Chapter XVI

DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PERIODS OF THE SOUL CYCLE
Period No. 1
HOSE born between March 22nd and May 12th of any year inherit from the Cosmic a very lofty nature, with a deep' seated desire to achieve a high place or a high position in the esteem of the public and in the hearts of their closest acquaintances. They carry over from their previous incarnation the lessons and tribulations which have taught them the neces^ sity for looking above and beyond the common" place things of life and holding a vision of the highest ideals as their goals. They also carry into this life recollections of the experience of having achieved a notable place or position in life in some foreign land, and of having tasted of a full cup with many of the luxurious and beautiful things of earthly existence. Therefore, in this incarnation,
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no matter in what station socially, racially, or fi- nancially they may be, there is always the inner urge to try to live a noble or at least a life that will be above the commonplace, and that will bring them the respect and perhaps the adoration of the multitude. There is not just the desire for wealth, or the material luxuries of life, although there is a taste for these things slightly beyond the average; but the great desire, the great longing, that actuates these persons in this subjective think- ing and planning is the attainment of public re- nown, and public approval. For this reason, these persons reluctantly deal with sordid things and constantly struggle against things that are mean, lowly, or objectionable to good taste and high ethical standards. This means that if these persons are starting this incarnation or the lessons of this life in a lowly social or financial position, there is a continued restlessness and dissatisfaction that urges them onward and upward. They always sense the nobility of their last Hfe. They are gen- erally trustworthy, for they have learned in the past that deceit, falsity, underhandedness, and un- ethical practices hold them back in the progress
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they wish to make. Their words are generally their bonds, and their aspirations are not dreamy or mystical, but practical and adherent to a straight Hne of progress. There is, of course, the natural tendency carried over from the past to want to rule and dominate, and, therefore, be the heads or be the leaders of any plan, organi2;ation, or group of interests with which they may be con' nected, and in such capacities they will succeed because of the other inherent quaUties. They are generally careful in the selection of their words, and the use of language in writing, and have com' manding personahties when they are allowed to de' velop properly, and well developed dramatic f acul' ties. Such persons are usually affable among their peers, with perhaps a slight tendency to be im' patient with those who do not aspire to rise, or who may be classed in their subconscious minds as the lowly serfs of a past kingdom. These per' sons can always be reached and appealed to through suggestions of sumptuousness and mag' nificence, and whatever may be honorable. They will succeed best in business matters wherein they may be managers, directors, controllers, or over'
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seers, mayors, governors, or any high governmental officers, or holders of important positions in the courts of law. In more humble positions they will succeed as sheriffs, magistrates of small courts, or executive positions of a similar nature. They have an excellent preparation and faculty for the study of law, and in an artistic manner they are fond of metals and working in metals, not as jewelers, but as designers and creators of beautiful and magnifi' cent things of metal. As second choice, they would succeed as designers and creators of magnificent buildings or arrangers of beautiful homes, or the creators of beautiful costumes and articles of adornment. The physical weaknesses which they have inherited in this life are affectations of the heart and brain, perhaps through overwork men' tally, and tendencies toward weakness of the eyes, and toward fevers. They will find joy and recol' lection of familiar things from the past in travel- ing in such countries as Chaldea, Phoenicia, Italy, Sicily, Swit2;erland, and Scotland.
The A Polarity. Persons born in the first half of this period, from March 22nd to April 17th, will be more active in fighting their way to the
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top of the ladder of their ambitions than those in the B Polarity. They will use all of their vital energy, and all their power, and every physical means to achieve leadership and dominating posi' tions, and they will be like warriors in mastering and controlling any situation or any line of work with which they are connected. Their constitu' tions will be fiery and strong, and their personal magnetism well developed, with excellent speaking voices and commanding manner in writing.
The B Polarity. Those born in the last half of this period, from April 17th to May 12th, will have greater tendencies to seek the goals of their ambitions in the fine arts or in the more refined and delicate places of Hfe. They will be more gen- teel than those in the A polarity, if given the op' portunity to develop their inherent tendencies, and they will be more subtle, more smiling, and more quiet in their achievements of success than those in the A polarity. Nevertheless, there is the same determination, with an additional characteristic that some may call bull'headedness. These persons will be found associated with art, drama, and music, either as hobbies or as professions if they
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have the opportunities to allow their natural ten' dencies to guide them.
