Spiritual Forum

Noting that the Cupido symbol resembles a combination of Jupiter and Venus, we see how the leftward crescent of conscious perceptiveness  and drive for material expansion is combined with the spirit-focused drive for wholeness through complementation.  In fact, Cupido seems to actively seek out, through expansion, the means to find harmony, wholeness, and comfort.  It uses reason to uncover the means to implement fairness, equity, and aesthetics. If the circle outweighs the cross and crescent, excessive idealism can result.  If the cross outweighs the crescent and circle, there can be inertia and codependency.  If the crescent outweighs the cross and circle, excessive or shallow socializing, or a preoccupation with form over content undermines a true sense of community.  In balance, Cupido promotes broad-ranging social harmony and aesthetics with broad appeal.

Here, the crescent is interlaced with the cross of matter.  The underlying principle seems to be that of searching for the inner or underlying essence of material realities.  With Hades, we begin to deal with the fact of the impermanence of the material, and the reality that we must actively maintain it or experience its demise into a non-physical state.  Thus Hades often relates to medicine, remedial procedures, and unpleasant maintenance details that we may mistakenly overlook or leave to someone else.  This implies an understanding of the chemistry of matter; and in a personal and social sense the ability or inability to empathize with others despite material differences.  It points to the metaphysical realities that underlie physical existence and refers to the subtle materia that we understand through investigating quantum physics.  Hades seems to relate to the practical issues of putting spiritual concepts into practice in daily life, and I sometimes refer to it as the planet of "applied metaphysics".  Noting that the crescent is nearly closed into a full circle, and that the cross is based in the collective subconscious, Hades seeks to define experiences through conscious perceptions where matter is interlaced with spirit, and based in the history of the collective.  If we have not learned its lessons, which are frequently alien to our more materialistic cultural paradigms and beliefs, Hades may teach us the hard way.

The cross of matter is tilted at an angle and directed toward specific aims via the upward arrow.  Thus Zeus is focused and directed pragmatism.  It is capable of disciplining energies and directing these toward a specific goal.  If the cross outweighs the arrow, one can be caught up in materialistic gratification, and cut or wound others while neglecting, or in ignorance of, higher transpersonal realities.  If the arrow outweighs the cross, enthusiasm for goals ungrounded in practical considerations can lead to dissipation of energies or conflict with others due to ignorance of the material impact of objectives.  In balance, one expresses enthusiasm through disciplined efforts to attain goals.  This can also manifest as resourcefulness, improvisation, and creativity.

"Standing above" or "rising above" material realities is key here.  The crescent faces downward, yet is located above, in the superconscious, hovering over the cross of matter.  This symbolizes subjecting physical realities and assets to higher ideals based in the superconscious.  In contrast with Neptune, Kronos has grasped full understanding of the ideals, and is now systematically bringing material reality up to meet them.  If the crescent outweighs the cross, there is arrogance and a detachment from daily reality, where one assumes oneself, as an extension of one's ideals, to be somehow superhuman, in an ivory tower.  If the cross outweighs the crescent, one clings to the status of accomplishments, rests on laurels, loses sight of the transpersonal purpose of one's talents, or makes the mistake in believing that the gifts and talents one has serve only to build up one's ego and fatten one's pride rather than serve humanity.  In balance, the practical implementation of one's ideals serves a higher transpersonal purpose, lifting up others as one aspires to to enact unifying universal laws of justice, responsibility, and respect for all beings as part of an interdependent cosmos.  

"Comprehensive" is a keyword for Apollon.  Its multisensory receptors are illustrated by the three crescents, one upward toward the superconscious, one downward toward the subconscious, and one hinging on the central horizontal line indicating perception of conscious subjective realities -- and the glyph indicates a synthesis of all 3 of these sets of percepetions.  In balance, Apollon gives us the understanding of the past, the future, and how they relate to perceptions in the present.  This is the planet of exchange, experience, and scholarship.  Note that multiplex input has to remain organized and priorities have to be established so that perceptions are not scattered or distracting.  All the crescents are linked via the cross of matter that is bolstered by a second vertical line reaching from the subconscious to the superconscious; thus Apollon makes extra effort to integrate human history and the idealism of the future into daily perceptions of conscious reality.  Imbalances can bias one toward the past, the future, or the present.   Notice that the second vertical line linking the upward and downward crescents also shows us the first hints of the energies of Poseidon.   Noteworthy, as well, is the bright color of Apollon, which implies that it is composed of material that very effectively reflects and redistributes the vital energies of our Sun despite its remoteness; and that Apollo was known in certain mythologies as the Sun god.  It makes us wonder if perhaps Apollon was not at one time a star itself, later pulled into orbit around our star, called the Sun.  Apollon is almost like a "lucky star" that seems to bring plenty to whatever it contacts.  Whether we organize Apollon's abundant perceptions into a system, or leave them scattered and fragmented, depends on our personal wisdom and ability to truly see the overall picture and frame of reference.

Differing from Mercury, Admetos's cross is interlaced with the circle of spirit, yet still based in the collective unconscious.  Seen another way, this symbol includes the Earth, but also reaches upward to the ideals of the future, while grounding itself in the collective past.  Admetos thus leads us to the core of reality, and sometimes to the conscious realization that what appears to be static is in fact in continual underlying motion and change, just as even the most dense of materials is composed of molecules, waves, or bosons in perpetual motion... that dense material objects are simply high-density concentrations of  molecules or particles that also float about much more freely, and with less congestion in water or air.  The hardest of minerals is composed of tiny particles that are somehow held together to give the appearance of duration... yet they also eventually dissolve or transmute.  In reference to the upward crescent, Admetos seems to slow us down to almost meditative states to challenge us to return to preconceptions of the past, integrate perceptions from the superconscious, build upon more objective basic principles, and harness our physical realities to the higher ideals for the collective future.

The triangle or triad of order and integration is directed upward by the arrow.  The triangle is also like a funnel which channels powerful primal collective energies from below, through the individual, toward higher objectives.  Vulkanus thus represents one-pointed energies which are amassed and directed toward certain aims, ideally of benefit to society.   The triangle indicates an innate potential for balance.   If the balance is disturbed, the powerful energies can be disrupted and almost lightning-like or warlike coups may occur in order to restore order and bring all energies into alignment.  If the arrow outweighs, the enthusiasm is not backed with stability, in which case the power of Vulkanus can be destructive.  If the triangle outweighs, overconcern with maintaining stability can incline us to a reactionary mentality, and undermine progress.  In balance, the primal energies from the collective subconscious are effectively directed toward higher ideals that serve humanity, where rapid and true evolutionary progress can be made.

An upward crescent and downward crescent are united via a vertical bar, and the true spirit of realities is perceived, above and beyond material manifestations.  If the upward crescent outweighs, there are unrealizable ideals.  If the downward crescent outweighs, the collective subconscious overshadows accurate perception of ideals, and we find dogmatism or obfuscating propaganda appealing to the lower instincts.  When in balance, this planet brings us to core truths grounded in a balance of physical, personal, and collective realities, past, present, and future, and gives us a keen sense of time and timing, cause and effect, and the connections between abstract essence, ideals, and what we are able to manifest consciously on the material plane. It can potentially lead us to a high degree of objectivity, as long a our sensory perceptors remain open and do not shut down due to assumptions of "knowing it all already". Poseidon gives us the potential to link our lower primal instincts to higher transpersonal objectives.  Poseidon is a major source of universal wisdom and truth.   It is the most distant of the Hamburg School Transeptunians, linking us to the larger reality including the outer cosmos and its pertinence to our daily lives as "children of the universe".