scent of the rose - rf friends of the rose vol 1 no 3.pdf · modern technological culture and our...
TRANSCRIPT
The alchemists' concept of transmuta-
tion of base metals into gold seems at
first sight to be far removed from our
modern technological culture and our every-
day lives. After all, we have learned that
chemical reactions do not convert one ele-
ment into another. Nuclear reactions can do
so, but they occur in the cores of stars or un-
der laboratory conditions that are outside
one's usual experience.
As for transmutation in popular culture, the
movie Hudson Hawk deals with a modern re-
covery of secrets of Leonardo da Vinci, and
adventure connected with the Catholic
Church; the plot kernel involves the produc-
tion of physical gold. A humorist referred to a
modern magician who was able to convert a
glass soda bottle into fecal matter. Though
facetious, this example lends itself to some
analysis. In the course of natural events, the
soda bottle may be discarded; over time, nat-
ural processes of weathering will break up
the glass into particles. The glass granules be-
come finer under further weathering until
they become part of the mineral constitution
of the earth, from which the glass was origi-
nally refined. Plants grow in the soil. Animals
or humans eat the plants and assimilate the
needed constituents into their bodies. They
then eliminate the residue, as fecal matter.
The cycle is entirely natural; there is no mag-
ic involved. Rather, each step is so familiar to
us that we do not consider it at all special.
The process can be accelerated by humans.
Grind up the glass into fine dust. Sprinkle it
in the garden. Plant seeds. Harvest the vege-
tables and eat them.
What is the practical use of such thinking?
We have ability to do transmutation, though
we are either not aware of it or do not consid-
er it to be important. For example, we do
have some ability to change the shape of the
physical body but we cannot do it instantane-
ously by a command. Such change can be
done only through action over a period of
time; the most obvious examples being the
effect of changes in diet or physical activity.
We have more latitude in changing habit pat-
terns but again, sustained effort is required.
As for emotions, many people consider emo-
tions to be an essential aspect of human ex-
pression, and they do not attempt to achieve
change. For those of us who are not content
with our emotional landscape, it is possible,
with effort, to change one emotion into an-
other. This is not at all easy; emotions often
arise rapidly and change quickly before one
can change or redirect them. Also, patterns
of feelings and emotional responses to the en-
vironment have built up with time. Even so,
our efforts to control the direction of emotion
are worth pursuing. We are exhorted in the
Bible to make such effort.
Volume 1, Issue 3
Mystic Christianity in the Twenty-First Century Scent of the Rose Scent of the Rose
Scent of the Rose is a periodical publication of The Rosicrucian Fellowship MMX, U.A. for the edification of all friends of the teachings of Christ, and Western Wisdom philosophy. Please translate and distribute to all who
may be interested in Western Wisdom. [email protected]
December 2016
On Transmutation
♱
For detail and additional information on the rich symbolism of Cravelli’s,
The Annunciation With Saint Emidius, known as the mother of all annunciations, visit:
http://www.arts.magic-nation.co.uk/annunciation15.htm
http://www.arts.magic-nation.co.uk/annunciation1.htm
["Thoughts Round the Halo to be continued in future issues of Scent Of The Rose."] ER
Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied, “You must
love the LORD your God with all your heart,
all your soul, and all your mind.”
It is not easy; it is recognized that at the pre-
sent stage of our development there will be
negative emotions. At this stage, though, they
should not be allowed to persist.
Ephesians 4:26 Be angry but do not sin; do
not let the sun go down on your anger….
We are even given instruction on the substitu-
tion and transformation of emotion.
John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but per-
fect love casts out fear, because fear has pun-
ishment. He who fears is not made perfect in
love.
John 14:25-27 Peace I leave with you; my
peace I give to you; not as the world gives do
I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid.
Thought, though very fluid, is easier to work
with than emotion or physical matter. Indeed,
we are exhorted in the Bible to do such work.
For example,
Matthew 9:4 And Jesus knowing their
thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in
your hearts?
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever
things are true, whatsoever things [are] hon-
est, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever
things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are]
lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good re-
port; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be]
any praise, think on these things.
Ephesians 4:23 and be renewed in the spirit
of your mind ...
