We live in truly perilous times and most of you are aware of what I am about to re-state which will be followed by an astrological analysis. Never has the world situation been so critical at least now through the rapidly expanding awareness of our global, environmental predicament. Terrorism and the various conflicts around the globe are rendered into the shade. But at least now there is a growing consensus that something must be done – quickly.

It is interesting how many environmentalists like Canadian David Suzuki, American Ralph Nader or Australian Bob Brown, have been shouting about these issues for the last 30 or so years, only to fall on the deaf ears of successive governments. There probably was not as much noticeable climate change back in the 80’s.

Scientific reports from government-appointed individuals and think tanks, such as the most recent Stern Report, have now reached such a critical mass that the tide seems to be finally turning. Is this awareness finally entering and being accepted by the mainstream? Let us hope so. Of course it is not just the reports that have given such conviction and realisation to politicians and those who wield power; it is the experiential and visual nature of climate change for the whole world, whether it is increasing sea temperatures that have fostered larger hurricanes, erratic out of season snowstorms versus heat waves, or the extremes of drought and flood.

The world is indeed Koyaanisqatsi, a term coined by Native Americans to mean “life out of balance” (and title of a film addressing degradation of the environment [1]). Reflecting this state of affairs is the fact that almost one third of the Western world is now considered obese. This growing epidemic is witness to a new poor who can be as obese as the rich – a weird kind of equality. Starkly contrasted are the emaciated masses of developing nations – their bellies swollen, but not by stuffing themselves with the insatiable emotional hunger that drives the consuming West.

It underscores the fact that humanity is out of touch with its environment through the stress of economic circumstances, a host of social factors and the incessant pressure of media and advertising; it has lost touch with the source of that which it consumes and cannot connect consciously to the chain of pain and exploitation behind many products.

Living is not really living for a huge proportion of the world’s developing nations, it is just surviving and eking out a miserable existence from day to day. Relatively speaking, it is becoming increasingly so within Western nations where the gap between the “haves” and “have nots” is eroding into a seemingly unreclaimable abyss.

Is the world spinning like a “dying top” where each rotation brings a more erratic circling? Has the world lost its centre or can we pull back to the “central axis” to align with our collective purpose? Indeed, there is a slow pole shift taking place that may well culminate with a major “tilt”, a corrective jolt to shake the world awake.

Other recent films and documentaries have all had an impact, such as Thankyou for Smoking, Fast Food Nation and of course Al Gore’s tour de force, An Inconvenient Truth. These themes and ideas are upon everyone’s lips lately. There is a certain sense of a excitement, of a bright new era approaching with great opportunities; it is indeed a big chance (the main chance), yet if the world is heedless of the warnings this time around, it seems that it will not be granted another option; karmic consequences will supervene no doubt.

Responses to the crisis by many governments are driven by economic or selfish political considerations that cynically apportion token “green” spending. Its pathetic to think that leaders do not take any notice of the warnings until they are given the cost in dollars – nine trillion, according to the English economist Sir Nicholas Stern. But of course the writing has been on the wall for decades for those who have bothered to read it.

Most current leaders of the world’s largest nations are “tin men” or puppets of clandestine cartels. There are no truly grand statesmen amongst them and most are bereft of vision – cowardly conservatives who thrive on fear and propaganda.

Yet simple observation is all that is needed to see that the world is headed for such a huge crunch. Consider the vast industrial complexes of southern China that, in their newfound economic revolution, relentlessly belch out pollution and greenhouse gases like there was no tomorrow. Multiply this by thousands of similar places around the world. Throw in thousands of large cities with choking traffic and pollution so bad that visibility and breath-ability is severely reduced. Digest if you will, the fact that billions of cattle feeding the world’s voracious appetite for meat are a major contributor to the imbalance of the atmosphere through excessive methane gas.

