China – Zhang Jia Jie Park
Picture from Flickr - rocketboyx

They lived hundreds of years before Christ, in a land of incredible beauty and in one of the greatest civilizations ever. So many myths have been spun about them, that it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. This may well be giving historians a headache but, fortunately, as for astrology and symbolism, this doesn´t matter at all. Astrology is a language of symbols, and as symbols, a true story and a myth are equal.

Confucius and Lao Tse were mortal men, but their compatriots have so much admiration for them, that today they are worshiped like gods in many temples across Asia. Their respective philosophies have had such a big impact, that over the centuries they would grow to become two of world´s greatest religions, attracting millions of followers. Countless of their statues, from small to enormous, can be seen in the landscape, in temples and in millions of homes. There haven´t been many philosophers in human history, who could command this kind of respect.

Confucius was the most historical figure of the two sages. He was born in 551 BCE in the city of Qufu. His father died when Confucius was three years old and he was brought up in poverty by his mother. His obsession with rites and tradition showed itself already in his childhood – as a little boy, he enjoyed putting ritual vases on the sacrifice table.

He was an early bloomer. He married at nineteen, became a father at twenty and started the first private school in China at the age of twenty two. Studies and scholarship were of great importance to him and he believed, that everybody should have the right to knowledge, not just aristocracy. He was preoccupied with ancient times, the ancestors and their wisdom, tradition and all kinds of old rites. He was obsessed with proper conduct, with elaborate sets of rules and rituals and with social correctness, always anxious not to offend anyone. He was passionate about virtue, justice, respect, knowledge and studies.

Confucius

 When he was in his fifties, he became the Justice Minister for the State of Lu. When the Duke of Lu indulged himself in pleasure and failed to attend to official duties for three days, Confucius saw it as an improper conduct and resigned from his position. After that, he spent many years travelling around China and teaching his philosophy. He didn´t have much fortune with it - he was expelled from many states. At 68 he returned to his homeland and spent the last years of his life teaching. He died at 72 (or 73).

His philosophy has become very popular with time and has developed into one of world´s major religions, attracting a lot of followers in Asia. It´s known as Confucianism.

Today, the Chinese people worship Confucius like a god, they have built him many temples and see him as the greatest teacher ever. His birthday has been made the National Teacher´s Day in China and it is celebrated with ancient rituals, traditional costumes, ceremonies at temples, musical performances and dancing.

In astrology, the asteroid Confucius symbolises learning and teaching, tradition and rituals, politeness and etiquette. Just like the famous sage did during his lifetime, it teaches us, that there can be knowledge hidden in the past and that order and security sometimes can be found in all the resented rules. It tells us, that sometimes there is some value in apparently meaningless rituals and it reminds us not to dismiss such things too quickly. It shows us the beauty of human culture, of such things like traditional costumes, dance, music, customs and holidays. If we are good students, it may reveal to us the secret of a sacred rite.

It´s negative expression is perfectionism, superficial spirituality, rigidity, meaningless rituals, dogma, too much political correctness and idealizing the past.

There have been many extraordinary people throughout millenia, both mythical and historical, but Lao Tse must be one of the strangest. Nobody knows if he really existed. Most people seem to believe, that there is at least some truth in this legend.

He was conceived when his mother gazed upon a falling star. His eccentricities began already before his birth - long before it. According to the story, his mother went pregnant with him for decades. Some say he stayed in the womb for 40 years, others say it was 62 years and others yet claim, that he spent as many as 80 years there. She must have cursed that falling star many times as the years went by and she probably thought, that it was her fate to go to her grave pregnant. But one day he took her by surprise and was suddenly born when she leaned against a plum tree.

Lao Tse would later say, that he had been wandering in the unborn and that it had brought him perfect goodness and perfect happiness.

Needless to say, he was not your regular infant. He was born as a grown man and according to some versions of the myth - as an old man, with long, grey hair and beard. And he was wise - very wise. His given name was Li Er, but they called him Lao Tse - "The Old Master".

Lao Tse

In many ways, he was in stark contrast to Confucius. In many ways, he was in contrast to most of the world. In his own, calm way Lao Tse was a rebel, if there ever was one. Strange and unconventional, fiercely individualistic, mind-boggling and brilliant - he was an eccentric hermit and a puzzle to everybody around him.