2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imagina-
tions, and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God, and bringing
into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this
world: but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that ye may prove what [is]
that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus:
Thought is crucial because repeated patterns
of thinking provide a pattern for our emo-
tions, our habits; if a pattern of thinking is
carried out for long enough, it will influence
biological processes in the body, and either
promote health or cause illness. All that we
see in our physical environment, including
the physical body, originated in thought. The
causal link is most evident in objects that
have been made by humans, because we
know that such objects must first be concep-
tualized and designed, then fabricated.
The Rosicrucian teachings recognize four
bodies: the dense physical body that is evi-
dent to the senses; the etheric body which
mediates assimilation, excretion, reproduc-
tion, sense perception, and memory; the de-
sire body which mediates emotion and feel-
ing; and the mind which mediates concrete
thinking. Of these, the dense physical body is
the best organized, for it has been in the mak-
ing since the dawn of the spiritual evolution
of humanity, but it is also the most set in its
form and resistant to change. The mind (of a
subtle constitution and distinct from the phys-
ical brain) is the least organized, so much so
that in most people it is only a diffuse cloud.
The mind provides a link between the spirit
and the vehicles (bodies) which are less sub-
tle. The mind is our most recent acquisition in
our spiritual evolution. It is also the most
malleable, so it is a good place to start in our
efforts to transmute our human nature.
Thought substitution, a method provided in
the Rosicrucian teachings, is highly recom-
mended. Ordinarily people accept the ebb and
flow of thought as inevitable. The fact is that
if we are not satisfied with a thought, we can
substitute another one of better quality. With
practice, we can change the directions of pat-
terns of thinking. Thought, particularly on ha-
bitual lines, eventually can become manifest
in patterns of emotions and desires, in ac-
tions, and in the shape of our physical bodies
and in our physical environment. If we are
dissatisfied with physical conditions, we
work physically; we will also do well to work
to transmute our thinking. The Rosicrucian
teachings on the importance of inner work on
thought and emotion is thus in harmony with
the Bible teachings on the subject.
We are indeed seeking to make gold. We
begin with the base metals of the lower as-
pects of our human nature. Gold appears in
the golden wedding garment to be worn at the
mystic wedding mentioned in the Bible. This
gold was visible to some ancient artists who
depicted it as a halo around the saints. The
wedding garment is the transmuted etheric
body, transformed by service, prayer, and the
development of purity. Gold is also manifest
in the spirit of redeemed humanity; the spirit
that has been strengthened by efforts here in
the physical world.
Colossians 3:10 ... and have put on the new
self. This is the new being which God, its
Creator, is constantly renewing in his own
image, in order to bring you to a full
knowledge of himself.
The goal of our efforts in transmutation is to
accelerate our spiritual evolution, which in
the usual scheme, requires aeons of time, in
order to benefit the human race and its devel-
opment. Many blessings upon the reader in
this effort. A PROBATIONER
=============== References
http://biblesearch.americanbible.org
Rosicrucian Cosmo Conception
Rosicrucian pamphlet on power of thought
In the Japanese Nihonga style.
Late 19th to early 20th Century
Christian icon.
Infant with cruciform halo.
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In this series of articles, Scent of the Rose takes a
divergent approach to the single idea of the halo for
a deeper understanding of the phenomenon and all
its implications.
lthough we live in a secular world, at
Christmas nearly everyone catches
sight of a Madonna and child. Most
portrayals include the halo, a sign of rever-
ence and holiness. Tinsel halos encircling the
heads of children in pageantry may be askew,
and may be a distant memory, but the posture
and attitude of prayer lingers.
Artworks throughout history give evidence
that seers perceived both the aura and the ha-
lo and they ascribed them to individuals of
high estate. Either the artist saw these phe-
nomena directly, painted what others ob-
served, or deferred to a culture’s customary
habit of identifying the holy by giving them
halos.
One might assume that only an ego of high
spiritual attainment, one who has acquired
positive clairvoyance, can recognize and de-
scribe an individual by the brilliance of the
aura, but Heindel taught that there are two
kinds of clairvoyance and correspondingly
two types of seers, the atavistically negative
seers who have no control over what they
see, and the trained, positive seers who can
see at will. The former may, by chance, see
auras, but only the positive clairvoyant can,
by choice, behold the divine in their glory.
