rosicrucian digest, november 1942

8/12/2019 Rosicrucian Digest, November 1942

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DICES!


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C H R I S T M A S S E A L S( In Colors )

C| These Rosicrucian Seals areabout the size of a twenty-five-c e n t p i e c e , a n d b e a ut if ul lyprinted in red and embossed ingold. Each Seal is gummed andtherefore easily attached to packages or letters. The symbol andname of the Order are artistically presented. They are economically priced at

O n ly 5 0 fFor Package of 100

- - - A nd By I his SignShall They Be Known

W / E T H IN K in terms of pic tu re s. O u r id eas are no t co mpo sed W of mere angle s, st ra ig h t line s, or cubes, but are th e complete

mental forms of things we have heard, seen, tasted, felt, or smelled. A tb in g ne ed no t a lw a y s be se en in its en ti re ty to su gge st its co m -plete nature to us. O ne sno wfla ke can conv ey the idea of a storm,a flag can signify the nation it represents, and the appearance ofone uniformed police officer denotes the forces of law and order.One little sign or symbol, simple, even inconspicuous, can byassociation bring to the fore of human consciousness a vast and

detailed mental picture of that which it represents. A handsome, ye t sm all , C h ri st m as S e a l of ten can ar ouse more cu ri os ity b y theimaginative picture it creates in the mind than a long letter orpersuasive argument.

Provoke thought about, and interest in, the Rosicrucian Orderby affixing to your Christmas packages and envelopes containing your G re e ti n g C a rd s, one or more o f the a t t rac t ive Ros ic rucSea l s . N eat an d colorful, they draw the eye and focus the attentionon the name and symbol of the Order, and they may result in ad irec t inqu i ry abou t A M O R C . Enhance the appearance of yourChristmas mail with these seals, and at the same time further thename and purpose o f A M O R C . W r i t e fo r a package today. Send

your or de r and re m it ta nce to:

ROSICRUCIAN SUPPLY BUREAUS A N J O S E , C A L I F O R N I A , U . S . A .

T H E I N S T I T U T I O N B E H I N D T H I S A N N O U N C E M E N


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G U A R D I A N O F T H E S A C R E D F L A M E

Since time immemorial, fire has been a symbol of the mighty forces and divine purpose in the universe.To the Zoroastrians, it was the earthly manifestation of the "heavenly light. In ancient Attica, it burnedperpetually in every temple under the aegis of the Goddess Hestia. In Rome, a temple to the GoddessVesta was erected, in which chosen, chaste maidens in idealistic surroundings cared for the Sacred Fire,emblematic of the divine flame which burns within each man's breast. Tod ay in every Rosicrucian templeand lodge room, this symbol of the Sacred Flame is perpetuated. It depicts the light of understandingand the ever-burning zeal of righteousness. Ritualistically it is tended by young girls, daughters of Rosi-crucians of excellent repute, who ceremonially are known as Colombes. Above, the Supreme Colombe,Marjorie Nylin, is shown depicting an historical rite within the Supreme Temple of the RosicrucianOrder, AMORC.

(Courtesy of the Rosicrucian Digest.)


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D O W E L IV E IN V A I N -

O r R ,etuA + i A


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ROSICRUCIAN DIGESTC O V E R S T H E W O R L D

NOVEMBER, 1942

Guard ian of the Sacred F lame (Frontispiece)Thought of the Month: W ha t of Tomorrow?The Source of Divine EssenceOccult Enigmas ........... .. ...... -.............. -............................Sir Francis Bacon .....................................................................Prerequisites o f InspirationPages from the Past : Our Rosicrucian HeritageCathedra l Contac t s : Purpose and BalanceRoads

Journeys in th e Es ot er ic : Part I

Do You Appreciate Music? . . . . . ...

.................................Man Has Reversed The Divine EquationShall W e G o To W a r? ... .. .. .. .Sanctum Musings: Laws of LifeA Monument to Pillage (Illustration) ....

Subscription to the Rosicrucian Digest, Three Dollars per year. Singlecopies twenty-five cents.

Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office at San Jose, California, under Section I 103 of the U .S . Postal Ac t of O ct . 3, 1917.

Changes of address must reach us by the tenth of the month precedingdate of issue.

Statements made in this publication are not the official expressions ofthe organization or its officers unless stated to be official communications.

Published Monthly by the Supreme Council of

T HE R O SI C RU C I AN O R D E R A M O R CR O S I C R U C I A N PA RK S A N J O S E . C A L I F O R N I A


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T H E

THOUGHT OF THE MONTHW H AT O F TO M O R R O W ?

By THE IMPERATOR

T h e fo ll o w in g is th e s ix th in a b r ie f se ri es o f a rt ic le s b y R al p h M. L e w is , F. R . C. , onthe changes today ' s in te rna t ional involvement wi l l p roduce in the wor ld in the near fu ture .He wi l l p ro jec t an out l ine o f the e ffec ts cur rent events wi l l have on na t ions and on theminds, l ives, and customs of the people who liv e in them. In pre sagin g these events, he isusing nothing m ore myste rious as an aid than a pencil , a wo rld map. the imm anent facultiesof observa t ion and abs t rac t ion , and an ana lys is of what he perce ives to be the presenttrends.

E D IT O R .

T h eRos ic ruc ianDiges tN o v e m b e r 1942

E L I G I O N w illh a v e a s t r o n gr iva l fo r i t s appeal to the spiritual nature of manafter the conclusion of the present world conflict.The state will attempt an aspectof that instruction

w h i c h i s n o wconsidered almostthe exclusive do

main of the church.The world has many times experienced a state religion. There are numerous examples in history of the stateapotheosizing certain actual beings orlegendary ones and compelling worshipof them. Th e pharaohs of Egyp t andthe kings of ancient Sumer were thefirst to proclaim official gods for publicacceptance. T h e Roman Emperor Justinian suppressed the Hellenic philosophies and established Christianity asthe authoritative religion of the Romanstate. Also today, in Europe, a nationhas deified its political system to thepoint of a form of state worship.

However, the post-war status of established religion will be entirely different than these cited examples. The statewill not supplant the church as in thepast, neither will it absorb the powersof the church, as the latter has often

mimicked and usurped the functions othe state. T h e modern state will cotinue to look upon the church and region. in principle, as an essential quisite of civilization. Consequently, tchurch, as an institution, will continto enjoy that freedom it has hthroughout most of the civilized worl

However, the church or religion wbe evaluated by the state, not in termof its purpose, but to the extent of tthe effects that purpose has on societThe state will realize that notwithstaning religions claims to extensive me

bership in the Western World, moral influence upon the people is neligible. The state will rightly reasthat the church's most valuable contbution to society is its quickening of tindividual's moral discernment. All elwhich religion expounds such as tdoctrines of creation, eschatology. aimmortality, the state will consider domatic creeds. T o the state, such crewill have little or no influence upon tcharacter of the citizenry; in otwords, whether one believes he mufirst reside in purgatory after death, bfore attaining a divine existence, or wfind perfection within himself, are cocepts which will affect ones conduct society but slightly.

The state will take the position tin most religions the content of mand ethics has been confounded by ing woven in a maze of liturgies a


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dogmas. For the awakening of themoral sense and to learn the value ofethics, religion requires one to accept itscreeds, by which the former are approached. In other words, for a comprehension of moral values and a development of the individuals responseto them, religion first requires a longecclesiastical preparation and an allegiance to a creed. The state, therefore will affirm that since millions ofpeople cannot intellectually, for onereason or another, embrace such church-ianity, they become morally destitute.The sum and substance of the state'sposition in the future will be that in -struction in morals and ethics must become more accessible and understandable to the masses of the people. Th eprogressive nation will hereinafter consider it its duty to make this possible.

W he re as religion and much philosophy affirm that the individuals moralsense is divinely prompted, the statewill begin with the fact that man possesses such an attribute regardless ofthe theories of its origin. In otherwords, the state will not enter into thecontroversy as to the abstract origin ofmans ability to discern a good and anevil in human conduct. It will recognize

that these concepts apparently springfrom an admixture of his intellectual,and what the state will choose to callhis emotional, nature. T o the state,then, good conduct and moral standards will fa ll in to the category of thescience of p sycholo gy . Th e state willtherefore have these human qualities accelerated by means of certain methodsand practices, as part of its program ofsocial welfare. It will be realized that astate which must compel a support ofmoral idealism by might, that is, by thepenalty of the law, is weak. No nation

is stronger than the voluntary publicsupport of its citizens. W he n increasing compulsion of obedience to law isrequired it signifies that there is eithera degradation of the people as a whole,or the law fails to rightly express publicdesire.