While Confucius believed in learning from the ancestors and the elders and following in their footsteps, Lao Tse sweared to being his own authority and finding his own path. Confucius was preoccupied with old rituals and rites, while Lao Tse saw them as hollow practices, without any meaning. For Master Kong (Confucius), learning and teaching about proper conduct and etiquette was of great importance, while The Old Master was certain, that such things only messed up people, who - apart from that - were born just fine. Confucius insisted, that new knowledge must be based upon old knowledge, while Lao Tse was sure, that all the knowledge one would ever need was placed right in front of one´s nose in any given moment, as life itself was the only real teacher.

Lao Tse saw the inherent order of the universe. He believed in the concept of wu-wei or "without action". It doesn´t mean doing nothing, but rather trying to see the flow in the universe and natural laws and working with them, rather than fighting them. He thought, that many people acted unnaturally, disturbing the natural balance and causing themselves and others a lot of unnecessary struggle and problems. He was one of the very few men in history, who had a great respect for the feminine energy in the universe (Yin) and for its soft, mysterious, hidden, subtle but penetrating strength and power. He saw a tremendous value and wisdom in archetypical, feminine qualities, like receptivity, apparent passivity (non-action), yieldingness, patient waiting, intuition, softness and flexibility. In his philosophy, the feminine, Yin is associated with water, which is soft and seemingly weak, but which somehow can carve stone.

His teachings have been hijacked by various anti-authoritarian movements many times throughout history. Some Confucians would call him "the madman of Ch´u".

Ironically, Lao Tse, who had never had much respect for ancient knowledge, worked as the keeper of the archives in the Imperial Library, which was full of ancient knowledge. And tellingly, with a great, archetypical symbolism, he would one day decide to leave it all behind - and never look back.

With time, he became fed up with the moral decay of the society and decided to leave it. One day, when he was 160 years old, he got on his ox (or water buffalo) and simply left, travelling into the West and leaving behind the library with all its stored knowledge, the kingdom, what used to be his life and the civilization itself. He travelled in solitude through the enchanted, Chinese landscape, putting his philosophy into practice - finding his own path through the unknown and working together with the natural laws, being his own authority and trusting, that his life would tell him everything, that he needed to know. This vision of an old, white-haired man riding his ox and defiantly leaving the world behind has so captivated our collective imagination, that throughout centuries, it has been depicted countless times. It´s no wonder - perhaps more than any other archetype, this one teaches us, that there is nothing more important, than holding on to our true self and finding our own way, even if this means burning all bridges behind us.

 Lao Tse travelling into the West on his ox

Credit: Nicolas and Helena Roerich

From Flickr, uploaded by hermandadblanca.org

When Lao Tse reached the western border of the kingdom, he was stopped by the guardian of an ancient mountain pass. Lao Tse pretended to be a farmer, but the guard was no fool and recognized The Old Master. The official looked at the old man for a while and thought, that all the immense wisdom and all the profound insights would be leaving for ever together with him. He asked Lao Tse to write down his wisdom for humanity before he left. Lao Tse did so and the result was the book, that would later become known as Tao Te Ching - "The Book of The Way", which could also be translated as "The Way to Live". That book would be the origin of one of the world´s greatest religions, attracting millions of followers - Taoism. The book written by The Old Master at that ancient pass, as his farewell gift to humanity would become the Taoist bible and he would be revered as a god by his followers. The spot, where Lao Tse was stopped by the guardian and where Tao Te Ching came into being, would soon become famous and today there is a known Taoist monastery there.

It has been said, that the guardian of the pass was so awe-struck by the book and by Lao Tse´s wisdom, that he left his post promptly to follow The Old Master into the unknown. They went in the direction of the setting sun and disappeared into the desert. Neither of them was ever seen again.

Some say, that Lao Tse would live till 990 years, but nobody really knows what became of him after he had disappeared. For all we know, he may still be riding his ox through the spectacular Chinese landscape today, contemplating the nature of everything and corrupting border guards with his mind-boggling wisdom. With somebody like The Old Master anything is possible, absolutely anything. If some Chinese custom officials would suddenly disappear tomorrow, I would definitely inquire, if there have been any sightings of an old man on an ox in the area lately. Just to make sure…

In astrology, the asteroid Laotse has something to do with our true identity, with finding it within and with holding on to it, whatever the cost may be. When The Old Master pays us a visit, our integrity may be put to the test and we may be forced to burn some bridges behind us. If we are not quite in touch with our true being, the process may be scary, painful and difficult. He may demand, that we risk being disinherited, that we break the family bonds, that we upset and even alienate some people in our lives, if they don´t support who we are. If this archetype is prominent in the horoscope, Lao Tse may put us in a situation, where it feels like we have the entire world against us, if that´s what it takes to find out who we are and what we stand for. He can drive us to "leaving the world behind us" and to braving the unknown. He wants us to be our own authority and to stand on our own feet. The reward is true integrity and freedom, self-respect and self-worth and the knowledge, that one is somebody, regardless of one´s position in the society.

