The Sagittarius festival 2019

THE SAGITTARIUS FESTIVAL

12 Dec 2019

© Malvin Artley

Topics (Linked to paragraphs): Ah, Christmas! Mass, anyone? The Festival Week JFK; A world server? Esoteric Sagittarius Sagittarians in the orthodox Sagittarius in Buddhist practise The full moon The UK election Where is the public will? Regarding immigrants Who is a threat? China Hong Kong and Nazis? Uighurs Central Asia To summarize Sounding the note

Greetings Everyone!

It is definitely the Christmas season now here in ‘The City of Peace’, Rovereto. The city is lit up with the customary lights, the tree in the main piazzo, a gift from the neighboring communities, stands proudly as a greeting to all the visitors coming to the mercatini di Natale (Christmas street markets). We expect a bumper crop of visitors this year. The organizers of the events this time around are in sharp contrast to the organizer from last year. The Presepe (manger scene) is a traditional and large affair this year, in distinction to the transgender, austere scene we had last year, which was constantly being vandalized. Community protest, no doubt. That organizer has yet to be fully paid for his ‘services’. People this year, viewing the scenery in the city and the events, are breathing a collective sigh of relief, glad to be rid of our ill-deserved infamy. Rovereto was a laughing stock last year. As for this year…

Ah, Christmas!: Michael Bublé on the outdoor speakers, with a sprinkling of tunes from A Charlie Brown Christmas, Christmas scenes projected onto the buildings, würstel and kraut sandwiches (mustard is a must), a hot glass of Bombardino (It is the bomb! – i.e. highly alcoholic eggnog) to wash it down, then the rest of the day to recover. Yes, it’s that special time of year. Then on the following days, rinsing and repeating at the numerous mercatini in the neighboring cities and villages. It is a regular smorgasbord of seasonal delights, and very Sud Tyrolean. The sense of community and tradition is very strong, unlike the spectacle of the Black Friday sales in the US and elsewhere, the inflated materialism and so forth. And the sense of tradition here extends also to the religious sphere. It is the true spirit of Christmas, right? Well, Christmas is supposed to be about Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward men, last time I checked.

Mass, anyone?: I recently had the great pleasure to attend a mass. Before you groan and ask why, for those of you who know me, this was no ordinary mass. (I eschewed ‘churchianity’ at an early age.) Gone were the old church ladies sitting to the side droning out their orisons. Gone were the sermons reminding us of our inherent sinfulness and of what awaited on the other side if we did not toe the establishment line (of the Church, that is). Those things stand in stark contrast to the magnificence of the buildings themselves, adorned with some of the most stunning art of all types. No, instead, this mass was a celebration of Christ’s life (Well, it is a Christian service, after all.), full of song and dance, and reflecting very much the Sagittarian/Capricornian nature of the season. You see, it was a flamenco mass. Luckily, there was a libretto in Spanish.

If you ever have a chance to attend a flamenco mass, go, even if you are not Catholic, and maybe especially if you are. This one was a spare affair, without a choir (We couldn’t afford to bring a choir from Spain), but even then the performers filled the sanctuary with the joy of their performance. It reminded me a little of the services in the black-attended churches in the US, full of music and singing, which are certainly a more joyful affair than the churches I went to in my early years. As for a flamenco mass, there is a video of such a mass, if you want a taste. There is no priest. The song and the dance is the message, each one a prayer in itself and a celebration of what it is to truly be Christian. The highlight of the performance in our mass was the male dancer, similar in style to the one in the linked video, who ended his ‘prayer’ to thundering applause. The entire troupe got a standing ovation – not something one normally experiences in a Catholic mass. The priest for the church was most surprised and pleased, as were the rest of us.

As to this letter, there is a theme here, and it has a special significance this year. Sagittarius and Capricorn, spanning the Christmas and holiday seasons, are also the synthetic rulers of Spain. And while this letter is about Sagittarius for the most part, we need to touch on Capricorn a bit, too, the reason being that the next letter will come out early in the next year, after the Festival Week of the New Group of World Servers – a once every seven-year celebration of service as exemplified in the great Teachers of all Ages and persuasions. There is a full description of the significance of that week by a fellow esoteric astrologer, worth going over. The Festival Week is a celebration and an invocation of the soul of humanity, the ‘Christ within’, to use the Christian term. That week, from the 21^st to the 28^th of December this year only (until 2026 again), marks a period wherein the souls of all people inclined to selflessly serve their fellow sentient beings are invoked toward greater service. And the need these days is indeed great. In addition, that week will carry us through the remainder of the ‘stage of the forerunner’, ending in 2025. Why 2025 is important, seen as a benchmark year, is compiled on my site, which is also worth reviewing in the lead-up to the Festival Week.

