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Who can deny the magnificence of the Sun, rising at the break of day?  It has inspired poets, philosophers and scientists alike.  It has been worshipped by cultures throughout history.  It undeniably supports all life in the solar system.  It gives us light, it gives us heat, it gives us radiations of every imaginable frequency.  From a spiritual point of view, it gives us a focal point, a point of inspiration, a source of creative impulse.  Many ancient cultures based their spiritual and religious beliefs and practices around the Sun.
Astrology, too, has venerated the Sun, seeing it as the focal point of our expressed personality, our will and our creativity.  In ancient times, astrologers placed even more importance on the Sun than astrologers in modern times.  The Sun, of late, has been increasing relegated to just another of the ‘planets’.  This has been a necessary evolution as we explore the details of the pantheon of planets of our solar system.  We have spent hundreds of years enlarging our planetary palette and improving our skills as astrologers.  However, the time is coming for the Sun to be given its proper due in the larger scheme of things.  Paradoxically, we will draw upon ancient teachings, knowledge and beliefs, combined with cutting-edge astro-science, to draw a metaphysical picture of the Sun’s true place in the cosmos.  From here, we can then gain practical insights, personally and collectively, into the four basic questions of all spiritual and Healing quests: Who are we?  Where do we come from?  Where are we going?  Why are we here?

The Astronomical
It has been said in spiritual and religious circles throughout history that all is Light.  Modern physics can now confirm this.  The entire cosmos, it appears, began as pure Light/energy of unimaginable power – the power of the Big Bang.  Light is the most pure form of energy, even now, billions of years after the creation of the universe as we know it.  The action of Light splitting – an every day, no, every microsecond occurrence – produces secondary sub-atomic particles that have ‘spin’, momentum and, therefore, mass, i.e. matter.  All matter is polarised light! This has been one of the greatest realisations of 20th century physics.  Matter is not solid, as it appears, but is made up of ‘strings’ and fields of vibrating Light/energy.
This brings us to the creation of the solar system.  From the Big Bang, the pure Light/energy of the creation was broken down into secondary particles of matter, then tertiary and quaternary particles and so on and so forth, until the universe was a sea of particles of matter at all different frequencies.  From this sea (the ‘waters of space’) arose galaxies, stars, planets and life.  These arose, not by accident – this is a problem modern astrophysicists still struggle with – but in an orderly fashion.  From greater order came lesser order.  The super-clusters of galaxies resolved themselves into galaxies, the galaxies into solar systems, the solar systems into Suns and planets.  It was all a process of Light becoming gradually more and more diffuse and polarised.  Science calls this process: entropy.
An outpouring of Light/energy from the galactic centre of our Milky Way formed our solar system.  Although astrophysicists do not yet entirely confirm this, there is scientific evidence to suggest that this is so.  In comparison to the solar system, the Light/energy of the galactic centre is far more unified, far closer to the original state of the universe ‘before’ the Big Bang.  We will talk about the centre of the galaxy later.  This outpouring of Light from the galactic centre gradually diffuses as it approaches the solar system, becoming more polarised, more material.  At the solar system, it manifests as the material formations of the planets, etcetera.
We can imagine the solar system as being enclosed in an enormous egg sac of energy.  Science calls this the magnetosphere.  The magnetosphere acts like an enormous lens, focussing the incoming Light from the galactic centre.  The focal point of that lens is: the Sun, of course!
On its path from the boundary of the solar system to the Sun, this Light manifests polarised matter of all different densities: planets.  From the planets, this polarised matter/Light then reunifies into Light/energy at the Sun.  From this perspective, the Sun is the focal point of the solar system, the Grand Central Station.  All trains must stop here – all Light in the solar system passes through here.  From here, the Light continues to re-ascend back towards the galactic centre.  This latter part of the journey goes beyond the scope of what we will cover here, beyond the scope of known science.
We, too, are Light in a polarised form.  Our journey of consciousness – evolution, growth, Healing, etcetera – is a journey of Light.  We will explore this, too, in a minute.

