Rosicrucian Digest, September 1959

8/10/2019 Rosicrucian Digest, September 1959

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ROSICRUCIAN1959

SEPTEMBER

35$ per copy

Psychic Radio

Without benefit ofmechanical devices.

V A V

Esoteric Geometry

The power behindman and beauty.

V a ' V

The Desire

to Communicate

Human thinkinggiven form.

V A V

Mysticism

Science

The A rts

V A V

'TtextComprehendi ng

th e

Incomprehens ible

V A V

The Cosmic Age

DIGEST


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BETWEEN TWO POINTS

T)o Qs f-jou Would $e T)one

T H E above is more than a moral maxim - it is a rule of efficiency that

-**- applies to social and business correspondence. You dislike voluminous

letters which bury the essential information or facts between myria ints

of unnecessary words so do others. A letter, or a booh, or a report that is

concise and that relates every word to the subject at hand is always welcome

arid thoroughly read. Ca n you imagine an attorney s brief prepared without

reference to legal requirements or a financial statement not conforming to

the rules of accountancy? Your study reports can also be made more effective

. they can present your thoughts and expressions in a more intimate style,

if you use the student correspondence tablet. Th is special tablet will save

you time in writing, and assure you more prompt replies to your questions.

It has been carefully designed, with the Rosicrucian student s needs in mind.

I he cover of the tablet is a useful blotter and upon it are printed all of the

essential instructions, as: I O W H O M , W H ER E , and W H EN I O W R IT E.

A t the top of each sheet is presented information for the proper direction

of your letters. Th e tablet consists of 50 large business-size sheets of strong,

yet light, bond paper. Order a tablet today. Yo u will be pleased with its

advantages. Send order and remittance to:

STUDENTS

CORRESPONDENCE

TABLETS

Each tablet consists of 50

large sheets, strong bond,yet light enough to be apostage saver. Each sheetis printed with brief, usefulinstructions and information.One sheet is usually suffi-cient for a very completereport or examination.

Large 8 72x11 Inch Sheets

Price $1.25 each

A Lot of Three for $3.00

ROSICRUCIAN SUPPLY BUREAUSAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A.

(Each month this page is devoted to the exhibition of student supplies.)

This i tem avai lable to Ster-l ing members through theLon don Rosicrucian S u p p f yBureau, 25 Garr ick St . , Lon-don , W . C . 2 , Eng.

Price, One tablet, 7 /sterling.

Three tablets, 17/9sterling.


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ROSICRUCIAN LEADERS MEET

Busily at work in the Conference room of the Administrat ion Building at Rosicrucian Pa rk are: Imperator of AMORC,Ralph M. Lewis, the AMORC Grand Master for Italy, Giuseppe Cassara, Jr., and the AMORC Grand Master for France,Raymond Bernard. Both Grand Masters traveled to San Jose for the 1959 Internat ional Rosicrucian Convention in July, andstayed after this event to become famil iar with the administrative activities of the Rosicrucian Order in San Jose. Theiryouth and enthusiasm wrere infectious, and are symbolic of the spirit of progress that marks AMORC s growth in their own

countries.(Photo by AMORC)


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WRITE THE NEXTCHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE

W hy let time and circumstances shape thecourse of your life? W hy be buffeted about bythe whims of fate? W ithin you and all about youare natural principles and definite laws which can

be un de rs tood an d mastered.

Life is not a matte r of chance. Behind eachaction there is a cause. You alone determine theoutcome of your life. W heth er or not you arehappy, healthy, and wanted depends largely onyour understanding and mastery of the natural

pr inciples of life.

Learn to master the questions and problemswhich face you now. Enjoy the freedom and h ap -

piness th at thou sa nds of others ha ve found thro ughapplication of the simple laws of nature taught

by the Rosicrucians. T he Rosicrucians K N O WH O W ! For ages this worldwide fratern al organ i-zation has demonstrated a superior knowledge overall obstacles in life. Let them help you be master

of your destiny in the next chapter of your life.Write for a free copy of The Mastery of Lifewhich explains the ageold wisdom and tells howyou can share the truths it preserves.

The ROSICRUCIANS( A M O R C )

(N ot a rel igious organizat ion)

~ V . U S E T H I S C O U P O N --------------

Scribe S. P. C. , Th e Rosicrucians , AM ORC ,

San Jose, Cal ifornia.

I am s incerely interes ted in knowing more about these help-

ful teachings which can be used in acquir ing the ful lness

and hap piness of l ife. Please send me, without obl igat ion,

the book , The Mastery of Li fe, which I will read as directed.

iN am e ...................................................................................................................

A ddres s .......................................................................... State ..........................


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ROSICRUCIAN DIGESTCOVERS THE WORLD

T HE O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E O F T HE W O R L D - W I D E R O S I C R U C I A N O RD ER

Vol. XXXVII SEPTEMBER, 1959 No . 9

Rosicrucian Leaders Meet (Frontispiece) .................. ......... 321Thought of the Month: Space Age Problems 324

Something ab out Sunglasses ......................................... 326

Esoteric Geom etry 327

The Desire to Com mu nicate 330

Initiations, Primitive and Mod ern 333Cathedral Contacts: Problem Solving 334

Psychic Radio ... 337

Early Rosicrucian Manifes toes 340

The 1959 Rosicrucian Intern atio nal Conv entio n 343

Minute Thoughts: On Fate . ... ................ ............. 346Letter W ri tin g, An A rt .................................... ... 347

Stone-Ag e Life in Au stralia 348

Be Yourself 351

Temp le Echoes 353

A Gran d Master Ins tal led (Illustration)................ 357Convention Visitors Hear Famed Pianist (Illustration) 358

Subscription to the Rosicrucian Digest, $3.00 (1/2 sterling) per year. Single copies35 cents (2/6 sterling).

Entered as Second-Class Matter at the Post Office of San Jose, California, under Section1103 of the U. S. Postal Ac t of Oct. 3, 1917.

Changes of address must reach us by the first o f the month preceding date of issue.

Statements made in this publication are not the official expression of the organization orits officers unless stated to be official communications.

Published Monthly by the Supreme Council of

Rosicrucian Park THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER AM OR C San Jose, California

EDITOR: Frances Vejtasa

The Purpose of the Rosicrucian OrderThe Rosicrucian Order, existing in all civilized lands, is a nonsectarian fraternal body of men

and women devoted to the investigation, study, and practical application of natural and spirituallaws. The purp ose of the organ izatio n is to enable all to live in harmon y with the creative, con-structive Cosmic forces for the attainm ent of health, happiness, and peace. The Order is inter -nationally known as AMORC (an abbreviation), and the A.M.O.R.C. in America and all otherlands con stitutes the only form of Rosicrucian activities united in one body. The A.M.O.R.C. doesnot sell its teachings. It gives them freely to affiliated members togeth er with many other benefits.For complete information about the benefits and advantages of Rosicrucian association, write aletter to the address below, and ask for the free book, The Mastery of Life. Address ScribeS. P. C., Rosierucian Order, AMORC, San Jose, California, U. S. A. (Cable Add ress: "AMORCO )

Co pyrig ht, 1959, by the Supreme Grand Lodg e of AMORC, Inc. All rights reserved.


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T h e

Rosi cru cia ti

DigestSep tember

1959

^ ^ j L

THE

THOUGHT OF THE MONTHSPACE AGE PROBLEMS

h e problems of the spaceage, as presented in thedaily news, would seem

to be principally techni-cal. They appear to con-cern the development ofnew type fuels for launch-ing rockets; the combi-nations of metals which

will resist the extreme temperatures ofatmospheric resistance; and ways andmeans of sustaining life in outer spaceunder the abnormal conditions that willbe confronted.

All of this is a challenge to the tech-nical ingenuity of man. It constitutes afascinating revolution in human orien-tation. Once again man is freeing him-self from his geocentric bondage, hisearthbound relationship, both inthought and in fact. Copernicus, overfour centuries ago, was the first to real-ly lift mans eyes and thoughts to otherworlds when he proclaimed that thesun, not the earth, was the center ofour universe. But those who are notastronomers, physicists or specialists inthe realm of astronautics, are wonder-ing what impact this revolution willhave upon their livesor upon those of

their children. To frame a questioncommonly asked: What is in store forman?

Billions of dollars and their equiva-lent in other monies throughout theworld are expended in this great experi-ment of sending satellites and man intospaceperhaps into the vast interstel-lar regions. Certainly the expenditureis not merely a scientific adventure, justto satisfy intellectual curiosity, especial-ly since public and not private fundsare being used.

File first explanation, as it concernsthe average person, is defense. This, ofcourse, has been debated as to its prac-

tical value but we believe, in the main,that it is realized by most persons asessential. Why go to the moon, querymany individuals, as they scan the ac-counts in their newspapers? It is the-orized that men stationed on the moonor on earth satellites can, figuratively,with instruments police the earth. Theycan detect certain types of militarymobilization that would constitute ag-gression toward peaceful nations. Fur-ther, it is believed that a hostile power,which might have occupancy of themoon or a large satellite, could even-tually launch missiles and perhapsdeathdealing radiations to various areasof the earth at will. It is further spec-ulated that weather control might be apossibility by a power occupying outerspace. This could mean serious droughtsor floods to devastate sections of theearth at the will of the hostile power.

