11-08-2011, 09:34 PM
Catayst of the Body: The Wheel of Fortune
![[Image: 21xT0.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/21xT0.jpg)
We have but a single quotation from Ra on the Catalyst of the Body, the Wheel of Fortune:
Questioner: Going back to the previous session, picking up on the tenth archetype, which is the Catalyst of the Body, the Wheel of Fortune represents interaction with other-selves. Is this a correct statement? Ra: I am Ra. This may be seen to be a roughly correct statement in that each catalyst is dealing with the nature of those experiences entering the energy web and vibratory perceptions of the mind/body/spirit complex. The most carefully noted addition would be that the outside stimulus of the Wheel of Fortune is that which offers both positive and negative experience.
As all of the Archetypes in the Body Cycle reflect their counterparts in the Mind Cycle, the Catalyst of the Body is a "reflection in opposites" of the Catalyst of the Mind. Whereas the Catalyst of the Mind, The Empress, depicts the revealing of the feminine mind (previously unknown thoughts - the unconscious mind) to the masculine mind (the conscious mind), leaving the positive/negative polarity interpretation to the judgment of the masculine mind (as depicted by the crescent moon beneath her feet); the Catalyst of the Body, The Wheel, depicts the impressing of the masculine body (unavoidable perceptions) upon the feminine body (the sensory mechanism) which carries a polarized charge without the need of interpretation. In plain English: your thoughts can be interpreted as you like to be preferred or not preferred, but comfort and discomfort aren't exactly up to your whimsy -- at least not until the much later stages of adepthood. The Empress presents herself to the masculine mind who must be keen enough and attentive enough to see her. The Wheel thrusts himself upon the feminine body who must be receptive enough and balanced enough to receive him. The Empress offers information and allows the conscious mind to give her information polarity (the Two Paths card will show how this choice is offered). The Wheel, on the other hand, offers already polarized perceptions in the form of pleasure/pain, comfort/discomfort, fortune/misfortune. The mind knows that these perceptions are without inherent polarity, but the body cannot but feel these as polarized sensations by their very nature.
I have suggested in a previous thread that Archetype 9, the Potentiator of the Body, can be thought of as the theoretical perspective which uses its storehouse of knowledge to experiment in the realm of manifestation: the potentiator of the body consciously and deliberately chooses a manner of acting, thereby giving the matrix of the body a "potential" (here we must imagine potential as a separation of polarities which was not present beforehand -- consider the meaning of the word "potential" in electromagnetism). Under this interpretation, the Matrix is the system, the mechanism, the Potentiator is the experiment, the tinkering, and the Catalyst is the result, the consequence. Some consequences reveal that the potentiation leads toward harmony (comfort), some consequences reveal that the potentiation leads toward disharmony (discomfort). We can also now also project (by perhaps stating the obvious) that the Experience is the system augmented.
Though I have labelled the Potentiator of the Body the "conscious" aspect of the body in a previous thread, I am wondering if that is not a misnomer. So I shall explain that label. The Potentiator and Catalyst of the Body are both masculine archetypes and, as such, have an activating or impressing tendency. Their movements are not mysterious the way the movements of the feminine archetypes are, they are in plain view. The Potentiator of the Body is that part of you which knows exactly what should be done and how. It has full command of the movements of the body and will take command when the matrix (the mechanism which moves without thinking) needs to be adjusted. The Catalyst of the Body, on the other hand, is the information which impacts your senses and informs you of which parts of the matrix require further potentiation and how effective previous potentiation was.
In my thread concerning the classification definitions, I offered some simplified definitions of the words "Matrix," "Potentiator," "Catalyst," and "Experience:"
Matrix: Significator uninformed
Potentiator: Significator hidden
Catalyst: Significator revealed
Experience: Significator informed.
So let us superimpose these concepts upon the Body Cycle:
The Matrix of the Body is a swirling motion of stuff which has not yet crystalized into an organized system. It is seemingly chaotic and random, and it is without experience of the effects and uses of polarity. The Body which is not present to its own potential simply moves along the path of least resistance. This is the sense in which the Matrix is uninformed.
The Potentiator of the Body is the information which is capable of organizing the motions of the Matrix in order to transform the matrix into an organized and useful system. Until the moment of action, the real impact of this information is simply not known. The Significator is hidden from itself insofar as the purpose of an experiment is the result and not the hypothesis.
