The Sun should always be looked upon as a vehicle for the energy and Ray of the Personality. The Sun always brings in the energy of the second ray, adding cohesion and creative potential to one’s life. Yet a close examination of the Sun’s sign, and that sign’s exoteric and esoteric rulers, is very important. For example, should the Sun be in Aquarius, for example, one would know that the personality is operating through the Fifth Ray as an important field for its expression. Should the Sun be in Capricorn, three rays are important to the personality (First, Third and Seventh). In this case look to the sign Saturn tenants and the Ray of that sign.

The Moon

The Moon connects the individual to the past. It brings in the energy of the Fourth Ray and the struggle between form and essence. It represents those patterns and forms of self-expression that have been created and anchored in previous incarnations. It is also the source of the form life, and must come under the direction of the Soul.

Vulcan

Vulcan, planet of the First Ray is always involved in the process of destruction of outworn, “tools” of the personality. It breaks down patterns and thought forms, desires and attachment to desires, so that the soul may further externalise its purpose and work.

Mercury

Mercury, when in aspect with another planet, brings in the energy of the fourth Ray, but as a harmonising influence. The energy and function of Mercury seeks to relate pairs of opposites so that a greater creative harmony may eventuate. It is very definitely a vehicle of refinement, as it ever seeks to birth those Divine Ideas for the Plan of human evolution.

Earth

Earth’s position tells us where, in the practical reality of our daily lives, we may find our dharma/Earth-based responsibility. When in aspect to other planets, it adds the energy of the Third Ray. This serves to give a cohesive focus to Active Intelligence, in order to externalise those concepts and ideas so that dharma may be fulfilled.

Venus

Venus is the harmonising influence of the Fifth Ray, which serves to blend and fuse opposites into greater creative wholes. Venus always gives the potential for greater evolution, development, and abundance of spiritual potential to any planet that she touches. Naturally, when such contact is by a difficult aspect, these benefits may be a bit harder to achieve, but the potential for victory is there.

Mars

Mars adds a note of dissonance, so that a greater purity and sense of one-pointed purpose is gleaned from the battles it provokes. It is a planet of great blessing, in this respect, as its ultimate goal is to reorient desire to serve the Plan. That is the function of devotion, as Mars expresses the sixth Ray on the soul level.

Jupiter

Jupiter is pure Second Ray and adds cohesiveness and heart qualities to whatever planet it touches. It works to blend and fuse love and wisdom, heart and mind, into its interactions with other planets and points in the horoscope.

Saturn

Saturn works primarily on the mental plane, as it serves to structure thought forms into cohesive patterns for the externalisation of the Will/Power. Thus it is the embodiment of the Third Ray of Active Intelligence. Saturn is also the vehicle for the Dweller on the Threshold and stands for the Lord of Karma – a barrier to greater conscious expansion, unless Love/Wisdom supersedes all other influences.

Uranus

Uranus, as planetary significator of the Seventh Ray, is very much involved in the production of new archetypes of manifestation in the outer world. Yet, before such externalisations take place, Uranus helps to condition the intuition so that the proper perception of need in the physical reality is attained. It is then that the production of right forms may take place, giving a proper anchor to the One-Three-Five-Seven Ray line of manifestation.

Neptune

Neptune when functioning in its purest sense, is a highly spiritual influence on the life. It brings in the illumination of the indwelling Love Presence and serves as a vehicle of sacrifice so that impurities (desire-ridden personality expressions) are reborn into more wholesome expressions of the Love that is the Light. Its Sixth Ray effect on the planets it touches has a great deal to do with the process of dissolving barriers to Love/Wisdom.

Pluto

Pluto is a powerful First Ray planet that not only destroys non-regenerative patterns of personality expression, but also brings up new sources of creative energy that may be utilised by the soul. It is thus a limitless pool of resources whose method of expression always requires the destruction of that which is useless for the furtherance of the evolutionary Plan.

Ascendant

Aspects of the Ascendant help to define, direct, and modify the expression of the soul’s purpose in the present incarnation. The Rays of the sign on the Ascendant show the force field through which the Soul will be externalising in order to express its work and orientation to the physical life. The Ray of the Soul centred ruler must be blended and understood in order to have a deeper sense of contact with the soul’s purpose.

Midheaven

Aspects to the Midheaven help t define, direct and modify the culmination of the Soul’s purpose in the present incarnation. The soul-level chart is very instrumental in revealing that culmination of energy (the Goal of the Path). The personality-level chart might be more likely to reveal that Goal as a form of materialised expression in the daily life. The aspects between the two rulers of the Midheaven will be very instrumental in showing the relationship of energy to form in the manifestation of personal destiny. This connection should be studied with particular care, as the results of such an effort are very definitely rewarding.

(Reference Alan Oken)

I will be adding more detailed pages on the above in due course which can be accessed by clicking the links in the left margin or on the live headings above.