Series “Kabbalistic Astrology” Part 2 ZODIAC SIGNS Introduction Chapter 1. Aries Chapter 2. Taurus Chapter 3. Gemini Chapter 4. Cancer Chapter 5. Leo Chapter 6. Virgo Chapter 7. Libra Chapter 8. Scorpio Chapter 9. Sagittarius Chapter 9. Sagittarius Chapter 12. Pisces
Part 2 INTRODUCTION In Kabbalistic astrology, the zodiac signs represent the main channels (and the information-energy flows passing through them) of the human organism, which consists of seven subtle bodies. These channels connect one subtle body to another. The first six zodiac signs symbolize descending channels: Aries — from the atmic body to the buddhic; Taurus — from the buddhic to the causal; Gemini — from the causal to the mental; Cancer — from the mental to the astral; Leo — from the astral to the etheric; Virgo — from the etheric to the physical; while the last six signs, on the contrary, symbolize ascending channels: Libra — from the physical body to the etheric; Scorpio — from the etheric to the astral; Sagittarius — from the astral to the mental; Capricorn — from the mental to the causal; Aquarius — from the causal to the buddhic; Pisces — from the buddhic to the atmic.
Alchemical scheme (subtle bodies and main flows of the organism)
The twelve channels mentioned (below referred to as zodiacal) do not exhaust all the connections of the organism; in general, there are direct communications between each pair of bodies, but the zodiacal channels are the main ones: they are more powerful and, in a sense, more natural than the rest, and it is through them that the main balancing of the organism is carried out. If the zodiacal channels are mostly in order, a person quickly restores the balance of the organism. The most obvious and serious damage to the subtle bodies (read — in the face of severe blows of fate) is reflected in the channels themselves, and if they themselves malfunction, this directly affects the subtle bodies, and their correction by conventional methods (i.e., manipulation of no more than this body) turns out to be ineffective, since only the symptom is treated, not the root cause of the disease.
Organismic hygiene includes care for its 19 fundamental structural units: seven bodies and twelve zodiacal channels; however, far from all of their disorders are perceived by modern man as diseases, malfunctions, and in general something that deserves serious attention and, moreover, correction. In fact, society considers a disease to be a violation in the physical body accompanied by severe pain or fever, as well as extreme exhaustion of the etheric and astral bodies and sharp mental pathology; higher bodies are generally given little serious attention — this is what is called optional. As for distortions of the zodiacal flows, this area is almost entirely terra incognita, a reserved land about which one can only guess from indirect signs, although in the violation of the balance of the organism as a whole they play no less a role than defects of the subtle bodies themselves.
The situation is complicated by the fact that all people are arranged differently with respect to both subtle bodies and zodiacal channels: both the former and the latter can be constitutionally stronger or weaker, better or worse able to withstand various loads, require more or less careful care, etc. At the same time, defects of a given channel can manifest in a completely different place in the organism — such, for example, are the manifestations of arc aspects of the horoscope that combine distant zodiacal channels and subtle bodies.
Why is it that one can never carry out one’s plans in life — either they collapse for one reason or another “objective,” i.e., not dependent on me, or I myself quickly lose interest and do not bring my affairs to an end, or simply forget about them, or they turn out to be boring and not at all what they seemed at first? … Capricorn, and this is a serious violation of the organism that needs to be treated, otherwise the whole person suffers and loses balance, not just the causal body, as I might naively think. In general, there can be two reasons for the poor functioning of the Capricorn channel: either it is indeed out of order, or I am using it incorrectly (it is possible, of course, that both circumstances are superimposed). In any case, working on this channel involves, on the one hand, its improvement: expanding the spectrum of transmitted vibrations, reducing noise and losses, etc., and on the other — adapting the mental body to its characteristics, primarily — special preparation of the initial information-energy material entering the channel as a result of mental meditation.
If Capricorn is weakly developed, a person is unable to do more than one thing at a time and must carefully think through any action for a long time, otherwise it collapses; but this does not necessarily mean a defect in the channel. One can speak of a significant defect in the Capricorn channel if plan failures occur regardless of the thoroughness of mental preparation — but here the general state of the causal body may also be reflected. For example, if the horoscope has a square from Aries to Capricorn, then in all practical intentions of a person the atmic body will persistently, impudently, and apparently disharmoniously interfere with them — in other words, the will of God — and until a person learns to see in any of their actions a shade of a higher goal, their event flow will be realized completely differently from how they planned it.
Another example is a horoscope with a planetary opposition Cancer — Capricorn. Here, a person needs to learn to carefully monitor that the emotional and business results of their meditations do not contradict each other (to which they will have a great tendency), since if a rationally developed plan of action turns out to be emotionally unacceptable for them (even subconsciously), then in the process of implementation such resistance will arise that either destroys the entire scenario or causes an emotional breakdown.
Thus, the affliction of Capricorn in the chart symbolizes certain features of the corresponding channel in the organism, to which one must adapt for a long time, simultaneously partially rebuilding the channel itself; otherwise, the causal body will either starve or become a poisoned polygon for a disharmonious flow of events. Similar considerations can be applied to other zodiacal channels, and the weakness of a sign (for example, the absence of planets in it) does not at all mean that it does not need to be worked on or that no problems are associated with it. Quite often, the main problems of a 30–40-year-old person are associated precisely with weak signs — precisely because during life the corresponding channels were almost never cleaned, ordered, or cultivated. With strong, especially afflicted, signs, a person, albeit reluctantly, paid attention to them and worked on them, while the rest were often left unattended — and the results turned out to be completely deplorable.