The Festival Week itself begins with a Global silent minute of meditation, as a seed for the week ahead. I will be speaking in Athens on the 21^st as the week begins. All being well, I will post the audio after the event. But then, everyone will have their way of approaching it. And in fact, the vast majority of people who work in service areas will not even know such a week is taking place, at least outwardly. It matters little. What does matter is the intention of the knowing participants to further the work of this group, which encompasses every field of service, every walk of humanity, regardless of religion or philosophy. If any person has the desire and motivation to be of service in some capacity, they likely belong to this group anyway, at least subjectively. And as to the necessity for a more concerted effort this year, we are again at a moment of extreme crisis in world affairs, across the spectrum of human activity. For this reason the application of the principles of this week are important. It is a crisis of consciousness – consciousness that the affairs of the world since the end of WWII are no longer suitable to the needs of humanity as a whole. It is witnessed in the strident polarization between factions vying for influence and control over the hearts and minds of public opinion. We are seeing a growing trend toward revolution worldwide, especially among the millennials in every corner of the globe, the likes of which we have not seen since the ‘60s and early ‘70s. We will cover why that is arising a little later in this letter.

We see and hear calls for freedom from every corner of society, keeping in mind that what passes for ‘freedom’ in one group can be seen as ‘infringement’ to another. And in that, we see little in the way of resolution at present. Therein lies the main focus of the work toward universal goodwill. People stubbornly and ignorantly adhere to their opinions, sometimes out of fear, sometimes out of satisfaction with their lot, but with no desire to see another point of view. That does not apply to many readers here, but yet again it can. An open mind and open heart overcomes such short-sightedness, coupled with a desire to pursue the truth, to analyse the ‘facts on the ground’, with an attitude not attached to outcomes. In that we find the areas of ‘service to the immediate need’.

JFK; A world server?: We recently had the anniversary of the death of JFK, giving us cause to remember his life and what he stood for – and also to remember why he was killed. In one of his most famous speeches, his inaugural address, he was heard to say, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” His entire speech is worth hearing again. It was a call to responsible action, a call to service. There was so much in that speech that spoke to goodwill, to united effort, to group responsibility and sacrifice to the greater good. Even though it was directed to Americans, it was a universal message. It was also a call to something else: To resist if the government or associated agencies started to infringe on the law of the land, the constitution. It applied as well to the UN Charter. There have been similar speeches by other world leaders, but this one will stand out to the Western audience. We could list many points there worth considering. Again, listen to the speech, because next year we also have an anniversary, as we do every 60 years in the Chinese cycle of social evolution, and there are many things that are repeating themselves this time around. Next year will be one that inaugurates sweeping changes. These are not simply passing changes. They are epochal. We will address a few of them here, later. But first, we move into the consideration of Sagittarius.

Esoteric Sagittarius is a sign that transmits three rays – the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th rays.^[2] It is one of the signs most closely connected with humanity, the other two being Leo and Aquarius. It is what we might call a ‘gateway sign’, leading to higher realizations. In its more advanced expression it manifests in life as focussed consciousness, prior to passing onto the 3^rd Path (The Very Joyful). This will be discussed in a bit. Its primary sphere of action is in the emotional nature, marking the aspiring person, but also the final ‘cleaning up’ of that nature. Its true destination, if we want to call it that, is the spiritual human soul. It is a sign particularly connected with discipleship, with Egoic (soul) focus. It is found upon the mutable cross of the zodiac, further marking it as a human sign, and denoting its changeable nature and need for adaptability. Its outstanding characteristic is one of orientation, or rather, a constant state of reorientation, though the overall theme in the Sagittarian life is toward the ‘One Goal’, spiritual enlightenment. That aspect of reorientation comes about because of a persistent presentation of a sensed duality in every aspect of life that is encountered. It is a fire sign, denoting the intensity of the Sagittarian’s aspiration. It is said to be a sign that evidences a constant state of struggle, but it is more a case of a struggle (if we can call it that) to understand. This ‘understanding’ is what is occultly called intuitive insight, in distinction to what most people call ‘intuition’. True intuition takes place in the realm of buddhi, the realm of ‘pure reason’. Once this can be steadily applied, it leads to the final path.^[3],[4]

The rays transmitted through this sign are of interest. Rays 4 and 5 are the rays governing the human kingdom, representing the conflicts that lead to experience, growth and knowledge, with the added note of beauty in expression when experience is expressed as wisdom. The 6^th ray connects this sign with the vegetable and animal kingdoms, as well as with the Planetary Lives, the latter expressing what we call ‘The Plan’. This latter ray is the expression of the fire of idealism that is very prominent in Sagittarius. The orthodox ruler of the sign is Jupiter, transmitting the 2^nd ray (love/wisdom). The esoteric ruler is the Earth, transmitting the 3^rd ray (activity/abstract intelligence). The Hierarchical ruler, connecting it with the Planetary Lives, is Mars, transmitting the 6^th ray.^[5] There are thus five rays that influence the expression of Sagittarius, with the two missing ones representing willpower (1^st ray) and order (7^th ray). Experience in Sagittarius lays the foundation which leads eventually to the incorporation of those latter two rays and the realization of universal mind (buddhahood). These are the esoteric considerations, and we already get an idea of the importance of this sign in spiritual experience and practise.

