Rosicrucian Digest, January 1955

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DIGEST1955J A N U A RY

30c per copy

Is Aggression proper?A vital question of our time.

Our DelinquentSocietyWhere the fault lies.

Tombs of60 KingsWere these livesill-spent?

Mysticism Science The Arts

Making Dreams

^onie True


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Love (From a Painting by H. Spencer Lewis)Idol

N efc rt it iIn Color Seven inches High,lifelike, colors as on the original.Price includes mailing charges.

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$ 4 . 9 5

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(1/15/4 sterling)

X T E FE R T IT I , r enowned a s the mos t beau t ifu l queen of EgH(-r very name means, Be auty s Arrival. Sh e wa s tlie

of Pharaoh Am enho tep l \ ancl over 3500 years ago posefor the l


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NOTED ATHENIA N ASTRON OMER One of the many distinguished visitors to Rosicrucian Park during the past year was Stavos

Plakidis. Director of the National Observatory of Greece and Professor of Astronomy at theUniversity of Athens. During his recent tour of principal United States observatories and

planetariums. Professor Plakidis spent a day viewing and studying the extensive facilities andexhibits of the Rosicrucian museums and the planeta rium . Above, he is shown observing theoperation of the Spitz star projector in the Rosicrucian Planetarium.


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. . . but the Egyptians knew ft ages ago!

Powers to overcome sickness! M eans to escape pove rty! Know ledg e to b ring happin ess and pea ceof mind! Skill and genius to create a civilizationwhich we still copy today! The se are only someof the accomplishments of the ancient Egyptians.

Above and beyond these physical achievementswas the secret wisdom possessed by the Egyptianmystery schools. In these centers of learning menand women were taught the laws of life and howto master them. W ith this mastery they were ableto shape their destinies as they wished them to be.It takes no greater mental effort to achieve results when you know how. Successful living is the oldest art in the world. It consists of deve lopinginitiative, foresight, and the ability to combineexperiences into new and workable ideas.

These laws operate as unfailingly as the lawswhich govern the sun, moon, and planets. Theywere discovered centuries ago by certain wise menof Egypt, and preserved down through the ages by th e Ros ic ru cian s.

Time has since crumbled Egypts walls, but itcouldnt destroy this formula for the control oflife. In your hands , this knowledge could alterthe entire course of your affairs.

The Rosicrucians offer to youif you hcourage to break away from limited fothinkingthese same simply expressed trlife which have led thousands to a joyous of better living.

Let This FREE Book Help YouLearn how you may share the private

tions of the Rosicrucian Order, a fratermen and women whose influence extenevery land. Let this be the turnin g poin t life. Fill ou t and mail the coup on at once

T h e R o si cr u ci a n s [ A M O R C ]

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA. U.S.A.

I Scr ib e S . P. C .I The Rosicrucians (AM ORC )

San Jose, California, U. S . A.

I am sincerely interested in an intelligent method ftaining a mastership of life. Send me, without oblig

! your free book which explains how I may receive a| your age old method.

! Name ................... ....... . ...................................... ....... ..........................

! Address ............................. ..................................................................


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

T HE O F F I C I A L I N T E R N AT I O N A L R O S I C R U C I A N M A G A -Z I NE OF T HE W O R L D W I D E R O S I C R U C I A N O R DE R

JA N U A R Y , 1955Vol. XXXIII

Noted Athenian Astronomer (Frontispiece) .....Thought of the Month: Is Aggression Proper?

Our Delinquent Society........................ . .............

The Hand in A rt ...... .. ..... ...... ......... .............. Fact or Fancy: The Magic String... ___ ____ ___

Tombs of 60 Kings

Objectified Ideals ..............................................Cathedral Contacts: Release from Tension..

Mystical Christianity Part Two ......

Temple Echoes .... ................................ ..........Three Eternal Truths..............................................The 1955 Rosicrucian Convention .....

Symbol of Enduring Virtues (Illustration).

Subscription to the Rosicrucian Digest, $3.00 (1/1/5 sterling) per year.Single copies 30 cents (2/2 sterling).

Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office at San Jose, Cali-fornia, und er Section 1103 of the U . S. Postal A ct of O ct . 3, 1917.

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

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

Published Monthly by the Supreme Council of T HE R O S IC R U C I A N O R D E R A M O R C

ROSICRUCIAN PARK SAN JOSE, CALIFORN IA

EDITOR: Frances VejtasaCopy right, 1955, by the Supreme Gran d Lodg e of AM O RC , Inc. All rights reserved.


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Our Delinquent Society By F r e d e r i c J. F a r n e l l , M.D., F . A . C . P. , F. R . C.

TheRosicrucianDigestJanuary1955

u r system of society as consti tuted today is acomplexity of interwovenhuman activities carriedon under an established bu t everchanging standard. An individual must be educated, and havean I. Q. level of at least

12 years, to perform his part in theoperation of such enterprises as constitute our society. In this educationwe look to the home, the school, andthe church, and other associative agencies. It might be fur the r stated tha t allof us assume some of this responsibility.

Society has only two methods offighting antisocial reactions: (1) tr ea tment by compulsionin short, treatment by fear of punishment; (2)treatment bv educationnaturally, thismethod is the finer and the more delicate of the two but, like all fine things,it is the more rare. Teachers make amistake when they encounter a problemchild and immediately replace the educative attitude with one of coercion. Achild coerced or threatened while stilla member of a normal group, and sostigmatized, is made to feel that he doesnot belong in that group and maybenot in any group; even when placed in

a special or ungraded class, he is stillsingled out. It is this feeling of alienation, of a forced abdication, of not be-longing, that is at the heart of muchdelinquency and crime.

Nonconformity, whe ther a child bea criminal or a genius, is very painfuland it wreaks its toll. Nevertheless, conformity to the rules of society is pain

less once it has been learned. Qutrue our schools have been accused too much conformity or of standardiztion of our children. But, notwistanding these criticisms, there are sofew individuals who preach the dotrine of independence and of self-e

pression but place the wrong value taon virtues. Th ey mistake poor breeing for independence; they interp boorishness as courage; and they cfreedom of license liberality of thoughtConformity in certain of the fundmentals of life is desirable as well necessary if we are to have a civilizand One world and expect to get alowith our fellow men.

One does not have to sacrifice on personality to be kind; one does nshow a lack of courage by respectithe person and the property of anothWe all can be reasonably decent, hoest, and good, and yet have plenty latitude for the further expression our personality. Hence if conformand standardization means the turniout of children who are loyal, kinsincere, and honest, then one can onhope the mould will never be broken.

Conformity is a virtue, but when cried to excess, it may become a vicConformity through fear and coercimay even start an open rebellion. means a sacrifice of all those little bvaluable traits of thought and actiwhich go to make an individual a litdifferentthose little quirks or att

butes which make each one of us different personality, but never fail contribute something of value, even


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small, through the expression of that personality .

Conformity should not lead us to accept things blindly nor to have our

philosophy of life predigested an dhanded to us in vitam ins. O ur concepts, if our mind be healthy and wehave been properly educated, should be the resu lt of ou r own appraisal ofthe value of things. An intelligen t nonconformist, if he has arrived at hisdecisions, sweated for his own conclusions, and with courage and determination does stand by his guns, iswonderful; and even if we do disagreewith him, we must admire him for hisintegrity.

The behavior child is never happynor does he give any indication thathe is going to become a constructivemember of society when he grows intoadulthood. The peril of the backwardand the belated mind is one of thegreatest dangers we have to a harmonywithin the struc ture of society. Noform of unity, unless properly balanced, can avert the disasters occurringwithin our social set-up with its conductdisorders in children and crime running ram pant. Lopsidedness seems todominate our social development. Precedent appears to be our guiding star.Is it true that the human mind is incompetent to handle efficiently eventhe slow insidious inroads delinquencyis making into our social fabric?

In the sphere of morality there is aweakening of such forces as reason, conscience, and desire which, in the average individual, are restraining forces.Oiar primitive forefathers were nothedged in by custom or restraint; earlyman was a child of nature with a nativecapacity to meet all experiences equally. Quite true he might have been more bound by suspicion th an we are today but, nevertheless, he was decidedly morenormal and cer ta in ly much more healthy mentally than we profess to be.

D y n a m ic P r o c e d u r e

One must remember that we are living in an age of dynamic activity,thru st forwara by a second World W ar,and no longer should we be satisfiedwith the static states which characterizecertain groups or even nations. Dr.

Nicholas Butler has a p tly s ta te d :

of mental life of any of the modernnations (this is to mean only on anintellectual basis without any elementof the em otion). W ha t we need is self-discipline. The unreasonable outburstsof exhortation, fanaticism, ignorance,and intolerance that continue to sweepover our people from time to time arethe direct product of this l a c k o f d is c i p l i n e .

