flow of income. Mediation is often a better course if both parties are seeking to escape huge fees and payouts. But when one party is looking for either vengeance, compensation, or what they perceive as ‘justice’, victory in such cases can indeed be very bittersweet. A loss in such cases for the party seeking to get one up on the other is often a much better outcome for the belligerent from the standpoint of life lessons – i.e., for that person’s soul path. And if astrologers are involved in both sides, with a focus on material victory, then the impasses can be interminable. This is often the case in Asian countries. Such is the more material, worldly side of Libra, the Scales, which is the sign most associated with lawyers and the legal profession.
Esoteric Venus: There are a few esoteric points of interest here before we get to the more practical esoteric expression of Venus through Libra, which may spark some insights later on. The following may be especially of interest to people involved in esoteric healing and advanced meditative practices. Libra is said to rule the kidneys, the lumbar region of the spine, the skin and the internal reproductive organs. The kidneys are the organs of elimination for liquids in the body. They are filtering agents, one of the five yin organs in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and in a curious way – a most occult way, actually – associate Libra with the base chakra/energy center. The kidneys in TCM are associated with Mercury, the ‘Water Planet’. Mercury is the ultimate planet that operates through the base chakra, as it rules the ‘liquid light of active kundalini’.[1] Bear with this here, as it gets to a greater point, and is of special interest in esoteric healing.
Venus is also associated with the ajna center (the energy center between the eyebrows), which rules the pituitary body at the base of the brain. This endocrine gland has been called the ‘master gland’ in the body, governing all sorts of functions, but with one of the main ones being that of the growth hormone, which governs the stages of growth of the body. Here we see the Venusian connection with Taurus (the building of the body nature). However, the ajna center also is said to have two ‘petals’, or sides (or 96, depending on how it is viewed), which is reminiscent of the scales of justice in Libra. The ajna center is more associated with mental discrimination and integration of the personality in the adult than in the growth and maintenance of the body, and moreover with the growth of the soul life, or higher ethics. This is where connections get even more interesting.
In Chinese philosophy, astrology and TCM, Venus is called the ‘Metal Planet’ (note: metal, as in copper and other metals), also known as the ‘Great White’. It is associated with the outcome of warfare and justice in their philosophy, with the signs Rabbit and Tiger (branches 3 and 4) in their Four Pillars astrology and with the lungs and large intestine in TCM. The latter (TCM) is of real interest here. The lungs are said to open into the skin (Libra, via Venus rules the skin). Taurus, via Venus, opens into the lungs, the latter ruled by Mercury. The large intestine is said to have the function of separating the refined from the gross, and the Metal element is associated with sport, with oratory and with bodily strength. The large intestine links Venus again with the base chakra. If we lose our breath, we lose our strength. But it gets even better, from an esoteric perspective. With these connections we get close associations between Mercury and Venus.
The first breath and first cry at the start of our physical incarnation determines the ascending degree and thus our field of experience, as represented in the houses of the chart. The rising sign defines our higher path forward, towards the soul. In the advanced stages of meditation, as we approach the stage of the ‘mother clear light’, mentioned in the last letter, the breath stops momentarily and our everyday consciousness ceases by the same interval. The ajna center is intimately involved in this, as it is the gateway to the center in the skull that governs breathing,[3] the higher correspondence to the throat center. This happens naturally as we proceed with meditative practice. It is at this juncture that we can achieve true alignment between the soul and the personality and therein complete the antahkarana, or ‘rainbow bridge’. This marks the stage of contemplation, which Libra governs.[4] It also leads to Aquarius, wherein the completion of the stages of wisdom are engaged. As we breathe through our practices and learn the deeper meanings behind outer appearances, so we are increasingly able to give breath to those unable to breathe.
Venus and integration: What we have from all the preceding, then – as abstruse as it all sounds – is that Venus integrates many factors. And this idea of integration should be key to our understanding of Venus. At a very basic level Venus is connected with the integration and maintenance of bodily functions, growth and maintenance via the breath and the ‘foundational chi’, as the Chinese call it. Chinese qi gong practices focus upon breathing as a fundamental. Once the personality in a given life has matured, after the Saturn return and really after the 35th year, our real work for this life and future lives begins and we integrate ourselves with the greater collective and with our higher Self in the process. This is also via Venus, through the ajna center. Venus is the alter ego of the Earth, after all, and represents the soul/higher Self in human experience, or should. Venus is therefore the planet most associated with intimate relationships and partnerships. And what relationship is more intimate for us than that between us in our waking consciousness and our very soul? In the preceding paragraphs we have the intimate interaction and association between Venus and Mercury, two of the most occult planets in the zodiac and the unfolding of human spiritual potential, as well as their connection and symbolism with the body nature. This brings us to the more practical side of Venus and Libra in general.
