1915_06_Jun Rays from the Rose Cross.pdf

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THE DEVOTIONAL ATTITUDEby

Chas. A. Peckham

In this intellectual age, with its hurry andhustle, its vain pleasure seeking and madrush for wealth, there are few who seek tolive a life of devotion to high ideals or to cul-tivate within themselves that attitude of mindwhich seeks the good and the beautiful in all

things.With the great mass of mankind material

perception seems to be the sole basis ofunderstanding: what they are wont to see

with the outward senses they believe to betrue, but what they cannot see with the phys-ical eye they do not believe.

The mystic, on the other hand, perceivesan ulterior meaning, a hidden beauty and sig-nificance in all the objects, acts, and events

The Mystic Light* * * * * *

Vol. 3 Oceanside June 1915 California No 2

Subscription: $1.00 per year; single copies 10c in the U.S.; Canada $1.25 per year andEngland $1.50 per year post free.

Formerly Echoes from Mt. Ecclesia, and entered under that name as second class matterNov. 3rd, 1913 at the Post Office of Oceanside, California, under the

Act of August 24th, 1912.


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of daily life. To him there is nothing mean orsordid in the universe, but he regards allthings, from the tiny blade of grass to the

shining constellations in the blazing pathwayof the zodiac, as symbols of the Divine.

Thus in the things which the average per-son looks upon with indifference, owing tothe constant familiarity therewith, the mysticperceives a hidden meaning that reveals tohim their spiritual import.

In the brightness of the sun he sees a sym-bol of Gods great love for humanity; in theclouds, which oft obscure it, the worldly pre-

occupations and material pursuits which pre-vent that love from manifesting.

In the glory of the sunrise he sees thepromise of a glorious future towards whichhe yearns, and in the gorgeous colors of thesunset the assurance of a continuance of lifebeyond the dark night of the death of thebody.

The brook pursuing its tortuous and stormy

pathway in untiring efforts to reach the sea isan apt symbol of the soul upon the path ofattainment, treading the maze of the materialworld, seeking its way to truth and light.

Every little flower growing by the waysidespeaks most eloquently of the path of chasti-ty which all must tread who reach that goal.In each tiny seed is revealed the history ofevolution, and the great possibilities of thehuman soul. In the transformation of the

caterpillar to the butterfly we gain a hint as towhat man has been and also what he is des-tined to become.

Such is the attitude which the mystic sus-tains towards all things in Nature. He looks

upon everything with a spiritual vision thatsees in each object a symbol of divine pur-pose and seeks within the depth of his inner-

most being to learn a lesson therefrom.Likewise, all the acts and events of daily

life are regarded by the mystic as symbols ofhigher things, and he performs his duties inthe spirit of devotion, as unto the Lord, andto him they become as sacraments.

When he eats, each meal is to him the HolySupper, to be approached with reverence andeaten in remembrance of Him who said:This is my body, for he sees truly that the

bread which he eats is indeed a part of thebody of the great Christ Spirit who sacrificesHimself for the good of humanity.

The bath he sees as a symbol of that innerpurification so essential to one who seeks totread the path.

Marriage he regards as a high and holything, for in that union of soul with soul isprefigured that greater and holier union the

mystic marriage between God and the soul.It is thus by cultivating within himself thatdevotional attitude of mind which sees onlythe good, the true, and the beautiful in allpersons and things and perceives the innermeaning that is contained in all experiences,that the mystic opens up his soul to theinflow of the divine life which illumines hisunderstanding, and endows him with a spiri-tual vision that enables him to read the

secrets contained in the book of Nature.Ever seeking instruction in things spiritual,

he strives to daily refine his senses from themere perception of the outward forms ofthings that he may more clearly perceive

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their spiritual import.Yet it must not be supposed that he disre-

gards the things of ordinary life or spends his

time in idle speculations upon metaphysicalsubjects.

He regards the world as a school whereinhe is placed to learn by experience thelessons of life, and so he goes through lifewith an alert, wide-awake mind keenlyobserving all things and carefully weighingand testing all experiences, thereby extract-ing from each the greatest possible amount ofbenefit. Thus he is one of the most practical

of men, doing his work in the world to thevery best of his ability, yet ever keeping inmind the true purpose of life and constantlystriving to understand the spiritual signifi-cance of all things.

Everyone who aspires to tread the path ofspiritual attainment must assiduously culti-vate within themselves this devotional atti-tude of mind. It is the first step upon the path

that leads to the higher knowledge and is ofenormous and far-reaching importance.Everywhere in our environment we shouldlook for that which evokes in us feelings ofrespect and veneration. Such feelings are tothe soul what food is to the body. It is by cul-tivating our devotional nature that we feedthe soul, thereby causing it to expand andgrow strong. Feelings of hate, disrespect,and antipathy, on the other hand, bring about

starvation and withering of its activities.Therefore we should avoid such feelings asthese and bend all our energies to the task ofdeveloping the devotional attitude withinourselves. Then we have firmly planted our

feet upon the higher path which will eventu-ally lead to God.

FOR PEACEby

Eva G. Taylor

We are praying for peace; we are thinkingpeace, hoping for peace, and for a fewmoments we will consider peace in its wider,fuller import. What is the peace which weare praying for with all our hearts while afaroff the din and horror of fratricidal strife fills

the earths aura with its lurid red?Last year there were held more than one-

hundred-and-fifty International PeaceCongresses, Conventions, and Conferences.These were believed to presage the approachof the long-hoped-for and world-wide unityfor which humanity had been praying. It wasdeclared with emphatic assurance that warwas a thing of the past. Today we are in the

midst of conditions which might causeangels to weepand Europe is plunged intothe most terrible fratricidal struggle recordedin history. From this we are forced to drawseveral conclusionsone of which is thatour former optimism rested upon a very inse-cure foundation, and that our so-calledpeace perched upon a thin crust overseething inner fires.

The great MasterChrist Jesusuttered

these words, wonderful in their profound andmystical meaning: My peace I give untoyounot as the world gives. Note that theywere spoken to the Disciples alone; to thosewho loved Him and were consecrated to His

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service. Also, that they imply TWO KINDSOF PEACE. Human analogy bears out theinference. The peace which the world gives

is the false security lulling us into a tempo-rary siesta while the storm is gatheringaround.

The peace of Christ for which we are pray-ing is more than external calm. It is morethan exterior stillness over agitated andseething depths. In the microcosm it is morethan emotion lulled into momentary rest. Itis more than the nepenthe-stilled senseswhich for a brief interval see not, feel not,

hear not. In the microcosm it is more thancessation of martial movement when the ele-mental forces are awed into quiet by aMasters will. The world peace for which welong and wait is not the ominous stillness ofoppressed and stifled miserystifledbeneath crushing tyranny. It is not thepathetic indifference to fate which the sub-merged masses show beneath the iron hand

of greed and avarice. It is not the dull accep-tance of relentless conditionsa submissionwhich prevents open warfare BECAUSE ofthe conditions. Such submission eitherparalyses all out-reaching endeavors or feedsa seething fire of hatred within, which even-tually will burst all bounds.

Such has been the peace conditions of thepast centuries among the nations of theworld. Ominous mutterings of the coming

tempest have been heard now and againthrough the sultry silence. Wrongs haveclamored for redress, but have been silencedby the lifted hand of tyranny dyed red in theblood of humanity. We have called it

peace because there was dulled submissionto inevitable conditions. Wrongs were vest-ed with robes of official dignity, injustice

was clad in purple and ermine, and crueltysat on the thrones of power.

So there was peace. Peace? Ah!Friends, let us look beneath, to the heart andcore of it all. Again let us turn to the wordsof our great Example, Christ. He makes asignificant distinction between the peacewhich the world gives and that which Heimparts to those who love Him. We haveseen the effects of the former. We have lived

under its false security and have sufferedfrom its far-reaching consequences. Itspeace is like that of a sultry summer after-noon when all nature is conscious of electri-cal disturbancesomewhere. The sense andemotional centers feel the subtle vibrationsof ruffled atmospheric currents. Presentlythere is a movement of air, an on-rushingenergy, a sigh from bending forests and a

fierce, elemental battle is on.Another simile for the false peace may befound in the still pool in whose dark depthspoison lurks. A false peace, dear Friends,rests upon no foundation. At any momentimpulsions from beneath are liable to pene-trate its thin shell, and gigantic disturbanceresults. It is evident then that we desire someother form of peacesomething enduringand potential. This peace can be found only

in the Christ-principlein the Christ-spiritprevailing and guiding. His peace differsfrom that which the world in its temporizingpolicy offers, as radiant energy differs fromlethargy. Christs peace is radiant energy,



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glowing life, moving flame from a pure cen-ter of Light; and its bright altruism enfoldsand blesses the heart of humanitythe

world-soul. When this peace reaches theheart of mankind the nations will no longerbe at war. There will be no race-spirit, nodesire for power to use in selfish monopoly;no out-reaching tentacles of avarice to gripthe hapless victims. This, then, is the peacewe pray for tonight, tomorrow, and all thedays to come. The peace of Christ ! We aretold that it passes understanding. It passesthe bounds of intellect. Mind cannot grasp it.

