Rosicrucian Digest, May 1941

8/12/2019 Rosicrucian Digest, May 1941

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T H E M Y S T E R Y O F LI FEOrval Graves, Dean of the University, seated above, and Alfred W illiams. Registrar, are seen inspecting a model of the human brain, in

the Biology laboratory of the Unive rsity . It is one of the many new anatomical and biological exhibits to be added to this summer's courseof the College of Mundane and Arcane Science of the Rose Croix Universi ty in San Jose. Rosicrucian members attending as students aregiven simple and easily understood instruction in the mysteries of the development of life, the evolution of physical man, and an insightinto natures secrets of health. High magnification microscopes and all other necessary appa ratus and labora tory equipment are made avai l-able, with the assistance of capable teachers. No previous university or college education is required.


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AR H the tales of strang e hum an powers

false? C an the mysterious leats per-formed by the mystics of the Orient be ex-

plained aw ay as only illu sion s? Is there anintangible bond with the universe beyondwhich draws mankind on / Does a mightyCosmic intelligence from the reaches of spaceebb and flow throug h the de ep reces ses o f tl emind, forming a river of wisdom which cancarry men and women lo the heights of personal achievement/

Hare You Had These Experiences?............ that unmistakable feeling that you havetaken tlie wrong course of action, that you haveviolated some inner, unexpressed, better judg-ment. Th e sudde n realization that the silentwhisperings of self are cautioning you to keepyour own co uns elriot to speak word s on thetip of your tongue in the presence of another.That something which pushes you forwardwhen you hesitate, or restrains you when youare apt to make a wrong move.

I hese u rges are the subt le influence whichwhen understood anti directed has made thousands of men and women masters of their lives.

I here IS a source of intelligence within you asnatural as your senses of si ght and hearing, a nd

more dependable, which you are N O T usingno w ! Chall enge tfiis statement! Dar e the Rosicrucia ns to reveal the functions of this C osmicmind and its great possibilities to you.

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ROSICRUCIAN DIGESTCOVERS THE WORLD

F F I C I AL I N T E R N AT I O N A L R O S I C R U C I A N M AG A- O F T H E W O R L D - W I D E R O S I C R U C I A N O R D E R

Vol. XIX MAY, 1941 No. 4

The Mystery of Life (Frontispiece) 121Thought of the Month: How to Think 124The Friends of Animals in Antiquity 129How Do We React to Experience? 131An Etiology of Imponderable Forces 132America in Prophecy 136Cathedral Contacts: Common Sense 141The Temple of Silence 143Man Marketing Clinic 144Light Rays from Rose-Croix University 146Boarding Babies 148Sanctum Musings: Brotherhood 150The Science of Alchemy 154The End of a Road (Illustration) ....... ........ ............ 157

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TheRosicrucianDigestM ay1941

THE

THOUGHT OF THE MONTHHOW TO THINK

HE tit le of thisarticle might ap-pear presumptuousand challenging tos o m e r e a d e r s .Everyone is in-clined to believethat his processesof thinking are asnatural and asproper as his eat-ing and breathing.Vanity, too. oftencauses us to pre-

sume that because we have not reachedthe same brilliant conclusions of an-other. it is only because we have nothad his or her same educational ad-van tages. It is a matter of common ex-perience that for all of the instinctiveness of eating, parents are obliged to instructtheir children on the proper masticationof foods, to have them avoid the ills ofindigestion. Likewise, physicians andpublic health teachers advocate respira-tory exercises to encourage proper breathing, so as to prevent susceptibilityto pulmonary diseases . Consequently ,though we all naturally think duringeach conscious moment, just as we allbreathe during each second of life, real

thinking to most persons is quite labor-ious. It is. therefore, frequently avoid-ed, to the individuals personal detri-ment. It is laborious to him, becausemore often the methods used areimproper.

In using the term real thinking, itwould seem to infer that there mightalso be a kind of unreal, or unnaturalthought. We have merely used thisterm here as a homely or common man-ner of distinguishing between two kinds

of thought. As a matter of fact, any actwhich we perform and of which we areconscious, and which likewise is volun-tary, is the result of thought. Thus, forexample, if one is thirsty and conse-quently goes about acquiring and pour-ing himself a cooling drink, in so doing,he is thinking. Likewise, if one is sit -ting in a draft and when becoming con-scious of it rises and changes his posi-tion to avoid it. he is also thinking.However, in the first example above,thought is produced by the physicalcraving of thirst, which arouses themental functioning of memory andhabit, by which the water is acquired,and the usual method of satisfying thethirst is indulged. In the latter case, thesensations of the cool air cause the in-dividual to look about in his surround-ings to analyze them, and to select aplace where he would be free of draft.W e think in such a manner as indi-cated by these examples, a thousandtimes a day. Th is kind of thought isnegative, or responsive. In such think-ing. we are not the prime instigator ofour thought processes. Either our ap-petites and instincts, as we have shown. or external stimuli such as sound, light,movements, and temperature changes,

cause us to respond. Responsive think-ing means thought which is in responseto a cause which we ourselves did notoriginate.

The kind of thinking with which weare now concerned is abstract thinking. Such thinking is when we choose thesubjects of our thoughts. In this typeof thinking, the subject, that with whichthe thinking is concerned, has no refer-ence to any immediate sensations or ex-periences had. For example, let us pre-

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sume you are considering whether tocontinue renting, or to buy a home. Thesubject of your thoughts, namely, theproblem of buying or renting, obviouslyincludes certain actualitiesthe house,money, et cetera. On the other hand,

the subject is separate from any pro-vocative sensations having their im-mediate origin within or without yourbeing. This abstract thinking, by whichwe plan, create, and seek solutions toour problems, is generally called reasoning. Centuries ago an intellectual in-strument or tool was invented by thePhilosopher, Aristotle, to assist the or-ganizing of our reasoning. Th is instru-ment is known as formal logic . Thoughit has been greatly improved upon withtime, it is not absolutely essential to ab-stract thinking. In proper thinking,conclusions are reached which are inthemselves intuitive truths. These in-tuitive truths spring into our minds asa natural sequence from our reasoningif we think properly. W e hold thatthey are truths, for they are irrefutable,at least for the time, and we entertainno doubt about them. Their lucidity, inother words, is self-evident.

Since in abstract thinking, we beginthe process by selecting the subject ofour thoughts, effort is required. Effortis the expenditure of energy. Ourcapacity to expend energy is determinedby our physical and mental condition.Obviously, if we are tired our resultscannot possibly be the best of which weare capable. Therefore, before begin-ning any period of important abstractthinking, if at all fatigued, relaxation isfirst essential. Proper relaxation is notdependent upon our knowledge of whatoccurs when we relax, but if we dounderstand something of the natureof fatigue, we can better relax. If weare doing manual labor and certain ofour muscles are kept in nearly continu-

ous contraction, they eventually becomeunirritable. That is, they do not re-spond to stimuli; in other words, theywill not obey impulses from the brain,and this indicates that fatigue has setin. All of us who have used any musclesfor any period of time have experiencedthis unirritability.

The theory of this fatigue is thatchemical changes are formed in the sub-stances of muscles during contraction,which depress or inhibit the power of

contraction. This theory has been prov-en by taking extracts made from thefatigued muscles of one frog and inject-ing them into another and producingfatigue in the latter. Scientifically thisis designated as muscular metabolism.

Further tests have disclosed that violentexercises lasting from one to one andone half minutes may greatly increasethe lactic acid of the blood. When thisfatigued substance accumulates in themuscles, it may be carried into the bloodstream and affect other organs. Markedexercise of one set of muscles, for ex-ample, those in the legs, in walking orclimbing, diminishes the amount ofwork obtainable from other unusedmuscles, such as the arms. Fatigue ofthe nervous system is brought on byfatigue excitation, that is, too intenseconcentration of one or more of the ob-

jective senses and fatigued depression, which is caused by an accumulation oftoxic acids, the result of strenuous nerv-ous activity. As a famous neurologistand physiologist has stated: Sleep isthe natural restorative, though how thisis brought about is unknown. It isgenerally conceded that sleep and re-laxation dissipate the poisonous fatiguesubstances.

In relaxing preparatory to abstract thinking, and if seated, let your feet

and lower portions of your legs hang,or be so prone that the muscles are nottensed. Do not have your feet and thelower portion of your legs support theweight of your thighs; let the chair dothat. Arms should hang downward atthe sides, or rest in your lap, or be sup-ported by the chair. Do not crook yourarm with your elbow on the chair andyour chin resting in the hollow of yourhand to support your head. Supportyour head with the chair or with a pil-low. Avoid twisting your head to oneextreme or another, and having it hangbackward or forward, your chin restingon your chest. In other words, do notput any unnecessary stress or tensionupon your shoulder or neck muscles, oryou are defeating the purpose of relax-ation. In fact, avoiding such tension asnearly as possible is the secret ofmuscular relaxation.