Venus and destiny: Venus has a close association astrologically with a person’s destiny. Why would this be so? Our destiny lies in our relationships with others, and by extension with our own individual relation to our higher Self. Our solar system, seeking to express the energy love in its fullest, starts with loving ourselves, learning to do so and at the same time learning self-forgetfulness (a seeming paradox) through our families (hopefully or in spite of) and wider groups progressively as the years pass, and integrating ourselves into the wider world society, learning many different types of love along the way. So, we are first integrated ourselves into the family unit through reproduction and then through various communities (schools, religious groups, etc.). When we come to it, our souls are integrated (intertwined) with all other souls through our group karma. We are said to reincarnate in groups – we might say in waves – and every experience through our outer living introduces new precedents (Uranus, Libra’s esoteric ruler) into our lives, about which we then must discriminate and integrate into our wider world view and service. In parallel with that, our souls seek wider expression through us, inducing inner changes, which in turn affect our outer relations and thus our accumulated group karma, the latter also being connected with Libra through its ultimate ruler, Saturn.
To summarize the preceding, in our growth and evolution we move first from reacting to every new experience, to then thinking on consequences, to contemplating meaning and finally thereon to wisdom, if the sequence rings a bell. In Gemini we play with the various mental factors and opposites/conflicting views. In Libra we contemplate the significance of those and come to a point of relative equipoise between, leading to the Libra motto: “I choose the way that lies between the two great lines of force.” And then in Aquarius, we begin the process of removing the final obstacles to our full realization of wisdom and share that with others along the Way. In service, we realize that the Path is the Destination, because our destiny is to learn love through service. It is the bodhisattva path.
Loving ourselves: Mention was made previously of ‘loving ourselves’. Loving ourselves is not what most people would think. It is not about comfort, about doing nice things, about seeking pleasurable experiences, although that is also involved. Loving ourselves is about living as a soul, and that very often takes us out of our comfort zones. The following stanza might illustrate the point, speaking of love:
Libra, Uranus and Saturn: This brings us to a few brief words about the two more esoteric rulers of Libra – Uranus and Saturn. Perhaps we can see these two rulers in the quote above. Our relationships take us out of ourselves, if we live them properly. The mirror is held up to us, and we do in kind for others. If we grow through relationships, then we set new precedents together. Uranus is the planet of precedents, because it indicates a new order is in the offing. We see this, for instance, in declining birth rates worldwide. Uranus has been posited as a ruler of the sacral center – a concrete mental chakra, when it comes to it – although any planet can express through any chakra, depending on what is happening in the chakra, just as any color can be found in any chakra, for the same reason. But we digress. Uranus is very active as humanity is awakening.
Going back to my friend’s question at the beginning of this letter, we currently find ourselves in a kind of psychic no-man’s land, which Libra represents.[8] We see the turmoil, yet there seems to be no apparent solution forthcoming, other than more of the same, or perhaps worse. But karma has a time element and an experience element, both representative of Saturn. We see collective karma working out before us. We need to breathe through this period and contemplate what it really means to us. Because Libra is so evident now and because it will persist into the new age, we are also told not to fear, to let go of anxiety.[9] And perhaps if we could see it, the present anxieties we are facing can be cause for us to ‘reverse our course’ and instead focus upon higher values. There is a big and growing emphasis now on the rule of international law via the UN, and this is coming primarily from the East. Bear this in mind. There is a clear path ahead. The only thing that will delay it is a large, sudden financial collapse. But that need not come to pass. Instead of seeing the turmoil, go into the eye of the storm. There we will find peace and direction. Relax. Breathe…
The full moon: What about this full moon then? It is an interesting figure this time, with a good combination of stress and expansive interests. What we find in the chart is a sextile between the Sun and Jupiter, within six minutes of exactitude, and thus Jupiter trine the Moon. Then, there is a t-square with the full moon axis as the base and with Pluto as the apex planet. All of the planets form between what are called bowl and locomotive patterns, although closer to the bowl, from Marc Edmund Jones’ chart patterns. This implies a high degree of focus and determination, with a strong sense of core values. Mars becomes important in this chart. It is actually a good figure for researchers and artists, because it speaks of breakthroughs and sudden inspirations. There is also a darker side, which can point to possible interventions and violence. The Moon is conjunct Eris, the planet of discord. It is also that planet that throws a wrench into the established order.
