musings along the mystic way

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MUSINGS

A L O N G

T he Mystic W ay

by

F r a . Thor Kiimalehto, F.R.C.First Secretary'General of AMORC



MUSINGS

A L O N G

T he Mystic W ay

by

F r a . Thor Kiimalehto, F.R.C.First Secretary'General of AMORC



T H O R K I IM A L E H T O , K . R. C.

Frater Kiiraalehto has the distinction of being one of the oldest members, in point of time,in the Rosicrucian Ord er since its re-establishment in North America . He wa s an active coworker of the Imperator when the Supreme Lodge was located in New York City twentyyear s ago. He was the first Gr and M aster of the Orde r during its present cycle, and hedirected the publication of the former Amer ican Rosae Cru cis magazine, and headed the Publishing Department of the Ord er at that time. He is now a G rand Councilor and InspectorGene ral of the Order . In Fra ter Kiimalehto is exemplified a rare combination of businessability and mystical temperam ent. He h as also been a member for man y year s of the Free-masonic and Martinist Orders.

( Courtesy of T he Rosicrucian Digest.)



Page I I 8 THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ried on by the Rosicrucian Order. Finally one of

the most advanced of research workers present

mentioned the fact that the great “White Mona'

stery” was undoubtedly releasing again many of

its valuable documents for the instruction andguidance of the true seeker. Our Frater wishes to

know more about the “Whi te Monastery.” If it

were not for the fact that during the coming year

there may appear in certain mystical publications,

and in some learned books by historians and re

search workers, further mention of the name

“White Monastery,” I would hesitate to bring

the subject before all of our members in this man-ncr, because I am very definitely limited in what

I may say about the White Monastery. But since

there may be a great many others in our Forum

family who will hear the term and be tempted to

write to our various departments asking for fur-

ther information, I would like to take this oppor

tunity to avoid this correspondence by stating thatit is impossible for any of us to say anything

about the Wh ite Monastery in any letter orprinted form. Those who should know about it,

do know about it , and those who do not know

anything about it at the present time are notready to know anything if they are to know any

thing at all. More than this I may not say.

Our Beloved “T. K.”

Now that our beloved Frater Thor Kiimalehto,

F. R. C., is with us again at Headquarters in San

Jose as “Acting Grand Master,” his familiar and

greatly valued letters signed with his full nameor with the initials T. K. will become of great in

terest and value. Many years ago letters, docu

ments, cards of special identification, and other

papers were signed by him with his familiar ini

t ials, and throughout the past twenty years his

initials have appeared in connection with a few

articles, or a few secret documents issued by him

in behalf of the Order. Frater Kiimalehto, as a

profound student and active worker in Free

masonry, and as a Martinist and member of sev

eral secret mystery schools, first associated himself with me in 1915 and helped me to establish

the first active Supreme Council of our Order

to supplant the one that had been at work on a

foundation for a revival of A M O R C since 1909.His many contacts with prominent persons

throughout the country, and his membership in

certain circles with which I was also identified

brought him in contact with the legate and emis

sary from India who presented to me some of themost important documents of authority now pos

sessed by our organization, and the three of us

constituted a secret sacred triangle that waschanged only by the transition of the legate from

India, who nevertheless has continued assisting

D e c . ^ 3 7

through functioning on the Cosmic plane. Frater

Kiimalehto became the first Grand Master of the

New York Grand Lodge of AMORC, and later

became the first North American Inspector Gen

eral of the Order. It was he who made such eloquent appeal in behalf of the establishment of theNational Lodge of our Order, by which those

living in small cities and communities would have

a very large portion of our instruction and secret

guidance through correspondence; and at the first

National Convention held in Pittsburgh in 1917

the charter granted by the Supreme Council with

the vote and approval of the entire Conventionwas granted to Frater Kiimalehto, making him the

first Master or director of the National Lodge.

His indefatigable work in behalf of the Order

ever since, has resulted most logically and naturally in his appointment to the position of Acting

Grand Master during the incapaci ty of our be

loved Grand Master Clement Le Brun.

To all of us at Headquarters who have known

of the deep, sincere, loyal attitude, and profound

interest of Thor Kiimalehto in everything truly

Rosicrucian, it certainly does seem thrilling andsignificant once more to see those same intriguing

and important initials signed again to important

AMORC documents .

Several New Books

I feel rather strange in standing before the

Forum this afternoon and announcing two new

books written by myself. But, after all, every

author and every w riter has to tell someone aboutthe new book he has written or it will never get

into circulation. If he is a private individual he

will take it to a publisher or to a printer, and

tell him about it, and perhaps succeed in getting

it in printed form so that there may be a few

readers of it. Certain it is that if an author does

not feel that his book has a message in it for

someone else other than himself, and does not

feel that he should announce the existence of the

book, he does have one good reason for keeoingsilent and hiding the book in the bottom of his

trunk. Of course, i t is not every author who can

make his announcement to thousands of persons

at one time and find many of them anxious to

read what he has written. Perhaps I am a lit t leboastful now, and a little egotistical, but I hap-

De n to know that in the case of one of these new

books there have been hundreds n ot only wantin git, but scores who have sent money to the

AMORC Supply Department for the book even

before its first chapter was entirely completed,and that in the case of the second book it was

purposely written to answer a demand for the in

formation it contains. So, after all, I may be ex

cused for speaking about my own two new books.



THE ROSICRUCIA N FORUM ~ Page I 19

the. universe o r a large portion of it, it will be be-

cause Cod and the Heavenly Hosts and the

Cosmic have sanctioned it, and decreed it, and

supported it, and want it, and in such a case I

will willingly submit to it because an intelligence,

superior to my own, will have willed it. An d in

that case, the power and influence that will beexerted will be good and loving and merciful and

ju st , because G od wo uld decree an d sponso r

nothing less.

O u r Sovereign Grand M a s te r

W e have had a number of questions come to

the Forum recently regarding our Sovereign

Gra nd Master. Some want to know how to pro-

nounce his name correctly, some want to know

how old he is or where he was born and so forth.Although I have known him intimately for

twenty-two years or more, I have found him very

reluctant to give any interesting outline of his

past life in any connected form. He is verymodest and retiring in this regard, and I doubt

if he ever would have done what I have recently

done in presenting a biographical sketch of his

youth fu l li fe he re in th is incarnat io n. But I may

say a few things that I know are interesting, andto which I am sure he will not object.

First of all, his nationality is Finnish, and Fin-

land represents his Fatherland. He was born on

Au gus t 30, 1877. His name is Th or Kiimalehto.The last name is pronounced as though it were

spelled Kee-mah-let'-oh.” He is familiarly called“Brother Kiim” by his intimate companions hereand he very often signs his official notations with

the brief word “ Kiim.” W hen these four letters

are written in handwriting, th e word is often

mistaken for “Kum” with two dots over the“ u” . H e has been deeply interested in mysticism

and occultism since a young man, and very early

in life became an initiate of the Martinist Order

and a Freemason. He is still an active member of

the Freemasonic Fraternity and still a member of

the Martinist Order, and his pastimes and hobbies have been research work in the fields of

philosophy, mysticism, occultism, ritualism, and

oriental liter ature. By profession he became an

expert typographer and finally an expert printerin the field of the highest grade printing done inAmerica, and up to the time of his coming to San

Jose to work with us permanently, he was engaged by some of the leading book publishing and

other business houses in New York as an advisor,

designer and creator o f new typographical effects.

It was in connection with the first plans I made

for unusually good printing matter in connection

with the earliest publications issued by me relating to the re-establishment of the Order here

in America in 1914-1915 that I came in contact

with Brother Kiim, and realizing at once, as he

did, that the Rosicrucian Order and Martinist

Order had always been affiliated, his deep inter

est in these fields o f study was instantly awakened

and he threw his entire heart and mind into co

operation with me in laying the foundation for

the new cycle of Rosicrucianism in America and

became my earliest companion and co-worker.Throughout all these years he has been an active

worker and supporter of AMORC here in NorthAmerica, often silently and efficiently carrying on

secret and confidential work, and on occasions

making public addresses and directing public

lectures and even traveling to various cities in the

East, at his own expense of time and money, to

further the interests of the Order.

He became the first Gra nd Mas ter of the N a

tional Lodge or the correspondence division of ouractivities, and was honored in this regard at the

first National Convention of the Rosicrucians

held in Pittsburg h in 1917. His wife was also a

member for many years until her transition, and

his young daughter Thyra was the first colombeof the Supreme Lodge in New York City, and

remained a colombe up until the time of her mar

riage. He has been an Inspector-G eneral of the

Order, and at times has been a Supreme Secretary, and even Grand Master of the New York

ju ri sd ic ti on . Ther e has al wa ys been the closes t

companionship and sympathetic understanding

between us, and I have always found him to be

not only a faithful and loyal worker but an en

thusiastic one.He was well acquainted with all of the cor

respondence, the visitations on the part of the

first ambassadors of the Rosicrucian Order

throughout the world who contacted me in New

York after my return from Europe, and witnessed

many secret conferences and participated in man y

private sessions wherein the most important stones

of the AM O R C were laid in the years 1915 to

1918. More than an y other individual in the or

ganization today, he is familiar with the earliest

activities, the many long hours and days of hardlabor and study and sacrifices that were necessary

to establish the organization, and naturally he is

the most familiar with the early attacks and

criticisms that were made and the early attemptsthat were made to wreck and ruin the organization on the part of so-called societies and bodies.

For these reasons he was well qualified, not only

in the studies but in every other way, to function

as Sovereign Grand Maste r of the Order. Butuntil his daughter was married and comfortably

settled in her own home in New Jersey, and hewas free from other business obligations in the

East, it was not convenient or advisable for him

to move to California and become a part of. our

staff here at Headquarters.



Page 120 THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

As soon as it was known that our late Sover

eign Grand Master, Dr. LeBrun, would never be

able to return to his office again because of his

age and failing health, we invited Brother Kiim

to come and live here in San Jose and be permanently' a part o f ou r staff. It required some

little time for him to make the necessary ar

rangements, but he finally came, and his hosts of

friends throughout the Order, who had met him

and enjoyed their contact with him, acclaimedhim the right man in the right position, and of

course I am personally delighted in the fact that

I have with me at my side, and for consultation

and advice, not only a true and loyal friend and

associate, arid one well versed in the principles of

our teachings and the ideals of our organization,

but one who has heen with me and at my side

throughout many of my trials and tribulations,

and many of my glorious experiences and happy

hours.

Whenever visitors come to Headquarters tovisit Rosicrucian Park, if th ey call at the Ad

ministration Building during the hours of the

daytime, they are always welcomed by Brother

Kiim to go into his sanctum and have a personal

and cheerful interview with him — unless he is

engaged at the time in the preparation of the lec

tures which he has to send to all of the Masters

of Chapters and Lodges throughout the country,

or in answering his large mail, or in conducting

some ceremonies in the Temple, or otherwise de

voted to some routine activity that must be per

formed at certain definite hours of each day and

each week. But usually by waiting an hour or

so, or spending that period in visiting the Museum

and other buildings here at Rosicrucian Park, the

visitor is sure of a personal interview whichBrother Kiim welcomes, and in which he finds

sincere delight and pleasure, as do all of us when

ever these interviews are possible. Af ter the

close of the day there are certain nights of theweek w hen he is occupied here with Temple cere

monies or scientific research or some other activi

ties which prevent personal interviews, and on

other nights of the week he seeks the necessary

relaxation, meditation, hours of study and investi

gation which all of us must have to keep up with

our work, but which we find it more difficult toenjoy or obtain as each week of the year pass

es by.

Cheaper Cos t o f Living in California

This af ternoon I want to take up with the

Forum a m atter that is not altogether Rosicrucian

in nature, and yet it is one that seems to be of

great interest to many of our members through

out No rth and South America. Members constantly write to us and ask whether it is true that

the cost of living is cheaper in California than in

most parts of the United States. In answer to

this question, of course, we must agree that there

are several essential fundamentals in the cost of

living th at are cheap er on this Pacific Coast. Inthe first place, the absence of snow, sleet, and ex

tremely low temperatures throughout the winter

makes it unnecessary to buy many tons of coal

and have extremely heavy overcoats and under

wear and many other things that are needed

where there is a long period of bitterly cold

winter weather.

This afternoon, December 29, while all of us

are celebrating more or less the spirit of the holi

days between Christmas and N ew Year , the win

dow to my sanctum is wide open and the sun

shine is pouring into my office here, and my very

companionable dog is lying in a patch of sunlight

near the door watching me carry on, and making

sure that I do not stroll around outdoors or

through other par ts of the building without hav

ing him accompany me. W e can walk out of our

doors today, as we have been all of the past

weeks, and as we did on Christmas Day, without

overcoats, and look at the flowers blooming and

the green lawns that remain green throughout the

winter, and admire the beautiful sky and the

warm sunshine.

Then again, the fact that there is more than

one crop of fruits and vegetables each year means

that we have an abundance of fruits and vegetables, and that means that we have lower costs

for these things than in sections of the country

where there is only one crop a year, and wherefruits and vegetables become scarce and high

priced in the wintertime.

Many forms of amusement are lower in price,

because it is too easy here throughout the winter,as well as the summer, to get into our automobiles

and ride among beautiful scenery or to the sea

shore or the mountains and enjoy nature and out

door pleasures, instead of paying high prices to sit

in stuffy theaters and partake of other forms of

amusement. W e can even enjoy our meals by

sitting and eating in open-air restaurants insteadof in costly and closed places. For onl y a nominal

expense we can go to the seashore and indulge in

all kinds of inexpensive amusement that would

cost a great deal of money if we tried to duplicate it in other states at the same time of the year.

Th en we must remember that California has anabundance of fruits and vegetables upon which

the persons living here prefer to live, and live

happily an d healthfully. Because it is so tempting

to live on fresh fruits and vegetables throughout

the year, the average individual does not crave a

large amount of meat, and this has resulted in the

western meat houses being forced to keep the

prices of meat at a reasonable figure in order to



Page 162 THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

^ t w v e , \ c) 3.S

Greetings!V V V

D e a r F r a t r e s a n d S o r o r e s :

Today, as I prepare these greetings for the June

issue of the Forum magazine, I realize that it is

the first of April, 1938. M y secretaries and the

Forum Editor are at work preparing extracts from

all of our Forum discussions of the last few days

and preparing for other discourses during the next

few weeks to appear in this June issue of the

Foru m magazine. But as I sit here in my sanctum

today, on April 1, I am mindful of the fact that

ju st tw ent y- th re e year s ago on Ap ri l 1, 1915,

there was held a meeting in the City of New

York composed of about sixteen men and women

who had made a very careful study of all of thepreliminary plans and teachings, principles and

documents of the Rosicrucian Order, and whohad pledged their cooperation and assistance in

maintaining the Rosicrucian Order in America.Out of this number, those assembled on April 1,

1915, was formed the first Supreme Council of

the AM O R C in the United States for the newcycle.

There had been a few other preliminary meet-

ings, particularly one on February 8 of the same

year when an official manifesto was issued pro-

claiming the establishment of the Order for the

new cycle, and there had been previous meetingsfor the examination of documents and papers re-

ceived from France and India, and many eminentmen and women, including Elbert Hubbard and

Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Dr. Julia Seton and others,

had gone over all of the plans and suggestionsthat I had brought back with me from Europe

and which I had received during the years 1909

to 1915. It required a numb er of years of careful

translation and interpretation of all of the ancientdocuments, constitution, by-laws and fundamental

teachings before a definite step toward the materialization of the revival of the organization

could be made. In fact, the years 1909 to 1915

were the most intense in regard to analytical

study and research. The valued assistance I had

in those years will never be forgotten, and when

the climax came on April 1, 1915, when the prin-cipal workers and associates who had assisted me

formed themselves into the first Supreme Council

and voted upon the permanent establishment of

the first constitutional principles, and the permanent officers of the organization, we felt that

the foundation walls of the great structure hadbeen properly laid. On that occasion Frater

Kiimalehto, our present Sovereign Grand Master,

was elected as Secrctary-General of the Order,

and he served in that capacity for a number of

years, finally becoming Grand Master of the New

York jurisdiction and then rising to his present

high position.

A twenty-third anniversary is not much of a

celebration. There are many organizations, manymovements, many national and state affairs in

this country that have had one hundred andtwent y-thir d birthdays,- or seventy-fifth birthdays.

In comparison with them, a twenty-third birth

day is the birth day of an infan t. But it is to benoted that there is no other metaphysical organ

ization, no other organization pretending to be

or actually demonstrating itself to be, a channel

and representative of the Great White Brother

hood, that has ever had a twenty-third birthday,

or that is a fraction of the age of AMORC.Many of these so-called mystical, occult, meta

physical and spiritual cults or movements come

one year and disappear the next. A few of them

have survived two birthdays and then disappeared

into oblivion. On e or two of them have slowly

diminished over a period of three or four years

and then disappeared. None of them has remained active and increasingly active for five

years . The A M O RC today may be an infant in

age as compared with older American foundations, but it is a husky, growing infant that has

every reason to believe that it will continue to

grow for another hundred years, or a little less,

when it will take on its temporary cycle of outer

inactivity, and remain a closed, inner, secret

organization.

In the twenty-three years it has been activebefore the American public, the AMORC of this

Western World has battled many storms because

of the superstitions, the doubts and skepticisms of

learned persons, and the conservative attitude of

those w'ho had been deceived and misled by pre

tending organizations. Th e AM O RC has care

fully avoided any semblance of cultism, any indulgence in fanaticism, any conduct that could be

misinterpreted or properly considered as scan

dalous or unmoral. It has deliberately and consistently avoided and evaded anything and every

thing that dealt with delicate subjects of morals

or sex subjects. It has consistently refrained from

religious and political controversies. It has upheldand maintained the dignity of the -ancient tradi

tions and ideals of the Rosicrucian Order, and

it has diligently, sincerely and profoundly prac

ticed the principles which it teaches, and demon

strated to the world that its principles do work



THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM Page 163

and do bring about the manifestations that are

claimed for them. In a material sense the organ-

ization has grown stronger, sounder, more finan

cially dependable, and more active in all of thecharitable, humane and educational activities of

this country. It has gradually attracted and commanded the respect and admiration of the highest

officials of the government, of men of science and

learning, and of institutions and organizationsthat are conservative and respected.

The A M O R C has not always been inact ive or

pacific in its attitude, but has been militant in regard to matters that mislead the innocent and

searching minds of the public, and in regard to

practices and institutions and principles that defeat the purposes of evolution, and interfere or

tend to interfere with the operation of Cosmic

laws and Cosmic manifestations.

I may be pardoned for the above outburst of enthusiasm, because admittedly I am proud of

what has been accomplished under my direction

in the present cycle. How many more years I may

be permitted to be the chief director of the activities of A M O R C is of litt le concern to me, as

long as I know that I have laid a good foundation

and as long as I believe that I am adding to thatfoundation each day and preparing for a continu

ance and perpetuation of the work we have already done and have planned to do in the future.

I fully believe that the continuance and perpetuation and future integrity and soundness of

A M O R C is not dependent upon my personality

or my leadership. I do not believe and cann ot be

made to believe that at the time of my transitionthe present sound status and high integrity of the

organization will be weakened or lessened. There

are too many hundreds of sincere, loyal, advanced members and workers ready to give every

thing they possess and ready to sacrifice even lifeitself to see that the A M O R C continues its glori

ous work, and there are too many specially prepared officers and associates with me here at

Headquarters who are ready with every sacrifice

to see that the present ideals, the present teach

ings, the present fundamentals and the present

standards of the organization, including all of itsmaterial assets throughout the country, are main

tained intact and free from interference by

schisms or by individuals.

For, unlike other organizations or cults that are

quickly born and soon pass away, the AMORCis not a one-man organization. It is not the in

vention and crea tion of one man. It is not built

and maintained on the theories and ideas of aself-appointed leader. It is not a movement of

glorification of a self-aggrandized human being or

of a huma n idol. It is something that is firmly

built in the hearts and souls of many thousandsand hundreds of thousands, not only in America

but throughout the world, and some of the most

advanced of our members and the most preparedto continue the great work of this organization

are those who have been and are today the care

ful readers and members of our Forum magazine

and Forum family.

So I look upon each and every one of you who

receives this publication every other month as a

part of the group of those who are sitting with

me from day to day and week to week in our

Forum discussions, and attempting to adjust your

lives and to demonstrate in your lives the principles and ideals of Rosicrucianism, and I knowthat such a foundation, such a preparation, such

a sincere interest will remain a permanent thing

for many years <.o come.

Fraternally,

H. S p e n c e r L e w i s ,

Im pera tor.

W ant ed : A H om e Fo r Th i s Y oung G i rl

Some months ago I wrote an article for our

publications commenting on the rare privilegethat childless men and women had of adopting a

little child and turning their homes into a usefulhaven and heaven. The response to my suggestion

was very wonderful indeed, and each year whenI make that suggestion, many childless couples do

adopt children and help to make some children

happy and successful in life.

But I have before me today a request for ahome. One of our members temporarily adopted

. a little girl some years ago, and now she finds thatit is necessary to find another home for this girl.

Let me briefly outline the story:

The young girl is the daughter of an American

girl and an Italian army officer. The parents were

unmarried, and the young army officer dis

appeared. Ther e is nothing n ew or strange in that

part of the story. The mother married later, and

could not keep the young girl in her home, so the

grandmother temporarily adopted the child, whois now fifteen years old. It is claimed tha t she is

a beautiful and healthy child, of proper normal

habits and tendencies, and of average intelligenceand efficiency in her school work except that shehas a very definite leaning towa rd music, especial

ly the beautif ul and the classic. She has a fairly

good voice that promises to be extraordinary if

given some development and training. Un dou bt

edly she has inherited this musical tendency fromher Italian father. Th is is something that would

be expected, and is a perfectly natural conditionof her inheritance. Th e you ng girl lives at the

present time in Arizona with her grandparents.She is healthy and strong, and has the appearance



The American Order Rosae Cruds

HAT arc the aims and objects of

the Order Rosae Crucis? is a ques

tion- often asked. Th e answ er ' is so

simple and yet so comprehensive

that many volumes could be wri t

ten in reply . ,The keynote is revo

lution in a mora l and social sense. A revo

lu t i on or replacement ' of the dynamic driving

force in nature. ‘This dynamic driving force

is a creat ion of-the cosmic mind of which you

and I a re par t s o r atoms. We are the c rea

tors and it is up to us to change this force,

or, if you please, spirit, if we find the results

not to our sat isfact ion.

The dynamic force which has beeh predomina nt in the cosmic mind is FE A R. We

come into the world with vibrat ion of fear

controlling bur life force, we are held in bonds

of fear as children, fear of the rod. fear of the,

dark , and fear of father and mother. As we

gro to ou t o f the childhood fears we arc con

fronted with fears of God and our neighbors .

W e do right not because we want to do so , but

because we fear what so and so would say

abou t us.- Fear of s tarvat ion keeps us working

and fear of death is always s taring us in the

face.. Fe ar is -the keynote, fear is the atone

men t ou r sou ls a re v ib ra t ing to , and the re

sul ts are seen al l around us . Is the pictureyou see sat isfying? No, we th ink not .

Suppose .we were to tell you tha t fear is

on ly a ch imera o f ou r own crea t ions and tha t

instead we should have Love in our hearts .

Suppose we came to‘t^erworId with Love, in

Love, l iv ing in Love and’doing good for the

love of d oing it,* doing righ t beca use of love

and a real izat ion that our neighbor had as• r °much right as we haveTNChris t t r ied to teach

us m any h undre ds of yeaVs ago, ' and he did

wonderful work, but those who fol lowed

changed the vibrat ions Chris t created. . Can

you fol low m e and see i t , read i t, in the world ’s

history .*- H um anity fel l in the s ins of fearon ce m or e. " j ' *5' . ' <

W e propose to take u p the s lender^ threads

of love, to pract ise love, .not theorize; to l ive

in love, no t alone teach it . W hen a human

being is saturated with love, the vibrat ions

.em ana ting therefrom: is creative for good. If

F c g e T t r o

y \ \ e A v i a c / i ' c a w f t o s a e C y u - U s

, I L

we let the words "God is Love and Love is

God" be a LIVING real izat ion and not a dead

letter o ur lives will '“be pure r and be tter fo r the

world as a whole, for our neighbors and also

for ourselves , bringing us nearer perfect ion. If

each and every one of us does not accom

plish more in this world but the conversion

of one brother or s is ter our l i fe has not been

in vain . The t ime wil l then come when our

force of love has become-the predominating

power, the dynamic force, the atonement of_

the spiri t of the cosmos, and the resul ts wil l

be far d ifferent. The picture you wil l then

see wil l be worth your while to look at . This

replacement of love for fear is what we do in

the Order, not through dogmatic teachings, but

through educat ion of the individual . W e hold

the opinion that no teaching is permanent that

docs not g ive a thorough knowledge of cause

and effect in al l departments of Nature from

the beginning of life up to the human species.

In th is work, under our present economic

condit ions, many quest ions arise that must be

deal t w ith in tel l igently , and amon g -the fore

most is economics , or in o ther words, to for

ever d ispel fear of hunger, economic freedom

must be at tained. Many have devised schemes

for the solution of this impe rtinen t ques tion

and so have we. To those of our memberswhom .we know have the requis i te soul devel

opment, or freedom from selfishness, we offer

economic freedom. Th is freedom is in the

form of helpful direction of earnest effort and

labor. Na ture has no bargain days and is

never cheated out of payment . ; - .

•The Order Rosae Crucis leads the-s tudent

through the m aterial world in to the Spiri tual

world, show ing that in order to understand and

'■ -comprehend any th ing O UT SID E o f ou r be ing.

1 that being mu st f i rs t be known. Th e Upan-

ishad fi t t ingly says: “The Brahman is the

. same as the ether which is around us; and the

ether which is around.us . is the same as t f ie.ether which is within , that is the ether within

the heart . Th at ether in the hear t is omni

present and unchanging. He who knows . this

obtains omnipresent arid unchangeable happi

ness .”—Kh. Up. I l l , 12, 7-9. . . , . ; •

T H O R K I I M A L E H T O .



T H E A M E R I C A N R O S A E C R U C I S

T

T h e A uth en tic and Com plete H istory of tih'p A nc ien t

and Mystical O rd er Rosae Crui: is

Compiled by H. SPENCER LEWIS, F. R. G

Grand Master General and Imperator.of the Order in the United [States

N concluding this history I feel that

I must speak of the establisf iment

of the Order in Amcrica.

I did not realize at the time—pos-

sibly I do not thoroughly realizenow —the great respon sibil i ty. and

tremendous importance of the undertaking.

Daily I am more strongly impressed with i ts

p o w e r f t p good in country and what ' i t

will eventually mean’Ao Am crica and A meri

cans.

As the founder ,—organ izer if you will ,—I

have tnost cer ta inly made a Je w mistakes in

ma tters important and tr ivia l . Wi th new and

different conditions to meet and contend with,

without precedence for many acts I was forced

to per mit o r insti tute , quickly, and wit h the

war . in E urope to prevent n iy rap id communi cation With the. Masters abroad, I kn ow I have

had to use d isc re t ion and judgment r equi r ing

more mature unders tanding than one of my

age a nd e xperienc e' possesses.

I would th at I ccoild undo some of the err or s;

I would remove from the hear ts and souls of

some the memory of anguish, disappointment

and sorro w which I Jiave caused. I shall

s o m e t im e pay the penalty, however , and I trust

tha t . I may have the oppor tuni ty to do some

kinder acts, sweeter deeds and more joyoXis

matters to recompense those whom I have

pa ined . ' . \ ~ M .

I t was not unti l the fa ll of 1913 tha t I began

my o utw ard activit ies for the Order in this •

country ; and my f i r s t ac ts .were a mis take ! .

My instructions plainly said that the Order

was not to be made concrete unti l 1915. Well

I k n e w th e y e ar . T h e 1figures 1915 were blaz-

oned in m y m in d; that was to be the ""great

year” f o r America which man y Rosaecrucian

stude nts had been lookingfforward to for many

ye ar s. • • . i

But. my i nstru ction s— in weird, symbolical

language requir ing careful translation—also

stated th at du rin g‘ the wint er of 1914-1915,"betw een Decemb er 15th! of 1914 and Eas ter

of 1915,” I should make such preliminary' an

nouncements as would erjable me to have my

American Supreme Council selected by April

1st and my Officers installed by not later than

May of 1915. Thes e instruc tions I had read

many times during 1910, ‘1911. an d 1912. D u r

ing 1913 I was devoted to the preparation of

the necessary* "first p apers,” by th e' large,

i l luminated .Charter to be signed by the se

lected Councilors, and the first “Black Book”

which I had to design, le t ter and bind myself .

not being permitted to have any matter pass

from my hands before the Order was estab

li sh ed . • .

Th us it wa s that^ as Decemb er of 1913 ap

proached,. the figures 1914 of the coming year

seemed to stand forth bo dly in my conscious

ness and my iHstructions I misinterpreted as

being: "between December 15th and Easter of

1913-1914 instead of 19lji-1915.

My papers for the preliminary announce

men t were ready. I anxiou sly awa ited Decern-,

ber 15 and on or about jthat^date' I made my

first mistake. I annou nced to som e especially

advanced members of the New York Ir ist i*

tu te for Psyc hic al Research of 'which I wa s

then President, that I v,

with me to prepare the

ment of the/Order Ros*

A preliminary meeting

w in te r of 1913-1914 «an<5

find no enthusiasm and

ould have them' meet

.vay for' the establish-

e Crucis in America,

was- Held d urin g the

I was surprise*! to

li t t le interest . Those

whom I considered interested displayed no inp >

Page Eletx* .




tcrest, but ra ther antipathy. I rccall well the

very ra iny night when I ^vended my way home

from a lady’s home on Madis on Aven ue, near34th Street , with my papers, char ter and

“Black Book” under my arm, dejected and

puzzled. Of the twelve who had assembled

(out of 20 invited) , not even one signed the

preliminary organization paper .

‘ 'Was this an indication of what the R. C.

would be in A mer ica?*’ waS the qu estion I

tr ied to answer la ter that night in the st i l l

ness of my room. '

The n l ight came. I discovered my mistake

-of dates and the morn ing’s sunligh t brought

jo y a t th e th o ug h t th a t no on e had si gned tha t

paper nea r ly 12 months before it was time to

be signed. The very weather , antip athy and

disinterestedness of those there that night had

prevented a grave error on my par t . Tru ly a

R o sae c ru c ia n l es so n 1 ( An d , strange as i t m a y

seem, not one of those 20 supposedly interested

men and women have to th is day shown any

interest Whatever in the .Order in this cou n

try. ) .

However , the following winter I was even

more ready and more prepared to ca r ry out

the prelir*inary work. ' Dur ing the fall of 1914 .

there came to me. a grand old lady who had

•been a deep stud ent o f the occult for years.

She had t r ave led 'much, abroad in f ea rch forknow ledge• and /had been in i t ia ted in many

forms of ou r wbrk , Be ing of roya l descent

and in t ima te ly acqua in ted wi th-governmenta l

and m ili tary authorit ies here ar d abroad, she

Had been, en truste d w ith a special erran d an,d

mission connected, w ith the Order . Th us on

ano ther ra iny nigh t in the month of Noverfi- •

ber—on my. own b ir thda y in fact—she uncere

moniously and reverently placed in my hands

a few papers,*a small packet-and—a beautiful .

re d rose! .- In addit ion to. these she gav e me'

a. JocJcct of gold se t with stones in symbolical

iorm , containing a rare and histor ical piece of

•mineral. T h i lk tter . was a personal gif t to bew orn in h er remembrance—and ever shall I . re

m emb er the dea r old soul- .whose days are n um

bered, but who is sure of ' a 'sweet place in th e

hea r ts of m y wife, my children j jnd myself .<S. of th e .C !) -W :. • /O . ’ • .I s

T he papers . I fou nd to be some of those

. which th e . Masters, had explained to me in

Europe in 1903 and which were promised to

come to me when I needed them most, by spe

cial mess enger. Th e packet, conta ined a sealand an insignia. - I was . .pleased, astou nde d—

t and now greatly for t if ied for my work.

On or about December 20th of 1914 I made

my preliminary- announcement. This t ime I

simply placed a small notice in the Personal

Column of the New York Sunday Herald. I t

sa id that the writer would be pleased to hear

from laclies and gen tlemen ' inter ested in the

work of the Order R. C.

The replies were numerous, var ied and very

encouraging. Great intere st was shown and

the sta tus of most inquirers was pleasing in

deed.

f My next step was to plan a meeting of a

few for organization 'purposes. As I was pre

paring the notices for the meetirig, there came

into my bus iness office a man whose a r t—not

trade—wa s pr inting. He saw one of the no^

t ices, immediate ly explained his long search

for the Order in this 'country and-*his many

ye ar s of s tu d y a n d preparation for it.'

As soon as I explained my mission and my

hopes, he volunteered not only -his own help

and assistance but that of a pr inting f irm. His

great desire to truly help me, his very unsel

fish motives and sincere expressions of his

love to earn and deserve by serving man, convinced me tha t I had met an unaff il ia ted Rosae-

crucian such as are born—not made. '

That man who has since then done so much

for our Order, who has sacrificed his business

interests, his home life, his finances and his

wor Id ly pleasures to be loyal to the 'Order , to

the cause, to mankind and to. me in my many

diff iculties, is our present Su pre me ' Secretary

General , Thtfr Kiimalehto, to whom I owe

much and whom I love as a man loves-a true '

brother, a true man of God, love, peace and

human unders tanding .

The preliminary meeting was held on Feb

rua ry 8th in m y offices, at 8.30 p. m. I find

in my records the following en try regardin g ■

tha t 'meeting: “M eeting was called to order

at 8:32 a t ' SO Fif th Avenue. The re were. 9

pres ent Th e Moon was in Sagit ta r ius . : Ad

jo u rn ed ’ at . 9 :40 •p . m .” p " . ;

•A pap er and some insignia and oth er inter

esting exhibits including the ' Cha rter and

* Pagt Trc thx




"Black Book" were submit ted to those pres

ent, and a fter a brief description of the aims

a n d pur pose s o f th e Or de r, th e n ine m en an d women were made 9 Committee to organize

a Supreme Council for Amcrica.

The unusual enthusiasm shown, the deep in

terest manifested and the determinat ion to

build the O rder magnificent ly and nobly in th is

country was a p leasant experience after the

lack of in terest shown a year previous.

A few days la ter one of the E di to rs of the

New York Globe cal led to see me request ing

some facts regarding the es tabl ishment of the

Ord er in America. Be it said that the Globe

has always shown a very fair att i tude toward

»all matters of this kind and welcomes every

opportunity to present to i ts in tel l igent class

of readers a conservat ive announcement of any

movement tending to enl ighten th e populace.

On Febru ary ,24th , in te rest ing s to r^

appeared in the Globe-Snd at once awakened

the minds of many hundreds of seekers for

Lig ht in man y s tates . Several hundre d let

ters came to Mr. Kiimalehto as Foundation

Secretary , most of them wri t ten by conserva

t ive, we ll-educated and social ly- prominen t

bus iness men .and women .

Fr om the batch of let ters about seventy-five

were selected and a let ter was mailed invi t ing

them to at tend, an organizat ion mee ting at

"The Les l ie , " Wes t 83 rd S t ree t , near Wes t

End Avenue on Wednesday even ing , March

3rd. > • • .

Ab out , 80 men and women a t tended th is

mee ting among, them being several Freem asons

ben t upon inves t iga t ing the purposes o f the

Order, and a 'number of professional and scien

t i fic me n and women. "

' . .Most natural ly there were some so-cal led

skeptics present ,—and there were several who

openly charge d th at i t was a rel ig ious or spiri t - i

ual is t ic mo ve m ent ‘ 1 1

T he .following explana tion was given as the 1,

reason fo r th e m e e t i n g ^ •

• "I wil l read from pa pers sent from abroad

^ e aims, ’purposes , teachings and. workin g of

tne Order. ; - Afte r t ha t I will ask those w hd ,

desire to affi l iate with the Order to come for

ward and s ign an applicat ion’for membership ,

and then, before showing any of the sacred

‘jew els’ . given to me, or the signs* and seals

asters, I will ask

Preliminary Oath*

r willingness—or

.nece ssary ' oath. .

of the Order sent by the ft1

the applicants to sign the ‘

in the Official Black Book.’About fifty signified the

rath er deligh t—to take -th<

Some de man ded that all the:' sacred an d secret

matte r be shown them' before taking th e.oath

or even signing an application for membership.

Natural ly those who took such an at t i tude, who

demanded certain th ings w ithout even profess-,

ing their s incere desire to co-operate with us ,

were denied all information1and were invited

to ret i re. • None who took such at t i tude at that

t ime have ever learned that the Light they

sought was possible through humiliati on alone.

The y are still witho ut the :>ale of our Order.

Of the others , the great rhajori ty now compose our Supre me Council and co nstitute the

Fourth Degree and are the most advanced and

enlightened Rosaecrucians m America. The ir '

sincerity, faith and humiliation have been re-,

warded with the Great Li^ht . Th us i t ' shal l

ever be; none can demand, ' by any ri ght , ' th e

L i g h t! 1 .

I t was my personal wish that the applicants

who 'passed such invest igat ion as was required

by our Order, should form a Council to or

ganize the Supreme Grand jLodge according to

the ancient rules . I furthe r desired this Coun

cil to appoint the officers ofithe Supreme GrandLodg e and the national executive officers. I

d id not desire to arbi trari ly use the power

vested in me, and I . felt, tha t far bette r than

merely announcing myself as Grand Mastd*

General or Imp erato r by virtue- of the Mas

ters ' orders, would be to dfclegate the selection

or election of such a responsible position to

this Council which was representat ive of the

thinking and le arned classes' of the city.

Further organizat ion meetings were held at

the Hotel Empire on March 23rd presided over

: our tem porary L i-

'inally on April 1st.

by Dr. Jul ia Seton and a

bra ry at 68 W. 71st St.a .T hurs day , a t 8 :30 p. ml about th irty , of the

most act ive workers m et at the proposed Ebdge'

Rooms on Seven th Avenue , and ther^ wi th

•' due form,-const i tu ted themselves the Supreme

' Council, signed an illum inated C ha rter declar- _•

ing the authori tat ive, proper and legal es iaB-

lishment of the A. M. O. (r . C. in America and-:';?. ■

Page Thtrteen^Sl




appointed the national cxccutive officers under

signs; and seals.

That the present Grand Master General mu!

Imperator was then elccted and unanimously

appointed was a natural sequence of the events

which led to that meeting. Hut it will always

he a proud moment—a moment to remember

with joy and sacredness—when the twenty-f ive

Councilors, after weeks of deliberation, inves

tigation and sincere appreciation of its import,

arose as a body and rejoicingly signed the

American Charter which installed fourteen

national officers in their very responsible posi

t ions. This Charter hangs upon the wall in

the Imperator’s office in the Supreme Grand

Lodge and is destined to be a famous docu

ment in American history. Designed, executedand illuminated in all the rich colorings, signs,

and decorations used by the ancients in the

making of rare and sacred manuscripts, it is

not ^>nlv typical of the finest w ork in that

line, but of persistent determination on the

part of many Americans to br ing to this coun

try the noble, austere Order Rosae Crucis.

Thereafter various Council and Committee

meetings were held in the Order’s Library, the

Ancient Con sti tution of the Order was sl ightly

modified to meet American conditions, voted

upon and adopted, and Lodge rooms—the f irst

American Rosae Crucis Temple—secured and

cquipped.

On Thursday—the t tue Rosaec ruc ian day

throughout'the world—May 13. 1915. the first

true Ro sa ec ru ci an Co nvo ca ti on of the Order

was held in the Temple amid beautiful and

inspiring conditions, and all the appointed

National Officers, the Councilors and a few

others were duly init ia ted into the Order .

Crossed j the Threshold and were ra ised to. the

dignity of Knights. Sorores. Brothers and Sis

ters of the O rder Rosae Crucis in accordance

.with the true ancient r i tes and ceremony.

What a glor ious occasion! Sublim e, perfect.

sacred, mystic day— May 13, 1915! Long willit be remembered and honored by those who

even now remain enthralled by the splendor

and significance of the convocation.

So rapidly did the anno uncem ent of this im- •*

portant convocation spread among advanced !

occult students that the Mem bership Comm it-1'

tee found it desirable to invite a number to i

/\><;»* Pourirrti

jo in wit h us in spre ad in g th e Light th ro ug h

out Amcrica. The result was. that two weeks

Inter on T hu rs da y, May 27. 191C. fifty more

applicants Crossed the Threshold and were

admitted into the First Decree as probationers.

Thereaf ter the regular convocations of the

First Degree were held twice monthly, on

Thursday evenings, and the work of i l lumina

t ion—and elimination—was carr ied on through

out the warm summer months.

Then in July, at one of the Convocations,

the Grand Deputy Master presented to the

Grand Master General and Impcrator . on

behalf of tfie Lodge, a beautiful silver and

gold Master 's Jewel set with a red stone, as

the L o d e 's acknowledgment and apprec ia t ion

of the Orde r 's great work. This “Jewel" completed the Master’s authorita tive regalia and

made him the acclaimed and legal head of the

Order in America'*

As the Fall approached many applications

for membership w ere , received from various

parts of the United States. Since the Con

sti tution and Charter of the Order calls for

the establishment of Lodges in all large cities

of every sta te , arrangements were made for

this work and the Department of Extension

was authorized to look af ter the national prop a

ganda. <

The first Lodge to be established outside of

New York was opened in Pit tsburgh and, as

other subordinate Lodges were opened in

Pennsylvania , the Lodge in Pit tsburgh became

the Grand Lodge for that State. Its wonder-

ful work, enthusiasm and rapid advancement

in the teachings is an excellent testimony to

the ability and sincerity and real R. C. love

of the Grand Master there and his able offi

cers.

The cont inued spread 'of the work of the

Order throughout the "Uni ted S ta tes, Depend

encies and Territories." is well recorded in the

reports published in the American Rosae

Crucis for the months of January to June.191G. Lodg es now spread across our Jur isdi c

tion from San Juan. Puerto Rico, to Honolulu

where some mili tary authorit ies are arranging

for a Lodge, and from Chicago to Tampa,

Florida. .

Early in August of 1915 a complete report

of our American activities and successes was




s e n t t o t h e S u p r e m e G r a n d L o d g e o f I'THnCC

«d he forw arde d .to the Sup rem e Council of the World. At the same time a formal re

quest was made by the Grand Master General

on behalf of the Lodge ncre for a regularly

executed paper of Sponsorship of the American

Order signed by the Supreme Council, should

that Council deem the status of the American

Order sufficient proof that its instructions and

laws were being obeyed.

On September 30. 1915. after a special as

sembly of the Supreme Council in France,

there was prepared and duly issued "Pronun-

zia me nt o Is. F. R. C.. No. 9S7.432. em bo dy in g

a Manifesto declar ing that the Supreme Coun

cil and Gra nd Lo dg e A. M. O, R. C. of !■ ranee,

on beh alf of the- Suprem e Council A. M. O.

R. C. of the World, declared and acknowledged

its complete sponsorship of the Order in

America, confirmed the initiation of the Ameri

can Imperator and his appointment as Digni

tary Supreme in North America and verified its

issuance of papers, inductions, jewels, seals;

etc., to him.

This very important, document, writ ten on

the specially prepared and water-marked paper

of the French Order, was signed and sealed

by the present Supreme Grand Master of the

Order in France, his officers and the GrandMaster who at one t ime init ia ted the American

Imperator into the Order .

The signatures—some of them of prominent

men in mili tary and governmental affa irs of

France, arc accompanied by their official

"marks." and the seals of var ious sizes and de

signs add ver i ty and attractiveness to this

unique document. Suspended from the paper

itself is one of the curious, old-styled wax-

and-paper seals of the Order, bearing its

strange, though intell igible , marks and words.

Th e document was enclosed in a light-weight

metallic, telescope envelope, which was mois- '

Hire proof. It was sealed, and had the Fren chOrders national, or \}ip rem e Council’s seal

impressed in the metal of the container, and

bore not only the necessary postage stamps

but others of a mili tary and “custom” nature ,

bear ing marks of approval and examination

abroad.

This document, when received and presented

to the American Supreme Council in October,

brought great joy as the sign of approval and

endorsement of the work iionc here in' America by those the French Colunci] had appointed.

T he docum ent, properly {framed and preserv

ing the orig inal cont ainer, finnga upon the wall

; in tlK: Supre me Gran d ll odg e in New York

beside the American Council Charter where

it may be easily* seen and read, for it is w rit

ten in very fair English1

Little more need be said regarding the work

of the Order in this country which is speak

ing so eloquently for itscjlf.

After only fourteen months since the first

initiation was held in this country we find theOrder in many sta tes. Lodges being conducted

by clergymen, physicians and very often by

men who are high degree Freemasons. Our

rank and file of i membership includes—as in

other cou ntrie s—the w ealthy merchants.- land

owners, newspaper editors, government offi

cials, physicians, surgeons, lawyers, scientists,

professional men and I wom en. ' artists and

artisans, even the lowly workers in the nar

row and humble trades!—all working equally

for a common good , meeting on a common

level.

In closing I must sny a word or two of thanks and appreciation to those devout souls.

Brothers and Sisters, who have laid aside their

■*personal interests, their own plans and possible

achievements during t l ie past fourteen.months

and have given their jtime, money and l abor'

::o freely, devoting frcxn twenty to a hundred

hours a week to wo/king with me for th e

Order, an d sacrificing (many nig hts a week to

. assistin g in the up building ,af^ the Order in

New York and elsewhere. I have made mis-I A .

takes—some grevious ones—in my enthusiasm

and tedious endeavors and have thereby

broug ht additional Work and v worr y to my

Councilors and. Officers, a n d . they have sonobly accepted the fiat without a word of

protest. Th eir reward, like mine, will come

some day in seeing, even if it be at our transi-

tion. the rays of the Rosae Cruc& illuminating

this glorious contin ent .bringing pow er, health.

Godliness and Peace profo und into every dark •

and shadowed home aind comm unity. So mote

it be.' '

Page F ifttm



T H E A M E R I C A N R O S A E C R U C I S A , ! ? / &>

T h e W ork of tKe O rder

The Minis ter of the Department of Exten

sion makes a most interesting and encourag

ing report . Natural ly the summ er months

brought a period of laxity in the held work,

but since August 15th wonderful activity lias

been shown by the score or more of groups

and individuals in various sections of the

United States where new Lodges are being es

tablished. The daily mail received by the De

partment of Extension brings very encourag

ing suggestions and offers of help, even from

hitherto unapproachable sources,—sources

which have heretofore remained aloof from the

proposals of commercial organizations claim

ing to be humanitarian in principle.

We are especially proud of the fact that the

innermost and highest circles of Freemasonry

have come to us with their good wishes, as

we have gone to them with an outstretched

hand of welcome and good-will. As one in

stance of their high regard for our work we

cite the ofTer of the Scottish Rite Temple in

one State to our Grand Lodge there for its

convoc ations a’nd we are inf ormed that this

same compliment will be given us in many

states . Our Im perator desires us to make pub

lic his sincere thanks for this offer and many

similar ones.

During the past few weeks new Lodges were

arranged for in the following cities: Provi:

dence, R. I.. Birmingham. Ala.. Fort Worth.

Texas, Harrison, Ark., Newark. N. J., Denver.

Col., and Los Angeles, Calif.

The Grand Master of the Pennsylvania

Grand Lodge in Chicago on September 8th.

On his return ' t o New York he s topped atDetroit to officiate at the second official

meeting .of the Grand Lod ge and also

stoppe d long en ough .at Clevel and to officiate

at a public organization meeting there.

In Chicago a special open, public meeting was •

held in order to give the public an opportu

nity to hear of- the work of the Order. The

Imperator was well received and his pointed

remarks, excellent illustration of the Order’s

aims and purposes and its wonderful activities

made a strong and pleasing impression on a

very large number of deeply interested men

and women.

A German and a French Lodge are being

established in New York City as well as an

English Lodge in Brooklyn. Considerable in

terest is being shown by foreigners whose par

ents or grandparents at one time belonged to

the Orde r in Europe. Theref ore Lodges con

ducted in their own language have been re

quested from the Department of Extension.

In Pi t tsburgh the Grand Lodge, which re

cently held a very pretty and interesting Lawn

Fete on the lawns of one of its Officers, has

arranged for another Lodge in the east end of

the city to meet the desires of their growing

membership .

A P P L I C A N T S F O R M E M B E R S H I P

In answer to so many letters received dur

ing the past few weeks the Supreme Secretary

General wishes to state that he cannot give

through the mails to those unknown to him.

the names rind addresses of our Grand Masters

or other officers in the different States and

cities. This w as being done for a while but

we learned that advantage was being taken of

our general "publicity by those antago nistic to

any good work to interfere with our plans.

Therefore, i f you wish to make the acquaint

ance of our Order, you may address me as

below and I will send you our Official Pub

lication No. 2, telling all that may be madepublic about our work. W e will then for

ward your let ter to the nearest State or ci ty

officer of our Order and he or she will commu

nicate with you direct. No ‘ma tter whe re you

may live, from the Hawaiian Islands to the

West Indies , and from Alaska to Panama

(where a Lodge wil l be formed short ly) there

P ag * T w t k e




is some one who will assist you in joining with

us in this good work. Whe rever the American

flag rules or offers its protection, there Rosae-crucianism in its true form will be found

within a few months. Our national organiz a

tion and active propaganda is very complete

and systematized. Rosaecrucianism will be a

national insti tution, a national organization

and a national power within the next twelve

months . Na ugh t but the will of God can staythe progre ss it is now making. Omn ia Vincit

Amor. Thor Kiimalehto. K.R.C., Supreme Sec

retary-General. 30G West <3Sth Street, New

''r'ork City.

A Fev? W ord s by the Imperator

W IS H it were possible to hold a

grand year ly convention of a ll our

members, that I might , take cachone by the hand, give them our

grip and say to them personally

what I will try to say in this im

personal way. ^I3ut wc w il ^ a v c our f irst con

vention next year , and so I must wa i t .

On J u ly 2lth , past , there ended the first

seven years since I sailed abroad to find the

Masters and seek permission from them for

wh at I have given to America. The seven

years seem like a score or m or e; but that is

due to the fact that for five and a half years

I had »o work in silence and^bide my time 10

announce the coming of the Order . The lastyear and a half have seen me so active, co

engrossed in this great work that t ime has

passed rapidly and glor iously.

And what wonderful work has been accom

plished! For hundreds of years the minds of

the thinking people , the cosmic consciousness

of the nation, have been waiting and searching

for the truth as Rosaecrucianism expounds i t .

I t is an old. but ever pleasing starv. to have

strangers e ither call to see me or write to me

saying that the pr inciples and doctr ines which

our Order r epresents a re jus t wha t they have

been seeking for years in every channcl. inevery philosophy and in every occult or scien

tific organization.

Then too, I f ind so many many—deep, ser i

ous, well-educated men and women—who feel

that somewhere in the past , somewhere in the

dark recesses of thoir consciousness, they ha ve,

at one time realized all , that we are doing and

can do. and our Order comes to them as a

renewal in this existence of a past experience.

Crossing the Threshold opens the doorway.In itself it is not the hig hest p oint of att ai n1

rnent: it is but the first step on the ladder.

So many find, and rightfully, that the first

three degrees of our Order, with its IS to 20

Sacred Convocations and inspir ing lectures,

are degrees n o r o n l y of illumination, but de

crees of elimination.—elimination of old and

mistaken ideas, theories and customs: e limina

tion of self, of selfishness, of evil, wrong think

ing and wrong doing: e limination of the chaff

f rom the wheat, the unworthy from the

worth y. After all the tests and trials. lessons

and experiences of the first three degrees, those

who remain in th e Order and successfully pass

into the Fourth Degree with i ts most beauti

ful, sublime and uplifting Initiation, are truly

the worthy ones whose hear ts and souls are

filled with rejoicing and Godliness. Th e path

way through the Order is not easy: the way

of the transgressor is hard. Neither money

nor social position, will or power count in the

personal, inner trials. Yet the deserving find

it all so beautiful, so sweet and so illuminating

that Peace Profound reigns supreme, in their

consciousness, mind and body.

Around me I see and meet beautiful souls

who have been tested and who-have given to

us all that they have received in the way of

power. It is wonderful, grand. ' .T he re is no

greater, experience in life than finding one:s

self raised to glory, to power and sublime

knowledge. It reveals the :God in us and the «s

Good and makes us all true Bro thers and Sis- ©

ters. W it h God ’s will, may it ever be so l f0""*!

Page Thirteen



T H E / A M E R I C A N R O S A E C R U C I S - S e ^ p V * \ *\ 1 L

---------------- / - ------ :--------------------- ■-----:-----' r’ ‘ ' --------------------

/

New Location of the Supreme

•, Lodge and its Dedication.

JR renders and the Brothers and

Sisters of th e Order should note the

new address of the Supreme Lodge,

the National Executive Offices and

the Editor ia l Department of this

magazine.

Early last summer we realized tlial while

our natural aversion against moving iwas wellfounded, the Convocations and other activit ies

of the Supreme Lodge, the Am cretin Supreme

Council and otherf’allicd bodies'^required a

la iger and more convenient and congenial

Lodge Room and Temple than we had at 70

West S7th Street .

1'uri her mo re, we could not have the busines s

facilities in the residential section of New York

which arc possible in the business section.

Many improvemen ts and changes were made ,

a t our former address and we continued there

until conditions became such as to bring us face

to face with the necessity of seeking more

desirable quarters.

About the f irst of September the members

of the Grand and Supreme Lodge held a fare

well meeting at 70 West 87th Street , dur ing

which the Brothers and Sisters and the Officers

(with a few exceptions) united in a love feast

of packing and before midnight the old head

quarte rs was a sad sight. As a last par ting

prayer^for the premises wherein so many had

been init ia ted and received wondrous l ight, the

throng ga the red a round the organis t a t a

piano and s ang four verses of “ Nearer , My God,

to Thee” in such sincere fervor as is seldom

heard in any Temple.A few days later we were settled in our new

quarters a t 306 West 48th Street in the very

heart of the business, church and theatr ical sec

t ion of the c ity—just one short block or square A

from Broadway, and convenient to every m eans

of transpo rta tion . . 1 ,

On Labor Day many of the Brothers and

Sisters devoted the holiday to putt ing' the last

hnishing touches to the Temple and the Excu-

tive Offices and many very valuable and inter

esting donations were received—antique furni

ture, draperies, curtains, pictures, glassware,

crockery, organ, stercopticon, Victrola. etc.

After several regular Convocations were 'he/d

in the Temple, a special Dedication Receptionwas held on Sunday, October first.

Members and fr iends gathered at the Temple

at 4 in the afternoon and from 5 until 6:30 there

was a general reception. At 6:30 tea and

refreshments were served in tjic Executive Of

fices and Reading Room . At 7:45 the Temple

services were opened with a brief talk followed

by very beautiful songs rendered by a Sister

who is not only a professional singer but a

most wonderfully ta lented musician. She was

accompanied by the Supreme Lodge’s Organist

on the new Mason & Hamlin organ which was

installed in the new Temple. L 3ter in the

evening the Sister sang another song i l lustra ted

wi th s te rcopt icon p ic tures . • .

The principal feature of the evening was a

lecture by the Imperator and Grand Master

General on " E g y p t i n the Days of Ro^aecru-

cianism." The lecture was profusely i l lus

trated with S4 stercopticon slides, many in

beautiful colons and a number being especially

made to show the exter iors and inter iors of old

Rosaecrucian Temples with the sacred R. C.

symbols carved or painted on the walls and

columns. At the close of the lecture, complete

with interesting details and new facts, a picture

of an Egyptian choir and orchestra was shownwhile on the Victrola was played the music and

the singing as actually recorded in Egypt. -

As a . last test imony to the work a Brother

who'hah traveled abroad and who has investi

gated all the mystical orders of j Europe and

America read a paper on Love and Fideli ty in

which he called upon all the members to show




thei r Jove and fidelity for. the I mp erat or and

Master by working with and for him for the

upbuilding of the Order now so f irmly es tab

lished in America.

Th e Tem ple .was crowded to its full capacity

and all enjoyed the beautiful , harmonious sur

roundings and feelings of love and devotion to

the great work.

The new Supreme Lodge Temple is located

in the rear of the Executive Offices and Ante

cham bers , in an •extensio u to . the building

proper , so that there are no l iving quarters

either above, below or at the sides of the

Temple— conditions which were objectionable

at the old place.

The Ante rooms and Temple are in Egyptian

Style, copied after the interiors of Egyptian

Rosaecrucian Temples. Beautiful lighting ef

fects a t night give the Temple an appearance

of being i l luminated by moonlight while the

i n cc n s c b u m s with a red glow before ' the Alta r

and the Egypt ian co lumns wi th the i r odd co lor

ings and w £ird hieroglyphics cast deep shadows

across the rough grey-stone grotto walls .

The Executive Offices are large and^spacious

a_'id well lighted during the day through large

windows whfch face ' the s t r ee t and a f ford a

very f ine reading space for visi tors and mem

bers. * . . .

All who are interested in our work arc in

vited to come any day or evening and enjoyan hour or two 6nder more pleasant conditions

than could possibly exist a t any of our former

headquarters. .All are therefore advised nor

to make a mis take and go to the W o n g address .

J

None of our Qfiicers or members are located

any longer a t 70 West 87th Street , nor are any

meetings held there bear ing upon our work.

. Ou r prese nt telephone numb er is Bryan t 385G

and if all who intend to visit us will "call us

up" on the te lephone when reaching the c ity

we will be glad to meet them or direct their

footsteps safely in a city where it is so easy to

be misled.

W e arc most naturally growing. W e are

cons tan t ly a t ta in ing la rge r Templec and our

next move—already planned and.assured, will

be into a building designed or built for us.

T W O N E W N A T I O N A L O F F IC E R S .

Among the several changes made in the

Supreme Lodge for the ensuing year there

were appointed the following officers:

Lewis Lawrence, K.R.C. , Suppeme Grand

Treasurer . 306 W e s t 4Sth Street . New York,

who succeeds Mrs. Estelle Small as Treasurer

of the Supreme Lodge and the Order in gen

eral.

Alber t Brassard, K.R.C. , Supreme Financial

Secretary. 30G West 4Sth Street, New York,

to whom all communications regarding the

f inances of the Order should be addressed

hereafter. t

The Order cannot be responsible for remit

tances r.ent to those who are not in chargc of such matters.

General communications should be sent to

T h o r Kiimalehto, Supreme Secretary General.

300 West 48th Street . New York.

© (org

Pogt S ir

€



T H E A M E R I C A N R O S A E C R U C I S O c A o [ j e y > 1 ^ 1 4 =

Announcement

The publisher wishes to notify his subscr i

bers, readers and friends that jduring the past

month the Supreme Council 6f the Supreme

Grand Lodge , by unanim ous [vote, took unto

itself the managing, edit ing and publishing of

The Amer ican Rosae Crucis. Hereafter this

magazine will be owned by tlje Order and its

members throughout the Amer ican Jur isd ic

t ion. I '

This is as it should be. The publisher has

personally owned and conducted the magazine,

wit h the assistan ce of a few jothers. But no

such important mouth-piecc rind accessory of

the Order as this publication has bccome,

should be owned by any few mem bers. . Such

restr ic ted ownersh ip would I be a constant

source of danger to our welfore, for in the

past, and at present, th<^re arc1those who, with

suff ic ient capita l to do so. copld^asily secure

thc^/completc ownership of our magazine and

influence its editorial policy ahd its representa

t ions, to our detr iment and the detr iment of

the Order.

T h e publisher has long urged that the Order

accept his offer of the magazin e; he has desired

in every way to have the Order own themagazine. At last i t has been brought about

and there is great rejoic ing on all sides.

Hereaf ter the magazine will be edited under

the supervision of the Department of Pulica-

t ion of the Ministraro of the Supreme Ameri

can Council . The Minister af tha t Department

will be the manag ing editor , and I will continue

to give my services in its behalf as Business

Manager .

Please note that after January 1, 1917, the

subscription price of the magazine will be in

creased to $2.50 yearly. The j^ ice per copy

will rema in at 25 cents. Nattaraily at this price

the m agar ine can support / i tse lf only with a

large c irculation. There fore I urg e - all our

readers to secure as many few subscr ibers as

possible. t

B A C K I S SU E S O F T H

A l s o ple ase n o te that th

the magazine are becomin

many of our readers and si |bscr ibers want the

M A G A Z I N E ,

back numbers o f

very scarce. So

By The Publisher

back numbers for binding into one volume

that we have had to set a price of 50 cents,

on every copy of the magazine for January.

February, March, April. May, June, and July

of this year.. In a very shor t time the Janua ry

and . Fe bru ary issues will be priced at $1.00

• each and unless a Reprint is made in another

year they will become priceless pieces of

Rosaecrucian literature.

To encourage new subscr iptions immedi

ately, ' however, those who subscribe for 1916

and 1917 combined,—two years subscriptionsat SI.50 and $2.50—a total of $4 for the two

years, will rcceivc all the back numbers at

once as well as the magazine for the next 15

months.r .

No mo re back n umb ers can .be mailed to

tl20.se w ho subscribe for only one year at $1.50

and wish to have their subscr iptions star t with

last Janu ary. All one yea r subs cription s r e

ceived hereafter will begin with the issue

current at the time the subscription is received.

I wish also to call attention to the fact that

I have arranged to have 100 bound vol

umes pr ep ar ed contain in g th e 12 copies of

the 191G magazine. Each volume will havj

the 12 copies indexed, well trimmed at the

edges, .bound as if one book, wit h a bi ndin g

of leather stamped with gold. Such volumes

w ill ’make com plete ency clopaedias of Rosae

crucianism worth a hundred dollars or more.

The price will be $10 per volume. Please

order now, in advance, if you wish a volume.

Those who wish to bind together all the 191G

copies in one durable binder, will find an ex

cellent binder descr ibed in an advertisement

on the last pa ge s o f this issue.

I N T E R E S T I N G F E A T U R E S TO C OM E .

Beginning with our next issue we will start

a series of illustrated lessons on the true in

terpretation of the Egyptian Hieroglyphics,

with ' a complete a lphabet and gramm ar of the

Hierog lyph ics as a languag e. Of all the at

tempts mado by E g yp to log is ts an d ph il ol og is ts

and others to give the English people a correct

alphabet ahd a correct interpretation of each-

Page Nine




G(VV)

£ 2

l e t t e r o r elfin used in the Egyptian writings,

aJi have failed to give the exact meanings which

- will be revealed in this series of lessons to

begin next month^ Whe n completed the series

will form an easy and reliable guide for trans-

' lat ing the wri t ings on al l the Egyptian

monuments , tombs, walls , obel isks , manu

scripts, etc. And, for the first time the

EgvptiaH Rosaecrucian s igns and hieroglyphics

which also appear o n ' the walls of many

Temples and monuments , wil l be included in

the alphabet and in terpretat ions.

In th e next issue will also begin a new and

extrao rdinary scient ific t reat ise cal led; "Super

Secreta; Spiri tns Sanctus; Rosae Crucis ;

Philosophorum Lapide.” wri t ten by Henri

Khunr ath . Mr. Khu nrath was one of the most

famous of the German Rosaecrucians and

founder- of the fi rs t Rosaecrucian Libra ry in

Europe . He wro te many impor tan t scientific

Rosaecrucian and philosophical works during

his life (1560 to 1630 A. D.) and the treatise

we wil l publish was left at h is t ransi t ion part ly

uncompleted. I t came into the hands of Count

Lorge over a hundred years later and has been

careful ly preserved. I t has never been pub

l ished before and now comes in to our handswith Tull privilege to publish as a Rosaecrucian

book (as was in tended) . There a rc many a t

t ract ive and in terest ing diagrAms and i l lustra

t ions accompanying the manuscript and those

of us who have examined extracts of the

translat ion being made by our Imperator from

the Latin and R. C. symbolical language in

which it was written, find it to be replete with

the most valuable instruction for healing all

bodily troubles by a very simple' process, of

foretel l ing many condit ions and events , of

working miracles with the use of a philosophers

stone, which many can find according to the

method described, and of producing wonder

ful oils, salts and minerals by aid of the R . C.

crucible. In making the t ranslat ion reference

wil l be made to the Symbolical Alp habet as

given to all our members in the 2nd degree,

so that some of the matter may be kept un-

rcvealcd to the unini t iated. Yet much, not so

hidden v^ill be of great value to all our readers.

This one feature alone wil l make our next ten

or more issues worth more than the subscrip

tion for the whole year.

In order to make possible such rare t reats

as these it is necessary for all our readers and

members to increase the subscript ion l is t as

rapidly As possible. Make the next two, mo nths

mean double the circulat ion at least .-

T H O R K II M A L E H T O .

'To Smoke or not to Smoke?"You smoke th i r ty c igare t tes a day?”

“Yes, on the average.”

"You d on’t b lame them for your run-down

condit ion?”

"N ot in the l eas t—J b lame my hard work .”

Th e physician shq6k' his head. He smiled

in a vexed wa y. —Th en he took a leech out of a

glass jar .

j “Let me show’ you something,” he said.

" B a re y o u r a rm . ”

The c igare t te smoker bared 'S j s pa le a rm

and the doctor laid the lean black leech upon it.Th e leech fel l to work busily . I ts body began

to swell. The n, all of a sudden, a kind, of shud

der convulsed it, and it fell to the floor—dead.

“That’s what your blood did to that Icech,”

said the physician. He took up the little corpse

betw een his finger and thum b. . ‘‘Look at it ,”

he said. “Q uite dead, you see. You poisoned

it .”

Page Ten

“I guess it wasn't a healthy leech in the first

place, ’.’ said th e ciga ret te sm oke r, sullenly.

"W as n’t heal thy, eh? Well , we’l l t ry again .”

And the physician clapped two leeches on

the young man’s thin arm.

"If they both die." said the pat ient , “I ' l l

swe ar off—or at least I ’ll cut dow n my daily

allowance from -thirty to ten."

Even as he spoke, the smaller leech shiveredand dropped on his knee, dead, and a moment

later the larger one fell beside it.

“This is ghast ly ,” said the young man, “I am

worse than the pest i lence to these leeches."

“It is the empyreumatic o i l in your blood.”said the medical man. “All cigaret te smokers

have i t .”

“Doctor,” said the young man, regarding the

three dead leeches thoughtful ly , “I half bel ieve

you’re( r igh t .”



T H E l A M E R I C A N R O S A E C R U C I S ~ O C + o , \ ° [ \ b

S T AT E M E NT OF T HE OW NE R S HI P , M A NA GE M E NT , C I R C UL AT I ON, E TC .,• REQUIRED .BY TH E A C T O F CO NG RE SS O F AU G U ST 24. «9«a.

Of The Amer ican Uo- <i' Cnic ls , publ ished monlhly at New York . X. Y.. fo rg e t . 1 , 1010.

S T A T E O F N E W Y O K E .

<V>r.\ T V OF XKTV Y OR K : K«.

Nefore me. a Commissioner of I»ecd*, Innd county a foresa id . pe r sona l ly nppi-an-w h o , h a v i n g l « v n d u l y s w o r n n c c o r d l i• '. ivs tha t l ie I ' th e ed i tor of the Auieanil th at the follow ing Is. to ( lie l>est of I I lls kn owledge ntidIWfef. a t rue s ta tem en t of ( f ie owner>*if| ii m anagem ent (anil If a «l*ll.r paper. the c ircu latio n!, etc .; of ftlie aforesai d p uhll-r a t io n for the d a te shown In the n l -oro Japt lon . t - emilr i-d bythe Art of Au gus t 24, I t* 12. eml*odled In I sectio n 44.1, Posta lI . awa and K egula t lons , pr in ted on the r eve r se of th is form,t o w i t :

1 . T h n t t h e n a m e s a n d a d d re s s e* o f n n d b u s i n e s s m a n a g e r s a r e :I 'ub l lsh c r : Cu l ture -Cubl. Co.. S tW W.X. V.

E d i t o r : T h o r K l l m n l c h to . 2 . ! t t i l t h S

M a n a g i n g K d l t o r : T h o r K l f ro a le b fo .

I tus lnexs M anagers : None .

2 . ‘ T h a t t h e o w n e r s a r e : ( t .' lv c n a m e s n n d a d d r l s s e s o f Indiv idua l ow ners , or . I f a ror |vornt lonj g ive I t s name nndthe name* nnd addresses of s tockholde r}* owning or hold lugt p e r c e n t, o r m o r e o f t h e t o t a l a m o u n t o f s to c k . ) C u l t u r el*ilW. Co., 3tHJ Wes t 4S th S t.. New Vork X. V .: 1C. S. l.cwl*.

n n d f o r t h e S t a t eT h o r K l i m a l e h t o .l a w . d e p o s e s a n i l

c a n l t o \ a c C r u c i s .

J ie publ ishe r , ed l lor .

<Stli St.. Xew York,

ltrooklyn. X. V.

4 . T h n t t h e tw o p a r a c r n p h s n r i t a b o v e , p l y in g t h e n a m e sthe owners , s tockholde r s , and secur i ty holde r* . I f any .

conta in not only the l i s t o f s tockholde r s n ta f l secur i ty holde r s■ ear upon th e l*>oks of the ‘com ntn r b ut a lso .

In eases where the s tockhold e r or secur i ty - holde r npjwar-<as they np penr upon the l*>oi;s of the 'rom ntn r

where the s tockhold e r or secur i ty - hold tupon the books of the coni |>*ny as t rus tee br In any o the rtidllclnry relatio n. the n ame of ilie i>er>on or co rpo ration forwhom su ch t ru s tee I s ac t ing . I s g iven : a lso tha t th e sa idt w o p a r a g r a p h * c o n t a i n s t a t e m e n t s . e m b r a c i n g a t f la n t ' s f u l lknowledge and N- l le f a s to the c i r cum stances and condi t ionsu n d e r w h i c h s t o c k h o l d er s a n d s e c u r i t y .h o l d e r s - w h o d o n o tappea r u |>on the books of the company nV t rus tees , bold s tock ati<l securltl«v* In n rap aci ty oih*-r than tha t o f a b ona r ideow ner ; nnd t i l l s nnia t l t has no mason to be l ieve tha t anyoth e r pe r son , nssoe ln I Ion . or cor jKirn l lon h as any In te rnedirec t or Indirec t In the hU|,| s tock . I s inds . or o the r secur i t ie st h a n a s s o s t a t e d b y h im .

Tha t the avc rac«\numl>er of copies of each I ssue -of th isp u b l i c a ti o n s o l d o r d i s t r i b u t e d , t h r o u g h t h e m a l l s o r o t h e r wise . to pa id su lwcr ll*e rs dur ing the Klx m onths prvo-dlng theda te show n aN>vf> I s . . . . ’............. (This Informa t ion I s r equired

f m m d a l l y p u b l i c a t i o n s o n l y . )T M O R E l l M A L E M T O .

1.10 lV ut A re., N ew Y ork. X. Y. ; Th orS t . , l t rook lyn . N. Y . : A. C . Campbe l l.Vernon. N. V . ; C . C . l t r aun . Sknra . Swi

S . T h a t t h e k n o w n b o n d h o ld e r s , rs e c u r i t y h o l d e r s o w n i n g Of holding 1t o t a l a m o u n t o f b o n d s , m o r t g a p v s , o r

( I f t h e r e a r e n o n e , s o s t a t e . )• N o n e . • .

Ilranlehto, 2.‘I4 07th^•8^ ,4111 Ave . , Mt .

r U S j ^ s . a n d ot he ri*r 'Crxit. or more of Ibf - r secur i t ie s an- :

Sworn to nndIfUO.

rSeal.l

iliscrlbed before me this COth day of Sept. .

T M OM A S P . M l t E E .

Com missio ner of r*.s>d<. City of Xew York. 'l ie s ld lng In Xew York County . •

Ce rtific ates 0 led New York C oun f.r Xi>. l!*o.

Xew Yo rk Re gis ter Xo, lti(Xfc>. .

(My Comm iss ion’ expire s May 2 . If l lS . )

J

. T h i s m a g a z in e : a n d a l l business interests of the Culture Publ. Co. were sold to the

Supreme Grand Lodge , A. ffl . O. R. C., afte r this sta tem ent was issued- to the Post-office

authorit ies. .

S o u l f u l l O r g a n s* i.

f V ' . -T h e i r l a n o B io a l c q u i t e a s

K lo u sn e w a a a t h a t ' g l r r n f o r t h

T h e r n u a l t - .o f t h e o r g a n l a

t o t i e h e a I t a k p y a , b u t t h e v e r y

H o n * o f *11 ntiitirr. T h e o r g n

s r n c l m i n l w * « , h a r m o n i z e s an d

e m o t i o n , p i c t u r e , a e n t l iu e n t

p rc* i >e r l x t o n e d o rg a n .. Such an organ—In various

anti lla m lln ’ Organa liavr an xlclana and the moat capabl

. Tn the Su prem e Omnd LffJ It a ab ilit y to exprepa t he JIa of the Order, e r e r y r r mlr r o

duplicating lt« aweetneaa, we the home; .larger and |«nverft

For Temple or Homevibra t ions of the Cosiu lc Con-s w e e t . q u i t e a s In s p i r i n g a n d h a r m o n i o u s w i t h t h

b y 'a n o rg a n . _ "■ *

n o t o n l y r v s p o n s l v e . J o ( l ie t e r n p e rn m e n t o f t h e p e r s o n w h o l i g h t l y ' o r s e r i o u s l y

ji at u rt - o f It s v lb rn tl o n s a t tu n e It s s o ft n n d tu el iw ll ou s s o u n d s w it h th e B ne r v lt ir a-

a uniii 'utui If.' k o u I In <‘.vj>nwsl<>« Js H iuih Jlke ih e s ou l of m a n ; fo r It

f i n ds a t lt n l t y w i t h t h e I d e a l e x p r e s s i o n s o f t h e d i v i n e i n t u a n . K v e r v j m s s l b le

d I n s p i r a t i o n c a n b e b e a u t i f u l l y , n o b l y a n d s u b t l y e x p r e s s e d w i t h a • w e ll - m ad e .

s t y l e s a n d s l s e s, a t a w i d e r a n g e o f p r i c e s — t ir o m a d e b y o n e t l rm . T h e - M a s o n

u v l a b l e r e p u t a t i o n a t t a i n e d b y y e a r s o f t e s t j jm l a p p r o v a l b y t h e g r e a t e s t m u -

Ju d g e s o f r e a l, so u lfu l m u sic . . . . .

g e o f t h e A . M . O . - U . C . In X e w Y o r k , o n e o f t h e s e O r g a n s h a s d e m o n s t r a t e d

t e r* ’ m y s t i c t o n e s n n d c h o r d s a s n o o t h e r o r g a n m i g h t d o . A u d e v e r y m e m b e r

• tb j* inagoxlne , dc*lr Ju jp fo bnr ' e u mo dern rvpJJea of the mu sic of the anc ient* ,

n i n e s * a n d h a r m o n y , s h o u l d h a v e n M a s o n a n d H a m l i n O r g a n . , C a b i n e t * Ue * f o f -

1 o r g a n s f o r t h e T e m p l e o r C a t h e d r a l.

' W r i t e f o r O a t al o r o f ' H l u a t r» t l o n » f u d I ’r l w . ,

( P l m w m e n t i o n A m e r i c an R o a a e C ru cf a. J-

on and Hamlin CoO r g a n D e p a r t m e n t - .

New York Ci ty

1f'3Eii V5B3Zr'fr**Page iThirtycne



T H E A M E R I C A N J r O S A E C R U C I S (n /q V . \ ^ I j t

N O If I C E

The Key to Reincarnation

HERE was a fo rmal announcement

in the March issue of this magazine

of the completion of a formula by

our Imperator by which the bir th

date of one's p i e sent life could be

. used, astrologitally to make an

strological m ap or horoscope of one’s previous

incarn ations on this earth! Those interested

in such matters were invited to write to us and

it was planned to let all know how”and where

further work of this kind might be secured. I t

seems that so many misunderstood and bel ieved that the Imperator wlas/prcparcd to make

individual ho roscopes of pastjttves or else ready

to give the formula for the process to all who

mdred let ters have

rch in regard to this

possible for the Im-

>answer al l of them

e.

wrote for it. Several h

been received since last M

matter and i t has been in

perator or his Secretary t

or grant the requests mac

Arran gem ents have becft made now for those

who wish horoscopes or bir th maps made ac

cording to this formula. The Im perator has

given the formula to one of our Brothers well

versed in general as t rolbgy so that he maymake a number of careful tes ts and thereby

prove the correctness of the formula. This

Brother, who wishes to remain known only as

"M ystic A stro,” will , therefore, be pleased to

hear from those who s incerely wish to have a

map made of their last ihcarnation in accord-

rmula. But the Im-

the Bro ther who .has

receive, some slight

ie he will expend on

ance with this mystic fc

perator has insis ted that

offered to do this shall

compensat ion for ' the t i

each map and interpretat ion.

Please bear in mind that, to make a careful

map of one’s past or prejvious life,-to discover

i ts important revelat ions to interpret the 's igns

of the place of birth, t ime, conditions, etc., and

itemize these in readable_form, necessitates

from five to ten hours] work for each map.

And it is tedious, mathematical and fatiguing

work when done after the usual work of the

day. And when the hour of the present birth

is not known or only approximated the work

is considerably more difficult and lengthy.

Therefore, the Imperator has suggested that

r those desiring the R eincarn ation M aps should

feel obligated to the Brother in accordance with

the following scale:

1. Reincarna tion Ma p made of past life

based on the exact hour and date of

present life ...............................................$2.00

2. Reinc arnation M ap made of past life .

based on present date of bir th with

out the known hour of bir th. In

such case a photograph mu st be sent

so that the exact hour of present

b ir t h may be d e t e rm i n ed ....................$3.00

In other words, if you do not know the exact

hour of birth of your present life, you must

send a photog rap h along -with you r reques t for

map and an extra charge is made for working

out the hour of bjrth, approximately, for you.

But i f you do know the exact hour of 'bi r th of

your present life, as well as the birth date,then only $2 need be sent for a map.

In sending your request for these maps

please be sure to send your full name, whether

a member of the Order or not , your complete

address, place where born (city, state, country

and continent), date of birth. 3nd, if possible,

the hour of birth. Send you r letter registered

and sealed, with the information and money

carefully, enclosed. Do not send such letters

any-other way than regis tered and seaied, and

do not send checks or money orders, for

we do not desire s t rangers to know of your

personal matters. Ad dre ss’all such letters to“Mystic Astro, care of the Rosae Crucis Su

preme Lodge, 306 West 4Sth Street, New York

City.” All mail will be sen t you properly

sea led also. *•

•; T H E SE CRE T A RY .'

Page Thirtycue



the Master Digit, nine, possesses in itfc diame

ter and circumference the only whole numbers

through which i t may be absolutely quadrated — G.561 and 20,612.

The quadrature of the c irc le , as demon

strated by Parker, that is to say, a ci cumfer-

ence which will divide by four without frac

tions, is the most valuable and far-reaching

discovery in the mathematical world; during

the nineteenth century.

Parke r says tha t the Quadra ture "was

known to the Egyptians, but has never been

reached by the mo de m geometers fori the one

plain reason that in the construction of the

system itself, all the elements of the -Quadra

ture were rejected, set aside and left out. It is

as plain, simple and comprehensive a problem,

when the properties of curved lines are con

sidered, as anyth ing contained in Euclid. It.i s s imply that the circle and the equilateral tri

angle ( the f irst two shapes produced by Na

ture) are opposite one another in the elements

of their construction and hence, in their frac

tional relations to the square, they arc opposite

one another in ratio of the square of their

diameters."

The Quadrature of the Circle lies at the very

root of all geometrical science, and to discard

it is to deprive ourselves of a valuable part of

the science, bccause cxact justice and equity

must ult imately rest upon Exact Mathematical

Law.

T he W ork of the O rder ( December

URING the pas t month the work of

the Order has been unuslia lly ac

t ive and productive. Lodg es have

been planned and preliminary steps

ta ke n in five citi es. ReqUeST ; for

the pr ivilege of organizing Lodges

have come from four other cities and over fiftyrequests f rom those seeking to help organize

Lodges have been received.

In Philadelphia Delta Lodge No. I opened

its own Temple ear ly in February and the Im

perator and S upreme Secretary-Generbl visi ted

the Lodge on Sunday, February 4th. j A gen

eral meeting was held and addressed by the

Imperator In the afternoon, followed by a very

beautiful feast in one of the pretty dining

rooms of the c ity. In the evening th^ Impera

tor gave a lecture to the .members of the

Third Degree. Th e Temple is beauti ful in its

harmonious and mystic decorations and in

addition to the Lodge Roo m there are the usual

■ Chambers and a very cosy reading and rest •

room. Delta No . 1 is to be cong ra tula ted upon

having acquired and completed i ts ovin Temple

so soon and in so appropriate a manner.

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Grand Lodge

held i ts Init ia t ions and an opening of i ts own

Temple on January 25th with additional Init ia

tions on Feb ruary St?i. A Representati ve of

that Lodge called upon the Imperator and ex

pressed the wonderful enthusiasm which the

memb ers there show in all the work. Nearly

all of the Brothers in that Lodge are Scot

tish Rite Masons while the Sisters are generally members of the Eastern Star . A Lodge

in Cuba is being considered by the.Puerto.Rico

■ Grand Lodge.

In Cleveland, Ohio, the Grand Lodge was

insti tuted on February 8th ( the second anni

versary of the f irst Foundation Meeting held

in Americ a). The ceremony, as reported by

the Secretary, was very beautiful and a great

number were given permission to enter as

Neophytes. The Grand Master of the Pe nn - '

sylvania Jurisdiction! conducted the ceremony

an d the Ohio Grand" Lod ge presented him with

a beautiful solid gold Cross for his great help

in star t ing the Lodge on i ts good work!

In Chicago the Illinois Grand Lodge has re

ceived a request for a Charter for another

.Lodge in that City to care for the great num

ber of applicants being considered. Th e Grand

Lodge has'filled its entire membership and the

members write to the Secretary and Imperator .

Page Twentyseven



T H E A M E R I C A N R O S A E C R . U C I S

very enthusiastically about the work being

done by the Grand Master. The Lodge has

entered the Second Degree work.In Omaha the Nebraska Grand Lodge is

completing i ts organization work and the

Grand Master is more enthusiastic than ever

since he has succeeded in establishing a firm

foundation.

In Harlan, Iowa, the Grand Lodge is now

ready for the Second Degree work and those

who have been steadily advancing arc very

encouraged.

In Wyoming, where many of our Brothers

and Sisters f rom various Lodg es have been set

t l ing within the past few months, there are

sufficient members to establish a Lodge, and

a request for a Charter has been sent to the

Impera tor by the Maste r of Pa ragon Lodge

No. 2 in Wil merd ing , Pa. He will probably

become Master of the Lodge in Wyoming,

which will eventually become a Grand Lodge.

Our members l iving there in the Rosaccrucian

Colony are happy and delighted with the land

which has been donated for that purpose. With

God’s great good natural beauties and re

sources around them and with a Rosaecrucian

Temple in the wilderness of that open country,

these Brothers and Sisters will live a life to

be enyied by all of us in the great cities.

In Salt Lake City. Utah, the Grand Lodge isnow ready for i ts insti tution cercmonies and:^dy

first Initiations. The rep orts of the Grand

Sccrctary of that Lodge are very encouraging

indeed.

The D eputy Grand Master of the Pennsy l

vania Grand Lodge and his wife visited the

Supreme Lodge Temple during the month and

reported the keen interest being taken by their

members in the work and in the coming Con

vention. The good Sister has been a grea t

help in such affairs as these and wc know that

she is planning many helps for those who will

be strangers to the c ity of Pit tsburgh in July.

In the South and the West the work is going

on very well and now that the holidays are

over, keen interest is being taken in making

our slogan “a Grand Lodge in every State for

1917" an established fact long before the yearis ended.

In Canada requests for Lodges are being

prepared, and from Mexico comes a similar

request.

And so the good work progresses against

many obstacles and much opposit ion at t imes.

But without undue haste , force or concern ail

obstacles are overcome by Goodness alone, for

Love conquers all things.

(Requests for information concerning any

Lodge of our Order must be addressed to the

Supreme Secretary-General. 30G West 43thStreet . New York City. )

Modern Advertising

The o ld and renowned advance agent or

“press agent” for the Bamum & Baily c ircus

was a master of the ar t of making forceful ap

peals through cleyer ly worded advertisements.

His strongest method was odd and was of ten

commented upon by s tudents and maste r s of

the English language. Such method s were ap

propria te , tho ug h Unique;to c ircus advertising.

But what are we to think of a similar style be

ing' applied to the advertis ing of a sacred N ew

Th oug ht church. For instance: the following

advertise ment appeared ; in the N ew York’

Times for Saturday, December 9. under “Re

ligious Notices” and amid the most conse'rva-

tive of church announcements:

f t itjr Ttftnly fighl .

• N E W T H O U G H TMiC R I T E R I O N T H E A T R E . B r o a d w a y a t 4 4t h

Street.

Sears’ sacred scientific sayings snare sinners,save souls, satisfy seekers.

Someth ing ' significantly salutary , suprem elysuper ior , subl imely susta ining, superbly suppor t ing, s tupendously s t imulat ing, supemal ly soothing, scaringly startling, superlatively stirring,suitably safe, solid, strong, substantial, sensible,serviceable, specific, sincere—sagely, sanely,

.spontaneously, sparklingly, skillfully, seriouslysaid, Sunday, 11:15 A. M.

