the rosicrucian digest 1938 (complete year).pdf

8/22/2019 The Rosicrucian Digest 1938 (complete year).pdf

1/494


2/494

B -f 7 ----=V*_ - V * * M B

w m

Each art print is printed

on a 10A s*14 inch h t,

with ample margin for

fr aming. T he paper is ofa special dove-finish enam

el. T he 24 large art prints

are mailed in a tpeciaf

container T hey are ex-

ccpt ion ally lo w priced at

only

$1 00

For 24-Postpaid

STUDENT SUPPLIES

Our Suggestion To You

BRING INTO YOUR HOME THIS

MYSTICAL ART OF THE CENTURIESI nspired art is not tlie inert meclnmicnl portrayal o[ a form seen, but

(lie conveying to llie canvas the spirit and leeling of the thing, whether

it he fashioned hy nature or hy man. Leonardo da Vinci s famous

painting. T he Last Supper, lor example, is more than a portrayal of a

gathering of men dining with the ( l irist. Il depicts, tl trough the genius

of the arti st, the agony, loneliness, hope, and love, of the characters

whose forms his mystical brush created.In each century some one or two paintings are outstanding because ol

their mystical presentation ol the religions, cultural, or spiri tual emotion

of the people of the period I hese paintings are inspirations to mankind.

1 liousands travel great distances to view them in splendid art galleries.

Some of them portray the soul of the artit, great men of the past, whose

inner philosophies materialize allegorically upon die canvas.

A M O R C has sea relied the world lo r photographic p ri n ts ol these

paintings. Painti ngs n( mystic shrines, temples, peoples, and mystical

scenes. It brings to you this great wealth of art and inspiration, reproduced on special paper known as silkote and printed in sepia. Each

beautiful picture c o n t a i n s benaath it a descriptive caption. I hex are ex

cellent lor framing and contain a wide margin enhancing their appear

ance. Imagine receiving i | of these large photographic art prints in one

package for only Si.oo, postpaid. I hex make splendid gilts. I he amount

of one of the original photographs cost A M O RC many times the price

for which you can obtain the entire lot. I li ink of the splendor of one oi

two ol these in your home in your sanctum. Each ol them has. to some

extent, a great Rosicrucian significance.

T he R O S I C R U C I A N S U P P L Y B U R E A U

R O S I C R U C I A N P A R K S A N J O S E . C A L I F O R N I A


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EGYPTIAN OBELISK IN ROSICRUCIAN PARK

A new addition to Rosicrucian Park is a forty-foot obelisk, popularly termed "Cleopatra'sNeedle. ' It is a replica of the one erected by Llsertsen I at H eliopolis, in 2433 B. C. Made ofreinforced concrete, the obelisk has been finished to appear like the original which was made


4/494

*2)ireci Ozur ves fA

r k the tales of strange hummi powers

false/ ( an tlie mysterious feats performed by the mystics ol the Orient be. explained away as only il lusions? Is tli rre anintangible bond with tlie universe beyond

which draws mankind on? Ones a mightyCosmic intelligence from the reaches of spaceebb and How through the deep recesses ol themind, forming a river ol wisdom which cancarry men and women to the heights of personal achievement?

Have You Had These

Experiences ?..............that unmistakable feeling that you have

taken the wrong course ol action, that you haveviolated some inner, unexpressed, better judgment. I he sudden realization that the silentwhisperings ol sell are cautioning you to keepyour own counselnot to speak words on the

tip ol your longue in tlie presence of another.I hat something which pushes you lorwardwhen you hesitate, or restrains you when youare apt to make a w rong move.

I hese urges are the subtle injb. ience w hich

when understood and directed has made thousands of men and women masters ol their lives.I here IS a source ol intell igence within vou asnatural as your senses of sight and hearing, and

more dependable, which you are N O I usingnow! C hall enge this statement! Dare the Rosicrucians to reveal the functions o f ll lis C osuiitmind wid its great possibilities to yon.

Let This Free Book Explain1ake this inlinile power into your partnership,

'ton can use it in a rational ami practical wavwithout interference with your religious belief.*or personal affairs. I he Rosicrucians. a worldwi de plii l osophical movement, m r i l p vou to usethe coupon below now, todav, and obtain afree copy of tlie fascinating book I be Set retHeritage, which explains further.

------------------------ USE T H IS COUPON --------------------------

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tin* Posit rut ians, AM ORC . San lose. California.

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injj tin- fullness anti happiness ol life*. Please sent I me,

without cost, the hook. I he Set ret I leritnge. whithtells lion lo receive this information.

jNurire ........................................................................

Athlress..........................................................................................

The ROSICRUCIANS( A M O R C )


5/494

TH E OFFI CIAL INTERNATION AL ROSICRUCIAN MAGAZINE OF THE WO RL D - WI D E ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

ROSICRUCIAN

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

m m m

Egyptian Obelisk in Rosicrucian Park (Frontispiece) 441

The Thought of the Month: A Beloved

Woman of Myst ic ism 444

The Qu est for Truth 447

Ho w Light and Co lor A ffec t Life 449

Cathed ra l Con tacts 453

Along Civilization's Trail: Ancient Phoenicia 455

Pages from the Past: Diogenes, The Cynic. 459

The W ond erful W ork of O ur Cou rier C ar 461G oe the and The Rosicrucian O rde r 466

Sanctum Musings: How Would Chr i s t L i ve Today? 470

The Keyn ote of Ad vanc em ent 472

"Lo st Horizon " 473

"Fre t No t Thyself" 476

By W ord of Mouth (Illustration) . 477

Subscription to The Rosicrucian Digest, Three D ollars peryear. Single copies twenty-five cents each.

Entered as Second Class Master at the Post Office at SanJose, California, under the Act of August 24th, 1912.

Changes of address must reach us by the tenth of the monthpreceding date of issue.

Statements made in this publication are not the official expressions of the organization or its officers unless stated tobe official communications.

i r aiH sian

Vol. XV . JA N U A R Y , 1938 No. 12


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TheRosicrucianDigestJanuary1938

T H E

THOUGHT OF THE MONTHA BELOVED WOMAN OF MYSTICISM

HE remark is oftenmade bv studentsof mysticism, mystical philosophyand universal brotherhood, thatit would seem thatall of the greatmasters and greatleaders in thisspecial field of human thought andendeavor havebeen of the mas

culine sex and that for some strangereason women seem to have been disqualified or unable to attain the samegreat heights.

Such an idea is essentially wrong and

is based merely upon the assumptionthat since famous women leaders havenot allowed themselves to be publicizedto the same extent that men have been,that few women indeed have attainedthe same great heights as their masculine companions. But there are sufficient notable examples of women amongthe great leaders, avatars and Messengers of the Masters to prove thatfrom the Cosmic point of view, and in

the consciousness of the Great Mastersand the Great White Lodge, there isabsolutely no distinction made in regardto race, sex or color.

Notable among the great leaders whoattained magnificent and sublimeheights, was Madame Blavatskv. Herachievements and attainments are as inspiring and as effectual today as theywere fifty and sixty years ago. In fact,

the passing of time has tended to elevateher character, her attainments, and her

profound development to a higher degree, and I dare say that among theleaders of mystical philosophy representing or presenting the true spirit ofuniversal brotherhood. Madame Blavat-sky receives today, justly, more homage,more respect, more admiration, andmore love than she received even at theclose of her life. And this, despite thefact that the later years of her life wereones of persecution, of bitter criticism,prejudice, hatred, envy, and maliciousattack upon her from every conceivablesource. In fact, it was the opinion ofher enemies, and perhaps the opinion ofa vast portion of the public, that preceding her physical and spiritual transition there was a complete dethronementof her character and reputation, and

that these had been more deeply buriedin the tomb of infamy than was herbody in the soil of the earth. But hercritics always those who were unfamiliar with the real principles andspirit of mystical philosophywere unacquainted with the great fundamentallaw. It is the lot of every great leaderof revealed truths and spiritual law tosuffer bitter criticism ana crucifixions,and through these things to ascend to

greater heights. Such persecution neverdoes more than to wrack and tearthe heart of the truly great, while itcreates an immortal monument to theirmemories.

Perhaps no other human being in thelast hundred years or more has enjoyedsuch intimate companionship, such closeinstruction and guidance, and such personal revelations and demonstrations on

the part of the Great Masters of theGreat White Lodge as did Madame


7/494

Blavatsky. Her old-time critics andmany of her present-time critics pointout the errors in her early youth, the

weaknesses of her early character during its process of molding, the humanequation in her personality, and theerrors and mistakes that she very naturally and logically made. But MadameBlavatsky never claimed for herself anyspecial degree of divinity or any uniquephysical constitution or superior objective consciousness and character. Shenever really understood how she, of all

creatures, came to be selected by theGreat Masters as their special channeland special instrument. I know it wasone of the great puzzles of her life, andalthough the Great Masters often answered her questions vaguely in this regard and assured her that there was areason and a purpose back of theunique association, she gradually learned to yield to their impulses, to followtheir instruction, to offer herself hourlyand daily to the Cosmic wishes; andthough stumbling, falling and struggling,to persist along the path and up themountainside to the heights to whichthe Cosmic and the Masters seemed todirect her, doing the best she could andaccepting the little thanks, the littlepraise, and the much suffering and torment as the working of the great law.