Sagittarians in the orthodox, ruled by Jupiter, are the adventurers of the zodiac, inspired by an ideal, resistant of any form of restriction, in pursuit of a dream. There is a particular wanderlust that accompanies the Sagittarian, and this is especially the case in the realm of the intellect. They are natural philosophers, educators, publishers, explorers, members of clergy or religious orders – anywhere an ideal is to be expressed or pursued. The law is their special domain, especially interpretation of the law, and as such they conform more to the judiciary than the litigious side of law. Extending from that, there is a judgemental side to Sagittarius in its lower expression, especially when one offends the Saggie’s sense of principles. We see this currently in the expression of the United States, with its Sagittarian ascendant. It is all good well when other nations follow Washington’s lead and ‘wise council’, but woe be to the nation that has other ideals. Judgement is then harsh and swift. The Ukraine has its Sun in Sagittarius, and it is a battleground of ideologies, like the US. For Sagittarius rising, the ideal becomes much more important, as well as the path to it. Nations having that sign rising include the Irish Republic, the Schengen zone of the EU (open border policy), and Myanmar (Burma). These are all areas where ideals are being put to the test. Ireland will be particularly important regarding ideals in the immediate months ahead.

Sagittarius in Buddhist practise: However, there is one aspect of Sagittarius in particular that we want to address in this letter, and it relates to Jupiter and the expansion of consciousness. There is a clue to what is to follow in this quote, regarding the Sagittarian experience, italics added:

“His [the Sagittarian’s] emphasis is, for the future, to be upon the spiritual soul and the fifth kingdom in nature; in Sagittarius he begins to express this first stage. This involves a complete withdrawal, in the personality sense, from the form side of life. This again entails (at a certain point of crisis) a point of balance…Secondly, the power of the mind, having been developed, tested and found true in the sign Scorpio, begins to wane in its activity and the intuition begins to take its place. This is essential before the sign Capricorn is entered by the disciple and preparation for initiation begins.”

The esoteric motto of Sagittarius is, “I see the goal, I reach the goal, and then I see another.”^[6] In terms of human evolution this has a special place. Sagittarius is one of the signs in which meditative equipoise is achieved, the other being Libra. The type of equipoise to be attained in Sagittarius is what we might call, ‘applied directed thought, applied in strenuous effort’. It is a mind that has been thoroughly ‘tamed’. It is no longer connected with the animal soul, as we see in the centaur, but is distinctly human, and guides the animus, represented by the archer. The centaur becomes the human archer, riding the horse. It is the type of applied equipoise that leads one through the ‘gate of initiation’ and begins the steady ‘climb up the mountain’. Without this type of harnessed equipoise, higher and lasting attainments are not possible:

“In Sagittarius, the intellect which has been developed, used and finally illumined, becomes sensitive to a still higher type of mental experience and to this we give the name of intuitive perception. There come flashes of light upon problems; a distant yet possible vision of attainment is seen; the man begins to climb out of the depths to which he has descended in Scorpio and sees ahead of him the mountain in Capricorn which he knows he must eventually climb. He walks no longer in the dark, for he sees what he has to do and he therefore makes rapid progress and travels “fast upon the Way.”^[7]

There is a fascinating study in the stages of meditation and the human evolution of consciousness through the twelve signs of the zodiac,^[8] found in the Buddhist shamatha diagram, although neither the Western zodiac nor astrology are featured or mentioned in commentaries. But then, truth finds universal expression through myriad means. We have covered this diagram somewhat before in various previous letters. This time we draw attention to the first nine signs of the zodiac on the ‘reversed wheel’ – Aries through Sagittarius, starting at the bottom of the diagram. Instead of a horse, we have an elephant, representing the mind. At the ninth stage (Sagittarius), we see the monk sitting next to the elephant, the latter having been completely tamed, sitting at the base of a mountain. That stage represents the force of perfection and perfect equanimity. It also marks the beginning of retreat from the world. The preceding two stages represent Libra and Scorpio, traveling upwards on the path. We see with Libra that the monk still follows the elephant, meaning that the mind still dominates, though only slightly. But, at that stage a measure of contemplation has also been achieved. In the next stage (Scorpio), the monk leads the elephant, denoting victory over the mind and relative ease in meditation. This is the true ‘victory of the Warrior’ in the Scorpio experience. In Buddhism, a person who has achieved such a state of internal affairs is for the first time, a Victorious One. The Sagittarian stage is of interest for several reasons.

