Vox stellarum: part six — Leo

The Voice of the Stars: the testament of the Zodiac unveiled

Introduction

In part six of our comprehensive survey of the hidden message of the stars we turn our attention to the constellation and Zodiacal Sign of Leo — the centre of the Second Division of the Zodiac — that of Resurrection. In the accompanying Afterword we explore the symbolism of the extra-zodiacal constellation of Orion, the Hunter and the creature he appears to pursue — Lepus the Hare. Our principal aim in this investigation remains to reconcile Astrology with its lost sibling — Astronomy, so that we might restore something of the Wisdom they embodied when they were one, unified Science. If you have not read the previous parts of this investigation or our afterwords to them in which we are discussing some of the extra-zodiacal constellations, please do so before continuing, or you will not obtain a complete understanding of the many subjects under discussion. Before we take up the study of Leo we would like to say something about it's ruler, the Sun, known and worshipped by the ancient Egyptians as Ra.

Anon. — Ra, the Sun God — coloured pencil and gouache on board. 1986.

Proem: Ra, the Sun God

Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name. Amos 5:8

RA is perhaps the best known but least understood of all the ancient Egyptian deities. This is not surprising when we consider the length of time He was worshipped and the many changes and developments that took place in the religion of Egypt during those millennia. What we can say is that Ra was one of the most ancient Gods who was worshipped in Heliopolis from the very earliest times as the representative of the Life and Light of the Sun in its various manifestations. Although this function was later merged with that of Amen-Ra and other Gods, Ra never lost His supremacy as the Head of the Solar Race, from which almost every Pharaoh claimed descent.

The mythology of Ra may well have been the inspiration for the Biblical parable of feeding the five thousand. In the Book of the Dead which was written many thousands of years before the advent of Christ, the deceased declares: "I am the Lord of Bread in Annu (Heliopolis). My bread in heaven is the bread of Ra; my bread on earth was that of Geb." Unlike the Biblical parable, which in transmogrifying spiritual truths into actual earthly events, distorts the meaning of the allegory, the original Egyptian teaching draws a clear distinction between material knowledge (the bread of Geb, God of the Earth) and spiritual wisdom (the bread of Ra). Sometimes this bread consists of seven loaves, at others of five, and each is Significant. Five loaves are the bread of earth, and seven the bread of heaven, for five is the number of the man of earth, the emblem of which is the five-pointed pentalpha or pentagram. Seven, on the other hand is the number of the man of Heaven with his seven principles, the emblem of which is the square surmounted by the triangle with the point upwards. Our regular readers may recall that John Temple explains the occult meaning of the two kinds of bread in his analysis of the parables attributed to Jesus in the New Testament.

The rising Sun was considered by the Egyptians to be the Soul of the Gods sent to manifest itself to Man every day; a true and beautiful sentiment. In chapter 39 of the Book of the Dead it is Ra as a symbolic representation of the Higher Mind who destroys Apap, the Serpent of Evil, the embodiment of the passions and desires of the lower mind. "The great Apap has fallen!" exclaims the deceased exultantly, as the monster is thrown down, bound and chained. "The Scorpion has hurt thy mouth," he says to the conquered enemy. We shall discuss the complex symbolism of the scorpion in part nine. Meanwhile, we would say that in this context it represents the power of the Higher Mind to overcome and tame the lower. Later in the chapter the deceased cries: "Apap is overthrown, their cords bind the South, North, East and West, their cords are on him. Har–ru–bah has knotted him." Gerald Massey tells us in volume one of The Natural Genesis that these "were the Cords of the four quarters, or the cross. Thor is said to smite the head of the serpent with his hammer, or fylfot, a form of the Swastika, or four-footed Cross, and therefore an equivalent to the four-armed cross established on the serpent’s head." The whole of this verse and Massey's commentary is replete with hidden meaning. It refers not only to the overthrowal of the lower mind by the Higher, but the order in which this is accomplished, firstly by binding, then by taming, and finally by overcoming. We leave the intuitive reader to meditate on this symbolism and so reach their own conclusions as to the methodology of this desirable transmutation, for that is always best as we have pointed in many of our articles.

The Higher Mind which aspires to re-ascend to Heaven from the earth is like the Bennu Bird of the Egyptian Mythos. In the Book of the Dead this symbolism is beautifully expressed in the phrase: "I go in like the hawk and I come forth like the Bennu Bird, the morning star of Ra." Like a golden Hawk does the Higher Mind swoop down upon the waiting body of the newborn babe, compelled to do so by necessity and Universal Law, and rarely of its own volition. It is the fallen angel, now a human being, beset by all the errors and illusions of the lower mind which keep it in subjection. Should it aspire to re-ascend again, it prays: "And grant that I may sail down to Tettu like a living soul, and up to Abtu like a Bennu Bird." Tettu in this instance stands for the Earth, whilst Abtu is one of the names the Egyptians used to refer to the Higher Realms of Light. We emphasise 'one' for we should never lose sight of the fact that these Egyptian terms have many meanings, depending on their context and the era of their conception and usage. If the being rises up after bodily death, it goes forth, if pure and filled with wisdom, like the morning star, ascending, and like unto the Herald who proclaims the Lord of Righteousness, achieves its own Salvation, that it may become a Light in Truth, for the guidance of the lesser ones still immured in the illusions of life on Earth.

