36. Astrology

Astrology is called the Art of Kings and not without reason: not because it is reserved for the kings of the earth, but because he who could effectively practise it, would be a king in a spiritual sense, for he would be able to guide and control the course of events in many respects. But there is not one human being on earth who can do this, to whom such power has been entrusted.

The work of an earnest astrological student is unreliable, and that of a self-sufficient braggart is a profanation of the art because of the unsupported and worthless conclusions of his faulty imagination.

Calculating star-aspects alone is of but little use, for their influence, to have effect, must be seconded by all the living, pulsating apparatus of the ethereal worlds, such as the world of thought-forms, of Karma, emanations from the dark and from the light regions, and still other factors. What human being can boast of being able to survey all this from the lowest depths to the highest heights?

The rays the stars emit are channels into which ethereal life- substance collects and which transmit it in a concentrated form to the soul of man, there to do its appointed work. The stars, to speak figuratively, give the signals when a reaction due is about to take place. The rays from adverse, unfavourable aspects serve to transmit unfavourable, untoward reactions floating in the ether surrounding a man; and vice versa, favourable rays only attract analogous reactions. Astrological calculations are not altogether worthless, but it must be clearly understood that, if a man has inauspicious or beneficial aspects, he must at the same time have corresponding Karmic influences due for them to be effectual.

Otherwise no effects will ensue. Still, good emanations of the stars are not entirely negative, even if they are not seconded as above said. Within a certain limit they can act as a damper or check by intercepting unfavourable reaction or at least modifying the same. These good emanations may have effect for days or hours. — In the same way, when beneficial reaction is due, their virtue can be held up, driven back, or greatly modified, if the star-aspects are unfavourable.

If, therefore, the stellar rays are not effective owing to the absence of cooperation of analogous influences, still they serve at times as a check to contrary influences, and are thus never quite devoid of importance. It is only that good rays cannot be expected always to bring benefit, nor malignant rays always evil, unless Karmic reactions correspond to them.

Here astrologers may protest and exclaim: "Thus we are right!" They are only right conditionally, and in a very limited sense, and certainly are not justified in making their impudent professions, nor have they a right to do business with their advertised abilities. Aspects that are inactive because not seconded, can intercept influences, but nothing more, neither good nor evil. It must, however, be admitted that a short interception of evil is to a certain extent good, for it affords breathing time to those who are hardpressed to renew their strength to bear fresh trials.

If it were not for their boasting and self-advertisement, the calculations, of the astrologers might be very acceptable; but other important factors which must be considered make these calculations very unreliable, and, therefore, they do really more harm to the general public than good.

Not only do the few stars on which astrologers base their calculations, have to be taken into account, numberless others unknown to them play a great role in lessening or strengthening influences, in crossing or displacing them, so that the result arrived at is often just the contrary of what the best astrologers have been able to prognosticate.

And finally there is another postulate which is decisive and of the greatest importance: that is the psyche of the individual. After all else has been taken into consideration, it is only he who can weigh each individual soul with all its abilities, qualities and ambitions as well as all the Karma attaching to it, in a word, one who can judge to a nicety of its real state of maturity in a spiritual sense that might venture to make prognostications! If a human soul is enveloped and surrounded by dark influences, however favourable the stars' rays may be for him, they will bring him no blessing from the Light; and on the other hand, if the condition of the human soul is such that it repels all that is not pure and light, and will not allow impurity to approach it, the most malignant stellar rays cannot do that man serious harm, and will, on the contrary, prove of benefit to him in the end.

The wisdom and the power of the Almighty are not so partial as the disciples of Astrology imagine. He does not make the weal and woe of His children depend wholly on stellar influences, although assuredly these vigorously cooperate, not only in the fate of each individual, but in the happenings of the whole world. After all, the influences are but tools. They work independently but also in cooperation with many other influences.

Some astrologers think that they work intuitively, but their inspiration is not more reliable than their calculations.

Their inspirations cannot be of high order, for there is a measureless gulf fixed and a veil drawn between Omniscience and humanity.

Calculations are but one-sided piece-work, inadequate and deficient: in a word, incomplete and consequently misleading. They disquiet a man, and disquiet is the soul's greatest enemy, for it breaks down its natural defences and lets in evil which would otherwise never have found entrance. During periods of malevolent stellar rays, they will feel anxious, perturbed, and on the other hand, they will be over- confident and unwise when they are convinced that the stellar rays are favourable. Considering the inadequacy of all the calculations, they are only burdening themselves with unnecessary anxiety instead of cultivating a free, joyous spirit, which is a more powerful defence than the most malignant stellar rays could break through.

If the astrologers are so bent on their study, let them pursue it and seek to perfect themselves, but let it be in private, for themselves alone. This is what serious students do.

The public should not be molested with such incomplete work. It only does mischief; it shakes a man's self-confidence and constrains a free spirit. This must be avoided in any case.