There is much about cosmic rays,gravity, light, and other radiations ofthe electromagnetic spectrum whichman does not know. Further knowledgeof such could be a boon to humanity,

if had by an altruistic nation. Likewise,it could be devastating if used exclu-sively and selfishly by other powers. Itis also quite probable that man maydiscover life in its purest and simplestform in the dust of other planets. Tiemay thus gain a knowledge of just howlife began and how he may duplicatenatures processes with her own phe-nomena.

All of these things in part answerthe question as to what the presentspace experimentation has in store for

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the human race. Though it may like-wise seem a fantasy, the possibility ofspace colonizationmust not be rejected.The prognosis for the world populationin the relatively near future at the con-tinued rate of increase is a matter of

considerable concern. To migrate toother worlds, as men formerly did tovarious areas of the earth, could be asolution to increased longevity and

population.Many scientists and intellectuals wel-

come the space experimentation on theground of disinterested curiosity. Philo-sophically, this means the opportunityfor the expansion of knowledge to satis-fy mans desire to know, to answermany questions without regard for anypersonalthat is, selfishinterest. Mostmen think only in terms of special in-terests, such as will further their re-ligion, their physical wellbeing andsecurity in society. Why something isor how it is achieved interests themlittle, at least not sufficiently for theirmaking any great sacrifice to know.However, all the practical things whichsuch persons use for their necessities,comforts, and pleasures are dependentupon or related to the fundamental lawsof nature. These laws were discoveredby the patience of pure science andwith the aid of philosophical inspiration

through abstraction.There were menand fortunately

there are many yetwho desired toknow why a certain phenomenon oc-curred. They had an intellectual desireto investigate, to mentally adventure.Their only reward was the personalsatisfaction they had in finding a solu-tion to a problem which they conceived.Their findings, however, constituted a

basis upon which inventors and engi-neers developed the things of specialinterest to the multitudes at large.Michael Faradays experiments in magnetism, for example, and his resultantdiscoveries, made possible the myriaddevices we commonly use today em-

ploying the laws he revealed. What,then, to many men seems to be a use-less penetration of space by man maymaterialize in the future in that kindof tangible blessing most men desire.

Other questions frame themselves insuch terms as, Will man, generally, beable to cope with the scientific revolu-tion which is accelerating at such a rap-

id pace? In other words, psychological-ly, morally and socially, will man beable to adjust to his newfound power?Or will he, like a thoughtless youth ina powerful sports car, run wild with thethrill of the dynamics at his disposal?

There is the question as to whethermoral vision and mental discipline willcorrespond, that is, keep pace with thematerial forces which mans intellectwill make available.

T h e Fu t u r e o f Sp l r i t u u l l t g

The scientific revolution will not beimmured within its own field. It willreach out and touch all human interestsand activities. It will revolutionize manyand shatter some. The space and atomicage will have a strong impact uponreligion.By subordinating the earth and

mans position in the universe, it willcast doubt upon the spiritual supremacyof man. This new age will not neces-sarily detract from the doctrine of aSupreme Being, Mind or Intellect inthe Cosmic, but it will eventually makeobvious the fact that man and the earthwere not alone chosen as a superior be-ing or realm. Many beliefs in theologywill need to be adapted to the new dis-coveries or stand in relation to them as

being as primitive as the ancient godsof the Greeks and Romans.

The transition through which religionwill pass will impose a serious strainupon morality. With most individuals,morality is either an impelling of socialforce or faith. With the present reli-gious faith undergoing, in the future, aserious transition, an idealism must takeits place. To lower morality further,would only mean selfdestruction ofhumanity by the hand of its own tech-nical ascendancy. Religious conceptsmust either transcend those of today sothat they have no glaring inconsisten-cies in the light of scientific develop-ment or a philosophical morality musttake their place. Such a philosophicalmorality and ethics will need to pointout and educate the individual on the

practical necessity of certain behaviorfor his welfare.

It will be particularly necessary toavoid in the future the infection of ex-treme materialism. The symptoms ofthis are now becoming evident. Thismalady takes the form of human om-niscience, that is, that man can and

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will know everything. This is best ex

?ressed in a quotation from that oldibetan work entitled Unto Thee l Grant,namely: The wise man doubtethoften and changeth his mind; the foolis obstinate and doubts nothing; heknoweth all things but his own ig-norance.

The spiritually motivated individualwill encourage the pursuit of knowl-edge; he will thrill to mans pursuit ofthe unknown and his revelations. But,likewise, he will know the limitationsof the human mind. He will realize

that, in the Cosmic, there are phenom-ena which man will never know for allhis possible instrumentation. The finitecannot absorb the infinite. The powersof human perception cannot embraceall phenomena because there are un-

doubtedly those which can never be re-duced to the scale of mans faculties.The magnitude of the Cosmic will thusever keep the real thinker humble inspirit. It is from such humility thatthere is bom what men call spiritualmotivation.

V A V

TheRosicrucianDigestSeptember1959

V e r y few people know what a topgrade sunglass can and should do for

them.

Up to a point, the pupil of the eyeitself guards against glare by contract-ing to a small opening, like a cameradiaphragm set for bright light. But be-yond that point the pupil is powerlessand other means are required for eyecomfort.

Eskimos, who seldom see a piece ofglass, solve the glare problem by cut-ting narrow slits in a wooden or boneshield, shaped to fit across the eyes.There is something peculiar about this.The polar sun, as everybody knows,

shows itself above the horizonthe winter and even in summermanage to emit much glare.

What bothers the Eskimo is sunlightreflected from snow and ice, whichbuilds up to a strong glare. It comesfrom all directions and the Eskimosgoggles exclude all of it except that partwhich happens to strike the narrow slit.So these primitive glasses actually do

bring about a tremendous reduction inthe amount of glare striking the eye.They are good enough to prevent snowblindness but are poor for seeing.

The fine grades of sunglasses are con-structed to shut out (or, conversely totransmit) precise amounts of light30,50, 65 percent. The ordinary bargaincounter glasses often do not excludesufficient light.

duringdoesnt

But there is a far more subtle elementin sunlight than ordinary glare. Thisother ingredient is invisible energyraysXrays, radio waves, ultravioletand infrared, and the like. These radi-ations dont help us to see, at all. Butunder certain conditions they can dam-age the eyes, as the metalwelderknows when he dons his helmet. Someof the long rays on the red end of thespectrum are associated with heat.

The glass of which some fine sun-glasses are made is absorptive, in addi-tion to being colored to keep out glare.It absorbs or excludes nearly all of thelongwave and shortwave radiations.Ordinarily, there are not enough ofthese radiations in the air to cause eyedamage. But in skiing or sledding onhigh mountain sides, or other exposuresto snow, and in the reflected light fromsand and water, as well as in drivinga car over a sizzling hot highway, thereis quite possibly too much radiation for

comfort or safety. Every mountainclimber knows, for instance, that oneof the worst things that can happento him is to lose or break his sun gog-gles. He could be snow blinded byultraviolet.

When made of fine ophthalmic glass,sun spectacles can be ground to a cor-rective prescription, just like ordinarycolorless reading glasses. Anybody whonormally wears prescription glasses mayhave that prescription incorporated inhis sunglasses.

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S i o t z z L c ' E O n i E t Z U

By H. W o o l l e r , F. R. C.Associate of the Royal College of Art, London

On e of lifes aimsis to build a per-

fect bodytemple with-in which the DivineSpirit can dwell. Awell organized brainmind depends upontrue education so matwithin its great librarythere may be estab-lished simple refer-ences to which cancome promptings andsuggestions. Geometry'in its allinclusivesense is importanthere. Has it not beenanciently said thatGod geometrizes?

To perfect the bodytemple, the sensesshould be developed to their highestefficiency: keenness of sight, touch,smell, hearing, and tasteand their co-ordination. The sense life is a very dif-

ferent thing from the sensual life, whichis a state of disharmony. Knowledge of

physiology and of the interaction of thetwo great nervous systems of the bodytogether with the actual control anduse of the psychic centersis to beachieved in maintaining the harmonyof the sense life. The brainmind alsoneeds the basic keys to music and thearts, and these are intimately associat-ed with esoteric geometry. A very wisemystic once said that of all the sciencesgeometry is the only one which pro-

ceeds from universals to particulars.The brainmind having received andunderstood universals in terms of itsown keys, proceeds to particulars in theordering of the physical body. In theirsimplest and most exoteric form suchkeys of reference are the seven prin-cipal colours of the spectrum, the notesof the octave, and such forms as thetriangle, square, and circle.

When the eyes, for example, are pre-sented a coloured object, say a reddishflower, the brain automatically refers

this to its key of thespectrum and sends itsmessage back: Thisis a red flower, not the

pure central red of thespectrum but a littleto the blue or yellowside of red. The eyesthen recognize it aseither a purplish redor an orangered flow-er. Th is exam ple,simple though it is, ingeneral holas good forthe artist, the scientist,the statesman, andothers. It suggests theimportance of the

brains reference li-brary of true funda-mental forms or ideas,

for the brainmind is a sort of halfwayhouse between the universal forms orideas (which have no form as we un-derstand the word) and the actions and

ideas of mankind.The bodytemple, built through the

control and coordination of the physicalstructure with the senses and the brainmind, mav well suggest three notes ofmusic, which, when struck togetherproduce a chord, expressing that de-gree of a mans soul which is able toshine through its material envelope.

