Rosicrucian Beacon Magazine - 2012-09 - AMORC

Some of the oldest sanctuaries were natural woods containing a SacredGrove within which people could engage in the most profound andmeaningful expressions of the higher aspirations of themselves.the oneness of the universe and the unity of all matter.It is where we begin to experience the connectedness ofall existence, and our own place in the scheme of things.It is the birthplace of knowledge and understanding, theschool where we begin to recognise the Divine Withinand its relationship to the Whole.The Divine Withinthe sacred tree or pole at the centre of the sacred ground,represents the descent of the sacred or the Divine; therealm where the initiate might ascend to the Divine orCosmic realm. The sacred space had become the pointof intersection, the threshold, the ‘key’ for entry to theother realms of our being.This Cosmic Tree is the pillar which holds up the skyand permits communication between the world above andthe world below. It epitomises the plan of Creation: it ispivot, axis and sphere. Through its roots, it is attached tothe nourishing earth, and through its leaves it opens to thelight. The so called ‘Axis Mundi’ (cosmic axis, world axis,world pillar, centre of the world), in religion or mythology,is the world centre and the connection between Heavenand Earth. As both the celestial and geographic pole, itexpresses a point of connection between sky and earthwhere the four compass directions meet. Communicationfrom lower realms may ascend to higher ones andblessings from higher realms may descend to lower onesand be disseminated to all. It is the Tree of Life, the treeof all knowledge. Indeed the Tree of Life of the Kabalaencapsulates this symbolism.In varying cultures the Tree has always been asymbol of growth, rebirth and ascent. The DruidsAt some stage then in the evolution of human consciousnessit was clear that the Divine was not just something whichwas ‘out there’ and separate from humankind, but spoketo some corresponding spark within us.The Temple had become a place where the divineconnection could be made, to experience a consciousrealisation of the Divine within and without. TheTemple was therefore important in facilitating spiritualcommunion. But in tandem with its development wasalso a shift in realisation of the human relationship withthe Eternal, namely, that we are revealed to ourselves bytranscendence. We realise the Divine within, and thesacred is revealed to us as a human attribute of which wehave allowed ourselves to be dispossessed. As aspiringmystics we come to realise the operation of Cosmic lawon all planes of existence, in the universe and in ourselves.And through this knowledge we truly enter our ownInner Temple.The Cosmic TreeSo let us return a moment to those sacred groves and treesthat were referred to earlier. Perhaps it is here where we canpick up the golden thread, the key to our understanding.Our ancient forbears perhaps knew a thing or two after all!In many ancient mythologies, the centre of the Temple orThere is also often a sense of journey or ascent associated with reachingthe Temple. Whether in the form of a quest or series of trials wherebywe symbolically cleanse ourselves, or physically ascend the steps ofthe sacred edifice, it is about changing or transforming ourselves insome way.4The Rosicrucian Beacon -- September 2012