Period No. 2
Persons born between May 13th and July 3rd of any year come into this life carrying from the Cosmic and from their last previous incarnations the memory of many peculiar experiences and tendencies and characteristics that make strange combinations. In the first place, they bring into this life from the past a deep'seated desire to travel, and move about, for they have been sue cessful and happy in this in a previous life. The continuation in this life in any one place or in any one line of thought, or in any one hobby for a long time spells monotony to these persons, and, how ever they may try outwardly to permanently asso' ciate themselves with some place or set of con' ditions, the inner restlessness causes them to feel uncomfortable and to seek a change. In one of their incarnations they have been not only experi' enced in journeying, but in exploring, investi- gating, and in trying to taste all phases of life.
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Everything that they associate themselves with is of the more deHcate, refined, and temperamental nature. They have inherent desires to be well' mannered, thereby expressing tender natures, and the wish to be well^received and well-considered. There is a Cosmic desire to search for novelties and the passing pleasures of human life that are whole- some, and yet filled with joy and happiness; but there is another equally strong desire carried over from an old incarnation by each of these persons to occasionally delve into the sciences, and the more practical things of life, and these two desires constitute the strange complex that occasionally manifests itself in the lives of these persons. They are practical, saving, conservative in many ways, and yet their lives are of the present hour always, and they have a tendency to let the future take care of itself because of their faith in the just re- ward that will come. They prefer to live free of the cares of this life, seeking peace and quiet whenever they are troubled; they are not easily led into quar- rels or arguments or disagreements. They love to spend much time in meditation. In many affairs there is a tendency to be fickle, or we may say that
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those judging them outwardly would believe this to be so, whereas in truth it is only another form of the expression of the desire for change and for new experiences. They are honest, careful, ethi' cally precise in many ways, and in character clean and wholesome, but are very apt to be misjudged because of their changeable natures. These persons must guard against being led into the company of those who seek only the pleasures of the flesh, for once they are started on a downward path, they become heavy drinkers, and are beggarly, careless, and given to disregard the niceties of life.
In the trades and professions, these persons will succeed well as traveling representatives, or pep sons coni^ected with business affairs that require changes of location, changes of contact, with many branches, and fluctuating interests. There are in' herent faculties and abilities which will make them excellent secretaries, designers, artists, salesladies or salesmen, actors or actresses, concert enter- tainers, newspaper reporters, or servants in fine homes. A peculiar tendency on the part of these persons is that of marrying persons who will be- stow titles upon them or will bring changes of posi-
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tion into their lives, and very often the women marry men who look upon them and treat them as queens or as countesses, and pay continued adora' tion to them, whereas the men often marry women who are well'to'do, and who look upon their hus- bands as kings in the homes. The inherited physi- cal weaknesses give a tendency toward troubles with the bladder, and toward rheumatic diseases, colds, and coughs. Often these colds wiU manifest through a disturbance in the stomach or in the feet or eyes. These persons will find joy and interest in traveling through such countries as Flanders, Norway, Denmark, Holland, and Bel- gium, where they wiU contact sights and condi- tions familiar to them from the past.
The A Polarity. Those in this period, bom between May 13th and June 8th, will have very- quick intellects, and will be more apt to enter into businesses that permit them to use their minds and fingers rather than all of the muscles of their bodies; in other words, quick minds, quick tongues, and quick hands will serve them unusually well, and they are very apt to be employed in two occu- pations or have two hobbies and interests at the £203 }
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same time, and to give the impression to others that they are almost dual in their manner of living and expressing themselves. They should do everything that is in their power to develop the intellectual and mental side of their lives, because of the inherited mental faculties. Persons in this polarity will make themselves known by their intellectual pursuits, and will be credited with excellent educations and excellent training, even if they have not actually had them in any school or academy.
The B Polarity. Those born between June 8th and July 3rd are generally outstanding characters in the intellectual world, for they continually associate themselves with those interests or indus' tries that deal with education, the fine arts, or the law. Their intellectual capabilities are more reserved and must be discovered, and they usually manifest in excellent memories, fine appreciation of language, intuitive senses that enable them to foresee and prophesy or perhaps sense oncoming conditions before anyone else may think of them. They are somewhat more stable in their physical changes of location, although the love of travel and
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of change of residence causes them to occasionally move. They will vacillate more in their intellectual pursuits and in their reading and studying than in their physical environment, however. These per' sons are able to serve as secretaries or associates in business to a greater degree than those in any other period or polarity.