Breathing is also an important factor.Do not inhale deeply. Conversely,

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exhale deeply. You will note the feelingof ease of relaxing when you exhaledeeply, and when you keep your lungspartially deflated for a few seconds.Deep inhalation is invigorating. It gen-erates energy, but you do not wish a

stimulus, you are seeking relaxation.When the relaxation period has ended,which may be from five to twenty fiveminutes, then inhale deeply and holdthe breath for a few seconds. Do notattempt abstract thinking immediatelyfollowing a heavy meal. Allow at leastan hour and a half to relax. It is com 1mon knowledge that food in the stom-ach draws large quantities of the bloodfrom the brain and elsewhere to thatregion to aid digestion. Th at is whythere is an inclination to drowsinessafter eating, particularly heavy meals.If you become drowsy, you will not beable to concentrate your consciousnesson the subject of your thought.

When actual cogitation is to begin,select a chair that is not too comfortableor cozy. A chair, the upholstery ofwhich is too deep and soft, encouragesfurther relaxation and induces sleep,which is what you wish to avoid whenyou actually begin the process of ab-stract thought. W e are creatures of en-vironment. Consequently, select an en-vironment that pleases you even if it is just a corner of your home or office orshop, where you feel at ease and wherethere are no petty annoyances, andupon which you have conferred a pref-erence for some reason. Since you wantthe subject of your thoughts to be thefocus of your consciousness, do not con-fuse your thinking by distraction. Donot compel your consciousness to vacil-late from one group of impressions toanother. It is quite apparent that it isnecessary to seek reasonable quiet andan environment of simplicity. This, I

repeat, may be but a corner in yourroom.Reduce the subject or object of your

thought to its simplest state. Most ofthe subjects of our abstract thought,our problems, if we will analyze them,we will find are quite complex, consist-ing of many ideas interwoven. Theconsciousness will not embrace diversi-fied ideas at one time. It seeks to vacil-late from one to the other. So assist itby selecting one to engage it. If you

cannot immediately decide what is thesimplest form of the subject of yourthoughts, then dissect it into variousparts and begin with the one you con-sider paramount. For analogy, if yourproblem is the one whether to buy or

rent a home, and the question of how tosecure the money is most important,start with that. For the present, or untilthat point has been ratiocinated to yoursatisfaction, exclude all other points.

A common fault of many persons intheir thinking is the continual holdingof the principal subject of their thoughtin the fore of their consciousness. Donot continually repeat it to yourself, asan affirmation, and do not repeatedlyvisualize it. If the mind is constantlyoccupied with the general subject orproblem itself, it cannot progress fromit to an eventual solution. Further, whenthought is arrested in this manner,mental fatigue follows. Place the gen-eral subject of your thought into thebackground of your consciousness, on amental shelf, as it were. You cannot, ofcourse, discard it, for you must refer toit occasionally, but it must not be per-mitted to dominate your thinking. Youroccasional reference to it should be onlyto determine that in your reasoning youhave not deviated from it.

Next, begin mentally to interrogateyourself. Ask yourself what you actu-ally know about the subject or matterbeing considered. Do not presume to know. Review your opinions and ex-periences concerning it. Often you willfind you will be obliged to discardprevious assumptions and this you willfind is very useful, for you do not wantto encumber your mind with variousbeliefs. Let us presume that the subject of your thought is something you wishto accomplish eventually. It is neces-sary, as a point of departure in your

abstract thinking , to relate it to yourexisting circumstances and realities. Inother words, say to yourself: I nowhave," or I can do this and this at thepresent time." Then ask yourself thequestion: "W hat is the major differencebetween these present circumstances(what you have done or what you cando) and your objective, the subject ofyour thought?"

W e can consider it in this light.There are certain things you can now

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do or understand. Th ey constitute thepresent, and the accomplished. Thesubject of your thought is that whichyou hope to do or to understand, and itrepresents the future. W hat is the na-ture of that difference which exists be-tween them? When you have summar-ized the difference, proceed by askingyourself what prevents it from beingmastered. Patently, if the differencecan be overcome, your problem issolved. If the difference appears com-plex, or involved, reduce it to its mostimmediate and prominent factor, name-ly, what in your opinion is the outstand-ing obstacle of the difference betweenthe subject of your thoughts and yourpresent circumstances or understanding.Knowing then what this principal ob-stacle is, proceed by propounding thequestion: Why is this obstacle notsurmounted?

By this method, the subject of yourthought becomes skeletonized. All fac-tors are reduced to simple elements;unessentials, such as mere desires andopinions, are shorn from it. You arethus afforded the opportunity of con-templating a simple element of thoughtat a time. Such a single factor is seenin a far clearer light by the mind thana concept composed of many ideas. Theperspicuity of such a single idea, byassociation, stimulates a flow of relatedideas and impressions. Fo r example, ifyou hold up a sheet of paper which isiridescent with many colors, and com-plex with patterns of several designs, itis difficult for you to determine readily,by comparison, what it resembles. If,on the other hand, a sheet of paper isheld up before you, which has one solidcolor and one simple design, it is notdifficult to hold those impressions inmind, and a chain of thought moreeasily follows, which suggests many

other objects similar to it that you haveexperienced. Consequently, the reduc-tion of your problem to simple factorscauses the engendering of intuitive ideas, which flash into the conscious-ness and illuminate it, and solve the im-mediate point. When this is accom-plished, progress then should be madeto the next factor. It must be realized,and this is why I reiterate it, that theseintuitive ideas would most likely neveroccur if the problem or subject, in its

entirety, is considered, for the elementwhich would engender them would besubmerged in the undefined whole.Care, I also repeat, must be taken torefer each separate conclusion to themain subject of the thought to deter-mine that the process has not becomedigressive. It is also imperative thateach satisfactory conclusion arrived atbe not entrusted to memory. Jot them down as they occur. They will, as youwill come to notice, fall into a naturalorder or sequence. Th is is what may betermed the evolution and development of thought.

In the art of thinking, each accom-plishment, that is, each clarifying con-cept, encourages and enthuses a thinker.There is a personal satisfaction that

amounts to an incentive to go further.Practice in abstract thought, as in any-thing else, makes for greater ease of ac-complishment. Perfunctory attempts willonly cause discouragement. At first,those who are used to jumping at orplunging into a subject of thought, asthough they were going to wrestle withit, will find this method a little tedious,though productive of much greater re-sults. They are apt to become im-patient, restless, and to perspire a little.Don't push a point in your thinkingwhich may be under consideration.Form your questions about it, ask themof self, and then let the ideas that willcome pass in review before your con-sciousness. Remember that when youpush a point, or force a conclusion uponit, you are presuming to know the an-swer. If, in fact, you did know theanswer you would not be resorting tothe method of abstrac t thought. Youwill know when you have the right con-clusion, when the right idea dawns, be-cause it will become self-evident. Itwill so directly follow from the natureof the point under consideration that nodoubt of it will be had.

During this process of thinking, allowyourself, as you must, to fall into a stateof being oblivious to your surroundingsor preoccupation. When you are notobjectively concentrating upon externalthings, and are resorting to introversion,your subjective mental functions arequickened. To put it simply, lose yourself in your thought. Stare with openeyes into space, if that helps you, and

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if you can do so without having yourattention diverted. Te sts of persons todetermine the best methods of imagingor visualizing have shown that some canbetter concentrate with their eyes open,and others with them closed. The time

required for this method of thinking, ofcourse, depends upon the nature of thesubject of your thought, and your prac-tice with abstract thought. You willcome to experience, if you practice thismethod, a sensation of warmth on yourforehead, which will not be perceptibleto the touch. Likewise, the warmth willbe accompanied by the feeling of theexpansion of your head. These sensa-tions are due to the stimulation of thecells of your cerebrum and cerebellum.

Thinking in this manner draws theblood to the brain, and develops thecells in the association areas. The morereal thinking that you do in this manner,the more profound can your thinkingbecome, and the more your conclusions

will have an inherent logic which willcommand respect. You will not onlybegin to master many of your problemswhich at one time seemed unfathom-able, or answer questions that wereonce beyond your comprehension, butyou will have a growing sense of pridein your intellectual achievements, espec-ially when you find your conclusionsparalleling newly discovered facts , andmany concepts had by the foremostthinkers of the day.

TEMPLE INITIATIONHave you ever had the inspir ing Firs t Degree Temple Initiation conferred upon you?

