Initiation References in Esoteric Astrology
(Direct references and some are speculative.)
1st degree initiation
54 – Path of Purification (1st – Path of Probation)
70 – “at the first initiation …crystallising and destroying forces of vulcan and Pluto.”
143-44 – Leo prepares for and takes it in Leo 157 – Gemini/Leo significance first two initiations (see 64,104,155)
160 – “certain men then reached the stage of discipleship wherein they could consciously mount the fixed cross and be prepared for a major initiation” (1st degree is first initiation on fixed cross)
161-2 – “humanity…great step forward in self-conscious (Leo) unfoldment”
316 – first two initiations – burning ground (lesser?)
326 – “one of the secrets of the first initiation”
355 – “individualisation and initiation” – Gemini connection
387-88 – “secret of Gemini has to be grasped at the first initiation”
390 – “…entered into at 1st initiation is consummated in Pisces (4th?)”
447 – “sirius, Leo and Uranus…will enable mankind …to take 1st initation”
“…in Leo that man undergoes the preparatory stages of this first initiation”
471 – “recognition of Christ life…as the aspirant of the first initiation emerges”
472 – “crisis of birthplace” …initiation… Virgo – (1st initiation?)
472 – “triangle Leo Virgo Pisces…impact of Piscean force…has…brought humanity, the world disciple to the very door of initiation” (1st initiation)
631 – “attraction, subtraction, abstraction” related to the first three initiations
2nd degree initiation
54 – Path of Discipleship (2nd)
70 – “second initiation…three planets – Neptune Venus Jupiter” – 3 chakras. See TCF899 – “it is Neptunian influence which presides over and makes possible the 2nd initiation.”
84 – preparation for 2nd birth – 2nd initiation? or 1st?
143-44 – Scorpio – desire subdued
157 – “Taurus opens the door into Hierarchy when the significance of Gemini and Leo is understood and the first two initiations can therefore be taken” see 64,104,155.
162 – “disciples of world …and in others the second”
211 – “final struggle in Scorpio only takes place when the point of balance between soul and body has been reached in Libra”
220 – “great mystery, revealed only at the time of the second initiation” – Virgo/Pisces/Neptune, fish goddesses (relates to Eleusian Mysteries and Ceres/Demeter/Hades/Persephone?)
223 – Taurus/Scorpio …”all teaching on baptism and purification” – (2nd degree symbology)
224 – “Baptism by water (a name for the second initiation) …testing …purification …Scorpio”
298 – energies from “heart of Sun…disciple ready for second initiation “
316 – first two initiations – burning ground (lesser)
318 – interplay of forces/esoteric linking of Cancer Virgo Scorpio Capricorn Pisces at a “particular and peculiar stage of discipleship” (2nd degree? or 4th? – Neptune seems to be a constant here;
320 – “tests and trials of the initiate up to the 3rd initiation are directed toward this end”)
335 – study of mutable cross – significance of the 2nd initiation
388 – secret of Taurus at 2nd initiation (polar opposite Scorpio – 2nd degree symbol)
390 – “…takes form at the 2nd initiation in the will to liberation in Taurus…”
631 – “first three initiations”
3rd degree initiation:
24 – “Three of the energies work through the head centre but only after the third initiation.” (constellations, planets, creative hierarchies – p23)
29 – “the effect of the three great constellations also cannot be noted by individual man until such time as he becomes conscious of the monadic vibration, after the 3rd initiation”
31 – “…after the third initiation there is a recognition of them upon the physical plane” (subtler forces from 3 major constellations)
55 – Path of Initiation (3rd)
55 – “the life an light of the three major constellations can – after the third initiation – be occultly available to the initiate”
70 – “third initiation, the Moon (veiling a hidden planet) and Mars bring about a fearful conflict” see 199 – “Mars/Saturn exceedingly potent …with initiation into the life of the hierarchy” (does Moon veil Saturn? Capricorn closely connected to third)
84 – “crisis of initiation. Transfiguration…after the third initiation mounts a third cross”
100-2 – “fire of Aries…potency of Uranus… final burning ground… Uranus rules occult way” (3rd initiation ?)