The content of good, the theories ofwhich began in philosophy, has a psychological root, which the state willrecognize and develop. T he notion ofthe good of anything exists first in whatwe perceive to be the fulfillment of its

nature; second, the real value of thatthing to ourselves. Th us , for example,a horse is g oo d if he is a strong, draftanimal or a fast racing steed. If he isthese things, he is fulfilling our understanding of the nature and function ofa horse. Fo r further example, a bookis good if we personally find it usefuland enjoyable.

The state w ill recognize that the average man and woman, regardless of theirsocial background, have such ethicalconceptions of the good and of the badas these examples. In fact, no individualcould be entirely devoid of them. However, the problem exists in the fact thatthis ethical good does not always conform to the moral good . When, for further example, the individual commits adeed which may result in a good to him,but an injury to another, we then havea moral evil or wrong. It is obvious,therefore, that moral discernment isvery important. Eth ics as used in thesense of good and evil, as shown, hasstrictly a personal content, and is verygross in its appeal. Mora l acts, however, appear to have an impersonal basis. W e speak the truthwhy? W erefrain from the theft of anothers property why? W e abuse no weaker personwhy? Each of these acts of commission or restraint takes into consideration others than ourselves.

I think it will be agreed that moralitymanifests as virtuous acts. Virtuousacts in turn consist of that conduct forwhich self has sentiment. In otherwords, there are acts which are motivated by our minds, not by our passionsand our appetites, and which we fe e l are good . These feeli ngs o f goodn ess are the sentiments. W h at causes self toadjudge certain acts as good? Let usconsider the negative aspect of this

question first. Things or conditionswhich attack and tend to disrupt or destroy the very existence of our life andits inherent functions cause us to havean instinctive repugnance and avoidance of them. Consequently, acts whichwe institute, the results of which arefamiliar to us, and which cause othersto experience the same instinctive disturbance of their well being, by thesympathetic power of suggestion, causeour own inner beings to rebel againstthem. Such acts we morally designate


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T h e Rosicrucian Digest November 1942

as wrong. Conv ersely, then, those actswhich, if extended toward ourselveswould further us, when we think ofthem in relation to others, cause us tohave the sentiments the feeling ofgoodness of satisfaction.

The basis, then, of moral impulse is

to d o as you would be. done by. Everyact which we are about to commit, ifits probable effect upon others is knownto us, causes us inherently and sympathetically to respond to it to some degree, as if it were perpetrated againstourself. This sympathetic moral response exists in every human being, butthe more profane and objective the environment and coarse the heredity of theindividual, the less is his subjective response, the moral impulse. For example,whereas one individual may be quiteconscious of moral turpitude in the dispassionate killing of another human, hemight be quite morally undisturbed bythe telling of a lie which would seriously damage the reputation of another.The more animalistic the life of a human, the more primitive the moral discernment. The individual becomes conscious only of such suggestions to themoral sense as amount to acts of intense physical hurts to others. Th osefiner sensibilities that would respond tosuch hurts to self esteem, as come frommisrepresentation of character, the reflections upon the integrity, do not exist.

The self finds gratification in thatidealism which the mind can cultivate.Anything which shatters such idealismpains the selfit disturbs the harmonyof mind. A person who could experience a hurt by having aspersions castupon his idealism, can likewise morallydiscern as wrong such conduct of hisown which would so affect others. Themore sentiments which can be arousedwithin a man, that is, the more a feelingof good can be attributed to things asthey are related to se l f and his peace ofmind, the more expansive becomes hismoral sense. Appercep tion, or understanding enters into this moral sense aswell. On e must have the mental capacity to realize the outcome of his acts, sothat he may inwardly respond to them.If he cannot do this, he cannot experience the voice of conscience. Persons

with moral deficiency are frequendmorons and diseased of body and omind. Insa ne persons who had developed an excellent moral structure prioto their insanity will often continue tdisplay it so long as it remains a paof their subjective nature. A t still othtimes, insanity destroys the mentamechanism by which the moral impulsedirect the will.

How will the state or society methese conditions in the world followinthis war? It must begin with the childLittle or nothing can be done to quickean adults moral discernment, unless complete revision of his habits anways of living can be brought abouwhich would be a laborious ordeal. Ialmost all children, the emotions aespecially responsive, as psychologisknow. The psychic reactions of thenature are frequent, and facile. Th eexperience hate, love, jealousy, envfear, and compassion much more readily than the average adult. As thegrow older, they are often compelledfor various reasons, to suppress theemotions, even those which are said tbe virtuous. Conseq uently, their morafiber becomes inflexible. T he y becomas diffident about others as they ofteare towards that which affects theown lives intimately.

Through the public school system, bmeans of examples, the state will arouscompassion, pity, sympathy, and a sensof justice in the subliminal natures its child students. B y means of visueducation, they will see portrayed succonduct as will instinctively arouwithin them a sympathet ic feel ing the victims of misconduct. Likewisthey will responsively experience thhappiness and kindness of which thcharacters in the story are recipientThese will actually be moral lessInstruction in moral lessons, with thgiving of moral examples, is not newbut these will be based upon new psychological principles. Th er e will be attempt to rationalize them to the childthat is, to make out of them a meaninless ethical code of dos and dontswhich the child is now obliged to repeparrot-like. Rath er, the childs self


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tell him, by sensation, by intimate feeling. as related to his own well beingwhat is wrong and wha t is right. Theright will be that which he would wantto experience himself. T h e wrong willbe that which he would want to avoid.

The psychic functioning of a childwill never be allowed to become crystallized in favor of mere intellectualattainment. Th us the state will gradu

ally take over the moral development ofthe members of society, for its ownself-preservation . Ra ther than this instruction conflicting with religion, itwill make men and women far moreresponsive to those higher spiritual precepts, which today appear to manyonly as vague abstractions, and forwhich, therefore, they now have no trueaffection.

V V V

T h e Sour ce of D i v i ne Essence B y S o r o r M a b e l M . D e m r i c k

E have made trialof the concepts ofman and foundt h e m w a n t i n g .W e have followed the diction ofthe church, andhave listened forthe Voice of Eli

jah and it c amenot, so we standalone upon a desert i s le , and seeo n l y d a r k n e s ssurrounding.

The stench of mortal miasma hangsfoul in our nostrils. Ev il forces, distorted like masks, peer through the gloom,and we are paralyzed with frantic fear.

But hark! far back in our mentalreaches, there sounds a Voice whichwhispers, Call upon me, for I am that

Golden One, that Voice of your soul,your daemon, who stands with bowedhead and folded wings awaiting yourvoice to awaken me and send me forthon missions which may render youMaster of your individual Kingdom, ormay let the forces of the material kingdom master you. For far above theArchangel planes, in the shadow of theHills of the Virtues, lies the deep bluelake of Universal Essence, where I maygo and return to you with whatevermeasure you have sent me forth tobring.

W ith this Divine Eessence you maydo as you see fit. Bu t think long andcarefully upon that which you will use,for if you pour it into a vessel whichcontains hatreds and jealousies and revenge, that vessel will spew forth thosepassions increased a hundred-fold, andthey will contaminate all that lies beforethem in the cycle on which they are set

forth, and as they gather in force theywill return to the sender increased athousand-fold and you will find thatyou have reaped the whirl-wind.

But if you pour the Essence into avessel containing the Heavenly virtuesof love and forgiveness and hope, thesetoo will go forth upon a cycle increaseda hundred-fold, and bright flowers ofkindness and compassion will growupon their path; and when they havereturned to you increased a thousandfold, all that you have desired anddreamed of in the name of the Father-Mother-God shall be yours.

Remember that my pinions are folded ready to spread forth, mighty andstrong at your bidding. Remember that,contrary to common belief, religion isnot abstract, but is a concrete science,lying dormant like any other potentialenergy ready to follow your bidding.Remember only to ask for that which isgood.


