Biblioteca Esoterica Esonet.ORG http://www.esonet.ORG 1

Rites of Passage - 2
Biblioteca Esoterica Esonet.ORG
http://www.esonet.ORG
Is knowledge always constructive?
The ability to pass through a radical crisis consciously, with a fully open and aware mind,
may make the difference between success and at least partial failure. The Greek oracle at
Delphi exhorted everyone, "Know thyself"; but what is this "self" which should be known?
What is to be "known" (at least at first) is not so much who "I" am, but what "I" am. This
means the contents of the at least relatively insulated and differentiated sphere (or
mandala) of the being centralized by this totally abstract feeling of being "I," a separate,
different, relatively unique entity. The important facts to know refer to the "am," not to the
"I." "I" is a universal, formless, level-less principle, active everywhere, without any
possible qualifications. The "am" is the pattern of composite relationships constituting a
definite system of organization. In a crisis, this pattern is upset (the deeper the crisis the
more thorough the upset) because the fundamental character of the system itself is
changing. The "I" remains what it is, as long as the system does not totally break down. If
it does, the "I" vanishes, though persistent memories of its presence may keep the
fragments relatively integrated for some time.
When the conscious understanding of the complex nature of the "am" is referred to the
superpersonal reality of a persistent and significant greater whole, a breakdown of the
total structure of the system of "personhood" can be avoided. A correct meaning can be
given to the relationships operating at the new level, because the essential character and
quality of that level is symbolized in the rite and at least to some extent explained during
the preparation for it. The inner attitude (or emotional reactions) of the person preparing
for the change is the basic factor, but it is deeply affected by the manner in which whoever
assists in the process presents the change and the necessity (or inevitability) for it.
This is particularly evident in the special field of preparation for changes known —
and usually misunderstood — as natal astrology. The essential purpose of astrology is to
reveal to the "I" of the person the organization of its "am" as a biopsychic system. It is also
to make the "I" conscious of the meaning of changes that can be expected periodically
during the continuous process of unfoldment from birth to death. During this process
what is only potential at birth is to be actualized through the complex relationships of the
state of personhood within a sociocultural environment. The philosophical basis of
astrology is the concept that all systems in nature operate according to the interactions of a
few fundamental, interdependent principles of organic, functional order. While human
beings observe and experience the operation of these principles all the time, when one is
closely and subjectively involved with what they represent it is difficult to see beyond the
play of superficial and seemingly chaotic experiences. In contrast, the order revealed by
the periodic motion of celestial bodies in the universally human experience of the night
sky refers to factors that are so remote and seem so simple that one can be very objective to
what they convey concerning cyclic processes of change.
Nevertheless, the practicing astrologer is confronted by two basic problems: how to
interpret these processes and give their phases concrete meanings that can be applied to
events and relationships at the level of personhood; and how to effectively yet safely
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