Part 2 - AMORC

Ancient Wisdomfor aModern Worldince the dawn of civilisation, humanity has sought answers to the great mystery ofexistence. What is life? Where does it originate? What is its true nature? Is there a transcendentpurpose to life? Is there a conscious state of existence after death? Have we lived before andwill we live again? And why is there still such gross inequality in the world, even in this age ofrapid technological advancement?These substantive questions have occupied the minds of the world’s greatest spiritual and moral thinkersfor millennia and in various ways they were able to answer some of these questions. Few, however, reachedthe ultimate goal of complete and satisfying answers to all questions of life; but those who did, attained astate of mastery over their lives and achieved happiness and fulfillment which few have even dreamed of.They were ordinary men and women though with the difference that they had “inner vision”, a profoundunderstanding of life in all its forms, and ultimately, complete mastery over their personal destinies.You may be surprised to know that accurate answers to all questions you can formulate are already withinyour reach, for they are a part of your greater being which in turn is part of the universal stream of life.The Rosicrucian Order AMORC teaches how to tap into an infinite source of inspiration and wisdom toreach those elusive answers and to solve the most vexing of problems. If you wish to know more abouthow you can receive and one day master this knowledge, please write or call us at the address below,specifically requesting our free introductory booklet entitled “The Mastery of Life”.Rosicrucian Order, Dept Bcn054, PO Box 35, Crowborough, TN6 1ZX, United KingdomTel: +44-(0)1892-653197 -- Fax: +44-(0)1892-667432 -- Email: sales@amorc.org.uk -- Web Site: www.amorc.org.ukThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

Published quarterly by theEnglish speaking jurisdictionfor Europe, the Middle Eastand Africa of theROSICRUCIAN ORDER A.M.O.R.C.P.O. BOX 35 CROWBOROUGH,EAST SUSSEX TN6 lZXENGLANDTel: 01892-653197Fax: 01892-667432Email: RCBeacon@amorc.org.ukWeb: www.amorc.org.ukDecember 2005, Vol 15, No. 12 Grand Master's Message8 Thoughts from the EditorCONTENTS9 Cherokee Wisdom - AnonymousOfficial English LanguageMagazine of theRosicrucian Order, AMORC(Europe, the Middle Eastand Africa)Issued free to members as anincidence of membershipEditor:Bill AndersonSub-Editor:Paul GoodallDesign and Layout:Richard BonwickStatements made in this publicationare not the official expressions ofthe organisation or its officersunless declared to be officialcommunications.All material in the RosicrucianBeacon is copyright and may not bereproduced in any form without theprior consent of the publishers andindividual contributors.Changes of address must reach usby the first of the month preceedingpublication.10 Rosicrucian History from Its Origins to the Present - Part 18- by Christian Rebisse, FRC16 The Impression of Nature - by Paul Goodall, FRC17 Egypt: A Shared Experience 09/2005 - by James Wilson, FRC19 Hesychasm - Part 2 - by Pensator22 Truth - by al-Kindi23 Architecture of Dreams - by George William Russell26 The Japanese Grand Lodge - by Ukio George Yorioka, FRC28 Carl Gustav Jung - by James McTear, FRC31 Soyal - by Bill Anderson, FRC34 Never too Busy - Anonymous35 Mind to Hermes - by Nobilis37 Solving Our Difficulties - by Robert E. Daniels, FRC39 Much More Than Beauty - by Gail Robertson, SRC40 Queen Christina of Sweden - by Fraser Lawson, FRC44 Conversation - by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, SRC45 Some of Your Time Please! - Anonymous46 Seeing - by Peter Gray47 Around The JurisdictionCOVER SPREAD“Egypt the Eternal”The Rosicrucian Beacon -- Decmber 20051

PRAYERby Sven Johansson, FRCWO YEARS AGO, I PUBLISHED Abrief article for members of AMORC onthe subject of prayer. It was a collectionof ideas I had gathered over the yearswith a lot of input from great Rosicrucians of thepast, but had no idea that it would be appreciatedas much as it was. In subsequent letters I receivedin the weeks following its first publication, I wasasked to repeat this article at some appropriatetime in the future and I think now is as gooda time as any for each of us to to give prayeranother chance.With the holy periods of Rosh Hashanah ofthe Jewish calendar and the Muslim holy periodof Ramadan now past for this calendar year,we approach the Christian holy period, knownthroughout the world as the Mass of Christ, orChristmas. Therefore, in keeping with thespirit of these three periods of lustration,contemplation and communion with ourrespective understandings of God, I willnow share with you now a brief analysis ofthe concept and practice of prayer, not from thevantage of either of these three great religions,but from the heart of an aspiring mystic intent onseeking direct communion with his or her highestconcept of a supreme being or God.The word “prayer” is commonly enoughused today and for some, it leaves a distinctlyunpleasant aftertaste due to its strong associationwith the intolerance of bible thumping Christianfundamentalism. But of the millions who use thisword daily, how many really understand whatit represents, what it really entails? And whatidentifiable natural laws come into play when weenter states of true prayer?We all have our thoughts about prayer andthink we know what we mean by it; but let’s faceit, for many, prayer is undoubtedly little morethan a miming of procedures and formulas thathave been taught by peers and perceived rolemodels. To be sure, such formulas have theirplace and can undoubtedly in rare cases lead totrue states of prayer. But in the majority of cases,they are mere empty incantations, devoid of truefeeling and sincerity and can therefore have noefficacy at all.Something must be wrong if we hear forexample, Christians on the one hand calling ontheir faithful through radio talk shows to pray forvictory in war against an "evil enemy" when theIf prayer is to be effective... it must quiteplainly come from a sense of universaljustice for all, regardless of beliefs.evil enemy itself does the same through differentmeans, a different religion and in a differentlanguage. What people on both sides of suchdivides forget is that if they truly believed in asole, universal God of all that is, then that Godsurely does not take sides in the petty contestsof power that humans engage in. Prayer surelygoes beyond the mass media! And if prayer is tobe effective at all, then it must quite plainly comefrom a sense of universal justice for all, regardlessof beliefs.Most people, if they were perfectly honest2The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

with themselves, would undoubtedly admit thatthey do believe, in their most private moments,that there is something “out there” that exceedsthe highest concept of good and sanctity that theycan conceive. For the majority, this concept takesmental form and is referred to simply as “God.”Not “a god,” but “the God,” and for those whosimply cannot bring themselves to using sucha word or concept, then God can be defined asthe final, overarching law of all that has everhappened, is occurring now or will ever or couldever happen in the future.By whatever definition one uses, if it issufficiently inclusive and universal, this "Law"or God must be the Law or God of the Jews, theLaw or God of all Muslims, the Law or God ofall Christians…, indeed, the supreme Law orGod of all people of whatever belief systems theysubscribe to, and indeed of those who havenone. For simplicity, let us simply refer tothis in standard religious terminology as"God," i.e. with a capital "G."If we believe in this God, then surelya special, unique corpus of principlesmust exist that come into play whenevera person attempts, with deep sincerity andrespect for universal justice, to commune withor understand aspects of this God? I believe thatknowledge of such principles does exist in thedeepest recesses of all sincere belief systems andthat in all religions there are some men, womenand children who, with deep spirituality, seektheir respective concepts of this sole God with allthe strength and understanding they can muster.And many of these people, whether formallyreligious or not, whether scientifically atheisticor not, can rightly be called aspiring "mystics,"for they are seeking what is known simply as "themystical experience."Such people all eventually reach a fullunderstanding of the hidden, esoteric lawsgoverning the practice of prayer. Irrespective ofreligious beliefs, or even where there is a completeabsence of any religious belief, these laws are thesame for everyone, act upon everyone, whetherthey are aware of it or not, and act impartiallyand according to the highest concepts of universaljustice known to humanity. The manner in whichprayer is approached and practised however,differs widely from one religion and culture to thenext, though sadly, so few in society realise thatthese outward forms of prayer have a commonroot, some say biologically inherited and otherssay, implanted by God.Cosmic Mind: Consciousnessof the AllRosicrucians conceive and define “the Cosmic” asa universal consciousness or mind from whichall creation results. Not only was creation activesome time in the distant past when the universe“began,” but according to at least one mysticalapproach to the matter, creation continues foras long as there is consciousness capable ofperceiving it. The Cosmic can be thought of as asort of universal mind-in-action which is not onlyequal to but is greater than all things we know.And although it can be viewed as the overarchinguniversal Law of laws, it goes further than this,for it displays intelligence and thought processesThe Cosmic can be thought of as a sort ofuniversal mind-in-action which is not onlyequal to but is greater than all things weknow.far beyond anything we presently know or forthat matter, could ever even comprehend.Generally, mysticism does not subscribe tothe view that God is a personal deity sitting ona throne in the heavens, evaluating the appealsof individuals like you and me, like some superhumanjudge or an all-powerful celestial king.Certainly, this has been the predominant beliefin past centuries amongst people the world over,so it is not surprising therefore that this view isstill so prevalent, especially amongst those whosubscribe to orthodox or fundamentalist religiousviews. And whereas pure logic and the humansense of justice cannot permit such a concept tohave any basis in fact, mystics in general, andRosicrucians in particular, tolerantly accept therights of others to have their views, knowing fullwell that they themselves almost certainly onceupon a time had similar views that only patience,reason and rational thought changed for them.Unlike with religions, one does notencounter the word “prayer” all that oftenwithin the Rosicrucian Order, perhaps becauseof the close association it has with establishedreligious doctrines. Rosicrucians view themselvesas strictly non-sectarian in their relations withall religions and schools of thought and canThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 20053

therefore justifiably embrace and agree with thebest principles espoused by all religions andsystems of thought. But Rosicrucians do notspeak of prayer lightly either, for prayer clearlyanswers a very deep human need, even in thehardest of hearts.There are times in the life of every humanbeing when he or she reaches a point or crisis inlife where there is a definite need to communicatewith a higher authority; one which is impartial,always just and supremely wise and it is at timeslike these that simple, "old-fashioned" prayerhas its greatest potential. Some people say theirprayers out loud, perhaps whispered, butat least verbalised audibly. Others writetheir prayers down in notebooks or onsmall slips of paper that they place inpersonal or public shrines. And yet othersavoid any verbal form of prayer at all, yetpray just the same and as effectively as the rest. Tobe honest, it doesn’t matter how we express ourprayers, for the results can be the same regardlessof the form we use. Sincerity of heart and purityof motive is all that ever really counts.As for the specific contents of prayers,well, enough wars have been fought this, solet's leave it alone for now. Let us instead lookat prayer from a mystical point of view and usereason and rational thought to come to a fewclear-cut conclusions. A well-known Rosicrucianmystic once categorised all prayer into one ormore of three fundamental categories, each ofwhich fills a deep human need. He called themprayers of intercession, prayers of confession andprayers of praise. Each of these forms can lead tobeautiful, indeed ecstatic experiences, and all canbring about seemingly miraculous results if doneproperly.Prayer of IntercessionPrayers of intercession are by far the mostcommon. Effectively, they are appeals to ourconcept of God, or the most beautiful and sacredwe acknowledge, to intercede on our behalf incases of illness, economic hardship or any otherform of distress. A mystic engaged in a prayer ofintercession asks that karmic effects which havefollowed perfectly natural causes, be temporarilyset aside to enable the survival of some person,some economic activity or some relationship. Itis effectively an appeal for more time to resolvea situation before it is well and truly too late. Itis not an appeal to set aside all consequences ofprior harmful thoughts or actions. It is merely anappeal for assistance to stop the cause immediately,to delay the consequences, and to receive strengthto deal with those consequences when they finallyarrive.Unfortunately, those who do notunderstand or accept this, expect their God torevoke all natural laws, make a special exceptionjust for them, and in an instant, to cancel theconsequences of their actions. For such people,intercession is like asking a great emperor orpowerful member of the community to do themSome expect their God to revoke all naturallaws, make a special exception just forthem, and in an instant, to cancel theconsequences of their actionsa special favour, just as happens so often in theworlds of politics and business. Few howeverrealise that the favour has to be returned in fullmeasure if there is to be any answer to such aprayer; for there is a price to everything, evenfavours from an all-powerful God.Prayer of ConfessionThe second type of prayer, confession, is used whenour conscience compels us to ask forgivenessfrom our God for what we believe to have been atransgression against our understanding of rightand wrong. Depending upon our belief system,we may also believe that such a confessionmay lighten divine punishment or completelyeliminate the need for it.Speaking out about a matter that weighsheavily on the heart can do wonders in times ofstress and from a psychological point of view cancertainly be highly beneficial. But confession alsocomes at a price, one that mandates not only thatwe accept whatever compensatory results wemay need to endure, but more importantly, thatwe do not again commit the act we are confessingto.Confession can cleanse the heart and mindand give us a new start in life, something thatis essential at times if we are to pick up thepieces of a shattered life and continue. However,there must be a clear understanding that (a)we must do all in our power not to make thesame mistake again and (b) we must be fullyprepared to accept the consequences of our4The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

prior actions, not grudgingly, but willingly andwith good grace. The consequences will come topass eventually, with or without our confession,though admittedly, may be mitigated by the newunderstanding we have of what we did wrong orcould have done better.Prayer of PraisePrayers of praise are perhaps the most beautifulof all. The Psalms of the Bible are typical of this,though they are but one example amongst manyfrom all religions. Every major religion has atleast some corpus of writings that are specificallyin the form of praise alone, that is, praise to theirconcept of God, and these form the highest andmost revered parts of those religions. Indeed,secular poetry is filled with such prayers ofpraise, though it is of course often not couched inreligious terminology. And even within the mostaetheistic reaches of science, there are momentsof wonder, awe and astonishment at the sheersophistication and refinement of nature, that forwant of any better description, we can call thesemoments too, prayers of praise.When persons have experienced someblessing that they attribute to the goodness oftheir God, they offer up prayers of thanks, askingfor nothing and expecting nothing in return fromtheir prayers. These are professions of profoundgratitude and awe and expressions of a desire tosimply be in the presence of God.Many devout persons fail to have anyresponse at all to their prayers, and althoughthis is common, it should not be viewed as alack of efficacy of prayer itself. Rather, it shouldbe understood as resulting from an incorrector inappropriate manner in which the prayersare being conducted. The seeming “failure” ofThe seeming “failure” of a prayer oftenresults because the person is asking for theimpossible.their prayers and show no concern for the welfareof others. How can any person’s understandingof a universal God, one that is equally the Godof all human beings, favour one person at theexpense and possible suffering of another? Howcan any concept of a grand, overarching universalLaw of all laws, admit to a breach of what weknow inwardly to be fairness, equal treatmentand universal justice? Of course that cannot be ifwe believe in universal justice, and we all knowthat such appeals to the Cosmic mind cannotsucceed.Although most devout people believe inthe existence of cosmic justice, in their dailythoughts and actions, and worse still, in theirmost sacred moments of prayer and attunementwith God, they still sometimes ask for things orconditions which would necessitate a violationof the very cosmic justice that they profess tohold so dear. Subconsciously, though no doubtconsciously at times as well, they are ignoringthe existence of laws which guarantee thatuniversal justice is always upheld. One shouldnever ask for any special privilege or advantagewhich would bring hardship, pain or suffering toanother person, especially a person with whomone has no quarrel, who has never done us a badturn, and generally has never interfered in ourlives. Even the most primitive mentality fullyunderstands that this clearly touches upon theconcept of universal justice and honours the lawsinvolved as a matter of principle if not fear.Preconditions for PrayerThere are a few preconditions to successful prayerand there is no use trying to escape them, forthey must be met, and met in full. When peopleavoid these preconditions, they are as a result,bitterly disappointed when nothing comesof what they consider to be sincere andearnest prayers. So, let me enumerate thesepreconditions.a prayer is often because the person is askingfor the impossible, impossible that is, by thestandards of universal justice. In his or her heartof hearts, the person knows that what he orshe is asking for, simply cannot be allowed tohappen and were they to be sufficiently honestand sincere about it, they would soon outwardlyrealise their mistake.Sometimes, people are completely selfish in1. UNSELFISH OBJECTIVE: Always ensurethat the objective of your prayer is at least partiallyunselfish. Will any other person, relative or friendreceive any benefit or help from the fulfilmentof your prayer? When petitioning the Cosmicfor money for example, it must be rememberedthat others should benefit at least partially fromreceipt of that money. Of course, rather thanjust asking for money, is it not that for whichThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 20055