The Astrological
The Sun has traditionally been given an exalted place in astrology, being the brightest and most powerful astronomical body.  Astrology, like astronomy, necessarily began with the Sun and the Moon.  In recent times, however, the Sun has been placed somewhat on the back burner while we have explored the many other planets discovered over the last many hundreds of years.  Let’s now go back to ancient times and look at how astrologers and philosophers of the Hermetic and pre-Hermetic traditions viewed the Sun.  Some striking parallels to modern astronomy and physics may surprise us.
In Egyptian times, the apparent origin of Hermetic science, the Sun was personified by the god, Rª.  Rª was considered to be the manifested or visible god of gods.  To understand its place, we need to look at some of the pantheon of Egyptian gods and their place in the cosmic hierarchy.
In the table below, we see that the Absolute or Almighty God – the One – was Atum.  We could compare this to the universe ‘before’ the Big Bang.  From Atum was born Amen or Atmu, the hidden god, the power that created and sustains the universe.  We can compare this to the galactic consciousness.  From Amen was born Temu, the “maker of gods”.  We can compare this to state of Light at the boundary of the magnetosphere, aforementioned.  It also correlates to the Adam Kadmon of Kabalistic teachings.  This corresponds to the first splitting of Light descending from the boundary of the magnetosphere.  From Temu, was born Shu and Tefnut, twin brother and sister.  This corresponds to the second splitting of Light descending from the boundary of the magnetosphere; it also corresponds to Adam and Eve; also, to the idea of soul-mates.  Two other Egyptian gods also represented the same things: Seb and Nut, representing Earth (female) and Sky (male), respectively.  From Seb and Nut, was birthed Set.  Set and the god, Nephthys, represented all that was good and bad, respectively, i.e. all the dualities of good and evil – the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  This was the third splitting of Light descending from the boundary of the magnetosphere.
Atum Almighty God, the Absolute, the One. ‘Before’ the Big Bang.
Amen or Atmu The hidden god. Galactic consciousness.
Temu The “maker of gods”. Boundary of the magnetosphere.  1st splitting of Light. Adam Kadmon.
Shu & Tefnut or Seb & Nut Twin sister & brother born of Temu or Earth (female) and Sky (male). 2nd splitting of Light. Adam & Eve, male & female, soul-mates.
Set & Nephthys All that was good and bad, respectively. 3rd splitting of Light. Knowledge of Good and Evil, duality.

Rª was considered to encapsulate all of these gods, but, paradoxically, was birthed from them, too. This paradox is what initially made Egyptian mythology so difficult to understand.  Rª was the visible manifestation of all these gods, the eldest Son (Sun) of the Almighty (Atum).  Each of the many gods of the Egyptian pantheon was considered an aspect of the One God.  Each of the lesser and greater gods were considered to be aspects of the visible manifestation of the One God, Rª, the Sun-god.  From this point of view, Rª was the personification of the Many become One.  Such is our journey of consciousness and Healing, too, as we shall see.
The aim of all existence for the Egyptians was to return to Rª after physical death.  In their philosophy, we evolve in consciousness from the Earth planes, through the astral planes – called Amenti or Amentet – until we are sufficiently pure of spirit to rejoin with Rª, the Sun-god.  After death, we are judged in the Hall of Maªt – the Hall of Truth.  Here, our heart is weighed in a balance.  If we do not measure up to the consciousness of Rª, then we are cast back into Amenti, i.e. back into further incarnations.
So far, we have revealed two important aspects of the Sun as a symbol: Truth and Oneness.
We have said that the path of Light from the boundary of the solar system passes through the planets, including Earth, on its way to the Grand Central Station of the Sun.  Does this not agree with the Egyptian mythos?  Their cycles of incarnation indicate a process of the cycling of Light from the Earth to the Sun, gradually getting closer to the Sun, eventually merging with it.  We will look at the science of this possibility in a moment when we talk about sunspots.
This journey of evolution of consciousness has been encapsulated in the Zodiac of the Mysteries (the Mysteries were the origin of Egyptian and Hermetic knowledge) (see diagram).

The Zodiac of the Mysteries

We will explore this in a minute.  Suffice to say that, in the Zodiac of the Mysteries, the Sun was the focal point and it was associated with the sign of Libra.  Why might this be?