The Catalyst of the Body is the consequence of the information, the potential, the polarity, imparted to the Matrix. Now that action has been taken, now that an experiment has been run, the Significator has revealed itself to itself and is aware of the effects of imparting a potential to the Matrix.
The Experience of the Body is the restructuring of the system, the restructuring of the Matrix, to accommodate the potential imparted to the Matrix. Prior to action, the Matrix is in a state of balanced motion. This motion is temporarily thrown out of balance by the action of the Potentiator. The response of the Cataylst rebalances the motion and the Experience settles into a new configuration which accounts for this change.
With this in mind, let us bring the discussion down to earth. In my experience, the Wheel of Fortune presents itself anytime I witness the results of a specific action I have decided to take -- especially if this action is a departure from my old ways of doing things.
I had recently decided to speak my mind with less censorship in order to better communicate myself to others. This represented the creation of a new habit and therefore fell under the Archetypical heading of the Potentiator of the Body. In doing so, I have found that the result is that I sometimes speak before I have gathered sufficient information to provide useful words. This leads to misunderstandings of another kind. I have also found that speaking without censorship has lead to greater respect from others for the information I have to offer. The consequence of my decision to speak without censorship has revealed both positive and negative aspects now that I have given the Matrix this potential. The Matrix has restructured itself to incorporate this new balance and I now have the opportunity to further refine the new Matrix by finding that which is still chaotic and unorganized and potentiating it further.
When I decided to learn how to play guitar, my fingers were sensitive and soft. I gave a potential to the matrix (my fingers) by sitting down with a guitar and plucking. One consequence of this experiment was blisters and sores. The Matrix then restabilized itself by developing callouses on my fingers. Another consequence of this experiment was the production of music. The Matrix then restabilized itself to allow further and more refined music.
Let us now consider the specific symbols:
The Sphynx is an emblem of time, as Ra has pointed out to us. It is composed of parts of four different creatures: man, eagle, bull, lion. These four creatures are representative of the four fixed signs in astrology and they are also representative of the four elements and the four seasons. I take the four seasons to be the major symbolic purpose of these four creatures and the astrological and elemental alignments I take to be a subheading under the seasons. The seasons are obviously a symbol of cyclical time, yet its hind legs are in step, suggesting that cyclical time moves forward. We all know, of course, that time is a spiral: both linear and cyclic. Thus, I take the sphynx to be an emblem of spiraling time. I should also mention that spiraling time can only be experienced in space/time because in time/space there are three dimensions of temporal motion and not just one. Thus, the sphynx refers very specifically to the time aspect of space/time. This makes sense, of course, because the Catalyst of the Body is only experienced in space/time.
The eagle on the sphynx's back has its wings outstretched, as if it has command of the sphynx. The bird represents the mind/body/spirit complex which desires to fly along its path of evolution, rising to greater and greater heights. As the Sun of the spirit is present in the Catalyst of the Mind, offering its protection to the mind, so protection is also offered in the Catalyst of the Body...but it is much more subtle. The Sun reflects its light off everything it touches and is therefore embedded in the content of the Catalyst of the Mind (we can already see how critical a card the Catalyst of the Spirit will be!). The eagle, however, does not directly protect the experiences of the body. It governs the activities of the seasonal yet progressive nature of time, but the sphynx still holds the spear in protection. I assume that this feature is what Ra refers to when he describes the catalyst of the physical world as "random". You'll get what you have coming to you, but how and when are not the subject of a precise science. I also suggest that this aspect of the card depicts the programming of past-life karma into current life catalyst -- as does the Sun in the Empress card.
The spear represents to me the very intentional nature of the catalyst of the Body -- somewhat random though it is. If discomfort is needed, the Sphynx will ward off that which is comfortable. The reverse, of course, would also be true.
The Sphynx stands on a platform which suggests that it is somewhat hidden from the experience itself. The Catalyst proper is, of course, the Wheel (also known as the wheel of karma or the wheel of samsara). What is on the Wheel is what we experience, but this experience is shielded from the greater truth, which is this: life is not a tragedy. Third density experience is closely observed and guarded by higher forces than are evident to you while you are here.