101 – “crisis of the burning ground… activity of Uranus… free choice of initiate… makes choice in Libra… pass through burning ground to liberation (4th?)”
102 – “world server in Aquarius” (sign of 3rd degree)
136 – “always individualised son of god until after the 3rd initiation”
141 – “bulk… of world initiates climax… in Aquarius” (Aquarius 3rd degree)
144 – “in Aquarius the long effort of the soul is consummated… the man then takes the 3rd initiation”
147 – “Leo indicates the height of achievement of the human soul” (could mean 3rd initiation as height of achievement of fixed cross, or 4th initiation where causal body is destroyed” – DK goes on: ” …that initiation and liberation…” – “liberation” being keyword for 4th initiation.
148 – “this achievement reaches its goal at the third initiation” soul dominating personality. see 147
157 – “…Capricorn… last three initiations… significance of Scorpio and Virgo” see 253-4, IU2,TCF.
162 – “…initiates… subjected to… Scorpio Capricorn Pisces” (2nd,3rd,4th?)
163 – “When he has taken the 3rd initiation”
208-9 – “initiate of the third degree… reorients… to the monad… passes through most subtle tests”
262 – “three signs from Capricorn to Pisces, until the third initiation, including Capricorn”
276 – “life of conscious duality… up to and immediately preceding the third initiation”
290 – “this triangle (Taurus Leo Aquarius) demonstrates finally the perfection or consummation of the human way” (3rd degree?)
298 – “in connection with the horoscope of the Leo subject… when Sun, Moon (hiding a planet) and Saturn are all combined in a certain house, you have what is called the “sign” of the man who is to take initiation” (numerically may be 3rd house/3rd initiation – Saturn rules 3rd; however, may relate to 4th – “Leo… connected through numerical affinity with Mercury” (4th ray)
300 – “influence of Sirius is not consciously felt until after the third degree initiation” – see 298
319 – “Therefore, for an initiate and for a period of three incarnations, the four signs of revelation (Cancer Virgo Scorpio Capricorn) intensify their effect upon him, until in the fourth incarnation he begins to respond to the inner influence of Pisces. He thus demonstrates his ability to react to Shamballa influence and… goes out to salvage and save.” (just before 3rd?4th?)
319-20 – “In Pisces… the dualism of soul and spirit emerges… and tests and trials of the initiate up to the third initiation are directed to this end.” (“dualism soul/spirit” resolved at 4th)
320 – water (y) triangle.tests up to 3rd degree – (3rd degree symbol of 5 pointed star triangle)
331 – “The initiate who has taken the three lower initiations”
335 – study of fixed cross – significance of third initiation
354 – “Mercury is the revealer of the Spiritual Triad to the soul and this carries the disciple to the stage of the 3rd initiation”
383 – relation of earth to Venus only revealed at third initiation
387-88 – “secret of Aries… beginnings, cycles… At the third initiation… begins to understand the life of the spirit”
390 – “…second initiation… Taurus… finds itself released through the will to serve universally – in Aquarius” (3rd initiation)
447 – “Leo marks the height of achievement for the human soul… stimulated by Shamballa force”(3rd or 4th?)
“It is in Leo that man undergoes the preparatory stages of this first initiation. He finds himself and becomes self-conscious; then he arrives at the stage of intelligent discipleship – Finally he stands ready for the ordeal and the accolade of fire, preceding the first initiation.” (third?) (EA447)
449 – response to triangles not possible “till the time cycle of the third initiation arrives”
466 – “through the potency of Libra he has succeeded in achieving that point of balance which makes the final escape from the pairs of opposites possible” – (escape means taking at least 2nd if not 3rd) – see 302 – Libra related to mental unit/Leo with astral permanent atom.