The Metaphysical
From a metaphysical point of view, we can now say again that the Light of physics and science is the same as the Light of spirit, religion and esotericism.  It’s not just a metaphor.  Science has been so busy looking at the material world and discounting the spiritual world and the spiritual fraternity has been so busy looking for a non-material abode for spirit that they have crossed each other’s path without seeing each other.  The great Truth is that the material and spiritual worlds co-exist everywhere.
The astronomical journey of Light through the solar system, from Earth to Sun, is the spiritual/metaphysical journey of our consciousness.  Let’s lay out some correspondences...
We have said that matter is polarised Light.  Therefore, the Earth, including our consciousness upon it, represents polarity.  It represents duality, fragmentedness, Woundedness and conditional love.  Why conditional love?  Unconditional Love is without conditions, expectations, cause, limits, differentiation... it’s universal, omnipresent... it’s One, comparable to the Absolute, to the Almighty.  Conditional love has conditions, expectations, sees causes and effects, has limits, is differentiated and relative... it’s specific and local in nature... it’s Many, comparable to the polarised material world.  Conditional love is made up of our innumerable emotions, each emotion an incomplete expression of the Oneness of Unconditional Love, which contains all emotions.
The Sun, and its associated consciousness, represents ‘unpolarity’.  It represents unity, connectedness, Healing and Unconditional Love.  It represents the synthesis of all emotions – the fragments of Truth – into Love.
Our metaphysical journey of evolution is from duality to unity, fragmentedness to connectedness, Woundedness to Healing, from half-truths and illusions to Truth, from conditional love to Unconditional Love, from matter to spirit, from Earth and the planets to the Sun.

The Zodiac of the Mysteries
Looking now at our diagram of the Zodiac of the Mysteries, we can now see our journey laid out as a cycle from Earth to the Sun against the back drop of the zodiac signs.  This part of our journey, according to the Egyptian paradigm, begins with our first incarnation.  Gradually, through cycles of incarnations, we rise in consciousness closer and closer to the Sun through the astral realms or Amenti – the space between the Earth and the Sun.  Each time we fail to make the grade, so to speak, we are cast back down into further incarnations.  This is represented in our diagram by the circles of arrows gradually expanding from Earth to Sun and back.
The sign of Capricorn represents the birth into flesh, the ‘death’ from spirit, the Winter Solstice.  Aries represents the most dense, most material and most fragmented state of consciousness and is associated with the Earth.  Cancer represents the death of the body and the ‘birth’ into spirit, the Summer Solstice.  The Sun represents the place of consciousness that we strive to attain throughout our cycles of incarnation.  It is given the sign of Libra and the Autumn Equinox.  Why?  Libra represents balance, harmony and unity of consciousness, consciousness that sees all things with perfect equanimity.  From this perspective, in the Zodiac of the Mysteries, Libra and the Sun represent Oneness, Truth and Love.  At death, according to the Egyptian belief, the spiritual heart (ka) is weighed in a balance and if the consciousness of the newly-deceased is entirely balanced in terms of Oneness, Truth and Love, then it can join Rª, the Sun.
This is an evolutionary journey, opposite to what science calls entropy.  From the scientific perspective, we can see the evidence for entropy, i.e. all things tending towards dissolution, diffusion, fragmentation and uniformity of all fragments.  Surely the existence of an object like the Sun flies in the face of entropy inasmuch as it is a concentration of energy of unparalleled power compared to the planets around it.  How did such a concentration of energy come into being?  Science still does not have concrete answers.  Our speculation of the Sun being the focal point of galactic energy, focussed through the lens of the magnetosphere is still in the realm of metaphysics.  However, there are scientific theories that support the idea of anti-entropy, i.e. evolution, such as we conjecture.  Herein lies the potential for a scientific basis for confirming what the Egyptian 'Hermeticists' laid out thousands of years ago.  We will look at some of this evidence a little later.

