Introduction
Arguments for Pisces and Leo Rising
AAB’s Personal Relations
Neptune Esoteric Ruler
Gemini the Intermediary
The Important Role of Cancer in AAB’s Horoscope
AAB’s Astral Body: The Sixth Ray or Transits?
Life Events Transits Confirm House Positions
Transits for DK’s Contact with AAB
List of AAB life events with significant angle activations
Part 2
Contentious Transmission Dates of AAB Books
Discrepancy of dates in Letters on Occult Meditation
Alice Bailey and the Lucis Trust Horoscope
Alice A. Bailey Will Return as a Sagittarian
Conclusion
(Italian version)
Introduction
Alice Bailey’s birth time is uncertain, but has been stated as 7.42 am by Dane Rudhyar, one of the twentieth century’s foremost astrologers. Originally the time was said to have been given to him as 7.32 am – from Alice Bailey herself, a personal friend. Later Rudhyar rectified the time to 7.42 am. The Astrodatabank website quotes the following:
“The time was long quoted as 7:32 GMT, also by Taeger, who quotes Penfield and Rodden … reports by email from the original article by Rudhyar, that Rudhyar’s corrected chart has 11 Leo ascendant and 20 Aries MC … this is consistent with a birth time of 7:42 GMT.”1
Doubt about Alice Bailey’s birth time has been generated by Bailey herself, and some astrologers have gone along with this idea, arguing for a Pisces ascendant. This has in turn influenced a recent biography of Alice Bailey, where the author incorrectly continues the Pisces rising assertion.
Argument for Pisces Rising
“A little intuition goes a long way including AAB’s. According to AAB her she had Pisces Rising. She loved cooking, children, and mothering her organization. All chief traits of natal Sun in her 4th house corresponding to the fourth sign Cancer which Pisces rising gives her. To categorically state as you do that Leo Rising is her soul purpose based on one rectified chart, renders a tremendous disservice to the field.
Front: Alice Bailey and Olga Frobe . Rear – L to R: Foster Bailey, Dr. Vezzani, Dr. Roberto Assagioli, Dr. Kettner, Dr. Keskar, Dr. Gousins.
AAB’s major limitations she overcame to achieve her initiate identification with Humanity were her aristocratic family background, her class, race, and traditional religion again all indicated by a fourth house Sun in my view. In her superimposition chart of Pisces over Gemini we find Pluto over Mercury. She was acquainted with separation and death early in her life typically with Pisces Rising in her first house losing her grandfather and father young, in the same year!
Pisces is the Path of the Christ the World Savior, her Path. This chart also places her Moon in Virgo in the seventh house indicating among much else the beating bartering and abuse that she took and had to bear from not only partners husband Walter Pugh, but psychically from co-workers and theosophist and public et. al.
I must also point out her Mars placement falls in her sixth health of house with Pisces rising with adverse squares to her planets in Taurus especially Neptune! This indicates her inherited karmic blood disorder and health problems which killed her.”2
This argument of Pisces rising has occurred despite the fact that the birth time was given by AAB to her friend Rudhyar. AAB stated she was “inclined” to Pisces rising:
“I was born on June 16th, 1880, in the city of Manchester, England … Leading astrologers, to my amusement, assign different signs as my rising sign—Virgo, because I love children and cooking, and “mothering” an organisation; Leo, because I am very individual (by which they mean difficult and dominant) and also very self-conscious; and Pisces, because that sign is the sign of the mediator or the intermediary.
Alice A. Bailey (Rectified by Dane Rudhyar.)
I am inclined myself to Pisces, because I have a Pisces husband [Foster], because my very dear eldest daughter was also born in that sign and we always understood each other so well that we frequently used to quarrel. Also, I have definitely acted as an intermediary [amanuensis] in the sense that certain teaching which the Hierarchy of Masters wanted to get out to the world during this century is contained in the books for which I have been responsible. Anyway, no matter what my rising sign, I am a true Gemini subject and that sign has apparently conditioned my life and circumstances.”3
Gemini
Astrologers are ruled by the third ray of active intelligence, a “ramifying ray” that has the skill of “making things fit” – hence the discerning care we need to exercise when working with uncertain birth time. The author has had plenty of experience speculating on rising signs with his own uncertain birth time that yielded one sign or another rising – plus other clients over the past thirty years.