Only the spirit can recognize and embrace it.Yet from that radiant center we feel its bene-dictory calm, its high beatitude through allthe life. It touches and electrifies all thesense and all the emotional centers. It trulyradiates its blessings through every avenue ofconsciousness. It cannot be expressed. Itcannot be understood by those who know itnot.

With this understanding of peace it is evi-dent that the world is not quite ready for itsdivine blessedness. Anything less than this isnot peace, but is merely absence of martialmovement. It is one of the great tragedies ofour Sorrowful Star that tears and blood-shed, wreck and ruin must precede the recon-ciling harmonythe harmony that springsfrom the perfect peace, and includes it. TheMars spirit makes this an age of unrest. It is

felt not alone on the battlefield, but in everywalk in life, in every avenue of the worldsprogress. It is good, therefore, to send outthoughts of peace continually; to concentrateon peace, to work and pray for it; but we

must do MORE THAN THIS. We must ana-lyze with the philosophers insight and findthe underlying causes of the chaotic condi-

tions which we find everywhere. Then wemust recognize all the elements of the strifeand find a true basis for peace. As this can befound only in altruismin universal lovein the recognition of the fundamental unity.It is clear then that we must work for this; inother words, for Christ and His Kingdom. Togo back to the ultimate, not stop halfway anddream of glossed-over conditions which areevil at the core, but fair on the outsidelike

whited sepulchers. It is those conditionswhich have produced our wars and our mis-eries. These wars and these miseries mustprevail until the stream of human life is puri-fied at its source. So much of the animal ele-ment is mixed with its pure essence now thatsometimes it becomes difficult to separatethe two. We must become pure, however,before we can have peacelasting peace

in the national life as in the individual.While anything false or evil is hidden, orcovered up, or glossed over, the utmost ofpeace that we can know is that which theworld givesa temporary lull in the storman armistice or truce during which we maybury our dead.

The real peace is white, luminous, like abeam of light from God. It is the perfectflower which crowns life harmonized. It is

the true symphony of human life whose qual-itative analysis may be summed up in thesewords of the great Master, Beethoven:Nothing can be more sublime than to drawnear to the Godhead, and to diffuse here on



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earth these god-like rays among mortals.During the process of unfoldment, of

adjustment, of constructive utility and beau-

ty, life is full of discord and strife. It is withthe nations as with the individualwith thecosmic as with the microcosmic. While theDEBRIS of a demolished structure is beingcleared way to make room for the new, thesight is not a pleasing one. All the senses areoffended by the litter and confusion. Theartists soul alone can see in imagination thenew structure which will arise in airy grace,in noble beauty over the wreck and ruin. In

our old terminology we need to speak of thehuman lives which were snuffed out uponthe battlefield, like the flame from a candle.We know now that the life is not snuffedoutand that the flame still lives. The oldcrystallized conditions will be broken up bythis terrible upheaval and we shall feel thestirring of finer etheric currents.

Let us then continue to send out thoughts

of peace, and more than this to make themmighty, potent, all-powerfulcharged withthe electric current of love from the DivineCenter. Thus we may aid in the movementfor peacefor the true peacefor the peaceof Christ. The preparatory work must bedone, however. The DEBRIS of uselessthought, of idle fancy, of selfish interestsmust be cleared away. The race-spirit mustdie out. Class distinctionsexcept degrees

in spiritual attainmentmust be abolished.The only standard of excellence must bebased upon spiritual unfoldment. All thearbitrary distinctions of our foolish, modern,so-called civilization must be dissolved in

the white light of Truth which shines fromthe spiritual worlds. All our concepts basedupon earths false standards must be reversed

and we must stand as a UNIT endlesslyMULTIPLIED as ONE radically, fundamen-tallymanifesting in differing degrees, butaltogether making the perfect humanity.

To use the old musical simileeachhuman Intelligence sounds its note and a cer-tain number of these notes harmoniouslyblended make up the perfect chord. All thesechords with their tones and overtones, theirbalance and rhythm, form the great sympho-

ny of life. Not one note can be sparednotone chord dispensed with. Even those whichfall with a weird dissonance upon untrainedears, under the Masters skill, help to pro-duce the truest musicthe most perfect har-mony. None of us who journey togetherupon this sorrowful Star can enter into theperfect harmony until the last false individualnote has been brought up to sound its full,

true note. In the great world-soul there aremany tones. Some sound very discordant tosensitive ears, but they must be rendered trueand clear spheres as a vivid fact instead of apoets dream. Then we shall know the mean-ing of peace and shall realize how fully weare one. Just now the martial note prevails,but from the crash of horns and drums therewill arise a clear, pure melody from the vio-lin and cello strings of mans higher soul, and

the reign of peace will begin.In a very real sense we are our brothers

keepersin a deep mystical sensefor atthe heart of things we are one. Our souls,formed from the world-soul, separated now



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though they beeach enclosed in its tinyshellwill, when purified and united to thespiritual Intelligence, be one in mighty

power and blessedness.One last thought: Altruism must have its

roots within, in the holy center of Love andLight where the real self dwells. Seeds oftruth must fall into the silences of the heartand germinate there in the deep stillness. Weknow not what we lose when we let them fallupon the turbulent, eddying stream of out-ward life and while away on its restless cur-rents. Its impulsions are ever outward and if

the divine truths, which the Master speaks tothe inner ear, be not allowed to come to fullfruition within, before they are borne out-ward, they will fail in their high purpose. Adeep truth lies concealed in thisone worthyof your serious thought.

The Heart of the Christ is love and light.When His law rules the life, peace results.Restlessness is a sign of disturbed centers

and shows that the energies are rushing out intravail channelsdissipated in non-essentiallines.

The false peacethe peace which theworld gives its votaries, disunites, segregates,disrupts. In its way it is almost as harmful asthe martial forces let loose. To enter into thegreat and lasting peace, dear friends, the soulof humanity must turn toward the Divine,central Light and away from the world of

form and fantasy. It is the trying to face bothways that brings all our misery.

It is all quite simplethe problem of life,individual and cosmicwhen we find thekey. This key is within the reach of all when

we look within, and in the center of ourbeingin the deep stillness find our realselfour higher Self and our God.

Let the closing thought of peace which weshall take away with us be expressed in thewords of a hymn written by a mystic andsaint in the Welsh Abbey of Llantheny:

Hushlet a stillness deep

Brood over every heart!

Let every earthly thought

Now utterly depart.

Master, say, Peace be still.

For THOU ART SURELY HERE.Masterlet Thy great calm

Make us to FEEL THEE NEAR!

Our souls all sweetly bless,

And make this hour so sweet

That we shall KNOW OURSELVES

Just resting at Thy Feet.

FELLOWSHIP: A LEGENDby

Blanche Cromartie

Three beggars went down to Samaria, theone deaf, another blind, the third a cripple.

And as they went one said: Surely I am aSinnerbeing deaf; and the second said: Iam blind, surely I am a sinner also; and thethird likewise owned his sins saying:

Therefore I am a cripple.Then they were minded how they always

went the three together and said each to theother:

I can hear, for I have thee and thee for ears.



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And the next said:I can see, for I have thee and thee for eyes.And the last said:

Surely you twain are my feet.Then all three praised God and rejoiced.And as they drew new to Samaria they met

one whose mouth was covered and in hishand a clapper, for he was a leper.

He stood far off and begged an alms ofthem, but they said: We be beggars, we havenaught; we go down to Samaria seekingalms, for the Samaritans are ready givers.

The leper cried aloud and said: Though

you have naught yet you are greatlyblessedbeing three. But I am a sinner andmust dwell comradeless.

When the three friends heard that, they saidone to another:

We are likewise sinner but we go in com-pany. Then their heart smote them withcompassion for the lonely one and with oneconsent they called to him: We be all sin-

ners and afflicted of the Lord. Come nowand be of our fellowship.The leper rejoiced exceedingly hearing this

and said: Then let us go to Bethlehem forthis night in a dream one showed me thatMessiah is born there.

The road to Bethlehem was stony and steepand the night fell, but the blind man knew theway.

It was night when they reached the stable-

door at Bethlehem and they feared to knock.Now within, Joseph slept, but Mary keptwatch by the child; she heard the noise of thefeet and of men whispering, so she arose andopened the wicket.

A dazzling ray of light streamed out intothe darkness, and through the wicket Maryinquired who they were and why they had

come, and they answered: We be all sinnersand justly afflicted by the Lord but we hearthat Messiah is born and therefore have wecome. The Virgin asked: What gift haveyou brought, for none can enter here excepthe bring an offering.

The beggars cast down their eyes andanswered nothing for their hands were empty.

Mary asked them, saying: Who is thefourth man who standeth somewhat apart?