It was believed by a great many inher day, and is still believed by a greatmany, that she invented or created orestablished the first philosophy that wasever named Theosophical, and that thisterm in some way or other was uniquewith her, and represented a strange andhitherto unknown idea or group ofideas. But there were Theosophical

studies and Theosophical movements,Theosophical ideas and ideals, long before Madame Blavatsky was born, andlong before her parents, grandparentsor great grandparents were ever born.But what the Great Masters did throughMadame Blavatsky was to bring to theworld or only that portion of theworld that was ready to receive it andunderstand it a new revelation in the

principles of Theosophy. And I amonly one of many thousands of workersin behalf of universal brotherhood andmystical philosophy who acclaim her asthe greatest revealer of philosophicaland divine truths that God and the

Cosmic has given to this world in manycenturies. My love, respect and admiration for her may cause me to ex

aggerate her greatness, or it may bethat there were many others a littlegreater than she; but I doubt if therewere ever, in the past few centuries,any who were more sincere than she,and more worthy of being rememberedperiodically in the present-day andfuture schools, than she, simply becauseher memory has been trampled upon,her ideals and teachings, writings and

philosophical expressions have been soaltered, so twisted, so maligned and socommercialized, and even deliberatelyand extremely defiled and perverted.

It was sixty-two years ago this fallof 1937, that Madame Blavatsky cameto New York and the Western Worldto bring her light, her love, her understanding and her service. And it is

only sixty years ago that she made acontribution to the world the mostmonumental and inspiring to the field ofmystical literature Isis Unveiled. Infact, it seems but yesterday thatMadame Blavatsky was still among us,writing and laboring, teaching andmanifesting the laws and principles, andyet in the intervening hours and daysthings have occurred that I thank God

she never anticipated and never lived tosee. Not only has her character continued to be torn asunder, not only haveher ideals been twisted and perverted,but the very foundation she laid for auniversal brotherhood has been seizedunon by schemers, by claimants to suc-cessorship, by self-appointed bearers ofher sceptre. Highly commercialized reprints of her books have been issued inwhich the most beautiful and gloriouspassages have been eliminated in orderthat sectarian, limited, narrow, bigotedideas and principles could be establishedin connection with the society whichshe founded, and which she gave to theworld as her wonderful heritage. In thename of the Theosophical Society, allsorts of doctrines, practices, and prin

ciples have been offered to the world,and some of the most astonishing contradictions, infractions and perverse explanations of her beautiful teachingshave been scattered throughout thelands.


8/494

TheRosicrucian

Digest

January1938

But still there remains this eternalimmortal monument to her memory andher greatness, and as is always the

case, sane, sensible, rational and clean-minded and aspiring human beings havecome to notice more and more that invisible yet highly tangible monument;one by one they have come to kneel before it in mystical prayer and allegoricaladoration. So, we find today throughout the world a rapidly growing organization called the "Back to Blavatsky movement. In it are to be foundthousands of men and women who have

separated themselves from the manyforms of reorganized Theosophy, withdiverse and opposing opinions andteachinqs. but who now insist uponstudying and benefiting by the originaland beautiful teachings of MadameBlavatsky, as given to her by the GreatMasters, or as revealed to her from theCosmic records, or discovered by herthrough diligent and strenuous practice

of the principles and the conscious at-tunement of her mind and heart withthe divine consciousness and the mindof the members of the Great WhiteBrotherhood.

It is generally conceded by thesethinking men and women that not inany Theosophical Society of modernreformation or modern modification, ornot in any tangible group organizedand controlled by self-appointed suc

cessors and leaders, are to be found thegreat truths that Madame Blavatskybrought to the world; and not in thefiascoes and outstanding absurdities andartificial programs of these same selfappointed successors and leaders are tobe found that helpfulness and development and progress that they seek. Theyhave discovered that in reading herbooks and in following her ideas and

ideals in the privacy of their homes andin the silent hours of personal meditation and thought, they can derive morebenefit from the revelations of the GreatMasters who taught and spoke toMadame Blavatsky. And thus there isbeing created an invisible brotherhoodof true Theosophists, larger in number,stronger in power, more loyal inthought, than any other Theosophical

Brotherhood that existed during herlifetime or immediately thereafter. These

students are to be found working in andthrough other organizations, but findingin Madame Blavatsky's books and writ

ings not the practical instruction, notthe practical guidance, not the systema-tic and carefully organized instructionand help which they find in variousworldly movements, but that spiritualfood, that Cosmic enlightenment, andthat deep and sympathetic understanding of human problems, that madeTheosophy at one time the ideal movement, the ideal channel for the certainwork that the Great Masters wanted to

accomplish during her lifetime.It is doubtful if a Theosophical So

ciety of any name or under any leadership and in a material organized formwill ever attain the heights that such asociety once attained under MadameBlavatskys immediate direction andcontrol. It appears to be very manifestthat the Great Masters themselves nolonger consider such a tangible, mater

ialistic body of workers necessary oradvisable. This probably explains thefailure of the self-appointed successorsand leaders to emulate in recent yearsthe work that Madame Blavatsky attained, and it probably explains alsowhy these same leaders have fallen continuously into error, into quarrelingamong themselves, into making seriousmistakes of policy, principle and idealism, and have lost continuously more

followers than thev have gained.But there is a vast distinction between

an invisible brotherhood composed ofthousands of lovers of the true Theosophical teachings, guided and instructedby the occasional and well-prepared instruction of Cosmically chosen leadersand advisors, and a small and impotent,tangible brotherhood" composed ofmen and women seeking truth and find

ing untruth or misunderstanding, andmeeting constantly with bickerings andsuspicion and misrepresentation andcrude invention.

Ever since I have been chief executiveof AMORC I have taken occasion, asour various magazines and past publications will show, periodically to payhomage and respect to Madame Blavatsky. And I hope that as long as my

memory continues to function in myearthly consciousness, I shall never fail


9/494


10/494

Each art print is printed

on a I 012* 14 inch sheet,

with ample margin for

framing. The paper is ofa special dove-fiimh enam

el. T he 24 large art prints

ate mailed in a special

container. T hey are ex

ceptionally low priced at

only

$1 00

BRING INTO YOUR HOME THISMYSTICAL ART OF THE CENTURIES

Inspired art is not tlie mere mechanical portrayal of a form seen, hot

the conveying to the canvas the spirit and feeling ol the thing, whether

it he fashioned by nature or hy man. Leonardo da Vinci s famous

painting. The I .ast Slipper, for example, is more than a portrayal of a

gathering ol men dining with the C hrist. It depicts, through the genius

ol the artist, the agony loneliness, hope, and love, ol the characters

whose lorms his mystical brush created

In each century some one or two paintings are outstanding because of

their mystical presentalion ol the religious, cultural, or spiritual emotion

of the people ol the period. I hese paintings are inspirations to mankind.

I I tmisands travel great distances to view them in splendid art galleries.

Some ol them portray the soul ol the artist, great men ol the past, whose

inner philosophies materialize allegoricalh upon the canvas.

A M O R C 1ias searched the world lor photographic prints ol these

paintings. Paintings ol mystic shrines, temples peoples, and mystical

scenes. It brings to vou this great wealth ol arl ami inspiration, repro

duced on special paper known as silkole and printed in sepia. h.achbeautiful picture contains beneath it a descriptive caption They are ex

cellent lor framing and contain a wide margin enhancing their appear

ance. I magine receiving 2.| ojj these large photographic art prints in one

package lor only $i.oo, postpaid. I hey make splendid gifts. I he amount


11/494

EGYPTIAN OBELISK IN ROSICRUCIAN PARK


12/494

d i r e c t O z i T & v e s * ?

ARFl tlie tale s of strange lininan powersfalse / Can tin; mysterious fe;ils per

formed hy the mystics of the Orient he explained away as only illusions/ Is there anintangible bond with the universe beyondwhich draws mankind on/ I Joes a mighty

Cosmic intelligence from the reaches ol spareebb anr' How through the deep recesses ol themind. Forming a river ol wisdom which cancarry men and women to the heights of personal achievement ?

Have You Had These

Experiences ?..............that unmistakable feeling Hint you havetaken the wrong course ol action, that you haveviolated some inner, unexpressed, better judgment. I lie sudden realization that the silentwhisperings ol self are cautioning you to keep

your own counselnot to speak words on the

more dependable, which you are N O I usingnow ( hallenge this statement! Dare the Rosicrucians to reveal the lunclions o I ll lis C osmicmind and its great possibilities to vou.

Let This Free Book Explainlake this infinite pow er into your partnership,

'ton can use it in a rational and practical waywithout interference with your religious beliefsor personal all airs. I he Rosicrm ians, a world-wiri* philosophical movement, invite vou to usethe coupon below, now. today, and obtain aIree copy ol the lascinating hook. The Secret1lerilage. which explains lurther.

------------------------ USE T H IS COUPON ------------------------

Srilje S. P.c.I lie Rosit rut ifins, AMORC. San lose. California.

I am sincerely interested in knowing more nlinul

lliis unscon, \ ital power which ran In* used in a


13/494

S't. rU:s

ROSICRUCIAN

DIGESTCOVERS THE WORLDTHK OFF ICIAL IN TE RNATIONAL ROSICRUCIAN MAOA-ZINK OF THK W O It 1.1) - \V 11) K ROSICRUCIAN ORDKK

Vol. XV. JA N U A R Y , 1938

lA i lL SrirlL

Subscription to The Rosicrucian D igest, Three Dollars peryear. Single copies twenty-five cents each.

