United States of America - esoteric astrology

We will just look at the controlling factors in one other country, the United States of America, and indicate the influences working at this time which are in process of bringing to an end the adolescent stage in that country and enabling it to come forth in full maturity.
This vast land is ruled by Gemini, linking it therefore closely with Great Britain and also by Aquarius as the ruler of its soul ray. This combination of a sixth ray personality, ruled by Gemini, and a second ray soul (as has Great Britain), ruled by Aquarius, is potent for future power and usefulness. The capital city, Washington, is ruled by Cancer and Sagittarius, and it is this fact which leads the United States to act like the Crab (Cancer) and be preoccupied with its own house which it carries heavily on its back and [89] to vanish into hiding at the first Signs of trouble. Because also the Sagittarian influence is strong, there is a potent determination to stick one-pointedly to any decision made. This its sixth ray personality enforces at times almost to the point of a fanatical blindness and to the detriment of the long range vision which is needed at such times as these.

Like Russia, this country is in the making and - as I have told you elsewhere - as the nation's power shifts, as it will and as it now really is shifting from Washington to New York, the Cancerian influence will steadily lessen and the country will take its place as an adult among the nations. Its Gemini nature and its Aquarian soul should (when developed and balanced) provide a most remarkable channel for human expression. You will note that none of its zodiacal rulers link it with France, except indirectly through Cancer, which is the polar opposite of Capricorn, one of the rulers of Paris. It is for this reason that such a small percentage, relatively speaking, of French people migrate to the States; there is a closer link with Italy than with France, and hence the large Italian population, for Sagittarius rules both Italy and Washington. The influences are, therefore, as follows:

Aquarius - with its rulers, Uranus, Jupiter and the Moon (the Nation).
Gemini - with its rulers, Mercury, Venus and the Earth (the Nation).
Cancer - with its rulers, the Moon and Neptune (the Capital).
Sagittarius - with its rulers, Jupiter, the Earth and Mars (the Capital).
The soul ray - Love-wisdom - 2nd.
Personality ray - Idealism, Devotion - 6th. [90]
Indirect influences via the planetary rulers are many, and the rays conditioning this country are consequently many, owing to the mixture of races found there. Of these influences there are eleven in all, for the Earth presents two aspects and the Moon veils both Vulcan and Uranus.
Ray 7. - Order and Magic, via Uranus. This influence is inherited from the Atlantean world, which still rules the territorial aspect of the States, which is a remnant of old Atlantis. It is this that produces the many magical, spiritualistic and occult groups which flourish today in the States.
Ray 2. - Love-wisdom, via Jupiter, thus linking the States closely with Great Britain and indirectly with France.
Ray 4. - Harmony through Conflict, via the Moon, veiling in this case the planet Vulcan. Vulcan here "forges on his anvil, through fire and blows, that linking network which covers all the nation and makes it hold together." This ray produces the condition which brings together Germany and the States, for the fourth ray is the German soul ray and the first ray, which Vulcan transmits via the Moon, links the German soul and personality to the United States. Hence the vast numbers of Germans who come to the States in order to escape from the personality activity of Germany as it expresses itself through its first ray destroyer aspect.
Ray 4. - I enumerate this ray for the second time because it expresses itself here through Mercury, [91] the Messenger, and emphasizes the harmony aspect in contradistinction to the conflict angle which the Moon and Vulcan together have precipitated. It is the Moon-Vulcan relation which produces the political conflict which always rages in the States.
Ray 5. - Concrete Knowledge and Science, via Venus. This confers the intelligence which is so marked in the American people and will eventually determine the lines along which their education will run and their religious organizations.
Ray 3. - Active Intelligence or Adaptability, via the Earth, thus 'grounding' the American people and basically making the soil their problem. Hence the prominence of agriculture in the public consciousness and the preoccupation of the government with cotton problems, the corn belt problem and many other issues of moment.
Ray 6. - Idealism or Devotion, via Mars. This greatly augments the power of the sixth ray personality of the States, thus presenting very real problems in a young people who are apt always to be fanatical and exclusive. Exclusiveness is one of the major weaknesses of the sixth ray type.
Ray 4. - This influence appears, as you see, frequently, but this time it is through the Moon as it veils Uranus. This produces a conflict of a different nature than that which takes place when the Moon veils Vulcan or transmits the energy of the fourth ray direct. Uranus is the medium for the 7th ray and the function of its blending with the fourth, via the Moon, is to bring about a magical relationship between the many diverse [92] nationalities found in the States and so fuse and blend them into an homogeneous whole - which is not the case at this time.
Thus the influences pouring into the United States today are very many; they relate the country practically to every country in Europe; this leads at times to chaotic conditions and to much confusion of thought. Yet it produces a richness in the national life which is a good augury for the future. A study of what I have said and a consideration of the various tabulations will prove how utterly impossible it is for the American people to dissociate themselves from Europe and the rest of the world.

The Destiny of the Nations, Alice Bailey