“Say not, ‘I have found the truth’, but rather, ‘I have found a truth.’  Say not, ‘I have found the path of the soul.’  Say rather, ‘I have met the soul walking upon my path.’  For the soul walks upon all paths.  The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed.  The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.”  - Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, 1923. The quest for the soul’s purpose is as old as man and equates to the many myths surrounding the search for the Holy Grail, the Philosopher’s Stone and others of that ilk. We all yearn for knowledge of our soul’s true purpose here on earth to be revealed to us; the one tool available which can come close to that, which can provide a brief glimpse into the soul’s contract, is that of the ancient celestial science of astrology. The birth chart is unique to each individual and is thus able to provide answers to this question for the individual.

How do I find “me”?

According to the pneumatology of Plato, when the Fates dispersed human lives to the souls, each one was in such a hurry to grab the life it found most appealing that in the midst of the feeding frenzy, it did not stop to read the small print; it is this philosophy which makes the astrological assessment pertaining to the realm of the soul so interesting. It is important to understand that to the soul, the human body with all its complex systems which contains or houses the personality (in its entirety it is the 'self') and the world in which this self resides, are one and the same thing. It does not discriminate between the two entities: everything external to the soul is just that, separate to it and thus viewed as one.

The soul is the city and the rest is the countryside: there is a very clear distinction between soul and self and this boundary is vital in understanding the soul’s purpose and the experiences it must undergo whilst contained in the self. What most of us seek when we embark on the quest to unearth the “meaning of me” is the city – we are all pretty familiar with the countryside through which we traverse, even though we may not understand why we are meandering through that particular terrain.

The 7 Pillars of Wisdom: Arabic Parts

Abu Ali Al-Khayyat describes parts as “a sensitive point in the zodiac determined by calculating the distance between one point and another point and adding the distance to a third point. [....]. In classical astrology, they were called lots because they were used to determine the prospects for a particular thing. In astrology of modern times, they are usually called Arabic Parts because only the Part of Fortune is mentioned by Ptolemy, and all the other parts are mistakenly assumed to have been invented by the Arabs.” Another ancient authority on Parts, Al-Biruni, lists 97 Parts which can be applied to the nativity.

There are many books written today on “the soul’s contract” or “how to find your inner purpose”, the list goes on ad nausea, and once again we are humbled by the knowledge of the ancients: this subject is not a new one posed by the ever-so-enlightened modern man, but in our modern times a very obvious factor is missing. The 7 Pillars of Wisdom which are mentioned in the Biblical texts are likened to these Parts, and the soul chart can be studied by the astrologer to assist with this “soul’s contract”. However, in astrology of the Tradition, the missing factor prevalent in commercial teachings should be a priority in this astrological assessment: that of the presence of the Divine and the potential you were given at birth. No potential, no manifestation.    

The Arrangement of the Birth Chart

The 7 Pillars of Wisdom depict the city which is the soul and the arrangement of the planets, Fixed Stars, Antiscia, etc. (the countryside) in the birth chart is derived from the position of these Parts; they determine the soul’s contract or calling in life. So the planets in the birth chart, with all their possibilities, determine the experiences the soul must undergo in the material form in order for the soul to learn the lessons it requires; we can then deduce that if the soul is not required to learn a specific lesson, the events to bring it about will not materialise in the life.

This is an important factor often over looked in our modern society where we are told we can be whoever we choose to be and have whatever it is our heart’s desire; when this doesn’t transpire we appear foolish, we have failed because we didn’t desire it enough, chant enough mantras, employ successful visualisation techniques, etc.

The Parts referred to in this article must be applied to the soul which exists on a very different plane to that of the body; they are not meant to be applied, in this instance, to the material world. For example the Part of Victory is not victory over your enemies or life’s slings and arrows of outrageous fortune it throws at you, it is victory over yourself and your desire nature, self-mastery as it were. The Parts are as follows:

• The Saturn Part: Part of Captivity and Escape. The things we do to trap ourselves and limit our potential, causing the necessary anguish of life which we bring upon ourselves and which are the very things that set us free; the doorway to self-undoing opens both ways.
• The Jupiter Part: Part of Victory. The manner in which we can overcome our limitations and fulfil this potential to the maximum; the area of life where Grace drops into our lives.
• The Mars Part: Part of Valour. The areas of life where we are called to fight our self-undoing and where to find our allies in this war; it also provides the capacity for right action.
• The Sun Part: Part of Spirit. The area of life in which we can enjoy abundance and where we have the Divine marriage of soul and spirit; this can assist us in mastering the self.
• The Mercury Part: Part of Necessity and Despair. Where we will be tested with regards to “wanting it all”; this is the polarity to love, the Venus Part; it shows the soul’s weeping at being trapped in the world: one side longing to return to the Divine, the other longing for the earthly manifestation. This Part proves that we cannot have it all; no matter how much we would like to believe that.
• The Venus Part: Part of Love. The areas of life where love from above flows into our lives – where the soul wishes to be united with love; it also depicts our ability to love others and be loved in return.
• The Moon Part: Part of Fortune (or Hunger). What the soul truly hungers for; this Part also depicts the path that should be followed to return to the Divine.

How can a Soul Chart assessment assist me?

A skilled astrologer is able to determine the potential contained in the city, which is your soul, and to extrapolate certain options for its life contract. The birth chart then exposes itself in a clearer and more objective light: this can attempt to shed light on why good things happen to bad people and vice versa, a question which has puzzled man for centuries. Based on the premise of astrology, which is aligned to classical moral teachings and philosophies, we all get what we need for the soul to fulfil its contract.

This assessment is able to provide insight at the deepest level of the life and in exploring the options with the client, peace of mind and a clear, stable, realistic and practical path can be found. Too many people spend their lives longing for something which permanently eludes them, be that a child, a partner, vocational or financial success or even something as simple as serenity. This assessment is able to determine whether or not those factors are scripted in the life and if so, in what manner or form they will manifest.

The assessment also provides the correct co-ordinates for the path most suitable in order to fulfil the soul’s contract, together with the pitfalls that will be encountered as well as the joy to be discovered. The client derives tremendous peace of mind from knowing they are working with the potential they were given in life and not against it; it is a natural conclusion that when we speak and act on our truth, not the truth of others, we are happier for it. Not adhering to the contract of the soul causes unnecessary trials and tribulations which could be avoided; this does not mean that life is any easier once the path is chosen but it does mean the person has conviction; each step taken is planted firmly in the ground because it is backed by the three Theological Virtues: faith, hope and love.

Conclusion

Too many people are disheartened whilst seeking their true purpose which is a negative state of affairs indeed: this quest should bring fulfilment and joy, not frustration, heartache and additional suffering. I am firmly of the opinion that this ensues due to the individual having wandered onto the wrong path at the outset. Based on modern teachings everyone is entitled to the same bounties, so the affirmations, mantras, visualisations, etc. are all based on that premise. While “ask and ye shall receive” is a fundamental principle of traditional teachings (again proving that the New-Age jargon and books like The Secret are simply borrowing from the original source), the discerning pupil is expected to understand the texts in their entirety – statements like this are not intended as stand-alone mantras and the meaning of them goes far deeper than the words imply superficially. 

Ask and ye shall receive, but ask for what is provided within your potential and for that which is scripted! Once the potential for the life is determined, based on the assessment of the Soul Chart (the soul’s true purpose for living in the material world), the individual can then apply whichever techniques he is comfortable with to manifest this potential. Tangible results will abound and the person can get on with the task at hand: to fulfil the soul’s contract, which ultimately, is to return to God.