This symbolical and beautiful ceremony is conducted only in Temples of the RosicrucianOrde r. It is conferred in symbo lical surroundings, with a full complement of robedofficers, and it is an occasion you will never forget. T he Ch icago C hap ter N o. 9 invitesal l Rosicrucian, A M O RC members who have a t ta ined the First Temple Degree, or higher,to enjoy this honor and privilege. Th e Initiation is not a duplication of the sanctum cere-mony. It will be conferred at 3:00 P. M. C entral D ayligh t t ime, Sund ay, M ay 18th, atthe Rosicrucian Tem ple in Ch icago, located at 116 South M ichigan Av enue. An initiationfee of $1.00, as a contribution to the Chica go Ch apter fund, is requested. Ea ch Ro si-crucian candidate must arrive a few minutes before the appointed hour, and must presenthis membership credentials (his card), and is required to give the password to at least one

Degree to which he has attained. Do not miss this event. If you cannot attend on thisoccasion, write to the Grand Lodge in San Jose, as to future dates of Initiation in Chicago.

AMORC SUNSHINE CIRCLESW hen there exist needs, there alw ay s exist means of fill ing these needs. On e practical

way of demonstrating true Rosicrucian purposes and idealism is to be prepared to helpthose who m ay seek help. Th ere are m any human beings w ho at one time or anotherneed a helping hand. A M O R C Sunshine Circ les are organized as a m eans of put tinginto practical use Ro sicrucian principles and ideals in helping others. If there is a Sun -shine Circle in your locality, will you kindlly supp ort i t if you a re able to do so. If thereis no Sunshine Circle, any member can secure information from the Supreme Secretaryregarding the method of organizing such a group . Friends a s well as members of theorganization are invited to participate in Sunshine Circle activities.


OUR THANKSThe Imperator, Supreme Secretary and Grand Lodge off icers take th is oppor tuni ty to

thank the many mem bers who sent their best wishes at the Ea ster season . Th ese weresincerely appreciated.

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The Friends of Animals In AntiquityBy J e a n M a l l i n g e r

(Ed itor's N ote: The fo llow ing article is one of a series appearing in a magazine publishedin Belgium, and having international circulation. The publication is devoted to the cause ofthe welfare of animals. The author is a member of the Belgium Court of Appeals and anoffice of the Rose-Croix Order of Europe and F. U. D. O. S. I.

T A time when ourfriends, the ani-mals, are cruellydestroyed throughwar and throughthe cruelty ofmodern mankind,it is not out ofplace to turn tothe shining figuresof those that, longbefore our era ,have loved anddefended them.

Testimonial of Herodotus:THE ANIMALS IN EGYPT.

Herodotus, born at Halicarnassus, inthe year 484 B. C., died in 406 B. C. atThurium in the south of Italy. He wasa great traveler, and during his distantperegrinations, gathered a great deal ofinformation of great historical value.He resided in Egypt and in Lybia;visited Babylon, Phoenicia, Asia Minor,

Thrace and Persia. With great sim-plicity and a solid good nature, he haspreserved for us valuable informationon ancient customs.

It was in Egypt that, for the firsttime, he met a doctrine favorable to ani-mals, and on that account what he men-tions is worthy of our interest and ofour curiosity.

In Chapter LX V of his second book(Euterpe),he informs us that Egyptiansare very religious, and consider all of

the animals of their country sacred, bethey domesticated or not. They lovethem, venerate them and consecratethem.

The respect of Egyptians for animalsis such that their laws punish by deaththe voluntary killer of an animal. If thekilling was involuntary, the culpritwould receive a heavy fine. If, however,the animal killed was an Ibis or a Hawk,

their murder, even if involuntary, wasstill punished by death on account ofthe particularly sacred nature of thosebirds.

The love for cats and dogs was extra-ordinary among Egyptiains. In case ofa fire, says Herodotus in the followingchapter, the Egyptians thought more ofsaving their animals than of combattingthe flames. If their cat happens to die,they are in deep grief, and shave theireyebrows. If their dog dies, they shavetheir whole body, including their head.

In Chapter LXVII, the historian tellsus that dead cats are embalmed withcare and placed in a special cemeteryat Bubaste, reserved for cats. In eachtown there is a cemetery where themummies of dogs are deposited; andthey have necropolises for Hawks atButo, and for Ibises at Hermopolis. Ifthe body of a bear or of a wolf is found,they are rare in those countries, it is buried on the spot where found, withmuch veneration.

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They had tamed crocodiles near lakeMoeris that were carefully fed and thatwere visited by many pilgrims. (Chap.LXIX) At Thebes (Chap. LXXIV)they kept sacred serpents that did notharm men.

The Egyptians had great venerationfor a black bull having a white crescent-shaped mark on its forehead and on oneside of its body. He was sumptuouslykept in a tour at Memphis, and hisdeath brought general mourning to allof Egypt. When Cambyses invadedEgypt, he deeply offended the Egyp-tians by giving a death blow to the BullApis with his sword, and having itsguardians whipped. (Herodotus, Bk.Ill, Chap. XXIX).

How can one explain the deep re-

spect of that great people for animalsin general, and our friends the cats anddogs in particular? Herodotus simplysays that their goodness toward animalshad a religious cause that he was notallowed to reveal. Other historiansclaim that each animal was the symbolof one of the divinities of the EgyptianPantheon.

Apis was consecrated to the Moon,the dog to Anubis, the cat to Isis, thelion to Vulcan, the buck to the GodPan, the ram to Ammon, the eagle toOsiris, the Ibis to Hermesetc. It wasnot the animal that was adored or ven-erated, it was the manifestation of thedivine power that he presented. Towound or kill an animal, was, for theEgyptians, to wound or diminish thedivine power itself. Fo r from it, pro-ceeds all that has life. The Egyptian isthe most religious of men, says Hero-dotus (Bk. II. Chap. XXXVI), and forthousands of years, animals were pro-tected and respected by him.

Some authors have advanced that theattitude of those people was a grossform of totemism: each animal wouldhave been in reality the totem of a dif-ferent tribe. After the political unifica-tion of these tribes, all the animals weretotemized. That thesis was developedby MM. Loret (Egypt at the time ofTotemism, Paris 1906) and by Naville(La Religion des Ancients Egyptians,Paris 1906). That position does notseem to us to be defendable.

In his "Die ^Egyptishe Religion," M.Erman, on the contrary, explains thatthe need to make sensible the divine at-tributes, had brought the Egyptians tocompare them to the animals that werefamiliar in their country, and to haverecourse to the law of analogy. W hat -ever may have been the reason, thefriends of animals will not smile at thepiety of the Egyptian s. It is far morebeautiful in its consequences than thespirit of the theologians of today, thatof refusing any kind of a soul to ani-mals and delivering them without scru-ples to the scalpel of the vivisector.

The folk lore of the Christians havededicated the stag to St. Hubert, thepork to St. Anthony, the dog to St.Roch, but have not stopped for themthe bullet of the hunter or the knife ofthe slaughterer . While neighboring na-tions slaughtered animals of all sizes,daily, from steers to doves, and offeredthem as holocausts to their gods, Egyptalone abstained from those bloody sac-rifices, and inspired respect for Life Life the breath of the Gods.

It is from Egypt that Pythagoras,who came later to learn a great lesson,brought back to his continent the sacri-fice without blood, using wine and flouras offerings. Let us not smile at the oldinhabitants of Egypt. They have left usimperishable monuments, marveloustemples, writings of the greatest eleva-tion in thought, wonderful liturgies, andeternal practices and teachings.

"The Book of the Dead," gives us thecomplete text of the confession of theSoul, at the time of the final weighingin the Amenti when it appears beforeOsir is and his forty Judges. It declaresthat it is pure and without blemish, andamong the crimes it declares not to havecommitted is the following: No, I havenot caught the birds of Heaven in the

snare; I have not pursued the cattlesout of their pastures. . . . (Book of theDead, trsl. Erman. Chap. 125). Thosetwo crimes are not to have killed or illtreated animals, for that would be un-imaginable in Egypt.

Happy people where such thoughtswere taught, and therefore where suchrespect was held for animal Life, andtherefore for Universal Life. . . .

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How Do We React To Experience?By A r t h u r J. W e s t o n , F. R. C.

AM a part of allthat I have met.In these wordsTennyson givesvoice to a pro-found truth. W eare indeed in partmade by our ex-periences and, inturn, we may inpar t de te rminewhat our futureexperiences shallbe, and we may in

large measure determine what shall beour reactions to our experiences; wheth-er we shall use them to climb everhigher and higher in our evolution oruse them destructively.

All through life we are reacting oneway or another to our environment,sometimes quite unconsciously, some-times deliberately. Our early lives areshaped by the family into which we areborn, the kind of parents we have, ourhome surroundings with all their subtleinfluences. Later on, the schools andschool associates exert their influences,

and we react in one way or another tothose influences. After that, in businessor professional life, environment im-pinges on us and we on it for good orill. All through life then, environmentis exerting its influence.

