Lunar Mansions

Lunar Mansion 1 (Ruler: Mercury): The cycle of Lunar Mansions can be symbolized by the life cycle of a human being, with the moment of the New Moon being the moment of the birth of a new cycle and the death of the former one. Lunar Mansion 1 is then the new-born baby, primitive, instinctive, and open to all the impressions around him/herself.

A false idea that is to be strictly avoided is that this in any way coincides with one’s level of evolution. THE ASTROLOGICAL BIRTH CHART DOES NOT SHOW A PERSON’S LEVEL OF EVOLUTION, FOR A DOG OR A BUG OR A PLANT CAN BE BORN AS THE SAME TIME AS A HUMAN. A soul might come into incarnation during the 1st Lunar Mansion and be a very evolved soul indeed, could already even be in a state of enlightenment. But even if he/she is, their core essence will carry the instinctual, impressionable energy characteristic of a baby.

The 1st Lunar Mansion’s inherent tendency is joyfulness. Unfortunately, this tendency receives very little support from society, which expects its members to grow up and be about the supposedly SERIOUS business of living.

More than anything else, the 1st Lunar Mansion needs the PROPER ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH TO DWELL. He/she is naturally receptive, that is, soaking up the world around them. This is why they need to avoid toxic and non-supportive environments. It is not in their nature to be aggressive. At their highest manifestation they are links between this world and the unseen world – impressionable to the vibrations of higher forces and so able to communicate those forces into this realm.

This phase needs to be very careful not to worry about success, because if they try to achieve it they will be buying into the agendas of the world, which will dis-empower them. And as they are so greatly impressionable they need to beware of environments that overstimulate them, or which are chaotic.

At their purest they are capable of projecting unconditional love, which becomes a kind of universal lubricant that assists and encourages members of all other phases to carrying on their work. They are capable of uniting with the experience of the moment so fully that by doing so they spontaneously bring healing energy to it.

Lunar Mansion 2 (Ruler: Virgo): This person has strong feelings, ideas and impulses which arise from their instinct and not out of the workings of their intellect. They need to let go of the need to justify themselves by having reasons for what they are doing, or intellectual arguments to explain their actions and ideas. It is only when they give up such attempts at justification that they can fully be who they really are and achieve fulfillment.

They are at their best when they keep ACTING, keep DOING things based on what their instinct is telling them to do. This is far more fulfilling that trying in vain to always be explaining WHY they’re doing what they’re doing. They can’t explain their actions because they DON’T REALLY KNOW WHY THEY TO THINGS AND DON’T NEED TO KNOW. If they repress these impulses to act, those impulses can turn poisonous and manifest as anger, which won’t get them anywhere. If this person gets into a habit of lashing out at hindrances that he decides have deliberately been placed before him on purpose just to thwart him, he will be creating a neurotic loop that holds him in an ever-tightening and vicious circle. The way to overcome this is to see all difficulties as learning experiences, and to be open to whatever they are trying to teach him/her.

This person needs to be careful of too much inward introspection, which they may engage in because they are avoiding action because of an inability to intellectually justify themselves. This person would be better off doing moving meditation, like tai chi, or yoga, rather than keeping their body completely still. They tend to benefit greatly from physical activity and having challenging projects to engage in.

At their best, this person is very alive, and their aliveness can stimulate the life force of other people.

Lunar Mansion 3 (Ruler: Libra): This person needs to listen to what their instincts are telling them and to follow them. As long as they connect with the flow of the present moment, they can be very effective. Their greatest challenge is to track with the energy they are feeling and to follow wherever it is leading – even if they can’t explain it to others. They are wonderful when they are being spontaneous, and they need to let their spontaneous impulses flow forth freely from them into action.

If the person, out of fear, tries to manipulate what is going on around him rather than just flow with it, he will find himself divided from the moment, out of sync with himself, and so living in disharmony. Abstractions are just not his thing, and if he tries to use them as defenses or weapons he will find that this simply doesn’t work. One of the worst things he/she could possibly get into is trying to control things. You can’t control the wave, but if you harmonize your attention with it, you can be a great surfer.

