Wesak Festival of Taurus 2010

Taurus: A Buddha or a Hitler

Mercury, Ruler of the Fourth Ray

Taurus the Bull is a powerful sign, through its indomitable will, its persistence, strength and endurance. It can be deeply materialistic and attached by its earthy nature or irradiated with light and wisdom.

The fourth ray of Harmony through Conflict is the only ray that transmits through Taurus and is the ray that rules the fourth human kingdom as a whole. Through the uses of conflict, harmony and beauty will eventually be achieved.

That conflict is bought about by Humanity’s constant cry for light and illumination. Through successfully invoking a greater light and in the attempt to anchor it, a conflict arises between the existing vibration within any individual and the newly invoked stream. Gradually, through the processes of everyday living and various disciplines such as meditation, a balancing and equilibrising process is effected whereby the future and the past have been brought together in the present; that which was old has transformed into something new; it is broadly how human consciousness evolves over millions of years.

When considering the seven planes of our ‘cosmic physical plane’, the fourth ray is equated with the fourth (middle) plane of buddhi or pure intuition, the sense that supersedes the mind and all other senses. That consciousness constitutes the goal of all Humanity who wish to reach liberation and release from Earth life. ‘Buddhi’ is virtually named after the Buddha. The fourth ray and the fourth buddhic plane are ruled by the planet Mercury, a name that has always been synonymous with the Buddha.

What is this Mercurial consciousness? A hint lies in the metal mercury or ‘quicksilver’, the substance used in coating glass, creating a mirror. Mercury is the mirror – witness the mimicry of Mercury-ruled Gemini. The unstable and ‘slippery’ nature of mercury also connects to its planetary expression through Gemini. Mercury is a reflector of light, in fact, “Mercury receives seven times more light than any other planet.”[1]

Yet Mercury is also associated with Taurus through the soul ruler of this sign Vulcan, said to be within the orbit of Mercury.[2] The Tibetan also tells us somewhat enigmatically,

“The light of Vulcan and the light of the Sun are one light and these three—Mercury, Vulcan and the Sun—stand for a synthesis and a radiance which eventually dims the light of Mercury and it "falls" into the background and Vulcan too becomes invisible and only the Sun remains.”[3]

Mercury mirrors that which is above to that which is below, from the plane of pure spirit or Adi, to the gross physical plane. Hence, the relation between the Mercury-ruled fourth ray, earthy Taurus, the “mother of illumination” (through which the fourth ray transmits), and the planet Vulcan, soul ruler of Taurus.

Vulcan is the divine Smithy and Alchemist who fashions his art in the depths of matter; he is also Thor, wielding his mighty hammer at the forge, utilising the more subtle and ‘non-metallic’ aspects of Mercury to create amalgams with other substances; a metaphor for the divine elixir created by the transformation of base substance into gold’, the radiant augoeides or causal body of the soul.

Vulcan rules over the first initiation, an event related to the realisation of the soul or Christ consciousness in the cave of the heart - an initiation currently being undertaken by a large portion of Humanity:

“At the first initiation, the disciple has to contend with the crystallising and destroying forces of Vulcan and Pluto. The influence of Vulcan reaches to the very depths of his nature, whilst Pluto drags to the surface and destroys all that hinders in these lower regions.”[4]

Vulcan and Pluto are the two co-rulers of the first ray of Will or Power, the force with which Humanity is least equipped to deal due to its concentrated power, but that which is increasingly being handled and absorbed.

“... the task of Mercury in connection with humanity has gone forward most satisfactorily and has brought humanity to its present point of evolution upon the probationary path; that the energy of Vulcan is potently making its presence felt, and hence the struggles going on upon the planet between the men of will—selfish and ambitious—and the men of good-will who are desirous of the good of the whole.”[5]

The aforementioned ‘struggles’ relate to the great duality within which Humanity finds itself. Indeed, the Buddha gained illumination through the many struggles to which he subjected himself. These dualities are expressed powerfully through the fourth ray, via the extremes of the valley and mountain experience, ecstasy and depression, black and white, feast or fast, beauty and ugliness, war and peace.