How shall we react to that influence?The thoughts we habitually hold, theideals we cherish, the beliefs we clingto, our likes and dislikesall these verylargely determine what environmentshall do to us and we to it. W e may use

our experiences as stepping stones tohigher and ever higher things^or wemay use them to our own hurt.

A boy born in humble circumstancesgets, through some passage in a book,a lecture, or from contact with someperson, a vision of some great ideal orlofty purpose toward which he maystrive. And he starts his eager climbtowards the fulfillment of that vision.

A man or woman is stirred deeply bythe sight of some desperate social need.And so some humanitarian or philan-thropic movement is started, and the

conditions of at least a part of human-ity are improved.In our more personal relations how

do we react? Are we easily hurt by realor fancied slights? Do we tend to har-bor petty grievances or jealousies? Arewe made bitter or cynical by them? Ordo we try to rise above such petty re-actions? Do we take such experiencesas opportunities for self discipline, forbringing out the best in us and throughthat eventually bringing out the best inothers? Are we using such experiences

constructively or destructively?W e may choose very largely for our-selves what we shall do with our ex-periences. Th e Rosicrucian will alwaysendeavor to use them constructively, touse them as stepping stones to his ownhigher development and as building ma-terial for the gradual construction of abetter world and a better society, forthe gradual coming of a true brother-hood of man and a true fraternity ofnations.

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An Etiology of Imponderable ForcesBy C a r l T h o m a s

ITHIN every peri-od of particularlys e v e r e w o r l dstress, such as weare experiencingat this time, anunusually largeproportion of per-sons turn their at-tention to wonder-ing why suchthings occur. Allsorts of causes arepointed out that

are said to produce such results; rang-

ing from the caustic effect of greed onmen's minds to divine inspiration. Onewonders whether man is the free agentof will that some of us claim, or whetherman is a will o the wisp tossed hitherand yon on a sea of intangible, uncon-trollable forces.

I would like to advance here thethought that mostaye, allof the ca-pricious acts of mankind that are unex-plainable from a logical point of vieware the result of forces arising at someouter, Absolute source. I realize thatthis is not an original hypothesis, but Ithink I can in all fairness say that myattempt to deal with it at length isuncommon. What, then, is the moti-vating influence behind these terriblemanifestations which we must facetoday?

* The things of this world which oursenses perceive have no true being; theyalways become, they never are: theyPlato

have only a relative being; they all existmerely in and through their relations toeach other; their whole being may,therefore, quite as well be called a nonbeing. Th ey are consequently not objects of a true knowledge, for such aknowledge can only be of what existsfor itself, and always in the same way;they, on the contrary, are only the ob-

jects of an opinion based on sensation.So long as we are confined to the per-ception of these, we are like men whosit in a dark cave, bound so fast thatthey cannot turn their heads, and whosee nothing but the shadows of real

things which pass between them and afire burning behind them, the light ofwhich casts the shadows on the wall op-posite them; and even of themselvesand of each other they see the shadowson the wall. The ir wisdom would thusconsist in predicting the order of theshadows learned from experience. Thereal archetypes, on the other hand, towhich these shadows correspond, theeternal Ideas, the original forms of allthings, can alone be said to have truebeing, because they always are, butnever become nor pass away. To them

belongs no multiplicity; for each of themis according to its nature only one, forit is the archetype itself, of which allparticular transitory things of the samekind which are named after it are copiesor shadows. They have also no cominginto being nor passing away, for theyare truly being, never becoming norvanishing, like their fleeting shadows.Of these only can there be true knowl-edge, for the object of such knowledge

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can only be that which always and inevery respect is; not that which is andagain is not, according as we look at it.

Any direct awareness of the FirstCause is impossible. It can only bebrought into reflective and abstract con-

sciousness, and there transplanted intomaterial things and experiences, coloredby our individual reactions. In otherwords, the world is my particular inter-pretation of force, or combinations offorce. It then becomes clear and cer-tain to one that what one knows is nota rose or a bluebird, but only a Forcethat one becomes aware of as a rose ora bluebird because the physical body isso constructed as to permit such an in-terpretation; that the world about oneis there only as an interpretation of force by the Knowing Self, or Ego. Nofact is more certain, more independentof all others and less in need of verifica-tion than this, that all that existseverythingis only a force in relationto a sentient being or Ego. If this con-cept includes everything it is obviouslytrue of the past and the future, the mostremote object and the most intimate;for it is true of time and space them-selves, in which alone Force arises andthrough which it operates.

The hesitancy of the Ego, or Know-

ing Self, to accept the world as purelyan interpretation of force warns himthat it is an incomplete concept, how-ever true it might be. The faults of thisconcept will be corrected as we proceed,by the use of a fact that is a corollaryof that from which we start; a fact thatis arrived at by the separation of theshadows from the Absolute or FirstCause.

At this stage, however, we must con-sider separately the aspect of the worldin which we regard all forces not as

forces but as interpretations of forces,and name them as purely and simplyinterpretations of forces.

The human body is a force, thereforefrom this point of view we call it aninterpretation of force. For the body isa force among forces, and is subject tothe laws of forces, although it is not animmediate force. Like all perceivedforces, it lies within the realm of timeand space. The Ego, on the contrary,which is the interpreter of forces, does

not come within the realm of time andspace.

W e find then that an interpretationof forces has two fundamental, oppos-ing aspects. One aspect is the force it-self, which makes itself manifest through

time and space. The opposing aspect tothis is the Ego, which is entirely apartfrom time and space, for it exists as aunity or a whole, regardless of the stateof the body. So that any one body, to-gether with the Ego, becomes a com-plete, self contained world (consideringthe world as an interpretation of force)

just as fully as the entire number ofexisting sentient beings; in other words,if this one given sentient being shouldbecome utterly destroyed, then theworld, as a particular interpretation offorce, would also become utterly de-stroyed. These two opposing, funda-mental aspects then become meaninglessuntil we unite them into two things thatare purposeful only in and through eachother; just as the pitcher of water be-comes a pitcher of water only when thepitcher and the quantity of water areconsidered together as a whole. Theylimited and bound each other at once;where the force begins, the Ego vanish-es into it. The all inclusiveness of this isclearly seen in the fact that the essen-tially basic concepts of force, time, and

space may not be discovered or arrivedat without the existence or presence ofa Knowing Self, or Ego. Every forceforms a necessary relation to some otherforce, either affecting or being affected,such as the relations of forces that com-prise the human body. Th is truth is souniversal and all inclusive that all forcesor interpretations of forces may be seento exist as merely relative things.

Our interpretations of force may bedivided into those that are clearly anddirectly perceived objectively, and thosethat are more subtle and imponderable,affecting us subjectively. The latterclass is brought into objective conscious-ness in the form of intuitions and ob-sessional urges, and the capacity forthem is a faculty peculiar to genus homo. W e shall consider these moreabstract forces later, but just now weshall dispose of the first class. Thesetake in all of experience and visible,material forces, such as the effects ofsugar and starch on litmus paper. Thelitmus paper test is clearly a tangible,

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material thing, but you will observe thatthe litmus paper test, considered as aphenomenon in time and space, mustfirst have existed as an intuition; in-deed, the directly perceived test becomesimpossible without the previous intui-

tion of the test. Then time and spacebecome non existent if they are consid-ered as anything other than vehicles offorce.

Each moment of time is now, it is anow which destroyed a preceding now,which fathered it, which in turn will bedestroyed by the now that it fathers.Past and future are only words, andthe present is an intangible ever vanish-ing now that forms the line of demarkation between past and future. In thewords of Plato, nothing is; everythingis becoming something. What thismeans is synonymous with what wehave just considered; the world is aforce interpreted by an Ego.

W e have considered the body aspurely an interpretation of force by theEgo, just as everything else around usis an interpretation of force. But it be-comes evident that the particular condi-tion existent in humanswhich enablesus to become aware of our own body asours among a group of bodies which inother respects are the same is the factthat our body appears to us accordingto the particular interpretation of forcethat we choose to accept from a numberof interpretations; in other words, it isthe exercise of free choice of a giveninterpretation of force. And it is thisvoluntary discriminatory action towardforce that is the opening wedge whichleads us from a consideration of force,not as an interpretation of force, but aspurely force in itself. It is by means ofthis voluntary discriminatory action thatwe objectively perceive the nature, ac-tion, and experience of real force.