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O ccult Eni gma s By H a r v e y M i le s , Grand Secretary

I

IN C E the dawn o

Shuman consciousness man has beenbaffled by forces,powers, physicaland mental manifestations whichwere occulted bya condi t ion tha tdoes not appearm e n t a l , n o r i sthere any recollection of physicalphenomena which

explain the psychic occurrences thatmanifest to some people and are baf

fling beyond words.For no seeming reason at all peopleare stopped abruptly in their daily routine and given a message, instruction,or direction. Sometimes it is audiblyclear as if a physical being had spoken.Again it may be a pressure on the handor the whole body. Sometimes the message will be like a hunch. It may bea sudden recollection of some pastthought or action. Some people claimthe experience of witnessing a crawlingserpent before them which suddenlydisappears as if into thin air. The most

common experience of all occult natureis that of seeing familiar, as well as unfamiliar faces which after a moment ofgazing and staring, disappear. Peopleall over the world have reported theseoccult occurrences of every descriptionfrom seeing white elephants to fightingwith Me xican jumping beans. Alwaystheir experiences are phenomenal tothem, and always do the ones who have

these experiences believe they casignificance and important meanings

The Christian Bible contains mstories of occult experiences of thwho are responsible for the Christdoctrines M oses experience of burning bush in the desert from whicame the voice of God, the walking stof Moses which turned into a serpbefore the arguing crowd, Jesus waing on the sea, the Red Sea dividand swallowing the armies of the Phaoh, and the transfiguration of Jesus

Libraries are replete with volumes lating occult p hen om en a th at a re albeyond the wildest imagination. Gho

of departed beings that direct the livof superstitious people are received thousands; in fact, many will not extheir own will or judgment without ficommuning with their favorite ghoThey become slaves to something thdare not investigate for fear they wdiscover themselves to be fools atheir pet spook will be lost. I firmbelieve that the greatest fear of peowho have unusual experiences of pchic nature is the fear of discoverydiscovery of the truth for if the trbe learned the mystery would be gon

the enjoyable hallucination would lost, and the beloved ego that is deased with the desire to be unusumoving among acquaintances with mysterious air, inviting the attention those who are appalled by a queer titude, would be cruelly deflated.

Study the personality of the profsional psychics, seers and spiritualismediums. On your first interview th


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shy from you as a ca t does fr om a strange dog, a mental sparring matchbegins as soon as you meet. T he y invite you in, but cautiously, and arewary of your approach. They are eitherunusually polite or ignorantly crude.They begin their discussion first by attempting to discover you objectivelybefore they can reveal anything fromtheir subconscious minds. The essenceof fear is photographed in their facesuntil they are sure you are ignorant oftheir game and are a believer in theirwitchcraft.

By now you are beginning to askyourself the question, W h at is thetruth about the occult enigmas that oc

cur to thousands of sane and millionsof unbalanced people?Blessed are we of the Rosicrucian

Order who can rely upon the law of thetriangle in solving the so-called mysteries of life, and surely these enigmasreferred to are mysteries. W e may usethe triangle here to symbolize man inhis complete physical and spiritual expressionsoul, body and mind. It is thefirst point, or soul, that uses the secondpoint, or body, to express power andintelligence through matter. The thirdpoint, or mind, arises after body andsoul forces unite, and it is the mind thatgives us individuality and personalityon this material plane. It is at thispoint, the mind, that the occult enigmasoccur and generally remain unsolved.It is in the mind that the mysteries reside, and only through understandingthe mind can we ever solve the phenomena that so frequently occur, andfix in our consciousness things thatbecome mental realitiesmanias, phobias, and other derangements. The soulis fixedit is universal, enduring, unlimited, Cosmic, and is one in all things.The body has form and is limited inability, growth and duration. The mindis flexibleit is unlimited if given freedom. It is constricted and limited if enslaved by form. T h e mind can rise tothe heights of heaven or sublimity andperfection, but can also sink to thedepths of degradation. It is a vibratoryforce established by soul and form; itis the vehicle that directs the animalroan in his clirob to perfe ctio n in mat te r. It is through the mind that man cancome to God and it is through the mind

that man can discover the truth about soul. I emphasize, it is here in the mind, the third point of the triangle, that theoccult eng imas occur.

The mind is the storehouse of all vibrations, impressions, mental and physical experiences, ideas, knowledge andwisdom. The avenues to the mind aremany from the five objective senses tothe hundreds of nerve terminals andplexuses. Ev ery vibration, be it light,color or sound, etc., that affects mansnervous system, is recorded on the mindwhether or not you are objectively conscious of it. These vibrations enterthrough objective channels. Th ey arereleased through subjective conscious

ness. It is due to the subjective functionof mind that the occult phenomena areexperienced. It is because of this sub ject ive function th at the layman believesthe enigmas to be actualities impressedupon the objective consciousness bysome mystical power that is independentof the earth plane and entirely separated from his physical or mental self.Failure to comprehend these subjectivefunctions of mind makes dupes of innocent and sincere people and causes themto look upon the baffling occult enigmasas realities of soul growth, and signs

that special mystical mastership is soonto be theirs.Let us examine some of these occult

experiences: A man came home fromwork and went directly to his room.Upon entering he casually looked at achair and across it lay a large reptile.This sight shocked him and as he stepped back he gave another glance at thechair and the serpent had disappeared,as though into thin air. T h e man examined his room carefully to see that thisserpent had not hidden somewhere, buthe failed to find a real, physical reptileand considered this a sign of the Cosmic or spirit world to be aware of enemies (a throw-back to w itchcra ft). Ifthis person would try he could undoubtedly recall seeing just such a serpenton a chair or some similar structure ata circus or movie. O r possibly he reada story sometime in his life or had adream of a serpent which left this impression deeply embedded upon hissub jective consciousness. Coming intohis room rather nonchalantly, no doubttired and relaxed, and seeing the chair,


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this complete picture from the subjective consciousness was photographedon his objective mind. H e was startled,but when he regained his poise andconcentrated upon the chair and room,he realized the incident to be a productof supernaturalism.

A mother was working in a factory;her object was to help improve the family budget. She hired a young schoolgirl during vacation to take care of herchildren. W hi le she was working anapparition suddenly arose before her.There was no spoken word, no sign orgestureit only stood and looked atthe woman. She at once thought of herchildren and the young girl and becamesuspicious that something was wrong athome and thought the apparition cameto warn her. Sh e quit her work andhurried home but found everything inorder the children were playing intheir room and the girl was reading abook. The mother was mentally relievedabout her own home but at once beganto worry about some of her relatives.W h a t caused the apparition and whatwas the significance of it? W a s it aspirit sent by some Cosmic agent, or didan angel come to warn her of imminentdanger?

A little investigation showed that afew years prior to this the mother hadvisited a spiritualistic medium for thefirst time in her life and was told therewere spirits that direct the affairs ofmen and women. This thought impressed her deeply for the moment. However, she gave little thought to it afterleaving the medium. Bu t when she leftthe children in the care of a stranger,a young girl, and went to work in a factory, a new factor arose in her mindworry. Men tal agitation began aboutthe possibilities that could occur to herchildren while she was gone, and as theday passed and she became tired, herwork being of a monotonous and routine nature, she lapsed into a mentalstupor and in this relaxed state of mind,this impression of the spirit so longburied in the subjective consciousness,"photographed itself objectively. Thewoman accepted this as a warning, butit was objective, mental agitation orworry that permitted the subjectivemind to bring about the manifestationof the apparition.

A lady once experienced the phenomenon of seeing herself burning inpurgatory, while at the same time sitting in church listening to a sermon.This experience was so real that thewoman almost lost her reasoning power.The experience was caused by the constant repetitions of the minister, hisreferences to damnation and his unconscious habit of looking at this lady whenhe mentioned the subject of hell, fireand brimstone. She became so hypnotized by the suggestion that during anunguarded mental moment this realization of hell possessed her objective mindcompletely and she suffered mentallythe damnation the minister had so oftenpictured in his sermon. Here again thesubjective consciousness released this

picture and caused the objective realization. Had this person not become ob jectiv ely affected by the repeti tious sermon and the staring of the minister, andhad she not taken the ministers use ofdamnation so seriously, she wouldnever have had this experience.

The thing I would impress upon myreaders is that there is not a thing in thisworld that is unnatural; all things yourealize are in the mind. You either create them yourself by imagination or youreceive them from the mental and audi

ble suggestions of other people, andthrough the objective channels. If youhave unusual mental experiences, examine them just as you would a new philosophy, religion, or science before accepting it. Do not accep t any mentalphenomenon as a special sign from theCosmic or God without first giving itcareful ana lysis. Bu t if you must havea favorite ''spook, know the truthabout it and realize it is the product ofmind, either of your own or the mind ofsomeone else. Remem ber also that youhave the will to repulse the influenceand ward off the bad effects of any so-called supernatural phenomena.