Arguments by astrologers that AAB was Pisces rising, derive from the fact that her Gemini sun ruler, Mercury – is placed in the 12th (Piscean) house – in Cancer, esoterically ruled by Pisces co-ruler Neptune. Mercury, the communicator or telepath, is also in harmonious sextile aspect to Neptune. We will return to this later because it is an outstanding feature of the chart. Bear in mind that AAB had an average understanding of astrology, hence speculation about Pisces and her personal reasons stated above – can be explained in other ways.
Recently discovered photo of AAB. (Thanks to Rose Bates.)
Argument for Leo Rising
“For me, it’s Leo. That Libra collaborative Moon in H3 (a lot like HPB’s Venus/Moon in Libra though that was H4) and Jupiter so elevated – unique beginnings in the Ageless Wisdom. AAB simply thought she might have Pisces rising because she was an intermediary, but there are so many ways to come at intermediary-ship. And Rudhyar and Marc E. Jones were no fools – they tested things.
And physiognomy counts. Chin strong as is often the case with Leo. If Pisces were rising, not so often the case and the Mercury ruler of Gemini in Cancer would normally weaken the chin. And, of course, her amazing leadership – much more Leo than Pisces. The way she drove herself, obviously to the point of exhaustion.
1. Personal Relations
Foster Bailey and possibly her daughter, had his/their suns in her Leo rising chart’s ninth house; this puts them en rapport philosophically, hence her statement “we always understand each other”.
The Oracle of Delphi
2. Neptune Esoteric Ruler If the esoteric ruler of Leo is considered, it is Neptune, lord-of-the-oceans and co-ruler of watery Pisces the Fishes. Here is the source of Leo’s passion and acute sensitivity. AAB had Neptune in Taurus, closely sextile her Mercury in Cancer – ruled by Neptune esoterically.
3. Gemini an “Intermediary” Pisces is traditionally the psychic and can be an “intermediary” – as AAB rightly states, or a medium/mediator as DK states when discussing the combination of Pisces and Cancer.5 But Gemini (her sun sign) is also a sign of the mediator, relationships and communications – of telepathy upon the mental plane, par excellence:
“Gemini … is related to the etheric body; it is the custodian of conditioning energy and the intermediary, as far as basic essentials are concerned, between soul and body. These are the two allied brothers. In the average person, the etheric vehicle is the transmitter of psychic energy, galvanising and coordinating the dense physical body and permitting, therefore, astral and mental control of the personality.
When the man is upon the Path of Discipleship and, therefore, upon the reversed wheel, leading to initiation, the etheric body becomes the transmitter of soul energy and not of personality force; the powerful effect of the second Ray of Love-Wisdom—working through the subjective six rays, according to ray type—begins steadily to dominate the vital body, producing consequently the shift of force and of intensity to the centres above the diaphragm.”6
Gemini rules the etheric body – which is the transmitting agent for true intuitive telepathic work:
“Intuitional telepathy is one of the developments upon the Path of Discipleship. It is one of the fruits of true meditation. The area involved is the head and throat, and the three centres which will be rendered active in the process are the head centre, which is receptive to impression from higher sources, and the ajna centre which is the recipient of the idealistic intuitional impressions; this ajna centre can then “broadcast” that which is received and recognised, using the throat centre as the creative formulator of thought, and the factor which embodies the sensed or intuited idea.”7
4. The Important Role of Cancer In this author’s fairly thorough 50-page astro-biography of AAB (Soul Cycles of the Seven Rays I), Mercury in Cancer is identified as AAB’s amanuensis skill. (She also had south node in Cancer – a “super-mum” nurturer of many.)