We note that the monk sitting at the base of the mountain with the elephant sleeping beside him is radiating a rainbow, of sorts. The image is not distinct, but the appearance is that the rainbow emanates from his upper torso, in the region of the heart. Tibetan occult meditation emphasizes the stilling of the winds (the mind) in the region of the heart as a prerequisite for the more advanced stages of meditation with insight. Once that is achieved the focus of one’s consciousness can be pointed in any direction and occult meditation becomes sustainable for long periods, and virtually effortless. We note that there are no flames at that level, the flames denoting where effort is required. The emanation from the upper torso resembles a bridge – a ‘rainbow bridge’ – familiar to many readers, and representing the completed antahkarana.^[9] That is a prerequisite also for any advanced stages of occult meditation and links the soul on its own plane, via the soul incarnate, to the personality, thus forming the first stable link and primary attainment for entry into the kingdom of souls, the 5^th kingdom. It is this connection which is called the ‘spiritual human soul’, from the preceding. In reality this is a bridge of consciousness and removes the cleavage between the human (4^th) kingdom and the kingdom of souls,^[10] uniting the two, at least through the individual. With the completion of this channel, tremendous light can be brought to bear on the problems of humanity via true intuition – a mighty goal, indeed. This brings us back to our Sagittarian motto, regarding goals.

Once the goal of effortless equipoise has been achieved in the Sagittarian phase, another goal is realized. Achievement of such equipoise, though a much-desired goal in itself, is not an end result. It marks the beginning – of the ‘climb up the mountain’. That stage (Capricorn) is represented for us in the monk riding on the elephant, an indication of vipassana (meditation with insight, or the union of one-pointed concentration with mental analysis.) There is a caveat here, though. The sort of mental analysis indicated is not that of the lower mind, although that is a foundation (hence riding on the elephant). Instead, vipassana is engaged in the realm of pure reason, or buddhi/intuition, with the bridge in consciousness enabling contact with the physical brain via the lower mind. That eventually leads to the Capricornian realization at the top of the mountain; “Lost am I in light supernal, yet on that light I turn my back.” Then starts the Aquarian phase of world service, because the realizations thus attained are then used in awakening and aiding of the development of like attainments in those souls who have yet to realize them.

We note in the Aquarian phase (the monk riding the elephant back toward the base of the mountain) that there is a large flame, representing the last supreme effort. In his hand is a flaming sword, representing the cutting of the bonds to worldly existence (all karmic ties), or samsara. At this stage, normally done in long retreats, with each severance of a bond to samsara, there is also a corresponding awakening of a spiritual power, or siddhi, what are otherwise known as superhuman powers. Yes, ‘Superman’ or ‘Superwoman’ is more than just a comic book character. We can all attain to that, except that it will not be for ‘the American way’. Joking aside, once those ties are severed completely, one gains complete mastery over the ‘three worlds’, physical, emotional and mental and is freed, able to teach everyone according to their need. One becomes super-human. This is represented for us in the last monk, floating free, holding his piece of the rainbow, the latter representing the ‘raincloud of knowable things’. Nothing is beyond the grasp of one who has so attained. The latter is not stated as such in Buddhist commentary, but perhaps the meaning for us is clear enough.

There is one final consideration. With each severance of a bond to samsara, there is a specific accompanying focus in meditation. These are outlined for us in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.^[11] Each one is a goal. Once completed, the disciple sees another, then yet another, until every means is exhausted and every bond severed. The trials therein are great, represented by the large flame, ultimately born upon the cross of our attachments, each one a death to the world, with a subsequent resurrection and an accompanying revelation. This stage can be accomplished in one lifetime, given the requisite effort and karma. But without the Sagittarian phase achieved, none of it is possible except in rare instances, and then only in fits and starts over many lifetimes. So goes the dharma. With these closing thoughts on Sagittarius, we move on to the full moon and bring ourselves back to earth.