One can undoubtedly understandand can even witness the dire resultsof this lack of discipline as is in dailyevidence. There is also a lack of thespiritua l. Unless, as leaders, we arecapable of assaying those various factors and unless we act with sufficientvision and strength to bring about certain changes, the upswing of delinquency will continue, definitely enhanced by relief, black marke t, and so forth.Something is wrong somewhere in thestructure of a society that permits thisconstant leakage of embryonic criminals into our midst.

If one should decide to embark ona career of crime (not that he is encouraged to do so), the odds againsthis arrest and conviction are very much bette r th an the odds your favoritebookie offers you on your chosenhorse. Th e business of crime, andit is a business, is a comparativelysafe venture. At least, there are tremendous odds against detection. Evenif a criminal is caught, the odds arestill 2 to 1 against his going to jail, andthe odds rem ain 2 to 1 against his beingcompelled to serve a full sentence.

There are many significant deductions which can be made relative tocrime. Crimes against property areessen tially those of teen agers. Th ereare certain months in the year when

some crimes reach a peak. Crimes ofmaturity, usually of passion and violence, are and have a distinct line ofdemarcation as contrasted with crimesof youth which are often erroneouslyassociated with adventure and daring.Burglary is particularly a crime ofyouth, committed by boys from 17 to21 years of age. Robbery und er assault,even murder, is again usually a crimeof the young adult of from 18 to 25.Driving automobiles without the consent of the owner is largely a crime of


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years. Crime has its seasons just asthere are cloak and suit seasons andseasons for jewelry. M urde r and aggravated assault reach a high peak inthe third quarter of the year whileoffenses against property, such as rob bery and bu rg lary , show a diminutionduring the summer months and gradually increase as winter comes on. Theyreach a high peak in January anddecline to a low in July which is usually the month of big business in murderand assault.

A v e r a q e C r im in a l

Have we an average criminal? Yes!He is about 19 years, not particularly

bright an d yet not feeble-minded. Heusually quits grade school after havinghad some minor difficulties with theschool authorities. Then, he either doesnothing or works irregularly at menialiobs, and since he has no skilled tradehe is constantly shifting from one jobto another. His home is not particularlyattractive to him. Usually he lives ina congested section of the city and sincehe craves a certain social contact he

begins hang ing arou nd Joes poolroom,where some of the older boys who wereto him heroes had always hung out.Being the cub in the poolroom ganghe is often elected to make the grade.So our cub comes across.

When the youthful criminal is arrested, there are two possible roadsahead of him: he may be given a deferred sentence, thank his lucky star aswell as the judge, and from then onremain out of trouble; or, uneasy, discontented, and continually being educated into the trickery of Delinquency,Incorporated, he may be back in courtagain inside of two years, for the oddsare 2 to 1 that he will continue in badcompany.

A t to r n e y v s . W it

At the trial, society finds the cardsare stacked against it and all in favorof the criminal. Because of constitutional limitations with regard to the

procurem en t of evidence, an d the in-The ability of the tria l justice to do any- p th ing more th an referee the contest,

the tendency is to make the trial de-Lftgest generate into a contest of wits betweenJanuary the opposing attorneys. T ruth which1955 is supposed to be the guiding light of

a trial is lost in the welter of stag play and oratory. The judge sits he lplessly on the sidelines, merely seeinto it th at the actors do not get ouside the bounds established by precdent; and, if the attorneys wish tchange the law, they are promptly informed that the courtroom is not th

place to start.Do not blame the lawyers, nor th

judge. They are all victims of a sytem; it might be called the dead handof the past, which tells us today hothings should be decided because ougrandfathers made decisions in th

part icular way. Th is system en tire lignores the fact that the past should fo be tter reasons always vene rate the future, the future which blazes the tra

of knowledge of things once thoughunknowable. Undue reliance upon th past, as a standard, is a danger in anage or epoch. No longer is the assumtion correct that the next generatiowill live substantially amid the hig peaks or the low peaks which havgoverned us or our fathers and grandfathers, for we must be aware that ware living through a catastrophic perioof unc erta inty . It is therefo re essentithat we create mouldable powers oadaptation and a capacity of readinesto face conditions for which the pacould surely be no guide and decidedlshould not be held responsible.

Perfection is dynamicnever statiThe mainspring of constructive actiois creative thought; hence, it is essetial to teach one to think and in thrigh t direction. Viewing how the worlin general is handling the problem ocreative thought, one can do no lethan quote a great prophet who saiWhere there is no vision, the peop

perish . It is a traged y of this aay witness the early onset of senility mind. W ith such loss of adu lt elastici

the youth of this nation is severellimited.When routine, which should be

servant of society, actually becomemaster , progress will stop. A good phlosophy, in the widest sense, requirea great deal of general as well as dicriminative thinking: either we gahead and solve our problems honestlyor we enter upon a confusional retreaand allow our problem to dissolve us


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M m w a n d S c i e n c e

Under our present system with theclash between the crystallized precedents of the law and the scientific datafrom the field of science, the real objective of criminal law as it should existis ent irely forgotten. This objectiveshould be primarily for the protectionof the average citizen who minds hisown business and makes every effort tokeep out of trouble.

Let us suppose that in spite of themany loopholes of the law, in spite ofhis defenses or even of the plea of insanity and all the other devices forcheating the law, the defendant is foundguilty. W hat happens? The judge doesnot say, John Doe, you have been

found guilty of a serious crime. I thinkthere is something the matter with vou.I dont know what it is and I dnntknow how long it will take to changeyou into a tractable and socially-mindedcitizen, but I will isolate you until youcan behave yourself. Instead, JohnDoe is given a sentence to a definiteterm and when that term is over hemay be more dangerous than he is now.

Whenever a definite sentence is given,society is protected only so long as the

prisoner is locked up. This is the weakness in the philosophy of a definite sentence. It does not take cognizanceof the prisoner. It seeks to punish thecrime committed by him instead of

placing the crim inal under correctivemeasures.

How does the prison treat those individuals? what effort is made to correct them, to re-mould them? Forms of

pun ishm en t as a retaliation for theircrime, have changed remarkably in the past one hundred years. It is on ly afew centuries ago that measures againstthe criminal were essentially the product of group passion. Unreasonable punishment was dispensed for triv ialoffensesmen were decapitated forstealing a loaf of bread or for shootingone of the Kings deer. Only a littleover a century ago children were

burned for witchcraft.Imprisonment at that time was a

means to an end. It was not punishment; it meant merely the safekeepingof an accused until he could be pun

pun ishmen t were lessened. Men wereno longer beheaded; they were lockedin dark, dirty, vermin-infested cells,garbed like clowns, and allowed tovegetate and become so debased thatthey became unrecognizable, theirnerves were shattered, their brainstwisted, and their morals corrupted, allto such a degree that viciousness, self-mutilation, and the destruction of selfand others ended their career of punishmenttoday, stories of such situations are still portrayed by escaped orreleased prisoners of war from concentration camps.

Isolated protests of mans inhum anity to man have become more unified,and when they do assume a sufficient

volume and strength we may achievea new reform. This reform, however,must not be accomplished by the intellectual component of the group-mind;conscience must assume control. Thisgroup-conscience must insist that thescars of the past be eradicatedthatcells be more sanitary, that there behot and cold water, a radio, and that

prisoners be permitted to lis ten to newsflashes. Th is is a new penology. It isthe mechanism of the group-conscience,and whereas it is an improvement over

pre-existing conditions it does not beginto use the reality test which is themost secure and sound function of asocial mind. We still hold to the theorythat the prison is to protect society eventhough, in fact, this protection consistsof keeping a man for a definite period,teaching him more about rackets, blackmarkets, and the crime business, andthen turning him loose again.

This new penology is just a bargainwith conscience, and the proof of itslack of success is spread before you onthe front pages of all the newspapersin their daily accounts of bloodshedand robbery. A punitive spirit mustnot pervade our prison system; the dayof barbarous treatment has gone, butclean cells and radios, alone, are notgoing to meet the reality test.

For some time, intelligent studentsof penology have cried out against theutter lack of logic in our methods ofadm inistering penal justice. And lessthan any other department of human


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[UI2.& c^-fand in By W . R e in i n g e r , P h .D .


Reprinted from Ciba Symposia Ju ly 1942 issue, by special permission.This magazine is no longer published.

As a powerful magic^symbol and aneffective means of indicating bodily movements or mental states,the hand has always

played a large role inthe creative art of all

periods and all peo ples. In the following presen tation every aesthetic evaluation has

been excluded; attention has been concentrated upon presenting several artistic

po rtraya ls of the ha nd which are ch aracteristic either because they illustratea peculiar or a specific conception ofthe anatomical relations of the humanhand, or because certain special possi

bili ties of expression have been realizedin them.

