Spiral Astrology
Glen Atkinson

Introduction
This approach to Astrology has evolved over 25 years and is still in the process of development. It has reached a point of cohesion where many practical applications have resulted and thus is ready to be presented to the Astrological community for review. This approach has been presented as four web books (1,2,3,4) available from my website @ http://get.to/garuda so more detail and diagrams are available there.

It is well known that Astrology is built upon an astronomical foundation, with Astrological techniques generally being further developments - some extreme - from this base. For example, the astronomical reality of the 12 constellations are used as the basis for the 12 fold division of the sun's path, which we call the Signs.

The particular part of astronomy I have found useful, starts from the essential gyroscopic nature of many forms found in creation. When we look at galaxies, and stars we are first struck by the visible flat plane they create. The Milky Way and our planetary plane are examples of this. These flat planes, though, do not exist by themselves. They are a product of an enormous gyroscopic sphere made up mostly of electro-magnetic forces. The matter we see is being squirted out along a horizontal plane from a central black hole, or Sun, after it has first been sucked into the centre of the gyroscope through two gigantic vortices, placed on the vertical plane. The Hubble telescope has since taken several photos of galaxies and stars which illustrate various stages of this process very wll. ( See 1, Chapter 1)

Following on with a process of using astronomical phenomena as a starting point for the development of astrological methodologies, I felt this basic form of the gyroscope could act as an archetypal image from which life processes could be understood and from which astrological practises can be developed. So I adopted the stance that the gyroscope and its essential parts, the vertical and horizontal planes and the vortex, could act as an archetypal form and be developed into a universal theorum for 'life, the universe and everything'.

I first came across the vortex and then the gyroscope as applied concepts through my working with the suggestions of Dr. Rudolf Steiner (RS). So it was very heartening when the Hubble photos came out supporting this thesis of a universal gyroscope as the basic form for the organization of living systems. RS has described many aspects of creation from a very practical, spiritual viewpoint. A key to his descriptions is appreciating that he generally outlines things according to a set of laws he called "2 fold, 3 fold, 4 fold, 7 fold and 12 fold structures of creation". It will be obvious, to most readers, that this is the same law pattern structure we use in Astrology however we describe them as "duality, modes, elements, planets, and signs".

A breakthrough came, though, when I saw that these "laws" were not floating around separately in space, but rather they are different levels one structure. Initially it easiest to see these "parts" as different layers of the vortex form however they are more correctly different layers of the spherical form of the gyroscope. The 12 fold Signs find their source in the constellations of the Galaxy, the 7 fold planets (we can talk of the extra sensory planets later) are a solar system phenomena. The 4 fold elements exist in the atmosphere of the Earth, while the 3 fold modes manifest very strongly in the physical structures of living bodies, and the 2 fold sexes are the necessary precursor to life on Earth. In this way we see the "parts" of Astrology (and Steiner's view) are actually different layers of our environment and of the same creative activity, or archetypal structure, that life processes manifest within. They are the description of one thing - creative spirit - at increasingly complex levels of manifestation.

Vortices exist only through motion and in their motion they form a characteristic spiralling form so while we can talk of "layers of a vortex"; each layer is but a harmonic stage of a continuous spiral. Hence I have come to call my approach "Spiral Astrology". It is this spiralling vortex which can be used as the basis for a 'Universal Theorum'.

RS's lectures on Agriculture and Medicine have provided much meat for the bones of this spiralling astrological form. RS's basic Pisces nature coupled with an unaspected Mercury, Neptune conjunction can sometimes make his lectures very hard work. I find at times he changes context within a short period of time without informing us. This has lead to an immense amount of confusion, even amongst his most ardent students and, thus, much debate as to how to understand and interpret his work. Given this limitation though, his work, especially in the last 6 years of his life, is very practically related to the spiritual activities standing behind the physical world and has many useful applications to daily life. This can be witnessed by the many institutions which have developed in a wide range of fields from education to hospitals, agriculture, social development, and many creative therapies. Often people's whole lives have been involved with small indications he made. A key, for me, in defining his "contexts" has been to see his work through the structure of Spiral Astrology. In doing, so many associations and understandings can be gleaned that allows for more practical steps to follow.

In this diagram I have placed the layers of the Astrological Vortex along side parts of the information RS has provided for Biodynamic Agriculture. It also illustrates the layers in relationship to each other as part of the vortex. (One significant difference between the Astrological model and the Biodynamic model is the placement of the Modes. In Astrology, the Cardinal pole is often seen as the more male and expansive character, while the Fixed pole is seen as the retiring female pole. This is one of those "nice" contradictions that have lead to a deepening of my understanding. )

This Biodynamic / Astrological vortex, provides a structural basis for many of the Astrological understandings we just learn and take for granted. For example, how Fire and Earth personalities get along well while Fire and Water do not get along as easily.