It is a chord of perfect harmony onlywhen the material envelope is perfect,that is, when the outer self offers noresistance to the soul within. The soul

is mans individual presiding genius,virginal and perfect in itself. As such,it takes on the flesh structure but it isnot properly housed, nor fully articu-late until the bodytemple is completelyand correctly built.

With each step toward control andpurification of the bodytemple, thesoul takes greater hold. The music andthe light it gives forth approach trueclarity and beauty. Not only does the

body help the soul but the soul helpsthe body.

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The thoughtful man can see manystages of the soullife here and here-after before its work is completed andit returns finally to rest in that homewhence it came.

It is my belief that the soul takes

flesh again and again until within aperfect bodytemple it reaches a fullawareness of itself. Then come thoseexperiences of the Beatific Vision.

Souls work on earth is completed,but the man, as an enlightened person-ality, who has identified himself withit may incarnate again out of compas-sion for the benefit of humanity as awhole. In his own way he then ex-presses something of that incomprenensive Love which is God.

Jesus the Christ is the most wonder-

ful example of the Divine Spirit shiningin full glory through a perfect bodytemple. His life, cross, and resurrectionmay be looked upon as an instance ofthe complete harmony between soul andbodya dramatic externalized pictureof the story of the initiation in theGreater Mysteries.

It may be well to carry a little fur-ther the subject of geometry and itsconnection between universal and fun-damental forms in the Platonic sense.Reference is made to it in the teachingsof Pythagoras, Plato, some of the earlyfathers of the Christian Church, and inthe initiations of the various Mysticalorders. Plato wrote over the entranceto his Academy words to the effect thatonly students of geometry would beeligible for admission. Leonardo daVinci wrote in his notebook, Let noone read me who does not understandmathematics.

It has been said that the infant Bac-chus was given certain toys to playwith and that these were:

A. The five regular solids1) Tetrahedron 4 triangular

faces, 4 points2) Cube6 square faces, 8 points3) Octahedron 8 tri an g u la r

faces, 6 points4) Icosahedron 20 triangular

faces, 12 points5) Dodecahedron12 pentagonal

faces, 20 pointsB. A ball (or sphere)C. A spinning top

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The regular solids (A) were dis-cussed by Plato in the Timaeus wherehe referred to them as the only regularsolids that could be made. Modem sci-ence has confirmed this. Leonardo daVinci made extensive studies and mod-

els of these solids; and his sketches,patterns, and diagrams show evidenceof his knowledge. The solids are com-paratively easy to construct with theaid of any simple textbook on solidgeometry.

The writer, as an artist, gave hisspare time for many years to the con-struction of the solids and their variousinteractions and intersections with illus-trations and pictures in colour. Thesehave elements of beauty as patterns inthe sense that they seem to be links be-

tween the ideal beauty and the aspectsof it in the actual physical world.These patterns are a very worth-

while study for students of the Mys-teries, especially for those engaged inthe arts. Perhaps it is not too much tosay that these solids constitute the true

bases for what is so loosely termed abstract art.

The ball, sphere, and circle (B) areidealistic forms composed of an infinitenumber of radii. Plato in one of hiswritings suggests that Astronomy is the

study of moving bodies or spheres.The spinning top (C) is perhaps theintroduction to the study of the atom.There is not space to discuss these toysof Bacchus at length, but it may be in-teresting to say a few words about thedodecahedron and its link as an ab-stract intellectual conception betweenthe heavenly world and the physical,bearing in mind that these toys are re-lated to the Ideal forms of Plato andalso to the structures and forms of na-ture, science, and the arts, as well asto right human behaviour in the physi-cal world. It is interesting to rememberin this connection that Plato maintainedthat the dodecahedron was the geo-metrical figure employed by the Demiurgus in constructing the universe.Demiurgus can be translated as theGreat Architect or Artificer.

The earnest student will in time beimpressed with the fact that these toysrepresent a fairly comprehensive con-ception of form in time and space.The dodecahedron has 12 regular pen-


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tagonal faces and 20 points, and itsform and number is essentially 12.Here is a short list of Twelves:

12 signs of the Zodiac (Esoteric stu-dents will have some knowledgeof the 12 layers or sections of the

Cosmic.)12 Apostles12 Months of the year12 Types of men (Have all the 12

types as yet incarnated in ourrace?)

12 Black and white notes in themusical scale

12 Pence to the shilling in Englishcoinage

Twelve multiplied by twelve equals144, and this number occurs frequentlyin the Christian Bible.

The Revelation of St. John, Chapter21, described that great city, the holyJerusalem, descending out of Heavenfrom God. Having the glory of God. . . It had a wall great and high, andhad twelve gates and at the gates twelveangels. . . . And the wall of the cityhad twelve foundations, and in themthe names of the twelve Apostles. Fur-ther, St. John says that this angelmeasured the wall thereof, an hundredand forty and four cubits, according tothe measure of a man, that is, of theangel. The whole should be interest-

ing to the student of esoteric geometry.

As a conclusion to this short note onthe importance of geometry in thebuilding of the earthly Temple, onemight venture the suggestion that theideal governing bodies in the worldshould be composed of 144 members,

made up of 12 groups, each group re-lated to one of the signs of the Zodiac.A cabinet of 9 could represent the at-tributes of the 9 orders of the CelestialHierarchy. Nine plus 144 equals 153,the number of the miraculous draft offishes (St. John 21:11).

This number of 153 occurring in anyof the affairs of this physical worldmight well be noted as a sign that thenet had been cast on the right side ofthe ship and that it would in Godsgood time be guided into the Port ofPeace where a banquet of spiritual foodwould be ready in the Temple. David-son in his important work on the GreatPyramid makes some interesting refer-ences to the number 153 and other as-

pects of geometry.To the mystical student the study of

solid geometry will suggest conceptionsof the true patterns of life in all itsaspectsphysical, mental, and spiritual.These should help eliminate many oflifes uncertainties, and aid in buildingthat beautiful Temple of the body inwhich the soul can shine as the Light

of God.

V A V

VISITS AND APPOINTMENTS

(Please read carefully)

Rosicrucian Park is an attractive place. It is visited by over 115,000 persons annually.You will find there beautiful landscaped grounds and exotic buildings, interesting and

enjoyable. The Rosicrucian Egyptian, Oriental Museum as well as the Science Museumand Planetarium are available to the general public.Rosicrucian members, upon their request will also be escorted through the Adminis-

tration buildings and the Supreme Temple. Appointments for interviews with anyparticular officer mustbe made in advance. If there is no previously made appointment,the member will be granted an interview with whatever officer or staff official is avail-able at the time. Each Rosicrucian officer and official has a very definite schedule.Therefore, appointments with them must be made in advance so that they can arrangethe time for them. Interviews cannot be granted on Saturdays or Sundays, nor onevenings and holidays.

The administrative offices are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00p.m. (holidays excepted).

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^JnE. ! Z to (lom munLeatzByJo s e p h i n e M. Ops a h l


Wh e n e v e r menare awed byunknown forces, or

feel deeply, or arestirred by unusualcircumstances, theyare moved by a Godgiven instinct or de-sire to share theirexperience with oth-ers.

Having similar bi-

ological urges, primi-tive man understoodhis neighbors needfor food and shelter.He offered prayersand sacrifices to thegods whom he feltcontrolled the sunand the elements, forhe feared darkness,lightning and thun-der, as well as all other forces he didnot understand. He scratched pictures

of an unusual hunt, or dangers en-countered, on the walls of his cavehome and on cliffs above an agelessriver so that others might learn of hisexperiences. In thus sharing informa-tion, he bragged a bit about his ownaccomplishments, for did it not takedaring and courage to do such greatthings? Stories of these feats, sung andtold around council fires, have comedown to us as myths and legends.

Through the centuries, man learnedto write more complex messagesper-

haps a call for aid in battle or an invi-tation to a feast. He placed hismessages on a variety of materialsstrips of wood or bark, on stone, metal,leaves of trees, and skins of animals.

Scholars in ancient Egypt chiseledwordpictures, now called hieroglyphics,on stone monuments as well as on thewalls of tombs. These symbols con-veyed meaning, just as our alphabetand numerals do. Because todays stu-dents have learned to interpret thesesymbols, we know a great deal about

the people of thoseearly days.

And about thissame time (4000B.C.) in Sumer, nowa part of lower Iraq,scribes molded thep ic tu re writings oftheir people into aconventionalized cu-neiform script. Draw-ing the combinations

of wedgelike lines ontablets or bricks ofsoft clay with a sty-lus, they not onlyrecorded poetry, butletters and businesstransactions. W hendried in the sun,these tablets servedas business records,passing from one per-

son to another, much as letters andaccounts written upon paper are used

today. In fact, the Sumerians not onlywrote their letters on clay tablets, theyenclosed them in clay envelopes, whichhad to be cracked off to read the mes-sage.

