1915_11_Nov Rays from the Rose Cross.pdf

8/14/2019 1915_11_Nov Rays from the Rose Cross.pdf

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It would be news indeed to the greatmajority of people, if we were to tell themthat the great war, which is being fought sostrenuously in Europe with shot and shell,involving a great destruction of humanbodies and of buildings which have stood

for centuries, witnesses of civilization, isbeing waged with more than equal fierce-ness in the Invisible World, and that theparticipants upon the hidden side of lifehave even more at stake than those thingswhich are considered in this world; name-

The Mystic Light* * * * * *

The Occult Side of the War!

AN OPERATION FOR SPIRITUAL CATARACT

Vol. 4 Oceanside, California November 1915 No 1

Subscription: $1.00 per year; single copies 10 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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ly, territorial acquisition, financial indem-nity, etc. Such is nevertheless the case. Thewar started in the unseen world before itcrystallized into physical action. And itmust cease there, before a permanentpeace can be negotiated. And one whosees and knows is also aware that thisgreat spiritual influence, which has causedthe war, was instigated by the group spiritsof the various countries, who have waxedfat upon the intense patriotism, showneverywhere among the people in Europe.

Each group spirit fights through its peo-ple, and for its people, as we have shown

in lecture N. 13 of the Christianity Series,which lecture is entitled, Angels asFactors of Evolution; and though themasses may scoff and sneer, the factsremain nevertheless.

Instances and evidence of this invisibleleadership in the present war come to usthrough the Occult Review and theLiterary Digest, in connection with the

Allies retreat from Mons. It was confi-dently affirmed that several officers hadthen witnessed a curious phenomenon, inthe form of a Strange cloud, which inter-posed between the Germans and theBritish. This statement was confirmed by acorrespondent in Light of May 8th, whostated that in the rearguard action, therewas one especially critical moment, when

the German cavalry was rapidly advancingand greatly outnumbered our forces.Suddenly we saw a sort of luminous cloudor fog, which interposed itself between theGermans and our men. In this cloudthereseemed to be bright objects moving. Themoment it appeared, the Germanonslaught seemed to receive a check. The

horses could be seen rearing and plunging,and they ceased to advance. This angelicintervention, in the narrators opinion,saved the whole force from annihilation.

The foregoing story appears to be thesame as that narrated by Dr. R. F. Hortonin a recent sermon at Broughton Church,Manchester. He describes the occurrenceas related to him by so many witnessesthat, if anything can be established by cor-roborative evidence, it must be true. Asection of the line, said Dr. Horton, wasin imminent peril, and it seemed as if itmust be borne down and cut off. Our man

saw a company of Angels interposedbetween them and the German cavalry,and the horses of the Germans stamped.Evidently the animals beheld what ourmen beheld. The German soldiers endeav-ored to bring the horses back to the line,but they fled. It was the salvation of ourmen.

Another account, emanating from other

witnesses of the occurrence, is quotedfrom a letter as follows:

Last Sunday I met Miss Marrable,daughter of the well-known CanonMarrable, and she told me she knew theofficers, both of whom had themselvesseen the Angels, who saved our left wingfrom the Germans when they came rightupon them during our retreat from Mons.

They expected annihilation, as theywere almost helpless, when, to theiramazement, the Germans stood like dazedmen, never so much as touched their gunsor stirred, till we had turned and escapedby some cross roads.

One of Miss Marrables friends, whowas not a religious man, told her he saw a

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troop of Angels between us and the enemy,and has been a changed man ever since.The other man she met in London lastweek, and she asked him if he had heard ofthe wonderful story of the Angels. He saidhe had seen them himself. While he andhis company were retreating, they heardthe German cavalry tearing after them.They ran for a place where they thought astand might be made with some hopes ofsafety, but before they could reach it theGerman cavalry were upon them; so theyturned around and faced the enemy,expecting instant death; when, to their

wonder, they saw between them and theenemy a whole troop of Angels. And thehorses of the Germans turned around, ter-rified out of their senses, and stampeded.The men tugged at their bridles, while thepoor horses tore away in the directionfrom our men. He swore he saw theAngels, whom the German horses sawplainly enough, if not the German soldiers,

and this gave our men time to reach the lit-tle fort, or whatever the shelter was, andsave themselves.

A further contribution to these Monsrecords was supplied by Mr. Lancaster, aWeymouth clergyman, in his sermon onMay 30th. The rector read a letter in thepulpit from a soldier from the front, whowas in the retreat from Mons, and who

said in the letter that his regiment was pur-sued by a large number of German cavalryfrom which they took refuge in a largequarry, where the Germans found themand were on the point of shooting them. Atthat moment, stated the writer of that let-ter, the whole of the top edge of the quar-ry was lined by Angels, who were seen by

all the soldiers and by the Germans aswell. The Germans suddenly stopped,turned around and galloped away at topspeed. The narrator adds that this isvouched for not only by the Tommies, butalso by the officers of the regiment.

We see here, says the correspondent ofthe Occult Review, certain variants of whatis apparently the same story, but in onecase the apparition appears merely as astrange cloud, in the second it appears as acloud with bright objects moving within it,and in the third, fourth and fifth it appearsdefinitely as a company of Angels. It

seems not improbable that the sameapparition would have presented itselfwith these variations according to the psy-chic temperament and development of thebeholder.

It is an occult fact, a fact patent to onewho is endowed with spiritual sight, that agroup spirit rules over its people in theform of a cloud. In him, or in it, they actu-

ally live and move and have their being.Its thoughts and ideas permeate them withwhat is called the national spirit, and itis quite conceivable that under the strainand stress of battle, one or another of thegroup spirits, seeing its people in dire dis-tress, should stretch forth a helping bandand interpose itself between them and theirenemies.

If we go back to the Bible, we find asimilar occurrence at the time when theIsraelites were taken out of Egypt. Theywere then pursued by the armies ofPharaoh, and Ail Shaddai, the Lord ofHosts, who guided them in the form of apillar of cloud, interposed himself betweenthe Israelites and the Egyptians until such

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time as the water of the Sea had subsidedand they were ready to cross. Then the pil-lar of cloud went again before them andled them through the water. Their enemieswho followed were engulfed.

Under ordinary circumstances, peoplemay not be able to perceive these highervibrations and sense the beings, who arealways about us, invisible, yet neverthe-less much more alive than we are, potentalso as factors for good or evil. But whena time of great stress comes, when a com-pany of men find themselves in a verytight corner, as it were, face to face with

death, when the nervous tension has beenraised to a sufficiently high pitch, theybegin to sense the super-physical worldand the beings who are with them. Thishas been the rule in all ages. Sir WalterScott, in his Witchcraft and Demonology,tells certain instances of a similar nature;but though the super-physical manifesta-tion, in each instance quoted, was wit-

nessed by a large number of people, SirWalter Scott seeks to discredit their testi-mony and pooh-pooh the occurrence assuperstition, a method that has been fol-lowed by a number of English newspaperswith regard to the occurrences at Mons.

He says that even on the field of death,and amid the mortal tug of combat itself,strong belief has wrought the same won-

der, which we have hitherto mentioned asoccurring in solitude and amid darkness;and those who were themselves on theverge of the world of spirits or employedin dispatching others to the gloomyregions, conceived they beheld the appari-tions of the beings, whom their nationalmythology associated with such scenes. In

such moments of undecided battle, amidthe violence, hurry and confusion of ideasincident to the situation, the ancientGreeks supposed they saw their deitiesCastor and Pollux, fighting in the van fortheir encouragement; the Scandinavianbeheld the Valkyries, the Choosers of theslain; and the Catholics were no less easi-ly led to recognize the war-like SaintGeorge, or Saint James, in the very frontof the strife, showing them the way to con-quest. Such apparitions, being generallyvisible to a multitude, have in all timesbeen supported by the greatest strength of

testimony.The first instance quoted by Sir Walter

Scott is from the Historia Verdadera ofDon Bernal Diad Del Castillo, one of thecompanions of the celebrated Cortez in hisMexican conquest. After having given anaccount of a great victory over extremeodds, he mentions the report inserted inthe contemporary Chronicle of Gomara,

that Saint Iago had appeared on a whitehorse in van of the combat and led on hisbeloved Spaniards to victory.

It is very curious to observe the CastilianCavaliers internal conviction that therumor arose out of a mistake, the cause ofwhich he explains from his own observa-tion, while at the same time, he does notventure to disown the miracle. The honest

Conquistador owns that he himself did notsee this Angelic visitation; nay, that hebeheld a cavalier, named Francisco deMoria, mounted on a chestnut horse andfighting strenuously in the very placewhere Saint James was supposed to haveappeared. But instead of drawing the infer-ence that his whole company were halluci-



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nated, the devout Conquistador exclaims:Sinner that I am, what am I that I shouldhave beheld the blessed Apostle!

The other instance of what Sir WalterScott calls the infectious character ofsuperstition, follows.