Then the three feared greatly and fell upontheir knees crying: We are sinners indeedfor we joined this one unto us and he is aleper: and moreover he is a Samaritan. ThenMary threw the door open wide and theycame in and beheld the Saviour: the blindreceived his sight, the deaf heard, the lameman leaped upon his feet. And they lookedexpecting that the leper should be cleansed:

but he was gone. Then they perceived that ithad been an Angel of the Lord.

A PROPHETIC VISION

Some time ago we received a magazinefrom Germany entitled Towards the Lightinwhich the following prophecy was printed.The Editor claims that this prophecy was sentto him by a Brother in the spring of 1904,

that it was then published in a little pamphletcalled The Holy Grail, an Esoteric Colonyand a prophesy, which, he says, is probablystill in the hands of many of his readers fromthat time. The prophecy relates to the war in



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part, and the skeptical reader would probablydiscount it on the grounds that it is easy nowto prophesy something that has already hap-

pened and is now going on. But there is onepart of the prophecy which has not been ful-filled and which coincides with what we our-selves know to be in line with facts as theywill develop in later years, and as it wouldnot seem proper to give this latter part of theprophecy without also printing the begin-ning, we herewith give the whole, translatingfrom the German as follows:

I awakened from a natural sleep, not tothe ordinary waking consciousness, but to ahigher super-sensual, and I saw somethingwhich filled me with horror. It seemed as ifI was hovering in the air and all Europe laybeneath me, vibrations of unrest and strifecame up toward me from the people on thewhole continent, and atmosphere around meseemed to be darkened, as if the vibrations of

unrest were concentrating themselves into athunder cloud, and that is what seemed actu-ally to happen. Then the cloud floated hitherand thither, lightning darts discharged them-selves now upon one country and now uponthe other, but the thunder was the thunder ofcannons and the lightning was fire fromthousands and millions of guns. The cloudlay thick and dark over Europe and seemedalso to go to each side over Asia and

America, but it soon went away from the lat-ter continent and somewhat later from Asiato lay itself all the heavier and darker overEurope. It rolled hither and thither like afire-drake often crossing here and there and

then again drawing itself together. Below Icould see the people, nations in war.Wherever the cloud hovered there they

wrecked and ruined everything and the war-ring nations seemed to grow more and morelike wild animals. Little by little the cloudseemed to disperse, but what a sight where ithad been! The misery cannot be described;thousands of widows, maidens and orphanslay upon the fresh graves and wept over theirdead; behind them stood the aged fathers andmothers and mourned for their sons that hadbeen taken away in the prime of their young

manhood.And while with sorrowing heart I saw and

looked down upon all this grief, there came ahot wind from the south which withered allthat was green and there was a famine inmost of the countries of Europe, sorrowincreased and many thousands were added tothe dead. Then there came a great hand inthe north and poured out an acid fluid and as

a result there was great pestilence.Then I saw a great light which graduallydispelled the previous darkness but ITCAME FROM THE WEST, from NorthAmerica and shone upon the stricken coun-tries of Europe. In it was hope, health, andhealing. Many ships left the coasts of thenew land laden with grain and foods. Onething more I saw which had hitherto escapedmy notice, IN THE WESTERLY PART

BEYOND THE GREAT MOUNTAINRANGE IN NORTH AMERICA. I SAW AGARDEN OF WONDERFUL BEAUTYAND A DAZZLING LIGHT SHONE INTHE MIDST OF THIS COLONY OF HOLY



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MEN AND WOMEN, Who had come out ofall the lands of the world, because of its greatsorrows. From thence they returned to their

native countries with the fire of love burningbrightly in their hearts, and the stone of thephilosophy as a sign upon their forehead thatthey might spread light and love over thewhole world, and each kindled anew the lightin his own fatherland.

Then there came a new era, the nations ofthe earth put away their weapons and devot-ed their energy to build wonderful machinerywhich lightened the work of the world; igno-

rance, poverty, and all slavery was doneaway with and a golden era dawned, but ALLTHIS BECAME POSSIBLE ONLYBECAUSE THE FAITHFUL ONES OFTHE LORD HAD WITHDRAWN FROMTHE WORLD AND FOSTERED THEHOLY LIGHT WHICH BROUGHT THEWORLD ITS FREEDOM.

And as I wondered over what I had seen,

there sounded in the heavens a choir of praisewhich sang Praise to the Highest and to menPeace, Goodwill and Happiness. And therewas given to me the command write whatyou have seen and let it be known, the skep-tics will laugh and sneer, the wise will feelthe truth in their heart AND THEY WILLSEEK FOR THIS PLACE OF SAFETY, thatthey may not be swept away by the great cat-astrophe, but preserve and defend the

Heavenly light, the fire of love, which is intheir hearts, so that when the sorrow is pastthey may be able again to enkindle it in oth-ers.

While as said, the writer does not know

who this Brother is, and what is his standing,it has upon its face a certain stamp of truthwhich cannot be overlooked. Nowadays

people are usually looking TOWARDS THEEAST when they take up the Quest of theMystic light. But as a matter of fact thecourse of the stars is from East to West, andthe Heavenly light givers above, so also theEarthly place of light below, are periodicallymoved toward the west. The wise men of theEast, spoken of in the Bible, did not looktowards the east for the Star but THEY FOL-LOWED IT and went with it towards the

West. In the ancient Atlantean Mystery tem-ple, called the Tabernacle in the wilderness,there was a light INSIDE the eastern gatewhere the aspirant entered, he was then fac-ing the West and he saw the light just inside,namely the light on the Altar of Burnt offer-ings. He was then like the Candidate whoappears at the door of the Masonic temple, hewas blind and was looking for the light; this

light confronts him when he looks towardsthe West. The law was his taskmaster tobring him to the light which then shone forhis guidance, and as he followed it upon thepath and JOURNEYED WESTWARDtowards the first veil, another light appeared:the seven branched candle-stick in the HolyPlace. This was a purer and more holy lightthan the light of the Altar of Burnt offeringswhere the fire was fed upon the smoking and

bleeding carcasses of the sacrifices. Thelight in the Holy Place was fed by the purestolive oil, especially made for that purpose;thus it was light of a higher order than that ofthe carcasses that burned without. But the



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candidate proceeded further Westward, andwhen he came to the Westernmost part of all,the Holy of Holies, there was seeming dark-

ness where stood the Ark of the Covenant;but above it there burned A SPIRITUALLIGHT, spoken of in the Bible as ShekinahGlory, which hovered above the Ark as asymbol of the purified man. While he was atthe eastern gate and the light shone WITH-OUT, the law was also WITHOUT as ataskmaster which he only obeyed because hemust. At this Western end of the tabernaclehe finds the Ark with the tables of the law

WITHIN, symbolical of the fact that the manwho has obtained to that height has takenWITHIN himself all the laws of nature and isat-one with them. Therefore, he obeys themreadily; they are not to him task masters; hewould not act contrary to them if he could.The golden pot of Manna, symbolizing thebread that came down from heaven, THECHRIST WITHIN, gives another key to the

nature of this symbol. The Rod of Aaronwith which he wrought the miracles ofEgypt, is like the spear of the Grail, a symbolof the spiritual power which may be wieldedby a man who has attained to that SPIRITU-AL LIGHT IN THE WEST.

But the purpose of this attainment is, andmust always be, service; therefore, the staveswere always in the rings of the Ark, that itmight be moved upon an instants notice.

Similarly the man or woman above whomshines that wonderful Shekinah Glory, andwho has within himself or herself the tablesof the law, the Heavenly Manna and theSacred rod, are every one alert to the slight-

est call for service, that they may hasten toalleviate the suffering of their brothers andsisters who are behind upon the path of evo-

lution further towards the East.These are mystic facts, and the vision of

this mystic has perceived them aright.Everything changes as we go from East toWest to further the development of the newattribute that we are to evolve in this age, thatthe coming Era may be ushered in.

When the writer went to Germany in 1907,he felt most acutely the oppression of thegroup spirit there as a cloud over the land

holding the people in its grip. Just as it isrecorded that in ancient times Jehovah wentbefore the Israelites and was IN THECLOUD, so the nation group spirit, each rul-ing over its own particular people, broodsover, and develops in them certain character-istics. Therefore the types in Europe persist,despite the increasing frequency of interna-tional marriages, for the group spirit invari-

ably stamps the off-spring. In America it isdifferent; that is the melting pot, the cradle ofthe new race, and no group spirit has yet beendeveloped for it. The West Indies on theAtlantic side and Hawaii on the Pacific sideare also gates through which the races of theEast and West are being assimilated and pre-pared to mingle in the great new race now inits gestatory stage. And it is a fact ascer-tained by scientific investigators that the

children of all nations born in America takeon a distinct contour of the head which is dif-ferent from the nationality from which theyhave sprung. Thus it is even physicallydemonstrable that a new race is being born in



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America, different from any in the old conti-nent. A new class of Egos is coming into re-birth which has different traits of character

and characteristics from those which existamong the older people.

