The Measures of Time in the Zodiac 75When the Sun enters Taurus, the day is prolonged
for twenty-four minutes more and there is an equal
decrease in the duration of the night. When the Sun enters
Gemini the duration of the day is further increased by
twenty four minutes. By the time the Sun enters Cancer
or the summer solstice (which marks the western horizon
of the year or the abode of Varun.a) the day is prolonged
further by twenty four minutes. Henceforth it begins to
decrease. The arc of 90 degrees from the beginning of Aries
to the beginning of Cancer will cause the increase of the
duration of the day by 72 minutes in time. Similarly, the
90 degrees of the arc between the beginning of Cancer
and the beginning of Libra, the duration of the day
decreases by 72 minutes in time and hence we have the
day of the autumn equinox when the Sun crosses the nadir
of the day of gods. Similarly, the 90 degrees from Libra to
Capricorn will cause the duration of the night prolonged
by 72 minutes in time. Again the arc of 90 degrees from
Capricorn to Aries causes the duration of the night to
decrease by the same 72 minutes in time. Of course these
numbers, as already stated, are mere approximations. The
soul-expansion and the unfolding of the spiritual
consciousness will be aided by a thorough knowledge of
these computations, when one assumes the physical
posture and the mental attitude as also the equilibrium
of breath.
The numbers in the digit of 24 minutes are very
significant. Twenty-four denotes the number of hours in
the solar day, as everybody knows. There is however a
hidden side to it. A period of 24 minutes in the duration
of the day (the allotted time depends upon the season)
when used by the occultist for the practice of Pra-n.a-ya-ma,
has considerable significance in his evolution. The number