Observing the Heavens (Astro Download Part 3)

Part 1, Part 2

I was at a lunch recently with someone from my church and astronomy came up. I said I was very interested in the stars, especially because of the recent signs in the heavens (such as the blood moon and meteor shower, etc) and what that means for us. He dismissed my comment saying "there have always been signs in the heavens." It was clear that the conversation was over, so I didn't press it. But what I wanted to say was, yes, there have always been signs, but those signs were for those people at that time. These signs are for us. And I hope to understand them.

To review, the word temple comes from the latin templum. According the Dr. Hugh Nibley, the word templum "designates a building specially designed for interpreting signs in the heavens--a sort of observatory where one gets one's bearings on the universe. The root tem- in Greek and Latin denotes a 'cutting' or intersection of two lines at right angles, 'the point where the cardo and decumanus cross,' hence where the four regions come together." Matthew B Brown synthesizes that "A temple is thus a central point from which one can determine the relationship between the motions of the heavens and the four quarters of the earth." (Brown, Gate of Heaven)

The temple is also a microcosm of the cosmos. Hugh Nibley, the above quoted really deep LDS scholar wrote a whole book all about this called Temple and Cosmos. I might have to do more of the meditation to raise my intelligence in order to read more than a few paragraphs of Hugh Nibley, but I'm just letting you know it's there in case you are interested.

There are also some interesting cosmic symbols on the Salt Lake Temple. My friend has a book that explains some of these symbols and the meanings that the prophets ascribed to them. Here are just a few I copied down. These are direct quotes but I have taken them out of of a table and only included a few of them:

• Cloud stones- (below cap stones on east)  rays shining through clouds = restoration of the gospel 
• Star stones - (most windows and doors) glory of God
• Saturn stones - (inside towers) planetary powers - eternal increase
• Earth Stones - (first water table)
• Moon Stones - (second water table)
• Sun Stones - (third water table) 52 rays - 52 weeks of the year.
• Constellation Stone - Big Dipper - (West center tower) Lost may find way by aid of priesthood

The cosmos are obviously a huge important link that ancient prophets knew about and Joseph Smith and his early associates knew about--enough to put them on the temple--but since then most people have ignored this fundamental meaning of the temple.

The original architectural renderings of the SLC temple by Truman O. Angel.

Some say the Saturn stones were dropped, others say that they become circles with one ring around them.

I find the above reference to Saturn stones especially interesting. I have discussed the importance of natal charts, but the astrological movement of the planets through the constellations each month and each day is also important. It effects each of us and the world at large from day to day, and even hour by hour. I will attempt discuss this in as much detail as I can in more blog posts to follow.

Astrology is useful only if one has an understanding of its internal, spiritual structure and it's influence on the individual. Because there is no aspect or concept withing the human body that does not have it's counterpart in the interrelated yet independent worlds and universes. In order to do this we also need an understanding of astronomy: why the universe is structured the way it is and why celestial bodies behave the way they do, relative to where they are at the moment. This will involve some physics, but I will write it so that hopefully a 12-year old can understand it as well as a physicist (I have one handy to fact check).

But before we dive into all that, let me begin by telling a story. It is a mystery . Or it was. I am about to clear it up for you. It is known as the presidential doom mystery. For more than 150 years, there has been a doom factor for presidents elected in a zero year. It all started with William Henry Harrison who was elected in 1840. He died of pneumonia in 1841. Twenty years later in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected. He was assassinated in 1865. James A. Garfield was elected in 1880. Garfield was assassinated in 1901.  Warren Harding was elected in 1920 and died in office in 1923. In 1940 Franklin Roosevelt won his third term and died in office in his fourth term in 1945. In 1960, John F. Kennedy was elected and assassinated in 1963. (I'll stop there for good reasons I'll explain another time.)

Some of these presidents even studied the pattern in an effort to break it. But the real reason for this doom factor was not the zero year, but a planetary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn that happened at the time of the president's rise to the Oval Office, an astral event that occurs every 20 years. (Jupiter has about a 12 year orbit around the sun and Saturn has about a 30 year orbit. So about every 19.85 years they pass closes to each other. Their magnetic fields, which are extremely large, create an effect that have proven historically to have quite an affect. That affect depends on the person's chart, or on that nation's chart. It is not a bad omen per se, but it did spell bad news for these presidents, but it was more about the United State's natal chart and it's destiny than about these predients....but that's for another post.

(Nations have charts too. Imagine that. Nations are born.) I believe if you look at the history of other nations you will find other interesting patterns.

Hmm.... This makes me think of Saturn stones which represent "Planetary forces." What is that west tower trying to tell us about Saturn? Or about the planetary forces?

But aren't these things all mechanistic, you ask? Don't the planets just move on their orbits and not change? How can this affect us? These are questions I had.

Here is a simple beginning of an explanation. The constellations present constant forces in the universe, which makes sense if you understand that they represent the roles of Christ. The planets present changing forces. Think of it this way: constellations are like the face of the clock (with 12 numbers) and the planets (which move clockwise) are like the hands on the clock. Not only do they reckon time with miraculous accuracy (read a mind blowing article on that there by LDS astronomer), but the constellations carry the force, and the planets modulate it. All these forces are exerted on us, who are each made up of our own energies and receptivities, weaknesses and strengths, based on our natal chart.

But, I must emphasize again that though the stars impel, they do not compel. The degree of our awakeness, our mind power, and our deeds become factors in how the planets affect us, and how we affect the planets.

In the next post I will talk about how we personally and as group (humans) affect the cosmos. This will include some physics and some metaphysics. Buckle up.