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Each subtle body can be likened to a forest, and its meditations to the natural process of growth and withering of all kinds of vegetation in it. In the process of its development, it is directly influenced by the body above and the body below, whose influences are felt by the body in completely different ways. Transmissions from the body above are energetically perceived as light coming from the sky and bringing the highest energy of those inherent in this body; in our metaphor, this is the energy in which photosynthesis occurs and the growth of flora takes place. The informational transmissions from the higher body are archetypes of future forms — these are the seeds of grasses, shrubs, and trees. Thus, the higher body acts as an architect planning the structure and composition of the future forest — but not the material from which it will be composed. This material, that is, water and soil, is supplied, on the contrary, by the body below (and to some extent, by the corresponding plane of the subtle world).
Besides, the lower body supplies energy to the higher body — the lowest vibrations among those inherent to the latter, perceived as powerful yet chaotic and uncontrolled. This energy must be properly tamed and refined to be used constructively. In our metaphor, this force is also contained in underground minerals — coal, oil, uranium, etc. In the plant kingdom, this energy manifests as the life force that enables plants and animals to exist, reproduce, and survive under the most challenging conditions, regardless of circumstances.
Thus, the organizing and formative energy and information come from the higher body, while the ground and fundamental life force — the primary impulse for manifestation and materialization — come from the lower body. If the first flow is significantly stronger than the second, the result resembles a refined Japanese garden measuring two square meters. If, however, the second flow is significantly stronger, it resembles impenetrable Amazonian jungles teeming with a bizarre chaos of diverse flora and fauna competing with one another.
Each subtle body, as a result of its activity, creates the raw material for transmission to the higher and lower bodies. The higher body (ideally) receives the finest fruits of meditation: for example, refined emotions form the foundation upon which thoughts grow (Sagittarius); the best, verified, meticulously “thought-out” thoughts become the basis for future actions (Capricorn); the outcomes of life’s vicissitudes shape the foundation for forming life positions (Aquarius), and so on. Conversely, the lower body receives what might be called the dry residue of meditation: withered trunks, fallen leaves, shed petals — what is already dead from the perspective of the given body but becomes a source of light and the primary structural form for the lower body. Here, past events become the core of reflection (Gemini), while an experienced emotion transforms into etheric agitation (Leo), culminating in a specific movement or gesture (Virgo).
Subtle bodies with odd numbers (Atman, causal, astral, physical) are, in a sense, synthetic: their meditations proceed linearly, so at any given moment, a person has one main direction in their life path, experiences one event, one emotion, and performs a single action. From the outside, they may appear quite complex, but subjectively, they are always experienced in a certain way. Conversely, bodies with even numbers (Buddhi, mental, etheric) can be called analytical, as their meditations unfold in multiple directions simultaneously: a person typically has several talents, values, and programs for their realization implemented in parallel, multiple ways of thinking, and parallel modes of mental perception, among many others.
Zodiacal channels connecting synthetic bodies to analytical ones are called analytical below (in astrological tradition, they are referred to as masculine); conversely, zodiacal channels connecting analytical bodies to synthetic ones are called synthetic (in astrological tradition, they are referred to as feminine). Thus, Aries, being an analytical sign, transforms a single inspiring yet somewhat vague ideal into a whole system of values and numerous programs for their attainment, which (synthetic) Taurus synthesizes into a sequential flow of events analyzed by (analytical) Gemini, turning them into multiple paths of mental evaluation.
(synthetic) Cancer gathers a single stream of emotions, which, through (analytical) Leo, differentiates into multiple etheric sensations, collected by (synthetic) Virgo into a single dance of a person’s movement in surrounding space. This dance is differentiated by (analytical) Libra into diverse ground for the etheric body, whose meditations are gathered by (synthetic) Scorpio into ground for future emotions, whose fruits are dispersed by (analytical) Sagittarius across the mental body, whose meditations are synthesized by (synthetic) Capricorn into ground for actions and events, which provide through (analytical) Aquarius a multifaceted foundation for forming existential values, the finest of which are finally collected by (synthetic) Pisces into the soil from which the flower of a person’s mission grows.
A dual zodiacal channel is one that connects the same subtle bodies but in the opposite direction: for example, the dual channel for Aries is Pisces, for Taurus — Aquarius, for Gemini — Capricorn, and so on. Balancing the flows of dual signs is crucial for overall equilibrium. Aquarians require special measures to achieve psychological balance, and they may struggle to grasp the rhythm of their fate, which demands immense effort to achieve their values while offering extremely sparse signs of concrete events to support their life positions — yet they must learn to be attentive to these signs and not expect more substantial ones.
However, the task of a person with a strong Aquarius and a weak Taurus is likely even more challenging: they must learn to work extensively on themselves psychologically, drawing serious conclusions from even minor current events — only then will they learn to achieve their goals and realize their values through small but meaningful, concrete efforts. This position gives rise to a qualitatively different type of psyche: a person needs constant and essential reflection on the flow of events that support, weaken, or correct their life positions and values; their primary task lies precisely in this correction and, to a lesser extent, in affirming their positions through practical activity.
Chapter 1
ARIES
Analytical channel from the Atman body to the Buddhi body
“I am the Lord!” (Exodus 6:29)
The nature of the Divine is subtle; even when the Atman body manifests itself absolutely clearly and the breath of mission becomes evident to a person, they may find it difficult to articulate what it expresses, as concrete deeds and achievements belong to the causal plane and thus provide only the roughest idea of the Atman flowers of mission — just as, for example, smooth movements may hint at the emotions a person experiences, but precise conclusions are hard to draw.
The most vivid manifestation of the mission should be sought not in the causal body but in the Buddhi body — in the constant changes (or, at least, those required by karma) in a person’s psyche, psychology, existential worldview, and, above all, in the emphasis of their value system. Whether a person acknowledges it or not, their entire life is dedicated to achieving existential values (partially conscious and unconscious), so changes in them signify a turning point in their life path — steep or gradual, depending on the nature of the Arian flow during a given period of life.