Entered as Second Class Master at the Post Office at SanJose, California, under the Act of August 24th, 1912.


Statements made in this publication are not the official expressions of the organization or its officers uniess stated tobe official communications.

Published Monthly by the Supreme Council of

THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER AMORC

Eg ypt ian Obelisk in Rosicrucian Park (Fron tispiece 441

The Thought of the M onth: A BelovedW om an of Mysticism 444

The Qu est for Truth 447

How Light and Colo r A ffect Life 449

Cathed ral Contacts 453

Along Civi lization's Trai l-A ncient Phoenicia 455

Pages from the Past: Diogenes The Cy nic 459

The Wo ndertul W ork of Ou r Courier C ar 461

G oe the and The Rosicrucian O rd er 466

Sanctum Musings: Ho w W ou ld Christ Live To day ? 470The Keyn ote of Ad vanc em ent 472

"Los t Horizon" 473

"Fre t Not Thyse l f" 476

By W o rd of Mou th (Illustration) 477


14/494

HE remark is oftenmade by studentsof mysticism, mystical philosophyand universal brotherhood, thatit would seem thatall of the greatmasters and greatleaders in thisspecial field of hu

man thought andendeavor havebeen of the mas

culine sex and that for some strangereason women seem to have been disqualified or unable to attain the samegreat heights.

Such an idea is essentially wrong andis based merely upon the assumption

that since famous women leaders havenot allowed themselves to be publicizedto the same extent that men have been,that few women indeed have attainedthe same great heights as their masculine companions. But there are sufficient notable examples of women amongthe great leaders, avatars and Messengers of the Masters to prove thatfrom the Cosmic point of view, and inthe consciousness of the Great Mastersand the Great White Lodge, there isabsolutely no distinction made in regardto race, sex or color

Notable among the great leaders who

profound development to a higher degree, and I dare say that among theleaders of mystical philosophy representing or presenting the true spirit ofuniversal brotherhood, Madame Blavatsky receives today, justly, more homage,more respect, more admiration, andmore love than she received even at theclose of her life. And this, despite thefact that the later years of her life wereones of persecution, of bitter criticism,

prejudice, hatred, envy, and maliciousattack upon her from every conceivablesource. In fact, it was the opinion ofher enemies, and perhaps the opinion ofa vast portion of the public, that preceding her physical and spiritual transition there was a complete dethronementof her character and reputation, andthat these had been more deeply buried

in the tomb of infamy than was herbody in the soil of the earth. But hercritics always those who were unfamiliar with the real principles andspirit of mystical philosophywere unacquainted with the great fundamentallaw. It is the lot of every great leaderof revealed truths and spiritual law tosuffer bitter criticism and crucifixions,and through these things to ascend togreater heights. Such persecution neverdoes more than to wrack and tearthe heart of the truly great, while itcreates an immortal monument to theirmemories.


15/494

Blavatsky. Her old-time critics andmany of her present-time critics pointout the errors in her early youth, theweaknesses of her early character during its process of molding, the humanequation in her personality, and theerrors and mistakes that she very naturally and logically made. But MadameBlavatsky never claimed for herself anyspecial degree of divinity or any uniquephysical constitution or superior objective consciousness and character. Shenever really understood how she, of allcreatures, came to be selected by theGreat Masters as their special channeland special instrument. I know it wasone of the great puzzles of her life, andalthough the Great Masters often answered her questions vaguely in this re

gard and assured her that there was areason and a purpose back of theunique: association, she gradually learned to yield to their impulses, to followtheir instruction, to offer herself hourlyand daily to the Cosmic wishes; andthough stumbling, falling and struggling,to persist along the path and up themountainside to the heights to which

the Cosmic and the Masters seemed todirect her, doing the best she could andaccepting the little thanks, the littlepraise, and the much suffering and torment as the working of the great law.

It was believed by a great many inher day, and is still believed by a greatmany, that she invented or created orestablished the first philosophy that was

ever named Theosophical, and that thisterm in some way or other was uniquewith her, and represented a strange andhitherto unknown idea or group ofideas. But there were Theosophicalstudies and Theosophical movements,Theosophical ideas and ideals, long before Madame Blavatsky was born, andlong before her parents, grandparents

or great grandparents were ever born.But what the Great Masters did throuahMadame Blavatsky was to bring to theworld or only that portion of theworld that was ready to receive it andunderstand it a new revelation in the

Cosmic has given to this world in manycenturies. My love, respect and admiration for her may cause me to exaggerate her greatness, or it may bethat there were many others a littlegreater than she; but I doubt if therewere ever, in the past few centuries,any who were more sincere than she,and more worthy of being rememberedperiodically in the present-day and

future schools, than she, simply becauseher memory has been trampled upon,her ideals and teachings, writings andph'losophical expressions have been soaltered, so twisted, so maligned and socommercialized, and even deliberatelyand extremely defiled and perverted.

It was sixty-two years ago this fallof 1937, that Madame Blavatsky came

to New York and the Western Worldto bring her light, her love, her understanding and her service. And it isonly sixty years ago that she made acontribution to the world the mostmonumental and inspiring to the field ofmystical literature Isis Unveiled. Infact, it seems but yesterday thatMadame Blavatsky was still among us,

writing and laboring, teaching andmanifesting the laws and principles, andyet in the intervening hours and daysthings have occurred that I thank Godshe never anticipated and never lived tosee. Not only has her character continued to be torn asunder, not only haveher ideals been twisted and perverted,but the very foundation she laid for a

universal brotherhood has been seizedupon by schemers, by claimants to suc-cessorship, by self-appointed bearers ofher sceptre. Highly commercialized reprints of her books have been issued inwhich the most beautiful and gloriouspassages have been eliminated in orderthat sectarian, limited, narrow, bigoted

ideas and principles could be establishedin connection with the society whichshe founded, and which she gave to theworld as her wonderful heritage. In thename of the Theosophical Society, allsorts of doctrines, practices, and prin


16/494TheRosicrucian

But still there remains this eternalimmortal monument to her memory and

her greatness, and as is always thecase, sane, sensible, rational and clean-minded and aspiring human beings havecome to notice more and more that invisible yet highly tangible monument;one by one they have come to kneel before it in mystical prayer and allegoricaladoration. So. we find today throughout the world a rapidly growing or

ganization called the "Back to Blavatsky movement. In it are to be foundthousands of men and women who haveseparated themselves from the manyforms of reorganized Theosophy, withdiverse and opposing opinions andteachings, but who now insist UDonstudying and benefiting by the originaland beautiful teachings of Madame

Blavatsky, as given to her by the GreatMasters, or as revealed to her from theCosmic records, or discovered bv herthrough diligent and strenuous practiceof the principles and the conscious at-tunement of her mind and heart withthe divine consciousness and the mindof the members of the Great WhiteBrotherhood.

It is generally conceded by thesethinking men and women that not inany Theosophical Society of modernreformation or modern modification, ornot in any tangible group organizedand controlled by self-appointed successors and leaders, are to be found thegreat truths that Madame Blavatskybrought to the world: and not in the

fiascoes and outstanding absurdities andartificial programs of these same selfappointed successors and leaders are tobe found that helpfulness and development and progress that they seek. Theyhave discovered that in reading herbooks and in following her ideas andideals in the privacy of their homes andin the silent hours of personal medita

tion and thought, they can derive morebenefit from the revelations of the GreatMasters who taught and spoke toMadame Blavatsky. And thus there isbeing created an invisible brotherhoodof true Theosophists. larger in number,

students are to be found working in andthrough other organizations, but finding

in Madame Blavatskys books and writings not the practical instruction, notthe practical guidance, not the systematic and carefully organized instructionand help which they find in variousworldly movements, but that spiritualfood, that Cosmic enlightenment, andthat deep and sympathetic understanding of human problems, that made

Theosophy at one time the ideal movement, the ideal channel for the certainwork that the Great Masters wanted toaccomplish during her lifetime.

It is doubtful if a Theosophical Society of any name or under any leadership and in a material organized formwill ever attain the heights that such asociety once attained under Madame

Blavatsky's immediate direction andcontrol. It appears to be very manifestthat the Great Masters themselves nolonger consider such a tangible, materialistic body of workers necessary oradvisable. This probably explains thefailure of the self-appointed successorsand leaders to emulate in recent yearsthe work that Madame Blavatsky at

tained, and it probably explains alsowhy these same leaders have fallen continuously into error, into quarrelingamong themselves, into making seriousmistakes of policy, principle and idealism, and have lost continuously morefollowers than they have gained.

But there is a vast distinction betweenan invisible brotherhood composed of

thousands of lovers of the true Theosophical teachings, guided and instructedby the occasional and well-prepared instruction of Cosmically chosen leadersand advisors, and a small and impotent,tangible "brotherhood composed ofmen and women seeking truth and finding untruth or misunderstanding, andmeeting constantly with bickerings and

suspicion and misrepresentation andcrude invention.

Ever since I have been chief executiveof AMORC I have taken occasion, asour various magazines and past publications will show, periodically to pay


17/494

to express my esteem and love forMadame Blavatsky.