The two figures on the wheel represent, as Ra suggests, positive and negative experience. The figure on the left, the descending figure, is Typhon or Set, a devil. The serpent emerging from its belly reveals that this creature is an avatar of imbalance. It is overweight and is often depicted with an erection, emphasizing its gluttony and lust. The significance of this figure can be seen in the discomfort that finds its way to you. In general, your discomfort is a consequence of your bad habits, which are a consequence of your personal demons. These things fling themselves in your face in order for you see that they are a problem and change your habits -- and hopefully also do some mental and spiritual work to prevent them from returning.
The figure on the right, the ascending figure, is a kind of angel. In my deck, it is Anubis, a clever and beneficent deity. In other decks (notably the deck pictured in the Law of One serious), it is a winged figure with an alien looking face. I don't really know the significance of this face. Regardlessly, this figure represents to me good fortune and comfort, which are signs that you are creating the experience you want and not miscreating an experience you are afraid of. My girl and I got a great deal renting a beautiful house from a wonderful landlord. It fell in our laps at exactly the right time, which tells me that we are doing something right. Thank you, Anubis.
Typhon rides the wheel downward, whereas Anubis climbs up the wheel, using the inertia from Typhon's downward fall. At the very bottom of the wheel, Typhon must pass through the outstretched wings of spirit which lead the experience onward. This winged sphere was often placed above places of initiation in ancient Egyptian culture, symbolizing the purity required for advancement. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this imagery. The bottom of this wheel represents rock-bottom. Your bad habits will keep dragging you down until you reach a point where you refuse to fall any further and you decide to change your actions and stop attracting the discomfort (imagine heroin addicts, for example). Once you pass through that crucible, the depths of your fall will also determine the heights of your rise, which is why the inertia of the fall is important here. Each angelic experience which brings you untold abundance is a further sign of that what you are doing will ultimately lead you out of the wheel of samsara. A heroin addict may eventually make such a powerful change that what was once a severe weakness toward drugs becomes a deep inner strength which seeks to know the heights of experience only through sober states. This can be described as exiting from the wheel of samsara -- if we will use the term loosely.
Lastly, there are two wheels, which suggest that there is both an inner and an outer meaning to the Catalyst of the Body. Again, I will emphasize the deep connection between mind, body and spirit: every catalyst of the body is a potential catalyst for both the mind and the spirit if you are willing to look at the deeper meanings.
We have but a single quotation from Ra on the Catalyst of the Body, the Wheel of Fortune:
Questioner: Going back to the previous session, picking up on the tenth archetype, which is the Catalyst of the Body, the Wheel of Fortune represents interaction with other-selves. Is this a correct statement? Ra: I am Ra. This may be seen to be a roughly correct statement in that each catalyst is dealing with the nature of those experiences entering the energy web and vibratory perceptions of the mind/body/spirit complex. The most carefully noted addition would be that the outside stimulus of the Wheel of Fortune is that which offers both positive and negative experience.
As all of the Archetypes in the Body Cycle reflect their counterparts in the Mind Cycle, the Catalyst of the Body is a "reflection in opposites" of the Catalyst of the Mind. Whereas the Catalyst of the Mind, The Empress, depicts the revealing of the feminine mind (previously unknown thoughts - the unconscious mind) to the masculine mind (the conscious mind), leaving the positive/negative polarity interpretation to the judgment of the masculine mind (as depicted by the crescent moon beneath her feet); the Catalyst of the Body, The Wheel, depicts the impressing of the masculine body (unavoidable perceptions) upon the feminine body (the sensory mechanism) which carries a polarized charge without the need of interpretation. In plain English: your thoughts can be interpreted as you like to be preferred or not preferred, but comfort and discomfort aren't exactly up to your whimsy -- at least not until the much later stages of adepthood. The Empress presents herself to the masculine mind who must be keen enough and attentive enough to see her. The Wheel thrusts himself upon the feminine body who must be receptive enough and balanced enough to receive him. The Empress offers information and allows the conscious mind to give her information polarity (the Two Paths card will show how this choice is offered). The Wheel, on the other hand, offers already polarized perceptions in the form of pleasure/pain, comfort/discomfort, fortune/misfortune. The mind knows that these perceptions are without inherent polarity, but the body cannot but feel these as polarized sensations by their very nature.