A strong activation of Aries often creates in a person a sense of self-discovery: as if veils fall from the soul, and in bright light, the truth about what is essential and secondary in life — in their life, so distinct from everyone else’s — becomes apparent. This is an extraordinarily inspiring and powerful experience, which, however, must be assimilated by the Buddhi body through its subsequent meditations — in their constructive form, these are called “working on oneself.”
The Aries flow provides the Buddhi body with seeds for future growth and solar energy, from which all Buddhi flora — both grain and tares — begins to flourish intensely. Thus, both genuine and illusory values are invigorated, and the person feels the enthusiasm necessary for them. What they do with this enthusiasm depends on their level of processing Aries. However, a much more common scenario is a weak activation of the Arian channel, which may go entirely unnoticed or be experienced as a faint pang of conscience, a stirring of a sense of duty toward oneself, a vague inner discomfort or dissatisfaction, a quiet, unobtrusive inner voice, or a feeling that, though possessing, is heard or felt only at that moment. And while subsequent reflection and repression may cast doubt on the authenticity of the experience, in the initial moment, it is undeniable — such is the breath of Atman energies.The inclusion of the Aries channel is perceived as an enhancement of inner life, an increase in the acuity of perception, interest in abstract and even philosophical subjects. From the subconscious, ideas about fate, destiny, God may surface, thoughts about death or the transience of being may arise—but all this remains rather vague, unformed, and thus the person cannot fully grasp it with their feelings. On the other hand, the lack of Aries transmissions is felt as the grayness of existence, spiritual boredom, and a loss of interest in one’s seemingly most important values and programs.
In other words, under normal conditions, Aries supports a person’s life positions and strengthens their core life programs, which is clearly felt at all levels of channel processing. At the same time, Aries energies sustain the fundamental traits of a person’s character, and if someone—a friend, enemy, teacher, or beloved being—attempts to reshape the individual, the primary focus of effort will be on the Aries flow: either fighting against it or seeking compromises. Thus, during stable periods of life, Aries energies are perceived as those that uphold this stability and powerfully protect it from external influences. Conversely, during periods of crisis and sharp life turns, Aries energies are experienced as a source of fatal destruction of the most intimate and steadfast formations of the existential worldview, core values, and habitual ways of life. Then, Aries energies appear as fate in its purest form, though it must be said that the shade of fate is present even in Aries influences during stable life periods: for example, a person may be fatally unable to raise their children (afflicted Moon in Aries; or, with a square to Mars or Saturn, may encounter insurmountable obstacles in certain relationships), or they may be inevitably pursued by the love and jealousy of surrounding women (strong Venus in Aries).
A distinctive sign of a strong Aries activation is the love that ignites in a person’s heart, awakening extraordinary strength and abilities—love of any kind: for another person, a collective, a nation, a profession, and so on. In its negative variant, this can be an equally powerful hatred accompanied by a thirst for revenge or destruction—an energy that sustains negative buddhic values. Thus, Aries carries “fatal passions”—or the fatal absence of them. However, it is up to the individual to determine the level of realization of these passions—one and the same Aries aspect can produce a notorious womanizer, a qualified sexologist, a brilliant artist, or a mystic in direct communication with the Virgin Mary.
Even the weakest Aries transmissions always contain an element of absolute existential truth, which sometimes misleads even the most discerning minds. The matter is that the important subjective truth of a given person is not necessarily universally significant and may prove irrelevant to others—but this circumstance, now commonplace on the mental plane, is established—by each person individually—on the buddhic level only through great suffering and loss. It is very difficult to inwardly accept the fact that things essential and even foundational to me may not only leave others indifferent but truly unnecessary or insignificant to them—for as a rule, this is exactly the case—yet people still poorly and superficially understand themselves. Nevertheless, the falsity or irrelevance of my Aries transmissions to others in no way diminishes their extraordinary importance to me, and this must also be clearly understood.
Mild pangs of conscience, barely noticeable feelings of discomfort, unease, behavioral impropriety, or ethical discomfort are the best of all warning signs of personal karma, and the atmic body constantly sends them to the buddhic level. The main goal of human life is the fulfillment of one’s personal mission, and to achieve this, one must always traverse a long and winding path whose value lies far more in the impressions along the way than in the distance covered, making the direction of the journey impossible to predetermine. Aries flows help outline the main contours of this—purely individual!—path, so it is best for a person to be maximally attentive to them, while understanding that the information and energy received through Aries pertain personally to them, and any negligence, laziness, or sloppiness will be accounted for by their own karma.
However, one should not confuse Aries flows with Gemini flows, nor existential feeling with its subsequent rationalizations—that is, mental interpretations. Aries subjective truth pertains precisely to the existential, but in no way to the mental picture of the world, and attempts to translate the former into the latter often either fail or result in gross distortions. In other words, it is far from always or fully possible to rationally grasp what a particular inner state—arising from the activation of the Aries channel—actually means, even though the state itself is experienced vividly, sincerely, and most often seems whole and unambiguous (this is generally characteristic of masculine signs, i.e., analytical channels). For example, when attempting even indirect steps toward achieving a value tabooed by the atmic body, a person may be overwhelmed by profound apathy, lose all enthusiasm entirely, and barely muster the strength to drag themselves to bed, bitterly complaining: “Why bother?” Such is the effect of a negative Aries transmission, capable of stopping a horse in mid-gallop or driving a person to self-immolation. The causes of such a transmission—and, above all, its meaning for the individual—can, however, vary. It may turn out that the person is going there, but not in the right way, or at the right time but not in the right manner—and unraveling the reason for the atmic disfavor can prove exceedingly difficult.