Lunar Mansion 4 (Ruler: Scorpio): This person can see into other people – not by analyzing them, or by drawing intellectual conclusions from observing the details of their behavior, but by directly seeing into them. He’s full of a practical wisdom that’s just there inside him and that wants to come out in a direct way. It’s very important that he avoids separating himself from his instincts. He knows what he knows and needs to stick to that rather than trying to embrace conventional ideas that are outside himself. His way of expressing what he knows is unique and original, and he need not feel that just because it isn’t rooted in convention or tradition it is less.

This person can find it hard to trust him/herself – since his insights are just his opinions which he can’t intellectually validate. If he gets too far into this distrustful attitude then self-deprecation results, and he ends up denying and repressing his talent.

He is at his best when dealing with one situation at a time, because that way experience can be more hands on and direct for him, and have to do less with remote considerations or generalities. Because of this he needs to beware of taking on too much. Its like a man who owns and runs a wonderful restaurant, but who could easily fail if he tried to franchise it, because the franchises would lack his personal touch.

He should enjoy being the childlike person that he is, and let go of the need to grow up. The desire to be an adult is just an outpicturing of his frustration with having difficulty fitting in to the world, which he can do beautifully if he can find in himself the courage to be himself.

Lunar Mansion 5 (Ruler: Jupiter): This person knows how to make anything better than it is. He needs to voice these insights to attract the attention of other people who can then help to improve the situation. In this way he can expand and harmonize any existing state of affairs, helping it to grow and evolve. When others take up and enact his suggestions he learns from this, and finds that he then has more suggestions to offer.

As long as he has adventures to engage in he can be fulfilled. If he separates himself from life though, and just thinks– without putting his thoughts out there for the world to experience, he will stagnate and end up caught in his own limiting mental world.

At best he brings new energy and new experiences to the world around him.

The bottom line here is that yes, things are not exactly as they should be, but he needs to just accept this and keep working with them, rather than withdrawing and isolating himself because things are not to his liking or not working out exactly as he wanted them to.

At worst he thinks he knows how things are – but he really doesn’t know, or at least doesn’t know as much as he’s inclined to think that he knows. And so he needs to keep returning to direct experience as a means of learning – to find out how things are, rather than assuming that he knows how things are.

In this phase basic assumptions are often invented and biases are adopted because the person is afraid of not knowing what is going on. He will, though, be able to know what’s going on as long as he keeps in tune with his instincts and is open and non-judgmental about that they are telling him.

Lunar Mansion 6 (ruler: Venus): This person has the ability to get people to cooperate with each other and to help them to communicate more clearly as well as understand each other better. Through communicating his perceptions about how things are, people around him are able to assimilate new experiences better and to understand the value of them. In this way he makes lucid and vivid sense out of what is going on, and this has a soothing effect on others. He is very adept at casual socializing that is healing and communicative rather than superficial. Through his easy connecting with others he can spread a lot of peace and harmony.

He can help others to find for themselves a meaningful place in the world.

At worst he may fear not being in control and so try to play the role of being an authority on whatever he is involved in. If this happens he then becomes intent on convincing people of his own ideas, and tries to get others to believe in them, because, if they do, then he feels like he can believe in them as well.

Even if he compels others to believe in him it will never make him happy, because he will still suffer from a feeling of not being in control. If he tries too hard he will fail. If he stays on the wavelength of gentleness, smoothness and appreciation of life, he will be living true to himself.

Lunar Mansion 7 (Ruler: Sagittarius): This person, when being himself, is a highly unique individual – one who stands out as being different. Of course in this world when a person is unique he can receive many and varied responses to being so, many of them negative due to others feeling threatened.

If this person fears negative reactions from others he may try to take on an outer persona that he feels will meet with social approval, or may try to invent a standardized personality for himself, and then attempt to hide behind that personality. He does this because he experiences his real self as too big, and hence as something he can’t control. Where did this unique self come from? It is not something he consciously conceived of, so if he doesn’t have the trust to inhabit it, he feels compelled to live his life in something smaller and lesser – a safe little mask. Anonymity may feel safe to him for awhile, but will never fulfill him ultimately.

