Rosicrucian Digest, August 1959

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ROSICRUCIAN1959

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AN EXQUISITE DESIGN

For Women10-Karat Gold Crossfor women, includinga long-lasting gold-filled chain 18 inches

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THE simple cross consisting of a vertical staff intersected by a horizontalone is tlie oldest symbol in which man expresses his hnowle dge of a

divine principle of nature. The first great natural law discovered by man was the law of duality, that is, that all living things were in pairs or even-tually divided into phases or aspects of the same thing. Closer observationdetermined that the unity of these phases ol phenomena produced a thirdor new entity. The mind soon concluded the divine formula as i plus iequals not just two, but three, for the two separate aspects in unity didnot lose their identity and become one, but in reality produced a third in

which were incorporated their characteristics. I he cross became, then, thesymbol of this formula. Each ol its bars represented a different polarity olthis universal duality, and the place of their unity, where the manifestationoccurred, was usually indicated by a beautiful gem or. later, a red rose.To wear such a significant symbol today is not only indicative of Rosicrucian membership, but reveals the wearers appreciation of this inspiringmystical law.

W e have designed a graceful, very small Rosy Cross emblem of 10 karatgold surmounted with a synthetic ruby which will be the pride of every wearer. It is less than an inch in length, therefore not conspicuous. Many will admire this beautiful piece of jewelry. Every member should be aproud possessor of this emblem. Order yours from:

ROSICRUCIAN SUPPLY BUREAUSAN JOSE, C AL IFOR NIA , U. S. A.

(Each month this page is devoted to the exhibition of student supplies.)


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DISTINGUISHED CURATOR VISITS MUSEUMBernard V. Bothmer, right, Associate Curator of the Department of Ancient Art, Brooklyn Museum, is seen

in discussion with James French, Curator of the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum before one of the valuable ex-hibits in the Museum. Dr. Bothmer. authority on Egyptian antiqu ities, while lecturin g in San Jose, visited theRosicrucian Museum and commented on its splendid Egyptian collection.

(Photo by AMORC)


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The Mechanism of Mind

WHY YOU ARE AS YOU A R E -

and U / A a t Ifo u @a n tPo - )(ro u t D t l

DID you ever stop to think w h y you dothe things you do? Have you often when alonecensured yourself for impulsive

urges, for things said or done that did nottruly represent y o u r r ea l t h o u g h t s , andwhich placed you at a disadvantage? Most persons are c r e a t u r e s o f s e n s a t i o n theyreact to instinctive, impelling influences whichsurge up within them and which they do notunderstand o r k n o w h o w t o c o n t r o l . Justas simple living things involuntarily withdraw from irritations, so likewise thousandsof men and women are content to be motivated by their undirected thoughts whichhaphazardly rise up in their consciousness.To d ay y o u m u s t s e ll y o u r s e l f

to others bring forth your best abilities, manifest your

personality, if you wish to hold a position,make friends, or impress others with yourcapabilities. You must learn how to drawupon your latent talents and powers, not be

bent like a reed in the wind. There are simple,natural laws and principles whichif you understand themmake all this possible.

For centuries the Rosicrueians (not a religious organizat ion) , a wor ldwide movement of men and women devoted to the stu dy of life and its hidden processes, haveshown th ousa nds how to probe these m ysteries of self .Renowned philosophers and scientists have been Rosi-crucianstoday men and women in every walk of l ifeowe their confidence and abili ty to solve personal problems to the Rosicrucian private, s e n s ib le method ofself-development. Use the coupon below for a copy ofthe book, T h e M a s te r y o f L i f e , which will be sent

to y ou w ithou t obligation, and will tell you of the Rosi-crucians a n d w h a t t h e y c a n d o f o r y o u . ________ Accept This FREE Book ________ SC RIB E S .P.C . : The Ros i cruei ans (A M OR C) , San Jose , Ca li f.Please send me your free book, T h e M a s t e ry o f L i f e , which Ishall read as d i rec ted . T his does not obl iga te me in an y w ay.

N a m e ..............................................................................................................................

A d d r e s s .........................................................................................................................

THE ROS IC RU CIA NS (AMORC), SAN JOSE, CALIF ORNIA, U. S. A.


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ROSICRUCIAN DIGESTCOVERS THE WORLDT H E O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E O F T H E W O R L D - W I D E R O S I C R U C I A N O R D E R

XXXVII AUGUST, 1959 No. 8

Distinguished Curator Visits Museum (Frontispiece) . 281Thought of the Month: Solomon and the Mysteries ... .......... 284Cycles and Vibra tions.... 288Are There any New People?........... ............. 290Letter Writing, An Art ...... __............................................................ ........... 293Neutrino, the Mighty Little One........ ...................................... ...... .. .. 294Cathedral Contacts: Our Ancient Heritage ........................ ........... 298Life as an Initiation 300Make Summer Living Enjoyable .......................... 304The Meaning of Amen 306 Temple Echoes 308The Mystic 311Tuning in with Immortality........................... ...... ......... .. 314World-Wide Directory ..................... . 316

S u bs cr ip tio n t o t he Rosicrucian Digest, $3.00 (1/2- s te r li ng ) p er year. Single copies35 cents (2/6 sterling).Entered as Second-Class Ma t te r a t the Post Off ice of San Jose, Ca l i fo rn ia , under Sect ion

1103 of the U. S. Pos ta l Ac t of Oct . 3, 1917.Changes of address mus t reach us by the f i rs t o f the month preced ing da te of issue.S ta te m en ts m a de in t his p u b li ca t io n a re n o t t he o f fi ci a l e xp re ss io n o f t he o rga n iz a ti on o r

i ts officers unless stated to be official communications.

Published Monthly by the Supreme Council of

Rosicrucian Parle THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER AMORC San Jose, California

EDITOR: Frances Vejtasa

The Purpose of the Rosicrucian Order

The Rosicrucian Order, exis ting in all civil ized lands, is a nonsectarian fraterna l body of menand women devoted to the investigation, study, and practical application of natural and spirituallaws. The purpose of the organiza tion is to enable all to live in harmony with the creative, con-structive Cosmic forces for the attainment of health, happiness, and peace. The Order is inter -nationally known as AMORC" (an abbreviation), and the A.M.O.R.C. in America and all otherlands constitutes the only form of Ros icrucian activit ies united in one body. The A.M.O.R.C. doesnot sell its teachings. It gives them freely to affiliated members together w ith many other benefits.For complete information about the benefits and advantages of Rosicrucian association, write aletter to the address below, and ask for the free book. The Mastery of JLife. Address ScribeS. P. C., Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, San Jos e, California, U. S. A. (Cable Address: AMORCO)

Copyright, 1959, by the Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC, Inc. All rights reserved.


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n e but needs access to anextensive research libraryto find the halo of mystery and the fabulous legends that surround thelife of Solomon. Theseare not only the creationof the Jews but likewiseof the Arabs who were

yers of Mohammed. They also ap pear in the religious accounts of theneighboring states which wTere vassalsof Solomons kingdom. To distinguishfact from fancy, of course, is nearly im

possible. Some accounts, however, areobviously allegorical and can be discredited from a historical point of view.Solomon had many critics even amonghis own people. These critics attributedmany of the evils of the day to his actsand decisions. Similarly, the citizens ofour times relate every economic adversity to a conceived misjudgment onthe part of their supreme governmentalleaders, be they kings or presidents.

The information we are to relate istwofold: the generally accepted chronological or historical facts, and thetraditions that have persistently beencarried down through the centuries.These traditions have become a part ofthe unwritten Rosicrucian records and,when compared with history, have astrong probability of truth.The time of the birth of Solomon ap pears to be well established as the year

T he 986 B.C. He was the second son of David and Bath-sheba. Nathan, the prophet, called him Jedidiah, which literally means Beloved of YHWH, or ofGod (Jehovah). It was assumed by theProphet Nathan that David had been[ 284 ]

Digest August 1959

finally instructed to call his son Sol-omon meaning in substance, peaceful. This name seems to have presagedthe character of his reign for it wasone that was favorable and peaceful.It appears that Solomon had, as a youth,a close affection for both his father.David, and for his mother. The mother,Bath-sheba, was reputed to have beenan exceptionally talented woman, dis playing unusual judgment. This was aheritage that served Solomon well.Solomon became the third king of Israelin 971 B.C., upon the death of David.That Solomon should reign was hisfathers wash. David counseled hisson as to the personages he should consider his advisers and who should particula rly serve him. It is apparent, too.that David admonished young Solomonconcerning the political enemies of thereign.

Solomons older brother, Adonijah.conspired to become co-regent withhim, having perhaps the purpose ofeventually usurping his place. Theearly wisdom of Solomon was evidentin his detecting the strategy of this plot.In accordance wdth the practice andcustoms of the time, Solomon hadAdonijah executed as well as certainhighly placed co-conspirators.