In this connection we would like to mention parts of the philosopher Proclus' Hymn to the Sun which, although it does not name Ra, nonetheless is clearly addressed to the Egyptian God of the Sun. The Hymn commences:

"Listen, King of the Intelligible Fire, holder of the golden Flame;
Listen Dispenser of Light, who holdest the keys of the bounteous Fountain of Life!
Thou whose dwelling place is within the golden Glitter of thy House,
Whose abundant flow rushes down the Armenian peak of the royal Ararat!
Listen, thou who broodest above the Aether’s middle realm,
Thou who inhabitest the refulgent sphere of the heart of the world,
Thou who fillest all things by thy arousing Providence!
Lit by thy fiery rays, the cycling planets perpetually flourish,
And in unresting and weariless circuits
Distil prolific germs, shedding them on all terrestrial being!"

Although Proclus composed this prayer between the years 410-485 A.D., its source is to be sought in the Mystery Teachings of ancient Egypt. This proves that thousands of years ago the Ancients were well aware of the true functions of the Sun, radiating light and power upon the Earth and its beings, and that the planets, and therefore the earth, orbited round the Sun, 'King of the Intelligible Fire,' as Proclus describes it. Later on in the same Hymn, he speaks of Ra as "the upward-leading conductor of souls," which is pure Egyptian theology. Towards the end of the Hymn he prays that Ra will grant him health, fame, knowledge of the great Laws, inspiration by way of the Muses, and "indestructible riches." The two last words show that he was well aware of the transient nature of Earthly fortune, which may be lost or destroyed in a day. The last three lines of this Hymn form a beautiful end to this sublime oration, when Proclus asks of Ra:

"And if from the Fates' dread spindles evil should threaten me,
And the stars, in their cycles, should bode evil,
Then, Oh Lord of the Sun, Come thou to me thyself, and by thy powerful darts release me and all that suffer."

This earnest plea is purely Egyptian in tone and fact. It reminds us of the request made by Isis of Ra when her Son Horus is bitten by a serpent which we shared with you in part two of our investigation of the Book of the Dead. This shows that the dying Egyptian, in stark contrast to the devout Christian who may regard an afterlife in Purgatory with some trepidation, had a reasonable hope of Heaven to comfort and encourage him at the end of life on Earth. After judgement and weighing of souls the righteous man could expect to enter Sekhet Hetepet, the Egyptian fields of Paradise. "I know the fields of reeds of Ra...the height of its barley is seven cubits...the dwellers of the horizon reap it beside the Eastern Souls," exclaims the deceased in the Book of the Dead. This rebirth was not for some single exceptional man or woman, least of all for the pharaoh or nobility alone, but for "millions of millions" of human beings, for "there is not one who fails to reach that place," as the book tells us. The guides in the Other World say: "Welcome, safe and sound to them who reach the West." How beautiful and gentle this concept is compared with the prospect of hell and damnation with which 'sinners' were threatened by the Christian Church not so very long ago!

Leo, the Lion: the King or Ruler

Leo is among the most ancient of constellations. It features prominently in the Zodiacs of Egypt, India and Sumeria. In Babylonian astronomy, Leo was known as Ur-gu-la which means "the Great Lion" and was associated with Ishtar, the goddess of love. Now, this is interesting for LOVE is the keynote of this Sign of the Zodiac. Love, as the astrologers among our readers will know, is also the essential quality of the Fifth House. Leo is a Fixed, Fire Sign, and Love, as Shakespeare tells us in his sonnet 116 "is an ever-fixéd mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken..."

In the Dendera Zodiac the Lion tramples a serpent, a pictorial representation of the moment in the Book of the Dead when the Sun-God Ra overthrows Apap. The Egyptian name of the constellation was Pi Mentekeon, which means pouring out. This refers not only to the physical inundation of the Nile which took place at this time of the year, but also the pouring out of the cup of Divine wrath upon Apap — the Old Serpent. The complete picture of this metaphysical drama is faithfully preserved in the Dendera Zodiac by the three constellations which surround the Lion in the map of the Heavens. These are Hydra, the Old Serpent, Crater, the Cup of Divine wrath poured out upon him, and Corvus, the Bird of prey devouring him. We discussed the symbolism of these three constellations in part two of this investigation. This answers the criticism of a reader who complained that we do not explain the meaning, purpose and influence of the extra-zodiacal constellations. We would cordially remind all our readers of what we said at the outset of this investigation: "the Heavens tell a story in pictorial and symbolic form." As we are barely halfway through that story we should not expect to have every symbol explored and explained straightaway. Were we to attempt to do so this investigation would be ten times as long and still not cover every point.

