Theos-Talk Archives (November 1996 Message tl00413)

Sagittarius is the ninth sign, and the ninth labor of Hercules was to kill
the Stymphalian birds.

Stymphalus was a fetid marsh, inhabited by ferocious man-killing birds.
Hercules tried many ways to kill the birds, but there were simply too many
and they rose up "in clouds that hid the sun."  Three main birds were there,
but countless others also lived in the swamp.  After much reflection,
Hercules remembered his gift from Athena -- two cymbals that gave off an
unearthly screeching sound, a sound such that nothing could withstand it.
Hercules covered his ears and struck the cymbals again and again.  The
Stymphalian birds were confused, then frightened and they rose up and fled
the swamp, never to return.

****

The symbol for Sagittarius is the archer.  Actually, there are three
symbols: first is the centaur, half-man and half-horse.  This is the symbol
most familiar for this sign.  Sagittarius is also the archer, the man
astride the white horse; this shows the non-attachment after the archer has
dissociated himself from the animal nature (in Scorpio) and uses it,
instead, as a means.  Finally we have the symbol of the arrow itself, and in
these three we have the pattern of the evolving energy of Sagittarius: first
the attached duality, then the non-attachment of the recognized duality, and
finally only the intuitive shaft remains, speeding toward the goal.

The keys to the work in Sagittarius are direction and sound, and the proper
use of each in attaining the goal.  The strength of Sagittarius comes from
having passed the tests of Scorpio, and from the vision that always follows
testing.  With this expanded vision, the archer can see "the immediate goal
ahead" and follow the arrow one-pointedly to that goal.  After retrieving
that arrow, another goal then becomes visible.

All of us can relate to the Sagittarius experience whether we are presently
in that sign or not.  We can recognize that the particular trials and
apparent limitations that we face give us the ability to take "the next step
ahead," whatever that might be.  The archer sets his sights on the immediate
goal ahead -- not himself -- and in successively reaching the "little goals"
finds liberation through service.  We know from the Ancient Wisdom that
evolution continues through infinity, and there is really no end to the
journey.  There are milestones on the path where the consciousness achieves
relative expansions, but these "highpoints" serve to give a broader vision,
and mark the beginning of new journeys with greater responsibilities.
_________________

The full moon in Sagittarius occurs today at 11:11pm, EST  (4:11am GMT, Nov 25)
A group meditation will be held on the subject of Letting in the Light at
3:00pm Sunday (EST) and also at the time of the full moon.
At the time of each full moon Festival, energy qualified by the
constellation influencing that period flows into the range of human
awareness, thereby establishing the divine attributes in the consciousness
of humanity.  This spiritual inflow can be channeled in meditation into the
minds and hearts of all people, and everyone is invited to participate in
the group effort.