In the year 1686, in the months of Juneand July, says the honest chronicler, manyyet alive can witness that about theCrossford Boat, two miles beneathLanark, especially at the Mains, on thewater of Clyde, many people gatheredtogether for several afternoons, wherethere were showers of bonnets, hats, guns

and swords, which covered the trees andthe ground; companies of men in armsmarching in order upon the waterside;companies meeting companies, going allthrough other, and then all falling to theground and disappearing; other companiesimmediately appeared marching the sameway. I went there three afternoons togeth-er, and, as I observed, there were two-

thirds of the people that were together saw,and a third that saw not; and though Icould see nothing, there was such a frightand trembling on those that did see, thatwas discernible to all those that saw not.There was a gentleman standing next tome, who spoke as too many gentlemen andothers speak, who said: Apack of damnedwitches and warlocks that have the second

sight! The devil hat do I see; and imme-diately there was a discernible change inhis countenance. With as much fear andtrembling as any woman I saw there, hecalled out: All you that do not see, saynothing; for I persuade you it is matter offact and discernible to all that are notstone-blind. And those who did see told

what works (i. e. locks) the guns had, andtheir length and wideness, and what han-dles the swords had, whether small orthree-barrd, or Highland Guard, and theclosing knots of the bonnets, black or blue;and those who did see them there, when-ever they were abroad, saw a bonnet and asword drop in the way.

In the second book of Samuel, the 22ndchapter, verses 7 to 18, we read:

7. In my distress I called upon the Lord,and cried to my God: and he did hear myvoice out of his temple, and my cry didenter into his ears.

8. Then the earth shook and trembled;the foundations of heaven moved andshook, because he was wroth.

9. There went up a smoke out of his nos-trils, and fire out of his mouth devoured;coals were kindled by it.

10. He bowed the heavens also, andcame down; and darkness was under hisfeet.

11. And he rode upon a cherub, and didfly: and he was seen upon the wings of thewind.

12. And he made darkness pavilionsround about him, dark waters and thickclouds of the skies.

13. Through the brightness before himwere coals of fire kindled.

14. The Lord thundered from heaven and

the most High uttered his voice.15. And he sent out arrows, and scatteredthem; lightning, and discomfited them.

16. And the channels of the seaappeared, the foundations of the worldwere discovered, at the rebuking of theLord, at the blast of the breath of his nos-trils.



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17. He sent from above, he took me; hedrew me out of many waters;

18. He delivered me from my strongenemy, and from them that hated me: forthey were too strong for me.

In the above David gives a description ofthe Lord of Hosts going forth to the fray toaid his followers. And in the tenth chapterof Daniel we are told how theseArchangels actually help one nationagainst another in order to bring victory ordefeat, wherever it may be necessary forpunishment or for reward.

Daniel tells us that His body also was

like a beryl, and his face as the appearanceof lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire,and his arms and his feet like in colour topolished brass, and the voice of his wordslike the voice of a multitude.

And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; forthe men that were with me saw not thevision; but a great quaking fell upon them,so that they fled to hide themselves. (This

is another case where one saw, but othersfelt the presence.)

The Archangel said to Daniel: Theprince of the kingdom of Persia withstoodme, one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael,one of the chief princes, came to help me:and I remained there with the kings ofPersia.

Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore

I have come unto thee? And now will Ireturn to fight with the prince of Persia:and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince ofGrecia shall come. But I will shew theethat which is noted in the Scripture oftruth: and there is none that holdeth withme but Michael, your prince [i. e., racespirit].

Also I, in the first year of Darius, theMede, even I stood to confirm andstrengthen him.

From the foregoing it is clear, that in allages, when people were in great stress,their spiritual vision has been opened forthe time being, and in our next article onthis subject we shall show how war isactually an operation for spiritual cataract,a means of permanently opening the spiri-tual vision of mankind.

(To be continued)

COSMIC THEOLOGYContinued

By Geo T. Weaver

THE THEISTIC IDEA

Religion, from religare, to bind anew, orbind back, or bind fast, means to be boundanew, or be bound fast to God; and

Theology, the word of God, or a treatise onGod, indicates that the theistic conceptionlies at the foundation of religion, and the-ology. Who, what, and where is God, arequestions that have interested our racemore deeply than any or all questionsbeside.

There are two leading ideas relative tothis subject: the Anthropomorphic and the

Cosmic. The anthropomorphic may alsobe cosmic, but as held by those who claimthis idea, he is non-cosmic. God is thoughtof as a great Being, man-like both in formand characteristics, and possessing all thepassions and desires of man, as anger, jeal-ousy, etc. This is a very gross and unwor-thy conception. He is believed to possess,



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however, all the natural attributes usuallyascribed to Deity, as omnipotence, omni-science and all such, so that he is able tocreate the universe, or cosmic order, out ofhand, and to sustain it in its movements.The universe is thought of as inert, chemi-cal matterorgans and not organisms; andthat all things that exist were made out ofnothing.

Among the anthropomorphics there aretwo ideas as to where God is. The theisticclass holds that God is within his handi-work as the spring of a watch which keepsthe works moving, is within and part of the

mechanism, in close analogy with theprinciple of the watch, causing his uni-verse to perform its movements.

The deistic class holds that God isremote from the worlds, outside of thecosmic universe, as a potter stands apartfrom the vessels his hands have devised.In both cases God is thought of as havingin some mysterious way wound up the

machinery after having made it and set itgoing, and then fallen into a trance-likestate, waking only periodically to re-windthe springs, as it were. This is an extreme-ly mechanical and materialistic concep-tion, void of all idea of inherent vitality inthe cosmic order.

By exoteric theists, man is thought of aspurely human, as a fallen, lost, and help-

less being, depending entirely on extrane-ous agencies, saved by vicarious method,and immortalized only as a gift out of handfrom God.

The other leading idea of Deity is theCosmic conception: the idea that the cos-mos itself is the outward expression ofGod, as the human body is the outward

expression of man, the spiritual being; thatall things were generated rather thanmade, and that therefore they consist ofdivine substance, every atom of which ispermeated by the life principle, and that infact there is no inertia anywhere. This cos-mic conception of God implies immi-nence, or omnipresence throughout space;with all the other attributes, natural as wellat moral and spiritual, inherent in theCosmos.

It has been contended that this idea hascome down to us from the NatureWorshippers, who conceived that every

object in nature possessed a soul, and bysuch writers as John Fisk and others.Nature worship was pure superstition. Fiskhimself is an advocate of Cosmic Theism,but not in the pure, esoteric sense, nor inthe true cosmic sense. Fisk lived and wrotebefore the discovery of radium, that mar-vellous discovery that has revolutionizedscience and brought it into closer harmony

with mysticism.Those old nature worshippers, though

very crude with regard to the objectivelife, and therefore to modern civilizationand concrete thinking, were very profoundthinkers along the line of subjective life,and in a way perceived the wisdom that istoday bringing Science into harmony withdivine truth.

Gross anthropomorphism, as referred toabove, is the logical outcome of the teach-ings of Augustine, the Latin theologian,who drove the entering wedge into theesotericism of early Christianity, causingthe degeneracy of the Christian system oftruth and laying the foundation ofRomanism and of modern orthodox



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Christianity. And it is this heresy that hascaused the conflict between science andChristianity so called. This aspect of truthhas stood squarely against every discoveryof modern science, such as, that the Sun isthe centre of our Solar system and that theearth revolves about the Sun; and theNewtonian discovery of the law of gravi-tation; also the theory of evolution and thatof re-birth, as held by mystics, etc. Truemysticism and true science absolutelyagree; for God, the author of both, cannotcontradict himself.

WHO IS GOD?

Having stated the fact that God is non-local but universal as to his presence, wewill now try to answer the question: Whois God?

Though universal, God is centralized,otherwise He could not be a dynamicforce. An organism is essential for organi-

zation and for dynamic power. Electricity,permeating space, is but a static force; butharnessed up in a dynamo, or in a thundercloud, it is a mighty force for either con-struction or destruction, for good or forevil. Every organism is a dynamo. Thecreative or operative Deity is no exceptionto this rule.

The form of the creative God is that of

man; for according to the Bible account ofthe creation of man, he was made in theimage and likeness of God. In this regard,God is anthropomorphic. What then, innature, answers to all that has been said asto the whereabouts and form of Deity in itsbroadest and most universal sense? Wemight say the entire starry heavens, usual-

ly referred to as the Zodiac or the constel-lations. The astronomer Herschel, after along and careful investigation, declaredthe Zodiac to be man-shaped. All peopleare accustomed to say that the universalorder is a manifestation of God; but to bethis, it must be the body in which Heresides, as mans physical organism is themanifestation of the man within. Onecould not say that the cosmical order is amanifestation of the Deity, regarded assimply His handiwork, any more than wecould that any mechanism is the manifes-tation of the mechanic who contrived and

made it. In this sense the great central orbof the whole universe would be the heartof Universal Cosmic Deity.