He has a real need for adventure, and can turn many things which others would never think of as adventures into something exciting. He must not shy away from intense experiences, for they are what impels his evolution forward.

Lunar Mansion 8 (Ruler: Capricorn): This person experiences a powerful pull between courage and fear. He seeks validation from the outside world, but is also afraid that if he gets it he will fall into the trap of bowing to the world’s requirements and thereby lose his individuality. He needs to be continually aware of the conflict between his urge to adapt to the world and his urge to be free and original. As he works with these, knowing that sometimes he has to adapt just for the sake of practicality and energy conservation, but that ultimately he cannot forsake being who he really is, he fill find dynamic balance.

He has to confront conflict, for if he tries to insulate himself from it by involving himself in activities that don’t mean that much to him, or which are superficial and in which he can lose himself he will find that conflict will find him eventually no matter where he hides.

Sometimes he uses detachment and making light of conflict as a means of trying to avoid failure, which is his ultimate fear.

He needs to deeply assess what failure really is. If he does so he will see that all failure is a learning experience – something that he may assimilate, something that many nourish him and which he can then arise out of with a much greater possibility of success. If falling is what is needed, then he needs to give in to and accept falling. Through dealing with conflict he becomes aware of his great inner resources, which can help him to overcome anything and everything.

He needs to give in and allow life to be intense, and by doing so learn, finally, that this is the source of his power.

Lunar Mansion 9 (Ruler: Aquarius): This person is very aware of all of his passing moods, which tend to be very intense. He needs to just let them come and go, like weather, and not let them throw him out of balance.

At his best he is an emotional mirror for others – allowing others to see their own feelings more clearly. He can be very adept at giving feedback to others which can greatly heighten their self-awareness. As he does this he also becomes more self aware.

At worst, though, too much intensity coming from too many directions pulls him how one way and now another, and this can create a state of chronic confusion. This results in pain, and his reponse to the pain is most likely to be anger. He needs to find and focus on that place within his emotional being that lies underneath all the outer emotional turmoil, a place of steadiness, certainty, and knowing. This is his center, and if he loses contact with it, as soon as he realizes the loss he needs to immediately retrieve it.

It is his destiny to be a clairifier of emotions, both his own and the emotions of other people. His way of doing this is to allow himself to feel all the intensity of feelings, but to not hold on to them or allow them to pull him off center.

Lunar Mansion 10: (Ruler: Uranus): This person has unique abilities and a desire to throw off all restraint. At his best he helps society to overcome old, outworn attitudes and methods, and replaces them with meaningful and innovative alternatives. It is best for him, though, to not focus on society or the outer world, but to get in touch with what he finds beautiful and meaningful inwardly and then allow that to flow forth from him. He needs to beware of becoming involved in passing social movements or anything that is currently popular. He needs to always give precedence to his own creative impulses, and although he is tuned in to social currents, he must work to be clear about what are his own true feelings and what are simply outer stimuli.

Outwardly he can come across with a lot of restraint – Yeats refers to this phase as “the Great Stone Face.” When he is not in harmony with himself he may agitate everyone around him by projecting his frustrations onto them.

It is to be remembered that this “Great Stone Face,” is merely a mask, and that inwardly this person is very complex and has a lot of ambition. His primary need is to be able to stay in tune with his emotions and find a meaningful outlet for them. He also needs to realize that there is no authority outside himself.

Lunar Mansion 11: (Ruler: Neptune): This person is seeking a new expression of truth. He assimilates but then needs to reject tradition, for he is looking to express ideas in a new way. If he can get in touch with his intensity of feeling he will find truth there, and can then externalize it through creative activity. He needs to align himself with his own creative vision, and let go of anything that stands in the way of his self expression, be it a relationship with another person, an organization, a religious institution, or whatever.

If he lacks confidence in himself he will pass into disharmony, and might align himself with the social norm – because doing so is easier and more comfortable, and ultimately feels safer to him. If he avoids expressing his creativity he might find a niche for himself somewhere – a role to play that is accepted – a role that might be traditional or progressive – but only a role nevertheless. If he succumbs to this avoidance of his burning, passionate creativity he will generate great inner stress – though he may deny it by trying to tell himself he is actually happy. The creative fires, though, will not die down but, being confined, will generate much frustration.