If you are involved in or are looking a starting an initiative, this is a good chart for signing contracts and setting things in motion. If that sounds a little crazy, looking at the Pluto-dominated t-square and Saturn lurking in the background, those little items are where a creative person finds their drive and initiative, with the Jupiter guaranteeing success – if the person or group can remain impersonal in the face of opposition or challenges. It is also a brilliant chart for the physical sciences, for all the reasons just stated, plus the fact that Mars and Uranus define the boundary of the bowl pattern in the chart. Those two planets together give manual dexterity and mechanical genius when well utilized. They can also represent an accident waiting to happen when they are carelessly used. They also represent concrete science and technology.
This is yet another phase of the ongoing war in Syria, where we again hear that Trump is withdrawing troops from the northeast of that nation (he isn’t really), leaving the Kurdish SDF forces – supposedly American allies in the fight against Daesh – to the mercy of the Turks, who see them as terrorists. The Turkish troops include 18,000 jihadist fighters from Syria and abroad who have been living in Turkey since the Russian intervention. The Kurds are now said to be seeking agreements with Damascus and possibly also the Russians to fight against the Turks. Damascus does not want to see those Turkish troops inside Syria.
Just a quick note: There are four factors at work in that move. 1) Turkey seeks to rid itself of its Syrian refugees, who are a financial burden, after having indoctrinated them against Damascus. 2) Turkey seeks a buffer zone (actually, they hope to annex a part of Syria) against the PKK/YPG. 3) Trump gains a ‘win’ by appearing to end American involvement in Syria. Again, he is not really doing that. It is more a redistribution. It is also a slick political move meant to paint his opponents into a corner. The troops will stay, but outside the buffer zone, to prevent the SAA and Russians from moving against the Turks. That may become ‘interesting’ in short order. 4) And perhaps more importantly, this is intended to bring the Turks back onside with the NATO by throwing them a bone, thereby spoiling the growing relationship with Russia and Iran. Or so Washington hopes. But here is a spoiler: The Russians have opened a corridor across the Euphrates at Deir Azor into the YPG areas. Why? It would appear a deal is in the offing, and the bridge enables the SAA to cross into the region.
Septiles: Getting back to the septiles and a calmer view, the septile series of aspects represents new vistas, increased access to wisdom and with Pluto, breakthroughs to that wisdom when rightly applied. The Sun and the Moon also form a midpoint structure with Pluto, which represents the critical phase of a situation and formative crises. The last point to add here is that Saturn has been conjunct the south node for some months now, representing the past coming back to haunt those who persist in trying to maintain destructive, outmoded attitudes. What might we expect from this figure, then? To illustrate the power of full moons and the value of looking at the full moon figures in international affairs, we need only look to the past full moon, on 14 Sep 19.
Remaining with Yemen for the moment, the Saudis failed to take the pointed message of the Houthis into account, which led to another devastating incident a few weeks later, the Houthis’ ‘Victory from God Almighty’ operation – resulting in the routing of three Saudi brigades and the capture of over 2,400 Saudi troops along with a huge cache of weapons by the Houthis. Another message sent. They still have not heard the message, so we can expect another Yemeni operation. These past two incidents – on Aramco and the latest one – have been a huge embarrassment to the Saudis, but also to the US. We need to keep a few things in mind here.
Europe is ‘protected’ from Russia (as if they needed protecting) by the US Patriot missile batteries, manned by NATO troops. The Saudis are also protected – maybe not so much – by those same systems. Those systems are essentially useless against the types of weapons the Houthis used in their attack. Saudi Arabia is thus unprotected, except by ground troops. And the Saudis are renowned to be poor fighters. Their officers ran from the latest attack. There have been messages sent all around with these latest incidents, to many quarters. The US has since pulled back its troop numbers in Qatar at its largest base in the Middle East, fearing Iranian and Yemeni reprisals..