Mercury in Cancer sextile Neptune – is AAB’s “mediumistic Pisces” but of course technically she was an amanuensis who was not an astrally polarised psychic. AAB had mental-intuitive telepathic rapport with The Tibetan. With Mercury in Cancer, the thought processes are affected by deep-seated emotional patterns from past experiences. This can cause a certain shyness or introspection. The position of Mercury in the 12th house strengthens a predisposition for mediumistic and psychic tendencies.
At a personality level, this aspect reflects AAB’s fear of public speaking in the early days. Mercury in Cancer in the 12th can represent a fear of speaking up – and its square to Jupiter, conjunct the midheaven – the public audience. AAB’s Leo Ascendant was about developing the courage and confidence to be a leader – its not “there” immediately, simply by being Leo rising.
Many Leo rising people take several decades to get into their Leonine stride! There is also the “shy lion” syndrome as characterised in the character of the Wizard of Oz. Leo rising can be shy and lack self confidence before they learn to roar! (See the author’s The Wizard of Oz and the Cowardly Lion)
Leo moon or sun does not usually lack shyness, indeed – revels at being centre stage or the karaoke queen! But not Leo rising in its earlier developmental phase. Nevertheless, AAB had plenty of practice at public speaking when working as a missionary in India serving British troops.
The Sun is ruler of the Leo ascendant and is placed in Gemini – which is in turn “disposited” or ruled by Mercury in Cancer. Can the reader trace the line of relationship here and why these positions determine AAB’s personality expression? Here is another passage where AAB speculates upon whether she was Cancer rising:
“It was this contact with the general public that slowly began to start in 1921 and inaugurated a very difficult period in my life. I have always felt that I should astrologically have Cancer rising because I like to hide and not be seen and the verse in the Bible that has always seemed to me to be so important refers to “the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.”
Many of the leading astrologers have amused themselves by attempting to cast my horoscope. Most of them have given me Leo rising because they regard me as so individual. Only one of them has ever given me Cancer rising and he had insight and sympathy with my problem of publicity, and I think that inclined him to make Cancer my rising sign.
However, I believe that my rising sign is Pisces. I have a Pisces husband and a Pisces daughter and Pisces is the sign of the medium or the mediator. I am not a medium but I have been a kind of “middleman” between the Hierarchy and the general public.”8
Foster Bailey.
AAB’s Cancer Rising supposition is easily explained by her Gemini sun ruler, Mercury in Cancer – as detailed above. This shyness and aversion to publicity is a trait of Leo rising in the early stages, as it takes courage to stand in the limelight – a quality in development. The shy or cowardly lion lacks confidence until he receives a drink of courage from the Wizard of Oz. Also, when considering the hierarchical ruler of Leo – Uranus, it is placed in Virgo with demure Ceres-Demeter, a combination strongly accenting self-effacement.
AAB had a Mercury-ruled Gemini personality with Mercury placed in the receptive sign of Cancer – a great combination for someone to be an “intermediary”, medium, mediator or amanuensis. In this 12th house of selfless service to humanity, “occult obedience” and psychic sensitivity – AAB’s Mercury in Cancer is the key to her telepathic communication skills. Some esoteric meanings of Mercury in Cancer:
“1. An unusually retentive mind; that which the mind receives from the soul it retains. (Since the Third Ray, partially ruling Cancer is the “Lord of Memory”).
2. A mind perhaps more ‘receiving’ from soul than dialoguing with soul. It may have the tendency to receive more than it penetrates. This type of mind may be considered relatively more passive to soul messages.”9
Perhaps AAB was characterised at school as “stupid” because of her wandering Gemini mind, and/or her “dreamy” Mercury in Cancer in the twelfth house. Of note, this was also a criticism of Krishnamurti at schoolm an advanced initiate!
