第16章

There is something exceedingly significant in all this, and the more we ponder on this spiritual allegory of the shining constellation, the more we are impressed with the divine wisdom of those early instructors of our race, who thus preserved truth in an incorruptible form.

From this weird, but beautiful constellation, we learn how the soul has progressed, finding innumerable avenues of expression of its latent forces; the manifestation of its powers in the various chemical changes, and development of functions expressed through countless forms, on the lower planes of existence.The sacrifice of its angelic innocence, the imperious defiance and deathless courage, symbolized by Leo, have obtained the victory over the lower kingdoms; which will be incorporated into his vast empire.Yet, unstable as water, it cannot excel; or, in other words, cannot rise to a higher state within this are, of its progressive life.

We find that the astrological expression of this constellation, the sign Aquarius, governs the legs, and is the natural emblem of the changeable, moveable, migratory forces, of the body, forming a perfect parallel with its interior symbol.There is a great deal contained in this zodiacal sign worthy of deep study and reflection.

XII.Pisces

"Near their loved waves cold Pisces take their seat, With Aries join, and make the round complete."Once more a reaction--the last scene of the soul's impersonal drama.The constellation (if Pisces is the symbol of rest and expectation.The soul has now completed the first round, or rung, in the Cycle of Necessity; and its next state is that of incarnated man.It has triumphed over every sphere below, and defied, in turn, every power above, and is now within that sixthstate of the embryonic soul-world that transforms all its past knowledge, sorrow, and suffering, into experience; and produces the impersonal man.

It has traveled through constellated states within matter and spirit, and, as a human soul, with reason, intuition, and responsibility, it will, in its next state, become subject to those same powers when reflected from a different plane.The twelve constellations of its soul will manifest a complete rapport with the twelve signs of solar light and power.

With this we close.The mystic sign of this constellation is {}, or completion, a seal and a sign of its past labors.

And, as we have seen, the shining constellations are the soul's progressive history from its genesis, to its appearance within embodied conditions as man; and so, by correspondence, are the twelve solar signs symbols of man and his material destiny.The foundation has been laid, the material and resources are at hand, for his kingdom is exclusive.With his own hands he must build his temple (the symbol of the perfected man), each stone accurately measured, cut, polished, and in its proper place, the proportions symmetrical, hence, harmonious; the keystone of whose arch is WILL, its foundation love.This accomplished, be will have completed the second round of the great Cycle of Necessity.

And who, after contemplating the wondrous harmony of this beautiful system, and the complete accord of each part, can refuse to agree with the truly inspired Addison that--"Ever moving as they shine, The hand that made us is divine."