Through painstaking translations ofthese old clay tablets, we know thatscores of cities and towns dotted thisnow barren desert country some 5000years ago. The Sumerians not onlyraised good crops and made many prod-ucts but sent them by sea and land toneighboring countries. They also erect-ed beautiful temples of worship, andtheir priests taught a spiritually satis-fying faith.

The Rosicrucian Egyptian, Orien-tal Museum at San Jose has on dis-play many of the original claytablets with writings by the Sumer-ians, which from a world of the farpast still seek to communicate withthousands of visitors to the Museum,including school children.

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A number of copies of one of thesetablets were found about 60 years agoat Nippur (near Baghdad, the capital ofmodern Iraq). They had been made bya Sumerian schoolboy who told of hisdifficulties in learning to read and write

cuneiform script. He described how hecopied his written work and memorizedoral assignments from sunrise to sun-set; the only break in this school daywas a brief recess for eating his meagerlunch of two rolls.

Because he was whipped repeatedlyby his teacher as well as the school as-sistants, he contrived a bit of apple-

polishing by having his father invitethe teacher to dinner. Here accordingto the words of the composition, theteacher was seated in the seat of hon-or, and was wined and dined. Thefather also dressed him in a new gar-ment, gave him a gift, and put a ringon his hand.

And as we might expect, the boywrote that the baksheesh, as thistype of seeking favor is known in the

Near East, brought him praise insteadof abuse.

Other equally im portan t records,known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, arecasting new light on Bible daysin fact,on the Bible itself. Carbon tests showthese scrolls to have been prepared

more than 1900 years ago. The Essenes,a Monastic order living in the bleakhills outside the city of Jerusalem nearthe Dead Sea, hid them in large pot-tery jars in caves (where people hadbeen living) about 70 A.D. when theRomans captured Jerusalem. Whilemost of the scrolls are parchment(leather), some are papyrus, and a feware metal. They are written in Hebrew,Greek, and Aramaic (a Semitic tongue

believed to have been a language thatJesus spoke).

These manuscripts are copies notonly of all the Old Testament booksexcept Esther but of many nonBiblicalones and are about a 1000 years olderthan any previously known Hebrewtexts. Their translation will take manyyears to complete, as it is a tediousprocess, requiring much ingenuity, topiece the crumbled scraps together.

But of all materials used for record-ing thoughts in ancient times, papyrusundoubtedly was the most popular. Itwas a sort of natural paper made by

the Egyptians about 4000 years agofrom sedges (Bible says, bullrushes).Although these plants had many uses,the Egyptians used only the waxy in-ner membranes in making their writ-ing material. They placed thin layers

at right angles to each other, and thenpressed the strips together. After dry-ing, they rubbed the surface with stonesuntil it was smooth and white.

Paper, too, made from pulped vege-table fibers, such as we know today,has been in use for a long time. It wasthe invention of Tsai Lun, a Chinesescholar, in the year 105 A.D. Thelegend, generally accepted as a his-torical fact, states that Emperor YuanHsing foimd writing on bamboo stripsand silk cloth so difficult and irritatinghe ordered one of his attendants to finda better writing material. After numer-ous experiments Tsai Lun succeeded increating a satisfactory one from theinner bark of mulberry trees. He beatthe fibers to a pulp, thinned the mix-ture with water, and then poured itinto handmade molds. As the excesswater drained off while he shook themold from side to side, he found hehad a flat layer of matted fiber. Driedin the sun, and rubbed smooth with astone, we know the result as paper.

Although the manufacture and use

of paper spread rapidly throughoutChina itself, these people kept theirformula for making it a secret from therest of the world for over 600 years.Having what they considered to he asuperior culture, they mistrusted theirneighborshad little to do with them.In a border raid about the middle ofthe eighth century, however, Arabtroops captured several Chinese papermakers. Although the Arabs had beenmakers and users of parchment andvellumspecially preparing the skins

of lambs, goats, and calves for writingpurposesthey soon learned from theircaptives to make excellent grades of

paper. Unlike their Chinese neighbors,though, they did not keep their newlylearned craft a secret. As they movedon, conquering northern Africa, Sicily,Italy, and Spain, the Arabs shared theirknowledge of papermaking with theirnew subjects. This knowledge spreadacross Europe, finally reaching Eng-land. And it was eventually carriedacross the Atlantic to the Americas.

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As paper continued to be made byslow handprocesses through all thesecenturies, its supply was very limited.The demand also was not great, for thescholarly European monks refused touse it because of its association withheathen Chinese and Arabs. The goodfathers, who did a major part of thewriting and bookmaking in those days,preferred parchment. As they labori-ously copied the Bible and other booksby band, they carefully matched thecolors of the sheets of parchment they

placed against each other.But paper, which could be made more

cheaply than papyrus and parchment,and Gutenbergs invention of movabletype about the middle of the fifteenthcentury gave the world a less expensiveway of dispersing knowledge. In the

Rhine Valley industrial ana economicconditions created a middle class popu-lation eager for education. These or-dinary folk could afford to own booksof their own and were curious aboutwhat was going on in the world about

them. They not only wanted a shareof the worlds knowledge but to feel acloser relationship with others. And astheir knowledge grew, they lost muchof their fear of the unknown forcesabout them.

Down through the centuries, imagi-native minds reached out for deeperand greater truths. During momentsof inspiration, they in time producedthe worlds great songs, literature, art,and inventions. They developed won-der medicines to cure mans ills. Andfilled with wonder, they peered at dis-tant planets through instruments theyhad perfected. As this knowledge andwonder grew, instruments for penetrat-ing outer space were conceived and de-veloped. In our present times, whoknows where this reaching out andstriving to communicate with unex-plored regions in the far spaces maylead usperhaps, to a greater universalunity having one great storehouse ofknowledge for the good of all mankind.

V A V


EGYPTIAN TOUR.

DEADLINE NEAR!

Reservations and advanced charges for the Egyptiantours scheduled for next January, February, and Marchshould be made at the earliest possible moment. Visas,passports, and health clearances must all be attended to. Get in touch now withROSICRUCIAN TOUR, c/o s it a w o r l d t r a v e l , me., 323 Geary Street, San Francisco 2,California.

A third section, leaving March 12, is now forming. However, limited or exchange

space is still available in the first section, leaving January 5, or the second section leav-ing January 16.

If you have not yet received literature regarding the tours, write at once to:

EGYPTIAN TOUR DEPARTMENT, Rosicrucian Order, AMORC,

San Jose, California, U. S. A.

The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, in announcing this tour, is cooperating in good faithwith the air line and the tour sponsor, and assumes no liability or responsibility inconnection with this tour. It is presenting this information as a convenience for its mem-

bers, and receives no remuneration other than a ten dollar fee per tour member tocover the clerical and printing costs involved in presenting this information to members.

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^Initiations, U-^ximitujz an J J W oclzmBy

D a v i d St e in , F. R. C.

hee purpose behind initia-tions, whether primitive,ancient or modem, hasalways been to enlightenthe individual or groupof candidates, after theyhave first been tested asto physical or moral fit-ness.

Ritual and ceremony are invariablyused to induce the requisite state ofmental alertness and receptivity. Initia-

tion rites include representations ofdeath and resurrection. In tribal cere-monies there is usually some form of

unification; physical suffering causedy extreme endurance tests, moral in-

struction, transfer of power from eldersto the younger members of the tribe,isolation followed by reception of a newname and rebirth into the social group

and training in magical practices.Similarly, in the modem lodge initia-tions of the wellknown fraternal or-ganizations, such as the Masonic, the

Odd Fellows, and others, one or moreguardians are assigned to instruct theinitiate and explain the meaning ofeverything that is done in the cere-monies. He is directed to obedient actionand helped through difficult situations.Thus the candidate learns to endureand persevere until he has received hisvision and guidance.

Among primitive tribes the ideal wasnot only to propitiate the deities, butalso to develop strong and lusty war-riors who could battle both enemies andthe elements. Very often the initiationwas a bloody affair. The primitive tribesworshiped strength, physical vigor, andthe power to endure pain. The initiatoryrites often included severe beatings, andeven the application of fire to various

parts of the body. All this the candidatehad to endure without a murmur, with-out flinching.

This training for hardihood had its

later counterpart in Sparta, where therewas less ceremonialism but equal em-phasis upon physical endurance. Withthe knighthood of the Middle Ages therewas a return to elaborate ceremoniesand great emphasis upon both physicalvalor and moral virtues. To this daythere are stories of knights in shiningarmor who rescued damsels in distress,and rode off to build a new life withfhe maiden of their choice, or went onto new conquests.

Beginning with religious brother-hoods of antiquity and the mysteries ofIsis and Eleusis, there were long andcomplicated initiations; however, theordeal was moral rather than physical,although a certain amount of asceticismhad often accompanied the spiritualstrivings of the candidates. The Eleusinian mysteries were graded, and theseekers after Truth were initiated onlyafter adequate preparation, each accord-ing to his needs and understanding.