Aries flows evoke the primary inner experiences of a person: light, love, joy—but also sorrow, despair, grayness, and melancholy—not as emotions (though, resonating in Leo, Aries also includes corresponding emotional-energetic states), but as the fundamental tones of the overall inner mood, which is generally characteristic of buddhic structures requiring great effort. This inner mood corresponds to the core life programs of the individual, which they often do not understand or grasp only superficially.
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The Aries channel can be likened to a common channel connecting the upper lake (the atmic body) with the lower lake (the buddhic body). As an analytical channel, it resembles a wide river flowing from the upper lake in a single stream but branching into countless tributaries near its mouth, providing informational and energetic support to various buddhic programs. Thus, the primary function of Aries is to translate the most subtle and inherently abstract atmic enthusiasm into the more concrete language of life values, beliefs, and long-term developmental programs—both for the individual and for those they guide in the external world.
Like everything in the organism, the Aries channel is a living, ever-changing entity: the water levels of the upper and lower lakes fluctuate, the nature of the water (the informational-energetic flow) changes, the riverbed shifts, some tributaries dry up while others form, currents appear and disappear, sandbanks and islands emerge and vanish. Even the source itself can alter its position: during profound spiritual crises, it may dry up, rendering the entire Aries channel inactive and rapidly decaying, which can sometimes drive a person to suicide—a complete loss of ideals robs life of meaning, and even the instinct for self-preservation weakens sharply. Most often, however, another source (a shift in ideals) opens nearby, and the water partially reuses the former channel while carving new tributaries—qualitatively different values, lines of self-development, and external activity programs emerge.
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The higher a person’s self-awareness and evolutionary level, the better they sense their zodiacal channels within themselves and the more attention they devote to working with them, gradually recognizing their fundamental role and significance in life and the organism’s balance. If zodiacal channels did not exist and the subtle bodies proved entirely independent of one another, the organism would simply disintegrate… though at first glance, this might not seem so bad.Let us say, for instance, a student wakes up in the morning, but for one reason or another, his physical body feels unwell. He calmly leaves it lying in bed while sending his etheric body to the cafeteria for breakfast, his astral body to settle scores with enemies from the neighboring block, his mental body diligently taking notes on a calculus lecture, his causal body going to wake up the dormitory, his buddhic body rushing to meet his beloved, and his atmic body hurrying off to serve at church. In reality, of course—whether fortunately or unfortunately—this does not happen, which demonstrates the exceptional strength and resilience of the zodiacal channels. However, this does not mean that a person should not work with them deliberately: deepening the bed, reinforcing the banks, building dams and locks, and learning to use them correctly, as well as carefully observing their mutual arrangement. For efforts to repair a dried-up channel are futile—it will still perish, just as futile and even destructive are attempts to dam the main channel when it is overflowing with floodwaters.
In other words, the author wishes to emphasize that the zodiacal channels are no less real than the subtle bodies themselves and require no less attention. Otherwise, all of a person’s endeavors are doomed to failure, since any action demands coordinated efforts from multiple bodies, and without well-developed connections between them, such coordination is impossible.
The zodiacal channels serve not only as a means of connection but also as protection and compensation for the bodies. Quite often, neighboring bodies differ significantly in size and energy, and in such cases, the zodiacal channels that link them adapt one to the other, properly transforming the energy flows.
For example, with a strong atmic body and a weak buddhic body with low capacity, the Aries channel cannot allow the buddhic body to match the atmic one, resulting in a very unhappy fate: a passionate individual incapable of conveying any of their inspired ideas to others or putting them into practice. The excess atmic energy, intended for the buddhic body but unable to reach it, will periodically cascade downward directly into the causal body, compelling the person to perform heroic acts and miracles of courage and self-sacrifice—but ultimately, these will lead nowhere and will only drive them to despair.
As the Apostle Paul once said, faith without works is dead; in the context of our model of the human being, this thought can be rephrased as: faith is dead without corresponding existential values and programs for their attainment.
There are, however, people born with a naturally weak buddhic body and a strong atmic one—how should they live? Should they artificially weaken atmic energy? This is not so simple and threatens serious complications and troubles. A more constructive solution lies in a special restructuring of the Aries channel, which would transform the naturally strong atmic energy into higher buddhic vibrations, thereby significantly reducing its amplitude to a level tolerable for the weak buddhic body—which, however, would need to become much purer and more refined in order to adequately receive the transmissions conveyed through such an Aries channel.
In plain terms, this means that the person will take on subtle, complex, and responsible programs aligned with high values—ones that cannot be proclaimed from a public podium or lived easily, but in this case, there may be no other way out. This, for instance, is the type of a spiritual teacher who primarily dwells in the higher world.
Conversely, a person with a weak atmic body and a strong buddhic one requires an Aries channel of an enhancing type, sometimes even at the cost of transposing high atmic energies into coarser but more intense buddhic ones. This is the type of a devoted follower of a spiritual teacher, a loyal disciple who carries out their ideas.
The Aries flow constantly adjusts the main life narratives of a person, prompting corresponding changes in character, psychology, worldview, and value system. If a person attentively responds to Aries transmissions, no drastic changes will catch them unprepared, and their existential worldview will never collapse catastrophically, even if Aries in the natal chart is afflicted. On the contrary, a person inattentive to Aries activations—unable or unwilling to perceive them properly and respond adequately—will, even with a harmonious Aries, periodically suffer devastating blows from fate that force them to immediately reexamine what they once considered unshakable values and beliefs, revealing in them inclinations, abilities, and character traits they never suspected they had.
