Illumination of the Capricorn Dignities by the 3rd-Quadrant Dignities

by Anthony J. Damiani

Paper V09P

3-LETTER CODE: ASN

TOPIC: Astronoesis

SUBJECT: Nature

SUBSUBJECTS: 10th House, 3rd Quadrant, Jupiter in Sagittarius, Demiurge, Buddhi, Ahamkara

ORIGINAL LOCATION & FILE NAME (of PDF used for typing): ASN MASTER SOUL 151-171.PDF (pp. 157-159)

CONTENTS:

Two aspects of Demiurgic activity

Double role of Jupiter in Sagittarius

Matter illumined by combined reason-principles; evolves into Noeron body of cosmos, Prakriti

Saturn in Capricorn (first level): absolute principle of difference (Saturn in Aries) becomes Place of manifestation

Mars in Capricorn (second level): illumination by Ideas of 7th and 8th houses; Buddhi Linga; intellect of manifestation (both subjective and objective)

Moon in Capricorn (third level): Ahamkara principle (individual minds); principles determining shape of individual minds through continuity of lives

Jupiter in Capricorn (fourth level): geometric laws governing formation of bodies

BOOKS QUOTED FROM OR REFERENCED:

• Plotinus, The Enneads (MacKenna translation, 4th ed.)

• John N. Deck, Nature, Contemplation, and the One: A Study in the Philosophy of Plotinus

• Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya, Studies in Philosophy, Vol. 1, "Studies in Samkhya Philosophy"

PLOTINUS QUOTES REFERENCED: III.6.6, III.6.18, VI.7.7

DIAGRAM embedded in this paper:

• FIGURE Capr. & 3rd Q-1. Capricorn Dignities and Third Quadrant Predecessors.

REFORMATTED/CORRECTED by IT, MW 2025

NOTES:

• RETYPED ASTRONOESIS ENDNOTE (V09P).

• This edited version is based on Astronoesis soul text pp. S157-159, with some re-arrangement and text omitted, but the only edited text is that within [square brackets]. See the end of this paper for the diagram. The basic idea in this note was discussed in many classes, starting some time in 1980 and continuing through the end of 1981. This endnote was rejected for inclusion in the published Astronoesis.

ILLUMINATION OF THE CAPRICORN DIGNITIES BY THE 3RD-QUADRANT DIGNITIES

There are two aspects of Demiurgic Activity that have to be considered in producing the ground plan or sketch of Universal Manifestation: the Ideas and the power necessary to actualize them. The double role of Jupiter in Sagittarius indicates to us that it is on the one hand the Being of the 3rd quadrant--containing all the principles and Ideas within it, and on the other [hand] the unity and leader of the last four houses-- the outward-facing creatrix which is to preside over [giving rise to] Universal Manifestation [--as including the last four houses]. Included in the Intellect of Zeus, in its unchanging and timeless life, are all the reason principles with which in its aspect as the Soul of Universal Manifestation it will in-form the Universe.

All of this is in reference to Plotinus' terse statement in V1.7.7 concerning the tentative illumination of "matter" as the sketch of the universe to be--"the first state of the World-[Idea]Mind" or the organization of mind's energy as the substratum for Universal Manifestation.

In [III.6.18] Plotinus speaks of the reason principles of the Universe proceeding from Zeus [or the Demiurgic Soul] that are variously combined among themselves and superimposed on primal "matter," Space, the material substratum which Plato says the Demiurge receives directly from the One.

The (Universal) Soul--containing the Ideal Principles of Real-Beings, and itself an Ideal Principle--includes all in concentration within itself, just as the Ideal Principle of each particular entity is complete and self-contained . . . Matter, on the contrary, destitute of resisting power since it has no Act of its own and is a mere shadow, can but accept all that an active power may choose to send. (III.6.18)

This pure potential or receptivity is illuminated by the power of the combined reason principles and will evolve into the Noeron body of the Cosmos, that is the underlying intelligence functioning through matter. We may refer to this principle as the Being of Non-Being or unmanifest Prakriti.

Editors' note: John Deck refers to this view of matter as follows: "For Plotinus, matter is non-being. It is not only non-being, but, in a significant phrase, it has the being of non-being. (III-6-6, line 30-32)" (p. 93)

Details of the Illumination of Four Levels of Capricorn

Jupiter in Sagittarius--the Being of Soul--will provide the locus for the Shape of the "material" Universe--Saturn in Capricorn.

Editors' note: Within the Universal Soul considered as the ruler of the third quadrant are all the reason principles necessary to universal manifestation: Plotinus calls this universal intelligence Providence. It is the Universal Soul itself which can make available for manifestation the absolutely incomprehensible, impassive, immaterial, formless Matter--which Plato says proceeds directly from the One. This principle of Alienism or ex-istence is brought under some kind of tentative (very subtle) determination by the Demiurge. We may conceive that the absolute principle of difference, the Saturn in Aries, is made into the Place of manifestation.

The super-subtle "matter" which is provided by the One is illuminated by the Ideas of the 7th and 8th houses, that is, the 36 principles or tattvas that can be ultimately factored out in the analysis of any living entity, and the subjective states to accompany these principles. This total would be the World Idea in its immensity. These 2 Ideas are represented by Mars in Scorpio and Venus in Libra. The functioning of Mars in Scorpio and Venus in Libra produces a specific world view that would correspond to the Samkhya notion of Buddhi Linga or the substantial bases of any functioning intelligence--Mars in Capricorn[--the Intellect of manifestation as both subjective and objective.]

Editors' note: It requires the ideas of subjectivity (8th house) and objective ideas (7th house) to provide the next level of illumined matter. We need to take two views here: that the separative intellect which Samkhya calls Buddhi has both a subjective and objective potentiality imposed by the World Mind (Ishvara), and that the pure Prakriti (illumined matter represented by Saturn, the being of non-being) has evolved into the form of intelligence. The Samkhya notion of Buddhi Linga or the causal level of any functioning intelligence is Mars in Capricorn.

The tail in Sagittarius speaks to us of the past residual functioning left behind and constitutive of the present state of the given "matter" which is now the organizing principle of individuality = Moon in Capricorn the Ahamkara principle.

Editors' note: The Moon in Capricorn represents the principle of individual minds or Ahamkara, and this must be based on the Idea of the possible allotments--i.e., minds as planetary, human, daemonic and so on. The Moon in Capricorn represents the principles which determine the shape of every individual mind throughout a continuity of lives.

Saturn in Libra correlates the corresponding tattvas with the tanmatric elements, which are represented by the Jupiter in Capricorn.

Editors' note: Here in Jupiter in Capricorn, we locate the geometric laws which govern the formation of bodies which makes possible the instantiation of the Ideas.

[FIGURE Capr. & 3rd Q-1. Capricorn Dignities and Third Quadrant Predecessors. Facsimile scan from Astronoesis Soul draft, p. S158, of drawing by student.]