His emotions are cosmic and ecstatic and he and needs to let them pour forth freely from himself. Even if doing this means being in disharmony with society or having to suffer some personal loss, in the long run the greater fulfillment he will find will make up for this.

Lunar Mansion 12: (Ruler: Pisces): This person can express themselves with great lucidity and uniqueness. At best he speaks with authority because he is speaking from the depths of his heart, and through this speaking me makes things simple that over rides all confusion, obscurity and complexity. It is not that life is inherently simple, it is that his powerful focus on his own spirit comes forth with this beautiful simplicity.

If he taps in, too much, to people observing him, then he can feel as if he is playing a role, and start blending this purity of expression with the desire to be accepted. He then observes with people seem to want him to do or be, and then tries to do it, thereby getting thrown off from the direct expression of his essence.

The big negative hook for him here is the desire for praise, which can lure him into being untrue to himself.

Lunar Mansion 13: (Ruler: Aries): This person has a passion for expressing himself, and with no motive other than the joy of doing so. This person loves his powerful feelings, and loves giving voice to them. At his best he manifests his potential with no thought of reward for it. Without arrogance and egotism, the person senses his own beauty and has a strong impulse to share it with others. Through projecting this beautiful harmony out into the world he can heal others of their emotional problems.

If, though, he refuses to expand out into the world he will be denying his true energy, which has the immediate and outward impulsiveness of Aries. This passionate energy will then get stuck inside him and go bad, making him tend toward morbid veins of thought as he takes ideas apart, in an attempt to analyze each sensation. This isolating himself from the world is just what he needs to avoid. It’s very positive for him to be always seeking connections with the outside world as a field for his own expansion.

If he blocks his own self expression the frustration of doing so could cause him to become totally involved in sensation, possibly taking the form of indulgence in sensual stimulation. He might even manipulate others as a means of feeding his appetites which are addictive and never-satisfied.

This person does not tend to get good feedback from his environment, and so to compensate for this he has to be very truthful with himself. He needs to focus on the ongoing challenge of defining his problems to himself.

Lunar Mansion 14: (Rules: Taurus): This person can come across low key and yet emanate a potent power. Often the person is not aware of the impact he is making on others. At his best he is himself always and in every aspect of his involvement with the world. Effortlessly and without self-consciousness he places his personal stamp on everything he does, and this can leave a deep impression on the world. This manifests the energy of Taurus – the sign that has the greatest amount of ch aracter and unique personality.

Many people can become enamored of this person and do things for him, even taking on his responsibilities. Unimpressed by this the person of this Lunar Mansion continues to follow his own star and act on its dictates. Because he is so true to himself others try to emulate him by being more in touch with their own deeper desires. Whatever this person does will tend to have a universal appeal, so that even if it is intimate and personal it will reflect cosmic truths.

If, though, this person gets into trying to improve the world because he feels that this is what expected of him, he can then feel as if extreme demands are being placed on him and therefore cannot accomplish anything without tremendous effort. When he tries to help others he can be too enthusiastic and go too far, thereby rendering the help ineffective. Or maybe he just gives up trying to help because doing so seems as if its beyond his powers. Then he may retreat and make excuses for himself as he tries to get people to have sympathy for his problems.

At his worst he feels he cannot trust himself and that he’s afraid of many people. He could get back in harmony with himself if he would realize that he is actually separate from what goes on around him and therefore doesn’t have to feel tied down by it, overwhelmed by it, or beholden to it. He does the most for people by being himself and staying in tune with his emotional core. Doing this will then expand outwardly from him, creating harmony.

Taurus’ verb is “I have,” and so this Lunar Mansion it is not what the person does, or how hard he strives, but the natural and untimately undefinable resource he IS in all his naturally beautiful essence without trying to be anything else.