However, the perception of Aries transmissions and the response to them depends to a much greater extent—more than on the aspects of Aries—on the level of a person’s work with this channel. At the first level of working with Aries, a person cannot control its flows at all; they have absolute power over them, and the value system accents established by each Aries transmission are firmly entrenched in the subconscious (and to some degree in the conscious mind) without any corrections. Sometimes this manifests in a rather strange way: the person seems temporarily insane, stubbornly destroying their core life programs and achievements, acting clearly to their own detriment and, above all, to the detriment of others. It is not always possible to understand what this means if one approaches it from purely psychological (i.e., buddhic) or, worse, rational-mental perspectives.
In this case, a catastrophic restructuring of the buddhic body is taking place due to its incompatibility with the atmic body, and a strong Aries transmission literally erases old values and creates new ones from scratch, forcing the person to rebuild their life anew.
The first level of working with Aries is characterized by very coarse and intense activations of the channel—weak or moderate ones a person typically ignores, simply not paying them any attention. If we compare the action of the atmic body through Aries on the buddhic body to a ship’s rudder, then in this case, only three positions are possible: straight ahead, hard to starboard, or hard to port—all intermediate positions are absent. Naturally, the ship will move in sharp zigzags, yet it will still reach its destination.
A person at this level is characterized by an utter disregard for the subtle nuances of inner life. A faint pang of conscience, a quiet inner voice, calm dialogues with oneself—all of this is nonexistent to them. It is only when they kill someone, permanently part ways with a beloved woman, or suddenly plummet from the heights of a career that their inner life briefly activates with great force, bringing about intense and sincere remorse, regret for their actions, and, above all, complete honesty with themselves. This has some effect on the buddhic body, though usually minor; the person partially purifies themselves, feels relief, and then, forgetting everything, continues to behave as before.
In other words, the Aries channel typical of the first level of work looks like this: several (usually just two or three) stable streams that fully embrace socially approved values, and one thin, winding stream resembling a dried-up brook—this is where atmic involution occurs in those rare instances when the main channels are blocked, and the person experiences a sense of their uniqueness and individuality. Such situations are usually perceived as catastrophic: a socially adapted life loses all meaning and value, yet the person gains an acute existential sensation—they feel they are truly alive and doing something meaningful on a grand scale, rather than merely going through the motions.
Another characteristic trait of this level of working with Aries is the person’s complete dependence on their emotional states. The Aries flow can make life unbearably beautiful or unbearably dull, grant the mental strength to simultaneously pursue five difficult programs or degrade their quality to the point where all one wants is to slowly crawl toward the cemetery, wrapped in a white sheet—but in any case, the person will be powerless to change anything within themselves.Probably, almost every person in life has bright moments when they feel an excess of energy that appears from nowhere, a desire to live, love, work, plans form effortlessly, and the most attractive hopes seem quite real and attainable. However, at the first level of processing such states, they are perceived as a gift of fate, which is entirely independent of human consciousness and will, and just as severe depressive or sharply negative mental states seem like an insurmountable fate from which there is no escape through inner effort. Thus, the Aries of the first level of processing is a slave to their enthusiasm and equally to its absence, and can only conditionally and purely mentally accept someone else’s system of values. If at a given moment the most interesting subject in the world to them is UFOs or highly intelligent dolphins, they simply cannot imagine a person who is truly indifferent to them. This can be seen as integrity and sincerity, but it is more accurate to call it intolerance and narrow-mindedness.
At the second level of processing Aries, a person learns to partially regulate the energy flow, though its informational content remains beyond control. In other words, the person realizes that being a slave to their enthusiasm is not ideal and tries, on one hand, not to expend it all at once when it arises but to conserve it—building dams with regulated discharge and creating reservoirs above them—and on the other hand, to maintain relative stability in their values and sustain core life programs, like a state that preserves its main organizational structures and economy even during parliamentary crises. However, at this level, there is still no attempt to comprehend the sources of Aries’ involutions—meaning the person does not connect changes in the emphasis of their inner values, the strengthening or weakening of general inspiration, with the influence of their ideals and mission as a whole.
A person raised in a voluntarist-atheistic paradigm of thinking and considering themselves the sole master of their fate does not acknowledge the existence of the atmic body as such and therefore perceives Aries transmissions as random events—favorable or unfavorable—and treats them mechanistically, trying to smooth out and regulate the unfavorable as much as possible but seeing no higher meaning in them. Here, the atmic body is, at best, disconnected from the buddhic body, replaced by the mental. The Aries channel continues to function, of course, but its source becomes fundamentally inaccessible to the person. Conversely, a believing person at this level tends to equate the buddhic and atmic bodies, and then the activation of Aries is experienced as a religious state, though often not very pronounced: when people speak of “miracles,” they usually mean direct transmissions from the atmic body to the causal or even denser bodies. Besides these, there are others caused by direct transmissions from a certain body through one or more intermediate bodies downward, for example, from the mental to the physical: a karate master mentally imagines a stone slab shattering under the impact of their hand, after which it happens in reality. Thus, the rank of a miracle can be defined by the number of intermediate bodies through which the transmission occurs. For instance, when a person prays for God’s help in a certain endeavor, they are requesting a direct transmission from the atmic plane to the causal, i.e., a first-rank (lower) miracle; but if someone asks God to teach them, this requires a direct transmission from the atmic body to the mental, i.e., a second-rank miracle, which is much more difficult, and so God often takes an indirect path: performing a first-rank miracle by sending the person an event or encounter in the causal stream that aligns with their needs.
