Rosicrucian Digest, February 1955

8/12/2019 Rosicrucian Digest, February 1955

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R O S I C R U C I A N

DIGEST1955

FEBRUARY

30c per copy

The UnknowninMedicine

A ph ys icia n c o n sid e rs

the intan gib le.

V A V

Making Dreams'Come TrueIPractical steps

fto achievement.

V A V

Science andConscienceCan moral conflicts

be resolved?

l i V A V

' l e a t u n i K f :

Mysticism Science The A rts

V A V

T U x t W o n t A :

God aCompanion inDaily Affairs

V A V

Inca Ceremony


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AN E M B L E M

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DIRECTOR OF LONDON OFFICE

John La Buschagne, director of the new administrative office of the A.M.O.R.C., recently opened in London,

England, arrived there from Australia where he has just completed a years successful lecture campaign for the

Rosicrucian Order in both Australia and New Zealand. He had prev iously been prepared for this work at Rosi-

crucian Park, San Jose, California. Frater La Buschagne and staff will direct many facilities from the Londonoffice to the advantage of the members in the British Isles and elsewhere throughout the empire. (See page 64.)


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WRITE THE NEXCHAPTER OF YOUR LIFof your destiny in the ne xt ch ap ter of yo uWrite for a free copy of The Mastery o

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W hy let time and circumstances shape thecourse of your life? W hy be buffeted about by

the whims of fate? W ithin you and all about you are natural principles and definite laws which can

be understood and mastered.

Life is not a matter of chance. Behin d eachaction there is a cause. Yo u alon e determine the

outcome of your life. W heth er or not you arehappy, healthy, and wanted depends largely on your understanding and mastery of the natural

principles of life.

Learn to master the questions and problems which face you now. Enjoy the freedom and hap

piness that thousands of others have found through application of the simple laws of nature taught

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

I N T E R N A T I O N A L R O S I C R U C I A N M AG A -

W O R L D - W I D E R O S IC R U C I A N OR DE R

FEBRUARY, 1955Vol. XXXIII

Director of London Office (Frontispiece)

Thought of the Month: Democracy, Theory and Practice

The Unknown in Medicine

Rosicrucian New Year

Cathedral Contacts: The Essence of Culture

The Nameless Ambassador _______

Fact or Fancy: The Sacred Grove

Gullibility

Making Dreams Come True

Polynesia and its People

Temple Echoes ................

Science and Conscience

A Puzzle for Anthropologis ts .............. ............ .................

Majesty and Mystery (Illustration)

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Statements made in this publication are not the official expression of

the organization or its officers unless stated to be official communications.

Published Monthly by the Supreme Council of

T HE R O S IC R U C IA N O R D E R A M O R C

ROSICRUCIAN PARK SAN JOSE, CALIFORN IA

EDITOR: Frances VejtasaCopyrigh t, 1955, by the Supreme Gran d Lo dge of AM O RC , Inc. All rights reserved.

Iv1g glKfcV K.XXS KSEE S


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It is quite apparent thatthe word democracy istoday identified with and

proclaimed for some statesand political ideologieswhich in function are at

considerable variance.The question thus necessarily arises, Is there an

absolute democracy extant among thesestates? If there is none, then to whatextent are these nations, which claimto be democratic states, false in theirassertions?

The basis of democracy, as with anyother system of political philosophy, begins with the relationship of the individual to the state. The individual isan absolute reality. He is a separatebeing, so fa r as his consciousness of

self is concerned and the exercise ofwill, as well as those physical differences which give him personal distinction. As a thinking and acting being,man is creative. The products of hismind and hands become as much realities as himself. No one, for example,will question the fact that a portrait ora plow has a kind of existence, as doestheir cause, the human being wjho produced them. Thou gh given a separateexistence, they nevertheless are subordinate to the intelligence which createdthem. It may be said tha t it is thenatural function of man to create, toexpress his thoughts in action, to ob

jec tify them in things. It may be philo-77* e sophically contended, also, th at man is

Ros icrucian not a vv10 e rea li ty that is, completen . un til he acts upon the world and causes

Diges t m atter and his environm ent to conformFebruary to his will. But would it not be a dis-1955 tortion of such reasoning to assert that,

therefore, the true end of man is thepa inting of a portra it or the construction of a plow? A creator always exceeds his creation for he has firsexisted and existed without that whichhe ultim ately created. However, the

thing created has in it, in part, theessence, as thought or substance, of thawhich created it.