the money is intended, that we should really beasking? Money is worthless if it cannot be usedto obtain what you really want. If it is health youseek, then seek health, not the money to pay forit.2. DO NOT HURT OTHERS: Carefully analyseand find out from within, whether what you areseeking would hurt innocent people. If the answeris yes, then the appeal to the Cosmic is futile andmust be abandoned immediately. Divine justicecannot sanction the violation of karmic law, andany attempt to do so, will have negative karmicresults for you.3. HUMILITY AND CONFIDENCE: Alwaysapproach the Cosmic with a profound sense ofhumility. Do not presume to know what is bestfor yourself and certainly do not demand anythingof the Cosmic. The proper attitude should bethat whereas you sincerely believe in what youare asking for and have full confidence thatthe request will be granted if it is just,you will accept with gratitude and goodgrace whatever results from your prayer,whether expected or not, whether pleasantor not.4. BE FRANK, HONEST AND OPEN: Honestywith your deeper self, your sense of justice andfair play and what you perceive as being CosmicLaw, is essential. Remember that the Cosmiccannot be deceived, for it resides after all withinyou, and knows your deepest motives, indeed,probably knows what you want even before youknow it yourself. What you wish for in yourprayers must be what you actually believe. Do nottry and fudge your way through, do not try andfool the Cosmic; otherwise there will be no replyand quite possibly negative karma as well.5. ATTUNEMENT: Prayer is a matter ofattunement. To contact the Cosmic, you mustreach into the depths of your own subconsciousand attune with the Cosmic Mind. Before makingyour appeal, meditate on the Cosmic and try toelevate your consciousness to the point whereyou feel that you have, for the moment at least,partially transcended your present objective state.If you pray with sincerity for what you trulybelieve to be a need, you will induce the necessarystate of cosmic contact required for success. If thisstate is not at least partially developed however,do not expect any results.Prayer is a form of communication. Forexample, we would not consider starting a phoneconversation until we were sure the other personwas connected and was listening! So too beforewe pray, we must have the inner conviction thatthe necessary cosmic contact has been made, thatthe lines of communication with the Cosmic areopen, and that the Force that rules our destiny is"listening."The Inner BattlegroundPrayer can be silent. It does not need to be in theform of spoken words unless we feel that thespoken word somehow heightens the emotionaland psychic state necessary for true communionwith the God of our Heart.No doubt we have all, on occasion, earnestlytried to meet these conditions and failed miserably.Our prayers remained unanswered and let’s faceAs aspiring mystics, we are fighters on aninner battleground, and we fight only towin.it, there were times when it would have been easyto dismiss the whole notion of prayer altogether.Fortunately, as aspiring mystics, we are fighterson an inner battleground, and we fight only towin. Islam has a much abused word for this: it iscalled jihad, or simply, struggle. Regardless of themanner in which fundamentalists have twistedthe meaning of this word to embrace physicalviolence and intolerance of others' beliefs, itsesoteric meaning still extends no further than aninner struggle, and relates to the hardest of allbattles we can face, the struggle of the ego againstthe will of the Master Within.No battle truly begins until we are resolvedto fight to the end, if necessary to give upeverything for our personal struggle; and thesame goes for every inner struggle we have.When we do not succeed in our prayers, we try,try and try again, ever deepening our sense ofcontact and genuine communion with our God.Eventually we will triumph, and the efficacy ofprayer will be laid bare for us to see; for trueprayer, of whatever form, is simplicity itself anddemands only sincerity and an abiding love ofthe only God we know. True prayer demandsattunement with the inner self and a yielding of6The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

the mundane outer will to the will of the InnerMaster.Not all Prayers are AnsweredIn its infinite wisdom, the Cosmic does not grantall our requests... thankfully! From our finiteunderstanding of things, it may on the surfaceappear that others will benefit from our requestswhen the exact opposite may be the case. Weseldom have that broad perspective needed inorder to see the full, long-term consequences ofwhat we are seeking in life. Some things we seekmay be harmful to us or others. Conditions that wecould not possibly foresee could arise to make aninnocent request become a destructive one sometime in the future. How often, when reviewingpast events, have we not been genuinely gratefulthat a former plan was not realised and that wedid not accomplish what we wished to atthe time? Without doubt it has happenedto all of us, not just once, but many timesover.When appealing to the Cosmic, weare not always permitted to receive what wethink is best at the time for the simple reason thatit may be dangerous to us or others, or it could beagainst our best interests or the interests of thoseclose and dear to us. Let us be grateful that we areprotected to a certain extent from our own folly,and that the sincerity of our appeal is sufficientto guard us against any unforeseen harm. If weaccept the will of the Cosmic graciously andthankfully, even when from our limited vantagepoint it seems to be working against us, we willbe in the right frame of mind to begin prayingcorrectly, easily and with long-lasting beneficialresults. Trust the God of your highest conceptionalways to do what is best for you. Trust that thereis universal justice which operates down to theminutes hair on your head. And realise that thisjustice does not always operate according to yourtime schedule.Through prayer comes the promise ofpersonal enlightenment. In answer to our prayers,we are guided to ways and means by which wecan accomplish what we desire. We are put intouch with practical opportunities by which webecome the movers and shakers of our personallives, make things happen and bring about theresults we seek. Even in matters of health, we canbe brought into attunement with the Cosmic Mindor the minds of illumined persons. Through theseavenues we are directed to a proper utilisation ofthe curative powers in our own beings that can atsuch times be stimulated into resolving even veryserious health problems.Of course we cannot ask our God to setaside major natural laws on our behalf, but wecan request the understanding needed to moveour lives into healthier and more productiveways, thereby cleaning the slate so to speak, andbringing about the transformation we seek.And if we have made a serious mistake,although we can still in all sincerity ask that theeffects of that mistake, namely the karmic reaction,be mitigated slightly, we cannot seriously ask theCosmic for a complete exception to be made justfor us. Mystics bravely face the consequences oftheir own actions, fully accepting their karma.And when strong enough, they even attempt toWe cannot seriously ask the Cosmic to dowhat obviously lies within our province todo ourselves.pay off their karmic debts at an accelerated pace,in the hope of bringing the day forward when thekarmic slate has been wiped clean.Last but not least, we cannot seriously askthe Cosmic to do what obviously lies within ourprovince to do ourselves through conventionalmeans. If we alone have the means to solve aproblem, then we must do so and take the matterto the Cosmic only in so far as we request that ouractions be in accordance with universal justice.The God of our understanding is responsive tohumility and sincerity, but does not budge onebit when we are arrogant, when our motives areimpure, or when we assume that we will get awaywith foolish actions.With all the above in mind, I urge you topray whenever you feel the need and in whateverway comes naturally to you. Do not be ashamedto open your heart in private. Do not avoidprayer simply because of its overtly religiousconnotations. Pray privately, and do not feelawkward to “speak” with the God you know.Sincerity and reverence are the two key qualitiesrequired. Approach your God therefore withhumility, sincerity and a complete acceptance thatwhat follows is what you justly deserve.Prayer is not for priests alone; it is foreveryone, and especially for people like you andme.The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 20057

HRISTMAS IS FAST APPROACHING.If time appears to pass quicker eachyear, illusory though that is, it isperhaps simply that we are all busierthan before.2005 has been a difficult year for planetEarth, one of natural disasters: the earthquake inPakistan and Kashmir, the storms and hurricanesthat have hit the Gulf states of the USA, Mexicoand Guatemala, the drought in Niger, and ofcourse the aftermath of the tsunami in the IndianOcean. Change is an integral part of the universe,and the climate is not exempt. We can see itseffects all around us.This time of year has always been specialto so many cultures, past and present. There isthe story of the Native American Soyal festival inthis edition of the Rosicrucian Beacon to illustratethe point. We have had previous articles aboutthe Persian festival of Yalda and the ancientRoman festival of the Saturnalia. Sol Invictusand Mithras were venerated at this time of year.The Incas celebrated Qhapac Inti Raymi at thewinter Solstice too. In the West, Christmas, onceexclusively the premier Christian festival, hasnow spread around the world. For Christiansand non-Christians, it has become a time forfamily togetherness, the giving of gifts, joy andhappiness, but especially so for children.Whether we celebrate Christmas duringthe cold, dark days of the Northern Hemisphere,or at a braai in your garden or on the beach in theSouthern Hemisphere, the feelings engenderedare the same. This is a time of year when we asRosicrucians can take the lead and capitalise onthe great outpouring of "joy towards all people."This, especially, is a time when we should bethinking of others, living the Rosicrucian Code ofLife: "Seek to share what you can spare, daily, evenif in small ways and meagre amounts. Go out of yourway to find where that which you can give or do will bea blessing to someone or many, and while performingthis duty, shun all personal glory."The Rosicrucian Order is non-sectarian;we are tolerant of all religions. Our membersbelong to all religions. One of the most deeplydistressing features, and one that has hadprofound effects on the contemporary world, isreligious fundamentalism. The march of religiousintolerance is threatening to undermine, if not8The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

everse, all the progress we have achieved inthe last few centuries. This is very apparent inthe fundamentalist attitude to science. Scienceprogresses by challenging existing views andcreating a new consensus, as do the Rosicrucianteachings where we are enjoined to "be a walkingquestionmark!" But fundamentalism does notaccept this, and everything is subordinated toreligious dogma. The fundamentalists’ desire toimpose their views and values on everyone else iscontrary to what we, as Rosicrucians, stand for.In a recent article in the magazine NewScientist about the intelligence explosion, therewas a report concerning a discussion on thistopic and what its implications were for thenext 50 years. Virtually everyone present usedthe progress of the last 50 years as a model forthe succeeding 50. They were assuming thatthe current rate of progress would continue inthe future. But an assessment of the history oftechnology reveals that technological change isnot linear, but exponential! Human knowledgeand progress has accelerated exponentially. Themore we learn, the more people who receive agood education, and the faster the growth inunderstanding and technology. What an excitingthought! It encourages us to keep studying andlearning in order to grow, and the growth will notbe gradual, it will be exponential, like the moderntheory of evolutionary progress. It is possibleto imagine that in the near future, the pace ofchange will be so rapid and its impact on ourlives so deep that our lives will be irreversiblytransformed.This time of year brings forth hope forrenewal. The yearly cycle is about to begin anew.The civil New Year of the Common Era on 1 stJanuary has become a time for looking back at thepast and learning from it, but more importantly,looking forward to the future. It has become atime for New Year Resolutions. As Rosicrucians,let us resolve to think positively about the comingyear. Let us ponder what we have achieved in2005, and what we may be capable of in 2006.Let us resolve to make 2006, a much better andhappier year for everyone with whom we comeinto contact. Let us send thoughts of Light, Life,Love and good health to everyone with whom wehave the privilege of sharing this beautiful planetwe call home.AnonymousNE EVENING AN OLD CHEROKEEtold his grandson about a battle that goeson inside people. He said: “My son, thebattle is between two wolves inside us all.One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret,greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority,lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other is Good.It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness,benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion andfaith.”The grandson thought about it for a minuteand then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one youfeed.”The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 20059

y Christian Rebisse, FRCOW THAT WE HAVE RECOUNTEDthe beginnings of the Ancient andMystical Order Rosae Crucis, we shalllook at some of the events that havestood out in its life, particularly thosethat have featured in its relations with otherinitiatic organisations of the period.The first years of AMORC are noted notonly for the enthusiasm that characterises thebeginnings of any grand plan, but also for thetrials inherent in bringing them to realisation.One of the most daunting things was the periodof recession that the United States was goingthrough. In April 1917 the country becameinvolved in the First World War. During theconflict, a gigantic German transatlantic liner,anchoring in the port of New York, was seized asthe spoils of war.10The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

The Hamburg-Amerika liner, calledthe Imperator, became the cause of unfoundedsuspicions against the American administratorsof AMORC. Zealous government agents imaginedthat the Order must be connected in some waywith Germany, since the vessel bore the titleof Imperator. This gross misunderstanding ledto searches at the organisation’s headquarters.Finally, the government realised the stupidity ofits position but several important documents werelost as a consequence of these interventions, one ofwhich was a pronunziamento that Harvey SpencerLewis had received in Toulouse giving him theauthority to establish the Rosicrucian Order inthe United States. This was the same documentthat had been sent by French Rosicrucians inOctober 1916 to Thor Kiimalehto, the Order’sSecretary.A short time later, in 1918, AMORC hadanother difficult test: as a result of an indiscretioncommitted by its treasurer, its financial situationbecame difficult. However, despite these obstacles,the Order was successful in organising itself toface the demand of an increasing number of menand women wanting to affiliate. In May 1919,with the help of William Riesener, a member ofAMORC, the seat of the organisation was movedfrom New York to San Francisco.As various articles published at the timeattest, Harvey Spencer Lewis was going througha period of discouragement and even thoughtabout quitting all administrative functions. Hisdoubt did not last long because the significantgrowth of the Order re-ignited his enthusiasm.AMORC started to develop in other parts of theworld. In September 1920, Denmark receiveda charter creating its own Grand Lodge underthe direction of Svend Turning (1894-1952). Thefirst Rosicrucian meeting there took place inSeptember 1920 in the Isol Temple, Mariendalsvejin the Frederiksberg district of Copenhagen.In 1921, in the wake of the Indian Academy ofScience, India opened out to Rosicrucianism underthe leadership of K.T. Ramasami. AMORC alsoestablished itself in Mexico and Java (Indonesia)and set up a secretariat in England. In May 1921,an article in The Mystic Triangle reported thatthe Order had received a request from membersliving in Paris to create a Lodge specificallyto welcome the American members passingthrough France. Towards 1922, AMORC openedup in China and Russia, thanks to Mr. Prinz-Visser, a Dutch member who, having worked atthe headquarters in the USA, settled in Harbinin Manchuria 1 (nowadays the capital of thenorth-eastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang).During this period, the son of the Imperator,Ralph Maxwell Lewis, became himself a memberof the Order.Theodor Reuss and the O.T.O.Harvey Spencer Lewis knew that Rosicrucianactivities had been reduced to nothing in Europebecause of the First World War. He assumedhowever, that some members had survived theconflict, and no doubt for this reason, he attemptedon several occasions to rebuild the Rose-Croix asa worldwide entity. During the year 1920, heheard that a congress assembling several initiaticmovements had taken place in the Swiss city ofZürich in July, with the idea, launched by Papusin 1908, of uniting different traditional orders intoone international federation. Having obtainedthe address of its organiser, one Theodor Reuss(1885-1923), from Matthew McBlain Thompson, aFreemason from Salt Lake City, 2 Harvey SpencerTheodor ReussThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200511