In Egyptian and Assyrian art, apartfrom occasional realistic portrayals,hands w ere usually treated schematically and sometimes even purely ornamentally. A primitive portrayal ofhands is present on an Egyptian tomb

pa intin g da ting from about 1900 B.C.In the case of the ballplayers represented in this ancient picture only theelements of the hand required to catchand to throw the ball, i.e., the thumband the group consisting of the fourother fingers pressed closely together,are depicted schematically by the artist.Only in one player is the index fingerlikewise indicated by means of a thinline.

The hands of the Wajang figures em ployed in the Javanese shadow playsare shaped without any relation to anatomical reality. Here the fingers arerepresented as boneless strips, capableof carrying out indicative movements,

but incapable of pe rforming any work.

In their representat ions of hands thGreeks and the Romans usually strove tachieve a precise correspondence with reality; an intentionaneglect of the anatom

ical relations of thhand is never to bobserved in their arwork, apart from occasional at tem p ts aconventionalization in

vase paintings and bas-reliefs.European art of the Middle Ages and

the early modern period was no longesatisfied with depicting hands that weranatomically correct and in accord witha general ideal of beauty, as had beencommon d uring Antiquity. Even thoughthe portrayal of ordinary hand movements by artists did not really becomefrequent until the period of the Renaissance, yet much earlier certain positions of the hand had already come to

be considered character istic of specificsymbolic gestures, or of individual masters and the ir schools. Such symbolicgestures were, for example, the positionof the hands for the Virgin M ary inholding the Jesus child, the folding othe hands in prayer, etc. A very characteristic example of a typical portrayaof hands by a master is to be foundin the few remaining pictures of theMilanese painter, Berlinghiero, wholived at Lucca about 1225 A.D. Similaslender, spiritualized fingers, such asthose observed in the pictures of Berlinghiero, can also be found in numerous other early Christian medievaworks of art, yet nowhere else is the

portrayal carried out with such consistency as in the paintings of Berlinghiero.


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The period of the Renaissance, during which thought and creative activityin all fields of intellectual and artisticendeavor were freed from the restraintexercised by a few dogmas of allegeduniversal validity, and during which

there was practically a rediscovery ofthe individual, was likewise an important turning point for the portrayal ofthe hand in art. The individual conception of the artist now became theultim ate authority. A single, simplegesture frequently suffices to indicatethe vast differences existing betweenthe intellectual worlds of various artists. The abrupt, upward pointingmovement of the hand of John theBaptist, indicating a promise of greatevents in the n ear future, is represented

very differently by the Italian, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), and by theAustrian, Master of Mauer (c. 1520).The former depicts a soft, delicatelyrounded youthful hand pointing gentlyupward, while the latter presents aroughly modelled m ans hand with convulsively tensed vessels, striving ecstatically upward. Or to take a secondexample: Compare the position of thesaints hands in the pictures of SandroBotticelli (1446-1510) and in anotherwork of the Mas ter of Mauer. The

former depicts a peaceful, composedSaint Jerome, secure in the grace ofsalvation, the latter the passionate pleaof a saint seeking protection and stilluncertain that his prayer has beenheard . Obviously, the effect of theseworks of art is not determined alone

by the hand po rtrayals contained inthem; nevertheless, in all the instancescited above the hands, more than anyother element in the picture, expressthe essence of the represented situation.

As an example of the tremendous power of expression which may be produced from the un ion of hands withan object of significance for a particularcomposition, attention may be directedto three studies of hands drawn byAlbrecht Durer (1471-1528) in 1506for his picture, Jesus among the Scribes. The very realistically drawn hand isapparently indissolubly united with the

book; it is this union which producesthe powerful artistic impression thatthese studies, despite their fragmentary

* * *

THE MAGIC STRING B y Ed la W ah lin , M. A., F. R. C.

Librar ian, Rosicrucian Research LibraryT h r e a d as a symbol of the union betweenhuman beings and the divine has its originin the sacred Mysteries. In south India themarriage rite is solemnized by the tying ofa thread. This the wife wears about herneck during the lifetime of her husband.The cord of the Brahmans, used at initiations, symbolizes the twice-born. Thus cameinto use necklaces and bracelets as amulets.

The principle behind the thread has been preserved all over the world, from theBurmese to the North American Indians.Basic to it is the belief that the soul has

power to leave the body without being released by death. This idea has been pre

served in Mythology and in fairy tales.In one version of Cinderella the Fairy Godmother gives the child a ball of threadwhich unwinds to guide her home.

Perversions of the idea of the flight ofthe soul can be traced to the witchcraft of12th-century Europe. A story relates that ayoung girl and her teacher were arrestedon the suspicion of being heretics. For herability to defend her beliefs, the instructresswas accused of being inspired by Satan. Sheand her pupil were condemned to the stake.Defying the accusers, she drew a ball ofstring from her bosom and tossed it out ofthe window, calling Take it! The ballrose in the air. The woman followed it andwas seen no more.

v u u x n


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himself, if he so wished to do. Thisseemed to suffice when earning a living was the expectancy. But it is ha rdly a

proper setting for leisure time. Leisuretime has played and is playing a powerful role in the life of many an indi

vidual, whether he be a criminal, agenius, a child in age or a child atheart, a communist, a capitalist. Something must be done, and it necessarilywill require a very different approach,for the end result is not wholly economic; it is ethical and cultural.

Can we convert idle time into leisuretime by merely changing the names?A complete revolution in education isrequired, compelling us to inculcate intothe curriculum a cultural provision,also compulsory. Educa tion must pre pare a child for ea rn ing a liv ing andat the same time for earning contentment and love for himself and hisneighbor.

Do not forget that the behavior or problem child is nev er happy, th at thegangster, the criminal, is never happy

what has become of happiness? Inthe hustle of business and the Joneskeeping up with the Smiths, it seemsthat a happy feeling has vanished fromour livesthat glorious feeling in doing! In its place is a complicated, com plex mechanism dependen t entire lyupon all-take and a material return.

C u l t i v a t i o n o t Vi s i o n

Immediately, and at an early age,the creative side of the child should becultivated so that the personality mighthave an opportunity to express itself.This includes much more than a few

V A

basic subjects. It means the development of latent abilities, and that necessarily requires a digging out whichis not a very easy matter. Such cultivation of personality means the helpinginto action of all powers that will bring

about an actual participation in society,with a full knowledge and expressionof such altruism and nobleness as maymean a sacrifice of even ones own beliefs. It calls for the encouragem ent ofcooperation in order to foster a senseof solidarity, and it means a search forleaders whose calibre and integrity willsignify a vision and a far-sightednessnot unlike that of a Washington, aJefferson, or a Lincoln.

Do you realize that today our life,through readers digests, cheap books,detective and movie magazines, thefunnies, the cinema and television, hasinitiated a trip-hammer unconsciousabsorption of material, good and bad?Surely, one cannot classify it as a de-liberate and a satisfying consciouscraving. W hat is this doing to us? Itis destroying our individual effort.

We must avoid educating our children as tabloid personalities, if we areto avoid a tabloid culture and civilization. Instead of being disgusted at theglorification of crime or the criminal,we need to recognize evil, to recognize pe rversity an d immorality. Also, weneed to recognize health and normalityin this world of illness. Let us not belike the philosopher who stood detachedand cold, viewing the plodding caravanwhile he mused to himself, Ah! theyhave gained knowledge but in gainingit they have lost wisdom.

V

T W O N E W R O S I C R U C I A N C H A P T E R SAMORC members living in the vicinity of Van Nuys, California, will be pleased to

know that the organization work has now been completed for the Van Nuys Chapter.Meetings will be held twice a monthfirst and third Sundays at 7:30 p.m., at TheSherman Oaks Wom ens Club, 15248 Dickens, Sherman Oaks, California. The Masterof the Chapter is Gordon W. Batz, 5752 Matilija Ave., Van Nuys.

* * *

We are happy to announce the organization of a second chapter in the British WestIndies. The Bridgetown Chapter in Bridgetown, Barbados, is now having meetingstwice a month on the second and fourth Tuesdays a t 8:00 p.m. The location is in theAncient Order of Foresters building, 112 Roebuck St. The Master of the Chap ter isEdward S. Branker, Howells Cross Rd., St. Michael 14.


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Who else rests in this hallowed earth?Does King Edwin of Northumbria? Thechronicler tells us that, during his reign,any woman could walk alone from endto end of his kingdom and no one wouldmolest her. Possibly, but we have norecords other than the obliterated inscriptions on the gravestones. It wasCoifi, Edwins high priest, who wasasked if he would forsake his heathenism and become Christian. He repliedthat he would gladly, since truthfullyhe had never found his own religion ofmuch use. It was also one of KingEdwins thanes who when asked thesame question made a similar reply.Life, he said, was like a sparrow whichon a winters night flew in at the doorand out through the window. Sparrowsknew not where they had come fromnor where they were going. If theseChristians can tell us, ne said, we will

become Christians. But whe ther KingEdwin sleeps there or not, it is certainthat for four hundred years, that is formore than twice as long as the wholehistory of the United States, not onlykings of Scotland but the earthly remains of royal rulers from Norway,Denmark, Ireland, and even Francewere borne over the ocean to find aresting place until time shall be nomore.

