Through the Sun in Taurus, energy streams down to the Earth, causing germination and growth of life. The Sun is therefore called the fertilising bull, representing the spirit or divine aspect of will. The Moon in Taurus is called the Cow and represents that which is impregnated, the matter. Through this impregnation, the earth provides us with nourishment.
The union of spirit and matter is the expression of the divine Word. Before the Word was uttered forth, it was with God. Before we speak, the Word is in us. The Sun in Taurus represents the Word in its inner meaning or concept. The Moon in Taurus represents the expressed language, impregnated. Language is feminine by nature and the content of language is masculine. Their union is wisdom as creation. This is symbolised by Mercury as the calf; he activates the expression of the subtle in the gross. The bull, the cow and the calf thus epitomize these three phases of the expression of the Word.
For the representation of these subtle realities, I edited three photos of journeys to India of a bull, a cow and a calf. In the background I subtly hinted at the spheres of Sun, Moon and expression in creation.
Last Friday was Good Friday, as it is commemorated in most of the Western Christian traditions, where Easter is celebrated the first Sunday after the full moon of Aries – this year, Thursday, 6 April). Master KPK (Sri Kumar) explained that the esoteric Passover took place directly before the Aries New Moon and it was calculated according to the lunar calendar. Therefore, Good Friday should be celebrated the Friday before New Moon as long as the festival still falls in Aries, otherwise, as this year, on the last Friday in Aries – this year, 14 April.
A moment of sunshine before rain – the Bernese Alps seen from my room – just before starting the journey to Einsiedeln
Like the last years, we did a “cleansing ritual” at the Paracelsus Centre of WTT in Einsiedeln on the “classic” Good Friday, being a festival here in Switzerland. And, also like the last years, we were two persons going.
Calves at the Paracelsus Centre
The Paracelsus Centre is in a house at the place where Paracelsus is said to be born, next to the old “Devil’s Bridge” across the Sihl river. At our arrival we saw the effects of the land slide on other side of the bridge which recently happened besides the bridge directly below the barn of the farmhouse. There were fortification works going on. There is no danger to the bridge and the house of the Paracelsus Centre; they are built on rock.
Cleaning the statues
Paracelsus Medal
The bookcase while taking inventory
We cleaned, washed, vacuumed and put everything back together again. Outside was also a cleaning ritual – it was raining when we went to Einsiedeln, a famous old pilgrimage centre.
Our Good Friday ritual also included lunch at the “Tulipan” opposite the monastery church, where many people, especially Kosovars, streamed out and into the restaurant as they do every year. Afterwards, we also visited the monastery church with the Black Madonna.
The monastery church seen from the Tulipan restaurant
The golden Madonna on the forecourt of the monastery church
Just as we finished reading, bright sunrays pierced through the dark clouds and lighted the room for some minutes – a magic moment. We concluded the stay with the evening prayer before driving home again.
Reflections on the copy of the Roerich painting “The Song of Shambala”
About the creation of the Salon and of our triangle of Ludger (Switzerland), Alexis & Risa (Oklahoma/USA).
Veil Nebula (NGC 6960), in the constellation Cygnus (Swan). Photo by Ken Crawford
I have known Risa D’Angeles from a long time ago. Our interest in the wisdom teachings brought us together and we became friends in the context of the World Teacher Trust. I once even met her; it was in 2019 during a meeting with Master Kumar at Mount Shasta, California. Risa is a writer and teacher, and she is the founder and director of the Esoteric & Astrological Studies & Research Institute & College / Night Light News.
Over 18 years, we mainly had contact through written exchanges in various projects, and during nearly 9 years she silently participated, without camera, in the bi-weekly online study groups on wisdom teachings. At the beginning of February 2023, we met for an exchange via Zoom. I had invited her with the idea to see how our collaboration could further develop. Her partner, Alexis, participated sitting in the background. During the start of our conversation, Risa asked if I was interested in an explanation of my astrology chart which I gratefully accepted.