The full moon takes place on 12 Dec 2019 at 5:12 UT (4:12 PM AEDT). The full moon axis makes a t-square with Neptune at the apex. The full moon axis also is within orb of the Mars/Pluto midpoint. And then, Neptune is at the midpoint of the Mars/Saturn axis. Further, Uranus is at the Sun/Neptune midpoint. We do not normally look at midpoints in these letters, but these are quite significant. Altogether, they point to sudden upsets and shocks, mysterious deaths and/or grave losses, and emotional crises. Why are we listing these then? – because there is quite an important election taking place in the UK on the day of the full moon. And further as to why that is important is because of what we have examined so many times in recent letters, which is the changing economic climate, with revolts against the current system of austerity demanded by IMF financial capitalism rising more and more across the world, along with reactions against those protests. The UK has been the seat of and birthplace of many aspects of that economic order via the City of London. And London has been one of the main agitators behind the protests in Hong Kong, which are fast on their way to dissipating now, as well as promoting anti-Russian propaganda. Hong Kong is one of the UK’s secrecy locations (tax havens) and has played a big role in China’s rise to prominence, and now in the efforts by the West to isolate China. The latter will only serve to isolate Hong Kong. We’ll have more on that a little later.

We won’t really cover the nations so much in this letter. As far as the synthetic expressions of the nations, from Alice Bailey, we have Spain and Belgium with Sagittarius as their soul rulers. Only Italy and South Africa have Sagittarius as their personality expressions, along with Washington, DC. Those nations with Sagittarius all carry that Sagittarian tendency to ‘dance around the rules’ a bit, while still remaining somewhat legal in certain other respects, and then at other times, making up their own rules as they go along. Instead, we will go right into what is developing, which in turn will illustrate where the forces of goodwill need to be directed and practised. We had a brief mention of Kennedy before, and his vision would have fallen right into line with what is to follow.

What is developing, and which will become widespread over the course of 2020, is that the oligarchy in nations across the globe, along with their associated elites, are now on notice. The days of their control and rapid accumulation of wealth are numbered now. Hence, we are reaching a real point of crisis and precipitation. The battle between labor (the people) and capital^[12] (the oligarchs, industrialists and venture capitalists) is fast on its way toward a more decisive resolution in the next few years. The struggle will be great, ugly, yet full of potential for human advancement. When the matter is settled, neither side will be able to control outright. There will have to be cooperation between the two, and that means between nations as well. The controlling interests will not give up their control or money willingly, nor will they without a fight. And as forecast in the Bailey books, that battle is taking place primarily in the US and the UK – and by extension, in Western Europe and the old Commonwealth nations. Those include Australia, New Zealand and Canada (an interesting case, caught between the US and UK, but in astrological resonance with China). There are a couple of special cases in the Commonwealth, too, namely Pakistan, which has turned sharply toward China; India, which vacillates back and forth between the US and Russia; South Africa, which is now a BRICS nation and fast on its way out of IMF control; and Cyprus, which is now on the verge of war again between Greece and Turkey over energy rights. It sits in a gas-rich area of the eastern Mediterranean.

There are three immediate main areas, which we might call battlegrounds, where the evolving developments are taking place:

• The Middle East and Central Asia
• The nations of South and Central America
• Western Europe

Earlier in the year there was a Bilderberg meeting (the father of Atlanticist think tanks), where the main topics of discussions were about the future of the present capitalist system, and then Russia and China. Keeping this in mind, when we speak of where these developments are happening, they are doing so because of intervention by Washington and the City of London, followed by the Western European states, and to a lesser extent by Israel and certain Gulf States, like the Saudis and the UAE. These nations have been the seat of the financial control mechanism for most of the world now for decades, either through the control of the money supply or through the control of energy pricing, or both. Those are now seen to be under threat by the actions of Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela and other nations, where there have been mixed economies (semi-socialized), where in addition those nations have sought to bypass the international SWIFT transfer system for finances. Certain other nations have effectively been destroyed as a result, like Libya and Iraq. Attempts have been made on Venezuela and are currently underway in Bolivia, Nicaragua, Uruguay and Syria. Covertly this is also being attempted in Iran, and will likely be coming soon to Mexico.

The UK election: We start our examination close to home, as it were, with the UK election. There is much at stake there, namely the health and well-being of the British people. The results in that election will signal what direction the Commonwealth and Western Europe is likely to take in the next few years, which involves quite a number of the world’s nations. And to state the matter bluntly, it is an election that has pitted labor against capital – Labour and the Conservatives, respectively and literally. To call it an ‘election on Brexit’ is to say the same thing. What we have with the UK election is a battle on many fronts, with all the old dog-whistle issues being rolled out – immigration, Islamophobia, the NHS (which is actually a real concern), anti-Semitism, fear of the super-state (That’s a good one, that one!), fear of socialism, etc., in an effort to keep the old system in place. The worst part of that is a significant number of people saying they will not be voting, all the while knowing the result will impact their future, and probably dramatically.

