The soul travels the zodiac in two directions. Ordinary humanity goes round the wheel from Aries to Pisces in the familiar order. When a person becomes a disciple the wheel reverses: he "turns to the East" and begins to express the qualities of the soul ray more than those of the personality ray.
Rulers and rays
| Sign | Orthodox | Esoteric | Hierarchical | Rays | Main theme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | Mars | Mercury | Uranus | 1, 7 | Birth of the idea, initiation, creative will |
| Taurus | Venus | Vulcan | Vulcan | 4 | From desire to aspiration, illumination, Wesak |
| Gemini | Mercury | Venus | Earth | 2 | Relationship and fusion of opposites |
| Cancer | Moon | Neptune | Neptune | 3, 7 | Gate into form, mass consciousness |
| Leo | Sun | Sun | Sun | 1, 5 | Individuality, from self-consciousness to self-giving |
| Virgo | Mercury | Moon | Jupiter | 2, 6 | The Christ hidden in matter, the awakening mind |
| Libra | Venus | Uranus | Saturn | 3 | Balance, values, where karma is weighed |
| Scorpio | Mars | Mars | Mercury | 4 | Test and triumph, transformation of desire |
| Sagittarius | Jupiter | Earth | Mars | 4, 5, 6 | The one-pointed disciple aimed at the goal |
| Capricorn | Saturn | Saturn | Venus | 1, 3, 7 | The mountain of initiation, the great turning point |
| Aquarius | Uranus | Jupiter | Moon | 5 | Group consciousness and world service |
| Pisces | Jupiter | Pluto | Pluto | 2, 6 | Renunciation, the saviour, the link of soul and personality |
In Leo the Sun veils Neptune on the esoteric level and Uranus on the hierarchical; in Virgo the Moon veils Vulcan esoterically; in Aquarius the Moon veils Uranus hierarchically. In Scorpio Pluto is also named as orthodox co-ruler with Mars. This idea of "veiling" is one of the most intriguing themes of esoteric astrology.
Three examples
Aries is the sign of creation, beginnings and the idea. Its orthodox ruler Mars brings the personality the fire of experience; its esoteric ruler Mercury brings the mind the fire of knowledge. For one on the Path, Mars is gradually replaced by Mercury.
Scorpio is the sign of tests, where Hercules fights the nine-headed Hydra. Here Mars rules both personality and soul, and the fourth ray, harmony through conflict, flows through this sign. The keynote of Scorpio is triumph. See Scorpio and Humanity.
Aquarius describes the rise from superficial self-awareness, through Leo's self-consciousness, to group consciousness and world service. Its esoteric ruler Jupiter is the expanding love of the heart.