Lewis wrote to him on 28 th December 1920 toask him for a report of the event. Reuss did notrespond until six months later, on 19 th June 1921,and reported to him that, in fact, he would havepreferred to withdraw from the Zürich congressbecause Matthew McBlain Thompson had givenhim a lucrative offer. 3As the successor of John Yarker for the Riteof Memphis-Misraïm and the Ancient and AcceptedScottish Rite of Cerneau Masonry, and as head ofthe Ordo Templis Orientis (O.T.O.), Theodor Reusswas attempting to reorganise the internationalactivities of these three orders. However, hislegitimacy was increasingly questioned 4 and itis likely that after the snub he met with at theZürich congress, he saw in H. Spencer Lewis anew opportunity to extend his influence acrossthe Atlantic. As we saw in a previous article,Theodor Reuss claimed that the O.T.O. was anorder descended from German Rosicrucians ofthe 17 th century. 5 In letters of exchange withHarvey Spencer Lewis, he introduced himself asa Rosicrucian. 6The Imperator, who was not aware of thecomplete nature of the O.T.O., appeared to believehim, for the first few months at least, and offeredto collaborate with him too. How could he havedoubted the sincerity of one who introducedhimself as both the successor of John Yarker anda successor to Papus? To seal their union, Reussoffered him a charter conferring the 33 rd , 90 th and95 th degrees of the Rite of Memphis-Misraïm, andthe VII th for the O.T.O. As the document shows,he made him “an honorary member of our SovereignSanctuary for Switzerland, Germany, Austria andto represent our Sov:. Sanctuary as Gauge of Amitynear the Supreme Council of the A:.M:.O:.R:.C:.at San Francisco (California).” 7 Actually, thiswas only an honorary charter because HarveySpencer Lewis was neither initiated into the Riteof Memphis-Misraïm nor the O.T.O. The purposeof the certificate then was to make him anambassador of the O.T.O. within AMORC, whichthe accompanying correspondence confirmed.The TAWUCThe two tried to create an organisation aimed atoverseeing Rosicrucianism across the world; and soin September 1921, TAWUC (The AMORC WorldUniversal Council) was brought into existence.Harvey Spencer Lewis, nevertheless, seemed tomaintain a certain reservation about TheodorReuss. In articles he published in AMORC’smagazine with regard to the new organisation,he only rarely mentioned his collaborator. Inaddition, their correspondence showed that itwas only after being assured that Theodor Reusswas no longer connected with Aleister Crowley,that he committed himself. 8Harvey Spencer Lewis’ suspicions were toprove accurate because it quickly became obviousthat the objectives of his collaborator were nothis. When Reuss wished to see mention in theconstitution of TAWUC that one of the principalobjectives of the organisation was to “spreadthe sacred Gnostic religion and to put into placedepartments of spiritual instruction, publications ofeconomic politics, social economics…,” the Imperatorbecame concerned and refused to allow thisrequest. Reuss then proposed to discuss the textof the constitution at a convention he was toorganise in Switzerland.From that moment on, the collaborationbetween America and Europe fell apart andHarvey Spencer Lewis started to discern thereal intentions of his correspondent. He realisedthat he had committed himself too quickly andtried to play for time. Sensing the reluctance ofhis contact, Theodor Reuss made new proposalsand suggested that a meeting between Americanand German Rosicrucians be arranged as partof a tourist trip to Oberammergau, the Bavariantown, famous since 1633 for its Passion Plays.The Director of the O.T.O. in fact worked for anoffice that organised these events, and he wantedthe Imperator to attend the one in May 1922,accompanied by five members. Seeing that hiscontact particularly wanted to use AMORC tomake money, Harvey Spencer Lewis distancedhimself.From September 1921, he did not answerany more of Theodor Reuss’ correspondence,except for one last time on 20 th May 1922, andcontact between the two reached an end withoutany real outcome. The project of TAWUC wentunheeded, but it was to excite the imaginationof some historians whose writings were to causemany subsequent misunderstandings. TheodorReuss soon entered into the great silence. Hepassed away “to the Eternal Orient” on 28 thOctober 1923 in Munich. 9The Rose-Croix of FranceHarvey Spencer Lewis was pleased to see his son12The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

Extracts from a letter dated 12 th July 1928 from Camille Savoire toHarvey Spencer Lewis.Ralph Maxwell Lewis become more involvedin the Order’s activities. The latter was electedSupreme Secretary of AMORC in 1924. On theother hand, the development of the organisationmeant that, once again, it had to move to establishits headquarters in Tampa in Florida.During 1925, the brother of the Imperator,Earle R. Lewis, treasurer of the New YorkMetropolitan Opera Company, became acquaintedwith Maurice Jacquet (1886-1954). This Frenchpianist, conductor and composer had been livingin the United States for some time with his wifeAndrée Amalou-Jacquet, a well-known harpist. 10He liked to be called the Duke of Misserini andgave concerts at New York’s Maxime Theatre.Maurice Jacquet was also a Freemason andinterested in Rosicrucianism. 11 For this reason,Earle R. Lewis thought it interesting to puthim in contact with his brother. The Imperatoroffered to meet him at a conference that he was topresent in New York in November 1925. MauriceJacquet informed him that on 21 st November, hewas obliged to be in Chicago for a concert, butindicated at the end of his letter “I am a Rose-Croix.” 12The two ended up meeting all the sameand Maurice Jacquet did not hesitate to show hisenthusiasm in regard to AMORC. During 1926 heoffered to bring the Imperator into contact withthe highest authorities of French Freemasonryand put him in touch with André Mauprey,dramatic author, 33 rd degree Mason and memberof the L’Effort Chapter headed by Firmin Gémier.As we shall see, André Mauprey was to play animportant role in the development of AMORC inFrance.Maurice Jacquet’s wishes were soon to berealised because Harvey Spencer Lewis plannedto go to Europe at this time to clarify this strangebusiness. Rather bizarrely, he received in Januaryof 1926 Theodor Reuss’ letter of invitation fromBasel in Switzerland even though Reuss hadactually died in 1923! The trip also gave himan opportunity to meet the French members ofAMORC who, no doubt, planned to develop theOrder in France. Since May 1926, and thanks toJohn P. Callaghan, a Rosicrucian originally fromMontreal, the Imperator had been in contactwith the president of the Alchemical Society ofFrance, François Jollivet-Castelot. This remarkablecharacter in esotericism had been publishing amagazine devoted to alchemy since 1920, entitledLe Rose-Croix. At the end of May that year, hebecame an honorary member of AMORC. 13The 1926 Journey to FranceUpon his arrival in France on 11 th August1926, Harvey Spencer Lewis met Monsieur andMadame Malherbe, both members of the Order,as well as Charles Lévy, a Freemason, who wasto become Grand Secretary of AMORC for theNorth of France. He also met Firmin Gémier andCamille Savoire (1869-1951). The latter was oneof the highest authorities in French Freemasonry.Grand Commander of the Grand College of Rites,he was attempting to reorganise the activities ofthe Rose-Croix Masonic degree.Excited by everything that could bringpeople together he was interested in Rosicrucianismand showed a particular enthusiasm for AMORC.Following their discussion, a more official meetingwas organised for the month of September. Inthe meantime, Harvey Spencer Lewis touredthe country a little while pursuing his activities.The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200513

He went to Toulouse, where he met ErnestDalmayrac, a member of the Rose-Croix chapterof the L’Encyclopédique Lodge. 14In one of the Imperator’s albums,a photograph of this Tolosan’s house can beseen, with the following inscription: The R:. C:.Headquarter in Toulouse.André Lebey and theLeague of NationsAccording to a report of his trip, Harvey SpencerLewis was to be guided to participate in amysterious conclave in Toulouse. 15 What werethe real activities of the Imperator in this city?It remains difficult to say. As he often did,he mixed personal mystical experiences andreal facts into the same account to veil theexact meaning. Nevertheless, it is possible thatin Toulouse, he attended meetings gatheringinitiates from various backgrounds. In a kind ofinitiatic ecumenism, he often tended to describeFreemasons of the Rose-Croix degree and peoplehaving the same ideals of peace and fraternity ashimself as Rosicrucians.One of the pieces of information givenby him is revealing in this regard. In fact, hepointed out that a number of participants atthe conclave were to be present a week later atthe opening sessions of the League of Nations. 16This world organisation, located in Geneva, andthe predecessor of the current United NationsOrganisation, was founded immediately after the1914-1918 War to watch over the maintenance ofpeace between countries and to avoid a repetitionof such horrors. It is possible that the meeting theImperator talked about was a preliminary sessionheld in the lodge in Toulouse at the end of August1926, before the sitting of the League of Nations inGeneva. In fact, among the many personalitieshe met on his trip to France, we should mentionAndré Lebey (1877-1938), 17 Grand Orator of theGrand College of Rites and one of the Frenchadvocates of the League. 18As well as the preparatory meetings heldin Toulouse, it is possible that Harvey SpencerLewis participated in those organised in Genevaby the leaders of the League of Nations sincehe went to this city as well. Later, in a letteraddressed to the American Consul in Geneva, inresponse to a criticism of one of its opponents, hewas to point out that international conferencesof Rosicrucians and Freemasons were held inGeneva in 1926, at the same time as the autumnsession of the League, and that he himself tookpart in one of these meetings.A Reception at theGrand Orient in ParisAfter his visit to Toulouse, Harvey Spencer Lewisstopped in Nice at the beginning of Septemberto meet André Mauprey, who invited him tospend a few days in his villa at Golfe-Juan.Together they discussed a possible collaborationbetween AMORC and the European DramaticSociety for which the Frenchman was a delegate.The relations between the two were very fraternaland André Mauprey was to become AMORC’sLegate for France.Harvey Spencer Lewis then travelled backto Paris where Camille Savoire invited him to takepart in an unusual meeting on 20 th September inTemple No. 1 of the Grand Orient de France (GrandOrient of France, a Masonic organisation). Theceremony was in Grand Chapter dress, thatis, a workshop reserved to holders of the 18 thdegree, that of the Rose-Croix. The functions weredirected by Camille Savoire, Grand Commanderof the Grand College. André Lebey, GrandOrator, was present as well as Ernest Dalmayrecwho represented the L’Encyclopédique Lodge ofToulouse.As the Bulletin of the Grand Orient pointedout, during the meeting, “the V∴ Ill∴ F∴ SpencerLewis, 33 rd , Imperator of the R∴ C∴ of the UnitedStates in Tampa, Florida, was introduced to the GrandChapter with honours due to his rank. Ceremoniouslyreceived by the Grand Commander who welcomedhim in lofty terms, thanked him for his visit andinvited him to take his place in the East where, by hispresence, he would honour this important occasionuniting the representatives of all the chapters of theFederation.”The Beginnings ofRosicrucianism in FranceBefore returning to the United States, HarveySpencer Lewis continued his meetings in Europe.What was the result of his visit to Basel? Hedoesn’t say, but it seems he met Theodor Reuss’successors because in 1930, the plan they hadconceived together was to be taken up again withHeinrich Tränker. It too ended in an impasse.After his return to Tampa, the Imperatorremained in contact with Camille Savoire since14The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

13. In his letter of 28 th May 1926, François Jollivet-Castelotthanks Harvey Spencer Lewis for the honour done to him.14. Ernest Dalmayrac lived at 3 Rue des Lys. For moredetails about the lodge L’Encyclopédique, one of theoldest Masonic lodges in Toulouse, read Deux sièclesd’histoire de la R:. L:. L’Encyclopédique (1787-1987), acommemorative work published by this lodge in 1987.15. This was published in several episodes in themagazine The Mystic Triangle under the title: “Ourtrip through Europe,” from October to December 1926.16. The Mystic Triangle, December 1926, pp.214-215.17. André Lebey, man of letters using the pseudonym Yebel,was also the Député (Member of Parliament) of Seine-et-Oise from 1917 to 1919. Grand Orator of the Grand Orientin Paris, he was an important member of the AllianceMaçonnique International (AMI) created in Geneva in 1921,after a universal congress of Freemasonry. For a biographyof this humanist, see Denis Lefebvre: André Lebey: Intellectualand Freemason of the III rd Republic, Paris, EDIMAF, 1999.18. On the connection between the League of Nations andFreemasonry, see Georges Ollivier, “La Société des Nations,”in the Revue international des sociétés secrètes, no.6, 15 March1936, pp.177-185. This article reports the interventions ofAndre Lebey in favour of the League of Nations duringa congress held at the Rue Cadet between the 28 thand 30 th June 1916. This meeting attracted Freemasonsfrom Belgium, Italy, Spain, Argentina and France.19. On 22 nd November 1926, Camille Savoire wrote toHarvey Spencer Lewis: “I would firstly like to thank youfor the great honour you did in conferring upon me thehonorary membership of the fraternity of the R:. C:., ofwhich you are the president. I will try my best to acquirethe knowledge and qualities necessary to fulfil the missionthis title imposes.” This letter can be found in AMORC’sarchives, together with those of the various Freemasonscited above, including Gabriel Gouaux, 33 rd andSecretary of the Grand Orient of France or Francis Borrey.20. H. Jaccottet has outlined the biography of Hans Grüterin an article called “Le Dr Hans Grüter, Grand Maîtrerosicrucien” published in two parts in the magazine Rose-Croix, nos. 38 & 39, June and September 1961, pp. 24-28and pp. 19-22. This dentist from Nice became a Rosicrucianin May 1930, thanks to his friend Clément Lebrun, whohad become a member a short time previously. He wasalso a Freemason, of the 31 st degree, and a Martinist.by Paul Goodall, FRCSunlight shines softly down on dappled meadow,Glinting and glistening – dew making, day dawning.Young feet through lush grass glidingwith tapering tails of green through toes unclad, running.Nowhere seen is hoof or horn, ‘cept their shaped impress madeon ground rubbed flat by heavy weight.Young ear hear shrill shriek of lark burst forth from hide,where five jewels lay:the beauty of Creation in fair display waitingfor time to herald their show.Scented air wafts o’er early field, young nose to perceiveas resin aroma breaks from wrinkled trunk of tree.Spring colours cascade across green canvass,scattered by hand of the Eternal Artistto pleasure young eye in yellow and white.Small grey statue, motionless in thought,framed in nature’s drama,sits poised for flight as young heart, beating in delight,advances to the meadow gate.16The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