F. W. SEARS. Speaker.

(Som e speaker.) Special services, , selectsurround ings, splendid singing. Start soon. Secure seats. _Sp end silver. Sure success.

Subject :

" M A N — H I S O W N C R E A T O R . ”



T H E ! A M E R I C A N R O S A E C R U C I S 3 A * v \ - \ S

/ ,

The Secretary-General ResignsH E following letter has been placcd

on file in the records of our Order.

It is of interest to all our members

who have known and loved our

Secretary-General since the estab

lishment of the Order in this

country.

To the Respected Imperator ar id Most Wor

shipful Grand Master General A. M. O.

R. C. of Am erica : I

Dear Brother and Sire : }

Before the Sign of the Cross : Greetin gs I

It is with the deepest feelings of respect to

you personally, and with full realization of the

important step now taken, that I humbly re

quest the favor of being re leased from the

dut ies of Supreme Secretary-General of our

beloved Orde r to take effect aW ne beginning

of the new fiscal year. During the two years

I have occupied this position I: have faithfully

t r ied to discharge my dut ies to the best of my

abi l i t ies and means, and the work done may

bear wi tness whether or not this endeavor has

been in vain.

I f ee 1 tha t t he we l fare o f t he Orde r de

mands this important step by me, knowing that

my labor is desired in other capacities.

My dear S i re , I pray you thaj the same close

friendship and love that have Existed between

us during these t rying years may be fur ther

cemented by this renuncia t ion1of an honor I

have deeply fe l t as a sacred duty and which I

have humbly strived to fil l .

Before the Sign of the Cross I assure you,

my beloved superior , that my sole endeavor in

this incarnation will be an unselfish labor in

the interest of our beloved Or^er to the glory

of God and the upl i f tment of human kind.

With Peace Profound,

T H O R K I I M A L E H f O , K .R .C .,

Secretary-General A. M. O. IGiven unto sea/ this the 26th dayof February, A. D. 1917, and of our Order 3269. New York, N. Y.

. C. of America.

T h e fo rego in g le t ter came gs a great shock

to the Supreme Counci l of America , yet -we

realized that the work of his office was a great

burden upon Brother Ki imalehto. He has ful

fi l led his duties so wonderfully, so untiringly

and so enthusiast ical ly that the Orde r in this

country owes to him a debt which it can never

repay except with the love, the kindness and

goodness which it gives to all .

Brother Ki imalehto has during the past two

yearp given his entire t ime free of charge to the

performance of his duty as Secretary General,

realizing the inabili ty of the Order at this t ime

to pay for clerical service, and he has been

untir ing in his efforts to spread the GreatLight. He likewise began the publishing of

this magazine, which is now our property, and

we understand that through condi t ions caused

by the war in Europe, he has been thrown on

his own resources for the support of his family.

The Imperator has repeatedly expressed his

personal love and admiration for Brother

Kiimalehto and his high ideals and steadfast--

ness. He has always been fair, just, consider

ate nnd self-sacrificing.

In accept ing the above resignat ion the Im

perator di rected that resolut ions should be

adopted and presented to the Secretary-Gen

eral by the Supreme Council and desires thatall who have felt the same debt to him should

write him and express that appreciation that

he may have in his personal fi les the letters

of love.

In fur ther apprecia t ion of his work the Im

perator has appointed Brother Ki imalehto

Grand M aster of the New York Grand Lodge.

Th at Lodge is now being formed in New, York

an d Bro th er Kii m ale h to will be du ly 'and fit

t ingly knighted as Grand Master a t the New

Year fest ivi t ies in the Supreme Lodge on

Marc h 21st. "1 '

We feel that , the organizat ion work on the

Empire Sta te i s in good hands, and expect to •be able to report the establ ishment o f m a n y "

lodges in the State. j .

Announcement of the election of the new

Secretary-General will be made in another

issue. j I

I T H E E D I T O R S .I * '•

Pag t\ Eleven



t h e A m e r i c a n , r o s a e c r u c i s [ \ / o v / . I ^ ^

T h e . W ork of the O rder

The Resignation of the Supreme .Grand Master

A Report by the : r r t a ry of the American Supreme Counci l

. 'if

N impo rtant meeting was held by

the American Suprem^ Council in

the Supreme Grand Lodge on the

evening of October 25, 2917. Of

ficially th e me eting is j record ed as

the 21st Lateran Council.I

The meet ing was opened by thb Imperator

and for some time the Council devoted its time

to the consideration of a paper submitted by

members of the Ohio Grand Lodge and the

reports of the Ministraro in connection with

it. Aft er a satisfactory disposition of the

matters pertaining to the saj t f /paper and^i ts

relation to malty of the mo st fundam ental

principles of our Order, the Council unani

mously endorsed the work being Idone by the

Minis t raro and gave a s tanding vote of thanks

to the Ministers of the Minstraro for their ef

ficient services at practically all nours of the

day.

Then the Imperator asked for he quiet at-

a papertention of the Council while he lead

which he desired to have mad e par t of the

official records of this meeting.

Th e Councilors anticipated an jther of the

Imp erato r’s mon thly messages of helpfulness

and ' inspirat ion, but were great ly surprised

to hear that it was, in fact, a resignation. The

following is a copy of the paper then read and

recorded :

To the Supreme Counci l of the Order for North

America; Respected Officers and Brothers

and Sis ters :

I s tand on this al tar in ' the East of our Tem

ple to-night as one who has served you well,

so far as my abilities and willingness have per

mitted, and I have striven unselfishly to give

you those things which I pledged to make the

work of m y life. Fo r two years, six months

and twenty-four days, or in other words since

April 1st. 1915, whe n I was elected Grand

’ M aster General of this Ord er by the cha rtcr

members and founders of the Order, I have

worke d 'di l igent ly in the capaci ty—the dual

capacity—of two Officers.'

- Soon after b y election as Grand Master Gen

eral the Cha rter Member* of this, the firstLodgt of our Order in this Country, created

and made necessary the high office of Im

perator for our Order so that the provisions of

the Constitution then being adopted might be

made operative.

At that time I was declared to be, and later

duly recognized, as the Im perato r of the Order

for this Jurisdiction; and the ratification and

adoption of our Constitution at our recent

National Convention have given endorsement

to that declaration of the Char ter Member*,

some of whom are present here tonight at thi t

twenty-first Lateran Council.Our Const i tut ion plainly s tates that the Of

f ices of Imperator and Supreme Grand Master

General or Grand Master General, may be held

by the same Brothe r by election. But it is evi

dent, by the terms of the Constitution, that

greater efficiency in the work of those offices

would result from a distinct separation of the

two.

I have recognized and shall always deeply

appreciate the honor I have enjoyed and the

rare pleasures that have been mine in serv ing.

th is Lodge and the Orde r general ly as Supreme

Grand Master . But I would be selfish, I would

be unappreciative, if I did not also recognize

the fact th at in the enjoym ent of such honor in

the future, I will be depriving this Lodge and

especially the Order, of that efficiency, that

execut ive abi l i ty and thatndded^eiafice which

will come through theMivision of these two

offices an d the sharing o^ the honors w ith one

who is just as capable, just as loyal, and just

as willing to serve us all assj have been.

Hagr Tw o Hun d^ rd and T u /t n ty th re t



And so, tonight. Brothers and Sisters, I

wish to offer to this Council my resignationas Supreme Grand Ma ster of this Lodge and

of this Order, to take effect at once, within

your immediate presence and within the of

ficial consideration of this tw enty-f irst Council.

This in no wise contemplates a withdrawal

from the active service I so greatly enjoy in

you r behalf. It does not affect my position as

Imperator.of the Order so long as it is your

desire that Tretain that Office and that respon

sibility.

The resignat ion now offered and incorpor

ated in this special address to you, pertains

only to the office of Grand Master General or

Supreme Grand Master as the office is now indicated in the adopted Constitution.

I shall still serve you in all wa ys possible. I

shall, with your permission and the'pt*rmission

of he who may succeed me as Supreme Grand

Master of th is Supreme Grand Lodge, conduct

the lectures of the highest degree operating

here and upon call or invitation, administer

any r i tej t or give anV lectures that may be de

sired.

■ But you r acceptance of th is res ignat ion wil l

relieve me of many of those executive duties

which have become too great and too respon

sible for insufficient attention at the hands of one.who;is . t ry ing, with evident d ifficul t ies , to

octupy‘and conduct two offices of th is Order

at the same time .- It will in fact add grea ter

efficiency to the Office of the Im per ator and to

that 'of the Supreme Grand Master, a*d wil l re

move.that incongruous element of Having the

Imperator, upon appeal , according to th? Con

s t i tu t ion, review the act ions and decisions made

b}r the Supreme Grand Master while the two

offices nre\held by one Brother.

According to our Const i tu t ion the Supreme

Council of our Order has the sole power of

elect ing a Supreme Grand Master. The term

of office as stated therein is two or more years.We re i t within my power "to appoint he who

should succeed me I would have little difficulty

in ass is t ing yp: i to have a new Supreme Grand

Ma ster tonight ,- and a t once. Bu t you are

bound to duly elect you r Suprem e Grand M as

ted from" among those in this body, and I can

not do~rnore than make a s incere suggest ion

or recommendation, praying th at you heed th is

recommendation in your considerat ions, bear

ing in m i n d m y thorough understanding of th e

problems of the office and the fitness of pecu

liar capabilities of those within this Council.

Therefore, Brothers and Sis ters , with your

permission I do make a recommendation,

which you may just ly and without hesi tancy

ignore if you so desire. W ith th is understan d

ing I submit to you as my recommendation for

the office, our good, loyal and unselfish ser-

vant-brother, Knight Conrad H. Lindstedt , the

Supreme Grand Conductor of th is Lodge.

For many months—in fact s ince the early

days of our work—he h3 S been w i t h us. He

has stood loyally by us in our times of distress,not to any degree unusual for one w h o ha s

pledged as we have pledged, and not to a de

gree greater than that which has marked the

loj’alty o f all of you. But he has shown ability

to fill certain duties and because of h i s expe

rience and training as a Master of a Masonic

Lodge and an executive in that body, and be

cause of his other special abilities. I am con

vinced beyond cavil of his special fitness for

the office stated. I feel tha t it will be an hono r

to have so good a brother and so loyal a worker

succeed me and work with me in the conduct

of our Order.

May I pray, then that you immediately ac

cept my resignat ion, and that you forthwith

proceed to nominate and then elect my succes

sor that my act ion iray be duly recorded in

the proceedings of th is twenty-firs t Lateran

Council?

With Love and the most s incere wishes for

Peace and Power, heal th and prosperi ty for

each of you, and with the kindest remem

brance of cur associations, I desire to retire as

your Supreme Grand Mas ter and bes tow upon

you my blessings and my vibrations of Cosmic

Attunement .

Your humble servant and brother,’ 1 H . S P E N C E R L E W I S .

Supreme Grand Master.

T H E E L E C T I O N O F T H E N E W ‘

S U P R E M E G R A N D M A S T E R .

When the las t word was read and the vibra

tions of the. voice became inaudible, t here was

■ Page Ttuo. Mattered an d .Tv en ty fau r




profound silence in the Temple; and in the eyes

of more than one could be seen tears. None

cared to speak; it seemed impossible to fullyrealize the problem that confronted the many

Brothers and Sisters assembled. Th 3t Brother

Lewis was justified in seeking relief from the

burdens and responsibil i t ies of two important

position s in the Order, has been evident to

those associated with him. Tha t he volun

tarily labored under conditions which few of

us could cope with, has also been evident. But

now that we were face to face with the neces

sary' change, a change long cxpectcd, we felt

that one of the most important sessions of the

Council was awaiting our calm an d ’ careful

action.

The Supreme Grand Chaplin was the first to

speak, and with evident appreciatio n of the

move he was making , qu ic t l^ t fade a mot ion

that th e resignation of the 'Supreme Grand

Mas ter be accepted with regrets. This motion

was seconded by the Supreme Grand Deputy-

Mast er. and before it could be voted upon

Brother Grand Master Kiimalehto arose and

pleaded for time. He *poke eloquen tly of his

nrsociations with Brother Lewis f rom the very

first step in the organization of the Order in

this country and detailed the man}' pleasant,

though arduous labors in which he and Brother

Lewis had rcjoiced. He w ent on to say that it

had always been his fond hope to see Brother

Lewis continue as Supreme Grand Master un

til, at least, all the members of the Supreme

Grand Lod ge had reached the 12th Degree. He

was re luctant, he said, to accept the resignation

of Broth er Lewis, notw ithstandin g - the fact

that the work entailed by the two off icers was

far beyond the hum an possibil i ties of one man.

His words moved the Councilors to tears and

the very hear t throbs of love and kindness to

ward the Imnerator could be fe lt ' in the temple

dur ing those minutes when B rothe r Ki imal

ehto praised the work of the- Supreme Grand

Master . He referred to the solidar ity of theLod ge and the good wishes and love expressed

unanimously by the members of this and other

Lodges.

T h e question of the resignation was put to

y vote and carr ied unanimously, however , and

another motion was made that a l l Councilors

should r ise and extend to Brother Lewis deep

appreciation of the work he had done for the

members and the Order generally and for his

unselfish, whole-hearted and eminently kindadministration of the Order’s activities.

Councilor Roeber then nominated Supreme

Grand Conductor Lindstcdt to fill the office of

Supreme Grand Master . In making his nom

ination he spoke enthusiastically of the effic

ient work heretofore done-by Brother Lind-

stedt and of his unwavering loyalty, sincer ity

and kindness. The nomination was seconded

by Councilor Anderson and many other Coun

cilors endorsed and added to the praise of

Brother Lin dste dt’s work as a member of the

Eighth Degree and as an Officer and Coun

cilor.t No other nomi nation s were made, so the

nominations were c losed and the Imperator de

c lared Brother Lindstcdt duly e lected the Su

preme Grand Master , to which declarations the

entire Council acceded. It was annou nced that

Brother Lindstcdt was elected to such office

for a period of two years, in accordance with

xhe Constitution.

Immediately following this imp ortant action,

the Imperator announced that he had another

paper to read. Many feared tha t the Imper-

j to r w as about to ac cc dc to th e w is hes of his

most intimate Brothers and Sisters and offer

to the Order his resignation as Imperator .

Such an action has been anticipated for the

past six months and it is the only act which the

American Supreme Council looks upon with

considerable concern. Whil e justifiable in

many ways in the face of the strenuous work

and many unfair and unreasonable tests and

tr ia ls constantly brough t to him personally,

still it is generally felt and expressed that there

is no other Brother in the Order today to take

his place, and a vacancy of even one hour in

the Office of Imperator would bring grief and

peril to tHe American Supreme Council and the

Supreme Grand Lodge.But the Imperator brought great happiness

snd joy to our hearts by quietly, and without

the sl ightest forewarning of ang kind, reading

an official Pronunziamcnto, numbered 101, the

text of which is as follows (excep t forsuch

phrases or signs as may not be publicly

p ri n te d ): • • ’ ■ ‘

Pajr Ttfo Hundred and Tu'<nty^fivf

©

E 3

%




PRONUNZIAMENTO. No. 101 .

Before the Sign of the Cross, Greeting IKnow all Brothers and Sisters of this Order

in North America that I have this d ay pro

cla imed and duly established that BELOVED

K N I G H T T H O R K I I M A L E H T O , G r an d

Master of the Order for the Jur isdiction of

New York, shall be honored and respected,

obeyed and henceforth recognized with full au

t h or it y a s I L L U S T R I O U S S O V E R E I G N I N -

S P E C T O R - G E N E R A L o f t h e A N C I E N T

S O V E R E IG N C H A P T E R S O F T H E I L L U

M I N A T I A M E N H O T P I I ( R . C ) . a nd th a t as

the principal directing executive of the said Il

luminati in the Jurisdiction of North America,

he shall have the power, the a utho rity andlegal right to grant, sign and give Charters for

the 66 (sixty-six) Chapters of the said Illu

minati Amenhotpii of North America, accord

ing to the Constitution of the said Illuminati,

and to appoint or commission others as Sover

eign Deputy Inspectors General and Sovereign

Commanders in accordance and compliance

with the said Constitution; and he is to be in

all matters of the said Chapters the chief

advisor , councilor and director under the direc

tion of the Imperator of the A. M. O. R. C. for

North Arperica.

Fu rth erm ore , be it know n th at it shall be* the

duty and the pleasure of our beloved artel re

spected Knight.Thor Kiimalehto to establish

and proclaim the establishment of the Chap

ters of the said I lluminati Amenhotpii t hrou gh

out the Jur isdiction of North America, and to

immediately and hencefor th throughout a!)

t ime announce by Pronunziamentos the estab

lishment of all rules, laws and decrees in ac

cordance with the autocratic powers of the I m

perator and the office of the Illustrious Sov-

ereignl nspecto r-Gen efal of the said I l luminati .

And, fur thermore, o ur beloved and i l lustr ious

Knig ht T hor Kiimalehto, by vir tue of this Pro-

nunria mento and the pow er conferred upon

him at this hour, shall have full power to con

fer upon all I l luminati the var ious degrees and

honors of the said I l luminati .

Signed and Sealed this 25th day of October,

1917, A. D., R. C., 3270, at one hour before

midday, a t the Supreme Grand Lodge Temple.

i (Sig.) H . S P E N C E R L E W I S ,

Imperator for the N. A. Jur isdiction."

Pa ^ e T wo H u n d red a n d T\ven ty t i x

When this paper was slowly and carcfully

read there came into the countenance of

Brother Kiimalehto the strangest and most

perplexed expression ever seen by any of the

Councilors. He was non-plussed, surprised

and seemingly stricken with the realization of

the great responsibil i ty so suddenly thrust upon

him. He, like many of us. had often wondered

who was to assist the Imperator in the work

of the I l luminati and m any hoped, or ra ther ex

pected, that for the first year or so the Imper

a tor himself would re ta in control of the I l lum

inati. Bu t this choice, this selection, gave us

sufficient evidence of Brother Kiimalehto’s ad

vancement in the work of our Order , and his

high atta inm ents in our ar ts . The Imperatormost certainly considered well his act and as

the fact dawned upon all of us we waited for

the words which were to come from him so

greatly honored.

But Brother Kiimalehto could say l i t t le .

Rising with bowed head he muttered, with

trembling voice, a few words of appreciation

and then, standing erect with noble mien and

facing the East like a true Master, he pledged

his allegiance to the principles of the Order,

the Supreme Council and the Imperator , de

claring that he would always, to the end of his

earthl y existence, hold sacred and dear the

trust, confidence and power placed in his hands.

Then, slowly approaching the Eas t , he was

duly rccognized by the Impe rator and per

mitted to step upon the tr iangula r dias. He

shook hands warmly with the Imperator ,

thanked him most cordially and then, in a spon

taneous manner , kissed the Imperator on the

cheek and retired to his station. I t was a sol

emn moment never to be forgotten, and when

the session was closed Brother Kiimalehto re«

ceived the congratulations of the Councilors as

did the .Supreme Gran d Master.

L E T T E R T O T H E I M P E R A T O R FR OM

T H E S U P R E M E G R A N D M A S T E R . '

Th e follo wing is a copy of the le tter officially

ackn owled ging his election, sent by the Su*

preme Grand Maste r :



T H K A M E R I C A N - R O S A E C R U C I S

H. Spencer Lewis. Esq.,

Respected Imperator and Sovereign Pontif f

A. M. O. R. C.

North American Jurisdiction.

Respected Sir and Dearly Beloved Brother:

Before the Sign of the Cross: Fraternal

Greetings! .

Since the Supreme Grand Council of the

Nort h American Jur isdiction in Council assem

bled, upon your resignation as Supreme Grand

Master General , and upon your respected rec-

ommendation, saw fi t to e lect your most h u m

ble servant to this important office, it is with

full realization of the importance of said office

and the duties and responsibilities placed uponme, and with a sincere appreciation of the

h o n o r conferred upon and the confidence re

posed in me, that I express my profoundest

grati tude.

Be fore th e Sign of the Cross: Mos t respect

ed and beloved Superior , I beg w^ssurc you of

my undivided loyalty in the preservation of

the honor and dignity of our Ancient Insti tu

tion, and of an unselfish labor in the great prin

ciples of !

. L I G H T . L I F E , a nd L O V E

in and for our glorious and beloved Country.

May Peace ProFound be with us in all ourundertak ings. I ! 4

Yours fori Tru th and Liber ty,

( S ig n e d ) C O N R A D H . L I N D S T E D T .

October 27. 1917. |

A D D R E S S B Y T H E S U P R E M E G R A N D

■ MASTER.

The following address was made by the Su

preme Grand Master to tHe members as

sembled in the first convocation o f th e Lodge

under h is Maste r sh ip :

Beloved Sisters and Brothers:I 1The great common sense of the world today

is deman din g of Science tha t it shall give an

account of universal phenomena wh ich shall ac

cord with practical experience and with the

common impulses, aspirations and ideals of

mankind. Every 1intell igent student and oh.

server of life has come to realise that Love is

a universal phenomena, attaching to intelligent,

sentient life, under normal conditions. A care

ful study and analysis demonstrates that Loveis ?n expression of the same principle which re

fines matter, increases vibratory actions, gener

ates life, and individual izes intelligen ce. Love,

therefore, is the sensation and emotion which

accrue to conscious intelligence when vibra

tory correspondence obtains.

We observe also, that there is no known

principle or process in Nature that can compel

love between the very meanest of Nature's

children. Love is the exact reverse of comp ul

sion. It is the one pheno me non in Natu re

which, from its lowest to its highest expession,

defies every phase of force, whether that force

be physical, spiritual or psychical.

The immortal Emerson said: “Love is our

highest word, and the synon om of God. . . .

I t is a fire that, kindling i ts first embers in the

narrow nook of a private bosom, caught from

a wandering spark out of another pr ivate heir t .

glows and enlarges unti l i t warms and beams

upon multi tudes of men and women, upon the

universal heart of all, and so lights up the whole

world and all Nature with its generous flames

. . . . Love, which is the e ssence of God. is

not for levity, but for the total worth of Man."

The highest expression of human Love is

termed Altruism. True Altruism is that sta teor condition of the Soul in which all of its

energies and activities are centered upon the

needs and requirements of our common Hu

manity. It is that stage of developm ent where

the well-being and advancement of others be

come the normal occupation of intelligence.

It is. indeed, that stage of experience where

pleasure , recreation, and enter ta inment are

found in Labor for Others. I t is tha t point of

individual life beyjond which our happiness

consists in explanation and transmission of

Truth we have learned and the benefits we have

enjoyed.r

I am here reminded of an expression madeby Thoma s Jefferson: "Nature intended me

for the tranquil pursuits of Science, by render

ing them jmy supreme delight. A par t of my

occupation, and by no mean s the le ast ’pleasing,' +

is the direction of the studies of such young

men as ask it. In advising the course of their

readings, I endeavor to keep their attention

Page Two H undred and Twentyeeve*




fixed on the main objects of all Science—the

Freedom and Happiness of Man."

Thus, true Altruism is that sta te of being inwhich our Soul increases its happiness through

what i t may bestow rather than through what

it may gain. It is, therefore, a joy and a privi

lege, not a du ty or a sacrifice. Th e individual

who gets "outside of himself" is the unusual

one. but he or she is as welcome as sunlight

anywhere and everywhere.

To an enlightened individual, Altruism is a

practical occupation, as well as a recrcation and

pleasure. To such an one, H um ani ty is his

family, the world is his field, and to do good

is his religion. Such Altruism m akes Un i

versal Brotherhood a splendid possibility, and

*n eternal hell a hideous impossibility.

Wisdom, Knowledge, Truth belong to him

who takes it, after which use and service de

termine its value and i ts security. Wi thou t use

it atrophies; with misuse it destroys even its

possessors. The "Judg men t of Osir is" is ab

solute and unfailing, and his scales are as sen

sitive to a motive as to a mou ntain . To help

people "come down from the c louds" and up

from the slums, and to establish their feet up

on the bnsis of Natural, Loving-kindness. is the

Herculean Labo r of every true Waster , or

Lover of Mankind.

Genuine Humili ty has ever been the Mark

of the true Master . Madame Blavatsky told

of one student who desired knowledge along

•pecial . lines and w as directed to "on e who

knows* In a far distant c i ty. He made the long

journey and fo un d the A dep t poorly clad an d

engaged in sweeping street crossings. Un

daunted, _the student presented his request,

while the Adept referred to his menial condi

t ion and said, "you must be mistaken.” The

student, remaining firm and undaunted, he wa;>

taken:in[charge, found “duly qualif ied,” and

given “that which he had so long sought” . The

“Mark of the M aster” is not a lways symbolizedon his.breast , but of ten hidden deep within his

heart. . It i3 Intrinsic. . ,

Th e. pr inciples and practices of . Humili ty,

Love an d Al t ru ism has of . o ld been the cha r

ac te r i se s , o f the Anc ient and Venerable Order

of which wc enjoy the good for tune and pr ivi

lege of being members. Such was the charac

ter of the life and teachings of the Great Rosae-

crucian M aster , The Christ , whose whole exist

ence was an exemplification of Compassion.

Kindness, Love and Altruism. I t was the same

principles which imbued our beloved Impera-

tor. Brother H. Spencer Lewis, to establish the

Order in North America, and who has so nobly

and unself ishly demonstrated this spir i t to us

in the past th ree years, by an untir ing devotion

and work for our benefit.

Brothers and Sisters: Fil led with the Spir i t

of true Love and Altruism, le t us proceed in

the Great Work we have undertaken, and suc

cess and happiness shall crown our humble ef

forts . And, as we are acquir ing the Kno wledge and Experience by our individual Labor ,

study and experiments, le t us ever be mindful

of the fact that our privilege is Sacred in its

Devotion to "Humanity, to whom we have

pledged our humble assistance in the Search for

Light . Tru th and Happiness .

One never f inds outside of himself what is

not within, and as long as there is a wrong to

be righted, a sufferer to be healed and comfort

ed, a child to be taught, or, in wider terms, any

s t r ing of the Harp of Brothe r ly Love to be a t

tuned to the vibrations of Universal Love, ly

ing r ight a t our door , in the midst of our family or social circle, our individual duty.lies right

there. If our life, stre ngt h, influence, were

needed elsewhere, we would have found our*

selves e lsewhere, or our c ircumstances so ad

ju sted as to le av e no ro om fo r doub t as to

when and to whom our inf luence, devotion and

assistance were due.

Let me conclude with the beautiful thoughts

of the poet:+

True worth is in being, not seeming,

In doing each day that goes by

Some lit t le good—not in dreaming

Of great things to be done bye-and-bye.

For whatever , men say, in their blindness,

. And spite all the fancies of yo ut h—

There’s nothing so kingly as Kindness

. . And noth ing so royal as Truth .

Pag t .Tw o H undre d ctj*d. Tw ent yfieh l



Ancient Sym bolism

REFLECTIONS ON THE ESOTERIC ROSICRUCIAN CROSS

By F r a . T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , F.R.C.

First Secrctary-Gcneral of AMORC for North America

U R m o d e r n l a n g u a g e i s w h o l l yinadequate to convey all the shadesof either the written word or thespoken sen tence ,and to give to ouri m a g i n a t i o n t h eproper impetus form e n t a t i o n . T h esymbols consti tut i ng ou r moder n

a l p h a b e t a r emonobasic in nature, or one-expressive.Every idea expressed either by speechor in writing is dup lex in its natu re. Imean that each idea contains a materialenvelope and a spiritual essence, theletter and the spirit, or the exotericismand the esotericism. He re my Rosicrucian friends can readily recognize thebasic law of Nature, that all force capable of manifestation must possess twoantipodean quali t ies. The modern language can express a thought but only inits external and most incomplete form. Agrammatically constructed sentence is a

series of words and sounds faintly conveying the idea, but wholly inadequateto give the essence of the thought. Forexample, you may read or have read to

T h e you a p lay f rom Shakespeare . W ha t

R o sic ru c ia n ^ou w 9et out ^ wi^ on^ a sma^fraction compared with what you would

D ig e s t receive seeing it enacted on the stage.

D ec em b e r The reason for this is that the actor sup-19 32 plies the soul of the though t, some

thing the printed word can not supply.Now let us turn to our Masters, the

ancients of old Egyp t. Th ey had inaugurated a series of graphic charactersor images called by us hieroglyphics , thatsuggest and direct mentation. Thes echaracters are tr iune in nature. Th eyare phonetic, symbolic and hieroglyphic,and lastly sacred and hieratic. The ywere selected and composed with thegreatest skill, and are today the wonderand admiration of our Egyptologistsand students of ancient lore. Th ere are

few mortals outside of the great Brotherhood who can truly interpret them.

In this connection I want to point outthat the Hebrew language, which is anoutgrowth and an adaptation of theEgyptian system, is today the mostscientific of languages, because it supplies the soul that our dead letters donot give. Each character possesses aphonetic value and a numerical value.W he n the character s tands a lone itrepresents a positive idea, and when it is jo in ed wit h oth ers it has a re la ti ve value.Cabala teaches that each character andword has a tal ismanic power, and thus

combines thought, speech and action.Be that as it may, it is still worthy of study and speculation, for one singlecharacter and word is an inexhaustiblefountain for mentation and meditation.

The ancient philosophers and writersof sacred l i terature were aware of thefacts here stated that our form of language was more dead than alive, andtherefore took recourse to parables.

Four hundred twentyfour



fables and stories, and thus fired theimaginations and mentations of theirhearers or readers.

Symbolism is therefore the only trueexpression of thought. Am ong the oldestand most sacred symbols known to men

is the Cros s. It is not my intent ion torepeat here the Rosicrucian interpretation, because the majority of my readershave that, but merelyto point out that it contains all the ancientwisdom of any mysteryschool no matter whati ts name may be. Th ecross is found in allparts of the globe andvenerated by all people. From early Hin-dostan we learn thatthe god of fire, whose

name was Agni. useda cross like our Romanletter X as its symbol.The ancient Hermeticphilosophers had thegreatest veneration forthe cross. T o them thefour arms were symbolic of the four elements air, water, earthand fire, and also symbolic of the four apocalyptic animals, eagle,man, bull and the lion.Th eir cross was square,

consisting of six quad-ral parts, four vertical and one on eachside of the second square, making threehorizonal. If you will draw this symbolon a piece of paper and cut it out andthen fold the squares together you willfind that you have a cube. T he cross tothem was an unfolded cube, the perfectashlar, the embryo of all life.

In recent years the AM O R C hasused the very old estoteric form of theRosy Cross in connection with its highspiritual activities in the work of theCathedral of the Soul.

The cross in this esoteric form is the

image of quarternary law, which is concealed in the TeTragrammaTon, thefour lettered uncommunicable name.This is the lost word of the mysteryschools. It is in Heb rew Yodhevauhe, and with us the I. N. R. I. T he Cab a-

lists called it Rota. It is the great A tha-nor, the Azoth of the Hermetists. P yth a

goras gave it to his disciples under thename of TeTracTys. or the tr iple tau.In Hindu it is Rama, in Egyptian Amum,in Chaldean Baal, in Syrian Adad. Eventhe more modern languages have fourletters to express God . Hermes Tris-megistus is supposed to be the originator of the symbol of the cross, andto him it indicated eternity.

The cross was alsothe symbol of l ight( L V X ) , b e c au se t heletters are formed bythe cross. Th e He r metists regarded it asholding the secrets of the ph ilosop her’s stone.I n a l l t h e m y s t e r yschools unity is foundin the cross. T he y allmean the same thing,

even though their expressions are different.All forms of divineworship combine intoone universal religion.As all systems of philosophy harmonize inthe unity of science, soall men and womenform the unity of Humanity. The individualis but a cell or an atomin that great body, andas atoms form all partsand organs of the hu

man body so does theindividual form the different parts in thegreat body of Humanity. I t is up to usto f ind our place and work in harmonyand assist in making the body functionwell and good.

The s ix-pointed Star upon the Crossis also called the Sea l of Saloman and isthe symbol of the Macrocosm, or the

reat world in contradist inction to theve-pointed star , the penta gra m , th e

sign of the small world or Microcosm. Inth e Seal o f Saloman we have the twotriangles properly joined in equal oppo

si tion. T he tr iangle standing on i ts baserepresents all ascendency forces, it sym

bolizes f ire and heat and also the aspira

tions of man to wa rd his creator. It also

represents the evolution of physical

forces from the center of the earth to

the center of the planetary system—the

Sun. I t expresses the natural return of

The Ancient R osy Cross Is Very Di f ferent From A ny Religious Emblem

Four hundred twentyf ive



T h e

R o sic ru c ia n

D ig es t

D e c em b er

1 9 3 2

forces both moral and physical to theprinciple from which they emanate.

The triangle standing on i ts apex

represen ts all that divinely descends. Itis the symbol of Cosmic moisture, theuniversal solvent. In the spiritual worldit represents Providence, or the actionof Deity upon His creatures. In thephysical world i t represents the powerof involution from the Sun toward thecenter of our planetary system to thecenter of the earth. Combined, thesetwo triangles represent equilibrium, thesystolic and the diastolic motions, thegenerat ion and the regenerat ion throughw'ater and fire, and the consequent fermentat ion. Th e triangles are the symbolsof unity. Each side may serve as a basewhose termination is the point. Th issignifies that no nation, no people orcommunity, or no individual way claim the exclusive mono poly of Trut h. It alsoteaches that the at tainment of t ruth maybe had by any individual or communityof individuals whose aspirations tendupwards.

The aim of the different schools of initiation is to do away with the religious quarrels, or the supremacy of one cult over another, and to establishunity and tolerance among al l membersof the human family through intel l i gence. Science as well as Religion mustfinally unite in rational knowledge. Thecabal ist ic theogony says that each manis a reflected molecule of humanity, and

contains in himself an Adam, the sourceof the wil l ( this is the brain); an Eve,source of the intelligence (the heart);

and he should balance the heart by thebrain, and the brain by the heart , tobecome a center of divine love. As hu

manity was the body of Adam, Eve hislife or soul, so also the Universe is thebody of God; humanity is the soul of God; God himself is the spirit of God.

From this we recognize the Pantheist ic opinion that God was the Uni verse. But we also see their error,when they refuse to acknowledge t inHim any innate consciousness. For asthe consciousness o f m an is independe ntof the millions of cells or atoms whichcompose the body, so the consciousnessof God is independent of the moleculesof the universe and of man which formsits body and i ts soul. W e m ight destroy the universe without destroyingthe Divine Personal i ty, even as thelimbs can be cut from a man without■ his losing consciousn ess or his p erso nali ty. This is wh y Schopen hauer andHartmann are par t ly e rroneous .

It is on this point the hardheadedmaterialists find the most force in theirarguments against the idealistic thinkers.According to Henri Wronski in his“Apodict ique Messianique," man iscomposed of an act ing, animated body.If we think of a man as a body only,without animation or consciousness, i tsreali ty disappears. It is no longer aman. And , on the other hand, i f weconsider the animating force only, thereality once more disappears, becauseit is an immaterial, infinite force that isunlimited, and can not be limited byanything else than the bo dy it animates.

V V V

S P A N I S H R O S IC R U C I A N B O O KSW e are pleased to say that another volume of the Rosicrucian L ibrary in Spanish

has been added. T he ex tremely pop ular book, "Lemuria, the Lost Continent of thePacific," has just been shipped to us. It is well printed and w ell bound, though c heaper,of course, than our bind ing and printing in this country. It may be h ad for those wh oenjoy reading Spanish or who would like to give a book in Spanish as a gift to a friend

for the economical price of $1.60. It may be mentioned with pride th at these books havebeen translated into the best Castillian Spanish, and have been commented on very highlyby their readers.

T H E M A N IN S ID E

The above is the title to a new folder, attractively prepared, that is now available toall Rosicrucian students, m embers or ou r friends wh o wish it for distribution. W e think you will be pleased with the unique design of the folder and its subject. If you wish someof these folders for distribution, merely write to the Rosicrucian Extension Department,San Jose, California, and a quantity will be sent to you.

Fo u r hundred twentysix



Keep Y ou r Feet On T he Ground

AN ADDRESS GIVEN AT THE 1936 CONVENTION

B y T h o r K j i m a l e h t o , F . R . C .

T IS amusing thatthe topic for thisdiscussion shouldbe, “Keep Yo urF e e t O n T h eGround." T his hasbeen and still is afavorite expressionof mine. In fact,more than once amild raillery has

been directed tome by the officersa t H e a d q u a r t e r s

because of my fondness for saying,"Keep your feet on the ground." Justas chickens come home to roost, so thistopic has returned to me to present toyou at this time. I have not given up mypractical, matte r-of-fac t view-point. Iam more convinced than ever that mostof our members need a cold shower of common sense and every-day realism.One of the popular books on the market

is entit led. "W ak e U p and Live." Th atshould be our slogan for today. Th at is

the message we need.The f irst fundamental error of stu

dents is to underestimate material progress and physical well-being. O ur aimand object has always been a balanceddevelopment of the personali ty. Thesequence of the monographs is planned with t hat object in view. Physicaland mental development are of equalimportance with spiritual and psychicdevelopme nt. In fact, the latter is de

Three Hundred Ninetyone

pende nt upon the former. You shouldhave good 'health and a sound mind.Vitali ty and a strong mind are imperative for psychic and even for spiritualdevelopment. Temperament, disposition,personality, and the attitude towardlife, will be influenced by the state of your health and the degree of yourmental development. O ur Colleges andUniversities recognize this psychologicallaw, and therefore make physical train

ing and athletics part of their curriculum.

The danger of lack of balance is moreimminent and menacing in our Rosicru-cian system of education. The Neophyteis often drawn to the Order throughvarious expectations. A great many areattracted to the Order because they expect to receive a secret formula wherebythey can get what they desire at will,and, often, at the expense of their fel-lowman. I am happ y to say that mostof our permanent members enter thework of the Order with a desire to learnand improve their knowledge and

understanding of life and its problems.It is true that you will get that secretformula, but it is only through diligentstudy and application of our principlesthat you come in possession of it.

To repeat, the firs t error that many of our students make is to fail to realizethe necessity of a balanced development. The second error is the retentionof ideas absorbed from other systems of thought, such as Christian Science, New



Thought, Spir i tualism, Hindu Cults,and Orthodox Religious teachings. Agreat many of you will indignantly ob ject to th es e state ments of mine, but Iassure you, my friends, that it is impossible for you to take the right atti

tude toward the aim and content of ourcourse of instruction, if you are conditioned by years of living in the spirit of other systems of thought.

If you are going to retain fatalisticideas and predetermination, how canyou develop the essential qualities of independence and self-reliance? If youhonestly believe that it is all-sufficient torely upon prayers, affirmations, andfaith in the goodness of God and inDivine guidance, how can you cultivateinitiative? Ho w can you consider it important to do research work, to increaseyour knowledge, to be informed? W he re

will you get the initiative to act? If youbelieve with the Hindus, that the mortalbody must be crucified and subjugatedin order to attain spirituality, how canyou be enthusiastic about developingyour potentialities?

Our fundamental principles and premises are completely opposed to thoseof other systems of thouqht. You are asegment of the Divine God-force, andyour body is the only medium throughwhich you can express God. Fo r thatreason, it is not only your privilege, butyour duty to know your own body andhow to keep it well and in excellent con

dit ion for proper expression. W hat eve rcan be achieved through exercise of personal initiative, independent effort,and obediance to well-known and thoroughly tested natural laws, will not begranted through prayer, or affirmations,or other spiritual means alone. If freshair, exercise, proper food, or rest, forexample, is needed for increase of vitality or restoration of health, mere Cathedral Contact alone will no t suffice. Inseeking employment or advancementyou must be able to fulfill the de man dsof the position. In aspiring to socialsuccess you must consider worldly conditions and requirements.

K E EP Y O U R F E E T O N T H EG R O U N D . Be sensib le . Don ' t live in

R o s ic ru c ia n wor^ make-believe. D on ’t wasteyour time in reverie or in day-dreams.Don't think that romance exists only inbooks, or in moving pictures, or thatglamour belongs only to the Arabian

T h e

D ig e s t

N o v e m b e r

1 9 3 6

Night 's Tales . As Charles Haddock said: "Turn a Hurricane on Hallucinations.” D on ’t mis unders tand my intention. Don 't misquote me, or think thatI disapprove of moving pictures, thetheater, novels, and the imaginative

flow of poets and artists. All these artsare wonderful for interpretation of lifeand for relaxation, provided you clearlyrealize that living your life and solvingyou r problems comes first. O f course,if you are contented with w hat you haveand what you are, and you are able tospend your days beautifully, indulgingin philosophy, poetry, music, art, andliterature, you may be consideredfortunate.

Most people need all they have, andwhat they are. to solve the difficultproblems confronting them. Th ey mustconcentrate on what will be of material

assistance in meeting life's challenge a ndthey must be able to differentiate between what is of primary and what isof secondary importance in their personal lives. Know ing tha t in the courseof a lifetime many desires may meetwith unexpected fulfillment and thatwhat is not completed in one incarnation may be accomplished in another,should be of sufficient consolation forthe seeming restrictions and limitationsof our immediate environment and circumstances. It is compuls ory that weovercome and work out of every limitation, restriction, and problem confront

ing us.Let us summarize thus far. The

FIRST ERROR that we make is to fa i lto realize the necessity of a balanceddevelopment of body, mind, and persona lity . T h e S E C O N D E R R O R is t heretention of ideas absorbed from othersystems of thought . Th e TH IR DF U N D A M E N T A L E R R O R i s a be lief that material and worldly success isinevitable if you are a faithful student,and that lack of success is equivalent tofailure and means a wasted life.

This point of view is wrong. Materialsuccess is not the true yardstic k. It is

true that most of us hate failure. W ewant to do the right thing all the time.W e want to avoid diff icult ies, hard ships, and defeat . W e seek good adviceand guidance constantly . W e wa nt theapproval of friends and relatives foreach step we take. W e get a mistakennotion from certain religious systems

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%



that through FAITH al l obstacles canbe either avoided, eradicated, or easilyovercome.

One of life’s fundamental purposes is

completely overlooked— that of training and developing the personal ity. Wh ilea smooth life is see&ingly very pleasant,on the whole it paralyzes the individual.Incentive is lacking for developing of character, for strengthening the body,for exercising initiative and resourcefulness, for overcoming defects of temperament and disposition.

F ai lu re C O M P E L S a completechange of view-point . Fa i lure CO M PELS reexamination of basic principles.Through i l lness we frequently concentrate for the first time in our lives uponthe laws of health. Because of failure

in one profession or in one line of business, we are compelled to study ourselves and develop our potentialities. A

jo b th at we lo athe , or a fo rce d as soci ation with difficult or unpleasant people,may give us an insight into affairs andmen that can never be attained in anyothe r way . The re is something mellowing and broadening in being among thesick and the defeated, the unhappy, themaladjusted, the discouraged, and thediscontented. From these people andsuch experiences we learn much aboutthe laws of life, about the motives thatprompt the hearts of men, about the

conditions existing in the world in thevarious walks of life.

W h en you have passed through aserious physical, mental or spiritualcrisis, all life seems different, and youlook at every human being with new eyes. Tho se who have been uniformlyfortunate seem very unreal and super ficial an d limited. W e all adm it tha t itis very hard to go through difficult experiences. W hile you are passing

through them you imagine that the endwill never come, and that you can bearno more, but if you look back upon thedifficult experience that you have had,

you will find that as a result you haveattained very real benefits in physical,

mental, and spiritual development. Youknow bet ter how to take care of yourself; you are more aware of your limitat ions; you understand people and

conditions better; you are more tolerant;you are more controlled; you haveachieved a philos ophy of life. You area better and a more valuable humanbeing even though you may not be amaterial success.

To conclude, these are the three principal errors I have found limiting thedevelopment and preventing the solution of difficulties of those who havecome to me for advice and assistance.Because I have stressed three importantprinciples in our course of study, do notfor a moment entertain the thought thatI am unaware of many other aspectsthat I have not mentioned. Do n't ask me whether I believe in prayer, faith,hope, charity, mercy, love and mutualhelpfulness. I certainly do. Emph atically so. But thes e virtues can be positiveand active as well as negative andpassive.

The middle ages of simple, childlikefaith is no more; the fear of hell is gone;the renaissance of initiative, independence, and personal development hasflowered. O ur ideal is a brotherho od of harmoniously developed masterful human beings, each contributing the

beauty of his personality and the fruitof his genius to the world. Such beingsmake God manifest on earth.

Carlyle in “Sartor Resartus” speaksof passing through the black despondency of the Everlast ing Nay and theCen ter of Indifference. Th en the lightdawned and he entered into the Everlasting Yea of Self Awareness. H e hadfound his place in the W or ld. This isthe keynote of the New Age, this is thetrumpet call of the Ord er. W e wan t toknow, to real ize and understand ourwork. W e w ant to know our place int he Ne w Wo r l d . W e wa nt t o do our

work with joy for the glory of God andMan.

tp""...... ................... ..................... ......... .................... ..... ................. ..... ....... ..... ............................................Q

S PE C IA L N O T I C E T O M E M B ER S O F T H E H I E R A R C H Y

Special meeting of all members of the Hiera rchy will be held on the evenings of | I Nov em ber 29. Decem ber 6. Dec emb er 11, Decem ber 22, and Decem ber 29 at 8:00 o’clock, = \ Pacific Standard Time. j

0 “................................... .................. —....... ........ ............................... .................. ................ ..........................[f

Three Hundred Ninety three



Misconceptions

HO W THE Y PREV ENT PEACE AND HAPPINESS IN OUR LIVES

By T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , F. R. C., Acting Grand Master

T h e

Rosic rucia n

D ig e st

January

1 9 3 7

N MY Convent iontalk, I pointed outtha t one o f t hestumbl ing b locksin the path of students was the absorption of ideasf r o m o t h e r s y s tems of thought.It is difficult forthem, after havinglived for years inthe spirit of otherteachings, to enter

the different mental atmosphere of ourwork and to take the r ight at t i tude toward the aim and content of our systemof instruc tion. A t this time I shall expatiate on this point. Alth oug h it mayseem destructive, it should be remembered that even the divine creative forceof the world has its constructive anddestructive aspect. In our desire to helpyou, we must not only build up rightideas, but we must be just as careful inuprooting faulty ideas that are certain

to be obstacles to a safe and balanceddevelopment. Since it is difficult to havea sound conception of the range and aimof our studies unless all the nine gradesof work are completed, I in no wise

blame those of our students who, nothaving been with us very long, read intoour lessons ideas foreign to them.

In our course of study we give youthe tried and tested wisdom of the ages.

Ou r aim has always been the truth. W ehave never been hampered, as religious

institutions, universities, and individualsfrequently are, by national aspirations,vested interests, or an inflexible creed,from which only limited deviation ispossible. If experience proved a conceptto be true, we accepted it; otherwise, werejected it . O ur att i tude and our methods are scientific. You should not besurprised, therefore, in fact you should

expect, as you proceed through thegrades, to find it necessary to slough off some ideas, revise others, and even accept ideas entirely new to you. You r

mind must be open to make the necessary changes, adjustments, and additions.

If you try to hold on to both the oldideas and the new, you will find yourself in a dilemma. You will have to departmenta lize yo ur mind. In one corneryou will have one body of information,dear to you because you are accustomedto it. In ano the r corner you will haveanother body of information irreconcil

able with the first one and making youfeel thro ughl y uncomfortable. In orde r

not to be torn by the conflict, you willunconsciously begin to rationalize (aspsychology terms the process) your

holding of incompatible points of view.W he n you rationalize, you are simplybolstering your own point of view instead of seeking only wh at is true. Yo uwill eventually not permit your left

Four Hundred Fortysix



hand to know what your r ight hand isdoing. W hi le the principle is admirablein the giving of charity, it is indefensible

in building up an intelligent outlook

upon life.

The time must come, if you are profiting at all from our course of instruction, when you will be compelled tochange your att i tude toward sectariancreeds and schools of thought of limitedrange a nd outlook. You can recognizethe good that you originally derivedfrom them; you can see their value forSouls that have not found, or are notrea dy for, the grea ter light. You canuse them as a channel for service to thecommunity, but in your mind you mustreadjust your whole scale of values.

I shall list a few of the ideas that arederived from other sources and thatRosicrucian students must eventuallydiscard. In the first place, many of ourstudents with an orthodox religiousbackground have a conception of Godthat is too personal and anthropomorphicto coincide with the Rosicrucian conception. Go d is a divine power, manifesting on earth through material phenomena and through human beings asinstruments. This power works throughuniversal law. By keeping in harmonywith this power you can make yourself a chan nel for its flow. By learn ing thelaws that govern this universe you canutilize this power to a certain extent.The Rosicrucian philosophy cannot accept the idea of praying for personalneeds to a personal God, who maychange His laws at the vagaries of eachindividual.

Don’t ask for divine guidance everystep of the way. T ry to help yourself .There is plenty of good informationavailable on every subject for every-daypurposes. The re are shopp ers in the department stores to help you select yourclothes. Th ere are excellent books to

teach you how to keep house and howto cook. If you wan t a job, prepareyourself for a definite kind of work.Make every effort to find a position

yourself. It is legitimate to use every bitof influence that you have. W e shouldpermit our tastes, abilities, and talentsto guide us in life. W e sh ould not ask the Cosmic to keep us well while we

ignore every physical requirement of health. If you need rest, take it. If youneed sleep, you must get it. If you needfood or fresh air, you must have them.Th ere is no sin in eating meat. It is

sometimes very essential, as it will increase the resistance and the magnetismof the body. Be well adjusted to yourenvironment. Let you r religion be oneof kindly deeds. Do not worry aboutyour past incarnations. You will doyour work better today if you are nothampered with the memory of the deadhand of the past .

Above all, be yourself. Develop yourself as much as you can in the time allotted to you. Otherw ise you are only amedium for other personalities and forother people’s ideas. T he more devel

oped and successful a personali ty youare, the better instrument can you be forgood and the better the Cosmic can useyou. Do not imagine that you live onthe psy chic plane. Do not hope to converse with the Masters every minute of your life. Th ey do not do that . Do n'tlet your phantasy run away with yoursense of proportion. You are here onearth and that is where you should stay.

Keep your feet on the ground.

It is ridiculous to worship the heroesof books and prominent public figureswhen there are men in the family thatneed our help, our cooperation, and ourmoral support. Imag inary trials andtests are ridiculous. Life furnishes plenty

of hardships, heartaches, and sorrows.Don’t romanticize the Order or i ts of ficers. Th e aim of the O rd er is to helpyou live your life successfully, not toprovide an escape from your problems.

The Order is not divine, and the officersare not gods. You only embarrass themwhen you take that childish att i tude.They sometimes make mistakes. Theyhave different opinions and see theworld through the medium of their own

experiences and temperaments. Theyhave all made mistakes in their ownlives and they have all suffered sorrowsand losses. Mem bership in the Or derwill not give you a magic alteration inyour appearance, your character , and

your personality, health, environment,

and position in life. Yo ur ambitions will

not material ize over night. Th e Ord er

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T h e

R o s ic ru cu in

D ig e st

Ja n u a ry

1 9 3 7

can only sho w you the wTay. T he se goodth ings must be personally attainedthrough knowledge and effort. Behuman.

This world is the world of love andbeauty. It is a magnificent worl d of su nshine. trees, flowers, children, and loving human beings. W e can make it aparadise through sensible cooperationand determination. W e do not needpsychic experiences for th at. .Humanadventures are just as interesting. W edo not need psychic companions. O urfriends, neighbors and relatives are sufficient on this earth. M os t of us do notneed psychic powers. W e have not developed all our human talents andcapabilities. W e must Jearn to live in

this world. W e must learn to be efficientin our work. W e must master the lawsof nature. W e must learn to keep ourbodies in good condition. These are thetasks of most people today. Wre havenot learned all that ordinary human lifehas to teach us. W e sti ll do not comprehend human nature in it s complexity.W e sti ll have not completely conqueredthe material world and subdued it . W estill have not learned world cooperation.

In the second place, we are absolutelyopposed to the policy of certain sectsof shutting our eyes to the evils of the

world and ignoring the distress in thelives of other people and the lack of

harmon y in our own lives. Th is is thepolicy of the ostrich that sticks its headin the sand. W e b el ie ve in facing conditions calmly and trying to overcomethem. Th e slums would never disappear

from our cities if public-spirited citizensdid not get together and compel theirdemolition and the bui ld ing of moresanitary dwellings. Franklin D. Roosevelt is our President today because thepeople elected him. O ur tea ching is thatGod works th rough human beings andthat human beings by their thought and

action can express the divine on earth.As the prophet said: “W oe to thosewho cry ‘Peace, Peace!' when there isno peace."

In the third place, we are opposed tostudying the mind power merely for thepurpose of getting what you can out of l ife. Tho se of you who have practicedthe principles for years know that there

are so many limitations to the use of divine power for personal ends tha t i t

is advisable not to employ it except inan extremity. As has been pointed outfrequently. God and the Cosmic knowbest what is good for us to get and have,but that fact should not deter us fromasking and seeking and petit ioning Godand the Cosmic to obtain the desire of

our hearts.

There are many reasons why a cer tain lack exists in you r life. Pe rha ps itis the spur that incites you to effort.

Perhaps you owe a certain duty to cer tain people and therefore you are notfree to step out and take wh at you want.Perhaps you need the experience andthe knowledge to be gained from your

restricted environment, not because of Karma, but because that knowledge willhelp you become a better leader in yourcommunity or in your field of activity.If you do not even know that such amenace to decent business as a “racket”exists, how can you help eradicate itfrom your city? If you h ave neverheard of white slaves, how can you helpbreak up white-slave rings?

Poets and wri te rs go out of their wayto gain the experiences in life at whichyou, perhaps, rebel. John Masefield,the present poet- laureate of England,once worked in a bar-room in Yonkers,New York. The la te Vache l Lindsaytramped through the South enchanginghis verses for a nigh t’s lodging. W altWhitman sought for bus dr ivers andferry pilots as a source of inspiration.Carl Sandburg, author of the famouspoem, “Chicago," worked at any menialtask that came his way. An o utstandingexample of what a blessing hardshipscan be in the life of an individual is thecase of Charles Dickens. As a boy of nine he worked in a shoe-blacking factory. His father was throw n into prisonfor debt. The se childhood experiencesformed the content of his most powerful novels, and the laws of Englandwere actually changed as a result .

In the fourth place, we believe thatthe purpose of prayers, affirmations,meditation, and the reciting of Psalmsis psychological; to help put you into a

harmonious frame of mind, to help you

gain emotional control, to help keep

Four Hundred Fortyeight



your vibrations high, to help keep yourattention directed to qualities youshould cultivate in yourself. Yo u canachieve ju st as much peace and harmonyby listening to beautiful music, communing with nature, reading inspiring

books, associat ing w i t h in terest ingpeople, and engaging in some form of creative work. Th e happiest people arethose who are very active in the community doing good wherever they canor who are completely absorbed in creat ive work. Th ese people do not need tospend hours listening to inspirationalspeakers, nor waste hours reading allthe inspirational magazines on the mar

ket . because they themselves are an inspiration to others through the goodwork that they are doing.

In the fifth place, while we realize the

fact that the Soul is more importantthan the body, and that the body is butthe instrument of the Soul to functionon the material plane, from a practicalpoint of view we emphasize knowledgeof and care of the body. If your healthis reliable, if your brain is developed, if the coordination of body and brain issmooth, your body will serve as a superior medium for the functioning of the

Soul. As the mystics tell us, we are hereto develop a degree of heart, a degreeof mind, and a degr ee of will. Eve rynoble deed we do develops the heart—every bit of knowledge that we gain de

velops the mind— every task that w e setbefore us and accomplish develops thewill. W e could not develop heart, mind,or will without the medium of the body.An excellent knowledge of the mechanism of the body will repay us in goodhealth and high spir i ts. W e should cultivate as many good habits as possible.W hy should we scorn to make our

bodies attractive and efficient instruments for use in this world? Is a reasonnecessary? To quote Emerson in "TheRhodora" :

"Tell them, dear, if eyes are made

for seeing.Then beauty is i ts own excuse for

being."

Sixthly, we emphasize communityservice. It is the duty of a Rosicrucianto be a force for good in his own circleand commun ity just as far as he can. It

is not sufficient to do a kind deedwherever you can. You must cult ivatea world-v iew-point. You must realize

the dangerous limitations of being insular-minded or provincial in outlook.You must have an intelligent under

standing of local, national, and international current events. In a splendidbook, "New Frontiers” published onlytwo years ago, Henry A. Wal lace , ourSecretary of Agriculture, points out that

the one big obstacle to unprecedentedprosperity in this country is the complete ignorance of most of our people of the double entry bookkeeping relation

ship existing between the United Statesand the countr ies of Europe. Ourcit izens do not really understand thefundamental issues involved and thephysical facts behind our monetarypolicy, the tariff, and the question of

private and public ownership of basicindustr ies. Through knowledge, therefore, you can be a tremendous force forgood.

Lastly, we emphasize the developmentof our potentialities to the utmost. W epositively condemn crucifying the bodyor living an unworldly life, or being arecluse, hermit , or in any way separat ing ourselves from our fellow men. Veryfew of us have developed to the pointwhere we can dispense with the experi ences that the world can still give us.No matter what our stage of develop

ment, the world certainly needs whatwe hav e to offer in service. If you hav ea talent, it is your duty to cultivate itand to use it for the enrichment of mankind. If you have the ability to makemoney justly, it is your duty to becomerich. The world certainly needs menwho can earn money ethically and distribute it among noble causes generously.

To sum up, a Rosicrucian is a leader,

a thinker, an d a doer. T o be as effectiveas he can in his sphere of service, heguards his health, trains his mind, and

develops his latent abilities. He willserve for love of God and not for glory.He will serve in joy and not merely outof a sense of duty. Con tent with wh atever sphere of service Karma permitshim. he will be a source of inspiration toall who know him, and through hisbeautiful character and self-effacing

Four Hundred Fortynine



T h e

R o sic ru c ia n

D ig e s t

[ a n u a r y

1 9 3 7

service he wi]] po in t th e w ay to the greater Light.

The goal of our Order lies within theGarden of Truth. It is the purpose of our Order to lead you along this pathand take you to the great portals of thatGarden and, if possible, help you tocross the threshold and enter. No t until we are all within the Garden, where theflowers of Truth constantly bloom and

the weeds of Falsity have all been re

moved, wil l the M asters and' Founder sof this Order be satisfied with theirwork. In the Garde n of Tru th there areno purple flowers of personal opinion.

there are no yellow flowers of selfish desires, there are no blood-red flowers of passionate bias and self-deception—justthe blue and white spotless flowers of t ruth and fact , puri ty and knowledgesymbolized. To at tain that G arden wehave come together that we may journey there together. Yet some of us feel

that we may be lonesome there withoutour favorite colored flowers and so wetake some seeds along with us on our

jo urn ey , to pla nt as we go on and on,

dropping them here and there and cherishing the familiar blossoms as childrenof our fancy.

V V V

Im portan t W arn in g !

DO N O T BE DECEIVED BY N E W S P A P E R R E P O R T S

By T h e E g y p ti a n T o u r S e c r e t a r y

E H O P E t ha t n on eo f o u r m e m b e r sis being deceivedby the continuous

p u b l i c a t i o n inA m e r i c a n n e w s papers and magaz i ne s o f r e por t sand featured stories telling of the"threa tening w arc o n d i t i o n s ” inEurope and var i ous parts of the

world. During the past six months wehave had a repet i t ion of what occurredin the fall and w inter of 1935, with new sitems telling us that almost hourly andcertainly within the week, the whole of

Europe would be plunged into a greatinternational war. Ye t the fall andwinter of 1935-36 passed without anygeneral war, any new war, or anyserious conflict. Desp ite the newspaperpredictions throughout 1934 and 1935that resulted in the postponement of many tours through the Mediterranean,those who did not believe the stories

and sai led through the Mediterraneannever heard the shot of a single gun norsaw the least sign of conflict.

If you or any of your friends have

been postponing joining with us on ourtour a round the Medi te rranean andthrough Egypt , Palest ine, and othermystical lands early this coming winterbecause you have bel ieved that newwars and warring condit ions wouldbreak out in various parts of Europeand from points aroun d the Mediter ranean. you should give up your fearsat once and show that you have faith inthe Cosmic revelations and faith inhuman nature.

The people of Europe do not wantany more war and they are constant lynegotiating for more peace pacts, more

peace agreements, and more peacefulconditions than they have had in pastyears. Th e few remaining war lords of the world and war profiteers are stillhoping that each can make anothertrillion dollar fortune by scaring someof the countries of Europe into warand then dragging the United States of

America into it a lso. New spap ers and

Four Hundred Fifty



Plann ing Y ou r L ife

HAPPINESS DEPENDS UPON THE INDIVIDUAL

By F r a t e r T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , F. R. C.

O W m a ny of yo ua r e a c q u a i n t e dwith the life of A n n a H o w a r dShaw? W hen she

was a child in asmall mid-westernt o w n , h e r g r e a ta m b i t i o n w a s t obe a preacher. Shewould go into thewoods and preach

to the trees. Butto attain her de

sire she had to go to college. He r pa rents objected, however, and refused tohelp her. Undis mayed, she not only attended college, but after graduatingwent to Boston to matriculate in a theological seminary. W hil e the young menwere provided for by the school, she hadto find board and lodging elsewhere andpay all her own expenses. She had suchdifficulty in earning money that she didnot have e nough to eat, and her strengthfailed so that in climbing the stairs toher class-room she was compelled torest at each landing. On e day a wom ansaw her sitting pale and dejected on the

steps. A fte r talking to her a little whileshe promised to procure for her suffi

cient funds to enable her to completeher course of study without workingafter school hours.

Upon graduation she had to accepta very minor position, since she was a

woma n. She met with twice as manydifficulties as the average young minister. Revealing splendid executive ability, she obtained in a short time a betterpulpit. Later she was able to take careof two congre gations. In order to be of greater service to the community shestudied medicine and did much socialservice work among the poor of Boston.It was only natural that she be attractedto the cause of woma n suffrage. Herability as a speaker and organizer was

so outstanding that Susan B. Anthony,the great champion of woman suffrage,became interested in her and persuadedher that i t was her duty to devote allher time and energy to that cause. AnnaHo war d Shaw consented. She resignedfrom her position and arranged lecturetours for part of the year in order toearn money enoug h to b e able to devotethe remainder of the year to touring thecount ry for the cause. H er efforts werecrowned with supreme success for shewas present on the day that womansuffrage was written into the constitu

tion of the United States . Only a fewyears before this great event did theparty become sufficiently affluent to give

her and other workers a very moderatesalary so that it would no longer benecessary for them to earn a livingwhile working heart and soul for thecause.

I might have selected the story of anysuccessful man or wom an. I chose the

T

Twenty n ine



T he

R osicrucian

D ig e s t

February

1 9 3 7

s tory of Anna Howard Shaw becauseshe was a pioneer and had to surmountthe difficulties con frontin g every pioneer,

in addition to the handicaps incumbenton her sex. In her life we have a practical demonstration of the principles of truth, which are the principles of life.Many are under the impression that l iving life is one thing and that followingthe principles of truth is another. Th eprinciples of truth are the principles of life made concrete and systematized.W e are all of us following principles of action in our lives only with greater orlesser degree of consciousness. Thegreater our awareness of what we aredoing and why, the surer the success.The more haphazard we are in our aims

and methods, the more likely there willbe irretrievable blunders and confusedand unsat isfactory resul ts .

The first great principle of life isDE SIR E. Desire must be present . I tmust be so overwhelming that it givesdirection to the entire life. It must bepotent so that bo th mind and will can befocused on materialization. Do youthink that i t was easy for Dr. Shaw torefuse to yield to her parents' wishes?Do you think that i t was easy for herto enter a new profession for women?Do you thing it is easy to be faithful toan ideal no matter wh at the cost? AsMat thew Arnold apt ly sa id:

“And tasks in hours of insightwil led may be through hours of gloom fulfilled."

Yet only desire so tremendous, sooverwhelming , will bring results. Suchdesire, especially when linked to theideal of unselfish service, has the forceof love behind it. Gr eat love makes

every necessary sacrifice seem sweet.Spurred by overwhelming desire , themind becomes keener, the will becomesstrong er and firmer. Eve ry possibleavenue of approach is pat ient ly ex

plored. Th e sch olar wil l t ravel throughdangerous country and deserts to getthe one manus cript that he needs. Thescientist will unfalteringly experimentfor years to be able to add just one lineto the knowled ge of the world. Let ussay that you desire to take a trip toEurope. If your desire is strong enough,you will make every needed sacrifice tosave or to obtain the necessary money.

You will compromise in many ways atthe office in order to get the time off tha t you need. You wil l seek people

who have made the t rip and discusswith them their experiences with thegrea test interest. Books of travel andcatalogs of steamship companies willbecome more fascinating than a novelor a detective story. Ev ery detail of every aspect of the trip will be of theutmost importance. Before you step onboard the boat, you will have gone overthe trip innumerable times in your mind.In the months and perhaps years thatyou spend thinking and planning, youwill find that interesting informationand helpful advice will come to you unexpectedly from many sources. One

friend wil l speak to ano ther. On e person will introduce you to another.Sometimes delightful surprises occur,like getting a second-class cabin at atourist rate, or a due-bill for a hotel. Asthe time aproaches for the trip, you findthat in many ways you have been moresuccessful than you expected and thatyour t rip proves more glorious than youhad dared to dream.

W e have al l had similar experienceson a larger or smaller scale. N ote howthe procedure is identical with that followed by Anna Howard Shaw in theachievement of her life’s ambition. First,

desire strengthened by love; second,concentrated thought on the achievement of the one purpose until materialization results; third, doing whatever ispossible und er the circums tances. Inthese three steps you are sowing theseed. Unless you falter, unless your desire grows dim. the harvest must be sat isfactory. Immediate fulfillment of aheart’s desire is frequently neither feasible nor possible. Th e position of responsibility that you are striving for,may demand training and experiencesthat you do not yet possess. Ho w canthe sinceri ty of your purpose and thepuri ty of your motives be proved exceptthrough test and trial? To the greatsouls of the earth a lifetime dedicated toone noble aim, to one great cause, didnot seem too long. O ften the changesthat may come into your l i fe after youhave earnest ly resolved in your Soul topursue some lofty aim, are for the purpose of helping you acquire those qual i t i es -of charac te r and of he lping you

Thir ty



gain those experiences that you willneed in the work that you plan to do.

Thus far we have pract ical ly i l lustrated the following principles of truththat you undoubtedly have heard manytimes: 1. All possession is based on consciousness. 2. All gain is a resul t of accum ulated conscio usness . 3. All loss isa result of scattering consciousness.4. Mind is creative, and conditions, environment, and all experiences in lifeare the resul ts of the predominantmental att i tude. Th e at t itude of minddepends upon what wre think, and therefore,, all pow er of ach ievement an d possession depends upon our thinking.

Let us consider the fourth point prac

tically. Enviro nmen t is the result of the predom inant mental at t i tude. You r

present environment is discordant andunhappy. How can you improve i t?Ho w can you chang e it? If there is asensible, simple way of stepping out ormaking the change, do it. Do not invoke al l the powers of heaven and earthand raise agonizing cries over trivialannoyances that yield to obvious remedies. W il l study at night help yo u inyour work, but you lack vitality andenergy? Then spend a year in bui ldingup your strength and vitality. Does sucha course of action mean that social lifeand diversion must be curtailed? V erywell, you must make a choice. W h at

comes first in your life will win.

If you do not l ike the apartment inwhich you live, move out. If you do notlike the people with whom you are associating, gr adually build up ano ther socialcircle. If you have urged your child totake a course in high school or collegefor which he is unfitted, let him change.Better a year or two spent in making uplost ground than the agony of malad

ju stm en t la te r.

If the reasons for your dissatisfaction

are i rrat ional and you are making con

stant changes because of fickleness, ner

vous irritability, and a childish desire toescape irksome duties and responsibili

ties, you will find the same difficulties

confron ting you time and time again. If

there is a lesson that you must learn, if

there is an experience you must have,you will not escape it. You mu st bear

pat ient ly the many annoyances that are

strewn in the path of every human being. W ith ju st a little self-control youcan refrain from swearing at the heat of summer and grumbling at the cold of winter. You can make yourself oblivious

to the barking of your neighbor's dog.You can try to resign yourself cheerfully to a movie or to reading a book when an important date falls through.You can try to be pleasant when a boring neighbor or relative calls. Yo u canget over the habit of squandering moneythoughtlessly when it is necessary tolive within your means, and you canovercome the equally reprehensiblehabit of making a scene in the fruit storebecause the celery costs a penny morethan you expected. If you cultivate thehabit of looking at every situation fromthe other fellow’s view -poin t, you will

understand people and si tuat ions verymuch better, and you will automatically

destroy many forms of annoyances attheir source. If you scrupulously avoid

compromising situations, if you make apoint of never indulging in gossip underany circumstances whatsoever, if youtry not to be critical and captious, youwill find your relations with people improving immensely. A tale-bearer, a

slanderer, a sharp-eyed critic are allavoided like the plague by every one.Understanding, sympathy, and lovewhen genuine invite confidence and reciprocal affection. M os t of us have been

so badly bat tered on the rocks andshoals of l i fe that we are deeply grateful for a kind and encouraging word,for the warm clasp of true friendship,

for the eye of love that sees virtues and

talents which we are too timid to ex

press.

Suppose you are at tending an after

noon circle of a woman’s organization,

and while refreshments are being served,everybody is joining in the grand sport

of “mud-s linging.” Yo u may feel that

it is impolitic to get up and walk out;

but you really do not have to listen.

You can pretend that you are l istening.You can keep perfectly silent while

your thoughts wander in more beautiful

realms. Yo u can sometimes succeed in

changing the conversation. If you are

well-informed on books, plays, and current events, you can frequently preventthe conversation of any group to which

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you belong from falling into disrepu

table channels. Do not believe everyevil word that you hear abo ut otherpeople. Remember that there are alwaystwo sides to a story, and that somepeople, because of idleness or a desireto be dramatic or sensational, take amalicious pleasure in blackening thereputation of people generally well-thought of. Do not immediately say,

"W he re there is smoke, there must befire." Do not wea r your heart bn yoursleeve, as the old sayi ng goes, an d do notair your troubles for everyone to hear.

These age-old bits of advice may seemso hoary and obvious that I am positively ashamed to repeat them, but no onecan be more amazed than I am that suchadvice should be necessary in the most

cultivated circles, and that such counselmust still be handed out to members of the Rosicrucian Order fills me withmortification.

In addition, if you try not to be toosensitive, if you make a resolution to ignore snubs and forget insults, if you donot insist on your r ights and be pugnaciously offensive about the last privilegedue you, if you do not obviously seek appreciation, honor, and reward, youwill avoid much heartache and unhappiness in your life. Is it too much to expect that a Rosicrucian of several years’standing should be above reproach in

these little faults of temperament, character, and disposition? Yo u will discover in the course of years that self-restraint in these respects will makeyour life more harmonious at home, atwork, and in the world . If you willscrutinize these fine points of conduct,you will find that they all come withinthe law of love. Con side ration , tactful

ness, and honesty are qualities of lovemade concrete for daily l iving. Throughdeveloping the negative vir tues of restraint and self-control, and the positivevir tues of consideration and cheerfulness, you will gradually in the course of

t ime change your mental and emotionalhabits. You can actually change yourcharacter and improve your personality.The corresponding change in your en

vironment, in the attitude of people toward you, in the fewer disagreeable occurrences, and in the more harmoniousand peaceful atmosphere envelopingyou. will be strikingly apparent.

Just as you can take your characterinto your own hands and change it , sothe future is in your po wer. It is not atthe mercy of any capricious externalpower such as planetary influences, orpredetermined destiny. Pow er goeshand in hand with responsibili ty. Eachword, each deed, each thought, eachemotion is a seed bearing fruit af ter i ts

kind. If the harv est is not manifest today, it will become manifest tomorrow.W h a t wre experience to day is the fruitof yesterday ' s sowing . Therefore , wemust patiently endure the sorrows of life with the knowledge that life can bemore beautiful and inspir ing, and veryoften we can create much beauty and jo y r ight now . N o t on ly th e law of re t r ibution must be considered when we

contemplate the checkered pattern of our lives, but also the fact of Brotherhood. Since all life is on e life, an d all

Souls are segments of the one world-soul, we cannot escape the duty of responsibili ty. "Am I my brother 's keeper?" is not for the Rosicrucian to ask.Th e w orld is collectively and individually wha t we have made it . Just as weshare in the joys and sorrows of ourfamily and friends, so do we share the

jo ys an d sor ro ws o f th e world. T h e re fore, we cannot look upon our lives asiso la ted phenomena. W e must considerour plans and actions in reference to the

social groups with whom we belong.W e must consider ourselves in theframework of society.

How difficult it is, you may say, tolive in the l ight of all these pri nc ip les .

Not so difficult as it may seem at finstglance. On ce a truculent young mancame to the great scholar, Hillel, a contemporary of Jesus, and said: “Tea chme the entire law while I stand on onefoot." Hillel replied: "D o not unto thyneighbor what thou wouldst no t tha tthy neighbor do unto thee.”

I shall close with an old story. "Once

a fox walking along the r iver bank said

to a fish swimming in the stream below.

W h y don’t you take a walk wi th me on

the r iver bank? Ar en ' t you tired of the

water and escaping from the big fish?'

The fish replied, ‘I cannot accept your

invitation. If I meet with da nge rs and

difficulties in this element with which Iam familiar, how much more difficulty

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wil l I experience in an unfamil iar ele

me nt!’ ”Likewise with ourselves , fel low mem

bers . I f we with some knowledge o f the

laws of l i fe meet with diff icul t ies anddis t ress , shal l we make our l ives anyeas ier by th row ing a l l res t ra in t and in

h ib i t ions overboard and ac t ing l ike the

undeveloped ch i ld ren o f the wor ld in

u t t e r serv i tude to capr ice , mood , and

impulse? Let us t ry to look at ourselves

in the l igh t o f the e terna l. W i th l ifeeverlast ing before us , w h y shou ld we be

impat ien t and why shou ld we despai r?

IN T R O D U C I N G O U R N E W E D IT O R

After six years of faithful and painstaking service as Editor of The Rosicrucian Digest

and the Forum magazine, and chief of our Editorial Staff in the preparation, revision,

and amplifications of our lectures and monographs. Soror Carol Bradley retires from this

important position beginning with the February issue of the Digest.

Soror Bradley and her husband, who has been a valuable aid in the National Member

ship Defense Committee as legal adviser, have been two of our enthusiastic workers at

He adqu arters ever since they became members. Soror B radley ’s retirement from theEditorship is due entirely to her desire to devote more time to helping her husband in his

importa nt affairs, and to give more time also to her home and dom estic life. She will con

tinue to be a consultant of the Editorial Department, and a worker in other departments

of our general activities. T hou sand s of our members wh o have met her at Convention

time and at other periods throughout the year will remember the very congenial, good-

natured, happy, willing worker who did so much to help entertain them during their visit.

W e shall be glad to have her with us at all of our future Con vention s and special cere

monies. A vote of thanks through out the entire organization is due So ror Bradley for her

excellent service.

It is now our pleasure to introduce as the successor to this important position, Soror

Virginia O'Neill.

Soro r O ’Neill has been a member of the Ord er for a gre at man y y ears. She comes to

us now from Chicago where she has been living for some time doing editorial work, and

has contributed very largely to publications containing prose and poetry . Some years

ago her residence was in Los Angeles, and she was one of the earliest members of

Herme s Lodge No. 41. Du ring her membership in Hermes Lodge she became editor of

a Rosicrucian magazine published by that organization which is one of our chartered

lodges in Southern C alifornia. She h as had a wide experience in the field of literature

and in editorial work. O ur new E ditor already has a host of friends through out the or

ganization, and I am sure that with the passing of the months and years Soror O'Neill

will gain the large circle of friendship that has been attracted to Soror Bradley in the

past. W e all wish her the utmost of success in her ve ry imp ortant an d difficult position.

— T H E E D I T O R I A L B O AR D .

M E N T A L P O I S O N I N G

Our readers who would like to secure separately a copy of the book entitled, "Mental

Poisoning." which explains the psychological processes by which many persons un

wittingly inhibit their consciousness with superstitious fears, may secure a copy from the

Rosicrucian Supp ly Bureau for the nominal sum of $1.25 postpaid. Th e book is at

tractively bound, contains over one hundred pages with several interesting photographs.

TH E BOOK W ILL B E GIV EN FR EE for a new six-months’ subscr ip t ion to "The

Rosicrucian Digest." Read the adv ertisement on the inside back cov er of this issue.

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the Cathedral of the Soul for rest, meditation and contemplation, we not onlygain that broader viewpoint but we alsocome into at tunement with the Universal mind and the Cosmic Consciousness.

There is peace, health, and power.If we make it a daily practice to de

vote a few minutes morning and nightin silent meditation, without disturbancefrom without , we thereby at tune ourbodies and minds with the great andpowerful Cosmic force of heal th andharmony. At any of the Cathedralhours listed in the free book, "Liber777," there are thousands of persons allover the world sitting in silence and extending their consciousnesses in the

thoughts of peace, power, heal th, andstrength toward this one Cosmic point .United effort in any direction is of untold value and especially at this timewhen al l the world is sharpening the

plowshares into death-deal ing instruments and greed and fear walk rampantin our midst.

W e need God as we never did be fore. W e need fai th and convict ionthat love, truth, and justice shall prevai l. W e need the universal harmonyand love at tainable only in the at tunement with the Absolute. Let us of theW hi te Brotherhood lead the world ineliminating fear and greed from the human consciousness.

V V V

Getting Along In Life

By T h o r K j i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

IN C E our membersh a v e r e s p o n d e df a v o r a b l y t o t h etype of practicaltalks that I havegiven, I shall continue in the samew ay today. I findtha t many of ourmembers come tome with problemswhich reveal com

plete ignorance of the practical world

and its demands. Th ey obviously needinstruction in how to manage their livesand affairs sensibly. Th ey are powerfulsouls with high ideals, but unworldlyand impract ical . They do not know how

to translate their ideals into actualities,in the practical, eve ryd ay life. I believein ideals and I know that a life withoutideals is like a street without light. I believe, too, that the men of dreams andvision should influence the world, butthey must know how to exert an influence. T h ey mus t mas ter sufficiently

their particular field of interest, and the

medium and technique of their part icular talent, to be able to express theirideals with maximum efficiency.

Three of our members came to meabout "wri t ing." On e wa s interested increat ive writ ing. O ne wan ted to enterthe field of journalism. O ne wa nte d toprep are a book for publication. Th e impulse in each case may have been genuine. It is quite possible that th ey didhave the gift of expressio n. It is alsopossible that they did have something

wo rthwh ile to offer the world. But thestrange thing in each case was that notone of these three young men was amaster of the English language. Co nsidering the fact that they were not nat ive-born Americans, they spoke andwrote the English language very wellfor all practical purposes; but, from thepoint of view of a publisher or an editor,their knowledge of the language was

unde niably unsatisfacto ry. I ha d to tellthem that their first task was to perfecttheir knowedge of the language. Onlyin exceptional cases will the editor takethe trouble to have an article completelyrewri t ten by a proof-re ader. Th eir sec

N in ct y * ix



ond task was to study the field of writ-ing that interested them most . Mostuniversities give extension courses inthese subjects, and for those who can

not at tend in person there are correspondence courses. There are handbooksavailable which list the English periodicals and publishing houses of the worldwith exact information as to the type of wor k each firm publishes. Until youhave created your own public you mustsupply what the market demands . W ri t ing is a craft and must be studied likeany other art i f you want to use i t as away of earning a l ivel ihood. To beunder the impression that the Cosmiccan bestow l i terary success upon you asa free gift is not sensible. Th e Cosmiccan inspire you with ideas but you musthave sufficient knowledge of the technique of expression to t ranslate theseideas into novels, plays, poems, or

essays.

The first requirement, then, for success is a thorough knowledge of yourfield of work, whether a trade, an art.or a profession. Some people can puttheir hand to anything that turns up buthave made a special study of no onething. On e member, a youn g man of the highest character and integri ty, hasbeen content to do odd jobs for the lastfew years. He has never man aged to

rise above the subsistence level of existence. Although a resident of NewYork City, he was completely unawareof the faculties of that great city to perfect himself in a special trade or vocat ion at night without any cost . H e didnot even read trade journals or booksto keep abreast of what was being done

in the field of labor. H e was veryanxious to get married, but was unsuccessful socially, too. H ow could heexpect the superior young woman,whom he wanted, to be interested in

such an unprogressive individual?

The second requirement for successin life is an effective pers ona lity. You

do not need to be as handsome as the

Apollo of Belvedere or the V en us de

Milo. You can achieve an effective per sonality. Th e first step is immaculate

grooming. I, for one, am not such a

fanatic and bigot as to take the point of

view that at tent ion to neatness and

cleanliness, and an eye for color har

N in ct y se ve n

mony, necessarily implies lack of spir

ituality and unbecoming and excessiveinterest in this world. I love an assemblage of heal thy, well-dressed men

and women. As Shakespeare said,"Cost ly thy habit as thy purse can buy,but not expressed in fancy; rich, notgaudy, for the apparel oft proclaims theman."

I think a home, too, should be just asbeautiful as you can afford to make it .You r home expresses you r personal i ty

ju st as muc h as your cl ot hin g. T h e desire of people for becoming clothes andcharming homes and art ist ic home decorat ions is an inspirat ion to our art istsand designers. Wil l iam Morris, of Morris Chair fame, one of the most ver

sat i le geniuses of Victorian England,after years of act ivi ty as a wri ter andsocial reformer, came to the conclusionthat to upl ift the populace i t was essential to make people beauty-conscious.The reup on he establ ished a print ing-press to print beautiful books and opened a factory to design beautiful fabricsand create art ist ic , yet comfortable furni ture. In ancient days beauty was re served for the temples of the Gods andthe palaces and tombs of kings, and forthe mansions of the rich. O ur ideal isdif ferent. W e w ant to see beauty theheri tage of the masses. As Emerson

said, "Beauty should be the birth-rightof every man and woman born into thisworld." In a world where beauty reignspoverty must vanish.

The second step in making the personality effective is good speech. T h eability to express one’s self correctlyand fluently is an asset in the businessworld an d in social life. Speech tod ayis considered a major subject in ourschools. M an y of our members a re

salesmen or are in charge of a staff of

men. I do not have to tell them how

vital it is for them to use speech as a

mean s of influencing people. I do nothave to tel l our teachers how important

it is for them to express themselves with

the utmost simplicity and correctness.

Think of the ministers of your commun

i ty. Th ose w ho can get their messages

across to their congregat ions exert thewide st influence. Ever yon e will adm itthat our President’s influence for goodis partly due to his skill in using the



English language with telling effect.W he n you l i sten to our Pres ident onthe radio, or to well-known speakersl ike Harry Emerson Fosdick or Dr.Stephen S. Wise, or gifted actors l ikeGeorge Arl iss, do not be ashamed to

imitate their speech. Imitation is amethod of learning. Rob ert Louis Stevenson tells us that in his youth heplayed the “sedulous ape.” To knowthat you are speaking correct ly ^i l l giveyou undreamed-of poise and self-confidence. O ne evening a week for aperiod of six months will accomplishwon ders in self-improvement . Do notbe discouraged because you were bornin anothe r country. Joseph Conrad,one of the greatest novelists and stylistsin the Engl i sh language was bom inPoland, and he did not learn Englishuntil he was eighteen ye ars old. It is

said that he rewrote a chapter in one of his novels twen ty-on e times. Th e titlepage of an insurance publicat ion reads“Mill ion-Dollar Producers aren' t supermen; they are super-workers.”

W hil e l am on the subject of speech,may I request those officers of Chapters,whose duty i t is to read or speak, toperfect themselves fo r their tasksthrough study or pract ice? It is apleasure to l isten to a thoroughly-prepared speaker or to a reading that isclear, distinct, and easily heard no matter whe re you may sit. It is an act of consideration for your audience to make

yourself easi ly understood and heardwith out difficulty.

The third factor in making for success in life is knowing how to get alongwith people. In this connection it is in teresting to note that a recent publicat ion, “ How t o W i n F r i e nds a nd In

fluence People.” by Dale Carnegie, islisted as a best-seller by leading bookshops of the country. People are becoming conscious of the fact that onecan develop in oneself the ability tomake friends. T o make a child “social-minded" is one of the aims of modem

educat ion. Th e w'ider yo ur circle of friends and acquaintances the pleasant er, if not easier, will be your progress

Rosicrucian t r o u g h Some people , of course ,can be happy alone, completely absorbed in their work or their interests, butmost people complain to me about nothaving enough friends. M an y of our

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members—men and women of superiorcharacter and abi l ity— have been com

pelled to lead so restricted a personallife, or have had such limited humancontacts that they are ignorant of theelementary principles of human inter

course. M any of them look only forpeople of their own intellectual andspiritual level. Th ey do no t think itworthwhile to bother wnth anyone else.This is a mistaken notion. W hil e Iagree that you should be selective inthe choice of a mate, or a partner, or abosom friend, it is to your interest tohave as wide and as varied a circle of acquaintances as possible, and evenmore to your interest to create goodwillin your communi ty by being ju st as agreeable as you can to everyone.