Going back to this full moon, then, we are at the critical phase of the situation in several areas of the Middle East, and a formative crisis, among other parts of the world. The Saudis are now making overtures to Iran to diffuse tensions in the region. They are facing a critical juncture as to their nation. The Houthis can further escalate. They have done so all along. In the past there would have been a large international NATO or some other coalition to crush the Houthis and ‘liberate’ Yemen. That is a fantasy now. The defenses of the Saudis have been exposed. The Iranians and their allies would defend the Houthis, and are doing so covertly. The Europeans want the US to rejoin the JCPOA and they have no stomach for a war in the region. Pompeo’s calls for a coalition against Iran have fallen on deaf ears. There may be a conflict, but it so if would be swift, devastating and embarrassing for Washington, for all of its vaunted military might. Times have changed. We go back to the earlier statement about the no-man’s land, and we realize that we are there. At one time a few decades past it may have been possible to inflict a decisive victory over Yemen, or Iran, but those days are long gone. There is now a clear path emerging for an uneasy peace to settle over the region. That brings us to the Libra nations, larger international relations, and in this installment, finance.
The Libra nations I have been looking at with Sun in Libra include China, the French 5th Republic and the New Zealand dominion chart. As to Libra rising, we have Israel, Lebanon, the UK and Canada.
Esoterically, the nations and city with Libra are as follows:
Personality: Argentina, Canada and China, along with the City of London
Soul: Austria and Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Denmark)
There are two main areas of focus for this letter, and those are the City of London and China with a brief mention of Argentina. What follows will sound decidedly anti-Western in respect to policy and past actions. But, what we are seeing with unfolding events is a historical sea-change, with two decaying empires in the West, one military-economic and the other purely economic. Such decay is most always accompanied by poor decision-making, the tendency to keep repeating old habits by people in power, and with rising social misery and discord internally. The people of those two empires – the US and the UK – are purposely kept in the dark about what is taking place and fed misinformation among the little bits of honest reporting they read and hear, to the extent that getting at the truth behind events becomes ever-more-difficult. The political leaders in those nations are also often quite uninformed/misinformed about matters outside of their own nations. However, poor policy can produce progress in the right directions, which is also what we are seeing. Nothing goes to waste in the plans of the spiritual Hierarchy, who subjectively guide the spiritual destinies of nations and the world. The path before us becomes clearer by the day if we look at the trends with a common sense and wide outlook, and it is headed toward Aquarian ideals, where cooperation will oust control as the years pass. The people, as is the norm in any country, are basically sound and good, in spite of what we might hear about certain groups. With this in mind, we’ll begin with London. Breathe…
If you want to know what Brexit is really all about, there is a book recommended for consideration: Brexit: A Corporate Coup D’Etat. It costs four pounds – worth every pence. The City of London, greater London’s financial seat, is ‘ground zero’ for this struggle. To make the story very short, Brexit is not about the EU, the latter only indirectly, but is instead about the 1% and the 99%, with the 1% seeking to induce financial instability in the UK, to the extent that the pound drops precipitously in value in order to reap huge profits from the sales of assets and exchange rates later on. This sort of evil is also known as ‘disaster capitalism’. That leads to another book, also recommended reading: The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. To effect such a shock doctrine on an unsuspecting British public, the EU and immigration policy (open borders) was cast as the scapegoat, even though it does have its problems. However, anyone who thinks leaving the EU will save the UK from the clutches of a super-state does not realize that another super-state waits in the wings and is egging this on. To ensure that such a state affairs takes place requires a hard, no-deal Brexit. Crashing out of the EU will be no cause for celebration except for hedge fund managers and oligarchs, foreign and domestic. Conspiracy? Read the books and be aware.
Disaster capitalism and shock therapy: We have seen examples of ‘disaster capitalism’ and ‘economic shock therapy’ in recent memory, Greece being a prime example. There is actually quite a list of nations who have undergone such economic ‘therapy’, to name even a few: Russia, Chile, Argentina, Iraq, the Ukraine (an in fact most of the ex-Soviet states), Brazil, Indonesia, the former Yugoslavia, even the US and UK. For the US it was the shock of 9/11. For the UK it was the Falklands war, with the resulting instability and overt nationalism enabling the Thatcher government to crush the unions and sell off many of the UK’s treasured assets. Here, Argentina with its Libra personality bears a mention.
By the 1950s, Argentina had the largest middle class on the continent of South America. The southern cone of South America was a model for developing economies worldwide, as the, smart, practical and aggressive economic policies of the states there – Uruguay and Chile included – grew the middle class, raised people out of poverty, gave free education and high literacy rates, and so forth. In other words, it mirrored the social-democratic policies of European nations and Roosevelt era America, as well as China and Russia today. Corporations paid their taxes and were reined in. Economies were regulated and mixed. Then the military coups started and the shock therapy in those nations started. Living standards plummeted, the people were terrorized, the middle class shrank dramatically. Sound familiar? Argentina’s economy today is a typical neoliberal roller coaster of instability and uncertainty. It is still the 3rd-largest economy in South America, but they are so tied to the US dollar and economic policies that their future looks nothing like it did in the 1950s under Perón, who followed many of Roosevelts policies. Those were reversed under the right-wing military junta in the 1970s, who ultimately ushered in the Falklands War.