472 – crisis of initiation… Capricorn (3rd initiation?)
505-6 – “…distinction between sacred and non sacred planet… paralleling correspondence between the consciousness of the initiate(up to and including the third initiation) and the consciousness of the Logos of a non-sacred planet. Soul and body, consciousness and form are blended and a definite fusion is taking place… Transfiguration, the third initiation.”
565 – “…of which the third initiation is but the beginning” – speaking about Christ as 4th degree
606 – “emerges in the human consciousness after the third initiation” – understanding and climax study of divine psychology – rays/constellations/planets etc.
614 – Paths of discipleship/initiation. …”third stage of evolutionary process… entered into at the third initiation”
620 – “will to good demonstrated at the third initiation”
625 – “unknown to initiates below third degree – transcending will”
631 – “first three initiations” – attraction subtraction abstraction in relation to 3rd ray
4th degree initiation
38-9 “…Hierarchy… which is fifth in order… is… achieving final liberation, or taking its fourth Initiation”
52 – “…when the conditioning planetary forces, the expanding energies of the Sun sign and the driving energy of the rising sign are all being controlled and directed by the illumined spiritual man, you will then have a soul on the very verge of liberation.” (4th?)
61 – “the man reaches Capricorn… then comes the crisis of renunciation. (4th) see 107
62 – “a functioning world saviour in Pisces…the fish who swims free in the ocean of matter” see LOTS 45 for goat fish crab analogies
71 – “…fourth initiation – Mercury and Saturn again bring about great changes and revelation…” (HPB exact Mercury/Saturn conjunction in Virgo – took 4th in that life) see 599 – “‘seeds of death’ emerge through the medium of this ray (4th) and the Grim Reaper, Death (Saturn), is but an aspect of this will, conditioned by the 4th ray and emerging from the fourth plane” – (Saturn/Moon connection? – Moon co-ruler 4th ray; death of causal and quite frequently physical at 4th initiation; Moon/Saturn speculation for 3rd – see p.70)
299 – Sirius/Leo/Mercury/Saturn – “prepares the aspirant for initiation”; 300 – “after the 3rd initiation Sirius becomes a major life factor… Sirius, Leo, Sun, Moon (veiling Saturn?) and Mercury are now the influences with which the initiate is concerned” (Sirius is “4th path” hence 4th degree connection – see TCF 1258-1261)
130 – “…Venus exalted in Pisces at end of greater cycle… raised up into glory through experience and crucifixion” (crucifixion is keyword for 4th – see BTC175)
442 – “Saturn breaks up existing conditions… thus enabling the influence of Mercury” -“seeds of death” – Capricorn see 158
101 – “…pass through the burning ground to liberation” (4th initiation? – see 3rd in. refs.)
105 – Venus in Aries – “just as the personality is lost sight of in the light of the soul, the solar angel, so the soul itself disappears and its power and radiance fade out when the Presence, which it has hitherto veiled, appears and dominates the scene at the end of the greater world cycle… the solar angels… give place to the monad, the One.” (causal destroyed at 4th initiation)
107 – “Renunciation… disciple… renounces all… lays himself on the altar of sacrifice… achieves the final liberation” (4th initiation)
116-7 – “This dual bondage is brought to an end by what is called the final death, when the complete release of the life aspect from the life of the form takes place… soul itself… nature of form… dual renunciation… re-attach itself in consciousness to the One… climaxing story of Pisces… fourth Creative Hierarchy… world saviours (Jesus took 4th at crucifixion)… final sacrifice in Pisces which absorbs them back into their originating Motive.” (4th initiation )
130 – “…work of Pluto is to ‘cut the thread which binds the two opposing lives together’ …the task of Venus to reunite the severed lives but with no binding thread’ …Venus is exalted in Pisces and at the end of the greater cycle the Sons of God… are raised up into glory through experience and crucifixion because they have learned to love and truly reason.” (4th initiation?)