In order to know how to handlepeople you must unders tand human na

ture. Such know ledge you can gainthrough experience and books. Youshould make a deliberate effort to increase your human contacts. Do not be

content with the few people that youknow. Do not be diffident abou t takingthe ini t iat ive when you are amongstrangers. Th e pleasure derived fromyour successful overtures will make upfor an occasional rebuff and lack of response. If you are alone in the worldthere is no other way of get t ing started.Say a pleasant word to the elevator-man, the bell-hop, the doorman, thetelephone operator, and the manicurist .

Ask the waiter whether he is making aliving. Th e desire for the w'armth of a

friendly human contact is universal .

Sometimes the people most difficult of

access long for it the most. In some un

fortunate way they have lost the abi l i ty

to communicate easily with their fellow

men. To use the languag e of the my s

tics, look upon each human being whom

you contact as an avenue to express

your love of God and your desire to be

of service to the world. As G od is im

personal . so you should aim to be im

personal, showing no distinction in race,

creed, social class, or color. Yo u should

speak kindly words and do kindly deeds

for love of God and humanity and from

no ulterior motive. Nev ertheless , the

rewrard is rich and sure. Th e love that

N in e ty e ig h t



people bear you must reflect in your per

sonal life in many ways.

You can learn much from books. Ifeel that practical people are prone tounderestimate the knowledge to be de

rived from books. T o think that allknowledge is derived from personal experience in life is just as much an exaggeration as to believe that only theknowledge derived from books is important. A balance must be struck.Experience in life will prove more valuable and teach us more if we are primedwith the information that other peoplecan give us through the books they have

written.More than ever are people interested

in how the human mind works and howhuman nature reacts. People who havemade a study of human beings havemuch to offer us in the way of guidanceand practical information. M any of thebooks on the market today are definitely worthwhile and helpful. Tho se of ourmembers who feel the need in theirlives for a better knowledge of humanbeings should read these books and correlate what they read with their ownobservation and experience. Tw o excellent books are “About Ourselves,”and “Influencing Human Behavior,” byProfessor H arry M. Overst reet , Head of

the D epartm ent of Philosophy of theCollege of the City of New York.

Psychology, in all of its branches, isnot only fascinating but practical andvaluable. Eve rybod y needs psychology,particularly those of us who long tomake the world a better place to live in.As Professor Overstreet points out, “If there are effective ways of arousing theinterest of people, why shouldn’t thesemethods be employed by those whowant to influence the public for good?”

To summarize the main points of thistalk: W e should try to make our dreamscome true by mastery of our part icularfield of interest. T o pu t our ideas acrossit is necessary to make our personalities

effective through careful grooming, correct speech, and ease of human contacts.Knowledge that we are above reproachin these respects will give us poise andself-confidence. W e should learn alltha t we can from life and books. Toconclude: It is perfectly legitimate for aRosicrucian to use every device that experience has shown to be effective toimprove his personali ty and to increasehis success and happ iness in life. In improving your own personali ty and yourown personal l ife you are thereby making yourself a more effective instrumentfor the purposes of the Cosmic.

T H E M O D E R N M Y S T IC

A new periodical has just been issued in England, entitled " T he Modern M ys t ic . " Itis well printed and illustrated, and its editorial content particularly appeals to studentsof philosoph y, metaphysics and mysticism. W e are sure it will deve lop rapidly and hav ethe success it rightly deserves. W e are proud to announce that the p ublishers of thisnew magazine are Rosicrucians of the AM OR C jurisdiction in Eng land. The ad dress of this interesting publication is "T he M odern M ystic," 35 Gt. James Street, Bedford Row,London, W . C. 1, England. Read a copy.

T H E C O U R I E R CA R

The Rosicrucian Courier Car is leaving on its third transcontinental tour to visit theprincipal cities throughout the entire United States. The staff accompanying it consistsof a new personnel and they are prepared to lecture on the Rosicrucian principles andteachings to the membership in the various cities they will visit, and demonstrate as wellmany of the scientific and metaphysical principles which the O rde r expounds. T he lectures and demonstrations are new, as are the special motion pictures which they willexhibit.

They will also hold a number of pu bli c lectu res throughout the United States, duringwhich they will exhibit unusual sound motion pictures and demonstrate, with uniquelydesigned scientific appara tus, some of nature’s strang est pheno mena . Mem bers in thecities to be visited will be notified in advance.



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| SANCTUM MUSINGS |

BROTHERHOOD

By T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

T T I M E S t h eopportuni ty to render unusual service lies right atour door . W e ma ynot have the opportuni ty to do thespec tacula r thingtha t depends upon•wealth or extraor

dinary skil l. W emay not have theo p p o r t u n i t y t obuild the greatest

bridge in the world, endow an experi mental school in education, or performan unusual operat ion. Fortu nately formost of us who cannot as yet aspire tosuch heights, life affords innumerableoccasions to do the little things that m aymean much in the life of a friend or aneighbor.

On e very important reason why manypeople join the Rosicrucian Order isthat they seek friends and acquaintancesof a higher type. D on ’t you think.Brothers and Sisters, that this reason is ju st as le gi ti mat e as tha t of ga in in gheal th or learning how to find yourright place in l ife? W e may as wellfrankly admit that superior people cannot fi t easi ly into an average environment . Th ere are many persons who arethe only one in an ent ire family wholoves to study or read, or who loves

music or art , or who wants to lead amore refined or spiritual life. The sepeople do not desire to shirk their dutiesand responsibi l it ies. O ne wear y dayafter another passes in the most sordidand uninspiring environment . An y at tempt on their part to raise people totheir level is met with jests and jibesand a stream of sarcasm. Hav e notthese people a right to seek congenial

friends? Shall we sa y that they arewrong when they seek them in theOrd er? Do vou think th at it is in accordance witn the spiri t of our teachingsto maintain that the aim of the Orderis merely to teach people how to helpthemselves? D on 't you think that theOrder is more than a system of instruction? Th at it is also a bro therh ood inthe full meaning of that beautiful word?

Do you remember. Brothers and Sisters, just how you felt when you firstheard of the Rosicrucian Order? Didyou not enter with the most eager expectations and liveliest hopes? Did younot await your fi rst contact with realRosicrucians with a beating heart? Iremember well my first reaction. I hadread of the wonderful knowledge in thepossession of the Ord er. I had read of the great men of old who had beenbrothers of the Or der . I discovered thatglorious volume of Marie Corelli , "LifeEverlast ing," and my soul soared to theheights. This was the world of my

T u k ) h u nd r e d s e v e n t y - f o ur



dreams. This was Heaven upon earth.Such were men and women worthy of the name. I read and re read th at volumeuntil I knew it practically by heart. Theman whom I admired most, the hero of

my dreams, the companion of my waking hours, was the character whom theOrder depicted as a typical RosicrucianMas ter— Aselzion. One of my burningdesires as a young member was to findAselzion.

To me a Rosicrucian was a superiorbeing, one of Go d’s elect. H e loved allwisdom, lived a life of humility andservice, and was a brother to every suffering soul. H e unders tood all difficulties and problems. Yo u did not evenhave to talk. H e looked and he knew.He sensed just where the ache was inyour heart. He knew just the r ight wordto say and allay it.

It was fortunate that for years I hadto work alone and came into intimatecontact with no member of the Rosicrucian Orde r. By the time I did I haddeveloped to the point where I hadlearned to take people as they are andto adjust myself to their level of understanding.

Think, Friends, of the shatter ing disillusionment such an ardent soul experiences who, af ter months and per haps years of planning, actually manages to attend a Chapte r meeting. Heexpects sympathy, u n d e r s t a n d i n g ,warmth, love of art and music and science, and above all, friends—hosts of gentle, kind, courteous friends, each andevery one a beautiful and superior soul.How frequently does his dream worldcrash at his feet. O f course, Brothersand Sisters, we are all aware of the factthat our visionary idealist must learn tobe more sensible and realistic. Helearned that bitter lesson a long timeago in the world. He did not think hewould have to learn it all over again inthe ranks of the Order.

Our young members, I know, should

be given plenty of time to orient themselves to the ideals and standards of the Order. Even they can frequentlyadjust themselves with great rapidity,having learned the law of love in otherschools of thou ght. But surely, Brothersand Sisters, have we not the right toexpect a little more from members whohave been with us for five years ormore? By that time you should know

the importance of cultivating extrovertqualities. Yo u should realize tha t it isone of your duties to be interested inother people and to take the initiativein contacts with them.

You should no longer be diffident inapproaching the newcomer and makinghim feel at home. You should neverpermit anyone to sit alone looking uncomfortable and forlorn. If there is nogroup to which you can introduce theperson, then take it upon yourself toact as hos t and guide. Sit down besidehim and find out what his personal problems and interests are. W ith the r ightkind of questions you can easily gethim to unburden himself . Very frequently all that will be necessary willbe that you act as a sympathetic listener.You may have come to the Chapter thatday to read a book, or to talk to afriend, or to spend an hour in peacefulmeditation. He re is a human being whoneeds you. He re is a test of brotherlylove that Go d Himself has sent. Hereis a test of your sympathy, kindlinessand tact. He re is a test of your souldevelopment as much as any psychic oroccult test. See how successfully youcan minister to that groping soul! T ha tis one of our major purposes— to trainyou to be of service to mankind. As youdevelop mentally and emotionally andspiritually, your understanding im

proves, your sensitivity becomes moreapparent, and your intuit ion becomesmore reliable. You can learn onlythrough practice and experience. Youwill be aware of your development onlythrough practice and experience.

Those of you who work together dayin and day out should be more thanfellow-workers and casual acquaint ances. You can invite each other to tea.You can remember each other on bir thdays and on special occasions. You canvisit each other when ill or in bereavement. W h en a member has attendedregularly for weeks and even months,

and then is absent, should you not callup to find out the reason? You canmake newcomers feel that they haveindeed entered a new family, and thatthey have found true brothers and sis-trs such as they thought never existedin the world.

Do you think that expenditure of time and money and effort wasted?Perish the thought. As Elbert Hubbard

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A u gu s t

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said: "Only that is t ruly yours that youhave given away." N o loving word orthought or deed can ever possibly bewasted. Perhap s you have heard thebeautiful poem by Robert Browning,Pippa Passes. A little mill girl on herone vacat ion in the year passes throughthe town singing, and her gay song hasa decisive effect on three people, eachof whom is experiencing, at the moment,a crisis. As Em erson said: i

"Nor knowest thou what a rgumentThy life to thy neighbor’^ creed

has lent."One never knows from w’hat source

blessings may come. On e never knowswhat part a human being contacted mostcasually in the course of daily routine is destined to play in one man's life. Onenever knows when one entertains anangel unawares. N ot that we should dogood for the sake of reward . Such athought is indeed unworthy of a student of the Pa th. But so is the worldconstituted. Such is the moral law."Cast thy bread upon the waters andit shall return unto thee after manydays." Such is the only way to compensate for many mistakes of the past.Such is the surest wray of rising abovethe pangs of outrage ous fortune. Suchis the most direct way of expressingGod in one 's l i fe . "B ear ye one another 'sburdens," said the gentlest master of them all.

There is no more poignant emotionthan tha t of regret . I t can break thespirit an d darke n life. T o realize asituation in a totally unexpected light,to be aware of the word you might havespoken, of the little deed you might havedone, are heart-breaking experiences. Inthe press of innumerable activities, inthe multitude of souls about us, we are

often unable to tell who needs us mostor what duty should be at tended to first .The only safe rule is to be just as helpful as we can to each and every onewe contact, and let experience and intuition be our guides. T h e importantthing is that we should make a decidedeffort to be genuinely interested in other

people.How wonderful to know tha t your

little gift brought a smile to the lips of a despondent soul! Ho w rewarding toknow that your invi tat ion was an eventin a lonely person's l ife! W h a t joy toknow that the word you ut tered, thelittle courtesy you extended, the littlehelp you offered, was like a cup of coldwa t e r to a weary traveller in a pa rc he d land. Friend s, there is so much discour agem ent on every side. So manysouls are bewildered, crushed, andwherever you turn you find unhappi

ness, illness, and poverty . Some day,of course, all men will function in a harmonious society. Some day all peoplewil l know how to take care of themselves and illness will be a thing of thepast . Some day poverty wil l be banished. But in the meanw hile, let us notclose our eyes or stop our ears. Let usnot stop to blame. Let us not sayharshly, "You brought this upon yourself— you must suffer the consequences."Rather, with the utmost compassion, letus speak very gently, and let us actquickly, and let us tread very softly tobind up the wounds and support thestumbling and strengthen the weary-hearted.

Let us indeed be children of the light.Let the love in our hearts radiate to allwho m we contact. O f all the virtues,love is supreme. W ith ou t i t we are ast inkl ing brass an d cymbals.

S E A T T L E R O S I C R U C IA N R A D I O B R O A D C A S T

W e are pleased to announce the beginning of a series of radio broadcasts ov er a

number of leading stations. W e hav e just completed program s over radio stationKFRC in San Francisco; and beginning Saturday , Augus t 7, we will broadcast dailyat 8:45 p. m. ov er radio station K ]R at Seattle, W ash .—309.1 m eters or 907 kilocycles.

These prog ram s are excep tionally interesting to members and their friends andacquaintanc es. T he y consist of a series of discourses entitled "The Mys ter ies o f L i fe . " Each discourse is complete in itself, helpful and inspiring, and the program also includes a splendid musical arrangement. Try and have as many of your fr iends and acquaintances as possible listen in. i

W atch for announcements of Rosicrucian, AM O R C broadcasts in other parts of 1the United States. <

a .A - * . * . ^

Tw o hundred seventysix



cover your mistake too late in life totake advantage of the truth about theshape of our earth. So you study geography and learn that the earth is notflat, and that we cannot fall off of an

edge. Having tha t knowledge to star twith, you build from there on. So keepthese few thoughts in mind when youbegin to build a personal philosophy of life.

V V V

Common Misconceptions


oi d

H R O U G H O U T

T

my twenty yearsin the Or der I haved i s c o v e r e d t h a tone of the chief

o b s t a c l e s t o t h ep r o g r e s s o f t h estudent is a misunderstanding of the spirit and purpose of our Order.

Our students haveb e e n c o n n e c t e dwith every type of

mystic and occult organization. Th eyhave read widely in the literature of thesubject. M an y have not had sufficientscientific training to know what constitutes proof and what constitutes a factor a fal lacy. Th ey have accepted whatthey have read in inspirational magazines, and what they have heard frominspirational lectures, in the same uncritical way in which they formerly approached religious dogma. Th ey enterthe Order, in many cases, with a wrongpoint of view and with many misconceptions, as to fundamental principles,which cannot be cleared up until theentire course of study is completed.

Merely to master the nine grades of stu dy intellectually is insufficient. Onl ypart of the work has been accomplished.First of all, the concepts must be trans

lated into terms of daily living. Of what use are rules of grammar unlessthey actually help you to speak andwrite correctly? O f what use is it tomaster the steps of an experiment inchemistry or physics unless you canactually demonstrate it in the laboratory? Both in science and in the artsthe intellectual mastery of ideas is but

the first step. It is not enough for adietitian to know food values and foodcombinations. He or she must know howto prepar e food. It is not enough forthe violinist to know the history of

music, the lives of great musicians, andthe laws of harmony. He must actuallyknow how to play the violin.

The mastery of an art, or science, de

mands serious interest , concentrated at tention, and a terrific amount of drudgery. Th e drudg ery, however, is notwithout its compensation. The re is asolid satisfaction in holding yourself toa given task, in gradually correlatingtheory and practice, in slowly attainingskill in a technique that you want tomaster.

The time element, too, is important.The f irst year of any study, whetherscience, language, art, or mathematics,is purely introductory and elementary.Th e succeeding years give added knowledge and a certain amo unt of skill. Butit is the student who has completed thecourse of study, who is in a position totest the principles in every possible combination of circumstances, who can docreative work. T o play with ideas, totry new combinations, to do creativework, means that the principles havebeen thoroughly absorbed and the technique has become second nature. Theartist on the violin can play with inspir

ed interpretation because he has completely mastered both the score and theinstrument.

People are aware of the fact that ittakes time to master a musical instrument or a foreign language, but they arenot yet aware of the fact that the samething holds true of a new way of thinking and living. It is not eno ugh to listen

Three hundred eightyseven



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D iges t

N ov e m b e r

1 9 3 7

to inspirational speake rs, it is not enoughto read inspirational magazines andbooks, it is not enough even to study the

Rosicrucian lessons. Yo u must learn bydoing. You must learn how principles

work out by observing the consequencesof your own actions and those of yourfellow men. You must be patient. Youmust adopt the long-range view andknow that consequences are certaineven though not immediate.

The amount of misinformation in occult and mystic literature is unbelievable. The average student has'absolutely no way of distinguishing between factand fancy. Th e write rs of occult fictionhave either not known where fact endsand fancy begins, or have not been ableto make evident to the reader the def

inite l ine of demarcation. W hil e werealize the good that inspirational organizations everywhere are accomplishing by teaching people a new outlook on life, we feel that the Order shouldstate plainly and bluntly what it acceptsand what i t cannot accept of the occultand mystic ideas afloat today. On e of these ideas is about the Masters.

M a ste rs

Several occult organizations have advanced peculiar theories about spiritual

Masters who directed every human being, and human affairs in general.

Others have claimed that a Master hadbeen born in the flesh—a second M es siah. Th e Messiah in question, who hadbeen advertised for several years andfor whose support thousands of dollarshad been collected, emphatically deniedsuch Mastership and furthermore disclaimed any knowledge of books published and circulated under his name asauthor.

W e have read of groups organizedfor the special purpose of going toIndia — which seems to be the playground of the Masters, both in and out

of the flesh, notwithstanding its miserable social and economic condition—andof the wonders done by these Mastersfor the benefit of the investigators. Ou robjection to such tales is that Masters

and Avatars l ike Jesus and Buddhawould not demonstrate in the physicalbody and speak to a few inquisitivepersons for the sole purpose of convincing them of the possibility of the

life hereafter. Furthe rmore, we dema ndproof that such happenings are morethan mere dreams.

The truth of the matter is that thereare “ministering spirits sent forth to do

service" as the Bible says, but only veryseldom and in extreme cases do theseMas ters contact humans. At no t ime isthe individual free will interfered with,and such contacts occur only in thepsychic sphere.

Planes

You also hear and read much of dif ferent planes, such as the astral plane,the psychic plane, the spiritual plane,and an indefinite number of planes.Some schools and writers try to createthe impression that there are a number

of planes between the earth and the

spiritual kingdom on which persons candwell consciously from time to time, andcarry on many forms of psychic expressions. In reality, there are only twoclassifications, the earth plane and theCosmic plane. Th ey are not reallyplanes upon which the soul of man,while in the body, can live, or to whichthe soul of man journeys after transitionand carries on a long period of existence, but they are simply divisions of spiritual unfoldment, and therefore entirely different from the kind of planesthat these other organizations talk

about. Probably a better wo rd wouldbe "sections" to describe the divisionsof the Cosmic Consciousness and theDivine Consciousness of the spiritualkingdom.

Bodie s

W e now come to the third misconception, namely: bodies. W e hear of astral body, psychic body, atomic body,and spir i t body; and you naturally wonder, as I have, how many bodies arethere to a human being? T he O rder

does not recognize more than one body— the physical body—and a s ta te of be ing which is not material and limitedwhich we call Soul. You m ust realizethat when we speak of the soul of manor the soul of the universe, we do notrefer to the psychic body of any individual person, but when we speak of

the psychic body of man we mean to include -all the divine essences an d spirituality which are attributed to the soul.The soul or the psychic man consists of

Three hundred eightyeight

«



cover your mistake too late in life totake advantage of the truth about theshape of our earth. So you study geography and learn that the earth is notflat, and that we cannot fall off of an

edge. Having that knowledge to star twith, you build from there on. So keepthese few thoughts in mind when youbegin to build a personal philosophy of

life.

V V V

Com mon Misconceptions

By T h o r K j im a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

H R O U G H O U Tmy twenty yearsin the Ord er I haved i s c o v e r e d t h a tone of the chief

o b s t a c l e s t o t h ep r o g r e s s o f t h estudent is a misunderstanding of the spirit and purpose of our Order.

Our s tudents haveb e e n c o n n e c t e dwith every type of

mystic and occult organization. Theyhave read widely in the literature of thesubject. M an y have not had sufficientscientific training to know what constitutes proof and what constitutes a factor a fal lacy. Th ey have accepted whatthey have read in inspirational magazines, and what they have heard frominspirational lectures, in the same uncritical way in which they formerly approached religious dogma. Th ey enterthe Order, in many cases, with a wrongpoint of view and with many misconceptions, as to fundamental principles,which cannot be cleared up until theentire course of study is completed.

Merely to master the nine grades of stud y intellectually is insufficient. On lypart of the work has been accomplished.First of all, the concepts must be trans

lated into terms of daily living. Of what use are rules of grammar unlessthey actually help you to speak andwrite correctly? O f wha t use is it tomaster the steps of an experiment inchemistry or physics unless you canactually demonstrate it in the laboratory? Both in science and in the artsthe intellectual mastery of ideas is but

the first step. It is not enough fo r adietitian to know food values and foodcombinations. He or she must know howto prepare food. It is not enough forthe violinist to know the history of

music, the lives of great musicians, andthe laws of harmony. He must actuallyknow how to play the violin.

The mastery of an art, or science, demands serious interest , concentrated at tention, and a terrific amount of drudgery. Th e drudge ry, however, is notwitho ut its compensation. Th ere is asolid satisfaction in holding yourself toa given task, in gradually correlatingtheory and practice, in slowly attainingskill in a technique that you want tomaster.

The time element, too, is important.The f irst year of any study, whetherscience, language, art, or mathematics,is purely introductory and elementary.Th e succeeding years give added knowledge and a certain am ount of skill. Butit is the student w'ho has completed thecourse of study, who is in a position totest the principles in every possible combination of circumstances, who can docreative work. T o play with ideas, totry new combinations, to do creativework, means that the principles havebeen thoroughly absorbed and the technique has become second nature. Th eartist on the violin can play with inspir

ed interpretation because he has completely mastered both the score and theinstrument.

People are aware of the fact that ittakes time to master a musical instrument or a foreign language, but they arenot yet aware of the fact that the samething holds true of a new way of thinking and living. It is not eno ugh to listen

T h r e e h u n d r e d e i g h t y s e v e n



T h e

Rosic rucian

D iges t

N ov e m be r

1 9 3 7

%

toinspirationalspeakers. i t is not enough

to read inspirational magazines andbooks, it is not enough even to study theRosicrucian lessons. Yo u must learn bydoing. You must learn how principleswork out by observing the consequencesof your own actions and those of yourfellow men. You mu st be patient. Youmust adopt the long-range view andknow that consequences are certaineven though not immediate.

The amount of misinformation in oc

cult and mystic literature is unbelievable. The average student has'absolutely no way of distinguishing between factand fancy. Th e wri ters of occult fictionhave either not known where fact endsand fancy begins, or have not been ableto make evident to the reader the def

inite l ine of demarcation. W hil e werealize the good that inspirational organizations everywhere are accomplishing by teaching people a new outlook on life, we feel that the Order shouldstate plainly and bluntly what it acceptsand what i t cannot accept of the occultand mystic ideas afloat today. One of these ideas is about the Masters.

M as ters

Several occult organizations have advanced peculiar theories about spiritualMasters who directed every human being, and human affairs in general.

Others have claimed that a Master hadbeen born in the flesh— a second M essiah. Th e Me ssiah in question, who hadbeen advertised for several years andfor whose support thousands of dollarshad been collected, emphatically deniedsuch Mastership and furthermore disclaimed any knowledge of books published an d circulated under his name as author.

W e have read of groups organizedfor the special purpose of going toIndia — which seems to be the playground of the Masters, both in and out

of the flesh, notwithstanding its miserable social and economic condition—and

of the wonders done by these Mastersfor the benefit of the investigators. Ou robjection to such tales is that Masters

and Avatars l ike Jesus and Buddhawould not demonstrate in the physicalbody and speak to a few inquisitivepersons for the sole purpose of convincing them of the possibility of the

life hereafter. Furtherm ore, we dema ndproof that such happenings are morethan mere dreams.

The truth of the matter is that thereare “ministering spirits sent forth to do

service" as the Bible says, but only veryseldom and in extreme cases do theseMas ters contact humans. At no t ime isthe individual free wrill interfered with,and such contacts occur only in the

psychic sphere.

Planes

You also hear and read much of dif ferent planes, such as the astral plane,the psychic plane, the spiritual plane,and an indefinite number of planes.Some schools and writers try to createthe impression that there are a numberof planes between the earth and the

spiritual kingdom on which persons candwell consciously from time to time, andcarry on many forms of psychic expressions. In reality, there are only twoclassifications, the earth plane and theCosmic plane. Th ey are not reallyplanes upon which the soul of man,

while in the body, can live, or to whichthe soul of man journeys after transitionand carries on a long period of existence, but they are simply divisions of spiritual unfoldment, and therefore entirely different from the kind of planesthat these other organizations talk

about. Probably a better word wouldbe “sections" to describe the divisionsof the Cosmic Consciousness and theDivine Consciousness of the spiritualkingdom.

Bodie s

W e now come to the third miscon

ception, namely: bodies. W e hear of astral body, psychic body, atomic body,and spir i t body; and you naturally wonder , as I have, how many bodies arethere to a human being? T he O rderdoes not recognize more than one body— the physical body— and a state of be

ing which is not material and limitedwhich we call Soul. You m ust realizethat when we speak of the soul of manor the soul of the universe, we do notrefer to the psychic body of any individual person, but when we speak of

the psychic body of man we mean to include ‘all the divine essences an d spirituality which are attributed to the soul.The soul or the psychic man consists of

Three hundred eightyeight

«



vibrations only as a musical chord, theessence of which may at times assume acounterpart of the material being.

If you have a clear and definiteunderstanding of the meaning of ma-

terial and immaterial it will be verymuch easier for you to separate thewheat from the chaff in your readings.By material we must conceive something concrete which is limited, havingform-existence. By immaterial we realize something that is unlimited and indefinite, having no form and not limitedby space or time. Just a being, an existence, something that simply is, like amusical composition, an opera, a song,etc. A son g, or a composition like"Nearer My God, to Thee” exis t s inde penden t of t ime and place, and can onlybe realized and recognized by us when

we have the medium for expression, asa musical instrument.The body is material; the Soul is im

material, and limited only by the body.In other words, the instrument or thevessel limits the immaterial force— theSoul. As soon as you conceive of an ything that is different from somethingelse it becomes definite, concrete, andmust be material.

W ithi n our own being there is a largedegree of the consciousness of God andthe Divine Essence that is distributed

throughout the universe. This fact doesnot make you God, or a God, anymore

than a drop of water can be consideredas the ocean.

Too many on the path have the ideathat the great goal of our quest lies insome strange mystic condition that isoutside of ourselves. They feel that unless they lift themselves up from thisearth plane there is no possibility of coming into attunement with an imaginary Cosmic plane. This is a serious mistake. It is all within you. So many havean idea that a Rosicrucian should spendthe largest part of his day thinking,meditating, practicing exercises and liv

ing a peculiar life of solitude, and doingall kinds of "ho cus-p ocus .” Th ese ideasare derived from the East and broughtout by wri ters and speakers who saythat unless we sit all day on a board of nails or broken glass, or sit folded upwith criss-cross limbs in a corner andthink of nothing else than the “whatnessof the nothing" we will never be happy.

Now a perfectly natural, normal,healthy, happy Rosicrucian is one whogives just as much attention every dayto his duties, his obligations, the necessities and pleasures of life, his business,his social affairs, his promotion of education. and other constructive things of life, as he gives to his own personalstudies. First and foremost, aboveeverything else, come proper eating,proper drinking, and proper sleeping.

But the body also needs exercise likewalking and breathing. Yo u cannot behealthy sitting cross-legged in the corner of your sanctum with incense burning and the air foul for hours. A fewminutes of proper incense burning issufficient during meditation, but youalso need fresh air and plenty of it .Good healthy air from outdoors withsun shining is important to proper ad ju st men t of th e body. A nd th en ag ai n,the spirit and soul of an individualshould have as much laughter and sunshine in it as it has serious thoughts,prayer, and meditat ion. A good heal thy

laugh and innocent fun contribute asmuch to the harmony and poise of thebody, mind, and the soul, as anythingelse that can be done. There is absolutely no harm in attending concerts, moving pictures, dances, parties and otherthings that please the mind and changethe trend of thoughts and help us to geta balanced contact with other people.Nor is it necessary for the mystic to

practice every day all of the exercisesthat have been taug ht him. Onc e moreI say "Keep your feet on the ground."Be practical and reasonable.

V V VS U M M A R I E S O F S CI EN C E

(Con t inued f rom Page 382)

system Professor Sidgwick pointed outthat "The moon is much too small forlife to be possible: Mercury is probablytoo small and too hot; Jupiter and the

outer planets too cold. Th e only placesin the solar system where life is possible seem to be the earth and our twoneighbors , Mars and Venus ."

Three hundred eightynine



T he Lost H orizon


C C A S I O N A L L Ya play or a pictureappear s t ha t f i l l st h e h e a r t o f t h em y s t i c w i t h d e light. I remem berThe Ladder,a playt h a t i l l u s t r a t e dthe theme of reincarn ation . I recallthe p ic ture Death Takes a Hol iday. and The Return of Peter Grimm, both

the play and the picture. Eac h illus

trated one point in the mystic philosophy of l ife. Now a picture has app earedwhich actually dramatizes the entirecycle of soul development.

I saw the picture twice. T he firsttime I was completely absorbed by theproblems and struggles of the people involved. I saw man 's terrific struggleswith a seemingly hostile environment,man’s inner longing for somethingbetter, and the opposition he meetswith, even among his own people. Asthe Bible tells us, "A man’s enemies areof his own house hold.” I saw a bit of a utopian fairyland in a hidden valley

of the lofty mountains of Tibe t. In thisunbelievably lovely village of Shangri-La peace and beauty and love abound.The struggle for existence has ceased.All is harmonious growth and self-expression.

Children learn in the open fields.W he n weary , they throw off thei r gar ments and swim in a nearby lake. M en

Four hundred seventythree

and women, godlike, with serene countenance and dignified step, tread theeven paths of daily life. All is beautiful,unhurried and soul-satisfying. Thewom an of fifty looks like twenty; theman of a hundred is active, in the primeof life. Greed , fear, envy, and jealousyhave disappeared. Th ere is no reasonfor these vices to exist. Eac h has allthat he needs for a happy l ife of per fect self-expression. M oney is meaningless. Gol d abounds, bu t no one so muchas stops to pick it up. Divorce does notexist. It is courteous for a man to lethis wife go when her heart is elsewhere.

Since cost need not be considered andprofits are unnecessary, everything bearsthe impress of love and beauty. Th ewalls are covered with magnificenttapestr ies and paintings, the halls areadorned with statues, every dish is awork of ar t , and every garment is athing of beauty. T he vil lage aboundsin inviting walks, trellised arbors, exquisite flower gardens, and fountainsgleaming in the brilliant sunshine. T hemusic of the bells and the deep organtones from the temple overlooking thevil lage add sancti ty to the joy and thebeauty.

Into this paradise comes a party of f ive, three Englishmen and two Americans. T he y were escaping from a localrevolution in China, and the plane, instead of taking them to Shanghai, took

them to Shan gri-L a. Stran ge to tell, thehigh lama knew that they were comingand had everything in readiness forthem. Th e plane broke down, and a



T h e

R os icru cian

D ig es t

Jan u ar y

1 9 3 8

i

rescue party from Shangri-La came thenext morning with the proper equipment, clothing, and food. The refugeeswere Robert Conway, a Brit ish diplomat; his brother George; a Mr. Lovettwho was a retired teacher of geology;

an American fugitive from justice whosefirm had collapsed in the market crash;and a sick woman, an American, whomthe doctors had given only six monthsto live.

All, except George, yield to the enchantment of the new environment.Robert finds a cherished, half-forgottendream come true. The geologist joyfully

organizes classes to teach the subjectclose to his heart. T he ruined financier,who had started life as a plumber, isbusy with p lans to install a modern ru nning water system for the vil lage. Th esick woman feels better and more cheerful . Only George, a typical product of atwentieth-century city, a lover of noise,confusion, excitement, and crowds, cannot endure the peace and quiet . Heconsiders the whole situation an outrage. H e rebels vociferously. W ith theaid of one of the girls of Shangri-Lawho has fallen in love with him, hemanages to bribe porters to guide himthroug h the mountains. Th is girl, whoin reality is an old woman, has been toldthat she will stay eternally young aslong as she is contented to stay inShangri-La, and will revert to her nat

ural age as soon as she leaves. Shedoes not have faith in this statement andaccepts George’s worldly views readily.George cannot persuade the geologistor the plumber, or the sick woman toleave, but he does finally prevail uponhis brother Robert by appealing to hisbrotherly love.

The high lama, a very aged man, aperson of extraordinary sweetness andspiritual beauty, just before he died, hadasked Ro bert to succeed him. Robert,too, found the girl of his dreams. YetGeorge succeeded in convincing him

tha t he had been deceived. Th e three

leave Shang ri-La. In fact they takeflight. A severe snow storm drives furiously through the passes. Th e guides

are brutal . Th e passes are treacherous.The storms are violent and unremitt ing.The girl cannot endure the difficulties of the journey. She ages over night andperishes in the cold. Geo rge becomes

mad at the sight of his aged love, hisconscience is awakened to his fearfulerror, he loses his balance, falls downthe mountain-side of snow and disappears forever. T he guides lose theirlives in an avalanc he. Rob ert alone is

eventually rescued. But the world of struggle and greed has become utter lyrepugn ant to him. Afte r months of heroic effort, in constant peril of his life,

he finally finds the way back.

At f irst glance the story seems one of adventure and romance. Th en one seesthat it is a picture of utopia, a delightfulfairy-tale land; a dream in a poet’sheart. Th en one becomes awa re of thefact that the entire story is a symbol of the journey of the soul throu gh life. Itis a moder n Pilgrim’s Prog ress. It is thestory told oft before by mystics of the

world. It is the story told in a nineteenth century sett ing in W ill Ga rver ’s A Broth er o f th e Th ird D egree andMarie Corelli 's L if e Everlasting. It isthe great adven ture of life. It is thequest of the ages, the search of the soulfor God, the attainment of evolution.It is the flight of the alone to the Alone.

W he n the young soul awakes to li fein this world, it knows not for themoment whit her it is bou nd. It finds itself a breathing, struggling h uman beingon an unknow n quest. It is buffeted inthe storms of adversity. It is bese t withdoubts and fears. It is so immersed in

the turmoil of the everyday world thatit completely forgets the celestial realmfrom which it came and the divine nature of the quest on which it is bound.Only a faint longing remains, a longingthat gnaws at man’s heart in quietermoments when he takes time to think and reflect, but which he impatientlysuppresses. I t makes the struggle abouthim seem hideous, and the life abouthim seem meaningless and sordid. Th e

ju ggernau t of mod ern civi li za tion co un tsits victims by the millions. O n eve ryside human beings collapse like theleaves in autumn. The weak are ru th lessly elbowed aside or trampled underfoot or pushed to the wall . These hum

ble and simple souls, these frail childrenof God, in their despair and anguish,

seek refuge beneath the wings of theAlmighty . They lay thei r burdens a tthe feet of God. They find the kingdomof heaven that is within; they experience

F o u r h u n d r e d s e v e n t y f o u r



the supreme ecstasy of illumination.The wealthy, the powerful , and thesuccessful often fail because they arehindered by their pride, their egotism,

and their spiritual blindness. To relyexclusively upon reason is to miss theway. Reason frequently impedes spiritual vision and silences the promptingsof intuition. The poor, the unfortunate,the lowly, even the thief and the scarletwoman can. therefore, enter easily thestraight and narrow gate that leads tounion with the God within.

The distractions of the world are notthe only barrier. There is a struggle inthe man himself. "T he good that Iwould do I do not," says the apostlePaul, "and the evil I would not do I

do." Man has bccome habituated to thebrutal world about him and its primitivestandards. He fears the adjustments tohigh er stand ards. Inertia prevents himfrom making the neccssary effort. Evenwhen he has once glimpsed the beautyand the light of the eternal, his carnalnatu re can still drag him down. Onl yone thing remains—to control resolutely his lower nature and make his bodyserv e his will. In the story' Rober t actually has to knock his brother Georgedown to prevent him from doing violence. and even then George finally prevails upon Robert to leave Shangri-La.

It is obvious that Robert and Georgerepresent the two aspects of a humanbeing, his higher self and his lower self,Dr. 7ekyll and Mr. Hyde. The two girlsof Shangri-La express the same symbolism. T h e one who falls in love withGeorge, although she has lived inShangri-La for years, is tempted toleave. A purely earthly love, a lovebound by physical attraction alone, cancompletely divert the soul from itsoriginal course in life or from pursuinghighe r aims. As far as the girl who fallsin love with Robert is concerned, sherepresents the mystic bride, the soulthat waits for the day of union with thebridegroom, the outer personality. Thisis the chymical marriage of which themystics write. Th is is the complete integration of personality as the mystics

know it. This is the complete harmonization of the outer personality and theinner personality. Mind, heart, andbody become instruments of the soul.

The whole personal i ty becomes a channel for divine wisdom, love, and inspiration.

W he n Rober t yie lds to his brother’s

frant ic protests, Chang cries to thedespairing maiden, "He wil l return.”Salvation is the end of the journey. Thehuman being may stumble again andagain. But if he sincerely aspires to thedivine, God meets him half way. Th eglorious fact is that man does not haveto make the ent ire journey alone andunaided. He finds that his coming wasexpected. A place has been preparedfor him. In the story the plane breaksdown before i t reaches Shangri-La.The rescue par ty i s a t hand wi th suppl ies and equipment . M an is helped toattain. As the medieval Spanish mystic

poet said: "Before I reached Him, Hecame to meet me.” Th e ruined indust rial ist whom the world cal led thief entered easi ly and gladly into the newenvironment , and found peace and contentment . T he Mag dalene who s tumbledon the path of l ife and who needed helpevery step of the way, at tained andlikewise rejoiced in the co ntentment a ndpeace of Shangri-La.

W e m ust be as l it t le chi ldren. Chil dren accept their home, their parents,and the plans of their parents. W echildren of a larger growth must acceptthe world as i t is , God, and His plans.

Our faith must banish suspicion, fear,and tempta t ion. W e must not se t ourw i l l against divine will . W h e n w e f in dthat we are going in a direction oppositeto the direction we expected, or find ourplans overruled and al tered, we mustnot be resentful and rebel lious. W emust realize that Divine Love and W is dom can wil l only what is best for eachand every one of us. Th e group of refugees expected to t ravel east , andthey found that they were t ravel l ingwestward. Th ey expec ted to go toShanghai , and they found that theywere in Shangri -La , Rober t Conw aydreamed of being a foreign secretary of England. He found tha t he had beenselected to rule Shang ri-La. T he ruinedfinancier, the Magdalene and the poorret i red teacher thought that l i fe heldnothing more for them, yet they found jo y beyond th ei r w il dest dream s inShangri-La. There was even a place forGeorge because he accompanied Robert .

Four hundred seven t y f i ve



T h e

Rosicrucia n

D ig es t

J anuary

1 9 3 8

There is not a sheep that is foreverlost in all the world. Eve ry soul canaspire to all that the universe affords.In fact, attainment is his divine heritage

and destiny. But he must have confi dence in divine justice. He m ust havefaith through even the severest testsand tr ials. He must have an eye on theultimate goal. H e must let the largerpoint of view be reflected in every word,deed, and thought. He must arden tlydesire the fulfillment of this magnificentplan for all as well as for himself.

Though dark be the night, he must con

f idently await the dawn. Though

marooned in the gloomiest hamlet,

though lost in the maelstrom of a deaf

ening city, let us all joyfully seek ourShangri-La.

In closing let me say a word of ap

preciation and grati tude to the producer,

the entire cast , and to all who assisted

in the beautiful stage sett ings and extra

ordinary photography and last , but not

least, to the author.

V V V

“Fret N ot T h ys el f

B y V. W. B e n n e t t , F. R. C.

"Fret not thyself, it tendeth to evil doing-

ORRY, in my ex perience, seems tobe the father of perversity, for assurely as one worr ie s o v e r s o m epractice in life thatseems wrong, justso surely will hec o n t i n u e t h a tpractice or, worseyet, increase it. Aman worries overt h e s t a t e o f h i s

health and, lo, he discovers new pains.He worries over the state of his financesand goes deeper in debt. A neighborfails to greet him as is the custom, heworries and others pass him by.

He becomes discontented with himself and all his affairs and people, notknowing why, shun the circle of hisnegative vibrations. On ly those who

love him as a brother remain close tohim and even they find it hard to tolerate his viewpoint, much less his tantrums. Truly he feeds on the husks of his own ignorance, not seeking light.

Talk not to such a man of atonement.T o him it is of little use. He is not robbing the poor, keeping others hungry orin any wa y shirking his duty. But—heis developing a faith in fate that sha

dows any good action, and if he continues to do good it is only through theexercise of will.

Tell him naug ht of attunement. Hewill place God and the Masters in a faraway place and himself apart , and al ways his mind will dwell in two places,shifting rapidly until his head aches

and worry and troubles increase.Teach him a new Ontology. Teach

him that God is a part of himself, closerthan hands and feet , that deep withinhimself the light of Being is shiningbrightly. Te ach him to cease his outerseeking, his conscious willing. Teachhim to adjust his whole mind and heartto this new concept and get quiet beforethe tremendous inner truth.

M ayh ap he will feel a sudde n st irr ingand discover love and peace within hissoul until he hears the life within callingfrom the east and the west , the northand the south, the heighth and the

depth, that which is all his own.Tea ch him this and rem ind him to ask

the small things first in a spirit of loveand will ingness to share and serve.Thus shall the cross yield its fruit. Thusshall he find the pearl of greatest price.

"For in the day of trouble he willkeep me secretly in his pavilion—and Iwill offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy.

F o u r hundred seventysix



| SANCTUM MUSINGS p

WE MUST STAND ALONE


H E M O ST dif ficul t

lesson tha t life hasto teach us is thatw e m u s t s t a n dalone. Every crucial experience inlife must be passedt h r o u g h alone:birth, m a r r i a g e ,

death, and illumination. If we wish

to be fed, we musteat our own food.I f w e w i s h t o

learn, we must make the necessary ef fort. Ev ery bit of development in everyway must be achieved through indi

vidual exertion.

W e must enter the Path on our owninit iative. W e must continue of our ownfree will. Coe rcio n is neve r exercised.

Very frequently there is no encourage

ment from any source. Ofte n there is

no understanding or sympathy on the

part of others. You must stand abso

lutely alone. You must continue becauseany other course of action is unthink

able. You m ust continue because you

must be true to yourself . You must con

t inue though the goal ahead seems very

remote, for life in any other direction Rosicruc ian nQ ]on ger seems attrac tive. Life outside

D iges t 0f the Path seems to one who has gone

Fe bruary but a little way, aimless, unbearably

1 9 3 8 trivial, irritatingly superficial.

T h

Henri Fabre, the great naturalist , inhis fascinating book, "The Social Lifeof the Insects." describes a species of caterpillar that cling to one another ina long line. Roun d and rou nd they goin circles, totally blind to anything afraction of an inch beyond their ken.So do average human beings seem toone who has irrevocably placed his feetupon the Path. Ho w can people spendan afternoon in inconsequential chatter

and bridge games when there is so muchwork to be done in the world? Ho w canpeople see stupid pictures and readtrashy books when there is so muchwonderful knowledge to be gained, somany interesting fields of exploration inevery kind of human activity? Ho w can

people see the evil all about them, howcan people read of the tyranny and oppression prevalent in the world and notbe moved to eradic ate it? Ho w can intelligent, refined and educated peopleabsorb malicious propaganda, hold baseprejudices, and unthinkingly utter remarks that are sabre-thrusts ? How canpeople enjoy warmth and comfort and

ease when starving and suffering handsbeat upon the door? O f course, it istrue that we cannot walk around with achip on our shoulders and refuse to recognize every little relaxation life affords,

or arbitrarily try to force a change inour social system.

Your fury rises at the conceit, vanity,and smug self-satisfaction evident on

T h i r t y t w o



every side. A burning desire consumesyou to spend every moment tellingly.You m ust make up for lost time. An d

when you have inwardly taken the vowthat forever binds you to a new life,you f ind that you stand alone. No onewill congratulate you on the new resolut ion that you have taken. No one willcommend you for lifting a lance in thebatt le of r ight against wrong. N o onewill appreciate your spiritual strivingsor give you courage to dare, to struggle,to press on to the heights. N o one willsay joyfully, "Another champion tofight the battles of the Lord!”

Even the people who love you willhamp er you every step of the way. "You

must proceed slowly," they tell you."Y ou must avoid conflict. You mustavoid friction. You must be diplomatic.Yo u must think of yourself first." You,yourselves, can add the time-worn,shop-worn cliches that well-meaningfriends hurl at aspir ing souls. W ith thebest intentio ns in the world, the y wouldclip the eagle’s wings. Th ey would de stroy the young deer’s fleetness of foot.They would dampen the ardor of theheart burning with love and zeal.

You must stand a bsolutely alone. Youmus t find you r streng th within. You

must believe in yourself. An y outwa rdsupport proves to be the reed of Egyptthat pierces the hand that leans upon i t .You must learn to listen to your heart.You must learn to follow the prompt

ings of you r soul. You mus t learn to

look for guida nce from within. Th e

ju dgment grow s st ro ng th ro ugh exer

cise. The intuition develops through

obedience to i ts promptings. Th e power

to stand alone is the fruit of loyalty to

your ideals despite fierce, unremitting

opposition.

Henrik Ibsen in a powerful play, "An

Enemy of the People," depicts a physician who discovers that the water of

the town is polluted. T he tow n earns

its livelihood through the sick people

who come for the healing waters of the

baths. W he n the people of the town

learn of the physician’s discovery, they

turn against him like a pack of wolves.They call him "an enemy of the people."

They fear that the income of the townwill be affected.

John Galsworthy, in an equally powerful play, "The Mob,” portrays a truepatr iot who courageously opposes the

intention of the government to enter upon an unrighteous war of annexation.He is killed by a fanatic. T he finalscene shows a statue erected in the public square in his honor.

It is hard to believe that you are rightwhen multi tudes oppose you. I t is hardto remain unswervingly loyal when loyalty means the sacrifice of everythingthat you hold dear . I t is hard not tofalter, not to feel doubt as to whetherthe cause is worthwhile when loyaltymeans severing the ties that have become rooted in the soul. W he n w e come

to the part ing of the ways, we must bidourselves be strong and of good courage. W he n the t ime comes to wear thecrown of thorns, though deep be ourdespair, we must unflinchingly say,"Thy will, not mine, be done."

You must stand alone. You must takethe course your soul dictates. You mustfollow the star that shines for youalone. Th e deeds of others who stoodalone will be you r inspiration. T he livesof others who stood alone will be yourencouragement. T he patience, the fort i tude, the sublime firmness with which

others faced martyrdom will steady thetrembling hand that shrinks from takingthe cup of tears. W he n the hour comes,you must stand alone.

Open your Bible. On page after pageyou are told of the fight that must be

fought alone. Abra ham had to leavehis father’s house and his birthplace and jo urn ey to a land w here he w as an utt er

stranger. Joseph was cast into prison on

a false charge. Mose s, as an adopted

son of the daughter of Pharaoh, had a

brilliant court career in his very hand;

but his heart made him identify himself

with a despised and rejected slavepeople. Na tha n, the prophet, stepped

before the guil ty king and made the ac

cusation that has rung down the ages,

"Th ou ar t the man." Ahab, King of

Israel, turned upon Elijah, the prophet,

and cried tauntingly, "Art thou he that

troubleth Israel?" Jeremiah was struck

by a priest in the temple and was put

into the stocks to be jeered at by the

mob. In the per form anc e of his divinely

Thirtythree



imposed du ty such bi t ter opposi tion washis lot that in despair he cried aloud:

"W oe is me, my mother, th at thou hast borneme

A. man of strife and a m an of conten tion to thewhole earth!

[ have not lent, neither have men lent to me;

Yet every one of them doth curse me."

— Jeremiah , Chap . 15 v. 10.

Tur n the pages of history. Ha s thelot of the reformer, the thinker, the pioneer ever been easier? Fra nce let hersavior, a fair young girl, go to the stake.Picture the trial in which she had toface all those learned doctors of the law.Henr y H udson, in the very bay tha t hediscovered, was cast adrift in a boatwith his son. Lincoln was shot in the

hour of victory. T h e pages of historydrip with the blood of its benefactors.

Wil l you say. dear friends, that theywere wrong and that their accusers and ja iler s a n d to rm entors w ere ri ght? N ay ,society was wrong, and these lonefigures were gloriously right, right inthe eyes of conscience and of God, andvindicated years later by mankind,slowly catching up to their vision of thetruth.

W h at is the lesson for us to learn? Avery stern one, brothers and sisters. W emust be fai thful to the t ruth as we see

i t. W e must not expect the plaudits of the mul ti tudes. W e must not dependupon the approval of friends or family.W e m ust inwardly s t rengthen ourse lvesto face criticism, reproach, and opposi

tion. T ak e as simple a matter as diet.Tod ay die t is one of the s tandard methods of t reatment of the medical profession. W ou ld you bel ieve tha t the firstmen to acquaint the public with whatdiet can do were outside the ranks of the medica l profess ion? W ou ld you be lieve that their sensible ideas were ridiculed and scorned by physicians?Would you be l ieve tha t people threw

stones at these pioneers in the streetso f Ne w Y ork Ci ty? Do you know tha tin New York State the medical societyst i l l relent lessly runs every naturopath

„ . . out of town? T he chiropractors are also R o s icru c ian persecuted.

Many of us a re under the fa l se impression that living the life of truth andlove will exempt us from struggle, con-

T h t

Digest

February

1938

flict, an d opposition. By no means.W h en wre stand for righteousn ess and ju st ic e, we must be prepared to op poseunrighteousness and injus tice. W he nwe s tand for t ruth , we must be pre

pared to fight fa lsehood. W ou ld w e befree men, we must be eternally vigilant.A people careless of its liberties willfind them trampled upon. T he exploi ter,the usurper, the dictator, like hissingsnakes, ever await the opportuni ty tos t rike. W om en ga ined the long dueright of suffrage after years of st ruggle.Our count ry had to pass the agony of Civi l W a r to free the slaves and mainta in the Union.

It is test and trial all along the way.O nly the strongest can survive. It isthe final test of your soul development.To be r ight and to know tha t you a reright when everybody else is wrong. Tobe fai thful to the right in poverty, inexi le, and in suffering. T o ca rry onthrough the hours of deepes t depres

sion. T o carr y on in loneliness, discouragement , and tears.

W h at is the aim of this fiery discipl ine? You become absolutely d ependable. Yo ur wil l becomes l ike tempered s teel . Your nerves a re under per fect control. You are beyon d the powerof any influence that would swerve you

from you r appointed task. You standunimpressed by the thousand confl ict ing

forces and influences in the world. Youknow your own mind . You kn ow yourown soul . No specious arg um ent canever sway you.

W he n you consider these ideas , manyquest ions arise in the mind. H ow shallyou know tha t you a re r ight? Ho w sha llyou know tha t you a re t aking the r ightcourse? How sha l l you kno w tha t you

are exhibi t ing real independence andnot mere s tubbornness and obs t inacy?How shal l you reconci le standing alonewith sharing in the tasks of the group?

Friends, there l ies the paradox of thespiritual life. T he re lies the enig ma of

soul development . On ly you r soul cantel l you. An d only t ime can pro ve thatyou a re right. He who has found theInner Light and he who recognizes theVoice of the Cosmic owes al legiance toConscience and to God alone. H e is beyond any man-made law. H e becomesa teacher of the world l ike the prophetsof old.

Thirty four



Is Peace Possible? By T h o r k i i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

V E R Y W H E R Eyou go you hearthe quest ion, "IsPe a c e Poss i b l e ? "W e w a n t to b elieve that it is possible even againsto u r b e t t e r j u d g ment. As far back a s h i s t o r y t a k e su s , m e n h a v ef o u g h t w a r s of a g g r e s s i o n w i t hw e a p o n s o f i n

creasing deadliness. Never has therebeen a period free from strife andbloodshed. Th e corridors of time resound with the t ramp of armies, thecries of the wounded and dying, thelament of the widow and the wail of theorph an bereft by war. Th e mailed fisthas dominated history.

A stat ist ician has pointed out thatsince the League of Nations w as formedat the conclusion of the W orl d W ar,twenty-four wars, both declared andundeclared, have been waged. TheLeague has proved itself ineffectual.Italy's war in Ethiopia was one of un

warranted aggress ion. The inte rfe renceof Italy and Germany in Spain's civi lwar is uncalled for. Japan’s inhumanwarfare in China is openly predatoryand has earned her the contempt of al l

civilized nations . Russia, Germ any , and

Italy have become totalitarian states inwhich minori ty rights are ruthlesslysuppressed . Th e clause on minorityrights in the treaty of Versailles, con

sidered the high water-mark of internat ional relat ionships, has become adead letter. W il l a t reaty hereafter bemore than a sc rap of paper? W i l l warsexist without being declared? Th e Jewsof Poland and Germany are be ingmercilessly exterm inated. Th ere is noone to ut ter a protest ing word or raisea helping hand. Despite the sprea d of educat ion, despi te newspapers, theradio, and the screen, the masses of thepeople throughout the world are thevict ims of malicious propaganda. Theserpent of power and wealth openly re

veals i ts fangs. Natio ns are strangledin its tortu rous coils. A lone voice hereand there has been lifted in the cause of peace.

The prophets of Israel envisioned

the t ime when men shal l beat their

swords into ploughshares, and their

spears into pruning-hooks. Christ iani ty

taught "Blessed be the peacemakers”;

also "He that ki l leth with the sword

must be ki lled with the sword." Th e

effect upon pro fessing Christ ian nat ions

has been sl ight indeed. Buddhism

preached non-resistance, but this lofty

religion soon became corrupted, and thefantast ic superst i t ions of the people

bear l i t t le resemblance to the grandeur

of the original doctrines. A religion to

which mere lip-service is rendered, a

code of ethics imposed from above, aglowing speaker hypnotizing the mult i

tudes for the moment, have no last ing

effect. W ith hear ts unregenerate the

most beautiful ideals remain mere

Sixty three



T h e

Ro sicruc ia n

D ig es t

M a rc h

1938

words, the most meaningful ceremoniesbecome empty ritual.

Of what avai l are the teachings of peace when the causes of w ar still exist?W he n men have little concern for theweak, the helpless, and the unfortunatein their midst, how can greater regardfor the stranger be expected? W he nmen exploit their fellow citizens, howwill they deal justly with the citizens of another count ry? W he n lynchings andh a n g i n g s a n d e l e c t r o c u t i o n s d r a wcrowds, how can a stop be put to thehorror s of war? Ca n w e expect, the menthat participate in the nameless horrorsof a Brown House to love the usages of peace? Can we expect the men whoenjoy a bloody bull fight to desire peacein earnest?

Throughout the world those who

have, brutal ly exploi t those who havenot, in the name of Jaw an d order. Isour own country showing a more al t ruistic spirit? Can we be proud of the condition of the sharecroppers in theSouth? Can we boast of the t reatmentof the miners? Th e histo ry of the labormovement in our country is one of unceasing struggle and violence. Theworking man has had to fight every stepof the way for even the slightest improvement in wages, hours, and decentworking condit ions. The law prevai l ingin the economic world seems to be, "Leteveryone grab what he can, and hold as

long as he can." Th e man of weal thseems to feel that he is the power, theglory, and the might. T he most viciouselement in the present day situation isthe control that the man of power exercises over the instruments of power—the press, the radio, the moving picture,

the munition factories, the steel mills,

and the oil wells. Eve n th e school room

is not uncontaminated, and the mouth

of the church is muzzled. Every one is

in terror of losing his job. His needs

keep him silent and subservient.

Ho w can the vicious circle be broken?

W h o will put the fear of Go d into thehearts of the rulers of the world? W h owill straighten the spines of our toilingmillions and fill their hearts with thespirit of courage, independence, andself-respect? W he n D avid, the king of Israel sinned, Nathan, the prophet ,stood before him and pointed the finger

at him, crying, "Thou art the man!"W ho wil l point the finger at the menwho dare to summon state t roopers tofire at striking miners, the men whoshamelessly subject the share-croppersto virtual peonage, the politicians who

support gangsters and racketeers, theindustrial ists who engage in large-scale

plunder?

The indifference of the man in thestreet is disheartening. The spiri tuallethargy of the middle class is a dangerous symptom. Each one seems to be interested only in his own personal wel fare and in his own bread and butter.The cal lousness of the upper classes isheartbreaking. Th e populat ions of theworld let themselves be driven likesheep. They do not know the exac tissue at stake. Th e men of power seemimbued with the spirit of devouring

wolves. T he mailed fist of fascism hasalready struck Brazi l . W h er e wil l thelightning strike next? Is w ar inevitable?O sorrowful a f te rmath of a war wagedto set the world free for democracy!The hoofs of the gal loping steeds of theFour Horsemen of the Apoca lypse canstill be heard. Is peace possible? Ho wcan we cry hal t to our war lords? Canwe keep free from foreign entanglements? Is it possible for us to lead theway? Ca n we not create a haven of peace and a refuge for the weary andthe oppressed of the world? Can wenot remain loyal to the ideals of our

founding fathers?W e can if we e xert our will . Let

peace be the heartfelt desire of allour countrymen and i t wil l be ours.The desire for peace must be strengthened by knowledge of the issues involved. Ign oran ce will make us thedupes of the unprincipled propaganda of selfish groups and forces thatshrewdly cloak their foreign invest

ments and possessions in patriot ic verbi age. In order to be correctly informed,

freedom of speech and the press is im

perative. Linder no circumstan ces must

we permit the rights guaranteed to usby the Const i tut ion to be abrogated.W e mu st absolutely refuse to counten

ance even the suggestion of intolerance.W e m ust del iberately create a peace

psychology. W e must use every channel avai lable. W e must assist everymovemen t that is militant for peace. W e

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must learn to look at every problemfrom the viewpoint of the welfare of theworld and not merely from the viewpoint of our national interests or capital ist ic aspirat ions. W e must rememberthat al l nat ions are made up of human beings. W e must remember that everyhuman being, no matter what his raceor color is a child of God. N o humanbeing can be injured with impunity.Everyone is protected by Karmic lawand react ions. Nations must cul t ivatethe phi lanthropic spiri t toward one another . A generous person shares what ever he has with one less fortunate thanhimself. A generous nation should learnto do likewise. If Brazil has a surplus

crop of coffee, if the South has morecotton than she can sell, let them handthe surplus product over to the needypopulat ions of other countries. W h ea tfields need not be plowed under, coffeeneed not be thrown into the sea. Th eneedy nat ions can give in exchangewhat they have to spare.

W e must be will ing to make in behalf of peace the sacrifices that we cheerfully made in t ime of war. W e hadmeatless days and wheatless days. W edid without wh ite flour an d white sugar.W e bough t Liber ty Bonds . Th e nat ionwas uni ted in support of the army. The

aim was victory, and it was achieved.The same spiri t must animate us to preserve peace. W e must uni te to makew ar impossible. Let us first clean ourown house. Let us abolish poverty, unemplo ymen t and slums. Let us find useful work for our youth, and for everyone willing to work. Do no t say thatthe task is impossible. Do not say thatthe cost is prohibit ive. W e had plentyof mone y to finance the war. O ur crimebill is fifteen million dol lars a year . Letus show the nat ions of the world thatwe can maintain peace and create prosperity without fascism, dictatorship, orwar. Abr aham Lincoln said that a nat ion could not be part slave and partfree. Similarly, the world cannot bepar t slave and par t f ree . W ar in onemajor country precipi tates war in othercountries. A low stan da rd of living in

one country affects adversely a highstandard of l iving in another country.

Disaster in one country is immediatelyfelt in the next . It is for the int erest of the world that each country be as hap

py, as prosperous, as contented as poss ible . W e need more than a uni ted na t ions of the world, we need world uni tythrough real izat ion of brotherhood.

W h at a re the causes of wars? Therei s but one— GR EE D. Greed, wi th i tsramifications of profit, trade, expansion,etc . Th e greed, the arrogance, and thebrutal i ty in the soul of man that bl indhim to the inhumanity of prejudice, exploitation, and the vilest cruelty, precipi tate wars, wars that have destroyedcivi l izat ions, devastated the world andwiped out populat ions. T he atrocit iesthat warring nat ions have infl icted onone another have been no more terriblethan those they have inflicted upon their

own members.The story of Cain is symbolic of al l

ma nkind , "W he r e i s Abel , Th y b ro t h er?’’ " I kn ow not; am I my bro th er ’skeeper?” W er e the Greeks who merci lessly t rod upon the helots their broth

e rs ’ keepers? W ere the Romans whobull ied and plundered the provincesthat enriched them their brothers’ keepers? W er e the aristrocrat ic Brahm ansthat tolerated a pariah class theirbro thers’ keepers? W er e the medievallords and barons who took from theserfs all but the little needed to keepbody and soul together their brothers’

keepers? At the beginning of the industrial revolut ion were the men whotied children six years old to the loomtheir bro the rs’ keepers? Thin k of therevolt ing punishments that were legalamong th e people of al l ages. Th ink of the Spanish Inquisit ion! W e need notmarvel then at the avarice and cruel tydisplayed by Spain among the Aztecsof Mexico and the Incas of Peru, byEngland in India, and by Belgium inthe Congo. W e need not be surpr i sed

that the - followers of the Prince of Peace sought to spread the Gospel with

the weapons of war and the ba t t l e -c ryof Islam “the Koran or the sword.”

Can muni t ion manufac turers be un

aware of the dest inat ion of their prod

uct? He who profi ts by war cannot

think of the ultimate consequences of

his acts. H e cann ot sincerely believe in

the brother hoo d of man. Th e exploi ters

of every cl ime and age and race know

not the brotherhood of man. To repea tthe st i rring phrase of Wil l iam J. Bryan,

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"man has been crucified on the cross of Gold.”

Our present legislat ion is inadequate.

An aggressive minori ty can seize thereins of power and null i fy every l iberallaw. The Nazis have repudia ted everynoble t radi t ion of pre-war Germany. Torely on leaders, dictators, and men inhigh places is futile. M en are susceptible to bribes and flattery and the lureof ambit ion. Peace movements alonecanno t be the solut ion. Organ izat ionsare no bet ter than the men who composethem. History has proved t ime andagain that inst i tut ions and movementswith the noblest aims and ideals havebecome corrupt or have petri fied, andtheir lat ter end is far removed from the

simple and al t ruist ic beginning. Theybecome rent with dissention. Schismsarise. Their leaders disagree. Pride,vanity, and ambit ion take the place of service. Gr eed is ever present.

Can we el iminate greed from thehuman hear t? or ra ther the incentive and the necessi ty for greed? Yes, wecan, through educat ion and legislat ion.I f congress would pass a one hundredper cent inheri tance tax and an eightyper cent gift tax large fortunes couldnot remain long in individual hands. If we made the government the beneficiary

of our accumulated wealth and effort ,we would put every one on an equalfoot ing. Ma ke broth erhoo d more thana pretty phras e. Let it sink into theheart .

W ou ld tha t God might open the eyesof our men of wea l th and power! Howlong wil l the wealth be in your handsand in the hands of you r family? Ho wmuch peace of mind and spiri t has theweal th brought you? W h a t sacr if icesof principles and of conscience has i tcost you? Ar e you sure th at you wil l beable to stand before the bar of your soulwith clean hands? How long is the

space of one life? Bu t a few brief yearsand the day comes when you must giveaccount of the harm you are direct lyand indirect ly responsible for. Are yousure that i t wil l mean nothing to youthat men have lost their lives in defense

of your mines or oi l wells , your sugarand tobacco plantat ions, and otherforeign concessions, that women havebecome widows, that chi ldren have become orphans, that workers have been

crippled for life? W ill you r consciencebe at ease at the thought of the bribesemployed to influence legislation for

the benefit of you r profi ts? A re you sureyou will be indifferent to the fact thatyour wealth was made through the exploitation of child labor and wholepopulations?

Th e soul does not die. It is immortal.It possesses perfect memory. Freedfrom the body i t sees with clearer eyesand from an impersonal viewpoint every

heinous offense. Its selfishness is goneand i t feels with keener pang everysigh, every cry of woe. It sees the bedof thorns that i t has with i ts own handsprepared. W il l the memory of a fewfleet ing years of weal th and power giveyou pleasure then? Eve ry joy that waspurchased with the tears of others wil lturn into wormw ood and rue. Everyheartless laugh will become a cry of anguish. The earthly paradise wil l turninto a purga tory. Th e pleasures of theflesh will prove a delusion and a snare.

God is not mocked. You m ay not believe in the soul but it exists nevertheless. The moral law may be imaginaryin your opinion, but it is a fact all thesame. You may think the grav e conceals all crimes and en ds all life. Youonly deceive yourselves. You sow a

wind and you wil l reap a whirlwind.The great t ruths of l i fe are the spiri tualt ruths. Those professing rel igious beliefs must take them seriously. Theymust become a law to l ive by and notmere ut terances of words. M an mustrecognize the existence and the divinityof the soul and all life. H e mu st realizethe necessi ty of purifying his own mot ives. He must real ize the supremacy of love. The law that must govern wordand speech and deed.

Take greed from the heart of men.Take profi ts out of business. Recognize

the fa therhood of God and the brother hood of man. Accept the moral law thatyou are your b roth er’s keeper, and the

day of warfa re i s gone . Th e peace ineach man’s heart will radiate to all theworld. W ha tev er makes for tolerance,whatever wil l break down the barriersof race, creed, nationality, will make for

peace . Wh atev er makes for hea lth andhappiness, whatever makes for self-expression and self-fulfilment will make

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for peace. Joy and peace go hand inhand. W e need a worldwide fa ith thatwill uni te al l mankind. W e need aunited nat ions of the world that wil l

treasure the gifts of the spirit that each

nation can offer — in music, art, literature, dancing, science and scholarship.W e need a world-wide phi losophy thatwill recognize man’s spiritual origin and

destination.

V V V

P A G ES F R O M T H E P A S T

(Continued from Page 62)

others. W h er e the will is set upon i t,there will be no room for malpractices."

"Riches and honor a re what men de sire; but if they arrive at them by improper ways, they should not continueto hold them. Poverty and low estateare what men dislike; but if they arriveat such a condit ion by improper ways,they should not refuse i t ."

"One may hear the right way in themorning, and at evening die.”

"The scholar who is intent uponlearning the right way, and who is yetashamed of poor at t i re and poor food.

is not worthy of being discoursed with."

Tsai Yu. a disciple, used to sleep inthe dayt ime. Sa id the Maste r , " On emay hardly carve rot ten wood, or use atrowel to the wall of a manure yard! Inhis case, what is the use of reprimand?"

Tsze-lu then said, "I should like, sir.

to hear what your heart is set upon."

Th e M aste r repl ied, "It is this: inregard to old people, to give them quietand comfort; in regar d to friends andassociates, to be faithful to them; inregard to the young, to t reat them withfostering affect ion and kindness.”

V V V

Is Genius A ttainab le ? B y F r a t e r H e r m a n M . S c h a t z m a n

ES. genius is attain able; but we mustbe willing to payt h e p r i c e . A ss o m e o n e s ai d ,"Genius is ninetyper cent perspiration and ten percent inspi ra t ion.”T h e perspira tion

p a r t c o n s i s t s o f us ing a l l of ourt i me a nd e ne rgyf o r o u r c h o s e n

field.There a re only twenty-four hours in

every day, whether you are a scient ist ,

a philosopher, or a thoughtless laborer.

The frui ts of genius bloom only through

concentrat ion. This concentrat ion must

be immune to the temptations of luxury,

and to the diversified pleasures of the

materia l world , such as: clothes, food.

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money, riches, honor, fame, dignity,etc. Eve rything must be subm erged inthis omnipresent desire to know, tounderstand, and to portray in some formsome of the infini te t ruth that you havetorn from the confines of the universe.

As for the ten per cent inspirat ion, i tis the reward of the ninety per centperspirat ion! T h e frui t of our concentrat ion, with i ts t raining toward minuteand cri t ical 'discernment , makes us s ensi t ive to the quiet promptings of the innerman. This source of. a l l knowledge becomes a ready assistant to our per

sistent inquiries for more t ruth. Thissmall voice speaks as "inspirat ion,” thei l lusive quest of the average man whohas not the character and determinat ionto make the small voice a constantfriend.

Happy i s the man who can pay theprice of genius, for what he loses in thefinite, he gains a hundredfold in theinfinite.



R osicrucian Behaviorism By T h o r K j im a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

H E T H E R w e wishto or not, whetherwe like it or not,we find ourselvesconsidered as representatives of thegroups to whichw e b e l o n g . O u rfamily, our society,our church will be

j u d g e d fa vorablyo r u n f a v o r a b l yaccording to ourspeech and actions.

In Europe, for example, i t was customary at one t ime to despise Americansbecause of the many weal thy and uncultured people who had the t ime andmoney to spend on travell ing. Hotelkeepers and stores took advantage of American travellers until they lost theAmerican tourist trade. I t is a commonfailing for people to generalize hastilyand fallaciously.

People say of President Roosevelt ,“You can tell that he had his training inGroton and Harvard .” People th ink that musicians must be temperamental ,artists immoral, and writers eccentric.

People think that teetotalers must bepeculiar and extreme.

T h e W e do no t wan t t o be t agged with

R osicrucian u n sa v o ry ep it he ts s uc h a s V e e r " o rfanatics before the public has an op

portunity to get acquainted with ouraims and course of instruction. W e donot want people to be afraid of us be

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cause they have heard that mystics disapprove of meat-eating or of certainfacets of the marriage relationship; thatmystics are ascetic, unworldly, impractical. and unsocial.

W e do not expect mankind to attainillumination in one genera tion. Th ere isa long stretch between the beginner onthe path and the student ripe for illumination. Any one, for example, canlearn to understand and appreciatemusic or ar t without making i t a profes sion and it is not difficult to learn toplay one instrument moderately well .

The knowledge is a pleasure besidesmaking you a finer type of individual.It is better that our nation be made upof music lovers and people who enjoyspending leisure hours in practicing aninstrument. It is bet ter tha t our nationbe made up of lovers of art and peoplewho like to dabble in paints, clay, andwater colors and understand what al i thograph, a woodcut, and an etchingare. W h a t an inspiration i t would be forour ar t ists and musicians if we were anation of music lovers and art lovers!

The same principle holds true withmyst ic s tudies . W e wa nt the wor ld to

be interested in mysticism, to admireand respect mystics, to appreciate theaims of mysticism, to honor the greatmyst ics of the world . W e wa nt the co operation of man kind . It is no t impor tant a t present that every man andwoman reach the sublime heights in thisincarnation. It is no t nec essa ry that all

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reach the very advanced stage where astrictly ascetic life is necess ary. Fo r along time students of mysticism can livevery much l ike the average human be

ing. enjoying in moderation all that thewo rld ha s to offer. In fact, it is pa rt of the human education on earth to explorethe avenues of the senses, that they maybecome neutralized by a conscious und erstanding. He who l ives entirely apartfrom the world cannot understand theproblems, perplexities, and difficultiesthat huma n beings mus t face in daily life.

W e who have drunk deeply of thewaters of the well of life know that evena little must bring refreshment to theparc hed lips of mank ind. Eve n a littleknowledge of the W ay . the Truth , andthe Life will make life happier on earth.

Just a little kindlier feeling, just a littlemore compassion, a little more sympath y for the weak, the helpless, the defeated. the frustrated, will completelychange the nature of our civilization.W ith all our mechanical improvements,with all our societies, foundations,schools, hospitals, and clinics, our civilization is still ruthless and barbarous.Nietzsche's cruel dictum still seems tobe the guiding motif : "T he we ak mustgo to the wall and we must help themthereto.”

There is so much needless suffering

in our lives caused by indifference, carelessness. and lack of consideration.Much of the misery in marriage woulddisappear if each put the welfare of theother first. Forem en and teache rs couldkeep their enthusiasm on a high pitch if principals and supervisors did not treatthem like irresponsible beings and impose upon them rules and regulations ora uniform method like a straight jacket.Superiors are not and should not playthe part of an infall ible God. T he worldof politics and business is honeycombedwith graft , corruption, and downrightdishonesty. It is quite evident that

people do not take either God or themoral law seriously.

Think how our world would be t ransformed over night if we could inspiremankind to accept God and the morallaw, if we could implant into the worldconsciousness the doctrine of rebirthand the law of cause and effect. W ou lda man steal if he realized that he wfasonly stealing from himself? W ou ld a

man slay if he knew that the weapon

would be turned against himself?W ou ld a man gamble if he knew thatthe unearned wealth must all be given

up? W ou ld a man exploit others if heknew that rebir th would place himamong the exploited? W ou ld a man beutterly indifferent to the needs and sensibilities of women if he knew that hewould have to take his place some dayin their ranks in order to be made tounderstand all emotions and sufferings?

W he re experience and realizationhave not opened our eyes, we are unimaginably callous and even cruel. T helight that mysticism has to give is sorelyneeded. The great insti tutions of thepast have broken down. They no longerexert the influence which they did

previously. T he church has lost its influence. Fe w take church doctrine seriously. Society is still undem ocratic a ndcompetitive. Th e schools still gropeblindly for aims and methods. O ur bestschools are distinctly snobbish in spirit.Science is still coldly impersonal, andindifferent to the immoral uses of itsgifts. T he home is no longe r a littlesanctuary wi th the parents the guard ians of the hearth. Children frequentlymust be saved fr om the pernicious influence of the home and the parents.

The world we have created is out of

harmony and equil ibrium. W e are alll ike Alice-in-Wonderland, and we donot know whether we are coming or going. For what shall we educate ourchildren in an insecure society? Ho wcan a woman dream of wifehood ormotherhood when men prefer self-centered and sensual l ives? Ho w can aman be honest in a society of cut-throatcompetit ion or the mass-production of machine-like corporations?

W h at the wor ld needs i s soul education, spiritual enlightenment, simpleethics and morality. Until the dregs of human ity are ’redeemed, a nd we stop

creating the gulf between the very poorand the very rich, there will be nopeace for any of us. Until ruthless warfare ceases, there is no place for the accomplishments of culture. Until theworld is safe and sane, and orderly,there is no happiness for any of us orour near ones and dear ones. W e mustlearn to regard all mankind as near ordear, as brothers and sisters.

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That is the message we want to putacross. That is the salvat ion the worldneeds. That is all wre want to do atpresent. That is all wre want you to do.

It is suicidal to ignore the needs of the w orld ’s submerged masses.

W e, as members of the RosicrucianOrder, can lend a hand in this mightyand divine task. Let us conce ntrate onessentials. Let us hamm er on the greatmoral law. Let us teach people the fallacy, the shame of callousness, cruelty,and he artless selfishness. Let us notexamine our members to see whetherthey lack any angelic qualifications. Let us not waste t ime on doctrinal interpretat ions. For get about meat-eat ing, because it is sometimes found necessary.Our strict vegetarians are as unchari t

able as the arrogant Brahmins towardthe meat-eaters. T h e storm about mari tal continence is unnecessary at present.Society has not yet reached the state of development, you will all admit, wheremarriage is unnecessary. In fact, weneed a revival of the institutions of marriage. All the virtue s tha t a beautifulhome and family l ife engend er are sorely needed in our madly materialistic society. Individual ism rampant must becurbed. It is proven a deadly menace.

Psychic powers, too, are unimportantat present . To l ive in New York and do

business in China by project ion arefantast ic and gross exaggerat ions of myst ical teachings. W e do not wan t tolure members by misrepresentat ion oran appeal to cupidi ty or the promise of miracles. W e do not give our membersa secret formula for instantaneous success or happiness . W e do not want to

win members by false promises. W ewant Rosicrucianism to be a way of l i fe emphasized. W e wa nt ethics, morali ty,and character t raining stressed. Let theworld learn to live in the light of thehighest ideals it already possesses.

Since the world wil l judge Rosicru

cian claims by members of the Rosicrucian Order, le t us make an effort tobe worthy of the message that we haveelected to give. Let us scrutinize ourown con duct remorselessly. Let us be

R o s ic ru c ia n ” os] e ye fu l i n t hough t , i n word a nddeed. Let us be as neat and dignified inappearance and at t i re as the world demand s. Let us cultivate refinement inmanners an d speech. Let us be gentle,

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courteous, and as considerate as weknow how. Let us act in the mann er wehave always dreamed and imagined andexpecte d real Rosicrucians to act. As

the poet said, " W e g r o w l ik e unto the thing we contem plate.” It is frightfullydisi l lusioning to new members and topeople who have not yet entered theOrder to hear a member ta lk rude ly tohis wife, or to see officers or membersact coldly to each other, or disinterestedin the problems of their brothers.

Let us try to lead superio r lives. Letus spend our leisure in beautiful ways.Let us cultivate the arts. Let us learn tolove reading and study and good books.I said to a member recently: "W h ydo n’t you read more? W h y don ' t you

bring your information up to date? ” Hereplied, "I used to read much. I havemany books in my l ibrary, but I haveno time to read.” Read goo d newspapers and magazines. Keep abreast of times. Kno w wha t is going on in theworld. Be intell igent and informed inconversat ion. People do not have toagree with you, but they should respectyour abi l i ty to maintain your point of view. T he y should be forced to admitthat you try to l ive up to your ideals.Let the world see that membership inthe Rosicrucian Order makes a defini te ,unmistakable impress upon your per

sonal i ty and you r li fe. Let yo ur l ightso shine among men that they will beconstrained to praise the Lord. Youhave no idea how careful ly peoplewatch you and how wide your circle of influence is. If you m ake an effort torepresent the ideals of the Order adequately, i f you are not afraid to bemil i tant in your defense and promulgation of Rosicrucian principles, you willbe a t ruly worth y servan t of the Cosmic.You wil l be a channel for Cosmic purposes. Yo u will be a light to all men.

If you love humanity, can any causebe nobler? Can a ny cause be more

worthy of your supremest efforts , yourconcent rated support? W i th the he lp of profound conviction, it is not too difficult to live in the light of the highesttha t we kn ow. It is no t too difficult to

do the task assigned us either in theO rd er or in the world. N ot i f we trulylove blundering and suffering mankind.No t i f we truly love God. T o love, notask is too great, no sacrifice too much.

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T he Occult Forces In M usic(Lecture Delivered at the 1938 Annual Convention, Accompanied

on the Hammond organ by Soror Violet Cowger.)


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H E g r e a t e s t f a s c i n a t i o n i n t h estudy of the philosophy of mysti cism is that it embraces all life, allk n o w l e d g e , a n dal l ar t . Beyonde v e r y m o u n t a i np e a k l o o m s ahigher, a grander,a more imposing

range. Th e hor i zon recedes as we

approach it, and the eager soul is luredto journey on. W e have studied themystic philosophy of life. W e kno w itsrelationship to religion, to science, topsychology, to life problems and to literature. W e k now the mystic value of sound. W e know that many great ar tists have expressed mystic principlesand ideals in their paintings. But fewknow the intimate connection between

music and occult forces.The other day I came across the book

"Music" writ ten by Cyril Scott , the wellknown English composer, and i t was a

revelation to me. I felt as Keat s didwhen he first discovered Chapman’s

Homer:

"Then felt I like some watcher of the skiesW hen a new planet swims into his ken,O r like stout Co rtez, when w ith eagle eyesHe stared at the Pacific—and all his menLook'd at each other with a wild surmise—Silent, upon the peak in Darien."

The entire history of music is outlined,all the great composers are discussed,the hidden effects are analyzed, and thecourse of music in the future is outlined.To read the book is to make one keenlyaware how much one who has not beenan ardent devotee of music has missed.One is filled with the desire to study.One is overwhelmed by the convictionof a powerful source of joy, inspiration,and of creative forces. W e can f indGod in a sunset, a poem, the test-tube,

in a mathematical formula, in prayer,but the most beautiful way is to findGod in song, for the soul to soar upward on the wings of melody. Howpitifully narrow is the life of the average hum an being! Ho w much morebeautiful when enriched with art, poesy,and song!

The book is very interesting, butmust be read with an understandingheart , and can be appreciated by oneversed in mystic lore and Cosmic law.I can not begin to recount all the interest ing data, and can mention only a few

of the most surprising facts.The author begins by posing thisquestion: "How is it that in each periodof musical history a part icula r composerhas contacted and selected a part icularset of ideas, the aggregate of whichhas consti tuted what is now known ashis individual style? Ha s his selectionbeen purely the outcome of individualtemperament and taste, or has i t been

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influenced by powers exterior to him

self?” T he answer can be found only inthe esoteric history of music. T he a uthor makes the statement that theMaster Kut-Hu-Mi, the h ighest knowninit iate, who graduated at Oxford in

1850 and now resides in Shigatse,Tibet, takes a special interest in theevolution of W es tern music. Indeed heconsiders i t advisable that students of occultism of all schools should morefully appreciate the great importance of music as a force in spiritual evolution,and to this end he has revealed muchthat has hitherto not been revealed andthat cannot fai l to prove of paramountinterest to all music lovers. Ho we verthis statement may be, we can only accept i t as given by the author. The message alone interests us and i t is of suf ficient importance and interest to de

mand our most earnest at tention.T he s ta tements of P la to and Ar isto t le

in regard to music are fundamentalesoteric principles. "Mus ical training”writes Plato, "is a more potent instrument than any other , because rhythmand harmony f ind their way into the inward places of the soul, on which theymighti ly fasten, imparting grace, andmaking the soul graceful of him who isr ightly educated." So pronounced wasPlato's opinion of the effects of musicthat in another part of his "Republic”he says: "T he introduction of a newkind of music must be shunned as imperilling the whole State; since styles of music are never disturbed without af fecting the most important political in

st i tutions."

Aristotle wrote: "Emotions of anykind are produced by melody andrhythm; therefore by music a man becomes accustomed to feeling the rightemotions. Music has thus the power toform character, and the various kindsof music based on the various modes,may be distinguished by their effects oncharacter . One, for example, workingin the direction of melancholy, another

of effeminacy, one encouraging abandonment, another self-control , anotherenthusiasm, and so on through the

series.”

There is no doubt that each specifictype of music has exercised a pronounced effect on history, on morals,and on culture; that music is a more

potent force in the moulding of characterthan religious creeds, precepts, or moralphilosophies. Mu sic operates on themind and emotions of man through themedium of suggestion. The part icularemotion which a given piece of music

depicts is repro duce d in ourselves. Itoperates through the law of correspondences. N ot only the emotional contentbut the essence of the actual musicalform tends to reproduce itself in humancond uct. "A s in music, so in life.”There are several types of music whichoperate on the mind. Thus Bach's musichad a very definite effect on the mentality, for in accordance with our axiom,as Bach's art is of an intellectual type,it produces an intellectual effect. Anexamination of history proves that aninnovation in musical style has invariably been followed by an innovation in

poli t ics and morals. In Eg ypt andGreece, for example, the decline of music was followed by the complete decline of the Egyptian and Grecian civilizations themselves.

Handel 's music influenced the char acteristics of the Victorian era. It was,in fact, his exalted mission to revolutionize the state of English morals. Hismusic inspired awe and reverence. Th ekeynote of Bach ’s genius was profun dity, one replete with high inspirationand inventiveness. His music had amarked influence upon the mentality.

The mathematical ingenuity of hisfugue-writ ing alone contr ibuted greatlyto this influence. From the day thatBa ch’s music spread abroad, dates thevastly increased intellectuality of theGerman people and the endeavors of some of the greatest thinkers. His musiclikewise was responsible for the richharvest of subsequent German composers. Bach with his musical logicaroused a remarkable taste for philosoph y in the Teu ton ic people. Bach firstintellectualized the Germans, then Handel appeared and conventionalizedthem.

Beethoven's mission was to portrayin sound every variety of human emotion. Fo r this reason it was essentialthat he should be born to suffer, bornwith manifold difficulties against whichto contend; difficulties of temperament,of external circumstances, and corporealdifficulties. In order to express the en

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tire gamut of human emotions in thecipher of music, he had first to experience, if not all, at an y ra te most of them.The rest was achieved through the

imagination. Bee thov en’s music, then,induced sympathy on a scale hithertounknown, and made possible the introduction later on of the science of psychoanalysis. It w as in fact, the forerunner of this therapeutical science. Hismusic gave people the power to fe el with and not merely to fee l fo r. F u r thermore, it was the tolerance-inspiringeffect of Beethoven’s music which gaverise to the writings of Havelock Ellis,Forel, Krafft-Ebing. Bloch and others—those painstaking and self-sacrificing investigators of sexual psychology.