y James Wilson, FRCHE ROSICRUCIAN TRADITION HASprofound and lingering historical andspiritual connections with AncientEgyptian culture and its mysteryschools. I have been a Rosicrucian for18 years, and it would have been natural, afterall these years, to have felt some deep-rootedpersonal connection with this land…, but I feltnothing of the kind.I had only ever taken a casual interest inits history and traditions. Yet, when Grand Lodgeannounced that they were to organise an initiatictour of the country, I was adamant that I mustgo. Why? The adventurer in me cannot easily letpass an opportunity to travel, this much is true. Itwould have been a welcome break, certainly. Wasthere anything else? The inner desire to go wastoo strong, and I felt there must have been otherreasons. Indeed, there were: I just hadn’t beenable to identify them. My heart simply hadn’tbeen opened to the wonders of this country.Reading about a land and its people,The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200517

its temples and great leaders, its wisdom,achievement and mystery, may prompt anemotional response, though the overriding effectis to satisfy the intellect. The heart however,craves more. It needs the experience of physicallybeing under the blazing, energising Egyptiansun, to feel the heat, to feel the refreshing breezeblowing off the Nile, whispering and enticing.It requires the visual and emotional impact ofseeing up-close, the grandeur of the edifices builtby the ancients and to trace with wonderingfingers, the chiselled grooves of the hieroglyphscarved so many centuries ago. And it cravesthe physical and psychic experience of literallywalking in the footsteps of some of the greatestinitiates that have ever graced this planet. Andso it was there, on Egyptian soil, that my heartbegan to open.From Abu Simbel to Cairo, South to North,as we journeyed onward, I slowly but surelybegan to feel my own being resonate with thetremendous energy of this beautiful and sacredOne craves the physical and psychicexperience of literally walking in thefootsteps of some of the greatest initiatesthat have ever graced this planet.land. We stayed only fifteen days, and yet it feltas though I had been there forever; such was thefeeling of belonging, of feeling welcome, of feelingat one with the very vibrations emanating fromevery pore of the landscape.What did I see upon my journey? Did I seeancient ruins, sad and neglected; old and wornstone that sighed of a paradise lost forever? No, Isaw magnificent structures still imbued with lifeand vitality that a camera could never capture. Isaw structures that murmured gentle promises ofa paradise still to come, and temples so impressivethat they left one spellbound. I saw pyramidsthat were so massive and constructed in such amanner that they left the mind reeling from theapparent impossibility of such human enterprise.I saw a river whose might and power had beendisciplined and yet left me with a feeling that itcould never be fully tamed. Yet, despite its fetters,it continues willingly to feed its people as it hasdone for many thousands of years.I saw these same people who refused to letpoverty weaken their generous spirit, a peoplewhose genuine kindness and warmth shonethrough their perpetual smiles and good humour.I also saw a land of beauty and hospitality, thateven amidst the clamour of modern living, offereda deep tranquillity if one were to merely close theeyes and silence the mind for a short moment.And what did I feel during those fifteendays? I felt exhilaration and excitement at theprospect of waking each day to new sights andsounds and the expectation of new experiences,as any traveller would. But I felt far more thanthis. Standing at the foot of impossibly largecolumns, I felt awe at the magnificence of theseancient architectural wonders and bewildermentat the mysterious techniques that surely musthave been utilised to build on such a grand scale.The meaninglessness and illusion of time dawnedupon me as I stood on the shore of Lake Moerisand witnessed a scene of a time long past.Positioning myself between the great pawsof the Sphinx I felt a tremendous sadness sharedby this eternal watcher of humanity who haswitnessed so much darkness. But I feltsuch thrilling anticipation as I gazed at theentrance to the most amazing constructionon the face of the Earth. Inside the King’sChamber of the Great Pyramid of Khufu,I felt my heart open ever wider enablingme to transcend this feeling of sadness andembrace love and compassion.As we proceeded with our initiationceremony I felt the warmth of the tears on mycheeks, I felt my body vibrating with the joy of it,I felt an overwhelming and all so familiar love formy Rosicrucian brothers and sisters who were allaround me, sharing this experience, here in thisplace at this time, as it was intended, privilegedas I was. Above all I felt an immense gratitude forbeing so honoured; gratitude for Life, the essencethat animates me, for Light, the knowledge andunderstanding that I have been permitted, forLove, the greatest force in the universe.Dear Fratres and Sorores, fellow initiates,my companions on this journey, the people inwhose company I found so much pleasure: Thankyou for allowing me the honour of journeying atyour side.I am home now, in the country that my soulpersonality chose to live in to assist it to advancea little further upon its spiritual path. But there isa little part of me that I have intentionally left inEgypt so that I may one day return to retrieve it.18The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

Part 2by PensatorIn Part 1 of the article, we were introducedto the turbulent world of the lateByzantine Empire, a Christian Empiresurrounded on all sides by enemies, bothChristian and Muslim, yet, at the sametime, undergoing an artistic and spiritualrenaissance. The greatest theologicalcontest of that age was between GregoryPalamas and Barlaam of Calabria, to eachof them the outcome of the contest woulddetermine the future of mankind.ARLAAM OF CALABRIA HADstated that efforts at demonstratingthe nature of God should bedismissed, since God, he believed,is ultimately unknowable andcannot be demonstrated to human beings. Hebecame aware of the Hesychast method ofprayer, and immediately began to criticise their“psychosomatic technique” and the possibility ofmaterial eyes physically beholding the immaterialGod. A dialogue of letters ensued betweenBarlaam and Palamas, with the monk andtheologian Gregory Akindynos acting as a sort ofmediator between Gregory, whom he knew fromMount Athos, and the often fiery and flamboyantcharacter of Barlaam in Constantinople.The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200519

By early spring, 1341, it was clear that thedispute would need to be resolved by a churchsynod. Barlaam, who had already attempted,unsuccessfully, to rouse Patriarch John XIVKalekas to his cause, now demanded that asynod be held in the capital. Gregory agreed andleft for Constantinople, bringing with him severalof his closest friends and disciples, includingthe Emperor Andronikos III, with whom hehad grown up, and who would soon supporthis childhood friend. Palamas arrived at thecapital some seven months after Barlaam, whohad already spent a lot of time and effort inconvincing many of his case. Palamas decided tomake this public, and turned many to his ownview during the spring of that year.Barlaam’s treatises against the views heldby most monks since the time of St. Symeonwere not simply philosophical innovations;they brought to the surface ambiguities andtensions which had existed long before the saint.Palamas understood that Barlaam’s challengeforced the recognition and resolution of attitudesand conceptions which monks and ecclesiasticalauthorities alike preferred to ignore. The natureof eastern Christendom was at issue and perhapsonly Palamas realised how great the riskswere. Barlaam’s critique of mystical practiceswas based upon an Aristotelian view, that allknowledge is derived from sense experience.Given that Dionysius the Areopagite had taughtthat knowledge of God is utterly beyond senseexperience and that he is unknowable, Barlaamargued that mystical illumination could notconstitute knowledge of God. If it had any valueBarlaam’s critique of mystical practiceswas based upon an Aristotelian view,that all knowledge is derived from senseexperience.at all, it was only symbolic and, given whatBarlaam had witnessed of Hesychastic practices,he doubted that there was anything more to itthan psychic indulgence in their “prayers of theheart.”Palamas recognised that Barlaam’sstandpoint was not merely a scholarly stance onan abstruse topic; it challenged the Hesychasticcore of orthodoxy and undermined the conceptfervently taught by St. Symeon. Though PalamasThree pillars of orthodoxy with Gregory Palamas on the left.had warned against contemplative practicesundertaken without knowledgeable guidance, hedefended meditation, reaffirmed the possibilityof direct experience of the Divine, and held thatthe study of Nature was proper but that it couldnever furnish clues to spiritual reality.Although he was opposed to the applicationof philosophical methods to religious issues,Palamas thought out his responses very carefully.He knew that the church could not accept anexclusively sensory conception of knowledgewithout destroying the Hesychastic view. Buthe also saw that the monks had an unclearidea of the concept of “knowledge of God.”He read Barlaam’s works carefully and sawthat Barlaam, the philosophical empiricist,had no experience or firsthand knowledgeof meditation. He confused preliminarytechniques, such as restraining the breath,with the entire practice, and believedthat centring the mind in the heart wasequivalent to binding the soul to the body.Palamas responded by explaining thepurpose of contemplative exercises. “We regard itas evil,” he wrote, “for the mind to be concernedwith mindings of the flesh, and not wrong forthe mind to be in the body, for the body is notevil.” He continued: ”If the soul would makeproper use of the mind, it must be broughtfrom its distraction and diffusion throughout thebody to the condition of prosoche, or attention.”Rosicrucians practise the same thing during their20The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

overall body relaxation exercise. The Hesychastswould sit quietly, counting their breaths andfocussing their attention on the heart, and notthe navel as Barlaam claimed. Only when real“attention” was achieved would the prayer of theheart be efficacious.Having disposed of Barlaam’s misconceptionsregarding the nature of meditation, Palamasfaced the formidable task of clarifying its purposeand result. All individuals of the rightspirit were promised the possibility ofknowledge of God, though few, perhaps,ever sought it and fewer still attained it.The prototype of this experience was theTransfiguration, when Jesus became radiantwith Inner Light before the disciples onMount Tabor. Since God is transcendent, Barlaamhad argued, his Light would not be visible toearthly eyes. The disciples could not have seenthe Divine in the experience on Mount Tabor, andso their vision was symbolic.Palamas was as willing as any Hesychastto draw a sharp distinction between the Creatorand creation, but he rejected an interpretation ofthe Transfiguration that would make deificationnothing more than a symbolic event promisingsome future glory. For Palamas, as for St. Symeon,beholding the Light is the same as beholding theDivine. It is not symbolic in the ordinary sense;it is not even a symbol in the deeper meaning ofthe term used by Maximus the Confessor whenhe said that Christ on the cross is a symbol ofthe human body. Seeing the Light is a directexperience of mystical union: the deified humanSt. Gregory Palamas Cathedral, Thessalonika, Greece.being enters the Divine Presence now in this life,not solely in some post-death period.The Triumph of HesychasmThe Senate, judiciary, bishops and abbots inConstantinople met in a synod under thepresidency of the emperor. Their meeting lastedonly one day, and the vote went in favourof Palamas. During this meeting the EmperorAll individuals of the right spirit werepromised the possibility of knowledgeof God, though few, sought it and fewerattained it.Andronikos III took ill and died four days later.Since his son, John V, was a minor, his wife, theEmpress Anne, became regent. She could notmaintain a balance between the Megas DomestikosJohn Kantakuzenos, who supported Palamas,and the patriarch, who sided with Barlaam.After Kantakuzenos secured imperialapproval of the synod’s decision, he was oustedby the patriarch and a group of aristocrats.Palamas remained loyal to the Empress Anneas regent, but openly condemned the palacecoup. In 1343 the patriarch arrested Palamas oncharges of heresy and, when he refused to changehis views, excommunicated him. Though theempress was afraid that Palamas was a politicaladversary, she respected him as a theologian butfound the patriarch’s arrogance intolerable. WhileJohn Kantakuzenos started a civil war against theempress and her supporters, she plottedagainst the patriarch, who was trying toseize the regency.In 1347 she convened a councilthat deposed the patriarch, and John VIKantakuzenos came to the throne, rulingin the name of John V. Then GregoryPalamas was consecrated archbishopof Thessalonika, and Kantakuzenosappointed a “Palamite” as patriarch,thus inaugurating a tradition that lastedfor many years and ultimately mademonastic spirituality the ecclesiasticalviewpoint. In August a second synodhad to be called; Kantakuzenos chairedit. Again it vindicated Palamas. Civilwar was about to break out between thesupporters of Kantakuzenos, and theThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200521

patriarch and the widowed empress over whoshould be regent for the young John V.In July 1351 a final synod was held in theBlachernai Palace in Constantinople presidedover by John VI Kantakuzenos as co- and senioremperor. Once and for all it declared thatPalamas’ doctrine was fully in keeping with theteachings and traditions of the church. Palamashad won his case with the Orthodox Churchand Hesychasm was formally adopted into theOrthodox theology.When John VI Kantakuzenos abdicatedin favour of John V in 1354, he was already arevered religious authority and continued tobe treated as an elder statesman. He becamea monk and retired to join his son at Mistra inthe Morea. The Morea is now known as thePeloponnese in southern Greece, and Mistra willbe the subject of a future Beacon article about itsinfluence on the Italian Renaissance. When theempire collapsed in 1453, the church was largelyunaffected and Byzantine civilisation continuedto exert a powerful influence through it.ExodosAs Archbishop, Gregory Palamas was well likedin Thessalonika, for he fought social injusticesof every kind, including the burdens imposedfrom the capital. Once when travelling toConstantinople to appeal to the emperor, he wasa passenger on a ship which was captured bythe Turks. He spent a year in pleasant captivity,debating religious views with the son of EmirOrkhan in the hope that “a day will soon comewhen we will be able to understand each other.”Though a loyal citizen of Byzantium, Palamasclearly distinguished between the Byzantinechurch, whose truths he considered eternal, andthe Byzantine state, which was temporal. Whenhe was released, he returned to Thessalonika,where this Master of Orthodox Mysticism diedon 27 th November 1359. Nine years later, in 1368,Palamas was canonised a saint by the PatriarchPhilotheos, his friend and former disciple, andto the present day in Thessalonika, is veneratedsecond only to Demetrios, patron saint of thecity.“When the body is purified, the mind focussedand the soul filled with love, the whole individual ismade one with divine action and knows God superrationally.This is possible because ‘the essence of themind is one thing and its activity another. The mind isnot like the eye, which sees all visible things but doesnot see itself.’ The mind can see itself, and when itbecomes wholly attuned to God, it becomes the divineenergy and beholds it as Light within itself.”BibliographyA Biographical Dictionary of the Byzantine Empire by Donald M.Nicol - ISBN: 1-85264-048-0.Byzantium by Deno John Geanakoplos - ISBN: 0-226-28461-1.Byzantium, An Introduction by Philip Whitting - ISBN: 0-631-12490-X.History of the Byzantine State by George Ostrogorsky - ISBN:0-631-12782-8.Imperial Twilight by Constance Head - ISBN: 0-88229-368-0.St. Gregory Palamas and Orthodox Spirituality by JohnMeyendorff - ISBN: 0-913836-11-7.The Last Centuries of Byzantium by Donald M. Nicol - ISBN:0-246-10559-3.The Reluctant Emperor by Donald M. Nicol - ISBN: 0-521-55256-7.We ought not to be ashamed of appreciatingthe truth, and of acquiring it wherever itcomes from, even if it comes from racesdistant and nations different from us. Forthe seeker of truth, nothing takes precedenceover the truth.-- al-Kindi (805-873)22The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

Archbishop Gregg referred to George William Russell (1867-1935) - known to so manypeople as A.E. - as “that myriad-mind man.” It is therefore not surprising that differentpeople remember him for various aspects of his work; as poet, mystic, playwright,evangelist for the co-operative movement, journalist, editor, critic and artist. Russelltaught what we would call creative visualisation and believed that the creative powers ofimagination could become a passport to other worlds. W. B. Yeats said of AE that he was:“the most spiritual and subtle poet of his generation, and a visionary who mayfind some room beside Swedenborg and Blake.” He was born in Lurgan, CountyArmagh. This extract is from his “The Candle of Vision” (1918).by George William RussellHEN I WAS YOUNG I HAUNTEDthe mountains a lot, finding in thehigh air that vision became richerand more luminous. There, I havewatched for hours the shining landscapeand figures in endless procession, tryingto discover in these some significance other thanmere beauty.Once on the hillside I seemed to slipfrom today into some remote yesterday of earth.There was the same valley below me, but now itwas deepening into evening and the skies weretowering up through one blue heaven to another.There was a battle in the valley and men reeleddarkly here and there. I remember one warriorabout whom the battle was thickest, for a silverThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200523