Religious brotherhoods exist today as

they did in ancient times. They ministerto the religious needs of the laymenwho are busy with the affairs of theworld. Initiation is still the essentialmeans of transmitting Truth to the can-didate. Basically, the seeker must betaught to enter the city of nine gates,as the ancient Hindu scriptures describeit, and close the gates behind him.

The city of nine gates lies within thehuman body. The nine gates consist of:two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, thenavel, the organ of generation, and theorgan of evacuation.

In a word, having turned away fromthe objects of the physical senses, theseeker may then with undisturbed mindconcentrate his attention upon the innerworld wherein he may find his Ideal,Ills Lord and Master. Through medita-tion techniques which the candidate istaught, he may effectively concentrateupon his Ideal.

A V

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The Cathedral of the Soul is a Cosmic meeting place for all minds of themost highly developed and spiritually advanced members and workers of theRosicrucian fraternity. It is the focal point of Cosmic radiations and thoughtwaves 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 the 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 Liber 777 describes the periodsfor various contacts with the Cathedral. Copies will be sent to persons whoare not members if they address their requests for this book to Scribe S. P. C.,care of AMORC Temple, San Jose, California, enclosing five cents in postagestamps. (Please state whether member or notthis is important.)

PROBLEM SOLVING

By C e c i l A. Po o l e , Supreme Secretary

TheRosicrucianDigestSeptember

1959

emm

n e of the purposes ofeducation is to teach in-dividuals to solve prob-lems. The presentationof mathematics in school,even at its elementarylevel, involves the appli-

cation of mathematicallaws as a process in probThe pupil considers aa textbook or as given

solvingpropositionby a teacher, together with the knowl-edge he has attained through memoriz-ing of certain principles concerningaddition, subtraction, multiplication,and division, in his solution of a prob-lem. The difference between memoriz-ing that two and two makes four andbeing able to apply that principle in

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solving a problem is the differencebetween rote learning and the using ofones native intelligence to utilize ac-quired knowledge.

In the teaching of problem solving,particularly as it applies to mathemati-cal processes, the proof of whether the

solution is correct or not is found inthe answer. Theoretically, mathemat-ics is considered an exact science; thatis, there is only one possible answerthat fulfills all the requirements of themathematical process and the solutionof the problem. Therefore, it is com-

paratively simple to determine whethera pupil has applied his knowledge andhas solved the problem by comparingthe answer to which he arrived withthat which is deemed to be correct. In


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emphasizing the correctness of the an-swer, it is quite probable that mucheducation has instilled in the mind ofthe learner the idea that the answeris more important than the process.This, of course, is actually often true,but in exaggerating the importance of

the answer, we may also be giving toolittle consideration to the lessons to belearned through problem solving itself.

As we reach maturity, unless ourlifes work is in a field that is closelyrelated to the mathematical principlesstudied earlier, the relationship of prob-lem solving and the finding of properanswers is somewhat separated par-ticularly insofar as these conditions ap-

ply to individual experience. As aresult, adult problems, and there are,of course, as many as there are indi-

vidual adults, become so personallyimportant that the individual frequent-ly forgets that life itself is a problemand life is a process of solving these

problems. Only through this processwill adjustment be reached insofar asthe relationship between the individualentity and his environment is con-cerned.

There is, of course, a vast differencebetween the life problems facing theadult individual compared with theartificial problems in a book. Problemswith which we are faced as individualsin our lives are partly of our own mak-ing and partly the result of existingenvironmental pressures. Regardless oftheir source, the important thing con-cerning the individual with a problemis his reaching a solution or a com-

promise that will permit him to adjustto the circumstances about him in spiteof the pressures brought by the prob-lem. There is at this point a seemingforgetfulness on the part of the indivi-dual that problem solving in itself isan important factor. The individual

may forget, if he ever learned, anytechnique in problem solving andsimply react as an animal might whenconfined to a strange place, runningfrom one place to another bent on find-ing a means of escape.

Many people when faced with aproblem act very much like an animal;that is, they run from one place toanother looking for a solution to their

problem without doing much about itthemselves. Actually, the effort of in-

dividuals to find someone to solve theirproblem probably represents an expen-diture of energy greater than wouldhave been required if they had directedthe same amount of effort to the solu-tion of their problem.

Where can today the intelligent in-

dividual turn for aid in solving hisproblems? And many are seeking theactual solution of their problems. Thereare, of course, professional sources. Alegal problem is taken to a lawyer. Aproblem concerning health is probablytaken to a physician. A problem con-cerning more specific matters such asa problem in accounting would be takento a specialist in that field. Today thereare many specialists in many fields,and probably never in mans historyhave we had the opportunity to submit

our problems that are concerned withtechnical matters to so many peoplequalified to give advice and assistancein regard to their solution.

But apparently this is not enough.In looking through a daily newspapersome time ago, I was surprised to no-tice a number of columns devoted tothe answering of questions, which werenot merely for information but for thesolving of problems. These problemsconcerned social, family, and legal mat-ters, health and other problems. Thefact that impressed me was why do

people expect so much help and advice?Do they ever attempt to solve theirown problems?

Is anyone going to be happier as aresult of writing to a columnist in anewspaper asking for advice on whatthey should do when it is impossiblefor the person who answers the questionto know the entire situation? Frankly,my analysis of the questions and an-swers in the newspaper I happened to

be reading at the time seemed to indi-cate that the columnist had selected

questions having more or less sensation-al appeal to many individuals. Someof them involved strictly personal mat-ters that would only have interest toanother individual from the standpointof curiosity.

We cannot solve all our problemsthrough newspaper columns, by sub-mitting them to individuals who claimto be a means of problem solution, oreven to professionals. The professionalwill only guide us. Neither can we

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solve all our problems by seeking moreknowledge, because such in itself is nota solution to a problem but only a keyfor our own use. For example, the

basic principles of mathematics consti-tute knowledge, but some students,even after mastering these basic prin-

ciples, find difficulty in applying orusing them in problem solving.

The solution to problems is basedupon the exercise of human reason. Itis incumbent upon the individual todevelop the abilities within his ownmind, his own consciousness, to arriveat the ability to deal with problemsfacing him. The accent today uponleaving problems to someone else, sub-mitting them to a professional, or writ-ing to a magazine or newspaper col-umnist, suggests a tendency to avoid

the responsibility of the individual deal-ing with his own problems.It is true that there are many fine

organizations, religious, social and

philosophical, offering aid and guid-ance in the meeting of serious problemswhich may be experienced by manyindividuals, but the eventual solutionmust be found within the individual.For this reason, religion, philosophy,psychology, and social guidance are im-

portant as a standard and as a basis ofunderstanding with which the indi-vidual can be prepared to use his abili-ties for problem solving when and ifsuch arises.

The Cathedral of the Soul was estab-lished to provide a medium for directingpeople to use personal inner powers, tobe conscious of personal abilities; andthrough meditation and proper under-standing of their inner selves be ableto call upon a source of energy, in-

spiration, and help. Such assistance ex-ceeds any professional or nonprofession-al advice which may be available inexternal environment.

V A V

COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS

The subject of Cosmic consciousness has for a long period of time interested studentsof philosophy, mysticism, and psychology. The topic is one which is inclusive of morethan philosophical speculation. Although primarily assigned to the field of psychology,it can be approached from the objective standpoint. One of the most complete works onthe subject resulted from the research of an eminent physician and surgeon who headeda large hospital in Canada for many years. Dr. Maurice Bucke made an objective andscientific study of the subject not only as a hobby but also in connection with his workin medical and psychological research. His book is now published by a large publishingcompany in the United States and is available to all students interested in psychology,metaphysics, mysticism, and philosophy. By special arrangement with the publishers,you may order your copy through the Rosicrucian Supply Bureau for $5.50 (2 / /sterling), postpaid.


1959

EGYPTS YESTERDAY AND TODAY

In ancient times the land of Egypt was the site of an advanced civilization; todayit is becoming the crossroads of the modem world. The Rosicrucian Supply Bureau hasavailable an authoritative book on Egypt, its people, and its story through the ages. Itmay be ordered at the price indicated, postpaid.

The History of Egypt,by James Breasted.....................................$10.50 (3/6/6 sterling)

One of the most complete single volumes on Egypt today.

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Psychic Radio

ByD r . H. Spe n c e r L ew i s , F. R. C.

(From The Mystic Triangle, June 1925)

Since thousands of readers of the Rosicrucian Digest have not read many of thearticles by Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, first Imperator of the present Rosicrucian cycle, we adoptedthe editorial policy of publishing each month one of his outstanding articles, so that histhoughts would continue to reside within the pages of this publication.

h e Radio Chief in the De-partment of Commercein Washington reports[1925] a new phase ofinquiry with which he iscontending to the best ofhis ability but which

astounds him and per-plexes his scientif ic' snowledge. Frankly, he looks uponmost of the strange letters which cometo him as being unworthy of his timeand attention, but quite a few havewarranted some investigation and haveled to a call for opinions and assistancein solving the seeming mystery.

The letters report the developmentin certain persons of a faculty or func-tioning of the mind or consciousness,aptly termed psychic radio receptivity.

While all this correspondence may benew to government officials, and al-though it may have no place in any ofthe bureaus in Washington, the phe-nomenon is not new.