5. Astral Body: The Sixth Ray or Transits?
AAB’s rays have been given as: Soul 2, personality 1, mind 1, astral 2, physical 7. And yet, there appeared to be several hallmarks of the Sixth Ray of Devotion and Idealism – that may have been her “legacy ray”. AAB’s early days as an emotional, “bible thumping” missionary in India, who after a romantic altercation in 1906 with her soon-to-be first husband, Walter Evans – “cried all the way back to England”:
“To my horror and my shame, from sheer weakness and nervous exhaustion, I started crying. I cried all the way from Bombay to Ireland. I cried on the boat; I cried at meals; I cried on deck; I debarked at Marseilles with the tears dripping down my face. I cried on the train to Paris. I cried in the hotel there; I cried on the train to Calais and on the boat to England. I cried ceaselessly and hopelessly and I could not stop however hard I tried.”10
AAB may have come into incarnation with a 6th ray astral body, the most common for the astral – and one that is prone to extreme emotional reactions. She could have shifted however, to a 2nd ray emotional body in that life. The two rulers of the sixth ray and the astral body’s solar plexus centre – are Mars and Neptune, in square to each other from Leo to Taurus respectively.
Even if AAB did not have the 6th ray in her personality equipment, the Mars-Neptune square reflects some of AAB’s major challenges in the refinement of the astral body in that life; of being subject to powerful emotions combined with the need to having that body continually purged of impurities, so that it served as a clear vessel for the intuition. But it is most certainly the transits that tell her teary story for the year 1906!
“In 1906 I began to break down physically. The headaches to which I had always been subject increased and I was worn to a frazzle. Three things were responsible for this break. First, I was shouldering far too much responsibility for my years and, secondly, I was undergoing acute psychical disturbance.”11
The long term cycle of transiting Neptune was conjunct AAB’s (infamous) Mercury in Cancer – from July 1906 to March 1908. During October-November 1906, transiting Jupiter also passed through Cancer on its 12-year cycle, conjoining Neptune and Mercury – magnifying considerably her emotional turmoil – “acute psychical disturbance”!
Neptune rules the waters and hence tears aplenty! Jupiter assisted in his role Jupiter Pluvius – god of rain! This entire period could be interpreted as AAB having the “emotional” watery signs – Pisces or Cancer rising, but the transits tell the story quite well.
In earlier 1906, AAB had also experienced a complete physical and mental breakdown of her “whole mental fabric”, accompanied by extreme headaches. Mercury is the mind, and Neptune is the “universal solvent” that dissolves old thought processes – particularly her fanatical Christian missionary views espoused at the time. (The sixth ray is “the missionary”.)
In 1906, AAB had progressed Sun conjunct progressed Venus in Cancer, rendering her emotions highly sensitised and vulnerable. Additionally, transiting Chiron was closely opposite AAB’s Leo ascendant from the 7th house – the “wound” of relationships. Falling in love with her first husband-to-be did not help matters emotionally.
Also, solar arc Mercury was conjunct Mars in Leo, compounding her emotionality. Mars and Neptune are the co-rulers of the solar plexus, seat of the emotional body. In 1906, transiting Saturn was square to Venus, a challenging aspect for commitment in relationship. With transiting Jupiter conjunct her sun and Venus in Gemini earlier in 1906 – AAB had three proposals for marriage – Jupiter the planet of plenty!
Even though it is usually calm, it is not unusual for a second ray emotional body to express as much emotion as the 6th ray. Hence, there is a good chance that AAB did not have the 6th ray energy, although she was very devoted to her children and the Masters of course. We come back to the thorny question in Esoteric Astrology of how much is being expressed by a ray in a person’s ray structure, and how much is being evoked from the horoscope? The main expressions of emotion in this part of AAB’s life can be explained entirely by planetary transits and progressions.
6. Life Events Transits Confirm House Positions
With any horoscope under scrutiny, the subject can only be done justice through a thorough examination of the dates of life events. This is the only way to “prove” a rising sign or not, by looking out how the house positions and their rulerships play out.