In its more restricted sense, as the mys-tics of the earth are accustomed to think ofGod, He is the central heart of our Solarsystem, or the Sun. The entire Solar sys-tem, regarding it as a unit, is the manifes-tation of Deity, but the central Sun is the

heart and life principle. The Hebrewpsalmist, David, declared, JehovahElohim is a Sun and a shield. And thisthought corresponds with the idea, held byall the ancient religionists, embracing theHebrews and the early Christians. And inthe modern orthodox worship of the Sonof God, the Sun is recognized as the Deity;unconsciously, it may be, but really. The

Christ is recognized as the Logos, or cre-ative God, by whom all things were made;but, as has been shown, creation is gener-ation, and that all things but constitute theoutward expression of the Logos, or Sonof God.

The demonstration of this cosmic con-ception of Deity will follow.



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THE SUN

The Sun, as known by modernastronomers, is an immense globe ofchemical matter, incandescently hot; sohot indeed, upon its surface, that it disso-ciates the substance composing it, intohighly attenuated ether, so that descendingvapors become simple or homogeneous;and ascending from the surface, this etherbecomes differentiated and complex, aconcrete mass. It is only in the coolerregions of its atmosphere that vapors,resembling those of the earth, can exist:

while nearer the confines of the corona,these vapors give place to solid particlesand masses.

The diameter of this vast sphere is852,900 miles, or two and a half millionmiles in circumference. It is a perfectsphere, not flattened at the poles, as is theEarth. In volume it exceeds the Earth1,252,700 times. Its mean density is but

one fourth that of the Earth; its mass is816,000 times that of the Earth, or 700times more than all the planets combined.Its weight is 384,000 times greater thanour home planet. As a dynamic electricforce, it has been estimated to be equiva-lent to 543 billion steam engines of 400horse-power each, or 217 trillion and 200billion horse-power. Its chief force is elec-

tric, or positive, though it also has a nega-tive or magnetic force. Its magnetic field isonly one three thousandths part as intenseas that of the Earth, so that in spite of itsmass it has a comparatively small magnet-ic field. Its color is white; but that reachingthe Earth has a yellowish or golden tint,caused by passing through our atmos-

phere. Its gravity on the surface exceedsthat of the Earth by twenty-seven and ahalf times. Its axial rotation, or dayslength, is twenty-seven of our days and tenhours and four minutes. Its distance fromthe Earth is 96 million miles. The greatesttelescopes now in use bring it to within100,000 miles.

A continuous red envelope surroundsand embraces the Sun to a depth of fromthree to four thousand miles, called theSierra or chromosphere, composed ofhydrogen gas. Beyond this outwardly isthe corona, a great mass of self-illumi-

nated matter, extending far out, manytimes the depth of the chromosphere, radi-ating out in points of indefinite extent.Beyond the corona, or crown, there is afaint glow, extending far out into space,called the Zodiacal light; that may beregarded as the Suns aura. The sun, asseen by the natural eye, bounded by thephotosphere, is then but a small portion of

this vast luminary. The atmosphere of theSun consists chiefly, if not wholly, ofvapors of the chemical elements, such aswe are acquainted with, and is generallysupposed to be limited by the chromos-phere, but some think it extends as far outas the corona. In the atmosphere of theSun, as in that of the Earth, there is a veryconsiderable absorption of blue light, so

that its sky, like that above us, is blue.Some there are who think that the actualappearance of the Sun is blue, or grayishblue, and that had the Earth no atmosphereintervening, the light of the Sun wouldappear of this color.

(To be continued)



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THE AQUARIAN AGE

A correspondent writes:

Many people these days realize that weare entering, or about to enter, a new age.Some understand that it is the AquarianAge, and to a certain extent what it standsfor. But I have not as yet heard an intelli-

gible explanation of just when our Earthor Solar system would enter this age, andwhether the Aquarian Age coincides withthe passage of the Sun through the con-stellation of Aquarius or through theZodiacal division by that name.

Answer: in this paragraph our corre-spondent takes up a number of points.And on the principle that the the last

shall be first, we will consider the lastpart of his interrogation, where, as youwill notice, he makes a distinctionbetween the constellation of Aquariusand the Zodiacal division by that name.This, in itself, is a great difficulty tomany people, who do not know how todifferentiate between the Zodiacal con-stellations and the so called intellectual

Zodiac. The explanation is as follows:A certain group of stars in the heavens

are called Aries, another group, locatedclose to them, is called Taurus; a thirdgroup of fixed stares is called Gemini,and so on. These twelve constellations orgroups of stars, as seen in the heavens,always remain in the same relative posi-

tion, and they are therefore almostunchangeable.

Through all the centuries of which wehave record, these stars have remained inthe same group and in about the same rel-ative position, one to another. Andthrough these constellations the Sun cir-cles from year to year with unvaryingprecision. But owing to the fact that the

axis of the Earth inclines toward the Sunand has a wobbling motion, similar tothat of a spinning top which has almostspent its force, the motion of the Sunappears to be uneven, and each year,when it enters the constellation Aries,crossing the Earths equator, it is a littleearlier than the year before. It precedes.And thus the point where the Sun crosses

the equator at the Vernal Equinox movesbackwards from year to year at the rate ofone degree in seventy-two years, oneconstellation in two thousand and onehundred years, and the whole twelvesigns in twenty-five thousand eight hun-dred and fifty-six years. This latter periodis called a Great Sidereal year.

It has been observed that no matter

where in the Zodiac the Sun crosses theequator, a certain physical effect takesplace. The flowers begin to sprout out ofthe Earth, the little birds begin to mate,the mute Earth is awakened to new life,new hope and new song. Also the spiritu-al effects following the Suns entranceinto the Northern Hemisphere, at the

Question Department* * * * * *


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Vernal Equinox has been observed toremain unchanged. And therefore the firstthirty degrees from that point, where theSun crosses the equator, are called Aries,the next thirty degrees are called Taurus,the third thirty degrees are called Gemini,and so on through the twelve signs.

This intellectual division of the circleof the Zodiac coincides with the constel-lations in the heavens only once in twen-ty-five thousand eight hundred and fifty-six years. During all the rest of the timethe intellectual Zodiac moves backwards,as explained, on account of the preces-sion of the equinox. The last time whenthe starting point in the intellectualZodiac agreed with the Zodiacal constel-lations was about 600 A. D. A year afterthese points were in exact agreement, theSun crossed the equator about fifty sec-onds of space in the constellation Pisces.The year following it was one minute andforty seconds into Pisces, and so it has

been creeping backwards ever since, untilat the present time the Sun crosses theequator in about ten degrees in the con-stellation Pisces, and it will thus be about700 years before it actually crosses thecelestial equator in the constellationAquarius.

The Aquarian Age may be said to startat the time when the Sun enters, by pre-

cession, the 30th degree of the constella-tion Aquarius, and it lasts 2100 years,while the Sun moves backwards throughthe thirty degrees until it comes to thefirst degree of Aquarius. There is, howev-er, no definite and sharp cut-off like wemake when we say we enter the year

1915, which begins at twelve oclock onthe night of the 31st of December 1914,and lasts until the 31st of December 1915at 12 oclock midnight. That is a mathe-matical division of time. But the variousepochs of human existence depend uponvital influences in life, and are conditionsof mind rather than divisions of time,though the two are linked.

Therefore Astrologers recognize whatis called an orb of influence. To under-stand this, we must realize that everyhuman being is something more than thatwhich we see; that he has surroundinghim an aura, an invisible atmosphere, asomething which radiates from him andwhich partakes of his distinct and person-al nature. We very often feel the effect ofthis aura though we do not understand thereason why.

Suppose that someone has his wholemind concentrated upon his work so thathe neither hears nor sees what happens

about him; but gradually he becomesaware that someone else has entered theroom; is, in fact, standing behind him,and he turns around to find a friend there.He had not heard the friend enter onaccount of absorption in his work, but hefelt him, because the aura of the friendintermingled with his own auric atmos-phere; and thus, though there was no

physical contact, he knew that someonewas close by.

The constellations are groups of GreatSpirits who have immured themselves inthese starry bodies for the sake of lessadvanced intelligences to gain the experi-ences of evolution. Each of the fixed stars



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in a constellation also has its invisiblebodies, which extend from one to theother, intermingle, and overlap.Therefore, when the Sun reached thetenth degree of Pisces, it touched thefringe or the constellation of Aquariusinfluence, though we are still in thePiscean Age.

That this influence is making, itself felta glance of retrospection will soon show.We readily recognize the Piscean influ-ence during the last two-thousand years.The dark ages, the superstition, the intel-lectual bondage, then prevalent, are notentirely routed. But since the middle oflast century, when the Aquarian influencefirst began to make itself felt, an irre-sistible intellectual impulse has beeninstilled into our every-day life. Sciencehas made such strides as never before.Invention has electrified the world and isnow conquering the air, etc. This scientif-ic intellectual influence will make itself

felt more and more during the centurieswhich will pass before we definitelyenter the constellation Aquarius by pre-cession of the equinox. As the narrow,conservative Piscean influence diminish-es, so will the broadening inquiringAquarian influence increase.