It is the particular relation of a bodyand an Ego that makes one an in-dividual personality. For, consideredwithout this relation, a body is only aninterpretation of force like all other suchinterpretations. But the relation throughwhich the Ego becomes a personality is, jus t for that reason, necessarily a rela-tion which exists only between the Egoand one particular interpretation offorce out of all those available. There-fore, the Ego is aware of this one par-

ticular interpretation, not merely as aninterpretation of force, but quite defi-nitely as a deliberately accepted inter-pretation of force. If, on the otherhand, the Ego becomes abstracted fromthat particular relation, from that two-

fold concept considered as a whole,then that whole, that body, becomes aninterpretation of force like all other in-terpretations of force. Then, to arriveat a complete and true understandingof the problem, one must proceed fromthe theory that the difference betweenthat particular interpretation of forceand others is simply that one's percep-tion stands in this relation to it alone;that insight into and discrimination be-tween two or more interpretations avail-able regarding this specific force, notbecause of a difference of this force

from all other forces, but because of adifference between perceived interpre-tations of this one force, and its relationto all other forces. Or, one must pro-ceed from the theory that this specificforce is basically different from allother forces; that this one force of allforces is both the force and the inter-pretation of force, while all others arepurely interpretations of forces, orshadows. Th is implies that ones bodyis the only actual body in the world;that is, the only immediate force in rela-tion to the Ego.

Other forces, considered purely asinterpretations of forces, exist like theforce that is ones body, in the sensethat they occupy time and space andact in time and space; but apart fromthe fact that this admits only a generallikeness, we are still in the realm ofpure interpretations of force, in whichalone the laws of time and space exist.This implied denial of the existence ofthe material world never has and prob-ably never will be refuted conclusively,it is nothing more than an artificial

argument that was built up by thesophists. As such we will make noserious effort to question it, leaving itto stand as a sort of haven for sceptics.W e will treat it as we do the problemof transition, in which transition cannever be overcome by any means at ourcommand, neither will anything we domake of it a worrying danger; there-fore, we will go ahead unafraid to leaveit a factor in our lives. Thus, ourawareness of force is always condition-

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ed by the fact that such awareness oc-curs both objectively and subjectively;the objective awareness of force considered alone leading to the conclusion that we are a force among forces , and the subjective awareness of force considered alone leading to the conclusion that each of us is the only force. Neitherof these conclusions alone is correct,but united under the guidance of dis-criminatory action they are both correct.

This dual awareness of force can beused to judge all forces of the materialworld, and thereby we can see that theyare from one point of view forces justas ones body is force, and from anotherpoint of view they are a particular inter-pretation of force, arrived at throughdiscriminatory action. The KnowingSelf, or Ego, cannot arrive at an aware-ness of or be acted on by force throughany other means. The force that we aremost strongly aware of is the body, be-cause it is the most intimate. But amoment's thought about the body willreveal that there is nothing to it beyonda particular interpretation of force bydiscriminatory action. Then if we main-tain that the world is something otherthan an interpretation of force, theonly alternative is discriminatory action.W e must come to a more completeunderstanding of this in order that wemight say what is the discriminatoryaction itself, and what is merely a mani-festation of it. which might vary. Th is,for example, can be seen in the case ofone person who sees the color green,and another person who sees the colorbrown, although both persons are look-ing at the same object.

As we have already pointed out, thediscriminatory action is more clearlymanifest in our objective acts becausethey are more readily perceived. For theobjective acts are nothing more than thevisible, ponderable manifestations ofsome individual personalitys discrim-inatory action.

These discriminatory actions musthave a beginning to proceed from. Yetthis beginning only proves the trendthat the discriminatory action of in-dividual personality will take at somegiven moment of time, or the coloringsthat our individual personalities give toforce. The subjective, intuitive aware-ness of force cannot be explained from

this beginning, for the beginning canonly determine the manifestation of dis-criminatory action at any given moment.The discriminatory action itself is athing apart from its beginning, whichindicates nothing more than its mani-festation that will appear at any givenpoint in time and space. If the Know-ing Self, or Ego, withdraws from theforce called the body and then seeks anexplanation of discriminatory action, anexplanation of any kind becomes im-possible because it is only the manifestation of discriminatory action that is per-ceivable, not the action itself, and suchmanifestation exists only in an in-dividual personality.

Now, granting that every action,thought, or expression of any given in-

dividual personality is nothing more orless than a manifestation of discrimina-tory action, the use of this discrimina-tory action is all that saves one frombecoming a reed blown about this wayand that with every passing force. Theimpingement of every force upon oneaffects or is affected by the functioningof the discriminatory action, but thedegree to which such action is affecteddepends upon the strength of or degreeto which the discriminatory action isused. Thus, if a negative, passive atti-tude is adopted in respect to impingingforces, we simply become aware of apredeterminable degree of pain orpleasure, and we will become warpedand convulsed by every emotion andpassion. In this connection, note theway of life and physical appearance ex-perienced by one enslaved by someparticular force, such as an habitualdrunkard. W e might go ahead hereand give a more or less complete etio-logical discourse on ponderable force,but about all it would amount to wouldbe an account of physics in its various

branches. The physical explanation ofthe gyrations of a bird as it glidesthrough the air, however, explains noth-ing more than the fact that such motionis the result of the particular action ofthe wings, and other parts of the bird,that is necessary to flight. As a rule,then, an etiology of ponderable force will lead us to see the necessity of aninner, subjective, imponderable force toexplain satisfactorily the ponderableforce. Thus, the flight of the bird pro

(Concluded on Page 140)

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America In ProphecyTHE LAND OF THE NEW RACE

By F r a n c e s V e j t a s a , F. R. C.

S AMERICA thebeginning of anew race of peo-ple which hasbeen in the mak-ing for more thanthree centuries?Both p rophecyand our reasoningsay that it is so.

America, as i tmelts and mixesin the crucible thedifferent creeds,

nationalities, traditions, and even races,is disintegrating these obstructions totolerance and understanding and pav-ing the way to a world of universalbrotherhood.

Does it not seem that he who doesnot accept this evident fact has not asyet been "melted enough, is not yetready to step out of the crucible, and isnot yet worthy of the name of a trueAmerican?

And as the intellect reasons further,are not the European nations goingthrough the same preparation or disin-tegration, a melting of many parts andcombining again into one unit, or a newrace, a new nation composed of nations?Is not there the same preparation as hasbeen going on for generations in Amer-ica, but more painful? Trag ic are theprocesses of transmutation by means ofwars, ravished governments, betrayedmen and nations, fires, floods and earth-quakes, and as a result the migration ofrefugees, rich and poor, a forced mix-

ture of races, nations, and creeds, ex-periencing a common fate, becomingone in human needs and suffering, andat last learning the bond of oneness thatis in all.

Knowing the limitations of the humanmind and its unwillingness to let go ofthe enslaving bonds of creeds and tra-ditions and the segregating tendenciesof racial and language differences, is itpossible to think of a more painless pro-cess of awakening? And is not the hu-man mind itself responsible for this de-structive process as a means of leaven-ing? For evil must of itself destroy eviland the time of crisis is upon us. Scien-tifically speaking, there being no properoutlet, eruption or explosion must takeplace, for the volcano or testing tubecan hold no more.

The mind that understands the age-less, universal laws does not in thesecritical times raise a voice in denuncia-tion of the non interference or inactionof the Deity in the present affairs ofmen. For this mind knows that theDivine laws, steadfast in the rhythm oftruth, will not and cannot change theircourse at the insistence of erring men ornations of men. As a necessity forgrowth and evolution, man was giventhe freedom of will to choose, and if hedoes not choose to conform to the lawsor principles of the all knowing Creator,he chooses and at the same time beginsto create for himself a path of miseryand eventual destruction, for, we repeatagain, evil destroys itself.

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The Divine principles or laws do notpersecute or punish but remain un-swerving and true to their purpose, andsteadfast in service to those who seekto understand and conform to theDivine plan.

Tolerance, gratitude, service to hu-manity, and obedience to Divine prin-ciples are the steps to cooperation withthe Almighty, and they who know andconform are manifesting the joy of liv-ing and experiencing the reward whichhas been earned. Membership in thisplan is attained only by earning it, byway of the path of service.

In the study of prophecy we find thatthe present age has through many cen-turies been preparing for the coming ofthe Christ and the Antichrist, and then"the second coming. Students of mys-ticism know that the Master Jesus wasthe progenitor of the Divine ChristConsciousness in going through theprocess and experience which made itpossible for a large number of peopleto become recipients of the blessing orpower called the Christ Spirit, and inorder that a mass evolution might be ac-complished at the time which is termed,"the second coming, through the serv-ice and combined powers of those whopossessed sufficient illumination to have

become channels of expression for theDivine Plane, and servants to the cause.Following this same trend of thought,

especially since we know that all thingson this unevolved plane of living atleast, are dual or opposites, comple-ments or affinities, negative and positiveforces of attraction or repulsion, is it notnatural to assume that since there wasthe Christ, there should also have beenthe Antichrist, and that since there is tobe a second coming or a massed ex-pression or unified power of the ChristSpirit in expression that there wouldalso be the massed or unified power ofthe Antichrist in expression; that is, theforces of light and the forces of dark-ness contemporaneous?