When we investigate the climatic condi-tions we also find that there is a great differ-ence between the atmosphere of America andof Europe; the atmosphere of America iselectric and particularly in SouthernCalifornia, the ether abounds to a degree notexperienced anywhere on the whole earth.This has a very brightening effect upon the

people living in the different countries, andthe writer cannot illustrate this better than byrelating a certain incident and conversationthat took place at the temple of the RosyCross in Germany which he visited by invi-tation to receive the teachings embodied inThe Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception. Byincessant work night and day for a long timehe had succeeded in making a sketch of the

philosophy. This he showed to the ElderBrothers who were instructing him, but hisfeelings of enthusiasm were soon cooledwhen he was told that though he was nowvery much pleased with it, as soon as heshould arrive in the U.S. the electric atmos-phere there would cause him to look at thingsin a different way, that he would re-write itand make it totally different; this he thoughtabsolutely impossible at the time, but the

Elder Brothers then said:You were requested to come to Germany

because this heavy atmosphere brooded overby the group spirit leads to persistence andperseverance, favors concentration, deep

thought, and great insight. Here alone couldthe skeleton for such a book be written, but tofinish it and give it that touch of life which it

must have to make it a success among themasses, the electric atmosphere of Americais required.

The mental attitude of a German, due to thegroup spirit in the atmosphere, may belikened to a man who travels from Berlin toParis by stagecoach; it will take him a longtime but on the way he sees people of differ-ent nations, he becomes acquainted withevery foot of the road and notices the scenery

so that he is thoroughly acquainted withevery step along the way and could give agood description of it, were he afterwardsrequired. The mental processes of theAmerican are also like his methods of travel.When he desires to go from New York toChicago, he takes a sleeper at night so as notto lose any of the precious daylight businesshours, he rushes over the country at the rate

of seventy miles an hour and arrives at hisdestination at an early hour the followingday; he knows nothing whatever of the coun-try he has passed through, but he arrivedquickly, that is the essential point.

A German would have taken at least twovolumes to express his views upon all thedetails of the Panama Canal project;President Roosevelt covered the subject wellin one speech; he arrived at the destination

without all the details. That national trait isgrowing because the rays of Uranus andNeptune are stronger and affect the people ofthe United States more than any other part ofthe world. For under their tutelage a new



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race will be born and fostered to relieve theworlds woe.

On another occasion when the question of

headquarters was up for discussion, thewriter was instructed to look for a place over-looking the Pacific Ocean in SouthernCalifornia and having at the back of it snowcapped mountains. We tried first to buy aplace which seemed to suit the description,partly, but obstacles were piled up so that wecould not perfect the purchase. Then Mt.Ecclesia was found and at once recognizedby the leaders as meeting all the conditions

required. The number of buildings isincreasing, the grounds are growing morebeautiful year after year, and it seems as ifthe description given in the vision quoted atthe beginning of this article would fit Mt.Ecclesia well. It has already become aMecca for students from many lands thatcome here to gather inspirations and takeback to their respective homes the light

received here, and as the time goes on maywe not hope that this may, indeed, become acenter of a great spiritual influence in theworlds work. Let us hitch the wagon ofaspirations to the Star of Hope, and the high-er our ideal the better perhaps we shall liveup to it.

One thing is certainthat the spiritualtemple which we are building by our hopesand aspirations around the earthly sanctuary

we have already erected, is gradually grow-ing more and more beautiful, luminous, andmore like that wonderful temple whichManson describes so eloquently in TheServant in the House, and by the Grace of

God ,we shall continue in joy and gladness.As Manson said: We have found it to be truethat sometimes the work goes on in almost

utter darkness, but sometimes there come therays of hope, the clouds break, and the sun-shine of joy and gladness shines through tolighten the load for a little while; butwhether we are building in darkness or in theblinding light, it is something to be able tosay that we have never ceased in our un-wearying persistence. Helped by the aspira-tions of thousands of students centered uponthis place, the work goes forward through joy

or sorrow, and sometime the vision shall berealized, and Mt. Ecclesia, the headquartersof the Rosicrucian Fellowship, shall give itsfull share of light to the waiting world.

As the Sun by precession is nearing thecusp of the Sign Aquarius, the Uranian andNeptunian influences are growing strongerand stronger. People all over the world are atthe present time being drawn towards the

spiritual side of their nature in a manner andwith a force that was never experiencedbefore. The wave of materialism and of bothreligious and scientific dogmatism is gradu-ally receding and in its place this new stellarray is bringing greater light, greater love forhumanity. Even this war that is raging at thepresent time and which was seen in thevision as a dark cloud, even that with has itsinfluence for good; it is horrible indeed to

see, as one does with the spiritual vision, theseething swirling, whirling masses ofhumanity as they leave this world, in anger,hate, and deep sorrow at being taken awayfrom their kindred, from those they love and



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whose future depends upon them, it is just assad to look upon those who are left behindand who must face the world with empty

hands and without hopes, but out of this fur-nace of affliction there will rise a new and anobler feeling. After the sorrow and angerhas spent its first fury, there will come arefining influence which is even now percep-tible in the different countries of Europe; theparoxysm of anger, of hate, and frenzy hasalready spent itself in a measure. The peoplewho are at the front, and those also who areleft behind in the cities, look upon life from

a very different, a much more subdued, anglethan they did before. They are being pre-pared for a new era, nobler sentiments arebeing slowly inculcated by sorrow and suf-fering through which they are now going, asnever could have happened in any other way.Thus, out of the sorrows and the misfortunesof the present time there will arise, phoenix-like, a new, a more religious Europe. Mans

necessity is Gods opportunity, and it will notbe long before those who are now preparingthemselves for the task by proper study, by aconsecrated life, will find a ready audienceamong the nations where formerly pleasurewas the chief aim of life. May every one thatsees the mystic light grasp the opportunity toprepare himself or herself properly for thisgrand privilege of carrying light to thenations so that they may reap the oil of glad-

ness for their reward and earn greater andgrander opportunities for service in thefuture, by work in the present.

EMOTION AND INTELLECT

W. A. Rowdon

One of the greatest charms and real advan-tages of philosophy is its great value as aplace of mental retirement. When a man hasworked his hardest, has endured all the strainand sorrow of the life mundane and is weary,then his mind turns with joy to the satisfyinghelp afforded by philosophy. Those thingswhich seemed to fill his horizon with a blackshadow of doubt and fear, then shrink tosmallness and life itself assumes a more

cheering aspect.Philosophy is catholic in its application.

The intellectual person must have a philoso-phy that will give a rational and even scientif-ic solution to lifes mysteries. He demands asimilar explanation of religion. Faith, to himis a matter of knowledge. The emotional per-son desires an appeal to his heart, rather thanto his brain. He is not so concerned about the

actual why and wherefore of an occurrence ora statement, as he is about the value of itsemotional properties. The former concernshimself with the actual physical reason for amiracle; the latter, with the appreciation ofwonder and real beauty attendant upon itsmanifestation. The former would give help toa fellow creature, not so much because of anypity he would feel, but chiefly because such anact would be in accordance with his own intel-

lectual conception of the relationship of manto man. The latter, of course, would act fromheartfelt sympathy and an emotional desire tohelp the unfortunate one.

(Concluded on page 40.)



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A PROPHETIC DREAMA young lady in Pasadena, California was

reported in several of the March papers tohave had a vision of her younger brother,who was then on his way to Salt Lake City,arriving there and the following day com-mitting suicide on the street by shootinghimself four times with a revolver. Thevision was so vivid and she was so dis-turbed by it, that she impressed her sisterand father, to such a degree that the fathertook the next train to Salt Lake City to lookafter his son. But when arrived he foundthat the suicide had just happened, actually

as seen by the sister one and one-half daysbefore the event took place. Question: Howcould the lady see the event before it tookplace; it had not then become a memory ofnature record.

Answer: When we die a panorama of ourpast life unrolls in reverse direction fromdeath to birth, the object being to show ushow certain effects are brought about by cer-tain causes and acts in our lives, and thusteach us the lesson it was intended weshould learn. We only mention at this pointwithout going thoroughly into the matter,that our evil deeds bring suffering in purga-tory, and the good brings pleasure in the first

heaven. Gradually the acts of the life aremade to yield fruit, and the essence thereofincorporated into the spirit as Conscience,to keep him from repeating evil, andVirtue, to urge him to do good. Thencomes the stay in the second heaven, whereman works upon his future environment aspart of the nature forces, and later, the peri-od of waiting in the third heaven, which isso exalted a stage that man has little or noconsciousness there. In the fullness of timedesire for more experience draws the Egoback to earth life, and then the RecordingAngels call up before his consciousness a

panorama of the coming lives available tohim. Various embodiments are usuallyoffered because he has had connection withdifferent people who are then living and inwhose environments he may take his place,to reap with them what he has sown in for-mer lives and to sow anew. These panoram-ic pictures run in the direction from birth todeath, and not in reverse order as thepanorama we remember spoken of above asseen after death, because the object is toshow how, by certain acts he may bringabout certain effects and thus generate asuitable pabulum for the soul to give it anall-around life experience. This panorama,

Question Department* * * * * *


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however, is only given in the large outline,the man is free to build in the details.

