
                    THE ZODIAC DRAWINGS AND THEIR SYMBOLISM


     The  Aquarius  panel over  the double-door  entrance to  the sanctuary 
     designates the Ecclesia as a temple for the Aquarian Age. It shows the 
     androgynous Waterbearer pouring the  etheric waters  of life  upon the 
     globe of the earth. The figure bears a likeness to  the Gemini  twins, 
     who also represent an airy, mental sign. The icy-grey rings of Saturn, 
     planet  of  prudence and  containment, is  contrasted with  a luminous 
     Uranus, planet of transformation and universal love, radiating  spokes 
     of light. A wintry  urban scene  suggests the  "living together"  that 
     this vibration promotes, while the scattering of stars  on both  sides 
     of the panel suggests the activation of new Aquarian energies  and the 
     coming age of the stellar science of astrology.

     Like its  elemental mate  Cancer, Pisces  shows a  twilight waterfront 
     scene,  but  the  mood  here  is  tranquil. The  empty boats  denote a 
     withdrawal  from  the outer  world of  practical affairs  and a  going 
     within. Three planetary influences are depicted  - Jupiter  flanked by 
     Venus and Neptune. Two ethereal fish centered in the violet  sky above 
     a placid inlet indicate  the doubleness  or mutability  of this  sign, 
     ease of movement in the fluid medium of emotions and a sensitivity  of 
     subtle impressions.

     The  Aries  panel  depicts  the  iconic  Ram, powerfully  poised, head 
     lowered in  the aggressive,  martial butting  mode, but  actually just 
     eating the tender springtime plants. It has drawn away from  the brood 
     of ewes and kids to the top of a hillock where its  prominence in  the 
     budding  vernal  landscape  attests  to  its  readiness to  assert its 
     energies. In its most exalted reading, the Ram is the Lamb of God, Who 
     is forever guarding, guiding and sacrificing  for the  flock of  souls 
     seeking the Light.

     The  Taurus  panel,  acknowledging  Venus'  dignity  and  the   Moon's 
     exaltation,  depicts  an  ethereal  Bull as  a celestial  group spirit 
     dominating the horizon in a pastoral  scene. Several  bovines seem  to 
     sense the presence of this influence as they gaze toward it in  stolid 
     attentiveness. A cottage, smoke issuing from  its chimney,  suggesting 
     bucolic comforts, nestles in the verdant earth.

     Mercury-ruled Gemini depicts twin  girls in  a landscape  of flowering 
     trees and fields. Only  one of  three panels  with human  subjects, it 
     most conspicuously delineates that part of the anatomy  ruled by  this 
     sign  (shoulders,  arms and  hands). The  bouquet and  lei of  flowers 
     represent the first gleanings of the mercurial intellect as it applies 
     its  powers  of observation  and discrimination  in gathering  sensory 
     data. Here the visible world is a garden rife with blooms to be picked 
     and perused by the concrete mind.

     The water  element, symbolizing  the soul,  is shown  in its  cardinal 
     (active)  mode  in Cancer,  where the  lunar (unconscious)  influences 
     create  the  greatest  turbulence,  the conscious  Jupiterian energies 
     moderate  the  desire  nature  through  abstract   thinking  and   the 
     superconscious  influence  of  Neptune's  rays,  positively   employed 
     (signified by  the enveloping  five-pointed star),  presides over  the 
     most pacific expanse of water. The classical god Neptune's ability  to 
     govern water with his trident is thus a reality.


     On the west wall  above the  Altar the  Leo panel  depicts a  couchant 
     lion,  king  of  his  realm, half  silhouetted against  a blazing  sun 
     encircling the emblem of  itself. The  majestic towers  of a  medieval 
     castle  provide  a worldly  metaphor for  the regal  might of  the Leo 
     vibration. The rich tropical growth suggests the life-giving  power of 
     the summer sun in its zodiacal dignity. Leo is the  sign of  the risen 
     Christ and the emblem of spiritual unfoldment. Leo represents the path 
     to Initiation through the  heart. The  Rosicrucian path  of initiation 
     commences at  the door  of intellect  under the  mental sign  Aquarius 
     (eastern door of the Temple sanctuary) and leads to liberation  at the 
     altar of the heart under the dominion of the Leo hierarchy.

     The lily  of purity  is held  by the  white-clad maiden  in the  Virgo 
     panel. The learning and wisdom aspect of Mercury are designated by the 
     library  of  books.   The  service  aspect  of Virgo  is shown  by the 
     depiction of Mercury in the sixth house of  the horoscopic  wheel, the 
     quote from Thessalonians on the blue scroll held by the two angels and 
     the sheaves of ripe grain, representing the harvest  of worldly  deeds 
     to be  amalgamated into  the soul  body, which  is represented  by the 
     window.

     The Libra panel depicts the hand of God depending the golden scales of 
     Justice,  whose  two  equally  balanced  trays  are  ruled  by  Saturn, 
     governing  cosmic  Law, and  Venus, dispensing  Love and  Mercy. Right 
     relationships are ordered on  these twin  principles. Autumnal  fields 
     and forests share equal space with sky. The windmill denotes  Libra as 
     the cardinal air sign.

     Painted in  1920, before  the discovery  of Pluto  (1930), this  panel 
     shows Mars as ruler and Uranus  exalted, with  the celestial  Scorpion 
     centered.  The  scene in  color and  content is  similar to  Pisces, a 
     dusky, opaque  light suffusing  both murals.   But here  the contained 
     water of  a lake  is represented,  denoting Scorpio  as a  fixed water 
     sign. A latent or brooding mood is projected.

     The Centaur's bow of aspiration is fully drawn and aimed at the  lofty 
     Jupiterian ideals radiating from the higher worlds. On the west  coast 
     of the United States, the Rosicrucian emblem shines  as a  beacon from 
     the Fellowship's International Headquarters,  generating an  aurora of 
     violet  lights,  signifying the  global impact  of the  Western Wisdom 
     Teachings.

     The celestial Goat and its associated planet, ringed  Saturn, dominate 
     a wintry landscape, which suggests the restriction and minimalism that 
     these energies can effect.  Mars is  exalted in  Capricorn, where  its 
     primal power is given form and order.