Q u e s t i o n s a n d P r o p h e c y

Iona is as rich in prophecy as Glastonbury is in legend. It is said of thissacred isle that when the British people,overwhelmed by some abnormal oceanwave, will perish like those of the fabled

Atlantis, when the British language,British traditions and history, becomemerely memories, those kings will befound still peacefully sleeping. Of oldthey were alerted by the bugle call tothe ram parts. Only Gabriels trum petwill awaken them from their presentsleep. Iona will then be found to have

been fa ithful to the charge comm ittedto her. W hy was this island-soil sovenerated?

Because a great saint, with his colleagues, had lived and laboured there.Had in fact achieved a work that mightwell be accounted a miracle. Almostfourteen centuries ago, Saint Columbalanded, possibly on the same spot whereI had landed that morning. He wasaccompanied by twelve colleagues. Whytwelve? Was Sain t Columba a mysticand did he know of some mystic powerof twelve? Th ere are twelve signs ofthe Zodiac. There were twelve sons ofJacob and twelve tribes of Israel, twelvelabours of Hercules, twelve Apostles,twelve months in the yearand therewere twelve fratres and sorores whooriginally founded the RosicrucianOrder.

W hy did Columba forsake his nativeIreland? He loved his native land with

a love as deep as th at of lovers. Heseems to have become involved in politics and a battle followed. Some accounts say he was excommunicated forcausing Christian blood to be shed;others, that his own remorse causedhim to accept exile voluntarily . Butwhether he was banished by authority,or whether he was driven into exile byshame, the event emphasizes the deepfall of institutional religion during theintervening centuries. The battle couldhave been no more than a skirmish asmeasured by modern wars. W hy doesnot some Church, with genuinely divine authority behind it, excommunicate those responsible for todays wars?Those sixty kings, sleeping so quietlyat m y feet, would have felt remorse hadthey been tempted into using such unholy weapons as we now use.

Is it because of this fall that powerhas departed from organized religion?Contrast the work of Columba withthose of his living descendants. He hadno books, pamphlets, nor printing press,

* ) t t t e n e a t

Unused powers

Is it possible to bring into onecreative activity several minds atonce?

(see page 17)

Three eternal truths

Not complex bu t reducible tosimply three are the laws governing the universe. W ha t are they?

(see page 31)


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as far away as Inverness and the northeast corner of Aberdeenshire.

One king journeyed to Iona so thathe might be crowned by the great saint.In those days crowning was regardedas more than a state ceremony. It wasan initiation. This conversion of kingsand the preaching to their subjects was

happ ening over all of Europe. Thespread of the new gospel was a miracle.Today materialism and atheism havespread where of yore the heathenflocked to receive baptism. Efforts aremade to combat this atheism by callingit wicked and saying that conventionalreligion is divine. But no one explainswhy the one is wicked and the otherdivine. No one would oppose anyth ingif once convinced that it served a useful purpose. For instance, if it could healthe sick or solve for us the many problems we all must face before we starton that road those kings had traversed.Are not those materialists saying justwhat Edwins high priest said morethan a thousand years ago? Are theysaying our religion has never been verymuch use to us?

Here I asked myself sharply, whereis this stream of thoughts leading me?Can it be true that established religion,with its creeds, dogmas, theologies, doctrines, heresies, and schisms is of littleuse to us?

I did not like the thought and triedto banish it. But I could not. Havewe not cancer and consumption and

m any other diseases everywhere? Havewe not wars and rumours of warsand none to say Peace be still? Some,not necessarily atheists, but, like KingEdwins thane, serious-minded, ask to

be instructed in the mystery of m an sorigin and destiny. Is there none toenlighten? None to demon strate thegreater life of which our present earthlife is but a single day? Has ou r eraru n full circle? Do we stand where the

heathen did when Saint Colum brough t him the gospel?

M y musing was again cut shortthis time not from fear of being linto unbelief, but rather the reversA light, from the celestial regiowhe re those sixty kings were now reiging, entered m y being. I found myse

in an old-fashioned church, with larfamily pews like separate rooms, suas were fairly common in Englaabout a hundred years ago and a feof which still remain . There was altar and unlike most of those in theold churches it had a cross standing it. The sanctuary contained a num bof bookslabelled creeds, dogmas, thologies, doctrines, heresies, and schismAs I looked wonderingly a beam light descended. I was agog with e

pectation. Was I going to see the angof the presence? Were the ancient myteries to be given back to our modechurches? No. Instead the sanctuaand the books were consumed by tnew light.

I reflected, trying to interpret thsymbolism. The church I was in wold-fashioned. In fact, like the heatenism which Saint Columba destroyeit was out of date. Was then estalished religion doomed? I rathe r shudered as I thought of the consequenceIt will leave a big void, I thought.

Again the unspoken question seemto call forth its own answer. Dogmaliturgies, creeds, theologies, heresiemust vanish before a greater light. Bulike Iona in the midst of the great tidwave, the cross, symbol of Christianiwould remain, deathless and changele because of its divinity.

I continued to gaze at this mystsymbol in deep meaitation.

Then I saw in the center of the croa beautiful red rosethe resurrectisymbol.

----------

j; W E T H A N K Y O UThe officers and staff assistants of the Supreme and Grand Lodges wish to thank the

i thousands of Rosicrucians throughout the world and the many Digest readers for their i kind remembrance with Christmas and Holiday greetings by card, letter, cable, and radio.

Because it would be almost impossible for us to acknowledge personally each kind expression received, we take this means of thanking you, one and all. May the Cosmic abide with you!

i Fraternally, ROSICRUCIAN STAFF


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(DljjzcHfLzcl iJ d z a h By F r a n c e s V e j t a s a , F.R. C .

(Faculty member of Rose-Croix University)

Ea c h year, groups of students bring their diversities into the classrooms of a school where the only entrance requirement is sincerity of purpose toward the betterment of ones personality.Many make sacrifices, planning in far areastheir one trip to servethem a lifetime. The yhave envisioned a possibility to acquire ac lo s e r a ff i n i t y w i tht h e i r i n n e r u n u s e d powers. In this schoolof various courses, theC r ea tiv e W r i t in gW ork sho p has beenmy special care. From it, each summer

there faces me, not a group of many personalities bu t some unknow n potential of a one group-personality.

M ind is one substance. A group of people assembled for specific instru ction represents an opportunity. Is nothere a m ine of soulful treasure acquiredthrough living but held captive, as if by adhesion, within each student? Howis it to be unloosed and brought forth tomanifest as a composite thing of originality and beauty? a group-creation bu t expressing above the level of an y

one individual of tha t group? The device to achieve this would require something more intimate than the manyinstrumental pieces of an orchestra, forexample, each contributing to a singleunit of tonal power and ecstasy throughthe ingenuity of human skill. Couldnot some method, utilizing symbols ofwriting, simultaneously project hidden poten tials of personality into objectivereality?

For nine successive summers thischallenge has prodded my consciencetoward some greater achievement from

groups of 30 to 60s tude n t s . Eag e r tolearn, they arrive withdifferent backgroundsof nationalities, creeds,and racesall richlyequipped with humanexperience lying within the scope of words.They have temporarily left their daily act i v i t i e s compr i s inghumble ways of living,as well as highly specialized professions.Their ages range fromyoung adulthood intothe 80s; their education, from a few yearsof formal study in onecountry or another to

a college degree or degrees. A hand i

capped class, is it? No, such diversitiesthrough some adequate process of creative extraction should serve as an enrichment.

The students know their need. The ytake their places side by side and focusupon the instructor that uppermost desire, I want mostly to learn self-expression.

If you would create something, youmust be something, once proclaimedthe pen of Goethe. But what is it thatI am? each student questions, as he

hopes to discover, knowing that nothingin life is stagnant and that the humanmind, for its fulfillment, is continuallydrawing upon the one mind. And it iswithin that oneness that each mustsearch to discover himself.

In that overwhelming anticipation ofthe individual, there stares at the instructor that potential of the one mindflowing through and endowing themany. In the class of 30, 50, or 60

brains and bodies, the mind belongs tono oneoutside the one God offeringthe privilege of godlike participation in


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exacting highly idealistic qualities. Howis this participation to be achieved?

A method of approach to a creativegroup-production has been evolvedthrough successive attempts. The classmust be conditioned to accept the ideal

of the purpose, with its possibilities. Butlong ago Disraeli, too, had logically declared that a man can know nothingof mankind without knowing somethingof himself. Therefore, the individual begins with the self and consequentlydiscovers his position with mankind andwith God.