“Sometimes I even speculate on a world interpenetrating ours whereanother sun is glowing.”star flickered above his helmet through the dusk.But this I soon forgot for I was impelled to lookupwards and there above me was an airshipglittering with light.It halted above the valley while a man,grey-bearded, very majestic, his robes all starredand jewelled, bent over and looked down uponthe battle. The pause was but for an instant, andthen the lights flashed more brilliantly, someluminous mist was jetted upon the air from manytubes below the boat, and it soared and passedWere they images of things yet to be in theworld, begotten in that eternal mind wherepast, present and future co-exist?beyond the mountain, and it was followed byanother and yet others, all glittering with lights,and they climbed the air over the hill and weresoon lost amid the other lights of heaven.It must be some twenty-five years nowsince I saw this vision which I remember clearlybecause I painted the ship. And it must, I think,be about five or six years after this, that a secondvision in the same series startled me. I was againon the high places, and this time the apparition inthe mystical air was so close that if I could havestretched out a hand from this world to that, Icould surely have clutched the aerial voyager asit swept by me. A young man was steering theboat, his black hair blown back from his brows,his face pale and resolute, his head bent, his eyesintent on his wheel; and beside him sat awoman, a rose-coloured shawl speckledwith golden threads over her head,around her shoulders, across her bosomand folded arms. Her face was proud asa queen’s, and I long remembered thatface for its pride, stillness and beauty. Ithought at the moment it was some imagein the eternal memory of civilisationmore remote than Atlantis, and I criedout in my heart in a passion of regret forromance passed away from the world,not knowing that the world’s great agewas again returning and that soon wewere to swim once more beneath the epicskies.After that at different times andplaces I saw other such aerial wanderers,and this I noted, that all such visionshad a character in keeping with each other, thatthey were never mixed up with modernity, thatthey had the peculiarities by which we recognisecivilisations as distinct from each other, Chinesefrom Greek or Egyptian from Hindu. They werethe stuff out of which romance is made, and if I hadbeen a storyteller like our great Standish O’GradyI might have made without questioning a wondertale of the air, legendary or futurist. But I havealways had as much of the philosophic as theartistic interest in what people call imagination,and I have thought that many artists andpoets gave to art or romance what wouldhave had an equal if not a greater interestas psychology.I began to ask myself where in thethree times or in what realm of space theseships were launched. Was it ages ago in someactual workshop in an extinct civilisation, and“After that at different times I saw other such aerial wanderers...”24The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

were these but images in theeternal memory? Or werethey launched by my ownspirit from some magicalarsenal of being, and, if so,with what intent? Or werethey images of things yetto be in the world, begottenin that eternal mind wherepast, present and future coexist,and from which theystray into the imagination ofscientist, engineer or poet tobe out-realised in discovery,mechanism or song?I find it impossibleto decide. Sometimes Ieven speculate on a worldinterpenetrating ours whereanother sun is glowing, andother stars are shining overother woods, mountains,rivers and another race ofbeings. And I know not why it should not beso. We are forced into such speculations whenwe become certain that no power in us of whichwe are conscious, is concerned in the creationof such visionary forms. If these ships werelaunched so marvellously upon the visionary airby some transcendent artisan of the spirit, theymust have been built for some purpose and forwhat?I was not an engineer intent on flight,but this is, I think, notable that at the momentThis impression of knowledge might indicatesome complicity of the subconscious mindwith the vision, which startles the eye.of vision, I seemed to myself to understandthe mechanism of these airships, and I felt, if Icould have stepped out of this century into thatvisionary barque, I could have taken the wheeland steered it confidently on to its destiny. I knewthat the closing of a tube at one side of the bowwould force the ship to steer in that direction,because the force jetted from the parallel tube onthe other side, no longer balanced by an equalemission of power, operated to bring aboutthe change.There is an interest in speculating about“I seemed to myself to understand the mechanism of these airships."this impression of knowledge for it mightindicate some complicity of the subconsciousmind with the vision, which startles the eye.That knowledge may have been poured on theone while seeing was granted to the other. Ifthe vision was imagination, that is if the airshipwas launched from my own spirit, I must havebeen in council with the architect, perhaps indeep sleep. If I suppose it was imagination I amjustified in trying by every means to reach withfull consciousness to the arsenal where suchwonders are wrought. I cannot be contentto accept it as imagination and not try tomeet the architect. As for these visions ofairships and for many others, I have beenunable to place them even speculatively inany world or any century, and it must be sowith the imaginations of many other people. But Ithink that when we begin speculation about thesethings it is the beginning of our awakening fromthe dream of life.I have suggested that images of thingsto be may come into our sphere out of a beingwhere time does not exist. I have had myself nodefinite proof as yet that any vision I saw wasprophetic, and only one which suggested itselfas such to me, and this was so remarkable that Iput it on record, because if it was prophetic, itssignificance may become apparent later on.The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200525

A Brief Historyby Ukio George Yorioka, FRCN 1962, IMPERATOR OF AMORC RALPHM. Lewis, came to Tokyo to meetEnglish-language members living inJapan. During the meeting, he sharedwith us his wish to establish a GrandLodge in Japan, and soon after, he appointed meand two others as Grand Lodge directors in chargeof preparing for the establishment of an eventualJapanese Grand Lodge. The original Charter of theGrand Lodge is dated 25 th May 1962.However, because of extreme difficultiesencountered in having our Grand Lodge officiallyapproved by the Japanese government (as therewas no law covering our type of organisation),it was impossible to actually establish the GrandLodge for many years. We received letters fromthe Imperator time and again, asking us aboutthe status of the Grand Lodge, and the thenSupreme Secretary Arthur Piepenbrink even cameto Tokyo to check on the status of the establishmentpreparations.Grand Lodge EstablishedThen in 1976, Frater Alden Holloway came toTokyo to finally decide whether it was possibleto actually establish the Grand Lodge. Aftercareful investigation, he found that because of theextremely high cost of renting an office, difficultyin finding someone to undertake the translationof monographs, and someone to take care of theGrand Lodge office work, he decided that it wasimpossible to establish the Grand Lodge in Japanand he was returning to San Jose to report thisdecision to the Imperator.I then decided to give Frater Holloway asayonara sukiyaki party in my home. During thisdinner, it miraculously happened that my wifeSetsuko offered to work as the office manager,although she had never worked other than as ahousewife. She also agreed that our home couldbe used as the Grand Lodge office. As a result, Ialso agreed to take on the translation work, eventhough I was already extremely busy with my ownwork as a consulting engineer. All of a suddenthen, all immediate problems were behind us andwe could actually establish the Grand Lodge atlast, at least as a nin-i-dantai organisation, namely,an organisation similar to a club which does notrequire a government permit to operate.Afterwards Frater Holloway and I went to26The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

the Daiichi Kangyo Bank to open an account inthe name of the Grand Lodge of Japan, AMORC,and he deposited an amount in the account tocover our start-up expenses. This constituted thefirst concrete step in the establishment process.So we can consider December 1976 as the actualestablishment date of the Grand Lodge. However,I encountered a shocking refusal to accept ourpaid advertisements in magazines by the JapanMagazine Advertisement Association, because ofthe general opinion among Japanese at that timethat the Rosicrucian Order was a dangerous occultorganisation! To some extent, this public persiststo this day and we are continually fighting hardwith repeated public relations activities.After much explanation with variousadvertising examples from other countries thatwere sent to us by the Supreme Grand Lodge, Isucceeded in having our ads accepted in somemagazines. At long last we began to get members,and could start mailing the monographs. This wasin July 1977, and we may consider this time as thereal establishment date when we commenced ourGrand Lodge operations.Installation as Grand MasterIn 1978, during a World Convention, the Imperatorinstalled me as Grand Master of the JapaneseLanguage Jurisdiction, and I have been the GrandMaster ever since. We enjoyed a very good startand buoyed up by the “economic bubble” thatfollowed, we eventually reached the maximumactive membership of around 1,800 members.However, with the burst of this “bubble” and theacute and prolonged recession that followed, ouractive membership declined drastically despiteour best efforts to retain members.This decline was quickened by the infamousand dangerous activities of the “Aum Shin Rikyu”religious cult and the subway gassings. The publicin general became afraid of all religious or mysticalorganisations. We organised various public lectureseries and even short-wave radio programmes,which at least served to put a brake on the declinein membership.I became aware of the fact that we must haveour own building to house the Grand Temple andthe Grand Lodge office in order to really bolsterthe membership. I decided to rebuild my homeand construct the “AMORC Building.” I had beenpostponing this rebuilding ever since my wifeSetsuko passed through the great transition in1992, and I established the Grand Lodge. Since weonly have a small membership and constructioncosts are very high in Japan, we could not hopeto have our members donate sufficient money.With the probability that this may have causedmore members to leave us, I decided that it wouldbe best to finance the construction myself,inasmuch as I had the money for it that I hadbeen investing ever since I postponed therebuilding of our home.As earthquakes occur frequently inJapan, and most private homes are woodenhouses, I decided to build the AMORCBuilding as a steel structure with fireproofwalls. On the ground floor, the front two-thirdshave been designed for the Grand Lodge officespace, with the rear one-third as my privatequarters. The first floor houses the RosicrucianTemple and two anterooms, which are usedfor meetings, forums and slide-shows. TheTemple Consecration Ritual was conductedon 5 th May 2002, under the leadership ofImperator Christian Bernard, with me assisting.The Imperator placed the Golden Orb on theShekinah, which then became the symbol ofconsecration.Today, the Japanese Grand Lodge hasAffiliated Bodies in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Nagoya,Osaka, Sapporo, Sendai and Shizuoka.The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200527

y James McTear, FRCThe eminent Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961), felt that the subconscious mind that he calledthe “collective unconscious” was equal in importancewith the objective and subjective consciousness ofthe individual. He taught that Westerners did notneed to turn to the Eastern heritage for numinous ordeeply-moving mystical symbols, for we have a largelyuntapped Hermetic tradition of our own. He maintainedthat there are psychological meanings behind Hermeticphilosophy.ARL GUSTAV JUNG WAS BORN26 th July, 1875, in the small Swiss villageof Kessewil. His father was Paul Jung,a country parson, and his mother wasEmilie Preiswerk Jung. He was surrounded by afairly well educated and extended family, includingseveral clergymen and some eccentrics as well.Jung’s father started him on Latin whenhe was six years old, beginning a long interestin language and literature, especially ancientliterature. Besides most modern western Europeanlanguages, he could read several ancient ones,including Sanskrit, the language of the originalHindu holy books.Jung was a rather solitary adolescent, whodidn’t care much for school, and especially couldn’ttake competition. He went to boarding school inBasel in Switzerland, where he found himself theobject of a lot of jealous harassment. He began to usesickness as an excuse, developing an embarrassingtendency to faint under pressure.Although his first career choice wasarchaeology, he went on to study medicine at theUniversity of Basel. While working under thefamous neurologist Krafft-Ebing, he settled onpsychiatry as his career.The Professor’s StoneNever can it be said that the introverted Jung was ata loss for words; because of his extroverted writingabilities he is in danger of becoming a glorifiedspiritual phenomenon. However, the point willthen have been missed; Jung was all too human.“I am just a culture-coolie,” he once mused, derivingpleasure from growing his own potatoes. Some callhim a “fallible, rigid old man.” He called himself“no philosopher, no sociologist; I am a medical man, Ideal with facts.” But occasionally Jung’s foot was inhis mouth, as one example in his book Memories,Dreams, Reflections demonstrates; about the timehe inadvertently blurted out an unknown dinnerpartner’s dark secret!At university he was known as a verymerry “Carl the barrel” by his school and drinkingcompanions, always prepared to revolt againstthe “League of Virtue,” as he called the organised28The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

fraternity brothers. Jung was by choice an outsider.It must have been difficult being, for nine years, theonly child of a Lutheran minister. Especially whenyou didn’t dare blurt out your own darkest secret!Orthodox religion held little meaning for a youngboy emerging from “the mist” into a consciousdichotomy within himself. He would have foundsolace in Job: “Though I wash myself with snowwater…yet shalt though plunge me in the mire.” “Youalways want to think,” Jung’s father often chided.His fascination with stones began around theage of nine when a jutting stone in the old gardenwall became his stone. For hours he would pursuean imaginary game: “I am sitting on top of this stoneand it is underneath.” But then the stone also couldsay “I” and think: “I am lying here on this slope and heis sitting on top of me.” The question then arose: “AmI the one who is sitting on the stone, or am I the stone onwhich he is sitting?”At the age of ten, he fashioned a manikinto whom he gave his second treasured stone; anoblong blackish one from the Rhine, long carried inhis trouser pocket. Jung’s relationship to the gardenstone and the dual-painted pebble, along with itsmanikin owner, became his great secret and comfortduring his doubt-filled childhood. But there wasno doubt that the other in him was the timeless,imperishable stone.In his early seventies, Jung unexpectedlyfound his third stone. The “Confession of Faith inStone” was what Jung called his tower; the househe built for himself with his own hands at Bollingenon Lake Zürich. Over the years, as he began to feelthat the house was incomplete, he would add roomsand courtyards and even an upper storey. Bollingenwas always the place where Jung said he feltmost deeply about himself. Instead of an expectedtriangular cornerstone, which he explicitly orderedfor his garden wall, the quarryman delivered in itsplace a perfect cube of much larger dimensions.The furious mason rejected this unfit stone, butJung exclaimed: “No, that is my stone. I must haveit!”At first uncertain, he then carved on twofaces what seems to be “coincidental” alchemicalmottos immortalising his earlier stones; he thenallowed the third face of the cube to dictate foritself. Feeling finished, Jung dedicated the stone butthen began to wonder what lay behind his impulseto carve it. After all, there was that unseen fourthside still uncarved. It makes us wonder if there isyet another stone; one whose mark the fourth facewill carry; one that a philosopher might redeem asthe stone?The Fisherman of the Psyche“Water is a favourite symbol of the unconscious.”From youth, Jung felt that he must live near a lake.The broad expanse of Lake Constance glisteningin the sunlight filled his earliest memories withinconceivable pleasure, yet the muted roar of theRhine-falls, within the forest, filled him with vaguefears of a night fraught with dangers.Water is an ancient symbol for The Mothers:Nourishing Goodness, Passion and StygianDepths. Instinctively, the Child in Carl Jungdevised rituals and thereby built walls that keptback the dark world of water where “one canbecome lost in oneself.” Later, he was to say thatthe reintegration of Persona (mask) and Shadow(personal subjectivity) bolstered the conscious partof man enabling him to safely “fish” in the stygiandepths of the subconscious for the living creaturesthat soon loom up: “fishes, presumably, harmlessdwellers of the deep; harmless if only the lake were nothaunted.”The mermaid is part of the triune Anima(sorceress, maiden and spiritual mother). Togetherthese form soul or discriminating knowledge. “Ifthe encounter with the Shadow is the apprentice-piecein the individual’s development, then that with theanima is the masterpiece.” The Anima or life-breath isambiguous and mysterious. Like “Sleeping Beauty,”The encounter with the shadow within psychic processes -a drawing from the “Red Book.” (Wehr, 1989).The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200529