The primary polarity of the vortex (and life) is established at level 2. The male Sun pole is polarised to the female Moon pole. This polarising activity is carried onto level three and shows in the Modes' activities. The poles are the Cardinal and Fixed modes while the mutable mode is made up of, and conditioned by, their interaction. At level four the primary poles' relationship remains active and shows as the Fire and Earth relationship, while we see the centre - the mutable mode - breaking into two parts to provide the (subsidiary) elements of Air and Water. These subsidiary two elements have a polar relationship of their own. So we have 2 sets of "positive", or "creative", relationships described for us in this process. The Fire and Earth elements and the Air and Water elements form creative polarities of activity. The other positive activity that can be seen in this diagram is that between the "similars". The male elements of Fire and Air act as brother, while the female elements of Water and Earth act as sisters to each other. These are the "easy" relationships we know so well. Fire and Water have no obvious relationship and thus find it difficult to relate to each other.

These relationships provide the basis of the fourfold law RS continually uses, and these "rules" can be applied to anything of fourfold character. The first basic form to apply them to is the gyroscope itself. The primary relationship between Fire and Earth - the mythical marriage between Heaven and Earth - can be seen working on the vertical plane of the gyroscope. It is through the spinning of an object that these vertical spirals are at first produced. The subsidiary polarity between Air and Water can be seen to be working on the horizontal plane. This plane is a later development once a critical mass has been formed at the centre and matter is then released through the horizontal. This horizontal plane is the plane of life we see manifested in everything from the galactic and solar system planes to the central region of the human, which contains the heart and lungs system, so central to the maintenance of a living body. Once an association like this is made, then any other piece of information connected to one of these points can be added to the diagram.

A later development of this is shown in this diagram. It attempts to illustrate the basic functioning of living organisms, especially plants, animals and human as described by RS in his 1922 medical lectures. (5) @ http://wn.elib.com/Steiner/Lectures/FundAnthro/19221027a01.html (Read lecture 3 as well. RS, the 1920 "Spiritual Science and Medicine" (6) is also available at this site.) This diagram provides the relationship between, the spiritual bodies and the chemical elements of protein, which acts as their carriers in the physical body systems. Any other relationship based on the 4 fold elements you might have can be added as well.

This study has provided many challenges to my understandings which ultimately lead to answers that further my understanding. In some cases I believe general Astrological understanding can benefit too, for example, I mentioned earlier that at the 3 fold Modes level, the cardinal / fixed poles are reversed, when described by Astrology or Biodynamics. The answer to this problem lies in the essential and polar difference that exists between the archetypal / spiritual and material realities. The polarised nature of these two stages of reality shows up in many places. Significant ones are - the different areas of effect and influence of geocentric and heliocentric astrology, tropical and sidereal zodiacs and even the very zodiac we all take for granted. (See 4, Chapters 6-9). My investigations have lead me to suppose that, the closer an Astrological system is to the Astronomical reality, the closer it stands in relation to the archetypal or spiritual activity. The more "abstract" a technique is from Astronomical reality, the closer (often) it comes to being an expessor of the materially manifest life. In the case presented above regarding the modes, the Biodynamic reference refers to how the three modes are organised in physical body's formative processes, while a common Astrological reference for mode use, refers to the way they manifest more as a spiritual / psychological activity of the human. In the Astrology modes we see the personalities of Cardinal manifesting, within business processes as the expansive Entrepreneur or Director type, the Mutable activity is Management and the Fixed mode provides the Workforce. RS,s descriptions focus more on the head or male pole being dominated by forces of the Nerve Sense system which has its centre in and around a very physically solid and fixed skull. He described the fruiting and expansiveness we usually associate with the Cardinal pole as manifesting in the metabolic and reproductive regions of the lower body. In between these two great physical systems of the head and the belly exists the Rhythmic system, where the circulation and lung systems intimately entwine. Health stands as the middle region between all these activities.

With regard to the zodiacs, we can again see two zodiacs which mirror this polarity. The Astrological model provides us with a completely different zodiac to the Aries >> Pisces zodiac most of us take for granted. The Astrological model shows a zodiac built upon the axis of Aquarius - Capricorn (Saturn) at the zenith, with the horizontal axis formed by the signs governed by Mars and Venus. This zodiac takes another step to the left, as it begins at Cancer and goes in the opposite direction around the circle finishing at Leo as the ultimate state of "consciousness". Here we find some suggestions for who Persephone is!

Both of these zodiacs are right, it is just that they are right in different ways. The Aries Pisces zodiac built upon the Spring equinox of the northern hemisphere of the Earth is a zodiac for manifest realities, while this 'archetypal' zodiac describes things such as the process of animal evolution ( Kolisko, E. - The 12 Groups of Animals) and the archetypal human spiritual journey. This zodiacs relevance is further supported when we draw the zodiac based on the modes. (See 1) In this diagram we have wonderful picture of the energy structures of a gyroscope.