This classification of “miracles” by rank was necessary for the author to emphasize the following crucial point: zodiacal transmission (a so-called zero-rank miracle) is always perceived as something entirely natural and at most causes mild surprise, though in essence it is a moment of direct connection between different bodies—a spontaneous change in both form and energy. However, at the second level of processing Aries (and other zodiacal channels), the person does not yet understand this; they do not fully grasp the significance of what is happening but begin to suspect it. At this stage, the person starts paying attention to the subtle Aries transmissions expressed in quiet and calm intuitive feelings, which they try to follow if they do not forget them and if they do not sharply contradict their plans or socially imposed values. Thus, the second level of processing is characterized by the person’s episodic attention to weak Aries transmissions, but even this significantly prepares them for strong Aries activations and subsequent crises. “And I felt what was coming,” they later tell themselves, “but apparently, I underestimated the gravity of fate’s signs and my own premonitions.” It is clear that a crisis of a major life turning point is experienced more easily at this level.
Aries, however, is not tied to specific events or their premonitions. A quiet inner voice or simply a vague feeling corresponding to weak Aries flows primarily relates not to the causal body but to the buddhic body—that is, not to actions and events but to values and life programs not yet embodied in concrete circumstances or sequences of events, though the person does not yet understand this. Trusting their intuition fully, meaning to the causal level of specific guidance, they repeatedly fail and therefore do not trust themselves firmly, valuing the energetic rather than the informational component of their Aries transmissions.
At the third level of processing Aries, qualitative changes occur in self-awareness: the person begins to sense the source of Aries flows, i.e., the atmic body. In other words, Aries transmissions are now linked in their consciousness with the demands or approval of their ideal. It must be said that recognizing Aries flows is much more challenging than recognizing Taurus flows: the former are significantly subtler. While a person feels Taurus support every time they act in accordance with their convictions or realize their existential values—a feeling familiar to everyone—Aries support arises when the person aligns their system of values with their ideal, resulting in a strong, inexplicable uplift of the soul.
This is because in today’s predominantly voluntarist culture, both atheistic and religious, all buddhic structures—existential values, character traits, and overall mental state—are considered inherent, as if divinely given, elements of human nature, largely predetermined, with only minor adjustments possible through conscious effort. An atheist might say character and existential values are shaped by heredity and environment, and some minor details can be slightly adjusted through self-work. Believers, oddly enough, are generally less concerned with Aries flows; they are more preoccupied with the direct channel linking the atmic body to the causal (which also exists in the organism but is typically much weaker than both Aries and Taurus channels). As for religious “upbringing,” it traditionally consists of diligently submitting to the “will of God” or “service,” understood as strict adherence to the directives of a particular church, which often pertain to a narrow sphere of life at the expense of all else. However, unlike the religious ideal, religious value cannot be singular, and thus the buddhic problems of believers, like those of atheists, are resolved through the entirety of their lives. This understanding comes at the third level of processing Aries.In other words, a person sees that having an ideal, even an extremely inspiring one, is not enough—it must be transformed into a system of values and life programs encompassing life without exception, and a worldview must be created that not only does not contradict the ideal but is directly derived from it. Thus, at the third level of processing the Aries channel, a person correctly interprets its manifestations: both as the source (ideal, mission) and the recipient (existential worldview and value system), though this understanding is still largely incomplete and overly simplistic. Too much of the value system remains hidden in the subconscious; at the same time, the habit of slipping into the causal level of specific conclusions and actions persists; the current ideal is perceived too dogmatically and rigidly, and its disappearance or change still seem like a difficult ordeal—but still, the Aries channel is now seen as such, it is distinguished within the organism, and the person can consciously work with it: deepen or expand its course, attempt to build new branches, or block them.
Of course, reaching the third level of processing Aries is possible only with a certain culture of the atmic and buddhic bodies. First and foremost, a person must differentiate them (that is, realize that, on the one hand, there is a certain life mission and an ideal leading to it, and on the other, a system of life values and programs for their achievement), bring at least half of this into consciousness, and understand that the ideal and values must be harmonized. The main internal work at this level involves recognizing the values repressed for one reason or another and comparing them with the ideal—then the atmic body itself will regulate the necessary level of involution of each value, that is, the level and content of the information-energy flow that nourishes it, and the corresponding flow will naturally align with the Aries channel.
At this level, a person already partially controls the Aries channel, and if the overall flow or part of it weakens, they may attempt to artificially force the flow of energy and information. This is permissible as an exceptional measure, but with regular use, the channel or its part will fail, and, moreover, the balance of the organism as a whole will be disrupted. This is because none of the bodies or zodiacal channels of the organism are designed for a constant level of load; on the contrary, fluctuations are typical, sometimes quite sharp, but entirely natural for the organism. In particular, the buddhic body in a normal (healthy) state constantly varies in energy levels, both overall and in all its parts, which most often receive Aries involution at different moments in time, so that a person concentrates their main mental energies now on one value, now on another—and that is how it should be: for example, to be primarily concerned with children, though the ability to regulate Aries flows to some extent does allow acting in the opposite way, that is, discussing family issues exclusively at work and resolving work matters at home. The temptation to force not one’s own but someone else’s Aries energy is especially strong—and even very wise and cautious people sometimes succumb to it. They should rememberThe balance of any organism is very delicate, and it is better to engage in a long, sorrowful search for one’s own values than to hastily and joyfully adopt someone else’s. At the fourth level of processing Aries, a person learns a subtler form of attention to its transmissions—especially informational ones—than at the third. For those who proceed with weak energy, this is an almost imperceptible intuitive feeling, yet it carries a distinct sense of particular importance: the voice of the inner spiritual teacher, to whom the person listens as they cultivate new values in their body, burning away and partially shrinking the areas of old ones.