In the personal world, including thechildhood world, even though it is ofones own creation, one is to some extent a stranger. To meet his unknownselfhis counterpartto harmonize hisworld and make use of it, becomes thestudents goal, as soon as he comprehends his position. Of his personalworld, he must acquire an understanding and assume leadership. This rousing of sleeping experiences will yieldstored-up knowledge. But how is oneto attune with, to enter into, his dorm ant kingdom? Through the use ofdivinely-provided n a tu ra l law s, ofcourse.

Just as a physical feat requires nerveenergy sustained by breath power, sodoes a me ntal feat. This form ula forachievement in writing has emerged asa practical one: a topic intrusted to themind plus energy (breath)and thesimple tools of pencil and paper to ob

jectify the outcome.Emotion creates energy; breath gives

it motivating power; mind directs it.The usage of deep breathing is in noway to be monopolized in the gymnasium or as a counteraction to a needlesstab in a phys icians office. The motivefor action well in mind, each studenttakes a deep breath to assist integrationof personality through focused energy.He exhales and relaxes.

Now the class is re ad y for simul taneous actionwith purpose in mind, pencil in readiness, and power at command. Th e signal to write is given andthe desire or ideal moves into writtenmanifestationobjectified on paperthrough the sustained process of nonstop writing. The will-to-write stops atno obstacle, as it steers forwardpoorspelling, punctuation, capitalization,wrong words, incomplete and run-on

sentences have no significance in thmoment. Pencils move un til the signto stop is given.

N o n s to p W r i t in g

Writing timed by the watch orig

nated as a necessity to put every pencto work at once and to continue untthe signal to stop. The writing han pauses on ly if the lead breaks or pe

oes dry. If a students thought sudenly breaks contact and goes dead stil

he must move on. This is accomplishe by the repeating of the last word un tthe mental resumption of equilibriumintroduces a new word with its assocated procession or chain of advance.

The first few trials of nonstop wriing, in some participants, demonstratension, the feeling of being forced trun a race in writing, or doing somthing he cant do, or failing to expressomething that has value. The re is ntime for deliberation and idea formultionthe mental struggle for survivin the mind-current is not unlike th physical struggle when one is throwinto water to learn to swim. In eithcase, the necessity to succeed achievehighly satisfying resultsand the wa

becomes easy.But before that happens, many

beginner surprised into pencil activ itreacts with effortful opposition, hmind full of evasions ana apologies fohimself: Im not a writer . . . I havno experience . . . I cant spell . . . had little schooling . . . or, the righword wouldnt come . . . Nothing goocomes . . . I need time to think . . .

be alone.The suggestion is take the situatio

on faithrelax, yield the self . . . easinto the current.

The preliminary approach requirea complete change of viewpointa rorientation, or re-education. Each stdent learns that he will have privacin exploring his own personal worlthat it will be optional with him wheter or not he signs or hands in h paper. He reasons th at having livenis experiences of living warrant hia place among his fellow beings. Hknows that the one God has equallendowed his children, even though themay now stand on different levels oachievement.

To allow inspiration to flow freely


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the current of thought must be clearedof driftwood. The mind awaits to beliberated from cares, worries, anger, resentments, doubts, in order that it mayexpress from its true state of purity.

Purpose usually asserts itself by thethird day. The student stops twiddlingand lets go, knowing that of his creation he is to be his sole judge until hewishes otherwise. He ceases to be hisown enemy in the awakening of innerexpression , which actually he very much desires.

As the student ceases to struggle withhimself, yields his personality andeases into the current, he becomesaware of his possibilities. Some outside

practice is also encouraged. Before bed

time, for example, a five-minute nonstop may clear from the mind someunpleasantness that may have been acquired during the dayanger, resentment, hurt feelings, disappointment.With the tearing up of the paper, thefinal hold of the hurt disintegrates.Through the same method, sleep may be intelligently invited; or, a new daymay be faced by choosing some hope-giving symbolas a key word havingemotional and mental potentials, suchas courage, love, joy. To record at nightthe most pleasant event of the day isexcellent practice.

Soon reports of enthusiasm, of mystification and wonderment, begin todrift into the class: I wrote an angryletter (tore it up of course) and felt be tte r . . . I got into an argu ment bu twhen I put it on paper, it becameridiculousit gave me a good laugh. . . Ive always had trouble finding theright word but now words come muchmore easily . . . I practice nonstop everymorning and am learning things aboutmyself . . . I use nonstop to write prayers and the day begins hopefully . . .at night insomnia departs . . . I haveregained self-confidence . . . my work back home was driving me crazy, bu tnow I can return to it.

T h e C r e a t i v e U n i t

Also, the student soon realizes thathe can accomplish through the aid of agroup what he is not ready to do alone.For highest achievement this possibility

ness, so that thereby he may becomecreative in the one power centered upona specific ideal. W ith this viewpoint,the student is no longer retarded by hisself-consciousness of aloneness. Throughthis method of writing expression, frustrations of extreme inadequacy areeliminated as the participant proceedsto the time when alone he will be ableto produce a perfected work.

After an individual has gained anacquaintance with his own world, thedesire comes to share, to interminglehis possessions with those of others.Just as the mind had to be centeredand directed to the discovery of thetrue self, it now has to be reoriented toa point of collective endeavor in a

cineramic world where numerous individual worlds have merged to create amore expansive realization of the onemind, one soul, one God.

To participate within a creative unit,each individual must desire to add hisown building block to a common pile,the blocks (in this case words ) later to be selected, arranged, an d constructedinto an inclusive whole by some volunteer student, qualified by his own urge

and to wha teve r skill or level he iscapable to organize the material intoa written expression comprising a com posite group-unit of completion.

For success in group writing it isessential that a common ground of ex perience be made alive by a singleimpulse. This need is well served bya 10-minute nonstop, followed by twoto five minutes of additional quiet forthose who may need more time to bringthe ir thought to completion. The topicto be expanded in writing is chosen theday before to give the subconsciousmind an opportunity to go to work inadvance. To ehminate any exterior influence by other students, the topic isnot discussed beforehand, except toclarify it if necessary.

Subjects of intangible characteristics,such as compassion, courage, honesty,lend themselves better to group writingthan something concrete, which may present a difficulty in qualifying as acommon experience, emotionally andintellectually. For example, the subjectof hawk, chosen for its vibrant qualities,


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group experience , because surprisinglyenough about one fifth of the classknew a hawk only as a dictionary word.The subject of weed contributed morerealism; however, and naturally so, inthe 10-minute writing process it was, by the majority , relegated to intangibleor symbolic significance:

A weed is like a person who antagonizes us; or, There are humanweeds who are unaware of what theirwork in life should be, but perhaps theyare useful to others by just being different. One reasoned that Weeds arenatural inhabitants; flowers are aliens.And another philosophized that Itseems that Mother Natures unconscious prefers weeds to roses.

Group writing, entered into understanding^, tends to impersonalize andthereby to relieve tension. For the bestcollective results, even as for individualones, it is essential to join in wholeheartedly. The first minute of wordiness or loose thought usually indicateslack of attuneme nt. From the focus of10-minute nonstop writing there soonemerge inspiration and revelation, insimplicity and sincerity, as the mindleaas away from its objectified shortcomings. The re is no time now formental rehashing, for camouflage orputting on of personality, for chewing on the pencil. The instructor callstime and writing begins. The morefreely the writer is responding to histrue self, the more openly sincere andsoulful becomes the tone of his language. Such wholesomeness of personality soon harmonizes into a grouprelation of universality, contributing towell-being and peace of mind. It isnot a matter of remaking oneself butof discovering, reorienting, and extending the self.

Objectified effects step aside, andcauses back of the effects come to thefore. Creative think ing brings to thesurface the struggle of each human

mind with its interior world and theconflicting elements thrust upon it fromall directions. The flow is from an innersource outwardtwists and old knots,emotional blocks in the nervous system, unwind and move forward andoutward on those strange symbols calledwords or names of things.

There is no detouring in pursuit ofsome preconceived perfection, no sigh

ing or groaning in the face of inadquacy; in the wholesomeness of thstraightforwardness, a certain charmtakes over. The hum an mind not pemitted to recoil upon itself cannot afflicthwart, or inhibit the universally endowed channel of expression. Th

personality , tru st fu lly and withou t frutration, assumes a listening role in thgreater inner experience of knowinthat it does not work alone. The studenoffers what he hasat times looseland at times epigrammatically, as foexample:

M an s necessity gives God an oppotunity . . . Conviction without couragto activate it is like an army withoua leader . . . Individuals are like varieterrains . . . To know fear sometime

brings a rock bottom of deep strengtand realization . . . Compassion is quality rooted in Cosmic consciousnes. . . (and so on from different pens).