The Islamophobia card was played with the recent ‘terrorist attack’ on the London Bridge, followed with promises of 20,000 more police by Johnson, which has been called out as the falsehood it is. But if we really want to get to the real issue, it is that the establishment in the UK are doing everything they can to keep Jeremy Corbyn from being elected. Why? – because he will fight hard to bring socialist and progressive policies back to the UK, rolling back the neoliberalism of Thatcherism. That would also likely mean a graduated tax law (the wealthy paying more taxes), more scrutiny over tax havens, bolstering the NHS and so forth.

Jeremy Corbyn is being cast as an anti-Semite because he stands for the downtrodden in Israel (the Palestinians) and has stated he will push for the two-state solution to resolve, as well as cancelling arms sales to Israel. The allegations of anti-Semitism are false, a cheap smear in an effort to sideline his campaign and blatant interference by a foreign actor (Israel) in the affairs of the UK. He is also being cast as a threat to national security for various reasons, most of which relate to defense spending. There is also an effort on the part of the US to sideline Corbyn because he represents the one thing the City of London and Wall Street fear the most – the return of socialist policies to the UK – policies which a large proportion of the UK populace want instituted. We see similar sentiments in the US, and a corresponding effort against Bernie Sanders by the Republicans and corporate Democrats, which is most of the latter.

Given the astrology of this full moon, there will be an upset in the election, one way or the other. We will likely see a hung Parliament. The upset will go against the government, unless the young refuse to vote. In any case, the UK will see fundamental changes in its character and structure as a result and over time. There is also an analysis of the UK election itself, for any reader who is interested. This is not to proscribe any sort of outcome. However, it is not difficult to see, reading the public sentiments there and elsewhere, that democratic socialism will eventually be returning to the UK, or what is left of the UK when all is said and done. Whatever happens, we hold the light for the people of the UK to make the wisest decisions, invoking the soul of the UK, and for goodwill to prevail. If you are interested, next week there will be a series of 6 simultaneous meditations (link to a live broadcast) to take place at  9 am GMT and 9 pm GMT on Tues, Wed and Thursday/Election day, invoking the soul of Britain. If you would like details, email me at the address at the end of this letter. Whatever happens at the election, the UK will be changed, which is not difficult to see, polarized as the nation is. If Corbyn wins it would take Britain to the left and a more progressive course. If the Tories win it would mean turbo-charged financial capitalism, with more privatization and more austerity for the British, as well as a possible breakup of the UK. If there is a hung parliament, the issues will drag on for at least another year. Issues to the fore at this election will drag on to that point anyway.

Where is the public will?: This election in the UK is a bellwether event for Western Europe and North America. It will show the strength or relative weakness of the public will. The UK, like the US, has been heavily propagandized, and the forces that seek to keep the nation divided are strong. It is evidenced in the polarization in the nation on the one hand, and in voter apathy on the other, the latter a result of a sense of resignation that nothing is going to change. But if change is going to come, action must be taken. The way of democracy is in the voting booth, and the youth of the nation need to be mobilized, as they stand for the future of the UK. Part of the trouble in the UK, and central to what is likely to come for the UK, is that their leader is not elected by the people. S/he is appointed by the party. It is the same in Australia as well. But even where the people supposedly directly elect their leaders, as in the US, they are usually chosen from a field of candidates who can raise the most money. As the wealth gap has widened, as the middle classes have shrunk, as people feel less and less heard by their governments, the West is set to become much more restive in the years just ahead. Such unrest has been seen in France for the past year, for instance.

There are now general strikes in France, the largest since 1995. People have had enough of austerity, and no longer believe the IMF neoliberal narrative that ‘we all have to tighten our belts to bring the economy into line’, when in fact everyone sees the wealthy only becoming wealthier and wealthier, while most of us bear austerity. We will see changes in France now, with austerity being rolled back if the strikes go on for long enough. The surest way to bring a capitalist government into line is for the populace to cease working. And since most readers of these letters live in such nations, those strikes will soon be coming to a city near yours, and maybe to yours, too. We have reached the point where nothing else will change the direction we have seen for the past 40+ years. Only widespread and sustained public pressure will change it. Immigrants are not the problem. Austerity is what is driving the unrest throughout the world that we are seeing.

Regarding immigrants and so forth, what follows will rattle a few cages and sensibilities, but it posits the most pertinent points about immigration and refugees (the article from which it is excerpted is about Islamophobia), which can be applied to any nation:

“I find it hilarious when US Americans complain about Hispanic immigration. They don’t realize that these immigrants from Latin America are a real blessing: they are family oriented, hardworking people who do not contribute to criminality at all (Ron Unz proved that a long time ago) [also worth a read] and who are much more Christian than most US Americans. If you really want to defend your “Western Civilization” then the first step might be to completely open the border with Mexico and declare that all Latin Americans are welcome to live in the USA. And if the US is concerned about too many Latin American immigrants coming to the USA, then the first thing to do to stop that trend is to stop Yankee imperialism in all its forms and finally give the countries of Latin America a chance to prosper in peace.”