Listening to Risa and Alexis explore my chart was like a dam breaking within and the start of a totally unexpected level of development. They both commented “in stereo” on various dimensions of my chart. They told me how they had been observing me over years giving profound answers to questions concerning the wisdom teachings. They said there are strong aspects in my chart relating to being a teacher. They proposed that I begin to share, offer and present the knowledge I had gathered over decades and that my “Images of Synthesis” paintings, full of profound symbolism, should be the means.
I hesitated and said that I don’t see myself talking and people just listening. That there are already many other things going on in my life and that, in case, I would prefer a more interactive form. They suggested that we can cooperate as a triangle. They intensely encouraged me to start teaching on a larger scale than I am doing up to now and they would strongly support me. I was touched by their inner presence; they both have a profound astrological and psychological background and experience in working with people. Our discussion went into many depths and the ideas were thrilling. But there were many questions and I needed time to digest the idea.
We began our discussions with weekly exchanges. When Risa proposed to start a salon, I replied that it reminded me of the salons in France about art and culture in the pre-revolutionary times and of the auto-mobile salon of Geneva – but that the term salon sounds a bit old-fashioned. She replied, “No – an Aquarian Salon“. I was thrilled. She said, about “Art, Astrology and Wisdom Teachings” and added “A conversation“.
That’s it. The fire was on. We agreed to open a public virtual salon four times a year on a Saturday during the signs of the fixed cross – Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius, but to start at 0 degree Gemini, on Sunday, 21 May 2023. It will be presented by the “Circle of Good Will” and by “Night Light News“. Details will be shared later.
The idea was warmly welcomed by friends. Some friends are also willing to help, with music and other forms of art. The project started sprouting.
With the fire sign of Aries we enter a new solar year. The earth unfolds new energies and Mars, the regent of Aries, gives us vigour and enthusiasm. The average persons use it to fulfil their personal desires with fresh impetus. People on the spiritual path turn the power inwards; for them Mercury is the regent. They do their work of good will with determination, having thought deeply.
The Sun is exalted in Aries and it is there the ruler for the wise ones. The Sun represents the soul; so the wise ones use the new energies pouring into Aries to manifest the next step for the Divine Plan.
Shambala is the highest centre of enlightenment on earth. It is the seat of Sanat Kumara, the Lord of the Planet, and he presides over the evolution of planetary beings. Shambala is also called the thousand-petalled lotus of the earth and it has its counterpart in us as our thousand-petalled lotus, the Sahasrara or crown centre.
The inner path to Shambala is to visualise Shambala and connect with the lotus in the Sahasrara in our daily prayers. In doing so, we align ourselves with the super-self within us and link to the sound OM. Remembering Shambala daily strengthens our will to do good; our knowledge unfolds and our actions become more effective. Our will begins to change in a positive way. We become a citizen of the world in the true sense of the word.
For the design of the painting, I placed two flight photos of the Alps and the Himalayas in the background. I designed the silhouette of the meditator based on a picture of Master MN. For the design of the inner path to Shambala, I reworked elements that I had already used in earlier pictures.
The message in the symbol of Pisces is that of synthesis which unites all opposites. The two fishes of Pisces move in opposite directions. They appear as two, but in reality they are one. Without opposites there is no creation. Pisces also stands for death and birth. Pisces contains the seed for the beginning of a new cycle. This new cycle happens in Aries (“all things new”). But the subtle beginning seeds are in Pisces. The cyclical movement of time is eternal.
Today, the Sun enters Pisces. Pisces is a sign of synthesis that unites opposites. The two fishes of the symbol Pisces are swimming in opposite directions but forming a complementary unity. The two fishes can be thought of as spirit and matter. Spirit and matter are apparent opposites that together give rise to universal consciousness. This consciousness is the underlying current that balances the opposing forces and allows creation to exist.
The flow of consciousness is called ‘the Word’. In the East, it is worshipped as the Mother of the World in the form of Saraswathi, Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom. Saraswathi directs the movement of all things, which we can meditate as a circular flow of energies in the wheel of creation. It is a flow of light and sound through all seven planes of creation. Symbolically, this is represented by the seven-stringed musical instrument Vina, on which Saraswathi eternally plays her music, keeping the process of creation in harmony.