Solomons inheritance was tremendous. It consisted of a well-organizedand prosperous government. Solomondisplayed his ambition and aggressiveness at an early age. He immediately proceeded to increase His advantages, both militaristically and economicallythrough wise statesmanship. His religious spirit was manifest in that hisfirst principal undertaking was to go


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to Gibeon and to offer one thousand burnt sacrifices to YHWH , asking fordivine assistance. Subsequently, it isrelated he had a dream in which YHWHappeared to him, asking: What shallI give thee? The excellence of Solo-

mons mind in estimating the true valueof things is found in nis reply. Hechose to have as a gift the wisdom of a

Judge.The numerous wise decisions of great

magnitude made by Solomon in manyof his affairs of state would seem to in-dicate that YHW H had granted him hiswish. The popular account of his de-cision as to which of two women ap-

pearing before him was the real motherof a child each claimed, is an exampleof his renown for wisdom. His critics,however, have stated that he showedlack of judgment in his marriages. Theyattribute to this cause some misfortunewhich befell the state. As was the cus-tom, Solomon could choose many wives.He chose his brides from the royalfamilies of neighboring states, as thePhoenicians, Hittites, Egyptians, andseveral others. Actually, this, at leastat first, was good statesmanship. It

brought these neighboring states mto adomestic and friendly relationship tothe Kingdom of Solomon. It bound therespective nations closer together.

Objection was particularly directedto Solomons marriage to an Egyptian

princess. He erected a special residencefor her which was lavish. Apparently,if we may believe the critics, she washis special favorite. It would seem, too,that Solomon spent quite some time inEgypt and during his sojourn there wasgreatly impressed by the magnitudeand splendor of the Egyptian architec-ture. There, too, as a royal visitor, hemade the acquaintance of the KheriHebs, or chief priests, who were thesagacious and learned element of theEgyptian populace.

The various wives brought withthem their respective religions; someof which were polytheistic. The wor-ship of numerous gods was repulsive,however, to the monotheism of Judaism.

Nevertheless, Solomon showed consid-erable personal tolerance and allowedhis brides their religious faiths notwith-standing the heterodoxy. Possibly thistolerance was misunderstood by Solo-

mons people. It was probable that itwas an act of statesmanship by whichSolomon brought the royal families ofhis wives into closer relationship to hisown kingdom.

To keep domestic peace, Solomon lav-ished luxurious quarters upon his wivesand gave pretentious court affairs in his

palace. The cost of many of these eventswas tremendous. It resulted in a severetaxation of the people to replenish theroyal treasury, and, of course, with re-sultant dissatisfaction of the populace.

T h e Fa m o u s T em p l e

David had intended to build a greattemple to the sole God, YHWH, whosename was ineffable. Solomon desiredto carry out his fathers wish. To ac-complish this end, Solomon consultedan old friend of his father, Hiram, kingof Tyre. He finally entered into anagreement with Hiram that the lattershould supply cedar from the famousforests of Lebanon for use in the build-ing of the temple. To accomplish this,it is related, Solomon sent 150,000 mento Lebanon to cut and hew timber.The timber was floated on rafts toJoppa and thence transported toJerusalem.

Of particular significance is the man-ner of construction which is emphasizedin both the rabbinical and Arabian rec-ords. The huge stones used in the build-ing of the temple were prefabricated;that is, they were cut and exactly fittedat the quarry in advance. Apparentlyeach stone was numbered so that itcould be joined on the site with otherstones, also previously cut with mathe-matical precision. It is related in an-cient archives that the stones andtimber were put together noiselessly.

Not even the sound of a hammer washeard. It is said that people were mys-tified by the temple erection. Legendfurther relates that large stones wereseen rising and setting in place of them-selves.

Actually, prefabrication of masonryin the quarry was not unique to Solo-mons temple. The Egyptians had beendoing this for centuries before the timeof Solomon. The Great Pyram id ofCheops, as one example, is constructedof enormous stones which average sometwo and a half tons each. The huge

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blocks were fitted together so accurate-ly that not even the blade of a knifecould be inserted between them! Thequarry where these blocks were hewnand prefabricated was discovered bymodern Egyptologists. There has also

been found what appears to be thearchitects description of the manner inwhich the blocks were to be hewn. Each block before it arrived at the site of the building had been predetermined as toits exact position in relation to otherstones. That the Egyptians were profi-cient engineers and builders is foundin the evidence of the work they ac-complished.

C r a t t a a n d Sy m b o l s

Though Solomon engaged Phoeniciancraftsmen to make the exquisite templefurnishings, he also had skillful Egyp-tians fabricate the stonework. This isquite evident. We must keep in mindthat he married an Egyptian princessand undoubtedly during nis sojourn inEgypt had been shown by the priest-hood the manner and secrets of thistype of construction. To the populaceof Jerusalem who were, by comparisonto the culture of Egypt, relatively more

provincial, this type of construction wasfantastic! It suggested something weirdand magical.

An example of the belief that therewas something supernatural in thismodern construction of Solomonstemple, is another legend that hasdescended to us. We are told that incertain quarters it was the general opin-ion that Solomon had the stones hewed

by means of sham ir The shamir is aworm whose mere touch cleft rocks.According to Hebraic literature, theshamir was brought from Paradise toearth by an eagle! All of this merely

points up how confounded the common people were by this new and differenttype of construction.

The skilled workmen, both Egyptiansand Phoenicians, had what we mayterm secret guilds , or brotherhoods.Their fundamental purpose was neitherreligious nor esoteric. Rather, they wereformed to protect the secrets of theircraft. For example, workers in metaland stone had over the centuries oftime evolved techniques for the masteryof their trade. These were principallyhanded down from father to son. Fur-

ther, there were particular rites in-volved with the imparting of the tradesecrets. Obligations had to be takenwherein one promised not to divulgein any manner what he had learnedin his apprenticeship, and it was, infact, a kind of initiation.

Each craft had its trade symbol andthese old symbols are still extant.Further, there were other symbolswhich depicted the responsibility of thecraftsman to society as a whole. Thesewere exhibited and expounded uponduring the secret initiation or rites.Some of the symbols were etched orinscribed upon the building materialsused by the initiated craftsmen. Any

{>erson falsely using such symbols mightose his life; in fact, during the initi-ation the penalties to be exacted for a

violation of the craft secrets were dram-

atized to impress secrecy upon the craftinitiate. It was customary in Egyptand Phoenicia that the craftsmen work-ing upon a large project would meet

periodically in its shadows. At theseconventicles the secrets would be di-vulged to the new candidates. The same

practice was carried on centuries laterin the guilds of Rome in the MiddleAges.

Seven years were required to complete the great temple of Solomon, butthirteen years were necessary for thefinal construction of the kings palace!

Solomon, to his further credit, decidedto improve the architectural appearanceof the whole city. To do all thesethings, great sums of gold and preciousmetals were needed. Taxes alone werenot sufficient. Solomon revealed him -self during this crisis as a shrewd busi-nessman. He bought from the Egyp-tians horses and chariots which he soldto the Hittites and to other peoples atapparently a substantial profit.

His next economic project was toorganize a commercial fleet in conjunc-tion with the Phoenicians who weremost proficient traders and seamen.Each three years a large fleet woulddepart for the coast of the ArabianPeninsula. From there it would returnwith a fabulous amount of gold andrare tropical plants and herbs. Legendrelates that Solomon had gold minesin Arabia, now popularly known asKing Solomons Mines. In relatively

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modern times numerous expeditionshave put forth on hazardous adventuresto try to locate these mines. Some persons have even related that they discovered them only to fail again to relocate

them. However, the gold and the saleof the tropical rare herbs collectedadded revenue to increase the pay ofhis capital city and to maintain Solomons palace and military organizations.

C u l t u r e E m p h a s l a

Solomons activities were in no wiselimited to the construction of hugeedifices or the enlargement of his political domain. He had, it is recorded,an excellent knowledge of botany. Hisknowledge of trees, fruit, and of thelife of bees was renowned. He was also

a genius in the composition of proverbsand songs. It is said of him that he waswiser than the sages of Egypt. However, this further indicates that thewisdom of Egypts priesthood and mystery schools was well known. It is recounted that Solomon selected the wiseof Egypt and of other neighboringstates to counsel him and to instructhim in the known arts and sciences.They secretly met (as a mysteryschool) and discoursed upon the phenomena of nature. So accomplished and proficient did Solomon become in theapplication of this secret gnosis, this

publicly-unrevealed knowledge, that hewas accused of invoking the supernatural and performing magic.

Already we have related that Solomon was liberal in religious matters which attitude invited severe criticismfrom his orthodox subjects. Because ofthis he began to lose his hold upon the

people. Nevertheless, Solomon builtsynagogues and houses in which thesacred Mosaic Law and Commandments were taught to scholars and the

public, including children. In the private, so-called mystery classes in whichthe sages met, the symbols of the craftsmen, the operative signs were givenspeculative and esoteric meanings corresponding to Cosmic and natural laws.