That ‘Yankee imperialism’ is what is at the root of the coup in Bolivia and is driving the unrest in other South American nations. The article from which the quote is taken also addresses immigration problems in Europe. I can attest to the sentiments expressed. I live in a city with a large number of Sunni Muslims, but like the Mexican immigrants, they are hardworking, family people, moderate in their views, and integrate themselves into the community. There are efforts from the city in kind. There are also a large number of African immigrants, too, and they behave likewise. But it also goes to what we are seeing in South America, with the protests and coups going on there. This discussion goes to a wider point:

Who is a threat?: If you want to know whom the US, UK and governments in general see as an economic and lifestyle threat, look at whom their propaganda targets. Up until this year Russia was seen as the ‘big, bad Bear’ seeking to destabilize the West and our way of life. But this year there has been a pronounced shift, although Russia is still tarred constantly with negative propaganda. China is now Public Enemy #1. The hit pieces on China are rolling out heavily now, especially regarding the Uighurs and Hong Kong. If one really wants to know what is going on regarding these places, one has to actually travel there and talk with a good cross section of people in those societies, or read pieces by true journalists who have done so. Most of the ‘news’ we get about China is from Western news agencies, for example, by ‘journalists’ who have often not even been to those places or who have been embedded with Western-friendly factions/forces.

China especially became a concern for Washington after Xi Jinping announced his Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). But here is something worth considering: With every action Washington takes (along with other Western powers at various times) to push back against Chinese growth, they only push Russia and China even closer, thus ensuring the acceleration of Eurasian integration. In turn, those two take into their orbit every nation the US targets, and who seek alternatives to exchanges in dollars. Those would be nations like Iran, Syria, Venezuela and so forth. The Gulf States are finally starting to see the light, too, and are making up with Syria and are exchanging visits with Beijing and Moscow with greater frequency.

Hong Kong and Nazis?: The recent attempt by the Brits and DC in Hong Kong to tear Hong Kong away from or isolate them from China shows the effect that such policies have on the host regions or states where the unrest arises, backed by Western NGOs. Investment in Hong Kong has plummeted. As was recently stated, “Washington and London are disabling Hong Kong of her west-serving money-laundering capacity.” One of the main reasons the two-system one-state experiment was put in place there was to preserve Hong Kong as a money-laundering center and an outpost for the West on China’s border. The US Congress has now passed, and Trump has signed into law, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 (HKHRDA). This pointless and less-than-helpful piece of legislation has only one purpose, and it is nothing about human rights – to (they hope) ensure that Hong Kong remains a tax haven. American policy is so bad now that even Henry Kissinger is saying American exceptionalism is over. And to top this off, as well as to show the protests there are not about human rights, now we are seeing Ukrainian neo-Nazis in Hong Kong, advising the remaining protesters. What could go wrong? Well, plenty, actually, if the Ukraine is any indication. This takes us to one of the chief methods used to scuttle any attempts at alternatives to the US/UK financial system, which is the training and use of extremist factions to sow chaos and destabilize nations who do not toe the line.

Uighurs: We have looked at that method before, so we won’t go over it again. But it is especially noteworthy in relation to Central Asia and Eurasian integration. One of the main groups of agitators and extremists employed by the West in that region has been a minority group of Uighurs, who are Muslim, and who have been indoctrinated into Wahabist ideology. They have committed numerous terrorist acts in Xinjiang and Indonesia and there is currently a group of several thousand at least in the Idlib province of Syria. (There is a site that provides comprehensive range of articles on the Uighur situation, as well as China vs. the US in general.) These Uighurs have been called the worst of the worst in terms of the atrocities they have committed there. Propaganda? We are told there are over a million innocent Uighurs detained in Xinjiang in concentration camps. This was first reported by Reuters, interestingly, shortly after Xi announced plans for the BRI and the efforts of the ‘moderate rebels’ in Syria were contained and pushed back. The original report was generated by a group associated with the UN (not a part of the UN), and put forward by an American lawyer working in the group. It is interesting to note that neither China nor the US recognize the competence of the organization. That number of people in the report and the image of concentration camps put us in mind of other atrocities that took place here in Europe and also in China and Southeast Asia in WWII, hence the propaganda value of the reputed stories. People who have actually gone to Xinjiang, including Muslim investigators, say there are no such camps, and that in general the Uighurs are well treated and integrated in Chinese society. Whom are we to believe, then?