Then the descent into matter commences

from the finer realms to the physical world.On the way man gathers materials for use asvestures of the soul during the coming earthlife, and is finally born at the time when theclock of destiny, the stellar rays in the heav-ens, are propitious to the unfoldment of thatlife panorama, and the horoscope at birththus shows the line of least resistance in thatlife, the time when he will receive impulsesfrom the planetary rays to bring on incen-tives to certain actions at certain times.

It is, however, particularly noted that heis, in the final analysis, the arbiter of hisdestiny. If he drifts without resistance orinitiative, then he is ruled entirely by hisstars. On the other hand, if he does take ini-tiative, then in the measure that he carriesout his divine prerogative of choosing whatto do or what not to do, he becomes the

ruler of his stars. For the purpose of thisanswer, particular stress is laid upon the factthat at certain times the clock of destinypoints to the fatal hour when a choice mustbe made concerning a certain matter, andupon that choice much of the later life is, ofcourse, dependent.

Thus we carry with us in the subtle auricatmosphere, the latent force of our pastlives, and at the propitious moment, like the

wireless waves that light a distant lamp, theplanetary ray impinges upon the tendencieslatent within us and galvanizes them intodynamic energy, which impels us in a cer-tain direction. The picture shown in that

prenatal panorama becomes endowed withlife and we are force to take action in oneway or the other. Either we may yield to the

impulse, thus generating the whole effectshown by the pre-natal cause at hand, or wemay strive to take another line of action,which will then modify the cause, give adifferent effect, and change the life withincertain limits. We cannot change our livesaltogether, however; but just as a man goingfrom the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast has achoice of routes at the beginning and maygo either North or South, but is limited oncehe has chosen a route, he must then followthat line, with certain side trips allowed. Hecannot change his destination, either, whenthe ticket is bought.

So it is with us; we are bound on the jour-ney of life from the cradle to the grave, andas a man achieves his destination and seesthe suburbs of that city, having no choice inthe matter, so also must we in childhood go

through certain experiences among the peo-ple with whom we are. Likewise, in the lastdays when we are nearing the end of life, theweb of destiny has been so nearly woventhat there is room only for a few strands.The details may perhaps be somewhat var-ied, but very little, and the life panoramawhich is with each of us is slightly changedin the course of years by our actions so thatthe final strands will fit in at the end.

Contrary to most peoples ideas, there arereally no acts of impulse, A thought is backof even the most trivial move, and there area great many thoughts back of every deter-mining act in our lives; the man who com-



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mits murder has repeatedly and habituallythought murder. He may be, and often is,acted upon from without, as a wireless

receiver catches the waves from other sta-tions, but before this happens, he must of anecessity be attuned to vibrations of vio-lence by his habits of thought. This impor-tant fact was brought out in the psychologi-cal play called, The Witching Hour,where one man, a very strong thinker,thought that the Governor of a certain State,who was a scoundrel, should be killed andthat he could be killed in a certain manner.Somebody else who had no connection withthe thinker committed the murder and wasabout to be brought to justice for it when thethinker saved him, because he felt responsi-ble for the crime.

Suicide, likewise, involves a great deal ofthought. The young man must first havesecured the revolver; it took some time tobring him to that point. Then he must have

planned the trip away from his people, etc.,and a thought form embodying the wholescheme was finally completed, as it alwaysis before any decisive step is taken. Theonly difference between this and most casesis that it is usually not seen by anyone. Butthe sister of the young man in this case mustbe a sensitive, and her love for the brotherwas very great, so she must have divined agreat deal of what was in his mind before he

left the home and there are two ways inwhich she may have seen what was about tohappen. In the rooms where we live wemake a picture of all the things that we do,say, and think, particularly in our private

rooms; they are pervaded with our thoughtatmosphere and the picture may easily havebeen seen there. It is more probable, how-

ever, that on the night when the sister sawthe coming event she was out of the body,and drawn by her love for her brother, shewas with him in the Eastern city where hewas perhaps again meditating on the con-templated act. Even the multiplicity ofshots used may have been pre-determinedby a desire to make sure that he would endthe life he disliked.

That the life might end by suicide wasprobably shown as a contingency, but notpre-determined by the antenatal panoramaof life, for so far as we have been able tofind out, all the evil effects of any life areeradicated in the purgatorial existence thatfollows death. Thus, every child is trulyborn innocent, though with certain evil ten-dencies which may be determining factorswhen temptation comes to try it. It follows

from that fact, that at least every evil act inlife is an absolute free-will. Thus it seemsthat suicide cannot have been contemplatedby any panorama of life, but the young manchanged his life so that after the skeinbecame entangled he could find no otherway out of it but suicide. The archetypewhich is the sole arbiter of the length of life,remains intact after suicide has been com-mitted, and its endeavor to draw to itself the

physical particles wherewith to build aphysical body, cause acute suffering, as ofhunger, to the man or woman who hasendeavored to play truant from the schoolof life. They suffer intensely as long as the



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archetype lasts. Only when that is disinte-grated does life end in ordinary cases, andin the case of the suicide it is the same; the

archetype remains alive for its allottedlength of time, causing the suicide greatsuffering and thus teaching him the muchneeded lesson of the sacredness of life.

There is a tendency upon the part of stu-dents to regard all events of the present life

as effects of causes set going in past lives, atendency to forget that we are every day set-ting new causes going which may work

themselves out in this life, and suicide issurely one of the causes which has ripenedto effect before the life cycle has been com-pleted. But where a grave mistake may bemade, the prenatal panorama also sounds awarning.

ters of our nervous system. These vorticesresemble the arrangement of iron fillingsseen in experiments in magnetic whirls. Inevolution the direction of the currents goclockwise, but just the reverse in devolut-ing. To the neophyte this is not mere spec-

ulation, for years before the real attainment,the circles of force will be visible by will tothe eye. The pituitary and pineal centerswhirl with a terrific speed and if there arenot many interruptions in the mental orphysical career of the individual, the chasmbetween the two is bridged, giving the pos-sessor higher perception or the power to seethe vital and desire bodies of others and ofhimself at will. It is a natural law of radia-

tion. He not only obtains this higher per-ception, but in a perfectly natural way hasthe power to withdraw high higher materialbody from that of the heavier physical,leaving it asleep, and still remain fully con-


A CLIPPING

(From an article by Stuart Leech, M. D.,in Medical Progress. Dr. Leech is a

member of the Fellowship doing good work

by giving his confreres an occasional taste

of Astrology.)

. . . . No man of intelligence can standon the seashore a calm evening and see thetide dash against the breakers without med-itating on the invisible planetary forces thatproduce the result, for we know that backof every result is an act and back of everyact is a thought. This naturally carries usinto the higher radiation of materiality.

By a unique but natural system of train-ing our physical faculties, combined with asubduing (not killing) of our passions and adevelopment of the will, we increase thevortices, or whorls, of force of certain cen-

The Astral Ray* * * * * *


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scious, paradoxical as this may seem. Hismind, soul, and what we call the desirebody, leaves his lower physical in the

hands of his spirit. A similar phenomenontakes place when one is asleep, but the cen-ters, not being developed, you can not beconscious of it. Ordinarily digestion takesplace without your being conscious of thefact.

This higher development is greatlyaided, if not wholly so, by the planetaryforces, more so by some than others. To theindividual this can be proven to his satis-faction by directing his attention to certainconditions that will be brought about whenhe comes under certain planetary aspects.All of this was A, B, C, to the initiates,Schiller, Goethe, Walt Whitman, Shakespeare,Bulwer Lytton, and a host of others.

While so great an attainment is withinthe reach of all, very few are willing to paythe price. The time alone to acquire same

will require two to twenty-five years.Two hundred years ago, physicians in

England were required to pass an examina-tion in astrology before they were permit-ted to practice. A shifting to the Copernicansystem and the degeneration of astrologyinto the basest kind of commercialism andfortune-telling threw it into disrepute, caus-ing its rejection in toto. Learning, especial-ly as it pertains to the higher radiation of

matter, is rapidly increasing and is causingastrology to again come into its own. Anyamateur astrologer can cast a horoscopeshowing the various planets positions inthe zodiacal houses. The real science has

thrown down the gauntlet with a challengeto the world, and they are prepared to standor fall upon the great fact, viz.: If the plan-

ets have no effect in the lives of men, theirdirections to the angles of the horoscopecan have no effect; but never was it foundthat a man had evil fortunes at the periodwhen the planet Jupiter was directed to themid-heaven or the ascendant, or anythingbut bad fortune when Saturn was similarlydirected. The fact is there, and we, as think-ing men, cannot get away from it. . . .