Both legend and history relate thatSolomon was also a prophet of note. He

presaged that the temple and city wereto be sacked by the Babylonians. In preparation for this, he had an underground receptacle constructed in whichthe Ark, a sacred Judaic reliquary, was

placed. In this chamber were also placed, it is said, tomes or scrolls containing sacrosanct truths.

With the dissatisfaction of Solomons policies, mostly misunderstood by themasses, there was further defamationcentered upon his Egyptian wife. Anexample of this is an allegory whichrelates: When Solomon wedded Pharaohs daughter, the Angel Michaeldrove a rod into the bed of the sea;and the slime gathering around itformed an island on which, later, Rome(enemies of Jerusalem) was built. In

defense of Solomon, his friends say thathe married the Egyptian princess toconvert her.

There is an interesting tale of Solomons introduction to Queen Saba(Sheba). On one occasion he was making merry at a festival and he noticedthat no mountain cock was present.This was a bird known as the Hoopoe. The bird was summoned. The birdsupposedly said that it had been looking for a land not yet in Solomonsdomain. It had at last found one in theeast. Its capital city was Kilor, and theruler was Queen Sheba. After gainingthis information Solomon demanded her presence. Queen Sheba sent in advanceof her coming elaborate gifts to Solomonand finally made her appearance at his

palace. The various accounts emphasizethe great riddles which she asked ofSolomon to test his wisdom, and shewas deeply impressed with the easewith which he solved them.

Solomon died at the age of fifty-threewhen his temple was not as yet com pleted. It is related: An angel took hissoul while [he was] leaning on a staff

pray ing. His books of secret magic,the gnosis of the mystery schools, werelocked under his throne. He feared, weare told, that harm could have befallenhumanity if the unprepared, the uninitiated, were to have come into possession of them.

V A V

We are rich only when welittle that may be.

do not want more than we have, regardless of how V a l i d i v a r

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The Rosicrucian Digest August 1959

(ducld a nd


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formed work against the pull of gravity.It has thus acquired so-called potentialenergy or the power to produce motion. As it falls down to its lowest point,it gathers speed, or kinetic energy. Ifyou put your free hand in its way, youfeel the momentum of its impact.

To sum up, we observe cyclical motion as an unbroken, unperturbed dynamic flow. Vibratory motion is analternation between two different modesof energy, between tension and release,and between opposite polarities.

Vibrations, like every vital phenomenon, may be interpreted under thelaw of the triangle. Potential energy,tension, of the pendulum string, of avibrating reed or of a charged condenser in electric oscillators, may beregarded as the positive force. In orderto act, this tension must be opposed bya negative, inert mass, such as the bobof the pendulum or the inductance ofthe electrical circuit. The interactionof these polar opposites sets off thevibration at the third point of thetriangle.

T h e H o l y T r i n i t y

There exists an even more fundamental symbolism for the laws of vi

bration. Dr. Kuhn, a profound mystical scholar, expounds vibratory processes under the image of the Holy

Trinity: God the Father stands for theSum Total of all energy in the Universe.He represents the law called conserva-tion of energy. The Son embodies theactivating power of potential energy,ready to vitalize all that may receiveHim. You may visualize His action asa powerful quantum ray or as the commanding Word of creation. The HolyGhost, called Life-Giver by the Creed,is as His name implies, the live forceof kinetic energy.

This Christian form of symbolismdoes not explicitly contain the female,negative element. However, we knowthat potential energy cannot be transformed into kinetic energy until itmeets its female, material counterpart.

Seen from this viewpoint, our analysis of cycles and vibrations brings usface to face with the continuous act ofcreation: In Its aspect of abiding Oneness the Godhead remains eternally u nmanifest. To create a World , It polarizes into positive and negative, active

and passive, male and female, mind andmatter.

Visualize, if you wish, the primordialUniverse as one vast sphere energizedto revolve in one tremendous cycle. But,

as you have seen, a cycle does not generate vibrant life unless there is a separate entity to interact with it fromwithout.

Hence the creative impulse splits upthe manifest universe into ever more,smaller and increasingly differentiated

parts. Evolution thus becomes an ex plosive, divisive force. Each pair of polarized particles tends to vibrate inits own rhythm. But the manifold vi

brations interfere with another, un tilthe whole World seems full of disharmony, contention, and destruction.

However, this seeming disintegration,this war for survival of all against all,may in its entirety be only the outgoing

phase of a universal, pulsating, vibratory rhyth m. The explosive force ofcreation may be counterbalanced by anequal force of attraction and reunification. Evolution may alternate with involution.

T h e H o m e w a r d C a l l

All mystical religions claim that anall-loving God eventually calls homethe dispersed elements of creation, to

rest and be rejuvenated in His Unity.On the gigantic scale of the physicalUniverse, some physicists and Rosicru-cians surmise that the countless galaxiesand supergalaxies that have been hurtling apart for the last five billion yearswill eventually come to a halt and return to their origin.

In the spiritual realm, the separateconsciousness of individual entities, beginning with the dumb polar attractionsof electrons and nuclei, progresses tothe sensitivity of plants, to the instinctive willfulness of animals, and to the

extreme individualism of civilized man.It is at this point that philosophy, religion, and mysticism summon him toturn consciousness back from its outward flight to the loving Source of allMind, instructed and enriched by theexperience of individual life.

This progress of Consciousness, fromOneness through Multiplicity and backto Oneness, may be the ultimate cycle.

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Since it is beyond matter, time andspace, we know of no interfering outside entity that could transform it intovibrations by its interference.

But in this realm of Mystery, intellectual analysis falls down. Only per

sonal experience can carry us further.However, analysis has served and servesto good purpose if it leads us to thethreshold of the mysteries, by uncovering the wisdom hidden in symbolicceremonies.

A r e T h e r e A n y N e w P eo p l e?

By J e a n n e d e L a v i g n e Sc o t t , F. R. C.


r e there any new people?The statistician will immediately exclaim, Ofcourse there are new peo

ple! Every hour hundreds of new babies are

bom. This goes on dayand night, year afteryear, century after cen

tu ry and always has. Some of the infants live only a few days, of course-some a few years; but millions of them

reach maturity, and go on to old age.The number of human beings in theworld increases constantly.

Does it? There are so many angles.Figures often liethe root is not theseed. There is no death, only change.In speculating upon new souls, onehas a momentary vision of somethingnaked and pale, newly thrust into asmall human body. Whence comes it?Whither goes it? Is it merely a sort ofexperiment? Or, once fitted into humanity, must it accept its bitter medicine and continue on and on, through

punishment, bewilderment, and valiantendeavor, until it is shaped and polishedand utterly divested of every trait except those possessed by human naturealone?

This is not sound sense. Soul is essenceGod essence. It cannot descendto fau lty levels. The star upon its forehead is eternal, because it itself is eternal. Eternalwithout beginning and[290 ]

without end. There is something majestic and powerful about this word whenused in connection with soul. Theeternity of soul would have to do withGod. The matter does not become morecomplicatedit becomes less so. The nature of God is so simple that the humanmind cannot comprehend it. Simplicityis the most difficult problem on earth tounderstandbecause we cannot bringourselves to believe in it. We build upall sorts of formulae, until we are

hopelessly muddled. When we find noanswer, we begin to say there is none.But there is an answerone guaran

teed to destroy all inflated pride. Afterall, a bug is only a bug. Why not? Allthe religious doctrines known to mancannot make the bug anything excepta bug. So, along the same line of reasoning, man is only man, always will

be man. W hy not?There is a theory held by some that

trillions of ages ago man was a tinyandrogynous being only an inch or sotall. He was nourished and protectedin and by sea-water. His structuralmechanism was al m ost patheticallysimple. He was something like a fish,

bu t not a fish. He had several eyes, aheart, lungs, an elementary digestivetractand a voracious appetite. Helived to eatbreathed to eat, slept to eat,moved to eat. This tin y creature developed from a single cell, and was located in every part of the globe.


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Sometimes he was white (or nearly so).In other sections he was blackor

brown or red or yellow.Ages rolled on. In a single age, the

little creature grew less than an inch possibly not half an inch. Today wecannot conceive of such quiescence. But

persistence is a marvelous force. Nofossilized remains of him have ever been found, nor ever will be. Jelly doesnot adapt itself to fossilizationso the proud leaders of today need not shudderfor fear of some debasing discover}- of

prehistoric ancestors.Some thinkers claim that everything

ever created possesses soulalways has possessed soulbirds, animals, flowers,trees, fish, serpents. Certainly man always had a soul. A soul means something, something more than a beatingheart and a warm body. A soul is life

a God-essence. It never is wasted,never thrown away. A soul is reallysomething to think about. There is

beauty in it, and joy and courage andmajesty. We are hereas was intended.We are part of the divine, magnificent

pattern, which fortunately we cannotchange. We return again and againand again. We cannot understand thewhy we still are very small and primitive, you see. We have passed throughmany phases, and ought to be far wiserthan we are. But there has been somuch to do and see along the way . . .if only we could remember more

Reincarnation. That is what has keptus going. It still does. We are the same

Jeanne deLavigne Scott spent herearly years as a journalistlater, alsoas writer of books and professionallyas a critic of poetry. Even during hertravels, she occupied herself withnewspaper work in many of thelarge cities in the United States.