Once the instability is in place, for whatever the reason, and the populace is scared enough to follow the dictums, to ‘get with the program’, then what usually happens is the following, in order to ‘save the nation’: “First, governments must remove all rules and regulations standing in the way of the accumulation of profits. Second, they should sell off any assets they own that corporations could be running at a profit. And third, they should dramatically cut back funding of social programs.”[10] Such a model is what is taking place in the US now, more slowly in the EU and is about to happen in an accelerated fashion and to a greater degree in the UK should a hard Brexit happen. Trump is a manifestation of such instability in the US. And economic crashes are often engineered to produce the needed instability. How to offset this?
What is needed most is time – time to make proper decisions, to identify the causes and offset those, and most importantly, to keep the public from panicking. A panicked public is the breeding ground for authoritarianism, and is a dream for reactionary factions in any nation. Look at what is happening in the UK now, for instance – warnings of dire economic consequences with a hard Brexit, or of what would happen were the UK not to leave the EU (of civil war if Brexit fails to happen), but before that scare tactics around immigrants, against communism/socialism, and so forth. Every time the pound drops, a few people make a lot of money on the instability – the fears of the people. The British public has been and is still being set up for a disaster, as are Americans. Why does any of it need to happen? It can still be offset. So, let’s get to the point here about the UK and the City of London. The City of London is where Brexit was conceived and born. London on the whole has a Libran personality, currently expressing the lower aspects of Libra via the manipulative side of the 3rd ray. The City is the seat of financial capitalism for much of the world, with Wall Street being its counterpart in the US. Libra is most associated with three things: the law, sex and money.[11] What the City and Wall Street want is to be free of financial regulations (to ‘take
back control’), to privatize all of the UK’s assets and to cut social programs – like the NHS.
Tariffs, sanctions and instability: Brexit, as was stated, is more than the UK. It is a test case for the whole of Europe. Tariffs and sanctions are one of the primary means of inducing instability in nations these days. The Brexit deadline is looming, in less than a month. Look at what just happened: Trump has just slapped tariffs on the EU, taking effect five days after this full moon, going back to what was stated about that chart (marking a critical juncture). That’s a little less than two weeks before the Brexit date. Why impose those tariffs now, when he could have done so much earlier? Well, for several reasons. One of the big tariffs is on aircraft, and Boeing is in big trouble at the moment. Jobs mean votes. Trump is seeking to shore up his voter base. The other tariffs are on agricultural goods, and the trade war with China has badly hurt American farmers. Again, there is the need to shore up the voter base. And Boris is in trouble, too. He needs a little help from Uncle to push through that hard Brexit.
Those tariffs will also affect the UK, as the UK is still a part of the EU. But there is also a carrot dangled in front of the UK of a free trade deal with the US. However, there is a catch – there has to be hard Brexit for that deal to come good. This is like saying, “Give us a no-deal Brexit and we will drop those nasty tariffs. The tariffs are against the EU, not you.” The British should be very skeptical of such talk of a free trade deal. Neither Boris Johnson nor Donald Trump are exactly known for their honesty. A free trade deal would come with strings, will mean economic shock therapy for the UK and that great post-Brexit deal may just scatter like dust in the wind, and will not be easy to come by, especially if there are hard borders in Ireland as a result.
Brexit, Wall Street and the City: So, here is the crux of the situation with Brexit as it stands, looking behind all the strident opinions on both sides of the battle: A hard Brexit will cement the union between Wall Street and the City of London, or so the Brexit people hope – a decidedly materialistic, reactionary union, replete with the secrecy locations (tax havens), unregulated financial capitalism and so on. If the UK stays in the EU, the UK’s secrecy locations will come under increasing scrutiny. That alone is one of the biggest reasons for the Brexit campaign and why the EU was made the scapegoat. The people who voted ‘leave’ in the UK for the largest part will have been used to great effect with a hard Brexit, but they will not see benefits in leaving the EU by and large – probably quite the opposite.
