A basic premise of esoteric astrology is that we
should distinguish between a personality
led through life circumstances by
the soul Ray, when it will function
predominantly through the MC and work
from the outside in, and the soul-infused
personality which works through the
Ascendant and functions as a conscious
soul from the inside out.
The M.C. and 10th house govern how we function in
the objective world, and how easy
or difficult it may be to achieve
some recognizable contribution to
humanity's progressive evolution.
The Ascendant and 1st house is how we relate personally
to the world, and is not generally
seen as a signpost to our life achievements
because most of us are negatively
polarized to our life events which
just happen to us. Only when we begin
to measure some soul awareness do
we begin to adjust this polarity,
and as we allow the creative soul
to more fully determine our life path,
we are then given the chance to work
consciously with our soul and its
Ray - and create the life our soul
wants for us.
In both cases the soul will seek to guide the personality
to achieve its motives, as decreed
before incarnation. The difference
is that the conscious soul has a positive
and projective influence on our outer
lives, and creates life according
to soul purpose, rather than the personality
which is negatively polarized and
is therefore subject to a life created
by the soul and adjusted according
to how one reacts to these incoming
energies through the use of freewill.
The difference between the Ascendant and M.C. in
this case then depends on awareness,
because as we become more aware of
our soul energy, we begin to project
it into our outer lives consciously
through our Ascendant - we start to
identify with the motivations of our
soul instead of the motivations of
our personality.
"The evolutionary process is actually a process
of identification."
(Lucille Cedercrans - "The Nature Of The Soul")
The conscious soul approach employing the Ascendant
can produce real good in the world
at a soular level, producing positive
change way beyond the usual expectations
and limitations of physical form;
whereas the unconscious soul approach
through the M.C. - and the best that
can be hoped for until one seriously
commits to the spiritual Path - is
a struggle for soul achievement awakened
by caring for others, and serving
within society on a personality level.
This is doing good, but lacks the
potential to make substantial change
in racial karma which can only come
through conscious alignment with the
Will-To-Good, or Divine Purpose.
What drives us toward becoming Conscious Soul Incarnate
is this duality of soul motive compared
to personality motive. This is the
essential instrument of the soul which
causes the friction or karmic suffering
that is necessary for our progress
towards ultimate 'reversal', changing
from outer to inner awareness, and
working creatively as Conscious Soul
Incarnate through the Ascendant rather
than as an unconscious instrument
of the soul through the M.C.