She considers as her hobbypainting, composing poetry, and studyingsubjects such as Egyptology, archaeology, mystical and occult philosophy.During her 75th year, when thinkingof herself as retired, she read over100 books.

From her background of rich ex-erience and an imaging mind, sheerewith contemplates life from a

viewpoint accumulated over a periodof some 80 years.

mind that wriggled a tiny body inwarm, shallow sea-water. There isnothing shameful about it. The mindis one. It persisted and still persists. Anation m ay perishbut its people go onand on, generation after generation.People simply are bom somewhere else.Againthere is no death. It is a mistaken, false word.

Why cant we remember all thesemillions of past lives we have lived?In a sense, we do remember a greatdeal of themmen call it instinct. Aswe develop higher and higher, we callit inspiration. There is a word for everything.

Perhaps man has invented, morethan he has rememberednot only invented, but rammed his horrid andridiculous inventions down innocentthroats. No matter. All things come

righ t in the end. The tighter the snarl,the greater the relief at the unraveling.God hath a way with Him.

So now we come to individualsoldnames of those who did things and saidthings, wrote them down in song andstory and moldy history. Even beforewe had much of an alphabet, we beganwriting down those things which seemedwonderful and glorious and occasionally perfidious. Also, we invented names,and did the best we could about dates.

But there was something else. A certain man was alive about 2500 years

ago. He must by now have been backmany times in various bodies and ca pacities. His name (in 522 B.C.) wasPindar, and he was a Greek lyric poet.Based on cycles, he returned probablyabout 1926which would make himthirty-three years old at present. Withhis great gift, he must be singing to usat this present day. "What his namenow may be, we do not know. Does heremember Pindar, in the Isles ofGreece ? He does have dim memories,of course. Where is he? We do notknow.

Only that much can we dig out ofancient records. Pindar made himself a part of history. But how many lives nad he lived before that? In that particu lar lifetime, he was somebody. Butin all of his countless earlier lifetimes,was he mere ly another manor maybea woman?

So we move forward from the warmsea-water. Now we think of layers of

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society, stages, classes, and so on. Mind,opportunity, drive . . . We are still rising, half an inch in an age, maybe. Itis well to remember that speed is notalways advancement.

So we keep coming backindividualafter individual, group after group,

communi ty after community. We shouldfeel much at home. Times and placeschangepeople may come back to new

places, bu t mostly they are much thesame people as they were before. Thisshould give us pause. There may be old

battles to be fought over again, old problems to be solved, old joys to feed ourhungry hearts. So there are compensations. One has to adjust. Each of ushas to know life and all it holds. Thereis no other way to learn. Some of usmay feel very old and beaten and misused. Th at is the way it has to be. If

not in one incarnation, then in another.That is the penalty for being human.But the goal is Complete Wisdom which means complete happiness andlove, and harmonium.

Many of the great ones are back withus. Perhaps they may scintillate again,as of oldthat is, if they have outlivedthis present infancy or childhood.

The names ring like bells. Some areharsh, some deep, some like silver music. Listen to them . . . they may live inthe next block, or across the tracks. Didyou ever happen to think of that?

Few today have heard of Pindar. Helives on a back page in the dictionary.But there was Vergil, the great Roman poet, born in 70 B.C. Is he, at thismoment perhaps, again ponderingrhyme and meter? Cleopatra, the royalenchantress, is she different? Whyshould she be? Where is she?in thishemisphere, in the problematical FarEast, South America, or some remoteisland? Who shall say?

Pericles, after numerous incarnations,is he now again just a small boy? Do

bright shadows of ancient Athens driftacross his consciousness now and then?Is he tall for his age? Is he here in ourmidst, or across the wide seas?

T he Livy, the Roman historian, is he of p _ c- this world? Is it well with him? Con-

fucius must be more than mature. Doeshis wisdom still flow like liquid pearls?Does anyone listen? If he be in China,how does he fare? These unanswered[292 j

Digest August 1959

questions crowd and jostle. They always will.

The statistician claims that the population of the earth is rapidly increasing.In his calculations he fails to take intoaccount the great fact of reincarnation.But it is terrib ly realand acutely nec

essary for correct calculation. Thereare the millions killed in wars. Moremillions perish in purges. There are

plagues and epidemics which take aterrific tolland traffic accidents. Butall these people come back. We all arevery old it appears.

It makes one wonder about friends,colleagues, relatives. Who is who? Doesit greatly matter? We would like toknow considerably more than we doknow. Has our best friend been so inother lives? How about our wife orhusband, son or daughter, our political

favorites, office associates, or the menwho deliver our groceries or mail? Thecolored people whom we want to understand and who are eager to be understood? The Chinese who sell us teaand marvelous preserves, and who areoccasionally so much more highly and

beautifully educated than we ever shall be? Th e Indians who are so wise inthe ir own lore? The small brown peo

ple of the Islands? The more we consider reincarnation, the more thequestions arise. The answers, it seems,must come only psychically, if at all.

Are answers necessary? Would theyrea lly enhance our day? Gods wisdomis very great.

Where is John James Audubon today? Is he still painting exquisite bird

pictures? Do we go on and on with thetalents we possessed yesterday? Will weknow Jenny Lind when she returns probably in 1964, goes to school, plays ball, rides a bicycle, owns a puppy, and perhaps begins to sing? And will sheknow any of us?

Nelson of the Nilewhere does hesail, now in his late fifties perhaps?And where is Lafayette? Does RobertBurns appear in modern periodicals?And what name does he sign? Is Murillo painting with wonderful new colors, bu t the same flawless talent? And whomis Thomas Wolsey manipulating now?Or has he learned better?

We inquire with infinite deferenceconcerning Michaelangelo. Is he busy


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painting Deity, or chiseling virgin mar ble, or inventing some super-super aircraft? Is Tamerlane somewhere leadinganother conquering horde? Chief BlackHawk, where is he? And Napoleon?

Sir Christopher Wren, how is he cop

ing with our new chickencrate architecture?unless he helped to originateit, which is inconceivable. Is Rabelaisguffawing at our ridiculous modemstructures, and making lewd, hilariousrhymes about them? Does anyone listen? We are all in such a hurry toarrive nowhere. . . .

And Davy Crockett, idol of small fry,is he living up to song and story? Arethe Grimm brothers chuckling becausetheir lovely fairies are still in print?And George Sanddoes she again hatchideas ahead of her time?

One dreads leaving out anyone. Thelist is crowded and illustrious. It isamazing, the great number of geniuseswho have visited the earth during a fewrcenturies. Where will one find them

now?the queens, the kings, the statesmen, the artists, poets, composers, actors, archaeologists, religious fanatics,explorers, astronomers, chemists, writers, inventors, architects, philosophers.Chopin, Alfred Tennyson, Wagner, and

Verdi, according to cyclic calculationshould be here now as infants or of preschool age. And beloved Walt Whitman, should we be expecting him?

Are we looking for them? Will wewelcome them and believe in them?Will we never learn? Over and overand overwe despise them, toleratethem, hoot at or lionize them, loathe orimmortalize them. It is the hum an way,the human process. Human memory istragically short, and memory of ourown selves even shorter.

Until we are more proficient, spiritually and psychically, we shall not beable to remember. Remembrance requires thousands of centuries.

Sea-water . . . How could there beany new people?

V A V

cz^fnPerhaps in our new-age living, letter writing will once more take its place

as creative thought in self-expression. We are sharing this month a paragraphwritten by American-born Patrick Renfro, age 11, recently from Guam but nowin San Jose. His father is in the U.S. Navy Air Force and Patrick has movedabout. His longest residence in one spot has been Guam and we think thisworld citizen is experiencing a bit of homesickness as he reminisces:

The way I see Guam is palm trees waving in the breeze, tides rolling in,a group of flying fish gliding in the wind, a dorsal fin cutting the water as ashark goes after a fish. Little sandy beaches along a ragged shore. High darkcliffs with sea gulls soaring through the air. The air is calm and quiet with

just the rustling of palm trees and the squawking of sea gulls as they get theirevening meal. The sun setting with the orange and purple clouds and its reflection on the ripples of the sea. At night the geckos calling as the tides slapthe shore. The stars dot the heavens as they make a halo around the moon.

Now the water is calm and quiet as everything is fast asleep. But the wind cansuddenly sta rt rising as a typhoon creeps near. The winds get louder andstronger. The ripples become waves, destruction is near!

