In the Image of God

The Three Zodiacs

We normally talk about one Zodiac, but today, I’m writing about the three Zodiacs, at least from one perspective. The first one is the Zodiac of the fixed star constellations. These are the ones we can actually see in the sky. These are images of the spiritual archetypes. They emanate from deep cosmic space, far beyond the boundaries of our solar system. They live behind everything that exists. It is, in a sense, much older, “wiser”, if you will, and all embracing than our home system.

In Ancient Persian cosmology, the All-Father Being, Zaruana Akarana, is probably the oldest root of the word Zodiac. He gathers in himself the spirit being of the whole Zodiac. Zaruana Akarana, also called Zurvan Akarano, “the unlimited, or uncreated time”, is the supreme deity. He is also the primordial deity. Zurvan’s children are the twins Ahura Mazda, the god of light, and Angri Manyu, or Ahriman, the spirit of darkness. Twelve spiritual powers, the Amshaspands, work in the Zodiac. Seven of them lean towards the light side. Five others lean towards the dark side. Thus, the all encompassing spirit is working through the astral realm.

The second Zodiac refers to the “signs” or divisions of the ecliptic. It is based on the seasonal rhythms of the Earth. Here we find the cosmic spirit manifesting as the cosmic-life cycles working into the Earth. We can view these life cycles as the etheric or life body of our planet. In this body, the greater cosmos manifests itself. It reflects itself as life and all its potentiality.

The third Zodiac consists of the divisions around the North-South axis of any locality. These astrological “Houses” connect us to the physical Earth reality. They are based on the physical/geographic location of an Earthly event, like a birth. When relating the Sun, Moon, and planets to this, we recognize a world. Cosmic impulses seem to contrast with the physical sphere. Among all earthly beings, humans are the only ones who can consciously build bridges. They can connect the Spirit of the Cosmos to the inescapable necessities and requirements of physical Earth life.

These three Zodiacs give us an understanding of how pure spirit creates and manifests. They show how it sustains every level of existence. It also shows how it destroys on every level of existence. You can notice that the second Zodiac of signs is often considered the same as the third Zodiac of Houses. I would say they are different manifestations. They are projections of the sublime spirit behind them. They all interweave in each other. They mirror each other’s qualities. Yet, each has its own purpose. You will notice these living dynamics in the human body. These include the interaction between the nervous system, the respiratory/circulatory system, and the metabolic system. They all inter-work within each other, yet each has its own role.

In astrology, we are basically reading the threads and tapestry of karma. In a very simplistic way, we can say that the first Zodiac of the starry constellations is the spiritual life. It encompasses the thoughts or the “why.” The second Zodiac of the constellations of signs is an earth-centered reflection of this “why” in life and time. The Sun, Moon, planets, and other bodies represent the feeling aspect of the “who”and “how.” They move across the physicality of the “where” and “what” in the third Zodiac of the houses. These qualities are intermingled. They are shared in each realm. The interweaving working of these spheres into each other gives us a complex language. Yet, it is decipherable. It is the language of astrology.

Keeping all this in mind, I will now bring up the Precession of the Vernal Equinox. The Earth’s axis tilts approximately 23.5 degrees from the ecliptic. The equinoxes occur when the Earth’s axis is perpendicular to the sun. The Sun, Moon, and other planets exert gravitational effects on the Earth. These effects cause the Earth’s rotational axis to sway clockwise in a slow circular motion. Historically, this motion of the Earth’s axis causes the equinoxes to move westward along the ecliptic. This occurs relative to the fixed stars. The time it takes the axis to revolve to its original point is 25,920 years. It also takes the Sun 25,920 years to move through all the constellations of the Zodiac, making a Platonic Year. 

The obvious position of the Sun changes compared to the backdrop of the fixed stars. This occurs at the seasonally fixed time of the Vernal equinox. It moves from one zodiacal constellation to another every 2,160 years. This period is known as an Astrological Age, or Cultural Epoch. Archetypically, human individuality incarnates twice during a cultural age. This occurs approximately 1,080 years apart. One individual is female, and the other is male. There are karmic and evolutionary reasons for this timing and sequence not to be rigidly held to. Nonetheless, this is beyond the scope of this particular writing.

This Precession of the Vernal Equinox slowly regresses about .014 degrees every year, or approximately 1 degree every 72 years. This results in the difference of 20 minutes between the sidereal and tropical years. This 1 degree movement equates to the 72 year average lifespan of a human being. The average human heart rate is 72 beats per minute, or 4,320 beats per hour.  A heartbeat is made up of the contractive systole, and the relaxed dilation of the diastole. Each estimated half, or 2,160, occurs every hour. The human life can be seen as one cosmic heartbeat. The systole and diastole relate to the average number of incarnations in one Cultural Age.

The incarnations can be viewed as one cosmic breath. They are reflected in the human average respiratory rate of 18 breaths per minute. This equals 1,080 breaths per hour. This leads us to 25,920 breaths per day. Whether conscious or not, many perceive that our life on earth is lower in vibration or energy. They think everything earthly is lower compared to the spiritual world. It is believed to be rained down upon by planetary and cosmic rays or energies. In our current age, we are called to conceive the workings of spiritual beings. We must feel that they exist in all things. They manifest in different ways and purposes. This points to the concept of “energies” as an injustice. Instead, consciousness is closer to reality.

Let’s go back to the difference between the sidereal and tropical positions. Ptolemy developed the tropical Zodiac in the 3rd century BC. At that time, the sidereal Vernal Equinox was in Aries. About 2,000 years ago, both sidereal and tropical were synchronous. At that time, the vernal point was fixed at that point by the tropical astrologers. Since then, the Precession of the Equinox has been regressing through the Zodiac. Today, the sidereal and tropical points are determined to differ from each other by approximately 23 degrees. This separation will continue to culminate. It will wane until the astronomical Vernal Equinox comes back to Aries. This will happen in approximately 25,920 years. It will return to where it was in the constellation of Aries.

 Now, there is much debate and disagreement about which system is better, if not more true. I have found there are merits in both systems. Still, I would like to add something that is beyond an either/or view. We can see this difference as a manifestation of cosmic will. It involves evolutionary and karmic necessities. Humanity has evolved from having a dreamy spiritual life and awareness of spiritual beings and realities. Then it slowly grew separate from the spiritual world. Eventually, humans were immersed in a purely materialistic understanding of themselves and the world. Then, they developed the means to gain awareness of spiritual realities again, but consciously, as a spirit among other spirits. Now, there is a growing individual freedom and responsibility for self-development and love towards all other beings.

The Ancient Persians saw Zaruana Akarana as encompassing the whole Zodiac of the fixed star constellations. They also observed cosmic spiritual archetypes working in the astral. These archetypes influenced life processes, right down into physicality. In a similar way, we can see how the human being is a manifestation of the Cosmic Man. This is the spiritually pure Adam Kadmon, or the archetypal human being. This is another way of saying, “made in the image of God”. This is not a static state. It is not one to be returned to. It is a state to evolve towards consciously. We are called to become co-creative gods.

May 6, 2021