It is also interesting to note that Mercury is the hierarchical ruler of Taurus polar opposite Scorpio, and that sign also has only the fourth ray transmitting through it. Scorpio is known as the ‘human hierarchy’ or ‘the initiates’ that we will all eventually become.

Taurus: Buddha, Hitler

Althought the Buddha and Hitler were at vastly varying stages of evolution, they both expressed the Taurean force in its two extremes; they are also striking examples of the polarities of the fourth ray.

It is said that the Buddha came into incarnation in the sign of Taurus, gained enlightenment in Taurus and left the world in this sign. As the young Prince Siddhartha, he was surrounded by luxury and a sensuous life, in a palatial but cocooned world; his parents chose to shield him from the harsh realities of the outer world.

There was nothing that Siddhartha could not have and his every desire was met – what a Taurean life! But this was of course, Taurus recapitulating the mutable cross experience, generically speaking, in terms of unawakened consciousness. When he was 29, at his first Saturn return, Siddhartha set off beyond the boundaries of his palace and discovered the pain and suffering that existed in the outer world. Gradually through many experiences he became Gautama Buddha and ‘...achieved victory over desire and arrived at illumination.’[6]

This ‘victory over desire’ is of course related to the triumph over the many desire currents within the astral body, probably the most difficult initiation to achieve, the second degree. Of course the Buddha was at far more exalted stage of evolution and initiation. Yet his main message was to assist Humanity release from the wheel of Samsara – the wheel of suffering, maya and illusion – through his teaching upon the nature of desire - and detachment from it; all this of course amounts to a triumph over the lower self.

In contrast, Hitler was triumphed over by the lower self. Siddhartha Buddha was offered rulership over an enormous kingdom at that time, but refused, choosing the kingship of self-mastery. Hitler wanted to rule over the whole world and ultimately failed; he was a victim of desires on many levels, from his well documented sexual deviancy to his lust for absolute power over all nations; this was further emphasised by the fact that his personality was ruled by his Taurus Sun, the sign of desire. (He also had Mars and Venus in Taurus square Saturn in Leo.)

We might also reflect that under Hitler, the Nazis searched for the location of Shamballa; they had appropriated knowledge from the Ageless Wisdom in many areas of their organisation in their bid to win the war against the allies. In an examination of their rise to power (“Nazi Germany: The Forces of Taurus-Scorpio and Capricorn”)[7], it is noted how prominent the Taurus-Scorpio axis was in the horoscopes of the major protagonists. As a group, Hitler’s “gang of seven” constituted an outpost for the Black Lodge to work through. Germany was a nation that embodied ‘world glamour’ at that time (illusion on the astral plane), hence the ease with which the axis powers were duped.

The Buddha on the other hand, had initiated a major push 2,500 years previously:

“The Buddha and His 900 arhats struck the first blow at the world glamour when He promulgated His Four Noble Truths. The Christ struck the second blow with His teaching of the nature of individual responsibility and of Brotherhood. The next blow will be struck by the New Group of World Servers, acting under the direction of Christ and His disciples, symbolically described as "Christ and His 9000 initiates."[8]

Hence the importance of the Wesak Festival during Taurus as not only a celebration of the Buddha, but the White Lodge as a whole (an outpost for the White Lodge on Sirius); Who seek to offset the forces of materialism and darkness through the illumined and awakened eye of the Bull. Such is the opportunity for all the aspirants, disciples and initiates of the Masters to affirm their connection annually, to re-dedicate and align themselves to the One Work and The Plan.