He symbolises individuality, wisdom, originality, integrity, self-sufficiency, surprises, self-education, introspection and the ability to be alone. He teaches us, that being alone, does not mean being lonely and that as soon as we have learned this lesson, we probably won´t have to be alone after all, unless we want to. He will also tell us to let things take their natural course and not to push anything. And paradoxically - because he was a man - he can reveal to us the secrets of Yin and enlighten us about the true value of the feminine. This archetype itself is a paradox, a riddle, a mystery, the unknown and the enlightenment.

In June 2007, some prominent Taoist abbots agreed, that from that moment Lao Tse would be formally adopted as the God of Ecological Protection. This would fit very well with his philosophy of living in harmony with one´s surroundings.

The archetype´s negative expression is eccentricity, weirdness, schizoid tendencies, inability to get on with others, antagonism and unnecessary rebelliousness.

Confucius and Lao Tse were like two opposite poles, but they were also contemporaries. And one day, the two great sages would famously meet. And what a meeting it was… The encounter would soon become as famed as the two characters involved.

Confucius visited Lao Tse in the library, where he worked, to consult him on the subject of rites. The Old Master was annoyed, that Confucius came to the meeting dressed in his most formal clothes and that he made such a big fuss over the greeting rituals. Lao Tse had just washed his white hair and left it hanging down his back to dry and Confucius, in turn, pointed out, that The Old Master looked like a corpse. After the pleasantries were exchanged, the time came for some serious talk. Confucius´ agenda was to discuss old rites and the ancients, but his discussion partner couldn´t care less about such things. He told him: "People of whom you speak are long since dead and their bones are turned to ashes in their graves". He went on to point out Confucius´ arrogance and hypocrisy and told him, that he had too much pride and ambition.

It wasn´t what Confucius expected, but according to the story, he learned more from the meeting with The Old Master, than from all the library scrolls. The meeting with Lao Tse had had such a big impact on him, that when he returned home, he didn´t speak for three days. When he finally broke his silence, he said, that Lao Tse was so immensely deep, that he was unable to grasp him. He compared The Old Master to a dragon, that rides on the clouds.
It´s been said, that he had a great, although somewhat reluctant respect for Lao Tse.

As the two asteroids, Confucius and Laotse, travel around the Zodiac, they occasionally meet, just like the two great sages did two and a half thousand years ago.
In August 2011 these two will come together again. This time, when they first meet, Confucius will be in Gemini, while Lao Tse will be in Taurus. And they will travel together for a long while, staying in conjunction much of the time. They will be together for the rest of 2011, then part for a few months and then come together again towards the end of 2012. On 21 December 2012 they will be in a wide conjunction in Libra. They will stay in conjunction for the whole of 2013 and part of 2014. During this long meeting, they will be in exact conjunction several times, sometimes they will go forward together (direct motion), other times they will travel backward together (retrograde motion).

What will come out of this encounter? Will anything come out of it at all? Confucius´ past will meet Lao Tse´s presence and the former´s ancestors will meet the latter´s self. Rituals and correctness will come together with spontaneity and naturalness. Family´s and society´s values will stand face to face with one´s own values. The formal education will be confronted by the teachings of life. Ancient knowledge will run into the unknown. Action will unite with non-action and Yang will face Yin. The authority will meet the rebel - in a close encounter. It could be positive, negative or anything in between. The meeting between the opposites can be thrilling or terrifying, exciting or tumultuous. It is likely to be an important and transformative time, a time when we will be forced to reexamine our collective beliefs, values, philosophies and conduct. The human race could learn a great deal, make new discoveries, that would change some of our old views on life, human nature and the universe and we could gain some precious insights.

It´s possible, that when the two sages finally are done with their meeting, we just won´t be quite the same anymore…

With a master teacher like Confucius in focus, it is likely to be an educational experience.

And with somebody like Lao Tse, it is bound to be a puzzling one…


Copyright © 2008 Aida Gundersen
21 July 2008

Parts of the horoscope expressed:

Aida opposite Confucius
Confucius in conjunction with Mars
Confucius square the Ascendant/Descendant axis
Moon sextile Confucius
Laotse conjunct Messenger
Laotse in Cancer, in the 4th house, conjunct the IC
Laotse sextile Jupiter
Laotse semisextile the North Node
Laotse quincunx the Galactic Center