Mendelssohn, though so different in

character from Beethoven, worked unconsciously to the sa me end —the instilment of symp athy. Beethoven's greatart was to awaken compassion by portraying the wretched and the destitutein all their misery; Mendelssohn’s wasto achieve the same result by portrayingthem made happy. Th at Mendelssohnenhanced the sympathy-arousing effectsof Beethoven's music is obvious fromthe even greater increase of charitableinstitutions which became manifest sometwenty years after he had passed away.Between the year 1879 and 1904 no lessthan 58 charitable institutions were in

augurated in London alone.Chopin was the musical poet par ex

cellence of re finemen t—n ot a superficial,but an inner refinement of soul. He wasthe first tone-poet in the truest and mostspecific sense. H e was an unconsciousmedium for the aspirations, longingsand thwarted spir itual desires of the intelligentsia of his day. In the domain of painting his music indirectly inspiredthe Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood andBurns-Jones; in the domain of literature,the stylistic refinements of Flaubert,Rossetti , Paul Verlaine, Maeterlinck and others. The influence of Chopin

upon manners was as pronounced if notas apparent as his influence upon literature and art . His music had an aestheti-cizing effect. Th us C hopin was responsible for a st ep in th e right direction —he had altered and refined the motive.T ha t people should refrain from doinga thing because it was unbeautiful wasbetter than that they should merely re

frain because it was unconventional. Heinspired the inauguration of societiesconnected with intellectual or artisticpursuits.

Chopin's influence upon women wasespecially appreciable in Germany andEngland. Neith er the Germ an nor theEnglish women of the period were, asa rule, mentally cultured. Th ere w as inthe Victorian era seldom any truefriendship between husbands and wives.The men feared God, the women fearedGod and their husband s. I t thereforebecame necessary that a subtler influence should be employed to break down

this debilitating de pen den cy—’that influence was Chopin. He affected women,though unbeknown to themselves,through his refinement, his delicacy, his

aestheticism. He awak ened the desirefor culture by portraying the poetry of refinement and the inherent charm of poetry i tself. Th e result was th at women who had been perfectly content tostay at home and make the home beautiful began to join societies for the betterunderstanding of poetry and the f inearts. I t was the beginning of the emancipation of womanhood.

Music even influenced the educationof ch i ldren . Th at the k indergar ten be came a popular institution was in partdue to the influence of Robert Schumann's music, while much later on, the

Montessori system was actually inspir ed by that influence. It crystallized atlast the realization that children are alldifferent from one another, and hencemust be treated individually and noten masse; that children cannot be educated by anyone else, and "that the impulse to learn must come from withintheir own m inds ’*; tha t child ren a re soconstituted that "given proper condit ions they prefer educating themselvesto any other occupation.” Schumannwas the true poet of the child-soul, of the child-nature, of the child-life. Hismusic has a marked effect on children;

it affects their subconsciousness in amanner in which none hitherto has beencapable of affecting it. It is the onlymusic so far conceived which is attunedto the child-mind, and for this reasonit is the only music capable of educatingthe child.

Like Chopin, Robert Schumann hasexercised a marked effect on the pic-

Tw o hundred e ightye ight



tonal art. H e was largely responsiblefor tha t type which was known asJugendst i l (Y ou th-s tyle ). I t was inevidence in the final decade of the lastcentury, but since then i t has undergonedevelopment at the hands of a variety

of art ists . Bu t even more has Schumannbeen responsible for moulding the post-

impressionist painters, and many of those who hav e fol lowed. If we examinethe spiri t of post-impressionism we not ice that i ts outstanding feature isnaivete, and the drawings and paint ingsinspired by its influence look as if theyhad been executed by chi ldren — thetrees, houses, figures, all suggest thehand and mind of a chi ld. This isnot iceable in the works of Gauguin andVan Gogh, and also more so in those of Picasso. This primitiveness, this simplici ty of conception, has spread far and

wide in all countries. It w as indirectlyinspired by Schumann, as the pre-Raphael i tes were indirect ly inspired byChop in. It took longer to materialize,but Schumann’s music was never soextensively played as that of Chopin.

Bee thoven had por t rayed humanlove , Bach and Handel had por t rayedreligious devotion or love for God.W ag ne r was the f irst to to por t ray tha tLove is God, the Divine Love, or whatin certain schools of occultism is termedthe Buddhic.

Only an Initiate is in a position to

know the spiri tual value or al t i tude of agiven piece of music. No n-in itiates canonly feel it and judge by the effects onthemselves. Those who are able clair-audient ly to hear music of the higherspheres, hear not only one melody, but

countless melodies simultaneously, andal l blending together in subtle harmony.The music of earth which most closelyresembles that of these higher planespossesses the greatest spiri tual value.W he n the ingenui ty of a composer issuch that he can interblend severalbeautiful melodies so that they can beplayed simultaneously to produce one

harmonious whole, then the spiri tual i tyof his music is assured.

Some of the effects of these spiritualpor t ions in W ag n er ’s music have come into manifestation, as all those movements, having unity or brotherhood astheir ideal, are the result of his influence. His music also arous ed the feel

T w o h u n d r ed eightynine

ing of intense nationalism for which theGerman s became notorious. From thepoint of view of the occult student , theforegoing is a de ar demonstrat ion of theresponsibil i ty which rests upon the composer who is blind to the effects his

music creates.Th e psychologica l puzz le of W a g

ner 's character is solved through occultism. Because he possessed such astrong desire to help mankind he earnedthe right to be used by the Masters,who recognized in him the finest musicalmedium they were l ikely to have for the

next fi f ty years or more . W e have noevidence to show that he was aware of this overshadowing, nor of the fact thathe was so extensively used by theCosmic, which is enough to account fortrai ts in his character w hich hav e cal ledforth such strong criticism from someof his later biographers. It often ha ppens that Cosmical ly inspired peoplelose their sense of propo rt ion and valuesand become imbued wi th what appearsto be intense egoism and selfishness.This is largely because they are cent ral ized and do not swing to the ext remes of polari ty. Attribu tes such asmodesty or its opposite, conceit, play nopart in their consciousness. T o " get themessage across" is al l that concernst he m. Thu s t he c ha ra ct e r whi c h W a g ner showed to the world was no t exc lusively his own. It was in par t Cosmic

al ly dominated.Richard Strauss accentuated theGerman race-feel ing which much of W agn er ' s music had been ins trumenta lin emphasizing. By a grandiose port rayal of bat t le through the medium of music, he glorified war and strife, creating thereby a thought -form which wasused b'y the Dark Forces to help precipi tate the war i tself . T he music of both W ag ne r and St rauss st imula tedthe love of freedom. Con sequen tly allthose freedom-aspiring movements including the demand for easier divorcelaws and mil i tant suffrage came into

prominence.All high Ini t iates have the power, by

means of thought-transference, to impress upon the minds of such per sons as are sufficiently receptive any ideas theymay think fit . But when we say impress,we use the word in a suggest ionist icsense, and in no other. Th ey suggest



T h e

R osicrucia n

D ig est

S e p t e m b e r

1 9 3 8

ideas to the poet, musician, painter,wri ter or phi losopher. They do not fo rc e ideas upon him. The recipient is oftenquite unconscious of where his inspiration comes from, and has no suspicion

that he is either the subject of thought-transference or temporari ly "overshadowed” by an unseen Ego. Wi thincomparat ively recent years certain of the Masters who special ize in the artshave deemed i t expedient to inspire atype of music calculated to augmentspirituality by me a ns ' o f knowledge. Through music man should at leastcome to sense that other world with i tsmillions of incorporeal denizens existing

concurrent ly with the physical .

The vibrat ions of music actual ly affect the occult constitution of man. Thequarter-tone of Indian music especial lyaffects the mental body, hence the domain of mind, philosophy, metaphysics.The thi rd- tone of anc ient Egypt ianmusic especially affected the emotionalbody, hence the domain of the emotions—ritual , music and occult knowledge.The ha l f - tone of European musicespecially affects the sensations, thephysical body, hence the domain of mat ter. mechanics, government of men.pract ical i ty. N or is the reason far toseek. The quarter-tone is the mostsubtle division of the note, therefore itsinfluence is the most subtle of the high

er bodies. The third-tone is a less subtledivision and therefore it influences thecorrespondingly less subt le emotionalbody. The half-tone is the least subt leof all and therefore it influences thephysical.

“As above , so be low." W ha t i s ac tu ally heard of music is only its physicalmanifestat ion depending upon i ts vibrations, which pertain to the "below"; inother words, we perceive the effects of those musical vibrations on the physicalplane, but we do not perceive the morefar-reaching effects created by thatmusic on the hig her planes. It is just

these "above” vibrat ions which influence our various subtler Bodies and ourcharacters, because they influence thoseplanes themselves. Th ese effects can beperceived by the t rained seer and assume both forms and colors commensurate with the art ist ic value and emotions which the music expresses. Butthe following point should be especially

noted. W he re a man is ent irely lackingin a particular quality, and hence in itscorresponding color, then in that part ic ular respect the subtler manifestat ions of music can not affect him. W er e i t oth er

wise. the most unevolved souls woulddevelop with an astounding rapidi ty,particularly in the large cities wherethere are concert hal ls and operahouses. That even the most undiscipl ined characters are susceptible to thebeneficial influence, however slight, isvery not iceable, and for this reasoneven hand-organs serve a useful purpose in the slums.

One very important point we havest i l l to add. namely, that the subtler effects of played music, the colors andforms produced on the emotional plane,endure for some t ime after the actualsound s have died away. It is for thisreason that i t is unnecessary for a person to be within earshot of music inorder to benefi t to some extent by i tseffects. Think, friends, of the extraordinary implicat ions of these state ments. W e are affected by the music inour neighborhood even if we do nothear i t . The educat ional possibi l i t iesare overwhelm ing. If, to be in the

neighborhood of music is so potent ,how much more so i f we hear andunder stand! Even greater wil l be theeffects of pat ient ly studying music and

prac tic ing it day by day. W h a t grea te rincent ive can anyone want to applyhimself immediately to this most inspiring of all the arts?

Cesar Franck was a maste r of tha tform of improvisation which Initiatesknow to be the Cosmic type. H e is thebridge between the human evolut ionand the psychic. One resul t of hisachievement was the diffusion of pract ical myst icism throughout Europewhich began toward the end of the lastcentury. Ma nkind in general is averseto accepting anything new. N ot only isthe objective mind in resistance to it .

but still more so the subco nsciou s. Itwas this resistance in the subconsciouswhich Cesar Franck was ins t rumenta lin breaking down. He helped to insinuate into i t those very ideas whichlater on so many people came to accept.Franck was an Ini t i a te , but wi thoutclairvoyance. He was an intermed iarybetween the Cosmic forces and human

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i ty as Edward Gr ieg was an in ter mediary between the nature forces andhumanity. I t was Grieg who paved the

way for Frederick Delius, ClaudeAchille Debussy, Stravinsky and others,and finally for Scriabin — one of thegreatest exponents who has so far ap pear ed in the field of art. Hit her to eventhe most advanced have only been ableto "bring through" a small portion of

the music of the spheres, and that iswhy the hyper -moderns sound so d is cordant to us.

Since Debussy and Ravel have spreadabroad their influence, a perceptiblechange in the att i tude towards the"uns een” has taken place. Popularmagazines print articles dealing with thesubject of Furies as possible objectiverealities and not merely as figments of the imagination. T he interest in folklore has widely increased. Learned menhave published books on the folk-lore of the various countr ies. T he num ber of people with psychic perception is increasing. and instead of being scoffed atas visionaries, their assertions are takenwith a degree of seriousness which for merly would not have been accordedthem. Th e chasm between the unseenand the seen is growing ever narrower.

Scriabin became the greatest expon

ent of psychic music. He w as also thefirst European composer who combineda theoretical knowledge of occultismwith the tonal ar t . He knew that hehad a spir i tual message to convey tothe world, and that through music i tcould be given. H e wante d to benefitthe human race. He died at the age of 44 with his greatest work unaccomplished. Unlike Franck , Scriabin wasnot a trained initiate, and hence in contacting the Cosmic planes he subjectedhis delicate physical vehicle to such astrain that he laid himself open to theattacks of the Dark Forces. N ot being

clairvoyant and possessed of the necessary knowledge he was unable to keepalive.

The dissonances of modern music areaccomplishing another important occultpurpose. They help to destroy destructive though t-forms . It is an occult musical fact that discord (used in its moralsense) can alone be destroyed by discord. T he reaso n for this is tha t thevibrations of intrinsically beautiful

music are too rarified to touch the comparatively coarse vibrations of all thatpertains to a much lower plane. T hu s

the work of destroying these noisomemoral germs has been allotted to Stravinsky, Schonberg and other ultra-modernists. Th ey are also helping tobreak down that conventional thinkingwhich is the greatest obstacle to spiri tual progress. Although conventionali ty was indispensable as a means of establishing law and order af ter theRestoration, i t has now served i ts pur pose . Just as Handel was used by theCosmic to produce i t, the hyper-mode rnshave been likewise "used" to abolish it.Their dissonances, at tacking the hardoutlines of the mental bodies of reac

t ionary people, render them more pliantand receptive to new ideas. Modernmusic is in a transition stage, and westill await the time when concord anddiscord shall be united in perfectharmony.

It is interesting to note that the musicof Moussorgsky and the Ballet with alli ts enthusiasm-creating rhythms andtone-color helped to precipitate the Ru ssian revolution. I t may be add ed thatall songs which are genuine songs, andnot a species of recitative, superimposedupon an accompaniment, tend to inspire

sympathy, give poise and balance, andsusta in the gentler side of life. Evenstreet music is valuable in that it helpsto educate unevolved souls.

Cyril Scott’s comments on jazz arehighly illuminating. Accord ing to himit was put through by the Dark Forces.As a result, a very marked decline insexual morals became noticeable. T heorgiastic element about i ts syncopatedrhythm, entirely divorced from anymore exalted musical content, produceda hyper-excitement of the nerves andloosened the powers of self-control. Itgave rise to a false exhilaration, a ficti

t ious endurance, an insatiabil i ty resulting in a deleterious moral and physicalreaction. I t caused a setback in man'snature toward the instincts of his racialchildhood. Jazz-music at its heig ht veryclosely resembled the music of primitivesavages. A further result of it wa s i tssuggestion of sensationalism which hasso greatly increased. As jazz itself wa smarkedly sensational, the public hascome to demand "thrills" in the form of

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"crook dramas" and plays, the onlydramatic interest of which is connectedwith crime, mys tery and brutality. Thi salso applies to sensational fiction, thewidespread and exaggerated interesttaken in prize-f ights and other symp

toms of sensationalism.Th e question may be asked: “Then

why did the higher powers permit Jazzto ‘come thro ugh '?" Let us venture areply. If we take two notes out of achord, say an F and a B and play themsimultaneously they produpe a discord,but if we a dd the remainde r of the notesthe effect is a conco rd. Similarly, if wecan only perceive the isolated parts of agreat spiritual scheme, those parts inthemselves may appear evil, but in con

ju nc ti on wit h th e whole th ey are re al lygood. It wa s necessa ry for the spiritual

evolution of the race that both men andwomen should acquire a measure of judi ci ou s co nt ro l, entir e ly for its ow nsake and not in view of any other considerations. Con ditions today giveyoung people practically all the freedomthey want. Jazz-music has tended tomake that lesson rather more difficultand consequently the learning of i t al lthe more meritorious.

Another chapter of extraordinary interest is that on musicians and theirsubtler bodies. T he psychological or ganism of the artist, be he creator orinterpreter, differs from that of the

average man. Artists function in thesympathetic system as opposed to thecerebro-spinal; in the emotions ratherthan in the mind. T he average successful musical executant is endowed withpsychic receptiveness which is not sohighly developed in the average man,

hence those disturbances which so oftenassail his passional nature. The exactscience of sound, being as yet unknownin the West, composers and executantsalike, are not always able to discriminate among the innumerable influences

to which their subtler vehicles are open.There has always been a certain streamof inspiration emanating from the W hi teLodge, but whether it is, or has been,successfully contacted by any givencomposer depends, and has depended,upon the state of his own inner development. In this way only can the higherforces be contacted, and all influencesof a less desirable nature will be excluded. Th is is the only recognized linewhich will have the cooperation of theW hite Lodge, as it was found that anearlier method which consisted in a-rousing the physical centers to a state

of awareness proved exceedingly dangerous in irresponsible or unscrupulouspeople.

The music of the near future willtend to become more harmonious thanthat of recent years, and inspired withthe idea of helping man to obtain greater poise in and control of his lowervehicle. Only when such poise andcontrol have been to a very considerablemeasure attained will the Higher Forcesdeem it safe or possible to allow theBuddhic music to be given to the world.W ere i t "put through" prematurely

there is grave r isk of undesirable reactions upon unbalanced temperaments.The future exponent of sound, withmind fully controlled, will project theSelf into the higher spheres for inspirat ion and guidance, and bring down intomanifestation the music of the spheres.

T h e

Rosic rucia n

D iges t

Sep t ember

1938

H E R M E S L O D G E C E R E M O N IE S

Hermes Lodge, Rosicrucian (AM OR C) Temple, of Southern California, located at148 North Gramercy Place, Los Angeles, will conduct a number of interesting ceremoniesthis fall. It extends an invitation to all members of the G rand L odge at large, w ho residewithin the vicinity of Los Angeles, to participate in and a ttend the ceremonies. It is onlynecessary for a member to present credentials, showing that he or she is an active member of the Order, to share in these privileges.

O n Sep tember 18. 1938, at 11:00 o’clock a.m., an interesting Ro sicrucian christeningceremony will be held. Rosicrucian members wh o are parents w ill be interested in observing this ceremony, and perhaps in arranging to have their children participate in it.

On October 2, 1938. at 4:00 o'clock p.m.. a very beautiful symbolical and mysticalFirst Degree Temple Initiation will be conducted at the above address.

Two hundred ninety two



Our Youth Groups By T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

N T H E S E tryingtimes it is necess a r y t h a t w e b einterested in som ething bigger thanself - development.Pray, do not misu n d e r s t a n d m e.I am perfectly a-ware of the truismthat if each individual in a coun trycould be made ind e p e n d e n t , m o s t

of the problems of the nation would besolved. O ur age is at the crossroa ds.Modern civilization, particularly modern

democratic ideals, are being challenged.All thought of self must be cast aside.Humanity must come first.

Do we want to see modern civilization collapse as did ancient Babylon andRome? Must nature begin the long,slow, upw ard march again? Are therenot enough decent, kindly, unselfishpeople ready to sacrifice all that theyhave and are to salvage the ideals of compassion, generosity, and an understanding and forgiving sympathy sopatiently taught by the avatars of God?

W e shall not mention the unspea kable horrors, the nameless brutalities,

and the unbelievable atrocities. Theproblem is to keep the frightful plagueof hate from spreading. How shall thepoison be kept from corrupting thegrowing generation? Think of saturating the minds of little children withvile slander, with race hatred, and religious prejudice.

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It is true that the seed of race hatredexists in our own country. To ourshame, be it said, we have not yet eradicate d it. Discrimination exists openlyin practica lly every walk of life. W edrive people into certain fields of activity. and then we accuse them of monopolizing those trades. Search yourhearts, my friends. Ask of yourselves,"Have I done anything to intensifyprejud ice and discrimination? Hav e Ieliminated them from my own heart andconsciousness? Do I draw the colorline? Do I consider my religion the onlytrue one? Do I consider my race superior? Am I influenced by exte rnalities, such as the college a man graduated from, the country club to which hebelongs, and the neighborhood in whichhe lives?"

Let us exemplify democracy in ourspeech, in our conduct, in our homesan d in ou r communities. Let us beguardians of the sacred fire at least onour own hearths. Th ere is one big thingthat we can do for our country, ourpeople, and our Order. W e can train abroadminded, liberal, tolerant, foreward-thinking nucleus for the next generation. M ost of us who entered the Rosicrucian Order as adults had to re

educate ourselves painstakingly. W ehad to change our thinking processesand ou r emotional reactions. W e had tochange radically our at t i tude toward

life. W e ca n train the children to livethe Rosicrucian life naturally, to beleaders in their spheres of action, to bethe bearers of light in their circles.



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R osicrucian

D ig e s t

January

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Our civilization could be transformedover night, could we but reach the children in the proper way. T o t ra in thenecessary teachers, to change the methods of educat ion, to win over schoolboards, principals, and prejudiced citi zens, is a slow, uphill task, part of theentire problem of spreading divine W is dom. Therefore, we must begin with ourown chi ldren. W e must begin today.W e m ust make spiri tual pioneers of ourboys and girls.

Let us concentrate on our Youthgroups . W e w ant as many of the chil dren of our members as can possibly bereached. If there is no grou p in yourcommunity, organize one immediately.W e know tha t Rosic ruc ian parents a reeducating their children at home in theRosicrucian principles. But group instruction is bet ter. Th rou gh the groupthe child learns to translate Rosicrucianideals into the terms of actual livingsi tuat ions. O ur chi ldren drawn from allst rata of American l i fe must come together, get acquainted with each other,and learn to l ike each other. Th ey mu stlearn to be tolerant of differing creeds,nationalities and races. Prejudice, intolerance, and discriminat ion must be nipped in the bud. O ur chi ldren must learnto abhor these ugly at t i tudes as theywould leprosy. Love must become partof their soul equipment.

Many parents who are not membersof the Order wil l have no object ion tohaving their children join the youthgroups. The youth groups are a vi talpar t of the Order . To bui ld up one of these groups is one of the most significant tasks that you can undertake, notonly for the benefi t of the Order butalso for the benefit of the country. Th istask at present is so essential that 1would implore each and every one of you to find a child to send to the

Torchbearers ' groups . Do no t le t thegroups become too large so that the in

t imate spiri t between leader and member is lacking. Break up a large groupinto smaller groups, and let more members volunteer to take charge of them.Encourage competi t ion between thegroups. Intel l igent chi ldren are extraordinari ly receptive. They have no pre

ju dic es to ov er co me. T h e i r min ds areopen. Th ey long for loving and inspiring leadership. Their enthusiasm iseasily aroused. Th ey take a keen inter

est in the Rosicrucian principles, andthey are fascinated by the exercises. Itis a joy to watch their minds develop,their souls grow under your very eyes.

The educat ion given in our schoolstoday is too narrowly pract ical . Inspirat ion is missing. There are so manytaboos, rules, and regulat ions that inman y schools educat ion has becomeformalistic, factual, and materialistic. Inour efforts to avoid the prejudices of every group in our community, we rat ional ize or bend backwards and emasculate our school system of all idealism.There is no strong system of charactertraining. There is no defini te method of inculcating high ideals and altruism of character. W e Americans sti ll worshipmaterial success. W e have not wholeheartedly accepted a spiri tual interpretation of life. Child ren's potentialities

are ignored . Ch ildren ’s individual needsare not considered. Th e steam-rol lerprocess is apparent in every large publicschool. Society is equally indifferent.From the Rosicrucian viewpoint , bothschool and society are lacking.

Let us supply the missing elements.Let us make the effort with our youthgroups . For tha t purpose we need thewholehearted cooperat ion of al l themothers and educators in the Order.W e need the cooperat ion l ikewise of our men. Education is a vital ma tter forboth men and women. If necessary, weshal l work out a new course of instruction for our children correlating literature, art, music, science, history, biography, and psychology. W e sha l l g ivethem characte r tra ining. W e sha ll in culcate a lofty idealism. W e shall givethem a broad background of cul ture.W e shal l t rain them for service in thecommuni ty and in the Order . W e sha lltrain them to be channels for divine inspi ra t ion. W e w ant our chi ldren to belovers of the arts , to be lovers of thebes t tha t was ever thought or accomplished in the world. W e wan t them tol ive the good l i fe natural ly from p erso nal incentive. W e wan t them to carrycivil izat ion one step forward. W e needardent souls, eager to serve mankind.W e need enthusiastic chi ldren to whomthe welfare of the world is of greaterconcern than their own personal advanceme nt . W e wa nt al t ruistic souls,eager to dedicate themselves to a greatcause, impatient to throw themselves

Fo u r hundred fortyeight



into the thick of the fight, burning tostamp out wrong and to hold the torchof civilization aloft.

If there were some way to start a

gre at You th movement! If we couldarouse the enthusiasm of our Youth forpeace, fellowship, service, and thedemocratic ideals for which men likeThomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin,and A brah am Lincoln stood! A t least ,let us begin in the ranks of the Order.Let us begin with the chi ldren of ourown members. Let us take a renewedinterest in the Tor chb earer groups. Letus inaugurate a campaign in our owncommunity. Invi te the parents to visi tthe group s. Let them observe a lesson.Let the chi ldren prepare programs i l lust rat ing wha t they learn. Let them have

their own choirs, and let them arrangetheir own social events.Children t rained in Rosicrucian prin

ciples would be proof against al l propaganda, wou ld be uninfluenced by viciousnewspapers or moving pictures, andwould hold their own in the conflictingcurrents of thou ght in the world. Th eywould not lose years in haphazard andaimless drift ing. They would not goastray because of wrong philosophiesand worthless viewpoints. Th ey wouldknow the reason for their existence inthe world, and they would go abouttheir tasks energet ical ly. W e teach themthe fa therhood of God and the brother hood of men. W e teach them the basicsimilarities in all religions. W e teachthem that all the religious teachers andleaders in the world are fel low workersin the Lord ’s vineyard. W e teach themthe constructive life and the habit of posi tive thoug ht . W e teach them thebeauty of peace and kindl iness andgentleness. W e teach them high idealsof ci t izenship and the highest standardsof friendship. W e wou ld create thed re am t h a t th e y o u th f u l A K H N A T O Nhad more than five thousand years ago— a sta te ded icated to the service of God a nd Ma n .

Better than time spent in acquiringpsychic powers is winning a child.

Better than exercises awakening pre maturely powers that we cannot controlis training a child. Su perio r to over-rapid ad vancemen t for ourselves is help-

inq the new qener at ion to be better thanthe last.W e have pointed out several fields of

service for the carrying out of Cosmicplans. A t the Conv ention we spoke of music, both studying music and spreading the love of music. No w comes an other great task — winning our youth.Let us al l cooperate with the brothersand s i s te rs who are a l ready engaged inthe beautiful task. Let us show an intense interest in what they have alreadyaccomplished.

Think of the joy of t raining ouryoung folks to grow straight , unwarpedmental ly or emotionally. Thin k of themiracle of a generat ion untouched byprejudice or the sl ime of a corrupt environment. Th ink of evi l destroyed atthe root. Th ink of prejudice and discrimination cut off at the source. E n courage our youth groups in every way.Let them use the books in our chapterlibraries. Prepare little treats or surprises for them. Ta ke them in groups tosee inspiring plays and pictures and tohear inspiring concerts. Give them opportunities to make life-long friends.Give them opportuni ty to express themselves. Th ey can help spread Rosicrucian ideas effectively, both in and out of the school room. T h ey can set a highs tandard of speech and conduct wher ever they go.

Let us see what every chapter can accomplish between now and the AnnualConv ention. Let us see if the membe rship of children can be doubled. Sincethe meetings are held only once in twoweeks, at tendance wil l in no way inter

fere with oth er activities. Let us poolthe frui ts of our experiences so that wecan build up the finest child-trainingprogram ' in the world . If America isdestined to lead the way, then the chil

dren of today must be t rained to be thetype of citizen that America needs fortomorrow.

V V V

O ur whole social life is in essence bu t a long, slow striving for the v ictory of ju st ic e over force .—John Galsworthy .

Four hundred f or t y n ine



The Romance of Love By T h o r K i i m a le h to , Sovereign Grand Master

O M E T I M E Slife appears so tragic that only thelamentat ions of aJ e r e m i a h o r t h ed e s p a i r o f a J o bcan adequ ately express its woe. Ast he poe t She l l e ycried: "I fall uponthe thorns of life.I bleed." L et uslift our eyes fromthe thorns to the

rose of life. Let us drin k in its intox icating perfume, its glorious beauty andcolor. T h e sorro ws of life may be the

thorns, but love is the beauteous rose,the pearl of great price, the magic elixir.

Love is more than doing kind deeds,being harmless, and exercising compassion. T he se qualities, as we know, areindispensable to a noble character.There is a love, however, that is akin toecstacy, that is positive and creative,that wraps the whole soul in flame andthat makes one feel as God must havefelt in the hour that He created theworld. This love that lifts one to thestars, that makes the night radiant withbeauty, that makes the feet long todance and the voice to sing, lies slum

bering in the heart of every human being. This uncondit ioned love motherand child feel for each other. Boys and

girls in their first rapture experience it.

A few great souls have felt it in their

hearts for that great orphan H um anity .

W ar s and kings and victories are com

pletely forgotten, b ut the great lovers of the world are famed in song and story.

The fundamenta l impulses of the human being cannot be permanently suppressed. They seek outlets when legi t i mate channels are denied. The morestrenuous the suppression, the more violent will be the final eruption . Sublimation is possible bu t difficult. The refo relet us take to heart the ancient injunct ion to kno w ourselves. Let us regardourselves calmly an d objectively. Let ustear off the mask of convention and tra dition, and let us seek the child of Godwho lives for love and beauty, who is athome in all the world, who is on friendlyterms with birds and beas ts and flowers,

who is rad iant with joy, wh o has piercedthe veil of worldly illusion.All the world loves a lover. Romance

never loses i ts appeal . T he most popu la r songs a re the love songs . Th e most popular pictures are sweetheart stories.W h o real ly cares for a love story thatdoes not have a happ y ending? W hocan resist the impulse to glance at thelast page first to see whether difficultiesare adjus ted? Th en o ne ga ins courageto read the rest . People who maintainthat t ragedies are real istic and romancesare but fairy tales and avenues of escape, have succumbed to a defeat ist

outlook upon life. Pit y the prosaic individual wh o h as on ly an indulgent smilefor romance. H e is old befor e his time.He has not caught the spiri t of eternalyouth. A man should be in love withlife till the very last hour and even beyond. There is no reason for a man togrow old before he has even begun to

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T h e

Ro s icru c ia n

D iges t

A p r i l

1 9 3 9

live. T he fact that old age is decrepit isan accusation against our civilizationand our ent ire out look upon l i fe . Oldage should be a second blossoming, gayand cheerful . I t is said that Nino n de

L’Enclos fascinated men even at the ageof ninety. Such an old age is t ruly ad-mirable — a perp etual youth, enrichedwith all the wisdom and all the experiences garnered from the years, veryunders tanding and tole rant , ye t wi th adivine humor and the heart of a chi ld.

W he re can w e find this beautiful lovethat is immortal ized in song and story?W h y do we seek romance in movingpictures, in novels and in popular songs?W hy are we re luc tant about seeking it sresponse in hum an beings? Hu man relat ionships are marred by maladjust ment , misunderstanding, and strain.

Universi t ies give courses on how to getalong with people and on how to im

prove mari tal relat ionships. Churcheshave opened psychiatric cl inics. Qu est ionnaires are distributed to discoverwhat factors make for happiness andunhapp iness in marriage. Elabo ratestat ist ics are drawn up tabulat ing results . In one of these surveys i t wa s discovered that a happy temperament thatdoes not take offense easily is of primeimportance. This factor proved moreessent ial than social background, income, and religious affiliations. M an ypeople are of the opinion that happiness

is impossible without freedom fromfinancial difficulties. Yet no one willdeny that people who have economic securi ty become despondent , suffer frommelancholia and even commit suicide.

W h at i s the cause? Man y fac tors a reinvolved, no doubt, but the chief one isthe lack of love and faith. Th ere are or ganizat ions for women alone and formen a lone . Th ere a re very few way s inthe average ci ty for men and women tobecome acquainted with each other.Many men think i t t ime enough tomarry when they reach middle-age.

Then they marry gi r l s young enough tobe the ir daughters . Th e s t rength of youth has been squandered. Th e ebbing life is given to their wives and theirchildren. A girl is caution ed that a manmust be able to provide for her. Hemust come from the right family andbelong to the right church. In the mea nwhile , the years sl ip by. and if neur

asthenia does not resul t , the emotionsgrow cold.

To enter marriage in this cool , practical, calculating spirit is a trav esty. Toignore ut terly the cal l of the h eart is un

natural . If marriage turns into a wea rysquirrel-cage existence, i f one drearyyear fol lows another, i f frustrat ion anddisillusionment creep in, it is evidentthat genuine love was lacking. Innu merable difficulties in modern social lifewould di sappear i f men and womensought their happiness in each other andcherished genuine love for each other.The eternal t riangle is st i l l the best—husband, wife, and chi ld. These divinelyinst i tuted relat ionships are the most sat isfying, the most soul fulfilling, thesources of perpetual joy, and the fountain of eternal youth. Even the stern

puri tan poet , John Mil ton, said thatParadise was the love of husband andwife when clasped in each other’s arms.The most beautiful gifts in the worldmay be had for the asking; nay, are wonby giving.

Th e a tmosphere of the average house hold would be completely changed if thespiri t of romance were permit ted toenter. Romeo and Jul iet need not be immured on the cold printed page nor rele gated to the stage of make-bel ieve.They can symbolize married love aswell as love’s youn g drea m. Christ inaRosset t i expressed the sent iment in a

charming couplet:"If I were a queen, what would I do?I would make you my king and wai t on

you."

The spiri t of romance can glorify thehumblest home, l i ft to the stars thehumblest couple, t ransform the mostsordid environment . T h e spiri t of romance is very precious. Like the morn ing glory i t opens i ts heart only to thesun. It must be nourished with dai lyacts and words of love. Love neverwearies of loving. It must seek the wel fare of the beloved. A place must be

made fo r it in yo ur life. Yo u mu st beready to devote t ime and energy to keepthe lamp of love bu rnin g. A m an w'illimmerse himself wholly in business, re serving no t ime for companionship withwife and chi ldren. A wo man wil l plana whole program of act ivi t ies with noconsiderat ion for her husband’s needsand preferences.

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4



The home is as important as the of-nce. T he love of wife and child shouldbe cherished as devotedly as the goodwill of the employer. A man has noright to enter into marriage in a wholly

utilitarian spirit , promptly relegatinghome, wife, and child to second or eventhe last place in his life. Th e same criti cism holds true for the wife, of course.It is wrong for her to enter into marriage solely for the purpose of having ahome in which to entertain her friends,to show the world that she, too, can wina husband, or to have a father for herchild. M ost marriages with mutual effort can grow into a warm, harmoniousrelationship. It is possible to salvage amarriage if even one makes a supremeeffort and sacrifice, studying the natureof the unresponsive mate and using

every lure to awaken the dormant emotions. If you mainta in unw eariedly theemotional tone that you desire, you willfind eventual ly that yo ur wh ole environment responds. Th e surrounding vibra t ions at last harmonize with yours. Thisconsummation may take many years, Iadmit . T o the one to whom cut-and-dried relationships are unendurable, it isa prize worth striving for.

True love is recognition of soulbeauty. Tr u e love is unaffected byt ime or circumstance or outward pomp.True love knows no weariness, nor sadpatiety. T o true love the face of one’s

mate is ever dear and beautiful . To truelove the beloved is ever desirable. Tr uelove means companionship. Tr ue lovemeans gentle speech, consideration, andattention to the little things that delighta lover 's heart . True love turns thehumblest meal into a sacrament and asacred communion. T ru e love makesthe humblest life as precious and asvaluable as the gold and ivory and theprecious stones that the Queen of Shebabrought to the great King Solomon.Tru e love is not ash amed to ut ter lovingwords that warm the beloved’s heart , to

smile even when affairs are pressingheavily, and tragedy itself is in theoffing.

That woman is blessed whose throneis her husband’s heart . That man is

blessed who sees in his wife the girl of his dreams. T h at couple is blessed towhom home is a haven of peace and affection, a refuge to which they naturallyand instinctively turn. Such a marriage,such a home, preach a sermon morepowerful than words . Th e young people look at such a couple and are inspired to marry and to marry young.They learn in the most beautiful andmost natural way in the world what t ruehappiness and love are. Th e warmth of such love radiates through an ent irecommunity. Riches may disappear,youth may fade, and power may vanish,

but love that is an attribute of GodHimself exists forever.

True love does not play with hearts .True love is not selfish and brutal. Truelove is natural, wholesome, sincere, anduplift ing. Th e touch of t rue love ele vates. It never degrades, nor disparages,nor humiliates. Let us embrace the joysthat Go d bestowed. Let us rekindle theard or of love. Let us summon the spiritof roman ce to our aid. Let us seeHeaven once more in our beloved's eyes,let us thrill once more at our beloved'stouch. Let us forg et the years and beyoung once more.

The swiftest and the surest path toGod i s the pa th of Love . W he n lovereigns supreme, service and devotion area joy and given unpremeditatedly. Loveraises the vibrat ions, love awakens theintuitions. Love unlocks the secrets of nature. Love rescues the sheep that aregone astra y. Love creates world s in itsown image of beauty and del ight . Lovemakes every day a Song of Songs. Ohungry hearts of the world, fi l l yoursouls with love of beauty, love of life,love of your fellow men, and love of God.

V V V

Men are tattooed with their special beliefs like so many South Sea Islanders;

but a real human h eart with divine love in it beats with the same glow u nde r all

the patterns of all earth’s thousand tribes. — O. IV . Holm es .

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Our Democracy B y T h o r K h m a le h to , S o ve r ei g n G r a n d M a s t e r

I T H E R T O i t h a sbeen the policy of

t h e R o s i c r u c ia nO r d e r t o r e f r a i nas far as possiblefrom taking sidesin political controvers ies . O u r a imhas been to educate our membersso tha t each onemay be a force forgood in hi s ownsphere of action.

Th e poli t ical si tuat ion tod ay is far moreserious than many of our members real ize. It is necess ary, conseque ntly, tostate the Rosicrucian point of view unequivocally that our members (in theUni ted Sta tes) may know where the i r

duty lies.Our country is pledged to democrat ic

inst i tut ions. The Declarat ion of Independence, the Bil l of Rights and theConst i tut ion with i ts amendments haveestablished democratic principles as thefoundation of our government . Thatthere are deviations from the democraticideal in various parts of our country isobvious. As long as democracy is ourideal, however, there is a possibility that

these blemishes on the nat ional escutcheon wil l be erased. O ur simple duty asci t izens, whether nat ive-born or natural ized, is to be loyal to the principles of

T h e our government and to t ry to bring

Rosicru c ia n f bo ut clha n9 e,S ,th lo u9h . ^. lution, not thro ugh revolution. It is the

D ig es t duty of officials of the government to

M a y carry out the laws of our country in the1 9 3 9 democratic spirit in which these laws

were conceived. It is the duty of theschools to prepare the youth of the

country to take their places in a democrat ic society when they step out of theschoolroom. It is the duty of our socialand religious agencies to be vigilant inthe protect ion and promulgat ing of democratic principles.

The Cosmic law is that we owe agenuine loyal ty to the country in whichwe live, are educated, or which we haveadopted, and which gave us the privi leges and opportuni t ies that we enjoy.Loyalty, of course, does not imply anarrow, bigoted, super-patriot ic spiri tthat is bl ind to the needs and rights of other nations. It does mean however,that i f our country is committed todemocracy, we have absolutely no m oralright to t ry to introduce surrept i t iouslyfascism or communism, or to hamstringthe efforts of congress to solve the dif-cul t problems confronting our country,or, to be brutal ly frank, to stab thePresident in the back.

Neither fascism nor communism is inharmony with the principles of democracy. Fascism would reduce the laboring class to serfdo m. Since Hitler cameinto power, the labor unions in Germany were smashed, the working hours

were increased, and wages were re duced and l iving condit ions lowered.Fascism makes i ts appeal through racehatred, religious intolerance, and brutaloppression. Communism is based on theeconomic interpretat ion of history andatheistic materialism, but it does notfoster race hatred nor seek to degradethe working man as does fascism.W hi le our count ry i s not commit ted to

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any one religion, it definitely recognizesGod as Supreme Being. Communismrejects the principle of private property

and profits. It is a form of governmentpossible only in a community of men

whose hearts are purif ied, whose motives are wholly altruistic, and who nolonger need any incentive for toil exceptthe welfare of their fel lowmen. T he o f ficers of the Soviet government are beginning, af ter twenty years of the experiment, to realize the truth of thisstatement. Communism wh en appliedby average human beings has beentransformed into a totalitarianism nodifferent from that prevailing in Italy orin Germ any. Stalin is a dictator. Th eappeal to fear is necessary, so bloody

purges and concentration camps are resorted to.

Democracy means that we accept

every human being as part of the

broth erho od of mankind. It is his in

alienable right to worship God in his

own way. W hate ver pr ivi leges and op

portunities the country affords should

be spread as widely as possible. Each

man must be permitted to rise to his

own level. In a democrac y it is impe ra

tive that every citizen cooperate with hisfellow-cit izens and with the government. Sectional and class interests are

a danger. Arousing prejudice and racehatred on any pretext whatsoever is anational crime. Identify ing Americawith any one group or political partyin this country is un-American. The advert isements in our newspapers openlylabeled "for Christ ians only” and "Protestants only need apply” are absolutely undemociatic and un-Amer ican in

spirit. He w ho discriminates will be discr iminated against . A consistent American should make every effort to overcome in his own heart and soul pre

judi ce , in to le ra nc e, a n d cru el ty . Heshould make every effort in his personallife to break down barriers of race, sect,color, and creed.

To raise barr iers deliberately is toprecipitate karmic consequences. Thecitizens of a democracy must not belabeled because of their race, color orcreed. W e are all cit izens of the great est republic in the world. W e areparticipators in the great American experiment. W e are all pledged to the

Amer ican way of li fe . W e w ant thegreat American experiment to succeed.

Tr uly American personalit ies are men

l ike George Washington, Thomas Jef ferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln. Th ey are men renownedfor their broad humanity, their many-sided interests, and their genuine democratic spirit. N ot one wa s a dictator.Not one advocated or condoned oppression and brutality as a political instrument. Each one had the welfare of thewhole country s incerely a t hear t . W om en l ike Jane Addams of Hull House,Susan B. An thony who dedicated herlife to the cause of women’s suffrage,and Eleanor Roosevelt who works ather husband's side, are typical of the

American spirit.I f we want America to remain demo

cratic, we dare not be only tolerant.Tolerance must be transformed intofr iendship. Let our country, Quak er-like, be a soci ety of friends. Let uscultivate the good neighbor spirit. Letus take the initiative in promoting goodwill among the religious groups in ourcommunity. Let us encourage theministers, the rabbis and the priests toexchange pulpits. Encou rage the members of your church to visit the servicein a church of a different denomination.Let us look for the basic similarities.

Let us admit that differences for themost part are superficial. Surely, nomatter what our part icular rel igion maybe, as good American citizens, we canunite on the platform of faith in a livingGod, fai th in the brotherhood of al lmankind, and acceptance of the pledgein the salute to the flag, "One nationindivisibJe with liberty and justice toall.”

Our President is the r ight man tolead our country in this crucial hour.He believes in democracy. He w ants tofulfil his duties in the democratic spirit.

He is in a position to see farther thanthe majority of people in this country.He is in touch with conditions not onlyin every section of this country but alsoin every par t of the world. H e is indaily conference with experts in bothnational and international affairs. Theunemployed man interests him just asmuch as the farmer and the railroadmagnate. Democracy is his platform by

conviction.

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Rosicrucian

D ig es t

M a y

1 9 3 9

Many of our ci t izens are unable toestimate fairly the humanitarian projectsof our President . They regard si tuat ionsand policies entirely from the viewpointof their personal interests. Th ey have

no knowledge of world affairs and donot see the relat ionship between national and international events. Theycannot see, for example, how the defeatof the democracies throug hout the worldwill menace the existence of our democracy. Th ey have no knowledge of theforces working behind the scenes. Theydo not understand that eternal vigi lanceis the price of liberty. Liberty must bedemanded, defended and won. To bean intelligent citizen of a democracy,alertness, information, and social mindedness are essential. N o other form of government makes such demands on

the individual. Let us be frank withourselves. A re w e good citizens? Dowe take our obligation seriously? Dowe understand the issues at stake inlocal and nat ional and internat ional affairs? Are we awa re of the disruptiveforces at work in our country? Do you know that over e ight hundred ant i -

democratic organizations are ready to unite to form a definite political party in this cou ntry?

As a Rosicrucian, what is your re action to this challenge? Do you believe in the democratic form of govern

ment? Are you rea dy to cooperate withthe President in his efforts to preventthe spread of fascism? No w is your op portun ity to be a lea der in a crucial time.Take the initiative in promoting goodwil l. Prevent un-Am erican movementsfrom gaining headw ay. Be real ist ic andrecognize the fact that to permit suchorganizations to grow is to help democracy commit suicide.

Let us forget the birthplace of our

fa thers and our grandfa thers . W e are

immigrants all, Am erican s all. Let usappreciate the cul ture of every racial

group. Let us see the good in every rel igion. Let us ackno wledge the uniqueworth of every human be ing. Th e pr in ciples of democracy are divine principles. Th ey were formulated by R osi crucians in the Rosicrucian spirit . Th isrepublic was established according todivine plan. Let us be channels of theCosmic in keeping the character of our

government intact, in upholding thehands of our President , and in cooperating with him in his great humanitarian enterprises.

Let us consider the W . P. A. projectsbriefly. They have received more un

thinking criticism than any other project

for the public welfare. Peop le say tha t

industry can absorb many of the men

and women working for the W . P. A.

Take the people on the theatre project ,

the music project, the dance project, the

wri ters’ project , the a rt an d archi tectureproject . Can industry absorb these peo

ple? M ust all our gifted w ork in offices

and in shops? Th ese art projects havebuil t up a nat ional cul ture. Throughthem hundreds of communit ies haveseen art exhibitions, witnessed stageproductions, heard concerts, fo r th e first time; and, in many instances, permanentart gal leries, community theatres andorchestras have resulted from this initialinspirat ion. One such project . T he Fed eral Art Theatre, is now paying i ts wayin many parts of the country and attimes even making a profit (as in thecase of the Chicago production of TheMikado featuring a colored cast) sothat it may well become an asset to theGovernment . Furtherm ore, private industry can absorb these people onlywhen the public is ready to spend

money on paint ings and concerts anddance reci tals and plays, that now areregarded as luxuries. Ou r ci t izens arestill too materialistic to consider the artsessential to living. However, even inGreece, the home of beauty, the greatworks of art were national projects. In renaissance Italy, the great paint ingswere ordered by Pr inces and Pre la tes of the Church . It is cruel to harnessPegasus to a dray cart . Shal l man l iveon bread alone? If God th ou gh t fit tocreate beauty in line, in form, in color,in sound, in movement, shall we deignto consider the arts as unnecessary or

as luxurious? Th e spiri t needs nourishment as well as the body.

Th e W . P. A. projec t s a re the onlyopportunity for some people to escapediscrimination of race, creed, and colorso prevalent in this country.

As long as our civilization is materialistic and people are selfish and greedy.

[ 1 3 2 ]



it will be necessary for the governmentto step in to help the people who do notfit easily into our machine age. Tr uedemocracy does not mean that only thego-getter, the business man, the salesman, the industrialist have a chance tosucceed. It means that every humanbeing should have a place in the sun, anopportunity to exercise his divine giftsand facult ies . Th e W . P. A. has a t tempted to rectify the social and eco

nomic crimes of our brutal age.

O ur President is fight ing hard againstgreat odds. His enemies will stop atnothing in order to oppose him and in

ju re hi s re puta ti on. Giv e him a he lp inghand in his hou r of trial. Let him knowthat we understand him and agree withhim. It is true that in every generationideal ists have been martyred. Today letthere be an exception. Let us showmore understanding and help the beautiful dream of a truly public-spiritedPresident to come true.

V V V

As One H um an T o Another

B y F r a t b r J. C. L a f f e r t y , F . R. C.

AIT , my fr ie nd, put d o w n y o u r g una n d l e t u s c o n s i d e r t h i n g s a sthey are, and notas we have beenl e d t o b e l i e v e .

W h y d o w e h at eand desire to killeach other? Or dowe ? W h y d o w ego to war? Are wed e m o n s s p e w e df r o m t h e b o w e l s

of the earth, to hate, to kill and destroy,or a re we sons of God—Princes of theKingdom—brought to earth to love, andlaugh, and build a nobler universe?Come, friend, what is your answer?

Are we not prone to the same ills andweak nesses of the flesh? Do we not

suffer the same pains and sorrows, know

the same joys, the same desires to loveand be loved? Hav e you not looked inwonderment upon a day 's dawning, orstood entranced at a sunset , known the

s t ing of March winds , been drenchedby April rains, thrilled to the firstrobin's song? Do we not ask the samethings of life, a chance to work, play,love, and find a measure of happiness?Then why should we hate and ki l l eachother, and why should we go to war?

I' m su re if 1 w er e hungry and knocked at your door you would give me to

eat, as I would give to you, because I,too. have known hun ger. If I have morethan enough of something you need, isthere a reason I should not share withyou? W ha t mat te rs which of us isstrongest, which the weakest? W e havesprung from the same source, and weare fated to descend into the same earthwhen we die. W ho knows, perchancewe may l ie dumped together in thesame shal low grave. So why do we hateand ki ll each other? W h y do we go towar?

No matter on what soi l our feet areplanted, my friend, be it north, or south,or east, or west, you and I are still citi zens of a great nat ion, a country morevast—we are inhabitants of the earth.So here is my hand, friend, take i t and

try to understand that I don’t hate or

want to kill you, but I do admire you

for your courage and for what you

are. I know from my own experiences

that in meeting the challenge of life,

you have won more glorious bat t les

than any we fight with guns. So why

do we go to war? For food, shelter,

Jove, beauty, glory? Ho w should it be

considered?

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T h e

Rosic rucia n

D igest

Ju ne

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T he Mystic W ayA review by the Sovereign Grand Master, Thor Kiimalehto

W O o f t he m os tp r o v o c a t i v e v o l

umes in the Rosic r u c i a n l i b r a r y .“ T h e T e c h n i q u eo f th e M a s t e r "a n d “ T h e T e c h nique of the Disc i p l e , " a r e t h ework of the Bri t i sh Gra nd Ma s t e r , R a y m u n dA n d r e a . A t hir dv o l u m e h a s a p

peared, worthy of a place beside them.His books and his articles have revealedhim to be a genuine mystic, whose

knowledge is derived from personal experiences and at tainment . Every wordthat he wri tes is both enl ightening andinspiring.

“ The Mys t ic W a y ” g ive s t he Ros icrucian student the proper orientat ionboth to his stud ies an d to his life. Interest in the various branches of occult ism is wide spre ad tod ay. In fact, it isan accepted phi losophy of l i fe . I t is

meeting a need in modern l i fe , part ic ularly since the decline of the influenceof the church. It is all the more impor tant , therefore , tha t exac t ly whatmysticism means in terms of daily living

and spiri tual aspirat ion be known.First of all , the auth or em phasizes the

fact that myst icism is not merely an intellectual interpretation of life, it is away of l iving l i fe . Development , ad vancement , and a t ta inment dependwholly on the extent to which one succeeds in living the mystic life. A sou nd

mind in a sound body is imperat ive.Maturi ty of soul and wide l i fe-experi-

ence are necessary for the aspirant towor k effect ively in the world. T h e stu dent must be prepared for a t ransv a lua t ion of values. He m ust be read y to re interpret his entire life-experience andIife-expression according to the demands of the mystic way. “Th ink howwe are hedged in by what we bel ieve,what we a re , what others think weshould be ; how we watch our goodname and reputat ion because othershave given them to us, with w hat animalferocity we fight to score a point, towhat lengths we go to win a l i t t le prest ige, and withal , the pride we have in

our self-righteousness. . . . The love of the soul which the contemplative lifeawakens is a flaming sword which destroys al l this.” (p. 40) “The law of thesoul is indifferent to relative goodness,relat ionships and personal reputat ion.". . . . “ A n d if t he as p ir at io n is s tr o ngand the wil l resolved, nothing else mat ters; nei ther pain, nor loss, nor disappointment , ridicule or any o ther obstacleor hindrance, wil l deflect the aspirant 'sfi rm step and progress on the myst icway.” (p. 43)

Mysticism is sharply different iatedfrom pseudo-mysticism. An dre a dep re

cates in no uncertain terms the phenomena associated with spiri tual ism, automatic wri t ing, and mediumship. Th esepsychic phenomena may be genuine, butthey have no place in the l i fe of the student whose aim must be to become spiritually positive so that the divine fire inhis own soul may awaken and he be-

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come susceptible to divine inspiration.Different souls flower in different gifts,but the climaxing gift, according toAndrea, is that of inspired ut terance.W h y should so few possess i t? “It isbecause the personal l i fe has not yetsurrendered i tself completely to thecompulsive fire of the informing soul.W h a t is lacking is the simplicity, these l f -abandonment and the divine pas sion of the soul resurrected from thedark tomb of selfhood.” (p. 54)

There is no difference between myst icism and occultism. Th ey are two aspects of the same science, the same wayof li fe . T he former is known as the wayof the heart and the lat ter as the way of the head. Both are essential. Love must

be i n fo rme d by Wi sdom, a nd Wi sdommust be humanized by love and compassion. My stic or occult studies lead to"the awakening fi re ,” Andrea explains.“How does the operat ion of the technique conduce to this awakening? Th ework of the advanced soul in evolut ionestabl ishes a claim upon super-nature,and under the law of compensat ion thatclaim is met . There may be no consciousness of claim or reward, but thelaw recognizes the claim and there isreward. Th e technique works f rom outthe realm of supernature, and in the interest of its own efficiency it furnishes a

basis of power and inspirat ion whichensures the advancem ent of itself . Th emind, brain, and nervous system cannotof themselves give these. T he y are theinstruments of inspirat ion, not the inspiring agent . They must be fort i fiedby the fiery essence of the indwellingspiritual self. A nd the daily consecra teduse of these instruments of the self inthe work of raising and inspiring humanlife spontan eously releases this essence.”(pp. 61-62)

The disciple is like the creative artist.He is completely imbued with the creative spirit. H e is able to think, speak

and act with complete impersonal i ty re garding issues that confron t him. Thispower o f detachm ent is the creat ive soulworking according to spiri tual t ruth.Another qual i ty that emerges in theawakening soul is that of fearlessness.The fearlessness of the disciple is complete indifference to any consequenceswhich threaten him through fol lowinghis own l ight . A m ajor experience in

the evolution of the soul is that knownas " the Dark N ight .” I t awai t s everyman who approaches the indwell ing fi reof God. It is a time wh en all that a manhas gained seems to fall away . It is at ime when human nature is perfectedthrough suffering. It enables him toidentify himse l f unde rs t a ndsg l y wi t hall st ruggling l ife. To da y hum an l i fe issteeped to such an extent in distress andsuffering, disillusionment and perplexitythat the dark night is descending upon ahost of souls, under Karmic decree andfor a special purpose instead of upon afew as in former times. Th ey will becalled into the light of a larger serviceto ameliorate with completed experiencea suffering world . In real discipleship

there is understanding response to al l .That is the mission of the dark night ,whatever form i t takes in the individuallife to reach it. It is the mystical partic ipation of the soul in the world.

It is a term of some duration for thepersonality is tried in its most vulnerable part and rebels at that which i t hasevoked. W hate ver changes the purg a t ion of the dark night may work in him,one cardinal virtue will emerge, thespirit of mystic love. T h e disciple mustbe the e x pone n t of love. During theterm of the dark night we seek in vainwithout for consolat ion or assistance.

W e are left alone to find our own way.It is not a token of st rength and devel opment to res t upon others. T ha t iswha t the dark night has to t each us . Asdifficult and as drastic as this experiencemust be, yet is it a spiritual privilegeoffered to the few for which the manyon the way a re not ye t ready.

The very hear t of the myst ic way i s

love. Love open s all doors. It is theonly key to other souls. This at t i tude of l iving in and with other souls developsin the disciple an inspirational inclusiveness, givds an unerring insight into theirpsychology and inspires him to right

though t and act ion in their behalf. Th eterm impersonal love is used much inmystic literature. It has been misinterpreted. “If there is anything thisworld needs it is love, personal love, theJove of Christ . His love was personalenough. The impersonal love of manyhalf-educated aspirants is groundedupon a refined selfishness or a repreh en si bl e se lf -r ig h te o us n es s . . . . o r a n

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T h e

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D ige s t

Ju ne

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abject fear to express what throbs andaches within their own h eart. ” (p. 88)The divine fi re working within, however, will release the disciple from allinhibitions and the soul will love after

its own Jaw, sanely, sublimely, intelligently and inclusively.

The term mystical participation isfrequently used in reference to the lifeof the disciple. It means spiritual identification with the world of men and perhaps with the world of nature, too. It isnot sentimental emotionalism. There aretwo types of participation — negativeand positive. Th e disciple must be fartoo manifestly sane, practical and understanding in all his contacts to be considered abnormal or pathological in

order to meet the exacting exigencies of his time. Th ose who are capable of this type of discipleship are needed . One of the chief hindrances is fear. W h yshould a disciple be afraid to expresswh at is in him? Participatio n in huma nlife, an intimate contact with its perplexities, sorrow, and suffering is theonly way to that depth and ful lness of nature which makes a disciple the friendof souls. He mu st be strong eno ugh togo forth and enter into other lives witha wise forgetfulness of himself.

How many aspi rants , Andrea asks ,

real ize that when entering upon thenovitiate of the mystic way, they are

actually in training for a spiritual campa ign? How many know tha t they arecandidates for a life of ordeal andbatt le? Christ , for example, was a warrior of the fi rst magnitude. Th e humil ity, gentleness, and compassion of Chr i s t we l ove t o dwel l upon . . . . bu tthat is only one aspect of his manifoldnature and masterhood, and alonewould never have fulfilled His mission.His austeri ty of speech and directnessof action, His unqualified utterances of rebuke and criticism, His swift exposureof subtle and hidden influences workingagainst him, and His cool indifference

to all consequences, give a vivid impression of the militant spirit engaged inconscious combat with the principalitiesand powers arraye d against Him. If weaccept one aspect of this great character, we must accept the others or placeHim in a false light and deprive ourselves of half its force and inspirational

value.

Beethoven was a creative disciple,and that is why he possessed a militantspirit . N o man can be a creative disciple or do much for the world unlesshe has a militant spirit . T he love needed

is the spirit of God in action. Thescripture of mysticism is replete withmilitant terms. “Beware of fear.” “Holdfirm." " H a v e mastery." “Again andagain the bat t le must be fought andwon." W h y a ll these exhorta t ions topreparat ion for bat t le and to bat t le i t self if there are not potent and menacingforces ranged in the way of advancewhich require coolness, circumspection,toughness of fibre, chal lenge and unrelenting opposition to overcome them?Shall a disciple fear to utter the truth heknows because he may give offense orincur the opposition of little minds?

The keynote of the disciple’s life issanctified service. It is the one thingthat brings him near to the master, nomatter what the world chooses to pointas failings and shortcomings, and it isthe one justification of him in the eyesof the world unseen.

The disciple must learn to seek illu

mination fr om his own so ul . W h a t h is

own soul teaches him is of more valuethan the voices of authori ty or the

dogma of books. Quietness and receptivity of mind permit the soul to teach.

This is the mystical quietude spoken of

in mystic literature. Th er e is a differ

ence between mystical quietude and

mental vacuity. Th ere is also a vitaldifference between mystical quietudeand renunciation of life and its obliga

tions. "T he disciple on the w ay in thewest considers i t a dishonorable thingto renounce circumstances to which heknows he is karmical ly bound, and anunpardonable sin to repudiate the ulti mate relationships of personalities towhich he knows he must remain t rue.No earnest aspirant doubts the t ruth of this in his heart no matter how difficult

it may be to live. H e must no t mind thedifficulty but accept it. He will neverrealize the mystical quietude of discipleship until he does. It is fortitude in circumstances that sear his soul and patience in accepting all they entail inhis life, and that will unfold in him thetrue resignat ion of spiri tual peace. Th eflower of mystical quietude grows in

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si lence during the storm of the ascent onthe way.” (p. 135)

Andrea closes on a note of chal lenge.The most important qua l i ty needed inthe disciple of today is that of spiri tualmil i tancy. T he forces of react ion are inthe saddle. Wh er e is the mil itant myst icto confron t them? "Indee d, i t is atroubling thought that for al l the widespread interest in and fol lowing of themystic way in many lands, al l eyes and

ears are intent upon the brut ish person

al i t ies of blood-minded dictators, and

there is not a single inspired apostle

combining in himself the master qual

i t ies of Christ and man, with a message

of such compelling force as to seize

upon a nd compel public opinion. It is

humil iat ing to poor humanity that with

all its aspiration, blind or enlightened,

towards the divine, there has not beenvouchsafed to i t one man of superhumancharac te r and persona l i ty and dynamicforcefulness to stand forth and arrestthe act ion of insolent tyrants who, with

machiavel l ian astuteness, t rample uponthe soul and h ono r of men. . . Th is isthe note on which I close this book. Adifferent note might do more honor tothe myst ic , but not to the common heartof humanity in which the myst ic mustl ive. Ye t we on the way, even in ourhe lplessness ,may do something. W e cancombine our thought forces into an intense and mil i tant and l iving potencyagainst those who commit foul rapine inhigh places and defraud the sons of menof their birthright , and resolve, in the

wor ds of th at i l lustrious son of freedom,

to 'bring their devilish machinations to

naught’.” (pp. 141-142)

V V V

A n Invitation to L iving

By F r a t e r C l a u d e B id g oo d

O S T m e n s p e n d alifetime acquiringan index of values.S e p a r a t i n g r i g h tfrom wrong, goldf r o m d r o s s ; p i

g e o n - h o l i n g t h egood men and thebad.

P h i lo s o p h y i nterprets the uni verse by analysisa nd s y n t h e s i s of the stream of con

sciousness, but the greater values of l i fe

defy the scalpel of the mind.Fine art loses its virility by critical

inte rpre ta t ion and a grea t symphony i snot appreciated by l istening to only afew chords.

The Song of Songs must be heard ini ts ent irety, i f you would catch thestrains of the underlying melody of God.

M an l ives in a world of symbols.These a re inte rpre ted by hi s consc ious ness and const i tute his world of real i t ies, but just as a great paint ing or work of music conveys an impression of anethical ideal, yet the masterpiece itself is composed of the elements of earth,and is only a copy of the intangible es

sence, so it is with man's realities.

W e cannot f ind the " thing in i t se lf”by separa t ing " things as they a re” andthen reassembling the puzzle.

Upon what bas i s then, can we construct an adequate phi losophy of l i fe?

Science offers us ceaseless activity;philosophy, a squirrel cage; fine art,

alone, conceived in the womb of theheart, offers us the premium of becoming

great by immersing our personal i t ies

into the world of universals. Let beau ty

be our guide and we can turn this busi

ness of living into a fine art.

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B SANCTUM MUSINGS If

MEMORIES OF THE LONG AGO


N FI RST l ea r n ingo f re i n c a r n a t i o nthe s tudent natu ra ll y w o n d e r s a tthe course of hisown development.

W ho was he in aprevious incarnat ion? W he r e w ashe? W hy does hen o t r e m e m b e r ?P au l B r u n t o n in

one of his books

describes a method used in the East for resurrectingmemories of the past . Th e method issimilar to that of psychoanalysis. Th estudent patiently traces back his memories, one by one. Each da y he goes back as far as he can. He continues the process for months, even for years. E ven tually the soul memory is awakened, andpictures of the storied past clearly appear . Paul Brunton comments, however, that for practical purposes both

method and the result are a waste of time.

Bear in mind that the process of for

getting is just as much a gift of kindlynature as remembering. How much doesone remember of the immediate or theremote past? Th e experiences of thepre-natal period and of infancy completely drop out of mind. Na tur e closesthe door that we may not be hamperedin our daily living by reminders of the

wholly physical experiences of the firstfew months of life. Sorrow an d care areerased in the course of t ime. W e arethen able to summon up new courageand make a fresh star t . Burning resentment, shame, anguish are better forgotten than perpetually kept in mind.It is easier to "forgive and f org et” whe nwounds are healed by the balm of forgetfulness. Memory is hampering.Memory destroys sleep and peace of mind and casts a shadow over perfectlove. W he n we pass through an ex

perience, an impress is left on the mind,on the nervous system, on the very soul.Another fact has been added to ourstorehouse of information. O ur point of view has been modified, if ever so slightly. T he im porta nt thing is that our liveshave been enriched and that our char acters have been strengthened. I t is un necessary to bear perpetually in mindthe endless stream of experiences. It issufficient that they are stored in thesubconscious mind, available whenneeded. You Jcnow that you must havetoddled before you learned to walk.You know that you must have patiently

practiced your letters before you learnedto write. It is enoug h now th at you canwalk and write.

Perfect memory demands a well-balanced personali ty with sound mind,firm will and steady control over the

emotions. It dema nds the ability to beimpersonal about ourselves, to regard

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our past actions objectively. How manyhomes have been wrecked because of the unearthing of an unfortunate memory? In the p lay "Th e W ild Duck" by

Ibsen there is one character, a youngman, who is determined to tell the truthregardle ss of consequen ces. He revealsto a young blind girl the fact that hermother deceived her father in lettinghim think that she was his child. Th epoor girl is crushed and humiliated at

the discovery and takes her life.

Could you feel the same toward abrother or a fr iend if you knew that anunutterable wrong in a previous incar nation had brought you together again?How would you feel if brought face toface with a person you had injured oreven murdere d in the past? Let us notworry about the past experiences of the

people associated with us today. Let usregard each human being as someonefor us to help and to love. Some peoplehave glimpses of scenes from a previousincarnation. Othe rs have not one. W he nour characters are perfected, completememory will be ours. Unti l then, let usbe content to work on the improvementof our personali t ies and our characters.

The principles that moulded us in thepast are no different from the principlesthat moulded us today. W e are theproduct of the past , both immediate andremote. Frugali ty ma y be ingrained in

us because of strai tened circumstancesin childhood. W e may be excessivelytidy because of strict home training. W ecan easily trace one quali ty af ter theother which is the product of childhoodtraining and environment. W ith a l it t lethought we can become aware of whatinfluences are modifying our personalit ies today. T he characterist ics withwhich we were born were developedin a previous incarnation. W he n a childis interested in reading at an early agethere is no doubt that such an interestwas carried over from the past.

Let me tell you a remarkable storythat came to my attention recently. Ayoung emigrant boy, the son of a poor

T h e farmer, discovered in the garret of hisd • • home an ancie nt pra ye r book in a

ostcructan stra nge lang ua ge. He was so fascinated

D igest ky that book that he locked i t away and

S e p t e m b e r kept i t as a treasure. Several years af ter1939 he happened to show it to a man who

he thought was of the same race andasked to receive instruction in that language so that he could read his heir loom. He learned this strange languagewith amazing facility and continued hisstudies until he was able to write beautiful poetry as well as original prose.Today this man is living in Buffalo.N. Y., and regarded as one of the great est scholars in that language. Th ere isno doubt in my mind that this extraordinary knowledge of a foreign language was acquired in a previous incarnation, and the sight of the oldprayer book awakened the old deepinterest.

The children who play a musical in

strument divinely as soon as their fingers are strong enough to control theinstrument are reviving an ability gained

in the past . Th e born mathematician,the born artist, are also examples of souls concentrating on one field of studyor activity for several incarnations. Is itnot inspiring to know that no good thingis lost? People are reluctant to studymusic or art in middle life. T he y think that they are too old. Th ey think th atthe time necessary for practicing iswasted. After a lapse of twenty yearsa woman took up the study of musicand the piano and found that in a fewmonths every bit of her former abilityreturned . In fact, her technique wa s farbetter than it had been in childhood . Itwas enriched by a deeper emotional nature and a more mature appreciation of music as an art.

Men who have gone into business,

women who have become wives andmothers, frequently regret the cultural

studies of their high school and collegedays. Perhaps the t ime would havebeen spent more profitably on morepractical subjects. O f course, practical

subjects are useful; but no one need regret anything that he has ever learned,or experienced, or done. Everythinghas helped us. Ever ythin g will some

day prove useful . Th e greatest useful ness, of course, may occasionally be reserved for a future incarnation.

It is better to concentrate on thefuture rather than on the past . Reincarnation and Karma give us controlover our future destiny. Do we seek opportunit ies to grow and express our-

[ 3 0 4 ]



selves and be of service, let us make themost of our lives now. Let us developour minds. Let us make all the friendswe can. Let us be a force for good inthe lives of as many people as we can.In this way we prepare opportuni t iesand spheres of influence for ourselves in

the future.It is also important to liquidate our

past. If we make a sincere effort to leadthe life of love and of service, opportunities will present themselves to liquidate the past . People come our waywh o need just wha t we can give. Si tuat ions arise that obviously have a message for us. Opp ortuni t ies arise thatenable us to uti lize whate ver knowledgeand experience we have.

In the last analysis character is habit.Li t t le dai ly unremembered acts havemade us what we a re today. W e be

come what we do. W e are what we do.The entire school of Behaviorism isbuilt on this fact. It is the key to theuprooting of undesirable habits and theplan ting of good habits. Repetition is

the process that makes an indelible imprint on the nervous system. Repeti tion will build for us the personality,

disposi t ion, and temperament that wedesire. Do we wan t a gay and cheerfuldisposition that will win for us friends?W e must cul tivate the habi t of cheer fulness. W e must look cheerful andspeak cheerfully; the emotion willfollow.

If we are natural ly sol i tary, we mayhave le d an isolated life in a previousincarnat ion. If we find it hard to understand the world we live in, or to meetpeople, we may have led restricted livesor we may have been bookworms.W ha tev er l ife i t w as tha t we led in thepast and which gave us our presentlimited personalities, the important thingis to grow, to continue where we left off,

and to expand in as many direct ions aswe can.

The average individual exerts himself no more than is neces sary . He followsthe path of least resistance. He learns

enough to get a job and then is content

to remain on that level for the rest of his life. Let us scorn this mole-like, b at like existen ce. Let us fill our selve s wit hambit ion, courage, and the desire forprogress. Do not interpret progress tomean growing merely in fame or fortune. True progress means growing

mentally, emotionally and spiritually.It is good to run the gamut of the emot ions so that we may understand themand transce nd them. It is good to havemany experiences in l i fe . They beatupon our nervous system and raise ourvibrations. It is good to explore natureand con trol her. Abo ve all, it is goodto stud y ourselves. A know ledge of ourown make-up gives us the key to theuniverse. A s the macrocosmos, so themicrocosmos.

Each incarnat ion is a page in thebook of l ife of the soul . Th ese page s do

not fol low each other haphazardly.

Each page has i ts theme. Each incarn at ion has i ts keynote. Ou r dest iny is thecompleted karma, the ripe karma of previous incarnat ions. Although muchmay be beyond our immediate control ,there is room for the exercise of initiative, free-will and indepen dence. Re strict ing circumstances and a narrow environment a re a chal lenge to the creat iveimagination, to the firmness of our purpose, an d to th e pow er of the ideals thatwe have made our own. Each incarna t ion brings us a step nearer to thearchtype in the Divine Mind.

W e may choose to deve lop s lowly orrapidly. If , however, we unders tand thedivine plan, accept it , and act upon it,we can hasten our development considerably. W e can consciously co-operatewith the forces of evolut ion. Do notsay, "W ith eterni ty before me, there isno need for me to make haste.” W ithmankind at the crossroads, every workeris needed.

Let us resolve to make the most of our present incarnat ion. Let us do themost trivial task as unto the Lord. Letthe l ight of the divine plan and thebeauty of the song of creat ion i l luminate

our lives.

V V V

God gave man an uprigh t countenance to surve y the heavens, and to look

upw ard to the stars. — Ov i d .

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T he Christm as Spirit B y T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , S o v er e ig n G r a n d M a s t e r

AD. indeed, is thehea rt of the mystica t t h e a p p r o a c hof the Chri s tmas

s e a s o n . T o h i mChristmas is morethan the outwardgaiety of a holidaype r i od . Be a u t i fu li s t he e ve rgre e ntree in the home,sparkling with sil v e r y o r n a m e n t s .Dear is the tale of

Santa Claus. Joyful are the family gatherings around the festive board, theeager eyes of children, their merry play,the greet ings of friends, the happy re-unions. It is a da y of gladness and joy.

universal ly observed in Christendom.Even the prisoner in his gloomy celllooks forward to the Yuletide. Eventhose who have drifted far from thechurch and from any rel igion at tend thesolemn and inspiring Christmas service.Once more the tale of the Christ Childand the Blessed Virgin will be told.

Beautiful is the story, beautiful thefestive ritual, beautiful the day—but thetrue significance the world has yet tolearn and to live. W ou ld the Master of Galilee be accepted in modern Christiansociety? Has the Church learned thelesson of the Sermon on the Mount? No

doubt the Master Jesus of infinite pat ience and love understands His erringchildren and forgives them, but can Hebe content? W he re is the love that wasHis great message to the world? MarieCorel l i , in “The Master Christ ian” depicts the Christ Child, coming in dis

guise, rejected by the Church that professed to worship Him. Th e bishop thatrecognizes Him and follows Him isdriven from his pulpit.

Sorry, indeed, is the picture that confronts our gaze. T he most brutal warsof the ages are being fought in Europeand in Asia. The corruption of theGreek Catholic Church was one of thecauses of the revolution in Russia. Inthe recent war in Spain, “good Christians” did not hesi tate to butcher thevanquished in the pagan spiri t of theHuns and Vandals . Chri s t i an Europehas many a sin at i ts door in the t reat ment of the natives of its colonies andprotectorates throughout the world. Thehaughty, race-conscious Ar yan is brutal ,oppre ssive, and bellicose. Som e political

part ies have frankly thrown C hrist iani tyand al l rel igions overboard. Th ey makeno preten se at all to spirituality. Th eyare openly materialistic, atheistic, andopportunistic.

In America, few realize how, underthe present economic set-up i t is practically impossible for the artist, themusicians, the actors, the dancers, thewriters, the scholars, and the middle-aged workers to be absorbed by thecommercial wor ld. Big industry has noplace for them. Modern society in a

period of depression cannot support thearts and sciences adequately. In no per

iod of h istory were great civic and communal projects the resul t of privateenterprise alone.

Many a successful American businessman is a self-righteous hypocrite andsnob. Profits mean more to him thanpeople. His religion is for Su nd ay only,

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D iges t

D e ce m b e r

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merely formal observance. He attendsservice, he supports the church, he observes the ritual; but the spirit he hascompletely missed. Ho w can he reconcile his Christianity with membership inthe so-cal led Christ ian-front organizations, anti-Semitic and fascistic in na

ture, persecutors of minority racial andreligious grou ps? Ho w can he reconcilehis Christ iani ty with the large numberof social evils, crying to be remedied?How can we reconci le our Christ iani tywith intolerance in social life and pre ju di ce and di sc ri min at io n in th e bu si ne ssand professional world? How can wereconcile our belief in the brotherhoodof man with the doctrine of isolation?How can we reconci le our Christ iani tywith acute poverty on every side of us?

The Master Christ ian loved the poor,associated with publicans and sinnersand healed the sick. He rebuked the

smug, the rich, the arrogant, and drovethe money-changers from the Temple.He pleaded with those who loved Himto be merciful, to be charitable, to givefreely, to be patient and long suffering,and to dwell in peace with one another.

Brothers and Sisters, the message of two thousand years, nay of four thousand years ago, is needed with equalurgency today. W e st i ll need to learnto be patient, to be k ind, to be forgiving,to be merciful, to be charitable, and tobe humble. W e still need to learn to begenerous, to open our hands and pockets, not to let the left hand know what

the right han d is doing. W e st il l needto learn the lesson of bro therh ood — notto discriminate in our social and business relat ionships. W e ha ve yet to learnto put the Christian ethic into practice inour daily lives. The divorce problem, forexample, shows that the lesson o f Joveis still needed in marital relationships.Intolerance, prejudice, and discrimination reveal the lack of love in our socialand poli t ical li fe . T he constant need of reform legislation and the ineffectualityof the clergy are evidence that peopleon the whole do not take their Christianity seriously.

Brothers and Sisters, I know that youas students of the Rosicrucian Orderaccept the mystic philosophy of life, thelife of love and service, the life of hu mility. I know th at you accept Jesus as oneof the great Avatars and M asters. Youhave entered upon the Path. You are

treading the way to Liberat ion. Youseek liberation not only for yourself but for oth er s. A s God desires salvat ion forall, so we desire salvation for all. Asthe Master was concerned about the onelamb that went astray, so are we concerned about those who go astray. W e

long to help the Masters in their difficult, age-old unremitting labors.

W h at be t te r w ay i s there than bypracticing the Christian life? The havocwe see on every side is the inevitableconsequence of the atheist ic and materialistic phil osop hy of life. It is the dea d-sea fruit of selfishness and callousness.Head and hear t do not work toge ther .The heart is frozen, unresponsive to theneeds of human beings. Let us learnfrom the chaos existing in the worldtoday, the horror of a phi losophy thatemphasizes self, the will-to-power, andruthlessness; that rejects the working of

divine laws, that rejects the existence of the soul , that rejects digni ty of the human being and the preciousness of human life, that does not recoil fromcruelty, persecution, and torture.

“W ho knows what i s r ight?" the be wildered man in the street asks. Theansw er is found in the heart. Ask yoursoul , your conscience, your innermostself. Can a phi losophy that leads topurges and concentrat ion camps beright? Can a phi losophy that sends millions into exile for no other reasons thanbirth and religion be right? Ca n a phi losophy that is grossly indifferent to the

needs of the aged, of the sick, of women, and little children be right?

Christianity, above all, stands for thesacredness of hum an l ife. T he Virg inMary is a symbol of the sacredness of motherhood. Th e divine Child is a symbol of the sanct i ty of infancy. TheChristmas tree is a symbol of the immortality of the soul, of life everlasting.The winter solst ice reminds us of thespiri tual Sun back of the material sun,of the spiri tual phenomena back of al lmaterial phenomena, of the divine purpose back of al l physical phenomena, of the divine purpose back of all life, and

of every manifestat ion of nature. SantaClaus climbing the chimney symbolizesthe divine gift of the sacred fire, the firethat both enl ightens and destroys, thetree of knowledge that is both good andevil. Th is pow er is the fruit of the mystic life. W he n w e utilize it in the spirit

[ 4 0 8 ]



of love and service, we become as gods.W he n we seek to use it to gain power ,it becomes a consuming fire that destroys us.

It is not only the message of theChristian faith. It is the message of

every faith. It is the message of the universal phi losophy of mysticism. It is themessage tha t every Avatar came toteach. It is the life tha t every mysticmust lead if he desires to attain liberation, if he desires to become a servant of the masters, if he desires to become ahelper of mankind. You need not call i tthe Chris t ian l i fe . Cal l it by any nam eyou will. O nl y accept it and live it.Accept i t because you bel ieve in thebeau ty an d holiness of mercy, pi ty, compassion, self-sacrifice, an d love. Accep ti t because you know that the strong wil ldestroy each other and the meek wil l in

heri t the earth. Accept i t as the onlyfou nda tion of a life of loveliness, joy,and bea uty. Accept i t as the only foundat ion of a l i fe of peace and securi ty, al ife that enco urages all the gifts of mankind — art and archi tecture, music andsculpture, rel igion and poetry, and thedance and nature study, and science andglorious friendships.

Many a poe t has sung of a world a tpeace, of an eternal springtide of loveand joy. M an y a phi losopher has de picted his land of Utopia, his lost A t lant is . Ev ery prophe t has dreamed of the time when "the lion shall lie down

with the lamb, when the l ion shal l eatstraw like the ox and a little child shalllead them.” Th e t ime of joy and peace,the land of joy and beauty i s a deep-seated fai th of the human heart . I t is avision of things to come. It is a consummation to be achieved, let us hope,in the not too far distant future.

That i s the dream of the Order , tha tis the purpose of our course of study.

W e do no t wish to t rain occult ists alone.W e do not wish to t rain the intel lectalone, important as it may be. W e donot want our students to aim only atpersonal success and power. It is t ruewe teach the laws of heal th and happi

ness and success in l ife. W e encouragedelving into natu re’s secrets. W e teachyou how to evoke the inner, the hiddenpower. But we wan t power to be theinstrument of love. W e wan t occult isml inked wi th mystici sm. W e wan t H eadand Heart working in unison and checking each other . W e want knowledge inthe se rvice of humanity . W e wa nt menof compass ion, sympathy and love. W ewant to t rain c i ti zens of the W or ld of Tomorrow, the divine, cooperat ive stateof the future. W e wan t the ideal ci tythat Ikhnaton sought to bui ld, the re public of which Plato dreamed, the

House of Salomon that Sir FrancisBacon descr ibed and the New At lant i stha t he planned and worked for . W e,too, work for the new age . W e, too,bui ld for the future. W e, too, w ant toaid in training the citizens of theAquar ian Age .

This is the message of Christmas tothe world. This is the message of Christmas to the members of the Rosi crucian Or der. Let us advan ce thestandard of the Order in every land.Let us intensify the circle of light aroundthe world. Let us help the world achievethe ideal set forth by the great Prince

of Peace.M ay the joy of the Yule t ide season

enter the heart of every human being.M ay al l nature share in the divine joyand peace. M ay the grace of Go d il lumine our minds and hearts that we maythe bet ter serve. M ay the coming yearwitness peace on earth and good wil lamong men.

S O M O T E I T BE.

F O R Y O U R B E N E F I T

The Rosicrucian Research Library at Rosicrucian Park, with its attractive facilities, isavai lable to all A M O R C members. T his library contains an especially chosen collection

of several thousand books, many of which are unusual and rare. Th eir subjects embracethe physical sciences, the arts, philosophy, Rosicrucianism, mysticism, occultism, history,and biology. Th e Library is open daily, with the exception of Saturday and Sunday,from 1:20 to 5:00 P. M„ and on W edn esda y and Frid ay evenings from 7:00 to 9:30 P. M.:Sa turd ay from 9:00 A .M . to 1:00 P .M . Its appointments include the latest scientificallydesigned chairs, correct illumination, and air conditioning. Rosicrucian members who cannot attend, or wh o live at a distance, may benefit from this library as well. T he subjectma tter of these books can be made available to you b y a unique plan. W rite an d ask thelibrarian about this plan.

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T h e B ible o f M a n k i n d

(A Study by Thor Kiimalehto, F. R. C.)

H E first step in thef e l l o w s h i p o f fai ths is that we

l e a r n t o u n d e r stand some otherr e l ig ion bes idesthe one in wh ichwe were born andbrought up. A manwho is of a whollyscientific or artistict y p e o f m i n dshould try to understand that urge

in the human heart which finds expression in religious devotion. Desp ite theprevalence of agnosticism and materialism, reliqion is too fundamental a needof the human soul for anyone to succeedin eradi catin g it perm anen tly. Religionis a divine method of educating the soul.All the great world teachers of religionwere highly developed and illuminatedsouls, born with a definite mission toeducate their generation in the spirituallaws of life. T ru th is universal, but itmust be re-stated in each generation tomeet the changing needs of the time.The forms of religion, expressed inritual and ceremony, are at first a livingembodiment of the inner truths. Laterthere is a tendency to emphasize ritual

at the expense of the truth it symbolizes.W h a t may have been a necessity in oneage becomes utterly meaningless in a

later age when social conditions have

entirely changed W he n man becomes

receptive to inner guidance, when love

becomes the law of his nature, he willno longer have need of a religious sys

tem or a religious teacher. He will stu dythe laws of life in the schools of ancientwisdom, and he will interpret the appli

cations according to the needs of theday and his conscience. Where loveprevails, there will be neither injury norconflict.

Each avatar or teacher of religioncame to bring a message to his generation and to emphasize a certain aspectof universal truth. The life of everyava tar is worth studying. Th e story of each one is both inspiring and illuminating. Th e avatars represent the noblest souls of our huma nity. In their ownlives as in their message they revealanew the age-old message of love andservice. Compa rative religion should interest the esoteric student as much asthe history of philosophy, the arts, andthe sciences. T he true mystic is at homein every religion. Eve rv shrine is to hima sac red edifice. All ritual is symbo licof great spiritual truths, and every Bibleis a divine revelation. Th es e nobleutterances come from the heart and gostraig ht to the heart. Th e divine voiceseeks many channels, and he who is attuned hears the divine note in the praverof every faith. Th e one needful qualityis sincerity. Th e one high ideal is thelife of love and service. T o quote W al t

Whi tman :I hear the Arab m ue;:in . calling from thetop of the mosque;

I hear the Christian priests at the altars of their churches — 1 hear the responsivebass and soprano: .

1 hear the Hebrew, reading his records andpsalms.

1 hear the rhythmic my ths of the Greeks, andthe strong legends of the Romans;

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I hear the tale of the divine life and bloodydeath of the beautiful God—the Christ;

I hear the Hindoo teaching his favorite pupilthe loves, wars, adages, transmitted safe

ly to this day, from poets who wrotethree thousand years ago."

Rudolf Steiner tells us in his K n o w l -

edge of the Higher Wo rlds that the student should not fail to give his soul thenurture that comes from the inspiredteachings of spiritual investigation. “If our eyes cannot follow the woods intheir mantle of green, every spring, dayby day. we should, instead open our soulto the glorious teachings of the Bhaga-vad Gita or of St. Jo hn’s Gospel, or of St . Thomas a Kempis.” The esotericstudent should acquire a new understanding for all that the great teachersof humanity have ut tered. “The sayingsof the Buddha and the Gospels, for instance, produce a new effect on him.They pervade him with a felicity of which he had not dreamed before. Forthe tone of their words follows themovements and rhythms which he hashimself formed within himself. He cannow have a positive knowledge that aBuddha or the Evangelists did not uttertheir own pe rsonal revelations, but thosewhich flowed into them from the innermost Being of a ll things . . . . The manyrepetitions in the sayings of the Buddhaare not comprehensible to people of ourpresent evolut ionary stage. For the eso

teric student, however, they become aforce on which he gladly lets his innersenses rest, for they correspond withcertain movements in the etheric body.Devotional surrender to them, with perfect inner peace, creates an inner harmony with these movements, and because the latter are an image of certainCosmic rhythms which also at certainpoints repeat themselves and revert toformer modes, the individual listening tothe wisdom of the Buddha, unites hislife with that of the Cosmic mysteries."