P a t r ic k R e n f r o , Fifth Grade[ 293 ]


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arch of this subject as now practicedwill tumble. The fundamental condition or principle is known as the conservation of energy. It is the keystoneof physics today. The conservation ofenergy principle exists and that is why

perpetual motion cannot exist. For thisreason, one cannot ever get somethingfor nothing.

It works like this: If we have a givenquanti ty of materialany thingand itdisintegrates into more pieces of smaller size and mass, we still retain the

same total amount of stuff in one wayor another. Nothing is ever lost. Nothing is ever gained. Anything may changefrom one state to another, or from oneform of matter to another form, withsome released energy. The lesseramount of matter makes up for theadded energy. But when the accountof the change is finally balanced, wemust always have exactly the amountof stuff we had before. If we do nothave exactly the same amount as before, then something is wrong, drastically wrong.

Now, there came about, early innuclear physics history, a most em barrassing situation. For qui te a timethis status had physicists scratchingtheir heads. It seemed as if the conservation of energy principle was about

to be dethroned! The dethronement ap peared to be coming from the nuclearhenomenon known as beta-decay. Beta-ecay follows the spontaneous conver

sion of a neutron into a proton and anelectron. The neutron, proton, and electron are prime components of all atomssave onehydrogen, which has noneutron.

In this beta-decay process, we wouldrightly expect a certain amount ofmass to be lost. This loss would be ex

pected to be converted to energy of the product particles. However, the protonand electron hardly ever have enoughenergy to balance the account! Why?Where did the energy go? No oneknewand it could not be traced! Wasthe house of one of the basic sciencesabout to topple? It seemed so. But

physicists just wouldnt believe it.It was Fermi and Pauli who then

suggested that the missing energy wascarried away from the conversion byan uncharged, virtually weightless

partic le and immediately the searchfor it was on. At first, only hints of theneutrinos existence were found. Today,however, most physicists agree that ex

perim ental evidence of the neut rino sactual reality is preponderant.

Enrico Fermi, of Italian birth and a Nobel Prize winner in 1938, tau ght physics in the Univers ity of Florenceand Rome. With the rise of Fascism inItaly, he came to the U. S., and wasan instructor in Columbia Universityduring World W ar II. Fermi workedon the atomic bomb project. He received the Medal of Merit in 1946. Hedied of cancer recently.

Wolfgang Pauli, an Austrian by- birth, received his Ph.D. from the University of Munich. At one time he wasassistant to Niels Bohr, the great Danish

physicist. Pauli has taug ht in the Universities of Gottingen, Hamburg, andthe In s ti tu te for Advanced Study,Princeton, New Jersey. He was awardedthe Nobel Prize for physics in 1945.

Where do all the natural neutrinoscome from? Probably, not all thesources are yet known. A primarysource is believed to be in the deepcenters of stars. Here, it is thought,neutrinos are bom in fantastic quantities from that same nuclear reactionwhich makes the star shine. Our sun is

a star. There are billions of such starsin our Universe alone.Present thinking seems to indicate

that perhaps as much as six or eight percent of the total energy released byour sun is in the form of these transcendent neutrinos. This would equalmillions of horsepower. If such an assumption is correct for our sun, similaremissions of neutrinos would be ex

pected from all similar stars. Our sunis just an average-sized star.

We have moonlight at night. Wecannot see the neutrion flux from thesun at any timebut even a t night,this flux carries 40,000 times moreenergy than moonlight. Neutrinos zingthrough the earths center as if it werethe clearest air. Thus we receive acontinuous flow of these speedy neutrino specks everywhereday and night!

Nature abhors singles. She ap pears to love the pair, the opposites.Hence we have male and female, pressure and vacuum, large and small,

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positive and negative, etc. All ourknowledge teaches us that there is asymmetry in naturein all things. Thissymmetry seems to be one of natureslaws. The law appears to hold for allatomic particles also. The electron,which is negative, has the positron,

which is just like it but positive. The proton has the antiproton. Th ere is anantineutron. And it appears there isalso an antineutrino!

It is difficult, of course, to conceiveof something which is the opposite ofalmost nothing. Yet we must go alongwith this thinking until we learn better, if we are to retain our basic concepts. These concepts seem valid, basedon everything we have learned throughthe centuries. If we cannot maintainour present concepts, then we must getnew ones, and tins may be still moredifficult. It is possible that our generalknowledge, gained over the centuries,has been built upon wrong concepts

bu t likely not. So, an antineutrino doesnot seem impossible!

As of now, physicists agree that whena neutrino and an antineutrino meet aterrific explosion ensues. Because of theminute size of these particles, such ex plosions are now undetected. The reason is, we have no devices sensitiveenough to record them.

If the neutrino and antineutrino werethe size of golf balls, quite likely ameeting between them might cause anexplosion which would shame our largest H-bomb.

It has been postulated that the meeting of neutrinos and antineutrinos, andthe explosions therefrom, may be the

basis for the creation of gravitationalwavesthe force which holds us to theEarths surface and is believed to helphold stars in place. Dr. W. J. Hooper,

physicist at the Principia College, hassuggested that possibly gravitationalforce is a pulsating force. He is con

ducting research along lines at presentwhich he hopes will determine this.Just how large is a neutrino? Or per

haps we should better ask, Just howsmall? About 800 neutrinos are calculated to fill the same space as occupied

by one electron. An electron may beconsidered as having a mass of about1/1838th of a hydrogen atom. It seemsincredible that the neutrino has power

enough to zip through solid matter.The truth is that solid matter is far, farfrom solid. The densest material knownis full of emptiness.

It has been promulgated that if acubic inch of the metal lead were com-

Eressed to invisibility to the averageuman eye, that not all its atomic particles would actually be touching one

another! There is lots of space withinmatter!

Another reason the neutrino has suchan open sesame through all materialis probably due to the fact that it carries no electrical charge. Recalling theaxiom, likes repel likes, and unlikesattract, we get an inkling of how theneutrinos free passage may come about.The neutrino is a unique eunuch,neither attracted nor rejected, soughtor shunned, loved or hated.

A C l o u d C h a m b e r

However, if the neutrino is so smallnone of our present instruments candetect it, and if it travels so fast nonecan see it, how do we get the picturesof where it has been as mentionedearlier? In this case the trap is calleda Wilson Cloud Chamber.

A cloud chamber is quite simple.Mostly it is a glass container filled withsupersaturated water vapor held on theverge of condensing. Through this fluid,atomic particles are forced to pass. Withtheir passing the moisture in the cham

ber is caused to condense along theiraths by thei r passage. As the con-ensation is much slower in form

ing than the passage of the particles,the forming condensation can be photo-graped by motion pictures or still photography as it takes place.

By studying the various patterns created in the cloud chamber, physicistshave learned to distinguish the pathsof various atomic particles.

The cloud chamber was invented and

developed by Charles Thomson ReesWilson, a Scottish physicist, who sharedthe Nobel Prize for physics with Arth ur Holly Compton of the U. S. in1927.

Several projects have been instigatedin this country to gather data on theneutrino. Some of the apparatus is prodigious in size and complication. Allthe important advances in this branch

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of physics are outlined in Th e Neutrino, a 1958 book by Dr. James S. Allen.Both chemists and physicists have beeninterested in positive results. Whilethe atomic piles, at several large re

actor sites in the U. S., are providing aflow of neutrino emissions for experimentation, they do not begin to com

pare with even the smallest stars as aneutrino source. But even so, definiteresults have been obtained and the reality of these particles seems assured.

Sp ec u la t i o n s

Supposing our researches are all successful and their results fully satisfactory, how will the knowledge gainedabout the neutrino help mankind? Probably, any practical way the informationcan be applied lies many years ahead.But there are several avenues of sciencewhich will gain a great deal.

First, knowledge of the neutrino willhelp in understanding how basic matter is arranged internally. This is mostimportant. If we completely understoodhow matter is put together, it wouldseem possible that we would then beable to take some kinds or types of matter apartrearrange the parts, with additions and/or subtractions. Perhaps

create new materia lsnot new elements necessarily, but new materials we donot now have.

The alchemists of old sought to makegold from lead. Transmutation of ele

ments is no longer considered impossible-ju st expensive! W ith more knowledge the expense will very likely bereduced. One need but recall that 40years ago a radio set was a ponderousaffair. Today many are as small as awomans handbag! Things which wereimpossibilities then, today are common

place.Another block the neutrino may pile

on our house of knowledge is that of anew kind of astronomy. Until now theradiations coming to us from outerspace have been falling on pretty deafears. Visible light was about all thatwas used. Not long ago came radioastronomy. As the apparatus improves,the neutrino beam coming from oursun and other stars may bring us information about them and about theUniverse which we can get in no otherway.

The neutrino is very swift. Howmuch larger or smaller is it than athoughtthe thought which conceivedit? And how much more swift, or im

portant? Who can say? Who will say?

V A V

EMBLEM JEWELRY The Rosicrucian Supply Bureau now has available two

items of distinctive emblem jewelry. For the men, beautifulcuff links in 10-K gold-fill, with the emblem of the Orderin durable blue and red enamel. The perfect accessory forthe popular French-cuff shirt.