Lunar Mansion 15: (Ruler: Saturn): At the very beginning of phase 15 is the moment of the full Moon when it has achieved maximum distance from the Sun – has reached the LIMIT of its distance (LIMIT=Saturn). The challenge of this phase is to unify inner and outer experience – to find a point of balance between what IS, outwardly, and his vision of WHAT COULD BE. This person has the ability to experience live as a whole, as a complete flow. He sees the difference between what IS and what he WANTS and is always working to reconcile these two different realities. There can, at its highest, be a wonderful balance here.

At worst, if he loses his inner focus, he becomes too attuned to the outer world, and it then seems to be nothing but a mass of fragments that don’t fit together. If he fails to see and accept his limitations he then fragments himself into pettiness and lots of little meaningless activities that accumulate into nothing but a mountain of frustrations which make him feel cut off from the flow of life. If he allows himself to sink beneath the surface of things into deeper experiences, he will recapture meaning and then be reconnected with his spiritual self.

Lunar Mansion 16: (Ruler: Mars): This person needs to put their ideas to work in the world. It is very important that this person connect with other people in a deep way. This is probably going to mean that he won’t be connecting with many people – the number of them is not what matters, its the strength and depth of the connections that count.

When this person is at his best he is overflowing with the joy of being himself, and sharing with others is a natural result of this. When true to himself he never holds back on giving, and willingly accepts the challenge of communicating to others his deepest thoughts and feelings.

As he does as described above, he will inevitably encounter people who are not as high-energy as himself, people who are dull, disinterested, depressed, or who just can’t get into where he’s at. It is very important that he does not let these people’s gray attitudes cause him to feel worthless or insecure. If he doesn’t get the attention he wants, he might react by withholding his love, insights, and abilities.

In reacting to the negativity of other people he might adopt an egotistical attitude, or go to the other extreme and think that he has nothing to offer. This frustration can lead him into physical indulgence – the destructive activity of Mars, which rules this Lunar Mansion. He needs to assert himself from his vibrant and exhuberant core, and not get into the viscious cycle of reacting negatively to the negativity of others. His Mars core wants to share its passion, no matter how repressed or out of touch others may be with themselves, and no matter how much they may resent his aliveness.

Lunar Mansion `17: (Ruler: Gemini): This person may want to change the world (Gemini is the most helpful of the signs), but needs to realize that this desire is just a projection of his need to change himself. When attuned to his spirit he is continually letting go of the past – clearing away the accumulated stress of his personal history so that he is free to live vividly and completely in the present. (The great mystic Vicki Wall pointed out how Gemini is the energy of what she calls “clearing the time line,” that is, healing past karma, which is the same as what Eckhart Tolle calls “healing the pain body”).

This person is learning in this lifetime to adapt to constant change. Of course one of the most difficult types of change to cope with is a letdown, and so it is very important how he deals with disillusionment – and the greater the disillusionment is the more he can learn from it. If he fails to overcome his disillusionment, though, fear of loss or conflict can get the better of him, causing him to mask his insecurity by trying to fix the world, or by becoming obsessive about something – food, drugs, sex, exercise, a particular philosophical system, etc.

He needs to realize that he has become disillusioned because of the expectations he has held, and so the more he can let go of these and meet life as it is, without feeling a need for it to conform to his picture of it the more fulfilled he will be. Through deep soul searching he can eventually understand what the disillusionment is there for – what it is trying to teach him. As his learns this more and more fully he eventually overcomes his fear of risk and loss, and understands how they contribute to his personal growth.

When true to self he is honest and open, and his frankness touches others deeply, helping them to be more self aware and connected to the world around them. This is the epiphany of Gemini – pure communication which is a potent healer.

Lunar Mansion 18: (Ruler: Cancer): Love is the ultimate nurturing energy, as well as the purest of all emotions. Cancer is the sign of nurturing, and its ruling planet, the Moon, is the planet of the emotions, all of which are healed by love.

Lunar Mansion 18 is at its best when it is working to uplift society in some real, tangible way, through the energy of love. It is not enough for this person to just have an idea or a concept – their ideas need to be demonstrated by their actions.