THE MEASURE OF AMENABILITYTO PLANETARY VIBRATIONS

(Continued)

To primitive man, driven by the whip-lash of Saturnine necessity, when not by theanimal lust and passions of Mars and theMoon, the World looks gloomy. Fear is the

keynote of his existence; fear of animals;fear of other men; fear of the nature forces;fear of everything around him. He mustever be watchful and on the alert, vigilanceis eternally the price of safety. But whenevolution makes him amenable to the influ-ence of Venus and Mercury, they soften hisemotions and brighten the mentality; hebegins to feel love and reason as factors inlife. The Sun also begins to brighten his

outlook upon life, and sunshine in thenature of man during this phase of his evo-lution partially dispels the cloud of Saturn.Thus, by degrees, as he evolves andbecomes responsive to the music of the



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spheres, one string after the other in thecelestial harp strikes the kindred chord inthe human soul and makes him amenable to

its vibrations, so that as a tuning fork whichis struck, awakens the music in other tuningforks of even pitch within reasonable dis-tance, the planets in our solar system havein evolutionary succession struck variouschords that have found an echo in thehuman heart.

But the strings on the celestial Lyre ofApollo are not all in harmony, some are inactual discord, and while man responds tosome he must necessarily remain, at leastpartially, unresponsive to others. In fact,before it is possible to respond perfectly tothe rays of Venus, it is necessary for man toconquer Mars to a considerable degree, tobring him under control so that certainundesirable martial traits in his nature willbe kept in the background, while others,which may be more valuable, are retained.

The Venus love, which is willing to give allfor the loved ones, cannot dwell side byside in the heart with the Mars ray, whichdemands all for self. Therefore the savagemust learn to conquer himself in a certainmeasure ere he may become the more civi-lized family man of modern times.

Under the unrestrained rays of Mars andthe Moon, parents bring children into theworld and leave them to take care of them-

selves, almost as animals do, for they areproducts of animal passion. The femalesare bought and sold as a horse or a cow, orelse taken by force and carried away. Evenso late as the medieval dark ages, the knight

often carried away his bride by force ofarms, practically in the same manner thatthe male animals battle for possession of

the female at mating time.Thus we see that the first step toward civ-

ilization requires that a man conquer one ormore of the planets, to a certain degree atleast. Unbridled passion, such as generatedby the primitive Mars rays, is no more per-missible under the regime of modern civi-lization, neither is the tenet that might isright any longer admissible, save in warswhen we return to barbarism. The Marsquality of physical prowess, that at onetime made it a virtue to attack others andtake away property, is no longer admired inthe individual. It is punished by variousmeans, according to law, though it is stilleffective as far as nations are concerned,who go to war under this primitive impulsein order to secure territorial aggrandize-ment. However, as said, Mars has been

conquered to a great degree in civil andsocial life in order that the Venus lovemight take the place of the Mars passion.

As previously noted, the children ofprimitive man were left to their ownresources as soon as they had been taughtto defend themselves in physical warfare.With the advent of Mercury anothermethod is observable. The battle of lifenowadays is no longer fought with physical

weapons alone. Brain, rather than brawndetermines success. Therefore the periodof education has been lengthened asmankind advanced, and it aims principallyat mental accomplishments because of the



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Mercurial Ray which accompanies theVenus development of modern civilization.Thus man sees nature from a more sunny

side when he has learned to respond to theSun, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Moon, andSaturn, even if only in a very slight measure.

Although these various stages of evolutionhave gradually brought man under the dom-inance of a number of planetary rays, thedevelopment has been one-sided, for it hasaimed to foster interest solely in things overwhich he has a proprietary right: his busi-ness, his house, his family, his cattle, farm,etc., are all vitally important, and must betaken care of. His possessions must beincreased, if possible, no matter what hap-pens to the possession, family, etc., belong-ing to anyone else; that is not his concern.

But before he can reach to a higher stageof evolution it is necessary that this desireto appropriate the earth, and retain it forhimself if possible, must give way to a

desire to benefit his fellowmen. In otherwords, Egoism must give way to Altruism,and just as Saturn, by wielding thewhiplash of necessity over him in his prim-itive days, brought him up to his presentpoint of civilization, so also Jupiter, theplanet of altruism, is destined to raise himfrom the estate of man to superman wherehe will come under the Uranian ray inrespect of his emotional nature, where pas-

sion generated by Mars will be replaced byCompassion, and where the childlike con-sciousness of Lunar origin is replaced by aCosmic consciousness of the Neptunian ray.And therefore the advent into our lives of

the Jupiterian ray marks a very distinctadvance in human development.

As taught in The Rosicrucian Cosmo-

Conception, we are to advance from ourpresent Earth period into the Jupiter period,and therefore the Jupiterian ray marks thathigh stage of altruism which will then be aprominent factor in our relations, one withthe other, and it will be readily understoodthat before we can readily respond to therays of Jupiter, we must in a measure culti-vate altruism, and conquer the Egotism thatcomes through the Mercurial reasoningpower. We have learned to conquer someof the phases of Mars and the Moon, wemaybe have also learned to conquer someof the lower phases of Mercury and Venus;the more we have overcome these, the bet-ter we shall be able to respond to the high-est vibratory forces emanating from theseplanets; yes, if strive earnestly we shallsome day be able to overcome even the

highest stage of the Venus love, that alwaysattaches itself to an object which is ownedby us.

We love our children because they areours; we love our husbands and wivesbecause they belong to us; we take pride,Venusian pride, in their Moral characteris-tics, or Mercurial pride in their accomplish-ments, but Christ set a higher standard:Unless a man leave his father and mother

he cannot be my disciple. The idea thatwe should neglect our fathers or our moth-ers or that we must hate them in order tofollow Him was far from his mind, ofcourse, but father and mother are only bod-



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ies; the soul that inhabits this body of thefather and mother is to be loved, not themere physical garment. Our love should be

the same, whether a person is old or young,ugly or beautiful. We should look for thebeauty of the soul, for the universal rela-tionship of all souls and not mind so muchthe relationship of the bodies. Who is mymother and my brothers? asked Christ, andpointed to His disciples, those who were atone with Him in that great work. Theywere closer to Him than anyone else couldbe because of the mere physical relation-ship. This attitude constitutes an upwardstep from the Venus love, which places theemphasis on the physical garments of theloved ones and leaves out of considerationthe soul that is within.

The Jupiterian love, on the other hand,takes cognizance only of the soul, regard-less of the body it wears. The Mercurial orreasoning phase of the mentality is also

changed by response to the altruisticJupiter. Cold calculation is out of the ques-tion. One who feels the expansive ray ofJupiter is big-hearted, first, last, and all thetime, and in every respect, big-heartedwhere his emotions are concerned. A

jovial fellow is an apt expression. He iswelcomed and loved by everyone he meetsbecause he radiates not the common self-ishness, but a desire to benefit others that

breeds in us a feeling of trust, diametricallydifferent form the sense of distrust weinstinctively feel when we come in contactwith a Saturn-Mercury man.

It is a matter of actual experiences to

astrologers endowed with spiritual sightthat every mans planetary rays producecertain colors in his aura, in addition to the

basic color which is the stamp of the race towhich the man belongs. The man with thethin sickly blues of a commingled Saturnand Mercury, is to be pitied rather than cen-sured for the avarice and gloom which arehis constant attitude of mind; he sees every-thing in the world through that auric mirrorwhich he has created around himself. Hefeels that the world is cold, hard, and self-ish, and that therefore it is necessary forhim to be more selfish and more cold inorder that he may protect himself.

On the other hand, when we see thedivine blue ray of Jupiter tinted with, per-haps, the refined gold of the Uraniannature, we realize how different such anexalted individual must view the world,from our own sordid way of seeing and

judging things. Even those who have the

faintest Jupiterian tinge are in a world filledwith sunshine and flowers blooming;everything in nature is gay and glad. Andby looking at the world through such anatmosphere, they call forth from othersources a similar response as the tuningfork previously mentioned generates inanother of even pitch.

After what has been said it will not be dif-ficult to understand that the Uranian char-

acteristic, where love becomes Compassion,gives a wisdom that is not dependent uponreasoning, a love that is not fixed upon onesubject alone, but includes all that lives andmoves and has its being. It is similar to the



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characteristics that are to be evolved byhumanity during the Venus period whenperfect love shall have cast out all fear,

when man shall have conquered all thelower phases of his nature, and love shallbe as pure as it is universally inclusive.