Know that the “machine” is driven and controlled mainly by greed, oil and power – based upon robbing the finite resources of the planet and raping the environment through “industrial agriculture” – a major contributor to climate change. Reflect upon the fact that it is big business East and West that is driving this out of control juggernaut, via trade agreements and the like; that multiple human rights abuses are occurring as a result. Realise that there seems to be no end in sight for the deteriorating and polarising economies of both East and West.

So where will it all end? Some say that it is already too late and that we are only seeing the beginning of a trend that has its roots in the last couple of hundred years of industrialisation; something that will overtake us and cause unprecedented disaster no matter what we do. The urgency and immediacy of the problem is now so pressing that radical and swift action must be taken. Nations such as America and Australia have a lot to answer for; their conspicuous and intransigent non-participation in the Kyoto Protocol can no longer be tolerated through the lame excuse that it will “hurt jobs” or is economically unviable. Stern has spelt it out in economic terms, nothing will be viable if nations do not act.; better economics to do the short term large spending than incur the penalties for not doing so – environmentally and economically.

The Greater Cycles

To retain a sense of perspective there are several major cycles that the world is experiencing. Our Fifth (Aryan) Rootrace is currently in its Kali Yuga cycle that started around 5,000 years ago and has about another 427,000 years to go. When considering the four yugas within which all other cycles circulate, the Hindus liken it to a four-legged cow.

In the Satya Yuga (Golden Age) of the Fifth Rootrace that started around four million years ago, [2] the cow had four legs. In the  Dvapara Yuga (Silver Age) it had three legs. In the Treta Yuga (Bronze Age) it had two legs; this is when the Fifth Rootrace manifested completely as a separate and new race. In the Kali Yuga (Iron Age), the cow teeters on one leg and this is a natural cycle that is renders death and destruction to all the obsolete forms of civilisation; it is ruled by the goddess Kali, a potent Pluto archetype and ruler of Scorpio.

All these greater yugas have lesser yuga cycles operating within them, wheels within wheels, hence there may even be a minor Satya Yuga operating at the moment as we go into the Aquarian Age and the nascent Sixth Rootrace.

Therefore, the Fifth Rootrace has peaked and is in decline, even though it has about another half million years to go. Emerging parallel are the seeds of the Sixth Rootrace in its very nascent beginnings, starting its Satya Yuga; just as the Fifth Rootrace was in its Satya Yuga, the previous Atlantean Rootrace was in its Kali Yuga. Hence there are many similarities and karmic patterns from the past being repeated now. One major example is the Atlantean War (The Mahabharata) and the recent World Wars of last century.

There is also the outgoing Sixth Ray cycle at odds with the incoming Seventh Ray cycle and these forces lie behind the current clash of civilisations, religion and culture. Added to this are various sub-cycles of the rays, one of which is very specifically the Third Ray, relating to matter, form and money.

Finally, the world is sailing its battered barque through the tempest of the cusp of the ages, the declining Piscean era and the increasing Aquarian era. These full moon cycles therefore, are like the second hand on the cosmic wheel of time, or Kalachakra.

The Fifth Shamballa Impact of 2000
What are the disciples (the so-called spiritually awake) of the world doing in this current global situation? How many are actively involved in trying to redress the balance in their particular field of service? This collective World Disciple is ruled by Scorpio, whose keynote is, “Warrior am I and from the battle I emerge triumphant”. The forces of this particularly powerful 2006 Scorpio full moon period see the Sun, Mars, Venus, Mercury and Jupiter all in this sign. The World Aspirant (or Humanity) is ruled by Taurus, the polar opposite to Scorpio.

Wesak 2000: 2006 Progressions & Transits
It has been proposed [3] that the release of force from the planetary centre that we call Shamballa (the planetary crown chakra), occurred for the fifth time (in 18 million years) at the Taurus or Wesak full moon festival in the year 2000. This is a potent horoscope and conditions the next world period of at least 25 years. In that chart there were several planets in Taurus.