And my high praise for her attainments and service to mankind is not because she was also a Rosicrucian, andpassed out of this life happily wearingthe Rosicrucian emblem as the most important symbol in her life. I admiredand loved the work and achievementsof Madame Blavatsky for years beforeI knew the truth about her Rosicrucianconnections. She will not be remembered so greatly as a Rosicrucian, as shewill be remembered as a companion andmessenger of the Great Masters, andas a Light Bearer among men andwomen throughout the world. TheGreat Masters had chosen her as their

instrument, their channel their chiefrepresentative, long before they led herto the portals of Rosicrucianism, and

long before they had revealed to herthe great truths that constituted theTheosophical presentation of divineprinciples. Having accepted the call,having given herself to the service ofthe Masters, she adhered to it, persisted in it, and gave her life to it, in theutmost suffering and malicious persecution. She was a martyr of the Great

White Brotherhood, and for this reasonall Rosicrucians, all true Theosophists,all lovers of truth and human brotherhood and Light, Li[e and Love will remember her and continue to place freshflowers at the foot of her invisible andimmortal monument.

V V V

The Quest for Truth

By A rth u r G. Rakestraw

of direct communion between the creature and his Creator.

There are but two sources of information open to man through his naturalsenses, Nature and history. However,when we seek to know the Author ofNature from Nature herself, we meet

with but a stony silence. It is as if wecalled at some one's home in hisabsence. Roaming from room to roomwe could indeed acquire a limitedknowledge of his tastes and qualities bya survey of his books, pictures and

h f i hi b ld

OUR assumptionsare involved in theage old inquiry:"Can a man bysearching find outGod? It assumes,(1) the existence

of a Supreme intelligent Being,(2) that there is auniversal desireon the part ofmankind to attain

i i h


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Th

So our knowledge of God throughNature is imperfect and limited. Nature

is relentless, cruel and inexorable. Thehistory of Nature looms largely withcatastrophe. Floods, earthquaices andthe cruel sea have taken heavy toll.

Our other source is likewise barren.We cannot know God from a study ofman. Human nature, as recorded inhistory and exemplified in our dailycontacts, is unsatisfactory and disap

pointing. Humanity as a whole is cruel,selfish and deceitful. The history of theworld is largely a history of war, hatredand oppression, and, despite the shallowoptimists and the foolish pacifists, therehas been no improvement through theages. Even religion is marked by bitterstrife and bloodshed.

It follows that the concepts of Deityheld by various races and peoples differgreatly, as do the moods of man andNature. Deity is seldom conceived asbeneficent, sometimes as indifferent,but more often as cruel, vengeful andvindictive, requiring constantly to bepropitiated and appeased, pictured withhuman passions, angry, capricious,

spiteful and unreasonable. Such arethe gods of savage tribes, and thisconcept has even been carried over intoChristianity.

Let us now pass over into anotherrealm, that of human experience. Thereare those who have claimed to have hadrevelations from beyond the veil thatseparates the finite from the Infinite,

and to have talked with God, as onetalks with a friend. But such experiences, however satisfying and convincing to the person himself, cannot betransmitted to another, although wemay observe the often powerful effectwhich they have upon his life.

The Sacred Writings of religious

sects, Christian and non-Christian alikecontain alleged revelations of divineTruth. It does not fall within the province of this article to discuss theirclaims to credence, but it may be safelysaid that no book, even were it writtenby divine inspiration can impart truth

positions of Truth, available to theearnest and unselfish seeker.

As the miner digging in the earth uncovers a nugget of gold, and holding italoft signifies to his companions that hehas struck a vein, so we can recognizein the lives of some men that they havemade contact with hidden but powerfulsources of Truth. They cannot transfertheir treasure to us, but they can tell uswhere and how to dig for ourselves, or

rather they can so inspire us with a desire to possess what they have that wewill open our hearts and minds to theall-revealing truth. For indeed, it is notby toil or painful effort that revelationcomes to us, but rather by putting ourselves in a receptive mood, listening forthe still, small Voice within our souls.

And indeed no one is, or need be.totally blind or deaf to the revelationof Truth. Even the ignorant savage haswithin his soul a glimmer of that Light,a whisper of that Voice which, if followed, will lead to more revelation, asone within a cave follows the feeblegleam of light and finally comes out intothe sunshine. Or, to change the meta

phor, if we resolutely shut out theclamor of the world and listen to thequiet Voice within us, it will grow louderand clearer, and we will learn manythings that we did not know before.But if we heed it not. it will grow fainterand fainter, and perhaps be stilled forever.

Where may we find Truth? In the

only place where it may be found, within our own hearts. How may we findGod? Not by searching, not by study,not by slowly acquiring knowledge, butby asking, and by being in the mood toreceive. The first step towards theknowledge of God, is to know ourselves.

Truth is an indivisible entity. As allpersons see the same light, though with

different eyes, so all who have foundTruth, have gotten it at the sameSource. God has not put all the gold inthe world in one mine, neither has Hecommitted to any man or group of menthe exclusive custodianship of Truth.


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How Light and Color Affect LifeBy F rater J ohn H . Schneider, B. S., M . S.

IGH T is a form ofradiant energy.Even primitiveman knew something of its effectupon his environment. He knewthat the sun's rayswarmed him andcaused his skin todarken. All forms

of life which receive this radiationare influenced in

another when light rayspenetrate them or re-

The leaves of

one way orstrike them andfleet from their surfaces,plants grow wide and flat in order toprovide larger surfaces for the receptionof light. This light energy is absorbed

by the plant and stimulates the chlorophyll or green substance of the plant toassimilate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and to transform this gas intocarbohydrates and other plant substances with the assistance of water.Thus the very materials which composethe body of a plant are produced withthe aid of light. It may be considered

that this assimilation of light energy bythe plant is a transformation of radiantenergv into chemical energy which isstored by the plant in a form for lateruse by animals and by man for theproper development and nourishment of

of various lengths. The colors of coloredlight are evidence of light of differentwave lengths. Red light and yellowlight radiations have longer wavelengths while blue light has a shorterwave length. The combination of lightof all colors or wave-lengths produceswhite light such as sun-light or the lightof an electric light bulb.

When white light such as that fromthe sun is passed through a wedge

shaped piece of glass called a prism, thelight rays of shorter wave-length passthrough with greater difficulty thanthose of longer wave lengths. Thistends to separate the rays or rather todisplace them one from the other so thatthey can be viewed upon a screen as aband of colors with red at one end, blueat the other end and all of the other

colors at intervals between the two.This spectrum or band of light raysfrom the long red rays to the short bluerays composes the range of visible light.There are rays of light which are longerin wave length than those of red light.These are called infra-red rays. In addition there are rays of light which possess shorter wave-length than blue light

and these are called ultra-violet rays.These two forms of light are both invisible to the human eye but their effectsupon matter are often visible. For instance. some objects upon which ultraviolet rays strike will glow with a soft


20/494

longer wave-length than that of ultra

violet rays. Infra-red rays have an effect upon light-sensitive photographicplates much the same as that of visiblelight and pictures of objects can betaken in a room illuminated solely byinfra-red light.

Since light is one form of radiant energy and can be further classified according to its wave-length, it is not sur

prising to find that other forms of radiant energy can also be characterized bytheir respective wave-lengths. It is exceedingly interesting to know, however,that this is true and that all forms ofradiant energy can be charted according to wave-length to form a long seriesor spectrum in the same manner thatwas employed with the colors of visible

light radiation. What are these otherforms of radiation? The radiation oflongest wave-length known is electricity.This includes the Hertzian rays or ordinary electric currents and the somewhat shorter radio waves. The nextshortest wave-length is that of heatradiation. This forms a wide band ofwhich the shorter rays are visible aslight. It is well-known that heat is inmany cases accompanied by light. Thisis because the radiation which we knowas heat possesses a wave-length whichborders upon the next shortest wavelengths which we know as light. On theother side of the visible spectrum andbeyond the shorter ultra-violet rays arethe X-rays and the gamma rays orradium emanations which possess a stillshorter wave-length. Beyond this pointare the cosmic rays, which are the shortest rays known.

Summarizing the known forms ofradiant energy in order of their respective wave-lengths from the longest tothe shortest, the order is electricity

(Hertzian and radio), heat, infra-red.visible light (including all of the familiarcolors of light from red to blue), ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays and cosmicrays.

With this convenient mental picture

known although they undoubtedly have

some effect thereupon. It is known,however, that homing pigeons lose theirsense of direction while flying in theimmediate vicinity of radio antennaefrom which radio waves are emanatingand regain this sense when the transmission has ceased. Passing to the nextform of radiation, the effects of heatwaves upon living matter are known to

most of us in a general way at least.Visible light, the next shortest radiation, plays, as we have already seen, avery important part in the growth anddevelopment of most forms of life. It isthe energy by means of which plantscarry on that primary chemical reactionupon which nearly all forms of life depend. Plant stems and leaves usually

turn toward the light; plant roots andmany lower forms of life usually turnfrom it. Light determines the rate ofgrowth of plants. Certain plants willgrow to the height of surrounding plantswhich if removed cause the flowers toform on shorter stems. Light affects thegrowth rythm of plants in that the budding and flowering period can be start

ed prematurely by exposure of the plantto light and flowering can be accomplished in a much shorter than normalperiod.