When these Uranian vibrations are felt byadvance in the higher life through aspira-tion, there is a great danger that we maythrow away the fetter of law in anticipation,before we are really ready to govern our-selves by the law of Love divine; that wemay disregard the laws that are in theworld; that we may not render unto Caesarthat which is Caesars, whether in obedi-ence or coin; that we may not be careful ofavoiding the appearance of evil; that wemay think that we have so far transcendedthe ordinary stage of humanity that we canlive as super-humans; that the passion ofMars has in our case been changed toUranian compassion, which is sexless, and

under these misapprehensions many peoplewho endeavor to tread the path disregardthe laws of marriage and enter into rela-tionships as soul-mate and affinity. Theyfeel the Uranian ray, but cannot quiterespond to its sublime purity; therefore,they experience a counterfeit Venusian sen-sation which usually ends in adultery and

sex-perversion, so that instead of the natur-al animal passion of Mars having beentransmuted to the compassion of Uranus, it

has, as a matter of fact, degenerated intosomething that is far worse than the fullestsex expression of the martial rays commit-ted in a frank and proper manner.

This is a danger that cannot be too strict-ly guarded against, and it behooves every-one who endeavors to live the higher lifenot to try to aspire to the Uranian rays untilhe at first becomes thoroughly imbued withthe altruistic vibrations of Jupiter, for moremisery is brought into the world by thosewho have aspired too highly and fallen lowthan by those who are not sufficiently aspir-ing. Pride goes before a fall, is an ancientand very true proverb, which it behoovesevery one of us to take heart. The Christtook part in the marriage at Cana. Marriageis a regular Christian institution, and mustexist until abolished in the kingdom to

come, because the bodies we will have thenwill not wear out and therefore there will beno need of marriage to generate new ones.

Let it also be understood that although itis true that the minister who marries can notmate, the finding of the mate should bedone before the marriage ceremony isundertaken and not after.


(To be continued)


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THE ORIGIN OF LIFE

If we desire to solve the problem of exis-tence, and find out why we are here, the firststep is to ascertain the origin of life, for ifwe can trace whence we have come, and thepath by which we have already achieved ourpresent evolution it may be easier to ascer-tain what is the direction in which we are

traveling and this will give us a conceptionof the development necessary to bring usfurther along on the path of advancement.

But when we speak of the Origin of Lifeit must be distinctly understood that thatmeans life and not form; in fact, allthrough the studies it should be borne inmind that definite technical terms are usedto make certain distinctions and that unlessthis is borne in mind, unless we rememberthat each term applies to a certain idea ofthing, and to no other, we shall not be ableto escape confusion. Philosophers of thepast have made that great mistake of givingdifferent names to the same things and

ideas, speaking promiscuously of that thingor idea by these various names. Such amethod can only result in chaos, and weknow that that has been the hallmark ofphilosophical speculation. What we areafter now is the origin of life itself, inde-pendent of the form through which we see itmanifested. We therefore turn to the indexof words in The Rosicrucian Cosmo-

Conception on pp. 541. There we find lifeunder the grouping of the letter L. and oppo-site a page No. 563. This refers to the pagein the index where we shall find all the ref-erences to life. Accordingly, we turn to thatpage and looking through the descriptivereferences that promise a clue to what weare looking for, we turn around to page 564where there is one which says life did notoriginate anywhere at any time; it is. Thisshould refer to page 504 in the Cosmowhere this matter is discussed, but onaccount of a typographical error this is notapparent and we would advise the studentsto make the corrections right away in ink.

Studiesin

The RosicrucianCosmo Conception

* * * * * * *


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Turning now to page 504 we find the refer-ence we are looking for:

Seed Stratum: Material scientists have

been baffled in their efforts to discover theorigin of life, how the first living thingscame forth from previously dead matter.

In reality, according to the occult expla-nation of evolution, the question should behow the dead things originated. THELIFE WAS THERE PREVIOUS TO THEDEAD FORMS. It built its bodies from theattenuated, vaporous substance long beforeit condensed into the earths solid crust.ONLY WHEN THE LIFE HAD LEFT THEFORMS COULD THEY CRYSTALLIZEAND BECOME HARD AND DEAD. Coalis but crystallized plant bodies; coral is alsothe crystallization of animal forms. The lifeleaves the forms and the FORMS die. Lifenever came into a form to awaken it to life,life departed from the forms and they died.Thus dead things came to be.

In this fifth stratum is the primordialfount of life from which came the impetusthat built all the forms on earth. It corre-sponds to the Region of Abstract Thought.

In 1868 Huxley announced that he hadfound a sticky jelly-like substance takenfrom the bottom of the sea, which was amass of protoplasm and non-living; this hecalled Bathybius, from two Greek wordsmeaning deep and life, and David

Strauss in 1872 wrote in his book, The OldFaith and the New, that no man whobelieved in Bathybius can at the same timebelieve in the teachings of the Christianchurch. Haeckel, in hisHistory of Creation,

made Bathybius the central root from whichall terrestrial life has grown, and the scien-tific world at that time claimed that all

lifepast, present, and futurewoulddevelop from ooze at the bottom of the sea,and that all who believed in any Divineagency as having a hand in the matter of lifeand its manifestations upon earth were wellon their way to an asylum. But in 1875 theShip Challenger made deep sea soundingsand found Bathybius to be nothing but sul-fate of lime.

Thus the scientific dogma of that daydied, neither has science been able to findany better theory, and the origin of life is tothe scientists a mystery despite the repeat-edly up-cropping stories that Professor so-and-so, in this place, or Doctor somebodyelse, in that place, has succeeded in evolv-ing life, for to weld life to form is the pre-rogative of the Angels during the presentperiod of manifestation. And until in a

future day the wizards of the laboratorypurify themselves as the priests of the MostHigh God, and in that attitude of mind andsoul approach the laboratory table, it will beimpossible for them to know anything, saveof the dead forms which are all that we canwork with at our present point of evolution.Moreover, even if we were able to weld lifeand form as the angels are, in plants, ani-mals, and men, that would not discover the

origin of life. That mystic first chapter ofSt. Johns Gospel would still be supremeauthority upon the matter: In the beginningwas the Word and the Word was with God,and the Word was God, in it was Life and



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the Life became the light of men, without itwas not anything made that was made.

Turning now to the last paragraph of our

Quotation from the Cosmowe read therethat the Fifth Stratum of the earth is the pri-mordial fount of life from which came theimpetus that built all the form on Earth; itcorresponds to the region of AbstractThought. Then turn to the chart on page54, and read there what is said about theworld of Virgin Spirit, the world of DivineSpirit, the world of Life Spirit and theRegion of Abstract thought. This is an easymethod of following the descent of Spiritinto matter.

We are of course particularly interested inthe study of the human life, which weknow at the present time manifests as anego, and we therefore turn to our index ofwords to find if a definition of that word canbe found in the Cosmo. Opposite the wordEgo in the list of words, page 540, we find

the page number, 575; we find and turn tothat page in the index, we read, Ego (seeHuman Spirit). Then below that, the Egois a Virgin Spirit involved in a three-foldveil of matter which obliterates its originaldivine consciousness and engenders theillusion of a separate self, page 216. Therewe have a detailed description of howbefore the beginning of manifestation theSpirit enjoyed a divine consciousness in the

bosom of Deity; that the pilgrimage throughmatter was undertaken in order that eachspark from the divine Flame might attainconsciousness; that during the Saturn, Sun,and Moon periods each Spirit was encased

in three veils of matter of gradually increas-ing density, until at last it could no longerlook outward and perceive others; then it

turned its gaze within and saw itself.This last happened in the Region of

Abstract thought, the fifth realm of nature,counting from the physical world upwardsto finer matter, and this is the counter-part ofthe fifth stratum of the Earth to which theparagraph in our quotation at the beginningof this article refers. Thus you see why it issaid on page 504, that this stratum containsthe primordial fount of life from which allthe forms have been built that have evercome upon earth. If you turn to the diagramof the Seven World Periods on page 197,you will see that during the Earth Periodwherein we are now, none of the worldsallotted to that period are in the region ofabstract thought, therefore that and the otherworlds that are on beyond may be describedas Chaos, but this name is not synonymous

with confusion and Void, by any means, aswill be made clear if you turn to the chapteron Chaos pp 246, by reading on through thatchapter to pp 258 it will be made plain thatwe must learn to think of Chaos as the spir-it of God which pervades every part of theinfinite.

To sum up, the Rosicrucian Teaching con-cerning the origin of Life is: that it origi-nates in God, that it is in Him, because

nothing exists outside of Him, but that inHim it has neither beginning nor end. It Is.In the second place we learn that in the con-crete regions of the material universe, lifecan only be known when manifesting



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through a form, which may be either physi-cal, etheric, or of finer material still, but inthe Spiritual realms of the Universe, begin-

ning with the Region of Abstract Thought,Life and form, Spirit and matter merge, sothat in this Chaos we live in the ideas ofGod and attune ourselves to them, bringingwith us to rebirth each time, a better under-standing of the divine idea, and building

forms which express in a greater measurethe divine purpose.