Regarding what the Aquarian Agestands for spiritually, we may realize that

Aquarius is the only figure in the Zodiacrepresenting the full stature of a Man. Allthe principal characters of the OldTestament were shepherds, having refer-ence to Aries, the sheep, ram or lamb.In the New Testament they are fishermen,referring to Pisces, the sign of the fishes.

But, the Son of Man is the subject ofprophecy: of something yet to come. Heis to usher in a glorious age, and thereforewe may look for developments of a star-tling nature to take place in the nearestcenturies before us.

Moreover, each of the foregoing ageshave had their teachers. Osiris andMithras were worshiped in Egypt andPersia, while the Sun was going throughTaurus, the sign of the bull. The Lambwas slain from the foundation of theChristian world, by Moses, while the Sunwas going through the sign Aries. Therewas a great controversy concerning thesymbol of Christ, on account whereof theBishops Miter is still made in the form ofa fish, to symbolize the fact that the phaseof the Christian religion then inauguratedwas to hold sway during the Piscean orFish age, in which we now are. Later theideal of the Son of Man, or Super-man,will furnish inspiration for the Aquarian

Age, which is now being ushered in.The Aquarian Age is not to be con-

founded with The Kingdom of Christ,who is to come again; neither is theAquarian Age to be confounded with thesixth (Galilean) epoch; for to quote thewords of the Christ, Of that day andhour [when he comes] knows no man;neither the Angels in heaven, nor the Son,

but only the Father. And it is absolutelypreposterous and a mark of ignorance foranyone to predict that the coming ofChrist will take place at a certain, speci-fied time. Perhaps it is even presumptu-ous to guess at the approximate timewhen the second advent will take place;



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but the writer has the idea that, as the pre-cessional cycles, so far as they are con-nected with the evolution of man, seem tocommence with the Suns entrance intoCapricorn, there may be a development atthat time. If that is correct, the advent

cannot take place for at least three thou-sand years. The reader is referred to ourarticle in the Astral Ray Department, onThe Precessional Influence on Religion,for a reason why we hold that Capricornis the cyclic starting point.

when the opportunity offered; for it hasalways been found that a man convincedagainst his will is of the same opinionstill.

There is, however, plenty of proof ofthe truth and basis of Astrology. A home-ly old proverb says that the proof of thepudding is in the eating thereof; andthere can certainly be no better proof of

the truth of Astrology than that it worksout in daily life. It has often been theprivilege of the writer to see the sneeringskeptic turn ardent advocator when a testor two had proven to him the truth ofAstrology. He would then be just asimpatient with those who ridiculed thisscience or denied its rational basis as hehad previously been with those who advo-

cated the accuracy of the sacred science.If you want to satisfy a sneering cynic,

take up his own horoscope, or some mat-ter intimately connected with him, andapply Astrology. You will then find that,no matter how thick his skull, Astrologywill pound its way through; yes, even if


The Astral Ray* * * * * *

THE RATIONAL BASIS OFASTROLOGY

A correspondent writes to ask forproofof the truth of Astrology. Why doesSaturn govern the knees and Jupiter thefeet? He has had an argument with some-one and wishes to learn what may be saidon this subject.

The mere denial of the truth ofAstrology by someone, because it doesnot appeal to him, cannot affect the truthor falsity of Astrology or any other sci-ence. Let us bear this in mind, that to beentitled to consideration, an opinion onany subject must be the result of studyand investigation. We may say furtherthat no one deserves to be convinced who

is not willing to investigate, to someextent, the subject which he presumes tocriticize.

Personally, the writer has always madeit a practice never to speak unbiddenupon these subjects among strangers,though always willing to present evidence


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his skull or skin is so thick that it requiresa railway train to ram it home. Even thatwill be supplied, as shown by the casementioned in the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, where the writer told a manto stay indoors on two certain days; thathe must particularly avoid street cars andother vehicles of locomotion, no matterwhat nature; that otherwise he wouldmeet with an accident to certain specifiedparts of the body. When he had careless-ly disregarded this advice, he had beeninjured in a railway accident as a conse-quence, and had been subjected to threemonths severe suffering before he wasable to write an explanation.

He said in the letter, which we stillhave, This accident has deepened myrespect for Astrology. Yes, and no won-der; he ate the pudding, and the puddingproved to be true. Therefore he is now anardent advocate of Astrology and lec-tures upon that subject, among others.Some predictions may come true, ifmade a little while before the event is dueto happen, because the suggestion of theAstrologer acted as a factor in bringingabout the fulfillment of his prophecy. Butsurely, no one can explain the case herequoted on that or any kindred hypothesis.Railroad collisions are not usuallybrought about by suggestions, nor is a

certain person sent to such a scene toreceive injuries of a serious nature to cer-tain definitely described parts of body,mentioned in the prediction.

Therefore we verily believe that eventhe champion co-incidentalist, Prof.Proctor, of Pyramid fame, could not have

furnished an explanation which wouldsuccessfully account for all the differentphases in this prophecy and fulfillment.

The above prediction was based on theastrological dictum that Gemini rules theshoulders, Taurus the neck and cerebel-lum, and Cancer the breast; for theseparts were injured by the accident.Similar observations carried on byAstrologers show that Capricorn, ruledby Saturn, governs the knees, and Jupiterrules Pisces, the sign of the feet.

ASTROLOGICAL ANECDOTESThe old-fashioned sperience

meetins, where all took turns in relatingwhat the Lord had done for them, andthus strengthened each others faith, wasa simple demonstration of the fact thatwe are helped by knowing how a givenphase of human faith or knowledge hasserved others; and it may, therefore, be

both interesting and beneficial to openthe columns of the Astral RayDepartment to those who have had directproof of the truth of astrological predic-tions. In this way it should be possible tobring out many interesting and instruc-tive facts.

The stories should be clearly written,on one side of the paper only; they

should be short and to the point.Naturally, the writer has had many such

instances of predictions come true, andwhile many are private, on account of thebearing they have upon other peopleslives, he is free to relate many more,where such proprieties are not involved.



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ANOTHER RAILROAD STORY

While the accident related in our articleon The Rationale of Astrology was pre-dicted only three months before it hap-

pened, we predicted another railwayaccident about the same time; that is tosay, in the summer of 1906. But that acci-dent was not due to happen until aboutAugust 1909. The subject of this accidentwe will call Mr. X. We saw that inAugust 1909 he would take a railwayjourney for pleasure and that he wouldmeet with an accident there, but would

escape unharmed. We also saw that inSeptember 1909, a month later, he wouldtake a long journey in connection with animportant literary undertaking; but wedid not dream then how closely we our-selves should be associated with the ful-fillment of that matter.

In the meantime the writer went toGermany, where he was given the

instructions which have resulted in thespread of the Rosicrucian teachings inthe Western world. And after writing theRosicrucian Cosmo-Conception and theTwenty Lectures, he went West again, toSeattle, during the Alaska Yukon PacificExposition in 1909. There he again metMr. X., and in August, when his lectureshad been concluded, that gentleman

invited him to take a run up toYellowstone Park. After taking this plea-sure trip and a rest, he proposed that wego to Chicago, to have the RosicrucianCosmo-Conception published.

The writer was too much occupied withthe literary work in hand, however, toaccept the invitation to Yellowstone

National Park, so Mr. X. went alone.Between Gardner Junction and the Parkhis train was derailed, all the passengerswere considerably shaken, but no onewas hurt. Upon his return we both wentto Chicago, where the RosicrucianCosmo-Conception was published, andthus the prediction, made three yearsbefore, was fulfilled. It must be stated,however, that both of us had forgottenthe prediction until later, when Mr. X.brought out the horoscope containing theprediction, which he found while lookingthrough some papers.

This surely is another case that willsuccessfully defy the explanation, thatsuggestion caused its fulfillment. Whathuman being could arrange a railroadaccident three years before it happenedand provide for the safety of the passen-gers as well. The writer knew very littleabout the Rosicrucians at that time anddid not dream then of the good fortune instore for him as their messenger. He hadhad only one personal experience of thesoul-power latent within him, neither hadhe developed, or thought of developing,the faculty of writing. He had no dreamwhatever of becoming an author, andtherefore could not have put in the sug-gestion of an important literary undertak-ing which would take Mr. X. East in

September1909. There is only one expla-nation possible: The stars told the tale,and it was true.

Send us the names of your friends

who might be interested in the work this

magazine is trying to do.



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To An AstrologerBY ELLA WHEELER WILCOX

Nay, seer, I do not doubt thy mystic lore,Nor question that the tenor of my life,

Past, present and the future, is revealedThere in my horoscope. I do believeThat yon dead Moon compels the haughty seasTo ebb and flow, and that my natal starStands like a stern-browed sentinel in spaceAnd challenges events; nor lets one grief,Or joy, or favor, or success pass onTo mar or bless my earthly lot, untilIt proves its karmic right to come to me.

All this I grant; but more than this I know!Before the Solar systems were conceived,When nothing was but the unnameable,My spirit lived, an atom of the Cause.Through countless ages, and in many formsIt has existed, ere it entered inThis human form to serve its little dayUpon the Earth; the deathless ME of Me.The spark from that great all-creative fire

Is part of that eternal source called God.And mightier than the universe.