In AAB’s case, the given time of birth seems to be fairly unambiguous – from one of the world’s leading astrologers. This author has not seen a better argument thus far, in the form of thorough astrological analysis – of another rising sign in AAB’s horoscope. Since the exact date of The Tibetan’s first telepathic contact with Alice A. Bailey is known, the most important transits and progressions for that day can be used to affirm the fact that she was Leo rising:
“On November 19th, 1919, I made my first contact with A.A.B. (much to her distress and dismay), and I have worked steadily with her ever since. The books which I then planned have been well-nigh finished; the various phases of the work which were a part of the preparation for the reappearance of the Christ have taken form and should go forward with gathering momentum during the next twenty years.”12
In the author’s original astro-biography, this precise date was missed because it was not in the main reference of AAB’s autobiography; it only just came to the author’s attention from a Facebook correspondent, on a completely unrelated post about travel to Mount Etna! This serendipitous event occurred on 19-11-2019 – on the one hundred year anniversary of when The Tibetan first contacted AAB!
November 19, 1919. A feast for numerologists! 19-19-19 = 10, 10, 10 perfection. 9 is the number of initiation and three 9’s may well pertain to the fact that AAB reached the stage of the third initiation in that life. 19 has also been the author’s favourite “mystic” number since a teenager.
The Theosophical Society at Krotona in the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles. (Article about Krotona here.)
“It was in November 1919 that I made my first contact with The Tibetan. I had sent the children off to school and thought I would snatch a few minutes to myself and went out on to the hill close to the house. I sat down and began thinking and then suddenly I sat startled and attentive. I heard what I thought was a clear note of music which sounded from the sky, through the hill and in me. Then I heard a voice which said, “There are some books which it is desired should be written for the public. You can write them. Will you do so?”
Without a moment’s notice I said, “Certainly not. I’m not a darned psychic and I don’t want to be drawn into anything like that.” I was startled to hear myself speaking out loud. The voice went on to say that wise people did not make snap judgments, that I had a peculiar gift for the higher telepathy and that what I was being asked to do embodied no aspect of the lower psychism.
I replied that I didn’t care, that I wasn’t interested in any work of a psychic nature at all. The unseen person who was speaking so clearly and directly to me then said that he would give me time for consideration; that he would not take my answer then and that he would come back in three weeks’ time exactly, to find out what I intended to do.”13
Transits for DK’s Contact with AAB
The event chart for DK’s first contact with AAB, speculated at around 8.40 am: “I had sent the children off to school and thought I would snatch a few minutes to myself and went out on to the hill close to the house. ” (Does anyone know what time school started in those days in Los Angeles?)
This event chart is quite an interesting horoscope in itself, with Sagittarius rising, opposite AAB’s Sun in Gemini. Mercury is close to the ascendant and exactly trine to Jupiter in Leo – a wonderful symbol of the Messenger (DK – Mercury) and the Teaching (Jupiter). Or, Jupiter represents the Wisdom Teacher DK, whilst AAB is Mercury the Messenger or amanuensis.
The Moon in is in Libra trine Uranus in Aquarius (the new occult, Aquarian dispensation), creating a grand trine with AAB’s Sun in Gemini! Furthermore, Uranus is part of a T-square to Sun in Scorpio opposite Earth in Taurus, at the same degree as AAB’s Pluto. Here follows the multi-wheel for transits and progressions to AAB’s horoscope.
Transits and progressions to AAB’s horoscope for DK’s first contact.
Given that the children had just been sent off to school, this event must have occurred some time in the morning, perhaps between 9 – 10 am. In the original astro-biography of AAB, the transits of the faster moving planets were unknown because the author was not aware of the precise date – now the faster transits can be examined. Some of the long term transits that were originally reported:
1. Transiting Neptune (stationary) conjunct Leo ascendant. Progressed ascendant conjunct Uranus. A spiritual awakening and contact with DK. Neptune is soul ruler of the Leo Ascendant and proves the power of the transiting esoteric ruler to its own sign.
Indeed, a very close conjunction of Leo soul ruler Neptune – within half a degree of the Rudhyar-rectified ascendant. AAB’s experience of first contact with DK was melodiously Neptunian! – “I heard what I thought was a clear note of music which sounded from the sky, through the hill and in me.” (Neptune rules music.) This transit of Neptune conjunct the Leo ascendant had been in orb for one year before.)
The Eleusinian Mysteries of Virgo.