At this level, a person must clearly recognize the unity of external and internal expressions of the buddhic body—that is, on one hand, their character and fundamental psychological and soulful inclinations and traits, and on the other, the system of life values and the programs for their attainment. In simpler terms, a person’s character and soulful tendencies precisely correspond to the system of life values toward which they unconsciously (and partly consciously) strive. Thus, any restructuring of the existential worldview is accompanied by a restructuring of the person’s character.
Therefore, any Aries transmission has a dual nature: on one hand, it somewhat alters the value system, and on the other, it influences the person’s character, bringing out certain traits, talents, and inclinations. At the fourth level of processing, the person notices this and, while forming new values, simultaneously cultivates within themselves a character suited to attaining them through the same Aries energy. Aries impulses provide both informational hints and the energy—enthusiasm—necessary for precise and difficult self-work.
A distinctive feature of this level of processing is the abundance of minor branches where the Aries channel merges into the buddhic work—so to speak, a wide delta with a well-regulated flow system. In other words, such a person has many diverse values (a trait of broad consciousness) and programs for their attainment, which they constantly think about and care for. Yet at the center of their soulful attention lies a small number of values currently illuminated by the Aries flow. The person strives not so much to regulate this flow as to refine their characterological traits. Here, regulating the flow is so complex that constructive mental intervention is possible only in rare cases (the reader, of course, understands how much coarser the mental body and energies are compared to the buddhic, let alone the atmic).
For the self-awareness of this level, a sense of temporariness is characteristic, yet at the same time, a deep significance is attached to the current values, and a desire arises to fully adapt one’s entire psyche to their attainment—even if this means temporarily (or perhaps permanently) parting with virtues and good habits earned through hard work. Thus, a deeply sober and clear-sighted person may sometimes have to act superficially and vulnerably; the diligent may slack off, the honest may scheme, lie, or place others in false positions. Here, one must strongly restructure their character, adapting to seemingly impossible conditions.
For example, starting from this level, a person often encounters the following circumstance, which initially causes great confusion: various positive character traits, talents, and skills manifest only during certain periods and in relation to quite specific areas. For instance, extraordinary abilities to study any subject—including phenomenal professional memory—may suddenly emerge, or exceptional diligence in a very narrow field, or the ability to concentrate intensely on something absolutely definite, or extraordinary thoroughness and precision in certain matters. The higher the evolutionary level of the person, the more pronounced these traits become.
The mission of such a person and the cultivation of the corresponding system of values, ethics, and character is one of the most difficult tasks of human existence, one that is never ultimately resolved. Many features of a person’s Aries channel (as well as that of a couple, family, organization, state, or book) can be understood by studying their natal chart, but the author reserves this topic for subsequent parts of the treatise, limiting this discussion to the most general observations and characteristics pertaining to a strong, weak, harmonious, or afflicted Aries.
When evaluating the position of Aries in the chart, one should not forget about its ruler, Mars—for example, if Aries in the natal chart contains no planets but Mars is strongly placed, the Aries channel should not be considered weak. Similarly, a harmonious Mars, even with significant afflictions to planets in Aries, significantly harmonizes the Aries channel.
Let us now cast a first glance at the horoscope.
A strong Aries gives a person extraordinary energy in creating their own action plans—or those they recognize as their own. As a rule, they are not lacking in enthusiasm or soulful strength, and they are not inclined to reflect on the ethical nature of their aspirations—they seem absolute to them (an exception may occur if Saturn is in Aries) or at least universally significant.
A strong Aries provides a person with good buddhic energy, a wealth of inspired ideas, and great soulful strength, which they can expend on achieving their values or dissipate aimlessly (the “soul of society” variant). In the latter case, the person ignores their mission, and over the years their Aries energy weakens, though it rarely disappears entirely.
A strong Aries is characterized by various buddhic imbalances: one moment they throw themselves into one pursuit (forgetting everything else), the next into another, or try to do everything at once. Yet they are usually convinced that to cook porridge, it is enough to hold a match to the fire, and everything else will happen by itself. The thought that the fire, once lit, may quickly die out (leaving the porridge raw) or, conversely, burn too fiercely (turning the porridge to ash or even into the fire itself) rarely occurs to them—and if it does, it leaves little impression.
It is important for such a person to learn how to convey—not impose—their enthusiasm onto others, for only then will they feel satisfaction with life; otherwise, they risk becoming a “tough” egoist, perpetually overflowing with themselves: their views, affairs, and problems. It is not easy for them, especially with a weak Taurus, to find their place in life, because what they can offer people—sincere affection and enthusiasm, the ability to inspire and captivate with their ideas, and (at a high level) help others change their values and worldview—is valued more in personal communication than in work.
Nevertheless, intense self-work, primarily focused on clarifying their ideal, refining the buddhic body, and aligning their (usually numerous) values with that ideal, enables the person to become an excellent general or a universally beloved mid-level manager, a brilliant performing musician, conductor, or leader.
If, however, this person follows the path of irresponsible waste of Aries energy or strongly deviates from fulfilling their mission, they may face various troubles. The first and warning signal will be a temporary cessation of the Aries flow and, accordingly, a sharp drop in buddhic energy, which the person experiences as a strange and unjust mental illness: nothing is wanted, everything is indifferent, there is no strength or enthusiasm, and the surrounding moment feels alien. Then the person sincerely mourns and tries to change the situation—and usually, the flow soon restores itself, a surplus of soulful strength and ways to spend it reappears, and friends and acquaintances suddenly reappear, allowing life to continue.
