Chapter XVIII. The Planets

Solar Biology, by Hiram E. Butler, [1887], at sacred-texts.com

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CHAPTER XVIII.

THE PLANETS.

We shall treat of the planets as centres of specific creative forces and mental elements.

Solar biology agrees with phrenology in ascribing to every part of the body its due and correspondent amount of mental force. Thus each of the twelve departments of the body has its own mental element, which finds its head in the solar plexus, or gray spot of brain matter (located at the spinal column, in the rear of the stomach) which rules digestion, and is also the seat of the intuitive faculty, and centre from which the body is built up and maintained. The organs of the cranium are also brought into existence through the agency of the solar plexus, as a necessary agent for the selection of proper food for the building up and control of the body in its physical relations; therefore the cranium relates almost wholly to the material world and its uses, while the solar plexus relates to the deep chemistry of nature, and stands directly related to the cause world, and is the medium through which the influence of the planets is transmitted to the body, and especially when they enter the signs representing the seven vital functions, and then they tend to produce physical force, animal instinct, and intuition.

The animal world has in these functions only two active principles, viz., physical strength and instinct: the latter leads them to act as a delicate electro-vital

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instrument or machine that is responsive to the creative forces acting through it.

Man has the third principle, developed into what we call intuition, which faculty instructs the brain or intelligent principle of his mind, and not only impels him to act in harmony with nature, but brings into activity the spirit of wisdom, and frequently enables him to understand why he thus acts. Wisdom is the point of unity between the reasoning faculty, in the cranium, and the intuitive, in the solar plexus; and the more perfect harmony we find between those two principles, the more perfect will be the unfoldment of the person, and the more certain their success in whatever pursuit their intuition leads them to embrace.

In delineating character, if we find a nature that is derived from the most positive parent (which nature is designated by the signs in which the sun and moon were at birth) to be wholly in the external or physical signs, and the planets to be in the internal or seven vital signs or functions of the body, we may safely say there is antagonism between the exterior and interior natures, and one will be apt to subjugate the other; and usually the exterior will subjugate the interior, and cause it to serve in the sensations only as a physical power. Again, if the sign in which the earth was, at the time of a person's birth, is interior, and the planets mainly in interior signs, and the polarization is in an exterior sign, then all will unite in expressing themselves on an exterior plane; but let the innate nature, or earth sign, be what it may, if the polarization accords mainly with the planetary conditions, then there will be a good degree of harmony existing in the nature.

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The interior signs which accord most with the inner or intuitive nature are: first, in power and effect, Libra, which relates mainly to intuition and spiritual vision; second, Taurus, which relates to pure nature; third, Leo, which relates to love and emotion. Cancer relates somewhat to the intuitions, but is mainly limited to the family sphere. Virgo is also interior in its character, but relates principally to the chemistry and harmony of nature. Its intuitions unite directly with the mental faculties and physical functions, so that whatever planet is found in Virgo, it will aid in uniting the intuitive with, the intellectual or with the physical, according to the nature of the planet.

When the planets in a nativity are mostly in the heads of the trinities, they relate more to generalizations, love of education, and knowledge.

The five serving functions relate wholly to externalities. Scorpio may also be counted largely an external function, unless either Mercury or Venus is in that sign, when it will acquire more of an interior nature.

In judging of character it is important to observe if any of the planets were in the sign of one's nativity; that is, in the same sign the earth was in at the time of their birth. In that event the innate quality is strengthened and characterized by the nature of the planet in question, which adds its influence to the basic principle of their being, forming as it were a chemical or magnetic combination with the qualities of their earth sign, thereby becoming more active and potent in their life.

The next most important position of influence and power is when a planet is in the sign Leo (representing the heart). This is very like being in the sign in

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which a person was born, save that its influence is manifested more largely in their interior nature and less conspicuously in their basic or external character.

The size and form of the body can usually be designated by the position of the planets as found in vital or non-vital signs. For instance, if the majority of the planets (that is, leaving out Saturn and Uranus) are in the seven vital signs, it will contribute to the length and size of the body over that of the limbs, and incline to a sedentary life, with the exception of persons born in Sagittarius. But if the majority of the planets were in the five serving functions or signs, then the dominance will be in the length of the limbs, and the tendency of the person will be to active, physical exercise, and they will have more disposition to serve than to order and control, but will lack vitality, and be in danger of overdoing and suffering in consequence.

Mercury gives strength and activity to that part of the body in which it is found. If in a very active function, its energy will incline to overdo the innate strength, and give liability to exhaustion and disease of the function. Jupiter adds size and power to whatever function it is in. These two planets have more to do with the physical organism than any of the others, with the possible exception of Venus.

The seven planets, including the earth, embody and represent the seven creative principles, and impart all their power and quality to that part of the nature corresponding to the sign in which they were at the time of the person's birth, and all their influence upon the physical and mental nature of the individual should be defined in accordance with this law, as their influence

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operates regularly on definite vital and physical functions, in accordance with their position at birth, and is distributed and characterized by these centres of dissemination.

ORDER AND HARMONY OF THE SEVEN VITAL FUNCTIONS.

The vital functions, or centres, of the solar fluid representing the Grand Solar Man, as set forth in this science, for their highest order and harmony, occur in the follow sequence. See Diagram No. 1.

The more nearly the planets are found, in any nativity, in the above order, the more harmonious will the nature be; and could a man or woman be found with the planets in this order, we might expect to see a perfect man or woman. See Diagram No. 6.

When a planet is in the same sign with the earth at a child's birth, then it may be said to rule the life and character more fully than it could in any other way, and should be set down as controlling the innate nature, and also as controlling that function of the body as well, thus giving it a double power; and should it at the same time be in its native position or home, as given above, it would then become the controlling principle of a person's life, subjugating all others. But if a planet is in its native position, even though the earth is not in the same sign, its tendency is to dominate the character, and be an important factor in the life, under all circumstances.