If, as is expected but not a foregone conclusion, a new Brexit deadline is set for the first of next year, the national chart of the UK will see the Saturn/Pluto conjunction opposite the UK Moon. That represents two things in that chart, depending on how one reads it – either the sitting government (the Moon rules the 10th house of that chart) will see its demise, or the UK will break with its past, which means ideas of empire, past British greatness, the ideals of what British government actually means (Britain being one of the greatest democracies in the world), etc. In other words, many if not most of the UK’s most cherished memories will be called into question and perhaps see quite a shakeup. Probably both government and the past would be called into question. The Saturn/Pluto conjunction is a ‘death aspect’, especially mass deaths. This is not to say the UK will experience mass deaths (most likely not). Those will probably be the deaths, instead, of old sentiments. But it does bring in a rather interesting consideration.
National charts and synthetic rulers: We have several examples of national (mundane) charts where they reflect the esoteric astrology of nations, or we see the opposite signs. Examples of such are the US (opposite ascendant to the Gemini personality and the opposite polarities to Washington), the UK (rising same as the personality of London), Russia (rising same as personality), Canada (rising the same as personality), China (Sun sign and personality the same, Midheaven and soul opposite). And the sample here is not all-inclusive. What this indicates, as a considered opinion, is that such nations in their present governmental systems (which a national horoscope indicates) represent transitional eras in the evolutionary paths of those nations as they move from crisis to crisis in the fuller expression of their national souls, much as what we would see when the Sun sign and rising signs are opposite in a natal chart. We see this in particular with the UK, where the City of London is at odds with the higher path or path toward greater soul expression for the UK, as represented by the rising sign. We see this most markedly also with respect to Washington, which is rapidly losing its status on the world stage.
It is said that the governance of the US will gradually shift from Washington to New York.[12] Why New York? New York is ruled by Cancer and is one of the world’s great synthesizing centers, as is London. New York is also the seat of the UN, and it is worthy of note that Washington’s dictates often run afoul of UN rulings. When Wall Street (also based in New York) is reined in, when organized crime (also very strong in New York, as well as being entrenched in Wall Street, a.k.a. ‘white collar crime’) is likewise reined in, then the shift northward from DC to NY can begin to take place more rapidly. In other words, the third ray of New York must be made to serve the 2nd ray of the soul of that city and become a vast center of spiritual integration instead of the overt material expression it now is. It is not likely to happen in our lifetimes, but then again, who knows?
We just had another taste of American corruption with the breaking story of the Ukraine-gate scandal that has since engulfed the US news services. There has been mutual meddling between the Ukraine and the US since Obama’s time in office, with conflicts of interests, influence peddling, nepotism, key administration figures being implicated, and even the current US president meddling in Ukrainian affairs to get behind the Russia-gate scandal. So, for readers who still believe it was the Russians who meddled in the 2016 elections, here’s the thing: It was actually the Ukrainians, who posed as Russians, with a Russian oligarch or two. The Ukraine has openly admitted that they tried to get Hillary Clinton elected, because they knew she would be more hawkish toward Russia. The Democrats are going after Trump for his recent actions, but in doing so they are exposing their own corruption, re: Joe Biden and other figures. 2020 will be interesting in the US.
Congress is especially corrupt, saying this as an American, with its ‘revolving door policies’, which invites corruption. It is also why we see the immense ‘defense’ budget we now have and which the present president is only increasing, supposedly to support American manufacturing. It is a vicious circle, one with no apparent solution forthcoming. It is one of the issues that should be at the forefront of the evolving political campaign, one which Marianne Williamson addressed, and for which she has been pushed to the back of the queue of Democratic candidates. She has also cited FDR as her choice of the greatest American presidents. It should be noted he reined in the Wall Street bankers in those days. It was also he who gave the United Nations its name.
Coming back to Brexit for one last word, the people of the UK were manipulated (referring again to the third ray Libran personality of the City of London) to effect the ‘Leave’ vote in the 2016 referendum. The public opinion that was roused in the campaign is still there, still strong and is being manipulated still to try to push through the hard Brexit, ‘do or die’, on the 31st of this month. It could still succeed, but it will take a strong cohesion of opposition parties to forestall or prevent it. It will also take the voice of the people to push the politicians to maintain the pressure on the debate. There are groups meditating for the unity of Europe,[14] whatever that might mean for the future. Gemini, the soul of Great Britain, is ultimately a great sign of unification, and through the negativity of Geminian divisiveness (its lower manifestation and corruption of Britain’s soul force), a crisis has been produced via Brexit which will eventually lead to a saner, wiser, soul-centered approach within the British public. However long that will take is up to the British. Perhaps it will take a further shock to evoke it. Brexit itself was shocking enough to many.