Period No. 3
Those persons bom between July 4th and August 24th of any year carry from the past into this life the experiences of great struggles and achievement through determination and self-mas' tership. In other words, we have in this period those who are already potentially self masters and masters of fate. And they have a strong constitu" tion, a fiery, impetuous nature, and the will power and abihty to accomplish against great odds, if there is sufficient motive and some encouragement. In addition to this inner nature, which is a part of their soul consciousness, their births during this period have given them from the Cosmic other related faculties and abilities, which will enable
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them to be bold, confident, invincible characters in the achievement of any great purpose. These per" sons will challenge any obstacles that may arise in their lives, even though outwardly they may not reaH2;e that they have been stirred to action or aroused to a fighting spirit by obstacles that others may have looked upon as insurmountable or perhaps insignificant according to their natures. In other words, this is the type of person that can be encouraged and led into action by present' ing to him an obstacle, as being one that others have failed to overcome. Naturally these persons are lovers of contest, and seekers of honors in con' tests, not merely for the aggrandi2;ement, but be" cause of 4:he mastership it will establish. They are apt at times to be boastful of their abiHties and in this thing demonstrate a weakness that must be overcome. They never hesitate to risk lives or limbs, or their best interests, to achieve anything that they believe was destined for them to master, whether it is in association with their own per" sonal interests or not. Naturally these persons, if properly placed and properly trained, become great leaders in movements or employments calling for
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the use of strong will power, strong hands, and strong principles. If allowed to have their own choice in professions, they will most generally sue ceed as captains or of&cers in an army, or as leaders in great movements calling for strong, masterful leadership. In more conservative positions they will succeed as surgeons or chemists, or even as carpenters and contractors. They have an inherited inchnation and Hking, brought over from the past, for the making of small things that are intricate and of a mechanical nature, and, therefore, they often are inventive and are successful in such lines as watch making, electrical designing, or the mak' ing of small mechanical devices of a very im- portant nature. Their physical weaknesses may manifest in the tendency toward diseases of the blood, such as carbuncles, ringworms, ec2;ema, sores of the skin, yellow jaundice, and similar con- ditions. There is also a tendency toward trouble from gallstones or burning fevers, and these per- sons should be very careful of their diet, for they are apt to eat highly seasoned foods and too much meat. We will find these persons attracted to and interested in such countries as Lombardy, Batavia,
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Northern France, and Paris, for there they will recall conditions that seem familiar.
The A Polarity. Persons born between July 4th and July 31st are very apt to be adventuresome and to travel a great deal seeking adventure and the doing of things that call for the risking of life and limb, and they are, therefore, natural explorers and investigators. If unable to travel considerably, they will explore even in their own immediate country, and be known by their restless desires to delve into the mystery of conditions that baffle the conservative nature of a person who is not so ready to risk his life. These persons make good leaders of armies, or leaders of naval forces, and they ar&. often associated with poHtical or reform movements for they love conquest, and can carry an issue to victory. These persons often lead double lives in many ways, for they will have many inter' ests and two outstanding occupations or methods of applying the faculties of their natures.
The B Polarity. Those bom between July 31st and August 24th of this period generally succeed in achieving the attainment of some position that places them at the head of some great organization,
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as in some high poHtical office equivalent to that of a governor, a mayor, a judge, or a president. They are naturally kingly and queenly by all of their instincts and habits, and they love pomp and cere' mony, limelight, and adoration and approval of the pubHc. They live their lives in keeping with these desires, and, therefore, carefully guard their weak' nesses and those habits which might jeopardi2,e the high positions they seek, or which they attain, for they learned this lesson in a previous life. In any occupation, whether on the stage, in Hterary work, in business, or in social affairs, the persons in this polarity are leaders or outstanding characters, and the mediocre positions in Hfe will not satisfy them. Children bom in this polarity should be given every form of education and training that wiU en' able them to hold high positions with efficiency and with honor to themselves and their parents.