The state is a human construct. Iarises from a conscious deficiency uponthe part of not one but many individuals. Th e state is a collective creativeenterprise to provide what the individual himself cannot accomplish. Mendo not create a political society, as astate, for itself, but only as an instrument to an end. In the constitution oeach state are set forth its purposes, thereasons why it was given existence

Through the state, as the philosopherHegel lias pointed out, the individuabecomes conscious of a grea ter personareality. He enlarges himself by the facof his participation in the state. It addto his statu re as a hum an being. Thegreat scientific, industrial, and culturaattainments are proof of mans individual growth in and through the stale

Nevertheless, the sta te is a dependenreality. Its entity, its strength , is de

pendent upon the individuals who conceived and conferred upon it certainof their intellectual powers and rightThat man is a greater being because ofthe state does not signify that the trueend of man is the state any more thanthat the true end for him is any otherreality w'hich he has caused to comeinto existence. It should be apparentthat the state evolves in efficiency, inservice to mankind, only in proportionto the evolution of mankind. The state


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is not an established condition whichmen must attain or which their livesare Cosmically intended to serve.

Shall the state serve all men or onlycertain classes of men? The underly ingpremise of the state, as we have seen,is the surmounting of individual hum anweaknesses and insufficiencies. Its function is to add to human attainment andto secure that which man has achieved.Consequently, this function must be extended to and include every personthat the social and political ideal canpossibly encompass. If a political system extends its ends and powers to onlya particular group or caste of persons,it is then but a private enterprise. Basically, then, this theory of state expounds certain comm unal needs ofmankindthat is, that all men are inneed of certain conditions for their welfare, and these conditions have a greater assurance of their being providedthrough the collective effort of the statethan individually.

I n e q u a l i t i e s

Do all men know what is best forthem? Do they all have the same idealism? Here arises the crux of the problem of democracy. It is the problemof equality. Physically and mentally,men are not equal. They are likewise

not equal in the influences which society has had upon them as a result ofenvironmental factors. The demandsthese different mentalities make forthemselves, the ends in life they foresee,will vary considerably. The only theoretical equality, then, is the moral orreligious onenamely, that all men areof the same divine origin. This leavesthe necessity of conceiving an abstractideal to which to adapt this equality,one that will reconcile the physical,mental, and social inequalities of the

masses. This idealism of equality indemocracy first conceives the inherentfreedom of man as a divinely createdbeing. Th is freedom construes man ashaving no absolute obligation except tohis god and such obligations as he mayassume by the free exercise of his will.Each man is conceived as enfranchisedat birth with this freedom and thefurther right to preserve it during hislife.

The ideal of equality includes, aswell, the prerogative of the individual

to pursue an end in life of personalhappiness. The inequalities which areso dom inant in the men tal constitutionsof men cause the defining and the manifestation of freedom and happiness toresu lt in conflict between them. Here,then, society is compelled to oppose thevery ideals it has founded upon itstheory of the absolute equality of men.It proceeds to define in terms of collective welfare how free men shall be inthe pursuit of what they may individua lly designate as happiness. It resorts,for its justification, to the basic premiseof societythat is, the common goodof the whole. As a consequence, themajority, the larger group of the wholebody of men, may and does enforce itsopinions and conceptions as against aminority of dissenters. This is an ad

mission that the state cannot functionon a theory of absolute equality if thatis to be interpreted as an equal expression in matters of the government ofthe state.

In an absolute monarchy or oligarchy, the ends of the state are conceived by a few who have also takento themselves the ruling powers andthen enforced them upon the people.In general this is done without respectfor any theory of equality of the peopleand often without reference to those

ends to which the individual may personally aspire. In a democracy, the

power is conferred directly by the individual upon the government of thestate or by means of his representatives.This method, being more expressive ofthe will of the majority of the state,does of necessity subordinate the desiresof the minority, which are not necessarily unworthy. Consequently, a democracy cannot rise in its idealismbeyond the concept of progress of itsmass mind. Liberal thinkers, those with

progressive ideas from which the wholeof society might ultimately profit butwho are in advance of their times, areoften defeated by the so-called equalityof the mass of a democratic government.

C o r r u p t i o n

In the year 399 B.C., the mass condemned to death Socrates on a chargeof repudiating the gods of the state andof introducing new divinities and ofcorrupting the youth. This charge andsacrifice was made on the altar of a


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The

Rosicrucian

Digest

February

1955

revival of democracy and was its greatest crime, for Socrates was one of thestaunchest defenders of virtue and religion. The v ery act of the trial andexecution of Socrates alienated the intellectual class from democracy, theclass which it most needed at the timefor its advancement.