That the nonstop writing device contained greater possibilities than to pua class to work simultaneously was noat once realized. Its significance i

psycho therapy came after hours othumbing through and scanning pileof paper. Here were conscious attemptto find and to will a mental and emotional association within ones beingBehavior came under reflective scrutinin this get acquainted self-examination. Specific problems of characte

were faced, analyzed, weighed, an balanced. Inspiration, too, was inducein the moment of noninterference bthe ordinarily ruling mind.

Singularly fascinating is the studat the crossroads of mental stress, whesome emotional association suddenltugs for possession. These points ostress stand out by means of the re

peated word while the student is resising the distraction, until equilibrium iagain established. For example:

A weed is a flower unloved unloveunloved unloved; or, on a nostalgi

echo of childhood memories, We haan abundance of Queen Annes Lac[wild carrot] up North North Nort

North (and af ter eq uilib rium is established) Queen Annes Lace com

bines beautifully with cultivated flowerin a centerpiece arrang em ent. Interestingly, another student attuned simultaneous ly to the same object, Quee

(Continued on Page 23)


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

RELEASE FROM TENSION By C e c i l A. P o o l e , Supreme Secretary

t is now common knowledge that many of the

physical and men tal illsof men living in a modern civilization are closely connected with thetens ions and s t r esseswhich seem to develop inthe complexity of such

living. There was a time in hum anhistory when life was not complicated.Beyond securing food and shelter, manmade little effort to adapt himself tohis physical world.

Ancient men who lived before the periods of civilizations spent th eir livesin finding a certain degree of comfort

ments they could make to the circumstances about them. Such living wasnot complicated; it offered little reward,and it had little purpose. These individuals saw very few values beyondmerely satisfying the needs and demands which their physical cravingand their innate curiosity developedwithin them. In various ways, theytried to adjust themselves to the circumstances about them; and in variousdegrees, just as man does today, theyfound certain satisfactions in certainthings that did not completely satisfytheir needs.

It is for this reason that some havecome to believe that possibly a simpler


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mig ht be better. Some individuals havegone so far as to claim that civilizationis a false veneer and more harmfu l tha n

beneficial to man. Such an idea is contrary to the changing nature of theuniverse. The concept of a purposefuldirection behind the universe cannot beachieved without realizing that progress is essential. The definition of progress is, of course, a difficult one toisolate. But, in general, we can consider as progressive that which has developed in such a way as to make manuse more of his abilities. M an is puthere in the universe so that he may associate himself with the forces and circumstances that exist; to develop these potential ities is no t merely an obligation, it is also an absolute must in thecourse of mental and spiritual evolution.

Mankind could not go on being asavage. He is endowed with potentialities that raise him above the levelof an aborigine or an uncivilized individual. He is given the ability to masterand control certain physical obstacles;he is given the ability to reason, to accumulate knowledge, and to utilizewha t he learns. Fund amen tally, the

purpose for this is to benefit himself andother hum an beings. Some will conclude that man has not been very successful, that civilization with all its aidsand accomplishments has not mademan a great deal happier than he was

when he lived under circumstanceswhere simpler knowledge was sufficient.This, of course, is debatable, but manis still in the process of growth. Th atcivilizations to this date have risen andfallen, and have brought about as much

pain as th ey hav e happiness, cannot bethe criterion by which to judge them.

Today we live in what we believe to be the most complicated form of civilization tha t has ever existed. It is com plica ted in the sense th at we haveadapted ourselves to the utilization ofmore physical phenomena than manhas ever previously understood. Thisdoes not mean that man has masteredall physical phenomena, but that he isusing the components of his environment. The more he uses them, and themore he brings into daily familiaritythe complications of the world in whichhe lives, the more involved becomes hislife, and the greater challenge it is to

him to select from the complexity ofexistence those values which are permanent and which will endow him withcharacteristics to lead him toward ahigher level of life and a fuller accom

plishm ent.W ith th e complexity of living, with

the demands that are made upon manstime in adapting himself to present existent circumstances, he finds himselconstantly being pushed for time, constantly having demands made uponhim. A highe r scale of living forcehim to exert himself more so as to meehis demands, and in this process hedevelops complexes of mental originHe becomes tense. His entire ene rgy idirected toward a purpose of understanding his surroundings or trying tomake a better living than his neighborThe process itself is not wrong, theresults are wrong. It is the end whichwe seek that develops within us theresponses that we as human entitiesm ate to our environment. I f we becomso involved in making a living, achieving fame, or accumulating wealth thawe can never relax, then we are planning our own doom. Relaxation is thkey toward physical, mental, and spiritual growth, and happiness. Un til wecan gain a release from the tensionabout us, we cannot fully utilize ou

otentialities and acquire a degree oappiness in the course of our experi

ence here on earth.

How to gain release from tension ithe subject of many books, articles, anddiscourses today, but there is one fundamental means that underlies all the ex planations th at are brought to thosewho seek this release under present circumstances; that is, direct properly youconcept of value. If you value physicathings more than anything else, youwill obviously remain more tense because of the worry in accumu lating and possessing such values. Bu t if we fu llyrealize the transient nature of the physical world, and the fact that this lifis only a process of learning and thawe are heading toward a time and placewhich will be of more consequence thanthe present, we then know that in thesimple appreciation of those values incorporated within the concepts of lovehappiness, and consideration of thrights of others, we can gain our physical achievements even as we reiterate


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By R a l p h M . L ew is, F. R . C .

PART TWO

u r i n g the earlycenturies follow

ing the transition ofJesus, Christianity pa rticularly appealed togroups of philosophersand learned studentsat Alexandria and elsewhere in the East andWest. These philoso phers saw in Christianity the possibility ofits surpassing all ofthe previous religionscontributions to the moral life of man.They thought that Christianity presented a unique opportunity for mansaffinity with the consciousness of God.Therefore, they undertook to rationalizethe teachings of Jesus. Th ey desired tomake the collection of his words, which

had come down to them, as acceptableto reason as they were to simple faith.They sincerely desired to give to theteachings of Jesus continuity, logic,emphasis, and as much intellectual dignity as the philosophies with which theywere acquainted. They hoped that, withsuch a rational presentation, they would be able to convert thei r erud ite associates, convince them of the real meritof Christianity.

The philosophers who undertook thisspecial work were called the Apologists. They were given this name in latercenturies because they endeavored todefend the claims of Christian ity againstthose other philosophers who pointedout what they declared to be its logicalinconsistencies. The Apologists were

particu larly aware of the la tent mystical principles in Jesus teachings

perhaps th at was what had attrac tedtheir attention. In their persuasive arguments, which have found their wayinto Christian doctrines and are taughttoday, they reveal the influence of theirstudies of Stoicism and of Neoplatonism.

Among the greatest ofthese Apologists wereJustin Martyr, Tertul-lian, and Origen, pupilof Clement of Alexandria.

Te r tu l l i an emphasized, as a requisite ofChristian teachings, anunderstanding and absolute belief in the su preme essence of thesoul. He believed thatfor mastery of Chris

tianity it was absolutely essential thatone recognize the supremacy of theessence of the soul in man. He wrote,Stand forth, oh Soul. He exhortedmen to make every effort to allow thesoul to dominate them because, only ifthat came to pass, could they under

stand and feel the spirit of Christianity.He held that, whether the soul is ofDivine and eternal substance or ofmortal origin, whether it is received inHeaven or springs from earth, whetherits existence begins with the body at birth or is acquired and developed inthe body during a later stage, no matterwhat the source of the soul, it is thatwhich makes man the rational and thespir itua l being he is. It is the soul alonethat is capable of dictating and directing the noble and worthy life on earth.In exhorting that the soul should standforth, he meant that the spiritual lifeof every man must first be centered inthe consciousness of the soul. W ithou tthat, no man can aspire to spiritualdoctrine. He m ust give the soul dominion over his conscious existence. Itmust rule the mind and body.

Tertullian distinguished the wisdomof the soul from academic knowledgewhich men acquire from books andfrom schoolrooms, and which they subsequently, as he puts it, belch forth. Heexpounded that real knowledge should


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be w ha t thou knowest from thyself.The highest personal knowledge is to

be found in reflection, in personal judgment, in the weighing of experiences,in the analysis of external facts. If thatis not done, it is not intimate knowledge. It is the wisdom of the soulwhich segregates and evaluates theknowledge acquired through the senses.

Clement of Alexandria, Apologist andearly father of the Christian church,held that the study and practice of theteachings of Jesus result in the harmony of man. He meant by this phrasethat the Divine element in man, thespiritual nature, is definitely formedand cultivated by the teachings ofJesus. W hen this comes about, thengoodness or, as he said, holiness, follows as second natu re. We m ay saythat a study of Jesus teachings, according to Clement of Alexandria, bringsabout an attunement between the ob

jective and the moral self. Consequently, our outer self has an automatousresponse to the spiritual inclinations.We do not have to think of goodness.We act in accordance with true moraldictation without conscious effort. Hefurther added that if one knows himself, he will know God. Knowing God,he will be like God. This is pure m ysticism. If we know the inn er self, ex perience it, we are brought in closecommunion with the Divine in ournature, which is part of the Cosmic. Ifwe are one with the Cosmic, we are onewith God.