Sunspot Cycles
In the meantime, there certainly exists scientific evidence for the cycles of Light/energy between the Earth and the Sun, such as the Egyptian cycles of incarnation.  If we take the view that consciousness, like everything else, is Light/energy, then the movement of Light/energy between Earth and Sun is the movement of consciousness.  In fact, we can go so far as to call Light/energy by its metaphysical name: spirit.  When Light/energy becomes diffuse, fragmented, polarised, it is called: matter.  Spirit and matter are the same thing, seen from two different perspectives, one polarised and the other unpolarised.  Therefore, the movement of Light energy between the Earth and Sun is the movement of spirit.
The scientific basis for this transit of spirit – consciousness – between the Sun and the Earth is what we know as the sunspot cycles.  This is an eleven year cycle where the activity of the Sun waxes and wanes.  It is, metaphysically speaking, the breath of the Sun.  At the peak of the cycle, i.e. maximum sunspots, the so-called solar wind is at its maximum.  This solar wind is an outpouring of high-energy charged particles of Light/energy that buffets the Earth to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the stage of the cycle.
During the peaks of these cycles, the Earth experiences much more extreme weather patterns, electrical and magnetic disturbances that even knock out satellites, power stations, communications networks and play havoc with computer data and memory.  This is all documented.  What has yet to be documented is the effect it has on our consciousness and on our health and well-being.
The next peak of sunspot activity occurs during 2000 and 2001.
From a metaphysical point of view, the outpouring of solar winds is the outpouring of higher consciousness, enticing consciousness upon Earth to evolve, grow, Heal and reach for the Sun in consciousness.  Such a major outpouring of Sun consciousness in so-called Atlantean times represented the coming of the Avatars – the Teachers of Light – who began passing down universal wisdom, thus beginning Humanity’s Return to Light.
So, what then is the scientific basis for the reverse process – the transit of Light/energy of consciousness from the Earth to the Sun?  Both Sun and Earth have electromagnetic fields surrounding them.  These fields contain charged particles of Light/energy, moving from pole to pole.  Denser particles of this field remain closer to Earth.  As these particles – particles of Light/energy consciousness – rise in frequency, they rise in the concentric spheres of Earth’s field.  Earth’s field and the Sun’s field overlap.  When these particles rise high enough, the influence of the Sun overpowers the influence of the Earth and they become part of the Sun’s field of Light/energy consciousness.  These particles of Light/energy are our consciousness in the astral realms between the Earth and the Sun.
Here is the scientific basis for the metaphysical picture we have been painting.  In Truth, all planets have electromagnetic fields that overlap that of the Sun and thus interact with the Sun in this way.  Astronomically speaking, each planet’s destiny is to merge with the Sun.  This will happen in one of many different possible ways.  One of the most obvious ways that science envisions this to happen is by the expansion of the Sun to the Red Giant phase, literally engulfing the planets or frying them out of existence.  Remember, however, that it will only be the material forms that will be destroyed.  The matter itself will be converted back into energy, back into Light/energy consciousness in a purer form, closer to its origins.  Light/energy – consciousness – is indestructible by the scientific laws of conservation.  We are already immortal in spirit... only our physical form is mortal and subject to the laws of creation and destruction.

The Healing Journey
How does the picture so far compare to the Healing journey of our lives?  Woundedness – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual – is the state of being fragmented, disconnected, unwhole, disintegrated, in chaos, in polarity, in duality.  Healing is defined as becoming physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually more connected, unified, whole, integrated, ordered, etcetera.  Healing is the process of unifying our consciousness and Returning to a state of conscious Oneness, Truth and Love.  How can we do this?
Astrologically, we look at Healing from the point of view of ‘working through our planetary issues’.  Anything we have an issue about ‘lop-sides’ our consciousness – we call it “stress” – and manifests ill-health and disease, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  Each planet represents certain issues, corresponding to certain states of fragmented consciousness.  As we work through the issues of each planet, as set out in our astrological chart, we are Healing, unifying and integrating our consciousness, reducing stress, increasing harmony and balance, Returning toward Oneness, Truth and Love.
Our spiritual and Healing destiny – both journeys ultimately being the same – is to merge with the Sun in consciousness.  We do so via the issues of the planets.  All planets point to the Sun.  All planets lead us to the Grand Central Station of consciousness in the solar system.  At the Sun, all issues of the planets dissolve into Oneness and Love.