2. Progressed ascendant conjunct occult Uranus in Virgo must be one of the best proofs of Leo rising. The teachings transmitted to AAB by DK were arguably the most occult the world had ever seen. Uranus is closely associated with The Mysteries – it is the “scientific occult mind”. Virgo is connected to the Greater Mysteries of ancient Greece – and Virgo co-ruler, the asteroid Ceres-Demeter, who is known as a patron of the mysteries – is placed next to Uranus in Virgo!
Transiting Saturn (the teacher, the Master) was also close by, having passed over Ceres and Uranus in the previous two months. Its amusing to note DK reprimanding AAB’s reactive Gemini personality, to not make “snap judgements”! There are plenty of other long term transits detailed in the author’s original article.
3. Transiting Jupiter in Leo trine Jupiter in Aries, and the Aries midheaven – pioneering new Teachings. Jupiter, ray two ruler, AAB’s soul ray – from KH’s ashram, working with DK, a 2nd ray Master.
4. Transiting Uranus in Aquarius – making a T-square to transiting Sun in Scorpio and Pluto in Taurus. Here is the depth of Scorpio, the arcane and the Mysteries are emphasised again – especially with the Sun in Scorpio opposing its ruler Pluto. Uranus is in its own sign of Aquarius, heralding the imminent precession cycle of Aquarius for which these teachings were written. Uranus is “accidentally exalted” in the 8th Scorpio house and hierarchical ruler of AAB’s Leo ascendant, guiding her to the third initiation in that life.
5. Transiting Pluto conjunct south node in Cancer, pointing to a past association with DK. It is said that DK carries a first ray attribute – a ray co-ruled by Pluto.
6. Transiting Saturn in Virgo square Neptune, AAB’s Leo soul ruler. Virgo the writer and wordsmith.
The Hierarchy, the Masters of Wisdom, the Great White Brotherhood.
Short Term Transits
With the exact 19th day of the month known, the short term transits can be reviewed, revealing more house information, based upon a Leo ascendant:
1. Transiting Sun/north node in Scorpio – opposite Pluto, and the progressed midheaven exactly! (A good proof of house cusp accuracy.) Transiting Sun quincunx Sun in Gemini.
2. Transiting Moon in Libra (AAB’s moon sign) in the fourth house of the Ashram, spiritual home – opposite the Aries midheaven – career, public etc. Jupiter/midheaven in Aries = the trail-blazing new teachings of DK. Transiting Moon was also trine her Gemini sun. Here was also the Libran challenge of making choice about whether to work for DK – Libra the sign of decision.
3. Transiting Mercury in Sagittarius exactly opposite Venus in Gemini. Here is one of the main significators of that day – DK is known as a “Messenger of the Masters” and AAB was chosen to be a Messenger, via her Mercury in Cancer that disposits her Gemini Sun.
4. Transiting Venus in Libra square Mercury in Cancer – the planet identified as the “amanuensis”.
5. Transiting Mars in Virgo opposite solar arc Moon in Pisces – T-square to AAB’s Gemini sun. Virgo the wordsmith, writing.
Earlier, DK said that he, “would come back in three weeks’ time exactly” – which is December 10, 1919.
Most of the longer term transits are still the same, but there are some interesting short term transits (especially to AAB’s progressed Sun in Leo), whilst the Sun was in Sagittarius – the sign of orientation or reorientation:
Leo (Artist: Johfra)
(With thanks to Rose Bates.)
1. Transiting Sun precisely opposite Venus in Gemini.
2. Transiting Moon in Leo conjunct progressed Sun in Leo.
3. Transiting Mercury in Sagittarius trine to progressed Sun in Leo.
4. Transiting Venus in Scorpio square to progressed Sun in Leo.
5. Transiting Mars in Libra sextile to progressed Sun in Leo.
6. Transiting Jupiter in Leo conjunct solar and progressed Mercury in Leo.
Five fast moving transits to the progressed Sun in Leo, is quite a “coincidence” – pointing to AAB’s personality integration thus far unfolded, stepping into the Leonine leadership responsibility that was the potential of her Leo ascendant.