True, after some time, the Aries blockage may recur, manifesting not only psychologically but also in external circumstances: suddenly, an important program collapses, a significant person falls out of favor, or a setback occurs on the social ladder.If a person consistently ignores such signs and fully relies on what they perceive as their inexhaustible energy and ability to achieve their goals (which is quite typical for strong Aries individuals), there are two possible ways the atmic body may correct their behavior and existential worldview: either it drastically shortens their lifespan, indulging in memories of a turbulent youth, or—this being the more common path of upbringing—it steers the person toward a seemingly predetermined dead-end, releasing the brakes of egoism and caution. Then, no longer in control of themselves, they accelerate toward catastrophe at an ever-increasing speed.
At a high level, a strong Aries individual becomes aware of their power over human souls and the extraordinary value their surplus energy brings to the world. They act with great subtlety, guiding people toward their inherent values through indirect means, without imposing their own—requiring a high degree of insight and self-sacrifice. It is difficult, when one’s own ideal values are so vividly illuminated, to genuinely allow others to hold entirely different ones, let alone inspire them.
A weak Aries does not necessarily indicate weakness of the buddhic body (though a strong Aries usually provides good buddhic energy)—we must not forget that it is also shaped, albeit differently, by the Aquarius channel. The weakness of Aries means the person rarely receives energetic support or, conversely, prohibitions regarding their values and the programs to achieve them; they lack excessive enthusiasm and boundless generosity, making it hard to compete in brilliance with strong Aries or Sagittarius individuals. Yet this does not prevent them from clearly forming their worldview, which may prove far more stable than that of a strong Aries (unless the chart shows a serious affliction to Aquarius). While their emotional life may not be as turbulent, the quiet voice of the atmic body—the inner spiritual teacher—is far steadier and, in a sense, more consistent, rarely changing its guidance. Their life values shift more slowly, but this does not mean life brings them less joy or that self-actualization comes more easily. In fact, Aries largely defines the landscape of the search for the self. If a strong Aries presents a diverse and energetic terrain—with forests, rivers, mountains, and dungeons—a weak Aries resembles boundless yet monotonous steppes or gentle grassy hills. Yet in any case, this is home, and the person loves it as it is, wanting nothing else.
A harmonious Aries may partly mislead the person about their mission and ideals, making them seem less demanding than they truly are. This is especially true of values and moral expectations toward oneself and others, where benevolence rather than severity tends to prevail. The Aries pathos of life is likely to be positive, and the person may reasonably rely on fate in difficult situations: not immediately, but it will certainly improve in time.
At a low level, such a person tends to endless compromises with themselves, avoiding inner ethical conflicts and gradually depleting their entire soul potential without fulfilling their mission—despite possessing many natural talents and abilities. They must set serious goals and see them through to the end, even if they initially seem too easy; what comes easily to them may prove vitally important yet unattainable for others.
Externally, when they choose to be, they can be very appealing through their open-hearted harmony with others, but they must not exploit this charm, or they risk becoming a charming beggar unsure of what to do or where to belong—a fading hippie without direction.
At a high level of development, such a person understands that, in infinite mercy, God has granted them gentler paths to fulfill their mission, yet has also placed upon them the duty to spread soulful grace across the world, especially where it is lacking. Learning to ward off the specific Aries-like (internal and external) parasites, they strive to regulate the unstable Aries currents in the surrounding world where fate sends them. This could be a great statesman-jurist who transforms a country’s constitution into legislation, a writer meticulously crafting the main plotlines of a new novel, or a mother of a family struggling to reconcile conflicting aspirations of household members without destroying anyone’s core pursuits.
A common mistake is equating Aries with Taurus—focusing on detailed programs of actions and events—when, alongside setting external priorities, one must (in fact, first and foremost) cultivate moral and psychological preparation, shaping a buddhic body capable of meeting the challenges assigned to it. Here, the person will inevitably face a situation that is unexpected and initially incomprehensible: people and groups with weak or afflicted Aries, whose ideals materialize into values in ways far less smooth than their own.
An afflicted Aries presents a difficult or, in some cases, harsh fate, as the mission manifests ambiguously and deceptively: plans constantly collapse, and the soul is gripped by turmoil, if not outright chaos. Where a harmonious Aries offers an idyllic self-search landscape—groves, meadows, mannered sheep, and shepherdesses in wreaths and embroidered dresses—an afflicted Aries faces bare cliffs roaring with waterfalls, storms, hurricanes, and plague-ridden cities. It is unclear which path leads to faster or more successful self-actualization, but the second offers far greater incentives.
The main problem of an afflicted Aries lies in the poor alignment between their values, inclinations, and talents with their ideal; in other words, the mission demands far more inner work and buddhic transformation than initially anticipated. Often, no one deliberately cultivates an ideal or builds a value system—they emerge through life’s trials, of which an afflicted Aries will have many, even if their outer life appears prosperous (which is rare).
The concept of fate will be more than real for them, and they should never say, “I would never find myself in such a situation,” because it is entirely possible they will find themselves there tomorrow.
Through this process, the person psychologically forges themselves from an initially unpleasant and awkward, though energetic, raw material—rather like a toothy log from which a Pinocchio gradually emerges.
In essence, an afflicted Aries yields what is commonly called a difficult or harsh character—but only such a person can first transform themselves and then fulfill what fate has entrusted to them. The typical inner conflict of an afflicted Aries arises when the atmic inspiration imperatively calls them to a summit they are utterly unprepared to climb—psychologically or situationally (for example, lacking funds to study full-time or being rejected by competitive admission)—and they resolutely break free from outdated chains and karmic ties, soon facing the inevitable setbacks and burdens fate imposes in such cases.
A common mistake (with clearly dire consequences) is attempting to execute programs for which one is internally unprepared, particularly psychologically. Here, one must learn patience, humility, and attentiveness to the quiet voice of the inner teacher; relying solely on external circumstances leads to frustration and self-disillusionment, and in severe cases, to nihilism and service to rigid egregores—despite the person’s inherently creative and potential-rich nature.
