by Dr. K. Parvathi Kumar Book Presentation Overview Astrology

The Sun is considered as masculine, the self, while the Moon is considered as feminine, the mind of the self. The essential shine of the Moon is but the reflected light of the Sun. While the Sun supports the Moon, the Moon supports the Earth. By this, we understand that the mind, drawing support from the self, supports the body. It nourishes the body and provides a home for the self. The body is but the residence of the self. The residence is organized for the self by the mind. The theme of esoteric astrology (where astrological principles are correlated to man and are worked out for the appropriate alignment), revolves around the three essential centres namely the Sun (the self), the Moon (the mind), and the Earth (the body). The understanding of these three centres in us is of great importance for an esoteric student. For a disciple of the buddhic plane, these three centres are of great consequence. They represent the solar, the lunar, and the earth principles in us. These principles are common to us and to the planets. A planet is a result of a principle. The principle is the cause, be it planetary or human. The study of the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth as planetary globes is exoteric astrology. Studying them in relation to the self, the mind, and the body is the esoteric approach. The planets are grand beings with great bodies developed with the same principles. These principles do exist in the lives of all beings including the atomic life.

Our mind receives thoughts from the soul and reflects them upon the world of matter. Our mind plays the role of the Moon, which is but a reflecting principle. The ability to reflect the higher onto the lower and the ability to transform the lower into the higher is the work of the mind, be it the cosmic, solar, planetary, or individual mind. When the mind is turned inward, the objective world does not exist; it opens the subjective world. When the mind is turned outward, it makes the objective world visible. When the mind is in its full objectivity, it is called Full Moon. When it stands totally subjective, it is called New Moon or No Moon. The seers say that the subjective light is New Moon while the objective light is Full Moon.

The discipleship or the practice of occultism helps develop the subjective light or the subjective mind concurrently with the objective light and the objective mind. The Moon thus helps turn to subjectivity or to objectivity and stands as a gateway between the inner man and the outer man. Within each one of us, there is the outer objective mind; there is also the inner subjective mind, and their source is the inner spiritual man. Such is the understanding of the implement of Masonry, the compass.

The left leg of the compass represents objectivity. The right leg of the compass represents subjectivity, while the head of the compass represents the source of the two, the soul. Man is thus a triple. The Moon helps to experience this triple principle through the ability to reflect inward and outward. The mind (the Moon) is thus a vital principle to experience objectivity and subjectivity by the self.

It is interesting to note that while the Moon rotates around the Earth in the sky, a part of it is oriented to the Earth while the other part is exposed to the Sun. So also, a disciple is recommended to orient as much to the soul as he orients to the body. He is expected to orient to the Master (soul) in him as much as he is oriented to the matter in him. Master-Mind-Matter and Matter-Mind-Master are the themes of the creation, which the disciple realizes through his consistent and constant orientation to matter on one side and the Master on the other side, with the help of the reflective ability of the mind.