The Practical Journey
As we have discovered, the main aspects of the Sun, according to ancient science, ancient astrology, corresponding to astrophysics and the science of Light, are:
Truth, Harmony, Balance, Oneness and Unconditional Love.
How can we take this knowledge and make it practical?  The truth is, we cannot help but live it... our life is designed to give us the maximum opportunity to work through our issues and come closer to these aspects of Sun-consciousness.  We can, however, accelerate that process by looking at our issues, reflected in the issues of the planets in our astrology charts.  Each planetary issue will ultimately find its resolution in the Sun.  The chart can illuminate known issues, reveal hidden issues and give us new perspectives on the attainment of resolution of those issues.  Such is the mirror of astrology.  Remembering that all planets point to the Sun, if we approach each issue with questions posed by the Sun, we can work more quickly through our issues as they arise.  Such questions might be:
1) Trusting that Truth exists in the universe, what is the Truth of my issue?  What is the Truth of its events, circumstances, situations and the people involved beyond my polarised, lop-sided, biased and incomplete views?  Remembering that there are always two sides to every issue, what could be the other unseen, unacknowledged, denied or ignored aspects of the issue?
2) Trusting that balance already exists in the universe, where is the balance in this issue beyond my perceptions of its imbalance, injustice and lop-sidedness?
3) Trusting that harmony already exists in the universe, how are the aspects of this issue in harmony with a higher purpose, a higher plan, as yet unseen by my clouded vision?
4) Trusting that all is One and that boundaries are illusions, how do the aspects of this issue serve to help me and the others involved break down our illusory boundaries and realise our inherent Oneness?
5) Trusting that Love is the rule in the universe, not the exception, how are the aspects of this issue challenging me and the others involved to find Unconditional Love beyond our illusory judgments and charges?

Becoming Star-like
Our destiny, as we have explored, is to merge in consciousness with the Sun and all that this represents.  This is the evolution of matter back into energy.  It is anti-entropy and, as such, defies most current theories of cosmology and astrophysics.  I say “most” because the research on black holes and related phenomena defies some of those same current theories.  Physicist, George Ellis, for example, speculates that the postulated mechanism at the core of black holes – known as singularities – represents a way in which the matter of the universe can be recycled back into energy and then back into further creation in a cyclic and eternal process. This theory is certainly in line with ancient science.  The Big Bang started with just such a singularity – a singularity being a point of infinite energy, infinite mass, beyond time and space.
The mechanism of black holes begins in the very same mechanism that births stars.  When enough mass is collected in a small enough space, it can no longer resist the force of its own gravity and ‘collapses’ into itself.  The pressure of this ‘collapse’ causes nuclear fusion to begin; i.e. the atoms become so compacted that they start to merge with one another.  Sound familiar?
The stages of collapse are star, white dwarf, brown dwarf, neutron star and finally a black hole.  As its approaches this point, according to Einstein’s theory of gravity and relativity, it becomes increasingly timeless and spaceless.  If we were to enter into such a place, we would experience all of time and space instantaneously, i.e. omniscience.
We mentioned the galactic centre as being the source of the creation of solar systems and stars.  At the centre of the galaxy lies an enormous black hole... the pieces of our picture come together!
What about us, personally?  As we rise in consciousness, we become increasingly Sun-like in consciousness, along with the rest of the planet.  The metaphysical destiny of the planet, as a whole, is to become more Sun-like, too.  Scientific speculation that supports the idea of a planet becoming a star comes from Arthur C. Clarke, scientist and author of numerous non-fiction and science-fiction books, not the least of which is “2001 – A Space Odyssey”.  He conjectured that a planet, having gained sufficient mass, could indeed collapse into itself and begin the nuclear fusion process that is the hallmark of stars.  The size of planets recently discovered around other stars and the existence of binary and multiple stars certainly suggests this possibility.  Only time and further research will tell whether the metaphysics of becoming more Sun-like, so believed by the ancients, is in fact true. In the meantime, as a spiritual metaphor, it certainly works.

Conclusion
We have seen that the Sun represents a focal point – a Grand Central Station of the solar system – for the incoming Light/energy of consciousness, descending from the galactic core.  We have seen that each of the planets points us towards the Sun, each representing our current issues on the journey to Love.  We have seen that the Sun represents Truth, Harmony, Balance, Oneness and Love.  We have explored our journey as Light on a journey from Earth to Sun, mirrored in the Zodiac of the Mysteries.  And we have explored the scientific basis for some of our metaphysical musings...
Perhaps we have gained a new appreciation for the special place that the Sun holds in our lives, physically and metaphysically.  The more we learn about and appreciate the Sun, the more the Sun lives in us, rather than merely being an outsider, albeit one that provides the basis for our physical lives on Earth.  As the awareness of the Sun within us grows, the more star-like we become... we are, after all, destined to shine.