Plants can use both ends of the spectrum of light rays, including both infrared and ultra-violet rays. Infra-red illuminated plants are larger but lessgreen. Plants grow in blue light aboutas well as they do in normal or whitelight.

Organisms are accustomed to directlight. Reflected light such as that fromthe moon seems to affect the growth oforganisms in a different manner. Reflected light is known also as polarizedlight. Seedlings, bacteria and yeast

have their growth accelerated by polarized or reflected light.

Lights of various wave-lengths appearto have different effects upon living tissues. Infra-red light tends to soothstrained muscles. Ultra-violet light is


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upon impart this energy to the cells ofliving things uDon assimilation of the

irradiated material. Plants appear togrow taller in ultra-violet light. Veryshort wave-lengths of ultra-violet lightare harmful to both plants and animals.Short exposures to ultra-violet light oflonger wave length are beneficial whilelong or heavy exposures are harmfuland will destroy living cells.

X-rays are more potent than ultraviolet rays in the destruction of cellsand are employed to kill or to treatorgans and growth. When X-rays arefocussed upon cancerous growths untilthe growth becomes heavily irradiated,the cancer cells will cease to live whilethe surrounding normal cells which havenot been subjected to the action ofX-rays will not be harmed. X-rays areexceed''ngly dangerous when used in ex

cess or when misused. The effects mayappear some time after the treatment.Eggs and embryos are very sensitive toeven small quantities of X-ray radiation. More mature organisms will withstand larger amounts of this form ofradiation. Of the human body, the generative organs are most sensitive toX-ray radiation.

X-rays seem to influence the hereditary characteristics of plants and animals, producing changes in this direction. The shorter ultra-violet rays havesomewhat of a similar effect.

Gamma rays, the next shortest inwave-length, appear to have a tendencyto retard growth. They have been foundto have this effect upon cancer cells andfrequently kill such cells.

It has been found that the radiationsof shorter wave-length possess greaterpenetrating power and that this powerincreases as the wave-length decreases.X-rays and gamma rays will penetrateflesh and to a lesser extent bone. Metalobiects in relatively thin sheets willstop these rays. X-rays will only penetrate through an inch of water while

gamma rays will penetrate a foot ofwater without losing more than abouthalf of their intensity. Cosmic rays, theshortest and most penetrating rays discovered. have been known to penetrateas much as sixty-eight feet of water orsix feet of lead Delicate instruments

these rays increase in intensity as theinstrument is raised above the surface

of the earth until at a height of almostsix miles the radiation is several timesas great as at the surface of the earth.This has led investigators to believe thatthe radiation must be of cosmic origin.

Since cosmic rays are shorter inwave-length than the gamma rays whichretard cancerous growth, it has beensuggested that thev probably havesomewhat of a similar effect upon cancercells. Measurements indicate that approximately twelve cosmic rays strikeour bodies every second. The theoryhas been expounded that these cosmicray bombardments may have a tendency to curb the growth of cancer cells inthe body.

Living things not only receive radiations from sources external to them

selves but they are also capable of producing radiations. Most living thingsproduce heat as the result of metabolism during which some heat radiationis formed. Many living organisms produce a cold light known as luminescence.Some human beings appear to possessthis capacity. This light is generated asa result of the interaction of certain in

gredients contained within their bodies.The glow of fire-flies is an example ofluminescent radiation.

Fluorescence is another form of lightradiation produced by living things aswell as by non-living things. When certain living things as well as non-livingthings are illuminated, the light theythus receive is absorbed by them, transformed into light of a greater wave

length and then radiated by them toother objects or to the human eye. Asan example of this form of radiation,the human body, when illuminated bythe non-visible ultra-violet light willglow with a visible light radiation.

Still another form of radiation produced by both living and non-livingthings is phosphorescence. Certain or

ganisms when exposed to heat, light orelectricity absorb and store part of thisenergy. After the source of radiationhas been removed, these bodies giveforth the energy whicn they have thusstored.

The radiation of electricity by the


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These eels can produce a shock sufficient to electrocute a man. When com

pletely discharged, these eels can regaintheir capacity to produce electricity bymeans of a period of inactivity in thisdirection. Certain deep-sea fish havethe ability to produce a light of blindingintensity which permits them to escapefrom their aggressors.

Within recent years it has been discovered that living cells are capable of

producing a form of radiant energywhich can stimulate other cells to moreactive growth. Among the forms of living things which have been found toradiate such energy are bacteria, seedlings, blood, muscle and cancerous tissue. In one experiment, the root of anonion in a horizontal position pointing

toward the tip of another onion rootheld in a vertical position produced an

increase in growth in the side of thelatter root adjacent to the former one.The radiation thus produced is thoughtto be in the form of short ultra-violetrays produced perhaps by the presenceof small amounts of potassium andother elements which are slightly radioactive.

The story of how living things are in

fluenced by their radiation environmentis not completed by any means. Manychapters remain to be written as manenhances his ability to understand thesethings in which are concealed many illuminating and fundamental truthswhich many have sought and few havefound.

Th

How It All Began...CRYSTAL GAZING

FOR centuries before the psychological principles of crystal gazingwere known, a similarpractice,from which it evolved, was carriedon by ancient and primitivepeoples. In India the natives put an ink

spot upon their hands, and would sit concentrating upon it for hours

at a time, eventually losing con

sciousness of their objective

surroundings. The scenes or

objects appearing to take formin the ink spot were considered

by them to be divine revelations.

The primitive Polynesians gaze

into pools of water to find re

flected there the face of one

who has stolen their belongings.

Large polishedblack stones have


23/494

'CXftftiiAf&trtRtrt

j '- : ' " ? ?: : ~ ? i < ."..TT '.< : t* SK JT T ^ .zr Q

I................................................................*..............................................................

I

The "Cathedral of the Soul is a Cosmic meeting place for all minds of themost advanced and highly developed spiritual members and workers of the

: Rosicrucian Fraternity. It is a focal point of Cosmic radiations and thought: waves from which radiate vibrations of health, peace, happiness, and innerawakening. Various periods of the day are set aside when many thousandsof minds are attuned with the Cathedral of the Soul, and others attuning withthe Cathedral at this time will receive the benefit of the vibrations. Those whoare not members of the organization may share in the unusual benefits as wellas those who are members. The book called L iber 777 describes the periodsfor various contacts with the Cathedral. Copies will be senf to persons who

| are not members if they address their requests for this book to Friar S. P. C.,care of AMORC Temple San Jose, California, enclosing three cents in postagestamps. (P lease stat e whether member or notthis is impor tant .)

HERE is no thingstrange, mysterious, occult or supernatural aboutthe Cathedral ofthe Soul or theprocesses wherebyone may communewith the highestspiritual consciousness of theuniverse.

Man has theability, as a God-

given gift, to commune with the soul

and spirit within him, and to talk withthe inner self, and with the God within.This God and inner self are parts ofthe soul-consciousness, and are directlyattuned with the universal consciousness of the Cosmic.

When man turns his concentrated

soul, and through the soul to God, heenters a sanctuary, a cathedral, a synagogue, a H oly of Holies that is not ofthe earth but of the Cosmic. Therein henot only finds God. but all of the Heav

enly Hosts, the magnificent Music ofthe Spheres, the universal mind of man,and the love, mercy and justice of God.

If man makes a practice, daily andweekly, of entering this Cathedral ofthe Soul, and communing there with theinner self, the better self, the spiritualself, which is a part of God, he is liftinghis outer consciousness and his outerself up to a higher plane and there find

ing health, happiness and peace.His prayers, sincere and sacred, ut

tered while he is dwelling in the Cathedral of the Soul, are like direct, personaltalks to God and the God consciousness. Through such prayers and pleas,he can p rge and p rif his bod and


24/494

sorrows and griefs. He can find lightand wisdom, strength, love and mercy.

He can find illumination, guidance, helpand protection.

And while in communion with God inthe Cathedral of the Soul, he will senseand contact the minds and consciousness of millions of human beings who,like himself, lift up their thoughts andtheir minds to this one great universalsphere of spiritual purity and spiritual

power. He finds himself attuned withthe higher forces of the universe, and hedwells in the grace and glory of God.

Our little gift booklet entitled Liber777 explains all of the interesting details about this very old mystical process of spiritual attunement. It tellsyou of the most appropriate hours ofthe day, the most propitious periods ofeach week for meeting with the mindsand souls of others in this grand conclave and communion of spiritualizedconsciousness. It tells you how to approach this inner sanctuary of the souland how to develop a keen realizationof the spiritual contact and the benefitsthat result therefrom. In the privacy of

your own home, without revealing yourpurposes and intentions to any other

person, you can dwell in spiritual ecstasyand sublime communion. Free from anycreeds or limited dogmas, and guidedonly by the revelations from the consciousness of God that come to you aspersonal sermons and personal guidancewhile you are in the sanctuary of thesoul, you find yourself walking in thegreater light toward greater health,

prosperity and happiness. Why not joinwith thousands of others in these dailyand weekly periods of spiritual blessings? The booklet is yours for the asking, without any obligations whatever.Write as directed above and secure acopy of this booklet at once, and helpus in the great work of bringing to man

kind the opportunity for sincere worshipand spiritual unfoldment, free from distinctions of race, religion or geographical environment.