For the ladies, a lovely charm-type bracelet in the samerich gold-fill. It has a delicate yet stu rdy gold chain, withan emblem charm suspended from it.

Order now to avoid the Christmas rush.

PRICES: Cuff links$8.75 (3 /3/6 sterlin g); bracelet$7.15 ( 2/ 12 /- sterling).All items shipped postpaid.

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The Cathedral of the Soul is a Cosmic meeting place for all minds of themost highly developed and spiritually advanced members and workers of the

Rosicrucian fraternity . It is the focal point of Cosmic radiations and thoug htwaves from which radiate vibrations of health, peace, happiness, and innerawakening. Various periods of the day are set aside when m any thousandsof minds are attuned with the Cathedral of the Soul, and others attuning withthe Cathedral at the tim e will receive the benefit of the vibrations. Those whoare not members of the organization may share in the unusual benefits as wellas those who are members. Th e book called Liber 777 describes the periodsfor various contacts with the Cathed ral. Copies will be sent to persons whoare not members if they address their requests for this book to Scribe S. P. C.,care of AMORC Temple, San Jose, California, enclosing five cents in postagestamps. (Please state whether member or notthis is important.)

OUR ANCIENT HERITAGEBy C e c i l A. P o o l e , Supreme Secretary

im e and time again it has been proven that thosewho have advanced beyond the level of the agein which they were living have been persecuted because of their violationof the accepted principlesof the era. Unfortunate-

' y, m any times the religious beliefs ofa people or an age have violently created disagreement with new ideas andadvancement. There seems to be a tendency on the part of most people toexercise caution before they changetheir fundamental ideas, beliefs, or

practices. In comparatively recen t yearscertain mechanical inventions have

been condemned simply because people[ 2 98 ]

did not wish to adjust themselves toa new and extremely different situation.

History indicates numerous examples by which individuals engaged in research, study, and contemplation havediscovered laws and principles whichwere far beyond those generally accepted. Among the early Greek philosophers there are those who, withoutthe aid of instruments which are avail

able today, formulated laws and principles which since have proven to be ofvalue. For example, the atomic theorywas reasonably well advanced in earlytimes, but it is actually only within thelast one hundred years that this theoryhas again been brought to light andestablished on a firmer scientific basis.


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Many social ideas have not been im proved upon in centuries. Someone hassaid that all philosophy since the timeof Plato has been merely footnotes uponhis writings. In other words, we havenot been able to achieve anything outstandingly new and different in social

philosophy from the ideas presented byPlato and his contemporaries. For almost two thousand years we have hadthe ideal system of ethics and moralityin the religious concept given us byChrist which has never been improvedupon in theory and is still far fromexisting in actual practice. Manuscriptsfrom before the time of Christ offermankinds lofty ideas of a relationship

between man and God, as well as logicaltheories to account for certain physical

phenomena.Many of these ideals have not been

attained, insofar as practical use andapplication by man is concerned. Thisis due in part to knowledge having

been suppressed, and because the socialand religious concepts of the time prevented a serious consideration of the

principles. They were not allowed to be expressed as useful experience bythe majority of the people. We live today in what we consider to be an enlightened age where we are free to go

back through the centuries and selectthose ideals, principles, and teachingswhich prove to be an inspiration andlay a foundation upon which we can

build new concepts and application ofknowledge.

This is particularly true in the fieldof mysticism. The age of the earth or ofmind development can have little or no

bearing upon the ability of the individual to attune himself properly withhis Creator. Those individuals who,

through proper living and devotion,have developed a close contact withGod have been able to carry messagesto humanity that will probably never

be duplicated insofar as degree of perfection is concerned. With the growing concept of a mechanistic universeand the fact that the physical achievements of science have caused man tolive more and more in an objectiveworld, we have been prone to overlookthe direct knowledge expressed by thosewho have so lived as to attain it.

Therefore, if an idea or an accom plishment is old merely in terms ofyears, or in terms of mans civilization,does not prove that it is better. However, we can tru thfully say that we owea vast debt to the past. Furthermore,we should have the intelligence to selectfrom the past those ideas which havevalue for us; and, with a much broaderviewpoint, apply this knowledge andthese principles to the modem circumstances and conditions in which we live.

The Rosicrucian teachings have triedto perpetuate this idea and to drawupon that which is good and worthwhile to humanity, regardless of itssource, insofar as time or personalityis concerned. We do not shut our eyesto the circumstances of today. We realize that knowledge now available isimportant to our living, but we alsorecognize that there have been timeswhen individuals saw the light ofknowledge and truth far beyond theability of most men to see it in anyage. Therefore, it is a part of our individual obligation to God and to allcivilization to draw upon the sourceof knowledge regardless of its point oforigin.

V A V

Simple forms of life may respond to the rule of a radio-type energy whendirected by man. According to reports of scientists from the New England Institute for Medical Research, an electromagnetic force can be created to whichliving organisms respond as though they carried tiny portable radios, subjectto the will of man. Some hope is being entertained in the interest of controlling certain types of disease.

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a an LInit By R a l p h M. L e w i s , F. R. C.

Th e significance of

initiation today isoften lost in a maze ofrites and ceremonies.

Initiation is not a mereceremony nor is it aritual. These are butvehicles for its true

purpose. In the broad-est sense, initiation isthe beginning of a

process whereby cer-tain revelations are to

be made to the ini tiateor candidate. It con-sists of a procedure tointroduce certain knowledge. Initiationis distinguished from mere instruction by its psychological aspects and theimposing of obligations upon the can-didate. All initiations, however, do in-clude the imparting of instruction tothose who are its initiates.

The psychological purpose of initi-ation is to make the distinction be-tween undirected and directed experi-ence. Undirected experience may often

be repetitious, the pursuing of thoughtwhich has already been well covered bysomeone else. One may imagine thathis undirected experiences are originalideas, only to discover later that some-one else expounded the same concepts

previously, and perhaps even morethoroughly. Thus undirected experi-ence shows no concern for worthy tra-ditions tha t may be extantnor forsocial idealism or the accumulatedknowledge of centuries. Rather, it meansa blundering along by the individual,learning exclusively oy means of ac-cident, by trial and error.

Conversely, directed experiencemakes use of our heritage. It is a profit-ing by the recorded experiences, the

proven wisdom of others, and by whatis read in history concerning events and

peoples. Directed experience must notoe understood as meaning that oneshould resort to blind acceptance of all

previous knowledge. If such previous

knowledge is tried andfound to be true, thenit should be acceptedand become the meas-uring rod for guidingus in the interpreta-tion of our personalexperiences.

However, the psy-chological purpose ofinitiation is more thanscholastic instruction.All that is taught doesnot necessarily consti-tute an initiation. Thecommunicat ion of

ideas is generally limited to the use ofwords, either vocative or written. Wordsare symbols and they are perceivedonly by two facultiessight and h ear-ing. Further, words to a great extentare arbitrary . Their first meaning isthat which is generally assigned to theword, the accepted idea commonly as-sociated with it. The next meaning ofany word is derived from the result ofour own associations and experiences,

the thoughts we connect with the wordas the result of what we have learnedour own way. Take, for example, theword triangle. To some individuals thisdenotes a geometrical form, the com-monly accepted idea. To other personsthe triang le is something more. It is asymbol that may be associated withsome philosophical, religious or fraternalconnotation.

There are certain universal impres-sions and sensations which we all ac-cept, regardless of our background.These sensations arise out of the nat-ural categories of our beings, such asthe one called instinct. There are, forexample, in nature certain color com-

binations which are pleasing to almostall persons. The reason for this is mansuntold generations of exposure to suchcolors in nature. He has become con-ditioned to accept them as representa-tive of beauty. Then , again, there ismusic which stimulates, such as a stir-

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ring march or a simple primitive beat,and which finds more or less universalacceptance with all peoples. In thismanner, true initiation imparts knowledge to the candidate, both objectiveand subjective.

The objective aspect of initiation isthe intellectual version, the spoken orwritten word. The subjective aspect begins by first presenting objects to theinitiatesounds, colors, and even forms.These, in turn, come to engender within the initiate certain psychologicaland emotional responses. With thefeelings he then has, the initiate associates wholly personal ideas and notions,sentiments coming from within himselfwhich no words communicated to himcan fully convey. As a result, the candidate experiences ecstasies, supreme

pleasures, aspirations which no word initself could adequately arouse. Consequently, the subjective aspect of initiation is the directing of stimuli in certain channels. The candidate then provides his own ideation, that is, theframework of ideas to surround the ex

perience he is having during theinitiation.