Love conquers fear, and unconditional love means accepting whatever one receives, even if it feels as if it is not enough. If this person fears being cut off from other people, or fears being vulnerable in relationships he may become defensive (a negative Cancerian trait) and then try to avoid people or find ways of manipulating them into giving him reassurance. He may also try to heal his fears and frustrations by getting into self-indulgence of some sort – which is a manifestation of Cancer’s attempt to nurture itself through destructive excesses.

When out of tune with self this person may abandon people and retreat into his Cancerian shell. Or he may have superficial relationships because they feel safe to him, and because he’s trying to prove to himself that he doesn’t need anyone.

He needs to accept the world as it is, and keep loving people no matter how dysfunctional they are, or how unable to meet his needs. Staying on this wavelength of love is his greatest power is what will bring him ultimate self-fulfillment.

Lunar Mansion 19: (Ruler: Leo): This person sees at least a part of himself in all situations and tends to express that part with great force and drama. Through doing this he sheds light on everything and everyone – as Leo always wants to do. This can help others to see themselves more clearly.

This person has a tremendous amount of personal power, which he can use for good or ill. His constant goal should be to use this power to raise the vibration of all around him so that he incurs good karma.

This person needs to always be seeking truth, which is right there inside him waiting to be discovered. When he abandons his interest in truth and instead seeks only to dominate and control others he becomes disattuned to himself. When he allows himself to be a mirror that reflects spiritual light to others he is doing what he came here to do. He has the ability to intensify situations to the point of transmuting them, and by doing so revealing the cosmic aspects of every experience. If he can be real, it will induce others to be even more real. If he loses himself to power and turns phony, he merely proliferates negativity.

Lunar Mansion 20: (Ruler: The Moon): This person has a creative vision which he needs to express in the outside world, and if he does not do so, the resultant frustration can be poisonous. It is right and natural for him to immerse himself in his creative activities with great intensity and power of feeling.

He can experience problems though, if success comes to him too readily, or if the opposite happens and he finds success difficult to achieve. He needs to realize that whether or not he achieves success does not ultimately depend on what goes on in the outer world, but is actually a projection of his own inner needs. When he experiences success, he needs to own his power, abilities and worth, and when failure comes he needs to see that it serves a higher purpose, and that its source is himself.

At worst, he projects his inner conflicts out onto the world and fails to realize that their source is inside him. In dissociating from his problems in this manner he may then blame the world for not recognizing him or valuing him as much he feels he should be. The one thing he needs most to avoid is identifying himself as a victim. If he does this he may then try to seek revenge, which will just perpetuate the cycle of bad karma. The fact is, he is never a victim of anything other than his own inner discord which he himself has the power to heal.

When in a state of discord his painful emotions may distort the facts of outer experience, which can blur the distinction between inner and outer realities.

Getting in touch with the inner conflicts going on inside him and then learning how to resolve them will free him to express his creativity in its highest and purest form.

Lunar Mansion 21: (Ruler: The Sun): This person naturally projects structure and order onto the world, just as the Sun is the ordering principle of our solar system. He is a revealer of the meaning of life, just as the light of the Sun dispels all shadows. When true to himself he exudes confidence and certainty and sees everything around him as fitting into the order he is creating, and though he works with tremendous complexities his ultimate results are unifying and simplifying. His contributions to society tend to be what the world is in need of right now at the moment. Although he is aware of the past and the future he doesn’t let them distract him from what he knows he needs to do in the present.

He wants to BE someone important but the fact is, he already is – if he will just allow himself to live it. If he doesn’t realize his own inate importance, though, he may try to achieve a personal uniqueness through attempting to rebel against society and its standards. At worst this can cause him to come across as phoney, superficial, and insincere. What is really going on here is that he is trying to hide his light under a bushel – which is completely against the Sun’s natural inclination.

He is at his best when he focuses on his own ideas and concepts and allows his power to shine without trying to MAKE it shine. He can dominate problems through his wonderful simplicity that can shine on and illuminate everything.

Lunar Mansion 22: (Ruler: Pluto): This person is restless and constantly searching deeper and deeper in an attempt to grasp the truth of reality. He goes so far that he wears himself out – but this is exactly what he needs to do. He has the ability to change society from within it, and so may be drawn to conservative institutions as vehicles through which he can further social growth. The limits and restrictions of conservatism are like a cocoon to him which, even though they restrict him for awhile will provide a structure from which he will eventually burst forth.