Why heWho knows, and knowing never once forgetsThe pedigree divine of his soul,Can conquer, shape and govern destiny,And use vast space as 'twere a board for chessWith stars for pawns; can change his horoscopeTo suit his will; turn failure to success,And from preordained sorrows, harvest joy.

There is no puny planet, sun, or moon,Or Zodiacal sign which can controlThe God in us! If we bring that to bearUpon events, we mold them to our wish;Tis when the Infinite neath the finite gropesThat men are governed by their horoscopes.


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How often one hears some one, whoconsiders himself down and out, say,

Well, I had my opportunity once, and Ilost it. There is no greater fallacy thanthe idea that Opportunity knocks onlyonce at a mans door; and those whostudy Astrology should be particularlyaware of this fact. For even if there beno other help in a horoscope, Jupitermakes a circuit through the twelve signsonce in every eleven years and during

that time he will meet and make goodaspects with every planet in our horo-scope.

Moreover, every year the lunationscome around to fructify at least some ofthe aspects in your horoscope and bringinto your life chances for the betterment

of your condition. These influences lastonly for a month; but nevertheless they

are potent factors in fertilizing the seedof opportunity so that it may bear fruit inyour life.

If an eclipse happens in yours horo-scope in aspect to any of the good plan-ets or vivifying any of the good aspectsin your nativity, this influence will lastfor a whole year and bring repeatedchances. All that is necessary is to be

awake and to grasp opportunity on thewing, for it is like a seed: Unless youplant it in the soil and cultivate it, it willnot grow.

So stop complaining. Watch for thegood in your horoscope and make thebest use of it. You are bound to win.


Opportunity

Here is a good poem on Opportunity by Walter Malone

They do me wrong who say I come no moreWhen once I knock and fail to find you in;For every day I stand outside your door,And bid you wake and rise and fight and win.Wail not for precious chances passed away,Weep not for golden ages on the wane;Each night I burn the records of the day,At sunrise every soul is born again.

Laugh like a boy at splendors that have sped,To vanished joys be blind, and deaf, and dumb;My judgments seal the dead past with its dead,But never bind a moment yet to come.Though deep in mire, wring not your hands and weep,I lend my arm to all who say: I can.No shamefaced outcast ever sank so deepBut he might rise and be again a man.


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YOUR CHILDS HOROSCOPE

Nancy P. Born Sept. 14, 1912, 11:30Portland, Maine

We judge first the mentality, particular-ly from the position and aspects of theMoon and Mercury. That Mercury risesbefore the Sun is a good omen; but theMoon makes no aspects at all and is in

the twelfth house. Mercury also is afflict-ed by the square of Jupiter and Saturn.Thus, Nancy will never be a very goodreasoner; but she will, nevertheless, bevery bright; for, as said, Mercury risesbefore the Sun, and both the Sun andMercury are in the Mercurial sign Virgo.

They are the most highly elevated plan-ets in the horoscope and the Sun is sex-tile to Neptune. These configurationswill give her a grasp of things altogetherindependent of reason and much quicker.

The square of Saturn and Mercury, aswe have said in previous horoscopes,

indicates a tendency to evade the truth,and love of truth should be carefullyinculcated in little Nancy before the habitgets a hold of her. We have no doubt thatwith proper care on the part of the par-ents, this evil tendency can be kept latentin her; for, as said, Mercury is in its homesign and most highly elevated. It is alsoLord over the sign Gemini, in whichSaturn is posited, and therefore it hasconsiderable power over his evil nature.

The Sun sextile to Neptune, whichplanet is in the eighth house and in thepsychic sign Cancer, will give her a fond-ness for the mysterious and a very richinner life. She is not going to be verycompanionable, but will always seek herown company and prize that in prefer-ence to other associates. Do not worryover this tendency. People who are thusconstituted often live a life that is muchmore happy and contented than the livesof those who, like butterflies, flit fromone cup of pleasure to another. There is asilent, inner contentment in a nature likeNancys and that is compensation, ormore than compensation, for all that shemay miss by not fraternizing with otherpeople. This phase of her love nature isalso expressed by the fact that Mars andVenus are conjunction to Dragons tail,close to cusp of the house of friends. The

Dragons tail has a Saturnine influenceand it is very plain that, as Venus theplanet of love, the ruler of the sign Libra,which governs the eleventh house in thisfigure, is between the Saturnine Dragonstail and Mars, her friends would alwaysendeavor to make use of her and then



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would betray her. This will eventuallydrive her into her own inner nature asinto a shell. She will shun friends andseek her own company.

The sixth sign, Virgo, and the sixthhouse, denote labor. Virgo, the sixth sign,is on the tenth cusp, which governs theprofession and social honors. This showsthat she will probably have a clericalposition, indicated by Mercury, and theSun close to the tenth cusp always bringsemployment under the government, ordirectly with the head of some large con-cern. The square of Mercury to Saturn inthe other Mercurial sign, Gemini, willmake her very close- mouthed, and thusit is probable that she will be qualifiedfor a position of confidential nature in aclerical capacity with either the govern-ment or some large corporation. Thisposition will naturally bring a commen-surate salary, and Jupiter in his own sign,Sagittarius, near the second house gov-erning finance, is an indication of com-fortable financial circumstances throughlife.

With respect to the health, Saturn inGemini opposition Jupiter, and Mercurysquare to Saturn from the Mercurialsigns, indicate that she will be of a verynervous nature and subject to attacks ofcold in the chest. She ought to be given

breathing exercises with a proper amountof exercise in the fresh air, for Saturn inGemini, the sign of the lungs, is not veryfavorable for one who is likely tobecome an office worker. You need haveno fear however, of tuberculosis. TheSun being so highly elevated, will give

her sufficient recuperative power that shewill always come out all right; but theperiod of adolescence will begin with herat the age of about twelve years, whenthe Moon reaches opposition to Mars,and as the flow will be quite copious, it isadvisable to safeguard her and to watchher strength in every particular duringthe ten years following that time; for atabout the age of twelve the Moon strikesthe opposition to Mars, then to Venus,and in the nineteenth year the Sun is alsoconjunction with Mars. Thus there willbe a great flow of blood in the system. Atthe age of twenty-five, when the Sun haspassed the Dragons tail, she will againbecame strong and robust, nor is it to beinferred that she will be very delicate atany time; for. as said, the Sun being thehighest planet, will always give her lotsof life force and recuperative power.

Constance Br. Born March 21, 1910Chicago, Ill.

When Constance was born, Mercuryrose before the Sun and it was trine toNeptune. The Moon was on theAscendant, trine to Saturn, and bothSaturn and the Sun are in the ninth house,which governs the mind particularly.Jupiter being in the third house, govern-

ing the lower mind, and trine to Mars.Mars, Saturn, the Sun, and Mercury areelevated. These configurations show avery fine, alert, methodical mind, capa-ble of considerable concentrationbecause Saturn, the planet of obstruction,is trine to the Moon. In the writers esti-



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mation, the mind is really the only placewhere Saturn is directly beneficial. Heholds down the flighty mind, and therebymakes it more usable for reasoningprocesses; and when he reins in the mindby a beneficent aspect, such as the sextileor the trine, we always have a very good,clear reasoner and a sensible person.Saturn in Aries, and Aries in the ninthhouse is a combination, however, thatmakes the mind somewhat melancholic.This may only appear so, because per-sons with this configuration have a mind

not in the slightest frivolous, but lookalways upon the serious side of life.

There are two aspects of Saturn in thishoroscope which are not very good, how-ever; namely, the square to Uranus and

Neptune, particularly as Neptune is in thepsychic sign Cancer and in the twelfthhouse, the house of sorrow and trouble.This gives a decided tendency to psy-chism and mediumship of a most unde-sirable nature, and it will therefore bewell to watch that Constance is never

allowed to go to any spiritualistic seancesor have anything to do with persons whohave a mediumistic trait. For these prac-tices are liable to wreck her whole life ifshe allows herself to indulge in them.

About the age of twenty-two, the Moonwill reach the conjunction to Mars andDragons head, which has an influencelike the Sun, in the tenth house. The Sunat the same time will have reachedSaturn, which is Lord of the seventhhouse, denoting marriage. It will thenalso be sextile to Venus in the seventhhouse and trine to the Moon. This willmean that at that time she will find hermate and the result will probably be amarriage. But you must remember,Astrology does not concern itself withthe legal union. It tells us only that therewill be, at that time, a strong attraction tosome one of opposite sex, an attraction ofa nature that is likely to result in a lifepartnership.

Mars in Gemini, a Mercurial sign, andin conjunction with the benevolentDragons head in the tenth house, and thetrine of the fiery planet to Jupiter in thethird house, the sign of the lower mind orspeech, will make Constance very quick-spoken, good at repartee, witty, but nevervicious. The position of Mars in the tenthhouse usually lays a woman liable to

slander; the trine to Jupiter shows that inthis case there will be no foundation forthe attacks upon her character and thatshe will be vindicated. However, theounce of prevention is always better thanthe pound of cure, and it would be wellfor Constance to be schooled in comport-



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ing herself in a manner that she willavoid even the slightest appearance ofevil in her conduct.