For the design of the picture I used elements of the NASA photo of a star nebula in the background. I integrated the photo of a rainbow over streams of the Iguazu waterfalls, seen from the Brazilian side. The colours of the rainbow symbolize the seven planes of creation. Above, I inserted a Saraswathi depiction by Raja Ravi Varma from 1894. Saraswathi is playing on a Vina, as a peacock with its multiple colours watches nearby.
Aquarius is the month of magic. The word magic comes from Magus, the Latin word for priest or magician, and this is derived from Magha. Magha or Maagha is the Sanskrit name for the 11th Sun sign, Aquarius. Magic is to let something appear from out of seeming nothingness. The creation is ever manifesting from invisibility to visibility – a magical process. And the creation is also disappearing again from visibility to invisibility. It is like awakening and going to sleep again. All this happens on the basis of eternal existence.
The creative manifestation of a painting is just like this process – the image manifests through the creative work, it is there for some time and it will disappear again after some time – the magic of manifestation and de-manifestation.
Beauty is an expression from the subtle planes. What artists express through their work is coming from their inner – via thoughts or intuitional impulses. Many times modern artists seek new expressions for their intentions going beyond traditional forms of perceiving beauty.
What we perceive as beauty in Nature is also coming from the subtle planes of Nature. Many people think the forms of Nature are accidental and produced by mere physical or biological processes. The wisdom teachings, however, understand that there are also other forces at work – a cosmic mind (called Mahat) and what you might call cosmic intuitional impulses. You do not physically see them but they are expressions of beauty beyond physical form. Artists using for their work inspiration or elements of beauty from Nature are in subtle interaction with these cosmic and not human expressions. There are many artists who tune up in their work to these realities. The Japanese art of Ikebana might be seen as an example of such subtle interaction.
Barbara Hübner: The Path is the Goal
Mid-December 2022, I had a Zoom exchange with a friend from Berlin – Barbara Hübner, better called Basia, since she is of Polish origin. I wanted to write some words in a blogpost but it took several weeks before finding time for these lines and giving some hints to her work.
Among other skills, she is an accomplished artist profoundly inspired by Japanese traditions (if you don’t know German, you can read the texts on her websites with an automatic translation). She sent me some pictures of her recent artwork. She mainly works with floral elements and materials such as bamboo, twigs, paper, metal and other compositions.
Barbara Hübner: Red Bamboo in a Bamboo Grove
The images touched me by their clearly structured arrangements and beauty. They radiate a ritualistic concentration on the essential but at the same time the joy of manifesting something sublime and uplifting.
Barbara Hübner: Veiling the Promise
I discovered more about her work on the web (here: Facebook). She calls one of her websites “Joy of Creating“. Using elements of nature, the artistic work magnifies the natural beauty and lifts the viewer up to subtle planes.
The principle of the cosmic mind is called Manu in the wisdom teachings. He is the archetype of man, “The Man in the Heavens”. The Manu decides the nature of our development, our bodies and where we are born. He gives the law of human evolution and its spiral movement through the cycles of time. This law is called the Law of Manu. The stages of evolution are called Manvantaras.
According to the Eastern teachings, there are 14 Manvantaras. These are great cycles of time, over each of which a Manu rules. The ruler of the present Manvantara cycle is the Manu Vaivasvata.
On the planet, the Manu acts as the planetary mind; but he also lives as a person on Earth. The Manu shapes the new models of the bodies that suit the Aquarian Age. The new energies emanate from the stars of the constellation Aquarius. The symbol of Aquarius as a man with a vessel has its origin in the Vaivasvata Manu of the Indian scriptures.
For depicting the Manu I used a photo of a statue from the 7th century of a pensive Bodhisattva Maitreya from the National Museum of Korea. I designed the background on the basis of a NASA photo of a galaxy. I fused it with elements of a photo of a plant with spiral leaf patterns I had taken in a botanical garden in Berne in 2010.