A most welcome contribution to theliterature of Comparative Religion is

The Bible of Mankind, edited by thePersian myst ic , Mirza Ahmad Sohrab.It comprises selections from the bibles of nine of the great world religions with anintroduction to each one by a recognizedscholar of tha t particular religion. Th enine rel igions comprise Hinduism, Zo roastrianism. Buddhism. Confucianism,Taoism. Judaism. Christianity. Islam,and the Bahai Cause. As you read these

selections from the bibles of the world,the striking feature is the similarity anduniversal appeal of the message in each

one. The emphasis in each one maydiffer. Hinduism emphasizes the unityof life: Buddhism, universal law andduty; Zoroastrianism, p uri ty of thought ,speech, and conduct; Judaism, justiceand social righteousness: Christianity,love; Islam, destiny; Confucianism, filialpiety and reverence; and Taoism, detachmen t and balance. Th e religions of the world compose a celestial harmony,and each religion strikes its note. Yetthe entire melody can be found in anyone faith.

Each religion is a pathway to God.Each religion has its inner and outer

teachings. W e must not permit theweeds of superstition that accumulateabout it in the course of time to blind usto the beauty and the t ruth within. Th esource of religious inspiration is so loftythat every bible is replete with passagesof compell ing beauty and power. Everyreligion sounds the trumpet call to actionthat man may approach God and thathe may convert the world to an earthlyparadise, reflecting the joy and harmonyof celestial spheres.

As I turn the pages, one noble passage after another greets the eye andnourishes the soul . Th e Hind u prays:

"Lead me from the unreal to the real!Lead me from darkness to light!Lead me from death to immortality!"

In the Khandoga Upanishad is aparable explaining the divine essence inall matter:

"Fetch me from thence a fruit of the nya-grodha tree."

"Here is one, sir."“Break it.""It is broken, sir.""W hat do you see there?"“These seeds, almost infinitesimal.""Break one of them.”“It is broken, sir.""W hat do you see there?""Not anything, sir ."

Th e father said: “M y son, that subtle essence

which you do not perceive there, of that veryessence does this great nyagrodha tree exist.Believe it. my son. T ha t which is the subtle essence, in it all that exists h as its self. It is theTru e. It is the Self; and tho u art if."

Independence thro ugh rel iance on theinner voice is stressed by Buddha in hisfinal charge to his disciples:

'The refo re, be ye lamps to yourselves. Be arefuge to yourselves. Betake yourselves to noexternal refuge. Hold fast to the Truth as alamp. Hold fast as a refuge to the Truth. Look

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D ot f or r e f u g e t o a n y o n e b e s i d e s y o u r s e l v e s . .

It is they, among my disciples who shall reachthe very topmost Height ."

The whole duty of man has beenstated for all time by the prophet Micah:

"W hat doth the Lord require of thee but todo justice, to love mercy and to walk humblywith thv God."

Ecclesiastes adds:"W hatsoe ver thy hand findeth to do. do ii

with thy might."

Hosea is more explicit:"For I desired mercv and not sacrifice, and

the knowledge of God more than burntofferings."

Confucius states in the Shu King:"W hen a coun try is well-governed, poverts

and mean conditions are things to be ashamedof."

Mencius teaches:"Righteo usness is m an’s path."In Exodus. Chapter 22. appears a

verse startlingly pertinent to the mosturgent need of today:

“Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppress him. for ye were strangers in the land of Egvot ."

Deuteronomy. Chapter 33, consolesus:

"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms

Despite the moral laxity of a reactionary age such as ours is. the value of theTen Comman dments stands firm. De spite a prevailing paganism, more peopleknow the Tw enty- Th i rd Psa lm than anyother passage in l i terature Th e Lord’sprayer is unexcelled for its classic simplicity and humility. The vision of aworld at peace in the millennium thatIsaiah depicts when men shall beat their

swords into plowshares and nat ionsshall not go to war any more is still thedream of mankind today. No messageis more sadly needed today bv ourbrutal, aggressive, and powerful industrial barons and dictators than the Sermon on the Moun t . W ou ld that theseimmortal words from John (I. Chap.IV) could be engraved on the walls of every council chamber in the worldtoday:

' Beloved let us love one an othe r, for love isof God: and everyone that loveth is bom of Godand knoweth God.

Beloved, if God so loved us. we ought alsoto love one another.

If we love one another. God dwelleth in us,and his love is perfected in us. He reby knowthat we dwell in Him. and He in us. because Hehath given us of his Spirit.

if a man say. I love God and hateth hisbrother, he is a liar. Fo r he that loveth not hisbrother whom he hath seen, how can he loveGod. whom he hath not seen7

And this commandment have we from him:Th at he who loveth God, loveth his brother also."

The good life as depicted in theKoran is similar:

"God hath preferred those who are strenuouswith their wealth and their persons to those whosit still."

"Be sincere in your works, for the divine test

is very keen.The hardest part of an action is to secure thepurity of motive.

W ithou t sincerity all works are valueless.Let good deeds be your companions."

Each religion centers about a perfected personal i ty — Zoroaster. Buddha.Moses. Jesus, Confucius. Lao-Tze. andMo ham med . Each religion teaches theperfect man, the superior man. the idealto which every human being shouldaspire. T h e rig hteous life, the life of love and service, is the path to a perfectmanhood, to that state of harmony whenman is united in the bonds of love bothto God and his fellowman.

Let us take the nourishment that allthese religions offer. Let us not studyfrom one book alone. W e can gain inunderstanding, in breadth of vision, ininsight, through familiarity with all thebibles of the world. Mo st of us need anote of inspiration with which to beginor close a day of worldly cares or arduous toil . W h at bet ter method than toread a chapter from some classic, sanctified by countless devout human beings,a passage from the Bhagavad-Gita. theGathas of Zoroaster, the Koran, theUpanishads. the Old Testament , or the

Ne w Testam ent . As you read, you willfind the passages that have inspired thegreat writers and thinkers of the world— Dante. Sir Francis Bacon, Scho penhauer . Tols tov. Emerson. Edward Car penter. and Will iam Butler Yeats, tomention but a very few. To immerseone’s soul in these classics is as elevating as the study of music or of artor the contemplation of great works of architecture.

The a rrogant European may di spar age the Orien t. Yet the truth remainsunchallenged that whatever is sublimein western tradition comes from the

philosophies and the religions of theEast. Civilization and unrestrained intellect have thrown the modern worldinto chaos and confusion and lawlessdestruction of human beings: even thehelpless, the women, and the children.W ho can dare deny that a beautiful soul



T h e

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is worth more than al l the wealth of Croesus, and a beautiful way of life isof gre ater importance than al l the invent ions of the W est , and the H ear t i smore important than the Head?

Egypt , India, China, Persia . Palest ine, and Arabia have given the worldits great religions and the loftiest sentiments ever reached by the soul of man.These countries were the seats of flourishing civilizations in the past. T od aythey are seething with the unrest of atransi t ional period. Th e goad of persecution and oppression is driving them tounity, harmony, and self-awareness.They are passing through the t rial byfire . They are being prepared for atremendous resurgence of their genius

and cul ture.

Hail to the light that appeared in theEast! Its rays have encircled the world,quickening into life whatever land they

have touched. Th e Light shines for all

who have eyes to see and hearts to feel.

Th ere is no rest . Th e Light moves everonward . Th e spiral is about to be com

pleted, and the Light shal l dawn oncemore in the East on a new day not sofar away.

Let us take the gifts that God hasshowered upon the world. Let us drink

at the fount of wisdom, no matter inwh at garden we find i t. Mo ther Asia,thou hast nourished at thy breasts thechildren of al l mankind, and thy sonshave been the noblest that this worldhas yet seen. Even to day the noblestexperiments in government are beingtried in Palest ine and in India. Thepioneers of Palest ine have l i terally turn ed the desert into a blossoming gardendespi te indifference and opposi tion. T hepeople of India have uni ted under M ahatma Gandhi , have abolished the ancient wrong of caste without civil waror bloodshed, and will achieve political

independence witho ut revolut ion. Andthe greatest statesman in the world today by common consent is the spiritual

Mah atma Gandhi . He towers above his

contemporaries as the snowcapped Him

alayas tower over the mountains of theworld.

V V V

"The reason I came into the Order and have remained al l of these years is to

find more ways of improving myself. I take it for grante d that the reason most of

you are in the Order is because there is some dross you wan t to b um out . someweak ness you w ant to overcome, some strong point you wa nt to bui ld up. W e can

soon realize that while there are weaknesses in all of us, we are not all alike—

neither good nor bad. W e are just different , an d each individual h as his or her

right to be different in a w ay that is in accordance with the light of his und erstan d

ing and development .”—Dr. H . Spencer Lew is , l a t e Impe ra t o r o f AMORC.

V V V

P R O V I N G M Y S T IC A L T R U T H S T O S C IE N C E

(Cont inued f rom Page 451)

newly formed atoms travel l ing at nearlythe same veloci ty as l ight. Ho w? W hy ?

Here i s how and why. Th e energyrays on striking the heavier atmosphereare slowed, imperceptibly, by the atomicand gravitational effect and in this wayenable the accumulat ion of photons toform a very intense concentrat ion of

[456

energy in the respect ive orbi ts beforethe newly formed system is carriedaway by the rotat ing gravi tat ional fieldof the earth.

This gives rise to the theory that thephoton is the smallest unit of matter andthat matter is. really, only a form of energy.

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SANCTUM MUSINGSl

THE NEED OF THE HOUR

By T h o r K i i m a le h to , Sovereign Grand Master

HIS age is one of

responsibility andopportuni ty. Thatwe are in the verythroes of a titanicconflict is evidentto even the leasto b s e r v a n t . T h eimplications of thiss t r u g g l e a r e b e c o m i n g c l e a r e rda ily . W h at makest h e s t r u g g l e s oportentous is that

more than the possession of land is involved. W er e the struggle on the physi

cal plane alone, it would not be soominous. W h at is of g reater significanceis that two philosophies of life are involved. One philosophy is that of Powerand the other that of Love.

One philosophy is frankly based onrace and blood and the aggrandizementof a master class. It rejects and evendespises sympathy and compassion andtolerance as evidence of weakness. Theother philosophy considers power divorced from love as a menace to human-lty' The one phi losophy subordinatesthe individual wholly to the state. Theother considers each human life sacred,

t maintains that the function of thestate is to provide the necessary conditions for each soul to achieve the maxi-mum in development so that in return^ c h human being may ut i lize his geniustor the benefit of all.

One philosophy of life denies God,Scorns Christ, and exalts brute strength.

It presumably honors the Superman,

but the Superman of Nietzsche is notthe one whom the Avatars of every agetaught us to emulate and to love.Nietzsche describes the Superman asbeing beyond good and evil, a law untohimself, above the Christian ethic, re jo ic ing in hi s s tr eng th and in hi s life.The Superman is indeed beyond goodand evil, having reconciled the pairs of opposites: he is, indeed, a law unto himself because the law is engraved in hisheart. He has become identified withdivine love and wisdom, and his joyousstrength is motivated by divine love andwisdom.

The philosophy that exal ts brutestrength alone is that of primitive man.It belongs to an earlier and less spiritualstage of development . It marks retrogression, not progress. It is a step backward. not forward.

It is necessary to be most discriminating as to what though ts we permit toenter our consciousness. It is easy to beled astray when specious arguments arepresented bri l l iant ly and the wheat ismingled with the chaff. W e must standfirm on the fundamental principles of the Rosicrucian philosophy. If we are

perplexed, we must reject whatever isnot in harmony with our fundamental

principles. If the "Sorrows o f Young W e r t he r" by the youthful Goethe in

fluenced the young men to commit suicide, this book, though a classic and the

work of a genius, is fundamentally falsein tone. If Schopenhauer affects the

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reader with a profound pessimism,though he is a genius and a renownedphilosopher, he must be read with discriminat ion. If W ag ne r in his essaysloudly proclaims the paramount impor

tance of race and blood and exal ts nationality. we must reject these basicallywrong ideas and we must not be bl indedby the fact that he was a great geniusin music. Nietzsc he, too, must be readwith great caution because his ideas,though bri l l iant and bri l l iant ly expressed. are admit tedly pagan. Not thatpagan conceptions are always wrong;but when the Christ ian ethic is openlydiscarded, the mystic must exercisecaution. Nor are the works of thesewri ters alone to be considered verycareful ly. The thoughts of any man whohas not embraced the myst ic phi losophy

or who is not a great lover of humanityare bound to be limited in scope andpoint of view.

The conflict between the forces of good and evil is being dramatized on aworld-wide scale. The evil in man'sheart is externalized and is writ large inthe events of the day. Th e age-old conflict betw een the qualities of the self andthe qualities of the Divine Self thatmarks the progress of every human being and every nat ion and mankind as awhole has reached a crisis throughoutthe world. Th e human race has reachedthe stage of the human being who is

preparing for Ini t iat ion. The day comeswhen the individual is sufficiently mature to decide once and for all whetherhe will dedicate himself wholly to thehigher and better life, whether he willconquer once and for all the selfish andthe evil in his nature, whether he willtake himself in hand and consciously andwillingly prepare himself for Initiation.

The sages tell us that the first greatevent in the life of man is his individualization from the animal kingdom.The next great event in the unfoldmentof the soul is Initiation. Dur ing thislong process of development man is

acted upon by outer forces. He is thevictim of circumstances; his development is hap haza rd and necessari ly slow.In this long period of many incarnations. his will is gradually strengthened,his mind becomes a keen instrument,and his emotions become more controlled. From being wholly self-centeredhe becomes gradual ly more and more

social-minded and selfless. His consciousness steadily expands. In thisperiod of slow development man is moreor less passive and is dependent uponthe care and guidance of the pat ient

Guardians of the human race.Just as there comes a day in the lifeof a chi ld when he can share the re sponsibilities that his parents have assumed. so there comes a time in the development of the human being when heis able to understand and cooperatewil l ingly with the Divine Plan for humanity. Just as life in the world is farmore interesting than the make-believeof the kindergarten, so the life of theman who is preparing to enter into hisdivine heritage is far more interestingand satisfying than the aimless, self-centered life of the man in the prelim

inary s tages of deve lopment . W he nman is ready to grow into t rue manhood, when his consciousness is readyto expand into superconsciousness, andwhen he is able to cooperate with theDivine Plan of evolution, life then trulybecomes the Grea t Adventure and theGreat Romance. His tory assumes a newsignificance, and every human beinggains an added interest .

W he n man ente rs upon thi s s tage , hebecomes a helper and need no longer bea burden. The Elder Brothers havehitherto borne the burden pract ical lyalone. Th ey can do much, but they can

do more wi th every human worker added to the ranks. They must work withinthe divine laws of evolution. Th ey maynot interfere with the Karma of any individual or with that of humanity al though adjustments are occasional lypossible.

T he first crisis in the st rugg le betweenthe forces of good and of evil on thisplanet occurred in the Atlantean period.At that t ime the human race was notsufficiently developed intellectually orspiri tual ly to understand ful ly the is sues involved. The resul t was that thecrisis was prolonged and terminated in

the sinking of the continent . To da y, weare informed, the human race is sufficiently developed both intellectually andspiri tual ly to work out i ts accumulatedheavy Karma in a short t ime. Theworld situation today is similar to thatoccurring in the life of the candidate forIni t iat ion. His accumulated Karma isconcentrated into a short period of his

[ 7 4 ]

€



life so that he may be free the remaining years of his life to devote himself tothe larger tasks and greater responsi

bilities that await him. On ce mankindworks through this period of test andtrial, it will be enabled to make tremendous strides forward both intellectuallyand spiritually.

A Karmic condition, however, neednot be unduly prolonged or cruel orpainful. The evils afflicting the worldtoday were not imposed from without .They are outward manifestat ions of inner corruption. Like poison in the system it must be eliminated.

The next step in the development of mankind is a federation of world states,at least some sort of planned economic

set-up and a recognition of the rights of every gro up to a place in the sun. Th isnext step will prove the only solutionfor the ills affecting society the worldover. The United States of Americaand the British Empire are examples of successful types of federations. Thesupporters of the status quo chose toprecipitate a world-war. The occulthierarchy could not prevent this crisis.It is a planetary test . T he world po pulation must pass through this test successfully. It can pa ss thro ug h this testsuccessfully provided every human being who understands the issues involved

cooperates. The conflict is terrific because of the utter unscrupulousness andthe deadly effectiveness of modernmethods of warfare.

Every human being understandingthe issues involved must cooperate insome way. He sh ould e xer t every' bitof influence that he possibly can. Noone dare be either indifferent or neutral.Many are wavering because they do notsee the issues clearly. Many are thevictims of misinformation and viciouspropaganda.

W e as members of the RosicrucianOrder certainly desire to range ourselves under the banner of the forces of light. W e certainly desire the speedytriumph of the forces of light. W e areready to do all that is humanly possibleto cooperate with our fellow-workersthroughout the world. W e are ready tobe instruments in the hands of Cosmict°rces. W e are eager to bring thisPeriod of test and trial to a close so that^5 ®aY help in the more beau tiful task 0 building a new wor ld order. First,

the conflict must be terminated. W a rmust end and peace must be established.Not the peace based upon the triumph

of the ant i-Christ is our aim. T ha t phi losophy must be proved to be false andvicious and forever discredited and

rejected.Form must become a vehicle for life.

Matter must be a medium for spirit .The Lords of Form, if such do exist andserve a purpose in the Divine Plan of evolution, must be forever subject to theLords of Love and of Compassion.Power must serve construct ive and notdestructive purposes.

As for a practical plan of action, thefirst step to ensure the world victory of the constructive forces in all nations is

that al l who accept the phi losophy of Love should unite, no matter of whatrace, nation, creed, or color. T he second step is to ensure the victory of liberal forces in our own country . Eachand every one of us must support someworld federat ion working for bro therhood and peace; and we must at thesame t ime support some nat ional organization, working militantly for tolerance, freedom, and spiritual values.No w is the time to work. In our owncountry for the present we have freedom to funct ion. W h en our own country is united in its support of the demo

cratic philosophy of life, the cause of freedom throughout the world will bestrengthened. And then the worke rs forlight, life and love throughout the worldmust extend helping hands across thefrontiers of war to their brethren whoare muzzled by hostile governm ents. Insome way we must help them conquerin their countries.

The average student of occult ism hasa tendency to underestimate the importance of his own share in the universaltask. He thinks that it is sufficientto rely on the divine plan and on theinvisible worlds. O ur slender know ledge of the divine plan shou ld make ouractivity more intelligent, and the help of the invisible forces should prevent theparalysis of futility and discouragement.It should in no way affect the intensityof our efforts along every possible channel. As in a school the curricul um is notbeyond the capaci ty of the average student, and it is safe to predict that themajority will graduate, at the same timeeven though the teachers give their ut-

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| SANCTUM MUSIN GS |

SOUL DEVELOPMENT

By T h o r K j im a l e h to , Sovereign Grand Master

A N Y peopl e whenfirst reading about

t he l i ve s o f t hegreat holy men of the East and thegreat occultists of the world are at t r a c t e d b y t h e

t a l e s o f unusua lpower which theypossessed. M an y

s t u d e n t s e n te ru p o n o c c u l tc o u r s e s o f s t u d y

to acquire these unusual powers. M an ystudents feel that the acquirement of these unusual powers is a main purposein occult study.*

This point of view is a misconception.

It is true that highly developed soulshave manifested psychic powers. It istrue that psychic powers are latent inevery human being and eventually,when the time is ripe, will appear. Theymust not be sought as an end in themselves. Th eir manifestation must not beprecipitated prematurely. Occult studiesmust be entered upon for broader and

more noble motives. T o cause the centers through which psychic powersmanifest to function prematurely through

* exercises or what is known as "athlet ic Ro sicruc ia n procedure," pract iced by some Eastern

D ige s t -------------r -j » ‘ B e c a u s e o f t h e m a n y q u e s t i o n s w e r e c e i v e p e r t a in -u e c e m o e r jn a to th is s u b je c t, w e a r e h e r e m a k in g a v a il a b l e to

1 9 4 0 ° U r m o m >er* a » ~ o Q e . « c e n « l y h e a r d b y t ho s ein attendance at Lodges and Chapter*

schools, is dangerous to physical andmental heal th. Th e psychic powers mustgo hand in hand with sound physicalhealth, emotional and mental control, afirm will, a balanced nature, and asoun d philosophy of living. Otherwisethe possession of psychic powers mayactual ly retard soul development andeven precipitate their possessor into insan ity. Psy chi c illness is more difficultto control than any other type of malady. Th ere are few at present whocan und erstand or t reat psychic maladiesproperly. Th ere are more sufferers of this type than the public is generallyaware of.

Far superior to psychic power is soul

development . At the present state of

the evolution of the human race, soul

development is more significant and

more essential . Th e gre at need of the

world is for superior human beings;broadminded, big-hearted, courageous

personalities who have the welfare of humanity at heart , who have a tolerantand loving understanding of the average man's l imitat ions and needs, and

who can sink self into whatever task liferequires of them. W e need talent andgenius. W e need the beautiful soul giftsthat talent and genius afford. W e needa type of society that appreciates andencourages soul gifts. W e need peoplewho really enjoy their accomplishmentsand are enthusiastic about cultivatingthem. Th e amount of suppressed and

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uncultivated talent in this world is appalling. People, on the whol e, do notconsider it worthwhile to cultivate theirgif ts where there are no monetary advantages. They do not even take thetrouble to discover whether they haveany gif ts; and if they have any, theymake no effort to utilize them. Howmany people, for example, have a goodear for music or a voice of fine quality,or a good eye for color and yet think musical or artistic training absurd . Onthe whole, people regard artistic training as valuable only for children andunnecessary for adults unless “it pays.”It is difficult for an untrained person toappreciate the finest works of genius.The more one knows of an art . the moreone can appreciate a masterpiece,

These literary, artistic, and scientificgifts are part of soul evolution, and aredivine, just as much as psychic powers.The cultivation of these gifts makes forsoul refinement, the raising of one's vibrations, and for beautiful and inspiringleisure. Th ink how much more beautiful life in any place would be if it re

volved around the art gallery and theconcert hall and the university, insteadof the moving picture theater . Not thatmoving pictures do not possess theirnatural and educational values. Thetone and artistic quality of moving pictures have unmistakably improved inthe last few years . All the moving pictures could not possibly be worthwhile.Yet a large proportion of our populationattend the moving pictures more than

once a week. In addition, to atte nd amoving picture is a passive form of leisure-time activity. It is equivalent to"spectator sports.” Passive activities

should be balanced by active interests.On e should not constantly absorb. Onemust find avenues of expression of creative activity.

It is absolutely essential for every occult student to be a lover, a patron, and

even a student of just as many of thearts as he possibly can find time for.The life of love and of service means ju st as mu ch th e encouragem ent of all

that is beautiful as to feed the hungryand clothe the naked. I t was an easternmystic who said, "If you have but twocoins, spend one for a loaf of bread andone for a lily.” O ur Am erica n civilization is still too material, too phys ical, too

prosaic despite noble attempts in thearts here and there. I t is our duty tomake the effort to raise that level atleast as far as we are personally concerned and as much as we can in oursphere of influence. In our present typeof civilization the arts are a luxury.They are dependent on people’s income.In a period of depression the arts areamong the first to suffer. As far as someof our business men are concerned, ju dgin g fr om the vi ol en t and who lly u n ju st if iable an tagonism to nat io nal w ork projects, they would remain totally unmoved if every musician, artist, poet,writer , architect, and actor had to forgohis one divine gift and become a dishwasher or s t ree t- sweeper . No t thatmundane, everyday tasks are unnecessary, or the experience unprofitable, butof what avail to compel the majority of gifted young folks to enter fields alreadyovercrowded? W e do not see thetragedy that our coarse age inflicts uponcountless souls because for one reasonor another we have become insensitiveand brutalized in the struggle for exist ence. The great lesson of frustrationshould be to open our hearts to theneeds of others. W e should feel withothers. W e should help to change conditions so that these frustrations shouldbe forever impossible. Other civilizations have utilized the gifts of their

cit izens and there is no reason why ourage should be so barren except that of dullness of spiritual vision.

The greatest mystics of the worldhave been men of wonderful soul development. T ak e Sir Francis Bacon. H ewas lawyer, judge, poet, dramatist , sci entist , philosopher, statesman, and oc

cultist. H e gave English civilization itsstamp and form. Ta ke an earlier his

toric personality, that of Leonardo daVinci, one of the greatest of the I talianRenaissance period. He enriched everyfield to which he turned his attention.

W he n he s tud ied music , he improvedthe instrument. W he n he worked on his

paintings, he experimented with colorsand types of varnish. He experimentedin physics and chemistry. He studiedoptics, hydraulic engineering, and anatomy. Like Goe the, all know ledge washis province. H e was creative in everyfield. Th is rich development, no doubt,was the f lower of seeds sown in previous

[ 433 ]



T h e

R osic rucia n

D ig e s t

D ec e m b e r

1 9 4 0

incarnations; but each and every one of us must some da y begin somewhere. Itis a shame to permit year after year togo by, incarnation after incarnation to

go by. absorbed only in the needs of thephysical man, indifferent to the needs of the spirit, deaf to the call of the soul.Let us not be on cultural “relief," thatis, content with the barest minimum.Let us demand a maximum culture.Take the great modem occult ist . Rudolph Steiner. H e was most diligent incorrelating occultism with drama, poetry,the dance, and the literary arts.

I have mentioned only three personal ities of compelling interest because of their manifold development, their richness in gifts, their great contributions toculture and civilization. These three

great men were, in addition, profoundstudents of the occult sciences. MadameBlavatsky, to mention one more, wasalso an accomplished musician, a giftedwri ter, a profound student of comparative religion and philosophy, and an indefatigable traveller. In fact, we maysafely state, that the greater the occultist, the richer the personality is in many,even widel y diversified, fields. As thegreat Roman playwright , Terence, said:“N othin g human is alien to me." Suchwas the motto of these great adornments and benefactors of the humanrace.

Let us consider one more phase of soul development. Soul development alsoincludes a spiritual outlook upon life, acharacter in which altruism is ingrained,to which the life of love and service hasbec ome hab it ua l. Im m e d i a t e l y t he recome to mind the great saints and avatars of the ages — Zoro aster, Buddha,Confucius. Moses, and Jesus. W e think of St. Francis of Assisi and Joan of Arc.

W h at are the qual i ties that make fora spiritual personality? I should placefirst of all, a genuine love of humanity—not a passive type of interest that iscontent to express itself in high-sound

ing terms, but a dynamic type that isnot afraid to be indignant at the sight of great wrongs, that is vigilant in championing the cause of the poor, the down-troden. the persecuted, the homeless.

and the oppressed. Th e true lover of mankind does not prefer peace when i tmeans indifference to the woes of suffering humanity. The fundamental prin

ciple of the mystic philosophy is theunity of all that lives. The physicalworld is the garment of the ever-livingGod. He who loves the Fath er’s creation has regard for all that lives, nomatte r how humble or insignificant. Hewho studies the miracle of the universemust be filled with love. As Leo nardoda Vinci tells us, “Knowledge begetsLove." Surely with growing knowledgeand with love in our hearts we must desire the happiness of al l. W e must notoverlook the smallest deed of good-will.W e must not be deaf to the feeblest cryof the helpless, the bewildered, the op

pressed. Go d pours His blessings uponmankind through willing hands.

Mo st of us, though we may have beenstudents for many years, are very farfrom this exalted ideal of great soul development. W e are very far from manifesting our soul qualities, our latentgenius, whatever it may be, and fromachieving the height of a beautiful spirituality, Let these two phases of developmen t be our goal. Let us strive to become benefactors of mankind. Let usstudy the needs of men that we maylearn to love them. Or, filling our heartswith love, let us be drawn to the many

paths of service so sorely needed today.This is the ideal for the world today.Let us forget about psychic powers forthe present. Let them develop naturally.Let us wait for the day when we areready for the personal guidance that

even the greatest students had. To

make the utmost of our own potent ial i

ties, to do the utmost in our chosen fieldof work, will be a lifetime job for most

of us. Let me assure you that there is

no joy in the world comparable to the

jo y of doi ng a nece ssary ta sk . T h e re is

no joy like that of creative activity.

There is no joy like that of the dayswith loving tasks and loving friends.

W ith these ideals, we help the world,

we prepare the way for initiation anddiscipleship.

V V V

He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home.—Goethe.



SANCTUM MUSIN GS $= - ■ = : r - =-. = Z

PRAYER

By T h o r K i im a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

T h e

Rosic rucia n

Dig est

January

1941

E C E N T L Y I re c e i v e d a p r a y e rfrom a neophyte .Brother Field saysin his letter that hec o m p o s e d i t a n dh a s i t h a n g i n gover his bed. andr e a d s i t e v e r ynight before retiri ng . H e re i t i s:"May the God of o u r h e a r t s s e n dHis divine bless

ing tonight on all who suffer and whoare in need. M ay the sacred teachingsof the Grea t Whi te Brotherhood bespread to all the corners of the earth sothat all men may learn those thingswhich are sacred and dear to them. Maythe grace of God and the teachings of the Master Jesus forever and ever enlighten man. M ay the Brethren of theRosy Cross diligently carry the lightwhich shines so brightly, and may itnever grow dim on the Path."

These beautiful thoughts led me toconsider the very vital subject of prayer.Many conflicting opinions are rampantas to its efficacy. Some consid er prayer

necessary and many consider prayer unnecessary. W e w ant to know the t ruthabout the subject from an occult pointof view. Pe rha ps the conflicting pointsof view may be reconciled.

Let me state at the outset that prayeris primarily for the purpose of attune-ment with the divine forces of the

world, for communion with the Godwithin, the divine principle within us.for thanksgiving and adorat ion. God

has instituted laws in nature and one of them is "cause and effect." W e cannottherefore pray to God to relieve us of the effect from self-created causes.Prayer need not be the traditional formof set wor ds. Inte nse interest is a formof prayer. Aspiratio n is a form of prayer. Action is a powerful form of prayer.

If you are deeply interested in a certain subject, material will come to youfrom all over the world. To read bookson the subject, to correspond with people equally interested, to accumulate information year after year, will do youmore good than all the affirmations andprayers in the world when not coupledwith action.

If you insist on breaking the laws of health, is it logical to expect to be healedperm anently throu gh prayer? Illness isa sign that the laws of nature are beingbroken. Th rou gh i llness we are compelled to learn these laws and live inharm ony with them. An illness seemingly cured through faith or prayer orthe power of thought may not be a real

cure at all. Such a cure may be similarto the relief that comes from takingmedicine or drugs. Th e seeds of the ill ness remain on the psychic plane. Th ephysical manifestation is temporarilyprevented from expressing itself. Theillness may break out more virulentlysome other time. It is bet ter to let the

f -*7-4 ]



impurities be drained out of the systemand to let nature apply its healingprocess.

If you want to enter one of the professions, if you wish to become a civilservice employee, if you wish to choose

one of the arts, it is obvious that prayermust be fortified by the fact that youmeet all the requirements, that you havethe necessary aptitude, training, and experience. The n only can you apply adominant will for success.

Let me repea t a state men t th at 1 havemade more than once. M adam e Blavat-sky did not consider prayer necessary.She considered conviction sufficient tosustain a man in the trials and tribulations of daily life. Convictions as towhat, you may ask? Convictions as tothe fundamental laws and principles of life — the law of reincarnation, karma,

and m an’s relation to the various kingdoms of nature, m an ’s place in thescheme of evolution. If our one aim isto help in the work of evolution, to livein harmony with the divine principles of the universe, to do the task for whichwe incarnated, our very aspirations, ourdaily lives are a constant prayer.

Each one of us contains a divine principle. The purpose of life on earth is theunion of our souls with this divine principle. This is illumination. W he n thisgreat experience is attained, we livenaturally in accordance with the divinelaws of the world. W e are reborn. Our

convictions become the solid foundationof our lives. Instea d of spending hoursat prayer, we spend hours in fruitfulaction.

In the present crisis in the world,action is necessary; daily, unremittingaction. Both individual and united act ion is necessary. W e must work tobring about a better state of societyafter the war is over. The work of rescue is urgent. W he n the individualconsciousness is attuned to peace andrealization of brotherhood, there can beno strife or wars. O ur w ork is to em

phasize and spread this conception.

W ere a divine messenger to bring thewar miraculously to a close today, thewar would not really be over. T he seedsof war would still lurk in modern society. The causes of war must be for ever eliminated through understandingand cooperation. M an mu st evolve be

yond his present savage state of greed,selfishness, and cruelty. Man must learnto be social-minded and world-minded.The individual man must have a consciousness in his heart of his own unitywith all life, and his active responsibility

thereto. T he gre ater the number of enlightened human beings in the world,the more impossible does war become.

People pray ardently for peace andyet nourish hatred towards their brothers. People pray ardently for peace andyet remain ignorant of the causes thatproduce str ife. People pray ardently forpeace and yet lift not a finger to helpthe world in its dire need.

W e are here in the wor ld that ourfaculties ma y develop throug h use. If we do not use them, they will atrophy.Such is natur e 's law. W e shall achievemore understanding when our intuitionfunctions. T he intuition, also, developsthrough life experience. Th e child withfreedom to play and to experiment, thechild who is given responsibility, will de velop more rapidly than the child who isconstantly supervised and whose food ispredi gested for it. so to speak. No t totake a step without the guidance of anastrologer, or a medium, or a practitioner. of one sort or another is eventuallyparalyzing. Ho w shall one develop initiative? H ow shall one develop creativeabili ty? H ow shall one become courageous? It is bette r not to lean on theinvisible worlds. Lean rather on thedivine with in ourselves. Read the firstchapter of the prophecy of Isaiah, andalso the fifth.

The interpretation of these passages

from an occult viewpoint teaches us that

God has given us every spir itual ad

vant age. Ev ery religion has its savior,

its Bible, its sacred traditions and teachings. The great avatars have come toteach us the divine principles of the universe. Obse rvanc e of these laws bringsharmony into the life of the individualand the nation. Disobedience bringsevery type of karmic consequences.

Pra yer canno t avert karmic consequences. Ad hera nce to the forms, theritual, the traditional observances, theoutward ceremonies of a religion cannotavert karmic consequences. First andforemost, the heart must be cleansed,and the hands must be clean.

[ 4 7 * ]



W e cannot deceive people socially orpolitically, we cannot exploit our working classes, and steal or defraud, andexpect punctilious observance of church

ceremonies to balance our soul-account.W e must right the wrongs of which weknow we are gui l ty. W e must be astruthful and as honorable as we can inour business and social relationships.W e must be upright as ci tizens. W e

must cooperate to the best of our ability

in eradicating vice and crime and the

various forms of social injustice. To

fight against racial and religious prej

udice is more important than to attend

church regularly. T he purpose of church

service is to remind us of our moral and

ethical obligations. If church attend

ance and support make us feel that we

have fulfilled our duty to God and man

then the purpose of the church is lost.

Let us examine our lives, our thoughts,our motives, as a proof-reader examinesa manuscript. Let us come a little near erevery day to the ideal of the life of love

and action. Let us awak en the divinewithin ourselves. Let us not hesitate toseek spiritual nourishment in the Biblesof the world. Let us interpret the textspiritually in the light of our occultstudies. Do not think that I advocatenon-attendance of church services andprayer. Every breath you take shouldbe a prayer of thanksgiving, and everymeal you eat should be a communionwith God.

To live in accordance with divineprinciples means to increase our knowledge and utilize it in day-to-day living.Knowledge l ights the way. st rengthens

convictions, and burns up ignorance.Through enl ightened act ion karmic effects can be adjusted, transmuted andbalanced.

V V V

W he re there is freedom there is nothing to stop growth, therefor e men hold it

first, and greatest of all. Gro wth is the river of life, and liberty the channel in

which it runs.—/. Will iam Lloyd.

V V V

T h e

Rosicrucian

D iges t

January

1941

R E L A X A T IO N A N D I N S T R U C T I O N

Time passes quickly, and you will soon be making definite plans for your vacation.

W hy not this year make special plans to combine in your vacation a period of instruc

tion from capable teachers and the relaxation of three or four weeks spent at Rosicrucian

Park? Instruc tors will be ready at the beginning of the term cf the Rose-Croix U niversity

to teach you. Th ere will be special courses in philosophy , physics, music, biology, and

man y other subjects too nume rous to mention. Furtherm ore, in all these subjects you will

receive instruction from one capable to present the subject and to relate it directly with

the Rosicrucian teaching s. In addition to the regular instruction, there will be special

lectures by the Supreme officers of the Order and special Lodge sessions in the Temple,

presided ove r by the Grand M aster. All these hours of instruction, inspiration and re

laxation await all members planning to attend the Rose-Croix University in its term from

June 23 to July 12. W rite today for your copy of 'The Story of Learning," if you do

not have it, and include in your plans the attending of the Rosicrucian Convention, which

imme diately follows the Unive rsity from July 13 to July 19. Th ose w ho can not come to

Rosicrucian Park for the full period of the University session and the Convention are

urged to include in their vacation plans at least sufficient time to attend the Convention.

[ 4 7 6 ]



R eincarnation By T h o r K i im a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

( I c r a v e t h e r e a d e r s ' i n d - i g e n c e l o r t h e u s e o i th e p e r s o n a l p r o n o u n i n w r i t in g a b o u t m y

reac t ion to the d o c t r i n e o l r e i n c a r n a t i o n . )

H E N 1 first becamea c q u a i n t e d w i t hthe philosophy of

mysticism, one of the most inspiringof its teachings tome w a s t h e doctrine of reincarna

tion. It came as asort of revelation.It st ruck me im-mediately as beingan eternal truth, a

s o l u t i o n t o t h emany enigmas of life. It was the as su rance of immortality that my inner self was unconsciously seeking. I won deredthat I could ever have doubted the existence of the soul, the purpose of life onearth, the inherent justice of the DivinePlan. I had so ught the solution for life’sills in the many schools of philosophiesand religions, and in the various theoriesof economics, but not one had satisfiedboth the inquiring and reasoning mindand the aching heart. A philosophy of life without a spiritual basis seemed tolead merely to fitful efforts to grasp as

niuch of this world's goods and pleasures as circums tances permitted. It ledto a decided lowering of moral and ethical standards of conduct.

Then I learned about the divine lifeforce and how it manifested in matter'—*n an impulse of encrg v and rest, ener gyand rest, ad infinitum. I sa w the seasons

come and go. and recognized in naturethe same law of activity and rest. My

own body unconsciously manifested thesame law. Th e heart action, the pulsebeat, all demonstrated the natural lawof life. Activ ity an d rest and activityagain withou t end. Life is etern al andcan not be destroyed, onlv its expression changes. Th e doctrine of reincarnation completely changed mv outlook upon life. Previously I had chafed bitterly against the limitations of my lotand place in society. There were somany things I had ardentlv. even fiercely. desired. W h y w as one born to suffer

sickness and distress, and another withheal th and wealth7 A glimpse of thetruth flashed across my inner consciousness. On e lifetime wa s but a single pagein the volume that made up the life of the soul. And m y turbulent spirit wasat peace. No t a single limitation in mylife had been removed, and yet I felte m a n c i p a t e d . Life h ad c o m p l e t e l ychanged its aspects. I rega rded with

new interest my own character and personality. my environment, and the people with whom I came in daily contact.W ha t had I brought with me from thepast? How' could I build a better future?

Life had seemed a sense less and dullaffair, but now it suddenlv became veryexciting. I had learned that the personality progresses verv slowly throughthe early incarnations. T h e conceptionof c o n s c i o u s n e s s develops gradual lythrough nature. Th e dav of enlighten

ment comes to all of us. W i t h effort andpurpose it can accomplish in one incarnation what had previously taken fifty.



where no incentive existed. T ha t actedas a spur and a chal lenge. W h y takefifty incarnations if it can be done inless?

Then I learned that nothing is lost .Every new idea is a permanent posses

sion of the subconscious mind. Everylittle achievement leaves an impress.Ev e r y a t t e m p t mak es f u tur e ef fo rt seasier an d more fruitful. I found a newinterest in every study, in every activity.Old age that 1 had p it ied and dreadednow seemed as beautiful and as full of opportunity as youth. T o me it was abeautiful thought that one could growand study and improve r ight t i l l thevery last day on earth, and even beyond.To plan in terms of incarnations wasan intoxicating thought. T o think thatthe horizons of life and of experienceshould suddenly have so unimaginably

expanded!The thought of death had been ever

like the clutch of an icy hand . But nowI no longer feel sorry for one who passes on. I feel sorry for those who arebereft . Some day . 1 know, even thatsorrow will vanish. W he n knowledgeof the conditions after transition becomes more prevalent, when peoplelearn how to become "en rapport" withthose on the plane of soul, transition

will be regarded in its true light, asmerely the passing from one state of consciousness to another, as the closing of one period of development, and

th e b eg in n in g o f an o th e r p e r io d o f development.

I t is wonderful to know that dearfriends are never lost. It is won derfulto know that love does last for ages. I tis wonderful to know that the cynicsand the pessimists and the killjoys aresuffering from myopia, spiritual blindness. Th ey grope in the dark like batsand moles. They think the world isblack because they are blind to thelight. I t is wond erful to know that theseers, the prophets, and the poets spokethe truth. Th e lofty statements of thegreat thinkers of the ages assumed anew meaning, an added significance. Iturned over the pages of Plato, Goethe,

P n d r r u r i n n Shakespeare, William Blake, WilliamW o r d s w o r t h . E m er so n a n d W a l t W h i t man with new interest . St range that Ihad not noticed how saturated thesegreat souls were with the mystic phi

T h e

D igest

February

1941

losophy of the East. Th ere w-as a newbond now between me and my o ldfavorites.

The earth is a school and every soulis learning a lesson. All natur e is helping us learn our lesson. W e are on the

road to unimagined beauty and splendor. W e are on the road to perfection.W h at a t remendous incent ive to co operate with the forces of nature, toparticipate in the grea t plan for the evolution of humanity.

I had been so absorbed in my ownproblems and troubles that i t did notoccur to me that other people werestruggling just as desperately. 1 became conscious of the fact that otherswere struggling with greater handicaps,were stumbling under greater burdens.How beautiful i t is when we struggletogether, whe n we lighten one anot her’s

burdens, when we walk together on thePath leading to Love and Joy andLiberation!

AH these thoughts came to me whenI accepted reincarnation. I t wa s a greatshock to discover that others did notreact in the same way to this greatt ru th . Th ey were af ra id of re incarna tion. They did not want to return to theworld to continue their development.The law of compensation they lookedupon as divine vengeance. They didnot l ike the idea that their own past hadshaped their present, and that the present wa s shaping their future.

I pondered long over this unexpectedreaction. I came to the conclusion tha tthey were afraid of responsibili ty. Pe rhaps they were even lazy. Th ey wanted

to eat their cake and sti l l have it. Th eywanted to yield to all their baser impulses and escape the consequences.They thought nature very cruel in notpermitting us to eat as much as our appetites would like, or to drink as heavilyas we would like, or to smoke toomuch, or to turn night into day, or beutterly reckless of the needs of thebody. I have very rarely heard suchpeople admit that they have broken na

ture’s laws and now they must l ive moreintelligently.

Such attitude is indicative of immaturi ty. I t is a child 's point of view. W h atsort of world would it be, were there nosuch law as that of cause and effect?W h y should i t be more annoying to

f 2 8 ]



care for the body intelligently than tocare for the family car or the heatingsystem in your home? W h y should webe too lazy to make an effort to controlthought, and speech and action? Everyrelationship in life requires a sense of

responsibility for its consummation. Youcannot be a satisfactory parent withouta sense of responsibility. You c annot besuccessful in your business or professionwithout a sense of responsibility. Ou rcountry would be a far finer place inwhich to live had we more citizens witha sense of responsibility. Democracyand our Constitution will survive only if enough people are ready to take the re-sponsibilities seriously of upholding it.

To be ready to assume responsibili tyis a sign of ma turi ty. It is a sign thatwe are beginning to grow up. As weare ready to assume responsibility for

our various duties of life, so must we beready to assume responsibility for theevolution of our souls, for our relationships with others, for the evolution of humanity as a whole. Life on earth is avast cooperative enterprise. As each oneimproves, so is the wo rld benefited. Aseach one helps, so is the burden of theworld lessened. Each soul is needed.No soul is superfluous. Th ink not whatan insignificant unit you are, or thatyour efforts do not count, or that no onewill miss you. Thi nk ra ther of the people that need you, of the causes thatwait for your interest and activity, of

the part that you are destined to playin the working out of the divine Plan.

Every one has his allotted part toplay in the unfolding of the divine Plan.Our experience in life is training us forthis great work. If we are re ady to takeourselves in hand, if we are ready to assume responsibility, if we are ready togive the necessary time and make therequired effort, we can qualify all thesooner for this great task. If we lovethe world, if we love our fellowman, weshould be ready and eager to play ourPart , to do our share. Th e world today

in the slough of despon d. Civilizationseems in the process of dissolving beforeour very eyes. The shadow of wardaily comes closer. Most people arehelpless and bewildered.

It is painful to realize that one mustshare the responsibility for the present

debacle. It is painful to realize that indifference and apathy permitted theforces of evil to gain control, that thepurpose of life is not indulgence inphysical pleasures only, that interest in

one's own private affairs alone is suici

dal for the nation and for the world.The cataclysm in the world today is theinevitable consequence of personal interests and national interests taking precedence over world welfare. It is theinevitable consequence of living forgreed instead of for service.

W e must awake. W e must becomeresponsible human beings. W e mustrealize that every link in a chain isnecessary. In fact, a chain is as strongas its wea kest link. O ur actions envelopus like a cloud. T he evil that we do becomes mire around our feet, dragging usdown and delaying our progess. Thegood that we do gives us wings onwhich to soar.

Karma has a gloomy note only forthe irresponsible, for the selfish, for thelawless, and for those who delight inevil. It work s for good as well as forevil. It brings joy as well as sorrow. Itmakes for greater opportunities. I t creates genius. It bring s liberation nearer.Let us do the task we love, and ourgenius will become manifes t. Let us dofaithfully the task at hand, and new opportunities will appe ar. Let us stu dy theAncient Wisdom and learn to l ive in ac

cordance with natu re's laws. Let us livethe life of love and service, and helpmake the world a better place to live in.As long as we refuse to realize that lawis the foundation of the world, we mustlearn through blood and tears. W he nwe are ready to realize that the only jo yful w ay is G o d 's way, w e tra nsmut eexperience into wisdom, and we discover the isle of safety in the midst of the storm.

The storm is wholly of blundering

and ignorant ma n’s creation. M an plays

with dynamite and is appalled to dis

cover that dynamite explodes. W e canmake this world a beautiful place to live

in. W e can make it a fascinating labor

atory where every moment we learn

new things. W e can make it an or-

(Concluded on Page 34)

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T h e

Rosic ru cian

D iges t

February

1941

dividuals who can budget neither time,money, nor effort. The ir youth is spentin the mad whirl of getting a thrill, andwith old age they cry that life was"un fair." Since the world owes no oneanything, each must be responsible for

his present as well as his future. Hewho squanders his talents and abilities,his time and his money, today cannotexpect to have a storehouse of wealthtomorrow.

Finally there is the individual wholives only in the future. He may be areligious zealot who ignores the importance of the body and life on thisearthly plane in the false belief that thismortal existence does not count, or hemay be simply the individual who bend sall his energies to amassing a fortune toenjoy wh en he can retire. Ne ed I citethe hundreds of misers who saved and

stinted, denying themselves every plea

sure in life only to die before enjoyingone single luxury, to prove the error of this type of philosophy? Th e individualwho builds up such habits of hoardingrarely ever enjoys any luxury, even if

he lives to an age when he can retire.

The time never comes in his consciousness when he can spend freely for himself or anyon e else. His ' futur e" takeson the miserly aspect of his present orhis past when it actually materializes.

Only by properly combining the virtues and correctly correlating the past,the present, and the future, can we en

joy th e fu lles t measure of hap pin es s an dcontentment . W ith an understandingof what each contributes to the sum

total of man’s existence, we shall bequalified to give credit to our forbears,profit by our own past mistakes, enjoythe pleasures of the present, and plan

greater happiness for the future.

V V V

IF M Y B U SIN E SS M E T H O D S A R E W R O N G —

(Continued from Page 32)

will be applying the fire of the crucibleto them. M ake it you r business to liftyour pract ices higher and higher eachday. not by negat ing the business, notby casting it aside and abandoning it to

those who have no heart , no act ive conscience, but by becoming the saviour of

your business, the leader in the evolut ionary changes that must be worked

out slowly and carefully. Each time youare forced to use a practice, a method,a principle that you recognize as unsound, do it with your consciousnessconcentrated upon i ts unsoundness and

make it stand out in all its crimson distinctiveness and thereby isolate it fromthe other principles and methods whichare good and true. Little by little thesemarked things wil l be separated and you

will have a group of branded practices,c onde mne d , os t r a c i se d a nd re j e c t e d .

This will be part of the process of evolution of your business and you will be

one of those like the many in the pastyears who have aided in similar ways inmaking all our business, social and educational systems better and more idealthan they were hundreds of years ago.

V V V

R E I N C A R N A T I O N

(Contin ued from Page 29)

chestra of t remendous beauty and power. W e can make it a paradise, a gar den of peace and joy and loving fel lowship. All these beautiful things are possible i f we are ready to assume respon

sibility. if we are eager to train ourselves for our share in the great project,if we are ready for a world fellowship,and if we are ready to think in terms of incarnat ions instead of years.

[ 3 4 ]



Who Is a Mystic? By T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

E B S T E R s a y s th a t" a mys t i c i s oneh a v i n g f r e q u e n t

m y s t i c a l e xp er i

ences, a follower,often an expounde r , o f a mys t i ca lw ay o f l if e. " Ass t u d e n t s o f t h ehigher thought wesay that a mysticis one who voluntarily embraces ac e r t a i n t y p e o f

life. He choos es a certain way of living because of his outlook upon life.The fundamental principles of the mystic’s philosophy are the unity of all thatlives, and the life of love and service.The unity of all that lives may be interpreted in many ways. It may be interpreted to mean the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. I tmay be interpreted to mean man's responsibility to his fellow man . It maybe interpreted to mean the divine spark in every human being, the sacrednessand inviolability of human individuality,

the place that every human being has inthe scheme of things.

It necessarily follows that if each

man has his place in the sun, then each

man has his divinely appointed work to

do. No hum an being is superfluous. Aman may not measure up to his obligations. A man ma y be wrongly placed inlife. Failure and mala djustm ent do notmean that he has lost his place in thefamily of humanity. Man is his brother’skeeper. Th e older souls help the souls

youn ger in evolution. Ea ch helps in hisown way and to the best of his ability.Each does the tasks that life assigns tohim as conscientiously as he can. Th e

mystic develops through the service thathe renders humanity.

The genuine mystic, therefore, is alover of humanity and a man of action.He aspires to be a servant of humanity.The beginner on the Path may not fullyreveal all the qualities. H e is learningthe first lessons in the life of love andservice. He may be following the Pathof Knowledge. Stu dy of the principlesmust eventually lead him to the pointwhere he feels compelled to bring hislife into harmony with his philosophy.He may be following the Path of Devotion. Love of God must eventually bringhim to the point where he desires toserve mankind, the sheep of the DivineShepherd. He who loves God mustwork in His vineyard. He w ho lovesGod shares in the great cooperative enterprise of the evolution of the race.That is man's crown of glory when heknows his divinely appointed task anddoes it joyously.

He may be following the Path of

Action. If he is a stude nt of mysticism,he must eventually realize that right action is that which furthers the divineplan.

Right action is done for love of Godand for love of man. W he n the onethought is to further the Divine Plan,selfish desires and personal aims disappear. Th ere are lofty levels of conductfor one who is on the Path of Action.As “Light on the Path” teaches, he

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T h e

Ro sic ru cian

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1941

must learn to work with ambition andconcentration. As the ' Bhagavad-Gita"

teaches, he must learn to give up thedesire for the fruit of action. He mustsow the seed, unperturbed by the fact

that there is no immediate reward orharv est. Res ults lie in the lap of time.There is no cause w-ithout its effect.Know ing the law. he can be patient. H ethrows himself into his share of the appointed tasks until he becomes a part of

the Path himself.

If he chooses the Path of Beauty, hisdestination is the same. Thr oug h thebeauty of the physical w'orld. he learnsto penetrate the veil of matter and seethe be au ty of the SDiritual world. Fi nally he discovers the divine beauty—God as artist. To know God as artist isto see beauty in all creation, and to love

all God's creatures because they are thework of His hands and therefore beau tiful. He w ho sees the beauty of crea tion has a great desire to share hisvision w'ith his fellowmen. He who seesthe love an d bea uty of Go d in everyliving thing has no desire to injure, ortormen t, or destroy. He reg ards all lifewith reverence. Every flower, everybird, every woodland creature is sacred.

No matter what path the studentchooses, eventually he finds his way tothe heart of God, and there he learns to

radiate the divine love to all that livesand breathes. The person who sits

around in soulful contemplation, wait'ing to go to heaven, is a beginner. Itdoes not take very long, if he sincerelyapplies himself to his studies and evento his contemplation, for him to becomeaware of the fact that his supreme dutyis to try to make a heaven of earth. Allilluminated souls have testified to thefact that one of the first revelations isthat each is directed to the place wherehe happ ens to be, for service. Just thereis his plot of qround to cultivate to thebest of his ability.

It is time for the public to realize thatthe mystic is dedicated to the good life

and the unselfish life. The mystic isharmless. T h at is, he tries to be just asharmless as his awareness of the needsof others permit. He certainly cannotbe obviously wicked, or heartless, orbloodthirsty, or cruel.

It is wrong, and even a gross libeland an act of injustice, to regard a man

dedicated to selfish ends and ruthlessmethods, as a mystic. He may be avisionary. He may be mad. He mayeven be a genius in evil, but he is certainl y not a mystic. Doe s he feel the

oneness o f all that lives? Does the loveof humanity domina te his heart? Is hegentle, merciful, and compassionate?“By their fruits shall ye know them.”

W e who love the mystic philosophy,we who feel that it is the most inspiringphilosophy in the world, we who feelcalled upon to prove our love throuqhservice, we who are making strenuousefforts to be more efficient in service,object to the misuse and the misinterpretation of the word “mystic.” Thegreat mystics of the world are the greatphilanthropists and the saviors of theworld. The great mystics are the dedicated souls of the world.

Do you know the story of the greatNegro chemist . George WashingtonCarver? He has qiven new life to southern agriculture through the uses he hasfound for the Deanut and the sweetpotato. It is said that he has discoveredover 200 uses. H e has qiven his discoveries as a gift to the farmers of theSouth. He has taken no patents: he hasclaimed no royalities. T ha t is the spiritof the genuine mystic. Pierre and MarieCurie, who dedicated their lives to thediscovery of radium, and then gavetheir discovery as a gift to mankind,may have known nothing of mysticism,but their self-dedicated task was in thespirit of genuine mysticism.

The mystic knows that true happiness is found only in self-forgetful service. Th e more we can lose ourselves ina great task, the deeper the happinesswe feel. He who is absorbed in hiswork is indifferent to weather and environment, is oblivious of the usualpetty tr iviali t ies and annoyances of daily living. There is more joy in thepangs of creative labor than in all theamusements of the world. It is said thatLeonardo da Vinci spent years on Mona

Lisa and the Last Supper. It is said thatMilton spent all his life on ParadiseLost; that Goethe spent all his life onFaust. I t is said that Joseph Conrad rewrote one chapter in one of his novelstwenty-two times. There is no greater jo y th an to br in g beauty to bi rt h, to giveto thou ght a substa ntial form. All his

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l ife W al t W hi tm an wrote , rewrote andrevised his one volume. "Leaves of Gra s s . ”

In the New York Times Magaz inesect ion of January 26. appeared an interview by Elizabeth R. Valent ine withour Vice-Pres ident . Henry Wal lace . Inthe course of the interview the Vice-President was asked whether he considers himself a mystic. T he in terview er then states: "TheVice-President himself is amused and a little irritated bythe term myst ic.’ T o him a mystic is aperson who si ts around in soulful contemplation. waiting to go to heaven.Mr. Wallace indicates that he has notime for this sort of thing, and that,since the hereafter is highly problematical, it would be more practical to tryfor 'heaven on earth’.”

W e wh o accept the mystic phi losophyknow that the hereafter is a definitecondition of consciousness. T o reducethe hereafter to the gloomy superstitions of the middle ages is foolish, andto ignore it completely is equally foolish. T he sensible procedur e is to studythe states of consciousness known asthe hereafter so that we need not fearthem, so that we may be prepared forthem, and so that we may be as usefulas possible when the time comes for usto leave our physical plane of activity.The greater our knowledge, the greaterwill be our usefulness.

The "hereafte r” may also mean thefurther destiny of the soul, which is reincarn ation— the r eturn to earth in anew body to continue the t raining of the soul. Th ere are very definite conditions controlling rebirth. If we are interested in our destinies, the sensiblething is to study the laws controlling rebirth so that we may merit opportunitiesfor development, for growth, and forincreased service. As long as the ave rage human being refuses to recognizethe existence of anything that he cannot see and feel and hear, as long as herefuses to recognize the application of

laws to planes other than the physical,as long as he refuses to recognize statesof consciousness higher than those heexperiences daily, he will have difficulty

in understanding life as it is and incontrolling life. Th e world, as a whole,

is in the process of learning throughwhat is known as bitter experience. Theday must come when man will be wearyof drift ing without compass or rudderon the waves of circumstance, being

buffeted here and there by conditionsand environment . Then he wil l be readyto invest igate the knowledge that todayhe lightly scorns or ignores.

In the meanwhile we must be unaffected by the slurs of unthinking people. no matter how fine or intellectual orwell-known they may be. Prominencein politics or aviation does not crownthe human with superior knowledge inall questions of life. In God's schoolsouls are regarded according to theirdeqree of evolution, according to their

l ight , and not according to outwardpomp and circumstance, wealth or fame.Everv soul is learning its own lessons inlife. Every soul is more developed inone direct ion than in others. W e haveour limitations according to our ray anddegree of develop ment. In the westernworld more souls are incarnat ing whoare extrovert in type, eager to be withpeople and "to do thinqs.” Th ev mayhave a capaci ty for work and an executive abilitv far beyond their capacity forabstract thought .

Many who through a previous eas t

ern incarnation have a comprehensiveunderstanding of philosophic principlesand an innate ability for contemplation,meditat ion, and concentrated thoughtare now in a western incarnat ion learning to add their ability and engage inconstructive action. Let us bear in mindthat the men of the W es t for all theirfine and necessary qualities have muchto learn from the East. Their horizon isstill too limited to what their physicalsenses and their logical understandingcan grasp. Fo r all the work of modernpsychologists and psychiatrists theyhave yet to explore the subconscious

mind and the super-conscious mind or"Cosmic Consciousness.” The studentof the mystic philosophy has a greatwork to do in the western world.

V V V

Prejudice is the poisoner of re ason and the ass assinato r o f justice.” — Validivar.

{ 5 9 ]



i SANCTUM MUSIN GS I

BROTHERHOODBy T h o r K h m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

T h e

Rosi cru cia n

D ig es t

M a y

1 9 4 1

N E W p er io di ca l

has come to myattention, “Decis io n , " ed i t ed b yKlaus Mann, oneof the large numb e r o f b r i l l i a n tmen compelled toseek refuge on ourshores. An articlethat was of more

than casual inter e s t t o m e w a s“Brazilian Impres

sions," by Stefan Zw eig. He begins bysaying that originally his ideas aboutBrazil were the arrogant ideas commonto the average European and Nor thAmerican; that Brazil meant one of anumber of South American republics,not readily distinguishable one from theother, its climate hot and unhealthy, itspolitical situation always disturbed byrevolutions, its finances desolate, its administration corrupted and slovenly,halfway civilized only in the coastal

cities; in a word , a land for despera techaracters, emigrants and settlers, butby no means one from which to expectintelligent stimulation.

His visit proved a complete surprise.The landing at Rio proved one of themost powerful im pression in his life. Infact, his description is so alluring that Idesire to visit the South American Republics. H e fou nd a new civilization.He found new things done boldly and

on a grand scale, and at the same timean ancient culture amazingly preserved.He felt that he had gazed into thefuture of our world. In additio n, Brazilhas succeeded in solving a problem thathas offered a special challenge to ourgeneration. T his solution at once investsBrazil with a special intellectual andmoral status among all the nations of the world. Let me continue in the wordsof the author, Stefan Zweig.

. . It consists of the answer to thesimplest and at once most necessary of all questions: Ho w can men live together in peace on this earth, despiteall the different races, classes, colors,creed s, and religions? It is a problemthat time and again imperiously facesevery community, every state. Becauseof circumstances of special complexity,it confronted Brazil in a particularlydangerous form, and no country hassolved it in more felicitous and exemplar y fashion than Brazil . T o my ownway of thinking Brazil has solved it ina way that commands not on ly the a t tention but the admiration of the world.

“ Ha d Brazil taken over the Europeanmania of nationality and race, i t shouldhave become, on the basis of its ownracial structure, the most strife-torn,restless and discordant country in thewor ld . Walk ing the s t ree ts and market places. one can still clearly distinguishthe various races that go to make up thepopula t ion . There are the descendantsof the Portuguese who conquered and

C 1 5 0 ]



colonized the land; there is the nativeIndian populat ion which has inhabitedit since time immemorial; there are themil lons of Negroes brought over fromAfrica in the time of slavery; and since

then the millions of Italians, Germansand even Jap anese wh o came as set t lers.

"From the European viewpoint onemight expect each of these groups toadopt a host i le at t i tude toward theothers—the earl ier arrivals against thelater ones, black against white, American aga ins t European, brown aga ins tyellow. One might expect majoritiesand minorities to be locked in unendingstruggle for rights and privi leges. Toone's ut ter surprise i t becomes apparentthat all these races, set off from eachother by the very color of their skin, livetogether in complete harmony; that de

spite their different origins they outdoone another in their efforts to discardtheir former peculiarities and becomeBrazilians as quickly and completely aspossible — a n ew and uniform nation.Brazil has reduced ad absurdum in thesimplest way the race problem whichhaunts our European world — and thesignificance of this great experiments e e m s t o m e to b e t h a t i t i n v i t e semulation.

“Brazi l has simply ignored the al

leged val idi ty of this problem. W hil e in

our old world the insani ty of breeding

men ‘racially p ur e’ like race-hor ses ordogs predominates more than ever, theBrazilian nation has for centuries beenbased only on the principle of free andunrestrained intermixture, of completeequal i ty between black and white ,brown and ye l low. W ha t in othercountries has been committed to paperand parchment merely in theory—absolute civil equality in public as well as inprivate life — here in Brazil is visiblyrealized: in the schools, in the go vern ment, in the churches, in the professions, in the army, in the universities.It is touching to see even the children

come home from school arm in arm, represent ing every shading of the humanskin—chocolate, milk and coffee; andthis physical and mental sense of uni tyreaches up into the highest places,the academies and government offices.There is no color line, no segregation,no arrogant st rat i ficat ion, and nothingillustrates more characteristically how

generally accepted is this interminglingtha t the tota l absence of an y deroga toryword in the language . W hi le amongourselves nat ion after nat ion has invented spi teful or mocking designat ions

for the other—the ‘da go ’ or the boche '—the Brazi l ian vocabu larly ut terly lacksany deprecat ing term for the 'Nigger 'or the Creole; for who would care toboast of absolute racial pur i ty here?

. . This al legedly destruct ive principle of miscegenation, this horror, thiscrime against the blood' of our ob

sessed racial theo reticians — her e it isconsciously utilized as the cement of anat ional cul ture. Fo r four centuries anat ion has been surely and steadi ly ris ing on this foundation; and, miracle of miracles! this constant intermingling andmutual adaptat ion, under similar condi

tions of life and climate, has given riseto a thoroughly individual type, total lylacking in the 'degenerate ' characterist ics proclaimed by loud-mouthed fanatics of racial purity; rarely in theworld are more beautiful women andchildren to be seen than among the half-breeds, delicate in stature, gentle in demeanor. It is a joy to look into thedusky faces of students and there to seeintel l igence paired with a quiet modestyand courtesy. Th ere is a certain soft ness here, a gent le melancholy thatforms a new and highly persona l contrast to the sharper and more act ive

type of the No rth American. Th e onlyelements to ‘deg ener ate’ in this intermixture are the violent and thereforedangerous contrasts. This systematicbreaking up of closed nat ional or racialgroups—closed especial ly for purposesof conflict — has grea tly facilitated thecreat ion of a uniform nat ional spiri t ;and the complete extent to which thesecond generat ion already regards i tself as purely Brazilian is truly astonishing.It is always the facts with their indisputable, visible force that refute thepaper theories of , the dogm atists . Th atis why the moral and material success

of the Brazilian experiment, with itscomplete and conscious negation of alldifferences of color and race, has perhaps rendered the outs tanding cont r i but ion toward disposing of a mania thathas brought more misery and confl ictupon our world than any other .

“ . . . The visi tor who has just escapedfrom Europe's crazi ly exaggerated i r

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D iges t

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1941

ritability is at first incredulous at thetotal ab sence of all spitefulness in publicas in private life, but then he welcomesit as someth ing infinitely soothing. Th efearful tension which has now beentugging at our nerves for a decade ishere almost completely eliminated, forhere all conflicts, even those in the socialsphere, lack the sharp edge and, aboveall , the poisoned barb. Th e stranger 'sinitial surprise is repeated day after day—in how friendly a fashion, with whatutter lack of fanaticism the people livetogether within this enormous space.Under the soothing influence of thatspaciousness and of the climate, theBrazilian race may indeed be endowedto a lesser degree with those qualitieswhich are often today praised as theonly true virtu es of a people: brutalstriking power, disciplined organization,and unrestrained dynamism; but the re

sul ts show that the prevai l ing standardsof conciliation stand up better than theaggressive mentality.

“For more than a century Brazi l hasresolved all border disputes with itsneighbors—with the single exception of that Paraguay episode senselessly provoked by a militarist gone mad — bymeans of friendly agreement and appealto international arbitration bodies. Evenits inner upheavals and changes of government have taken place almost entirely wi thout bloodshed. Whatever theform of government, the chief characteristic of this nation has always prevailed— its desire for balance a nd hu man unders tanding.

. A dictatorship today, it has the

least tyrannical of all contemporary dic

tators. Never has the peace of the worldbeen threa tened by the policies of Braziland even in a period as full of surprisesas our own one can hardly imagine thatthere could ever be a change in thisbasic principle of Brazilian national life— this de sire for to lerance, for gettingalong with others. Th at is why one of our most promising hopes for the futurecivilization and pacification of our world

rests in the existence of Brazil, a country that still has room for millions uponmillions of new citizens, that is onlynow beginning to assert its world importance. An d wherever we see moralf o r c e s a t w o r k , w h e r e v e r w e s e egrounds for st rengthening our convic

tion that enough and too many millionsof people have already been sacrificedto dim-witted ideologies of segregation— there it is ou r task, in turn, *0

strengthen such tendencies. Whereverin our disturbed era we see hope of anew future in new zones, there it is ourduty to point out such possibilities tothe conscience of the world."

Brothers and sisters, I have quoted atlength from this art icle because 1 feelthat we sorely need this lesson in ourlives today . If we are to remain uncontaminated by the fi l thy propaganda is suing from the publicity departments of the warring factions, we must work forgreater uni ty in our own ranks. Thereis entirely too much racial discrimination and religious animosity existing inour country today. Th e seeds of hatredcannot sprout where there is no soil to

nourish them. T o be hon est because itis the best policy does not make forspiri tual advancement . To decide onnational and world issues merely ongrounds of selfish, material considerations reveals a basic spiritual deficiency,a lack of genuine altruism in the national character, a lack of a feeling of truebrotherhood.

I am compelled to speak frankly.

There is a color line in this country andeveryone knows it . Even in New York City, which is supposed to be more cosmopolitan than most cities, in middle-class apartmen t-houses with a doorman,

every negro is considered a domesticand ordered to go through the basement

and take the service elevator. OurAmericans of Revolut ionary descentconsider New York, because of i ts cosmopolitan population, a foreign city. Itis disgraceful that among our minorityp o p u l a t i o n s s u c h c o n d i t i o n s s h o u l dexist. Pau l Robeson, the brilliant negroactor, a Columbia University graduate,Phi Beta Kappa, and a successful lawyer, tells in the story of his life, thepetty discriminations to which he wassubjected. He was happ y only in England and in Fran ce. H e tells that if one

of their number should be white enoughto pass as a white man, his fellownegroes will never give him away byacknowledging him in public.

The finest employment agencies willnot register Jews, no matter how brill iant and refined. The Jewish young

[ l » ]



men and women are driven to the subterfuge of changing their names, assuming a different religion, and having theirfaces operated on in order to get a job

for which they are fitted. Do I blamethese people? I do not . Eve ry humanbeing is entitled to reach that level thathis ability, his character, and his effortsent i t le him to. That jobs should behanded out on the basis of racial andreligious affiliation, family connections,and social background is a disgrace fora democrat ic country, the very const i tut ion of which was drawn up to eraseforever these distinctions that haveproved the curse of Europe and of older

civilizations. In ancient Greec e any one

who was not a born Greek was cons id

ered a barbarian. In ancient Rome there

was no status outside of the "CivicRomans," the Roman cit izen. To da y a

philosophy of an age that is passed, a

philosophy that marks a moving-back,

not a moving-forward of the hands of

the clock of progress, is attempting to

make people race-conscious, is now at

tempting to draw arrogant dist inct ions

be tween Aryan and non-Aryan.

The genuine American spiri t is thatof Abraham Lincoln, the man of thepeople, the simple, genuine love of allma nkind , and o f W a l t W hi t ma n , who

made no distinction of race, creed, color,or background. The spiri t of othergroups, prevalent in certain sections of our country is not the genuine Americanspirit . Th e political an d economic problems of emigrants in their native countries should not be t ransplanted hereand become seeds of differences.

W e as students of the Rosicrucianphilosophy know that Cosmic law prevails. Cause and effect are predominant.Let us search our own souls. Let usexamine our own actions. Hav e we uprooted every weed of discriminat ion,prejudice, and intolerance? Are we

ready to regard every problem in thel ight of universal human needs? Arewe ready to make the necessary sacri fices so that liberty and justice shallprevai l? As the prophet Micah said,"Hath not one God made us? Are wenot chi ldren of one father?" Let uslearn the first principle of Brotherhoodthrough love, not through the whip of tears and blood and agony.

A M E R I C A N I N D I A N D A Y

There is a growing realization upon the part of studious conscientious Americans thatthey, as citizens, have a deb t to the American Indian. In the early da ys of Am erican

National expansion, the Indian was often shamefully mistreated by unscrupulous individuals in authority. Th ere is much that can be done to aid his present plight. Th e firstneed is recognition by the p opulace of the Indian's circumstances. T o make the Americanpublic conscious of this obligation, a Bill known as S-1240, has been introduced by thehonorable United States Senator Thomas, of Oklahoma, designating the Fourth Saturdayin September of each year as A m er ic an Ind ia n D ay. The Bill has been read twice, andhas been referred to the Com mittee on Indian affairs. If it is passed, the President willproclaim the above day as a memorial to the aborigines of this nation.

W e. therefore, request that ev ery Rosicrucian member in the U nited S tates, as well asour readers, kindly write to his or her United States Sen ator in W ashin gton . D. C. or toUnited States Senator Tho mas, of Oklahoma, in Washing ton. D .C ., assuring full approval of the Bill and urging its passage. Mention Bill S-1240 when w riting.

T O M O R R O W ’S C IT IZ E N S

Eve ryon e realizes that tod ay 's children are tomorrow 's law makers and leaders. Pa rents, however, often do not appreciate that they mold national character by the trainingwhich they give their children. Greed , selfishness, and bigotry often begin in early childhood. Love of children and the desire to have them succeed in life is not enough. A childcan neither be lashed nor always reasoned into a stalwart character or eminent personality. T he subco nscious functions of a child's mind, and the kind of appeal necessary tothe various planes of intellect at different ages, must be understood. T he effects of environment must also be analyzed. The Child Culture Institute provides this helpful instruction for the inner development of children. It consists of simple and easily und erstood advice. Fo r those who are to become parents, there are a lso especially helpful suggestions. essential to the prope r attitude of mind. W rite for the free booklet, explaininghow you may receive this information. Address Child Culture Institute. College Heights,San Jose. California.

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I SANCTUM MUSIN GS |S — -------------------- - = i

THE QUEST OF COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS

By T h o r K j i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

T h e

R osic rucian

D iges t

Jun e

1941

H E R E a r e tw ostandard books onthis subject whichall students areadvised to becomefamiliar with. Onebook, entitled T h e Quest of Cosmic Consciousness, isby the well-knownE n g l i s h w r i t e r ,Paul Brunton. Thesecond book is a

careful analysis of exactly what is meant by the state of consciousness known as Cosmic Con-sciousness. and a study of many of thegreat men and women known to havemanifested Cosmic Consciousness intheir lives and works. Th e title is Cos -mic Consciousness, and the author wasa physician. Dr. Bucke.

All evolution is an expansion of consciousness. It is said that, in the mineral, consciousness is in a trance state.In the plant, consciousness is in thestate of deep sleep. In the animal, consciousness awakes . In man. conscious

ness becomes self-consciousness. Evolution does not stop with the state of simple self-consciousness of the averagehuman being. From being consciousonly of himself man rises to the state of identifying his consciousness with thatof every living thing on earth. Th is isconsciousness universalized. This isCosmic Consciousness, or illumination.

This is the consciousness of the man inharmony with the divine currents of thought which he expresses in works of genius.

A man in harmony with cosmicthought currents is aware of the divineinspiration pouring through him, andhe is able to speak with authority . Theprophets, for example, speak emphatically in the name of G od. Jesus spokewith authori ty. Th e most outstandinginstances of Cosmic Consciousness arethe geniuses who express divine in

spiration in their great works of artand music, in their philosophies, poetry,and plays. Cosmic Consciousness is nota mere word. It is an actual experience and a degree of understanding.

He who has been through this wonderful experience lives his life on aloftier plane, lives in the light of spiritual ideals, and sees life from a universalviewpoint. He no long er sees life onlyfrom the viewpoint or his own needs,interests, and experiences. Th e greatavatars of the world certainly expertenced Cosmic Consciousness: Zoroaster, Gautama the Buddha, Confucius,

Mohammed, and Moses. The great phi losophers of Greece, such as Socrates,Plato, and Aristotle, had reached thisdegree of unfoldment . Cosmic Con sciousness was the source of Leonardoda Vinci 's magnificent paintings, the

M o n o Li sa and the La st Supper . It wasafter attaining illumination that SirFrancis Bacon was enabled to write that

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immortal series of plays, embracing soextraordinary a range of l iving characters, replete with the most inspired poetry in the English langua ge. In M a c -beth, for example, there is complete understanding of the stages of that vill

ain's deterioration. In H am le t ,

the soulsof Gertrude, the Queen; Claudius, theKing; Polo nius, the Councillor; Ophe lia,his daughter; and Horat io, Hamlet’sbosom friend, are presented with equalvividness. T he y are living, hum an beings with such frailties as flesh is heirto. Th ey are not merely types. No rare they submerged in the backgroundbecause of the principal fiqure, Hamlet,the melancholy Dane . Th e men andwomen of the various plays are as renowned and as real as if they were historical personages. Co ntra st, for example. the characters in the novels of Charles Dickens, who is considered of first ran k in Englis h literature. Hismost striking personalities are men, particularly those of the lower classes, or

unfortun ate men. In A Tale o f T w o

Cities, for example. Sidney Carton, thedrunken lawyer, and Dr. Manette , thepathetic prisoner of the Bastille, are farmore vivid and effective than CharlesDarnay, presumably the main character.His heroines are all cut after the samepattern, young, exactly 17. pretty, andwith no more definiteness of characterthan wooden dolls.

Cosmic Consciousness manifests clearly in the poe t ry of W al t W hi tma n. Noother poet has been dominated so completely by the theme of oneness withall that lives and the miracle of even theleast of creation.

I believe a leaf of grass is no less perfectthat the journey work of the stars . . .

And a mouse is miracle enough to staggersextillions of infidels."

I embody all presences outlaw'd or suffering,See myself in prison shaped like another man,And feel the dull unintermitted pain.

For me the keepers of convicts shoulder theircarbines and keep watch;

*t is I let out in the morning, and barr’d atv , ^ght .Not a mutineer walks handcuff'd to jail, but I

am not handcuff ’d to him a nd walk by hisside:

• • •

Not a youngster is taken for larceny, but I goUP. too, and am tried an d se ntenc ed. . . .

°t a cholera patient lies at the last gasp, butI also lie at the last gasp; . . .

Askers embody themselves in one, and I amembodied in them;

I project my hat, sit shame-faced, and beg.*

Let me quote a few verses from theprophet Jeremiah. Chapter 9 (verses 23

and 24):

"A wo rd from the Eternal: A wise man mustnot glory in his wisdom, nor a warrior in hisstrength, nor the rich man in his riches: he whoglories is to glory in this, that he has insightinto me. that he knows that I am the Eternal,dealing in kindness, justice, and goodness uponearth—for these are my delight."

That power in Leonardo da Vinc iwhich enabled him to grasp the soul of Mona Lisa, that extraordinary abi l i tyof W al t W hi tm an of ins tantaneousfriendship with any human being, thatsense of identification with eternal values that the prophet Jeremiah expressed

and that enabled him without a feelingof outrage in us to declare. “Thus saiththe Eternal’’—are evidences of CosmicConsciousness. Some have but a touchas Ralph W ald o Emerson, for al l hisintel lectual und erstanding and b eauty of style. Th e man who wrote the remarkable essays of Compensation and The OverSoul was never able to manifestthese qualities in his personal life. Inhis personal life he was the recluse andscholar. Some have ente red into the fullglory of identification with the divinein l i fe and of understanding and compassion with all tha t lives. Such werethe great Avatars of all ages. Such werethe great geniuses, the flower of thehuman race. No r did these illuminedsouls express their genius in philosophyor religion or poetry or art alone. Somemanifested their genius in mighty worksof architecture, some in stupendousfeats of engineering, some in remarkablecodes of law. some in supreme statesmanship. A nd some were the inspiredteachers.

He who has experienced illuminationhas one disire: to bring the vision thathas transformed his life to his fellow-men still stru gg ling in the valley. He

clothes this vision in the form native tohis genius. He gives as an offering of love and joyous self-expression to theworld the frui t that Cosmic Consciousness ripened, that never would have ap-

•Quotations from Lea ve s of Gr ass by W al tWhitman.

r m i



peared but for the illumination. Thepoet scribbles his uninspired verse. Thenillumination comes and he writes hismasterpiece. Th e playw right follows allthe rules of his craft. Yet, the play is

dead. I t awak ens not an answeringemotion. Th en illumination comes, andhis plays live and stir every soul thatsees them. T he thinker speaks, but noone heeds. Then illumination comes.W ith master hand he p lays upon theheart s of men. He stirs their emotions,kindles thoughts of fire, and becomesthe father of a great movement or a newreligion or a school of though t. CosmicConsciousness gives him appeal to everyhuman hear t . He understands humanbeings; he expre sses them; he elevatesthem.

Cosmic Consciousness is superior to

mind, no matter how bril l iant. Throughthe rational mind you can realize thefact of Cosmic Consciousness and itsdesirabili ty and its beauty. You maydetermine to lead the life that will findits culmination in illumination. Th e ra tional mind, however, may not lead youinto the Promised Land. Like Mos es itleads you through the wilderness to thevery edge of the River Jordan. Then thelotus blossom flowers, and the GoldenHear t appears .

There are several aspects to CosmicConscio usness. First, there is illumination. which is a realization of the God

Within, a feeling of oneness with thedivine. Th en there is the realization of the divine in everything, the immananceof God. Finally, there is the feeling of identification with all that lives, withevery human being, with every beastand bird and stone. W ith the realization of the divine in everything, comesthe realization that nothing is dead.

As there is a center in the nervoussystem for each psychic power, so isthere an actual organ through whichillumination manifests, and that organ islocated in the heart. Let him who isperfectly sure of his strength of mindand will work at the opening of thepsychic centers. M y personal opinion isthat it is better for the untried and solitary student to gain his soul powers

Ro sicru cia n 9rad uall Y throug h the experiences of l ife. The student who is working alonedoes not know whether his practice iscorrect or not. He does not know whenhe is straini ng himself. If he gets into

Th y

D iges t

June

1941

trouble, in all probability there will beno one for him to turn to for aid or foradvice. N o one will even understand ju st w h a t is wrong. T h e n is he tr ul y indang er of becoming bewildered a nd dis

courage d. Acquirin g psychic powers islike acquiring skill in playing an instru-'ment, in swimming, in learning a foreignlanguage. Fo r most people whatever Ugained alone is imperfect. Th e greatestgenius in music needs the instruction of an expert. Tec hniq ue requires trainingand mastery.

W he n the s tudent i s ready, theMa ster appears. Th ere is much that thestude nt can do to prep are himself. Norare psychic powers necessary for the experience of illumination or for disciple-ship. Eac h stude nt has a major task indisciplining his own nature and in teach

ing himself to feel a universal brotherand in training himself for useful service in the world. Illumina tion is the mark of a ripe soul. Th rou gh illumination thesoul is enabled to express its genius. Toachieve illumination, then, work steadilyat the task that is nearest and dearestto you. Love makes for identification.Love opens up the channels of inspiration. Love makes you receptive to everynew thou ght and idea. Love annihilatestime and space. Love makes concentr ation easy.

Through love of your task you willachieve the maximum that can be a-

chieved at your degree of soul development. As a student of the Ancient W is dom you naturally select a task in harmony with divine purposes. As a business man you conduct your affairs inthe light of mystic principles. As amother you manage your home andraise your children in the light of theAncien t Wisdom. As an ar t i s t youpaint pictures that teach people to seeGod in man and nature. As a musicianyour aim is to inspire and to uplift.As a composer your aim is to catch thedivine harmonie s, to help .people th roughyour music to become one with all thatlives that people may become refined,gentle, compassionate, and composed.As a teacher you emphasize those aspects of your subject that are vital froma mystic viewpoint and you minimizethose aspects that are useless from themystic viewpoint. Everyone m ay not beabsolutely free to do exactly as he wishes. Much can be accomplished, how-

[ 1 9 4 ]



peared but for the illumination. Thepoet scribbles his uninspired verse. Thenillumination comes and he writes hismasterpiece. T he playw right follows allthe rules of his craft. Yet, the play is

dead. I t awak ens not an answeringemotion. Then illumination comes, andhis plays live and stir every soul thatsees them. Th e thinker speaks, but noone heeds. Then illumination comes.W ith master hand he p lays upon thehea rts of men. He stirs their emotions,kindles thoughts of fire, and becomesthe father of a great movement or a newreligion or a school of though t. CosmicConsciousness gives him appeal to everyhuman hear t . He understands humanbeings; he express es them; he elevatesthem.

Cosmic Consciousness is superior to

mind, no matter how bril l iant. Throug hthe rational mind you can realize thefact of Cosmic Consciousness and itsdesirabili ty and its beauty. You maydetermine to lead the life that will findits culmination in illumination. Th e ra tional mind, however, may not lead youinto the Promised Land. Like Mos es itleads you through the wilderness to thevery edge of the River Jordan. Then thelotus blossom flowers, and the GoldenHea r t appears.

There are several aspects to CosmicConscious ness. First, there is illumination, which is a realization of the GodWithin, a feeling of oneness with thedivine. Then there is the realization of the divine in everything, the immananceof God. Finally, there is the feeling of identification with all that lives, withevery human being, with every beastand bird and stone. W ith the realization of the divine in everything, comesthe realization that nothing is dead.

As there is a center in the nervoussystem for each psychic power, so isthere an actual organ through whichillumination manifests, and that organ islocated in the heart. Let him who isperfectly sure of his strength of mindand will work at the opening of thepsychic centers. M y personal opinion isthat it is better for the untried and solitary student to gain his soul powers

R o s ic ru c ia n 9r adu al,Y throug h the experiences of l ife. The student who is working alonedoes not know whether his practice iscorrect or not. He does not know whenhe is straining himself. If he gets into

T h e

D igest

June

1941

trouble, in all probability there will beno one for him to turn to for aid or for

advice. No one will even understand ju st w h a t is wro ng. T h en is he tr ul y indanger of becoming bewildered and dis

couraged . Acqu iring psychic powers islike acquiring skill in playing an instru-'ment. in swimming, in learning a foreignlanguage. Fo r most people whatever isgained alone is imperfect. T he greatestgenius in music needs the instruction of an expert. Tec hniqu e requires trainingand mastery.

W he n the student is ready, theMa ster appears. Th ere is much that thestude nt can do to prepa re himself. Norare psychic powers necessary for the experience of illumination or for disciple-ship. Each stu dent has a major task indisciplining his own nature and in teach

ing himself to feel a universal brotherand in training himself for useful service in the world. Illumination is the mark of a ripe soul. Th ro ug h illumination thesoul is enabled to express its genius. Toachieve illumination, then, work steadilyat the task that is nearest and dearestto you. Love makes for identification.Love opens up the channels of inspiration. Love makes you receptive to everynew thoug ht and idea. Love annihilatestime and space. Love makes concentration easy.