Such experiences as have been re-lated to the government and to theeditors of many radio magazines cameunder my attention fifteen or moreyears ago when I was experimentingwith many of the advanced principlesof wireless which have recently be-come popular. In my associations withmany wireless enthusiasts in thosedays, and in attending the early ses-sions of the Radio League of Americalong before the broadcasting of musicand speech was considered possible asa popular attraction, the strange func-tionings of the psychic consciousness ofman were discussed in terms less psy-chological than they are discussed to-day.

It was not uncommon for those whohad been pounding the brass forhours, sending long messages by the

still familiar Morse code, and listeningfor several hours in the stillness of asmall room late into the hours of themorning for weak and distant answers,to finally throw themselves upon acouch for rest or for the night only tofind the room, the atmosphere, filled

with code messages. This occurredwhile the wireless equipment was in aremote part of the home and completelyshut down in its operation.

Also, it was not uncommon for manyto report that they could hear such codemessages at different hours of the nightor day while walking, or talking, on thestreet, in the parks, in theatres or other

places far from any sort of wireless orelectrical equipment of any kind.

Many special cases were reported,investigated, and tabulated as being

impossible of solution at the time.Messages were received very definitely,and seemingly by the sense of hearing,while persons were at rest or in a re-laxed condition or away from any radioequipment. I may also refer to themany experiences recorded by opera-tors of wireless equipment at sea whomade affidavits that they had beencalled from their sleep by hearing thefamous SOS call independent of thewireless devices.

Some very notable experiences arestill referred to whenever the oldtimers get together and compare notes.

Not one of them would challenge thestatements made by Hal Smith ofBrooklyn, New York, who had one ofthe finest wireless transmitting stationsin that part of the country. He hadworked long and well to improve thequality of his old spark transmitter un-til with a revolving sparkgap andefficient condensers he had raised the

pitch or tone of his spark to a beautifulmusical note high in the scale. We al

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ways knew when Hals station was onthe air by that note. It was like thehighest note of a flute. It could bepicked out of a hundred other high andlow pitch sounds constantly in the air.It was common practice to speak of

Hal or rather refer to him by whist-ling a high notewhich by the waycomd never approach in pureness andpitch the note of his spark. I am ex-plaining this note at length because,from a scientific point of view, it would

be material indeed in considering hiscase.

M a n * I n n e r H e a r i n g

Hal lived with his old mother, whowas his companion in many ways andwas considered by the wireless gangof boys and young men as the sweetestold lady that ever lived. Her home wasalways open to them, and that meansreally open, day and night!

But one day Hal was in New Yorkvisiting Battery Park at the lower endof Manhattan. It was Sunday after-noon and he liked to look over some ofthe vessels, as they passed, with theirimproved wireless equipment. Whilesitting on a bench in the park, appar-ently watching hundreds go by andhundreds sitting or standing around,Hal suddenly heard the high note ofhis wireless station at home. Like manyof the boys, he had locked that littlewireless room and was sure of it, and


1959

no one but his mother could unlock itwhen he was not there.

He listened again. It was surely hisnote. He had gone to a fans homeand listened to that pitch during themonths he was perfecting it, and such

occasions he had asked his mother topress the key at a certain minute ofthe hour with four short dots and onedash, followed by a pause and then thefour dots again and a dash, over andover for two or three minutes. Thatwas all of the code he had ever taughther. It was enough for him to judgehis pitch.

And then, on this Sunday afternoon,he distinctly heard that same, unmis-takable pitch, and the same four dotsand a dash, pause, four dots and a dash.

He lookea at the old clock on thetower. It was 4:46. His mother mustbe showing the set to someone. Astrange thing for her to do in his ab-sence, thought Hal. And then camethe sudden realization that he was noteven near a wireless set and was notlistening to any radio waves in theordinary sense. His first impressionwas one of awe, then that of doubtHe tried to smile off the incident, butnevertheless listenedlistened with thatinner consciousness that we know so

well. Again and again came the samefour dots and a dash, but a little lesseven and regular, and with longerpauses. Suddenly there were three dotsand nothing more. At the same time aterrifying fear or impression swept overHal, and he rushed from his seat madlyfor a car and made his way over theBrooklyn Bridge and up Fulton Streetto his home.

He claims that it took him just fortyeight minutes to get home. At anyrate, when he rushed into that little

wireless room just off the kitchen inthe rear of the apartment he wasstunned with the sight of his motherslimp form lying across his operatingtable with one hand near the telegraphkey. She was lifeless and had sent outthe call for helpthe only call sheknew, and her boy had heard too late.

For verification of this story, thereis the testimony of four others whowhile listening in at their sets thatafternoon also heard, in a truly physical sense, that high pitched note of

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Hals as though he were tuning hisspark again. One of them called Halscall letters a number of times, butreceived no answer. And all of them sayit was about a quarter to five when theyheard the pure notes of that station.

R e ce i p t o f M en t a l M essa g e*

How did Hal hear that call sent byhis mother? One school of occultistswill say that her mind was on her boy,that she mentally transmitted her mes-sage to him, that he in his receptivestate received the impression of whathis mother was doing and thinking, andthat his consciousness transmuted theimpression into sounds. It is the famil-iar telepathic interpretation and expla-nation of similar phenomena.

Another school will explain it asDivine impulses translated and trans-mitted by the Angels of Space. Thematerialists will explain it, as I haveheard them explain it before, upon thebasis of coincidence.

I have another explanation to offer.I base my contention upon many casesapart from this one, and upon personalexperiences as well.

It is this: As we use and perfect anyfunction or sense of the body and con-sciousness, we make it more sensitive,

broader in its scope and less limited.That is to say, man physically and

psychologically is evolving to such adegree and in such a way that thoseorgans of the body, functionings andsenses which he no longer needs, are

becoming smaller, dormant, atrophied,and are disappearing from his organi-zation. In the physical sense we havemuch proof of this throughout thewhole body. In the psychic sense weare just beginning to realize that evo-lution is doing for the psychic body of

man exactly what it is doing for thephysical man.And, through the systematic or pro-

longed practice of concentration onhearing (as is necessary with the listen-ingin to distant or faint radio signals),one more and more loses all conscious-ness of the outer self and the outer en-vironment and becomes attuned to theconsciousness of mental messages. Suchexperiences make the consciousness

keen and alive to every incoming im-pression.

Radio waves that pass through theether are not different from othersound waves of any kind, except intheir rate of vibration. Radio wavesare like the waves of light, so far astheir rate is concerned. Our eyes areconstructed by nature to take or receivethose high vibrations and translatethem into lower vibrations that we maysense. Some animals can sense rates ofvibrations of light that we cannot. Somehave no eyes at all because they livewhere there is no light, as at the bottomof the sea in very deep water. Theanimals living where there is very lit-tle light have more sensitive eyes. Thesame is true of the organ of hearing.

It varies in animals according to wheretheir state of evolution has placedthem. Modi fying environment hasmodified their sense of hearing.

In order that we may hear thesounds being carried on the radiowaves, we require electrical devices ina receiving set to translate the high rateof vibrations into a lower rate to ac-commodate our organ of hearing. Butsuch a process is only a makeshift. Inall the past of civilization we find thatnature has gradually changed, im-

proved, or modified the organs andsenses of man to meet the conditions ofhis environments and needs; and,therefore, I contend that if we continueto concentrate and experiment with thehigher waves and rates of vibrations,both in sight and sound, nature willgradually adjust the receptive organsto receive those rates of vibrations with-out the intervention of electrical ormechanical devices.

Today, those who are hearing radiodots and dashes, as they report to the

Government, without the use of anyelectrical or radio equipment, are, inmy opinion, the early proteges of na-tures great change that is coming tomankind. And the day is not far dis-tant, relatively near as far as manycycles of evolution are concerned, whenmental messages, traveling at an evenhigher rate than radio, will be receivedalso by the mind of man as easily asthe lower rates are received today.

V A V

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1959

if\ oicriiicLcLn


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what they do to another. Thus wordsbecome obstructions rather than aids tounderstanding. And this is a third bias.

Lastly, the gravest of all seem to bethose notions or opinions by which each

individually chooses to live. As in atheater a seat or position is chosen fromwhich to view a play, so in life a par-ticular position or philosophy is adopted

by which to interpret everything whichoccurs. Systems of philosophy thus be-come artificially created worlds in oneof which man tries to live to the neglectof the others.

In this, Rosicrucian students will rec-ognize certain fundamentals of their

Neophyte instruction. They will recog-nize as well the precepts from whicliBacon drew his initial inspirationin

particular, the one which attributed toGod a plan in the Beginning. With sucha divine example before him, Baconargued that man with a like plan mightchange the world. This plan he thoughtit his mission to accomplish. With it,like Alexander the Great, he could takethe world captive. There was a universal

brotherhood through which he couldwork.

Already beyond the experimentalstages and in actual operation when theManifestoes in Germany made their

public announcement, the whole meth-od was given larger and larger applica-tion through instructions in many un-suspected ways. While not outwardlyidentified, a person with a knowledge ofthe blueprint could easily read the out-line. Those who responded to the Mani-festoes call and demonstrated theirqualifications must have been warnedof the idols and set to work on the phi-losophy itself. Certain it is that Bacons

purpose was better understood abroadthan it was at home.

