76 SIMPLIFIED SCIENTIFIC ASTROLOGY
Of the aspects mentioned above, the Opposition and Square are said to be evil; the Sextile and Trine are designated good, while the Conjunction and Parallel are classed as indeterminate; if they occur between so-called good planets they bring good; if between the evil planets (so-called) they bring evil. A horoscope is considered fortunate or the reverse according to whether the sextiles and trines are more numerous than the squares and oppositions.
Such a viewpoint is erroneous. In the Father’s Kingdom there is no evil. What appears so is only good in the making. When a lapidary is cutting a precious stone he applies part after part of the rough gem to the grindstone and at each application we may hear the loud screeching, as if in pain, from the stone. By degrees, however, as a consequence of the harsh grinding process, it will acquire a beautifully polished surface with numerous facets capable of receiving, reflecting and refracting the brilliant sunlight.
God and His Ministers, the Seven Planetary Spirits, are the Lapidaries and man is a diamond in the rough. To polish and uncover his spiritual nature varied experiences are necessary. They may be pleasant or otherwise, as indicated by what are commonly called good or bad aspects; but it is safe to say that the adverse experiences which come to us under so-called bad aspects are as potent developers of spiritual muscle—removing more of our selfishness, serving to make us more tolerant and sympathetic, as the