Is there not a narrowness of view-point in the expectation that these twopowers should at this time of crisiscome to us in tne expression of two in-dividuals, one representing light andone darkness? Is it not better logic toassume that since these causes of goodand evil originated centuries ago, that

they would arise now as amassed pow-ers, one mass destructive and the otherconstructive, constituted of many in-dividuals and having leaders, of course,and that these amassed forces with theirleaders shall meet in final battle for su-

premacy, the "battle of Armageddon,and that the result shall end an age anddefinitely establish a new age, and thatif the forces of light win, there shall bethe thousand years of peace, with theChrist forces in leadership?

As Americans, in us there is definitelythe root of the new race, the race whosemission, if achieved, will be the redemp-tion of the world. Does not our innerbeing respond in joyous anticipation atthe magnanimity of this mission, as weformulate that silent resolution, whichmany before us have resolved, andwhich leads to the sacrifice of all that ispersonal, in order that a sublime wholemight be formulated?

W e meditate and see in a vision as ifwithin us the sinking of a continent, thedying of a once proud and mighty civil-ization, so long ago that its recollectionremains only as a vague legend. Thetime came, we are told, for a crisis, abattle between good and evil, and theevil gained mastership and destroyed it-self, since evil is mortal.

But there is that which is deathlessand life is here yet, listening to theprophecy of the coming of a newAtlantis.

That luminous mind, Sir FrancisBacon, European leader of the Rosicrucians, compiled this knowledge, guardedfrom the days of the ancient Rosicrucians, in the book entitled "The NewAtlantis or " The House of Solomon,and in 1693 hundreds of leading Rosicrucians of the old world made a pil-grimage to America to lay Rosicrucianfoundations for the future, in keepingwith this knowledge and sacred duty.

In the book "Out of the Cruciblesby Henry W. King, Meador PublishingCompany, we read in the introductionby the late Imperator, Dr. H. SpencerLewis, "the Rosicruciansthat ancientfraternity of men and women devotedto the assistance of personal evolutionpredicted in the early Christian yearsthat the New World, then only knownto them, would become the great cruci-ble out of which would evolve the re

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fined elements of a new race. Of theancient Rosicrucians Dr. Lewis statesthat the crucible was ever the symbolof fires of life which test and try andpurify. Always did they look towardthe Undiscovered Western World asthe future crucible of life.

W e quote Henry W . King from hisAuthor's Preface: I believe a new civi-lization is forming! I believe a greatdestiny is awaiting the American peo-ple. W e are even now coming out ofthe Crucibles of the old world hatredsand ignorance, a composite people! . . .America will some day yield proof of itsAncient History (buried with Atlantis),and when this is revealed, the countrywithout ancestry, may be acclaimed thegerm of all civilizations.

It is of interest to note here that in

this work of recreation of the world,American women and women of theworld are to play a highly significantpart.

Mr. King states also that a processis being evolved that will salvage theold and regenerate the new, until theworld is ready to receive the eternalSpirit of Lifethe essence of which hasbeen preserved for eons, in the recreatedworld of America.

And in contemplation now comes therealization that we are Americans, you

and I and all these others about us. W eare the salvaged immortality of the lostAtlantis, and what are we doing, orwhat can we do in this saving and re-demption of the new world?

May we not upon arising every morn-ing give thanks for the privilege of serv-ing in this great mission, and ask forDivine guidance to think and act anddeal constructively with ourselves andwith those with whom we come in con-tact? Especially should we consider ouryouth, for they being a younger genera-tion will constitute a more solidified unitin the new race. What phase of expres-sion, light or darkness, construction ordestruction, will each represent as apart of this great network? None canstand alone, for as a part of a greatwhole, each must yield to the force ofgreatest attraction, be it good or evil.

Is your child, or my child, or theneighbors child, under constructive in-fluences? Has he the opportunity formental growth along the path of good,

for the sake of his own evolution andthat of the community? Or is he dazzledby purely personal ambitions and re-wards of commercial values? Does heknow the value and joy of serving hu-manity regardless of differences of raceor language, and without expectation ofpersonal rewards?

Does he understand the law of com-pensation or balance, and has he beentaught its application? Is he being guid-ed, when necessary, in the use of hisleisure time? Is he aware of the dangersof the Fifth Column to the life ofAmerica? Does he realize that so calledindividuals make homes, then communi-ties, then states or provinces, and thennations? Tha t there is no such thing asan individual being, a segregated unit,but that each so called individual makes

or mars whomever or whatever hecomes in contact with, even if he doesnot as much as utter a word?

However, before we proceed to passupon the qualifications of another, mightit not be well to analyze ourselves alongthese mentioned lines? For before wecan qualify as a regenerated race and,as a result, as a super nation, attunedas a whole to a direct Divine current ofpower, we must ourselves pass the testsof the fires of the crucibles and comeout purified.

To accomplish this, Mr. King, in his"Out of the Crucibles, gives us aformula, and that is to sever companywith the seven sons of Lucifer. As wepresent them, you will note that we arestill in love with some of them and thattherefore the task of severance will notbe an easy one. These are the invisiblecompanions:

GraedingGreed and SelfishnessJalonsJealousy and StrifeDecipereDeception and LiesIdelthe Creator of SluggardsPrytePride and AmbitionDraedanDread and FearCrastinusPreventer of Action by

by ProcrastinationAre we not startled to learn that

some of these are our close friends; thatis, part of our own consciousness, andthat they are important strongholds forthe dark forces of Armageddon?

Expanding further on the prophecyfor America, we find that the buildersof the ancient Pyramid of Gizeh, the

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Scripture in Stone, which, we are told,has waited for 6000 years for a scien-tific age and a race of people who wouldunderstand its language, left thereinprophecies for the then unknown coun-try of America.

Reading from the book The Sym-bolic Prophecy of the Great Pyramidby Dr, H. Spencer Lewis, we note thatin September 1936 a great change wasto come into the life and spirit of thegovernment of the United States where-by its former constitutional activitieswill be judged and from the judgmentwill arise a new and better form of gov-ernment based upon motivations grow-ing out of the judgment. W e knownow that the judgment of our constitu-tion has become history.

It appears also that about January 31,1947, a certain period of resurrectionand reconstruction will have been com-pleted, and there are indications that areconstruction of church and state inboth America and Great Britain willtake place.

The pyramidic prophecy leads us intothe year 2001, when it is thought thatthe world reconstruction will have beenfiinished and the new or Golden Age,definitely established.

Since this article leans to a great ex-tent on prophecy, and since we knowthat many minds have not yet acceptedthis form of revelation as a fact, we takethis opportunity to bring to our support,a number of minds which in their mag-nitude belong not to a man or nationbut to the world.

W e have permission to quote Dr.Alexis Carrel, author of Man, TheUnknown, Harper and Brothers. Thisworld renowned scientist looks uponclairvoyance as an art or a science, andworthy of such study as physiologicalphenomena. Dr. Carrel looks upon trueprophecy as the accomplishment of amind of such magnitude as to havespanned or mastered time and space.Great scientists, including Einstein, havedevoted years of effort to bring the trueunderstanding of time and space intothe conscious realization of the humanmind. Does not the gaining of this con-ception of no time and space" requirea mind liberated from finite thinking, agoal awaiting each one of us in theprogress of mental evolution?

r

Dr. Carrel states that in time, as inspace, the individual stretches out be-yond the frontier of his body. He con-ceives of Caesar, Napoleon, and allgreat leaders of nations, as havinggrown beyond human stature. They

encircle he reasons, in nu mer ab lethrongs of men in the net of their willand their ideas.

A study of Michel de Nostredame,born in Provence, in the town of St.Remy, France, December 14, 1503, andat the present time credited with beingthe worlds greatest prophet, gives defi-nite proof that mind may note causesand foresee their effects, which may notmanifest materially until ages later.

The Oracles of Nostradamus, pub-lished by Scribners fifty years ago,

have recently been reprinted by Scrib-ners, including an additional supple-ment of yet unfulfilled prophecies, dueto public interest in forecasts. Many ofhis prophecies now coming true aremore than four hundred years old, andsome will not materialize for hundredsof years to come.

His heritage is left in the poetry formof quatrains in old French. Many of themessages have obviously been incor-rectly interpreted and must await thepassing of time for correct interpreta-

tion. For the proper understanding ofthis mental and spiritual giant, oneneeds to be an historian, a linguist amathematical expert, an astrologer, anda mystic, or high degree metaphysician.His is a mind worthy of the acquaint-ance of all those, who in climbing therungs of mental evolution, hope someday for similar mastership.

