The higher Self from a different (astrologically esoteric) perspective

It is clear that most of those who have been involved in esoteric astrology have in mind the model of the astrology of Tibetan and Alice Bailey. However, it is interesting to see that at the beginning of the century there was another model, more traditionally Western, which emerges when we synthesize the views of well-known thinkers of the time. In Alan Leo's model of esoteric astrology the so-called higher self is three-dimensional, with its 1st dimension, the 1st ray, corresponding to Uranus, the 2nd to Mercury and the 3rd to Venus. Not coincidentally, this model is very similar to the upper triangle of the Tree of Life and the astrological correspondences of the first three Tarot cards attributed to the first spheres of the Tree. The Fool Uranus, the Magician Mercury and the Empress Venus. The correspondence can continue with Saturn Emperor and Moon as the Pope, but somewhere along the line the correspondence seems to stop as Dion Fortune's Tree starts counting the zodiac from the Emperor on down, leaving the Planets behind.

But also if we compare that model, to that of Rudolf Steiner, we see that Steiner attributed three emanations to the higher ego, the Soul Self (the Soul as an Expression of Will), the intellectual soul and the sentient soul, which are exactly the dimensions corresponding to Uranus, Mercury and Venus. Indeed, if we mirror these three higher dimensions to the personality planes, we shall see the Soul Self associated with the Physical Body, the Intellectual Soul associated with the Etheric Field and Mercury, and the Sentient Soul associated with the Astral Field and Venus. In other words, Mercury and Venus come back in two of the three correspondences.

What could we say about these correspondences from the point of view of modern psychology? 

If we consider Social Psychology as the dimension that studies more the group psyche of man, Humanistic Psychology, on the other hand, is the one that rather tries to study more the individualized side of man and through this to connect him more with his uniqueness. We could say with his Higher Self. How does a person try to do this? There are several ways, Humanistic Psychology tells us, that a person feels differentiated and unique. One way is the unique experiences he/she may have had in his/her life. And these could be said to be linked to the planets Uranus, Mercury and Venus, as the dimension of experience always has a character of a) distinguishing b) perceiving and understanding the experience in terms of its meaning and c) experiencing it sensually and evaluating its aesthetic value.

Note that in the dimension of experiencing human uniqueness there is no concept of usefulness.

Whenever we do something because it is useful, because we are entitled to do it, we fall to the level of the group soul. Connecting with the higher self requires us to do something because a) it is part of ourselves and we cannot imagine ourselves not doing it, so much a part of our identity is it considered, b) it is meaningful and morally right, and c) it is beautiful and valuable to do it. Nowhere is there a notion of usefulness (Saturn) which we do only as long as we have not gained contact with any of the three dimensions of our higher self. For as Alan Leo says, Saturn is an enclosure that protects the higher self until it is time to connect with it.