she must be caught and artfully brought to life bythe Magician who is both her son and father. Jungreflected that the alchemical treatise, the RosariumPhilosophorum, adds: “life is soul, that is, oiland water.” The curious idea that breath-soulis oil and water, derives from the dual natureof Mercurius.Jung’s own vision of his Anima whilein the mausoleum of the Roman Empress GallaPlacidia in Ravenna was one of the more curiousevents in his life. Later, when someone objectedthat the majority of his disciples were women,Jung jested: “What’s to be done? Psychology is after allthe science of soul, and it is not my fault if the soul is awoman!”Although to the ancients the Anima appearedas either goddess or witch, beyond this moralconflict lays a promise of secret knowledge, hiddenwisdom; for she is a fountain angel of light whopoints the way to the meaning behind Merlin thewizard.The Wizard of Bollingen“With the Devil’s grandmother for a mother, and theDevil for a father, how does one get to be the good Lord’schild?” Professor Jung often inserted paradox oranecdote while indirectly instructing his audience.Jung’s stone with its alchemical mottos stillstands outside the tower at Bollingen, silentlyexpressing Merlin’s life in the forest, after exilefrom the world. Merlin, according to Jung, was anattempt by the medieval unconscious to create adark brother for the Christian hero, the redeemedParzival. The legendary Merlin, son of deviland pure virgin, could not be understood andinterpreted, and so remains unredeemed today.“Merlin’s secret was carried on by alchemy, primarily inthe figure of Mercurius or Hermes.”Always Jung felt that he was in theunknowable “presence” of inherited possibilitiescalled archetypes, the invisible order of the psychethat our conscious mind “clothes” in changingempirical images or symbols that fill us with awe,as though we were meeting the Other in ourselves.“God is a circle whose centre is everywhere and whosecircumference is nowhere.”Admitting fear, Jung never gave way to devilor god; he simply waited to understand. Often itis an impossible problem not to project the darkforces: the passionate, primitive, chthonic nature.If we face our fear, and seek within ourselves, thenthe instinctive, age-old unforgotten wisdom of theOld Man, the Ancient One, might speak, helping usto adapt to our personal dilemmas. The Old Manappears in Faust as the Cabiros, the beautiful waterMan should concentrate on self-knowledgeand then live in accordance to the truthabout himself.child, or as the Cabiri, the “original men” who are“little in length/mighty in strength.”“Apart from his cleverness, wisdom and insight,”says Jung, “the Old Man is notable for his moralqualities.” The Child or Ancient One can best beheard by he who stands apart, even along theinward path.Jung never considered himself a mystic, onlyan empirical psychologist, an intuitive thinker whoreserved his opinions. Always a loner, he stoodapart from the collective viewpoints of his own era.“Don’t you know,” he quipped, “that if you chooseone hundred of the most intelligent people in the worldand get them all together, they are a mob? Ten thousandtogether would have the collective intelligence of analligator.”Carl Gustav Jung’s pungent, witty humourwill touch the soul and spirit of other loners who’llagree with him that: “Man should live accordingto his own nature; he should concentrate on selfknowledgeand then live in accordance to the truthabout himself. What would you say about a tigerwho was a vegetarian?”Jung once told the fine old story about astudent who came to a rabbi and said, “In the oldendays there were men who saw the face of God. Why don’tthey any more?” The rabbi replied, “Because nowadaysno-one can stoop so low.” Jung knowingly concluded“that one must stoop a little in order to fetch water fromthe stream.”In other words, when we allow our objectiveand subjective consciousness to become exaltedover the subconscious mind, we cut ourselves offfrom the source of inspiration; we turn away andcan no longer see the face of God within.The First World War was a painful period ofself-examination for Jung. It was however, also thebeginning of one of the most interesting theories ofpersonality the world has ever seen. After the war,he travelled widely, visiting, for example, tribalpeoples in Africa, America and India. He retiredin 1946 and began to retreat from public attentionafter his wife died in 1955. He passed throughtransition on 6 th June, 1961, in Zürich.30The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

y Bill Anderson, FRCN NORTHERN ARIZONA, LATEDecember and the winter solstice bringsthe opening of the Kachina season.I have been fortunate to havevisited Arizona in the southwest ofthe United States a few times. On one occasionI decided to go to the Hopi Native Americanreservation. After the drive to the top of SecondMesa, a flat-topped mountain, I was rewarded witha marvellous view of the mystical San FranciscoPeaks far to the west. I had seen them previouslyfrom the north, west and south. Each time I had seteyes on them I felt drawn to them; I felt somethingdeeply sacred about these three volcanic peaksrising out of the Colorado Plateau, south of theGrand Canyon and north of Flagstaff. The threemain ones making up San Francisco Peak arecalled Humphrey Peak (11,940 feet), Agassiz PeakThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200531

San Francisco Peaks(12,300 feet) and Fremont Peak (11,940 feet).Sacred MountainsRising from the ponderosa forest floor, thespectacular San Francisco Peaks consist of multipleforest and alpine life zones, and are home to avariety of wildlife. From as far as 100 miles away,you can see Humphrey Peak, the highest point inArizona.San Francisco Peak, located immediatelynorth of Flagstaff, is the Navajo’s SacredMountain of the West Doko’oo’sliid, “ShiningOn Top.” It is a key boundary marker anda place where medicine men collect herbsfor healing ceremonies The Navajos believethat San Francisco Peak marks the tribe’srightful western boundary. Their mythology tellsthat this natural feature was adorned with Diichilí,Abalone Shell, Black Clouds, Male Rain, and allanimals, besides being the home of Haashch’éélt’i’í(Talking God), Naada’algaii ‘Ashkii(White Corn Boy), and Naadá ‘Altsoii‘At’ééd (Yellow Corn Girl). TheNavajo believe these peaks have thepower to heal both mind and body.The peaks are sacred to some13 tribes. To the Hopi, the peaksare Nuvatukaovi, “The place of snowon the very top,” home for half ofthe year to the ancestral Kachina orKatsina spirits who live among theclouds around the summit. Whenproperly honoured through song andceremony, the Kachinas bring gentlerains to thirsty corn plants, andare looked upon with awe andreverence. They are consideredto be the special guardians of theHopi people and their way of life,and the peaks where they liveare considered to be one of the“sacred places where the Earthbrushes up against the unseenworld.”The KachinaTo the Hopi of northern Arizona,it is essential to preserve harmonywith the world around them.Kachinas are supernaturalbeings, manifesting as messengersfrom the spiritual world. They arefriends and visitors to the Hopi people, who bringthem gifts and food. Upon returning to their homesthey are prayed to for a prosperous life, bountifulharvest, rain and good health. They are believed tobe the spirits of good people, who have once liveda good life, and have returned in various Kachinamanifestations. They are not gods, as some peoplethink. The Hopi do not worship the Kachinas.They treat them as friends or partners who areinterested in Hopi welfare. It is not easy to interactThe Kachinas bring gentle rains to thirstycorn plants, and are looked upon with aweand reverence.with the Kachinas in their insubstantial form,so people dress up and imitate them. Throughpaint, symbols, actions and costumes, they givesubstance to the immaterial, becoming, in theprocess, intermediaries between thetwo halves of the Hopi world. TheHopi men who wear Kachina masksin dance and ritual are believed to beinvested by a specific Kachina spirit.In this condition of being part humanand part Kachina, the needs of theHopi for rain, corn or game animalscan be more clearly communicated.The Kachinas representvarious beings, from animals toclouds and are believed to be insome form of hierarchy. These arethe chief Kachinas; Eototo and Aholi.32The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

He-e-e is the female leader of the Warrior MaidenKachinas. In these warrior Kachinas there are alsoleaders to lead them; Ewizro is one of them. Ewizroonly appears in Kachina day dances, a ritual forclowns, along with other warrior Kachinas. SomeKachinas bring messages, such as co-operating,behaviour of individuals and the consequences oftheir actions.There may be over two hundred and fiftyKachinas known to the Hopi. They appear onthe Hopi Mesas on a seasonal basis, starting fromDecember through to July. On Third Mesa, Qoqoleis the first to arrive in December to “open” upthe kivas (see below) for more Kachinas to come.They bring with them their comical behaviour andcrops from the past harvest. The Kachina cyclethen begins anew. Soon after, night dances arefollowed, starting from January through to March.Kachina day dances are held from March throughto July, ending with the Niman or Home dance.The Kachinas then return to their homes at the SanFrancisco Peaks.SoyalThe six-month period between December andJuly is when the Kachinas are physically presentin the pueblos (villages). The first main ceremonyis the Soyal in December, which celebrates thereturn of the sun (winter solstice) and the returnof the Kachinas to the village from their home inthe mountains. The Kachina season begins with aritual opening of the kivas. These are undergroundceremonial chambers that are believed to beentryways to the Spirit or Underworld. Once theway is opened, the Kachinas will come and gofrom the kivas until the path is closed to themtoward the end of July. Within the span of timethat they are present, the Kachinas will help renewthe world and ready it for the coming season ofgrowth. They bring discipline to some and givedirection in all proper behaviour, but their greatestgift is in bringing happiness, good health and life.The kivas are opened by the Soyal Kachina,coming from the Kachina shrine in the east. He isthe first Kachina to appear, in his turquoise maskand white robe. Having arrived in the village hemakes four stops at specially designated places.Then he returns to the Kachina Shrine. The nextday, the frightening Mastop Kachina appears, afigure completely clothed in black with three whitestars on either side of his black helmet, signifyingthe three stars of Orion’s belt. The following day, inan air of portentous silence, solemnity and secrecy,Soyal proper begins.Soyal is a solstice purification and renewalcelebration of the return of life that begins on thenew moon before the shortest day of the year. Themajor rites that occur approximately eight daysbefore the solstice include a celebration of creationand rebirth. A failed mock attack is made againstthe holder of the sun shield. This represents thesun’s victory over winter’s darkness. The Hopipeople are said to be “dedicated to giving aid anddirection to the sun which is ready to return and givestrength to budding life.” The Soyal month lasts for20 days and includes “paho or prayerstick-making,purification rituals and a concluding rabbit hunt,feast and blessing.”Soyal symbolises the second phase ofCreation at the dawn of life. It accepts and confirmsthe pattern of life-development for the comingyear. It is often called Soyálangwul, “Establishinglife anew for all the world.” This ceremony helpsto turn the sun back toward its summer path andimplements the life plan for the year. Activitiestake place in the kivas and include reverent silence,fasting and humility and eating of sacred foodsto achieve spiritual focus. Paho or prayer feathersare prepared by the men for every purpose andplaced in homes, villages and around the ancestralhomeland in shrine sites.With Soyal successfully completed, the earthitself is renewed.BibliographyBook of the Hopi by Frank Waters, ISBN: 0-14-00.4527-9.Hopi Kachinas by Barton Wright, ISBN: 0-87358-161-X.“Hopi Cycle of the Year” from the website www.crossingworlds.com.Masked Gods by Frank Waters, ISBN: 0-8040-0641-5Pueblo Indian Religion by Elsie Clews Parsons, ISBN: 0-8032-8735-6.The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200533

AnonymousT WAS A BITTERLY COLD EVENING.The old man’s beard was glazed byfrost while he waited for a ride acrossthe frozen river. The wait seemedendless and his body became numband stiff from the frigid north wind.Eventually he heard the faint, steadyrhythm of approaching hooves galloping alongthe frozen path. Anxiously he watched asseveral horsemen rounded the bend. He letthe first one pass by without even looking up.Then another passed by... and another. Finally,as the last rider neared the spot where the oldman sat like a snow statue, the old man raisedhis arm slightly and caught the rider’s eye: “Sir,would you mind giving an old man a ride across theriver?”Reining in his horse, the rider replied: “Ofcourse I will old man, you’ll freeze to death here.”Seeing he was unable to lift his half-frozenbody from the ground, the rider dismountedand helped the old man onto the horse. He feltso much sympathy for him that he decided totake him not just across the river, but to hisdestination, which was several miles beyondthe river’s edge.As they neared the tiny but cosy cottage,the horseman’s curiosity got the better of himand he said: “I noticed sir, that you let severalother riders pass by without attempting to hailthem. But when I came up, you immediately askedme for help. I’m curious to know why, on such abitter winter night, you would risk waiting till thevery last rider before requesting assistance. What ifI had refused and just left you there?”The old man slowly lowered himselffrom the horse, looked the rider straight inthe eyes, and replied: “I’ve lived a long timeand I think I know the hearts of people prettywell. I looked into the eyes of the other riders andimmediately saw that none of them had the slightestconcern for my plight. It would have been uselesseven to ask them for help. But when I looked intoyour eyes, kindness and compassion were evident. Iknew then and there, that your gentle spirit wouldwelcome the opportunity to give of yourself to aperson in need.”Deeply touched, the horseman replied:“I’m most grateful for what you have said. I praythat I shall never become too busy in my affairs thatI fail to respond to the needs of others with kindnessand compassion.”34The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

y Nobilis“Even so it is, my son, when a man is born again, it is nolonger a body of three dimensions that he perceives, butthe incorporeal.”(Hermes to Tat in Libellus XIII, Treatise on Rebirth)HE EXTRACT BEING PRESENTEDbelow is from the eleventh libellus(treatise) of the Corpus Hermeticum. Itis part of a discourse given to Hermesby Nous (Mind). The underlying thrustof this body of writing concerns essentiallyidentifying oneself with the experience of theancient student, Hermes Trismegistos, of whomthese writings are named after, and therebyacquiring a certain gnosis or experientialknowledge of the spirit.The goal of the Rosicrucian student inattaining “mastery of self” aligns with thishermetic process and is embodied in the term“know thyself” inscribed above the portal of thetemple at Delphi in ancient Greece. The selectionThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200535