Let us now think of life in terms ofinitiation. We do not call life initiation merely in the sense of a metaphor or asa poetic term. We say that life is alsoinitiation if its experiences are directed, as are all initiations. But first, what dowe mean by life? We are not concernedhere with the biological, the organic,

rocesses of life. After all, it does note within our province to change these

organic processes within our own present span of life. Therefore, our ap

proach to the meaning of life must be philosophical and metaphysical. Life,for each of us, is a conscious interlude ,a beginning of personal reality. It isthe realization of our own person, ownego, on the one handand all else, incontradistinction, on the other.

We have said that this conscious interlude is the beginning of personalreality. It is personal, as there can beno reality other than our own ideas, sofar as we are concerned. In this conscious interlude, this span of realization we call life, everything is an idea.As Berkeley, the famous Irish philoso pher, said: And what do we perceive besides our ideas and sensations? This

life, then, is a series of experiences thathave reali ty to us. But how shall onereality stand in relationship to another?It is in this function that life becomesto each of us an initiation, for it re-

rires the direction of those relation-

ps of which we have comprehension.Any intentional relationship, one thatis directed, assumes by that direction avalue, an order, to us. In our arranging any realities, whether they be ob

jects or ideas, we give them some specialvalue to ourselves. For analogy, whenwe arrange books on the shelf, when we

pu t them into alphabetica l sequence orinto an order by subject, it is for the

purpose of conferring upon them somespecial significance. In fact, order inanything is nothing more than an understandable relation of values. We say,

for further analogy, that a banks records are in order because its financialentries have a comprehensive relationship to us. Life, therefore, is in orderwhen we have assigned values to itsrealities, related them according to ourunderstanding.

T h e K n o w n a n d t h e U n k n o w n

The first part of initiation, in life, isto determine the realities we experience. Now, it is not possible to count,in a numerical sense, all of the particulars perceived in life, because there

are myriads. It is possible, however, toclassify these particulars into broadcategories. To this extent we are notunlike the builder of a house. The contractor may not know the total of all

pieces which he uses in construction.He can, however, make a general division of the materials he employssteel,lumber, bricks, and the like. As stated,our conscious interlude first consists ofthe realization of our own person andalso that which it is not. But this ex

planation is not quite sufficient for afull appreciation. This self-consciousness, the awareness of our ego, we maycall the knower. All else tha t we perceive and which is not realized as being of the self is the known. There is,then, that which knows and that whichis known.

Also, a third reality is the unknown .How can the unknown be known? Whatwe experience sufficiently to be ableto call the unknown has a distinctionfrom the known. It is vague and in-

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definite, and does not have a positivecomprehension to us. To elucidate,consider yourself a point of beginning.We say a point of beginning, Decausewe first must exist ana also must existto ourselves before we can be aware ofother things existing. It is not sufficient

that there is being or reality of whichwe are a part. If we were, but did notknow we were, it would be the equivalent of our not being at all. For whatwe call reality consists of certain qualities which we perceive. Without theconsciousness of our being, these realities would not exist, at least not to us.

Around this point which we are, asconscious beings, we may draw a circle.This circle constitutes all that we know.It is the realm of our experiences. Ithas a positive existence, a reality, whichis as definite as we are ourselves. Thelimits of this symbolic circle, its boundaries, constitute the limits of positivereality. It limits what we know, whatwe experience through our peripheralsenses. Beyond this boundary, then, thiscircle of which we are the dot in thecenter, is the reality which we term theunknown.

This unknown is a negative reality.It has no positive quality of its own.It exists to us only in contrast to thatwhich we think we know. It is likedarkness in contrast to light. Darknesscan assume a positive state only by the

absence of light. It is also like absolutespace which seems positive only becausewe cannot perceive any substance within it. For further analogy, let us thinkof a man standing on the bridge of aship at sea. As he turns about, he ap pears to be in the center of a vast circle.Out beyond him in all directions is thehorizon. The horizon is the limit of hisvision, the limit of his circle of reality.Therefore, the horizon is a negativereality. It is not a true boundary. Yetfor him it marks the beginning of theunknown. As the vessel gradually

moves forward, this boundary betweenthe known and the unknown movesforward also.


What are the realities of the unknown? They are abstractions and the products of our imagination. They exist to us as all that thought, that vast body of ideas, devoid of substance toour objective senses. Th ey consist ofsuch ideas as, for example, heaven, hell,[ 302 ]

afterlife, even our various notions ofGod. Suppose you contend that an inner conviction which you have, athought which appears self-evident toyou, also constitutes positive reality, theknown. If you insist upon acceptingyour notions and beliefs as being posi

tive realities, then you are castingaside the basic premise of the world ofscience. It is futile for science to laydown rules for the determination offacts if, on the other hand, we make

beliefs and speculation equal in valueto them. By permitting ourselves to accept suppositions of the unknown as

positive realities, we are reopening thefloodgates of superstition. We havemoved away in our times from the ignorance of the Middle Ages only bymaking a distinction between opmionand fact.

Of the first two realities, the knower and the known, the former is the moreimportant. All that which is known issubordinate to the knower. It is we whoassign both identity and value to thatwhich is known. We say that something is either good or bad or pleasurable or distressing. There is also tha twhich we say is sufficient or insufficient. All of the realities which weexperience as the known fall into threecategories: It is; it is not; i t should be.

The first, it is, is all that which seemsto be just as we experience it. It is not

is that which is of an uncertain orindefinite nature to ussomethingwhich we realize, but do not comprehend. The it should be is the realitywhich falls short of some anticipatedvalue. Its inadequacy does not providethe satisfaction which we expected. Theit should be suggests the probability ofsomething beyond itself which is notyet realized as a positive reality.

This category of it should be givesrise to the unknown. It stimulates theimagination. It causes the reason to assume a probable reality to exceed or

supplant what we are experiencing. Asan example, when we are confrontedwith this principle of it should be, wereason tha t mankind exists. We knowfrom experience that all things thatnow exist did not always exist. Therefore, it is probable that mankind at onetime did not exist. If it did not, what

brought it into existence and why?What caused the creation of mankind


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and for what purpose? To man, theknower, it seems that such should be

part of the reality known to him.This category of it should be, so long

as it remains such and becomes nothingmore, is a negative reality, and con

tinues to be just the unknown. Thenotion, it should be, is an idea whichis unsupported by true experience. Itis only an inference drawn from somesuggestive experience. If it were a direct experience in its own right, thenit would be a positive reality or theknown.

Our relationship to this negativereality should not be a response of fear.When we fear the unknown, it is anassumption that a negative reality,something which has no positive qualityof its own, can act upon us in some

way. We must understand that the unknown cannot act upon us, unless it isconverted into the known. We shouldnot allow ourselves to be dominated bynotions of the unknown. To do so constitutes a denial of the obligations andof the influences of this life which is a

positive reality. All superstition is nothing more than a false acceptance of theunknown as a positive reality.

The idea of it should be has givenrise to such notions as God, heaven,hell, divine justice, and retribution.How are these notions, which are com

mon, to be regarded? Our notions, allour ideas of the unknown, must be ob jectified. For a moment, let us re tu rnto the I, the self. It is more than aseries of ideas and thoughts about self.We are because we have sufficient being to be acted upon and also to actupon other things. The self is expandedonly as it becomes dynamic, that is, active. The self becomes active by being

brought into relationship with other positive realities.

Another way of saying this is thatthe self grows by experiencing other

realities in relation to itself. A thought,a notion, must be detached from self;otherwise, it remains but another wayin which we are conceiving the realityof our own being. Pa rt of the functioning of self is thought. Ideas which donot become objective are, therefore, justthe functioning of self and nothingmore.

A simple analogy will clarify this point: Suppose we conceive a distant

snow-capped mountain as being theabode of gods. Now such a notion is

but the recombining of ideas and inferences which we have drawn fromexperience. The actual notion, however, in no way changes the positive

reality, the real nature of the moun-taintop, nor does it change men intogods. If we, however, place men uponthat mountaintop and cause them tolive a life which we call godly, thenthe idea is detached from self. Theidea, then, can be experienced inde

pendent of our minds. It has become a positive reali ty. It is then the known.

Such notions as God, soul, and immortality are born out of the combination of subtle impulses of our own being and reactions to our environment.If they are to be more than just nega

tive realities, they must be given atangible concrete existence. Any concept of God is never detached from ourown mental processes until it becomesa positive reality of our world, and thisit does only when the concept has beentransformed into a moral order, a wayof life with us. God is a positive realitywhen we objectify what we think isour divine obligation. The person whois truly morally circumspect, who lives by a moral cod.e, which he believes hascome to him as a result of divine inspiration, has taken God out of the

realm of the abstract and unknown. Hehas made of God a positive reality.A notion of the function and purpose

of man is abstract and remains in theunknown until it takes the form ofethical conduct and of social progress.Any idea must exist in itself, detachedfrom self, to become a positive reality.Our conception of what may have preceded this life or what may follow itis of little consequence unless it is converted into the realities of life here andnow. Of what value is thought of ourorigin or of our destiny unless suchthought brings about a harmonious ad justm ent to the known, to this life?

