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The Wesak Festival
Subtle Meanings of the Full Moon in Scorpio 2004

Malvin Artley reveals the subtle meanings inherent in the Full Moon in Scorpio, which is also the Wesak Festival, the most important festival in the Buddhist calendar. This, the Taurus Full Moon (due to the fact that the Full Moon always falls in the sign opposite the sign in which the Sun is found) is also a Lunar Eclipse. Powerful forces are at work on the hidden planes, as the consciousness of the world strives towards the attainment of a higher level. Malvin also publishes a regular astrological newsletter, to which you can subscribe by clicking the link at the end of this article.

Greetings friends!

These are momentous spiritual times in which we find ourselves. As we approach the Wesak festival of 2004 we find the world in an increasing state of flux and change. The situation in the Middle East is particularly tense at this time and is getting worse. The world feels to be very much unsettled, yet for those who are familiar with how things work out on the inner planes, we know that such turbulence is most often the precursor to shifts in consciousness and thus a greatly increased awareness. This is ever the promise of Taurus, especially, for Taurus conveys The penetrating light of the Path. This stream of Light, beginning in Aries, reveals the areas where the forces of Light control. Taurus is a magnificent and powerful constellation in the heavens and the Light and Power that it can bring through to the substantial planes can be immense. The Wesak full moon of last year was an eclipse as well, but as I have stated before, this particular full moon falls on a very potent degree of the zodiac. The fact that it is a lunar eclipse gives an indication that many constructs of the past stand to be illuminated and possibly wiped away or resolved. Taurus bestows the incentive behind evolution--the evolutionary impulse--the Light of Knowledge. And, to those more familiar with esoteric literature, this is the one and only time of the year when the Buddha makes his appearance to our little globe and transmits what little we can know of the Will of God to our expectant little planet.

The Taurus full moon occurs on the 5th of May 2004 at 6:34 AM AEST. This full moon is also an eclipse, as has been stated, and it is of the same family of eclipse as the just-passed Aries blue moon. Before we get into the dynamics of the eclipse figure, though, it would be good to gain a bit of a deeper understanding of the dynamics of Taurus. Very often we feel "hammered" by energies and situations around the time of the Wesak interval. Taurus is a fixed sign and, because of that, it often brings its share of trials because we do not want to let go of that with which we feel comfortable. Through the very fixity of our thoughts and emotions we subconsciously sow the seeds for those situations that force change within our lives, since force begets force. It is ever a great occult maxim that energy follows thought. But, we should add to that now trite statement that energy follows not simply thought but, more importantly, the quality and intensity of those thoughts. Stubbornness and fixed ideas breed confrontation and change, and the Taurus/Scorpio axis is the major one in the zodiac that exemplifies this sort of thing most immaculately. It is small wonder then, given that dynamic, that the most powerful spiritual festival of the year should fall in the sign of Taurus.

The Higher Self

The rulers of Taurus are particularly important in understanding why this time of year can be trying for people. The exoteric ruler of Taurus is Venus, and that gives the Taurean subject his or her desire for comfort, security and well-being. But, Venus has another side as well--being the most occult and mysterious planet in the solar system--and, as such, stands to reveal the connection we have between the material and subtle worlds. Essentially, Venus represents the relationship between the higher Self and the little self, the Self and not-self. It ultimately has very little to do with material security and, in fact, can take it away as easily as it can give it if higher purpose is not adhered to. In the Chinese literature, Venus is a masculine planet and governs the course of warfare and the administration of justice. This idea of Venus and justice is normally associated with Libra, rather than Taurus. But, Venus with Taurus relates the needs of the Soul to the material world--the proper supply of that which is needed for the full expression of the Soul life. In short, Venus through Taurus establishes that relation which molds the material spheres to the design of the higher Life and Light. To esotericists, Venus has the same relationship to our planet as the higher Self does to the little self. As the Soul establishes our relation to the material planes, so Venus establishes the link between our globe and greater cosmic forces.

The Fiery Stones

Working with Venus, the esoteric ruler of Taurus is the planet Vulcan, the God of the forge. Vulcan has not been recognized by materialistic science, given its more esoteric nature. But, its effect on the inner planes is intense, and it transmits the Will of God, thus shaping matter. This is in distinction to Venus, which establishes the link between and maintains the relationship of higher and lower. It is of interest to note that the humanity on the planet Vulcan has the name "The Fiery Stones", whereas our earth humanity is given the esoteric name "The Living Stones". Taurus carries with it the type of dynamic that tends to set things in stone, figuratively speaking, and to crystallize all types of energies. Taurus is the only sign through which Vulcan is active. Vulcan is said to bring in the endurance aspect of the will-to-be. It gives persistence, endurance and continuity of effort. It is said to go "down into the depths to find the material upon which to expand his art and to fashion that which is beautiful and useful." He therefore guides the fashioning of the inner Self. In this respect, he works very closely with Venus and, through the interaction of the two of them, the true beauty of the inner person--the higher Self--eventually stands forth in all its glory. Vulcan works in the densest, most concrete expression of the natural world, and it rules the Gethsemane experience, and is the one who reveals that which is been so deeply hidden down in he heart of matter, what we call the persona. Many people experience their own personal Gethsemane around the Wesak as those thoughts which have held us in bondage are called forth to be stripped away and a greater measure of soul life thus established. Along with Pluto, Vulcan carries the person through the experience of the dark time, wherein the personality rules. So, paradoxically, Vulcan rules both the molding of the personality and the final disruption and liberation of it.

From a consideration of the two rulers of Taurus, then, we can begin to get a sense of why the life of the typical Taurean who has stepped upon the Path can be so difficult. At one and the same time they recognize the pull of matter, the beauty that can be expressed through it and the ever-stronger pull and call of the higher Self as it seeks to extricate itself from and claim dominion over that matter. The wilfulness of the Taurean can be both a glorious and a terrible thing to behold at the same time, depending upon the orientation of the Taurean subject. So often the pull of the material spheres is so strong that the light of the higher Self is shut out for a time while they struggle with the sensed dualities of existence. Yet, Taurus can be one most revelatory signs, for it confers the light of knowledge, and there have been many a fine seer who has had Taurus strong in their makeup. It is the one sign that most potently gives a person the rules of the road for working with materiality, eventually gaining dominion of it and, in the process, gaining tremendous knowledge of the workings of matter in all its grades. Taurus rules the throat astrologically, and for those who know their occultism, sound precedes all creation. Thus the voice can be a powerful agent in esoteric magic (White Magic). The awakened Taurean Initiate utilizes the voice most powerfully and effectively in working with matter, thus giving command over the devas of the personal worlds. This brings us to another consideration of why Taurus, and indeed all the fixed signs, can be so difficult and powerful at the same time.

In part two of this article, Malvin expands his analysis of the subtle meanings of the Wesak Moon and explores the esoteric and spiritual effects of the planetary configurations on the condition of the world under the current trying conditions.
Read part two of The Wesak Festival