 

Biodynamic Agriculture
My most practical endeavours have been with horticulture, with a special interest in how plants manifest themselves through the interplay of spiritual forces and physical substances. RS's biodynamic agriculture has provided a thorough science of this and in doing so takes the spiritual (and Astrology) and makes it a usable basis for working with living systems.

The comment "the microcosm is a mirror reflection of the macrocosm" really comes to reality through Biodynamics. We can look at the reality of living on planet Earth as part of a Solar system which, in turn, is a resident of the Galaxy. As there are no impermeable membranes in this creation it stands a high probability that this whole creation is a massive interconnected being in which all parts are linked and influenced by all others. The nature of four of the main parts can be characterised as, Our Galaxy which is identified predominately as stars or suns which emit the primary electro magnetic forces which hold matter in place. These forces function at relatively constant rates, as experienced from any one point and over long periods of time (Spirit - Fire).
More locally, we see our Sun and its electro magnetic (EM) field has spewed out enough matter along its horizontal plane to create nine planets, which primarily reflect what forces come to them from the Sun and other stars. More recently it has been acknowledged that the planets also emit their own EM forces as well. The key image here though is that the planets are a secondary manifestation of the Sun's activity, just as our astral or psychology /psychic body is a secondary accumulation of our spirit's experiences (Astral - Air).
The third sphere of significance is the atmosphere of the Earth. This is a unique formation coming out of the life processes of the Earth itself. Once the blue Green algae formed at the unique meeting place of the 4 elements, the ocean's surface, and began to release free oxygen into the earth's environment, we see oxidation of the Earth's surface begining to occur. Once this oxygenation was complete free oxygen began to accumulate around the Earth to such a degree that the atmosphere was formed. This accumulation of free O2 lead to an increased ability for life forms to evolve. What we see here is a symbiotic relationship between the life sphere of the Earth and its Atmosphere. The atmosphere is the Earth's macrocosmic life body which allows the microcosmic living bodies of Earth inhabitants to form and exist (Etheric - Water).
Lastly we have the Earth's physical body from which lifeforms take their Carbon to make their their own physical bodies (Physical -Earth).

From this we see the macrocosmic 'bodies' of our environment. RS indicates how these macrocosmic bodies then incarnate in various combinations to manifest as the four kingdoms of nature on Earth. The mineral kingdom is a physical form with the other bodies staying outside and working upon it directly. The plant kingdom incarnates the 'atmospheric' etheric body and can thus grow, however the Astral and Spirit bodies act externally upon the plants from their respective macrocosmic spheres. The astral / reproductive processes of plants, for instance, are completely dependant on the external elements of light and warmth being a strong enough force from outside so flowering and seeding can take place. These aspects of plant growth are not a given. Flowering and fruiting do not need to take place and do so only when the - male - outside works strongly enough inward to force the ever rhythmical leaf growth into 'orgasm'.

Animals do incarnate the astral body as well as the etheric and so sexual maturity is a matter of course. However, they do not incarnate the spirit in the way humans do. So they stay very much as a group, herd, school or pack under the guidance of their Deva, while we humans are developing the ability to stand as individuals beyond the limitations of our blood lines as the spirit works directly with us.

When we work with the various kingdoms these considerations need to be taken into account as they deeply influence the way the spiritual bodies work in any situation and, thus, how we can respond, and even, control their action. (More on this at my workshop).

The Biodynamic Vortex has allowed for RS indications to be ordered and extended as well.
One of RS's greatest gifts has been the 8 herbal preparations (500-507) he outlined as part of Biodynamics. Regrettably he gave only scant indications as to how they were to be used. However by combining his indications with that of a Dutch doctor, B. Lievegeod, and those suggested by the Biodynamic Vortex I have been able to begin to use these preparations as direct spiritual body "medicines" for both plants and humans. This has lead to sets of homeopathic essences for both plant growth control and human health, known as the Garuda Biodynamic Essences. This approach provides a connection between the spiritual spheres, astrological theory and very practical life situations such as pest and disease control in plants. (See (2) and "Case Studies" at http://get.to/garuda) . It is "Bringing Spirit to Earth".

My presentations at the September Conference will look into the background to these themes in greater detail. The session on "Persephone" outlines how "Spiral Astrology" benefits human astrological endeavour, while the other sessions will focus on viewing and working practically with the natural world.

Web Books:
1	Astrological Science	Glen Atkinson	1989
2	Biodynamics Decoded		1989
3	Biodynamics Essays		1990s
4	Spiral Astrology		2000
5	Fundamentals of Anthroposophical Medicine	R Steiner	1922
6	Spiritual science and Medicine		1920
Other Books
7	Agriculture	R Steiner	1924