The subjective mind is responsiblefor many other enigmas. Th ey do notall savor of occultism but, nevertheless,are mysterious, and the causes are hidden from ordinary observation. In oureveryday life we read, observe and discover things that occur for which noone seems to be able to offer a logicalsolution. Divorces are obtained andoften afterwards both husband and


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wife ask, "W h y did it happen! Itseems mysterious to them that afteryears of friendship, love and marital

companionship, it all at once ends indisaster before the court.A woman poisons her husband and

after examination says she cannot account for her actions. A young manshoots his sweetheart and claims thatsome force compelled him to act but hedoes not understand what this force is.It does not seem as though it were hisreal self.

Just recently we read a news item regarding a young husband, twenty-sixyears of age. He has a wife and four

children, his wife being only twenty-oneyears old. O ne morning just as theywere sitting down to breakfast the milkman walked up on the steps to leavethe daily quart and suddenly the husband jumped up exclaiming, The Japsare coming, but by the Almighty theyare not going to get my wife and babiesfor Im going to kill them myself! Thewife managed to get three of the children away and ran outside to call forhelp, but the husband went to the cribwhere slept the infant child, picked itup and dashed it again st the wall. It is

needless to repeat here the injuries hecaused to the infant, and what occurredafter he was taken to jail. T h e important thing to mystical students is whatcaused the man to go berserk.

The fact is that the man had beenworrying about the war and the probability of enemies landing and invadinghis home. At the plant where he workedthe conversations were all about thewar, each friend and buddy expressinghis individual opinion as to what hewould do if the country were invaded.These thoughts and ideas stimulatedhis consciousness. T h e newspape r headlines, the movie newsreels, and radiotalks all had their effect upon this unfortunate husband. W he n he went tobed his last thoughts were about hiswife and children in the event of invasion. Th ese thoughts he created aboutthe Japanese invading our shores, creating havoc, marauding among the people, and visions of all the beastly thingsour enemies could do, sank deep intohis subconscious mind. He had objectively resolved to destroy his whole

family so that they would avoid themiseries he had read about which occurred to people in invaded countries. One

morning he was exceptionally nervousand tired from the long hours he hadbeen working. T he noise on the stepsshocked him and without objectivelyreasoning, he permitted the subjectivemind to act and it did just the thingsthe man had instructed it to do in hisprevious objective thinking. Thi s manis not a criminal because of his actheneeds rest and strength and a philosophy that will give him a new outlook onlife, and above all he needs to learn howto guard against the destructive functioning of the subjective mind and learn

how to use the power of the mind forconstructive living.It would be well for everyone who

reads this article to give some thoughtto the safety valve which controls thefunctions and actions resulting from thepower of the subject ive mind. This safety valve is will. It depends largelyupon the strength of will whether ornot the destructive ideas that creep intothe subjective mind through objectivereasoning and thinking, will bring aboutinjuries to yourse lf or to others. If one

maintains a well-balanced mind objectively and gets sufficient rest physicallyand mentally, plenty of relaxation, anddoes not spend a great deal of timeworrying and creating inhibitions, hewill save himself the sorrow and miserywhich an unguarded subjective mindcan bring about.

I might point out that it is not my intention to create the idea that the sub jective mind is a cesspool of evil imaginings and that the subjective mind isonly a storehouse of mean, lewd andcruel thoughts: In contradistinction tothe ideas I have presented, the subjective mind can be a veritable storehouseof beauty and wonderment, for remember that whatever you think, reason orconcentrate about objectively, whetherit is good or bad, construct ive or destructive, will enter the subjective mindthrough normal channels. And wha tever you plant in the subjective consciousness will surely grow and manifest objectively at the most opportunetime.


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Si r Fr an ci s Bacon A S T U D Y

By T h e G r a n d M a s te r


H E R E i s h a r d l ya person in thiscountry that hasn o t h e a r d o fS h a k e s p e a r e .Every school childis famil iar withsome of his plays.His comedies andtragedies still appear on the stageand have beensuccessfully prod u c e d o n t h e

screen . It is still the ambition of everyactor to play Hamlet and of every actress to play Juliet. Shakespeare stillranks first among English playwrightsand poets. Shakespeare is still a big industry, and his plays have netted a fortune to publishers and producers. Y etscholars admit that less is known of thisoutstanding genius than of any othergreat writer in English literature. Th eShakespeare tradition is firmly entrench-and has become so deeply involved inmens 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 write the shake-speare plays? On ly five badly writtensignatures are extant of Shakespeare's.The details of Shakespeares 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 class of society he knew nothing oYet the Shakespearean plays are wrten in the most courtly, refined, anclassical English, replete with learninfull of evidence of wide reading, deaing with aristocratic life and mannerand instinct with poetry of the vehighest order. Shakespearean scholafreely admit that the plays show knowedge of the Neo-Platonic philosophare full of Masonic symbols, revealfamiliar knowledge of the Bible, a mterly knowledge of the ancient worland an extraordinary vocabulary. W iliam H. Furness, one of the greateShakespearean scholars that ever livesaid: I have never been able to brihis life and his plays within a planetaspace of each other. T he plays asonnets, however, harmonize perfectwith the life, character, attainmenand learning of Sir Francis Bacon.

T h e questions then are: Did Bacwrite the plays of Shakespeare? Whe the son of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Keer of the Seal of Queen ElizabeW a s he the true son of the Queen awas he the brother of the Earl Essex? W h at is the truth about the trthat resulted in his removal from tchancellorship?

Every textbook on Philosophy aon Essays has maligned the characof this extraordinary genius, the oman that England owes so much to, thone man who brought English life anletters into an honored and respecte


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place in the Christian world. On pages214-215 of "A Student's History ofPhilosophy, a work in many ways authoritative, is the following sentence:In Bacons checkered careera careerending in his disgrace and removal fromthe Lord Chancellorshipthere is rather too obvious a lack of any very delicate sense of personal honor and dignity to arouse an unqualified respect . . .and Bacon was not always able to recognize the value of their (other scientists) work; he never accepted theCopernican theory, for example. It isdifficult for the college student to thinkthat the textbook placed before him iswrong in many respects, in point ofview and in information; in fact that itis propagating falsehood and slander.One scholar glibly repeats the misinformation announced with the certitudeof truth by another distinguished scholar. 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 was phenomenal. He was the most brilliantlegal mind in England and rose to the

position of High Chancellor of the English court. T he great Code Napoleon isbased on his digest of law. He was agrea t statesman; he prevented the depopulation of England; a founder ofnew states the Virg inias and theCarolinasthus making theN ew W orldEnglish instead of Spanish. He established the Royal Society of Science inEngland, in existence to this day. Hiswork in both philosophy and sciencemarks the beginning of modern researchwork in England. His essays are amongthe finest in Eng lish 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 of major importance, Sir FrancisBacon wrote the Shakespearian Playsand poems, and was the translator ofthe King James version of the Bible, theclassic text as far as beauty of style andfelicitous phrasing are concerned. People say that it is impossible for one manto have done so much. T o genius nothing is difficult. T o a highly illuminated

soul, such as Sir Francis Bacon was, isgiven the power of extraordinary a-chievement that he may do his destinedtask in the world.

W ill Durant, in his Story of Philosophy, gives a brilliant survey ofBacon's encyclopedic mind and far-reaching intellectual projects. He 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 ofthis man were but the incidents and diversions of a turbulent political career.Although philosophy was his first love,he did not admire the merely contem

plative life. Like Goethe he scornedknowledge that did not lead to action.Bacon says in Advancement of 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 essays on Atheism: I had rather believeall the fables in the legends, and theTalmud and the Alcoran, than that this universal frame is without a mind. . . .A little philosophy inclineth a mansmind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth mens minds about to religion. In another place he says:W ithou t philosophy I ca re not to live,

Philosophy directs us first to seek the goods of the mind, and the rest willeither be supplied, or not much wanted.He dreams of scientists coordinated inspecialization by constant communionand cooperation, and by some great organization holding them together to agoal. Th is organization must be international. His great dream is the socialization of science for the conquest ofnature and the enlargement of the power of man. Solom ons House in T heNew Atlantis is a description of anextraordinarily advanced type of governmenta government of the peopleand for the people by the selected bestof the people; a government by technicians, architects, astronomers, geologists, biologists, physicians, chemists,economists, sociologists, psychologists,and philosophers. These governors areengaged in controlling nature ratherthan in governing man.


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*The works ofthis author ar erecommendedto our read-ers. One of hisb o o k s . " T h eSecret Historyo f F r a n c i s

Bacon ($1.45)is now avail-able from theR o s i c r u c i a nSupply Bureau


I shall summarize for you the resultsof Alfred Dodds* 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-Avonis utterly spurious. It is not the birthhouse. The gloves are not the onesShakespeare wore. Th e ring is not theright one. T he C handos portrait is afake. It is most difficult to get a newspaper, or magazine, or publishing houseto publish the true story.