The Great Restoration, according toBacons outline, embraced six sections,three of which were open and three con-cealed; but all, Bacon insisted, designedfor use rather than ornament. This, heconstantly emphasized in his illustra-tions of the peculiarities of mental op-eration. Part IV began the concealed orless open divisions of the new method.It was to furnish examples of questionscapable of solution. In Bacons words,it was to furnish the ladder by whichthe intellect or understanding could

work its way to newer truths andsounder conclusions.

In the second book of the NovumOrganum, twentyseven socalled Pre-rogative Instances are set forth. Theseintrigue one with the possibility of arelationship to the ladder of the in-tellect.

The term Prerogative Instance seemscalculated to provoke the matter ofmeaning, as do the instances them-selves: Solitary, Clandestine, Constitu-tive, Proportionate, Bordering, Subjunc-tive, Alliance, Divorce, Wrestling. Howcould they fulfill the promise of PartIV, and how could such matter of factthings as Divorce and Wrestling bemade examples of philosophy? Couldthey be pictured in art, allegory, poetry

or plays? Examples have been prom-isedbut where? Evidently, one is ex-pected to search for them.

If one foregoes the search, he is notof those minds which are capable oflodging and harboring such a guest.This guest (this new philosophy) willnot force its way with pugnacity andcontention.

However, if one recalls Bacons otherfavorite quotation, he will prove hiskingship by finding out that whichhas been hidden. He will go back to the

Advancement and the Novum, to thehistories and oftrevised essays. Sup-

pose, for example, he takes Divorceas a clue. The essays contain much onaspects of human relationshipsOfParents and Children, Of Friend-ship, Of Nature in Manbut noth-ing on divorce. BaconsHistory of HenryVII is somewhat rewarding; there aneyecatching sentence is found: Thedivorce of King Henry the Eighth fromthe Lady Katherine did so much busythe world. Something unusual, per-

haps dramatic, is suggested. Many ref-erences to the theater lie scatteredthrough Bacons writing, and manysimiles based upon itbut what theaterand whose plays?

In 1623, the De Augmentis and theplays of William Shakespeare came outalike as twin brothersthe plays di-vided among Comedies, Tragedies, His-tories. In the last section there is HenryVIII, and its theme is the divorce ofthe King Henry from the Lady Kath-erine! The play is full of significance.

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This suggests the process, which iffollowed step by step will cause one tomount the ladder of the understandingto new knowledgeand new questions.

Two arise naturally: Why Shake-speares plays? and, Can the FirstFolio

plays be reduced to themes essentiallyagreeable to the Prerogative Instances?The circumstances surrounding the

publication of the Folio and the LatinDe Augmentis suggest the answer tothe first; and a careful application ofthe method will satisfy the second.

The Folio and the De Augmentiswere intended to be complementaryvolumes. Bacons Advancement was inLatin rather than English to allow forfuller treatment of the theme withoutexciting a tooearly comparison of thevolumes at home and also to make thematter available to Continental thinkersstirred by the thoughts of the Mani-festoes.

The plays of Shakespeare containmatter drawn directly from Baconsearly commonplace book The Promus*as well as innumerable comments par-alleling those in Bacons acknowledgedworks, the viewpoint being the same inboth. Charactenstic of the parallels ex-isting is the one relating to goiters andsnow water. In Sylva Sylvarum, Baconwrote: The people that dwell at the

foot of snow mountains, or otherwiseupon the ascent, especially the women,by drinking snow water have great bagshanging under their throats. In Shake-speares Tempest, Gonzalo asks, Whowould believe that there were moun-taineers dewlappd like bulls, whosethroats had hanging at em wallets offlesh?

Frontispieces, headpieces and tail-pieces, emblems and cipher, all beseechthe inquirer to take the first step upthe ladder. They are one and all chalkmarks, but they are without effect un-

less the mind will lodge and harborthem.

Some clues are less subtle: for in-stance, the fact of the plays receiving

publication seven years after Shake-speares demise with copious emenda-tion and new plays unpublished before.Ben Jonson, the editor of the Folio aswell as of Bacons De Augmentis, wasliving at Gorhambury as Bacons secre-

* Pott, He nry (Mrs.), The Promos of Formulariesand Elegancies by Francis Bacon, London, 1883

[ 342]

tary while both volumes were goingthrough the press. Not only this, Jonson

praised Bacon in the identical words heused to praise Shakespeare. There is,too, the evidencepresented by the Latinverses published to honor Bacon in

April of 1626. They spoke of him as 1)a supreme poet; 2) the unacknowledgedauthor of literary creations; 3) asso-ciated with the theatre; and 4) the heartof a mystery which future ages wouldunfold.

Instances might be multiplied, bynumber alone bearing down opinion tothe contrary. One especially, surpassingall othersthe frontispiece of the 1645

De Augmentis printed abroad but notused in the volume as it appeared inEngland. It shows the philosopherseated, his right index finger marking a

place in what surely is the Augmentisitself. With his left hand he is sup-

porting a goatskinclad figure symbolicof the actor, who holds up a small vol-ume cryptically signifying a mirror.Above is the Temple of Fame towardwhich the figure is being guided. Tothose in the know, its story was simple

but elegant: The stage provides the ex-ample, the philosophy outlines themethod. The Order supplies the sub-stance of the matter taught. These threeare the yeast to leaven the world.

Certain unlooked for eventualitiesdefeatedat least delayedthe plansperfect fulfillment; The Thirty YearsWar in Germany, while precipitatingan exodus of some of those respond-ing to the Famas call to the NewAtlantis (Pennsylvania in the NewWorld) brought a halt to orderlyinitiation of a stabilizing organizationat home. Bacons disgrace by Machia-vellian tactics thrust at the heart of themovement and necessitated certainchanges. Strangest of all, the sudden-ness of the success of the literary aspects

of the renaissance in England obscuredthe ways and means by which it hadbeen accomplished.

The Elizabethan Age thus remainsfor most something of an anomaly. Itselements, we are told, fortuitously andunaccountably came together: languageshaped itself; nationalism was bom un-fathered simultaneously in a thousand

breasts. A sudden hunger for things ofthe spirit struck all alike, and men em-

braced their brothers in a universal


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to this Jurisdiction of AMORC andmentioned the great progress made inthe past few years, there now beingmore than fifty lodges, chapters, andpronaoi in France and the French Un-ion. Frater Bernard brought greetingsfrom the French members with specialthanks to the Imperator for his supportand assistance in their work.

The second distinguished guest wasthe Grand Master of Italy, the BaronGiuseppe Cassara di Castellammare.Radiantly, he expressed his joy on be-ing able to visit the see of the Order inSan Jose; he spoke of the serious dif-ficulties and delays the Order meetswith in Italy but expressed the deter-mination of the menibers there to sur-mount these and to continue the workin spite of strong religious oppression.

Re p r e s e n t i n g t h e M e m b e r s A t L a r g e , two volunteer committees were

busy during the week: the Administra-tion and Welfare Committee, and theResolutions and Adjustments Commit-tee. As is customary and required ateach Convention, some twenty mem-

bers volunteer to serve on these com-mittees, reporting their findings at thefinal Convention business session. Theirthorough examination of the Ordersfunctions, its financial and personnelaffairs continued through the week.Their final reports attested to the factthat the Orders activities, its financialaffairs and personnel matters were be-ing administered very satisfactorily.They did suggest that it would soon benecessary to provide additional fundsto meet some of the rising costs of print-ing and mailing materials, and to meetthe rising cost of living which affectsthe clerical and secretarial employeesin particular. The reports of born Com-mittees were unanimously passed byvote of the Convention delegates.H a n d s o m e a n d D i g n i f i e d , the new

Administration Annex and Studio build-ing caught the eyes of the memberseven as they began arriving on Simdaymorning. At the comer of Randol Ave-nue and Chapman Street, this new twostory structure houses the Supreme Sec-retary and his assistants; in addition, itcontains a modern, airconditioned Stu-dio where, under the guidance of FraterPeter Falcone, the Order produces itstape recordings, audiovisual instructionprogram, and motion pictures.

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T h e N e w Co p pe r E n c a s e d Do o r s ofthe Supreme Temple also earned theapproval of the congregating members.Replacing the weatherbeaten woodendoors, these doors with their beautifulEgyptian carvings are the gift of themembers living in the area of San Jose.P r id i n g I t s e l f in the use of scientific

methods to support its theories, the Rosi-crucian Order presented a number ofevents of a scientific nature. On Tues-day, for example, Dr. D. C. MacDonald,a Rosicrucian and prominent psychia-trist of Vancouver, B.C., addressed themembers on Psychodynamics and dis-cussed the source of mental disturb-ances, illustrating his lecture with slides.

Throughout the week there were re-peated many times a very interestinglecture and demonstrations by Frater

Erwin Watermeyer, of the TechnicalDepartment; the theme this year wasReincarnation. Members of the audi-ence took part in the demonstrations,music and special fighting being usedto prepare them for the proper relax-ation and concentration. Inasmuch asthe number who could attend at onetime was limited, the same programwas given many times.