Worshipping in the Cathedral of theSoul will become your greatest delightand your secret, sacred pleasure duringthe remainder of your life here on earth.

V V VTH E QUE ST FOR T RUT H (Continued from Page 448)

Why then have not more come intoa knowledge of the Truth? Well, Truthis unpleasant to many people. Like batsand owls, they prefer the darkness.Truth cuts deep. It lays bare the soul,and for that reason many shrink from

it. Again, the light of Truth is easilyobscured. Pride, selfishness, prejudice,and indifference shut out the Light.Only the pure in heart, we are told,shall see God, and Truth will not abidewithin a heart filled with ignoblemotives.

As Pilate caught a glimpse of an unknown world in the presence of thelowly Nazarene, and asked, "What isTruth, and then turned away, so wemay turn indifferently away, just at themoment when a little quiet, seriousmeditation and introspection wouldbring usa richness of revelation that we

earnest seekers associating themselvestogether. There is every reason whythey should do so. There is a mutualinspiration in the companionship ofthose who have the same ends in view,the same purpose in life. We may spur

each other on, when alone we might become discouraged and drift into indifference.

Furthermore, if for no other reason,the sharing of information, the diffusionof knowledge and culture, the imparta-tion of a philosophy of life that gives uspower and poise, and aids in the devel

opment of hidden latent forces whichwe did not know we possessed, willrichly repay us for the time spent insuch association.

Can a man by searching, find outGod? No, but a man who will attune


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Along Civilization's TrailByR a lp h M. L ew i s, K. R. C.

Editor's N ote:This is the tenth episode of a narrative by the Supreme Secretary relating theexperiences he and his party had in visiting mystic shrines and places in Europe and the ancientworld.

ANCIENT PHOENICIA

AC I N G throughbowers of fragrantshrubs, and thensuddenly sweeping upward toskim along thecrest of rocky

slopes overlookingthe broad expanseof the Mediterranean, our spiritsrose with eachturn in the road.N ot more than

two hours previously, we had been inPalestine, but its blue skies had beencolored by our feelings a pall of dejec

tion had hung over us, because of ourintimate experiences with its bitter revolution. How can one doubt that wemortals are torn by the strong influencesof invironment and our mental attitudes? The most dominant factor in lifeis our attitude toward things andpeople, our personal interpretations. Ifwe are confident, cheerful and courage

ous, every obstacle is but another strideto be taken in our progress. The mostsordid environment, even the darkesthour becomes but a background bywhich to contrast our radiant spirits.Let hope and self-assurance ebb, however, and the slightest change in cir

engulfed. This but proves that theworld is impartial. It never intentionally oppresses the individual nor does itfavor him. Time either sweeps the individual along with it, or passes him by.The mentally alert, visionary individualis prepared to strike out and swim with

the current. He is never content to bewail his lot on the bank, watching lifeflow by.

The Mediterranean was exceptionallyblue, rather of the colored postcard hue,almost unbelievably brilliant. The sunlight seemed to dance upon its glasslike surface. This coast line of ancientPhoenicia, now Syria, was amazingly

like that of California. The mountainsseemed to plunge into the sea . nogradual approach, but an abrupt demarcation, a bold precipice submergingitself in the waters. It was as if theparched desert far inland had, by aseries of undulations, sought to reachthe sea and. suddenly coming upon it,one of its crests had slipped beneath thewater.

The surrounding terrain was littlechanged. Nowhere for miles along thiscoast were evidences of human progress, except for the pavement uponwhich we travelled. The coastal hillswere uncultivated although spotted


26/494

tiful sandy beaches marked the erosionof the rocky shore by the sea, beaches

which in a more commercialized landwould have been marred by gaudy concessions. Little harbor-bays were formed by jutting rugged arms of the coast.In these still waters, about 1000 B. C.,floated the sturdy, but small craft of thePhoenicians. At that time black-beardedmen, who but a few centuries previoushad been desert wanderers, nomads,

directed the loading of the boats. Theycarried cargoes of mother-of-pearl inlayfurniture, ivory combs, household utensils, gold trinkets, frankincense andother luxuries with which to barter withthe peoples of distant countries bordering the shores of the Mediterranean.They were at that time the greatestnavigators of the world. They venturedas far West as what is now Spain andcarried on an extensive trade with theearly Greeks who were greatly influenced by the Phoenician dress andcustoms. It is said that the early Greeksborrowed their style of costume fromthe Phoenicians. As they prospered intheir trade, they colonized many towns

along the coast of the eastern end of theMediterranean.

Cars were now passing us rather frequently going in the opposite direction.We were approaching Beirut, the principal seaport of Syria, or the state ofLebanon. In a few moments we wereslowly moving through the streets ofthis city, which was quite evidently influenced by Western ideas and practices. The change in the appearance ofshop windows from those of Egypt andPalestine, the large paved thoroughfares, elaborate cafes, spacious lawns,even public trams, did not give us theimpression of the Western World attempting to invade the East, but ratherthat it had already arrived, and the Eastwas trying to survive the influence.Orginally captured by the British inOctober, 1908. the country is now aFrench Mandated territory, but the cityof Beirut is exceptionally Americanizedbecause of the great American Univer

with their superior way of living, towhich the natives have taken readily.

Our stay in Beirut was brief, for itwas not our immediate destination. Wewere bound for the inland. Leaving thesea level we began a very steep ascent,winding our way over the high mountains. Lebanon, as this section is known,is renowned for being the site of theonce famous cedar trees, by the same

name, for centuries used extensively inthe building operations of the ancientpeoples whose countries bordered theMediterranean. But one small grove ofthe great trees still remains and it ispreserved as a monument of the past.Centuries before Christ, the Egyptiansput out expeditions to this coast to fellthe great trees and float them back to

the mouth of the Nile, thence up thegreat river for hundreds of miles. Thewriter recently had the opportunity ofexamining thoroughly, several sarcophagi (mummy coffins) being installed in the new additions of the Rosicrucian Oriental and Egyptian Museum.These sarcophagi date back to approximately 1000 B. C. Each of them was

made, as practically all of them wereduring that time, from planks of cedarbrought from Lebanon, centuries ago.Even though they were about thirtycenturies old, they were yet in a fairstate of preservation. Many of the earlyfleets that plied the waters of the Mediterranean were built of the cedars ofLebanon. It was a rare wood and muchsought after. Toward the South end ofthe Lebanon mountains, towers Mt.Hermon, reaching a height of 9000 feet.The mountain is frequently mentionedin the Christian Bible by other names.Around its base are to be found theruins of the Temples of Baal. Generallyspeaking, Baal is an ancient sun god,

but generically speaking, Baal was theSyrio-Phoenician word meaning God.The ancient Sidonians had named thismountain Syrion. It is without vegetation of any kind, except a plant life resembling our North American sage


27/494

badly. The country was becoming moredesolate and had its effect upon our

moods, and our conversation becameless frequent. About two hours afterhaving left Beirut, and having just madea turn on a high mountain pass, welooked down from an altitude of severalthousand feet upon a broad plateaustretching into the distance. Far belowour road continued, like a gray ribbonstretching for miles across the waste.Toward the horizon a great green patch

was visible. Soon we were entering thispatch, the outer edge of a fertile area,and the age-old city of Damascus,which is on the fringe of the greatMesopotamian desert. Damascus, 57miles east of Beirut, has a population ofabout 188,000, 21,000 of which areChristians and about 16,000 Jews. Itis the oldest inhabited city in the world.

In the Tel-E l-Amarna tablets or letters,the first letters of state in the history ofthe world exchanged between QueenNefertiti and the rulers of her subordinate states or colonies in 1350 B. C.,Damascus is mentioned. At that earlytime, according to translations, it wastermed Dimashka. The same name, referring to the same city is found inscribed on the walls of the Temple of

Rameses III in Upper Egypt. It wasthe scene of many wars mentioned inBiblical literature. David had campaigned against it, but without a greatdeal of success. French troops weregarrisoned there as elsewhere in Syria,but were unsuccessful in accomplishingmuch with Damascus, or any of Syria infact, because of an antipathy held toward them by the native Syrians. Various political influences, which we willdescribe later, caused the French muchunrest and a regret that they had everassumed the mandate.

Our first impressive sight after entering this ancient city, was a large cemetery near the citys center, the tombs ofwhich were fashioned like small mosques with their customary domed roofsand spiral minarets. They were so diminutive that I likened them to theovens one sees used for the manufacturing of tile and brick. Around the wholecemetery was an artistic Byzantinebrick wall the top of which was crenel

principal hostelry which the city afforded, located in a plaza directly across

from the depot of a narrow gauge railroad originally built by Germany beforethe World War, and now used for thetransporting of freight from Beirut toDamascus, we were greeted by a nowfamiliar sight. Porters in white linenrobes which looked not unlike the oldfashioned night gown tied around themiddle with a soiled red sash, and wearing Mohammedan tarbouches, shuffled

up and sought our baggage.We paid little attention to the interior

of the hotel, that is the main foyer, untilour return from our rooms above wherewe had immediately retired to removesome of the grime of travel. Intenselyhungry, we sought the dining hall. Wewere ushered into a spacious interiorcourt. Courts are exceptionally common

in these Eastern countries, because theyare cool, inviting and traditional. Thewalls were all white, against which potsof flowers and climbing vines appearedrefreshingly cool. The ceiling was constructed of hand-hewn timbers. Betweenthe tops of the walls and the ceiling wasa stone grill work which allowed ampleventilation. At either end was a highnarrow window, hardly large enough topermit the passage of a man. T hey werewell shaded and kept out the middayheat and glare. Most surprising was thegreat number of persons that werecrowded in this fairly large dining hall.There must have been at least 400 persons seated at long tables somewhatlike those one would find in an army ora construction camp. Instead of being

seated on chairs, they were seated onbenches which were a part of the table.Most of the diners wore Western clothing, a sack or business suit, and all woretheir tarbouches. It is not a custom toremove the tarbouche when indoors, orwhen dining.

