When this thought is held with focused attention and a deep, imaginative feeling of connection to universal consciousness, it opens the door to powerful insight. The soul begins to sense its unity with all life, gains clarity about its role in the greater cosmic design, and comes to understand essential truth that Deity talks to us through the Book of Nature.
—paraphrased From Course 3, Spiritual Alchemy
Study the Brotherhood of Light Lessons. Be informed by Nature's Laws.
Taurus: The 2nd Sign of the Zodiac
April 19 through May 20
I Have
“Render Unto Caesar the Things Which be Caesar’s and Unto
God the Things Which be God’s.”
The Golden Calf: Turning Matter into Meaning
Taurus, the first earth sign, invites us to ground our spiritual journey in the material world. It teaches patience, practicality, and the sacred value of tending to physical needs—not as an end, but as a path to greater awareness.
As spring brings fresh blooms, Taurus marks the Soul’s descent into matter, symbolizing a turning point where we leave the spiritual “garden” and begin the adventure of conscious experience. In Western tradition, this is the story of Adam and Eve—not a fall, but a necessary awakening to life’s lessons.
Wealth and resources can support our growth when used with wisdom. But as the tale of Moses and the Golden Calf reminds us, worshiping material things leads us astray. When Moses returned from the mount and found his people idolizing gold, he didn’t destroy their offering—he transformed it. Burned with spiritual fire, ground with compassion, and blended into water, it became something they could carry within, not bow before.
Taurus teaches that material things aren’t meant to be worshiped—they’re meant to be used, shared, and uplifted. When we approach life with gratitude and purpose, even our possessions can help raise our vibration and move us closer to Universal Brotherhood and true spiritual wealth.
The spiritual text is:
“Physical Life and Its Opportunities Should Not be Slighted;
Neither Should Spiritual Aspirations Be Ignored...
Learn, therefore, to ‘Render Unto Caesar the Things Which be Caesar’s and
Unto God the Things Which be God’s”
Click here for more of this meditation and a companion exercise.
Astrological Insights from Spiritual Astrology...Cory Booker
The 1st Decanate of Taurus (Taurus/Taurus) — Lepus and the Lesson of Mental Power.
“One of Humanities Greatest Enemies is Fear.”
Lepus, Le Lievre
John Flamsteed, WikiMedia Commons,
public domain
Keyword: DETERMINATION.
In Spiritual Astrology, C.C. Zain teaches that the first decanate of Taurus is where the power of the imagination can be used to crystallize desires into form. This is mental magic in action—using focused intention to shape the world we want to live in by impressing our goals onto astral substance.
The symbolic constellation for this decanate is Lepus, the rabbit—an animal often associated with nervousness and fear. At first glance, linking fear with the keyword DETERMINATION may seem odd. But Zain’s deeper point is profound: fear is one of the greatest threats to our willpower. It weakens resolve and undermines our ability to act with strength of mind.
Interestingly, “strength of mind” is listed as a synonym for determination in Microsoft Word—and it’s precisely what’s needed to overcome fear and bring visions into reality.
Cory Booker: Determination in Action and Fellowship
Senator Cory Booker is a powerful example of this principle in action. Regardless of how one feels about filibusters, it’s hard to ignore the stamina and resolve it took for him to speak continuously for over 25 hours on the Senate floor. Throughout his speech, he was fueled by reading heartfelt letters from his constituents, giving voice to their concerns, and echoed the sentiments of world leaders troubled by the fraying bonds of global unity. He drew strength from his fellow lawmakers—his congressional brothers and sisters—who supported his Determination with love, encouragement, and solidarity.
From the standpoint of Spiritual Astrology, Booker is living out of his soul’s desire to be true to his spiritual ego’s mission—to communicate with Determination. His Sun is in the first decanate of Taurus, and it falls in his 3rd House, the house of mental activities, communication, siblings, neighbors or local relationships, and short travel.
A 3rd House Taurus Sun suggests someone who communicates with thoughtful care. They speak deliberately and with conviction, often valuing beauty and clarity in their words. Their ideas are rooted in practicality and carried by a quiet inner strength. Loyalty, charm, and a love of meaningful dialogue are natural traits—and when they speak, people tend to listen.
Whether in speech, the written word, or quiet conversation, those with this placement are often natural builders of thought and voice, shaping ideas with care and purpose. When aligned with their higher will, they are potent manifesters, grounding their dreams into reality through sheer, steady determination.
For greater insight into the decanates of spiritual astrology, click here for more about Taurus and the DETERMINATION decanate in Course VII or here for “The First Eighteen Decanates Analyzed” in Course X-1.