Eight years later in 1928, when AAB was in the full stride of her work as amanuensis and administrator, the progressed Sun conjoined her Ascendant. It was in April 1928 that Lucis and the Arcane School moved to a new building in New York City.
During that month, transiting Jupiter (2nd ray) had just returned to its natal position and was conjunct her Aries midheaven (career, work, public) – along with Sun, Mercury and Venus on their annual course through that sign. This Jupiter culmination indicates definite establishment of one facet of her work, in the area of Jupiter’s jurisdiction – the Ageless Wisdom, the second ray ashram etc. It is also another of many proofs pointing to the veracity of a Leo rising horoscope, that yields an Aries midheaven.
Other proofs lay with the birth dates of AAB’s children and the synastry of their horoscopes with hers. As the ascendant also represents the physical body, there is often synastry between the child and the mother – for this major physical exertion! AAB’s rising sign would have also attracted other souls that may have been part of her ashram or group work, and who wished to express for their incarnation, that Leo-Aquarius axis.
The following quadri-wheel shows the extraordinary cluster of planets around the ascendant-descendant axis, particularly Mildred and Ellison. Mildred was actively involved with Lucis Trust as a director of “Men of Goodwill” for several years. Dorothy has an almost “uncanny” opposition of her Sun-Ceres in Pisces to AAB’s Ceres-Uranus in Virgo.
Inner to outer wheels: AAB, Dorothy, Mildred, Ellison.
List of life events with significant angle activations
(From “Astrobiography of Alice A. Bailey” in Soul Cycles of the Seven Rays I. pp.206-256.)
1. KH visit at 15: Transiting Mars conjunct Leo ascendant. Pluto conjunct midheaven, underlining the indelibility and depth of AAB’s experience.
2. Left home at 22: In 1902, progressed Mercury (12Leo50) conjunct ascendant, indicating travel or a move – independence of Leo.
3. Cried continuously over relationship 1906, fell in love with Walter Evans. Transiting Chiron in 7th house opposite ascendant.
4. Entirely new cycle commences 1915 – discovers Theosophy. Transiting Uranus (occultism) opposite ascendant. (Uranus is hierarchical ruler.) T. Uranus sextile Jupiter.
5. Leaves Walter Evans, first husband in 1915. Transiting Uranus opposite Leo ascendant – independence.
6. Krotona 1918. Recognised portrait of KH – spiritual snobbery of Theosophists; ideals and illusions dashed. Transiting Saturn conjunct ascendant.
7. First contact with DK in 1919. Transiting Neptune conjunct Leo ascendant. Progressed ascendant conjunct Uranus in Virgo – occultism.
8. April 1928, Lucis and the Arcane School moved to a new building in New York City. Progressed Sun conjunct ascendant. Transiting Jupiter conjunct the midheaven.
9. Last year of “normal” living. Progressed moon conjunct the ascendant – beginning of new 27 year cycle.
10. Received Great Invocation in 1945. Progressed Mercury (the amanuensis) exactly conjunct ascendant.
11. Death in 1949. Progressed ascendant conjunct transiting Mars – both square the natal Sun in Gemini.
12. Death of Mother. Gleaned recently from AAB’s biography by Isobel Blackthorne and discussed on an online forum.
Astrologers usually have the third ray in their make-up, a ray that can easily rationalise and “make things fit”, make black appear white and vice-versa. Hence, they must be discriminating when it comes to chart interpretation. Especially if there is a deep-set belief – that can lead to all sorts of justifications – for proponents of Pisces – or other rising signs.
The rising sign debate of Pisces or Leo is based upon AAB’s statement in her autobiography, versus the rectification done by a professional astrologer. As stated earlier, AAB said that some astrologers chose Leo: “Leo, because I am very individual (by which they mean difficult and dominant).” I think there is a good chance that AAB wanted to back away from that kind of reputation, even though she may have actually been “difficult and dominant”!
Dane Rudhyar was a world renown astrologer and friend of Alice Bailey, rectifying her horoscope based on life events, to his satisfaction. Further rectification years later, added another ten minutes to the birth time – which is a further “proof” of sorts – he did not deviate from Leo rising.