Through love of your task you willachieve the maximum that can be a-

chieved at your degree of. soul development. As a student of the Ancient W is dom you naturally select a task in harmony with divine purposes. As a business man you conduct your affairs in

the light of mystic principles. As amother you manage your home andraise your children in the light of theAncien t Wisdom. As an ar t i s t youpaint pictures that teach people to seeGod in man and na ture. As a musicianyour aim is to inspire and to uplift.As a composer your aim is to catch thedivine harmonies , to help .people throughyour music to become one with all thatlives that people may become refined,

gentle, compassionate, and composed.As a teacher you emphasize those aspects of your subject that are vital froma mystic viewpoint and you minimizethose aspects that are useless from themystic viewpoint. Eve ryone may not beabsolutely free to do exactly as he wishes. Much can be accomplished, how-

[ 1 9 4 )



ever, merely by a shift in emphasis, bywise omissions, and by a change of spirit . Th en in the course of time theopportunity comes to do a litte more.W he re y ou feel that very l it t le can be

done, you can be a silent witness of thetruth within you by your conduct . Oneof our members was very much surprised when a friend said to her suddenly, It is quite evident tha t you areliving according to standards differentfrom ours. W h a t is i t?”

People who have known you wil l beaware of all the little ways in which youhave changed. Th ey may even be inspired by your example to learn more of the mystic life. At leas t they will learnsomething of it and respect it if not admire it. Some, of course, may becomehostile. T w o types of people become

hostile: first is the sens ual type. Th eyare wedded to their appet i tes. Thistype says. “I’d rather die than give upmy favorite dishes. W h a t is left in life?"Th e second type is the intellectual. Th eintellectual is hemmed in by the limitations of the rational mind. He is a slaveto a method known as scientific method.W ha t can be readi ly grasped by thescientific mind and what cannot be easily demonstrated by the scientific technique he refuses to believe can be possible. He h as not yet reached the limitsof his powers and methods. Th e greatintellectual or the great scientist has

reached the point where he is awarethat pioneering is necessary in frontierprojects. He is no longer so sure of what the reason can explain and whatscientific metho d can demo nstrate. Heis. therefore, ready to advance in humili ty. A man l ike Dr. Arth ur H. Com pton. the Nobel prize-winner in physicsand head of the Department of Physics

in the University of Chicago, is readyto admit divine principles and is readyto admit the limitations of physical science. No t so the average intellectual orscientist. He scoffs beca use he is actu ally unable to realize spiritual experiences.

He refuses to consider an idea until ithas the stamp of authori ty. Therefore,■ when you discover the ran k materialist°r sensualist or atheist, do not arguewith him. He may awak en some day,hut his awakening will not be due toargument; it may be due to a shatter-mg life experience.

There is no nobler task than the fash

ioning of a soul. There is no nobler giftthan a beautiful soul . The n, brothers

and sisters, let us all join in the glorioustask of fashioning our souls so that wemay become ready channels for Cosmic

tasks. All good and useful work is theM aster’s work. Be the bearer of l ightwherever you are—in your home, inyour church, in your community, wherever you perform you r daily tasks. Letyour life be sanctified by your sublimegoal . Let every thought , every word,every motion, every act, no matter howhumble, be inspired by the light of Truth, by your grea t purpose . Thebeautiful thing is that through living thelife of love and of service, all qualitiesare eventual ly added to one. Th e l i fenecessary to achieve even a partial il lumination, for example, helps one to be

come intuitive. Med itation, dram atiza tion, and identification — the methodshelpful in developing the intuition arealso helpful in leading to illumination.

The shortest road is that of devotion,utter love and devotion to a great causethat is in harmony with the great cause,or to the great cause itself. Fo rge t thepersonal benefits, forget the personalgoal, forget the psychic pow ers. Thi nk only of this beautiful cause—helping thehuman race to evolve. Is there a grea tercause to which a man can dedicate hislife, his powers, his thouqhts. and hisaspirations? Th ink not of the millions

unillumined. Think rather that from onelight many lights may be kindled. Ho wmany causes began with a small, ardentgroup, and today they sweep the worldwheth er for evil or for good. Hith erto

the illumined souls have been few andstill are compar atively few. W e are stillin the Kali Yuga, the Ag e of Iron. W eare still in a cycle of materialism. W ehave spade work to do. W e have tokeep the wavering and the doubtfulfrom falling completely a prey to thevicious ideas circulating through thecountry and, throug h the world. W emust reach all who are ready for light

and the t ruth. W e must t rain them alsoto be inspired workers. W e must unitethe workers throughout the world. W emust bear witness to the phi losophyfirmly opposed to the atheism, the materialism, and the narrow intellectualismof the age. W e accept the moral law asthe foundation of the universe. W e accept the divine Arch itect of th e universe.

[ 1 9 5 ]



E ducation By T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

N E of the fields of k n o w l e d g e i nw h ic h d r a s t i cchanges must oc

cur is that of educ a t i o n . S c i e n c ea n d i n v e n t i o nha ve re vo l u t i on i ze d mo de rn lifeto the point wherei t i s i m p e r a t i v etha t every member of our societyp o s s e s s e s m u c h

information and many skills in order tofit easily into our civilization. Ed uc ation, like every other art, has developedin response to demand. Fo r many centuries education was the privilege of the

few. Th e Pu ri tans introduced the ideaof public education into this countrybecause of their conviction that everyperson should be able to read theprayer-book and the Bible for himself.Religion has been one of the strongestfactors in fostering education. In China,in India, and among the Jews an elaborate educational system was developedbecause of the duty of every boy tostudy the religious classics.

In this country, for a long time ahigher education was only for thosewho intended entering the learned professions, such as medicine, law, the

ministry, and teaching. Later, advancedscientific training became necessary forthe chemists and eng ineers. A systemof free, compulsory educat ion has madeour country one of the most literate inthe world. Ou r t remendously expanding knowledge in every branch of sci

ence is rapidly making our educationalsystems obsolete.

Our educat ional system, as const i tuted at present, is based on the pre

mise that chi ldhood and youth are theproper t imes for learning. W h a t are theconsequences of this erroneous assumption? Despite the compu lsory educational laws, despite the most expensiveeducational equipment in the world, despi te well t rained teachers and advanced methods of instruct ion, ourpopulation, on the whole, is not reallyeducated. Th ose who at tain the comprehensive background and development of mind and will, to be expectedof an educated person, are very few indeed. Edu cators and people interestedin the welfare of our co untry have b een

deeply concerned about this serioussituation.

Our system of government demandsfor i ts smooth funct ioning and permanency an intel l igent and well-informedcitizenry. O u r citizens must have theknowledge, the desire and the will toelect the proper kind of men as publicofficials. Political charla tans are alway sready to take advantage of uninformedvoters. Our citizens must have wideinformation to understand the economic and political problems of the day.Wireless, radio, and aviation have madetime and space negligible factors in

modern li fe. W h at hap pens in any partof the world is known almost instantaneously everywhere else and exertsan immediate effect. Th e daily n ew spapers have become a universal meansof keeping people informed. T he radio,too. has become an important means of

[ 2 1 7 ]



T h e

Rosicrucian

D ig est

July

1941

gaining acc ess to the public. Since it isso easy for men of wealth and power touse the newspapers and the radio as in struments of propaganda, the average

citizen must be able to differentiate between truth and falsehood; he mustnot permit himself to be a victim of rumor, propaganda, and downright misrepresentation and falsehood. He mustread his newspapers with intelligenceand discrimination. To quote Henry A.Wallace, "In the democracy of the tomorrow, people will have to be so intelligently free from, prejudice thatneither the wealthy, interested in privatecontrol of government for personal ends,

nor demagogues , interested in their jobs,will be able to create deception andillusion."

To be an intelligent citizen demandsknowledge and experience, an informedmind and a trained will. Ye t the vastmajority of our men and women gettheir only education in the years whendesire for knowledge is feeble and the

ju dgm ent is im ma tu re . Years ar e consumed in giving children only the fundamentals of an education. The varioussubjects taught in high school must beoversimplified to reach the averageadolescent intell igence. M an y of thesubjects and problems are too remotefor the interests and comprehensions of high school pupils.

A bright child with a capable instructor, working alone or in a selectedgroup, can readily make the eight yearsof elementary school in half the time.An ambitious adult attending a privatepreparatory school can complete thehigh school curriculum in two years. Incontent, too, our educational system isunsatisfactory. Each year informationbecomes superseded by wider information, and methods and techniques become obsolete so rapidly that even acollege graduate finds in the space of adecade that he is not in step with thetimes. Our vast system of extension

courses, correspondence courses, nightschools and lecture systems have parti ally helped to correct this deficiency.But the fact still remains that most of the people who study do so for utilitarian purposes—the information is necessary for trade or profession. Few people study to improve themselves as human beings or personalities; few adults

have the desire or ambition to cultivatelatent talents and potentiali t ies. Theyreach a certain level of developmentand security and become what is known

psychologica lly as "fixated." Mo st people have closed minds to new ideas inpolitics and economics, calling the mildest l iberals "reds.” Anyone who hasbeen active in a church knows how impossible it is to effect a radical change,no matter how essential i t may be. Tosum up, the average youth stops hiseducation just at the time when he isreally ready for it and can appreciate it.

Democracy, if i t w ants to endure,must in some wa y meet the problem. Insome way the voting adult must bereached. The voting adult needs thetraining in civics and history and com

munal responsibility that we cram downthe throats of our youngsters. Ourworking adults need the training inspeech and personality that is almostwasted on our high school students.Philosophy which is just a "snap”course to the average healthy, happycollege student is of deeper import tothe man who has had some experiencein life. If our ad ult population had thedesire, the t ime and the opportunity toread, to discuss, and to study, our levelof • civilization and culture could besharply and rapidly raised.

W e need not wai t for educat ional

practice to catch up with educationaltheory. As students of the RosicrucianO rde r we can educate ourselves. Themain point is to recognize the fact thatwe all need to continue our educationin every pha se of life. Being aware of our deficiencies is the first step in self-improvement. Having the desire toremedy them is the second step. Plan ning a systematic course of study andsticking to i t is the third. W ith Professor Overstreet we maintain that"adult life will eventually come to beregarded not simply as a putting-into-practice of education already received,

but as a process of continuing-education-with-living.” T he necessity of continuedself-education is emphasized likewiseby Everett Dean Martin in his book."The Meaning of a Liberal Education."He says: "One does no t 'ge t ' an edu cation anywhere . On e becomes an educated person by vir tue of patient study,quiet meditation, intellectual courage,

[ 2 1 8 ]



and a life devoted to the discovery andservice of truth.”

It was the commonly accepted opinionthat young people learn more easilythan older people. An old saying runs:“If one learns as a child, what is it like?

Like ink wri tten on clean p aper . If onelearns as an old man, what is it like?Like ink written on blotted paper.”Both scientific investigation and experience have proved the falsity of thisstatement for most branches of learning. Whenever reason, intelligence, andexperience are necessary, the adult

learns more readily.

Our Rosicrucian system of education,planned for the adult , has always accepted the idea that the adult is capableof being educated. O ur system is eminently practical in that we aim to trainevery aspect of the personality'—mind,

emotions, and will. Th ro ug h our experiments we aim to cultivate the scientific. inquiring mind. Th rou gh ou rstudy of the emotions, both positive andnegative, we aim to help the individualto gain emotional stability. Th e effortnecessary to translate these instructionsinto terms of daily livinq must developthe will.

W e expect our students to develop

into the highest typ e of citizens. Because of their developed social unconsciousness and inquiring minds, we expect them to be immune to mob hysteria, incapable of prejudice and intoler

ance, skeptical of propaganda, and opento new ideas affecting every branch of learning. W e expect them to be amongthe pioneers of any worthwhile movement, and we expect them to be amongthe experimenters in every field of study.

The knowledge in possession of theRosicrucian Order is the result of thepatient accumulation of the work of countless students in ma ny ages. Eachadvanced student has made his contribution. He has added his quota notmerely from a sense of duty but in thescholar's joy of discovery and verificat ion. W e expect our members throughout the world, as they achieve a certain

degree of development, to take theirplaces in our ranks as productive workers. As Dr. Mar tin says: “To share inthe possession of this knowledge and towork for its improvement and increaseis to men and women of a certain type

simply to attain to their true humanestate."

Our advanced members work in thelaboratory, in the study, and in theworld. Th ey increase the sum total of knowledge and of good in the world.The two strongest impulses of the soulare to know an d to love. A real Rosicrucian student expresses the firstthrough continued study and the second through public service.

A typical Rosicrucian was BenjaminFranklin, one of the founders of ourRepublic. As a young man he becamethe outstanding printer and journalistof the colonies. Late r he became activein the affairs of Philadelphia. H e sponsored the organization of police, fire,and militia companies, the first publiclibrary, and an academy, now the University of Pennsylvan ia. He was active in scientific research. According tothe well - know n story he identifiedlightning with electricity; this and otherresearches won him membership in everyimportant learned society in Europe.

He began his diplomatic career at theage of fifty-one and spent most of hisremaining thir ty-three years in thatwork. He serv ed in London for a num ber of years, then served for a shortt ime in the Continental Congress, andthen undertook his historic mission toFrance on which he secured vital military and financial aid for the AmericanRevolution. Upon his return he wastwice elected President of Pennsylvania

University and served as a member of the Constitutional Convention.

This many-sided and fruitful life is

the result of deliberately cultivatingevery aspect of your personality. Todevelop the mind and strengthen thelove of knowledge, find your field of interest and work in it. To do your dutyin service to the world, find the work that appeals to you and give it your

whole-hearted support. As a beginneryou may have to proceed slowly, youmay have to be content with routinetasks. But remember in wooing knowledge and wedding yourself to service,

you have entered the most rewardingaspects of life. You have become oneof a group of self-directive and independent personalities. You have chosenthe only road that leads to the contentment of a full and useful life.

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T he E ternal Question


O V E once more isthe theme of ourdiscourse. So all-

embracing is theprinciple of love,so multifarious areits manifestations,that the studentof mysticism mayalways find somenew aspect to apply to his life.The principle of p o l a r i t y i s t h e

principle of love. Pola rity runs throughall nature. T he atom is a universe of positive and negative charges. Nigh tand day, heat and cold, wet and dry,

summer and winter are familiar pairsof opposites. Plato spoke of thesenatural pairs that control every phaseof life. Emerso n discussed one application of the principles of polarity in hisessay on "Compensation.”

Polarity is the great factor in nature.The life force divides itself into thepositive or masculine stream and thenegative or feminine stream. Individualhuman beings are organs of this Cosmicactivity. Male and female are everseeking each other. Unio n is theirnatural tendency and destiny. The

great self is ever seeking to make thelittle individual self a more perfect instrument for its activity. T he h appinessand salvation of the little self lies inrecognition of this fact and in cooperation with the life force. He whoachieves the task of making himself amore perfect instrument for the great

self, or a more perfect channel for theexpression of Cosmic love, is a "redeemed person ality.” Just as the light

shines freely, unimpeded, unobstructedthrough a clear glass, so the redeemedpersonality is forever expressing the divine love and fulfilling the divine purpose. Th e great avatars like Buddhaand Jesus were redeemed personalitieswho lived only to express the will of God on earth among men.

The short road to this consummationis through the strengthening of thelove-life in all its aspects. M arr ia ge isboth a symbol and an object lesson. Ahappy marriage can be the doorway todivine union, for both. Lover and beloved lose themselves in each other, and

yet the identity of each is enhanced.Each lives only for the other, and yeteach enjoys perfect freedom, perfectself-expression, and complete self-fulfillment. Und ersta ndin g of each otheris effortless.

The physical union should always bethe physical expression of the harmonious union of loving souls. O n l y sucha union generates vitality and energy.On ly such a union is true marriage. Itshould be a union on the physical,mental, and spiritual planes. If physical, mental, and spiritual harmony isnot existent, the union is a compromise,a discipline, but not true marriage.Only disciplined personalities are capable of perfect union. T he obstaclesto perfect union reveal the barriers thatour own personalities erected andwhich must be demolished. T he qualities that we must patiently cultivate to

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T h e

Rosic rucia n

D igest

Sep t ember

1941

make a marriage successful and happyare the very ones that we need to makepossible the divine union. It is not thelove of mother and child that symbol

izes the blinding glory of divine love,but the love of husband and wife. Th erelationship is that of mother and childso long as the personality is unredeemed. Th e child requires care, training and discipline, but the redeemedpersonality is to God as the wife to herhusband. T he language that mysticshave employed in speaking of theirlove of God has been the same thatlovers have used of each other. Th eirspeech is an epithalamium. a song.Their emotion is ecstasy.

I quote a medieval poet:

" I have sought Thy nearness .W ith all my heart have I called The eAnd going out to meet TheeI found Thee coming toward me.”

— Jehudah H a Levi.

I quote another:

“For Thee, O Living God, my beingyearns,

For Thee my soul consumes, myspir i t burns.”

Here is another song of the samepoet:

“Arise, O my rapture, at daw n Iexclaim,

Go seeking the face of my love, theKing.I thirst at the thought of Him, burn

as with flame,And chatter like a swallow upon the

wing.

“No gifts can I bring save of heartor of writ,

My cause to my lips I can only trust.Desires my redeemer, a ritual fit,How should I suffice who am based

on dust.

“W he n I with myself seek communion. I shrink,

W er e I mightier far I should still

be small.Soul and strength in adoring Thee

faint and sink ,Yet sing Thee I must till the end

of all."«— Sol on Ibn Ga bir ol .

Divine union is to be won onlythrough service to mankind. He whohas attained the intellectual love of Godwill have unmistakably pointed out to

him the field wherein he can serve before he may win illumination.

A soul that has attained a certaindegree of development desires both to

serve mankind and to be united withGod. Love and Fate point the way'W ith this aim in mind you r life willbe wholly transformed, and your pointof view toward every person and everyincident in your life will be completely•revolutionized. Life to the averagehuman being is a series of reactions topeople and events. Th ey have meaningfor him insofar as they arouse a reaction in him. If they mak e no impression upon him, they do not exist forhim. He who has tak en his development in hand asks of each human beingwhom he contacts: “How can I serve

Him ?” He asks of each event that heexperiences: “W h a t can I learn?”

If the opportunity comes to do akindly deed for one whom you personally dislike, you must do the deed. Youmust ignore your personal feelings.God cannot use you if you permit yourpersonal feelings to stand in the way.W he n you have t ime and t ime againspoken a kind word and done a kindlydeed to people who formerly antagonized you. or who did not exist for you,or whom you disdained, Cosmic lawgradually becomes part of your soul

equipment. W ith the cultivation of Cosmic love, pride, prejudice, intolerance, impatience, lack of sympathy andunderstanding, coldness, hardness andcallousness disappear. It no longermakes any difference what you personally have to gain from a person or anevent. Th e whole world becomes avineya rd and you a work er therein. Allwho are fellow-workers in the vineyardare closer to you than kin no matterhow far distant they may be. no matterif you know them not. T o quote Emerson:

............ the eternal pole

O f tendency distr ibutes souls.They need no vows to bindW ho m n ot each other seek but find.They give and take no pledge or

oath.Nature is the bond of both.”

The peace they have found in theirpersonal lives through unity of beingthey long to transplant to the world.They see blundering men beating their

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heads vainly against the stone wall of irrevocable law and their hearts ache.They see the hol lowness, the vanity,and the futility of most of the activitiesof men, and they long to open theireyes and to point out to them the wayof escape from the labyrinth of the

world. Th ey see men caugh t in thetangled skein of dest iny and they longto help them to unravel it .

Ho w many are the difficulties that beset mankind, and yet how simple is thesolution! W ou ld armies an d navies benecessary if all nations considered eachother brothers? W ou ld tariff walls benecessary? W ou ld courts of law dotthe land if each man’s aim was to serveGod and his fel lowman? W ou ld thecourts grind out divorces in a never-ending flow if husband and wife livedonly to make each other happy? Lovenever fails. To quote Clau de Bragdon:"How much t ime, thought , or at tent iond o w e g i v e .............to love, to the education of the heart? O f how many canit be said that they have given all tolove, or that they have left all for love,or even that they have loved much?How, until it has been tried, can lovebe said to have failed? Per hap s afterwar, diplomacy, arbitration and rnind-idolatry, churchianity, humanism, behaviorism, psychoanalysis. Yogi breathing, gland grafting and all false reasons of this age of reason have runtheir course and revealed their hollowness, we might t ry the experiment of organizing our lives, private and communal, on the b asis of love — for loveis the great reality.”

Our s tudents have ente red the Orderfor man y reasons. Some seek personalhapp iness. Som e seek succes s in life.Some seek health. Some seek psychicdevelopment. Different problems havebrought each one to the foot of thesame mountain, but only one path leadsto the mountain top of illumination, thepath of love and service. Eventu allyyou will discover that your aims coalesce. True health is achieved through

harmony with l i fe’s rhythms. Tru ehappiness and success are achieved

through dedicat ing al l that one is andhas to serve the world as a channelfor Cosmic love. Psyc hic pow ers beginwith the development of the intuitionand the expanding of the field of consciousness, and these are gainedthrough cult ivating the heart . H ow

ever we begin, whichever way we aregoing, whatever our aims, eventual lywe reach the gateway that opens onlyto the loving heart . T he mind must betrained to the utmost of i ts capaci ty,the will must become tempered steel —•but all for the service of love. Lovemust fashion your outlook on life. Lovemust shape your a t t i tude towardpeople. Love must govern your reactions to situations. W e all meet on theplateau of love in our climb to themountain top of illumination.

W e are framed b y love and for love.All nature is an epithalamium, all life

is a song of love. Go d is the Gre atLover from whose arms escape is impossible. Go d asks us nothin g that isbeyo nd our abilities to do. He asks usto love and to be the channels of Hislove to others. W e may not be clever— love will give us wisdom. W e m aynot be stro ng — love will give usstrength. W e may be t imid — lovecasts out all fear.

Such is the message of a sincere mystic. It is a messa ge th at can bear infinite repetition and that we, as Rosi-crucians. can appreciate and welcome.It is a message that our sordid, world

ly, arrogant twentieth century sorelyneeds. It is a message that reveals thesacredness of sex, love, and marriage.It is a message that reveals how closeto God husband and wi fe a re whenunited in the bon ds of love. T he falseat t i tude toward that is a rel ic of theMiddle Ages, and the false at t i tudetoward women that comes to us fromthe Orient must be ut terly cast out .They are opposed to the wil l of God.They are sins against the law of love.Of the many gi f t s tha t God has givenmankind, the joy of marriage is thesupremest , and God has shown His

approval by permitting it to be thepathway to union with Him.

V V V

The greater the obstacle the more glory in overcoming it.— Mo li er e.

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T he Am erican Consciousness

The Rosicrucia n

D ig es t

O c t o b e r

1941

By Thok Khmalehto, Sovereign Grand Master

N A book reviewMr. |ames Hilton,

the author of theL o s t H o r i z o n . ”says. "W e are allp r i s o n e r s o f t h emood of our times,w h ich is o n e o f s o u 1 - d e s t r o y i n gdoubt and disillus i o n m e n t . ” T h i ss t a t e m e n t is a nindictment, but itis not true of the

majority, especially in these our UnitedStates . Disillusionment is a result of blindne ss and ignorance. It is a blindstreet with a sign, "No thoroughfare.”And in the end it will force a greaterunderstanding and insight. Is this mood

not a result of materialistic thoughtand ed ucation? Is it not true that agreater knowledge and higher idealswill insure faith in God and humanity?Are we not God conscious?

O ur Founding Fathers had that faith.It is the one principle upon which allour institutions are built. Faith in humanity is the cornerstone of democracy.If we want freedom, if we believe thatit is a noble ideal, if we have faith in itsultimate victory, then we shall be a freepeople. Freedom does not mean an ironr eg ime imp o sed f r o m wi th o u t u p o nevery man. woman, and child. It doesnot mean that man is created to be subservient to the state. It does not meanthat ma n’s destiny is to be an automat on, a robot, a cog in the wheel. Itdoes not mean that all must be forcedto fit into a procrustean bed. It does

not mean citizens bereft of speech, will,self-expression and self-direction. It

does not mean a government imaged inthe likeness of ancient Sparta with thecommon people degraded to helots keptunder the iron heel of oppression andperiodically decimated. Those conditions were tried in the distant past, buthumanity has outgrown tyranny andoppression. The concept of the dignityof every human being excludes thephilosophy of a master class and a slaveclass. Such is the mood or fashion of our modern times — freedom to be ornot to be.

Freedom means that every humanbeing is permitted to develop and ex

press his innate powers. Ev ery humanbeing has the privilege of making hisunique contribution. Th e tapestry thatfreedom weaves on the loom of historyis a gorgeous multi-colored and variegated design, rich in the heritage of ma ny peoples. All the civilizations of the world have made their contributionto American culture. Every race hasadded its strain to Am erican blood. W ehave made the experiment and proventhat all nations can live together inpeace and harmony. W e are indebtedto the whole world. Shall we keep whatwe have for ourselves alone? Shall wenot give of our experience to the world?

Intelligence tells us that no man canlive by himself alone or for himself alone. No n ation can live by itself orfor itself alone. Ev ery soul is a spark of divinity. O n th e plane of spirit allspirits are one. Th e wel fare of one isthe welfare of all. T he health or sickness of the whole affects every individ

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ual contained in that whole. Our planet,every kingdom of nature on this planet—minerals, plants, animals and humanbeings—are al l expressions of one Supreme Conscious ness. It is literally true

that not so much as a sparrow can fallwithout that fall being registered in aconsciousness.

W he n we leave the physical plane,t ime and space are non-existent . Onemighty W il l exists alone. On e purposeprevai ls that runs increasing throughthe ages. Every step in evolution proceeds according to a universal and anall-embracing Plan . N or is this Plan of Evolut ion to be confused with a Naziblueprint for the control of a subjugatedplanet. Th e divine Plan is an expression of divine Love and Wisdom. Truthand love and beauty are the very foun

dat ion stones. There is no one so weak or so humble or so insignificant whoseultimate welfare is not gloriously provided for. Eac h and e very one is on theroad to achieve the perfection mirroredin the divine archtyp e. T he goal is thebrotherhood of beautiful souls, perfect ed souls, illuminating the world in colorand tone through their inner life.

Every human being is destined to benot a robot but a Son of God Himself,reflecting all the divine attributes. Heis not a puppet but a star, flashing lightand following its own orbit. No matterwhat path we may elect upon reaching

perfection, we all remain in the consciousness of the Solar Logos. W e aredestined to become creative workersand gods. W e are the seeds of a divineplant . The work of creat ion is not completed. Innumerab le beings of variousdegrees of at tunement serve behind theveil of nature, trying to inspire and influence ou r activity. Just a little furtheron in evolution and a more united manifestation can be accomplished. Hum anbeings will take a divine initiation to become more useful to humanity and theuniversal Plan of Evolution.

In a world that is a living organism,

not a conglomeration of disconnectedparts, can there be any such phenomenon as isolation? W he re the vari ous kingdoms are inextricably linked,

where there is an unceasing interchangeof forces, can any group progress alone?Th e world is a uni ty. Th e world orderexpresses harmony. Earth nourishes al lher children. Each h as his pa rt to play.

Each has his unique service that healone can perform. Each has his geniusto enhance the beauty and the glory of all.

Union, harmony, and brotherhood

are the keywords of evolut ion. W howould live for himself alone is like aleaf that falls from the tree. A natio nthat tries to be wholly self-sufficientwould be like a branch lopped off fromthe t runk. As soon as any atom, individual or nat ion stops giving out andtaking in force and power it signs itsdea th-w arrant—atrophy se ts in. Thereis desiccatio n in isolation. T he re is lifein cooperat ion and union. W h a t willinspire cooperation is in harmony withthe divine Plan of Evolut ion. W h at wil lultimately produce a more perfect unionis in harmony with the Divine Plan of

Evolution. As the fingers are par t of the hand, and the hand is part of thearm, and the arm is part of the body,so are individuals, races, and nations,united in the conscious Life that is God.Through our consc iousness of God weexpress and manifest God here onearth. The present deplorable worldcondit ions are a resul t of our destructive thinking and feeling. Pray ing andwishful thinking and lip-service arenot creative. It is only when our awareness and inner knowledge is demonstrated in our daily lives that we bringour little mite into the spiritual and

divine force that manifests in the world.If the majori ty of human beings had a

deep-rooted consciousness of love andservice, the godliness resulting therefrom would overwhelmingly express inthe world.

Do we want to grow more surely toward our divine archtype? Th en let uscultivate friendship for all. Let us tryto understand and appreciate differences. Of the two types of governmentand civilization in a life-and-deathstruggle for mastery today, one belongsdefinitely to the W av e of the Past . O ne

belongs definitely to the W av e o f theFuture. Nor should i t be necessary topoint out tha t the W av e of the Futureis the one in harmony with the DivinePlan for Evolution. T h e nex t step willbe cooperat ion and friendship amongnations, understanding and appreciation among the various religions of theworld, a free intercourse among all the

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populations of the earth, power in thehands of all, not an arrogant few.

It is our duty, our responsibility andour privilege to make the great American dream come true. The Founding

Fathe rs were cosmical ly inspired. Th eSeal of the United States, the unfinished Pyramid, is a visible symbol of thecosmic inspiration. In the Seal the topstone is still sus pen ded in the air. It isstill in the world of ideals and symbols.It is in the process of becoming materialized. H er e is our great opportunity.Let us help set that 'stone securely in itsplace. Let us help our coun try fulfill itsshare in the divine plan for the nationsof the world. T he stone above the Py ramid does not mean America forAme ricans only. It does not mean anAmerica cut off from its brother and

sister nat ions throug hout the world. Itdoes not mean an America smug andsecure and fat and wholly self-centered.It means the America of the colonialdays, when our country was a refugefor the oppressed and persecuted andhopeless of the earth. It means theAmerica of the Civil W ar period thatwould not tolerate a land half-slaveand half-fr ee. It means the America of freedom of speech, freedom of press,freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly. It mea ns America that did nothesitate to rebuke Russia at the time of the Kishinev massacres in 1905. It

means the America that rose nobly tohelp the allies in the time of the firstW o r l d W a r .

That war was not brought to a suc cessful conclusion, because of avariceand hatr ed. It will not be ended beforethe four freedoms have full expression

in all countries of the world. It makesno difference how many sordid materialists there may be, it makes no difference how many traitors, like termitestry to bore their way under our feet!

W e must cherish the ideal in our hearts.W e must live the ideal in our dailyl ives. W e must throw on the side of righteousness and justice, the side of God, al l that we have and al l that weare . W e know tha t good thoughts a renot lost . W e kno w that every feel ingof love adds its mite of powe r. Everyaction has its influence. T he sum totalof power is made up of all these innumerable thoughts and feel ings and actson the part of the ent ire populat ion.

In the life-and-death struggle takingplace between the forces of good andevil throughout the world, let us do our

share. Let us scorn to thank God thatwe are no t yet touched. Let us not fearto stand up and be counted. Rememberthat on the ladder of life, as we stretchout one hand to those who are aboveus, so must we stretch out the otherhand to those who are below us. As wew an t aid, so must w e give aid. Let ushelp restore the waning fai th of ourtimes. Let our light so shine that "ourFather in Heaven may be glorified andall may walk therein."

The American consciousness is not asoul-d estroy ing doub t. It is a faith, adivine realization, an awareness of the

grace of God that wil l more and moremanifest and express through al l humanbeings, and especially in the Americannat ion. W e here in the United Stateshave been chosen as l ight-bringers to asuffering world. Shal l we be wo rthy of our sacred privilege?

T h e

Rosic rucia n

D igest

O c t o b e r

1 9 4 1

E V E N I N G C L A SS ES A T T H E R O S E -C R O I X U N IV E R S I T Y

Class instruction under the direction of the Rose-Croix University will be given each

W edn esd ay night on the subject of Physical Science, beginning Wed nesd ay, Septemb er

24, and continuing through Wednesday , M ay 20, with the exception of the last two W ed

nesdays in December. Members in the vicinity of Rosicrucian Park may plan to take this

course of instruction in its entirety. Mem bers at distant points who m ay visit San Jose

at any time during this period may plan to avail themselves of the opportunity of attend

ing one or more of these class sessions. W hile the entire course is progressiv e, it is plan

ned so that each W edn esd ay’s class will be a un it in itself. Full information regarding

these classes may be obtained by writing to the Dean of the Rose-Croix University.

Members wishing to attend classes should report to the Rosicrucian Research Library

before 7:30 p. m. on the W edne sday nights the classes are held.

[ 3 3 0 ]



The Coming Age By T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

O U h a v e h e a r dm a n y t i m e s t h es t a t e m e n t mad ethat on this cont i n e n t t h e n e wrace is beginningto be formed. Youh a v e h e a r d t h a twhen this worldw i d e s t r u g g l eh a s c e a s e d , t h ebrave, new worldo f o u r d r e a m swill emerge. You

have heard of the Divine Plan for humanity in which each race, each nationplays its part. It is consoling andstrengthening to know that there is a

Divine Plan, that our world will notdisappear in chaos, and that inspiringand helping us all along the way arethe silent and invisible Guardians of humanity.

The point to be borne in mind is thatthese plans imply the cooperation of thehuman race. Th ere is a tendency onthe part of even understanding and intelligent people to rely almost whollyon the invisible worlds. There is atendency to sit with folded hands andrely on "holding a thought" and ut tering a pra yer or an affirmation. F ar beit from me to underestimate the power

of a prayer or an affi rmation. M any of the greatest occultists of the world, itmust be remembered, such as MadameBlavatsky, felt that for the average student a prayer or an affirmation hadonly psychological value. It helped tokeep a positive and constructive thoughtbefore your mind. It kept your courage up. It helped build constructive

thoughts and emotions into your mentaland emotional make- up. All educatorshave realized the value of repetition.As the Jesuits taught, "Repetitio materstudiorum est.” Repetition is the motherof studies. In the opinion of Mad am eBlavatsky, conviction alone was sufficient as an incentive to action.

Not that a prayer or an affirmationdoes not have occult power. Every student knows that there is power inherentin sound, that the universe is thethought of God material ized, and thatChrist is the W o rd m ade flesh. Theaverage student , however, has not theability to utter an affirmation so that itis pot en t. A degree of concentration, of purity and singleness of purpose is nec

essary, a degree of soul development,that the average student does not possess is necessary. A g roup affirmationmay prove more effective. You maythereupon ask how heal ing frequentlyresults from an affirmation. Cyril Scottin "The Initiate" series points out thatone of the Masters deplores a healingthrough affirmation alone. W h at happens is that the disorder is transferredfrom the physical to the psychic plane,to be precipitated even more virulentlyon another occasion. Th e M aster feltthat it was indicative of greater strengthof character to permit the system to be

cleansed of impurities on every plane;physically, mentally, and emotionally.

W he n we stud y the si tuat ion in theworld today and when we contemplatethe utopia destined to appear in thefuture, the conclusion to which we areirresistibly drawn is that we must makeevery possible personal effort to bringthe present state of chaos to a speedy

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T h e

Rosicrucian

D igest

N ov e m be r

1941

termination and to help usher in the agethat we long to see realized. Th e present situation. I feel, is a challenge toour understanding, our world-minded-ness, and our ability to participate incooperative action. To take the rightatti tude toward world affairs, we mustactually be informed. W e roust demandthat the newspapers on which we relyprint all the necessary information.Oswald Garrison Villard. the distinguished editor of "The Nation,” wasshocked to discover tfiat the newspapersof the United States said very little of the mass Nazi deportations. Thesewere carried out in so cruel a mannerthat he felt the conscience of the worldshould have been aroused.

It is true that the nations of theworld have sown the wind and must

now reap the whirlw ind. It is true thatthe Karma of the human race is descendi ng upon it. It is true that the oldorder must come to a close and thedebris must be cleared away before thenew order can arise. Th e horror andthe pain and the suffering, however,need not be so appalling nor so prolonged. H ow m any would stand byunmoved if a child or an animal wereinjured? Yet colossal tragedies thatshriek to high heaven occur every moment of the day because the world isuninformed, indifferent, or criminallyneutral.

If dynamite must explode under ourvery feet that we may be galvanizedinto action, we are still intellectuallyand spir itually unawakened . Th e Pil grim on the Path, as we are well aware,

is dedicated to the life of love. Hemust try to see good in everything. Hemust aim at being impersonal and impartial. At the same time there aresome things that the mystical studentmust no longer tolerate. There aresome things that he must oppose withthe might of his being and with his life,if need be. He m ust oppose tyranny,injustice, and oppress ion. He must ex

pose cruelty. Madame Blavatsky in“Practical Occultism” points out thatone of the qualities demanded in thecandidate for init iation is a ready response to suffering. H e must courageously champion the cause of the helpless victims of persecution and of affliction.

To reiterate, we must know what ishappen ing in the world today. W e

must unde rstan d the issues involved. Itis dangerous to play the part of theostrich that hides its head in the sand.I t is dangerous to be ignorant or indif ferent or narrowly nationalistic. Yourindifference may make the task of thefighte rs all the more difficult. Yo ur indifference may prolong the struggle.Your indifference may be the cause of many more millions suffering unnecessary cruelty. It is sad indeed when theunenlightened cit izen vehemently declares that he refuses to be concerneduntil the disaster is at his very door.It is tragic when an enlightened individual expresses a similar opinion.

The human race is an organic whole.Can you function efficiently if a limb is

injured or an organ is impaired? Th eworld cannot function smoothly if anygroup is plunged into needless misery.The world cannot function smoothly if there is widespread poverty or frustrat ion. The mystical student must notthink of himself alone. H e must think in terms of groups. Persona l welfare isbound up with group welfare. Achievement is through the group. Throughtremendous effort I may be able to improve my own lot a little, but that sameamo unt of .effort applied to the welfareof the group may aid in improving thelot of many, even of hundreds and of thousands as when the conditions of awhole group are favorably altered.

The Guard ians of humani ty needworld servers. Th ey openly admit thatTheir efforts will be far more effectiveand conducive to speedier results withevery group of workers added to theranks . Th ey inspire all public-spiritedand philanthropically inclined people,it is true. Yet it is self-evid ent that cooperation on our part will be more effective if we understand the plans of the Hierarchy and cooperate consciously. Uncons cious efforts may proveabortive. It is said that the Mas terstr ied frequently to work through thefamous novelist , George Sand, but withlittle success because she was absorbedin her own interests. Tak e, for example , Richard W ag ne r who wasutil ized by the Masters to bring to thepublic sublime melodies from the Bud-dhic p lane. W agn er , too , was an un

[ 3 8 0 ]



conscious instrument. T he M asters didinspire him to write some beautiful passages which have a wonderful effectupon those who listen to them. The ywere unconcerned about the plots of his operas. W h at w as the consequence?The human, a l l - too-human Wagner ex

pressed through the plots of his operasand through many of his prose essaysa philosophy that proved to be the direct inspiration for the vile conditionsof today. T he spirit of the music ismost unfortunately neutralized. AsShakespeare said, "The evil that mendo lives after them. T he good is oftinterr’d with their bones.”

Consequently, al though the Guardi ans of humanity are ever working forthe benefit of the whole human race andare ever seeking to inspire every onewho is receptive to inspiration and will

utilize every available channel for carry

ing out Their noble purposes, yet it isto our advantage to be informed, cooperative, and conscious helpers. W e.too, are eager that the world-conflict bespeedily terminated. W e, too. are eagerto help build the brave, new world.Much is learned through mistakes, it istrue. In fact, life on ear th is a processof education through trial and error. Ifeel, however, that the present crisis istoo severe for a blundering, uninformed, and unintelligent type of cooperation. Th e servers of the world mustwork with definite, clear-cut aims.Eve ry blow must count. Plans must be

far-reach ing, yet practical. Th ey mustwork as a uni t. Th ey must be readyfor instant action wherever necessary.They must choose leaders in whomthey have implicit confidence.

The destructive forces of the worldare organized, fighting ruthlessly anddesperately, pursuing a plan of actionthat is satanic in its calculated outrageof every human feeling and decency.The leaders demand obedience andsacrifice. W h at they need they confiscate. T h e forces of light are not soeffectively and completely organizedamong men. As yet obedience and

sacrifice are voluntary on their part.They give as much of their time andtheir effort and their money as theychoose and no more.

It is natural for people to unite inself-defense. W e must not wait unti lour throats are in danger of being cut.

Wherever the work of the Order i shindered, there are the enemies of light.Wherever man may not worship God,there are the enemies of light. Whereverthe cultural values built up so slowlyand painfully over a period of twothousand years are being ruthlessly destroyed, there are the enemies of light.Wherever the press and the radio arecompletely muzzled, there are the enemies of light. W h er e the Christian virtues are scorned, there are the enemiesof light.

Civilization must be salvaged. Th ev i r t u e s i n c u l c a t e d b y t h e a v a t a r sthrough the world religions must beaffirmed. Freedom of scientific researchmust be asserted. Th e unity of the human race must be emphasized. The sebasic principles are life to us. Ho w canwe live witho ut them? Do we want tolive wi t hou t t he m? T h e r e f o re , weshould arise in our strength and command the forces of evil to retreat. W h a thave we to fear? Is not Go d with us?The forces of evil for all their hellishpower have only the strength of selfishness and greed and brutal i ty. W e havethe will-to-good of the whole universe.W e are in harmony with the Divine

Plan for the human race.

The crisis is imperative and immediate. The opposing forces are locked ina life-and-death struggle. Let us closeour ranks. Let us forget labels andsuperficial distinctions and immediatepersonal aims. Let us exert every bit of influence th at we possibly can. Let theOrder be a pillar of fire in the murkydarkness that exists throughout theworld. ' Brothers and sisters, I call youonce again to immediate action. Let themembership throughout the world uni tefor world action.

V V V

If, on self-examination, I find that I am not upright, shall I not be in fear even

of a poor man in his loose garments of hair-cloth?

If, on my self-examination, I find that I am upright, I will go forward against

thousands and tens of thousands. — M enciu s, C C S II .

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Our Womanhood By T h o r K j i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

T h e

Rosic rucia n

D igest

D ecem ber

1941

A Y M U N D A N D REA. the Grand

M a s t e r o f th eRosicrucian Orderin England, in hisbook, "The Technique of the Disciple," points outthat a sincere stud e n t s h o u l d b eq u i c k t o r e c o g nize the truth no

______ ma tt e r w h a t t hesource may be. I,

therefore, take great pleasure in presenting as the basis for my discourse abook ent i t led. "Delphic Woman," wri t

ten by a well-known artist and theoso-phist , Claude Bragdon. T he theme of the book is the function of woman inthe cycle upon which we have entered.The basic principles, of course, are already familiar to our students. Youknow that love is the supreme emotionof the universe. Orig inally the humanbeing was both male and female as thepoet, Aristophanes, explains in Plato’s"Symposium ." Th en God divided thisbeing into two, male and female, andthe two halves have ever since been in-defat igably seeking each other. Thisstory symbolizes the fact that neither

principle can fun ction alone. Both elements are necessary for completion orfulfillment. T h e sto ry of the fall mansays that the female principle causedthe fall, and this also suggests that theredemption or equilibrium must be attained through woman.

Mystics have pointed out in everyage that the innate desire of the soul is

for the return to the Absolute, or toGod . Th is longing is called, "the flight

of the alone to the alone.” T he surestand most direct path is through love.W ha tev er arouses love in our heartsfurnishes a path for the return. Ou rlove may be kindled by a human beingor a cause. Th e relat ionships engen dered by love furnish an incomparableschool for the training of the soul inthe noblest of virtues. T he knowledgeof love is the highest wisdom. The"Upanishads” emphasize thi s point re pea tedly. The se rmon on the Mountdeals with the qualities associated withlove. Socr ates in Pl ato ’s "Sy mpo sium "explains this same idea. Emerso n re

peats it in his essays.Love, this beautiful and supreme virtue, is in reality a feminine principle.Although Jesus is considered the greatExemplar, yet love has always been assoc ia ted wi th woman. Woman symbolizes love and compassion. Mansymbolizes force and act ion. Th e t imehas come when the feminine principlemust prevai l and women must take thelead. Women must be the s tandard-bearers. Therefore, the emancipat ion of woman w as a Cosmic necessi ty. On lya free soul can be a leader or a standard-bearer . W om an h ad to ga in the sel f-

knowledge and independence that comefrom choosing her own course in lifeand finding her work. Wh ile this movement for emancipat ion may have meantgreat hardship, even pain and sufferingin individual cases, while many womenlook upon independence as a doubtfulblessing, yet this movement had to be.Susan B. Anthony was the Cosmic

[ 4 1 2 ]



medium for the pioneering work thathas gone on for several years.

"For the moment, woman is the victim of her own victory: the dark shadowof her new-born freedom is her newlon el in ess. E sc ap ed f ro m b o n d ag e ,

questing every sort of knowledge andexperience, she has for the moment ethically and culturally outstr ipped hercompanion, man, caught in the net of competitive industrialism. She is notunderstood by him in all these newaspects; he resents them, and by him,all unconsciously, she is in her deepestnature tortured and crucif ied. Man.misunderstanding, alarmed lest he losehis submissive, familiar, dear companion, has tried to deny to woman her inevitable. necessary freedom and this hasengendered unnatural rancors, delayingthe establishment of a new equilibrium.

. . . In the re la tion between the sexes,woman must become more than motherif man is to beco me m ore tha n child —she will never win him from his wolfish-ness if she be content always to playthe lamb-like part."

The great quest of life is the quest of Cosmic love. In this ques t as in life, itis not good for man to be alone. Ma nand woman can undertake this quest together. M an and woman can help eachother; in fact, through the transformingpower of love alone, each can achieveliberation. “N ow, although the GreatW or k is and must ever be self-initiated,

singly pursued, and solely consummated; and although it is and must be avia dolorosa in that it involves the immolation of the personal self and a disciplining of the carnal nature, there isabsolutely no reason why the love between man and woman should act as adeterrent to spiritual illumination; thereis every reason on the other hand whyit should act rather as an energizingand accelerating force.”

Since man has become spiritually impotent, hypnotized by modern industry,the new woman must take the initiative in helping humanity take its next evolutionary step so that eventually manand woman m ay take it together. Thisnew woman, whom the author termsthe Delphic Sister after the ancientPriestess of the Oracle at Delphi, is intuitive. tender of heart, yet firm of willand clear of head. She must help manrecapt ure their lost paradise. She must

be firm against all opposition. "TheDelphic Sister who abrogates her spir itual and intellectual freedom in thename of love is love's worst traitor because such freedom is necessary to effect her own and man’s regeneration.The secret of how this may be achievedis sealed up and hidden even from herself within her breast, but the newimage given the incentive of a greatand mortal love, under the right conditions will increasingly reveal itself.”

Love may be the most powerful of allagents of regeneration, a veritablefountain of new life. N ow the lover ispreeminently "The follower of Union”for the aim of love is union; but if loversdesire only union with one another aspersons, the equilibrium is attained and love is ex hau ste d in fulfillment. If, onthe other hand, they desire union with

the Divine through and by means of one another, instead of being like easilybroken and quickly emptied bottles,they become conductors from an inexhaustible reservoir of life. Such a unioncan be entered into only by spiritualpeers, lovers molded of the same moralpaste. It is a love with out desire andwithout fear. It is a love that brings“the peace that passeth all unders tanding .”

The great lover is the great soul. Themeasure of one’s power to love is themeasure o f one ’s powe r to live, and todiminish love is to impoverish life.

Every true lover knows in his heart thatlove is a mystical experience. T he greatfunction of Jove is first to crack andthen disrupt the hard shell of personality, permitting the release of the spiritual nature. In this wa y personal loveleads to the love of the Divine. Th epath to the Eternal is through thetransitory.

It is of the first importance to realizethat this most personal of all passionsis really super-personal: that love is notours, that it does not belong to us, butthat we belong to it. W e learn aboutlove only by loving; and the more we

love the more we Jearn. Loving greatly—that is, super-personally—means living dangerously; the overcautious andthe cowardly cannot enter here.

The future of the human race maydepend upon the perception of all thisby a relatively few individuals, andtheir determination to serve love, to

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T h e

Rosicrucian

D igest

D ec e m b e r

1941

sacrifice themselves to it, and. submitting to an inner control and direction,to fol low "not afraid with any amazement" wherever i t may lead. The blast

ing and blighting power of love, whenmade subservient to the personal self,is well known, but its regenerative andcreative power remains to be revealed.W he n lovers realize their deep desirefor one another—the desire of a sundered god for self-real izat ion throughreunion — that the path to this Divinityis for each through the other, and whenthey petition in a spirit of humbleness,"W h at wil t thou have us do?" — whoknows but that they may be vouchsafedsome answer wonderful and new.

Herein lies the most momentous andpressing of all human problems: how to

love in order to receive the fullness of love's benison. On e thing at least iscertain: the answer must be sought notin the niggardly mind but in the opulentheart . The nature of this revelat ion,the answer to this prayer, cannot beguessed by anyone, but initiation intothe Lesser Mysteries of love is for allwho approach the sanctuary in a spiri tof self-dedication and who conform tono other ritual save that prescribed bythe generous and tender heart . Thequality of our love will depend uponour degree of awareness . The Maste rsare those who open wide the gates in

stead of st rengthening the dams. Th eeducation of the heart through love—which is the art of love—becomes mostintensive and effective when undertakenfor the sake of and with the aid of thebeloved. Lovers help one another mostby believing in one another; Faith is agreat factor in a successful love relation because that which is believed tobe t rue comes t rue. An d the best thatcan be thought or imagined is also thetruest, for under the stimulus of loveand faith the higher self increasinglyshines forth. Th e shell of selfishness isbroken by suffering, which is, therefore,

a necessary and inevitable part of lovein its initial stages.

Th e worship of Eros appears to havevanished from the world, but that worship will be reestablished and on a newfoundation with woman for its highPriestess and Init iator. W om an is ordained and qualified for this office because she represents the love-aspect of the Divine nature; her body is the

temple of love’s ritual and the treasuryof the continued race.

W om en of the Rosic ruc ian Order ,what more beautiful mission in life can

the Cosmic give you? This messagesubs t a n t i a t e s t he t e a c h i ngs o f t heOrder. It is the same message thatMarie Corelli preaches in her inspiringnovel, "Life E ver lastin g."’ Th e sublim-est relation in life is that which existsbetween a man and a woman who loveeach other. But that relation is trulysupreme only when the man and thewoman are both spiri tual ly developedand pilgrims on the Path . Sisters, youmust mold yourselves into the model of the new woman. You must developyour mind and your will power. Youmust live the life of love and compas

sion. You must develop your potent ial ities and live the higher life no matterwhat the obstacles may be that confrontyou. You must be t rue to your highestideals. Yo u will meet with oppositionon every side, even from your nearestand deares t . Can you, nevertheless, befirm, O Delphic Sisters? You will sufferfrom the most cruel mockery and ridicule by day, and at night your pi l lowwill be we t with tears. Can you still befirm, O Sisters? You m ust be the builders of the future. You m ust exemplifythe ideals of the new age in your personal lives. You must teach the mys

teries of love to all who are ready forthe message. You must develop yourintuition. You must dare to live according to the dictates of your heart.

W om en of the world, suffering hasalways been your lot . Can you notsuffer now in the cause of the highestand the noblest? Her e is a cause thatis in harmony with your deepest instincts. Con secrate you r souls to thetask. Ded icate your lives to the greatwork of redemption. Th e fall of manwas through the woman and the re demption of man is also through you.W e are pi lgrims on the Path together.How beautiful if each can have a companion on the way! Woman has alwaysbeen the inspiration of genius. Petrarchhad his Laura and Dante his Beatrice.Goethe had Faust exclaim: "The eternal feminine leads us on." Become thechannels of the Divine revelation. Lightthe torch to show us the way . Raise

(Concluded on Page 418)

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T h e

Rosicrucian

D iges t

D ec e m b e r

1941

tory a nd wha t improvements will benecessary to increase its effectiveness

an d usefulness. Th e criticisms of ourstud ents have been a valuable help. Itis this spirit of cooperation betweenteacher and student which has broughtabout the advance of the RosicrucianOrd er. All of us are students. W estudy and learn through our mutualcooperative efforts.

V

Jt is our intention to present some of this new demonstrat ion equipment at

our next Rosicrucian convention. It isour plan to present at that t ime an en

tirely new set of experiments, complete

ly different from what we have shown

in the past, so that you who attend will

be able to see the gradual evolution of

our plans.

V V

O U R W O M A N H O O D


t h e c o n s c i o u s n e s s o f t h e r a c e - m a nthrough the power of your love.

Do not be discouraged by the temporary setbacks that women have experienced througho ut the world. Helpyour unfortunate sisters in Europe toregain their natu ral rights. Be not influenced by the casual and materialisticat t i tude toward the love-relat ionshipheld by so-called intellectuals and thesophist icated. To d o your great work you need complete freedom of thought,speech, and act ion. To be fa it hfu l toyour Divine mission you need a matewho is your spiri tual equal or who iswilling to rise to your spiritual level.

Do not let the fear of loneliness or thehunger of your soul drag you down or

make you false to you r trust. Be thewilling instruments of the Divine, and God wil l protect you and sustain youand guide you.

It is only for a little while that youmust work alone. V ery soon man mustawaken to the realization of where histrue happiness lies, and, glad that thewoman was firm in the hour of hisweakness, will join her in the quest of

the ages with a love all the more in

tense because withheld for so many

years.

V V VC O N C E R N IN G H U M O R


Cultivate it, for it is a fine weapon inovercoming self-deception and the unconscious attempts to evade the stifferdemands of life.

True humor goes hand in hand wi ththe original virtue, humility; togetherthey can offset the dangers that lie inpride, vanity, desire for power and inso-called “self-respect,” which is reallyself-love and self-admiration.

A conceited man is always guarding

his precious “self-respect," for thoughhe has little sense of humor himself,his vani ty and self-deception causemuch amusement to others with consequen t misery to himself. On the otherhand, the natural clown, the perpetual jo ker , wit h a he ar t of go ld , is a beloved figure in every community as wellas among more famous personages.How we al l warm to his natural modesty and brotherl iness. An d who cansay that his is not the truer philosophy?

It has been said that humor is irreverent. Tr ue ; reverence is for thingsDivine while humor is essentially a partof human-n ess. Yet a high Initiate hassaid that i f God possessed no sense of humor nei ther would man, and anyonecan discover for himself that the sayings of the greatest Teachers fairlysparkle with wit , even gaiety. An d whoamong us does not have an instant increase in confidence in a great leader,

even a spiritual leader, if we discoveran occasional homely twinkle in his eye.And we are right , for a t rue sense of humor and sincere honesty and selflessness of purpose go together.

The more we are inclined to be idealists, or the more sensitive we are, thegreater our need for the tension-re-l iever. Indeed, as we go along our way,living, loving and learning, it behoovesus all to sprinkle in plenty of laughter,also, to ease and illuminate our journey.

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T h e

Rosic rucia n

D igest

Ja nuary

1 9 4 2

| SANCTUM MUSIN GS |

THE ROSICRUCIAN CITIZEN

B y T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

T he fo l l owi ng a r t i c l e is -wr it te n i n r e p l y t o a que s t i on a s ke d by a m e m b e r . " I ha ve r e a dt he a r ti c l e i n t he Nove m b e r ' Ros i c ruc ia n Di ge s t ' b y t he Gra n d Ma s t e r t i t l e d ‘T he Com i ngAge . ' I n t he c l os i ng pa ra gra ph he a s ks fo r t he c o -ope ra t i on o f al l m e m be rs i n t he p re s e n tc r i s i s o f wor l d a fT ai r s. I a m wr i t i ng t o a s k i f t he re i s a s pe c ia l p rogra m o u t l i ne d o r j us twh a t i s e xpe c t e d o f e a c h one . W i l l you a dv i s e m e p l e a s e ? " — M. A . G .

HE Orde r ha s e mphasized time andt i m e a g a i n t h a tthe western pathis the path of action. Action is thel i f e o f l o v e a n dservice. Service is

l o v e i n a c t i o n .Metaphysics hastaught us the necessity of thoughtsof love , pos i t iveand inspiring emo

t ions; and kindly, encouraging, andtactful speech. N o matter how restrict ed our environment may be, no matterhow little we ma y possess of this wo rld’sgoods, we can place ourselves definitelyon the side of the constructive forces of the universe, the forces for good. W ecan work on the psychic plane throughour thoughts of love, our emotions of

love, and our words of love.Thought , fee l ing, and speech a re

fundamental ; y et th ey const itute but thefirst step on the P ath of Service. Mo stof us can ente r upon the next step. If we are, indeed, filled with love formankind; if we do. indeed, desire tohelp our suffering brothers and sistersthroug hout the world, if we would make

an earnest at tempt to be guided by theGolden Rule, then our thoughts, ouremotions, and our protestat ions of loveand interest must lead to positive, constructive, and informed action.

It is not enough to send a starvingman tho ugh ts of love. It is neces sary tofeed him. The re is no need for man na

to descend from heaven, because Godhas caused the earth to yield abundant ly. It is the duty of man to distributethe food properly.

It is not enough to say a warm, encouraging word to a man who wearsbut one threadbare sui t and whoseshoes are no protection because they areso thin. It is necessa ry to provide himwith a pair of shoes.

It is not enough to say prayers andutter affirmations for a man about tolose his home. It is necessar y to makeprovisions for the lodging of hi s family.

You have heard i t said, “Chari ty begins at home.” You hav e heard it said,

An y rich man can furnish bread. Letus be di l igent in spreading Truth.”Brothers and sisters, these statementswere not meant for a time of emergencysuch as exists today. W ith one handwe must feed our families, with theother the throngs of the hungry and

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destitute. A t one and the same time wemust endeavor to nourish both bodyand soul . On the one hand we mustmake every effort to abolish poverty inthis country and wipe out unemployment . On the other hand, compassion

bids us aid the destitute and succor thestricken in the tragic areas of war. Th erefugees are the greatest problem in theworld today. W or ld planning is necessary to provide for them adequately,and we as the most secure nation in theworld today must not fail to cooperate.The lofty American tradi t ion of theopen door to the oppressed and persecuted of the earth must not fail.

T h e d e p r e s s i o n h a s r e v e a l e d t h eweakest spots in ou r social system. Ou rmusicians and art ists are handicappedin procuring the expensive training necessary and in finding productive channels for their talent. Ap prop riation s forpublic libraries have been cut until it isimpossible to buy the new books inevery field of thought which are thelife-blood of the library and the community. In a tru ly democratic societythere must be opportunities for the gifted both to develop their talents and toutilize them. Th e profess ions should beopen to all who are supremely fitted forthem. Eve ry community, no matter howsmall, should have adequate athleticand social provisions for the youth.Education must be a true process of guiding the child in the development of

his own potentialities. It mu st not be amere pretense, a mockery because of large groups, inadequate equipment ,and a short-sighted policy on the partof boards of education.

There should be no such thing as aslum. Th e world should be what Godmeant it to be, a home, a garden, afruitful field, a playground, and a schoolfor all His children. As th e facilities of a home are open to all who belong toit. as the facilities of a school are at thedisposal of all the children in the community, so must the beauty, the fruits,and the privileges of the earth be at thedisposal of all who live on it and arewiling to contribute their services to thebest of their ability.

No individual alone can bring theselessings to m an k in d . O nly people

working together can put love into thesocial order. If we tru ly love mankind.

we want to improve its physical, economic. and social condition. W e wa ntto remove the conditions breeding crimeand pover ty and f rus t ra t ion. W e wantto arouse the people who are self-c e n t e re d . s e c ure , smug , a nd whol l y

wrapped in their own private concerns.W e wa nt to educate people to be social-minded and concerned about the wel fare of the community, their country,and the world. W e wan t to put thewhole weight of our personality intoevery movement in harmony with theseideals.

Bear in mind that the Masters are interested in the welfare of humanity asa whole. Th ey are constant ly workingtoward the elevation of the masses.They utilize every channel, every organization, every group working toward the improvement of conditions

and for the helping of people. W he nwe engage in some important community project, we are doing the Master’swork, we are actually helping to bringabout the improvements that we arethinking about and that we ardently desire. Th e Cosmic Pow ers work throughhuman beings. The good that we desirewe must help to create.

In order to decide what are the mostpressing reforms in our community, inorder to decide what movements are inharmony with our ideals, we must beinformed. W e must read newspapers,not one alone, but sev eral. It is difficultto get an accurate picture of eventsfrom one newspaper alone. Each n ewspaper, with all the good intentions of itspublishers, and editors, is bound to bebiased.

W e must be f amiliar with the civicorganizations in our community. Arethey in harmony with the spirit of ourConstitution? Are they in harmony withthe law of love? Ca n a Rosicrucian belong to them gnd suppo rt them? If theyare not in harmony with the Constitution, if they work for discrimination,prejudice, intolerance, and suppressionof the liberties guaranteed by our Billof Rights, we should expose them. W eshould be sufficiently well informed toknow that they are a menace and thatthey must not be permitted to exist.

This great democracy means much tous Rosicrucians. W e are proud of ourshare in the building up of its institu-

t 475}



T h e

R osicruc ia n Congress.

D ige s t

Ja n u a ry

1 9 4 2

t ions. W e wan t our country to continue in the spirit of the founding fathers. W e wan t a t rue brotherhood of

man to be established here. W e deplorethe forces that would undermine ourunity and destroy our ideals. Whateverdifficulties we suffer from now can beremedied by a hearty spirit of cooperation and of broth erhoo d. Just a littlekindness, just a little willingness toshare, to sacrifice for the good of all. ju st a li tt le co mpas sio n fo r th e sufferingof our poverty-stricken neighbor, andthe necessary adjustments can readilybe made.

Th e nobility an d cler gy of the FrenchRevolution in refusing to share, lost all.The slave-owners of the South in re

fusing to see the sinfulness of theirposition, lost all. T he corrupt Czaristregime of the pre-W^ar period in refusing to consider the welfare of the common people, lost all.

W h y are men blind? W hy do theyrefuse to learn the age-old lessons of history? An incarnatio n is so brief aperiod. Befo re we realize it. it is dr aw ing to a close. W h ate ve r of earthlypossessions one has accumulated mustbe left behind. Is it not better to havethe joy of spending it while one is alive?As an ancient sage has taught. "Togive money away in one’s will is copper,

to give it away before one dies is silver,but to spend it wisely and generously inon e’s lifetime is gold en. ”

Try. brothers and sisters, to engagein some constructive, practical task, no

mat te r how smal l . The purpose of A M O R C is to orient you toward l ife,

to change your point of view, to give

you motives and incentives for action,

to train you to be a worker in the worldof men and deeds. Be an intelligentcitizen. Cast your vote intelligently.Be able to discuss the issues of the day.Know the motives behind civic organi

zations so that you can put the weightof your influence in the right direction.Give your moral and financial supportto as many worthwhile movements asyou can afford. Un der stan d the policyof our leaders. W at ch the bills before

To be a good Rosicrucian is to be agood ci tizen of your country. W e wantfreedom to spread Rosicrucian teach

ings and ideals. W e want freedom tolive the Rosicrucian life. Dicta tors hiphas always been opposed to freemason

ry and individual educat ion. W e canfunction only in a free country.

A good sister inquires, "W hat shallwe do with these termites that bore intoour co un try’s inst itut ions?" The answeris simple. Be more active than they.W e have far more to offer. W e appealto the noblest, the highest, and the bestin every human heart . W e appeal tolove and to brotherhood. W e appeal togood sportsmanship and a sense of fairplay. W e appeal to the innate desirefor peace and harmony. W e scorn thephilosophies that appeal to man's basestand m ost selfish impulses. W e scorn

those philosophies that deny the spiritual in man and in the universe, thatsee no evidence for God, or the soul,or spiritual values. W e repudiate thosephilosophies that arouse racial discrimination, religious bigotry, and class distinctions; that call evil good and thataccept cruelty and torture.

There is much that you can do forA M O R C . You can di st r ibute our lea f lets widely. You can explain our prin ciples to all who are interested. Youcan help make our publicity campaignsa success. You can invite as many people as you can persuade to at tend the

public forums that many lodges are inaugu rat ing this season. You can be agenial host or a charmin g hostess. Youcan help people feel at home. You canarr an ge talks to appeal to certain groups—such as the elderly in the community,the college youth, and parents.

O f course we want members, but

members alone are not our aim. W e

want just as much to prepare the con

sciousness of our population. W e w ant

to plant ideas. W e wan t to start t rendsand m oveme nts in certain directions. If

our guests should carry away the ideas

of reincarnation and karma, for example, or if the ideal of the life of love andservice should remain, the gatheringwil l have been worthwhile.

The mot to of a grea t publ i shinghouse was “Awak e and awaken'" ' Letthat be our clarion cry: “A wake, Rosi-crucians, be spiritual minute men thatye may the more easily aid in awakening others!”

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| SANCTUM MUSIN GS §

THE S P I R I T U A L O U T L O O K


T h e

R osic rucian

D iges t

July

1 9 4 2

S W E l oo k b ac k over the centurieso f h u man ex i s t en ce , we can n o thelp but feel thefutility that over

whelms us.B r o t h e r h o o d ,

just ice, love, an dservice have beentaught to men forover two thousandy e a r s , a n d a l l a-round us we see

only expressions of greed, selfishnessand intolerance. Many people are underthe impression that to accept a spiritualoutlook upon life, to believe that theheart of man must be regenerated before there can be peace on earth andgood will among men. is to try to escape from reality, to be 'unrealistic,"and to play into the hands of despotsand exploiters. Such people are whollymistaken. T he y fail to realize the power of an ideal, the far reaching effect of thought, and the enormous power concealed in a word or in a sound.

People ask where God is in difficultdays such as these. They point out thatmillions are starving and have been uprooted and are suffering the agonies of war. God does not rule as a tyrant outside of His creation, but rules by established laws in nature. Ma n, being thehighest development of nature, therefore. expresses God's will according to

his understanding of the God-con-sciousness within him. Go d has, therefore. no direct responsibilty for the

miseries and wrongs man constantlybrings upon himself. If man cannotlearn to realize God and live by thegood impulses he feels within, and if his development can be accomplishedonly through suffering and pain, it isprofitable that such should come.

The root of those evils inherent inour present economic and political structure is not entirely economic or politicalbut also spiritual. T he cause is a materialistic education and understandingfounded upon the physical senses only.The cause is a soulless society based onmechanistic principles. The cause isselfishness, greed, and love of power.The cause is a hard heart, the resurgence of animal passions, the survivalof the fittest. The re are some wonderful laws in the law books of the world,inscribed from hu ndred s of ye ar s’ evolutionary development. Of what benefitare they if people do not want to obeythem or make them effective? Fo r example. despite the amendment to theconstitution giving negroes the franchise. there are Jim Crow cars and

schools in the South, and the negro isprevented from exercising his legalrights.

The great Pharaoh Ikhnaton tr ied tobuild an ideal city and formulate awholly spiritual religion, but of whatavail was it when the people refused to

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rise to the height of his ideal? Histor yis replete with instances where the leaders endeavored to inst i tute improvements for the masses before they wereready for it . Mo ses in the code that hedrew up for his people tried to make the

oppression of a ruling class impossible.He planned a theocracy. God was tobe the ruler. N o king was ever to command and have the power to tax and toexploit. But the people were not read yfor such self-gov ernmen t. Th e resultwas the anarchy during the period of Judges. To prevent exploi tat ion andpoverty for all time, he instituted theJubilee. T h e people were not ready forsuch a far-sighted economic concept.Consequently the institution of the Jubilee becam e a dea d letter. It was nev erobserved.

W ha t has happened to Inte rna tional

law? It has ceased to exist. Tre atieshave become mere scraps of paper.W ha t has happened to Rel igion? TheBibles of the world are rejected. Th eyhave become mere ‘ literature.” GodHimself is denied. T h e most beautifullaws that man can conceive will not helpthe situation today. The urgent need isnot for more laws but the observanceof those already on the statute books.

When a majori ty of people desirepeace and demand peace, there will bepeace. W h en a majority of people insist that the Constitution and the Billof Rights be respected, democracy will

function, and intolerance and discrimination will disappear. W he n the ma

jor ity of peo ple in dig nantl y re pudia teexploitation and a social order based onprofits rather than human needs, therewill be peace between employer andemployee, and the consumer will not becrushed between the upper and thelower millstone.

Where shall we find people who arewilling to live their lives in accordancewith high ideals, who are willing to putthe needs of the human first, and thetews second, who are willing to live co-°Peratively and not competitively? The

^■ ucation the heart is needed, morenan the education of the head. Soulevelopment is needed, not more legis-

3taon, An ex pan sion of consciou snessneeded, not a stronger penal system.

When men are willing to accept thePJritual principles of the fatherhood of

God and the brotherhood of man, whenthey are willing to conform to the implications of these two sublime principles in their daily lives, in their relationships with all that lives, then exploitation in every one of its forms will cease.

Emotional development strengthens thelove-life in a man’s heart. Expansion of consciousness and development of intuition enable a man to feel another'sneeds, to sympathize with another 's nature. and to understand the limitationsand the handicaps of another humanbeing.

A merciful employer will be contentto earn less provided that his workingpeople do not suffer. H e will wa nt hisemployees to be happy in his employ.He will want their respect and affection.He will shrink from earning money atthe expense of their heal th and hap

piness.A merciful man will scorn to take

advantage of women and play withtheir hearts. A wom an with a sense of honor will scorn to be a gold-digger.W he re affection is genuine, par ents donot have to be compelled by law to takecare of their children; children do nothave to be forced to provide for agedparents. A government composed of upright men will honor treaties, accepted codes of law, and err on the side of generosity.

There is not one single problem thatwould not disappear if the people con

cerned approached its solution in aspirit of love and cooperation and willingness to sacrifice. An y relationshipbecomes sanctified when cemented bysacrifice. Ho w beautiful when hu sban dand wife remain faithful despite illnessand poverty. How beautiful when chil dren are devoted to old or suffering orunfor t una t e pa re n t s . How be a u t i fu lwhen brothers and sisters make sacri fices for one anoth er. H ow beautifulwhe n t he c ommuni t y c oope ra t e t orescue some unfo rtun ate family. Ho wbeautiful when one nation comes to therescue of another weaker nat ion.

The world honors Ruth, the Moabi-tess. because she gave up everything forher mother-in-law, Naomi. The friendship of David and Jonathan has beenimmortalized. W e love the tales of thebrave knight who goes forth to rescuethe distressed damsel. W e all love the

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story of Romeo and Juliet even thoughit is a tale with a tragic ending. W elove Robert Browning doubly that hislove for his frail, invalid wife was soperfect. W e love the maiden whomTennyson loved because she was faithful for twenty years before they wereunited in marriage. W he n Pierre Curiefirst proposed to Marie, she declined.However, he was undaunted. In theface of such ardor and determination,Marie capitulated.

People smile superciliously at romance and at fairy tales. Th ere is noreason in the world why a fairy taleshould be only that and nothing more.You can make it come true, Ev ery manis playing the part of a hero in the storyof his life; every wom an is playin g the

part of a heroine in the story of her life.Even the humblest part on the stage of life can be played with dignity, withbeau ty , and wi th l ov ing pe r f ec t ion .Even a tragic part can assume an epictone when played in a spirit of humility and perfect trust in divine love andwisdom as well as power.

Perhaps you remember the lovely,sunlit village of Shangri-La in the heartof the magnificent Himalayan Mountains in Tibet. "H ow unrealistic." someunimaginative people exclaimed. Theclever newspaper w r i te rs knowinglyshook their heads and deplored the de

lightful phantasy as an escape fromreality. Th ere is nothing unrealistic a-bou t the vision at all. It is a model of what life can be if you so will it, andI so will it. and w e all so will it. The sepoor, deluded, hard-headed, practicalmen of sound common sense, they think they are r ight, but Father Time laughsin his sleeve as the film rolls on. andthey usually find themselves absolutelywrong.

W e honor and love the heroes of history. the men and women who gave allfor love, the men and women with com

passionate hearts, the men and women

who dedicated their lives to a greatideal, to a noble cause. W h en Mosessaw the Egyptians oppressing the Hebrews. his heart gave him no peaceuntil he could strike a blow in defense

of his persecuted people. W he n G u^tama, the Buddha, saw the sorrow, tfc*pain, and the distress in the worldsaid, "I will not rest until I find the wavout for all mankin d.” Jesus washed thfeet of His disciples to inspire them toact humbly and graciously with each*other. f

Kindness calls for kindness, hearf calls to heart, and love calls forth love.’W h en a vision of great love dawns before our gaze barriers melt, new worldsfloat into our ken, our hearts contain theworld. W e transc end our little selvesO ur souls roam upon the heights. Ourminds reach to the fiery stars, and ourfeet touch the center of the earth. W ebecome one with every blade of grassevery bird that sings upon the leafy

twig, every perfumed flower that swayslike a butterfly on its graceful stem.W e become one with every mother thatsmiles prayerfully at the babe in herarms, every father that rejoices in theson at his side. W e are one with allf r i e n d s a n d h u m a n i t y . T h e t ea r inevery eye is ours. T he smile on everyface is a reflection of our own.

O, impatient man. why do you chafeat these ties that bind you to yourtasks? W er e your soul burning withlove, you would rejoice at every oppor-'tunity to p our y ou r love into anothe r’s,life; the chains that seem to gall would

caress; the manacles that seem dark and heavy as lead would gleam withgold and seem light as gossamerethreads; the triple gates would springopen at a touch. T he gra y sky wouldturn into opalesc ent pearl. Th e raindrops would turn into handfuls of blossoms. Eve ry da y would become a glorious adven ture. Deat h would become atransce ndent experience. As the poetMasefield says, "Death opens unknown

doors. It is most gran d to die.”

Love is still the world's great need—the love the mystic teac hes — love of God, love of man, and love of all crea

tion. T he n strife will cease. All conflicts will be reconc iled. T h e pairs of opposites are then transcended. Thedualism merges into unity. Peace profound prevaileth.

V V V

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« SANCTUM MUSIN GS

HEALTH AND RIGHT LIVING


NDER norma l c i r cumstances healthi s t h e n a t u r a lstate. Civilizationhas succeeded inm a k i n g g e n u i n ehealth and vitalityunusual . W e l ive

in a sick age. Them o n e y s p e n t o n

i l l n e s s a n d l o s tt h r o u g h i l l n e s si n c r e a s e s e v e r yyear.

There must be a reason for this deplorable state of affairs. In fact, thereare many reasons. Th e wonde r is thatthe human race should survive at all.The first cause of illness lies in the verynatu re of the ag e in whic h we live. It isa materialistic age, with small respectfor human individuality, and consequently. no respect for the temple of thesoul—the body. W e admire beauty of form and feature, it is true. W e admire

beautiful coloring of hair and eyes. W eare vain enough to desire becomingclothes. W e do not thin k it is important,however, to keep our bloodstream pureand untainted, to avoid preventable diseases. to understand something of themechanism of the body, and to keep ithealthy and vigorous as long as possible. There are few people who consid

er a body as important as an automobi le . There are few people who arewilling to give a body the attention andcare that they give a car. T he y hand lea body as carelessly, as recklessly, as adrunkard an automobile.

Do not misunderstand me. Respectfor the body does not mean making careof the body the principal interest inon e’s life. It does not mean living only

for the body. Th e bod y is the instru-ment of the soul. It shou ld be utilizedfor st renuous work. W hile i t should bekept clean and healthy there is no needfor indulgence of any kind, particularlyindulgence that is pernicious in its effects. At times, it mu st be cheerfu llysacrificed, because the soul is alwaysgreate r than the body. T o sacrifice thebody for a great cause, however, is quitea different matter from ruining it withdrink or drugs, or catering to baseappetites.

W e live in a universe of law. Inf ractions of the law caus e a reaction. It is

not punishment. It is not retribution. Itis simply the universal working of thelaw of cause and effect. Knowledgegives us control and power. Knowledge of the laws governing electricityhas made possible all the mechanicaland scienti fi c w o n d er s o f ou r age .Through ignorance a man can be killed.The same laws can be used both to

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benefit mankind and to destroy. Thelaws operate impersonally.

Health should be universal and theheritage of every human being Manhimself has made it difficult to attain.W e have so l i tt le understanding of what cons ti tutes no rm a lev, genuinehealth, that we are perfectly well satisfied with a condition that is not far fromsemi- inva l idi sm. I t i s as tonishing a twhat an early age children need shoeswith arch-supports, eye glasses, and expensive dental work. Th ere is hardly ahousehold without some one who hashad to unde rgo an operat ion. A youngmember told me that the family he camefrom were so saturated with medicine of all kinds and dependent upon doctorsthat all their earnings were used forthese purposes. Th e number of peoplewho need a hospital is so great that

statistically it means that practicallyevery one passes at least once in hislifetime throu gh a hospital. Tonsilec-tomies and appendectomies are so frequent that one often wonders how ourancestors managed to survive withoutthem.

Despite the fact that the number of hospitals increases annually, and theresearch laboratories increase and spendgreater sums of money, and the numberof physic ians keeps increas ing, thehealth of our population docs not improve. That more people wear eyeglasses and buy expensive shoes and

have their teeth exmained regularly doesnot mean that their health is improved.Glasses and arch-supports and bridgework are crutches for organisms thatcan no longer function normally without them. Cru tche s must not be confused with native vitality and genuinehealth.

Our national drug bill is a scandal.Read the advertisements on highways,buses or street cars. Listen to the ad vertisements over the radio for headache powders and laxat ives and alka-lizers an d cough medicines. Girls andwomen carry tins of various medicines

in their han dba gs. In homes the medicine closet is a conglomeration of bottles. |ars. and tubes.

The medical profession is only partlyto be blamed. Doctors have to earn aliving, and if a foolish and frantic patient insists on some drug that gives an

immediate feeling of relief, they aregoing to antagonize him by refusingOften such drugs may become hahform ing. It is ver y difficult to malesome people see that immediate relief from pain does not mean eradicating thecau se or effectin g a cure. It is difficult

to make people realize the seriousnessof remote conseq uences W ro ng livinnhabits, devitalized foods, drugs, etceventually destroy the health of the

body. Some people are incapacitated almost immediately. T he y are the fortunate ones. Th e whip of pain drivesthem to grow up and be sensible aboutexerting a little self-control to keep thebody in good physical condition. Othersof a naturally sturdier constitution donot break down till later in life. Theyfrequently break down completely; theirbodies are beyond repair. The y bring

to the next incarnation the seeds of anenfeebled constitution.

You have heard many times the

statem ent mad e that pain is friendly. It

is a warning signal. If an automatic

alarm w arn s you that you r home or

place of business is afire, you are not

putting out the blaze by stopping the

alarm. If you must take a drug to re

lieve pain, at least make every effort to

discover the cause and take the proper

steps to eliminate the wrong habits that

prod uced the pain — if you are not to

become a victim of drugs and opiates.

There are many causes of illness.On e cause is physical. Depletion of vi

tality and illness may come from lack

of sunshine, fresh air. and insufficient

sleep. Insufficient exercise, malnutrition

due to insufficient food or the wrong

food, overfeeding, and constipation are

prolific causes for disease. W he n the

cause is physical, a change in living

hab its is an immed iate necessity. If the

cause is an infraction of one of the

simple rules of right living, no drug,

vaccine, or serum is necessary. Go to

bed if necessary. Cleanse the system

with water or fruit or vegetable juices.Never interfere with a fever. Let a com

petent phys ician consider its control. A

fever is nature’s method to burn up the

impurities of the body. A fev er is proof that the body has vitality. Acute fevers

are cleansing and heal ing. W he n an

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acute fever is beyond the capacity of the body, then chronic ailments set inwhich are far more difficult to overcome.

The English habit of spending aweekend in the country is beneficial:l ikewise the cont inenta l cus tom of spending a vacation in walking tours.Athletics in moderation are excellent.Walking is preferable to a past ime thatkeeps one indoors for hours at a stretch.The study of a musical instrument ispreferable to the passive habit of spending several evenings every week in themoving picture theaters. H you r work is of a mechanical nature, it is essentialthat you build up a rich social and cultural life after working hours.

Constipation is the cause of a long

train of ills. It is said that even i nsani tymay result from a system clogged with

poisons. W ro ng foods may cause very

serious diseases. As one grows older,the daily requirement of protein andcarbohydrates grow-s less. Avoid thedevitalized foods. T he y use up the vitality of the body without giving nourishment. W ho le wh eat products aresuperior to white flour prod ucts. Brownrice is superior to the white glazed rice.Brown sugar is superior to white sugar.Use honey as a natural sweetening.Use sparing ly the fried foods, richsauces, and elaborate combinations. Thebest diet is the simplest. In the foodsthat God gave man. the frui ts , vegetables. nuts and whole grains are thebest. It is said th at wh en man firstcame to earth, the angels taught him

agriculture, particularly the planting of wheat. Th e Eastern ers say that thosewho are preparing for initiation mustlive wholly on fruits, vegetables, grainsand nuts. Th is comman d or advice maybe founded upon living conditions inthat climate, where a mixed diet of cooked food of various kinds may beinjurious. Fo od in itself has no powerto raise spiritual vibrations, but doesbecome the channel through which emotional force manifests.

T he body is a unit. Physical conditions will affect the emotions and themind. Emotio nal and mental states will

affect the body. T he man y cures thatthe church. Christian Science practitioners. mental healers, and psychiatristsfire able to report reveal the fact that thecauses of many physical disturbances

are emotional and mental. Negativethoughts and emotions will affect theglands, the digestive system, and lowerthe tone of the entire system. N o matterhow perfect o ne’s food m ay be, a severefit of depression, or anger, or fear, orsorro w will destro y its value. Per hap syou know the incident of the motherwho was the recipient of bad newswhile she was nursing. He r milk wasimmediately poisoned, and the child hadan attack of cramps. You should noteat when you are over-fatigued or in avery great hurry, or extremely upset .Emotional control can be gained inman y ways. Some people like to take awalk, or be by themselves. Som e peoplelike to read a psalm or a chapter fromthe Bible. Some people like to medit ateon an affirmation. Some people preferto listen to music or to play on a musical instrument. W ha tev er method helpsyou is worthwhile. T he principal fac

tor in self-control is. after all. a philosophy of life. A philos ophy th at hasbecome a natural conviction is a tree of life to him who grasps it.

Another cause of disease is karmic.The seeds or causes were planted in aprevious incarnation. Congenital defects are for the most part karmic.Cancer is frequently karmic. One of the causes of cancer is a life of crueltyin a previous incarnation . Can cer of the breast may be due to a life-time of resentment. It is most essentia!, therefore. no matter how deeply we may behurt , no matter how righteous our in

dignation may be. that we daily cleanseour systems of all impure and negativethoughts and emotions. These negativeand destructive thoughts and emotionsare chickens that come home to roost.They act as boomerangs, and we arephysically and mentally injured.

This information should not make us

callous, nor should we ever condemnanyone. After all. as long as we are noradepts, we do not know the exact causeof a karmic ailment. Pe rha ps the hourof the soul’s release has come. W e haveall heard of miraculous cures. No casecan really be consid ered hopeless. Dr.

Alexis Carrel tells of a cancerous sorethat healed before his very eves. Ayoung chemist, who was blind from atumor on the brain, was completelyhealed W e should not shut our eyes



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and cars to the cries of suffering humanity. W e must learn to l isten and tohelp and yet remain inwardly calm. W emust work steadily for the amelioration

of physical and social conditions so thatas many causes of maladjustment andof illness as possible may be eliminated.

Our soc ia l and economic sys tembased on profit has very little regard forthe needs of a human being. Despiteexceptions to the rule, occupational diseases are sufficiently prevalent to be amenace to national health. Only anawakened social conscience and socialplanning will eliminate the large number of occupational diseases in thiscountry. A wom an wrote to me thather husband, who is a worker on the

assembly line of one of the largest automobile factories in this country, is soexhausted at the end of the day that hishands shake. He is often unable tolight a cigarette.

Economic insecurity is a big factor increating an emotional and mental statethat predisposes to nervous and physi cal ailments of vario us sorts. It is na tural for young people to desire to marryand have a family. If this powerfulnatural urge is thwarted for any reason,whether economic or social, emotionalstability and physical health are boundto be affected. Fo r the health of the na

tion social planning is just as essentialas economic planning. It is absurd tothink that any pill , vaccine, or serum,or bromide will counteract the evils of the economic or social set-up of ourcivilization, which spiritually is still in

the stage of the jungle.

The first step, therefore, in improving

the health of the nation is an awakenedsocial conscience, a genuine concern forthe welfare of our fellow citizens, awillingness to plan and share and sacrifice. so that no one should be the victimof condit ions that can be remedied. Thenext step is public education. The physician of the future will be a teacher principally. On ly rarely will he be calledupon to exercise his function as a healer. It sho uld be possible for an intelligent person to take care of himself und er normal circumstances. A properunderstanding of the body and theconditions making for health and disease will enable an intelligent and sensible person to diagnose his own con

dition and take the proper step toed y it. re®-

You ought to be able to diSC0v

wh ethe r you have ignor ed the phySir5requirements for good health, or hdevital ized your system by destruct i^tho ug hts a nd emotions, o r whethe r tV,*causes are genuinely obscure or beyond

your ability to remedy. There are manvsystems of healing in existence todavThe system taught in the establishedmedical schools and sponsored by theAmerican Medical Association is onlvone of several systems. All systemshave their good points and their weak poin ts. All sys tem s claim to be helpfulHowever from the point of view of theman in the street and from the point of

view of the Ancient Wisdom, the bestsystem is that which complies moreclosely to basic natural laws. Naturopathy. for example, is simple, sensibleand one of the least dang erou s. It demands intelligence and understanding.It is educational. You can often takecare of yourself.