131-2 – “…Mercury ‘falls’ in Pisces… what is the esoteric meaning? …man, coming into full soul consciousness, requires now no mediator but deals directly himself with his emanating source.Mercury …(becomes)… the Sun mediating between the higher aspects – soul and spirit… mediator… between life and consciousness itself …fusion of what is already related.”
137 – “seventh, second and fourth rays. (related to Aquarius via rulers) …determine the final stages of man’s progress… final stages and happenings of the Path of Initiation.” (4th ray/4th degree?)
141 – “Those who achieve in Pisces and make the higher and further grade of development, pass… Shamballa” (4th?)
144 – ” …takes the third initiation …taking the next two initiations on the cardinal cross” (Taurus- vulcan as transition energy? see 392-3)
147 – “Leo indicates the height of achievement of the human soul” (4th initiation? see 3rd initiation refs)
157 – “Aries opens the door to Shamballa when the experience of Taurus and Capricorn have been undergone… Capricorn… last three initiations”
165 – “Libra guards the secret of balance, of equilibrium and finally speaks the word which releases the initiate from the power of the Lords of Karma” (“Esoterically, Saturn cannot follow man onto the cardinal cross” – Saturn falls in Aries -105)
168 – “and the world saviour in Pisces, thus completing the round of the zodiac and able to say triumphantly in Pisces ‘it is finished'”
179 – “Identification, governing liberation – Pisces…”
188 – “Pisces… indicating the final goal of man”
196 – “pole star…’star of reorientation’…brings a man back to his originating source” (monad)
202 – “…only of significance to initiates of the fourth degree” – Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Pleiades
208 – “the initiate of the 3rd degree – upon a higher turn of the spiral – reorients himself to the Monad and passes through most subtle tests to certain undefinable spiritual recognitions”
211 – “Scorpio governs “the initiates”…the true esoteric name of man” (4th CH, 4th ray/4th in.?etc) (see previous sentence for ref. to 2nd initiation)
217-8 – Cancer/Neptune/7th ray/4th CH – “not to be understood by anyone below the stage of the fourth initiation “
225 – Venus in Scorpio – spiritual intuition – “This solar angel… must give place eventually to the Presence. Venus must wane… and the Sun must wax
258 – Pisces – world saviour – initiation
276-7 – “the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom” (causal body too? ) “Where is the one God Who has forsaken me?…I see the dark of distant spirit..”
290 – Taurus Leo Aquarius triangle – (3rd degree? see 3rd refs.) Leo Virgo Pisces – 4th degree? – “a still more subtle expression of consciousness”
296 – “(at the final revelation and liberation)” (4th?) – “the activity of Uranus… only registered at a very advanced stage of the path… arouses the centre at the base of the spine and draws the kundalini fire upwards””
299-300 – see above p.71 – Mercury/Saturn
359 – “Mercury …hierarchical ruler of Scorpio… its effect is of a planetary nature… it’s true significance will not be understood until the consciousness of individual man is also planetary in its scope and grasp, which is never the case until after the 3rd initiation” (Mercury rules 4th ray, 4th ray comes through Scorpio, 4th CH, 4th initiation etc.)
390 – “that which is begun or ‘entered into’ at the first initiation is consummated and completed in Pisces” (4th?)
392-3 – “revealed to Christ at the fourth great initiatory crisis” – Gethsemane experience/Vulcan (Taurus/4th ray/4th in.
442 – see above p.71 – Saturn/Mercury
472 – Crisis of renunciation. Crucifixion
481 – “soul is consciously at-oneing itself with form and at the same time with spirit… when…Virgois consummated in Pisces… make man the true triangle” (4th?)