Taurus is an earth sign intimately related to the environment and through the Moon’s exaltation here, can be considered literally Mother Nature (along with the other earth signs such as Virgo and Capricorn). In Wesak 2000, Saturn was conjunct the Taurus Sun, along with Jupiter and Venus. Now, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter have all moved by solar arc progression to make an exact conjunction with the Taurus Sun (opposition Moon) axis. In other words, it is precipitously activating the latent pattern and potential of the Wesak 2000 chart.

There is now a major opposition between the Scorpio 2006 full moon chart and the Wesak 2000 chart. The tensions between many of the planets are quite marked and underline the gravity of the world situation. It is almost a seven-year Saturn cycle since the Shamballa Impact of 2000. Hence this is the first Saturn square that the Wesak 2000 chart has experienced. As the Lord of Karma, Saturn is issuing a report card for Humanity; his chickens have come home to roost but they could be likened to mad battery hens going to the slaughter.

Saturn can give stern lessons on its square cycle and it is interesting that the word “stern” is not only part of Saturn’s character but is very similar phonetically. Hence Sir Nicholas Stern’s report, a knighted economist no less, currently plays Saturn’s agent; an unconscious agent provocateur, because of the kind of reaction that will come from the status quo. Perhaps Stern will play a kind of John the Baptist to an advanced disciple said to come forth in the future, called by the Hierarchy, “the adjuster of finances”. [4]

Stern is also a Taurus Sun (April 22, 1946) with a Capricorn Moon, an ideal combination for a bean counter, er, economist. His personality expression is also the same as his mother country Britain, a Taurus personality. It is interesting that Stern has Venus in the 22nd degree of Taurus, exactly the same position as Venus in the Wesak 2000 chart. Taurus has a close association with money, via Venus: “Venus, governing the second House, which is concerned with economics, the distribution of money and metals and which rules Taurus, the “seed house” of illumination and the new emerging light …. ….Again, gold is the symbol which today governs man’s desires whether national, economic or religious; it is connected with this sign and this is one of the indications that today the conflict in the world economic situation is based upon the upwelling of desire. In an esoteric way, therefore – quoting from a very ancient book of prophecy: “The golden eye of Taurus points the way to those who likewise see. That which is gold will some day, too, respond, passing from East to West in that dire time when the urge to gather gold shall rule the lower half (i.e., the personality aspect of men and of nations – A.A.B.). The search for gold, the search for golden light divine, directs the Bull of Life, the Bull of Form. These two must meet; and meeting, clash. Thus vanishes the gold….” [5]

The Wesak 2000 chart was set for New York because this city is one of the five planetary centres and relates particularly to the West. Hence most of the Taurus placements are in the second house of money and finance. The following was written in 2000, “If the chart for New York is considered to represent the West, all the Taurus and Gemini planets (six) fall within the second house, hence in the Western world, money and possessions may be a huge issue, and many may be forced to develop new values around this theme as a result of unpredictable economic events.

The Taurus stellium squares and opposes planets in the Grand Cross configuration of the August 1999 eclipse chart. This was a difficult configuration financially also. New York is not only a major spiritual centre, but also one of the money capitals of the world. The Wesak full moon will reanimate existing challenges – they will not go away, constituting a relentless (Ray 1) forcing process for humanity.” [6]

Saturn is also an agent of the First Ray of Will or Power and currently stands in a T-square to the respective planets of this Taurus-Scorpio axis until around August 2007. This is the window of opportunity that the world has to bring in some corrective measures, innovative ideas and bold action. At its core will be many fears about the world economy because of the huge and immediate spending which nations are being forced to consider. (America will have transiting Saturn opposing its Aquarian Moon around this time too, the Moon dispositing its Cancer Sun in the 1776 chart. This can indicate economic difficulties.)