To return to the subject under discussion, the Dendera Zodiac depicts all four aspects of this drama in one, vivid picture. The Lion is shown treading down the Serpent. The Bird of prey is also perched upon it, while below is a crowned, female figure holding out two mummified cats, answering to Crater, the Cup of Divine wrath. We discussed this figure in the Afterword to part four of this investigation when we told you that the Greek astronomers Eratosthenes and Ptolemy both included it as part of the constellation of Leo. You will now see why they did so, especially as the cat was pre-eminently associated with Sekhmet, the goddess of destruction and agent of the righteous wrath of Ra. In this way we are gradually building up as complete a picture of the meaning of the Tapestry of the Zodiac in the time and space available to us. But — we repeat — nay we say most emphatically, that we do not pretend to be able to read every glittering line of that sidereal scroll. Nor construe the meaning of all the cryptic characters which make up the canvas of the night sky as our woeful speck of dust turns beneath it day by day. As we said in part one, the best we may hope to achieve is to lift a corner of the veil that shrouds these great Mysteries of God. We hope this will answer any further criticism of our efforts to explain what in many ways is inexplicable in any words!

With Cancer and Virgo, Leo forms the Second Division of the Zodiac — that of Resurrection. There is an old belief that the young lion is born dead and is only awakened into life after three days in response to the roar of its parent. This may have been one of the reasons for its adoption as an emblem of the resurrection. In the Papyrus of Nebseni two lions supported the young solar God in his resurrection on the horizon. He was also figured as the source of food and plenty brought each year by the great stream of the Nile, for when the sun had reached the Zodiacal Sign of Leo towards the end of July, the rushing waters had attained their fullest volume. The fifth century Graeco-Egyptian priest Horapollo Nilous tells us in his Hieroglyphica that the Egyptians portray a lion as a Sign of the actual inundation, "because when the sun is in Leo it augments the rising of the Nile." He goes on to say that "it happens at times that one half of the new water is supplied to Egypt while the sun remains in that Sign."

It cannot be doubted that the Lion of the Zodiac is a royal Prince and King. The chief star of the Constellation is Cor Leonis, better known as Regulus, which forms the heart of the royal Lion. The Babylonians called him Sharru, meaning the King. However, Regulus was also reckoned to be the diminutive of the earlier Rex, and was therefore considered by Ptolemy to be the equivalent to the Greek Basiliskos, or Little King, or Prince. This is an apposite title for a star pre-eminently associated with the divine son as well as with his father, corresponding to Horus and Osiris in the Egyptian theogony. In Arabic its name is Qalb al Asad and in India it was known as Magha, the Mighty or Bountiful. In a Babylonian star list it is listed as Lugal meaning the star that stands in the breast of the Lion: the King. Whether as Sun or Constellation, he is always the mighty one, the Ruler par excellence. In Egypt the two stars in Leo called Zosma and Coxa were known by them as Messu Ra, or the anointed Children of the Sun. Messu means both children and anointed in Egyptian, which is where we get our word messiah from.

One of the most recognizable patterns in the spring sky is the Sickle of Leo (shown at left), so named because this asterism outlines the mane of the celestial Lion. Shaped like a curved bow, the Sickle is marked by six bright stars which represent the weapons of Light in their struggle with the forces of darkness. Curiously, we find the same Sickle in the constellation of the Ram. Coincidence? We think not. Aries has three prominent stars forming an asterism which, as seen with the naked eye appear to form a curved bow, or sword in the night sky. These are deSignated Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Arietis, or Hamal, Sheratan and Mesartin respectively. The ancient Chinese astronomers gave this asterism the name Lou, variously translated as 'bond', 'lasso', or 'sickle", which was associated with the ritual sacrifice of cattle.