That was back in the 1930’s – AAB had plenty of time to dispute or contradict DR in the years before her death in 1949 – she regarded DR as an “ashramic brother” and world disciple. Rudyhar’s famous book, “The Astrology of Personality” was written through AAB’s encouragement, published originally by Lucis Trust and dedicated to AAB by DR.
So what are the significators for the death of AAB’s mother on Oct.3, 1886, in a Leo rising horoscope?
1. Pisces is on the 8th house cusp of death, ruled by Jupiter and Neptune exoterically, and esoterically lord of death, Pluto. Pisces is also one for the four signs of death. Transiting Neptune on that day was conjunct Pluto to the minute (!) – 27 Taurus 32’. Pluto also rules the 4th house of home, family and mother because Scorpio is on the cusp of this Leo rising chart.
Transiting Jupiter in Libra was exactly opposite natal Jupiter in Aries, most significant for the this second ray soul! (Aries one of the four signs of death.) Transiting Jupiter in the Leo rising chart also opposes the natal Aries midheaven, regarded by some astrologers as the mother.
2. Transiting Mars is Scorpio closely opposes transiting Neptune and natal Pluto. Mars was transiting the 4th house of mother and family. The exact opposition of Mars to Pluto was just two days earlier when it was conjunct the moon (mother) in Scorpio.
3. Progressed Venus conjunct Gemini sun, as was transiting Chiron. Prominence here of a “close friend”. Transiting Venus in Virgo was exactly square AAB’s Gemini sun. The moon was in Sagittarius opposite AAB’s sun.
4. Transiting Saturn conjunct progressed Mercury in Cancer. A most significant aspect. Saturn the lord of karma in the sign of the mother. Mercury is the ruler of AAB’s Gemini sun and is anciently known as the guide of souls through the underworld. Saturn is ruler of the sixth house of health. Incidentally, AAB’s progressed midheaven was conjunct her natal Saturn in Aries.
5. Progressed moon in Capricorn (a sign of finality and death) was opposite progressed sun in Cancer, the mother. This is a major esoteric aspect, a “progressed full moon”, amplified by this opposition closely T-squaring AAB’s moon (mother) in Libra.
The theme of “orphan” is strong here, as evidenced not long after, with AAB’s father who “did not care for her”. Neptune in the tenth house can often indicate an absent or emotionally unavailable father – he died when AAB was 8 years old. An incredible sense of loss within two years for such a young child – no doubt some sort of karmic testing.
The validity of rectification here rests on the progressed angles or transits to the natal angles. All these points are far more extensive than the indicators for a Pisces rising chart.
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This completes Part 1, see Part 2 here: Alice A. Bailey Horoscope: The Case for Leo Rising (Part 2)
Part 2
Contentious Transmission Dates of AAB Books
Discrepancy of dates in Letters on Occult Meditation
Alice Bailey and the Lucis Trust Horoscope
Alice A. Bailey Will Return as a Sagittarian
Conclusion
Phillip Lindsay © 2019.
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Books by Phillip Lindsay
- https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Bailey,_Alice_A. [↩]
- Astrologer Stephen Pugh on forum. [↩]
- The Unfinished Autobiography, Alice A. Bailey. p.13. [↩]
- Dr. Michael D. Robbins, author of Tapestry of the Gods and director of Morya Federation. [↩]
- Esoteric Astrology, Alice A. Bailey. p.124-5. [↩]
- Esoteric Astrology, Alice A. Bailey. p.352. [↩]
- Telepathy and the Etheric Vehicle, Alice A. Bailey. p.19. [↩]
- The Unfinished Autobiography, Alice A. Bailey. p.183-4. [↩]
- From the writings of Michael D. Robbins. [↩]
- The Unfinished Autobiography, Alice A. Bailey. p.93. [↩]
- The Unfinished Autobiography, Alice A. Bailey. p.87. [↩]
- The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, Alice A. Bailey. p.631. [↩]
- The Unfinished Autobiography, Alice A. Bailey. p.162. [↩]