Since the Apologists were endeavoring to put into a philosophical orderthe teachings of Jesus, for the reasons set forth, they found it necessary to tryto relate God to the world. Here wehave dual conditions: Divinity, perfection and the good; and a materialworld which, by contrast, would seemto be imperfect or at least inconsistentat times with what we attribute to theDivine. How are they related? TheApologists were theists; that is, they

believed th at God is a personal ity whichtranscends the world. He is completelyout of this world, yet His knowledgedwells in it. The connection betweenGod and the world they accomplished

by use of the doctr ine of the logos. Thelogos as a conception was borrowedfrom the Stoics who had received theidea, in all probability, from the an

cient Memphite School in Egypt. Thschool taught about a Supreme Archtect whose mind permeated the unverse and whose words objectified Hideas and put them into action. Thlogos was held to be the rational priciple in the universe, that is, the minof God emanating into the world. was the creative force which permeatethe universe, a series of natural lawgiving matter its structure. Thus GHimself did not enter matter but Hthoughts were the moving force th

brough t it about as a system of laws

A d a m , th e W o r d

This logos or rational principle wnot a separate essence. It did not costitute a dual principle. It emanatefrom God as the rays of light emanafrom a lamp. No m atter how distatheir emanation, they are directly conected at all times with their sourcIt was held by the Apologists that thlogos, the word and law of God, was fact the Son of God. Jesus the Chriwas Gods will on ear th. Jesus tChrist was the mind of God manifestinin mortal form or, we can say frothe mystical point of view, Cosmic cosciousness embodied in flesh. Th e Apoogists affirmed that the logos, the rtional principle of God, was that whiccaused all pre-Christian enlightenmeor advanced conceptions, that whic progressed mankind. Every illum intion of a spiritual nature was the resuof the rational purpose of God or thlogos. This, then , was a very liberview. It recognized tha t every rationor philosophical conception, having spiritual motive, originated from a Dvine source, that the founder of it waspiritually enlightened and was to baccepted as a brother, even though thdetails of his religious conceptions

philosophy might differ from those another. How unfortunate it is ththis conception of the Apologists counot have been universally observed b

the Christian sects that sprang frothem!These mystical philosophers, th

Apologists, affirmed that the Adam the Old Testament was conceived frothe logos, the mind and word of GoThey contended that Adam was thimage of God; that is, he possessgodliness, the qualities of imperishab


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ity and immortality. When he fell fromhis high and Divine estate, they saidthat he lost for mankind at that timethose qualities of immortality, whichnecessarily cost man the loss of the fullrealization of his spiritual consciousness, a break in the complete unity between the two natures of man. Manto recover this imperishability must recover his pristine state, it was held.This meant that he must again unitehis mortal consciousness with that ofGod, become aware of the Divine within himself, through intimate inner ex perience. They declared th at the racemust begin again with Jesus the Christas the new Adam.

In Jesus there was manifested a perfect unity of both the Divine natu re and

the mortal one. It was an excellent dis play of the dual natu re of man , theideal and perfect estate of man. Jesusdemonstrated that man can recover hisDivine estate. M an can again sharein the nature of God within himself.He can again enjoy incorruptibilityand immo rtality. My stically, the soullives only when it is conscious of itsestate. It is not sufficient tha t the Divine essence be embodied in us. Thesoul is only fully functioning when weare conscious of it. My stically , immortality must be distinguished from

ju st an eternal existence. It must bea conscious existence of our unity withour own nature and with the Cosmicas a whole.

M a s s e s n o t R e a d y

Dr. H. Spencer Lewis pointed out inhis treatises, The Mystical Life of Jesus and The Secret Doctrines of Jesus , thatthe mystical principles of Jesus teachings were not divulged to the massesof the people of his time. These p rinciples he taught privately to his Apostles. Th ey were likewise revealed insecret initiations to these Apostles.Jesus alludes to these in his words.This was not done with the intention ofshowing favoritism, but with the fullunderstanding that the masses of menof his time were not prepared to acceptthe profundity and beauty of the mystical principles. These would need to beintroduced gradually by the use of

parables and other means la ter. TheApostles were equally cautious. Th eyveiled the mystical aspects of Jesus

teachings in allegory. However, theearly Apostolic Church stressed the mystical teachings, for their true worth wasknown at tha t time. Dr. Lewis pointsout many of these mystical principles.He calls to our attention the principleof entering the silence, which appearsso frequ ently in Jesus teachings, thoughnot under that particular designation.In the Synoptic Gospels, it is frequentlymentioned that Jesus and others wentinto the wilderness. This was an outeror veiled expression for entering thesilence. It meant departure from onesobjective ways, from everyday lifeand to exclude oneself from temporalactivities by introverting the consciousness, finding within oneself counsel andconsolation.

There was also reference in theteachings of Jesus to ascending themo untain. This again is an outer formof a mystical principle. It did notmean that these persons were climbing physical mountains. In fact, in someinstances there were no actual mountains in the immediate vicinity whichcould be ascended. It mea nt the tu rning of ones consciousness inwardly andraising it, step by step, plane by plane,until it was lifted above the interestsand desires and passions of the bodyand brought into attunement with thespiritual dictates of the Divine self.Finally, on the summit of this mountain, one would experience great illumination, just as one who is standing onthe top of a physical mountain can seethe sun to greater advantage and, aswell, a far greater horizon.

Dr. Lewis relates that Jesus conception of morality must be distinguishedfrom morality in the ordinary sense.To Jesus, it had a deep mystical significancenot merely social proscription, recognizing certain behavior andconforming to the dictates of societyor to ethical procedure. To Jesus, morality sprang solely from the nature ofthe individual. It was a duty to God,the result of every individuals harmonizing his mortal conduct with hisDivine consciousness. No one is tru lymoral, unless the conduct to which heconforms is a personal inner conviction,rooted in spiritual inclination and motive. It must be an obedience to the

personal Divine impulse. Therefore, toJesus, morality meant for the individ


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Th eRosicrucianDigestJanuary1955

ual to assert the highest nature of his being.

From the foregoing, it must be ap pare nt th a t the real quality of Christianity, the most important one, is itsmystical aspect, for such had its originin personal mystical experience. Themysticism of Christianity may be very briefly summarized by saying th at it isa personal awareness of the soul, amerging of the individuals consciousness with the universal consciousness.This accomplished, he then can fashionhis conduct, living, and his relationshipto others in accordance with the inner,higher spiritual motives. The thingsthat come about as a result of this personal motivation cannot be taught asreal virtues and spiritua l conduct. AsSocrates said, several centuries beforeJesus death, the spiritual life must bea personal experience. The Apostles hadthat experience. Paul had to becomeillumined, to have the subjective mystical experience, before he was converted and became a staunch supporterof Christianity.

If the Christian church, as an institution, as an objective expression ofJesus teachings, is to survive, it mustserve the original mystical precepts. Itmust further the meditation of the individual and the development of the

personal Cosmic consciousness withinevery individual. It must encouragethe subjective experience. All its litu r

gies, ceremonies and rituals, must instrum enta l to tha t end. After all, twhole importance of Jesus life, hteachings and his crucifixion, wassymbolic sacrifice. It emphasized tneed for the illumination of the invidual and the need for all of humanto experience Cosmic consciousness. Tmost regular conformists to creed, tmost conscientious adherents of objtive religion, if they fail to have a su

jec tive experience, are but irreligio people.

One of the principal obligations, the past and present, of the Rosiccian Order is to preserve the indivuals mystical link with the CosmBy such means one receives the psonal experience from which the spitual life springs. The Rosicrucian Oder, not a religious movement, seeks teach the technique by which the psonal experience can be had. The mtical consciousness, the realization the Divine, its full import, is that whicauses man to be supreme in the Adaor physical state. If he fails to retahis link with the Cosmic consciousnehe is then less than the beasts of tfield which have never had it. A ffrom any height that has once beattain ed is a degeneracy. It lowmans status below that of any othelementary living where the samheight had never been attained.

End

V A V

F O R PA R EN TS W H O C A R ELove for a child is not sufficient. Pa ren tal love is often blindit frequen tly overlooks

the very elements so necessary to the futu re of children. A child may have the finest physical care every objective req uir em ent metand yet talen ts and faculties thatmake for the fullness of living may be unconsciously neglected. Do you know which ofthe habits that seem harmless, even amusing, should be curbed in the young child?Are you aware of those indications disclosing the creative abilities, within the boy orthe girl, that should be cultivated early in life?