Viewed esoterically, this is the "flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life" mentioned in Genesis 3:24. It is this asterism which marks the point in the Testament of the Zodiac where the Ram is sacrificed, as we discussed in part two when we told you about the Lamb which was metaphorically slain in Aries. Cattle may also be viewed as a synonym for mankind, who are symbolically 'slain' when they enter into incarnation on Earth. This mystical sword or bow appears three times in the circle of the Zodiac. Firstly in Aries as the aforementioned sword of sacrifice, secondly in Leo as the "Bow of the Deluge" or inundation, and lastly in Scorpio as the "Tree of Life" referred to in Genesis. This radiant Tree is described in the Babylonian 'Tablet of the Thirty Stars' as "the weapon" or power of the gods Ea and Merodach. The Tree is placed in the midst of the abyss. We may compare this with the Tree of Life in the midst of the Biblical Eden. The stars which form the Tree of Light, are evidently those which Ptolemy calls "the three bright ones in the face" (of the Scorpion). Thus we have three bright stars in the head of the Scorpion and the great fiery luminary Antares in his heart. It is worth pointing out that this curved sword or weapon is found only in the most ancient Chaldean writings. In Aries it is the Sign of Sacrifice and the death of the Son, the sword which turned, to smite the Shepherd but not his flock — mark this well. For it is always the Messenger of God who is struck down first. Only then do the forces of darkness seek to destroy his faithful followers.

As John Temple explains in his investigation of the true Significance and esoteric meaning of Easter, "all the details of the supposed historical crucifixion of Jesus are symbols, carefully deSigned to paint a vivid allegorical picture of the tests and trials of Initiation and the life and work of the True Teacher." As we have seen, the Tapestry of the Zodiac faithfully depicts these tests and trials, not only in respect of mankind in general, or initiation into the Sacred Mysteries, but also as a vivid portrait of the life and work of the Messenger of God. The sword which smote the Shepherd of Man in Aries is transformed into the Bow of Resurrection in the kingly Sign of Leo. Its third appearance in Scorpio marks the time and place of Judgement when it is decided which mind is the victor in the eternal war between Light and darkness. This is the sword mentioned in Matthew 10:34: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." This is the sword of Justice that separates the sheep from the goats, the righteous from the unrighteous, in preparation for the actual Judgement that takes place in the following Sign of Libra. As we said earlier, is it not curious that the same curved weapon which was wielded by the Cherubim in Eden, should appear again and again among the figurations of the Zodiac?

Leo, together with Aries and Sagittarius is associated with the element of Fire by astrologers. This throws light upon the mysterious ancient name given to the month belonging to Leo. Gerald Massey, in his Book of Beginnings, tells us: "In Akkadian this month is called Ab-ab-gar, 'fire that makes fire,' which corresponds to the Zodiacal Sign of Leo." Fire-making-fire reminds us of Pentecost — the Christian celebration which commemorates the descent of the Holy Ghost in tongues of fire upon the Apostles of Jesus. This refers in a concealed manner to the holy inspiration which floods the minds of the true Prophets and Apostles, or Messengers of God. It is truly a consuming fire, proceeding from both the Son and the Father, who in this manner baptise their followers with the Holy Ghost. That Inspiration is a message of Peace and in the Zodiac of Dendera Leo is drawn with the figure of a Dove behind Him. We may add that the Lion has always been the image of the Sun and of fire in the symbolism of all ancient peoples. Fire makes fire. That is to say, to those to whom it is given, directly as in the case of the Messenger, or indirectly as in the case of his disciples, are all quickened by its Holy Power, as we may read in Vision 6 of The Golden Star. This is the only Power worth having, and using for the salvation of mankind. Even the Cherubim are described as burning coals of fire, on account of the brilliance of their appearance, as Enoch saw in his visions of the higher spiritual realms. Hence, it is not surprising that several stars in Leo have fire-names, such as Denebola, which is called "the Burning–of–Fire", Gisbar which is called "the tree of light", and Gubbara, "Fire–Flame."

The burning ferocity of fire is less pronounced in the sons and daughters of Leo than in Aries, the first of the three Fire-Signs of the Zodiac. The reason being that Aries is a Cardinal Sign, that is to say outgoing, assertive and proactive. Leo, on the other hand, as we said earlier, is a Fixed Sign, meaning resistant to change, stable, steadfast and reactive. We might distinguish the differences between the three Fire-Signs by calling Aries leaping fire, Leo steady fire and Sagittarius flickering fire, in conformity with the Mutable nature of the ninth Sign. Margaret Hone sums up the essential character, virtues and vices of the predominantly Leonian individual in The Modern Text Book of Astrology which we reviewed in our investigation of the Royal Art. She writes: "He is dignified, proud, regal, commanding, powerful, magnanimous, large-hearted, generous, strong-willed, reliable, fixed in his opinions and principles, a good leader, a good creator both of a family and of ideas for organisations. He is faithful and trusting. He is better as a leader than a follower, as befits the King of the Beasts, always provided his role is a broad and sweeping one, for attention to detail is not his forte!" Isabelle M. Pagan enlarges on this succinct summary in her perceptive analysis of the twelve Signs of the Zodiac — From Pioneer to Poet. "The evolved type," she writes, "is the ideal head of any large enterprise, institution, or undertaking. Many-sided himself, he understands and appreciates the qualities of all the other types, and never wastes his energy by asking from anyone what it is not in his or her power to give. Therefore he is particularly successful in organising activities and distributing duties, giving to the specialists facilities and opportunities for exercising their various faculties. Like a wise monarch he sends the warrior to the field of battle, the sage to the council-chamber; the governor to discipline the unruly province, the ambassador to offer terms of peace."