The amusing incident was that allwere eating as rapidly as they could,

and not a sound of a voice was to beheard. No one was conversing, all intently concentrating upon the consumption of food. It seemed as thoughthey were given a limited time to eat,and could not afford to indulge in conversation It was so different from the


28/494

ing is an art and a social event as well.We later learned that it is not a custom

among the Syrians and the peoples ofthe Levant to converse when eating, butrather to devote their attention to foodfirst, and then converse at length afterward. I was also surprised to find ahotel so crowded in such an out of theway place as Damascus. Many of thebig hostelries of America and theWestern world would have been grate

ful for such patronage as this hotel wasapparently enjoying at this time. If wehad seen a similar sight in America, wewould have thought a convention was insession. Conventions seemed to be sucha Western mode, that we did not entertain the thought in this instance. Uponinquiry, we found that this was a momentous occasion in Syria, and that an

election was to be held for the presidentof Syria. The hotel was more than amere hostelry, it was used as an administration building by government officialsand political parties, and in fact all ofthe principal affairs of state were conducted there. As soon as lunch wasfinished, the guests all crowded into thehallways, lounge and foyer to congre

gate in groups, gesticulating wildlywith their hands, which is customaryamong a very highly emotional peoplesuch as they are.

Suddenly, while we were studyingthese people, who, although mainlydressed as we were, yet were so different in manner, a hush came over theentire assembly. Everyone stood rigidas though for an inspection and immediately ceased talking We looked aboutto see the cause of the sudden suspension of activities and conversation. Alleyes were fastened upon a large frenchdoorway that led into the dining hall,from whence we had just come. The

doors were thrust open and a dramaticentry was made, in ceremonial fashion,by a person whose very appearance indicated a regal position and birth. Hewas an Arab prince, we learned. Hehad travelled several hundred miles

15.000 Bedouins. His costume was impressive and picturesque. He wore a

heavy silken robe, full at the bottom,and the conventional Bedouin sandalsinlaid with sterling silver. His turbanwas of a brilliant hue and affixed to hishead with the argila. Around his girthhe wore a twisted silk cord from whichhung, on his left side, a beautiful dirkwhich, although highly ornamental, undoubtedly was quite practical. His

wearing of large sun glasses was unusual. Typical of the Bedouin, hishands were quite large and gnarled.His face was long, slender, and with alarge aquiline nose characteristic of theSemitic race. He spoke with a soft, vibrant voice and was very graceful in hiswalk. He had a definite positivenessand self-assurance, and reflected the attitude of one accustomed to respect andobedience to his least command or wish.He had descended from a long line ofnobility. In the open desert his wordwas absolute law. He was the highestcourt of appeal and made decisionswhich would shape the course of thelives of those who depended on him.

In this election which was now takingplace, he could have easily influencedthe thousands who were his followersand subjects to vote as he wished, foreither candidate. Looking neither to theright nor left, he strode out of the hoteltoward a waiting carriage, followed byhis personal bodyguards, two huge

members of his race, dressed like himself, but not having such ornamentationbecause of their lesser station. In addition to carrying dirks, the bodyguardsalso wore, crisscrossed over their chests,cartridge belts having large calibreshells, and slung across each of theirbacks was a modern rifle. Becoming

more curious about the situation we determined to learn further facts. Laterthat evening we made the acquaintanceof the British Vice Consul of Damascus,who frequented our hotel because itwas the center of local social life, and


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f vyvvvwTTVVVVVT *w

} DIOGENES, THE CYNIC ]

S

Each month we will present excerpts from the writings of famous thinkers and teachers ^of the past. These will give our readers an opportunity of knowing their lives through the i

presentation of those writings which typify their thoughts. Occasionally such writings wi ll H ardart's).

Birmingham. Alabama:Birmingham Chapter. Convocation for allgrades, each Friday night, 7:30 p.m., L odgeroom. Tutwilder Hotel. Mr. Edgar D. Finch,Master. 1129 S. 16th Ave., or C. C. Berry,Secretary, 721 S. 85th Street.

Pittsburg Pennsy lvania:

Detroit, Michigan:Thebes Chapter No. 336. Mrs. Pearl AnnaTifft. Master; Mr Ernest Cheyne. Secretary. Meetings at the Detroit Federationof Womens Clubs, 4811 2nd Avenue, every

Tuesday, 8 p. m. Inquirers call dial phoneTownsend 6-2967.

San Francisco, California:Francis Bacon Lodge, 1655 Polk Street;Mr. Elmer Lee Brown, Master. Mysticalconvocations for all members every 2nd and4th Monday, 8 p. m. Office and readingroom open Tuesday. Wednesday and Friday,7 to 9 p.m.

Reading, Pennsylvania:

Reading Chapter. Mr. Geo. Osman, MasteiMr. R. K. Gumpf. Secretary. Meeting every1st and 3rd Friday. 8:00 p. m., WashingtonHall. 904 Washington Street.

Boston, Massachusetts;The M arie Clemens Lodge. Mr. Pierpont F.De Lesdernier, Master; Temple and readingRooms, 739 Boylston St.. Telephone Ken-more 9398.

Chicago, Illinois;Chicago Chapter No. 9. Fred D. Wedge.Master; Mrs. Sue Lister Wastlund, Secretary.

Telephone Randolph 9848. Reading Roomopen afternoons and evenings. Sundays 2 to5 only. Lakeview Bldg., 116 S. MichiganAve., Rooms 408-9-10. Lecture sessions forALL members every Tuesday night, 8 p. m.Chicago (Colored) Chapter No. 10. Dr.K atie B. Howard, Master; Nehemiah Dennis,Secretary Telephones Drexel 4267 & Hyde

Washington. D. C-:

Thomas Jefferson Chapter Thomas W

Portland, Oregon:

Portland Rose Chapter meets every Thurs


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Thomas Jefferson Chapter. Thomas W .Kuhn. Master. Meetings Confederate Memorial H all. 1322 Vermont Ave. N. W .. everyFriday evening. 8:00 p. m. Secretary, Mrs.

K velyn Paxton. 5357 Broad Branch Pk..N. W .

Seattle, Washington:

AMORC Chapter 586. Mr. C. R. Cleaver.Master; M r. Geo. Peterson. Secretary. 31 1-14Lowman Bldg., between 1st ana 2nd Aves.,on Cherry Street. Reading room open weekdays 11 a. m. to 4:30 p. m. V isitors welcome.( lhapter meetings each M onday. 8:00 p. m.

Milwaukee. Wisconsin:

Portland Rose Chapter meets every Thursday 8:00 p. m. at 714 S. W . 11th Ave. flrs.Emma Strickland. Master; Phone Ga. 8445.Information by appointment week days 9 to

5 at 405 Orpheum Bldg.Newark. New Jersey:

H. Spencer Lewis Chapter. John Wteder-kehr, Master. Meeting every Monday, 8:15p. m.. 37 Washington St.

St. Louis, Missouri:St. Louis Chapter. Douglas M. Bryden.Master. Melbourne Hotel. Grand Avenueand Lindell Blvd. Meetings first and third

Tuesday of each month. 8 p.m.

Milwaukee Chapter. Mrs. Hazel E. Zack.Master; M iss Ellen Brown, Secretary. Meetings every M onday at 8 p. m. at 3431 W .Lisbon Avenue.

Other Chartered Chapters and Lodges of the Rosicrucian Order (A MORC) will be found inmost large cities and towns of North A merica. Address of local representatives given on request.

PRINCIPAL CANADIAN BRANCHES

Victoria, British Column*.':

V ictoria Lodge. Mr. George A. M elville,Master. Inquiry Office and Reading Room.725 Courtney Street. L ibrarian, Mr. C. C.Bird. Phone G3757.

Vt innipeg, Manitoba, Canada:

Charles Dana Dean Chapter. Mr. Ronald S.

Scartli. M aster, 834 Grosvenor Avenue.

Session for all members every Sunday at

2:45 p. in., 204 Kensington Building.

Edmonton, A lberta:

Mr. T . Goss, Master, 9533 Jasper Ave. E

Toronto, Ontario, Canada:

Mr. E. Charlton, Master. Sessions 1st and3rd Sundays of the month. 7:00 p. m.. No. 10Lansdowne Ave.

Vancouver, British Columbia:

Canadian Grand Lodge, AMORC. Mr. E.A. Burnett. Master; M iss M.bylee Deacon,Secretary, A MORC Temple, 878 HornbyStreet.

A FEW OF THE FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS

Scandinavian Countries: New Zealand:

The AMORC Grand Lodge of Denmark.Mr. Arthur Sundstrup. Grand Master; CarliAndersen. S. R.C., Grand Secretary. Mano-gade I 3th Strand. Copenhagen. Denmark.