If you want to develop the best qualities in your child, obtain a free copy of the booklet, Child Culture.

This book reveals what factors of child life and culture should and can be particularly developed during the formative first seven years.

Address your inquiry for the free booklet to:

CHILD CULTURE INSTITUTERosicrucian Park, San Jose, California


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Readers of the Digest havealways enjoyed the photographs which appear atthe front and back ofeach issue. Now whenvisitors come to Rosicru

cian Park, they will havethe opportunity of seeingthem permanently dis

played.Through the kindness of the Im-

pe rator representative photographs ofiris African, Continental, and Far Eastern journeys have now been skillfullyarranged by Frater Abbatecola aroundthe walls of the Recreation Room of theSupreme Temple.

After Convocations on Tuesday evenings those who visit the RecreationRoom have even a wider choice thanever. They may eat if they are himgry,converse if they are communicative, or

just look at pictures if th ey are silentand meditative.

V A V

American Indian Art was on displayin Rosicrucian Park in November.Through the courtesy of Philbrook ArtCenter of Tulsa, Oklahoma, which assembled the exhibit, and The Smithsonian Institution of Washington, DC.,

which is sponsoring its travels, somesixty paintings of contemporary Indianartists were shown in the RosicrucianMuseum.

Color, composition, symbolism, alloutstanding, make for a direct andstraightforward appeal. Th ree largeclassifications are represented: Woodland tribes, plains Indians, and Southwest groups. Fun dam entally the sameapproach is madethe significance ofthe daily round is depicted, althoughindividuality is evident as between

On Sunday, November 14th, therewas a sound-and-color film on Pueblo Art.

V A V

Those attending the Rose-Croix University Friday night series on TheM ystery and History of Initiation werefaced with Indians again early in December. An Indian Ritual Drama ofinitiation was presented to illustrate themanner in which fundamental laws of philosophy and life were taugh t amongthe inhabitants of young America.Some nine Fratres contributed theirtalents to re-create with subtle realismthe solemn ceremony of inducting ayoung brave into the mysteries of themedicine lodge. The ritual used was

entitled Manabus of the MedicineLodge. It is one of a series of RitualDramas prepared under the supervisionof the Imperator for use by RosicrucianLodges and Chapters throughout theworld.

* * *

Rosicrucian Rallies have furnishedmany members with the opportunityto see these ritual dramas. W ord comesfrom Dayton, Ohio, and from Los Angeles, California, that the ritual dramas

presented this year were particula rly

effective. In D ayton the Greek Mysteries were returned to in a very im pressive presen tation of T he Rite ofDem eter by Chapter members. At theSouthern California Rally held in Hollywood, the Akhnaton Lodge of Pasadena offered the drama based onChrist ian m yst ic ism , e n t i t led TheAsian Brother.

In Toronto, Ontario, the third Eastern Canada Rally was in itself a realdrama and initiation. For two days itdrew a record attendance of over five

(&)pjiruirj


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Th eRosicrucianDigestJanuary1955

activities which initiated everyone intoa better appreciation of brotherhoodand the cooperative effort.

And be it noted, something new wasadded. Soror Gladys Lewis aid mightymissionary work in behalf of the Childrens Houra particular project in theinterest of preschool children. For manyyears here at Rosicrucian Park, SororLewis and Sorores Alice Appell andDorothy Muttkowski have been devoting themselves to practical applicationof Rosicrucian principles to education atthe preschool level. It is good to knowthat Toronto is extending this work.

V A V

From an Anchorage, Alaska, paper ithas been learned that the recentlyformed Pronaos there held a PyramidBuilding ceremony at the time of theFall equinox in strict accord with thetradi t ional prac t ice of RosicrucianLodges and Chapters everywhere.

This simple ceremony so rich inmeaning for Rosicrucians must havehad especial significance for thoseearnest members of our Order in Alaska. In turn, their participation must be an inspirat ion to others, for it is likeanother symbolic stone placed on thegrowing structure which AMORC teachings are helping us to build. Fra terJoseph E. Maley, Master of the Pronaos, and all who joined with him tomake the ceremony possible made history in thus re-establishing ancientlandmarks of the Order.

V A V

In traditional manner, those whoserve in various capacities during theyear in the Supreme Temple are everyDecember the Imperators quests at adinner prepared and served in the Recreation Room of the Temple. This isan event that is unique in many waysand thoroughly appreciated by all whoare privileged to participa te. It is inmany respects a family reuniona

time to say thank-you all aroundanda time to hear an intimate word ofcounsel and direction from the Im-

pe ra tor and to meet in form al ly and in

a spirit of rare friendliness with all wserve in the Temple.

This years event was pleasant, ashave been, and altogether enjoyableits serious moments as well as in lighter ones. Those responding gave edence of their deep thought and feel

and their words were lis tened to wgratitude.Chaplain Paul L. Deputy was at best as Mas te r of Ceremonies. Tyear his surprise offering was a Dixland Jamboreean audience particition show that brought tuneful favorites of the minstrel era back wfull flavor. Fra ter James Whitcoand his daughter, Colombe Sidney,

an the festivities with guitar and voitties. End men of distinction flanInterlocutor Deputy and gave a mern fillip to Joe Miller that would hdelighted and flabbergasted him. Ha bone and Eph ra im , Jefferson and Glstone, ran the gamut of histrionicstheir effort to pleaseand from amination of the exhausted applaumeter at the end of the evening thwere declared successful. Doffing ththeatrical disguises they were presenin their everyday roles as Duayne KelEdward Fisher, Arthur Piepenbriand Joel Disher. They were releainto the custody of their more respsible wives and the curtain rang doagreeably on ano the r successful eveni

V A V

One of the ways the Kepher-Ra Cof women employees at RosicrucPark uses to provide pleasure and prfor all and sundry is its Christmas Flies. This is a variety show held annuly in Francis Bacon Auditorium. Tmoney goes into the clubs coffers its many worth-while but little-pubcized charitable ventures; the fun giout is everybodys to make the best of he can.

This years show followed the pattof others of its kind in featuring si

ing, dancing, pantomime. Performsprang up all over the place to maka show to be recalled with genusatisfaction.

V A V

Suspicion is an intangible but nefarious film that insulateshum an minds one from the other. V a l i div a r


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Three Eternal Truths By D r. H. S p e n c e r L e w i s , F.R.C.

(From Rosicrucian Digest, August 1932)

Since thousands of readers of the Rosicrucian Digest have no t read many of the earlierarticles of our late Imperator, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, we adopted the editorial policy of

publishing each month one of his outstanding articles , so that his thoughts would continueto reside within the pages of this publication.

u m a n beings are tempted to think that with the rapid changes taking place and the established value of things falling to lower values and lower degrees of worthiness and dependable foundations crumbling away, that

there is no one thing that is permanent and sure and worthy of being the solid rock upon which to cling for safety and security.

But there are things upon which wehuman beings can depend and foundations upon which we can build not onlyfor the present but for the eternal future. We can rest assured that as timechanges and conditions vary and valuesof all kinds rise and fall, that thesefoundations will remain adamantineand eternally sure.

We are seekers for truth and prideourselves that in our search we havecontacted the thoughts and philosophies,the discoveries ana speculations of theworlds great thinkers. We are happythat we are banded together as an organization or a group of individuals forthe purpose of exchanging ideas andthereby coming closer and closer to thegreat truth s of life. W e look upon thesetruths as the fundamental stones of a

great foundation upon which civilization can build its structures and superstructures. W e are sure tha t there aremany great truths still unknown to usand we never become weary of itemizing those that we now possess as funda

mental principles in our lives.After years of search and study andmany years of personal contact withthis great quest for knowledge, I havegradually come to the conclusion thatthere are only three great truths, constituting the entire foundation for thegreat rock of human knowledge as revealed by Divine Illumination. Thesethree eternal truths are: God abides;man abides; and certain relationships between man and God abide. Moretha n this we cannot be sure of. Oursearch must center itself around themysteries of that truth which includesthe relationships between God and man,and man and God. Herein lies thefoundation of material and spiritualvalues. Herein lies the entire field ofCosmic law and human obedience tosuch law. Herein lie the powers thatman can exert and the powers that Goddoes exert. Here is the mystery of our being, the mystery of our coming andgoing.

It is in this field of study relatingexclusively to the relationship of Goa

H


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and man that the Rosicrucians centertheir searching and inq uiring minds. It,therefore, becomes a field of study, investigation, speculation, discovery, andultimate revelation through experience.The knowledge we seek can come onlythrough experience, which alone will

reveal knowledge, and by re-experienceof such knowledge we attain wisdom...This great center field of an analyti

cal study of the relationship existing between man and God has been turned at

places into quagmires and beds of quicksand into which men have blindly v

Rosicrucian Digest, January 1955

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Transcript of Rosicrucian Digest, January 1955