I have suggested in a previous thread that Archetype 9, the Potentiator of the Body, can be thought of as the theoretical perspective which uses its storehouse of knowledge to experiment in the realm of manifestation: the potentiator of the body consciously and deliberately chooses a manner of acting, thereby giving the matrix of the body a "potential" (here we must imagine potential as a separation of polarities which was not present beforehand -- consider the meaning of the word "potential" in electromagnetism). Under this interpretation, the Matrix is the system, the mechanism, the Potentiator is the experiment, the tinkering, and the Catalyst is the result, the consequence. Some consequences reveal that the potentiation leads toward harmony (comfort), some consequences reveal that the potentiation leads toward disharmony (discomfort). We can also now also project (by perhaps stating the obvious) that the Experience is the system augmented.
Though I have labelled the Potentiator of the Body the "conscious" aspect of the body in a previous thread, I am wondering if that is not a misnomer. So I shall explain that label. The Potentiator and Catalyst of the Body are both masculine archetypes and, as such, have an activating or impressing tendency. Their movements are not mysterious the way the movements of the feminine archetypes are, they are in plain view. The Potentiator of the Body is that part of you which knows exactly what should be done and how. It has full command of the movements of the body and will take command when the matrix (the mechanism which moves without thinking) needs to be adjusted. The Catalyst of the Body, on the other hand, is the information which impacts your senses and informs you of which parts of the matrix require further potentiation and how effective previous potentiation was.
In my thread concerning the classification definitions, I offered some simplified definitions of the words "Matrix," "Potentiator," "Catalyst," and "Experience:"
Matrix: Significator uninformed
Potentiator: Significator hidden
Catalyst: Significator revealed
Experience: Significator informed.
So let us superimpose these concepts upon the Body Cycle:
The Matrix of the Body is a swirling motion of stuff which has not yet crystalized into an organized system. It is seemingly chaotic and random, and it is without experience of the effects and uses of polarity. The Body which is not present to its own potential simply moves along the path of least resistance. This is the sense in which the Matrix is uninformed.
The Potentiator of the Body is the information which is capable of organizing the motions of the Matrix in order to transform the matrix into an organized and useful system. Until the moment of action, the real impact of this information is simply not known. The Significator is hidden from itself insofar as the purpose of an experiment is the result and not the hypothesis.
The Catalyst of the Body is the consequence of the information, the potential, the polarity, imparted to the Matrix. Now that action has been taken, now that an experiment has been run, the Significator has revealed itself to itself and is aware of the effects of imparting a potential to the Matrix.
The Experience of the Body is the restructuring of the system, the restructuring of the Matrix, to accommodate the potential imparted to the Matrix. Prior to action, the Matrix is in a state of balanced motion. This motion is temporarily thrown out of balance by the action of the Potentiator. The response of the Cataylst rebalances the motion and the Experience settles into a new configuration which accounts for this change.
With this in mind, let us bring the discussion down to earth. In my experience, the Wheel of Fortune presents itself anytime I witness the results of a specific action I have decided to take -- especially if this action is a departure from my old ways of doing things.
I had recently decided to speak my mind with less censorship in order to better communicate myself to others. This represented the creation of a new habit and therefore fell under the Archetypical heading of the Potentiator of the Body. In doing so, I have found that the result is that I sometimes speak before I have gathered sufficient information to provide useful words. This leads to misunderstandings of another kind. I have also found that speaking without censorship has lead to greater respect from others for the information I have to offer. The consequence of my decision to speak without censorship has revealed both positive and negative aspects now that I have given the Matrix this potential. The Matrix has restructured itself to incorporate this new balance and I now have the opportunity to further refine the new Matrix by finding that which is still chaotic and unorganized and potentiating it further.
When I decided to learn how to play guitar, my fingers were sensitive and soft. I gave a potential to the matrix (my fingers) by sitting down with a guitar and plucking. One consequence of this experiment was blisters and sores. The Matrix then restabilized itself by developing callouses on my fingers. Another consequence of this experiment was the production of music. The Matrix then restabilized itself to allow further and more refined music.