We said earlier that it cannot be doubted that the Lion of the Zodiac is a royal Prince and King; so he is. But there are good Kings and bad; need we give any examples? At his worst, the Monarch of the Jungle is a very bad kind indeed. This applies to the primitive Leonian in no small measure. A good King on the other hand is the best and wisest of men. Isabelle Pagan tells us: "The ideal monarch holds the past in reverence, as the parent of the present, and looks forward to the future as its child; so he has himself crowned by the priest, thus endowing him with position and authority to uphold tradition; and welcomes the advent of the prophet, giving to him the rostrum provided by an unfettered, free press. He encourages both science and art by his personal interest and patronage, and takes special measures for the well-being of the sick and the suffering, the poverty-stricken and oppressed. He practises constant self-denial and shows constant consideration for others by his punctuality, method and forethought; and though his own life is simple and his days full of labour, he can show regal hospitality, shining as host, and delighting to give of his best to the guest and stranger." Would that such Kings ruled the world today! We shall return to theme of Kingship later on for it contains the key to the essential message of this part of the Testament of the Zodiac.

In matters of the heart, the Lion of the Zodiac is apt to be overly generous with his affections. This frequently results in misplaced affections and unwise friendships for both sexes. Heartaches, broken engagements, and unhappy marriages are frequent. In this the typical Leonian resembles his amoral animal counterpart. Yet, the inborn magnanimity and power of forgiveness inherent in this Sign are such that in many cases the sufferer can adjust himself or herself to apparently impossible conditions, avert a tragedy and bring success out of failure by a sheer act of faith. Not so the primitive Leonian who is invariably afflicted with an unquenchable thirst for personal glory, and a ridiculous ambition for positions of responsibility and authority, which he or she is utterly incapable of filling with any degree of success. This is especially true of the male of the species who contrives to give himself the illusion of kingship by assuming airs of self-importance and lording it over what he considers to be his inferiors. A talent for deputing work is first cousin to the habit of shirking it; and it behoves every Leonian to ask himself candidly where he draws the line. The pitiable state of muddle found in some Leonian kingdoms is due to the fact that the monarch has claimed the throne too soon, and is either inclined to fidget in it or to snooze. The Lioness, on the other hand, desires a comfortable throne above all else — and a well-cushioned one at that! She is apt to assert her rule by betraying a marvellous skill in delegating disagreeable duties, a total incapacity for serving either herself or anyone else, together with a wondrous power of swallowing flattery. In this respect our primitive Lion resembles the domestic cat — an animal attached to those who are willing to stroke it the right way; but never much inclined to put itself out for anybody.

Even at his best, the so-called 'King of Beasts' is no warrior. Some perceptive naturalists have stigmatised him as the greatest fraud that ever wore a crown. He attacks his prey from behind, selects the weakest antagonists, and strikes them at their most unguarded moments. This may be good, kingly strategy, but it is hardly cricket or heroic! The vice of kings is favouritism. Unevolved Leonians are apt to select those who can make themselves useful, or who flatter them by showing a certain amount of abject dependence on their favour. As we said earlier, their love affairs develop along the same lines, and are apt to be numerous and unfortunate.

The slippery 42nd President of the United States, Bill — "I did not have sexual relations with that woman..." — Clinton, is an example of the type. In his case, Mars is conjoined to Venus in Libra in the First House, and both are conjunct Neptune, the planet of treachery and delusions of grandeur! The sons and daughters of Leo often marry beneath them — possibly from a desire to make sure they have at least one "subject" — and not infrequently find that their judgement has been at fault, and that the submissive and devoted fiancée shows a tendency, after marriage, to usurp the throne.

All this reaffirms the great lesson this gate of the Zodiac has to teach those who enter life on Earth through it: LOVE! It takes great Courage (Aries), Faith (Taurus), selfless Service (Gemini), and Inner Peace (Cancer) to learn how to give and receive Love. This is not learned in an incarnation or two. It may take countless incarnations before the lesson is fully learned. This also shows us how the Zodiac is one integrated Tapestry. Although, for the sake of convenience, we separate it into twelve Signs, each is but a part of the whole story revealed to us in the Starry Firmament. To love — to truly love with all one's heart and mind and soul, is a Divine emotion, not to be compared to any earthly passion of the same name. Nor must we forget that God Himself is Love. Hence, it is fitting that the Sign of Zodiac which pre-eminently stands for Love should be that of the King of Beasts. The True King, whether enthroned on Earth or not, is always nearest to the Holy Angel who sends him forth to fulfil his loving mission. Let us remember too, that the first and most important commandment Jesus is said to have laid upon his disciples was to love one another. All else follows from this one Virtue. For, as we may read in The Quest of Ruru: "The power of real love is so great that it snaps like a feeble thread the coils which had hitherto ensnared a being to his familiar place on earth. Pure love is like a mountain which cannot be shaken by the winds of calamity, death, suspicion and distrust."