This “Plan” is elaborated upon, by Djwhal Khul,

“The entire secret of divine purpose and planning is hidden in this sign [Taurus], owing fundamentally to the relation of the Pleiades to the constellation, the Great Bear, and to our solar system. This constitutes one of the most important triangles in our entire cosmic series of relationships and this importance is also enhanced by the fact that the "eye of the Bull" is the eye of revelation. The underlying goal of the evolutionary process—"the onward rush of the Bull of God," as it is esoterically called—reveals steadily and without cessation the stupendous and sublime plan of Deity. This is the subject which light reveals.”[9]

The “eye of illumination” is also symbolised by that star of ancient renown, Aldebaran, the ‘eye of the Bull’ - in the constellation of Taurus.

When balancing the pairs of opposites within oneself, the six pairs of zodiac signs are where this process translates in the birthchart. Hence the Scorpio polar opposite would have been highly emphasised for both the Buddha and Hitler:

“Desire in Taurus becomes spiritual aspiration in Scorpio. The darkness of the experience in Scorpio becomes illumination in Taurus, for it must never be forgotten that where the pairs of opposites are concerned they gain and profit from each other, for there is a direct line of force and of contact between the two. This is a fact which is seldom recognised.”[10]

Beauty and Ugliness

The fourth ray is also called the ray of beauty but due to its expression of extremes, ugliness also. The secret of this dichotomy lies in the non-sacred ruler of this ray, the Moon – and the sacred ruler Mercury.

Beauty lies in the (bull’s) eye of the beholder! The Buddha’s countenance, his smile and general poise reflect the inner perfection, beauty and balance achieved – along with a deep compassion and wisdom born from pain and suffering; this is in contrast to the ugliness and madness depicted in the picture of Hitler, where he is consumed by furious hate during one of his ranting speeches. Hitler was probably a first ray soul and a fourth ray personality, the latter easily prone to complete submergence in the ‘glamour of war’.

The expressions of all the signs are very varied, nonetheless a few more examples of Sun in Taurus might be illuminating: From the angle of the first ray and destruction, used selfishly or not: Saddam Hussein, Timothy McVeigh, Che Guevarra and Robert J. Oppenheimer. From the wisdom perspective: Teilhard de Chardin, Socrates, Marcus Aurelius and Tagore.

The United Nations: Wesak 1945

Finally, a reminder that the light and hope of Humanity, the United Nations, was ‘vulcanised’ 65 years ago at the Wesak Festival in 1945.[11] In this age of the criticism and belittling of the work of the U.N., it is appropriate at this full moon period to pour forth our meditative blessings toward the U.N., remembering that Taurus-Wesak is an opportunity to truly forge and anchor that which will last:

“It was realised that there was an ascertainable measure of hemispheric unity upon which statesmen could count and thus a foundation could be created for the far more difficult international conference to be held in San Francisco.  Not for nothing, brother of mine, is this conference being held during the five days of the Wesak Full Moon [1945].  It will be a time of supreme difficulty in which the Forces of Light will face what I call ‘the forces of selfishness and separativeness’. . . . Subjectively speaking, the conference will be under the direct influence of the Hierarchy.  The consequent stimulation of both the selfish and the unselfish aspects will evoke a tremendous emotional and mental potency.  It is, therefore, essential that all aspirants and disciples throw the weight of their spiritual development and the light of their souls on the side of the forces which are attempting to plan for the good of humanity, and who regard the welfare of the whole as of far greater importance than any national situation or demand . . . A supreme effort will be made by [the Buddha and the Christ] this year during the five days of the Full Moon (April 25-30) and a major test of the effectiveness of Their activity will be given at the San Francisco Conference.”[12]

As we assemble in the subtle realms with those who
congregate in the Wesak Valley at this time,
let us reflect upon this prayer:


"May the Holy Ones Whose disciple I am
show me the light I seek;
give me the strong aid of Their
compassion and Their wisdom.
There is a peace which passeth understanding;
it abides in the hearts of those who live in the Eternal.
There is a power which maketh all things new;
it lives and moves in those who know the Self as one.
May that peace brood over us, that power uplift us
till we stand where the One Initiator is invoked,
till we see His star shine forth."[13]