We discussed Uighurs in the last letter. Why bring it up again here? Because the same sorts of techniques are being tried in Hong Kong, and it should be of great concern that members of the Azov battalion from the Ukraine are showing up there now. Why would they choose to go there, or are they being sent? Those are the questions to ask, but we see virtually nothing of it in the mainstream press. And that is also telling. There is nothing ‘democratic’ about the ex-Azov neo-Nazis. Is there to be a Maidan-like coup attempt in Hong Kong? Will the PLA (Chinese army) be forced to go in to restore order? At this point we don’t know, but the signs are not good. This would appear to be an act of desperation. So far the protests have not produced the desired result – a crackdown by the PLA. The central leadership in China is playing this one smarter.

Central Asia: Since the signing into law of the HKHRDA, the CCP have denied visas to US Navy personnel to Hong Kong. And now, the US Congress is about the pass a similar bill for Xinjiang. These bills have only one purpose, and it is not about ‘protecting human rights’. Their purpose is to create a situation that would ‘justify’ a provocation against China. What it will likely do instead is to ensure the integration of the whole of Asia. Southeast Asia is already rebelling against such US efforts. But if we want further signs that a provocation is coming, the US has just assigned a new round of ambassadors to Central Asian nations, the ‘Stans, who were instrumental in fomenting color revolutions in the nations to which they were assigned before. These efforts, along with the utilization of hardened terrorist elements recruited throughout the region, signal that we likely soon be seeing a sharp uptake in incidents across Central Asia, in an effort to halt China’s flagship project, the BRI.

To summarize what we are seeing, it goes back to the epochal changes taking place. Power and wealth is shifting from the West to the East. And at home, the children of plenty are rising in anger. Capitalism as a system will survive, but it will be strongly regulated. Mixed economies are emerging. The powers in the West are trying everything they can to keep the status quo in place. This is what is primarily at play in South America, where the US is seeking to roll back any hint of socialist policies. In the long term, it will fail. And seemingly in everything they try, Washington appears only to enable the very thing they are seeking to offset. It would be comical if it were not so destructive of lives and well-being, both in the nations they target and in their own nation. There is nothing of goodwill in it. But, that is precisely where our efforts at goodwill should be directed, to offset such mistaken motives, instead of pointing accusing fingers at and sanctioning nations and cultures we do not really understand. We must cut the cords of the past and move forward toward a more lighted world, full of that Sagittarian boldness and confidence that brings true progress and expansion for the greatest number.

The money that is spent on such nefarious affairs as we are seeing in efforts toward regime change is staggering. When we think of the useful purposes to which it could be directed, it should rouse us to outrage and to act to change it. The human species has advanced not because of competition, but because we are social beings and have cooperated in times of need. And the world need now is great. When one sits back and looks at a wide range of information, it becomes very clear that the largest trend toward international world goodwill is coming from the East, not from the West. That will likely be difficult for many readers to accept. I would only urge that people read more extensively, from non-mainstream sources, and from regional sources, especially grassroots and independent news sources. Our corporate media in the West is based upon the bottom line of corporate profit, and not on what are often inconvenient truths about our Western way of life. We need a revolution in our media. This includes what were once our most trusted news outlets. We need not name them. They are as familiar to us as our neighbors. We need a greater understanding of the world around us, instead of our media echo chambers.

Sounding the note: In closing, Kennedy was assassinated a month before the Festival Week of World Servers of 1963. We wonder how the US would have changed had he survived and gone on to another term. He ended his 1960 inaugural speech with a call to world service:

“My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man…Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”

These letters are sent as a service. If you wish to be added to or deleted from the mailing list, let me know. Feel free to pass these along, but do so without charge or alteration.

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ1ZQ99pKbY (For those who don’t understand, lyrics here) ↑
2. Bailey, Alice A., Esoteric Astrology, p. 87. Lucis Publishing, NY, NY ↑
3. Ibid, p. 175 ↑
4. In Buddhism, there are five Paths, corresponding to the five initiations outlined in Bailey’s books. The 5^th, or final path is called ‘The Revelation’ in Buddhism, corresponding exactly to what is described in Bailey’s books. ↑
5. Bailey, Esoteric Astrology, p. 69 ↑
6. Ibid, p. 194 ↑
7. Ibid, p. 181 ↑
8. Outlined in the appendices to my book, The Full Moons: Topical Letters in Esoteric Astrology ↑
9. Pages 4 and starting on 14. ↑
10. Bailey, Esoteric Psychology II, p. 417 ↑
11. For commentary, see The Light of the Soul, Alice Bailey. ↑
12. Bailey, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, p. 191 ↑