Sweden:

Grand Lodge "Rosenkorset. Anton Svan

lund, F. R C., Grand Master. Jerusalems-gatan. 6. Malmo.

f lolland:De Rozekruisers Orde: Groot-Loduc derNederlanden. J. Coops. Gr. Sect.. Hunzestraat 141, Amsterdam.

France:Dr. Hans Gruter. Grand Master. Mile,

Jeanne Guesdon. Secretary. 56 Rue Gain-betta. Villeneuve Saint Georges (Seine A

O ise).Switzerland:

AMORC. Grand Lodge. 21Ave. Dapples,Lausanne. Dr Ed. Bcrtholet, F. R.C ., GrandMaster. 6 Blvd. Chamblandes, Pully-Lau-sanne: Pierre Genillard, Grand Secty., Surlac

Auckland Chapter AMORC. Mr. J. O.Anderson. Master, 317 Victoria ArcadeBldg., Stiortland St., City Auckland.

England:

The AMORC Grand Lodge of Great Britain.Mr. Raymurid Andrea, F. R. C Grand

Master. 34 Bay water Ave., Westbury Park.Bristol 6.

Dutch and East Indies:

Dr. W. Ih. van Stukkum. Grand Master;W. J. Visser. Secretary-G eneral. Karangtempo] 10 Semarang, Jav..

Egypt:

The Grand Orient of A M O RtH ouse of theTemple, M. A. Ramayvelim, F. R. G . GrandSecretary, 26. Avenue Ismalia, Heliopolis.

Cairo Information Bureau de la Rose Croix,J. Sapporta. Secretary. 27 Rue SalimonPacha. Cairo.

Africa:The Grand Lodge of the Gold Coast.AMORC. Mr. William Okai. Grand Master.


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P Y R A M I D O F T H E S U N

Arche ologists have found more than a strange resemblance between these pyram id temples of Me xico and those of Eg yp t. No t only is

the manner of construction the same, but the mathematical units of measurements used in building arc alike that is. the dimensions of thehuge blocks and the number of them to each tier. One th eory advanced for the reason of the sim ilarity is that the ancient pyram id builders

of Egypt reached Eastern Asia and then found their way to North America, by a land bridge which existed at that time, across Bering

Straight , and thence migrated Southward to what is now Mexico.i Pho to bi j Cia . Mcx ieana Aero Photo. S. A. )

H Y H d Th


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Have You Had These

S P ia n q z ^ X p P u ^ n c e L .

WH O In i> nS Il c x p c r i c ii c c i 1 t l u i i i n e x p l i c a b l e p h e n o m e n o n

o f s e n s i n g n i l u n se e n p r e s e n c e ? W h o h a s n o t s i n h l e n l y

r e a l iz e d t h a t h e h a s h e e n l is t e n i n g t o a c o i n e r s a t io n w i t h i n

h i m s e l f a n e l o q u e n t a p p e a l to s e l f f ro m s o m e i n t a n g i b l e i n -

t e l li g e n c e ? \ \ h o h a s no t h a d t h a t t e n s e n e s s , th a t s e n s a t i o n o f a

s u p p r e s s e d e x c i te m e n t , a s th o u g h s o m e p o w e r w e r e s e e k in g to

m u n i fe st th r o u g h h i m ? l o o lo n g h a v e t h e r e s t r ic t i o n s o f o r t h o -

d o x y a n d t h e r id i c u l e o f u n e n l i g h t e n e d p e r s o n s k e p t t h e s e

e o m m o n p l a e e o c c u r re n c e s s h r o u d e d in s e e r e cv M i ll io n s n o w

a d m it t h e e x is t e n c e o f mi u i l inmtr / i r rsiu isivr / nm' iT. . . h u t

c e n t u r i e s o f s u p e r s ! it i on h a v e c a u s e d t h e m t o te a r i t .

Ix i u rn w h a t t h e w o r l d ' s g r e a t e s t t h i n k e r s , a r t i s ts , p o e t s a n d

g e n i u s e s f o u n d b y a e c i d i n t . . . t h a t t h e e m o t i o n a l s e lf , th e

i n f in i t e i n t e l l ig e n c e ju s t b e y o n d t h e b o r d e r o f v o u r th i n k i n g

c o n s c io u s n e s s , i s th e s o u r c e o f t h e g r e a t e s t c r e a t i v e p o w e r t h a t

t h e h u m a n m in d c a n c o m m a n d . I t is t h e r eg io n f r o m w h i c h

id e a s s p r i n g . I h e f o u n t a in h e a d o f im a g in a t i o n a n d f o r e t h o u g h t .

Accept this FREE Scaled BookAon cannot Better your place in lift* By thinking only in terms of what

you have read or heard. Only By the intelligent direction of your innerfaculties will you receive that needed vision and impel us to carry youheyond the plodding routine-enslaved masses. The ancient sages amimystics were NOT day-dreaming in their secluded sanctuaries andlemplcs. hut instead they were invoking these natural (iod-givenpowers . . . their feats were not miracles. 1ml the results of the samefacilities which you possess.

The Rosicrucians. a timc-imnorrd fraternity (not a religious organization! devoted to a study ol these Cosmic principles and forces, in-vih if


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SVRIST

3-c. g H Sa a

ROSICRUCIANDIGESTCOVERS THE WORLD

T I I K O F F I C I A L I N T I - ' K N AT I O N A L K O S I C B I ' I I A N M A LA -

Z I NK O F T I I K W O K l . D - W I D K K OS I I B I T I A N O B I I K B

Vol. XVI . M A R C H , 1938 No. 2

Pyramid of the Sun (Frontispiece) 41

The Thought of the Month: Auras and

Crime Detect ion 44

Along Civilization's Trail: Across theMesopotamian Desert 48

Cathedra l Contacts: W ha t is Reliqious Wo rship? 53

Mind and Me dicine 56

Pages from the Past: Confucius 60

Is Pe ace Poss ible? 63

Is Genius Aff aina ble ? 67

Finding fhe C en tre 68

Sanctum Musings: A G ood G odCon c ep t 70

The Twentieth Cen tury Crusade 73An Invitation to a Feas t 75

Medi tat ion (Illustration) 77

Subscription to The Rosierucian Digest. Three Dollars peryear. Single copies twenty-iic cents each.

Entered as Second Clas, Matter at th Post Office at SanJose, California, under the Act of August 24th, 1912.


Statements made in this publication are nut the official expressions of the organization or its officers unless stated to

be official communications.Published Monthly by the Supreme Council of

T HE R O S IC R U C I A N O R D ER A M O R C

ROSICRFCIAN PARK SAN JOSK , CALIFORNIA


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The

Rosicrucian

Digest

March

THINK that oneof the most interesting facts everbrought to our attention is thatwhich reveals thatscience, or onebranch ol scienceat least, is readyto give considerable credence toone of the claimsheld by mysticsand mystic phi

losophers for many years.

Until the AMORC in America proceeded in a very scientific way to proveand demonstrate that human bodies hadauras of various colors which could bemade visible, and of such magnetic orelectric qualit'' as could be measured,science ingeneral and many of thespecific branches of science looked uponthe existence of human auras as some

thing not only mystical but quite mythical, and the subject was consideredtaboo at the round table of scientistsanywhere. In fact, the mystic and mystical philosopher found himself in anembarrassing position whenever he ventured to suggest that human beings hadauras which could be detected or measured. or defined or registered.

There was a casual admission on thepart of some branches of applied sciencethat there was a radiation or an emanation from the human body, most likelyin the form of heat waves, that could bedetected by some devices or occasional

uals.sions.admit

ness of another person. It w'as also recognized that the human being left a telltale impression of some intangible something in his trails through the woods,and on grounds and in buildings,through the detection of u'hich someanimals, especially supersensitive dogs,could trace the movements of individ-

But beyond these casual admisscience was indeed reluctant tothat there w'as anything of a

supernormal or spiritual or ethereal nature surrounding the human body, oremanating from it. which was as distinctive in each individual case as the

voice of the individual or the facial expression and appearance of an individual.

Not long ago in The RosicrucianForum I discussed the fact that some ofus here at Headquarters could detectthrough our fingers, or through the aurathat surrounded our fingers, the vibrations of some energy or of some elec

trical or magnetic quality that remainedon the paper and envelopes of communications sent to us by our members.I stated that this w'as detectable in alarge proportion of the letters w'e receive. In recent years we have constructed and created scientific instruments in our scientific laboratories herewhich would measure either the quality

or the polarity or the strength or natureof the vibrations emanating from humanbodies, and the impress of these vibrations even w'hen made upon pieces ofpaper, handkerchiefs, jewelry, and otherarticles that had been in close contact

Sometime ago we read in a magazine impression someregistration of his aura


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Some time ago we read in a magazinecalled McLean's, a magazine of veryhigh standing and which is not given to

exploiting the foibles and fancies ofdaytime dreamers, an article by CharlesLugrin Shaw dealing with the detectionof criminals. In this article he revealedhow science is using some psychologicalprinciples and scientific procedures toaid criminologists in their analyticalstudies. He quoted John F. C. B. Vance,who is inspector and analyst of the

criminal detection department of thecitv of Vancouver, Canada, and whohas built up and maintained a reputatio

the rosicrucian digest 1938 (complete year).pdf

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