This is an exploration of the five triangles mentioned in Esoteric Astrology by Alice Bailey, pages 492-6, regarding consciousness and having to do with the minds of men in order to determine some of the astrological and ray patterns and other interrelationships.

Triangle 1 consists of Leo, Sagittarius and Aquarius. Ray 5 pours through, is expressed by and transmitted through this triangle, which Leo controls; “This sign produces the growth of individualism and of self-consciousness, so prevalent today on a world scale” [ibid. 490]. Ray 5 governs the evolution of consciousness through the revolution of this particular triangle and “Throughout human evolution, this major triangle governs the relation of humanity, through the mind, to the Hierarchy and the approach of that Hierarchy to the human centre of energy”.
 
Aquarius is part also of Triangles 2 and 5, indicating its general importance in  inaugurating the Aquarian Age. Uranus [ray 7] rules both exoterically and hierarchically [the moon veils] so this very mental, electrical planet’s function is significant. Leo is also part of three triangles [1, 4 & 5] so Uranus [hierarchical ruler, the sun veils] is further emphasised. Similarly, both Jupiter and Neptune as exoteric and esoteric rulers veiled by the sun are prominent and Jupiter is noted for its beneficence regarding expansions of consciousness.

Triangle 2 is composed of the constellations Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. In the evolution of consciousness, “the aim is to bring the solar Angel, the Son of Mind…into the seat of power. This task is pre-eminently entrusted to the three great Lives Who function through Gemini-Libra-Aquarius”. The focus is the unfoldment of mind. The three exoteric rulers are Mercury, Venus and Uranus conveying rays 4, 5 and 7 respectively. All of them convey light and illumination as do the esoteric rulers of Venus, Uranus and Jupiter. If it is accepted that the solar Angels came to earth from Venus then the hierarchical rulers of Earth, Saturn and the Moon veiling Uranus reflect perhaps opportunity to repay karma with the preponderance of ray 3, active intelligence of both Earth and Saturn - the latter being one of the Lords of Karma - and ray 7 of Uranus, the ray of ceremonial order and of the Aquarian Age in general.

Triangle 3 is composed of Taurus, Scorpio and Capricorn and Triangle 4 of  Sagittarius, Cancer and Leo. Both are included in those “great Triangles of energy which affect the mental response apparatus of humanity”. Triangle 3 is perhaps more material and ‘earthy’ with Taurus and Capricorn. Also, both Taurus and Capricorn have all three rulers along the hard line of rays; Taurus; exoteric ruler, Venus, ray 5, and Vulcan, ray 1 ruling both esoterically and hierarchically, with Capricorn’s Saturn, ray 3, ruling both exoterically and esoterically and hierarchical ruler, Venus, ray 5. However, Mars, ray 6, is Scorpio’s exoteric and esoteric ruler with hierarchical ruler, Mercury, ray 4 - all soft rays. There is the double influence of Vulcan in Taurus, Mars in Scorpio, and Saturn in Capricorn - quite a concentration of both rays and planets.

Interestingly, the three constellations in triangle 3, Taurus, Scorpio and Capricorn do not appear in any other triangle of the five under consideration. However, Taurus is usually regarded as a major sign to do with illumination and with the new group of world servers who are playing a major part inaugurating the new age. Also, “In Scorpio the mind is released into full governing activity” [179/80] and the hierarchical ruler of Scorpio is Mercury, one of the rulers of the buddhic plane, the true intuitional plane which is accessed through the soul-illumined mind. Scorpio also governs the fourth Creative Hierarchy, the Human Hierarchy, the Lords of Sacrifice, the Initiates and the Solar Angels on the buddhic plane, so there are some relationships here on which to ponder.

Triangle 4, however, has a greater preponderance of ray 6 with Mars the hierarchical ruler of Sagittarius, and Neptune, both the esoteric and hierarchical ruler of Cancer, and the sun veiling Neptune as Leo’s esoteric ruler. It can be expected that the higher Martian and Neptunian energies will be increasingly significant as the Aquarian Age proceeds and humanity’s response apparatus gears up to new levels of vibratory sensitivity and activity.

Triangle 5 is composed of Cancer, Leo and Aquarius. Reference is made to “other major triangles which are called “triangles in consciousness” and…the most important of these for mankind is” said to be this one. It accounts for the threefold process of “the growth of the human understanding and the unfoldment not only of man’s response apparatus, the form nature, but also of his expanding perception of that which is contacted….produces finally identification with that which is perceived to be the divine essence, underlying form”. Jupiter with its beneficence of expansion is Leo’s exoteric ruler, though the sun veils, and the esoteric ruler of Aquarius suggesting growing prominence in the Aquarian Age for an increasing number of individuals in humanity.
 
Interestingly, all the esoteric rulers are on the soft line, 6, 6 and 2 indicating the growing importance of the love-wisdom aspect in this the second solar system of love. Also, Neptune and Uranus, two of the three synthesising planets, dominate in the esoteric and hierarchical rulerships especially. There is Neptune in Leo as the esoteric ruler, though veiled by the sun, and as Cancer’s rulers, both esoteric and hierarchical. Uranus is the hierarchical ruler of Leo, though veiled by the sun, and ruler both exoteric and hierarchical of Aquarius, though veiled this time by the moon. As time goes by Neptune should be of growing influence on the consciousness of greater numbers of humanity and at some even later stage the influence of Uranus may take over, especially when considering all the rulers of all the five triangles together where it features in a prominent position.

There is information regarding the “question of consciousness” [145] that begins with Aries [not in these five triangles] as related to the subjective latent consciousness, and then the Tibetan continues to relate those familiar relationships of: Gemini to the consciousness of duality; Cancer to the mass consciousness; Leo to individual consciousness; Libra to equilibrised consciousness; and Aquarius to group consciousness. So it is not surprising that this group of five account for nine of the constellations in these five triangles with only the third triangle having none of this group.

Finally, and in conclusion, the “growth of light in light” of each of the constellations in these triangles might be considered [329/30]:

Taurus                         The penetrating Light of the Path.
Gemini                        The Light of Interplay.
Cancer                         The Light within the form.
Leo                              The Light of the Soul.
Libra                            The Light that moves to rest.
Scorpio                        The Light of Day.
Sagittarius                   A beam of directed, focussed Light.
Capricorn                    The Light of Initiation.
Aquarius                      The Light that shines on Earth, across the sea.