Students are requested to consider this

chapter very carefully, reading all the por-tions of the Cosmo suggested and if anyquestions suggest themselves please sendthem in so that we may take up the study ina thoroughly systematic manner and securesatisfaction to everybody.

sickness. But one of the besetting sins of allages is gluttony. We do not live to eat, buteat to live. It is safe to say we all eat toomuch. The physical reason for most dis-eases is overeating: stuffing. Unfortunately,the medical profession encourages stuffing,particularly at times where little or no food

at all should be taken, so that the clogged-upsystem could have a chance of getting rid ofpoisons due to undigested food, fermentingand decomposing in the bowel. The ques-tion of diet is very difficult. One mansmeat is another mans poison. Each one isa law unto himself. One can not say whatand how much a person should eat. Thereare many factors which must be considered.A man living a strenuous outdoor life

requires a different diet from one who has asedentary habit. Again food which suits ahealthy, robust individual would not do for aperson whose digestive ability is impaired.It is not the question how much we eat, but


MODERATION AND DISCRIMINATION

Franziska Lash, D. O.

Our body is a machine, splendidly orga-nized and self-adjusting to a large degree.But even the best machine will get out oforder, unless it is attended by one who

knows its mechanism and therefore pre-vents damaging the complicated structure.If, due to wear or tear, improper workingmanifests itself, the skilled hand is capableof repairing the instrument and it is oncemore useful. Yet how many of us knowanything of the most wonderful machine onGods earth, the most perfect vehicle wepossess: our body? We pretend to run thatdelicate machine, abuse it every day in

many ways, sinning against the law andthen blaming everybody else save the cul-prit when the poor misused body refuses towork. Many indeed are the sins of omissionand commission which are responsible for

Nutrition and Health* * * * * *


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how much we are able of handling, of build-ing into our body healthy flesh and blood.Its a question of digestion; that means

breaking down the complex structure offood into simple substances. Those areabsorbed by the blood and carried to everycell of our body; they become bones,nerves, muscles, etc., and that process iscalled assimilation.

To digest means to break down the foodwe eat; to assimilate, to build the particlesthus gained into one body, so we are indeedwhat we eat. Everyone is anxious and wantto know how much to eat, but no oneinquires how much he is able to digest. Assaid, most of us over eat; we take muchmore food than is required to repair bodywaste, the machine becomes clogged withashes, sickness follows, because the body isnot able to digest all the fuel injected andthe food ferments. Taking a smell of thecontents of a half-decayed garbage can

gives us an idea what our inside is likeunder such conditions. Suppose our diges-tive ability is great enough to take care ofthe over-supply of food, much nerve energyis wasted thereby, which could be used bythe aspirant for a nobler purpose. In addi-tion, much more waste products have to beeliminated by the kidneys, bowel, lungs,and skin. At last there comes a time whenthe poor over-worked machine breaks down

and all the ailments under the sun are mani-fested. Its then we cry out for help, whichis given by the Fellowship, but to stay wellwe have to learn to bridle our appetite, a dif-ficult thing, but it affords ample opportunity

for self discipline and self-denial. Asidefrom the spiritual advantage we gain byovercoming the craving of our dense body,

the sacrifice is hundred-fold repaid by thestrength of the body, the clearness and easeof mind which is our reward. How we couldlabor in the vineyard of the Lord, if therewere no handicap which destroys our abili-ty to concentrate our powers! A sick man,alas, is but a poor worker, and it is folly towaste our time in idleness, because we areill, when we can do well and know the joyand pleasure of working as a cooperatorwith God!

Most of us, in thinking the matter over,concede that we overeat, yet we may eatsparingly and still sin against natural laws.The combination of food matters as much asthe quality of food. Both moderation anddiscrimination are essential to build wiselyand well the temple of God, which is ourbody.

RECIPES

The following is a menu fromMt. Ecclesia.

BREAKFAST. 7:30 A.M.

Baked Apples

Puffed Rice with cream

Toast, one soft boiled egg

Coffee or Milk



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DINNER. 12 NOON

Nut Loaf with brown gravy

German steamed Potatoes, Green PeasWhole Wheat bread and butter

Milk

SUPPER. 5:30 P.M.

Fruit Salad

Whole Wheat bread and butter

Cake, Honey

Tea or Milk

BAKED APPLES

Take smooth skinned apples, wash andremove cores without breaking skins, putone teaspoonful of sugar in each hole, put alittle water in the bottom of the baking panto keep the apples from burning. Bake inthe oven for twenty minutes.

NUT LOAF

Grind one cup of English walnuts, twocups of whole wheat bread crumbs, onestalk of celery, one medium sized onion, onesmall clove of garlic, and a few sprigs ofparsley through a vegetable grinderTWICE. After grinding, fry the above in a

little hot oil, turning and stirring until niceand brown. Take from the stove and mixwith two eggs, and a cup of tomato sauce.Season to taste. Bake 45 minutes. Serve hotwith brown gravy. Cold, boiled vegetables left

over from the previous day may be added tothe above, grinding them with the otheringredients. This will improve the flavor.

BROWN GRAVY

Take one slice of brown bread, toasted.Grind and place it in a pre-heated skilletwith one tablespoonful of butter or olive oil.Fry it for a few minutes. Take the watersaved from boiled vegetables and pour itslowly into the skillet until it is the thicknessof gravy. Season to taste and serve over theloaf.

GERMAN STEAMED POTATOES

Peel and slice potatoes into1/4-inch thickslices. Wash and put them in a deep pre-heated skillet with two tablespoons of butteror oil. Cover tightly to keep the steaminside the skillet, but watch them closely so

they do not burn. After about 10 minutesremove the lid and add enough salt to flavor,one cup of water, and one tablespoon ofchopped parsley. Cover again and cookabout 10 more minutes or until potatoes aretender. Serve hot.

FRUIT SALAD

Take two peeled and sliced apples, threeslices of pineapple, and one sliced orange.Chop fine and add one cup of finely groundwalnuts. Serve with mayonnaise dressingon a lettuce leaf.



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As a man thinketh in his heart so is he,said the Christ, and this is an absolutely sci-entific proposition, something moreover,which everyone may demonstrate by look-ing about him in the every day condition oflife in the home, office, or street. Here we

see a man with thick lips, with puffedcheeks, with a veritable pouch under hischin, and at once we know that we havebefore us a glutton and a sensualist.Another comes along the street, his face isfurrowed by lines, his lips are thin and set,and we know that thought and care havebeen the architects that molded this face.Each one who passes, expresses withoutexactly what his thoughts are within. One is

muscular and active, because the thoughtswhich have governed his activities built anactive body. Another has flabby flesh, apouch stomach and a waddling walk, show-ing that he is adverse to all exercise. In eachcase the body is an accurate reproduction ofthe mind; each class suffers from the ail-ments peculiar to the trend of its mentalactivity. The glutton and sensualist suffer

from diseases engendered when theirthoughts have crystallized and weakenedthe digestive tract and creative organs.Their diseases are entirely different from thenervous diseases that attack the thinker, and

any system of healing that does not take intoconsideration the fact that the body is morea physical expression of mind than mind isa manifestation of the physical man, makesa very radical mistake. In our complexnature, mind and matter act and react upon

each other in such a manner that it isabsolutely necessary to consider the man asa whole whenever we attempt to deal withhis disability.

It is well known to Physiologists that joywill sometimes bring the patient out of thesickroom quicker than any medicine. Ifsomething has happened to give his affairsin the world a sudden upward turn, so thathe becomes optimistic, disease seems to dis-

appear as if by magic; and conversely, eventhough he may seem to enjoy good health,the moment a depressing influence comesinto his business affairs, he begins to feel illin body. A letter containing bad news maysometimes stop digestion completely andgive the person who receives it a very seri-ous attack of indigestion. Thus the truth ofthe Savior saying, As a man thinketh in his

heart, so is he, is amply demonstrated inpractical everyday life.When we realize this we also see the

necessity of cultivating an attitude of opti-mism, a hopeful mind is the greatest of all

Healing Department* * * * * *


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medicine, and a constant reiteration of a res-olution to overcome the present ills is betterthan all the medicine in the world. When

one is in constant pain, suffering acutely, itis perhaps very difficult to maintain an atti-tude of optimism; nevertheless, the magicformula of the Savior applied to health willhelp us to overcome in time. It is a law thatif we think health we must of a necessitysooner or later to express health. Faithwithout works is dead however, and it is ofno use to aspire to health unless we cease todo the things that make for ill health. Wemust live the rational life and cease fromexcesses, particularly in diet; that cannot beemphasized too often. Neither will it availto stand before a mirror and reiterate to one-self, I have Faith I am Health, or simi-lar untruth affirmations. Just stop talking ofour ailments to others; try above all to divertyour own thoughts from your condition;believe in health as our birthright, and as

something that can be attained by us, neverwavering. You may have heard the story ofthe old lady who had heard her ministerspeak about a faith that could remove moun-tains. She was willing to try her faith on theash heap, but next morning when she saw itwas still there she exclaimed, I thoughtso. Conditions were what she expected inher heart, not what she claimed to believewith her tongue and it will be the same with

every one. We get just what we believe inour hearts we will get. Therefore believeheartily in hea

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