To purchase, Click here for Course VII, Spiritual Astrology or here for Course X-1, Delineating the Horoscope.
Alchemizing Venus:For use at times when our will and healthy boundaries are characterized by too much pliancy; emotional and affectional crises; and, when we tend to be vague, negatively imaginative, and unduly sensitive.
Constructive Social Urges express as Affection, asserted through strength of character in companionship and social contacts, and in appreciation for the beautiful in life.
“O Thou Eternal Spirit, in Whom I live, move, breathe and have my Being! Aid me to attain calmness when emotion would threaten my poise. Aid me to be reasonable when I would feel hurt and unreasonable. Aid me to know that others will give love to me only as I radiate love to them. Inspire me to face reality courageously, confidently and calmly.”
In Elbert Benjamine's classic series, he explains the astrological significance of the sign Taurus and its relationship to Arcanum XIV, The Alchemist tarot card.
EXPRESSION:
“In the spiritual world, the perpetual movement of life. In the intellectual world, the combination of ideas which create the moral life. In the physical world, the combination of the forces of nature.”
ADMONITION: paraphrased from The Sacred Tarot
“Remember this, child of Earth: conserve your energy, and don’t shrink from the work ahead. Like water falling drop by drop can wear down even the hardest stone, steady effort over time overcomes the greatest obstacles. If Arcanum XIV appears in your horoscope, it’s a sign that with a clear plan and persistent action, you can rise—step by step—to the heights you dream of reaching.”
light.org is an internet resource for those searching for true esoteric insight that can only come from combining the best of the past with the promise of the future. Here we try to avoid the dogma of material science, “new age” thought, or fundamentalist religious concepts, while adhering to the old axiom “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
The Brotherhood of Light Lessons and the Aquarian Age
A new spiritual dispensation is at hand, where the love and compassion of the Piscean Age are enhanced by the wisdom that comes from a deeper understanding of the Nature of Reality brought by the new Aquarian Age and thus Religion is wed to Science. Our Brotherhood of Light lessons are the bridge that caries us into this New Age by combining the best of the Ancient Teachings with the wonders of our new discoveries. Nothing stays the same we must all adapt to the flood of new information.
Why Astrology and the Tarot are so important to understanding Traditional Knowledge
The word Kabala signifies traditional knowledge. It thus refers to the Oral Law, as handed down from antiquity; and embraces the occult traditions of all lands and all peoples. Often it is used merely as referring to the esoteric doctrines of the Jews; but in its broader sense it includes also the secret doctrine of other races. This secret doctrine, common to many lands, was jealously guarded from the profane, and was never permitted to pass into writing except in such ambiguous terms as to baffle the uninitiated as to its true purport. In this sense the sacred books of the world, including the Avesta, the Vedas and the Bible are largely kabalistical; for they set forth traditions that are capable of an inner, or esoteric, interpretation. In fact, there are usually several interpretations possible, each more inner version revealing a deeper truth to those who have advanced along the path far enough to comprehend it.
And this seems the proper place to point out that the unwritten kabala, like the written kabala, is set forth in symbolical language, with purposeful blinds and subterfuges to confuse the uninitiated; so that of the few who undoubtedly exist at the present day who have received it, most remain in as much ignorance of its true interpretation as the majority of students do after studying the more accessible written kabala. This unwritten kabala has been transmitted only through certain secret schools. Those receiving it well merit what is given to them. They are left to their own devices in the matter of interpretation. And because the real keys to its interpretationóastrology and the tarotóhave been largely ignored, or distorted, they have floundered sadly in arriving at its meaning. Whether written or unwritten, the kabala is a philosophy correlated to esoteric astrology as exemplified by the tarot; and it can only be comprehended fully by those who perceive the true relation between astrological energies and their pictured tarot exemplification.
Excerpts from The Sacred Tarot by C. C. Zain
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Astrology of World Affairs by Hermetician Dennis Sutton
ancient wisdom — modern science
Sharing knowledge of Hermetic astrology, the birth chart, astrodynes and global astrology
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What does the Holographic Theory of the Universe and Quantum Theory have to do with our Hermetic teachings?
In this article we will attempt to present aspects that pertain to the Hermetic Teachings of the Church of Light. We also encourage you to investigate these theories for yourself...
The Brotherhood of Light lessons encourage us to study the Book of Nature...
Nature manifests through Diversity.
Diversity is the key to survival..mastering its many facets is the means by which we thrive.
Fear of the unknown and that which is different from self manifests throughout nature.
Through Cooperation we express the Will of Deity,
gain the freedom that results from transformation,
and achieve a sense of personal fulfillment, harmony, balance ... spirituality.