Mr. Dodd begins by telling us thathe 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 Queens 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.W hile a t the French court, Fr ancis fellin love with Marguerite of Navarrewho was then taking steps to be divorced from her husband. Queen Elizabeth would not sanction the engagement, and the loss was bitter even to

the 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 ofhis life and to swear that he would makeno claim to the succession. W hil e on

the continent, he was initiated into thRosicrucian Order. He had also becomimbued with the New Learning thenspreading from Greece to Italy anFrance. He conceived the idea of teaching the common people the cardinal virtues in great epics of moral passion, thDramasimilar in principle to the wawe find truths embedded in the mythsthe wisdom of the ancients. In Elizabethan days the language of culturwas Latin. There was virtually no English save barbarous country dialectsThe custom and manners of the peoplwere rude and coarse. He began thherculean task of giving England language, building up a vocabularyand refining the ethical standards of themasses. He spent all the money he coulmake or obtain to further his aims; sotoo, did Lady Bacon and his fostebrother, Anthony Bacon, fired by thsame ideals. This hidden work waknown to the fraternities. Wh en Bacodied, the great scholars of the daunited to acclaim him the greatest pwho had ever lived. Yet Francis Baconever wrote poetry openly over his ownname, save one or two translations, anymore than he claimed openly to be Prince in the House of Tudor.

The Queens intimacy with Leicestresulted in another child known to history as the Earl of Essex. The two meknew each other as brothers. Th ey arranged that if ever Essex should backnowledged heir, Francis should havea free hand for his literary and philosophic ideals. W he n Esse x was condemned for treason, Francis had no feathat Essex would actually go to thblock. Essex had the Queen s ring his possession. T h e Queen had promised that if Essex would send her thring, she would refuse to sign the deathwarrant. The ring did not come. Thministers pressed Elizabeth for her signature. The fact is that Essex had senthe ring relying on the Queens promiseThe Countess of Nottingham kept iback. On her deathbed she sent for thQueen and confessed her guilt. Historyrecords that the horrified and enragedQueen shook the dying woman on hebed, screaming at her, God may forgive you, but I never can . Fo r histoians to declare that Essex was thQueens lover is absurd. All the fac


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point to this: T h at she had the love ofan imperious woman for a waywardchild, and that false pride on both sidesled to their joint undoing.

All this time Francis was known asthe straightest man in the House ofCommons by all the Freeholders ofEngland . A t James' first parliament hewas returned by two constituencies,always a rare honor. It was a signaltribute to virtue and ability. At fifty-onehe was made Attorney-General, andthen successively, Lord Keeper, LordChan cellor, a Peer of the Realm. Heheld the office of Lord Keeper for threeyears, and at the age of sixty he wascreated Viscount St. Alban. Yet within

three months after receiving this honor,Englands greatest Chancellor fell'acatastrophe so surprisingly dramaticthat its equal can be found only in theterrible tragedies of a Shakespeare. Itis a tangled tale of the deceit, hypocrisy, and corruption rampant at theCourt. Lord St. Alban was falselyaccused of taking bribes and perverting ju st ice in the Chan cery Division 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 lestthe Throne be jeopardized. At lastthe King commanded him to enter aplea of Guilty. Th en the Chancellorsubmitted. Ba con s enemies, to humiliate him, demanded that he plead guiltyto each particular charge. Th ere wasno way of escape. He could not drawback. T he truth is, however, that LordSt. Alban pleaded guilty to technicalcarelessn ess only, not to crime; carelessness, too, when he was new to theoffice, his registrars, his secretaries, andhis clerks.

After his fall, his enemies were inpower. Dissatisfied suitors were encouraged to obtain a reversal of his judgments. The fact emerges that thoughthere were many attempts to set asidehis verdicts, not one was reversed. Theystand 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 politically,and penniless, Bacon turned to his literary work. W ithin five yea rs he turnedout work after work of prose, philosophy, and numerous secret volumes. Hecompiled the Shakespearian Folio andpublished it secretly so that it shouldnot be tarnished by his personal dis-

race. H e completed his personal poems,hakespeares 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 divulge the secrets of his birth, life, anddeath. Ben Joh nson believed in his innocence. A note is extant of Baco nsinterview with the King in which Bacondeclares that he is ready to make anoblation of himself for the King. T hename Shakespeare is a pen-name takenfrom the Goddess Pallas Athene, theShaker of the Spear of Knowledge atthe Serpent of Ignorance. 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 matters a great deal tohonest men. It means the reestablish

ment of a mans character. Milton andAddison knew the truth and 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 authorities 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 crown, and the lace work ofthe ruffs of the sleeve is an exact repe

tition of the ruff worn by Queen Elizabeth. Between his feet are the Sonnetinitials, T . T ., referring to M asonry.The finger of the statue points to theQueen at the side. T h e place of honorin front is given to a beautiful youth, acrowned Prince, young Francis Baconof the Hilyard Miniature. On the leftside is the figure of the Queens secondson, the Earl of Essex, or the Queen'shusband, the Earl of Leicester. TheHilyard Miniature of Francis Bacon asa youth of eighteen appears in theQueens own prayer-book.


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Alfred Dodd states: Th ink you thatthe Abbey authorities would have allowed all this apparently meaninglessfoolery if they had not known to whomthe Shakespeare Monument was actually being erected Lord St. Alban, aPrince of the House of Tudor? Notlikely. . . . The High Dignitaries knewthe truth as the State Se cret. And it isknown today in the Highest Quarters.The time is now ripe when the inscription on Francis Bacons 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 of the noblest of men his goodname, so that this generation may handto posterity the lamp of truth respecting

this most lovable character, the puresoul of a World Master.

Our students will find this brief 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 Shakespearianplays.

2. On ly five badly written signaturesare extant of Shakespea res. Th e details of Shakespeares life before he leftStratford and after his retirement areunbelievably petty. There is not onesign of interest in the plays. Th ere isnot one indication of love of culture.Yet the Shakespearian plays are written 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 veryhighest order. Shakespearian 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 extraordinary vocabulary. W illiam H. Furness, one of the greatestShakespearian scholars that ever lived,said: I have never been able to bringhis life and his plays within a planetaryspace of each other. T h e plays andsonnets, however, harmonize perfectly

with the life character, attainments, anlearning of Sir Francis Bacon.

3. The ornaments placed at the heaof the Sonnets in the Quarto are alfound in Francis Bacons works, Shakspea res plays, and the King James V esion of the Bible.

4. The De Augmentis publishedLeyden in 1645 contains a frontispiewhich is a pictorial allegory . Baconseated before a table pointing with thforefinger of one hand to an open booThe other hand restrains a figure clain a skin that is struggling to reach temple on the top of a nearby hiBacon is here represented as the authof two worksone open and acknowedged; the other, enigmatical, dramatiand unacknowledged. The figure clain the beasts skin struggling to reathe Temple of Mysteries is the Muse

Tragedy.5. The head ornament of T h e T

pes t in the Great Folio and that of tNovum Organum are the same, texternally indicating the close connetion between the two books: the oinaugurating the Inventory of Thingin Nature, the other the Inventory oHuman Passions.

6. T hat ciphers w ere popular Queen Elizabeths day is well-knowAt least five of the ciphers that Bacused have been deciphered. Th ese phers are discovered pro fusely scatterethrough the plays, sonnets, and ornments, revealing his name and identitalso his position in the two brotherhood

7. The dangers of publication wso dreadful that Bacons concealment his identity is readily understood. 1530 Press Censorship was establishuntil 1694. If by chance anything which her Majesty took exception hapened to find its way into print, the uhappy wrinter, if he was not broken othe rack or if he did not have his fesmashed into a pulp with boots, had hhands cut off and the stumps seare

with a hot iron. (Harold Bayley)If we take a firm stand on the Tru

the time must come when public opiniowill compel the authorities to acknowedge all the facts in the case. T h e tale of William Shakespeare of Strford-on-Avon will fade away like tlegend of George Washington and tcherry tree.


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Prerequisi t es of I nspi rat i on By A n n e R u g g i re l l o , F. R . C .

N S P I R AT I O N i sg e n e r a l l y a ccepted as beingthe creative influence of genius.But we must notlimit this elevating incentive to the realm of genius only, for it isever present, everwithin the reach

o f a n y o n e w h odesires to use thisforce in even the seemingly ordinaryaffairs of every day experience.

W e must realize that there are certain prerequisites determining an influxof inspirational thought, that before wereceive that which we desire, we mustfirst qualify for it. Th ere are certainnecessary steps to be established before there can be any incoming of inspiration.