With regard to health, we find that theMoon is in opposition to Venus from thesign of the heart, Leo. This shows thatthere is an obstruction of the venous cir-culation; and as Saturn governs the pneu-mogastric nerve and is positive in thesign of Aries, we may look for someobstruction there. This also will make hersubject to sick headaches which willmostly be caused by gas on the stomach,owing to the fact that Saturn is square toNeptune in the sign of Cancer, whichrules the stomach. From this source willcome most of her trouble and it cannot beemphasized strongly enough that a ratio-nal diet of the simplest nature is the only

way to save her from becoming a dys-peptic. Start this very early in the home,but remember, do not you eat one kind offood while giving Constance another.Children are governed by example; ifyou give her something she considers notas good as what you eat, she will remem-ber. And in later years, when she hasgrown away from under your control, thecraving for the foods she saw you eat willassert itself. She will indulge; and thegood effects of the care you have givenher in her childhood will not avail hernearly so much. A very simple diet forthe whole family will be the only effi-cient means to safeguard her digestion.No one is more miserable than a chronicdyspeptic and you can save her years ofagony by heeding these directions.

beamed star-wise five streams of goldenrays and hanging upon the Cross thereseemed to be a wreath. But the Dreamer

hardly heeded this, being engrossed bythe wonder of the five pointed star, for itsrays were more golden than the finestgold and each one, though myriad theirnumber, was clear and individual, like agleaming hair.

From the two lower star-streams therays fell upon the stones and she saw thatone ray went to every separate stone, to

every stone one. And lo, they were stonesno longer: everyone of them had becomea rose.

And the voice that speaks withoutwords said to her:

See how these roses smell.And the Dreamer laughed at the thought

(continued on page 29)


A DREAM OF ROSES

By Blanche Cromartie

That Dreamer who has Mercury (B)and Venus (C) in Aquarius (Z) dreamed,and in her dream she saw, reaching on allsides to the horizon, a vast desert, entire-ly covered with stones; stones neitherrare nor precious nor even picturesque,but misshapen, ugly, incrusted with soiland dusta weary sight.

And the voice that speaks withoutwords said to her:

These stones are the souls in theworld. Thereupon the Dreamer turnedher eyes heavenward and there beheldmore beauty than the world of menssouls dreamed, for in the blue vault therearose a vast cross, white and luminous,and its extremities seemed about bur-geoning into flowers. From its center


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THE VITAL BODY

(Continued)

By Harry Wilson

During the Lemurian and AtlanteanEpochs of our Earths history man wasinvoluntarily clairvoyant, and it wasbecause at that time the vital body wasnot so firmly incorporated with the densebody (p. 241). Since then the vital body

has become much more firmly interwo-ven with the dense body in the majority ofpeople, but in all sensitives it is loose.It is that looseness which constitutes thedifference between the psychic and theordinary person, who is unconscious ofall but the vibrations contacted by meansof the five senses. All human beings haveto pass through this period of close con-

nection of the vehicles and experience theconsequent limitation of consciousness.

In the Jupiter Period man will functionin his vital body as he now does in hisdense body; and as no development innature is sudden, the process of separat-ing the two bodies has already com-menced. The vital body will then attain a

much higher degree of efficiency than thedense body of today. As it is a much more

pliable vehicle, the spirit will then be ableto use it in a manner impossible of real-ization in the case of the present densevehicle (p. 242).

On page 422 of the Cosmo it is said thatin the Jupiter Period the forces of the densebody will be superimposed upon thecom-

pleted vital body. That vehicle will thenpossess the powers of the dense body in

addition to its own faculties, and willtherefore be a much more valuable instru-ment for the expression of the threefoldspirit than if built from its own forces alone.

The Jupiter Period is the Day ofManifestation succeeding the EarthPeriod, and will mark the fourth stage ofdevelopment of the vital body, just as theEarth Period marks the fourth stage of

development of the dense body. The vitalbody will be mans densest vehicle in thatPeriod, and was fashioned in the likenessof the present dense body so that it couldbecome fitted for such use (p. 240).

On page 404 we learn that the higherlife (Initiation) does not commence untilcertain work of the vital body begins. The

Studiesin

The RosicrucianCosmo Conception

* * * * * * *


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means used for bringing that into activityis Love, or rather Altruism. The formerword has been so abused that it no longerconveys the meaning here required.During the old dispensation the path ofInitiation was not free and open, except tothe chosen few. The Hierophants of theMysteries collected certain families aboutthe Temples, setting them apart from allthe other people. These chosen familieswere then rigorously guarded as to certainrites and ceremonies. Their marriages andsexual intercourse were regulated by theHierophants. The effect of this was toproduce a race having the proper degreeof laxity between the dense and the vitalbodies; also to awaken the desire bodyfrom its state of lethargy during sleep.Thus a special few were made fit for ini-tiation and were given opportunities thatcould not be given to all.

The Mission of Christ, in addition tosaving the lost, was to make Initiation

possible to all. By taking away the sin ofthe world (not of the individual), or puri-fying the desire body of our planet, theconnection between all human desire andvital bodies has been loosened to such anextent that bytraining they become capa-ble of separation. Therefore Initiation isnow open to all (p. 482).

The training consists, in part, of certain

retrospective exercises which, whenfaithfully and properly performed, bringabout a union of the conscious and thesubconscious mind. This enables the aspi-rant to voluntarily bring about the neces-sary separation of the vital body, and thusconsciously and with safety leave the

dense body at will. He may then functionin the higher worlds for the purpose ofinvestigation and make use of the knowl-edge thus acquired to further his develop-ment.

These retrospective exercises, whenpracticed in accordance with theRosicrucian method, will necessarilybring about a purification of our individ-ual desire bodies, and we thus pave theway for individual advancement, as didTHE CHRIST when He took away thesins of the world, so that Whosoever will

may come.

THE DESIRE BODY

The student of theRosicrucian Cosmo-Conception who is looking for informa-tion regarding the desire body will firstturn to page 540 of the Cosmo, where analphabetical list of words and terms, usedin this work, may be found. In that group,

beginning with the letter D, will befound Desire Body and opposite thatname, page 572. We turn to page 572and find an index arranged topically,showing upon what page of the Cosmoreferences are made to the desire body.This index is a valuable aid to the student,and the above method, if followed, willhelp materially in the study of the

Philosophy.We have learned that during the first

day of manifestation known as the SaturnPeriod, the Lords of Form implanted inthe evolving life the germ which hasdeveloped our present dense body(p.206). We have also learned that in the



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second day of manifestation, known asthe Sun Period, the Lords of Wisdomradiated from their own bodies the germof the vital body which has developed ourpresent vital body, and making possiblegrowth and propagation (p. 211).

Our index on page 572 first refers us topage 215, where it is said, in the thirdRevolution of the third day of manifesta-tion or Moon Period, the Lords ofIndividuality radiated from themselvesthe substances which they helped theunconscious evolving man to appropriateand build into a germinal desire body.They also helped him to incorporate thisgerminal desire body in the compoundvital and dense body which he alreadypossessed.

We are at the present time in the fourthday of manifestation, or Earth Period. Asthe dense body was started in the first dayor Saturn Period, we say that the densebody is now in its fourth stage of evolu-

tion. The vital body having been startedin the second day or Sun Period is nowsaid to be in its third stage of evolution.We then understand clearly what is meantwhen we say that the desire body is nowin the second stage of its evolution. Itsdevelopment at the present time is nogreater than was that of our dense body inthe Sun Period, and on page 78 is found

the statement that the desire body and themind are as yet mere cloudsalmostentirely unorganized. The mind is a prod-uct of the Earth Period, and its develop-ment therefore cannot compare with thatof the desire body, the desire body havingthe advantage in that respect of one com-

plete Period or stage of evolution.During the life of man his desire body is

not shaped like his dense and vital bodies.It has the appearance of a luminousovoid, which in waking hours completelysurrounds the dense body as the albumendoes the yolk of an egg. It extends fromtwelve to sixteen inches beyond the densebody. It also interpenetrates both the vitaland dense bodies (p. 67).

We have a dense body, which is neces-sary as an instrument of action. We havea vital body, by which the power ofmotion, necessary to action, is transmit-ted to the dense body. We have a desirebody in order that there may be incentiveto action (p. 28).

As shown in the diagram on page 54,the desire body is composed of the sub-stance of the Desire World. On pages 38and 39 we find that as the ChemicalRegion is the realm of form and as theEtheric Region is the home of the forces

carrying on life activities in those forms,enabling them to live, move, and propa-gate, so the forces in the Desire World,working in the quickened dense body,impel it to move in this or that direction.