Two hundred years after Solon, thegreat Greek statesman who drew up aconstitution permitting all men to voteaccording to their class in society, democracy became corrupt. Th e lowerclasses gained complete control andbecame corrupt ly oppressive toward theupper classes. The citizen juries confiscated the fortunes of wealtny personsbrough t to tr ia l, whe ther th ey wereguilty or not, to assure their own juryfees. Since the juries were very largein numbers, the practice became common and thus defeated justice. In ad

dition, the masses voted themselveslarge sums of money for producing

public exhib its for th eir own pleasureat the sacrifice of the state whose underlying purpose they collectively couldnot conceive.

Democracy today is inclined to re-eat unfortunate incidents in its pastistory. So-called pure dem ocracy was

on the ascent in Greece in the 4thcentury B.C. The nobles, however, weredisinclined to assume the responsibilitiesof citizens, preferring the luxuries ofthe day. Individual freemen in the

cities were prospering in various businesses and enterprises and could ill afford the time for political duties. Thethinker was devoting himself to philos

ophy and literature because more andmore the citizens were not given tolistening to his learned orations. As aconsequence, these enlightened mindsbecame specialists an d un fit ted for anythin g else. Th e thinkers as a class became far removed from the politicians.The pursuit of individualistic aims leftthe state to the mercy of professional

polit icians, who comm anded the votesof the poor and less enlightened majority.

The opinion of every individual andhis concept of the ideals of society arenot always worthy of a political platform, even though they may gain a majo rity vote this is the weakness in theprem ise of dem ocracy. It is easy for theprofessional polit ician to pa nd er to themass weaknesses of human nature andgain the vote of the people against theirultim ate benefit. The people as a whole

will often, in terms of tneir own immediate advantage, vote for a proposition that will potentially disinherit theirgrandchildren . Extreme socialistic endeavors are an example of this massappeal as against more mature judgment of the needs of the future.

Ba ie Id ea l i sm ,

Aristotle was confronted with thisproblem of democracy an d extremegovernment paternalism in his own

period. He said: W hen there are revenues, the demagogues should not beallowed after their manner to distributethe surplus; the poor are always receiving and always wanting more andmore, for such help is like water pouredinto a leaky cask. Yet the true friendof the people should see that they benot too poor, for extreme poverty lowers the character of democracy. Measures should be taken which shall givethem lasting prosperity; and as this endis equally the interest of all classes, theproceeds of the public realms shouldbe accumulated and distribu ted amongthem, if possible, in such amounts asmay enable them to purchase a little

farm and at all events make a beginning in trade or husbandry.

The human ego is inclined by necessity of the law of life to assert itself.The focus of its thought and actionvaries. Let philosophy and science produce a class of men who would aaoptefficient and moral standards toward

*7


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which all political efforts should be directed. Let democracy consist of thepeople at large selecting those of theirnumber whose words and actions bestconform to such standards as suggestedby the enlightened minds and no t as

propounded by the mass. All men asyet are not equal to the task of determining the highest ends in life. Wecannot do away with class distinctionin the mental phase at least and reduceall minds and morals to a common level.Let us recognize a conceptual class,that is, a thinking body of society asan added factor to the basic divine

equality of all men and look to thisclass for the enlightened provisions forthe democratic state. It is a vanity tothink in this day and age that everyman in a democratic state is equal toconceiving the right course of society to

follow and that he is proficient in determining the road posterity musttravel.

However, each citizen should havethe equal opportunity to move upwardin consciousness to that class of societybest fit ted to proclaim noble a nd efficientends for mankind.

V A V

Heal t h of School-Age Ch i l dr en

(From Statistical Bulletin, August 1954, Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.)

e s p i t e striking achievements in life conservation, the actual numberof lives lost among school-age youngsters is stilllarge, a considerable part

of it resulting from causesamenable to control. Atpresent there are about

15,000 deaths a year among childrenat ages 5 to 14 in the general population of the United States.

Accidents are the greatest singlemenace to child life. M aligna nt neo

plasms (cancer and allied conditions),which two decades ago were a relatively minor cause of death among children 5 to 14 years of age, now outrankevery other disease as a cause of death

in this period of life. . . . The leukemiasaccount for nearly half of all the deathsattributed to malignancy among school-age children.