elow encapsulates, in part, essentially whatis at the heart of the Rosicrucian teachings; thepractice of knowing God. To comprehend Godfully, one must ultimately become one with theCreator. This transformation of one’s inner selfor soul personality does not occur overnight andwill require several periods or lives on Earth inorder to achieve illumination.The important consideration for theRosicrucian student today, as in the past, is tounderstand the potential each one of us has toattain this mastery of life. Through the wisdomof Hermes we understand that nous is the mindof God and the mind of man is part of that.Consider also that everything that exists is athought within the mind of God. On the path ofspiritual knowledge we are reborn to an innerconviction and understanding of our relationshipto God, and by the energy of nous we can come tothat vision of original man in his pristine state.The natural world has long been regardedthroughout history as a Book (the Book of Nature)by which one could approach and apprehendGod. The extract below is an example of thisand adopts the method of assumption by thepower of the imagination to identity with theCosmic. The ancients believed that like attractedlike, and this defines the method given. To makeit perfectly clear to those who are embarkingon the initiatory path, this is not an instructionto become a veritable god among men. It is amethod to be exercised in order to approach Godand bring one closer to the Rosicrucian ideal ofthe “mastery of self.”If then, you do not make yourselfequal to God, you cannot apprehend God; forlike is known by like. Leap clear of all that iscorporeal [by using your imagination], andmake yourself grow to a like expanse withthat greatness which is beyond all measure;rise above all time, and become eternal; thenyou will apprehend God. Think that for youtoo nothing is impossible; deem that you tooare immortal, and that you are able to graspall things in your thought, to know everycraft and every science; find your home inthe haunts of every living creature; makeyourself higher than all heights, and lowerthan all depths; bring together in yourself allopposites of quality, heat and cold, drynessand fluidity; think that you are everywhereat once, on land, at sea, in heaven; think thatyou are not yet begotten, that you are in the womb,that you are young, that you are old, that you havedied, that you are in the world beyond the grave; graspin your thought all this at once, all times and places,all substances and qualities and magnitudes together;then you can apprehend God. But if you shut up yoursoul in your body [or fail to use your imagination],and abase yourself, and say ‘I know nothing, I can donothing; I am afraid of earth and sea, I cannot mountto heaven; I know not what I was, nor what I shall be,’then, what have you to do with God? Your thought cangrasp nothing beautiful and good, if you cleave to thebody, and are evil.For it is the height of evil not to know God;but to be capable of knowing God, and to wish andhope to know him, is the road which leads straight tothe Good; and it is an easy road to travel. EverywhereGod will come to meet you, everywhere he will appearto you, at places and times at which you look not forit, in your waking hours and in your sleep, when youare journeying by water and by land, in the night-timeand in the day-time, when you are speaking and whenyou are silent; for there is nothing in which God is not.And do you say ‘God is invisible?’ Speak not so. Whois more manifest than God? For this very purpose hashe made all things, that through all things you may seehim. This is God’s goodness, that he manifests himselfthrough all things. Nothing is invisible, not even anincorporeal thing; nous is seen in its thinking, and Godin his working.So far, thrice greatest one, I have shown you thetruth. Think out all else in like manner for yourself,and you will not be misled. (Libellus Xlii. 20b-22b. Adiscourse of Mind to Hermes).36The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

y Robert E. Daniels, FRCN TIMES OF DIFFICULTY WE AREgiven the opportunity for growth andchange. All things are possible wheneach of us directs our creative mind tosolving the difficulties with which we areindividually and collectively confronted.In times of difficulty, when we are facedwith odds exceeding our ability to cope with,we have no choice but to place our faith in theinherent justice and fine balance that exists inthe operation of what mystics refer to as“Divine Law.” Troubled times demand thatwe set aside the fears and concerns of ourobjective minds and become receptive to theclear thoughts and beautiful emotions of ourhigher self. For within every human being,there is a deeper aspect of being that manifests asboth a master and a servant of our true needs andsupports our best interests mare than anything elsein the universe.The Inner Self always seeks to guide andinstruct us in our daily decisions for the attainmentof a better and more noble way of life; one thatbestows good health and success in our dailyaffairs. And there is no problem that cannot besolved when we listen to its promptings and applythe knowledge we receive with a determination tosucceed, for it ultimately has access to all things ofthe past and all possibilities for the future too.In some circumstances, we should findthe opportunity to discuss our difficulties withThere is no problem that cannot be solvedwhen we apply the knowledge we receivefrom the inner self.others. When we find a sympathetic listener toour problems we will often give the Inner Selfthe opportunity to advocate a solution to ourproblems, drawing out the answer we are seeking.Also, in these circumstances, the Divine Will oftenThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200537

uses the other person as a channel to suggesta way of solving our difficulty. Do not acceptdifficulties simply because you see others in thesame position and think that this is somehow“normal.” Assistance from the Cosmic is assuredas long as you remain loving, kind and considerateof others, and place your confidence in the workingof cosmic laws, which will always work for yourgood health, happiness and success.Looking at our troubled times, we mustbecome more aware of the directing influences ofthe Cosmic, which will always strive for a better lifefor us all. These influences will sometimes bringdiscord and changes in our present circumstances.This is in order to establish more suitable conditionsfor all to experience. Cosmic cycles of influenceshave been accelerating for decades, bringing aboutchanges in many aspects of life and often resultingin one crisis or another. However, in looking backwe see that we have passed through many crisesin history and that often we are better preparedto face the future because of such experiences.Therefore, we should try to attune and alignourselves with the influences of the Cosmicand co-operate with its plans for the future.It is our own crises, those of a moreintimate and personal nature that are of thegreatest concern to us. Each crisis must befaced and dealt with as best we can. These personalcrises confront us because, as aspiring mystics, wedo not run with the crowd, and our increasinginner aspirations draw to us circumstances andconditions that act as a kind of test to all we holddear. They test our resolve and determination toproceed on the upward path of life. These personalcrises, that we all have to face from time to time, arein many ways quite different from the mundaneproblems that constantly repeat themselves. Ourown crises are always new and challenging; theyare revealing and often startling, and usuallycannot be avoided as they have arisen becauseof the operation of the law of karma. By criticalanalysis, and if dealt with properly, we can gainmuch insight from these personal crises, which inthe main, involve our relationship with others.Karmic RelationshipsVarious people cross our path in life. Some havegreat influence upon us, while with others, we arethe influence. But there will usually be one dominantperson who will have a major effect upon our lives,and who is there because of karmic conditionswe established in one or more of our past lives.Many times our hopes and wishes are frustratedby others and we feel we cannot always achieveour aims and are held back from our attainments.Such karmic relationships are of great value to usand we should not seek to avoid them. We needto view them with an inner perspective and try torealise the great value of these associations. Suchpersons are given to us in order that we may workout and fulfil the major part of our destiny in thislife and not have to leave this crucially importantwork over to another incarnation.Quite often a student will meet with someopposition and criticism because of his newfoundinterest in the mystical life. Close relativesand good friends may show an indifference oropposition to his desire for personal advancementand improvement, and he feels reluctant to be thecause of disharmony to those closest to him. Butsurely he must exercise his need for freedom ofthought? His friends have every right to followwhat they believe, and he must sooner or laterWe who are sometimes stronger becauseof our mystical insights must share ourstrength with those around us.take a stand to pursue those interests and thatknowledge that will free him from the bondage ofthe past.Once we develop that paradigm that acceptsany challenge with a sense of determination tosucceed in any goal or desire for achievement,we can be assured of the highest attunement inthe mystical life. However, the same determinedattitude will enable us to face our daily criseswith the sense of confidence that we can deal withgreater understanding and purpose.Our lives revolve around the lives of others,and we who are sometimes stronger because ofour mystical insights must share our strengthwith those around us; particularly family andfriends who often do not have the advantage ofmystical insights. We must learn to share the bestof ourselves with others, because we share in theirindividual karma. Their lives are part of our ownand we must stand firm in our beliefs. The influenceof a loving and determined heart will prove to be agreat blessing to others and enable us to see moreclearly the way to resolve our individual crises andto see their value to our onward progress.38The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

y Gail Robertson, SRCAVE YOU EVER WISHED TO BE THErose, the sun that rises each day or thebird that soars above the earth? At onetime or another, we have all wished tobe part of these. With our souls, wecan be a part of all of them, for we are all a partof the spirit energy that makes up the elementsof nature.Often, we are unaware that we are a partof the whole that has created the wonders ofnature about us. In a very real way, we arepart of the flower and the bird. The inner selfintuitively understands what it is like to soar asa bird and can perceive beauty of great subtletyand refinement in every flower, if we just allowourselves to attune with the inward being.For those who have this “inner vision,” itis hard at times to accept that the majority in theworld see a rose for example only as an objectthat comes into existence, is watered, grows intomaturity, is pollinated, and then dies. It is equallyhard to accept that most people see the sun onlyas an object that rises in the East and sets in theWest and has a bunch of planets orbiting aboutit. Where is life, beauty and refinement when allone sees are facts?We all have a much more powerful meaningto our inner being than we suspect. As creationsof beauty we can reach inside ourselves and thelives of others, to create a sense of awe, reverence,peace and oneness within. We can help ourselvesto develop this inner spiritual sense, and just asimportant, we can help others too.When we understand the full impact ofthe daily wonders that pass by our senses, we seethat they are much more to us than just vibratoryforces of nature; much more than just beautifulthings to behold. They fulfil our need to findexpression from within. They are fulfilment forour creative inner being.The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200539

Part 2by Fraser Lawson, FRCIn Part 1 of the story of Christina Vasa, the Queen of Sweden whoabdicated in 1654, we discovered her passion for knowledge, herpatronage of the Court of Learning, her studies with the philosopherRené Descartes and her interests in art, culture and alchemy. In Part2 we follow her to Rome.HEN QUEEN CHRISTINA VASAof Sweden abdicated in 1654, Romeand the papal court was one ofthe great monarchical courts ofEurope. The papal realms had become areligious state ruled over by a monarch who wassimultaneously spiritual pastor and secular king.In terms of ceremony, art, music and architecture,it had become the pre-eminent model for royalhouseholds all over Europe. The papal court wasrenowned for its manners and etiquette, andits literary and artistic tastes. European stateswould send ambassadors to the papal court tolearn the art of diplomacy. In short, Rome was40The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

the “in” place of the 17 th century. It was the placeto be, and Christina wanted to be at the centre ofEuropean culture.Christina AlexandraChristina left Sweden immediately afterthe abdication, travelling with only a smallentourage, and arrived in Hamburg on 23 rd July1654. It is not known when shedecided that Rome would becomeher permanent residence after theabdication. However, she wouldhave based her decision on herneed to live in a Catholic countryand her reluctance to becomethe subject of another monarch.Practical economic arrangementsfor her life after the abdicationhad been established through anAbdication Agreement that allowedher the income from a number ofdower lands in Sweden and theBaltic region. During her lifetimeChristina continued to receive theincome from these domains.She was accorded singular honours uponher entry to Rome in December 1655. The archleading to the Piazza del Popolo, where Christinawas formally greeted by members of the Collegeof Cardinals, was redecorated and still bears theinscription composed for the occasion: FELICIFAVSTOQ INGRESSVI ANNO DOM MDCLV (Fora happy and auspicious entry in the year of theLord 1655). Christina was invited to reside inthe Vatican during her initial week in Rome andwas confirmed at the Pontifical Mass in St. Peter’son Christmas Day. On that occasion, she addedthe confirmation names Maria Alexandra to herShe henceforth called herself ChristinaAlexandra, underlining her assumption ofa new identity as a Catholic.own, and would henceforth call herself ChristinaAlexandra. Her use of this name underlined herassumption of a new identity as a Catholic.Pope Alexander VII (reigned 1655-1667)experienced a personal sense of triumph thatthe daughter of the Swedish king Gustav IIAdolf, the “champion of Protestantism,” shouldhave converted to the Catholic faith, and itnow became a particular point of pride thatshe should be received in Rome during the firstyear of his reign. In preparation for Christina’sarrival, Pope Alexander VII decided that shewould need an escort during her initial days inRome, a liaison who could introduce her to thehabits and etiquette of the papal court. He choseCardinal Decio Azzolino (1623-1689) for thisMonument to Queen Christina of Sweden (1702) by Carlo Fontana andJean-Baptiste Théodon in St. Peter's.sensitive task. Azzolino was close to Christina inage. Since 1653, he had worked in the Secretariatof State, the department in the Roman Curiaresponsible for communications with Europeanroyalty. He had been appointed cardinal in 1654.Though Christina would not have been expectedto enter monastic orders, it would have seemedsuitable in the eyes of her Catholic environmentthat she dedicate herself to pious works. Instead,she chose to continue her very active role asa politician, and soon became engaged in thepolitics of the papal court.Cardinal Azzolino became her lifelongfriend. Within the College of Cardinals,he was the leader of a newly establishedpolitical party, the Squadrone Volante (flyingsquadron). In the century following theProtestant Reformation, the Roman Papacyhad become successively dependent onthe Catholic secular states, France and Spain. Bythe middle of the 17 th century, the interventionof these states in the internal politics of theHoly See had increased dramatically, and thisintervention was often seen during the papalelections. The Squadrone Volante (so nicknamedbecause the faction, having originally elevenmembers, functioned as a swing group in theThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200541

College of Cardinals) originated in 1655 as aloose coalition whose primary objective was theelection of the most worthy candidate to thepapal throne. During the first months of 1656,Christina was established as the royal patronof the Squadrone Volante. Christina’s patronagewas of some importance, particularly inthe first years of the faction’s activity. Themembers of the Squadrone were initiallyperceived as young and rebellious men.Several of them, like Azzolino, had onlyrecently attained the position of cardinal.Thus, Christina’s protection provided the groupwith a measure of social legitimacy that it initiallylacked.Christina’s first decade in Rome was, asmentioned, a troubled time of adjustment. Shejourneyed outside Italy on several occasions.In 1656-1657 she travelled to France, where shebecame involved in Cardinal Mazarin’s plan forthe conquest of the Kingdom of Naples. Uponher return to Rome in 1658, she was ostracisedby that society which had so warmly welcomedher only two years previously. Cardinal Azzolinointerceded with the Pope on Christina’s behalf, andher relationship with Alexander slowly improved.In 1662, her life in Rome achieved greater stabilitywhen she moved into a permanent residence, thePalazzo Riario, the present-day Palazzo Corsini.Christina was also involved in the politicallife of the papal court in Rome during thesedecades. During her stay in Hamburg in 1666-1668 she played an active role in the plans for theelection of a successor to Pope Alexander VII in1667, through an intense communication with theQueen Christina (1644-1654)French court and with Cardinal Azzolino. Thisled to the election of Giulio Rospigliosi as PopeClement IX (reigned 1667-1669). The reign ofClement IX inaugurated a short period of triumphfor the Squadrone Volante and for Christina herself.When Christina returned to Rome in NovemberChristina realised her early ambition offounding a literary academy, the AccademiaReale.1668, after an absence of two and a half years, shewas welcomed at a festive banquet and for a shorttime enjoyed the beneficence of Pope Clement,whom she would count among her friends.Minerva of the NorthAn important aspect of Christina’s life in Romewas her activity as a patron of the arts. Worksof art confiscated during the siege of Prague(1648) had formed the basis of Christina’s artcollection, and many of the finer works leftSweden along with her. However, her collectionwas continually increased during the Romanperiod, and contemporary descriptions of herpalace indicate that it housed an incomparablewealth of paintings, sculptures and tapestries.Her gallery of paintings in the PalazzoRiario included thirteen works by Titian, elevenby Veronese, six pieces by Raphael, and several byCorreggio. But the artists of her own day were alsowell represented. Her activity as a collector wasalso not limited to the visual arts, for she possesseda considerable library that included both printedbooks and manuscripts from the 4 th to the 14 thcenturies. Though Christina’s collections of artand printed books were dispersed after her death,her collection of medieval manuscripts remainedintact. It was purchased by Pope Alexander VIII(reigned 1689-1691) and eventually donated tothe Vatican Library. This collection, known asthe Codices Reginenses Graeci et Latini, is one ofthe major manuscript collections in the BibliotecaApostolica Vaticana and today remains a valuableresource for scholars.In 1674, Christina established herself as theleading cultural figure in Rome and realised herearly ambition of founding a literary academy, theAccademia Reale. Though its activity in her lifetimewas limited, it can be considered the progenitorof the Arcadia, of which Goethe was a member,42The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