If there were only the activities of theChemical and Etheric Regions of thePhysical World, there would be formshaving life, able to move, but with no

incentive for so doing. This incentive issupplied by the cosmic forces active inthe Desire World, and without this activi-ty playing through every fibre of thevitalized body, urging action in this direc-tion or that, there would be no experienceand no moral growth. The functions of



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the different ethers would take care of thegrowth of the form, but the moral growthwould be entirely lacking. Evolutionwould be an impossibility, both as to formand life; for it is only in response to theacquirements of spiritual growth thatforms evolve to higher states. Thus wesee at once the great importance of thisrealm of nature (p 89).

Desires, wishes, passions, and feelingexpress themselves in the matter of thedifferent regions of the Desire World, asform and feature express themselves inthe Chemical Region of the PhysicalWorld. They take forms which last for alonger or shorter time, according to theintensity of the desire, wish, or feelingembodied in them. In the Desire Worldthe distinction between the forces and thematter is not so definite and apparent as inthe Physical World. One might almost saythat here the ideas of force and matter areidentical or interchangeable. It is not

quite so, but we may say that to a certainextent the Desire World consists of force-matter (p 39).

The Desire World is the desire body ofour Planet, the Earth. The fact that ani-mals and man may roam over the Earthssurface is due to their desire to do so.This, the mineral and plant cannot do, asexplained upon pages 64 and 65. Here we

learn that both minerals and plants lackthe separate desire body. They are perme-ated only by the planetary desire body,the Desire World. Lacking the separatevehicle, they are incapable of feeling,desire, and emotion, which are facultiespertaining to the Desire World. When a

stone is broken, it does not feel; but itwould be wrong to infer that there is nofeeling connected with such an action.That is the materialistic view, or the viewtaken by the uncomprehending multitude.The occult scientist knows that there is noact, great or small, which is not feltthroughout the universe, and even thoughthe stone, because it has no separatedesire body, cannot feel, the Spirit of theEarth feels, because it is the Earths desirebody that permeates the stone. When aman cuts his finger, the finger, having noseparate desire body, does not feel thepain, but the man does, because it is hisdesire body which permeates the finger. Ifa plant is torn up by the roots, it is felt bythe Spirit of the Earth as a man would feelif a hair were torn from his head. TheEarth is a living, feeling body, and all theforms which are without separate desirebodies through which their informingspirits may experience feeling, are includ-

ed in the desire body of the Earth, andthat desire body has feeling. The breakingof a stone and the breaking off of flowersare productive of pleasure to the Earth,while the pulling out of plants by theroots causes pain.

The planetary Desire World pulsatesthrough the dense and vital bodies of ani-mal and man in the same way that it pen-

etrates the mineral and plant; but in addi-tion to this, animal and man have separatedesire bodies, which enable them to feeldesire, emotion, and passion. There is adifference however: The desire body ofthe animal is built entirely of the materialof the denser regions of the Desire World,



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while in the case of even the lowest ofhuman races, a little of the matter of thehigher Regions enters into the composi-tion of the desire body. The feelings ofanimals and the lowest of the humanraces are almost entirely concerned withthe gratification of the lowest desires andpassions, which find their expression inthe matter of the lower Regions of theDesire World. Hence, in order that theymay have such emotions to educate themfor something higher, it is necessary thatthey should have the corresponding mate-rials in their desire bodies. As man pro-gresses in the school of life, his experi-ences teach him, and his desires becomepurer and better. Thus, by degrees, thematerial of his desire body undergoes acorresponding change. The purer andbrighter material of the higher Regions ofthe Desire World replace the murky col-ors of the lower parts. The desire bodyalso grows in size, so that in a saint it is

truly a glorious object to behold, the puri-ty of its colors and its luminous trans-parency being beyond adequate simile. Itmust be seen to be appreciated (p 66).

At present, the materials of both thelower and the higher Regions enter intothe composition of the desire bodies ofthe great majority of mankind. None areso bad that they have not some good trait.

This is expressed in the materials of thehigher Region which we find in theirdesire bodies. But, on the other hand,very, very few are so good that they donot use some of the materials of the lowerRegions (p. 66).

Upon page 68 we learn that the desire

body is rooted in the liver.In all warm-blooded creatures, which

are the highest evolved, and have feel-ings, passions, and emotions, which reachoutward into the world with desire, whichmay be said to really live in the fullermeaning of the term and not merely veg-etatein all such creatures the currentsof the desire body flow outward from theliver. The desire stuff is continuallywelling out in streams or currents whichtravel in curved lines to every point of theperiphery of the ovoid and then return tothe liver through a number of vortices,much as boiling water is continuallywelling outward from the source of heatand returning to it after completing itscycle (p.68).

The plants are devoid of this impelling,energizing principle, hence they cannotshow life and motion as can the morehighly developed organisms.

Where there is vitality and motion, but

no red blood, there is no separate desirebody. The creature is simply in the transi-tion stage from plant to animal and there-fore it moves entirely in the strength ofthe group-spirit.

In the cold-blooded animals, whichhave a liver and red blood, there is a sep-arate desire body and the group-spiritdirect the currents inward, because in

their case the separate spirit (of the fish orreptile, for instance) is entirely outsidethe dense vehicle (p 69).

When the organism has evolved so farthat the separate spirit can commence todraw into its vehicles, then it (the individ-ual spirit) commences to direct the cur-



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rents outward, and we see the beginningof passionate existence and warm blood.It is the warm, red blood in the liver of theorganism sufficiently evolved to have anindwelling spirit which energizes the out-going currents of desire stuff that causethe animal or the man to display desireand passion. In the case of the animal, thespirit is not yet entirely indwelling. Itdoes not become so until the points in thevital body and the dense body come intocorrespondence, as explained in ChapterXII, page 292 of the Cosmo. For this rea-son the animal is not a liver, that is, hedoes not live as completely as does man,not being capable of as fine desires andemotions, because not as fully conscious.The mammalia of today are on a higherplane than was man at the animal stage ofhis evolution, because they have warm,red blood, which man did not have at thatstage. This difference in status is account-ed for by the spiral path of evolution,

which also accounts for the fact that manis a higher type of humanity than the pre-sent Angels were in their human stage.The present mammalia, which have intheir animal stage attained to the posses-sion of warm, red blood, and are thereforecapable of experiencing desire and emo-tion to some extent, will, in the JupiterPeriod (the 5th day of manifestation

which succeeds the Earth Period) be apurer and better type of humanity than weare now, while from among our presenthumanity there will be some, even in theJupiter Period, who will be openly andavowedly wicked. Moreover, they willnot be able to conceal their passions, as is

now possible, but will be unabashedabout their evil-doing (pp 69 and 70).

(To be continued)

A DREAM OF ROSES

(Continued from page 23)thought that perfume could be seen.

The surface or the world was now com-pletely covered with roses and she sawhow, in response to the rays from the star,each rose (which had been a stone) sentan answering ray, not pure golden-bright,like those shed by the star, but rays of col-ors, hues, beautiful exceedingly and end-lessly varied. For every rose sent its ownresponsive ray and no two were alike, forall the colors of Dreamland were there,matchless in beauty and variety, farbeyond any which are seen by those whothink they are awake!

The rays from the roses reflected totheir source and fell upon the wreath ofroses which hung upon the Cross.

And just as the rays from the Cross hadchanged the stones to roses, so now therays from the roses worked a wondroustransformation, for, as they touched them,the Dreamer saw no rose-wreath but ahalo formed of celestial beings like glow-ing fire, which whirled and turned likewheels, so exquisitely bright that for very

joy the Dreamer awoke.

Would you like A Bigger Magazine?We have now 760 subscribers. To pay theactual cost of material and mailing, wemust have 1000 subscribers. When weget 1500 subscribers we will add 16

pages.



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ALCOHOL CONTROL IN SWEDEN

Harry Brook, inBrain and Brawn

From one of the most drunken nationsin Europe, Sweden has become one ofthe most sober. Fifty years ago a self-appointed commission was organized to

investigate the alcohol traffic. WithScandinavian thoroughness, the commis-sion took a year to prepare its report.This report emphasized the right of mento satisfy their appetites, while alsoaffirming the right of governments tocontrol the liquor traffic, when theythreaten to interfere with the welfare ofsociety. The result was the formation of a

private corporation, in Gothenburg, totake over the traffic. Among the stock-holders was the King of Sweden. Profitsof the corporation were limited to fiveper cent, all profit above that percentageto be used for benevolent purposes,including schools, libraries, workmenshouses, vacation colonies, meals forschool children, workmens reading and

waiting rooms, public concerts and out-door music, houses for consumptives,childrens hospitals, out-door sports,sailors homes and parks, a large percent-age to go to financing a campaign againstalcohol. Thus, every time a man takes adrink in Sweden, he is aiding in fightingthe liquor traffic.

