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Question: You say that Mercury is colorless and neutral in its influence. Would not that indicate that the humanity of Mercury is at a very low stage of development, and if so how can they have an influence upon the mind of humanity in such a manner that it promotes reason? (Vol. II, #122)
Answer: During the first three and a half Revolutions of the Earth Period the influence of Mars had been paramount to galvanize humanity into action, but since the middle of the Atlantean Epoch, when mind had been given to all, evolution and epigenesis (the exercise of man's own original creative talent) are gradually bringing us Godward. While the influence of Mars was paramount as said, the mercurial influence was almost nil, for the planet Mercury had been in obscuration, undergoing one of the periodical planetary rests from which it began to emerge during the Atlantean Epoch when the Lords of Mercury were called upon by Jehovah to aid Him in counterbalancing the influence of the Lucifer Spirits upon humanity. Since that time the influence of Mercury has been constantly increasing, but it will take many millennia before its full influence is felt. There are no sudden processes in nature and it takes a long time for a planet to go to rest or come out from a period of obscuration. It must not be forgotten either that we are not mentally qualified to take full advantage of the Mercurial vibrations as they exist at the present time, for the humanity of Mercury is far beyond our stage of development, though they as well as all the other planets are following different lines of evolution from that which is going on upon the Earth.
With respect to the color of Mercury, we may say that when one is in the body and focuses his sight upon the World of Concrete Thought, the first color he sees is blue-black or indigo, something like the intensified color of the blue core of a gas flame. At times it appears darker than others, though probably that may be due to conditions in the observer, but it seems entirely vacuous. The feeling and sensation is something similar to that which one has after being out in a very bright sunlight when one suddenly enters a house. The sight has to be adjusted to conditions there and until that time all appears black or dark. Then gradually one perceives a white light in and through everything.
The whole Region of Concrete Thought is basically a dazzling, brilliant white, or perhaps colorless, and in that the different things take unto themselves a color which stands out all the more sharply and brilliantly because of the absolutely colorless light which pervades the whole region. It is probably because of that absolutely crystal clearness that there is no space perception possible. The mind is formed of this colorless mind stuff and because it is perfectly neutral it is able to show other things in their true colors.
Perhaps the whole matter can best be explained by the illustration of a field glass. If we take one that is of poor quality, we shall find that the glass is not quite clear and that it shows a number of colors in the lenses. Thus the objects upon which this glass is focused are seen but indistinctly, their colors not being shown up true, but when we obtain a first class instrument it is, as we say, chromatic. It will not show any colors in the glass, and therefore it can properly transmit the true colors of objects upon which it is focused. Being perfectly clear and absolutely neutral it may be focused upon distant objects. The mercurial rays are singularly well adapted to express the mental faculty for the similar reason that they are colorless themselves.
Question: Is sorrow necessary in the great scheme of things? Is it not a part of God's plan for us to be joyful? (Vol. II, #125)
Answer: When Tannhauser, driven by his unholy passion for the noble, pure, and virtuous Elizabeth, wandered into the mountain and was attracted to the cave of Venus as steel to a magnet, he was not only allowed, but encouraged to gratify his sensual desires to the fullest extent. Naturally, he was soon satiated with passion and he prayed to be released from the goddess Venus and to be allowed to return to the Earth. In the course of his plea he utters the truism that at the present stage of development man requires both joy and sorrow for his proper development. In the philosophic mind this sentiment evokes instant assent, for although we are all human enough to crave joy and dread sorrow, we cannot upon proper thought fail to realize the fact that a life of constant joy without the slightest sorrow to mar it would be absolutely insipid and colorless. It is the proper blending of light and shadow that gives beauty to a picture or landscape, and a similar arrangement of sorrow and joy is required to lend zest to life and make it worthwhile.
From the astrological standpoint the light and the shadow of life is furnished by the position and aspects of Jupiter and Saturn at birth, together with their progression and transits in respect to the horoscope of any person. The joy and the laughter come from Jupiter, the planet of benevolence and optimism, who bestows upon us the favors of the gods in the measure which we have deserved their bounties. On the other hand, Saturn, the planet of pessimism and obstruction, is the dispenser of disfavors which we have incurred by actions inharmonious with the law, and as we are still ignorant of how to work in harmony with God's great plan of the universe, it is small wonder that the switch of Saturn is needed to whip us into line when we have departed from the path of virtue. However, it is a most significant sign of our Father's love that Jupiter travels three times around the horoscope, making aspects and bringing opportunities for good, to every revolution of Saturn, which brings to us the experiences which are called evil by those who lack understanding.
What a wonderful blessing astrology is, giving us an insight into the infinite plan of evolution, whereby we are all slowly being educated from ignorance to omniscience! Saturn is one of the main factors in this process of enlightenment. To those who do not know astrology it may seem as if sorrows come upon them for no reason that they can discover, and they very often envy those who are more fortunate seemingly than themselves. However, once they have learned to look for light through astrology the whole viewpoint of life is changed. It then becomes evident that we are here not for pleasure but for experience, and no matter how sad or how disastrous these experiences may be, the true student of astrology welcomes them and seeks to find out the reason from the astrological viewpoint, and the lessons to be learned. Furthermore, he derives the comfort from his (or her) knowledge that the aspects which produce disastrous effects are only passing and that in due season, which he can definitely calculate, the whiplash of Saturn will disappear and the benefic ray of Jupiter will again dispel the saturnine gloom and heal the heart. This knowledge naturally gives him courage to bear up in the days of trial and keeps him in a hopeful attitude of mind looking forward to the time when the tribulation will be over.
When we live in ignorance of God's great plan and have no conception of the cyclic ministrations of sorrow and joy brought into our lives for our own good by Saturn and Jupiter, we are apt to become too elated and overjoyed when Jupiter showers the good gifts of the gods—health, wealth, friends, success, and prosperity—upon us. We are also prone to become unduly downcast when under the scourge of Saturn we are deprived of all that makes life worth of living. However, when the book of life has been opened up to us by the sacred science of astrology and we recognize therein the benevolent purpose of God and His minsters toward us, we gradually learn to keep our balance so that when the joys of Jupiter come our way we are not too joyous, but receive them in a chastened spirit and learn to consider ourselves stewards of all the good things that are thus given into our hands. We learn that we are to use them, not for our own selfish interests and purposes, but for the good of all, and that some day an accounting will be required of us where we must show how we have used the stores of our Lord.
On the other hand, the whiplash of Saturn will not be long or often applied to one who uses self-examination to see wherein he is falling short and to find the fault that is causing him tribulation whereunder he (or she) is suffering. That lesson will certainly be found by the sincere seeker and when it has been discovered the joy at having found a valuable pearl of knowledge will far overbalance the pain involved in learning the lesson. In the course of years there will be evolved that most valuable of all the Ego's possessions, equipoise, which lifts the man who has it above the surging sea of emotions into the realm of eternal peace that passes all understanding. When he has arrived at that point in his development neither Saturn, Jupiter, nor any of the other Planetary Spirits will have the power to move him, for he has then learned to rule his stars and regulate his fate according to his own divine will.
— This article was adapted from "The Rosicrucian Philosophy in Questions and Answers, Vol. II," by Max Heindel.
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