For conscious petitioning for direction, one must bring his whole being

into harmony and accordance with theUniversal Mind. Eve ry faculty mustbe aligned with the Supreme W ill andan infallible attunement must be established as a primary essential. Th is attunement can be attained only if theincentive and aim in view, or thatwhich one intends to accomplish, arekept chaste and pure and free fromadulteration.

The remaining and indispensable factor involved is awareness . One mustmaintain constant vigilance and watch

fulness for an answer to the plea whichhas been sent forth.

Then there must be present theability to translate and interpret the impression into a workable formula. Themusician cannot express a musical impression unless he has first masteredall the pre lim in aries , all the basic fundamentals of various tonal combinations and their effects. T h e artist cannot express an artistic impression unlesshe has first acquired the technique of

harmonious utilization of color andform. And the musician and the artistcan acquire these skills only throughdevotion and application of the principles which they encounter. There fore ,the keynote to a more perfect expression is practice and mastership of thetechnique in the field in which one feelsthe inclination to express.

There are times when in a seemiglyunexpected manner one receives anidea, an impression, inspiration. In asituation where one has petitioned inprayer for aid, one finds a plausible

explanation when finally the responsecomes. But what happens when onehas not deliberately sent forth a prayer?It is certain that it is not a haphazardor accidental occurrence. In this case,there has been an unconscious petitioning, through previous attunement,development of receptivity and deservedness through establishment in thepast of a rhythm in the desire to serveas a channel for good.

W h at happens to an inspirational(Concluded on Pa ge 380)


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T h e Rosicrucian D i gest November 1942

P A G E S from the

O ur Rosi cruci an H er i t age P A R T I I

By T h e S u p r e m e S e c r e t a r y

T h is a rt ic le is a co nt in ua tio n o f th e co n si de ra ti on o f th e bo ok T he m is A u re a b y Mi ch ae lMaier, in which was se t for th the laws of the Rosicrucian Fra terni ty in the ear ly par t ofthe Seventeenth Century.

E D IT O R .

ANS progress i snot always provenby his deviat ionfrom the knowledge and experience of the past.True, progress isb a s e d u p o n t h eutilization of thea c c u m u l a t e dk n o w l e d g e a n de x p e r i e n c e o ft h o s e w h o h a v eg o n e b e f o r e u s ,

but to accept their knowledge withoutquestion or not to try again the experiments which confirm knowledge, is toresort to a static form of society inwhich no one would ever become greater or better equipped to meet his environment than the standard set by thosewho have preceded us.

So it is in the examination of theseearly laws of the Rosicrucian Fraternity, that we see ideals and principleswhich are fundamentally that whichconstitutes Rosicrucianism but which,nevertheless, are not literally applicableto all present day forms of living. T h e

laws of the modern Rosicrucian Fraternity are in some ways more complexbecause they fit the modern complexsocial system, but as was pointed out inthe previous article commenting uponthe first two laws as given in 'Them isAurea, we find that the ideals andprinciples back of these laws will endure as long as Man aspires to higherideals. The third law as stated byMichael Maier was:

That each Brother of the Fraternityshall every year upon the day C. makehis appearance in the place of the holySpirit, or else signify by Letters the truecause of his Absence.

This law is the forerunner of oumodern conven tion. In this jurisdictionof the Order, a convention is held eachyear. T o this convention all memberof the Fraternity are invited, not onlyto attend but to participate, each beingequal to another. In this way we seethe spirit of this law carried into thelives of modern Rosicrucians. It will binteresting for us to examine some othe comments made by Michael Maiethat give us an insight into the purposebehind this law. In the Themis Aurea


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from which we have previously quoted,we read:

"Every Society has Laws and Rulesbinding them to some Duties, so that

the Governor or Chief when he pleasesand thinks it necessary may summon allto one place to consider what is most fitand convenient to be done on some im~mergent occasions, for when a companybe separated, their minds and Counselsare disjoined, the one cannot be helpfulto the other either in example or advice.W ho knows not that most intimatefamiliarity, and the nearest friendshipis broken off by absence, and want ofvisitation, so that they who were notlong since highest in our thoughts areutterly forgotten, besides, wherein can

a friend profit, who is distant from another, even Brethren become as it were,unnatural when thus separated. W econfess that letters may supply this defect, yet writing does not so much delight and enliven, as discourse, papersare mute, if any doubt arise they cannotframe a ready answer, but where a manappears, he can resolve all questions,satisfy all scruples.

No better psychological explanationof a meeting together of those of likeminds has, to the best of my knowledge,ever been stated. Michael Maier, therefore, has established an underlying purpose for cooperation and unity of workby showing the value of individuals oflike purpose working together. If thisis true of human nature, then it is alsoeven more true of those who are dedicated to the higher purpose. O f this hesays:

"W he refo re the Brothers of the R. C.thought it most expedient, if not altogether requisite to meet at least once inthe year in a certain predeterminedplace, this Law as it is the third in

order, so also in Dignity, by which thetrue Pythagorian assembly is obliged toappearance; neither is their meeting vainand to gaze upon each other, for theydo imitate the rule of Pythagoras, whoenjoined his scholars every day to examine themselves, where they had been,and what good memorable act they hadperformed; so the Brothers of the R. C.at their convention relate what rarecures they have done, what progressthey have made in the Arts and Sciences, and observe how their practice

agrees with their principles; and if anynew knowledge confirmed by often experience comes to them, they write it onbooks that it may safely come to the

hands of their successors. Thu s trueand certain learning is increased till atlength it shall attain to perfection.

Notice that there was purpose inthese early Rosicrucian conventionsapurpose maintained to the present time,that is, of discussion of the uses of theRosicrucian principles that have beenma de in the lives of each of us, and alsothe examination of new knowledgewhich has come from experience. Fu rthermore, even in recent conventions ofthe Order the knowledge contributedby officers and members of the organi

zation alike has been incorporated intothe teachings in special discourses andother forms to preserve it for posterity.It is interesting to notice that, as in thecase of all humans when they come together, they were not always in perfectagreement but that an attempt wasmade to give serious consideration toworthwhile questions. In regard to thisit is stated:

"This School is not like to Aristotle,for there were frequent wrangling disputes, one opposing the other, and perhaps both the truth; however, they haveno questions free from debate, not contradicted by some of the same sect. Forexample, what is the soul of man?Whether they First Act, or something else, whether born, generated, or infused, given from heaven, and manyThousand such fobberies, and at lengththey rest in Opinion. They have, therefore, framed a Method to regulate disputes, and supply terms whereby theymore darken knowledge, and willinglyshut their eyes. Let them discuss to weariness, the nature and original ofMetals, and whether there can be atransmutation, and who will be betterinformed and satisfied? Thus idle D isputation is a sport of W it, and only arecreation of Fancy, No solid and realTru th is to be found out by it. A certain Philosopher hearing some disputeW ha t Virtu e is, made answer that asthey could not come to an end of thequestion, so neither to the use thereof.If any one professes himself to haveskill in Physics why then does he notlet the world see what he can do? And


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laying aside vain babblings perfect thegreat work of natural tincture, but bychance he will utterly deny that there isany such thing to be found out, andhereby gets a cloak for his ignorance,for he will censure all which he knowsnot. Bu t who will call him a horseman,who yet did never ride? W h o will callhim a Smith, who never wrought in thatArt? A nd w hy should w e este em him a Phi losopher, who has never exper ienced his philosophy, but has only uttered some foolish and fantastical words?"

How well we see illustrated in this afundamental truth in Rosicrucianismthat use and practical application of thelaws involved must have first consideration. W hi le some schools of thoughtspeculate and build up opinions, theRosicrucians have always through theirhistory maintained that the purposes ofthe laws of nature were not to be talked

about, but rather to be used. So w e seethat the attempt of those who have builtthe Rosicrucian Order to its presentform has always been one of fundamental purpose and unity. T h a t it isnot and never has been a mere groupingof individuals who have no ultimate endin view. True it is that there have beenthose ever since the name was firstcoined who have called themselves Rosicrucians, and in some cases have heldto beliefs and practices which have confused those whom they contact, andhave caused their actions and words tobe recorded in history as exemplifyingRosicrucianism as a Fraternity. Fortunately, today we have the opportunity through the medium of modern printing and communication to give to the

world the true meaning of Rosicrucianism; and those who imitate or claim thatthey, too, have the message of the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross are made conspicuous by their failure to conform tothe true idealism that has been and isthe heritage of the Fraternity.