In 1863, when Gothenburg had 30,000population, there were 200 saloons. Now,with 190,000 population, there are 14. Inthese places only one drink is sold to acustomer within 30 minutes. The nearestliquor establishment is half a mile away,so that a man will have a chance to soberup between drinks, if he walks from one

to another. The saloons are severelyplain, but clean. The barkeeper has to bea tee-totaller. Over the bar are pictures,showing a drunkards liver, and so forth,instead of the Venus at the Bath, thatyou are likely to see in American liquoremporiums. Then there are cheerfulnotices reading: The drink you hold inyour hand is poison, and so forth. The

barkeeper is interested in the sale of softdrinks. An archway leads into the apart-ment where these are sold. Here every-thing is quite different. The room is com-fortably furnished with rugs, easy chairs,tables and pictures. There are cards andchecker tables. Here are served tea, cof-fee, chocolate, and several kinds of softdrink, includingnote thisa light beer

like American lager beer, which is lessthan half as strong as English ale. This isregarded as a temperance beverage. Thefact being recognized that men in thisstrenuous age will partake of some kindof stimulant, they are encouraged to takebeer instead spirits.

This system has been extended to all

Nutrition and Health

* * * * * *


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parts of Sweden and Norway, except in afew provinces, and in those they havetotal prohibition. The result has been thatdrunkenness in Sweden has decreased 55per cent and crime 45 per cent. In 1874,27 liters of liquor per capita were sold inSweden; in 1909, 10 liters. Beforeadoption of this system there were 213saloons to 100,000 inhabitants; nowthere are 84. Deaths from alcoholismhave been reduced from 34 to 8 per10,000 inhabitants.

The Swedes have many other goodcustoms. For instance, physical educa-tion. Even the condemned criminal has todo his stunts, up to the day of his exe-cution. Then there are government pawnshops, tending to decrease vice, crimeand drunkenness.

The Forestry Commission supplied lastyear $13,250,000 worth of products, yetaccumulated timber resources equal totwice that amount in timber felled. Overthe entrance to the University of Upsalais a legend from the Icelandic Eddas,which reads: Free thinking is great;right thinking is greater. Swimming iscompulsory in the schools of Sweden; inother words, every boy and girl inSweden must learn to swim.

In no country, not even in the UnitedStates, do women exercise a wider influ-

ence, direct and indirect, in the home, theschool, the church, and upon the platform.Sweden was the first country to recog-nize equal property rights for women.

-The Rosicrucian Motto: A Sane Mind,

A Soft Heart, A Sound Body!

A MENU FROM MOUNT ECCLESIA

Breakfast, 7:30 A. M.

Baked Pears

Rolled Oats and CreamWhole-Wheat Gems, Butter and Honey

Coffee or Milk

-

Dinner, 12 M.

Stuffed CucumbersEscalloped Salsify or Vegetable Oyster

Buttered NoodlesWhole Wheat Bread, Butter and Honey

Milk

Supper, 5:30 P. M.

Stuffed Ripe Tomatoes with CabbageSponge Cake, Olives

Hot White Flour BiscuitButter and Honey Milk or Tea

RECIPES

STUFFED CUCUMBERS

Take medium sized cucumbers, peeland cut in two lengthwise; remove insidepulp and seed, stuff with mashed pota-toes, grate cheese over same, placestuffed halves in buttered pan, sprinklewith salt, place in oven and bake fortwenty minutes. Serve with brown sauce.



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ESCALLOPED SALSIFY

Wash, scrape, cut in pieces two cups ofSalsify roots: keep well covered withcold water until ready to cook, so as to

keep the colour; place in enough water tokeep from burning; just before tender,salt lightly; drain, oil a shallow bakingpan, place salsify in layers, sprinkle withbread or cracker crumbs between eachlayer, cover with cream sauce, bake untilbrown.

BUTTERED NOODLES

Place one pint flour in shallow dish;with a spoon make a hole in centre, breaktwo eggs into this with a little salt, mixthe egg with the flour as long as thespoon will permit, making as stiff asbread, then work with hands till as stiffas possible; roll with rolling pin into athin sheet, allowing it to dry on bakingboard until it can be rolled without stick-

ing. Cut into fine strips. Have a dish ofwater salted lightly and at the boilingpoint; sprinkle the dry noodles lightlyinto this boiling water and allow to boilfor 15 minutes; drain, place in servingdish and sprinkle with bread crumbs thathave been fried and browned in butter.

HOT WATER SPONGE CAKE

Break four eggs into a dish, beat wellfor 15 minutes, add 2/3 cup of sugar, beatwhile adding 2 tablespoons of hot waterand 1/4 teaspoon vanilla flavor. Beat intothis one cup flour, one tablespoon cornstarch (which first mix). Bake in slowoven.

STUFFED RIPE TOMATOES WITH

CABBAGE

Wash selected ripe tomatoes, hollowout from stem end; stuff with slaw pre-

pared by slicing crisp cabbage, 1 1/4cups mixed with 1/2 cup choppedEnglish walnuts. Place on plate gar-nished with parsley leaves, with onespoonful of mayonnaise dressing on top.

WHEN FOOD BECOMES A POISON

No food that is used by man is a poisonper se. If it becomes a poison, it must bewhen it has undergone the change ofdecay which renders it unfit for food: orwhen it is eaten beyond the digestivecapacity, and is forced into an artificialdecay; or the system so enervated that ithas not power to rid itself of the elimina-tive products, and they are retained tofurther poison and enervate.

J. H. Tilden, M.D., in Food

STARCH POISONING

Experiments conducted in Georgia andin Mississippi have confirmed the theoryof United States public health serviceofficials that pellagra is caused by eatingtoo much starchy food.

There is no doubt that excessive eating

of starchy food is harmful and a safe,wholesome diet must include a large per-centage of fresh vegetables, cooked orraw, ripe fruit, as well as milk and milkproducts.

The excessive use of flesh meat andstarchy foods has been and is the cause ofmuch disease and suffering.



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A CASE OF OBSESSION

By W. Stuart Leech, M. D., inMedicalProgress

In several recently published articleson obsession, I mentioned two classes;viz., demoniacal and elemental. The lat-ter is an obsession or a possession of the

patients faculties, to a greater or lesserextent, by an invisible (spiritual) entity.There may or there may not be lucidintervals, but in the case recorded belowthey were numerous. In the occult, I do notpretend to be anything even approachingmastership, but there are lots of things Ican give first-hand knowledge on.

It is not in the province of this brief

article to describe the motives and theorigin of such entities as elementals andnature spirits, nor will we enter into anyof the higher planes to describe the formor chemical make-up of the elementals.The elemental is the simplest of all out-side influences that obsess and it is thefirst real live outside influence or realbeing with which the astro-medical diag-

nostician will come in contact.The real material make-up of the ele-

mental is of one element, whence itsname. It is well for the reader to remem-ber that we are here speaking of thevibrations that are higher than the every-day physical, and that a full descriptionof the elemental would carry us into a

prolonged dissertation of the forces thatwork along the negative and the positivepoles or the four ethers. Suffice it to sayhere that the elemental has real form andpossesses life, mostly gained from hispoor, human victim. The casuist maydemand proof of this statement beforegoing further. I reply that it is self-demonstrable and that the road to truth

and learning is open to any who is will-ing to pay the price. This price, however,is not money, and if the searcher isabsolutely materialistic, he will do wellto read the Kybalion or like literaturebefore making further medical research.

It is well to remember that the mostfundamental thing in the plant is invisi-ble to physical eyes. Supersensible

knowledge is accessible to all those whosearch diligently and persistently.

In reporting this case we will hold our-selves as much to the physical side as iscompatible with the subject, and willdescribe this an actual typical case of ele-mental obsession. Enter any institutionfor the insane in the land and many likecases can be found. You may argue as

you please and deride to your heartscontent, but the truth will not be changedto suit any of our preconceived opinions.

Mrs. H., aged 26, wife of an honestmechanic; mother of three children;blond, with some marks of femininebeauty; medium size, fairly well built;came from an intelligent but neurotic

Healing Department* * * * * *


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family, her father having died in an insti-tution for the insane; lungs and heart ingood condition, and no specific history.She was neat, industrious, and naturallyof a cheerful disposition. During the lastconfinement, labor was completed in lessthan an hour under the able managementof Dr. Muir, who attended her manytimes during the seven weeks following.The first week of the lying-in period shedid splendidly. After about the ninth dayshe began to have peculiar nervousattacks of vague apprehension of dangerto her well-being. There was no fever atany time. Dr. Muir, in some subtle man-ner, worked the case off on to me at thebeginning of the eight week. I was firstcalled January 19th, at five oclock in theafternoon, and found her sitting in bedholding a hot water bag to her left breast,hair dishevelled, her face displaying amaniacal expression; not a wink of theeyelids; eyes sunken in sockets, pupilsdilated; hands and feet cold, showing dis-turbed circulation, although the roomwas comfortably warm; heart beat wasslow, feeble but regular. Both pupilswere dilated and persistently refused tocontract under the influence, of eitherlight, hyoscyamus, strychnine or bro-mides. Her conversation was withoutreason and she was apprehensive lest she

would immediately die, and wouldrepeatedly ask the same question of theattendants as to her approaching death.Regardless of the assurances to the con-trary, she would inquire a hundred timesor more a day if her heart was going tostop or if she would ever recover. She

was rapidly becoming bedridden and anycourt of insanity would have unhesitat-ingly adjudged a fit subject for a Stateinstitution. Her heart reacted to a hypo-dermic of strychnine; but the pupils, th

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