Let us now consider the specific symbols:
The Sphynx is an emblem of time, as Ra has pointed out to us. It is composed of parts of four different creatures: man, eagle, bull, lion. These four creatures are representative of the four fixed signs in astrology and they are also representative of the four elements and the four seasons. I take the four seasons to be the major symbolic purpose of these four creatures and the astrological and elemental alignments I take to be a subheading under the seasons. The seasons are obviously a symbol of cyclical time, yet its hind legs are in step, suggesting that cyclical time moves forward. We all know, of course, that time is a spiral: both linear and cyclic. Thus, I take the sphynx to be an emblem of spiraling time. I should also mention that spiraling time can only be experienced in space/time because in time/space there are three dimensions of temporal motion and not just one. Thus, the sphynx refers very specifically to the time aspect of space/time. This makes sense, of course, because the Catalyst of the Body is only experienced in space/time.
The eagle on the sphynx's back has its wings outstretched, as if it has command of the sphynx. The bird represents the mind/body/spirit complex which desires to fly along its path of evolution, rising to greater and greater heights. As the Sun of the spirit is present in the Catalyst of the Mind, offering its protection to the mind, so protection is also offered in the Catalyst of the Body...but it is much more subtle. The Sun reflects its light off everything it touches and is therefore embedded in the content of the Catalyst of the Mind (we can already see how critical a card the Catalyst of the Spirit will be!). The eagle, however, does not directly protect the experiences of the body. It governs the activities of the seasonal yet progressive nature of time, but the sphynx still holds the spear in protection. I assume that this feature is what Ra refers to when he describes the catalyst of the physical world as "random". You'll get what you have coming to you, but how and when are not the subject of a precise science. I also suggest that this aspect of the card depicts the programming of past-life karma into current life catalyst -- as does the Sun in the Empress card.
The spear represents to me the very intentional nature of the catalyst of the Body -- somewhat random though it is. If discomfort is needed, the Sphynx will ward off that which is comfortable. The reverse, of course, would also be true.
The Sphynx stands on a platform which suggests that it is somewhat hidden from the experience itself. The Catalyst proper is, of course, the Wheel (also known as the wheel of karma or the wheel of samsara). What is on the Wheel is what we experience, but this experience is shielded from the greater truth, which is this: life is not a tragedy. Third density experience is closely observed and guarded by higher forces than are evident to you while you are here.
The two figures on the wheel represent, as Ra suggests, positive and negative experience. The figure on the left, the descending figure, is Typhon or Set, a devil. The serpent emerging from its belly reveals that this creature is an avatar of imbalance. It is overweight and is often depicted with an erection, emphasizing its gluttony and lust. The significance of this figure can be seen in the discomfort that finds its way to you. In general, your discomfort is a consequence of your bad habits, which are a consequence of your personal demons. These things fling themselves in your face in order for you see that they are a problem and change your habits -- and hopefully also do some mental and spiritual work to prevent them from returning.
The figure on the right, the ascending figure, is a kind of angel. In my deck, it is Anubis, a clever and beneficent deity. In other decks (notably the deck pictured in the Law of One serious), it is a winged figure with an alien looking face. I don't really know the significance of this face. Regardlessly, this figure represents to me good fortune and comfort, which are signs that you are creating the experience you want and not miscreating an experience you are afraid of. My girl and I got a great deal renting a beautiful house from a wonderful landlord. It fell in our laps at exactly the right time, which tells me that we are doing something right. Thank you, Anubis.
Typhon rides the wheel downward, whereas Anubis climbs up the wheel, using the inertia from Typhon's downward fall. At the very bottom of the wheel, Typhon must pass through the outstretched wings of spirit which lead the experience onward. This winged sphere was often placed above places of initiation in ancient Egyptian culture, symbolizing the purity required for advancement. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this imagery. The bottom of this wheel represents rock-bottom. Your bad habits will keep dragging you down until you reach a point where you refuse to fall any further and you decide to change your actions and stop attracting the discomfort (imagine heroin addicts, for example). Once you pass through that crucible, the depths of your fall will also determine the heights of your rise, which is why the inertia of the fall is important here. Each angelic experience which brings you untold abundance is a further sign of that what you are doing will ultimately lead you out of the wheel of samsara. A heroin addict may eventually make such a powerful change that what was once a severe weakness toward drugs becomes a deep inner strength which seeks to know the heights of experience only through sober states. This can be described as exiting from the wheel of samsara -- if we will use the term loosely.
Lastly, there are two wheels, which suggest that there is both an inner and an outer meaning to the Catalyst of the Body. Again, I will emphasize the deep connection between mind, body and spirit: every catalyst of the body is a potential catalyst for both the mind and the spirit if you are willing to look at the deeper meanings.