Among other things, Nostradamuswas a master of the Rosicrucian phi-losophy and it would take another arti-cle to present him as he deserves to be

presented.However, in touching upon Nostra-damus we have introduced the muchdisputed subject of forecasting bymeans of astrology. This celebratedphysician used his knowledge of astro-logy in connection with his great workas a physician. The etheric or electronicenergy waves of the universe were inaffinity, he claimed, with the vibratoryphase of the human mind and body aswell as with all things of the Universe.

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Under this same principle, he pro-phesied that the universe was thenstrongly influenced by the moon cur-rents. From a translated preface to hisprophecies, addressed to his son, wequote Now that we are conducted bythe moon, under the direction of theCreator, and before she has finished herentire circuit the sun will come, and thenSaturn. Now, according to celestialscience, the reign of Saturn shall comeback again, so that, all calculated, theworld is drawing on towards its anaragonic revolution.

The contemporary scientific mindfinds it difficult to believe in planetaryinfluences. However, it does know thatthe moon has control over the tides.And science teaches that the humanbody is composed of more than threefourths water. Using ordinary reasoningin pondering these facts, would it notseem that since the body is three fourthswater and the moon has definite influ-ence over water that the moon has alsoinfluence over the physical body?

It might seem that we have strayedsomewhat from our contemplation ofthe new race. However, the new racemust be made aware of the need ofmental awakening as to what is thetruth of and about life. It must becomepossessed of the true knowledge and it

must become capable of its practicalapplication.In presenting prophecy as a fact, we

do not wish to convey the impressionthat prophecy is infallible. Nostra-damus, the most accurate of prophets,himself issued a warning against suchassumption. Our Rosicrucian teachingsinform us that a prophecy which isninety per cent accurate has attained as

near as possible perfection, in thisperiod of time where men are not yetmasters but more or less controlled bycircumstances.

When one knows definitely a cause,one may foretell its effect. That is pro-phecy; just as a physician is able toforetell the symptoms which will be thedirect result of a known cause.

But as men in the process of evolu-tion develop a knowledge of causes andthe ability to foresee effects, they mayin turn gain sufficient mastership toneutralize the causes and eliminate theconsequences through mastership ofliving and the practical application ofprinciples of truth.

In closing, let us affirm our resolutionas members of the root of a new race,to bring daily into our consciousness theideal of our mission, the American mis-sion of redemption of the world. Anddid not our forefathers provide for thisdaily reminder, when they placed uponthe reverse side of the Great AmericanSeal, the symbol of the prophetic Pyra-mid, bearing the motto annuit coeptis,He prospers our beginnings," andshowing in the headstone of the Pyra-mid a picture of the All Seeing Eye?And at the bottom of the PyramidNovus Ordo Seclorum A new orderof the ag es? The designs in the seal

of our government were adopted June20, 1782, and are explained in theteachings of Rosicrucians and Masons.

The impress of this seal was placedon the American paper dollar, a cur-rency in daily use, by order of the Sec-retary of the Treasury on June 15, 1935,heralding as it were the hour for awak-ening, and attention to our mission thenew order of the ages.

V V V

AN ETIOLOGY OF IMPONDERABLE FORCES(Continued from Page 135)


ceeds from a subjective beginning intoan objective stimulus that causes certainparts of the bird to act in a certain wayin agreement with certain laws of phys-ics; and this whole series of steps, fromsubjective beginning to the culminatingact of flight, is nothing more than im-ponderable force rising to the fore ofawareness so that it becomes a visible,perceivable thing.

If I have made perfectly clear beyonddoubt what everyone feels to be true . . .that everything of the objective worldis a perception of an ubiquitous subjec-tive force , . . we are in a position toproceed to an analysis of this subjectiveforce and attempt to find our way to anAbsolute First Cause and then relate itto our personal, everyday living.

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The "Cathedra l of the Soul i s a Cosmic meet ing p lace for a l l minds of themost h ighly developed and spi r i tua l ly advanced members and workers of theRosicrucian Fra tern i ty. I t i s a foca l poin t of Cosmic radia t ions and thoughtwaves f rom which radia te v ibra t ions of hea l th , peace , happiness , and innerawak ening. V ar iou s per iods of the day are se t as ide when man y thousandsof minds are attuned with the Cathedral of the Soul, and others attuning withthe Ca thed ral at the time will receive the benefit of the vibrations. Th os e w hoare not members of the organization may share in the unusual benefits as wellas those who are members . Th e book ca l led Liber 777 descr ibes the per iodsfor var iou s contac ts with the Cathedra l . Co pies wi l l be sent to persons whoare not m embers i f they ad dress the ir reques ts for th is book to F r iar S . P. C. ,c a r e o f AM O R C Tem pl e , San Jo se , C a l if o rn i a , enclo sing t hr ee cen t s in pos t ages tamps. (Please state whether member or notthis is important.)

C??COMMON SENSE

OMMON sense isusually consider-ed synonymouswith good judg-ment, not onlyupon the part ofthe individual, butalso of society asa whol e. In theaccepted meaningof this term it isimplied that thereis a certain knowl-edge which al l

humanity possesses collectively or incommon, which gives them the abilityto judge, within certain limitations, be-tween right and wrong, success andfailure, or between any other two op-posites about which a person is forcedto make decisions from day to day.When carefully analyzed, it would ap-

pear there is no criterion upon which to judge exactly what constitutes commonsense, and so we find that like manyother things it does not stand the testof careful analysis. For example, com-mon sense told hundreds and thousandsof people it would be impossible forcommunications to be sent across theocean. W e now know this to be an ac-cepted fact by cable and radio. Com -mon sense told many people living to-day that the gasoline engine wouldnever replace the horse as a means oflocomotion. It was certainly accordingto common sense that we could nevertalk over a distance which the humanvoice would not naturally travel, andthe efforts of Alexander Graham Belleven to market his telephone after itwas invented were impeded by thoseusing common sense as the basis of judgment.

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W e could proceed to consider almostevery advance made in modern scienceor mechanical invention as being con-trary to common sense. This wouldlead us to believe that common sense,rather than being an infallible source ofall knowledge or a manifestation ofgroup intuition, is nothing more thanthe accepted ideas of the time. In otherwords, common sense is to a certain ex-tent no more nor less than reasoningbased upon accepted facts and prin-ciples within the scope of the knowledgethat exists. For example, the reasonwhy common sense said that the trans-mission of information by such a meansas the radio could never exist was that,on the basis of the knowledge thatexisted some years ago, there was noth-ing to indicate such a thing could takeplace. Not only does common sensenow admit that all of these things arepossible, in the light of their physicaldemonstration, but in the mechanicalfield men are now prepared to admitthat many things will probably takeplace which could not have been con-ceived in the past.

Yet it is sometimes agreed by manyindividuals that it is only common senseto consider the most important factor inthe existence of each individual as thatwith which we can concern ourselvesmaterially and physically. This pre-sumption is a natural conclusion broughtabout from our environment that is,we live constantly in a physical world,and in that physical world we deal withthe same type of condition which wefind in our own bodies. Why, there-fore, according to this reasoning, shouldwe give thought or concern to anythingelse? To the person following thisreasoning it would certainly not be onthe basis of common sense that manshould seriously investigate such subjects as telepathy, Cosmic Conscious-

ness, and psychic phenomena in variousforms of manifestation. Nevertheless, inspite of common sense man is driftingtoward a realization of the fact thatcertain explanations of many questionsever present in his mind cannot be madein terms of common sense.

It is interesting to notice that commonsense has readily given way to proof ofexisting conditions contrary to what hasbeen accepted as common sense." In

other words, we know today, on thebasis of common sense, that for man tofly is possible, and our conclusions arebased upon the same principles as ourgrandparents may have used to provethat man could not fly. When man findsthat so much change can take place inthe material world, but that still withinhim are the questions of the attainmentof happiness, of adaptation to his en-vironment, of why men are killing men,he realizes that common sense is notadequate to answer all of his problems.Some would say it is common sense thatman should not know the answers tothese questions, but others will replythat man has the right and the Godordained means of gaining answers toany questions his mind can bring to hisconsciousness. Material progress hasindicated very clearly that man hasbeen given the ability to meet, and to acertain extent begin to master, materialconditions about him. Man must live inthe physical body for the one purposeof gaining domination over his environ-ment and harmony with his Creator.Every question which goes unansweredin his mind is a barrier toward the ac-complishment of that purpose. There-fore, it is mans everlasting duty to seekknowledge, to attempt to find out all thathe feels he must know in order betterto bring about this state of happiness.