NOW READ PART SEVEN

In part seven we discuss Net or Neith, the Lady of Heaven and the constellation over which she presides — Virgo, the Virgin. In our concomitant Afterword we explore the symbolism and hidden meaning of the extra-zodiacal constellations of Boötes and Coma Berenices or Berenice's Hair.

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Constellations

Part Six: Orion the Hunter and Lepus the Hare.

In this, the sixth of the afterwords accompanying this investigation, we continue our exploration of some of the extra-zodiacal constellations.

In our previous five afterwords we have explored the Perseus Family; Hydra, Corvus and Crater; Ursa Minor and Major, and Draco, the Dragon; Canis Major and Canis Minor, Auriga, the Charioteer and Monoceros; Eridanus and Argo Navis. In this Afterword we explore the rich esoteric symbolism of Orion, a pivotal constellation in the Testament of the Zodiac, as well as Lepus the Hare which Orion hunts. If you have not read the previous afterwords now is the time to do so or you will not obtain a complete understanding of the subjects under discussion.

ORION is the most brilliant of all the constellations in the night sky. When it reaches the meridian it is accompanied by several adjacent constellations of great splendour, such as Auriga, Taurus, Gemini, Canis Major and Eridanus, all of which we have discussed in the previous parts of this investigation. This magnificent celestial pageant shows that the coming one is no mere animal, but a mighty man: a warrior and hunter of great prowess, a triumphant prince.

When Orion is above the horizon we are presented with the most glorious view of the celestial bodies that the starry firmament affords. This magnificent spectacle is visible to all the habitable world because the equinoctial line passes just above the head of Orion as you can see in the second of the two illustrations shown below.

The 3rd century B.C. Greek poet Aratus sings of Orion:

"Eastward, beyond the region of the Bull,
Stands great Orion.
And who, when night is clear, beholds him gleaming bright,
Shall cast his eyes in vain
To find a Sign more glorious in all heaven."

If there is any one figure shown in the heavens as the hero par excellence in various characters, it is pre-eminently that of Orion. This is Horus, or Heru in Egyptian. The word Signifies chief; the one who is the over-lord, the ruler, the mighty one, the HERO. Horus the mighty conqueror, the slayer of the monster Apap; the giant-killer of all later legends and myths, not only as the solar God but also as the earlier elemental power.

In the Dendera Zodiac Orion is depicted as Horus in a boat surmounted by stars, followed by Sirius, shown as a cow, also in a boat. In the great Ramesseum of Thebes the stars of Orion represent the holy constellation of Sah or Sahu, constituted as "the glorious soul of Osiris," as shown in the detail below. Together with Isis-Sepdet — the personification of Sirius — which we discussed in the Proem to part four of this investigation, these three form the Holy Trinity of Osiris, Isis and Horus, or Father–Mother–Son.

In the star-map shown earlier, LEPUS, the Hare is shown crouching at the giant's feet. Now, why should Orion, which is constellated in the Heavens as a brave sportsman and mighty Hero, chase a miserable and timid hare? The clue to this paradox is found in the Bible in which Orion is called 'Ke-sil', meaning strong. It makes no sense for him to hunt the 'arnebeth' "who cheweth the cud", according to Leviticus 11:6 and Deuteronomy 14:7.

Surely, he can find something better to do? And he does! For it is an almost universal idea that the Sun pursues the moon every day and night in a never-ending chase. This was how the story was read by the mystery teachers of ancient Egypt who recognised and understood the Testament of the Zodiac written in the grouping of the stars. Such a chase implies the character of the hunter, and Orion, as representative of the solar Horus, is that hunter.

The Greeks, quite correctly, associated the Hare with the Moon, and still today, as John Temple explains in his investigation of the Esoteric meaning of Easter, the Chinese recognise a hare on the face of the Moon, not a man, as we do in the West. The pursuit of the moon is Signified by the stellar symbol of the hare. In Sign-language, and in many lands, the hare has ever been a lunar zootype as the wide-eyed leaper that was followed night by night, day by day, by the solar hunter in his perpetual round.