This person craves change and transformation, and if he follows his instincts these will come to him naturally. If he tries, though, to maintain control it will only generate pain and suffering. He needs to let go of his attachment to intellectual constructs and his own sense of his self-importance. Instead of these he will find his highest fulfillment when he focuses on giving to others.

The conflict here is between the urge to be an agent of transformation through being selflessly generous, and the dysfunctional inclination to wield power through overcompensating egotism. These are the positive and negative manifestations of the planet Pluto.

Lunar Mansion 23: (Ruler: Jupiter/Libra): This person is drawn to cultivating a particular skill so he can use it in the world. He naturally feels a responsibility to develop this specific talent and then to practice it. The work he performs often produces results he didn’t expect – new ideas or new relationships that are valuable and which captivate others. His inspiration is at its purest when it is unselfconscious and simply emerges as he applies himself to his chosen work.

Through his efforts he can discover profound meaning in life. If, though, he allows his ego and its thirst for power and adulation to dominate, he will then TRY to create meaning, rather than just allowing it to reveal itself. If he does this the results will be dull, mechanical, trite, and ultimately lack the spark of creativity. The creative frustration generated by these ego-driven efforts will accumulate and weigh heavily on him, creating dark, pessimistic feelings that oppress him and which he will be unable to release until he lets go of his desire to manipulate and control.

At his worst he will try to compensate for his disattunement with his own creativity by becoming very ambitious and competitive, and even if this leads him to superficial success in the world, he will know that the results are only superficial and will never feel truly fulfilled by them.

The key to the spiritual fulfillment of this person is to concentrate on the efforts he puts forth and the joy of doing, rather than on end results. At his most creative, he will never exactly know where he is going or all the implications of what he’s doing until the creative act is complete. If he tries to achieve a particular result, he is in fact limiting and stifling the manifestation of his genius, and cutting himself off from the surprises and wonders that his creativity can manifest.

Lunar Mansion 24: (Ruler: Venus/Libra/Pisces/Virgo): This person is tuned into and appreciative of the past. He wants to retrieve from it what is best and most valuable and bring it back to life. Through doing this he has the power to change the world – most especially by providing society with a basis or foundation for future growth.

He wants to find a way of living that is meaningful and ideally rooted in some tradition and which he can use to structure his life. Whatever this way of living is, it needs to embrace all of life, rather than just being a part of it.

As he becomes more and more adept at living his code, he eventually can become a fine teacher of it, imparting this wisdom of the past, expressed in a new way through him, to his students. He is not one to focus on concepts or abstract ideas, but teaches best through examples, hands-on activities, and his own behavior.

The energy of this phase is about bringing order and meaning to society.

When not in tune with his true self he can become self-righteous and demanding, as well as destructively critical of what other people are trying to do. This can then drive people away from him and cause him to eventually become isolated and misanthropic.

At best he is an upholder of what is most worthwhile in society, a fine teacher, an example setter, and a leader. At worst he allows his egotism and feelings of superiority to negate what he could give to the world, and to isolate him.

Lunar Mansion 25: (Ruler: Sagittarius/Libra/Jupiter): This person is a natural social reformer. He is looking for spiritual guidance, both for himself and for other people. At his best he is very in tune with what people need and can instill them with hope and faith. He wants to bring forth and foster the goodness in all people. He does not tend to limit himself to any one religion or philosophy, but is seeks pure truth, which is reflected to a greater or lesser extend in very many religions and philosophies.

At his worst he gets too focus on the ideas he’s working with, and since he has not grounded them in physical reality, they can be quite unrealistic. He may affirm these unrealistic ideas in a very biased way, and be defensive when anyone points out their weaknesses. What is happening is that his ego is giving more importance to ideas than people, and if he pursues this he may attain wealth and social prestige but at the expense of sacrificing his love and sympathy for humanity.

At best he has a wonderful ability to to bring people together and to help them to know and do what is right. At worst he uses his power for personal advantage alone and spreads beliefs that ultimately divide humanity.

