Sabian Symbols: An officer preparing to drill his men
An officer preparing to drill his men
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This universal idea is best expressed through planets in
Pisces 15 (14°- 15°)REHEARSING HOW TO USE POWER
Neither recklessness nor fearfulness, nor even overcautious modesty, is appropriate when power is at play Before being able to close any cycle in life fully, there must be an evaluation of what has occurred, a balancing of accounts and the facing of karma. When this is externalised into life events, we must expect to encounter some significant danger, a danger that has so far been perpetually and forever avoided. By anticipating this we can make careful arrangements, planning and equipping ourselves as best we can for the certainty of immense challenge. It is better to take instruction and focus very clearly before we encounter our nemesis.
Rudhyar: AN OFFICER INSTRUCTING HIS MEN BEFORE A SIMULATED ASSAULT UNDER A BARRAGE OF LIVE SHELLS |
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An officer instructing his men before a simulated assault under a barrage of live shells
Preciseness
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By making the best of things, we can bring meaning and even adventure to common situations
An officer preparing to drill his men is an image of an outer world event that seems to lack meaning. Yet of course, its meaning lies in the purpose it serves – in this case to develop preciseness. In every life situation, things are exactly as they are – and we have to deal with that reality precisely as it is, rather than how we would have it to be. We must trust that it is exactly how it needs to be for our best purposes at this moment. There is observed in many people a self-betraying desire for a hierarchy of allegiance in which the self is lost – blindly and completely given over to an external authority. Soldiers are examples of this. Most often this leads to an uninspiring drudgery, because it is not the creative self that determines how things unfold, but an unfeeling institutional power device. The challenge then is to make the best of the situations from which there is no immediate extrication. Everyday life becomes superficial with its dismissal of all responsibility of consequence. So we need to take on duties and give them as much significance as possible. If we are shining shoes or peeling potatoes, then that is what we are doing, so we must give it our very best effort. Anyone still alive with spirit will experience a determination to participate in some reality of more enduring importance, and therefore make a real attempt genuinely to find importance in everything. This teaching is underlined strongly in Zen. The lesson here is that living is vital only to the extent that each individual decides to motivate themselves. Sometimes the outer circumstances of life are constrained, so we need to concentrate more on matters of inner importance, such as our approach to the outer world, however it may currently be for us. With such an attitude, we can develop a real gift for bringing genuine efficiency and real adventure to common objectives. |