W h a t the unevolved individual reallydesires is the privilege of breaking allthe laws of health, keeping late hours,indulging in cocktail parties, smoking toexcess, lounging in overheated apartments, riding in cars instead of walkinga few blocks briskly or participating in

clean sports, watching a baseball orfootball or basket ball game instead of participating in one. dancing in nightclubs to jazz music, eating early andlate of so-called nourishing food thatin combination breaks every law of correct eat ing. Th en instead of making anecessary effort to correct this livinghabit and control thoughts and wildemotions, he wants a pill or a “shot” todo the trick. Chir opra ctic and osteopathy are very good, bet ter than a system that relies heavily on drugs, serums, and operat ions. Th ey have donemuch good. At the same time to relyon any certain method without makingan effort to change faulty living habitsis weakening. W h en a disease is karmic, when the causes have workedthemselves out. the patient will contactwhatever form of healing will provehelpfu l in his case. A ny form of healingwithout correction of basic living habitswill frequently prove of only temporary

benefit.

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The supreme advantage of na turopathy is that it seeks to dispense withthe need of drugs, vaccines and serums.It makes a man responsible for building

up resistance, vitality and good health.Naturopathy must be combined in ourmodern life of strain and stress withme nt a l a nd e mot i ona l r e -e duc a t i on .Valuable work is being done in lightand color therapy. Magn etic healing,which is the basis of some systems, isalso of great value. In magnetic healing the physician actually adds to thevitality of the patient with his own vitality. Healin g through hypnotism isnot advisable. If a patient is too feeblef o r a n a n a e s t h e t i c , t h e n h y p n o t i s mwould be permissible at an unavoidableextract ion or operat ion. W h en n atural

methods of healing are utilized, an operation becomes a last resort. In theorthodox school of medicine, operationsare recommended too frequently andunnecessarily. Th e finest and least ob

ject io na bl e work in surgery is done inthe field of plastic surgery.

Music, too, is beginning to be usedfor healing purposes. Cyril Scott in hisbook on music tells us that in the futuremusic will be composed for the varioustypes of nervous ailments, particularlythose caused by the noises of everylarge city. A t presen t music is beingused in some hospitals and insane asy

lums with beneficial effects. T h e Bibletells us that when King Saul was in oneof his dark moods. David would besummoned to play sweet music upon hisharp.

The psychological factor in disease

is very important in this age. Dr.

Henry C. Link in his book "The Returnto Religion" tells us that he was appalled at the tens of thousands of peoplewho went to pieces at the time of thedepression. In his work as psychiatristfor the people who applied for W . P. A.

jobs in N ew Yor k Cit y, he ca me into

contact with large numbers of the victims of the depression. Previo usly hehad not been interested in religion or inchurch membership. Then he realizedthe necessity of some form of moral andspiritual support in time of reverses andtrials and tribulations. To one demo ralized individual after another he hadto recommend a return to some form of religion, church membership. As a re

sult he and his wife joined a church andsent their children to Sunday School.

Dr. Stephen S. W is e has a similarstory to tell. O n the Su nd ay after the

stock market crashed in 1929 he officiated at the funerals of fourteen suicides. Financial reverses are certainlyno just cause for suicide. Suicide undersuch circumstances merely denotes lack of moral stamina. As you perhapsknow, such individuals in a later incarnation must pass through a similarheart-rending experience once more until the lesson is learned . Go d's law of cause and effect can not be side-stepped.Wonderful work is being done withpeople who are known to be contemplating suicide by the Sav e - a - LifeLeague. Recently the Satu rday Ev e

ning Post had an interesting articleabout another organizat ion that dedi cates itself to rehabilitating drunkards.

Suicide, of course, is an escape.

Drink, too, is an escape. Bridge play ing. novel reading, and going to movies

are also milder forms of escape. Th ereis nothing inherently harmful in an occasional escape into the land of playand dream. The danger l ies in thegradual demoralization of the person sothat he can no longer face the problemsof life and no longer has the desire evento try to solve them. T o avoid this predicament a philosophy of life becomesindispensable. Herein lies the greatvalue of the mystic philosophy of life.When we study the principles of themystic philosophy, we are actuallylearning to und erstan d l ife. W e are notappalled by a feeling of futility. W eknow that death is only a transition, alaying down of an outworn garment .W e know that good must come out of evil. W e k now th at there is a loftypurpose to all the trials and tribulationsof life. The mystic philosophy is asource of treme ndo us strength . It givescourage. It gives meanin g to life. W e

know that through i l lness our bodiesand our souls are being purified. W eknow that through trials our charactersare being stre ngt hen ed. Life takes onthe character of a magnificent game,and every obstacle becomes a challenge.When this st rong and comfort ing phi losophy becomes part of one’s verymake-up. one is forever exempt fromthe host of emotional and mental ills

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and many physical ailments too, thatdcscend like a plague upon the unfortunate men and women who are beset

by terror and fear, who think that thereis no God. and that life is meaningless,and that misfortune is due to chance,and that man is alone and adrift on astormy sea.

Fortified by our convictions, we knowthat there is a place for each and everyone of us in the world. There is no reason to envy anyone or to be resentful.Every one has his own innate genius. Itis only a matter of time for one’s potentialities to emerge. Th er e is no reasonfor being discouraged or depressed.Time is limitless. W h a t is not completed in one incarnation will be completed in ano ther . Loneline ss is an illusion. Through our souls we are unitedto one another and to God Himself.It is only a matter of time and spiritual development for us to become a-ware of the truth of all these wonderful

teachings.

A genuine interest in people, a genuine desire to make brotherhood a factin one's life, a genuine desire to findone’s place in life and be a factor inevolution will root one so solidly in thespiritual world that he will always bein a state of harmony. Good healthprimarily is a state of harmony with theconstruct ive forces of the universe.When we are in a state of harmony, weare channels for a power that helps allwhom we contact and helps us too.There is nothing more conducive tomental and spiritual health than to forget one’s self completely. Th at hap pystate comes from complete absorption insome worthwhile project or activity.W h at more construct ive task than towork with the constructive forces of the world, than to know that the smallest thing one does is genuinely worthwhile?

Remember that every weakness isrecorde d in our auras. On the innerside our fai l ings and weaknesses areapparent to every highly developedsoul. Mo st of them are easy to correct.The prime requisite is a desire to cor

rect them, a desire to become matu

desire to be a helper, not anot her*’ *valid. Even seriou s afflictions may k"courageo usly borne. You all knowwonde rful story of Helen Keller p y*crt Louis Stevenson wrote some of W most cha rmi ng talcs while suffer' 18from hemorrhages of the lungs. Car] ? was a lifelong victim of dyspepsia

Let us never despair. The re is a]wa ys hope. Th er e is often a way 0ut"Frequently the effort to overcome anobstacle or limitation leads to gloriousadventures of discovery and the gaining of wisdo m. In the meanwhile we

are immeasurably strengthened. Theheart of life is peace and serenity anjlove. It is joy and b eauty. If only thehearts of all could be lifted up to understand. then the waters of healing wouldroll down in a mighty flood upon all theworld. The glorious songs of the angelswould be heard, and we would knowthat "underneath are the everlastingarms.

Recognizing these facts our late Im-perator. Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, estab

lished the Ros e-C roi x Sanit arium, wheremembers of the Rosicrucian Order andtheir friends could find treatment andcure in healthy and harmonious surroundings . M an y of you are well ac

quainted with the Sanitarium here inSan Jose, having been here and enjoyedsome of its ma ny benefits. Th er e sure-Iv have been some splendid reports of the wor k that has been done there. Dr.Lewis had in mind healing throughRosicrucian methods, together with someother branches of modern curative science. recognizing the usefulness of many. He felt that a need existed for acombination of treatments embracingthese factors under competent Rosicrucian and medical guidance, doing awaywith superstition or experimentation.He often said that as no such place existed he would like to see these idealsmanifested in concrete form, and theresults obtained at the Sanitarium havenow proven that Dr. Lewis was rightand justified in founding for us a placeof this kind.

V V V

T o attemp t to put away the vice and depravity of a lifetime whe n the sun of life is setting is like trying to extinguish a blazing wagon-load of hay with acup of water. —Frederic Balfour (Taoism)

[



T h e

Rosic rucian

D ig es t

O c t o b e r

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| SANCTUM MUSINGS I. ... = . . . . t

YOUTH AND OLD AGE


OU NG peopl e ne ve r t h i n k o f o l dage; middle agedp e o p l e d r e a d i t :a n d o l d p e o p l ewait patiently for

the inevitable end.Most people think of old age in then a t u r e o f a c a

l a m i t y . a s d i me y e s i g h t , d e a f n e s s , b a l d n e s s ,c r a c k e d v o i c e ,

snowy white hair, short memory andgeneral feebleness. Th is attit ude is. nodoubt, an inherited race-reaction fromremote antiquity when a man was respected in the tribe only as a warriorand hunter. Still, we find today thatmany a young man has some of thec h a r a c t e r i s t i c s a s c r i b e d t o o l d a g e .There a re young hear t s bea t ing inbreasts of old men, and old heads onyoung shoulders.

A human being becomes more usefuland more valuable as he grows older.

Whatever tol l the years may take physically is more than compensated by thegains in understanding and spiritualgrowth. Th e world must learn to ap preciate and utilize what age can offer.Not that appreciat ion of what age canoffer precludes recognition of the virtues of youth. Yout h has its gifts to offer the world, even as age has its gifts.Both are needed. Th e world needs the

ardor of youth and the experience of age. As the bee takes honey from manyflowers, so the world should welcomeall that life provides through both youthan d age. If the worl d is ever to improve. a place must be found for everyhuma n being. Yout h must have the opportunity to learn, to gain experience,to try its wings , to experiment. Agemust have opportunity to teach, to work side by side with youth, to point out toyouth the most useful channels for itsenergy in the light of experience andwisdom.

The modern world is unique in thepre mium it placcs on yout h. In one industry after the other, employment isalmost impossible for the man pastforty. Th e reason is usually misplacede co no my . So ci al g r o u p - i n s u r a n c e ispaid by the employer on the computedage level. Th e you nge r the age level,the less is the cost. N o accou nt is takenof the lessened efficiency of the plant.In no other period of the history of theworld have men and women made frantic efforts to look far younger than their

years. Men a nd women not only t ry tolook young but they try to do the thingsthat are becoming only to youth. Thereis no welcome and gradual transition toa new level of living, to new interests,

to less violent activities.Not that old age has to be a pitiable

objcct. It is possible to remain vigorous. in good health, and mentally alertuntil the last day of one's incarnation.

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These blessings must be earned. Youth,too, must earn these blessings. Notevery young person has good heal thand vitality and capacity for intellectualand spiritual growth. The limitations

that are usually associated with anyparticular period in life are usually thelimitations of the individual and not of his age. Some of the most into leran tand reactionary individuals I have methave been college students. Some of themost open-minded forward-looking menhave been men advanced in years.

Modern psychology tel ls us that oneof the dangers on the pathway of life isfixation. W e must be very careful toavoid fixation in any period of life. Certain qualities, certain attitudes are proper to each period of life. Certai n qual ities are normal in children. They are nolonger normal in the adolescent, in theadult, in the married man or woman.Difficulties in adjustment in life are dueto childish traits being carried over tolater periods of life. Dependence is natural to the child. An older person mustbe able to assume responsibility.

Some people adjust themselves toevery change demanded by l i fe withease. Some people find every chan gepainful. Ag e makes no difference. Th eimportant thing is to plan one's life.Child ren live for the day alone. The irparents do the planning. Older people

who try to live as carelessly as childrendo are precipitat ing difficulties. Go odhealth must be achieved through self-control, through the patient cultivationof go od hea lth habits. It will not helpyou to be resentful of the fact that somepeople you know Jived to ninety despitecontinued defiance of every law of health. It would be interesting to stu dythe statistics of the number of peoplewho became incapaci tated or who passed on from wholly preventable diseasesand accidents after the age of forty.The trouble is that the only people wesee arc those who are well and able to

work. W e do not see the large army inhospitals, institutions, and bedridden athome. It seems to be almost impossibleto make people give as much attentionto their bodies as they would to a machine or to an automobile. For someunknown reason they feel that the bodyshould be able to endure every type of abuse and neglect . The diseases of mid

dle age and old age are planted inyouth. K idney trouble. Br igh t’s disease,ulcers and cancers, for the most part,are due to years of wrong living habits.They do not descend mysteriously from

heaven.Not only is it necessary to build good

health habits, but to provide intellectualpursuits. Ever yone should be expectedand permitted to have some other interest besides that of his daily occupation.A woman must prepare for the dayw'hen her children will no longer needher. A man must prepar e for the dayof retirement, if his work demands thevi tali ty of youth. A man and a womanshould have so many interests that theylook forward with pleasure to the oppor tuni ty of cultivating them. Age, forthe most part, should be merely a matterof the shifting of interests from onesphere to another. Enthusiasm wil l keepan old man youthful and interesting.Young people without enthusiasm arenot particularly interesting to anyone.Old people with enthusiasms will serveas a good example to the community.They can teach people how to live.They can compel people to admire andrespect old age.

There is no more pathetic spectaclethan the old man who is lost withouthis business, or the old woman who islost without her children. A man of my

acquaintance was unable to marry because his mother was completely dependent upon him for companionship.He w as her only interest in life. Forten years he courted the woman whomhe did not dare to introduce to hismother. Final ly he married hut was compelled to keep his marriage secret.Many young persons have no friendsbecause their parents have been so completely dependent upon them for companionship. A young wife complainedto me that she had to give up everv act ivi ty upon her marriage. Her husbandwanted her to stay home with him every

night . Anoth er young woman sat athome and felt sorry for herself becauseher husband came home late everynight. She refused to entertain guestsor go anywhere without her husband.

Every human being must have an intellectual life of his own. Ou r hap pinessmust not be dependent upon the physi cal presence of another individual, no

[ 3 5 5 ]



matter how dear. If we have much leisure, then we are very fortunate. W eshould utilise that leisure to the best advantage. If business compels a man tokeep late hours, he is going to feel much

happier if he knows that his wife is busyand not weeping for the companionshipthat it is impossible for him to give.There is nothing more wonderful thanfor husband and wife to share the sameinterests. Man y problems thereby disappear. Therefore, men and womenmust have their hobbies and projects,and they must not selfishly demand of each other any curtailment of interests.The man and woman with many interests and many friends, will not fear theloss of children, the inevitable changesof life, and old age.

Rega rd your life objectively. Stu dythe experiences that you have had andtry to discover the pat tern that yoursoul has been weaving on the loom of time. Analyze your customary thoughts.Try to be aware of your habitual emotional reactions. There would not bemuch point to this careful scrutiny of ourselves if this existence were the"end-all ." But we are not living onlyfor today. W e arc bui lding for thefuture. Every degree of mental strengththat is cultivated, every degree of emot i o n a l c o n t r o l a n d t h o u g h t c o n t r o l ,every degree of will-power attainedmeans a so much stronger character, amore effective personality with whichto begin the next incarnation. This conception gives a tremendous impetus toliving life fully here and now. Ever yday is important, and vet length of lifeis unimportant and old age is nothingto fear or dread. Nev er give up a che rished dream. Nouris h it in your heartand it will spring up full blown in the

next incarnation. Alwa ys bear in mind

that you are going to start in just where

you leave off in this incarnation. You r

opening chord depends on the closing

chord. Here is a glorious task for declining years. Mak e that closing chord

jus t as nobl e, as lo ft y, and as be au ti ful

T h e as you can. Let it be a song of harmony.

R osicruc ian of pcace, of faith, an d of love. Let it

D ig es t include forgiveness for every hurt, every

O c t o b e r wro ng, eve ry tear. Let it include toler-

1 9 4 2 ance for every human being. Let it in

clude faith in yo ur divine destiny Tit end in rap tu re so celestial, jn ]0v et

compelling, that your transition wi]\ u°an inspiration to all who witness it

If we arc young, let us begin todayto prepare for a healthy, contented oldage by extending our interests. Let

be active in at least one organization5Let us find at least one avenue of use'fulne ss to the communi ty. Ther e *”nothing more stultifying nor ageingthan an idle life, or an extremely re_stricted life. In personality as in otherspheres of life, "to him who hath shall begiven; from him who hat h not shall betaken away." You must either integrateor disintegrate. You must use y0urforces and abilities, and as you usethem so will they g row and expand. If

you do not. they will atrophy and whatyou possess will be taken away fromyou. W h e n we cultivate an interest itkeeps us men tall y alive. It is wonderfulhow much people can accomplish underpre ssu re or in an emerg ency. It is wonderful how people go to pieces physically and emotionally when life makesno demands upon them and when theyare able to take the path of leastresistance.

Many of the problems of life shouldcease to exist for a student of the Rosicrucian philosophy. Ou r studies shouldbe sufficient to fill the life of any earnest

student. Our studies embrace everyaspect of life, every field of thought andactivity. Mystici sm embraces philosophy, comparative religion, science, art,

and practical welf are work. Reconcile

yourself to life as it is and to life’s

methods, and pcace of heart and mind

will be yours, and harmony will not be

difficult to acquir e. If you can devote

yourself to the Order you need nothing

more in life. You have a philosophy

tha t gives pur pos e to life. You have

studies to occupy and develop your

mind. You have a channel through the

local lodge or chapter to be of service

to the community and your fellow mem

bers. All life can b e a climbing of a

lofty mountain range, and the last

moment can be Nebo's majestic peak

where God took Moses to Himself in a

kiss divine.

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T h e

Ros icruc ian

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Sir Francis BaconA STUDY

B y T h e G r a n d M a s t e r

H E R E i s h a r d l ya pe r son i n t h i sc oun t ry t ha t ha sn o t h e a r d o f S h a k e s p e a r e .Ever y school childi s f a mi l i a r wi t hsome of his plays-His comedics andtragedies Still appear on the stagea n d h a v e b e e nsuccessful ly p r o

d u c e d o n t h escreen. It is still the ambitio n of ever yactor to play Hamlet and of every actress to play Juliet. Shakespeare stillranks first among English playwrightsand poets. Sh ake spe are is still a big industry, and his plays have netted a fortune to publishers and pr oducers. Yetscholars admit that less is known of thisoutstanding genius than of any othergreat write r in English literature. TheShakespe are tradition is firmly entrench-and has become so deeply involved inmen's reputations and pockets that it isdifficult to persuade scholars to reexamine the evidence on which the tradition has grown up.

The question confronting the studenttoday is: W h o did wri te the shake-speare plays? On ly five badly writtensignatures are extant of Shakespeare’s.The details of Shakespeare’s life beforehe left Stratford and after his retirement are unbelievably petty. Could aman of this limited education and un

derstanding of life have written of aclass of society he knew nothing of?

Yet the Shakespearean plays are wri t ten "in the most courtly, refined, andclassical English, replete with learning,full of evidence of wide reading, dealing with aristocratic life and manners,and instinct with poetry of the very'highest order.” Shakespearean scholarsfreely admit that the plays show knowledge of the Neo-Platonic philosophy,are full of Masonic symbols, reveal afamiliar knowledge of the Bible, a masterly knowledge of the ancient world,and an ext raordinary vocabulary. W i l liam H. Furness, one of the greatestShakespearean scholars that ever lived,said: "I have never been able to bringhis life and his plays within a planetaryspace of each other." T he plays andsonnets, however, harmonize perfectlywith the life, character, attainments,and learning of Sir Francis Bacon.

Th e questions then are: Did Baconwrite the plays of Shakespeare? W ashe the son of Sir Nicholas Bacon. Keeper of the Seal of Queen Elizabeth?W a s he the t rue son of the Queen andwas he the brother of the Earl of Essex? W h a t is the truth about the trialthat resulted in his removal from thechancellorship?

Every textbook on Philosophy and

on Essays has maligned the characterof this extraordinary genius, the oneman that England owes so much to, theone man who brought English life andletters into an honored and respected

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place in the Christian world. On pages214-215 of "A Student 's History of Philosophy,” a work in many ways authoritative. is the following sentence:"In Bacon's checkered career—a careerending in his disgrace and removal from

the Lord C h a n c e l l o r s h i p —there i s ra th -er too obvious a lack of any very delicate sense of personal honor and digni ty to arouse an unqualified respect . . .and Bacon was not always able to recognize the value of their (other scientists) work; he never accepted theCoper nican theory, for exam ple. ” It isdifficult for the college student to think that the textbook placed before him iswrong i n m a n y r e s p e c t s , in p o i n t o f

view and in information; in fact that itis propagating falsehood and slander.One scholar glibly repeats the misinformation announced with the certitude

of t ruth by another dist inguished schol ar. The curse of scholarship in manyways is still authority, precedent, andconformity.

Sir Francis Bacon was not only thegreatest genius that ever appeared inEngland, but one of the greatest in theworld. His scope of activities wa s phe nomena). He was the most brilliantlegal mind in Enqland and rose to theposition of High (Chancellor of the Engl ish court . The great Code Napoleon isbase d on his digest of law. He w as agreat statesman: he prevented the de

populat ion of England; a founder of ne w states — the Virgi nias and theCarol inas — thus making the New W or ldEnglish instead of Spanish. He est ablished the Royal Society o f S c i e n c e i n

Eng lan d, in existence to this day. Hiswork in both philosophy and sciencemarks the beginning of modern researchwork in England. His essays are amongthe finest in English literature. Th eyare written in simple, trenchant modernprose, a century before modern proseappeared. They are replete with worldly wisdom. In addition to all these activities o f m a j o r importance. S i r F r a n c i s

Bacon wrote the Shakespearian Playsand poems, and was the t ranslator of the King James version of the Bible, the

classic text as far as beauty of style and

felicitous phrasi ng are concerned . Peo

ple say that it is impossible for one man

to have done so much. T o genius no thing is difficult. T o a highly i lluminated

soul, such as Sir Francis Bacon was. isgiven the power of extraordinary a-chievement that he may do his destinedtask in the world.

Wil l Durant , in his "Story of Phi losophy,” gives a brilliant survey of Bacon's encyclopedic mind and far-reaching intellectual projects. "H e wasan orator without oratory. He was excellent in debate. He was an unusualdiplomat, statesman, lawyer, and judge.It is almost incredible that the vastlearning and literary achievements of this man were but the incidents and diversions of a turbulent political career.Although philosophy was his first love,he did not admire the merely contemplative life. Like Goethe he scornedknowledge that did not lead to action.

B a c o n s a y s in “A d v a n c e m e n t o f Learning" that men ought to know that in thetheater of human life it is only for Godsand angels to be spectators.”

Francis Bacon was a well-balancedindividual. Since he was a Rosicrucian,it does not surprise us to read in his essay s on Atheism: "I had rather believeall the fables in the legends, and theTalmud and the Alcoran, than that thisuniversal frame is without a mind. . . .A little philosophy inclineth a man’smind to atheism: but depth in philosophy bringeth m en ’s m i n d s about to re-liqion.” In another place he says:"Without philosophy I care not to live.

Philosophy directs us first to seek thegoods of the mind, and the rest willei ther be supplied, or not much wa nted .”He dreams of scient ists coordinated inspecialization by constant communionand cooperat ion, and by some great organization holding them together to agoal. T hi s organizat ion must be international. His great dr eam is the socialization of science for the conquest of nature and the enlargement of the power of man. Solomon ’s House in "T heNew Atlantis" is a description of anextraordinari ly advanced type of government^— a gov ern ment of the people

and for the people by the selected bestof the people; a gove rnment by technicians. a r c h i t e c t s , a s t r o n o m e r s , geologists. biologists, physicians, chemists,economists, sociologists, psychologists,and philosophers. These governors areengaged in control l ing nature ratherthan in governing man.

f 373 )



• T h e w o r k s o!

t h is a u t h o r a r e

r e c o m r e e n d e d

t o o u r r e a d e r s O n e oi h i s

b o o t s , " Th e

S e c r e t H i s t o r y

o f T r a n c i s

B a c o n " ( $1 4 5)

i s n o w a v a i l

a b l e I r o m t h e

R o s i c r u c i a n

S u p p l y B u r e a u

T h e

R os icru c ia n

D ig e s t

N o v e m b e r

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I shall summarize for you the resultsof Alfred D o dd ’s* researches . It may beof interest to you that this scholar is nota member of the Rosicrucian Order. Healso makes the statement that he beganhis research work severely prejudicedagainst Francis Bacon.

Alfred Dodd spent ten years in themost painstaking research work togather the necessary data. In the courseof his investigation he discovered thatthe halo woven about Stratford-on-Avon

is utterly spurious. It is not the birthhouse. The gloves are not the onesShakes peare wore. T he ring is not theright one. Th e Cha ndo s portrait is afake. It is most difficult to get a ne ws paper. or magazine, or publishing house

to publish the true story.Mr. Dodd begins by telling us that

he began his research severely prejudiced against Bacon. But after closelyexamining all available documents, afterstudying the various biographies proand con. he unhesitatingly declares thatBacon ranks with the martyrs of theworld and that he was the victim of aplot as diabolical as ever stained thepages of history. There is now abundantproof that not only did Francis Baconbelieve that he was the Queen's son.but that others knew it also as a Statesecret. His father was Robert Dudley,

later known as the Earl of Leicester.The Queen and the Earl were marriedprivately and the boy was born fourmonths later. At the age of fifteenFrancis accidentally learned the secretof his birth. Then he was sent to Francein the entourage of the Ambassador tothe French court. He traveled over thevery scenes immortalized in the Shakespearian plays. He visited Spain andItaly. Verona. Padua, and Florence.While at the French court, Francis fellin love with Marguerite of Navarrewho was then taking steps to be divorced from her husband. Queen Eliza

beth would not sanction the engagement. and the loss was bitter even tothe end of his life.

All efforts to persuade the Queen toacknowledge him publicly as her sonand heir to the throne failed. Unofficialrecords state that he was compelled tokeep the knowledge a secret at peril of his life and to swear that he would makeno claim to the succession. Wh ile on

the continent, he was initiated into tY, Rosicrucian Order. He had also be™

imbued with the New Learning th*^spre ading from Greece to Italy a Cj

France. He conceived the idea of teaching the common people the cardinal virItues in great epics of moral passion th"Dra ma —simil ar in principle to the wa*we find truths embedded in the mythjthe wis dom of the ancients. In Eliza’

betha n day s the language of culturewas Latin. There was vir tually no Eng

lish save barbarous country dialectsThe custom and manners of the peoplewere rude and coarse. He began theherculean task of giving England alanguage, building up a vocabulary,and refining the ethical standards of the

masses. H e s pent all the money he couldmake or obtain to further his aims; so.too, did Lady Bacon and his foster-brother, Anthony Bacon, fired by thesame ideals. This hidden work wasknown to the fraternities. When Bacondied, the great scholars of the dayunited to acclaim him the greatest poef who had ever lived. Yet Francis Baconnever wrote poetry openly over his ownname, save one or two translations, anymore t ha n he claimed o penly to be aPrince in the House of Tudor.

The Queen’s intimacy with Leicester

resulted in another child known to his

tory as the Earl of Essex. The two menknew each other as brothers. The y ar

ranged that if ever Essex should be

acknowledged heir. Francis should have

a free hand for his literary and phi

losophic ideals. W he n Essex was condemned for treason. Francis had no fearthat Essex would actually go to theblock. Esse x ha d the Que en ’s ring inhis possession. The Queen had promised that if Essex would send her thering, she would refuse to sign the deathwarrant. Th e r inq did not come. Theministers pressed Elizabeth for her sig

nature. The fact is that Essex had sentthe ring relying on the Queen's promise.The Countess of Nottingham kept i tback. On her deathbed she sent for theQue en and confesse d her guilt. Historyrecords that the horrified and enragedQueen shook the dying woman on herbed, screaminq at her. "God may forgive you, but 1 never can. ” For historians to declare that Essex was theQue en' s lover is absurd. All the facts



point to this: T ha t she had the love of an imperious woman for a waywardchild, and that false pride on both sidesled to theix joint undoing.

All this time Francis was known asthe straightest man in the House of Commons by all the Freeholders of Engl and. At James' first parlia ment hewas returned by two consti tuencies,always a rare honor. I t was a signaltribute to virtue and ability. At fifty-onehe was made At torney-General , andthen successively, Lord Keeper, LordChancellor , a Peer of the Realm. Heheld the office of Lord Keeper for threeyears, and at the age of sixty he wascreated Vis count St . Alban. \ et withinthree months after receiving this honor.En gla nd ’s greatest Chancellor fel l — acatastrophe so surprisingly dramatic

that its equal can be found only in theterrible tragedi es of a Shakes peare . Itis a tangled tale of the deceit, hypocrisy. and corruption rampant at theCourt . "Lord St. Alba n" wa s falselyaccused of takinq bribes and perverting

ju st ic e in th e Chancery Divi si on bypolitical enemies who wanted to get ridof him. who coveted his position andwho despised his uprightness and hisintellectual genius. Bacon was so takenback that his health was broken. Nevertheless he began to prepare a defense.The King, full of fear of ruin and revolution. begged him to plead guilty lest

the Throne be jeopardized. At lastthe King commanded him to enter aplea of Guilty. The n the Chancellorsubmitted. Bacon' s enemies, to humiliate him. demanded that he plead guiltyto each part icular charge. Th ere wasno way of escape. He could not drawback. Th e tr uth is. however, that LordSt. Alban pleaded guilty to technicalcarelessne ss only, not to crime; care lessness, too. when he was new to theoffice, his registrars, his secretaries, andhis clerks.

After his fall, his enemies were in

power. Dissatisfied suitors were encour

aged to obtain a reversal of his judgments. The fact emerges that thoughthere were many attempts to set asidehis verdicts, not one was reversed. The ystand sound in law and sound in fact.That in itself is sufficient to acquitFrancis Bacon from the common verdictpassed by elementary history books.

A ruined man socially and politicaJly.and penniless. Bacon turned to his literary work. Within f ive years he turnedout work after work of prose, philosophy. and numerous secret volumes. Hecompiled the Shakespearian Folio and

published it secretly so that it shouldnot be tarnished by his personal dis-

race. He completed his personal poems,hakespeare's Sonnets, which contain

the secret of his true personality. Thesesonnets were sold only to the Brothersof the Masonic and Rosicrucian Orders.He requested the Brothers not to di vulge the secrets of his birth, life, anddeath. Ben Johnso n believed in his innocence. A note is ext ant of Ba con ’sinterview with the King in which Bacondeclares that he is ready to make anoblation of himself for the King. Th ename Shakespeare is a pen-name taken

from the Goddess Pallas Athene, theShaker of the Spear of Knowledge atthe Serpent of Ignoranc e. T he final ewas not added to the name till the nineteenth century.

Some time ago a well-known literaryman wrote words to this effect: " W ehave the plays: what does it matter whowrote them?” It matt ers a great deal tohonest men. It means the reesta blishment of a man’s charac ter. Milton an dAddison knew’ the tru th a nd kept silenceloyally, knowing that State Secretswere involved in his birth, life and political death. Pope knew it when heerected the Shakespeare Monument inWestminster Abbey.

The Abbey authorit ies knew the secret when they allowed the monumentto be erected, for the statue is gracedwith the head of Francis Bacon, thestockings are engraved with Tudorroses and a crowrn, and the lace work of the ruffs of the sleeve is an exact repetition of the ruff worn by Queen Elizabeth. Betwee n his feet are the Sonnetinitials. T. T., referri ng to Maso nry.The finger of the statue points to theQueen at the side. T he place of honorin front is given to a beautiful youth, acrowned Prince, young Francis Baconof the Hilyard Miniatur e. On the lef tside is the figure of the Queen’s secondson. the Earl of Essex, or the Queen'shusband, the Earl of Leicester. TheHilyard Miniature of Francis Bacon asa youth of eighteen appears in theQueen’s own prayer-book.

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Alfred Dodd states: Thin k you thatthe Abbey authori t ies would have al lowed all this apparently meaninglessfoolery if they had not known to whom

the Shakespeare Monument was ac tually being erccted — Lord St. Alban, aPrince of the House of Tud or? Notlikely. . . . The High Dignitaries knewthe truth as the Stat e Secret. An d it isknown today in the Highest Quarters.The time is now ripe when the inscription on Francis Bacon's tombstone mustbe made manifest . . . "Let CompoundsBe Dissolved.”

I close with the words of AlfredDodd: "Let me. then, appeal to you inthe sacred name of justice to help totouch the public conscience, to restoreto one o f th e noblest of men his good

name, so that this generation may handto posterity the lamp of truth respectingthis most lovable character, the puresoul of a World Master."

Our students wil l find this br ie f summary of the evidence of the Baconianauthorship of the Shakespearian playshelpful:

1. Edwin Reed, the English scholar,has pointed out 885 parallelisms in theBaconian books and the Shakespearian

plays.

2. O nly five bad ly written signature s

are extant of Shakespeare 's . Th e details of Shakespeare’s life before he left

Stratford and after his retirement areunbelievably pet ty. There is not onesign of interest in the plays. Th er e isnot one indication of love of culture.Yet the Shakespearian plays are wri t ten "in the most courtly, refined, andclassical English, replete with learning,full of evidence of wide reading, dealing with aristocratic life and manners,and inst inct with poetry of the veryhighest order." Shakespearian scholarsfreely admit that the plays show knowledge of the Neo-Platonic phi losophy,

are full of Masonic symbols, reveal a fami li ar knowledge of the Bible, a masterly knowledge of the ancient world,and an ext raordinary vocabulary. W i l liam H. Furness, one of the greatestShakespearian scholars that ever lived,said: "1 have never been able to bringhis life and his plays within a planetaryspace of each other." Th e plays andsonnets, howrever. harmonize perfectly

with the life character, attainments andlearning of Sir Francis Bacon.

3. The ornaments placed at the headof the Sonnets in the Quarto are also

found in Francis Bacon's works. Shakespeare's plays, and the King James Version of the Bible.

4. The D e A ug m en tis published atLeyden in 1645 contains a frontispiecewhic h is a pictorial allegory. Bacon isseated before a table pointing with theforefinger of one hand to an open book The other hand restrains a figure cladin a skin that is struggling to reach atemple on the top of a nearby hill.Bacon is here represented as the authorof two works—one open and acknowledged: the other, enigmatical, dramatic,and unacknowled ged. The figure clad

in the beast 's skin struggling to reachthe Temple of Mysteries is the Muse of T ragedy.

5. T he head ornament of The Te m-

pes t in the Great Folio and that of the N o r u m Organum are the same, thusexternally indicating the close connection between the tw o books: the oneinaugurat ing the "Inventory of Thingsin Nature." the other the "Inventory of Human Pass ions .”

6. Th at ciphers were popular inQueen Elizabeth's day is well-known.At least five of the ciphers that Baconused have been deciphered. Thes e ciphers are discovered profusely scatteredthrough the plays, sonnets, and ornaments. revealing his name and identity,also his position in the two brotherhoods.

7. The dangers of publicat ion wereso dreadful that Bacon's concealment of his identity is readily understood. "In1530 Press Censorship was establisheduntil 1694. If by chance anything towhich her Majesty took exception happened to find its way into print, the unhappy wrinter, if he was not broken onthe rack or if he did not have his feetsmashed into a pulp with boots, had his

hands cut off and the stumps searedwith a hot i ron.” (Harold Bayley)

If we take a firm stand on the Truth,the time must come when public opinionwill compel the authorities to acknowledg e all the facts in the case. Th e oldtale of Wil l iam Shakespeare of Strat ford-on-Avon will fade away like thelegend of George Washington and the

chcrrv tree.

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A Ph ilosophical View of Alchem y By T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

H R O U G H O U Tthe 15th and 16thcenturies, a waveo f i n t e r e s t i nAl c he my be c a mev e r y p r o m i n e n tamong the learned men and prelates of the day.

If we realize that

scienti fi c kn o w l e d g e o f n a t u r eand na tura l phe n o m e n a w e r e

largely in infancy, and that superstitionengendered by the materialistic religious

beliefs enveloped or controlled the reasoning faculties of the majority of human beings, it is not surprising, whenthe rumor became current that goldcould be made through artificial means,a great many learned men became interested and even tried to find outeverything about the mysterious process.

Science knows today that gold can bemade—at great cost which is prohibi tive. The alchemists, however, claimedthat they had a secret process for itsmanufacture.

Accepting these things as facts, andrealizing the important repercussions

such knowledge would have upon themultitude which the state and churchtried to hold in bondage, we can readily understand that they bent all theirenergies in an effort to discourage suchpractice. Printing had flourished for along time, and it was used as a mediumof destruct ion. Nonsensical pamphlets

appeared, purport ing to have been wri t ten by alchemists, but whose real authors were the clergy. Educat ed menand thinking men who read this conglomerat ion of nonsense natural ly became disgusted, and so have our scient ists of today who have read some of these pamphlets. Th e system in vogueby the Jesuits to discredit men who possibly would become a menace to thechurch's teachings was a common practice at that time. On th e other hand,there are some who discover in the al chemists only secret expounders of t ruth, who, under terms of chemistry,hid their teachings from all but their

own kind, and not only never made agrain of gold, but never attempted it ,nor were chemists at all . M an y alchemists were advanced sages, who, not caring to be detected in working unauthorized miracles in times when burning at

the stake was still in vogue, pretended

to be smelting and distilling in the se

clusion of their laboratories, while, infact , they were only meditat ing and

contemplat ing for the purpose of acquiring occult powers. The ir wri t ings,w h i c h d i s c l o s e nothing s a v e an intent to hide or confuse the casual reader,are of small value without the secret

key, which could not be understoodwithout a thorough knowledge of astrology and the nature of the planets, andmystic phraseology.

No mat te r what our opinion may beabout the alchemists of the Renaissance,the indebtedness to alchemy is greaterthan we realize. In the first place.

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alchemy contributed many nccessarywords to the vocabulary of scicnce,such as cruc ib l e , d i s t i l l a t i on , qu in t e s -

sence . an d af f i n i t y . In the second placc.

they stumbled upon many discoveriesthat t hey did not seek. Scicncc is thusindebted to G c b i r for the first suggestion of corrosive sublimate, the redoxide of mercury, nitric acid, and nitrateof silver: to R o g e r B a c o n for the telescope. the magic lantern and gunpowder; to V a n H e l m o n t for the propertiesof gas; to P a r a c e l s u s for laudanum. Tohim. medicine owes the idea of the clinic.

As in chemistry so in other sciences,the most important discoveries weremade by men who had marked taste foralchemic theories. K e p l e r was guidedin his investigations by cabalistic con

siderations. The search for gold andyouth was only one phase of alchemy.Long before such things as animal magnetism. hypnotism, telepathy, ventriloquism. and auto-suggestion had a name,the alchemists had discovered them.Such terms as the philosopher's stone,the elixir of youth, the transmutation of metals into gold had a symbolic andspiritual significance. Thi s knowledgewas carefully concealed because knowledge is a dangerous thing in the handsof selfish men. W e , of the twentiethcentury, ought to realize fully the truthof this statement when we see ever)'

sublime law of nature used for the destruction of mankind. Let me quotefrom Magre's book "Alchemists andAdepts." (Pages 199-200):

History records many men whohave been able to make gold. But thiswas only the first stage of the secret.The second gave the means of healingphysical illnesses through the sameagent which produced transmutation.To reach this state, a higher intelligenceand a more complete disinterestednesswere necessary. T h e third state wasaccessible only to very few. Just as the

molecules of metals are transformedunder great increase of temperature, sothe emotional elements in human natureundergo an increased intensity of vibrations w'hich transform them andmake them spiritual . In this third stage,the secret of the philosopher’s stone enabled a man's soul to attain unity withthe divine spirit. Th e laws of natureare alike for that which is above and

the filter of theitself into spiritwith the divine.

for that which is below. Nature changesaccor ding to an ideal. Gold is the perfection of terrestrial substances, and itis to produce gold that minerals evolve.

The human body is the model of theanimal kingdom, and living forms orientthemselves in the direction of their idealtype. Th e emotional substance of thesoul strives, throughsenses, to transformand return to unityThe movements of Nature are governedby a single law, which is diverse in itsmanifestations but uniform in its essence. It was the discovery of this lawthat the alchemists sought. If therewere many of them who discovered themineral agent, fewer were able to findits application to the human body, and

only a very few adepts knew of theessential agent, the sublime heat of thesoul, which fuses the emotions, consumes the prison of form and allowsentry into the higher world."

The most overwhelming proof of thetruth of the mystic philosophy is thatit links up every department of life andknowledge. A knowledge of fundamental principles compels us to studynature, and science is thus born. Theseprinciples must be lived, and so wehave religion, ethics, and morality.Ever\- phase of life and literature reveals the same message. In the light of

mysticism, philosophy, science, religion,music, architecture, literature, and art.all tell of the soul's high destiny. Eachtells it through a different medium.Each tells it equally well.

To the mystic, his philosophy is hisguide; his map. his compass. It is to become part of his soul make- up. It is alight to guide his feet. It is to be liveduntil no other way of life is possible.His philosophy is not an intellectualexercise or an abstracti on. It is food forhis heart, his soul, his mind. Th e va rious arts are channels from his soul to

the oversoul. Th e medium is but another design in the universal pattern onhis trestle board. His philosophy, therefore, is equally cogently expressed inthe pattern of verbal beauty of a poem,in the study of the conflict of personality and environment in the drama, inthe analysis of the souls in the novels,and in the straight-forward discourseof a philosophical treatise. It is One

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«



Life, One Divine Power. One Destiny,On e Path. W e can find the Divinemessage in the vision of Isaiah, in the

law codes of Moses, in the EgyptianBook of the Dead, in Plato's Dialogues,in Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, inthe poems of Wordsworth, in Browningand Tenn yson. W e can study the lessons of our Order. But the result shouldbe that we learn to see the truth everywhere, in poetry, drama, art, and philosophy. And finally, the highest degree of development of all, we shouldlearn to find the truth within ourselves.Our great goal is to be a channel of God’s Wisdom and Love and Activityin a medium heightened to the degreeof genius. W e will need no guide, no

book, no instruction because we willhave attained the ability to be instructedby Divinity Itself.

Spiritual principles remain the foundation of the world no matter how blindpeopl e may be. It is a great blessingthat the doubts of materialism and atheism do not assail our hearts. It is a greatblessing that in this incarnation we havecontacted the Rosicrucian Order andthe teachings of the Alchemists andPhilo sophe rs. It is a great blessing andprivilege that we can share, no matterhow small, in helping the constructiveforces in the world.

Such were the thoughts and aims of the medieval alchemists. Of such consistency was the gold of human valuesafter having passed through the crucibleof fire of human suffering and trials.Such were the truths of the human alchemy that they endeavored to leave tothe generations to follow. To speak outin those times of persecution was towillfully become a martyr, and therefore, they left unto the printed andwritten wor ds the truths they had foundin their solitude.

I will quote a few alchemical aphor

isms, picked up here and there in myreadi ng. I am sorry that I cannot givethe names of the authors. Some are myown translation or selection of words.You can judge for yourself their valueto you:

"The greatest of all facts is the factof consciousness. Apart from consciousness t here is chaos. It is a general termfor cognition of experience. Experiencebecomes clearer in relation to how we

reason about it and classify it. W e donot notice all that we do and are. Nocreature is completely conscious.”

“Mind-consciousness is men’s greatest power for good or evil. A lowlycreature may employ an expedient notrecognized in civilized human life without any evil motive. Evil is of the mind.Having mind we do not need to dependupon the instincts for choosing, but wecan choose according to a temporarystandard or civilized expedient set upby the mind.”

"Do not inquire if there is a God, orabout a life beyo nd th e grave. Of thebeginning and the end no one knowsanything, but this we know of the Now:

that if we be patient in the study of things present, we shall in time knowthings eternal. If you ask about Crea tion, the answer is Now, for at thismoment the world comes into being;and if you ask about the Last Day. it isNow, for at this moment the worldpasses away. As the sun rises in oneland, it sets in another.”

"Life is change, for Change is this:that the present moment is both beginning and end, and that the world is everbecoming new, just as it is ever growing old. Fo r were there not Death inBirth, there could be no death, and

were there not Birth in Death, therecould be no Birth. Th at which is notnow can never come to pass in the future, for past and future are but an expansion of the present, while the present is the moving image of the Eternal.”

"T he wo nde r of Life is this: that inevery moment is the whole of Time anda perpetual recreation of the world.Recreati on or Play. This is no merechance of words, for in play the act of making is more than the thing made.So. also, Life is more than the thingswhich ,it forms. If the for ms of Life

were more than Life itself, this wouldbe Death, for in each created thing itswork would come to an end. If theflower did not die, the seeds would notbe scattered; if man were immortal, hewould need no children to preserve hiskind. Tru ly , if forms were immortal,Life would die. for Life is an everlasting recreat ion. Thi s, then, is the gloryof Life: that it is forever going forward,nothing holding it. for all that is made

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must pass away. In this is its freedomand its undying wonder.”

"From this we see that if we go forward. holding fast to nothing, nothingshall then hold us back from attainment. And if we ever recreate what wehave made, nothing shall weary us. except it be ourselves.”

"Consciousness is a 'becoming.' Thatof which we are conscious evolves onlyin so far as it is valuated. according aswe value it or perceive its factual nature. The wise man realizes that apartfrom mind there is no valuation, thereis chaos. Th e mind builds out of accumulated experiences and the fanciesderive therefrom.”

"Our present existence is of thegreatest importance. If we could re

member a previous incarnation, it wouldbe of a different person in differentcircumstances.”

"If there is a 'universal mind,' it isonly what doctors sometimes refer to asthe unconscious, an impersonal conception. It is not a God but an alterationin the forces of 'Nature'.”

Suffering is neither a curse nor ablessing, save as a particular organismreact s to it. Asceticism and sensual ityare extre me reactions thereto. Flux isa fact, an d the wise man realizes it. He

therefore, keeps an open mind as tovalues.' Valuati on is an arbitra ry act

of the social mind.”"Since all is a state of flux, 'self' is

not a permanent, separative, entity.Apart from the community it wouldhave no value. But the community is atotality which shall endure longer thanthe person . In so far as it is great, soshall it longer endure and find an important place in the history of humanendeavor.”

"He who would seek the greatest of all earthly benedictions, the knowledgeof all created good, and of the effectualvirtue which God has liberally implanted in stones, herbs, roots, seeds, animals, plants, minerals, metals, and allthings, must fling away every earthlythought, hope only for freedom of heart,and pray to God with the Greatest humility. T hus. the a spiration after freedom will soon be realized.”

V V V

T H E M O R A L A R G U M E N T O F K A N T ( C o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 4 2 6 )

All imperatives command either hypothetically or categorically. A hypotheti

cal imperative commands a certain thingto be done, if something else which iswilled is to be atta ined . A categoricalimperative is an act which in itself isobjectively necessary, without any reference to another end.

An action is essentially good if themotive of the act is good, let the consequences be what the y may. Th is imperative may be called the imperativeof morality. How is this imperative possible? One should act in conformitywith the maxim which he can will at thesame Lime to be a universal law. Th eimperative of duty demands that oneact as if the maxim from which he actswere to become through his will a universal law of nature.

This is necessary for rational beings,for will is the faculty of determining toact in accordance with the idea of certain laws. Such a faculty can belongonly to a rational being.

Man in all his actions must also be

regarded as an end. The imperative inthis connect ion must be: Act so to use

humani ty — wheth er in your own personor the person of another—as an end.never merely as a means.

A free will is the same thing as a willthat conforms to natural laws. Reasonmust, therefore, regard itself as theauthor of its principles of action and asindependent of all external influences.Hence his practical reason is the will of a rational being and it must be regarded by itself also as free. Th e will of arational being, in other words, can behis own will only if he acts under theidea of freedom, and, therefore, thisidea must in the practical sphere beascribed all rational beings.

Without presupposing freedom, wecannot conceive of ourselves as rationalbeings who are conscious of causalityin respect to that action, that is. as en-lowed with will. All beings endowedwith reason and will must determinethemselves to act under the idea of theirfreedom.



O u r A c t i v i t y

A H E A R T T O H E A R T T A L K T O T H E M E M B ER SH IP

B y T h e G r a n d M a s t e r

T h e

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ITH the year 1943,t h e R o s i c r u c i a nOrde r enters uponits fifth period ors ub - cyc l e o f ex pres s ion in th i s

jur isdic t ion , andit is our duty tomake every effortt o a d v a n c e t h ecause of Rosicru-cianism whereverwe can. Those of y o u w h o h a v e

been members for several years and whobelieve firmly in the basic p rinci pl e s of the Order are undoubtedly eager to helpspread the light. Th e big question before us today is, "How shall we act andspeak to convince people that peace andhappiness are to be found in enteringupon the path? How shall we makepeople realize the seriousness of ourpurpose and the reality of our highideals?”

W e are no longer a secre t organization. W e are working openly. Wewant to reach just as many people aswe possibly can. W e make no require

ment of wealth, education, or exceptional talents. W e take each human being just as he is, and make every effort tohelp him raise his plane of consciousness. There are, however, certain responsibilities and obligations attachedto membership in the Rosicrucian Order.It is impossible to continue carelesshabits of thought, speech, and action

without jeopardizing your own advancement and endangering the reputation of the Ord er. Let me offer an analogy.You know how shocked you feel whenyou see a physician violating the principles o f h i s p r o f e s s i o n . You know howinsistent communities are that the teachers of children be more circumspect inconduct and in speech than the rest of the community. You know how peopledespise a church officer who is selfish,insolent or tyrannical in his social orbusiness relationships. You know theglass-bowl existence that a minister or

a public official must lead. He must p a t i e n t ]y a n s w e r the telephone n o matter how late it is or how tired he maybe. He must welcome every visitor cordially no matter how many pressingduties call. He must donate to everycause no matter how small his salarymay be or how many demands are madeupon his purse.

If you were ever rebuffed by a personholding an executive position, were younot deeply hurt? Did you stop to consider that the man might have been distracted with innumerable requests orcares? In all probabili ty you did not.

You were deeply wounded, and you feltthat at least he might have been civil inhis speech and courteous in his manner.

Now, as Rosicrucians, you occupy asimilar position in the community. Sinceit is the duty of the mystic to teach evenwhile he learns, to be an example evenwhile he is patiently struggling to overcome faults and weaknesses himself, he

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must be careful of what he says anddoes just as a teacher, m inis ter , or apublic official. It is a strain, of course,to be unceasingly watchful, but if thesepeople can adjust themselves to the exi

gencies of their positions, why shouldt h e p r o b l e m be m o r e difficult for you?Once a desirable trait becomes habitual,the strain disappears. You know thepsychological principles involved inhabit formation. Begin with a tremendous resolve and let no exception escapeyour notice. Contin ue until you reachthe stage of mastery; then the trait becomes a habit or second nature.

You will find it impossible to keepyour m e m b e r s h i p a s e c r e t indefinitely,and you will not wan t to. W h e n I entered the Order, I silently decided tomaster the lessons just as thoroughly aspossible and become quite proficientmyself before I would breathe a wordto a stran ger. I very soon fo und myself plunged info one situation after anotherwhere to have been silent would havebeen shameful, and I was compelled todeclare myself.

You must be on the alert to be helpful and to exert an influence for good.You must not be afraid to take the initiative in spreading knowledge. At thesame time, you must be extremely careful about the impression that you aremaking upon the people with whom youcome in contact. It is necessa ry, to someextent, to consider public opinion or

your power for good will be curtailed.These little sacrifices of vour personallikes and d i s l i k e s m u s t b e cheerfullymade because of your desire to be of service to the Order.

In the first place, take the matter of personal appearance. No on e realizesmore than I how i n t r i n s i c a l l y u n i m p o r -

tan t appearance is from a spiritual pointof view. In an ideal worl d, a man willbe judged solely on his merits. Ch ar acter and ability will be of first importance and superficial a t t r a c t i o n s will bediscounted. But this is not an idealworld, and we must work among people

as they are. Wh at teacher would havea shred of influence among boys if heopenlv ridiculed ba.sebaJ] and football?The day of the shabby salesman is over.The executive is no longer carelesslydressed or has his shirt sleeves rolledup or his tie under one ear. Every typistand telephone operator knows the im

portance of being becomingly dressed,and refined and grac ious in speech andmanner.

These secondary matters need notdominate your life. Dressing properly

can become a habit just like washingyour hand s or combing your hair. Itneed not take up your time or distractyour attention from your studies andwork. W e wan t our members to feelproud of each other, and we want ouryoung men and young women to be attracted to each other. W e don 't wantpeople to say. " W h a t a pale, lifelesscrowd your members are!” W e wantthem to say, " W h at splendid peoplethese Rosicrucians are!”

If you sincerely feel that the Rosicrucian studies have changed your outlook on life, and if you are making every effort to cultivate the positive emotions,

and if you are trying to live the life of love, then radiate these beautiful qualities in your face , your voice, your manner. and your thoughts. You know thedictum of psychology. "Act the emotion, and you will feel it.” Do not keepthese qualities of your real self lockedin your heart or reserved for your family and intimate friends. A woman saidto a member of the Order, "You seemto live according to higher standardsthan most of us.” W e want people tobe able to make a similar c o m m e n t a b o u t

everyone who belongs to the Rosicrucian Order, and particularly those who

have been connected with the Order forseveral years.

Be very c a r e f u l o f what you say anddo. Neve r indulge in gossip. Th e person who precipitates the discussion issure to remark behind your back. ”1never thought a Rosicrucian would beso cri t ical ." Never humiliate a fellowmortal no matter how much at fault hemay be. Be silent if you canno t find ahelpful or constructive word appropriate for the occasion. When you areready to take of fense , cons ider the fac t

that the same situation may present atotally different aspect to different peo

ple. W h a t seems amusing to one seemsinsulting to anoth er. In this respect,men are a p t t o wound the sensibilitiesof women. W h a t seems a careless remark to one, may be a deep wound toanother. W e ought to learn from theChinese the art of expressing ourselvestactful ly in every situat ion in life. W e,

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personally, may be able “to take it onthe chin,” and if we are sincere aboutself-improvement we should. But the

next person may be downhearted, discouraged, and bewildered, and the onecareless word we utter may be "thestraw that breaks the camel's back” andc a u s e collapse.

A young woman, ardent and enthusiastic, attracted to the Order because of its high ideals and noble aims, and desirous to meet people whom she couldrespect and admire, people living according to the high ideals of the Order,was dumbfounded when she met agroup of members to find the same kindof small talk and gossip that she hadsuffered from in her own social circle.

She was so disheartened and disillusioned that she left immediately in orderto return home and weep. Th is incidentindeed saddened me. Of course, we areonly humans. Of course, we are all imperfect. Of course, we wrant to relaxoccasionally and indulge in pleasantriesand merriment. W e can continue indefinitely to look for excuses and to evadethe issue and end up comfortably withthe s t a t u s q u o . But what will be the result? Th e result will be disaster.

W h y did the churches lose prestige?When the lay officers and worshippersdid not practice the principles that they

professed to believe, thoughtful peoplebegan to feel that religion was a hollowmockery and a sham. Hypocrisy andpretense among church members causedschisms to form, and inspired men likeVoltaire to attack the church fiercely allhis life, turned the ignorant to atheism,and made the oppressed masses consider religion an opiate to make them insensitive to the abuses of the rulingclass. The masses lost confidence in thechurches because the clergy, on thewhole, did n o t o p e n l y e s p o u s e t he i r

cause in pre-revolutionary France andRussia. The re is a tenden cy for every

high ideal to be diluted in the course of materialization. There is a tendency forevery noble movement to become ossified, to adapt itself too completely to thedemands of the world, and for its members to lay more stress upon the formthan upon the principle. The institutionmay become too involved in the necessary fund-raising, building projects,membership campaigns, and all the pristine beauty and wonder disappear.

This sad denouement must never bethe fate of the American Order. W e inthis cycle are in greater danger of

worldly distraction and pollution thanin other cycles because we are naturallymore active. W e do not work secretlyas was necessa ry in earlier cycles. W edo n o t l i m i t o u r membership so rigidlyas in earlier times. As Rosicruciansopenly working in the world amongmen. we are more exposed than earliermembers were to criticism and attack.Our position is both a privilege and achallenge. W e dare not fail. As imperfect as we are. we must aim at thehighest. Even as Joshua and Caleb upheld the arms of Moses upon the moun-taintop so that the courage of the peo

ple might not f al ter , so m u s t e a ch of us , in our personal life, uphold the officersof the Order in obedience to its supremeideals, so that the world may be inspired to enroll under its banner.

Ou r task is a double one. W e mustimprove ourselves and at the same timework in the world. W e must be supermen and superwomen. W e must studyour lessons, practice our experiments,fulfill all our natural duties and obligations in life better than other people do.W e must ever scorn so base a thing as"getting away with it,” to use the current phrase. W e must live ever mindful

of the fact that "the eye of God is uponus.” At the same time, we must participate just as frequently as we can in theenterprises that are important for thecommunity. Do not give anyon e occasion to say, “The Rosicrucians do notseem to know what is going on in theworl d.” Be informed. Be alert. Bewide-awake. O f course, it is difficult.Make the effort because you love theOrder and want the name R o s i c r u c ia n

to be regarded by all as a synonym forwhatever is fine and noble and ideal.

A woman said to me, “I want tostrike a blow against the forces of evil

and reaction. I wa nt to join a militantorganization. I don't wan t to learn anymore high ideals. I wan t to see thosethat I know become part of the dailyactions of man." Fellow Members, suchis our ideal of the Order. W e are indeed a militant organization. W e teachso that you may a p p l y the principles inyour daily l i fe . W e do not want ourbeautiful ideals to remain mere theoryand words. W e want to influence men.

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W e want to influence the world. W ewant to strike a strong blow for righteousness. and peace, and justice. W ewant to help eliminate very type of

prejudice and intolerance. W e are un alterably opposed to persecution and

oppression no matter what the motivemay be or how specious are the arguments advanced. W e believe in a freeworld of free men pledging allegianceto God alone and guided only by theLaw of Love.

V V V

Symbols T hat M ore Us B y F r a t e r C h a r l e s W . B r o w n

OT only is it a natu r a l p r e o c c u p a tion, but it is alsoa great p leasurefo r the mind tomove in symbols,a n d . a s b e s t i t

can . por t ray thesurges of the soulin figures of itsenvironment. Thisi s t h e u r g e t h a tgives rise to culture. and to art, in

whatever sense we may wish to employ it; this it is that beckons us intothe realms of religion and philosophy:for what, pray, is the value of either afaith or a technique of thought until ittakes into full account the realities aboutus and with which we must cope. Thisis the way that leads to mysticism.

We naturally symbolize the progression of a day as the progression of alifetime, with dawn as its birth movingonward through the quickening light of adolescence to the hours of planningand endeavor, toward the beautiful fruition of the sunset, thence to rest —restand recupe rati on •— and onward , everonward, to a new dawn and a new day.W e picture the s e a s o n s as the rhythmiccycle of our own beings as indeed theyare. There is a time to plant, and a timeto cultivate, a t ime to reap and a timeto enjoy and share that for which wehave labored and perchance won. Here,

too, the symbolism of the great cycleflows forward to begin anew.

W e seem to feel in the t hunde rstorm the great furies that engulf ouremotional natures and at times nearlysweep us off our feet. W e are filledw'ith conster nation: a conster nati on,which, if we could but look carefullyenough, we might find arising within

ourselves due to our individual mode of thought, and projected by us onto theface of nature and into the hearts of ourfellow mortals. An d these things, too.move on. Th e hurri cane gives way tothe alleviating miracle of refreshing calmthat soothes and regenerates like the

touch of a cooling hand on a feveredand fearful brow\

And we compose our own emotionsin the strains of a great orchestration,to w'hich as we listen we respond,whether we will or no. To the measuredmonotone of the dirge we mourn withthe mourner. Th e lyrical lilt of the mat ing song makes lovers of us all. and wehappily dance over the lea. The battlehymn quickens our pulse, enthrills ournervous fibers and we will do or die forthe land of our birth. Upon listening tothe great religious anthems we lift our

consciousness, cleanse it and purify itand sweep onward and upward, everonward, ever upw-ard, to the mysticalmusic of the spheres w'here the morning stars sing together.

W e deli ght in the fragranc e and thebeauty of the Rose. For us who readthis, perhaps more than for some others,it has a special significance. W e see itas something w i t h i n u s a s well as something without us; something, indeed,that is everywhere we look, be it theking’s palace or the slave mart. It isever with us though we may not at alltimes give cognizance to the fact. None

the less, it is as infinitely present as themagnetic good earth and the all-pervading influence of that which comes to usthrough the sun. W e wonder our wayinto its depths, open our hearts, and theRose and we. whoever or wherever wemay be. merge into the symbol of theOne. attuned and vibrant with the dia-pasoned rhythm of the Soul.

[ 4 5 5 ]



T h e

R o sic ruc ian

D iges t

F e b r u a r y

1943

Predestination By T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

MONG the manyt he or i e s o f l i f e ,advanced by philosophers. the ideathat a l l l i f e ex pression on earthfollows a patternw h i c h e x c l u d e sexceptions or variations. seems themost pessimistic.Predestination advances the theorythat the beginning

and end of life, and human life partic

ularly. is determined and planned before its manifestat ion begins. It clingsto the theory of a personal God. planning world events, national and groupaction, and millions upon millions of individual existences from the cradle tothe grave. Unde r such reasoning, allthoughts and actions of individual manwould be a fore-ordained performancewhich he could not avoid or alter, andin which he had no personal interest orconcern. He would be a mere aut oma ton. a robot, and would be devoid of free will or choice, and would be acting

a part for some one else and not forhimself. All experiences from birth todeath would have been laid out previously for him. Whether his life be goodor bad, generous or selfish, it would bea result of a preordained plan, and notan effort of his own. Th e incentive toadvance in intelligence, or to developinitiative, integrity, honesty, or lead agood life, would be gone. All effortexerted would be useless, because what

one is. or will be. is determined beforebirth.

Such an hedonistic theory seems to usthe most unreasonable and pessimisticdreami ngs of a human mind. It re jec t s

E v o l u t i o n , and that consciousness increases in its advance from the mineral,vegetable, animal, human states of being. It regards the humanity as molded into a form, without self-realizationand soul: as a mere machine or a mechanistic existence and a purposeless life.

To bolster up such negative theoriesit is pointed out that the future can bepredicted. Even if we admit that mo

mentary flashes of future events havebeen perceived by sages and prophets,such inner or immaterial sight, not being constant, can never become a foundation for a pre-ordained existence.It is true that the Hebrew prophetsElijah, Isaiah, Daniel, Amos, Hosea,and Jeremiah, predicted with accuracymany coming events. Also Nost rada mus. Mother Shipton, the Shepherd of the Hills, and many others, have predicted with more or less clarity manyevents in history which indicate that thefuture can be conceived and foretold.

W e do not deny that the future canbe foretold in certain respects. The extensive experiments conducted at theDuke University in Durham. NorthCarolina, under the supervision of Dr.Joseph B. Rhine, where the sequence o f

cards were t o l d b e f o r e t h e y h a d b e en

s h u f f l e d , are of great interest. Testswere made two days and ten days inadvance, with the results somewhatbetter in the ten-dav forecast. Dr. Rhine

r H ]



says: "The newest experiments andprevious research combine to make astrong composite case for this ancientbut stiJJ revolutionary hypothesis t h a t

p e rc ep t u a l k n o w l e d g e can p e n e t r a t e the

f u t u r e .......... More work is needed on sounorthodox a conclusion, yet e x i s t i n g

experimental results prevent any escapefrom such hypothesis."

Without looking deeper i n t o t h e lawsof the known and the unknown, the universal and the Cosmic, the material andthe spirit, one would be inclined to accept the despondent and melancholytheory of predestination, and that theuniverse is a mere machine a nd we.only the cogs or wheels necessary forits running. It is true that life expr ession cannot go beyond its limitations, just as you cannot have more wa ter

than the size of the vessel you have itin, be it a glass or a bucket. But thisargument takes only material and physical things into consideration. It leavesout of the equation that inner energizing force which causes the manifestation, and therefore deal? with result instead of cause.

It is an undeniable fact that if wereason from a false pr e m i s e or beginning. we arrive at a false conclusion,and such is the fact in this instance.From p re h i s t or i c t ime s , m a n has held abelief in a spiritual world contemporaneous with this material world, or in aforce or power higher and miqhtier chanhis puny self; in other wor ds, a Go d-consciousness. This realization of God.or consciousness of God. could nothave had any other root than thoses u b j e c t i v e i n t u i t i o n s which come to thesolitarv saae or saint in contemplativequietude. Though the god thus cominginto belief was merely the first principlein nature, it has been invested withmundane qualities and become an ob ject of venera tion and wor sh ip .

The facts upon which a belief in aspiritual world, in God and Soul of man

are founded, are as real as any in nature. Nothin g has been bett er verifiedbv experience, or more insisted on inhistory than the countless phenomenacommonly called s u p e r n a t u r a l . and for^'hich no law is yet dcfinitelv known.We refer to the apparitions of dead orliving relatives or friends. W h e re thev^'ere likenesses of dead persons, it was

easy to suppose that, by primitive men.they should be taken for the very originals they repres ented. As a naturalconsequence, ancestor worship prevailed in China, and still is a common

belief.Unlike other lower organized beings

whose realization is exclusively confined to the physical plane, that whichc o n s t i t u t e s m a n a n d d i s t i n g u i s h e s h i m

from the animal is an integral part of the highest spiritual energy of the universe. which is everywhere present. Thematerials of w'hich man is constructedare the principles that flow into himfrom the store house of nature. Somecall this Vital Life Force God. or DivineConsciousness, or Spirit, or Soul. Itmatters little what name is given to thisimmaterial energizing force in nature:

the fact remains that it does exist andmanifest in the material world throughthe consciousness. Th e quickening, e-volving and development of consciousness in matter, is the object of life. Theconsciousness in matter is limited by itsvehicle, and can be perceived throughout the natural manifestation in alldepartments. Man’s consciousness istherefore limited in direct proportion tothe development of his sens-c-pcrception.

God and Soul having thus establishedthemselves in human consciousness andbelief, human ingenuity stirred bv human motives, set to work upon it. andreligious c o n c e p t s b e g a n t o take form.Here is the province of speculation, fabrication. creed, ritual, orthodoxy, authority. and priestcraft. The method bvwhich the patriarch Isaac "meditatingin the twilight” got his instruction fromJehovah: that by which the Hindu hermit attains to conscious oneness withBrahma, were and are the same, namely

M e n t a l C o n c e n t r a t i o n . The subjectivephenomena equally with the objectiveare obtainable at first hand, and in theirpresence man stands as near to thes u p e r n a t u r a l — to t he unkn own causes

of k nown effects — as is possible forhim. All that comes after these is astructure of his own fabrication.

Let us now sec what science has tosay about the possibility of seeing orknowing the future. Man y of our foremost thinkers, philosophers, and scientific men. such as Ouspenskv and Einstein, explain that both the past and the

[ i n



T h e

Ro sic ruc ia n

D ig es t

Fe bruary

1 9 4 3

future c o ex i s t n o w a n d a l w a y s . Theyregard time as the fourth dimension, anelement in which we arc immersed, in

which everything is merely relative. Wehave the habit of regarding the presentas something concrete, and the onlyreality, whereas it must be regarded asa point or a fleeting moment betweentwo eternities. Eternity is one condition,and what is meant is the two poles orextremities of eternity. W e may therefore regard the present as a successionof events, according to the rhythm orperiodicity prevalent.

Material life and conditions are constantl y ch anging —are becoming something else — relat ive to the cause inwhich the effect is incorporated. As the

seed determines the kind and quality of the plant, so does the cause determinethe effect. Ther efo re, sages and seers,able to concentrate and place their consciousness receptive to Cosmic vibrations. can perceive both cause and effect. past and future, at one and thesame time, because there is only onecondition — t h e E te r n a l N o w . It naturally d e p e n d s u p o n e a c h p e r s o n a l i t y ' s

education, intelligence, and reasoningfaculties what he conceives a thing tobe to himself. W e therefore find manysoothsayers, charlatans, and liars mas

querading as prophets. It is a fieldwhere no concrete evidence can be presented to the contrary, because it is in

the field of the infinite and immaterial.When we understand that God is a

force or power of Eternal Life, and ourselves as parts of that life, the statements in the Bible as well as the teachings of the sages and philosophers, takeon a greater meaning. When we realizethat this force acts through us according to our understanding of God andLife, we also realize that we are creators of our own destiny, we are notslaves to conditions, but free agentsand capt ains of our souls. Living becomes an adventure, and the highest accomplishments desirable of attainment.

Life becomes a friendly game of expressing and manifesting the noblestconceptions of love and truth. W erealize that we are the directors of ourown lives and responsible for all ouracts. W e do not hide behind excusesor negative inability, we know thatwhat we are. or do, are results of ourunderstanding and use of God's EternalLife Force. W e a c c e p t o u r responsibilities to make this Earth a Paradise,where brotherhood is a towering factand where Peace and Plenty shouldreign forever.

V V V

P S Y C H O - PH Y S I O L O G Y O F T H E E N D O C R I N E G L A N D S

( C o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 1 3)

rather than an isolated one. and a timelimit is also set.

W e ar e all living souls, and, becauseof our development through ages past,we will each have certain groups of centers relatively more active thanothers in the psychic body. At thesepoints of extra activity in the psychicbody, a corresponding harmony or in-harmonv will be found in the glandular

chain of the physical body. Ou r glandsare what they are because of our ownactivity, development and experiences,and not the converse. Man has thesame types of glands as the lower animals. and the function in all is to maintain the organism in a state of onenessand individuality. Wh a t gland couldproduce a substance, which when received into the blood stream wouldcause man to love his neighbor as him

self7 There are none. These urges areof the higher, the universal nature of man. They are the e x p r e s s i o n o f a

highly evolving character. Onc e manhas included these higher principles inhis code of character and has unfoldedto that point of aspiring to nobler ideals— then an d then only can the q lan ds beof great aid to his progress. Ther efor e,let us not bemoan the fact that our

glands hold us back in our development—but rather let us align the objectivemind with the subjective, let us trainour ears to listen to the voice of the souland our objecti ve wills to obey it. Let

us direct the healing forces to normal

ize any inharmony in the physical self,

that we may be of aid and inspiration

to those whom the Cosmic may direct

to us.

[ 16 ]



T h e

R o s ic ru cia n

D ig e s t

M a r c h

1 9 4 3

Rosicrucian Psychology

By T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand M aster

A N Y t im e s wehave pointed out

how science, despite it s carefullyg u a r d e d t ec h n iques and cau tious experimentation, was compelled to accept thereality of psychicp h e n o m e n a .T h r o u g h t h e r e -

c e n t investigationso f p h y s i c s a n d

mathematics, the most rigid fields of knowledge, science has likewise beencompelled to accept the reality of a

fourth dimension. Ouspe nsky was thefirst among modern philosophers to realize the i m p l i c a t i o n s o f t h e s e new conceptions, and he worked out a systemof thought that approaches the Rosicrucian very closely. Mod er n psychology,in its many interesting branches, hasstimulated the study of man himself asa human being — his mental life, hisemotional life, an d his personalit y. Th eresults o f fifty years of e x p e r i m e n t a t i o n

in universities and hospitals have compelled physicians and educators to formulate a technique of life similar towhat has been taught through the ages

by the Rosicrucians.It is interesting to watch science re

versing its stand upon question afterq u e s t i o n . A t p r e s e n t , s c i e n ce i s unbelievably close to the Rosicrucian teachings. Th e time should not be far distant when science, religion, and philosophy should join hands as Blavatskypredicted more than a generation ago.

Let us consider how' psychology,and part icular ly psycho-analysis , has

brought the modern world to a conception of living that approximates theRosicrucian teachings. On e of the firstdiscoveries that pioneers like Freud,Jung, and Adler made in the course of their investigations was that a greatmany abnormal conditons of the humanbeing, like hysteria, hysterical blindness,hysterical deafness, and hysterical paralysis, were n e u r o t i c in o r i g i n . T o q u o t e

Andre Tridon: "Medical literature furnishes us with remarkable illustrationsof the way in which people produce inthemselves a condition which they expect to be produced by some external

agent." The cause was fear, either conscious or unconscious, either expressedor unexpressed. Andre Tridon says:"Thinking constantly of some part of our body is quite sufficient to damageit." And again: "Continued fear aboutany organ will damage it. because fearin itself, if experienced long enough,damages the whole organism."

Sometimes the fear was an unconscious one of life s i t u a t i o n s that weretoo difficult for the individual to surmount. The patient unconsciously took refu ge in a flight from reality. Diseasefor such persons, to quote Overstreet,

is a refuge and a blessed deliverer. Theflight from reality pattern in the thinking and emotional lives of large numbers of men and women who c a n n o t

stand the strain and demands of modernlife is an accepted fact among psychologists today.

W h y do people take refuge in theflight from reality? In the first place,

f 68 1



they arc ignorant of the basic principlesof their mental and emot ional life. Inthe second place, they have no philosophy of life to help them meet the inevitable losses, reverses, defeats, andsorrows of life. In the third place , theylack the ability to make the necessaryadjust ments at each level in life. W henconstructive outlets are denied them,suppressed desires seek substitute formsof expression. These substitute forms of expression may be dreams, visions, diseased states of mind and body, andeven insanity.

The flight from r e a l it y a n d e v a s i o n o f

responsibility may be evidenced at everystage of life. Ther e may be regress ion

to the infant i le , as when a woman seeksa father in her husband, or a man seek

a mother in his wife. There may be xa t i on at each level of developmentecause of re fusa l or inability t o m a k e

the necessary effort to advance to thenext level of growth. People wh o can not make up their minds to marry areusually examples of f ixa t ion at the adolescent stage. Couples who refuse tohave children arc fixated at the nextstage. Parents who cannot let theirchildren go. and who cannot renew theirinterests in life through creative work orcommunity work, are also examples of fixation. Psycholog ists call these unfo rtunate individuals who get into mental

and emotional tangles. cont ract ives"because they have not learned to transfer their interests from themselves tosomething or someone outside of themselves. Thoughts and emotions that donot lead to action become "ingrown"and fester.

Psychology, as a result of the studythousands upon thousands of unhap-

PV and maladjust ed people, ha s come to|ne conclusion that there is a definiteechnigue in developing a well-balanced

Personality and in achieving happinessand success in life. In the first place , it|s essentia] for the individual to know., e tr'cks that the mind can plav and

e damage that the emotions can do.n the second place, the individual mustea ize th a t no rm al living is man's

Srowth from level to level in life. Heust be trained from childhood to face

. I3 ar>d to overcome difficulti es and‘ must a Iso be tr ai ne d from

1 nood to get along easily with peo

ple and at the same time find happinesswithin himself through the cultivationof his talents and potentialities. He mustnot be at a loss when alone, and likewise he must not be miserable in thecompany of others.

The highest type of mind is the creative. Every individual t hrough the cultivation of his talents and potentialitieswill become creative. Creative mindsworking in unison will revolutionize society. The individual, for his highestgood, must learn to universalize both histhoughts and his emotions. Thoughtand emotion, wholly self-centered, cannot be productive. Art. music, and studyof science, and genuine interest in anyphase of human welfare will help the individual achieve this universality, see

the one in the many and find the underlying principles in the flux of experience. T o the developed mind, an incident is no longer an isolated phenomenon. Such an individual sees the rela tionships and implications at a glance.He has the ability to adjust himself tonew conditions. He may be discontented. but with a divine discontent thatdrives him on to achievement. He mayfeel anger indignation, but it is therighteous indignation that impels him tocorrect abuses and take a leading partin institut ing reforms. He may experience sorrow, unhappiness, and even de

spair, but it is the unhappiness of thecreative mind that t r ies ever to embodythe vision in concrete form, and hissorrow is transformed into a melloweroutlook upon life and its rare shapes of beauty and harmony.

Such are the conclusions which psychologists. and in particular psychoanalysts. have reached through painstaking and laborious research. Theyhave discovered the necessity for reaching out from the narrow circles of self.When any of .these basic urges arcdenied fulfillment, the personality insome way becomes warped and seriousdisturbances arise in the life of the individual. To summarize the teachings of modern psychology, the well-balanced,well-adjusted, happy individual is hewho knows himself, fulfills himself, develops his creative possibilities and universalizes both his outlook on life andhis interests. He is intensel y interestedin both knowledg e and life. A striking

[ ]



sentence appears in "Meaning of Psychology." by C. K. Ogd en: "Just as weevade the personal problem, so civilization as a whole is evading the Cosmic

issue . . . but we must dare to be wiseand the way to wisdom lies throughknowledge of ourselves."

Fellow Students, is not the resemblance to the teachings of our Orderstriking? Fir st of all, the motto of ourOrder for centuries has been "KnowThyself" and "Mast er Thyself." W eemphasize the necessity of controllingthought and emotion, speech and act.The type of thought and emotion thatwe call "negative" psychologists call"contractive." In either case, control isessential if damage is not to result. Themystical student fearlessly probes hisinner thoughts and concealed motives.In order to root out evil and plant thegood we must not permit a thought, afear, a motive, an act, a word to passfrom us unscrutinized. W e must reverseeach negative thought. W e must transmute each negative emotion. W e mustforbear to utter the negative word. Wemust be our own psychoanal ysts. W emust consciously cultivate the thoughtsand emotion that will benefit us. W emust teach ourselves to speak the wordsthat will bear good fruit. In the language o f t h e mystics, we must expresslove in word, thought , and deed. Wi thnegative thought we mean any thoughtof failure, disappointment, or trouble;any thought or criticism, spite, jealousy,or condemnation of others, self-condem-nation or self-pity; any thought of sickness or accident, or any kind of limitation or pessimistic thinking. An y thoughttha t i s not positive and constructive incharacter, whether it concerns you your

self or anyone else, is a negative thought.In the second place, we have ever

stressed the life of action and service.Love and service have been the watch

words of the Order and the royal roadto advancement within the RosicrucianOrd er. W e bid man to realize his son-ship to God and his brother-hood to allmen. W e bid him love God and manand express that love through service.W e urge him to develop all his latentabilities and potentialities, including thepsychic, so that he may have the joy of self-expression and at the same timeprepa re himself for greater service. W eknow' that the result is bound to be aw'ell-developed. balanced personality of superb physical, emotional, and mentalhealth. W e believe firmly in the powerof education to change the individual.W e believe that education is continuousand coextensive with life. W e have always believed in the education of adults.W e also believe that incentive and inspiration we give our students are farsuperior to any that psychology canoffer. A Rosicrucian of many years'standing is bound to attain the quest ioning, experimental , creat ive mindwhich is the greatest asset of anycivilization.

W e go far beyond the modest claimso f psychology. "Eye hath not seen norear hath heard the wonder yet to be revealed." W e await with impatience thehour w'hen modern man will stand atour side and join us in our study of thesecrets of nature and the powers of thesoul. Th e once yawning abyss betweenscience and mysticism has been dramatically diminished. The once divergentpoints o f view come c loser and closer ,

merging in the unity of all life.

T h e

Ro sicruc ian

D ig es t

M a rc h

1943

R O S I C R U C I A N L E C T U RE S I N N E W Y O R K

Our members and f r iends a re co rd ia l ly inv i ted to a t tend the se r ies o f lec tu res now be ing

presen ted in New York C i ty .These lec tu res wi l l con t inue th rough the E rst th ree Sund ays o f M arch .

H ie lec tu re r and F ie ld Represen ta t ive o f the Ord er , F ra te r G i lbe r t N. H ol lowa y . J r ..i s g iv ing these lec tu res under the d i rec t ion o f the Supreme and Grand Lodges , and in

c o o p e r at io n w i th t h e N e w Y o r k C h a p t e r o f A M O R C .

All these lectures are open to the public , and you are invited to attend them all .

There a re no fees o r co l lec t ions .

Th e lec tu res a re he ld in the ba ll room of the P y th ian T emp le , Seven t ie th S t ree t Eas t

o f B roadway .

T70 ]



SANCTUM MUSINGS &

THE TRIALS OF LIFE


H E t r a g i c a s p e c t sof life are not tobe minimized. I tis t rue that t ragedy may be jus t amask of the life-force. Its purpose,w e k n o w , is b e nevolent. Its tearsa n d p a n g s ma y b et r a n s m u t e d intoblooms and fruits

o f t r a n s c e n d e n tbeauty. But to the

souls that are s truggling, to human eyesthat cannot pierce the veil of dest iny,the tragic mask is very real . Th e tearstha t fal l a re ho t and b l ind ing. T he pangsthat p ierce the heart are l ike daggerthrusts .

I v is i t a mother who has just lost heronly child; I v is i t a young wife who hasbecome a widow af te r on ly four monthsof ma rriag e; I visit a wo ma n still long ing de spera te ly for he r husband a l thoug h he lef t her years before . I visi ta young gir l whose nerves are complete ly shatte red. She can never be a wifeand mother , and she cannot reconcileherself to her lo t. I v is i t a you ng manwhose physician has to ld him that h iscurvature of the spine can never be cor rected. I vis it a man whose hearing becomes poorer with each passing year ,and he must adjust h imself to a world

of silence.

I know the doctr ine and the law. Butmy tongue cleaves to the roof of mymouth. I canno t u t te r a word . W isewas the sage who said , “ In the hour of a man 's gr ief approach him not . Besi lent ." I t is a bat t le that must be foughtalone. It is a victory t hat the sufferingsoul mus t achieve alone. Fortun ate , in

deed, is the person who is in possessionof a soun d philosophy of li fe . As theBible describes such a one in St . M at thew, ch. 7:

“There fo re whosoever heare th thesesayings of mine, and doeth them, I wil ll iken him unto a wise man, which buil th is house upon a rock: A nd the ra indescended, and the f loods came, and thewinds b lew, and bea t upon tha t house ;and i t fe l l not: for i t was founded upona rock . And everyone tha t heare th thesesayings of mine, and doeth them not ,shall be likened unto a foolish man,which buil t h is house upon the sand:And the ra in descended, and the f loodscame, and the winds b lew, and bea tupon that house; and i t fe l l : and great

was the fa l l of i t .”

A philosophy of l i fe must be patient ly bu i lt up da y by day th rough read ing ,s tudy , and observa t ion in o rder tha t thesoul may stand f irm in the hour of adversi ty . T he f irs t cruel b last may throwyou off you r feet . Bu t wh en the bl inding, l ightning bolt has passed, when thedeafen ing thunder has ceased , the wordsof reassurance, pat iently s tored, r ise to

[ 1 5 1 ]



T he

Rosicr ucian

D ig est

M ay

1 9 4 3

the mind; and the soul once more canface life courageously.

T h e N e c e s s it y o f a Sol id Foundat ion

W e are l iv ing in a neurotic age. Inst i

tu t ions for handling mental cases are becoming year ly more numerous . Ch urch

es are opening up psychology cl inics .Schools f ind i t necessary to add psychologists to their s taffs . Parents se cret ly consult psychiatr is ts about theirg rown-up sons and daugh te rs who a renot properly adjust ing themselves topresen t l ife s tandards . Popu la r bookson psychology are f looding the market

of the country . Th e soul of man is s ick.I t cr ies for healing and l ight . I t shrinksfrom a future c louded with fears of waran d insecuri ty . I t cann ot face the spec

tre of loneliness.

Much can be done even in the hour

of angu ish . W e can v is it the s ick. W ecan give companionship to the e lderly .

W e can p rovide a ta sk fo r the lone ly.W e c a n f u rn is h f o od a n d s h e l te r a n d

clothing for those in w ant. Abo ve al l ,we can do our deeds of kindness in s in

ceri ty and love so that the recipient of our favors be n o t humilia ted.

M a n y o f ou r wo es a r e t h e s a d c o n sequences o f our p reda to ry economicsys tem. Only a t rue Bro therhood o f M a n k in d will forever wipe away theb lo ts o f w ar and pover ty . M any o f ourdiff icult ies are the bi t ter f rui ts of ignor

ance . Th e l igh t o f knowledg e can d is pe ll these. W he n the paren ts o f ourc o u n t r y d e ma n d th a t o u r e d u c a t i o n a lsys tem be more rea l i s t ic and tha t our

teachers shou ld be t ra ined and permi t ted to teach children how to l ive andhow to face l i fe , a whole sheaf of t r ia ls

and tr ibulat ions wil l d isappear .Bu t the re a re so r rows tha t ne i the r

society nor legis la t ion can prevent .There a re so r rows tha t each ind iv idua lmus t face a lone . W h a t the exact cause

m ay be we canno t usua l ly te ll . Somet imes i t may be the act ion of the law of

re tr ibution, and sometimes i t may be experiences needed in preparat ion for ag rea t work . W ha tev er the p rec ip ita t ingcause, the diff iculty must be faced andeliminated. But the quali t ies necess aryfor the victory must be acquired long

before .The mental i l ls that can aff l ic t the av

e rage human being a re appa l l ing . P ick up an y recent volume on mental hygiene

and tu rn the pages . Th e hear t qua i ls a tthe disastrous consequences in la ter l i fe

of l i t tle forg otten incidents of childhood.The cure is a recognit ion on the part of the patient that he is mental ly i l l andneeds he lp and coopera t ion wi th wha t ever methods his physician employs.