496 – “…identification with… the subjective and real Self and… withdrawing fom that which is the not-Self is the keynote of the fourth initiation ” – related to triangle of Cancer/Leo/Aquarius (Neptune is soul/hi. ruler respectively for all three, and is known as the “One Initiator”, which is also the Christ who only officiates up to the 2nd degree. However Neptune does have a connection with the 4th degree or buddhic consciousness: “No man begins to coordinate the buddhic vehicles until he comes under Neptunian influence in some life or other… his personality horoscope will show Neptunian influence dominating somewhere” TCF899 – see TCF113
565 – “The Piscean aspect in its highest expression is demonstrated by His sensitivity to immediate and unbroken contact with His “Father in Heaven”; He was in constant contact with the Monad, thereby proving to the world that He was initiated into states of consciousness of which the third initiation is the beginning.”
620 – “…will-to-good demonstrated in the higher initiations when God-consciousness is achieved. This is the third stage of divine fulfillment. It connotes Monad, Life.”
632 – “Libra… constellation… point of balance… will-to-express… life of the spirit and the potency of matter” (4th?)
5th degree initiation
52-3 – “Eventually the energies of the twelve constellations and-at a final stage of experience and development(5th?) – of the three great constellations which condition the solar Logos are blended with the innate energies of the seven rays or of the seven planetary Logoi. This marks a point of perfection.” (5th?)
53 – “until after the fifth and final initiation the non-sacred planets have no effect”
60 – “this dualism is present until the last and final initiation ” (5th?)
71 – “fifth and final initiation, Uranus and Jupiter produce a ‘beneficient organisation’…”
see 336 – 5th? – “Capricorn…highest initiation …entrance into life aspect of deity” – see 137 – “seventh, second and fourth rays… determine final stages of man’s progress as well as the initial stages” (2nd & 7th through Jupiter/Uranus)
General Comments on Initiation:
67 – signs – Taurus/Pisces – Vulcan/Pluto – ray 1 – world saviour
– Leo/Aquarius – Sun/Jupiter – ray 2 – world server
– Sagittarius/Capricorn – Earth/Saturn – ray 3 – initiate
– Aries/Virgo – Mercury/Moon -ray 4- cosmic/individual Christ
– Cancer/Scorpio – Neptune/Mars – ray 6 – triumphant disciple
– (Gemini/Libra missing see bottom of p.66)
180 – probationary disciple, two stages
189 – disciples – pledged – under observation
328-330 – initiation secrets – development of inner light
332-4 – signs – intermediate relationship – initiatory stages
328 – initiation secrets – light
467 – signs, eight – Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn – evolution of soul – psychic unfoldment of aspirant
473-7 – crises, seven – practical lessons from; moments of crisis passed thru 3 times – soul cycle recapitulated in minor sense in one life or group of lives
476-7 – constellations, five – disciple/initiate – Leo joins 7 + 5
510 – probationers/disciples: exoteric/esoteric rulers; sacred/non-sacred; Sun/Moon veiling
614 – paths – 1) evolution/probation 2) discipleship 3) initiation
TCF 1229 – The nature of Spirit is dealt with in the New Testament in one of the esoteric statements addressed by the Great Lord to the initiate, Nicodemus. As he was an initiate of the second degree it may be supposed that he had some glimmering of understanding as to the meaning of the words, which were spoken to him as part of his training in preparation for the third Initiation. “The wind (prana or Spirit) bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit.”
BTC – 21-3 – Christ enacted story of 5 initiations:
Birth at Bethlehem – 1st degree – Nicodemus (see TCF – 2nd degree) – “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:2)
Baptism in Jordan – 2nd degree – Baptism of Holy Spirit/Fire (Matthew 3:11)
Transfiguration – 3rd degree – perfection (Capricorn/10th sign etc) – “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48)
Crucifixion – 4th degree – Great Renunciation – sacrifice – death of lower nature – St Paul (3rd degree – blinded on road to Tarsus – may have taken 2nd, 3rd & 4th in that life?) – ” I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our lord, I die Daily” (1Corinthians 15:31)
Resurrection/Ascension – final triumph – “Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory” – (1Corinthians 15:55)