and an ancestor of the present-day Accademiadei Lincei. Here the nobility of Rome were ableto meet and discuss new ideas, discoveries andphilosophy, and to patronise new artists andmusicians. It is said that every meeting of theacademy ended with a concert, where new musicwould be played. Christina’s interest in musicwas no less than her dedication to art andliterature. She became the patron of severalcomposers such as Alessandro Scarlatti,Alessandro Stradella and ArcangeloCorelli.There is no evidence to determineexactly when Christina started her interest inalchemy, but her involvement tended to increasetoward the end of her life. In the summer of1667 in Hamburg, Christina experimented withthe messianic prophet and alchemist GiuseppeFrancesco Borri, but Cardinal Azzolino wroteto her that she had to distance herself fromBorri because he was under investigation bythe inquisition. Christina at this time alsocorresponded with another alchemist, JohanRudolf Glauber. In her collection of spiritualmedieval manuscripts, counting to over 2000items, are included texts by Joachim di Fiore andTomasso Campanella. Also on the list is a copyof the Hermetic Asclepius. Her collection includesTrithemius’ Steganographia and John Dee’s MonasHieroglyphica. She also owned parts of a Picatrixand a Latin version of the Sefer-ha-Raziel, a bookof angelic magic.Her collection of printed books amountedto several thousand items and included works byParacelsus and the alchemical works of JohannesRepresentation of Queen Christina (Photo by Angel Hess).Theurneisser and Andreas Libavius. In 1655, shegave a large collection of alchemical manuscriptsfrom Prague to her librarian Isaac Vossius. Thesewere once owned by the Holy Roman EmperorRudolf II and are written in German, Czech andLatin They now reside with the University ofLeiden in Holland. Christina’s books are listedWas Christina perhaps an adept involvedin alchemical circles, or was she merely apatron full of curiosity?in a document now in the Bodleian Library inOxford. It is prefaced by a drawing of a rose infull bloom with the text “Erst einen Knop danacheinen Rosen” (First a bud followed by a Rose).Christina also owned some forty alchemicalmanuscripts by the foremost medieval authors, aswell as practical handbooks. They included worksby Geber, John Scotus, Arnold de Villanova,Ramon Llull, Albertus Magnus, St. ThomasAquinas, Benard Trevisano, George Ripley,George Anrach d’Argentine, Johan Graßhof anda Rosarium Philosophorum, with its alchemicalimagery of merging the solar-King and the lunar-Queen into a hermaphroditic union.A Remarkable WomanFollowing a lengthy final illness, Queen Christinadied on 19 th April 1689. The last text she read,found by her deathbed in 1689, was a letter onthe universal medicine, the Alkahest, by SamuelForberger. Cardinal Azzolino was named as her heirin her will. However, the cardinal had only sevenweeks left to live and his last act was to assume hisresponsibilities as heir and arrange for Christina’sfuneral. Though Christina had requested a simplefuneral without pomp, and burial in the Rotonda(Pantheon), Azzolino decided to go against herlast wish for, as he put it, “neither does it accord withthe honour of God, of His Holiness or of the Church, andit would mean witnessing the triumph of the hereticsand the scandal and infinite shame of Rome.” The onlyburial site that corresponded to Christina’s worthand status, in Azzolino’s estimation, was the cryptof St. Peter’s. Here she would be the first foreignmonarch to rest alongside the Roman pontiffs.Thus Christina of Sweden received a finalresting place in that city with which she had such asignificant association during the latter half of the17 th century. Christina has intrigued generationsThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200543

of scholars in the centuries that have passed sinceher death. The breadth of her involvement in 17 thcentury artistic and political culture can partlyexplain this interest; her complex personality andthe radical choices she made are yet another factorwhich have contributed to our fascination with herextraordinary life. If Christina still today standsforth as one of the most interesting persons of herera, it might be because of her capacity to transcendthe traditional boundaries of 17 th century society.Through her conversion, she transcended theharshly drawn confessional boundary betweenCatholicism and Protestantism. Through herabdication, she created lines of communicationbetween Northern and Southern Europe, notonly for herself, but for many of the individualsengaged in her very international court. Throughher lifestyle, she adopted a social role whichonly by the 20 th century had been accepted asa possible model for women’s lives. Christina’sdestiny therefore holds more than an historicalinterest, for many of the questions she posed areas relevant today as in that era which the Romanshave termed “il seicento di Cristina” (Christina’sseventeenth century).Was Christina perhaps an adept involvedin alchemical circles, or was she merely a patronfull of curiosity? She clearly was a very forcefulwoman. She claimed that her mind was entirelymasculine and that she lacked what she saw asthe normal faults of womanhood. This beliefwas to materialise in her ardent hope for a realtransmutation. In her collection of papers thatshe left to Cardinal Azzolino in her will, now inthe Riksarkivet in Stockholm, there is an Italiantext on which Christina wrote that it was givento her in April 1682. In it, Christina’s abdicationand travel to Rome is first described. Suddenly,in one sentence, it is said “la natura perfetteral’opera” and the name Alexander appears. Thetext goes on to tell of Alexander’s future travelto Constantinople to convert the Turks. Since sheas ex-Queen took the name Christina Alexandrain Rome, it appears that the prophecy with itswonderful metamorphosis spoke to Christina’sinner dreams of perfecting herself. In this theAristotelian view of women as undeveloped menhad a role to play, but also the alchemical vision ofpolarities and ultimate perfection.BibliographySusanna Åkerman: Queen Christina of Sweden and her Circle:The Transformation of a Philosophical Libertine. Brill, Leiden 1991and Rose Cross Over the Baltic: The Spread of Rosicrucianism inNorthern Europe. Brill, Leiden 1998.Thanks also to the website www.sweden.se forpermission to use extracts from their site.by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, SRCGod and I in space alone, and no one else in view.“And where are all the people, Oh Lord,” I said,“the earth below, the sky overhead,and the dead that I once knew?”“That was but a dream,” God smiled“the dream that seemed to be true.There were no people living or dead;there was no earth and sky overhead;there was only myself in you.”“Why do I feel no fear” I asked,“meeting you here this way?For I have sinned, I know full welland is there heaven and is there hell,and is this Judgement Day?”“Nay those were but dreams,” the great God said,“dreams that have ceased to be.There are no such things as fear and sin;there is no you for you have never been.There is nothing at all but me.”44The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

AnonymousNE DAY A MAN CAME HOME FROMwork; it was late and he was tired andirritated. Standing at the door to greethim was his eight year old son. Thefather wearily returned his welcome witha curt “Hello son,” before moving quickly indoorsto the sofa for a rest.The boy hesitantly followed him in andsummoning up his courage after a few minutessaid: “Dad, can I ask you a question?” “Yes, er,what?” replied the father who had already begundozing off. “How much money do you make in anhour?” Instantly the father’s eyes opened, he satbolt upright and blood coursed into his face ashe glared at the boy. What on earth is the boysaying? Who’s put him up to this then? In a gruff,reproaching voice he said: “Who told you to askthat? It’s none of their business. Why do you ask sucha thing?”“I just want to know daddy. Please tell me howmuch you get paid per hour?” the boy persisted.“Well if you must know, and this is not for anyone elseto hear, I earn £30 an hour.” He sank into his sofaand had just started dozing off again when his sonpiped up again: “Dad, can I borrow £10 please?”Now he was angry, particularly since allthis talk was spoiling his rest. “I’ve had enough ofthis. If the only reason you asked about my salary wasso you could borrow money from me to buy some sillytoy, then you march yourself straight to your room andgo to bed,” he retorted. “And you might think aboutwhy you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday anddon’t expect to come home to this childish behaviour.”With a quivering lip and tears welling upin his eyes, the little boy quietly went to his room,shut the door and sat down on his bed in thedark room. Meanwhile the man slid back into hissofa and tried dozing off again, but this time, itsleep would not come. Half an hour passed buthe found he just couldn’t settle, repeatedly goingback to his son’s silly questions.“How dare he ask such questions only to extractsome money from me! Who could have set him upto this? After all he’s only a child and can’t possiblyunderstand what he’s asking?” Twenty minuteswent by, then thirty, then forty. Suddenly, witha start, the father propelled himself to his feet,feeling suddenly deeply concerned that maybe,just maybe, he was wrong about his son’s motives.He began pacing the room, feeling more guiltyabout the matter with each passing minute. Thissweet child never asked for anything, hadn’t evenThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200545

any real understanding of what money was worth.Why would a little boy be asking something sodirect and, and…, so adult!His concern rose to fever pitch as he pacedthe room and suddenly, with the same impulse asbefore, he literally flew up the stairs to his boy’sroom and stopped to listen for sounds inside.When he could hear nothing stirring inside, hequietly said: “Son, are you asleep?” “No dad.” camethe immediate reply. The father opened the doorand this time with tears welling up in his eyes,he entered to see his son sitting fully dressed onhis bed, staring out the window, his back turnedtowards him.“Er... son” he stammered, “I’m sorry I wasso hard on you earlier. It’s been a long, hard day andI shouldn’t have taken out my aggravation on you. Iwant you to know how very much I love you. Whateveryou want, I will do all I can to get for you. Here’s themoney; spend it well."The little boy turned around and flunghimself into his father’s arms: “Oh, thanks dad!”With a crisp new note in his hands, he reachedunder his pillow and pulled out a small wad ofcrumpled-up notes and added the new note toit. The man looked down and seeing that the boyalready had money, his eyes dried up in an instantas he watched this precocious child start countingup his money.“Why do you need more money if you alreadyhave some?” the father said in a calm though firmvoice, once again having been bitten by the bugof suspicion. “I didn’t have enough before dad, butnow I do,” the little boy replied. “I have £30 nowdad, so now I can buy an hour of your time,” and heheld out the wad of notes for his father to take.“Please come home early tomorrow so we can havedinner together.”A Moral LessonThis story illustrates just how much we can all bepreoccupied with our own lives at the expenseof sharing our time with those we love. Weshould not let time slip through our fingers tosuch an extent that we neglect spending the mostimportant part of that time with those who reallymatter to us.If you die tomorrow, the world willcontinue spinning on its axis; millions willcontinue working and playing each day and yourcompany, in all probability, could replace youin a matter of days…, but your family couldn’t!Get your priorities right, allocate time where it ismost appreciated and where it does the greatestgood.Actually… the word FAMILY is a specialacronym. It means (F)ather (A)nd (M)other, (I)(L)ove (Y)ou!A child walks with its mother.It sees an oily rainbow on the road;a leaf, veined and dappled on the path;a puddle full of clouds;a smiling dog, a cat that needs to be stroked;a builder’s van all a-rattle, a gentle robin.What did you see?Peter Gray(b.1928)46The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

Installation of new Regional Monitor17 th July 2005HE FIRST HALF OF 2005 saw the retirement of RegionalMonitor Alex Smith who had served as an Officer theOrder for over three years. His kind, positive nature werean inspiration to the many members he served during histerm of office. Grand Lodge thanks him for his dedicated service tothe mystical ideals of the Rosicrucian Order AMORC.On Sunday 17 th July, in a solemn ceremony attended by afull house at Francis Bacon Lodge, Lynn Hodgkinson was officiallyinstalled as Regional Monitor for London Chapter, Wanstead SpringChapter and Zanoni Pronaos (located in Milton Keynes.) Lynn comesto her new duties with great enthusiasm, a strong organisationalbackground and complete dedication to the mystical ideals that forman integral part of her daily life. Grand Lodge wishes her well in herefforts to make the Order more available to those who are seekingsomething deeper in life, and for her constant efforts at maintaininghigh standards amongst the member groups in her care.LONDON CHAPTER HOSTED A SILENTretreat in the grounds of Tekels Parkguest house, South-West of London.Rosicrucian students from all overBritain came to awaken the awareness of theMaster Within, so that they could hear the still,small voice of the Inner Self.The Silent Retreat was held in the spirit ofthe monastic aspect of the Rosicrucian tradition.Silent Retreat Camberley in Surrey29 th – 31 st July 2005Lynn HodgkinsonIt offered the members a fleeting sojourn intoseclusion, to experience a Oneness that heightenedboth inner and outer faculties to an extent thatcan rarely be achieved in the course of normalactivities.This was an opportunity to revise the teachings,take notes and record the fruit of deepcontemplation and meditation. Each member wasimmersed themselves in the stillness of a rarefiedThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 200547

Rosicrucian atmosphere without interruption from the mundane world, except for the soft echo ofa gong whose sounding bade them to an abundance of Convocations, group meditations and to thesilent repasts, whose food was enriched by the experience of communicating with others without theneed for talking. All in all, it was very successful weekend retreat, and will hopefully be the preludeto further retreats in the future.An Initiatic Tour of Egypt1 st - 15 th September 2005OST PEOPLE KNOW WHAT ANEgyptian mummy is, but onlythose who have visited the land ofthe Pharaohs have any idea what the dreaded“Egyptian tummy” is. Of the 40 members ofAMORC who joined the AMORC Initiatic Tourof Egypt everyone except a few hardened oldtimerspassed through this ancient rite of tummytroubles in the first few days. After that it was“plain sailing,” literally, first on the relaxingfeluccas around Aswan and then on a wonderful4-day cruise down the Nile to Luxor.During this tour, a number of important,solemn ceremonies were conducted in strictprivacy at several sites, and many commentedat the end on how deeply the land of Egypt hadcaptured their hearts through these ceremonies.The luxury hotels and Nile cruiser accommodationwas a welcome relief from the heat of the desertsun, but it was the very earthy, hot walks aroundthe temples and shrines that really brought homethe magnificence of ancient Egypt, a culture andcivilisation that lasted over 3,000 years.When standing before a 3,500 year oldmural and noticing small details such as thefingerprints of the artists that drew them, onefeels truly humbled. It is almost as if one knewthe person who stood there so long ago, preciselywhere you stand, and gave the very best of hisartistic talents. Such murals as well as numerouswalls covered in carved images and hieroglyphswere seen, photographed and discussed at everysite.The tour started at Abu Simbel, thesouthernmost town of Egypt and movednorthwards to the temple complex of Philaeisland, Aswan itself, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor,Karnak and the West Bank, the Red Sea resortof Hurghada, Cairo, Lake Moeris in the FayumZahi Hawass with Mohammed Nazmy,signing books for members of AMORC.Depression, the Giza plateau with its manypyramids and mortuary temple ruins, and finally,the highlight of the tour, the Great Pyramid itself.Part of every visit was cordoned off from othertourists to enable this Rosicrucian group to haveperiods of privacy to examine and especially tofeel in silent attunement the vibrations of sanctityand reverence still present from so long ago.Present throughout the tour were the Italianand Scandinavian Grand Masters, the EnglishGrand Master for Europe and Africa, the NigerianAdministrator and wife and during the last fewdays of the tour, the Imperator joined as well.Fifteen days passed quicker than anyonewould have expected and finally the group washelped through check-in and customs at Cairoairport again by Mehdat, the friendliest and mosthelpful guide any tour could have wished for.Thanks go to Emile “as one” Shaker and to theowner of the tour company Mohammed Nazmywho accompanied us all the way with interestingstories, outrageous jokes and much behind-thesceneswork on our behalf.48The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2005

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