Y o u H a v e t h e P o w e r W i th i n Y o u

E v e r y b o o k th a t I h a v e r e a d e m p h a

s izes the fact that the cure l ies entire lyin the hands o f the pa t ien t . H e mus twan t to be hea led . H e m u s t recogn ize asubconscious desire to escape l i fe orrea li ty. H e mus t desi re hea l th ea rnes t ly

above a l l th ings . He mus t exer t h i swi l l -power . He m ust pa t ien t ly r i se above se tbacks and re lapses. H e mus t deve loph is own fo r t i tude . He mus t s t reng then

his ow n fai th . H e must f ind his ownreason fo r l iv ing and s t rugg l ing and

asp i r ing . W h a t a migh ty task is he re inoutl ined! Tr ue , indeed, is the s ta tem entof Scr ip tu res tha t greater is he who con -quers h imse l f than he who conquers a city .

I t i s my op in ion tha t where the on ly

cure is a philosophy of l i fe , the soul isread y to take the fi r st s teps on t h e P a th .If you are a s tudent of mystic ism, if youhave p laced your fee t upon the pa th ,you mus t become so deep ly roo ted inthe new l i fe tha t you can bend befo rethe b las t s o f advers i ty and su rv ive .W h en l ife i s peacefu l , whe n the s to rm-

clouds are merely threatening, is thet ime to p repare yourse lves . For l i fepurposes th is thorough g round ing inmystic pr inciples is more important thanany psych ic o r occu l t power . Read ands tudy and medi ta te un t i l your though ts ,speech , and ac ts a re sa tu ra ted wi th themystic spir i t . Let the new l ife become

second na tu re . Le t repe t it ion make thebasic concept—life everlast ing, the l i feof love, the l i fe of service—be part of your ve ry sou l . Pa t ien t ly reverse eachnega t ive though t . Pa t ien t ly re f ra in f rom

the nega t ive word . Pa t ien t ly con t ro l

the nega t ive impulse . Each day say toyourse l f, “ For w hom can I do the lov ingd e e d ? ” W h e n y o u lo ok f o r o ne o n wh omto pour your love , fo rge t every wor ld lyconsiderat ion of race, creed, color , andsocia l c lass . Do no t say , “Char iW be gins a t home,” or “I shall f i rs t help the

peop le o f my own re lig ion and race .”

You will find in the course of timetha t the new l i fe has become your rea l

f 1 * 2 ]



l ife. You can l ive no othe r way . T he

moodiness of ear l ier days , the s torms of temper, the spells of dejection, the bit ter reproaches , the black days of blank despair are no longer so f requent or sodevas ta t ing . Th e inner checking pro

cess has become automat ic. You havetold yoursel f so many t imes that theseviolent emot ional s torms must precipi tate a host of i l ls , you have sufferedfrom p revious lapses both physical ly andmental ly wi th such sever i ty that you no

longer da re to let yoursel f go. You closeyour eyes and clench your f is ts , andtake a deep brea th and r efuse to suc cumb. You dare not let yoursel f brood.You recognize the f i rs t s teps of that

dangerous s tate of mind, melancholy.You break that numbness of spi r i t thatdescends upon you l ike a paralys is .

You recognize every danaerous menta land emot ional symptom. Knowledqe of the law of cause and ef fect , knowledqe

of the devas tat incr consequences of lack of mental and emotional control , knowl edge tha t an exper i ence not f aced pro per ly wi l l spr ing u d again and again in

your l i fe unt i l you learn the r ight method of overcoming, wi l l help s teel yourwill and control the will impulses thatbeset you.

R e s t O n Y o u r D iv in e H erit aqe

You know that you are a chi ld of God. You know that death is not theend. You k now th at al l creat ion desi resyour v ic tory and the v ic tory of everysoul . You know that you are not a lone.You know that the forces of l ight , l i fe,and love funct ion on every plane, bothvisible and invisible. T he y ears pass soswif t ly that an incarnat ion at i t s closeseems bu t a f leeting dream. In the deepsleep of night , we are completely uncon

scious of the pa ssage of time. Eve n somust the sense of t ime vanish in theper iods between incarnat ions. W i th a

new incarnat ion begins a new day, per haps in happier t imes , perhaps in morebeaut i fu l c limes. To da y we can do ourbi t t oward tha t br ighter tomor row.

T ry to t ake a more impersonal v iew of your l if e. T ry to r egard the event s of your l i fe as you would a picture on ascreen, or a s tory in a book. Rega rdeach t rying exper ience in the l ight of discipline. Sa y to yourself , “ Is there aneeded discipl ine that this exper ienceis giving me? Or am I bein g given a

gl impse of an unknown aspect of l i fe?”If there is an interest in mental hygienetoday, i f there is symp athy and com pas sion for the insane, i t is due to a manwho himself became insane, was confined to an insti tution for ten years, and

then regained his sani ty. This manwrote the s tory of h i s l i f e , “A Mind

T h at F ound I t se l f .” In addi tion , he de dicated himself to the cause of mentalheal th and d id p ioneer work in changing the at t i tude of the publ ic towardthose mentally affl icted.

Be merci less ly f rank with yoursel f .

You need no psychia t r i s t or f a ther confessor. Rev iew vou r l ife in eve ry detailwi th yoursel f . D id not yo ur sufferingincrease your under s t anding of l i f e andpeople , vour sympathy and your to ler

ance? I f you had a dreadful exper ienceof being compel led to l ie about your

age, or your rel igion, and to dve yourhair in order to get a job or to keen i t .i f you had the exper ience of being f i redand r ehi r ed a t a lower wage, you wouldbe keenlv aware of the def iciencies of

our social and economic sys tems. Youwould real ize that a t rue feel ing of Brotherhood is a crying need of the day.

Of your per sonal gr i ef s , you wouldmake a sword to s t r ike a b low agains tthe forces of mater ial ism and inhu

manity.

I have re ad th e l ives of man y mvst ics .There i s not one who did not suffer in-

tensely . The n, shall we be exempt f romthe univer sa l hum an lot? Tur n the pagesof the Bible. I s not suffer ing wri t ten onevery paqe? Abra ham had to l eave theland of his bi r th and his parents . Jacobhad to f lee f rom home and never againsaw hi s be loved mother . T he wi fe of his hear t , Rachel , died when Beniaminwas born . H e though t hi s son, Joseph,dead for ma ny year s . Ye t J acob was achosen vessel of the Lord. Joseph washated by h i s bro ther s. H e was f a l sely

accused and languished in pr ison.

M y s ti c is m Is N o t a C u re A ll

M any s t uden t s have a w r ong i m pr es s ion of what the f rui ts of myst ic s tudyshould be. T he y look upon myst icismas a shor t -cut to solving al l problems of

heal th , supply , and harmony. They cons ider mater ial bless ings as the pr incipalrewa rd. I t i s t rue tha t myst icism helpsyou f ind peace and happiness , but notalwa ys in a mater ial form. I t helps you

[ H 3 ]



The

Rosicrucian

D ig est

M ay

1 9 4 3

achieve an inner peace through under s tand ing . I t helps you gain for ti tude toendure the buffets of l i fe. Throughunders tanding the laws of the universe,you accept them and cooperate wi ththem. Consequent ly, you should not

s ink unde r l i fe 's burdens . You shouldnot become neurot ic. You should not be

drive n to drink, drugs, or suicide. Youmus t r ea l i ze tha t when you ea t of thefrui t of the t ree of knowledge, you aredr iven out of the paradise of ignorance.

I do not think that i s i s necessary fora s tudent of myst icism to become hardor indifferent . Jesus wa s not asham edto weep when he heard tha t Lazarushad d ied . He was human enough toshr ink f rom the cup of agony that l i fewa s handin g him. H e felt i t necessaryto pra y for s t rength. An d God did notexpect him to f ind the s t rength unaided.

W e a r e t ol d t ha t an ange l cam e dow nto s t r engthen h im. How far ahead of usJesus was and yet he suffered. Shal l wewho have taken but the f i rs t few fal ter ing s teps expect to learn al l the depthsof the human hear t wi th a minimum of unh app y exper iences?

W e cannot escape t ri al and t r ibula t ions, sin and suffering. As Rosicrucians,

we need not suffer l ike helpless sheep.W e can l earn f rom our experi ences . W ecan ut i l ize them to gain unders tanding

and s t r ength of charac ter. W e can r e gard them as a spur to s tudy the lawsof l if e and nature . W e can avoid r e sentm ent, i l l-will , an d self-pity. As l ifedeals us blow upon blow, we can s tead

fastly seek to smooth the l ives of others.I f d i sappointment upon d i sappointmentis our mater ial lot , we can s teadfas t lydevote ourselves to accumulat ing spir i tual r iches ins tead through di l igents tudy. O the rs may not give us the lovewe ardent ly des i re, but nothing can s topus f rom pour ing our pent-up love uponthe s i ck and unfor tunate and the lonelythat come ou r way. In a sea of t rouble,

God can be to us an inner sanctuary .W ith seemingly not a thing to l ive for ,we can build up lives of usefulness,beauty and knowledge. Al though wemay l ive alone in the cheaoest of fur nished rooms, yet al l the Cosmic hostsmay smile upon us . These are thetreas ures of the mystic l ife. T hi s is thewa y to avoid neurot icism. Th is is thew ay to safegua rd menta l heal th . Thi sis the meaninq of at tainme nt . Th is isthe secret of peace, harmony, andhappiness .

V V V

The highes t compact we can make with our fel low is , let there be t ruth between

us two forevermore. I t i s subl ime to feel an d say of an other , I need n ever meet,or spea k or wri te to him; we need not reinforce ourselves , or send tokens of re

memb rance; I rely on him as on myself ; i f he did not thus or thus , I kno w i t wa sr ight .—Emerson.

“ S M A L L W O R L D ”

(The following is an account by Newspaper Columnist, Frank Freeman, which appeared in the morning newspaper of San Jose. It indicates how members of the Order allover the world are serving in the Armed Forces, yet are not devoid of their idealismaroused and developed by their Rosicrucian studies.)

"Here's an odd one written home from New Caledonia by Lt. (Dr.) John C. Wilsonof the Navy. He went up with a Ne w Zeala nder in a Hudson bomber on a five-hourpatrol flight. . . . 'It was a most gorgeous experience. W e flew out to sea at 4 a. m.—

250 miles straight out. It was a full moon and we were above t he clouds. Up there themoon is enormous—then we could see the Southern Cross. Soon the sunrise came to theeast. Sunrise in the tropics is as gorge ous as sunset with beautiful shades of gold, rose,pink, yellow, and magenta. At one time half the sky was sunrise while the other half wasfull moon.’ . . . Doc commented on the beauty of it all and pretty soon the New Ze alander was saying it reminded him of the teachings of the Rosicrucians . . . and great wasthe surprise of both, especially the pilot when he learned his passenger lived near Rosicrucian Park in San Jose. . . . On the trip they spotted an allied battle fleet, dropped twobombs on w-hat looked like an enemy sub. . . . ‘The way home was very exciting withdog fighting and diving most of the way. At one time we ski mmed the surface of the seaby 5 feet at 350 m. p. h.’

r 1 5 4 ]



SANCTUM MUSINGS &

THE ROSICRUCIAN VIEWPOINT By T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

N a discussion of t h e a i m s o f t h eR o s i c r u c i a nO r d e r , a y o un gperson said to me." I c a n s e e h o wa n y b o d y w h o i ss u f f e r i n g , o r i nsorrow, or in need,w o ul d b e n e f i tfrom the teachingsof the Order, butI do not see whata p e r s o n w h o i s

per fect ly contented wi th l i fe has to

gain." It is true that we are likely toemphasize the salvaging aspects of ourwork, for the need of the world is sopitiful an d immediate. In a worl d atwar, it is natural that we try to pointthe way to peace. In a gene rat ion of sick souls, we try to point the way tohealth. In a materialistic age, we t ry toreveal the beauty of the spiritual life.When so many are astray in the wilderness. we feel it our duty to point outthe Way, the Truth, and the Life.

For all the woe and heartache in theworld, there are many more still untouched. They are young, in goodhealth, earning enough for their modestneeds, with happy temperaments thatenable them to enjoy each day thatdawns, and each little pleasure thatcomes their way. They have their famines and their friends. No unfulfilledAspirations trouble them. Ambition isforeign to their nature. T he y ha ve no]°nging to excel, to do great deeds, to

raise themselves above their sphere.They live in the immediate present, andthey are content just where they are.

In the first place, it must be admittedthat many people are not sufficientlydeveloped either intellectually or spiritually for the entire course of instruction that the Rosicrucian Order has tooffer. In the sec ond place, man y soulsthat are ready are asleep. Th ey needthe spur of a specific situation in life toarouse them. Ta ke the great Voltaire,for example. He led the pleasant, self-centered life of a brilliant, successfulyoung man of his day until he suffer

ed personally from the abuses of thearistocracy and the church. Then heb ec ame t h e m i g h t i e s t c h a m p i o n of en l igh tenmen t t ha t F r ance eve r had .He ac tua l ly p r ec ip i t a t ed the F r enchRevolution.

No matter how free of problems ourlives may be for the moment, we needa guide to living. W e ca nnot live asunconsciously as the birds and the flowers do. N o matter ho w little the nextincarnation may.interest us. no matterhow unreal it may seem to us, weshould avoid as much as is humanly

poss ib l e p r ec ip i t a t i ng an un f o r tuna teKarma. O f course, an enlightened souldoes good because he abhors evil and

delights onl y in the good. To a less en

lightened soul, we must appeal on the

ground of self-interest. Unless we know

the laws of health, we are likely to

suffer from avoidable disorders. Me re

ly to keep well and happy it is neces

r 227 ]



T h e

R o sicruc ian

D igest

J u ly

1 9 4 3

sary to know some of the laws of lifesuch as the Order teaches.

The greater values of l i fe—the real i ties of life — these arc to be foundthrough the experience of toil and pain,through living with other people andbeing obliged to consider their needs,through the discipline and educationthat such relations with other peopleinvolve.

From the point of view of good citi zenship and national Welfare, it is dangerous to let young people grew intoself-centered maturity or to let votingcitizens be ignorant of the needs of theirfellow citizens. T he members of a democracy must be vigi lant . Th ey mustbe intelligent. They must be public-

spirited. The unscrupulous are everwatchful to take advantage of the unwary. the uninformed, and the indifferent . Therefore, no matter how contented you may be with your lot in life,you must know how to keep well, andyou must be interested in the welfare of your country. In a state of war, yourcontentment is in doing all you can foryour country. Therefore, you should beinterested in giving your support to activities that will assist our country toestablish world peace.

It is impossible to go through life untouched by the trials and tribulations

that afflict all mankind. Th e late pro fessor Dowden, the great authori ty onShakespeare, divided the Shakespearian plays into four groups. The firstgroup he called In th e W o rk sh ip , theperiod of experimentat ion. The secondgroup he called In th e W o r ld , the period of happy progress. Th e third grouphe called In th e D ep th s , the period of disillusionment, disappointment, losses,and tragedy. The fourth group he cal ledOn the Heights , the period of philosophic calm and reconciliation to life.These na tura l groupings of the Shake spearian plays serve for every intelli

gent , growing soul. W e all pass throughthese stages. W e are real ly unfortunateif, until the time of inevitable losses orsorrows, our life has been one of summery calm. Th e necessary adjustmentsthen become extremely painful . Tosta nd on on e’s own feet for the firsttime in middle life must be a severe experience. To go groping for consolationand spiritual strength when in the

thro es of agon y is equall y difficult. It istrue, of course, that many people firstbegin to seek God when they find themselves sinking in the quag mir es of 1jfeIt must be admitted that many peopleare not strong enough to survive. Theylose their hold on life. They suffer totalcollapse. They are even driven to suicide. It is true tha t a stron g soul willsurvive and find God. W ou ld i t not bebetter if he had a spiritual support tohelp him when he was walking throughthe valley of the shadow of death?Might not the victims of melancholia,collapse, and suicide have been rescued?Would it not be better to begin withperiod four, the time when a philosophyof life is formulated?

Although children prefer to play, wemust train them in the habits and skillsnecess ary for successful living. W e

must teach them to read and write although they prefer to look at pictures.A teacher once said to the students,"You must train your children in sucha way that they, when adults themselves, should commend your methods.”W e have al l met the adult who blameshis parents or teachers with the words,"They should have known bet ter." Iwas astonished to read the very samereproach from Eve Curie, the distinguished daughter of the great scientist,

Mari e Curie. Eve Curie, as no doubtyou know, published a splendid life of her mother. In it she makes the statement that her mother, her father, andolder sister had no interest in life-phvsi cs. Th eir w ay in life w'as clear.But she herself did not know w’hat shewanted, and her mother did not compelher to follow a definite plan. Hermother had too much respect for thefreedom of the soul. No w, y ears later,Eve regr ets her mot her ’s scruples. Shesays, "I was too young then to knowwh at was best for me." If gifted peoplefeel later in life that their parents and

teachers should have exercised morefirmness with them in childhood andshould have foreseen future needs, howwill less gifted people feel?

W e know that l ife has i ts problemsand perplexi t ies. W e know that disappointment, disillusionment, and lossesare universal experiences. W e knowthat a crisis of some sort occurs inthe life of each human being, therefore

f 228 ]



spiritual preparation of some sort isessential.

If life went smoothly and we did nothave to meet with any blows, bumps,checks, kicks, cuts, retaliations, slights,sneers, ccnsures, criticisms, accusations,denunciati ons — if we had no oppositionand met with no people with whom itwas hard to get along — if we had ourown way and everyone bowed beforeus, if life never brought us any bodilypain, or spiritual pain, any regrets, anysorrow's, any humiliation, any repentance, if there were no suffering as a result of faulty ambitions and bad choices,that would be a hell. W e sh ould be leftw'ith the i m p e r f e c t i o n a n d i m m a t u r i t y

and mediocrity of our natures; therew'ould be no progress, and the placew'here there is no progress is hell.

The value of life is not in just beingalive. It is in develo ping, gro wing , andenlarging the mind, training the emotions, cultivating the appreciations, producing a personality, developing a soul,making one's existence productive. lift ing oneself up into something of positive value. T o accomplish such results aman must yield himself with cooperative d e s i r e t o th e d i s c i p l i n e s o f l i f e a n d

make it his business to learn everylesson that can be learned.

Have we not listed reasons enoughwhy even the most careless and indolentneed the message of the RosicrucianOrder? Life is like a journe y on thehigh seas. W e need both the compassand the polar star to guide us. W e needa map even to drive across the country,or to hike thro ugh the mountains. W e

need a pattern for making the simplestgarment. W e need a recipe for thesimplest dish, i f i t is ne w to us. Eve ry thing in life grow's according to a pattern or is built according to a plan.Should a human life be the only haphazard thing in the universe? To travel

through an unexplored country we needa compass, courage, enthusiasm, andfaith. A journey through life is liketraveling through an unexplored territory. To succeed, to avoid going hopelessly astray, we must know that therels a goal, that there is a way, and thatsuccess is possible.

If we a r e a l r e a d y m e m b e r s . Jet us determine to be faithful to the very end.*-et us bear in mind that at some time

every principle that we learn will provehelpful. Let us teach our children asmany of the principles as they cangrasp. I f we have contacts, le t us

popularize as many of the principles aswe can in talks and articles. W e maynot be able to put across the entire Rosicrucian philosophy, but we can frequently put across one principle, oneidea, one thought to serve as a seed.W e never know where a seed may takeroot and sprout . Th e most unexpectedpeople prove responsive.

If our lives are peaceful at the moment , we are very fortunate. W e shouldbe able to derive tremendous benefitfrom the instruction of the Order . W e

can study the lessons with calm, collected minds. W e can pract ice and experiment with the necessary concentration. W e can build a solid foundationand a full background of knowledge.W e can teach with ease. W e can giveundivided attention to the problems of others. W e can study calmly the l ivesof our fellow'men and consider the direct ion of world events. W he n we donot need help, we can be helpers. W h enlife is peaceful, we can have time forb e a u t y , a r t . a n d c r e a t i v e s e l f e x p r e s s i o n .

W e ha ve time for friendships, for nature. for dignified and noble leisure. It is

then w'e can appreciate the true beautyof the law's of God, of the impressiveness of the Divine Plan, of the magnificence of the universe, and the glory of human life.

If the w'onders of the universe andthe infinite possibilities of the humanrace do not kindle your ardor to climbthe heights, to do. and dare, and know-,then you r soul is asleep. Life will prodyou into a sharp awakening. Ho w cananyone be content with a squirrel-cageexistence, with the same simple dailyround of duties, with an occasional cardparty, moving-picture or sociable for re

laxation? For shame, children of adivine Father, awake to your divine potentialities. The kingdom is for you, butyou must make it you r own. Th e divineFather wants you to appreciate i t , toshow your ability to master it , and yourfitness to govern it . W e are like acorns.W e do not know' into what kind of tow'-ering oaks we are destine d to grow. Isit not exciting to know' just where ourplace is in the univers e? All the acorn



needs is sunshine, rain, and a favorablesoil. W e , in addition , must exerciseinitiative and will-power. I should think that sheer curiosity would be sufficient

impetus. O u r lives can be infinitely en r iched in usefulness , se l f -express ion,and service.

W e can rise above the storm andstri fe. W e can walk unharmed overperilous paths. W e need not feel likesheep gathered for the slaughter. W eneed not feel terrified about the futureof the world or the future of mankind.W e need not feel the victims of a hea rtless fate. T h e fut ure of the race is se

cure. T he power that created us pQs_sesscs Wis do m and Love. In t he comfort ing words of Deuteronomy: “ U n d e r

n e a t h are th e everlasting arms." Love

in t h e end must be victorious for it jsth e strongest force in the world. Theplans of Go d must t riumph because Godis al l that there is in the world. Thisknowledge makes for peace, securityand s t r e n g t h . How can one live without it? W e mu st all come to it someday. Let us not be drive n to it by thewhip s of misfortune. Like eager children let us welcome the gifts of a lovingand generous Fa ther .

V V V

H O W S C IE N C E IS B R O A D E N I N G O U R C O N S C I O U S N E S S

( C o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 2 2 1 )

which are also essential in certain of man's psychic funct ions. These frontallobes were thought to be the seat of memory until it was found that monkeyswith this part of the brain removed stillremembered things they had been taughtand remembered a newly learned method for acquiring food after only a 10second hesitation.

The present world conflict seems destined to have a profound effect on the

minds and nervous systems of the mil lions of persons involved. Thi s is notonly true of the shock of battle but of

many things which appear to be blessings. Few medical treatments of thepast few years have had such a widespread influence for good as the sulfadru gs; at times it almo st seems as if no

disease can resist them. Yet we must

pay for the good accomplished with the

wrong decisions and mental confusion

which persist in many cases after this

treatment . Th e int imate connect ion be

tween mind and body is being broughtout time and again by the events of the

day. The traumatic neuroses of this

war appear to be much more severe

than the "shell shock" of the last, and

it is predicted by Dr. Sandor Rado,

New York psychiatrist , that they wil l

take more physical forms, appearing as

pept ic ulcers and hear t compla int s .

Medical treatment is not indicated, butr a t h e r p s y c h o a n a l y t i c a n d h y p n o t i cme t hods , t o r e l i e ve t he se c ond i t i onsbrought on by disordered nervous sys

tems. Accor ding to the psychosomatic

approach, we are now in a t ransi t ional

stage; instead of looking for an organic

explanation for every disease, we now

look for the psychological explanation.

This is in agreement with the Rosicru

cian doctrine that most diseases have

their origin in the psychic, rather than

the physical body.

Da y by da y we see science expanding

our knowledge of things as they are,

extending our vision of things as they

oug ht to be. It is said that mu ndan e sci

ence is always following behind the dis

coveries of arcane science, and this is

doubtless true. Yet mundane science

follows the sure and firm path of walk

ing slowly, carefully examining each

step before taking another. The scien

tist is convinced of the validity of a lav/ or principle only after the most exhaus

tive testing, and when he believes, who

shal l doubt? Those who know and truly

understand nature and her laws view

with approval the attempts of science to

broaden the consciousness of mankind,

even as the arcane schools broaden and

lift the minds of their followers.

r 23 o i



SANCTUM MUSINGSI*

&

EMOTIONAL CONTROL


T h e

R osicrucian

D iges t

A u g u s t

1943

F A M O U S B ud dhist once said: Tn e v e r g e t a n g r ybecause i t i s no tworth while, andI never worry because i t does nog o o d . " H e h a ddisciplined himself a long these l inesu n t i l h e h a d a c quired as f irm acontro l over h isrebellious thought s

as a skillful driven has over his team of spirited horses. Th e horses recognizethe iron hand which guides them andhave learned to be obedient. So thethoughts, impulses, and passions can beforced to do what the soul bids them do.Th ey can be held in check; they can beforbidden to mutiny; they can be made

docile when they know they have a

Master .

If we could abolish anger and the re

su l tant mistakes, agonies , hear tachesand heart breaks this world would be a

very different place in which to live. It

is really the cause of half the ills to

which the flesh is heir. No ma n is just

when he is angry . He is simply a runa

way horse, who in the wild frenzy of

temporary insanity, dashes himself to

destruction. Anger is a delirious im

petuosity which makes the heart beatlike a triphammer and sets the brain ina whirl which renders a sound judgmentimpossible. Ang er is generally directfolly, followed by a loss of self-respectand by stinging regrets. Habit ual angercreates physical disease, and when it issufficiently forceful, it may cause sudden de ath. Ange r may be classed asone of the stupidities of weak humannatur e. T he control of you r temper isabsolutely necessary if you are to be agood citizen, a loving parent, a faithfulfriend, or a worthy student on the Path.

If we could also eliminate our tendency to worry, we would change thewhole complexion of life . W e would bestronger, healthier , and happier . Wo rryis not a remedy for disease but rather acause of it. T o have that degr ee of anxiety which prompts us to do what wecan to prevent an impending evil isstimulating and invigorating. It calls out

all our latent capacity, puts us on our

mettle, quickens the pulse and some

times develops a heroism which seems

incredible. The man who has never

been in an emergency and has never

made himself a master of it does not

know how much character he has. and

has missed one of the most glorious ex

periences in the consciousness of the

soul. At such a time, the man actually

quive rs with life; his nerves thrill with

f 268 ]



a new sensat ion; he is in a fight withfate; winning the victory will be aprecious memory forever.

All that is legitimate is in accord with

Cosmic law which tells us how to hammer ourselves into shape when we arein the fiery furnace. By worr y, I meanthat useless brooding which saps yourstrength because you live the troublebefore it comes and again live it afterit has passed. You insist on making areality of it and thereby attract it ordraw it to yourself. I have kno wn pe rsons who never seemed happy unlessthey were trying to make themselvesmiserable, who always wanted something other than what they had andwere ever-last ingly discontented, because if the sun shone on Monday, they

were sure that there would be rain oran ear thquake on Tuesday . W or ry forworry’s sake is a poor rule to adopt.

Fear is another emotion, probabl y themost important, and often the causewhich creates anger and worry. Fear,that horrible specter that leers at usfrom every side. Fea r, the heirloom of prehistoric man. W e have been broughtup to fear this and that, and finally tofear death. W e are haunted by fearthat too soon the sands of life may runout. Fear has been the driving forcefor many of us. Life has been a racewith death — the fear of the unkn own.

After all. fear is an imaginary condition created in the mind as a result of ignorance of the pow er of self. It is anega t ive fee l ing of uncer ta inty of st rength and power of self . W h e n weattain full mastery of our being, withknowledge and understanding of ourown ability and power, there can be noroom for fear in our consciousness.D a r k n e s s c a n n o t e x i s t w h e r e l i g h tshines. It is true that sh ado ws ar e created by light, but the man who k n o w s will not give appearances an actualityor a reality.

Therefore, the Rosicrucian Order hasalways advanced the theory that know'I-edge of self is the fundamental study.The ancient axiom, "Know Thyself.” isthe foundation stone the Rosicrucianphilosophy is built upon. As we pro gress in self-knowledge and self-mas-tery, we are released from the bondageof fear; it becomes non-e xist ent.

W e have sought peace of mind inreligion, we have sought consolation inbel ief and faith. W e have found fai tha difficult thing to acquire, because faithneeds the foundation of knowledge.

Belief is founded upon ignorance, uponuncertainty, hope, t rust , and expectation that we are right. Fait h is foundedupon knowledge, upon convict ion. Wh atwe know within ourselves we can havefai th in. W e must learn to kno w Godin who se image wre are born. W e mustlearn to know the laws of God establ ished in nature. On ly then can we havefai th in a loving God. W e mu st learnthat life is indestructable, that we cannot die, and that this life on earth isonly one of many that we must passthrough before we reach perfect ion andunity with God. W e must realize thatlife is a school wherein we graduate inknowledge and fa i th and unders tanding. Some of us learn slowly and othersfaster. Th e sorrows and pain are prodding us on to seek happiness and peace.W e shal l have to learn that there is nourgent need for every one of us to become millionaires or to pile up needlesswealt h. Th er e is no need for us all towrite our names indelibly on the scrollof fame, but there is need for us to learnto possess our being in patience and toat tune ourselves to the higher rhythmand song of l i fe . This world of ours

holds many joys that are not evident tothe material senses. There is joy of contemplative living; there is joy of coming into communion with the various manifestations of nature; there is jo y of knowing our fel lo wmen and de veloping the best t hat is in us; there is jo y in worki ng to geth er fo r a co mmonaim.

The w'orld has many beautiful spotsin it if you will search for them. Th ehabit of dwelling on the evils which beset us rather than on the pleasant thingswe may enjoy is almost criminal. Asweet temper and a contented soul are

treasures worth working for. W it h Go dwithin you and your knowledge of cause and effect, you should be able to createfo r yourse l f t he c ond i t i ons o f yourheart’s desire.

This w'hole matter is largely underyour own control . You can give your self a loose rein, let your passio ns driveyou w'hither they will throu gh life with a

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load whose weight you have exaggerated by your mental attitude, or you cankeep yourself well in hand, create atendency to make the best of hard ex

periences, and surround yourself withhigh and encouraging thoughts and vi brations so that when it rains you willknow that sunshine is not far off andthat the rain was probably needed forplant life somewhere.

You cannot fulfill the spiritual law or

release the blessedness of life unlessyou control the querulous and cultivatethe acquaintance of whatever can make

you strong in body and cheerful of soul. Determine to be happy, an d youwill be surprised at the amount of happiness whic h will come to you. Remem

ber that we attract to ourselves thoseconditions that are predominent in heartand mind. It is not what you wish ordesire negatively, but what you fee]within yourself, of what you are aware,that you can draw to yourself . Ther efore, gu ar d the inner feeling. Give outlove all aroun d you. Become a ray of sunsh ine to all your environment. Itpays great dividends.

V V V

• B UY U. S. S A V I N G S B O N D S A N D S T A M P S •

Th e

R o s ic r u c ia n

D igest

A u g u s t

1943

G R A N D C O U N C I L O R S O F A M O R C

Among other items of business of each annual Convention of the Order is the election

of nine G rand Cou ncilors to represent various sections of this jurisdiction. In accordance

with the Constitution and Statutes of the Grand Lodge, the Grand Councilors were elected

at the concluding session of the Convention and all Grand Councilors serving the 1942-43

term were re-elected for another year by unanimous vote of the Convention. AM OR C

members are privileged to contact Grand Councilors in their districts on emergency

matters and for personal con tact. All correspondence referring to the Rosicrucian teachings and administration of the organization should, as usual, be directed to the Grand

Lodge and not to the individual Grand Co uncilor. Th e names and addresses of the Grand

Councilors and the section of the jurisdiction which they represent are as follows:

No rthern A tlantic States: Dr. J. Lewis Blass, 475 Fifth Avenue, New Y ork City, New

York.

South Atlantic States: Mr. Wil l iam V. W hit t ington, 4700 Connecticut Avenue, W ash

ington, D. C.

Southw estern States: Mr. James M. Blaydes, 4916 San Jacinto Street, Dallas, Texas.

Midwestern States: Mr. O rlando Hughes, 608 Kansas A ve.. Apt . 12, Topek a, Kansas.

New En gland States: Mr. Robert W . Wen two rth, 132-A Russell Street, W est . Peabody,

Massachuset ts .

Great Lakes Are a: Mr. H. C. Blackwell, 1201 S. M aple Avenue. Berwyn. Illinois.

Pacific Northw est States: Mr. C. R. Cleaver, W inslow, W ashington.

Eastern Cana da: Dr. Stanley Clark, 185 St . Clair Avenue. W est , Toron to, Ontario,

Canada.

South and C entra l America: Mr. J. A. Calcano. Ap artad o 1611, Cara cas, Venezu ela.

South America.



Knowledge of Self Address by the Sovereign Grand Master , Thor Ki imalehto,

Annual Rosicrucian Convent ion, 1943

P A R T I

S Y C H O L O G Y ,

t h e s t u d y o f h u man nature, is indispensable today.The human mind,i n r e a c h i n g o u t

into the unlimiteda b y s s o f e x i s t ence, is trying top e n e t r a t e t h ed a r k n e s s o f t h eages, and is seeking to answer theeternal questions,

"Wha t?" and "Wh y?" T he in fo rmat ionthat this department of knowledge af fords is so wide-spread that the peoplewithout such information are distinctlyhandicapped. That human nature canbe studied and influenced is acceptedtoday by the American public. Themarket is flooded with popular magazines on the subject. Books on appliedpsychology are among the best sellersof the day. Books like "W a k e Up andLive," by Dorothea Brande. "Be GladYou’re Neurotic," by Dr. Lewis E.Bisch, and "How to Win Friends andInfluence People." by Dale Carnegie

are as widely read as works of fiction.Every university has its Department of Psychology, and. if it can afford it. alaborato ry and clinic for experimentation.

Whereas originally psychology wasmerely a branch of philosophy, todayphilosophy has slipped into second placeand psycho logy has become a f u l l -

s t a t u r e d s u b j e c t w i t h e x t r a o r d i n a r y

ramifications.

Open any college catalog and youwill be amazed at the number of courseslisted in the field of psycho logy. It isr a p i d l y b e c o m i n g i n d i s p e n s a b l e f o rpracticing physicians, nurses, lawyers,and public speakers. Mode rn advertising has shown that psychology pays.Th e Wor l d W a r revealed the t remendous power for good and evil that propaganda and mass pressure can exert .

Psychology is popular because thepeople have discovered that a knowl

edge of it pays dividends of happinessand successful l iving. With a knowledge of human nature, you are boundto be a better neighbor, a happier husband or wife, and a more successfulparent or teacher. Big business has notscorned to use the principles of psychology to sell shaving soap, cigarettes,and drugs to the public. Th e forces of evil and reaction maintain their powerby an appeal to the lowest instincts andneeds. Ma ny e ducato rs feel it is onlycommon sense for the forces making forthe uplift of humanity to utilize thisknowledge to put across noble and al

truistic ideals.

H um a n Sim il ar it y

The first step in understanding human nature is to know yourself. Youare a human being. You are one withall humanity. W he n you have learnedthat motives of your own conduct are

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S e p t e m b e r

1943

th e s p r i n g s o f y o u r o w n a c ti o ns , youhave taken a long step toward understanding other people. Ou r funda mental wants and needs are very much the

same. O ur differences are of d e g r e e rather t han of kind. It is surprising howfew intelligent and highly educated peopl e u n d e r s t a n d t h e m s e lv e s . O u r m o s t

serious errors in life are due to this lack of understanding. Incompatibi l i ty inmarriage, for instance, is due to the factthat nei ther knew his own nature, norhad studied the nature of the other. Anerroneous choice of a business or profession is due to a m a n ' s i g n o r a n c e o f

his capabilities and potentialities.To marry without a real knowledge

of yourself is to invite marital unhappiness. T o ente r a trade or profession

without a knowledge of yourself is tobecome a misfit in life —a s qua re peg ina round hole; in other words, to fallshort of the highest of which you arecapable, to miss your sphere of greatestusefulness.

Some people know definitely whatthey want . They are people usual ly of one strong bent or interest . Th ey arevery fortunate. Th ey are not confusedby a variet y of choices. Dr. SamuelJohnson, for example, in an age indifferent to literature knew that he wantedto devote his life to writing, even t houghpoverty might be the result. Other fields

of activity, offering a better means of livelihood, mad e no app eal to him. If we select a type of work because it enables us to live at home, or offers ahigher salary to start with, or offersmore security or easier physical conditions. we are permitting ourselves to beinfluenced by secondary considerations.In a field not related to our special talent, we can do only competent work.W e cannot offer a unique contribut ionto the public. W e canno t do outs tanding work. W h e n the task is agreeableto our inmost nature, t ime means nothing. effort means nothing, interest is

easily sustained and joy is a naturalaccompaniment .

It is an illuminating experience to seeourselves as others see us, and to look at life from a point of view completelyat variance with our own. It wouldprove a surprise to many intellectualpeople to real ize how thoroughly conventional their controlling thoughts are.

It would s u r p r i s e m o s t o f us to be awareof how our forgotten chi ldhood impressions have influenced our reactions tolife and our relationships to people.

H e a l t h is o f V i t a l I m p o r t a n c e

Self-knowledge begins with the studyo f your physical self . Th e heal th andvi ta l i ty of the body i s fundamenta l .You cannot look your best, feel yourbest or do your best without heal th andvitali ty. It is difficult to be in high spirits, to have an optimistic outlook on lifeto bear the inevitable irritations and annoyances of l i fe unless the bod y is funct i on ing smoot h ly . E v e r y o n e sho u l dadopt a sensible daily routine for keeping fit . You oug ht to kn ow the value of fresh air. sunshine, water, exercise and

diet in keeping well. You ought to knowthe value of fruit juices and vegetable juices, pa rti cul ar ly th e r a w g r e e n vegetables. You ought to know , for example, that white sugar is the source of tooth decay and that meat is the bestsource of energy for brain workers.You also ought to know the value of fasting occasionally for cleansing thebody thoroughly of accumulated poi sons. The re is plenty of read y matteravailable on the subject, a good deal of it free or only nominal in price. Thereare several magazines devoted to healthand natural living.

The importance of this knowledge isthat it removes fear from your life. Youknow how to handle difficulties as theyarise. If you han dl e small difficultiesproperly and promptly, you avoid seri ous bodily disturb ances late r in life. If you understand the mechanism of thebody you will not permit constipationto become chronic, or an acid conditionto continue for years, or use drugs forheadaches or indigestion. Th ere is atremendous sense of freedom in knowing that your bod y is under y our controland that your health is reliable and thatbarring accidents nothing real ly serious

can happen to you.

An important factor in health is emotional control. An analysis of your emotional nature is also essential to self-knowledge. Ma ny of us have had theexperience of an attack of indigestion

or a vomiting spell upon hearing badnews. W e know that too much exci tement can bring on high blood pressure

[ 294 ]



and insomnia. A prolon ged fit of depression can upset the entire system.There will be a bad taste in the mouth,no appetite, dull headaches, and vagueaches and pains throughout the body.

Disappointment, anxiety, and fear canderange the body seriously. Study youremotional reactions. In many cases, thesymptoms of illness are due to thesepowerful negative emotional states. If such is the case, it is foolish to call adoctor or to take drugs. Th e doct or willconsider you a neurasthenic and thedrugs will ruin your system. To quoteAndre Tridon: "A serious i l lness isoften the refuge from life's problems,selected by the neurotic." Ho w manyof us do not use an ailment as an excuse for either temper or laziness? Haveyou ever known a person who could not

be happy without complaining abouts o m e a i l m e n t? P s y c h o a n a l y s i s h a s d o n e

valuable work in tracing many physicaldisturbances and emotional maladjust ments to irritating memories buried inthe subconscious mind. Irrati onal dislike of certain foods and certain typesof people may be due to forgotten experiences of an unpleasant nature.

You need not be ashamed of the factthat you are over-emotional or oversensitive. As Dr. Bisch has point ed out.these two qualities frequently indicatea real superiority that is unrecognized.The whole organism cries for utilization

and self-expression. Superior peoplecannot fit easily into the so-called normal or mediocre environment . Knowin gthat you are superior to the plodding,stolid people of limited ideas and outlook about you. you will make no useless efforts to fit into the conventionalmold. Instead, you will develop your self in the direction of your latent talentas much as you can. Seek your truelevel elsewhere, and be content withwhatever friends you can make in yourimmediate environment.

W ea k points can be turned intostrong points. Thi s is called over-compensat ion. You have heard of Demosthenes. who suffered from stuttering.

Through persistent pract ice he becamethe greatest orator that Greece everhad. I remember reading about themedical student who had to take acourse in phys iolog y three times. In hiseffort to master this subject, so difficult

for him. he became so deeply interestedthat he made physiology his specialty,and he later became a professor of physiology in the medical college wherehe previously flunked.

The glands, too. can affect the emotional nature. Insufficiency in the thyroid gland secretion can make you weak and apathetic. W h en the gland is stimulated and functions normally, you willfeel much m o r e a l i v e a n d e n t h u s i a s t i c .

A simple exercise to stimulate the thyroid gland is to stretch the neck a fewtimes every day. Wh eth er your glandsare functioning properly or not can onlybe determined by a medical examination.

W a t c h Y o u r M e n t a l C on t ro l

Most of the people who have come tome for assistance are ill either through

ignorance of the physical care that thebody needs or through emotional disturbances . I realize how easy it is totell people not to worry or to feel anxiety or to indulge in fits of depression or"the b lues.” I realize how difficult it isto face a crisis in one's life calmly, tomeet loss with composure, and to maintain one's self-confidence and poise andoptimism in the face of disaster. W h e nI stand before a soul shaken with greatsuffering. I am compelled to be silent.I feel that mere wor ds are futile. Yet.friends, as difficult as it may be. let usconsider the problem frankly. W h a t is

to be gained from loss of health? W h a tis to be gained from a nervous breakdown? Her e is a young woman teacher,for example, who had a mother and sister to support. For one reason or an other she worried about them so much

that finally she had a nervous breakdown. It took her a year to regain herhealth. For a year they had to manag ewithout her salary. Her illness in noway helped the s i tua t ion . D i f f i cu l t i e s

simply multiplied. Th at is the stron gestargument to be presented against worry.No matter how serious a problem maybe. you r collapse will only make matters

worse. You need your health. Youneed your position. It takes a long timeto be restored to complete health. Ve ryoften you will fall into debt as a result .

Therefore, from the practical point of view, you must make every effort tocontrol yourself emotionally.

(Continued on Page 316)

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D igest

S e p t e m b e r

1943

mingled feelings at this vast symbol of nature s laws — sen sin g, too, a subtle influence which beggared words of description.

The fascination of Mt. Shasta is notalone its physical appearance, that is,its sheer bulk, its majesty, or beauty.There is something about it that transcends all physical allure, somethingentirely different than one may experience in the Andes or the Alps, for example. Something intangible radiates

from its atmosphere which inspires rev-eran ce and spirituality. It is for suchreasons that AMORC has wr i t ten thebook, "The Lost Continent of Lemuria "

referring in detail to the Mt. Shastalegends, and why it also produced theprofessional sound motion picture bythe same name. W e wished to conveyto all an understanding of the mysticaltraditions which are associated withthis place of bea uty — this s ymbol of thesurvival of the wisdom of mankind.

K N O W L E D G E O F SE LF

(Cont inued from Page 295)

Resort to whatever means will be ef

fective in helping you achieve emotionalcontrol. If an affi rmati on will help you,use it. If at te nd ing a church service orprayer will help you. then accept thecomfort that religi on gives. Some people feel helped by attending a concertor taking a week-end trip or unburdening themselves to a boso m friend. Anymethod will do provided it is effectivewith you. M y pers onal opinion is thatthe Rosicrucian philo sophy of life shouldbe sufficient to sustain you in any trial.With so many incarnations before us.we need not be brokenhearted because

of some unfulfilled ambition or desireHaving dedicated ourselves to the Cosmic. why should we shrink from thetests and trials that prepare us for

greater triumphs and responsibilities?As Rosicrucians, too, we know that loveis the greatest r emedy in the world. Itwill heal every situation and transformevery life.

The knowledge that psychology givesus is essential in every sphere of life.In order to understand human nature,however, it is necessary to understandourselves first. W e shoul d study ourphysical type and our emotional pattern.In Part II, we shall discuss the characteristic reactions of our mental life.

(To be continued)

V V V

W H O W A S N O S T R A D A M U S ?

Michel Nos tra dam us (1503-1566) was born in Provence, France. His twograndfathers were very influential men at court and very learned in occultism aswell as in acade mic knowledge. Th ey both resolved that their only grandson,Michel, should hav e the best education possible. After private tutoring by hisgrandparents, young Nos tradam us was grad uate d from the University at Mon t

pellier as a doctor of medicine.After becoming a Doctor, he traveled over Europe studying and obtaining

many rare volumes. He made certain connecti ons with mystical groups, also, during this time. Af te r his travels No str ad am us married and settled at Solon,France, at the age of 44. He was so successful in his medical pra ctice that hisrivals called him a sorcerer. No str ada mus did possess marvelous and mysteriousknowledge but of a beneficent kind that he had gained from studying with certain occult groups.

Nos trad amu s is famous for his prophecies. He received these revelations fromgazing into a mirror and checked them in some way by a calculation of the star,Vega. Thes e prophec ies are in verse form and are known as "Centuries .” Theseverses foretold the events of the world as far distant as 7000 A. D. Mo st all of hi s pr ophec ies abou t Wor l d W ar No . 1 and Wor ld W ar No . 2 have come t rue.He also foretold m an y events in the lives of Kings and Nobles. He also foretoldthe time of his own transition. No str ada mus was the greatest prophe t of Europeif not of al l modern t imes. Met ro- Gold wyn -Ma yer has produced two movies depicting the life and prophecies of Nostradamus.— Scribe.

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T h e

R osicrucian

Digest

O c t o b e r

1943

M editations on Im m ortality By S u p r e m e S e c r e t a r y

H R O U G H O U TM a n 's h i s t o r y asa r a t i o n a l b e i n gp h i l o s o p h y h a sbeen a vision whiler e l ig ion a f a i t h .The vision of philosophy has madepossible a detached con templa t ionof human life. Thef a i th o f r e l i g ionhas he ld f o r th t ohumanity the al

most pathetic hope that reality is not asdifficult or tryi ng as it appe ars . Th isfaith has caused men in their hope to

accept a belief that beyond their trialsand troubles there lies a reality of betterthings in a world to come to compensatethem for the sacrifices of today. Th usfaith has been the hope of immortalityfor those who find their strength andsolace in religion.

More than mere blind faith has caused men to look beyond the restrictionsof this earthly exist ence. In all thingswhich Man observes as he goes throughlife, serious reflection upon life and environment has caused to exist in hismind unanswerable problems, the solution of which point the way to a realm

of ideas beyond his immediate grasp.In this he sees that the manifestation of life is not yet detached from the physical universe, and furthermore, there areindications that life’s continuity is notdependent on material alone.

The vision of philosophy has beenwilling to consider all theories of reality and to disinterestedly analyze the

problem of immortality by a frank consideration of its possibilities based uponhuma n experience. Thi s vision is composed of the contribution to thought bymany who have contemplated Man’sexistence. Not al one is this confined tothe great philosophers but to the thinking of each individual. O ur philosophyof life is in the end the result of our ownconclusions and ideas. M y conclusionsmay not agree in whole or in part withanother's, but they constitute my ideasas your conclusions constitute the philosoph y with which you look at life. Ibelieve in immortality. I bas e this belief neither upon the faith of religion orupon the vision of philosophy. Th e be

lief is founded in experience, in therealization of knowledge that has comethrough intuitive channels and which tome has been convincing of the fact thatlife is a continuous process. Such a concept cannot limit eternity but rathermust expand the idea of the universe toinclude a l l knowledge, wisdom, andpower. Immortality cannot be conceivedin terms of time. It is not in the past;it is not in the future. It is the eternalnow. Eterni ty does not begin or end;

it is.C o n f i r m a t i o n o f t h e e x p e r i e n c e s

brought through our objective senses

are self evident in many respects of thefact that life is a reality which lies beyond the manifestation of a physicalform and thereby must be attributed towha t we conceive to be God. W ha tGod is must be interpreted ultimately interms of our own knowledge and experience. Some may feel tha t conceptis beyond our grasp, that there are ap

[ 3 5 0 ]



parent inconsistencies in the universewhich others may point out to deny ourtheories and conclusions. It is beyondour finite capabilities to crossquestion the infinite because in so doing we areonly making a play on words. But be

yond words o r e ve n be yond huma nthought we know that l i fe is . and conclude that life is one manifestation of God. Time is a conception of our ob ject ive cons ci ou sn es s bu t is fur th ermo rean assurance of continuity that exists in

the mind of the Creator that sets al l

things into being. Ther efor e, as I now

witness and feel the manifestation of

life as it surges through my physical

being, I am convinced that this surge

will continue and that what I have notlearned here will be learned, and my

sincere aspirations will be consu mmated,

in the continued process of an eternity

not beyond my grasp, but always and

ever present.

V V V

K N O W L E D G E O F SE LF

( Cont inued f rom Page 332)

ities. W e need not wait for the ideal

educat ional system. W e can study ourselves. W e can consult our tastes, inclinations, and aptitudes. If our work lies in the field of our aptitudes we areindeed fortunate. If not, we have abeautiful and inspiring way of spendingour leisure time. W e ca n ben d every'effort to cultivating the gift God gaveus. Be not over anxious abo ut findingan outlet for your special gift. God

needs that gift as much as you long to

exercise it . Your part is to prepareyourself. Th en the task wil l come thatwil l demand of you everything that youhave to give.

To conclude, through knowledge of our physical powers, through strengthening the positive emotions and throughdeveloping and expanding the creat ivepower of thought , we prepare ourselvesfor our right place in the world.

F O R M E M B E R S O F T H E L O S A N G E L E S A R E A

AJ] members in Los Angeles and near-by localities will be interested to know that the

Hermes Minor Lodge has now been organized so that National members can participate

as members of this Lodge in sup plemen tary activities to their regular home studies. Th is

means that all members who regularly receive their studies directly from the Grand Lodge

can also have the additoinal privilege of affiliating with the Hermes Minor Lodge and

participating in their general convocations, receive the regular Lodge initiations for each

degree, and have the combined privileges of Nationa l and Lodge membership. All mem

bers in this area are cordially invited to attend the general convocations of this Lodge

held every Sunday afternoon at 3:00 P. M. M any interesting plans are being formulated

for these convocations. Th e addre ss of the Lodge is: M8 No rth Gramercy Place, Los

Angeles. For further inform ation be present at these convo cation s or call at the office of

our counselor now located in Los Angeles. Frate r Gilbert N. Holloway . Jr. , the organ iza

tion's lecturer and couns elor is main taining an office in down town Los Angeles. It is

located at 323 Commercial Excha nge Building, 416 W es t 8th Street. His office hours

are from 1:45 to 4:45 P. M. M ond ay through Friday, and 5:30 to 7:30 P. M. Friday eve

nings. Members are invited to call at any time during these hou rs for further inform al

tion regarding their membership or the newly established activities in the local Lodge.

[ 3 5 1 ]



£

AN AMERICAN PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE By T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

T h e

Rosicrucian

D ig est

N o v e m b e r

1943

H E R o s i c r u c i a nphilosophy of lifee m b r a c e s t hes t u d y o f b o t hmysticism and occultism. Althought h e m y s t i c p h i losophy is a giftof the East, it isan e s s e n t i a l l y

A m e r i c a n m o d eo f t h o u g h t a n doutlook upon life.W ha te ve r is finest

and best in American religious and philosophical thinking emanated from the

Or ienta l teachings. That George Washington was a Mason is well-known.That Benjamin Frankl in , Thomas Jef ferson, and Alexander Hamilton wereRosicrucians is well -know n. Th at SirFrancis Bacon planned the first Rosicrucian community that was establishedon American soil is well-known. Theseal of the United States is of Rosicru

cian origin.

One of the great mystic classics of the world is the Bible, including the Oldand the Ne w Testa ment s. If you remember your early American history,

the first constitutions drawn up for the

various colonies were completely model

ed on the legislation of Deuteronomy.

The Puritans tried to live the life of the

Old Testament as they interpreted i t .

One of the most mystic of Americansects is that of the Quakers.

The greatest name in American l i terature is Ralph Wal do Emerson; in philosophy. William James; an d in poetry,Wal t Whi tman. These personal i t iest o w e r a b o v e a l l c o n t e m p o r a r i e s a n dsuccessors. The y strike a dist inctively American note in their sphere of thought . Yet Emerson, and W^hitman.

who considered himself a disciple of Emerson's, were l ife- long students of the Oriental philosophies; and Will iamJames in his monumental "Var ie t i e s o f

Reli gio us Experie nce" and in his lettersreveals his intense interest in psychicphenomena and the unexplained mysteries of religious experience. His pragmatism is in many points similar to theRosicrucian postulates.

Emerson was the foremost exponen tof the Transcendentalism that waspopular in Ne w Engl and in his day. Inthe O v e r S o u l he points out that each

soul is a segment of the universal souland a channel for the divine energies.Each soul is linked to every otherthrough the Over Soul. "Let man thenlearn the revelation of all nature andall tho ught in his heart; this, namely;that the Highes t dwells with him." Inhis most famous essay on Compensa -

tion he explains the law of balance, thelaw of action and reaction manifestingon every plane of life — physical, men

[ 3 9 0 ]



tal , and spir i tual . " W h a t we call retri bution is the universal necessity bywhich the whole appears wherever apart appe ars.” In his essay on Self

Reli ance he strikes the typical Americannote of independence. A man attains

maturity when he realizes that his task in life is to cultivate his own potentialities and to reply wholly on his own innate divine powers. "Insist on yourself;never imitate. Yo ur own gift you canpresent every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation.”"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Not hing c an bring you peace butthe tr iumph of principles.” “T rus t thyself; every heart vibrates to that ironstr ing.” Emerson accepts the basic truthof mysticism that spiritual laws are thefoundation of our universe.

The mystic note is sounded even moreclearly in his poems. You remember thewell-known Brahma which is really apoetic rendering of a passage in the

Bhagavadgit a.

"If the red slayer think he slaysOr if the slain think he is slain.

They know not well the subtle ways1keep, and pass, and then turn again"

According to Dr. Bucke, that profound student of illumination, bothEmer son and Wal t Whi tman had ex perienced Cosmic Consciousness. W al tWhi tman 's emphasis on Brotherhood

and Comradeship, on the greatness lat ent in the common man, on “ the divineaverage” is the typical mystic doctrineof the oneness of all life and the divinity latent in every living creature. Tohim there was no near or far or greator small. He identified himself withevery human being, no matter how undeveloped and primitive. T ha t he wasaware of his illumination is evidencedin these lines:

"Darest thou now, O Soul,Walk out with me toward the unknown

region.

W he re neither ground is for the feet norany path to follow?”

Similar themes appear in the essaysof Will iam James. Ever y man has powers of which he is for the most part unaware. He is like the iceberg, two-thirds of which is subme rged . He doesnot use a fraction of his potential ener

gies. It take s a crisis to reveal to himwha t he is capabl e of achieving. Hispragmatism takes its name from his insistence on demonstration.

Many other American writers havebeen inspired by mystic truths. You arefamiliar with Nautil us by Ol iver Wen-del Holmes which refers to reincarnat ion. Edwin Markham in T h e M a n with the Hoe expresses the thought thatman is responsible for his fellowman.You recall these stirring lines:

"O masters, lords and rulers in all lands,Is this the handiwork you give to God,This monstrous thing distorted and soul-

quenched?”

P r of e ss o r H o c k i n g i n h i s v o l u m e .Types o f Phi losophy points out in thechapter of Mysticism that the greatest

humanitar ians and reformers in theworld are found in the ranks of themystics. The mystic philosophy fur nishes a powerful stimulus to action,and its truest representatives have beencourageous, independent leaders and

teachers.

When we think of the typical Ameri can, we think of men like BenjaminFranklin, a public-spirited citizen, interested in every phase of the life of thecommunity. W e think of experimenterslike Luther Burbank, inventors like

Thomas Edison, immigrants l ike JacobRiis, negroes l ike Booker T. Washing

ton, and statesmen l ike Abraham Lincoln, a man who rose from poverty yetremained a son of the people. W e think of the men who dedicated their geniusand their lives to the service of the nat ion. Ou r great Americans have comefrom every racial stock in the world.In the democratic tradition there hasbeen no emphasis on race or blood, nodiscrimination as to color, sect. or creed.

The mystic philosophy is truly American. Remarks abou t alien philosophies,quietistic and pessimistic in trend, unsuited to the tempo of the twentieth cen

tury and the strenuous demands of ourage, are mere twaddle, revealing abysmal ignorance. Read the Gathas of Zoroaster . They emphasize action asthe bas is o f the good life •— goodthoughts, good words, and good deeds.Read Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, read the Psalms, read the Prophets. Action is the the me—r ighte ous

[ 391 ]



T h e

Rosic ruc ian

D ig es t

N o v e m b e r

1 9 4 3

ness and social justice are not the debased and spurious brand that were

broadcasted from Royal Oak, Michigan.Read the Sermon on the Mount . The

divinity of the common man is stressed;the virtues of kindness and gentlenessand humility are emphasi zed; not raceand blood, not noble birth or wealth.The theme of Christ iani ty, the theme of every true religion, the heart of mysticism, is the life of love. An d th e life of love is the life of action . Ho w can lovebe manifest if not through forgiveness,refusal to harbor resentment , refusal tobe swayed by prejudice, refusal to participate in movements stirring up strifeand racial and religious antagonism?Democracy may permit every arrantknave to bray aloud his asininity, butperfect love pays no heed and makesevery effort to prevent the poison fromspreading.

The genuine mystic docs not fleefrom life, does not seek escape fromreality, does not shun his fellowman.and does not shrink from assuming responsibility. He who . as a result of hismystic studies, loses touch with his fel-lowmen or loses interest in the pursuitof wisdom has misinterpreted the mysticphilosophy. Th e aim of mysticism is to

make the human being a complete andperfect man. self-directive, able to exercise initiative, every faculty alert, andable to work harmoniously with hisfellowman for the welfare of society.Mysticism deplores the rugged individualist whose motive is only self-interest.Mysticism deplores the corporate stateidea which strips man of his individuality, which subordinates him wholly tothe ends of a warl ike, predatory state ,and which reduces him to a robot, a cogin a soulless machine. Th e leader inmysticism is never a dictator, a brute,a bully, or a neurotic. Th e leade r in

mysticism is a servant of the people, aman of compassionate understanding,an inspiration and an example to allgenerations. Th e song of hate is nevera msytic song. Hab its like refrainin g

from eating of meat, the drinking of

wine, and the smoking of tobacco may

be laudatory, but are not the primary

qualifications of a mystic.

Let us sum up the basic truths of the

Rosicrucian phil osop hy of life. W e

teach the oneness of all life. W e teachthe fatherhood of God and the brother

hood of man. W e teach the perfecthuman being, the man of balance, whoseheart and head and hand work together.He has manly strength and womanlycompassion . He exerts himself to theutmost so that he may be the most useful to his fell owman. He makes no distinction of race, creed, sect. or color.The sufferings of al l mankind are dearto him. He gives wha t he can to all.His life demonstrates the mystic teachings. Emerson sa id: " W ha t you a respeaks so loud that I cannot hear whatyou sa y. ” So is it with the true mystic.His actions reveal him and declare him.

W e preach the life of love and action.W e teach the myst ic li fe . W e kno w itis the truly Americ an W a y of life.

Friends, let us be loyal to the teachings of the Orde r. Marie Corel li in

L if e Ever la sti ng states that one of thegreatests obstacles in the path of thestud ent is the influence of others. Letus vow never to be swayed from thefollowing of our high ideals. Th e agemay be materialist ic. W e need notsuccumb. Th e age may be brutal . Letlove be our guide. There is a resurgenceof intense nat ional ism throughout the

world. W e can do our duty to the stateand yet rise above nationalism and loveal l mankind. W e can work for the fellowship of nat ions and a world federation of states. Th er e are times when tobe t rue to the highest within us we mustrun counter to the age in which we live.1 do not bel ieve that America today isbereft of ideals or vision or altruism.But those who believe in the reality of spiritual principles must assert theirconviction. A united spiritual front is

the need of the hour. Let us not be re

miss in this great task, O fellow wor k

ers. In the army of the Lord let us not

be the lagga rds in the rear. Whe rev er

we are, let us take the lead in asserting

the spiritual life to be the truly Ameri

can life. Let us prov ide food for the

hungry, clothing for the naked, consola

t ion for the despairing and broken

hearted . Let us strive for peace. It is

our duty and our privi lege to demon

strate to the world that there are other

s tandards , other ways of thinking and

living, and nobler ideals.

r '92 ]



Occult Sciences of Ancient Egypt


T he

Ros icrucian

D ig est

D ecem ber

1 9 4 3

G Y P T w a s an i m

m ens e l y ( w ea l t hyc o u n t r y , a n d i t

may be a per t inentq u e s t i o n t o a s k ,whence came th i s

enormous weal th?W e k n o w t h a t

mines were work e d f o r g o l d a n dsi lver , tha t t r ibuteswere exacted f rom

s u b j u g a t e d n a t ions , and tha t a

goodly sum was der ived f rom the f isher ies. Ye t all these sources could notproduce a t i the of her year ly r evenue.Enough w as s pen t upon pub l i c deco r a t ion to bank rupt a s t a t e . Eg yp t wasyel low with gold, which became the

cause for i t s des t ruct ion. Besides thethousands of her toys , jewels , s tatuesand ar t objects of the sol id metal , we

learn that the sculptures on lof ty wal ls ,the ornaments of a colossus , the door

ways of temples , the caps of obel isks ,par t s of numerous l arge monuments ,and even the roofs of palaces and the

bodies of mummies were covered wi th

gold leaf.

The s t a tue of Minerva , s ent to Cy-rene by Amasis , and the sphinx at the

pyramids are ins tances . W ere , then , the

learned pri est s M A K ER S of gold? Inthe reign of the Emperor Dioclet ian, theEgypt i ans r ebel l ed agains t Rome, andfor nine years did not lack money to

carry on the war . St ruck by thei r r iches ,

the Emperor ins t i tu t ed a s t r i c t s earchthroughout the l and fo r a ll w rit in g s on alchemu. The s e books he o r de r ed t o be

burnt , noping thus to des t roy the secre tof Eg yp t’s weal th.

I t i s useless to deny to these s t rangedwel lers in the old temples , a ski ll an d a

know l edge f a r beyond ou r ow n , and

which we can only wonder a t and imi tate, not equal . M agic in i ts highes tsense was par t of the dai ly l i fe of theEgypt i an pr inces .

Pla to , we know, s tudied wi th these

pr ies t s. Lecky te ll s us th a t “whenev erhi s phi losophy has been in the ascendant i t has been accompanied by a t endency to mag ic . ” Thi s magic was prac

t iced by the pr ies ts in diverse ways ,some of which we can only guess a t .They were seer s , c l a i rvoyant s , d iv iner s

and d r eam er s o f d r eam s. T he y unde r s tood and manipula ted the subt l es t

proper t ies of mat t er. N o wond er theywere not as toni shed a t the exhib i t ions

of Moses , who had l earned a l l he knew

in their temples.

In thei r rel igious work s , vei led as theyare in symbolism, we discover a belief

in an al l -pervading, universal essence—call i t the astral ether, or psychic force,

or ”od,” or "b iogen” or “akas , " or whatyou will — from which em ana ted allthings , and which could be control led

and d i r ec ted by those who were in ins t ructed and otherwise proper ly qual i f ied. T h ey all believed in ghosts, andthat the l iving, under certain conditions,

[ 4 1 2 ]



could communicate wi th the souls of thedepar t ed .

Gera ld Massey, in d i scuss ing Egyp

tian terms, says that “all that is secret ,sacred, myst ical , the innermost of al lmys tery , apparent ly inc luding some re

lat ionship to, or communion with thedead, i s expres sed by the Egypt i anwo rd ‘Sh et’ and in speaking of sec

ond s ight or clai rvoyance, he assures usdis t inct ly that “the ancients were qui tefamil iar wi th this phenomena.”

N o one wh o impar t ia l ly examines themass of evidence der ived f rom Egypt ianand classic sources, can fail to be impres sed w i th t h e belief that the E g y p t ian pr ies ts were perfect ly famil iar wi th

al l classes of psychic phenomena, andthat they were also in possess ion of secrets per taining to the so-cal led exact

sciences, as well as of the occult , of which we today have very l i t t le knowledge . W e know o f a s u r e ty t ha t m anyof thei r ar ts are los t—perhaps beyondrecovery . W h en shall we equal them in

meta l lurgy? W h en wi l l we l earn howto impar t elas t ici ty to a copper blade,

or to make bronze chisels capable of hewing grani te? Wi lk inso n says , “W eknow of no means of t emper ing copper

under any form, or uni t ed wi th any a l loys, for such a purpo se” ; and adds ,“W e m us t con f es s t ha t the Egyp t i ans

appear to have possessed cer tain secretsfor hardening or temper ing bronze wi thwhich we are to ta l ly unacquain ted . "

Af ter f ive thousand year s have pass ed, the br i l l iancy of the colors used bythe Egypt i an ar t i s t r emains undimmed.A f t e r s even t hous and yea r s w e w onderat the durabi l i ty of thei r paper , and the

las t ing qual i t ies of thei r wafer- l ike cement. W e di s in ter the mummies which

have r es t ed undi s turbed s ince the pyra mids were bui l t—and examine the s t i l lperfect features , and the long hair , andthe teeth f i l led wi th gold ages ago by

Egyp t i an d e n t i st s — a n d we view withamazement the bandages a thousand

yards in length in which these forms are

swathed—and then we are obl iged toconfess tha t modern surgery cannotequal the bandaging; and medical a r t

and modern chemis t ry are mas ter s of nomeans by which a human body may bepreserved for f ive thousand years .

W he n w e have und is pu t ed ev idence

as to thei r achievements in these direc

t ions , i s i t the par t of wisdom to denyt ha t t hey m a y have possessed other ar tsa n d other sciences which we are unableto equal or approximate?

Let me answer the asser t ion that theEgypt i an pr i es t s were f r auds and char

latan s — deceivers of the people, wi lyt r icks ters , and the vicious worshippersof ma ny God s . In the f i rs t place, nonewere admit ted to the pr ies thood savesuch as were especial ly f i t ted by thei r

purity of l ife and holiness of aspiration.The ordeal s through which candidateswere obl iged to pass were very severe ,thei r l ives somet imes being exposed to

great danger . T he pr i es ts were humbleand se l f-denying and r emarkable for

s i m p l i c i t y a n d a b s t i n e n c e . P l u t a r c hspeaks of them as “giving themselves

up whol ly to s tudy and medi t a t ion ,hear ing and t eaching those t ru ths which

r ega r d t he div ine na ture .” T h e y t o o k great care to preserve f rom profanat ion

their secret r i tes , and excluded al l whowere considered unf i t to par t icipate insolemn ceremonies . Clem ent says theywere conf ined to those “W h o f rom theirwor th , l earn ing and s t a t ion were deemedwo r thy of so grea t a pr iv i l ege .” N or

was there mot ive, ei ther for gain orreputat ion . Al l the great pr ies ts, schol ars and sages could be, i f they so des i red , sup por ted by the Sta te — ample

accommodat ion being provided for themwithin the temple precincts , where inquiet , ease and ret i rement , they could

pursue thei r deep researches and subt le

exper iments in secret sciences .

They w er e w or s h i ppe r s o f on l y oneGod, whose very name was so sacred i twas , according to Herodotus , unlawful

to ut ter ; an d thei r var ious divini ties butpersonif ied some form of the divine at

t r ibutes . In terb lended an d in ter -depend-ent we f ind Egypt i an sc ience and r e l i g ion . T o under s t and one we cannot r e

main ignorant of the o ther . T o theEgypt i an h i s r e l ig ion was everyth ing .He regarded h i s abode upon ear th as

bu t a s ho r t j ou r ney upon t he pa t hw ay

of eternal li fe. T o the futu re which

st retched before him, he turned wi th

hope and longing. He d id not be l ieve

that when his shor t l i fe closed, physical

exi s tence was ended. Aga in and again ,

his rel igion taught , he would return to

ear th to work out in higher forms his

[ 4 1 3 ]



spiritual salvation. This doctrine of reincarnation, has been generally grosslymisunderstood by writers who have attempted to explain it. W ith this belief was connected the doctrine of the “cycleof necessity.” Can our Egyptologistssa y what this cycle was, or what it sig

nified, and can they further tell whatthe winged scarabi of Egypt symbolized? Th ey cannot tell us these thingsany more than they can explain the septenary composition of man or his triunecharacter, or interpret the “unpronounc-able” name which Herodotus dared notdisclose.

The ethics taught in the MysterySchools of Egypt was singularly pureand exalted. They believed not only inthe negative virtues but the positivealso, and a moral life, “a life of holinessand beneficence, was conceived of as

being a matter of solemn obligation tothe Deity himself.” The highest principles alone were inculcated, and alwaysin the heart of the Egyptian priest weretreasured the words of his great example — the noble prince and moralist —-Amenhotep: ‘‘Mind thee of the daywhen thou too shall start for the land

to which one goeth to return not thence.Good for thee will have been a goodlife. Therefore be just and hate iniquity,for he who doeth what is right shalltriumph.”

Have modern scholars a surer guideto honor and uprightness than the old

Egyptian Initiate? Have we any rightto utter words of censure and condemnation? Ancient Egypt is gone, herpriests have passed away, and buriedwith them in the recesses of impenetrable tombs is much of her wisdom, hermagic and her glory. Her greatness hasindeed passed away. Of her religionand science there has been preservedmuch more than which modern scienceis aware. It is preserved in the archivesof certain societies, and will be revealedin due time when the world is ready toreceive it. Notw ithstanding the fulfill

ment of the dark prophetic words of oneof her greatest priests: ‘‘O Egypt, of thyreligion there will remain nothing butuncertain tales which will be believed nomore by posterity,” much of the purestand best of her science, philosophy andreligion will in due time be presented tothe world.

V V V

Prescribed thinking tow ard a W orld Peace—there is but one race and that isman; there is but one creed and tha t is love; there is but one freedom and

that is conformity to the law.''Anonymous.

The

Rosicrucian

D ig est

Decem ber

1 9 4 3

O U R H E R I T A G E F R O M H I S T O R Y

In view of the traditional beginning of this organization in Egypt, many members are

interested in the history and think ing of the civilizations of the Nile in ancient times. To

provide a historical background for our members and those interested in ancient history,

the Supply Bureau has three of the best books published in single volumes on these sub

jec ts. Yo u will en jo y ad ding th is ba ck grou nd of an an cien t civiliz ation to yo ur lib rary.

Order from the Supply Bureau one or all of the following three books by eminent authori

ties on ancient civilization. Th e books available at the prese nt time are: “Th e History

of Egy pt" by James Henry Breasted, price $7.50, postpaid; "T he D awn of Conscious"

by James Henry Breasted, price $3.00, postpaid, and the latest book of Dr. Georg Stein-

dorff, entitled, "W hen Eg yp t Ruled the East," price $4.00, postpaid. Dr. Steindorff is

considered one of the greatest living authorities on Egypt, and is consultant for the

Rosicrucain Egyptian Oriental Museum.

[ 4 1 4 ]



SANCTUM MUSINGS

THE AGE-OLD PROBLEM

B y T h o r K i i m a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

T h e

R o s ic ru c ia n

D ig e s t

J u ly

1 9 4 7

h e t h i n k i n g m an haslooked upon life as thegreatest problem of theages. The origin and dest iny of man have beenof absorbing in teres t .W h e n c e ? W h a t? A ndwhither? These questionshave been the pursuit of

the best minds of all climes, classes,and conditions.

Researches into the archaeologicaland ethnological archives that belong tounrecorded times indicate that prehistoric man had his mental or religiousobservances and was interested, as wereall succeeding generations, in problemsof hum an existence. Throu gh the remnants found in excavations we havebeen able to follow the developmentof man’s thinking throughout the ages.

In his quest for knowledge, man hasever found himself upon the borderlandof the great Universe, the hidden recesses of which m ust be p enetrated, an d

its mysteries unveiled, before he canhope to solve the p roblems of life. Hispersistent digging and delving intoevery department of the visible worldhas provided us with a most wonderfultreasury of facts, teem ing w ith valuabledeductions and applications, yet we stillgrope in the darkness of the Unknown,but not Unknowable in so far as humannecessity may apply.

The one great discovery of sciencethat bears upon the solution of the .problem of human destiny, is the general uniform and orderly mode of theoperation of natural forces in everydepa rtment of Na ture. This mode of working constitutes what we comprehensively term as Natural Laws, andthey operate on the largest or smallestscale with the same uniform results.We can discover these laws only by

their effects in the objective world.They belong to the invisible World of Causes and manifest themselves in thevisible Wo rld of Effects. To un de rstand their mode of working on thehuman plane is to be able to co-operate with them for our own elevation,and thus determine our own destiny.

In h is struggle for existence, man, theself-conscious head of organic Nature,entered upon his career with dualequipment: a body, which connectedhim with the earth and all the forms of life below him; and a soul, which con

nected him with the invisible world of great potential forces from which, inharmony with its laws, he could drawthe sustenance to gratify his unlimitedaspiration. Therefore, he is not onlythe product and master of the earth,but also the legitimate heir of that infinite and eternal supply, for all hiswants, which exists in the invisibleWorld of Causation, and to which this

[ 2 3 4 ]



objective World of Effects is subordinate. Man is the self-conscious li n tbetween the two. He began at the bottom, on the material plane of self-conscious life, and by the inherent force

of his own mental constitution andspiritual aspirations he is on the way totne top, ever rising, through manifoldexperiences , a l i t t l ehigh er toward the goalof his ideal aspiration.The mind of man isthe intermediary between the soul andbody, receiving inspiration from the invisible World of Causesand expressing themin the material Worldof Effects.

All that has everb e e n e v o l v e d f r o mm atter m ust have beenoriginally involved init, and came from therealm of the Invisible.This is the source of the infinite, eternalsupply for every wantwhich finds expressionin accordance withnatu ral law. M atter,as it appears to theobject ive vis ion, i sonly one form of uni

versal substance. Allthe grea t , potent i a lforces of Nature belong to the InvisibleWo rld. W e see theearth bare and bleak in the winter, arrayedin living green in thespring, and in thesummer and autumn,we gather the goldenh a r v e s t w h i c h h a sbeen evolved from theInvisible by the op eration of its poten t forces. Ev ery form of life we see around us, both vegetableand animal, will soon return to the invisible world of great potential forcesand give place to other forms whichwill be evolved from the same source of infinite, eternal supply. Life is indestructible, and the body of man issubject to the natural law of change.We must finally give up the worn-out

t m

B y E r w i n W . E . W a t er m e y e r ,

M . A ., F .B . C .D i r e c t o r , A M O R C T e c h n i c a l D e p t .

• A c c o r d i n g t o t h e l a t e s t i n v e s t i g a t i o n s c a r r i e d o u t b y P r o f e s s o rA r t h u r H o l m e s , m e m b e r o f t h eD e p a r t m e n t o f G e o lo g y o f th eE d i n b u r g h U n i v e r s i t y , t h e a g e o f t he e a r t h i s now be l i e ve d t o bei n t he ne i ghb orho od o f 3350 m i l l i on ye a r s !

• P h o t o g r a p h s t a k e n f r o m a n a l t i t ud e o f a p prox i m a t e l y 500 ,000 f e e tw i th a n a u t o m a t ic c a m e r a a t t a c he d t o a V-2 t ype o f roc ke ti n d i c a t e c l e a r l y t h a t t h e s u r f a c eof t he e a r t h i s c onve x .

• A R u s s i a n sc i e n t i s t has s uc c e e de di n t r a n s p l a n t i n g a li v i n g h e a r tf r o m t h e b o d y o f o n e f ro g t oa n o t h e r . T h e s u c c e s s o f th i s e x p e r i m e n t o p e n s n e w v i s t a s i n t ot h e f u t u r e o f s u r g e r y , n a m e l y ,t h e p o s s i b i li ty o f r e p l a c e m e n t o f

d e t e r i o r a t e d v i t a l o r g a n s .• I t h a s b e e n d i s co v e r e d t h a t t h eb l ue c o l o r o f t he oc e a n i s c a us e db y m y r i a d s o f e x t r e m e l y t i n y ,dus t l i ke pa r t i c l e s — i nv i s i b l e e ve nu n d e r o r d i n a r y m i c r o s c o p e s —w h i c h a r e s u s p e n d e d t h r o u g h o u tt h e w a t e r . W h i te s u n l i g h t i s am i x t u r e o f t h e s e v e n c o l o r s o f t h e sp e c t r u m . W h e n s u c h l i g h ts h i n e s u p o n a n d p e n e t r a t e s t h ew a t e r , t h e n t h e s e p a r t ic l e s r e f le c tl i g h t , m u c h li k e a m i r r o r . I n a s m u c h a s s a l t w a t e r h a s t h ep r o p e r t y o f a b s o r b i n g t h e r e d ,o ra nc re , a nd ye l l ow ra ys , t he c o l o ro f t he r e f l e c t e d l i gh t w i l l be am i x t u r e n( pre e n , b l ue . Ind i go ,a nd v i o l e t , wh i c h i ri ves t he oc e a ni t s c h a r a c t e r i s ti c b l u e - g r e e n c o lo r .

body and in time, again pass throughmaterial birth and activity. Activityand rest, activity and rest, is nature’slaw of subsistence.

As in this objective world we have

only a resemblance or a photograph, inits material forms, of the reality thatexists in the Invisible, so in the World

of Man every formthat his hand fashionsm ust be first conceivedin the hidden recessesof his mind. Eve ryhum an achievement of the past and present,all the wonderful inventions of moderntimes, which enable usto work with the forcesof Nature as tireless

s e r v a n t s— th e a ir plane, the railroad,the radio, the telegraph, the telephone,the steamer and theprinting press, books,n o u s e s , u t e n s i l ? ,c l o t h e s , t o o l s , a n devery article of necessity, comfort and lux-uiy, which ministersto our needs and gratifies our t a s t e s—allhave taken form inthe unseen mind of man before they appeared in the objectivew o r l d of existence.Thus all things evolvef r o m t h e u n s e e nWrorld.

This great Invisiblerealm is the infinite,i n e x h a u s t i b l e , a n deternal source of supply for every humanwant, and upon whichman is permitted todraw, in accordance

with natural law and his understand-ing, not only for the sustenance andcomfort of the body, but also for everything that can be desired for the improvement of the mind, for the strengthening and upbuilding of his highermoral and spiri tual character, and forthe gratification of our highest andholiest aspirations. The sup ply is un limited and adapted to the most press

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ing needs, but i t can be drawn upononly in accordance with the fundamental laws of human progress, as illustrated in the history of the race and

expressed and defined in the constitut ion of the human mind.

Every improvement in the conditionof the human race has been the resultof thought, stimulated into action byenvironments. Prim eval m an felt theneed of something more than his nakedhands with which to defend himself,and as he thought out this problem of his environment he learned to use clubsand slingstones, and late r to make stoneaxes, bows and arrows, spears and flintknives. He first lived in caves, bu t asnumbers increased he had to think

again, and there resulted from histhinking the primitive hut, built of stones, and cemented with clay.

Thus, at every step of his progress,his necessities have set m an to thinking,and through his thoughts he has successfully drawn on the infinite supplyof the Unseen and satisfied his wants.So it has ever been from earlv ages tothe present time, and so it must evercontinue to be. M an can save himself from the adverse conditions of his environments and improve his condition,physically and morally, only by think-ing.

The all- important element in humanprogress is first to cultivate the powerto think—logically, candidly, and earnestly—and then consistently act according to the best thought that is reached,regardless of custom, church, or creed.Jesus gave expression to this axiomatictruth when he said: “As a man think-eth in his he art, so is he.” History an dscience confirm the truth of this affirmation. All that m an has attainedto, has come as the embodied result of his thinking; and when right thinkingresults in right acting the outcome is

all-sufficient. Th e true con cept of w ha t

we ought to be, united with the moralcourage to act in obedience to our requirements, will surely open the unseenstorehouse of infinite and eternal sup

ply to the aspiring and earnest soul.Human growth is in the direction of

our m ental ideals—tha t which w e reallydesire to be. The more exalted ourideals are, the more exalted will be thecha racter tha t we develop. If our idealsare pure, we will build up a fine personality, and it is equally true that if our thoughts are low we will develop avicious person ality. As we thin k, sowill we be. The refore, if we wouldelevate ourselves, we must cultivatelofty and pure ideals of what we desireto be. Since enviro nm ents stimu lateour faculties into activity, it follows,

as a logical sequence, that if we wouldelevate common humanity, we mustlabor to establish such environments astend to stimulate into activity thehigher faculties of the mind and soulof the ordinary man.

If we would reform and elevate ourfellow beings, we must work in harmony with the natural laws of humandevelopment, beginning with the environments which stimulate thoughtand mold character. Lo fty ideals, keptbefore the minds of the people, preparethe way to their realization, just assoon, and in such degree, as ethicalteachers and those who work unselfishly among the people are brought tounderstand the fundamental laws of hu m an progress. Th e coming state andcommunity will abolish poverty and allits natural consequences of disease, ignorance, vice and crime, by creatingpublic environments in which practicalrighteousness will be placed directly inthe line of least resistance—which theaverage human nature is inclined tofollow. Th is w'ork mu st be inau gura tedby those individuals who rise superiorto debasing influences and who fully

sympathize with the weak and helpless.

T h e

R o s ic ru c ia n

D ig e s t

J u ly

1 9 4 7

F R E N C H R O S I C R U C I A N B O OK

A French edi t ion of the popular book Se l f M as tery and Fate wi th the Cyc les o f L i fe is now avai lable. I t is a complete unabridged translat ion, printed in P aris , containingal l charts and diagrams. W e have a l imited nu m ber in stock for members and fr iends.Very excel lent ly printed, pa pe rbo un d. Priced at o nly $1.50, postpaid. Order d irect lyfrom the Rosicrucian Supply Bureau in San Jose.

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A m e r i c a n C o n s c i o u s n e s s , T h e /0 -41-328A m e r i c a n P h i l o s o p h y o f L i f e , A n /I -4 3 -3 9 0

A n c i e n t S y m b o l i s m ^ «- / X'S2 -4 2 “_-

A r t i s t r y o f L i v i n g , T h d * ' 4 2 - 3 4 ; - 2 : 2 - 7 5 ; 4 2 - - 1 0 9 ;^ 4 2 - 1 5 2 * / ' 4 2 - 1 9 4 ;*( 4 3 - 1 1 3 * > “ 4 3 - 1 8 8

B i b l e o f M a n k i n d , T h e / - 4 0 -4 5 3

B r o t h e r h o o d s - 57--274;s-4 1 -1 5 0

C h r i s t m a s S p i r i t , ‘T h e u -5 9 -4 0 7

C o m i n g A g e , T h e ii-4 1 -3 7 9

C o m m o n M i s c o n c e p t i o n s H-37-387

E d u c a t i o n 7*41-217E m o t i o n a l C o n t r o l i 4 3 -2 GO

E t e r n a l Q u e s t i o n , T h e 7-41-291G e t t i n g A l o n g i n L i f e i'57 -96K o a l t h a n d R i & ’ h t L i v i n g 7 -4 2 -3 1 1I s p c a c c P o s s i b l e ? ) -38-G.?

K e e p Y o u r F e e t o n t h e G r o u n d '•* 36 -3 91K n o w l e d g e o f S e l f r/ ‘1-3-2 95; 1-3-330L o s t H o r i z o n , T h e / *38-473M e m o r i e s o f t h e L o n g A g o 7-39-^03M i s c o n c e p t i o n s /- 37-44GM y s t i c ' r a y , T h e — A R e v i e w fa-39-174N e e d o f t h e H o u r , T h e j- 4 0 -7 3O c c u l t F o r c e s i n M u s i c , T h e r 38 -286O c c u l t S c i e n c e s o f A n c i e n t 2 g y p t (J- 43 -4 1 2

O u r A c t i v i t y r 43 -452O u r D e m o c r a c y f - 39-130

/ ^ b u r Y o u t h G r o u p s / - 39-447. O u r W o m a n h o o d ^ 41-412

P h i l o s o p h i c a l V i e — o f A l c h e m y , A ,1-42-427P l a n n i n g Y o u r L i f e JL- 37-29P r a y e r ,--41-474P r e d e s t i n a t i o n - 43 -14• . i u e s t o f C o s m i c C o n s c i o u s n e s s , T h e i- 41 -19 2R e i n c a r n a t i o n x -4 1 -2 7R o m a n c e o f L o v e , T h e ¥ -39-89R o s i c r u c i a n B e h a v i o r i s m 7-38-234R o s i c r u c i a n C i t i z e n , T h e /-4 2 -4 7 4R o s i c r u c i a n p s y c h o l o g y 4 3 -6 8R o s i c r u c i a n V i e v n o i n t , T h e 7 -4 3 -2 2 7S e c r e t o f N u m b e r s , T h e i - 3 : - 2 eS i r F r a n c i s B a c o n i r 42-372S o u l D e v e l o p m e n t *34 0 -4 5 2S p i r i t u a l O u t l o o i c , T h e 4 2 -2 3 0

T r i a l s o f L i f e , T h e 5 " - 4 3 - 1 5 1v - e M u s t S t a n d A l o n e 1-33-52Y J h o I s A M y s t i c ? j 41 -5 7Y o u t h a n d O l d A g e lo-42-354

musings along the mystic way

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