If the Cosmic is, then we must be ofit now. What is the relationship ofthis Cosmic bond to our daily life, tothe realities of our conscious existence?If we are to survive death, it is whatwe are or that which we are makingourselves tha t will continue. Our notions of the next life are of no valueunless their foundations are positive

[ 303 ]


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The Ros'tcrucian Digest August 1959

realities in this one. In the Cosmic thereare no hiatuses. There is, rather, a continuity to be found throughout all reality. The notion of human purpose,destiny, and immortality must find a

positive relationship to this life or become but a figment of the unknown.

It is this life that is the pivot of ourconsciousness, the focal point of our

powers. All else must rem ain abstract,imaginative, unknown, unless transmuted into the realities of positive ex perience. The initiation of life, then, isthe revelation of truth . But tru th isonly that which is cloaked in the substance of reality, which in turn is livable experience touching and callingforth the fullness of our being.

V A V

J\ K a l z E JSu n i n i z z

Reported by W. P. S h e e h a n

e a t plays tricks on vital body fu n ctio n s. Y ourheart, for example, worksharder at a given taskduring summer than inwinterten times as hardin 90 as in 70.

Doctors call it increasedcardiac output. And the

older a person gets, the harder it becomes for him to withstand heat. Thiswas pointed out in a four-day New YorkCity heat wave, when 84 percent of thefatalities occurred in the 45-plus agegroup.

The body, however, has built-in safeguardsa cooling un it, if you will. It

produces some 70 calories an hour; increases this rate to eight times as muchduring violent exercise. The body also

produces up to one and one-half quartsof perspiration an hour under heatstress and can maintain the rate as longas six hours if fluids are replenished.

When one is exposed to high tem peratures, the heart pumps large quantities of blood through a fine networkof veins just below the skin surface.Evaporation of perspiration cools the

blood, dissipating excessive body heat.High humidity slows evaporation, andmakes the heart work harder.

Human air conditioning, however, permits man to adjust brief ly to as highas 250 of heat. Experiments in thisline date back to 1774, when Dr. CharlesBlagden first proved mans durabilityin severe heat for short periods of time.[ 304 ]

Dr. Blagden entered a room at 260 and remained eight minutes. In his re port to Londons Royal Society for Im

proving Natural Knowledge, he wrote:For seven minutes my breathing

continued perfectly good; but after thatI began to feel an impression in mylungs, attended with a sense of anxiety .

His pulse rate increased to 144,further illustrating heats effect on theheart.

Present-day scientists are still verymuch interested in the durability ofman under the heat stress. The AirForce conducted tests in California,where volunteers were placed in air-heated cylinders and were found toeasily withstand 140 for an hour; 240for as long as 26 minutes. Body tem

peratures never rose above 101.Other experiments show how humid

ity saps your strength; reduces yourworking efficiency. Dr. Sid Robinsonin testing students at the University ofIndiana found that they could performheavy treadmill labor for six consecutive hours in dry heat but were quickly exhausted doing the same work atonly 90 but in hum id air.

The health value of air conditioningwas underscored by Navy experimentsduring World War II. Some of a crewwere exposed to tropical conditionswithout relief, while others worked partof the time in conditioned air.

Crew members who toiled sans relief,suffered a high rate of disabling heatrash while the air conditioned group


27/44

experienced no rash and scored higherin motivation, initiative, and alertnesstests.

Other results are as interestingandimpressive. When Hoover Dam construction reached a peak at BoulderCity, Nevada, heat deaths dropped from15 a year to noneafter workmensdormitories were air conditioned.

Civilian tests indicate that a man doing heavy factory labor is only half asefficient at 100 F, as at 70. The sameapplies to housewives.

Scientists find that children in coolstates grow a full inch taller than thosereared in warmer climates. And aUniversity of Illinois study showed thatstudents in summer sessions suffered amental efficiency drop of 40 percentas compared in fall and winter sessionstudents.

Diet and weight control also play im portant roles in warm weather health.Summer meals should be well balanced; snacks eaten now and then cutdown resistance to summer stress. Andan overweight body is more trouble-

prone than a trim one.

As for proper w earthin porouswhite clothing that is loosely wovengives best protection against heat; tightly woven brown, orange, or red fabricsare good safeguards against ultraviolet

rays . Aoi 80-20 ratio of wool and synthetic fiber is the most comfortablefabric combination yet discovered forsummer wear.

Perhaps the best all-around advicefor hot weather is: Take it easy! Accident rates rise 8 percent above theyears average during vacation months.One years statistics tells the story 3,044 vacation fatalities, 1,010 drown-ings, and 758 deaths from excessive heat and insolation.

Greatest cause for the high toll taken by heat is the added work-load affecting the heart. It goes back to a pointcovered earlierthe heart can strain ata simple task when undergone duringheat conditions.

A few wise precautions at least makeus feel betterand make summer livingmore enjoyable.

V A V

P R O F I T

in your spare Time

Time is golden, especially if gainfully em

ployed. If you have a few spare hours eachweek, you may convert them into an extraincome. The re are thousands of persons whoneed and would enjoy the Rosicrucian booksif they knew about them. We have an interesting plan through which you may become aspecial representative of the Rosicrucian publi

cations, introducing the books of the Orderon a substantial commission basis. Allhelpful details have been worked out. Just address a letter to the Rosicrucian SupplyBureau, San Jose, California, and ask for the free particulars about the Book Repre-

sentat ive plan.


28/44


T h e M ea n i n g o f A m en By D r . H. S pe n c e r L e w i s , F. R. C.

(From The Mystic Triangle , October 1925)

Since thousands of readers of the Rosicrucian Digest have not read many of thearticles by Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, first Imperator of the present Rosicrucian cycle, we adoptedthe editorial policy of publishing each month one of his outstanding articles, so that his thoughtswould continue to reside within the pages of this publication.

h e use of the strangeword Amen in Christiandoctrines and literaturehas often attracted theattention of mystics andcaused much speculationamong students of occultliterature. And when onenotes that in the Chris

tian Bible (Rev. 3:14), the Master Jesusis referred to as the Amen, the origin,author, prince, and ruler of all creatures in heaven and earth as one inter-reter puts itone realizes there is a

eeper significance to the word than isapparent from its general use, or misuse.

The word Am en, in one form or another, is very old. It is a vital, livingword, because it is an expression ofcertain vowel sounds and vibrationsthat are fundamental to life and power.Like many other words used by theancients with understanding and fullrealization of their proper use, it wasadopted by successive religious move

ments and finally lost in the collectionof mere terms. Perhaps no other wordis used so often in the Christian religionin a purely ritualistic sense and withso little appreciation of its origin, intent, purpose, and possibilities.

Regardless of the method one uses,after months of research and analysisof the word, one comes face to face withthe indisputable fact that the word[ 306]

Amen is a contraction of the very oldand mystical word Aumen. Learningthis fact the investigator and studentalike are relieved. It makes furtheranalysis of the word easy and interesting. It gives us a pristine thought anda pure idea from which to start.

By dividing the word into its twosyllables, we arrive at the elementary principles.

In the ancient Sanskrit language, thelanguage from which all languages ofthe Aryan race were derived, the word Aum was not only a sacred word, but amost significant one. It was intonedreverently in all holy convocations, andits strange sound was used over andover to cause certain vibratory effectswhich the initiates of the higher gradesof our Rosicrucian teachings will readily recognize.

The A was given the number 1 bythe ancients and the letter itself meansShiva, the Father, the Preserver, theCreatorth e n um b er and principlefrom which all things are derived. Itssound is broad, like ah or as a in art, and its music note is A natural.

The letter U was given the number3 (in the same number system presented by Pythagoras) and meant thetriune expression of formthe body,soul, and mind in onethe living Son.Its sound is difficult to present in wordsin print, and is only conveyed to the


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mind of another by the carefullyguarded demonstration of a Master.

The letter M was given the number4, the square, and meant the Spirit(Brahma). Its sound is also peculiarand is made by bringing the lips closely together, retracting the breath andexpelling air through the left nostrilmore strongly than through the rightone. (Bear in mind tha t the proper useof sound includes control of the use ofthe two nostrils independent of eachother. The unin itiatea may not knowit, but all of us breathe differentlythrough the nostrils according to our physical, psychic, and mental conditions, and according to the influencesof the planets upon our psychic bodies.)

By adding the three letters together,then, we have Aum. The meaning ofthis trinity is Father , Son, and Spirit (or Holy Breath, or Ghost). Here wefind at once the origin of the SacredTrinity as later adopted. The studentwill profit much by turning to the sub

ject of The Trinity in any large encyclopedia and reading in the lines and

between them the meaning of this ancient doctrine. . . .

The latter part of the word, en, hasthe same relation to the whole word asthe usual suffix added to a root wordto give a final shade of meaning. Manyattempts have been made to give theletters en a mystical meaning, but speculation too largely entered into suchattempts.

Finally, when the word Au

Rosicrucian Digest, August 1959

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