Today we are affected by restrictionsupon travel and communications thatmake us realize more than ever beforethe value and freedom of movementthat we have enjoyed. Think of thesacrifices and effort that must have beennecessary for these early members toattend the conventions and sessions.Acknowledgment was made of this fact:

This Law has a limitation if theycannot appear, they must either byothers their Brothers, or by letters tellthe cause of their absence, for infirmity,sickness, or any other extraordinarycasualty may hinder their journey. W e

cannot set down the place where theymeet, neither the time, I have sometimesobserved Olympic Houses not far froma river and a known City which wethink is called S. Spiritus. This will sufficiently instruct an intelligent reader,but more confound the ignorant."

So those who could not attend sentexplanations. Because of conditions thenexistent, the meeting place was necessarily secret and decided upon at theprevious meeting. In the statement ofthe law itself, it was said that the dayof the year upon which conventionswould be held would be the day C.Members of this organization who arefamiliar with its terminology and sym-bology may be able to understand towhat day this referred.

V V V

PREREQUISITES OF INSPIRATION(Con tinued f rom P age 377)


thought when one fails to carry it out?Is it lost? No , it is not, but merelyseeks another receptive mind, meanwhile retaining its identity and form forcompletion and manifestation . It must

be realized, that an inspiration can becarried out only to the degree of understanding and development of the recipient. T h e more perfect the vehicle, themore perfec t the expression. Since thisis so, there should be a threefold preparedness intellectual, physical, and

spiritual. Th er e lies a tremendous dutyin ever endeavoring to perfect the modeof expression.

Each has a responsibility in thescheme of evolution. Ea ch should do

his utmost in the task which may atthe moment confront him, no matterhow small it may seem in his estimation. Fo r in learning to do the smallthings well, we qualify in doing thosethings which are of greater import.


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The "Cathedral of the Soul" is a Cosmic meeting place for all minds of themost highly developed and spiritually advanced members and workers of theRosicrucian Fraternity . It is a focal point of Cosmic radiations and thoughtwaves from which radiate vibrations of health, peace, happiness, and innerawakening. Various periods of the day are set aside when many thousandsof minds are attuned with the Cathedral of the Soul, and others attuning withthe Cathedral at the time will receive the benefit of the vibrations. Those whoare not members of the organization may share in the unusual benefits as wellas those who are members. The book called Liber 777" describes the periodsfor various contacts with the Cathedral. Copies will be sent to persons whoare not members if they address their requests for this book to Friar S . P. C.,care of AMORC Temple, San Jose, California, enclosing three cents in postagestamps. (Please state whether member or notthis is important.)

P U R P O S E A N D B A L A N C E

T has been Mansattempt throughout his existenceas a rational creature to reconcilethe fact that whilethe vast mass ofthe v i s ib l e un iverse is governedby purely physicallaws, there is, onthe o the r hand ,only a comparatively small part

which is controlled by laws of anotherorder which are, therefore, those whichdirect the manifestation of life and intelligence. Man being aware of his apparently small par t in the whole of theuniverse, has devised his own theoriesto account for the laws in each field. At

times the accent of this thought hasbeen in the physical and has contributedto the development of a materialisticphilosophy. At other times, his thinkinghas been of life, intelligence, and mind.At such times his viewpoint has beenidealistic, and under the force of suchthinking, strides in civilization andworthwhile accomplishment have takenplace.

Under the present circumstances, theweight of the material is felt heavilyupon all of us. W e cannot ignore thedemand for material production and fordevoting ourselves to physical effort asthe possibility of our returning to anidealistic philosophy of life dependsupon the material accomplishments oftoday. So it has been for centuries.Man has had to be faced by the necessity of sacrificing his material needs at


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Jour ney s I n T h e Esot eri c B y R a l p h M . L e w i s , I m p e r a t o r

P A R T I

ET us or ien t our-

Lselves is a phrasethat is often heard.It is recommendedthat we do th isb e f o r e w e s e tforth in a definited i r ec t ion o r before we pursue a

course of action. L e t u s o r i e n tourselves meanstha t we shou ldrelate ourselves to

familiar conditions, things, and places,before we proceed. W e must have somefactor which is known to us and whichis staple, by which we can measure ouradvancement or our retrogression. W eall know that if we want to go south,we must consult a signpost for direction, or we must study a compass, orlook upon the sun and judge its position

in relation to where we are standing.If we do not do this before beginningour journey, we are apt to be confused,if not hopelessly lost.

As Rosicrucians, it is presumed thatwe are all travelling the same road, andthat likewise, we have a common destination. W e all wish to perfect ourlives, to acquire that which we seem tolack, or need to master self and our environment; and, in addition, we hopeultimately to realize and enjoy thegreatest of all rewards of livingpeaceof mind.

There are many reasons why someof us are not as successful in our attainments in Rosicrucianism as we wouldlike to be. I have found tha t it is dueprincipally to the fact that some are notoriented mentally. Th ey are not quitesure of the direction of their thought inRosicrucianism. They are not certainwhether they are being engrossed in

occultism, whether they are being submerged in mysticism, or whether theyare being led to delve deeply into abstract metaphysics. T o put it simply, intheir studies they do not know whetherthey are going north, south, east orwest.

So that we may become better oriented, let us consider some of those directions of thought in which it is believed Rosicrucianism is leading us. Ourfirst consideration shall be occultism. Inthe popular sense, occultism is held tobe a system of hidden methods, ofstrange practices, whereby man mayacquire the way of attaining inexplicable powers by which he may do or accomplish almost anything. Such a popular conception holds that the occultist isable to witness phenomena which theaverage mortal may never experience.Consequently, occultism is thought toinclude such subjects as magic, marvels,miracles, and religious ecstatic experiences such as theophany and epiphany.

However, aside from general occultism as it is conceived by the man in thestreet, there are what are known as the


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occult sciences, and as we shall see,these truly do embrace that subjectmatter, those objects of knowledge,which belong to the field of science, butwhich nevertheless were and manystill remain to be condemned by religion and orthodox or mundane sciencealike.

Religion feared occult science. It wasthe general opinion that the occult scientist might, through his studies and hisinquiries, acquire such power as wouldmake him self-dependent and thus independent of the decrees and the dogmas of the church . It also held that theoccult scientist was interfering with therealm of God, invading the jurisdictionof the Divinity, attempting to investigate matters which were not meant forthe comprehension of man, and therefore, the occultist was in fact a trespasser on the Divine.

Orthodox science for many, manydecadescenturies, in fact-was tradition-bound, obliged to follow what hadbeen laid down as a dictum, obliged notto deviate from its established customsand practices. The occult scientist wasnot so bound, and so mundane sciencemanifested a prejudice toward him, considering him unethical. Intermingledwith that prejudice was jealousy developed from the fact that the occult scientist was making progress and histeachings were being recognized, competing with mundane science for popu

lar appeal and acceptance. The so-called sciences (it may seem strange tomany but it is a fact) included not onlythose subjects which are generallythought to be of the occult, but manywhich now find recognition by generalscience. Thus the occult sciences notonly included astrology but aspects ofthat which were definitely astronomy.They not only included alchemy butalso that which was purely medicineand is so recognized today.

Let us take the example of Galileo, now recognized as a noted scientist,

and who was also in his time an occultscientist. He was a great astronomerand mathematician of the Sixteen Century. Galileo first drew attention tohimself when he disproved one of Aristotles fundamental theories. T he earlyChristian Church centuries ago discovered that it could not completely reject

and refuse to recognize science, becausa wave of rationalism was sweepinover the people. Science was impressinthem. And so the church fe lt the neeof embracing science, and it turned tthe doctrines of Aristotle, recognizethe acme of scientific knowledge, knowedge of mundane things dealing withthe laws of nature at that time, and ideclared that man should go no furtherthan what Aristotle had accomplishedHe was the last word in science.

Galileo disproved Aristotle's theorthat bodies fall in space at a speed proportionate to their weight, for in his experiments Galileo dropped various ob je ct s from the leaning tow er of Pisa anproved that a wrong conception. Hfurther built long inclines down whichhe rolled objects of different weighand from which experimentation he developed the doctrine of inertia now incorporated in the laws of physics. Thiwas a challenge to scientific theories acepted by the church.

His next great move was the perfection of the telescope. He developed ainstrument capable of thirty-five timemore magnification than the very crudinstruments in existence at the time. Buhis startling discovery, and that whichcaused him to enter into a serious controversy with the church, began whenhe turned his telescope heavenward andgazed upon the celestial phenomena andbegan to make astronomical discoveriessuch as the moons of Jupiter. He thecame forth with a definite support othe Copernican cosmology.