Thus the hare, known as a symbol of the moon over a large portion of the world, is shown to have been a figure of the lunar deity in Egypt. Though the hare was imaged as a primitive constellation at the feet of Orion, he was not the hunter of this inSignificant animal. Neither was Orion only a figure of the sun pursuing the moon. He was the typical hunter in other characters.

In the stellar mythos, Orion pursued the powers of darkness with the dogs of Horus, Kyon and Procyon. We find a specific reference to this in chapter XIII of the Book of the Dead, titled "The Chapter for entering into Light after coming forth from Amenta." In it, the Osirified deceased says: "I come forth as the Bennu at dawn. I urge on the hounds of Horus."

Every Osirified person, that is one who had learned the Sacred Mysteries on Earth and was worthy to enter the upper Egyptian paradise, was a hunter of the powers of darkness on behalf of Horus who was constellated in the heavens as Sahu–Orion, or Orion as the Sahu, that is: Horus in his glorious body.

In the oldest Egyptian traditions Sahu–Orion was represented as the wild hunter who traversed the nether world by night and hunted there whilst it was day on earth. The powers of darkness, the Sabau and the Sami, were the objects of his pursuit. They are hunted for food and the chase. A form of this legend may probably survive as Herne (Orion) the Hunter in British Mythology.

In the solar mythos the Lord of Light was Horus, or, later, Ra or Osiris, waging war upon the evil powers in the underworld, and hunting them to death by night and devouring them as the mode of destruction, symbolically; the drama being represented in the stellar phase with the figure of Orion as the Lord of Light made visible by night.

In Ancient Egypt, Gerald Massey tells us: "We may look on Horus, the original of Heracles, as the earliest child that ever strangled serpents. He is portrayed in this character as the child standing upon two crocodiles and crushing the serpents with both hands. Ages earlier, before the figures were humanized, Horus pierced the serpent of evil when he was represented in the form of a hawk fighting with a serpent on the back of a hippopotamus at Hermopolis."

From this we see that all the wars of Horus, or Ra and Apap, also of Set and Osiris in the eschatology, were dramatically rendered in the astronomical mythology. The battles first began with Horus and the reptile Apap. This is repeated by Horus crushing the Old Serpent in the constellation of Ophiuchus in his character of the conqueror who triumphed over drought, darkness, decay, and finally of death. In a scene copied by Maspero from the Dendera Zodiac Horus, on his papyrus, rises from the waters, and is preceded by Orion in his papyrus bark.

In these afterwords we have endeavoured to show how each separate constellation, and sometimes, parts of them, help to elucidate the journey of man from ignorance to Wisdom and from the darkness of life on Earth to the brilliant Light of life in the Spirit which is surely the aim of all seekers after Truth.

Every step of the way, each one of us battles the instincts, passions and desires of his or her lower nature — personified in the form of the Sebau and Sami fiends mentioned earlier — which were prefigured in the stories the stars reveal to us in the enigmatic configurations we call constellations. Each one of us is a Horus or Osiris in our Higher Self and an Apap in our lower self. Each zootype we discuss in this investigation stands for one or other of these warring principles.

We hope this further answers the complaint of the critical reader mentioned in our main narrative who wished to know why an understanding of the symbolism of the extra-zodiacal constellations was so very important to our own journey as occult students. In reducing what was once a sublime Art and Science into little more than a survey of the twelve Zodiacal Signs and an analysis of planetary qualities and aspects, astrologers past and present have effectively destroyed any esoteric meaning in astrology.

This also explains why modern, psychological astrology is incapable of fully elucidating a person's character. At best it can only describe some of the characteristics, behaviour and conditions of the lower self. In largely ignoring astronomical lore, it can tell us nothing about the spiritual journey of Man, or the occult origins, history and destiny of mankind or the Kosmos of which we are a part.

To return to Orion, the early inhabitants of Ireland called this constellation "the armed King," while the Mayas, the ancient inhabitants of Yucatan, knew it as "a Warrior." Ancient Babylonian star catalogues refer to Orion as "The Faithful Shepherd of Heaven." These similarities among nations widely separated in space and time, disprove any suggestion that they are mere coincidences.

We cannot conclude this Afterword without mentioning the Great Nebula in Orion. Astronomers have called it "the most interesting telescopic object." It is situated in the so-called 'Sword' of the Giant which hangs pendent from his Belt, and surrounds the star Theta Orionis. No description can do justice to it though the image reproduced below shows something of its beauty.

Within this magnificent celestial object we find the Horsehead Nebula, part of which forms the banner of this website. A clearer picture of Apap being 'smitten' by Horus it would be hard to find, though in our rendering of this stellar drama Michelangelo's depiction of God and the infant Jesus in his 'Creation of Adam' takes the place of the ancient Egyptian Hero.