Hence the pattern for this Scorpio full moon period is extremely powerful. Mars is the outer and inner ruler of Scorpio and is also placed in Scorpio. This is a time to create a personal and rousing battle cry that assaults the forces of resistance within, particularly old attachments and emotional reactivity over which Mars presides, as ruler of the solar plexus chakra. (War in the belly!)

Scorpio can aid the World Disciple to discipline the lower nature during this period. Pluto co-ruler, and ruler of the base chakra, will also come into play, destroying impediments, pushing ruthlessly and relentlessly onward and upward – from the solar plexus into the heart.

Uranus is exalted in Scorpio and rules the sacral charka – related to money and sex. Hence the World Disciple can choose to engage the enemy (the beast within), warring with the lower nature and emerge triumphant, or it can choose to listen to Scorpio’s lower keynote, “Let maya flourish and deception rule”. Even though Uranus is currently in Pisces, through its association with Scorpio  offers the promise of personal revolution leading to Liberation through originality, innovation and detachment: “Uranus is the planet whose characteristics are the scientific mind, which, at this stage of the disciple’s career, means that [s]he can begin to live the occult life and the way of divine knowledge can take the place of the mystic way of feeling.

It means also that knowledge can be transmuted into the way of wisdom and of light. This necessarily brings in the will aspect or the influence of the first ray (Vulcan) blended with the seventh ray (Uranus) producing the desired manifestation upon the physical plane. Uranus, therefore, initiates a new order of life and conditions and this – when developed in the life of the disciple – in its turn produces an understanding of the causes of things as they are, and the desire to change the old order and the old orientation into the new. This produces the reversal of the wheel. This can be seen happening today most clearly in connection with humanity and with world processes. Carried forward to its logical conclusion, the influence of Uranus finally produces an unfolded spiritual consciousness in contradistinction to the human; for this reason, Uranus is exalted in this sign and assumes a position of power and of directed influence.” [7]

With the lower centres activated thus, these issues may surface in a big way: Money, security, the right use of sex, astralism, attachment to form etc. Scorpio can be very mean due to the ancient survival instinct of the Scorpion in the desert, with its tendency to control, dominate, bite-back or corner power – through money or sex, generally speaking. These traits apply to anyone with anything in Scorpio natally or by progression. No of us are immune to any astrological influence. Just because a person does not have particular forces present in the horoscope does not mean that they will not experience during their life the entire gamut of the zodiac via their progressions, transits etc.

Another factor to consider is that anyone consciously treading the spiritual path has mounted the fixed cross of the zodiac, no matter what sort of horoscope they have. Scorpio dominates this fixed cross archetypally as it represents one of those most difficult initiations to pass, whereby the control of the astral nature is demonstrated.

What is meant by “control of the astral nature”? It ranges from the very obvious and blatant to the very subtle and abstruse. The world is so permeated by desire-mind that all seekers are caught up in it to some degree, being plugged into the great drama of human life. We have not completely “reversed the wheel” so to speak, the true spiritual wheel that runs counter to that signified by “sleeping humanity” – and we make many compromises because of our attachments to people and “things”.

Scorpio is a time to engage in some healthy psychic surgery! An affirmation for Scorpio or your current Pluto transit, “let it go, just let it all go!” Let die and live!

[1] www.spiritofbaraka.com/koyaanis.aspx Koyaanisqatsi is a documentary, an apocalyptic vision of two different worlds – urban life, and technology versus the environment. It is presented in such a way to show the contrast between humans and nature. The idea is to make the viewer compare the things found in nature against those things that humans have created; it suggests that humans are out of balance with nature. (It is difficult to obtain owing to copyright problems the creators had)
[2]See Hidden history of Humanity, Phillip Lindsay.
[3]See The Shamballa Impacts, Phillip Lindsay.
[4]The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, Alice A. Bailey. p.538, 580.
[5] Esoteric Astrology, Alice A. Bailey. p.379.
[6]Ibid.
[7]Esoteric Astrology, Alice A. Bailey. pp.223-4.