Period No. 4
The persons bom in this period between August 25th and October 15th carry into this life from a previous incarnation the attainment of high per'
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sonal powers, the positions of leadership that have to do with education, the fine arts, and especially the development of civili2;ation, and the best in' terests of the pubHc. Together with these charac teristics, such persons have received from the Cos" mic the additional benefits of wonderful faculties for study, and the attainment of knowledge, and the ability to express themselves in words or writing together with very fine memories, the ability to reason logically, and to live a life of estheticism if the opportunity is afforded. These persons are hard to become acquainted with ob' jectively, for their intellectual abilities and knowl' edge enable them to clothe themselves with the colors of their environment, and to meet persons on their own level. We may find these persons in the most humble positions of life, seemingly occu' pied with pursuits and affairs of a lowly type, and yet we will discover through acquaintanceship that they are truly prepared and trained for higher and better positions than those in which we find them. On the other hand, we may find these persons in the highest positions of the literary world, or at the head of educational institutions where they give
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more thought to the advancement of mankind than to their own advancement. The Cosmic rhythm has created in them a natural desire for learning and for research, and they are very fond of mys' teries, whether in fiction or in actuality. These persons also have the tendency to appreciate the power of words and the fine points in law and scientific knowledge. There is a tendency toward searching into the occult and into the secret and arcane wisdom of all ages, as well as into philoso' phy and religion, but in the latter sense the ten' dency is toward non-sectarianism and the building up of universal brotherhood and love. These per- sons are very capable in trade or business, and make excellent merchants because of their abihty to read human nature and to understand the de- sires and wishes of others. For that reason they would make good salesmen or saleswomen, or good instructors of sales forces, or writers and preparers of advertising and sales literature. Their ability to reason logically and to express their ideas with logical arguments makes them qualified for many positions where this natural ability can be used. Very often their abihties lead them into politics,
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where they succeed well, but not to the same ex' tent that they would in some truly humanitarian profession. These persons have usually acquired considerable advancement in metaphysical and OC' cult illumination in a previous incarnation, and very often they were formerly adepts in one of the arcane brotherhoods, most often the Rosicru- cian Order. There is something about their soul development and spiritual attainment that makes them truly great masters inwardly, and they are restless and unhappy until they contact in this in- carnation that place or point in their soul progress where they left off in the last incarnation. These persons should be guided to the Rosicrucian work or some similar course of study and development at an early age, for that wiU be the beginning of an- other phase of rapid progress and development for them. Honor, temperance, and mystical idealism, accompanied by an unusually wonderful imagina- tion, are the keynotes of their real inner characters. We find these persons very often occupied in the present incarnation as Hterary workers, mathemati- cians, secretaries, writers, sculptors, poets, orators, school teachers, college professors, bankers, clergy-
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men, or ambassadors. The physical weaknesses which are subtle physical tendencies of their na" tures generally express themselves in so-called vep tigoes, di2,ziness of the head or brain fatigue, ac companied sometimes by a sHght degree of stam' mering or imperfection of enunciation, due to the rapid thinking and the attempt to rapid expression of thought. There may also be a tendency toward hoarseness, dry coughs, or colds in the head. These persons will find great joy and happiness in visiting or travehng through such places as Flanders, Egypt, India, and most of all, the southern part of France. Polarity A. Persons bom in this polarity, be^ tween August 25th and September 20th, are gen' erally shining Ughts in the educational and intellec tual world. More women than men come into this period and become teachers of music, fine arts, or in a more humble way creators of costimies or workers at fine sewing and other trades or arts requiring nimbleness of finger and hand. On the other hand, the men of this period have a natural tendency toward the spiritual things of life, and would be excellent clergymen or teachers of ethics, philosophy, and morals, if they could express them'
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selves freely and outside of the limitations of sec- tarianism. Persons in this polarity are generally- very genial, good-natured, polished, cultured, and artistically and musically inclined. But, this polar" ity also gives great strength of character and a dom- inating magnetism that would make them well qual- ified as physicians and surgeons, or judges and mag- istrates. Children born in this polarity must be directed very carefully, because the imagination is highly developed and this may create in them imag- inary ideas which they will represent as truth and thus fall into the habit of making false statements. They, too, must be guarded against a restlessness of nature, even seeking the strange and peculiar things of life and ignoring the practical. Overstudy on the part of such children must be guarded against, be- cause the nervous and mental systems will not stand the strain during childhood and early youth. Polarity B. Persons born in this polarity, be- tween September 20th and October 1 5th, are par- ticularly well adapted to the use of their mental abilities and logical reasoning in making decisions and in coming to reasonable conclusions. They are well balanced in all of their faculties and have a
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great desire to balance all their thoughts and aU their knowledge; and in examining the evidence or the statements on any subject, or in any matter of dispute, they are sure to seek for the balance, and to want to estabhsh an equality in all things. The tendency in their lives is to be more or less esthetic, with a great love for the pretty, beautiful, luxuri' ous, nice, and comfortable things of Hfe. They are generally supporters or patrons of the arts and music, as well as drama, and make good artists and writers, especially of happy and fantastic tales with good moral principles involved. These persons are seldom ruffled, seldom upset, and go through life with a tranquiUity and evenness that is a great help to others as well as themselves. They, there' fore, should occupy such positions as enable them to hold conditions in certain bounds, or to direct the lives of children and young people along lines of peace, harmony, and beauty.
