Rosicrucian Beacon Magazine - 2013-06 - AMORC

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formerly been expelled for improper conduct, he perhapshoped to return to the good graces of the crown. At thetrial, Cagliostro was freed from conviction. However, he wasimprisoned in the Bastille “for other reasons,” as a biographersays, and without further explanation. He was later able toflee to London and, while there, wrote of the corruptionprevailing in France and predicted the Revolution that wassoon to come. Both Church and Royalists now hated himfor this, and he finally found sanctuary in Basel.Under Penalty of DeathIt was while in Basel that some of the initiates who followedhim conducted their alchemical researches in this verybasement laboratory I was looking at. His followers whoremained in France didn’t all desert him either. His EgyptianMasonic lodges and Rosicrucian Temple continued, to thegreat annoyance of the Catholic prelates; for the people wereanxious to learn the art that had given Cagliostro his power.Furthermore, Cardinal de Rohan, who had eventuallybeen acquitted, had probably believed that Cagliostro hadinvolved him in the diamond necklace affair and caused himto be exposed. The Cardinal’s ecclesiastical power seems tohave been brought to bear against the mystical alchemistprimarily because of this.Against all the odds stacked against him, Cagliostroreturned to Rome. He was urged by former initiates of hisEgyptian Masonic and Rosicrucian Lodges to establishmore Lodges in the eternal city. Despite a papal penaltyof death for the establishment of Freemasonic lodges inRome, Cagliostro had always displayed absolute courage inthese matters. In defiance of the papal edict, he organisedhis lodge and initiated eager supplicants who sought theGreater Light. He was arrested on 27 September 1789 byorder of the Holy Office of the Inquisition.The Italian biographer tried to mitigate thehistorical impression of the dictatorial policy of the RomanChurch by declaring that the papal authorities had engagedfor Cagliostro a lawyer “Whose knowledge and probitywere generally recognised.” Cagliostro was induced throughreliance upon this counsel and against his own betterjudgement, to confess to odious crimes, and also inducednot to staunchly deny the many charges brought againsthim. He was assured that he would then receive leniencyfrom the papal authorities and be permitted to leave Italyat once.The result of the trial however was pronounced.There was some public indignation over the verdict andthe sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment inthe fortress prison of San Leo. Strangely enough, althoughCagliostro was in comparatively good health whensentenced and during his imprisonment, he died two yearslater when only 50 years old. The accounts of his death werealways quite mysterious. One statement was that he hadtried to strangle a priest (whom he had called for confession)in an attempt to escape, and was killed for this. Anotherreport was that he had strangled himself.At the time of Cagliostro’s arrest, the RomanChurch seized all the manuscripts he had prepared from hisalchemical researches. They also took his books on occultand esoteric philosophy of the East which he had carefullygathered. His Masonic and Rosicrucian records were alsoconfiscated and may still reside in the prohibited sectionof the Vatican archives. It was during these two years inprison and just before his death in the prime of life, that hismemoirs were are said to have been written. These purportedmemoirs, which he never lived to confirm or deny, refutedall he had ever taught, written or demonstrated. They are soinconsistent with the acts of his life that there is little doubtthey were the consequence of the inquisitional methods thatwere exercised against him.His wife was also tried and, “under terror of theInquisition” was made to deny Cagliostro’s eloquence andbrilliance which were a known fact throughout Europe.Notwithstanding the intimidation of his wife (who waslater confined to a convent), she insisted that some of hisarts were inexplicable. She stated that he must have “beenassisted by the powers of magical art.” Later, battalions of theFrench Revolutionists sought to rescue Cagliostro from thecastle in which he was imprisoned, showing the devotedpublic feeling toward him in France. But they were toolate, he was dead.While gazing at the stairway, down which this adeptand mystic had trudged to his labours, I reflected that allthe vituperative and vilifying accounts and biographicalsketches and fictional tales written about Cagliostro weremainly based on his alleged memoirs written while hewas a papal prisoner. The Italian biographer who wroteabout him, and who has been so widely copied, gained hisprincipal data from these ‘memoirs’ and that informationwhich the Roman Church reported as having been includedin Cagliostro’s private papers. The fruits of the man’s lifein most contemporary literature are thus made to appearas rotten as the roots these sources have attributed to him.It was in this laboratory in Basel, Switzerland, thatCagliostro conducted alchemical research. The implementsand devices in this laboratory date from the 15 th centurywhen alchemy flourished in Europe. This original alchemicalequipment was gathered together by the PharmaceuticalSociety of Switzerland. The room is a tribute to alchemy,father of chemistry, medicine and pharmacy. On an innerdoor is an announcement proclaiming: “Cagliostro made goldhere…”, recognition of the greatness of this alchemist by amodern, and grateful, scientific organisation.44The Rosicrucian Beacon -- June 2013© Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC
www.amorc.org.ukThe Rosicrucian Collection®Mental PoisoningSelf Mastery and Fate with the Cycles of Life– Tby H Spencer Lewis -- 160 pages / softback –– Code: 913 –– £10.95he system outlined in this book is probably the closest you will get to a rational divinitorysystem based on self evident truths rather than belief in an immoveable 'fate' from which there is noescape. Lewis' book gives a system of accurate prediction of tendencies in life, based on a 'system-of-seven'unrelated to Astrology, Tarot, I-Ching or any other system of divination. Free will and personal choice isthe central thread running through this widely read and respected book.The Disciple and Shamballa– Tby Raymund Andrea -- 118 pages / softback –– Code: 901 –– £10.95he spiritual realm of Shamballa as defined by Andrea, is beyond most human understandingand some of the masters even have not fully attained it. Yet, Shamballa must eventually be strivenfor and reached by all who seek the holy existence of union with God. Through nearness to Shamballa,the humble soul overcomes what Andrea calls the 'Nemesis of Karma' and draws upon Shamballicsources of infinite creative power to accomplish a remarkable transformation.Discipleship on Trial– Wby Raymund Andrea -- 148 pages / softback –– Code: 900 –– £10.95hile the old world during the Second World War was rapidly changing its values andperspectives, the whole concept of discipleship was being left behind and failed to adapt to thepractical world of necessities. No longer could spiritual and esoteric orders remain within the confinesof their cosy parlours, safe behind their outdated traditions and theoretical musings. A time for radicaltransformation had arrived but few embraced it.– Tby H Spencer Lewis -- 124 pages / softback –– Code: 117 –– £9.95he thoughts we hold determine our mental and physical health. Irrationalthoughts harm us much more than we know and the consequences are always harmfulfor us. The greatest thing we could do for ourselves is to banish forever all belief in malevolentsupernatural causes to our various mental and physical ailments...; for what you think, thatveritably you will become!Unto Thee I Grant the Economy of Life-- T160 pages / hardback –– Code: 913 –– £10.95his ExtraordINARy book first came to light in England in 1751, being a translation fromTibetan of a series of lessons and wise sayings purportedly used by generations of Lamas. Openthe book at any page and you will find words of wisdom to inspire you throughout the day. The moraland spiritual topics covered are dealt with in the uniquely practical and earthy manner of a Buddhistphilosopher: few in words, but with an abundance of meaning.The Rosicrucian Collection is a growing catalogue of books devoted toRosicrucian mysticism. All books in the collection focus on metaphysical, spiritualand philosophical topics aimed at serious students of mysticism, and those seekingenlightenment. The above books represent a selection of the many titles either inprint or about to be published. If you wish to purchase any of these, contact ususing the address details on the right, or purchase online at www.amorc.org.uk.AMORC Services LtdGreenwood Gate, BlackhillCrowborough, TN6 1XETel: 01892- 653197Fax: 01892-667432email: sales@amorc.org.ukThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- June 2013
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTSJune 2013, Vol 22, No. 3Par
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Page 12: and taken in by a young man and his
Page 15 and 16: The Assessments ofEgyptologists ove
Page 20 and 21: 18If you think about and identify y
Page 22 and 23: In Part 1, we were introducedto the
Page 24: have been equally frank in expressi
Page 30 and 31: y Louise lanence UPON a TIME there
Page 33 and 34: like these help us compete in a bla
Page 35 and 36: the longer he thought about it, the
Page 37 and 38: At thirty, man suspects himself a f
Page 39 and 40: new skills? Go on then, learn them!
Page 41 and 42: y Martha Folinome EXPERIENCES are m
Page 43 and 44: y Marc Cornwallhe SWISS CIT Y of Ba
Page 48: Only that dawn breaksto which we ar

Rosicrucian Beacon Magazine - 2013-06 - AMORC

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