The power of the people is still embryonic, but is slowly being consolidated. It is being done the most slowly in the US due to the aforementioned corruption, the constant barrage of propaganda via the mainstream media to which Americans are subjected and the overt materialism of the nation. We do not see the large demonstrations in the US, for instance, against worsening conditions or conflicts overseas that we see in the UK regarding their politics. There is little resistance in the US these days, especially since 9/11. But protests are the primary means of a people, besides the vote, to effect change in government. There are many ways, for certain, but protests are the quickest way to make governments take notice, There are several taking place in the world at present – in France (yes, ongoing, but unreported), in Iraq (which in reality is a prelude to a planned color revolution) and in Hong Kong. There are others for sure, but these are the main ones in the newsfeeds these days. This takes us finally to China, via Hong Kong.
If you want a real piece of irony and paradox, consider this: Probably the most amazing fact that most people seem to miss is that Hong Kong was only ever prosperous because of the communist government in the mainland, and then because China sought to open itself to the outside world during the 1970s. Prior to that it was considered to be only a 2nd-rate colonial backwater. Hong Kong became prosperous by luck, not by initiative. When the CCP opened up to the West and capitalist investment, Hong Kong was the clearing house. Money poured into China through the clearing house banks in Hong Kong. That soon changed as China grew. Now, Hong Kong is losing its opportunity by failing to learn from the examples of the mainland’s economic development, and by keeping a separative attitude toward the mainland, one of the most unfortunate legacies of British rule. American and British interests want to keep Hong Kong as a neoliberal economic outpost on China’s border.
The Chinese, from their side, see Hong Kong as an opportunity, and also as an experiment. It is also currently involved in a proxy power struggle between the West and China, albeit economic. Most readers also probably don’t know, but China is ruled by engineers and scientists, not by lawyers and business people, and as such is an ever-evolving experiment itself, reflective of its Aquarius rising in its current national chart. There is much about China we do not understand. With Aquarius rising, it is thus also the seat of rapidly developing technology as a result, with its Made in China 2025 initiative being a reflection of that Aquarius. That initiative has alarmed Washington especially, and is seen to be one of the main reasons behind the trade war – to stop China (in theory) from being able to produce the microelectronics it needs to be able to realize its goals. It won’t work. China is too far advanced. The trade war will only serve to accelerate China’s development of those technologies. The trade war, instead, is only introducing instability into world markets and is driving the Eastern nations – Russia, China, Japan (increasingly) and eventually North Korea – into ever greater economic integration. That integration will form one of the economic blocs[15] mentioned in the Bailey books, and would appear to be according to Plan, much to the chagrin of the West.
Hong Kong, a perspective: For perspective and possible insight, Hong Kong, a city of about 7.5 million people, has 79 billionaires – second only to New York. London comes in fifth with 55, after Moscow and Beijing, respectively. As stated, Hong Kong is an oligarchy, not a democracy. It is also among the top ten most toxic tax havens in the world. Three British Overseas Territories are the top three. Half of the seats in the Hong Kong government are occupied by business people, and they heavily set policy. The mainland has not moved to break this up, so far adhering to the one-nation-two-systems argument, but in not doing so it has created huge disparities of wealth in Hong Kong. The protests in Hong Kong have little to do with democracy, and if the truth were known, neither the British nor American governments really care about the protesters, except as they serve to destabilize the relations between the mainland and Hong Kong.
If you really want to get down to it, Hong Kong is still a British colony, a part of Britain’s 2nd Empire. It will not stay that way, nor will the protests succeed. The CCP can bide their time. The Hong Kong police thus far have handled the protests without much incident. Compare that with the protests in Iraq, where over 100 protesters so far have been killed, and the Hong Kong protests are tame by comparison. In the early days of Chinese opening to the West, Hong Kong accounted for a large part of investment in China, approaching 30%. Now it stands at only 3%. China has little to lose in letting the protests fizzle. In fact, it is in their interest to let the protests die on their own. It shows restraint, gives the West no ammunition in its media war against China, and progressively reveals the protests as being superficial, misguided and promoted by foreign interests. If the protests keep going as they are they will eventually burn themselves out. There is no plan for what happens ‘after’, and the CCP learned much as a result of Tiananmen, where Qiao Shi was instrumental in clearing the square before the troops moved in. (Tiananmen was not the massacre that was reported in the Western press.) Perhaps the Qiao Shi method is what is needed in Hong Kong.