Lunar Mansion 26: (Ruler: Capricorn/Libra/Aries/Virgo): William Butler Yeats referred to this Lunar Mansion as “The Hunchback” phase. It is an apt label, though I often don’t tell the person I’m reading for about it – I think it might have an unnecessarily negative impact on their self image. I sometimes refer to this Lunar Mansion as “The Catalyst.” or even “The Medusa.”

This individual is different and unusual, and rather than trying to hide this, he needs to accept it. In actually he is no more individualistic than anyone else, but his REALLY STICKS OUT, NO MATTER WHAT HE DOES OR HOW MUCH HE MAY TRY TO HIDE IT. HE IS SIMPLY STRIKINGLY UNIQUE. Just by being himself he can help others to get in touch with their own uniqueness, and can also reveal the strangeness and uniqueness of everything around him.

He is naturally eccentric and has the ability to perceive truth with great clarity. Everywhere he looks he sees the extraordinary within the seeming ordinary. This can scare and threaten other people. Rather than reacting negatively to this, he needs to learn how to take himself lightly and to realize that the unpleasant reactions often coming toward him from other people are simply manifestations of their own insecurities and ultimately have nothing to do with him.

If he takes to heart the negative energies other people direct at him he may grow to hate himself, as well as them for their unkindness. He desperately needs to let go of his touchiness, for if he doesn’t he is likely to harbor and accumulate resentments, and even isolate himself from others as a means of coping with his pain.

He needs to realize that he is intense, and that his intensity is there to open others up. If he can mix joy and lightness with all aspects of his life, and can forgive others for being afraid of him, he can cushion himself from the psychic debris resulting from his startling and ultimately therapeutic impact on others.

Lunar Mansion 27: (Ruler: Aquarius/Libra): Just as Yeats referred to Lunar Mansion 26 as “The Hunchback,” he referred to this phase as “The Saint.” At his best this person focuses on humanity rather than on himself. When in tune with his spiritual essence he does not strive for anything, for he has nothing to strive for. He has the ability to help others because he can reflect back to them their own thoughts and feelings and by doing so help them to be more self-aware. He can have a healing and harmonizing impact on groups due to his selfless love of humanity in general.

Although he carries this energy of sainthood, it can’t fully manifest until he reaches enlightenment. In the meantime he still has to contend with his ego.

If he allows his lesser self to get the upper hand he may become egotistical and pride himself on his way of thinking, his intelligence, or his spirituality. This may be accompanied by self-centeredness and an attitude of being more evolved than other people. Once he gets on this arrogant wavelength he can be very ambitious and then become angry if he doesn’t advance as fast and as far as he thinks he’s entitled to.

Knowing all along that this selfish, overcompensating self is not real, but only a manifestation of his pain and fear, he can grow to hate it. As soon as he realizes that his ego is exactly what is standing in the way of true fulfillment he will be able to let go of it and come back to his true self.

Lunar Mansion 28: (Ruler: Taurus/Virgo/Scorpio/Sagittarius/Uranus): This person is innate unambitious and without plans. He is at his best when living fully in the present and focusing all of his attention on the day at hand and how he can contribute to it. Ordinary physical activity can be a profound inspiration for him. He needs to feel the fullness of his connection to life and to do what he can to support and nourish it.

He sees everyone as equal because he focus on their spiritual aspect. The more he lets go of himself and is individual identity the more clearly he is attuned to his mission in life, which is to be a person who helps others to remain connected to spirit.

He can be very aware of what is wrong, what is inadequate, and what has been denied him in life. At his worst he reacts to this with anger, and can sometimes direct this anger toward people who he blames for having causing or contributing to the problems of the world. He may be oppressed by the traumas of past lives, and, if he doesn’t remember them he may still suffer from their unreleased karma. In an attempt to cushion himself against these stressful energies he may seek out sensual indulgence, or try to increase his comfort and security in the world through the accumulation of money.

If he can deeply relax and accept life as it is, these old wounds will eventually clear, which will free him up to be the great light in the world which he has the potential of being.