The Orion Nebula is an unfinished celestial temple whose gigantic dimensions, while exalting the imagination, proclaim the omnipotence of its Divine Architect. But although unfinished it is not abandoned. The work of Kosmic creation is constantly proceeding within its hallowed precincts, directed by Fohat, or Cosmic Electricity.

Fohat, as H. P. Blavatsky tells us in The Secret Doctrine: "is the noumenon of the seven primary forces of Cosmic Electricity, whose purely phenomenal, and hence grossest effects are alone cognisable by physicists on the cosmic and especially on the terrestrial plane. These include, among other things, Sound, Light, Colour, etc." Occult science sees in all these Forces and manifestations a ladder, the lower rungs of which belong to exoteric physics, and the higher to a living, intelligent, invisible Power the ancients named Fohat.

It is Fohat that imparts all motion and awakens all into life in the Universe. It is the life-blood of suns and galaxies without number and the agent of attraction and repulsion within them. Not as understood by modern physics and according to the so-called law of gravity; but in harmony with the laws of Occult Science as you can read in our articles about the Occult Sun and Gravity.

Meanwhile, with the eye of poesy we behold the emerging stars within the nebula shining like gems just dropped from the hand of the polisher, and around them are masses, eddies, currents, and swirls of nebulous matter yet to be condensed, compacted, and constructed into suns. It is an education in the Art and Science of Creation — or rather of manifestation — to contemplate this wondrous spectacle in the many magnificent photographic images that have been taken of it with modern instruments.

As we saw earlier, an astonishing amount of folk-lore connects the moon and the Hare. Interestingly, in the Persian and Egyptian zodiacs the figure represented beneath the foot of Orion is not a Hare but a Serpent. In the Dendera Zodiac an unclean bird sits on the head of the serpent which is coiled above a small box or shrine, as you can see in the detail shown below.

What can this change of zootype Signify? Some of our regular readers may posit that it is perhaps a concealed reference to the (unclean) dominion of the lower self over the physical body represented by the shrine or box. They would be right, for as we have learned throughout this investigation, the Egyptian Sages were sticklers for verisimilitude in their depictions of the occult truths relating to man and the universe.

One scholar tells us that this enigmatical figuration was called Bashti-beki by the Egyptians. Now Bashti means confounded and Beki means failing. This supports the interpretation that in one aspect Lepus stands for the lower self and Orion the Higher. We emphasise the word 'one' for, as we have repeatedly pointed out in our investigations, there are always many aspects to any particular occult fact, condition, principle or law.

The brightest star in the body of the Hare is Alpha Leporis. Its Hebrew name, Arnebo, means the enemy of Him that cometh. The Arabic names of other stars in this constellation, not identified, are Nibal, the mad; Rakis, the bound; and Sugia, the deceiver. The meaning of this united testimony is clear. The enemy crouches under the descending foot of Orion. In unequivocable language it announces the coming of Horus, "The Sun of Righteousness," whose light shall illumine all the earth. It is He, the celestial Hero, who shall "tread down the wicked" (Malachi 4:3) and every enemy will be subdued under His feet.

This affirms what we told you in part three of this investigation, namely that there is hardly a single narrative, myth, event, or statement in the Bible the hidden meaning of which does not have an astronomical basis. It requires a sound knowledge of that much misunderstood book to read the arcane figurations of the Testament of the Zodiac and extract their occult meaning.

One of the chief characteristics of the extra-zodiacal constellations is the element of strife and conflict that characterises many of them. We behold giant Hercules brandishing a club as he tramples on the Dragon's head; Orion attacks the onrushing Bull; Ophiuchus struggles with a writhing Serpent, and crushes underfoot the Scorpion, which in turn thrusts at him with its sting. Nearby, the Hounds of Horus, driven on by Boötes, the Herdsman, continually pursue and harass the Great Bear.

The fierce monster of the deep, Cetus the Whale, seems eagerly looking for whom he may devour, while the Hero Perseus, with drawn sword, stands ever ready to join in mortal combat. Meanwhile, Sagittarius, the Archer aims his shaft at the heart of the Scorpion, Hydra pursues the Lesser Dog, and is in turn in danger of being seized by the Crab; and not far away we find the timid Hare fleeing before the Hounds of Orion.

All this is further evidence that the constellations were deliberately planned, for a haphazard, passive arrangement of figures, would neither enshrine nor convey any special Significance. Rather, the constellations are the work of the great Sages of Egypt and Atlantis, depicting in the starry heavens for all ages and all peoples the secrets of Heaven and Earth through the medium of symbolism, mythology and allegory.

In our next Afterword we explore the constellations of Boötes and Coma Berenices. Meanwhile, we hope that you have enjoyed the sixth of our surveys of the hidden messages of the Stars.

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