If the general opinions of other menhave proven wrong so many times, or atleast have been found in need of modi-fication, where should man turn? Heshould not deny himself the accumu-lated knowledge men have made avail-able to him in the past and present, butman made knowledge alone is notenough for him.

Consequently, man can only turn tohimself, not to the self that is more orless in accord with the generally accept-ed common sense, but to the self which

constitutes that which lies outside thefield of his physical existence, or, wemight better say, that lies within hisphysical being as the manifestation orspark of life itself. There is no use forus to be concerned with terminology.W e quite generally refer to this self asthe ego or soul, but it makes little dif-ference what we call it. What is im-portant is the fact that there is a forceresident within us without which life

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Man Marketing ClinicBy F r a t e r H. C. M u l b e r g e r

URING this cha-otic period of re-ad jus tment andchange, many ofus have becomequi te adept a tplaying the roleof kibitzer. W eall think we know just what is wrongwith the country,the governmentand the economics y s t e m . T r u e ,

there have been a few who have offered

some fairly constructive criticism but just what have they done about correct-ing these conditions? One of the mostapparent symptoms of an ailing societytoday is too much talk and too littleaction. Our own Rosicrucian Orderteaches us that much energy may bewasted by too much talk, especially ofa negative nature.

Although the capitalistic system hasenabled us to reach the highest stand-ard of living ever attained, it has beenfraught with many evils and malprac-tices. With all its shortcomings capital-ism and democracy are far superior tomany other forms of government. Mostof the difficulties in the present systemcan be self corrected if the business andpolitical leaders will first attempt tomaster themselves and then just devotea small amount of their time to the solu-tion of the problems.

One of the major problems confront-ing society during the past decade hasbeen unemployment. Both the govern-

ment and business wrestled with it val-iantly, but we still wound up in 1940with over three million unemployed andmillions on relief. It remained for oneSydney Edlund, New York sales execu-tive, to decide to roll up his sleeves andstart applying the fundamental prin-ciple of the brotherhood of man. W e allhave heard of this principle and thatit is more blessed to give than to re-ceive which was also taught by theMaste r Jesus. This is just as applicabletoday as it was when He taught on theshores of Galilee.

Mr. Edlund started the Man Market-

ing Clinic in 1931 assisted by his wife.His work consisted mainly of applyingsound sales principles to the individual.This met with considerable success andafter dealing with thousands of casesMr. Edlund wrote a book on the subjectentitled Pick Your Job and Land It.This interesting and instructive bookdeals with the problem of seeking em-ployment and it contains many exam-ples of successful letters of applicationand case histories. It has become a sortof guide book for the operation of otherMan Marketing Clinics all over thecountry.Perhaps the Clinic and its functionscould be be explained by a sort of ques-tion and answer technique:

Q: What is the purpose of the ManMarketing Clinic?

A: The primary purpose of the ManMarketing Clinic is to help people sellthemselves.

Q: Who composes the Man Market-ing Clinic?

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A: The M an Marketing Clinic iscomposed of a group of ten or twelvebusiness and professional men who arewilling to devote one evening a week tothe solution of other peoples' problems.

Q: What is the general plan or pro-cedure of the Man Marketing Clinic?

A: The individual seeking employ-ment usually submits a typical letter ofapplication to the Board of Counselors.This letter is read before the Clinicmeeting and constructive criticisms arecalled for from both the audience andthe counselors. All criticisms are offeredin a spirit of friendliness and coopera-tion. The individual usually takes notesof the criticism and rewrites the letteruntil it is conceded to be in good form.A discussion with the writer often fol-

lows the criticism of the letter and manypersonality traits are brought to light inthis discussion. If the party so desires,interviews are conducted by variouscounselors.

Q: What are the charges for thisservice?

A: There is no charge to anyone.Being able to help ones fellow man isadequate compensation.Naturally, the above questions and an-swers only give a brief and sketchy out-line of the functions of the Man Mar-

keting Clinic but space does not permitgreater detail. Many articles have ap-peared in national magazines and innewspapers throughout the country.*

The University Man MarketingClinic of Chicago is headed by Mr.Mathisson who devotes much of histime to humanitarian work. He is re-sponsible for encouraging the writer toorganize a Clinic in Milwaukee. TheClinics are usually sponsored by uni*Reader's Digest, February 1940"They Pick TheirJobs and Lana Them"American Magazine, December 1939"A New Wayto Get a Job"Scribner's Commentator, Articles in April and May,1940, and later issues.Labor Review of the United States Department ofLabor, April 1940"New Techniques for Selling Jobs"

versifies, clubs or fraternal organiza-tions. In Chicago the meetings are heldat DePaul University, in New York atthe Executives Club and in Milwaukeeat the Marquette University.

The work is intensely interesting, andwhen an individual succeeds in gettinga job through the efforts of the Clinic,that is adequate compensation for thecounselors. Many of those benefited bythe work of the Clinic continue to at-tend the meetings and try to assistothers. The spirit of harmony and co-operation built up at these meetings isuplifting indeed. One can sense herethe real meaning of Universal Brother-hood.

The Man Marketing Clinic has nowbeen endorsed by the United States

Government as one of the most con-structive attempts at solving the unem-ployment problem. T h o u sa n d s ha vebeen helped to secure jobs since its in-ception, and yet it is only the forerunnerof many similar movements that arebound to take form as we enter a newera of peace and Universal Brother-hood. In these chaotic times this mayseem like idealism and wishful thinkingbut the world cannot tolerate muchlonger the hatred and greed that arerunning rampant. The times are signifi-cant of change but every action has anequal and opposite reaction. The pend-ulum must swing the other way and weshall return to sanity. As Rosicrucianswe should all be ready to play our partin the new order, and it is through justsuch movements as these Clinics thatwe can put the fine principles and ethicsof our Order into effect. I sincerelyhope that if any of you are called uponto serve on these Clinics as counselors,you will make every effort to devote afew hours a week to help your fellowman. You will be compensated many

times over, I can assure you. Informa-tion can readily be furnished if you de-sire to start a Clinic in your city.

CORRECTIONThe announcement regarding this year s term of the Rose Croix University in last

months "R osicrucian D iges t conta ined an er ror. Th is e r ror was in announcing the dateof the beginning of the term. A s annou nced elsewhere in this magaz ine, the term o f theUniversity will begin Monday, June 23. D o not forget th is da te .

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first one to come to light in modern his-tory was the Ecole Rose Croix whichflourished in France from the 12 th cen-tury to the middle of the 16th andwhich was revived again in 1882 inMontpellier. There is a similar RoseCroix University in India today, anduntil a few months past there was anold and respected Rose Croix Universi-ty in Belgium. It has also been a factthat the subjects taught in these RoseCroix Universities have been uniqueand pioneering in their scope. Thewhole Tree of Knowledge is studiedwith reference not only to the head butthe heart in the Rose Croix University.

Students who attend the Rose CroixUniversity meet and mingle with fratresand sorores from widely distributed

geographical points. These have allgathered together under the symbol ofthe Rose Cross being anxious tolearn. They are gathered together ina special group. The mystical environ-ment and oriental buildings presentaspects of old mystery schools in amodern light. The lectures and instruc-tions are all informal and personal withindividual attention, and yet carried onwith the strictest scholastic proceedings.Here, too, the appreciation and realiza-tion of the beautiful is so taught thatstudents become veritable artists of life.In this institution a conception of cul-ture is obtained which not only illum-inates the mind but spiritualizes it forall time. It is almost impossible to talkabout the Rose Croix University with-out the word light appearing in someform. In fact, those who attend par-ticipate in all the activities and studiesof the Rose Croix University, and real-ly and truly build around themselvesan armor of light which NicholasRoerich mentions in his book TheFiery Stronghold.

The Rose Croix Universities whichthe different Rosicrucian jurisdictionshave maintained down through the cen-turies are further proofs of the practi-calities of the Rosicrucian teachings. Inthese universities Rosicrucian students

and instructors lay the foundation fornew discoveries and researches in thevarious fields of learning. The Rosicrucians have always emphasized dealingwith the practical problems of life. Theyattempt to help their members meet allof their practical problems. Whateverbranch of social, business, financial, orintellectual work a person is engagedupon he will find practical means ofbettering his services both in an exotericand esoteric manner in the Rose CroixUniversity, and most of us are everstriving to better ourselves so that wemay aid in the field of human advance-ment. Today, more than ever, the worldchallenges the Rosicrucian. Dr. H.Spencer Lewis, late beloved Imperatorof the Rosicrucian Order, so poignant-

ly worded this challenge in the follow-ing manner:Our duty as Rosicrucians lies in

personal development first, personalma

Documents

Rosicrucian Digest, May 1941