Because the seating capacity of theTheatre of the Sky is also limited, the

program presentee! by Frater HaroldWilson in the Rosicrucian Planetariumand Science Museum was repeated somefourteen times. It was given twice inSpanish. After the taperecorded lec-ture, the members observed at will themany exhibits in the Planetarium in-cluding the model of the satellite.

Those interested in childrens activi-ties attended the Childrens Hour.The sorores who conduct this workthroughout the year use Rosicrucian

principles coupled with certain modemideas. On this particular occasion thechildren were present and attending

members witnessed a typical ChildrensHour program.T a k i n g t h e A u d i e n c e , in mind, to

the dwellings of the ancient Essenesoverlooking the Dead Sea, the MysticalAllegory was most impressively por-trayed on the stage of Francis BaconAuditorium. With a cast drawn fromthe personnel of AMORC, and with spe-cial music, sound effects and uniquestage settings, the Allegory dramatical-ly showed moments from the fife of the


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Essene Brotherhood, revealing theircode of ethics and some of their im-

portant doctrines.T h e Im pe r a t o r s M y s t ic a l lecture

and demonstration on Thursday was atreat to which the members always

look forward. Discoursing upon Medi-tation, he prepared the audience for aperiod of personal participation whichwas both effective and stimulating.

From their long experience in cor-responding with and meeting the mem-bers, the Supreme Secretary and theGrand Master gave inspiring addresses.Frater Cecil A. Poole spoke on: TheResponsibility of Immortality. FraterRodman R. Clayson chose as his subject:The God of Mystics.

T h e I n t r in s i c V a l u e of a Rosicru

cian home sanctum was well illustratedthrough two different plays in thecourse of the Convention. A Night inYour Sanctum was presented by FraterJames Crawford of the Instruction De-partment. On the stage, the memberwas seen preparing for an evening inher sanctum. She illustrated the properchoice and use of the Rosicrucian ac-couterments. The recorded voice of theImperator completed this program.

At another time, the drama A Fam-ily on the Path was given within theportals of the Supreme Temple. Manyincidents and speeches in this dramawere reminiscent to those who witnessedit.

D e g r e e Re v i e w C l a s s e s were heldunder the supervision of the Depart-ment of Instruction, and assisted by sev-eral very capable members, includingSoror Frances Holland, Grand Coun-cilor for Southern California; FraterGilbert N. Holloway, Sr.; Frater AlbertMoore, Grand Councilor for NorthernCalifornia; and by Soror Christine H.Stock, of San Jose. The Order is also

indebted to several members who con-tributed their help to Spanish DegreeClasses: Srta. Celia Chagin, of MexicoCity (who lectured on the Kabala, aswell); Sr. Ramon Garavito, of Barranquilla, Colombia; Dr. Sergio SanfelizRea, of Caracas, Venezuela; Frater Pe-dro J. Gonzalez, of San Francisco; andSoror Ana Palmira Vivas, formerly ofSan Juan, Puerto Rico, and now Direc-tor of the Spanish Editorial Departmentand Editor ofEl Rosacruz. For the firsttime, the Tenth and Eleventh Review

Class was bilingual, Frater Cecil A.Poole addressing the group in Englishand Spanish.

It was during the meeting of theTwelfth Degree members, at which theImperator presided, that Frater Ray-

mond Bernard was ceremonially andofficially elevated to the position ofGrand Master of France. Those presentin the Supreme Temple will never for-get the emotional impact of this solemn,ritualistic event. Colombe SuzanneWastlund served for the first time asthe new Supreme Colombe during thissession.

T h e A t t a i n m e n t and recognition ofSpiritual Enlightenment was thetheme of an address by Frater A. Talia-ferro, of Dallas, Texas, in Francis Bacon

Auditorium.Dr. Albert T. Doss, of Cairo, Egypt,gave the final address, choosing as hissubject the three components of manspiritual, mental, and physical. Hesnowed slides of Egypt and warmly in-vited the members to visit his country.

Music a n d A r t Co n t r ib u t e d muchto this happy Convention. No wordscan adequately describe the rapt atten-tion given the piano concert by FraterAlbert Ferber, internationally knownEnglish artist, who is now en route toengagements in South America. Equal-ly generous with his concert numberswas Dick Kesner, wellknown first vio-linist on the Lawrence Welk televisionshow.

Those who visited the Rosicrucian ArtGallery were high in their praise of the

portraits by John Singer Sargent. Theworks of this outstanding artist hadbeen loaned by the Boston Museum ofFine Arts. Mr. Thomas Leighton, na-tionally known artist, lectured on ArtThrough the Ages illustrating his re-marks by excellent colored slides of

famous masterpieces.A Sp i r i t e d F o r u m Se s s i o n elicited

some interesting topics. The panel in-cluded the Imperator, the SupremeSecretary, the Grand Master, GrandSecretary, and Grand Regional Admin-istrator, with the Grand Treasurer asModerator.

H is t o r y -M a k i n g D o c u m e n t s of theOrder were displayed for the inspectionof the members; some of these werecharters, important correspondence, andinstruments of authority issued by af

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TheRosicrucian

DigestSeptember

1959

filiated sources and from the Order inEurope empowering the A.M.O.R.C.and granting it special rights.

M a n y A d v e n t u r e s make up theConventions. Guided tours of the Ad-ministration Building gave members theopportunity to see the many depart-

ments of AMORC in operation. Therewere the many Convocations in thebeautiful Supreme Temple with its inspiring music and refreshing messages.Two Convocations were given in Span-ish. Spanishspeaking members enjoyedthe film Decoro en el Templo, a trans-lation from the English Temple Decorum.The opportunity to see rare bookswritten by Rosicrucian writers of thepast, the interviews with officers of theOrder, the sessions about the Junior Or-der of Torch Bearers, about the Sun-

shine Circlesall of these kept themembers busy throughout the week.Temple Echoes in this issue of theDigest mentions other Conventionevents.

L o d g e , Ch a p t e r and P r o n a o s offi-cers and delegates met together in animportant session presided over by theGrand Master, Frater Rodman Clayson,and the Grand Secretary, Frater HarveyMiles. Officers and representatives fromdistant points, and not elsewhere men-tioned, included: Miss Rosa Hards, Mas-ter, Pythagoras Chapter, Liverpool,England; Mrs. John Bomick, Fort Ed-monton Chapter, Edmonton, Alberta,Canada; Mr. Robert Jones, HamiltonChapter, Mount Hamilton, Ontario,Canada; Mrs. Marie A. Moreau, Toron-to Lodge, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The gala Banquet and Colombes Ball,held at the Santa Clara County Fair-grounds, brought the Convention activi-ties to a close, and added to the plenti-ful supply of joyous memories takenhome by the members.

E v e n N o w you will want to beginyour plans for attending the 1960 Con-

vention. A Rosicrucian Convention islike a great feastspecially served inbeautiful surroundings, composed ofmany courses, rich in delicacy of flavor,hearty in nutriment. Join with yourRosicrucian friends from countriesthroughout the world in our next greatFeast, the 1960 Convention, July1015!

By M a r t h a Pi n g e l , Ph.D.

ON FATE

Fate is a fools excuse for failureand a tyrants excuse for crime.

Ambrose G. Bierce

How many times in tbe course of ourlives have we thought of ourselves in rela-tionship to our fate? Our fate is written,say the prophets, in the stars, the hand, the

cards! Yet we are also masters of it andcaptains of our souls, in that we weave, for

better or worse, our fate out of the warpand woof of our entire lives. Our experi-ences, thoughts, emotions, and even ourwishes and dreams, combine to produce whatwe call fate. The choices are ours, and theresults follow the choices. To use fate asan excuse, a crutch, for our lives, or to ex-

plain away failure, unhappiness, or any oth-er negative tendency in life in terms of fateis to court intellectual, moral, and spiritualdisaster.

The believer in fate as a distinct and sep-arate force from the self that creates it ispracticing a form of selfdeception whichinevitably leads to frustration and the re-sultant inability (or lack of desire) to copewith lifes problems. The fatalist is eithera fool or a tyrantperhaps bothfor he be-lieves that his position is given to him with-out work and thus without the sense of per-sonal responsibility for action that is neces-sary to his continued growth as a human

being.

The true man of destiny is the man whostrives for continued selfdevelopment, for

tolerance, for understanding, knowledge, andexpression. To consider an event purely infatalistic terms is to accept and sustain the

belief that man is not a free agent. Truly,circumstances may alter us; life gives andlife takes away; but fate depends on ourutilization of what is gained or lost, and noton mere living. In the last analysis, mansfate is a byproduct of his self, an outer ex-

pression of his innermost being.

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^ z t t z z

h e comments on PsychicEffects on Watches, re-

lated by A. F. Wolther(April Temple Echoes),brought to mind a verycharming old Englishsong, one verse of whichruns:

Grandfather's clock was too big forthe shelf

So it stood ninety years on thefloor;

It was bigger by half than the oldman himself

Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.It was bought on the morn of the

day that he was born,And was always his pleasure and

pride;Bu

Documents

Rosicrucian Digest, September 1959