In the desire body of the properly-trained,
voluntary clairvoyant, the desire currents
turn clockwise, glowing with exceeding
splendor, far-surpassing the brilliant lumi-
nosity of the ordinary desire body. The cen-
ters of perception in the desire body around
which these currents swirl furnish the volun-
tary clairvoyant with the means of perception
of things in the Desire World, and he sees and
investigates at will. - Max Heindel, The Rosi-
crucian Cosmo-Conception p 68, and pam-
phlet: Clairvoyance
From the foregoing Heindel quote we learn
that the voluntary, positive clairvoyant can be
counted among those with exceptionally bril-
liant auras.
Trained, positive clairvoyants; the highly
evolved; those of high estate; those who have
developed both head and heart: shine as
though illumined.
The halo derived from the magical symbolism
of the Egyptians is almost like a sun, and,
symbolically speaking, may be considered to
be the equivalent of a small and radiant sun,
streaming forth spiritual light. - Frederick
Goodman, Magical Symbols.
About the Sun, Heindel said,
This visible Sun, though it is the
place of evolution for Beings
vastly above man, is not by any
means the Father of the other
planets, as material science sup-
poses. On the contrary, it is itself
an emanation from the Central
Sun, which is the invisible source
of all that IS in our Solar System.
Our visible Sun is but the mirror
in which are reflected the rays of
energy from the Spiritual Sun.
The real Sun is as invisible as the
real Man.
Egyptian priests of Heliopolis, followers of
the sun god Re or Ra, developed the myth of
Isis. Pre-Christian pagans used halos to sig-
nify not only divine influence but also power,
majesty or prominence. The Romans depicted
emperors with halos. In the Christian Era,
even non-Christians used halos for public fig-
ures and Auras were placed around men of
genius, presumably to represent divine inspi-
ration. Finally, in 1600 AD, Pope Urban III
forbade the use of the nimbus (synonym for
halo, also cloud) for persons who were not at
least beatified.
As we consider this phenomenon we learn
that English writer and apparent clairvoyant,
Augustus Hare, wrote the maxim: The intel-
lect of the wise is like glass; it admits the
light of heaven and reflects it. – Augustus
Hare 1834-1903, from Cryptoquote
He also wrote a six-volume autobiography in
which he reported a number of encounters
with ghosts. A reviewer in the New York
Times concluded, "Mr. Hare's ghosts are ra-
ther more interesting than his lords or his
middle-class people.” – Wikipedia
The writer no sooner asked the question,
“What would his paintings have displayed if
he had painted?” when suddenly a plethora
appeared to give the answer.
Bede's Tomb, Durham Cathedral, watercolour by the English
writer Augustus Hare. "Handbook for Travelers in Northumber-
land and Durham," published in 1863, which he wrote as well
as illustrated. Courtesy of the British Museum, London.
Google: “Paintings by Augustus Hare”
In works of art, a golden glow may portray a
disembodied entity. The halo, however, sig-
nifies wisdom and is a hierarchical indication
– not necessarily of mundane determinates
but by spiritual or natural elevation: a quality
relatively permanent through lifetimes, yet
not assured; not assured by evidence of the
regeneration and degeneration of man.
We see the halo portrayed by yet another art-
ist, one exhibited in 2015 - 2016 by the Isa-
bella Stewart Gardner Museum of Boston.
The works of Carlo Crivelli (about 1435–
1495) in their words, is one of the most im-
portant and historically neglected artists of
the Italian Renaissance.
The New York Times’ art review by Roberta
Smith of November 5, 2015, reports on
Crivelli’s painting, The Annunciation with
Saint Emidius. Everything in this elaborate
composition, from London’s National Gallery,
is as lavish and detailed as possible, ………
the plunging perspective of the walkway adds
visceral drama to that of the Annunciation
itself. The gold, while restrained, has mo-
ments of undeniable flair: it defines, of
course, the Archangel’s and Virgin’s halos
and God’s impregnating ray, descending from
the sky. Less usual is that this ray enters the
room through a gold-trimmed mouse-hole
opening, and in the middle distance, a man
who shades his eyes, stares at it. He is the on-
ly one who seems to grasp what’s happening,
and every fold of his robe is outlined. http://
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/arts/design/carlo-crivelli-
an-overlooked-renaissance-master-in-boston.html?_r=0
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Thoughts Round the Halo
and its Appearance in Art