Period No. 5
Persons bom in this period, between October 16th and December 6th, are generally those who
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attain great success and fame in their particular callings, although this success may not always be measured in worldly things or in a financial way. These persons carry over from the past incarnation one lesson which they have learned well, and which becomes the keynote of their inner, secret natures, and that is, that as one gives and does for others, so one attains and succeeds in life. Therefore, these persons are fundamentally generous, good-natured, kindly, and often free in their actions and Hve to such an extent that their own success and prog' ress seems to be nil from a material point of view, and for this reason they are often misjudged as failures in hfe. On the other hand, they do acquire an unusual amount of knowledge, a great deal of culture and polish, an extreme amount of happi' ness and pleasure, and withal are comfortable and satisfied with their lot in life, even though it may be in poor circumstances or in humble position. In every crisis the Cosmic comes to their rescue and brings about satisfactory conditions. This, however, does not prevent them from seeking greater things and a greater abundance of this life's blessings. But they are philosophically inclined
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through the lessons they have learned in the past, and believe that they should give thanks every morning for life itself, and not complain if they have the least of the worldly blessings, for they realize that they have in their knowledge and in their mystical powers a greater asset than most other human beings, and for this they are eter- nally thankful. These persons also bring into this hfe from the Cosmic, through the vibrations of the period in which they were bom, an unusually phil- osophical nature, accompanied with the abihty to acquire languages and to understand the spiritual and natural laws of the universe to an unusual degree. This makes it simple for them to acquire and master the principles of harmony in art, music, writing, and even in chemistry. Being capable, therefore, of expressing themselves in so many different ways, these persons are reaUy in posses- sion of more hobbies throughout life than those bom in any other period. Whenever they seek relaxation or a change from occupation, they can turn their hands to music, to mechanics, to art, or to the sciences, and dabble in any one of these things to a degree that almost borders upon pro-
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fessional expertness. For this reason they may enter into various occupations in their youth and change often as they go through life. They finally settle into positions where their complex abilities can be used, one by one, throughout the weeks and months, and thereby hold unique positions which other persons could not fill. Fundamentally, there is a great love for animals, for outdoor sports, and for nature itself. They are open, frank, honest, and cheerful, and deplore deceit and underhanded- ness. They have carried over with them a very high degree of mystical development and of re- ligious and spiritual attunement, and are often thrown into deep spells of spiritual meditation that others may look upon as despondency. They seem to sense the sufferings of the world as well as the pleasures of the world. These persons would make excellent directors of organiz^ations, where they are concerned with the scope of larger plans and things of a national or international importance rather than with the smaller details of executive manage- ment. They are capable of planning great schemes and carrying them out successfully, and for this reason they may enter the profession of advertise-
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ment writing and planning, sales organiziation work, or the control and management of schools, colleges, and universities. In business methods, however, their generosity, charity, and liberal nature does not bring them personal fortune, nor help to build up the financial end of their plans, but it does bring success in every other direction, which eventually leads to financial success. We are more apt to find these persons in the position of judges, senators, lav^ers, priests, doctors of law, professors in universities, newspaper editors, or maga2;ine editors, or conductors of shops or places of antiques, or dealers in the arcane and mystical things of life. In physical weaknesses, the most common manifestation is in connection with in- flammation of various parts of the body through colds or overwork, accompanied by conditions of the blood due to overeating or irregular eating, or the eating of rich foods. Skin diseases, rheumatic conditions, quinsy, and apoplexy are general con- ditions found with these people. These persons will find great joy and happiness in journeying through or visiting Babylon, Persia, Egypt, Pales- tine, and the strange byways of the Orient where
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they may come in contact with ancient familiari" ties, especially in Egypt, China, and Japan.
Polarity A. Persons born in this polarity, be tween October 16th and November 11th, are very aggressive in their business affairs because they have a nature that is filled with determination and energy, and they do not rise to heights in the same channels as those in the B polarity, because those in the A polarity have a feeling that they must fight their way through life and must be everlast' ingly at something in order to keep themselves from slipping back into a mediocre position. The aggressiveness of the persons in this polarity leads them into many unique positions, and makes them outstanding characters in their abiHty to accom^ pHsh difficult things. They have a tendency, how" ever, toward accidents and toward delays through their own rash exertions, and these persons wiU find themselves best fitted for positions in connec tion with the government, or as attorneys, occu^ pied daily in arguments and dissensions, fighting for certain principles with considerable success.
Polarity B. Those bom in this polarity between November 11th and December 6th are almost the
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opposite to those born in the A polarity in regard to aggressiveness. The warlike spirit of their na^ ture is greatly subdued and they would rather stay away from a quarrel or argument than take any