China has a deep spirituality in its past, and that is slowly reemerging as the society progresses and its people are more open to the outer world. Travel opens their eyes, too, with 148 million of its people travelling outside the country last year alone. One sees Chinese tourists everywhere. Even here in Rovereto we have Chinese families and the ubiquitous Chinese restaurant – Chinese with Italian characteristics. The third ray of China makes their people quite adaptable. The fourth ray soul of the East links to the West through the West’s fourth ray personality. Even the occultism of the two is linked, as we saw in the opening paragraphs of this letter. “Uranus, the occult planet, stands for exoteric science which penetrates into the hidden side of form life…” and is the esoteric ruler of the Chinese national horoscope. China’s esoteric motto is, “I indicate the way”, reflecting its first ray soul. Being ruled by scientists and engineers, it is seeking to link the world together in its third ray fashion via its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Instead of seeing the BRI as an opportunity to link the world in a greater community spirit of mutual cooperation, we in the English-speaking world are taught to be suspicious of Chinese motives. “China wants to rule the world,” is a familiar refrain we hear, a knee-jerk, conditioned reaction. Is the attitude justified? Only interaction and experience over time will tell. But with its 1st ray soul, China has will and persistence. It is no longer a weak and marginal power. It will not cave into Trump’s trade war, for instance. Trump may be practicing The Art of the Deal with China, but they are practicing The Art of War with him, and they have many centuries of experience. Who do we think will win? The US trade deficit with China still remains large, despite tariffs. Americans like the Chinese-produced consumer electronics. The US still imports a large amounts of Chinese goods, while US exports to China have dropped.
Speaking truth to power: In closing, to disagree with government policy and to call out antagonistic motives – the unfortunate side of the West’s 4th ray persona – does not reflect on the people of the West, nor does it sing the praises of the East. I live in the West, but we live under a system that is increasingly not serving the people, meaning the general populace. As stated previously, the power of the people is as yet embryonic. We do have our moments, and increasingly so. But it is time to reclaim those societal changes that have grown us instead of disadvantaged us. And most readers would disagree with policy that seeks to destroy the lives of others rather than lift them, just to gain advantage for a select few. We go to war not to spread democracy or to protect, but to claim resources and control governments, for instance. That is the truth about our foreign interventions. But such is the lie we are constantly told when it comes to human rights and the suffering of people’s in other nations, little realizing our contribution to that suffering.
Part of my efforts in these letters in the past few years, as I have grown in my understanding of world affairs, has been to poke holes in official narratives, such as we read in supposedly liberal publications like the New York Times and The Guardian, along with a host of other news services. It hasn’t made me very popular, but that is not the purpose. The purpose is the service of the
immediate need, because people ask me what I see. What we need most in these days is broad information, from people who actually live and move in the places we only read about. To get to the truth of people, cultures and motives, one must travel widely, if only in the mind or via the internet. Actually going to the places that are demonized in our press helps immensely in our understanding. I hear from people who travel to Russia, too, and that nation is nothing like it is painted in Western media. It is emerging from a very dark period and its infrastructure is growing steadily, as is the welfare of its people. Nations like Russia, China, Oriental and Slavic nations are different culturally to the US and Western Europe, and to South America, even. If we really want to practice goodwill, it is beholden on us to make an effort to peel back the rhetoric and indoctrination and really understand these cultures.
Breathe the air: The primary theme for this year has been economic, and the economic dominance internationally is rapidly shifting. Military dominance is rapidly shifting, too, and this will require time to sink in. This is now being openly admitted by Western leaders. Such admissions are also naturally being denounced and resisted in the Western press. No matter. The changes are happening, regardless. We need time to be able to consider what is happening and to respond adequately and responsibly. I always remember the advice I was once given, that if people try to rush you into a decision, refuse to engage, regardless of emotional prodding or attachments. Theirs is a destabilizing tactic. Libra leads between the two lines of forces, between destabilizing factors. It is the razor-edged path. This means rising above the astral tumults that surround us, that take our breath, and not in a good way, and therein contemplating the truth behind appearances. It means going to that place inside where truth arrives not with loud pronouncements, but with the clear flash of insight and inner certainty. When that arrives, then the course ahead lies clear. Let us enter that silent place in the days and months ahead to contemplate, to become clear, to breathe.
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