Copernicus, who lived a century before Galileo, had affirmed that the unverse is spherical, and that the sun ithe center of our immediate universand not the earth. Th e spread of thidoctrine by Galileo caused consternation in theological circles, because if were true that the earth was not thcenter of the universe, as the churchad taught and believed, then manwould not be the principal being that he

is held to be. He would not be perhapthe greatest achievement of the Divinand would not be the only agent tpossess soul, for if there were othcelestial bodies of greater dimensioand magnitude than the earth, theremight also be intelligences upon themfar exceeding the abilities of man, an


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ture, just as the grass and foliage receive their functional powers and qualities from nature.

Nevertheless, he was ridiculed tosuch an extent that one of his names,Bombast, became an opprobrium for exaggerated statements, namely, bombas

tic. And yet, about a year ago theMedical Association at a great convention paid honor to Paracelsus, not onlyrecognizing him as a great physician,but as a pioneer in the advancement ofmedical science. To day there are booksrecently published containing what areknown as Paracelsus ' Seven Defenses , his great logical and fair defense ofwhat he was doing. If these things hadbeen published or released decades,centuries, ago he would not have beenspurned all these years; but they werewithheld to further prejudice publicopinion, and because he was lookedupon then as an occult scientist.

Physical science, or material scienceif you will, begins its observation andits acceptance of reality of the things ofour world by a use of the normal sensesour objective faculties such as seeing,hearing, etc. Physical science is content only to augment mans normalsenses with instruments, such as thetelescope, the microscope, and others.It rejects all so-called or actual objectsof knowledge which are not perceivedby such a means.

On the other hand, true occultism

embraces the psychical functions ofman, the psychic powers and abilitieswhich man has. Occultism affirms thatthe functions of the emotions, the sentiments and the human moods, cannot allbe explained by their organic relationship, as a purely mechanical or materialprocess. Occultism affirms that man haspowers that are subliminal, that are beyond the level of his normal consciousness, of which he is ordinarily notaware, and which are just as much apart of his being as his sight or hishearing or his power of speech. Andoccultism further contends that whatever mans worldly accomplishmentsmay be, the result of the exercise of his

material objective powers, that they canbe greatly enlarged upon if he will butresort to the use of those unknown innerfaculties which are his to use.

Occultism has taught for centuriesthat man is hypersensitive, that is, thhe can react and respond to forces and

energies of the universe to which thegrosser organs of his physical senses donot respond. And occultism taught thattelepathic communication was not onlya possibility but a fact, that men couldcommunicate ideas one to the otherwithout material means and withoutspeech. This of course was hilariouslyaccepted by mundane science and usedas an example of the fantastic conceptions of the occultist. Bu t what have wetoday? Today telepathy, clothed in newterminology, is an object of scientific investigation. It is called extra-senso ryperception. Th is means that science iinvestigating the fact that man has anextra sense in addition to the five common ones by which he can perceive.

The human aura as a magnetic radiation of a high frequency from the human body was referred to as psuedo-science, as an occult dream. Today, thefact that the human body does radiatean energy is scientifically acceptedThis energy has been measured; that ithas a potentiality is known, and it isnow an object of even further scientifiinvestigation.

Color therapy, a subject long investi

gated by the occul tist ' namely, thacolor affects the human emotions andplays a definite part in relationship toour health, to our moods and our emotions was heralded by the mundanescientist as another absurdity of the occultist. Today, color therapy is in theprocess of laboratory experimentationa branch of psychological investigationby medical science. It is recognized thathe colors of our clothes, the colors oour environment, of the walls and furnishings of our homes, and the lighting,do definitely affect us physically andmentally. The occult scientist agaivindicated!

V V V V

Moral discernment is instinctively relating to ourselves the results of our contemplated acts toward others. Validivar.

[ 386 ]

(To be conc luded)


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D o Y O U A pp r eci at e M usi c?

By W i l l i a m C . R a y , A . B . , F. R . C .

T IS almost a truism to say that, inat least a mildlyappreciative way,we all like music.E v e r y o n e c o ncedes the f ac tt h a t , a t l e a s tephemerally, thereis much "good tobe derived from

an acquaintancewi th the be t t e rforms of music.

Especially is this true, we know, inhearing performances of grand operacompanies and symphony orchestras.

It would indeed be difficult for us toget away from the influence of somekind of music, for the radio alone furnishes practically every form of musicduring the twenty-four hour day. Muchof the time it is heard without attention,but the good is there anyway. W eare affected inwardly to some extent,

and our surroundings are made morepleasant by purging the air of inharmonious conditions. A few of us areperformers, and it is with much pleasureand enthusiasm that we participate inlocal music activities. W e know thatthere is something cultural in performing well on a musical instrument,and that music in general is a very nicething for us to be engaged in.

Is this the path of our thinking aboutmusic? Is this the vein of our musicalunderstanding? As metaphysical students are we interested only in the

common garden variety of music appreciation?

Repeatedly we have been told bygood authorities that music constitutesa great vehicle for the elevation of consciousness; that we can soar on the fierywings of genius with the composer, andtransmute a portion of our Being a littlefurther out of the earth-earthly.

Do you believe it? W h at kind of amortal are you while you are compelled

into ecstatic concentration by a thunderous and expansive Beethoven symphony? W h a t power and experience doyou revel in while the symphony orchestra transforms a few black dots intoterrestrial swirls of melody and chordheard first by the mind and ear ofWagner? Can you touch in your mindsheart the celestial harmony and inspiration of Shumann or Chopin; or travelthe complex road of vibration withTschaikowsky, Scriabin, Debussy andRavel? Do you want to be one withGenius? Th en sit with a genius while

he carries you mentally and psychicallyto where he draws his inspiration ofmelody and sound. Is it possible foryou to get closer today to the supermundane than to be bathed in the effluxof Cosmic Harmony transferred temporarily to Earth?

You the student of metaphysics,who has pallidly tolerated the work ofthe serious musician; you the aspirerto higher knowledge, who conceives ofmusic as a pasti m e; y ouwho listen toa weekly band concert, and believe youhave had your musical medicine for the


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T h e Rosicrucian D i gest November 1942

week what are you doing that is abetter medium for letting your soulrevel in memory of its high home?

The importance of music to the evo-lution of man can hardly be overestimated. Fo r it reaches, unobstructedly,into the deeper recesses of man, whereits subtle effects stimulate and bring tothe borderline of consciousness thetypes of response the composer plantedin his works. T h e inner self of everylistener knows the real meaning of themusic.

Thus music can be said to be a formof invocation to the deeper psyche ofevery hearer, and the subliminal stirrings have a mighty effect in mouldinga new characte r. It might be termed aform of auto-suggestion. The necessity,therefore, to participate in, or hear, themore noble forms of music can be readily appreciated. Fo r whatever kind you

hear brings forth from within just thatsort of stimulus.Inspired musicians are channels, act

ing as mediums for the outpouring ofhigher, mightier and subtler forces.They act as guides who unlock doorsto the other worlds of thought and emotion, and permit the flow of inspirationand idea to penetrate into the inmostdepths of every hearer. On e need notbe within hearing range, we are told, tobenefit from a performance, for there isa wide and intangible aura that permeates everything for a considerable distance around the actual area of sound.

It would be a blessing of first importance to mankind if the great metaphysical laws pertaining to music andsound had a musical laboratory devotedpurely and unselfishly to the study,testing and understanding of the occultside of music. By laborat ory is meantan orchestra of fine musicians with aproper and adequate physical plant andequipment; a center where evolvedmusicians, with a background of metaphysical study sufficient for them tofully understand what they were about,could with proper direction seek to dis

cover and give to mankind an understanding, knowledge and technique ofthe great laws underlying the effects ofmusic on man.

Such an organization of metaphysicalmusicians would soon, because of superlative conditions of both plant and

attitude, point the way to Truth regarding music, and its place in the economyof the whole Ma n. Th e mechanics andconstruction of music for purpose, theeffects on audiences, the creation oauric conditions for collective purpose,could be studied, codified and releasedto the world. Public gatherin gs wouldeventually take on new meanings, forthere would be established at will thefocalization of extra-mundane conditions that would reach deeply into thepsychological structure of audiencesMusic would become, not only a desirable and pleasurable form of entertainment, but a source of power sharpenedto a point, a form of therapy, a mightytool for the use of the public in its dailywork, its worship and its consciousunderstanding of the higher forms oflife. Rosicrucians have an understanding of what is meant when it is pointed

out that the use

rosicrucian digest, november 1942

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