Although spectacular progress hasbeen made in the control of infectiousdiseases, they are still responsible foran appreciable loss of life among children. Pneum onia and influenza, andacute poliomyelitis are among the leading killers at ages 5 to 14, but the deathtoll from these diseases varies fromyear to year with their prevalence andvirulence. Tuberculosis and the prin

cipal communicable diseases of children, while continuing their long-termdownward trend, are still far fromnegligible causes of death among youngsters. Moreover, most of the deathsfrom heart disease among children in

this age range are of infectious origin...In general, the death rates for individual diseases are among the lowestin the New England States and amongthe highest in the Mountain and theSouthern regions. It should be notedthat the geographic distribution of poliomyelitis mortality may vary markedlyfrom year to year.

Throughout the country, much canstill be done not only to reduce furtherchildhood mortality but also to aid themillions of youngsters handicapped by

orthopedic defects, impaired sight orhearing, rheumatic fever, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or emotional disturbance.Large numbers of these children can

be rehab ilitated to become useful andproductive citizens throug h treatm entand education. W hile furth er researchis still needed to bring to light the factors causing many of these disabilities,paren ts, teachers, school administrators,the medical profession, and communityhealth agencies can, by working to-

fether, accomplish much with existingnowledge and facilities.


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The

Rosicrucian

Dig es t

February

1955

!Z7h. ^ Llnfznooan in


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if these negative nerve impulses are replaced with positive, healthy impulses,vibrations full of vital energy, the bodyassumes a normal, healthy physiologicalstate.

The disturbing negative impulsesoriginate, in most cases, in a mans own

mind. His sickness is brought about byhimself, by his own mental state,through wrong or poisonous thoughts.His mental state influences the psychicbody and through the sympa thetic nervous system transmits negative vibrations to his physical body, thus causingaches and pain. As mentioned before,in about 85 percent of cases no pathology can be encountered.

How about diseases where there isdefinite pathology? Here too, in a greatmany cases, the cause is the same. The

pa tients anxie ties, insecurity, his ignorance of simple general principles inlife, his fear of pain and death, fearof loss of power and influence, maybreak out in an illness with manifestpathological changes in the body. Hemay break out in definite gross visiblechanges. Th e term so comm only usedbreak out in a rash is not without

basic truth . One can, and does, breakout in a rash from mental anxietyalone. Have not you blushed or turnedred in the face when excited, or turned

pale and broken into a sweat whenfrightened? Eczema and asthma, na usea and vomiting, indigestion and stomach or duodenal ulcers, high bloodpressure and heart disease, ar th ritisand crippling body deformities, sterilityand abortions, and a score of other illnesses can be attributed directly toones mental state.

Let us mention a very common illness so widely spread and prevalentamong busy executivesduodenal orstomach ulcers. Emotional tensionwill start the glands in the stomach tosecrete more acid than is normally required for digestion. This excessiveamount of acid will then start digestingor burning the delicate lining of thestomach. Prolonged burn ing or irrit ation will eventually burn out or produce an ulcer, and repeated bouts ofulcer formation may eventually end incancer. Remove the emotional strainand the ulcers will clear up. Duringthe war, ulcers of the stomach werevery prevalent in young soldiers who

were anticipating combat on the battlefield. When soldiers were removed fromthis danger, their ulcers disappearedcompletely.

In treating the patient, medicine isnot enough, even though remarkableadvance in medical science has done a

tremendous service to mankind, towardeliminating disease, prolonging life andmaking a m an s lot a happier one. Wecan clear up the patients ulcer by giving him antacids to neutralize the acidin the stomach. We can remove theacid-secreting glands by surgically removing a pa rt of his stomach. We cancut the vagus nerve so as to interferewith the secretions of gastric juices, butwe cannot, with this method alone,

promise a perm an ent cure. Th is method does not remove the mental factor.

Sometimes, it only aggravates it.M i n d a n d Br a i n

Mental and brain functions, however, are only a part of the mans general physical make-up. A physicianwho convinces the patient that the

patients menta l state, his emotionalupsets, may be causing his diseasethephysician who can influence his pa tien tto put his mind at easewill undoubtedly go far toward helping him cure hisillness. But this is not enough. Recognizing the mental factor as cause ofdisease is recognizing only the physicalor negative siae of man and only halfof the problem. One has to go a stepfurther and recognize that great metaphysical principle, the duality of man:the physical and the psychic. Thephysical body is only the negative halfof man. Happiness lies in the positivehalfthe psychic, the Soul and its affinity to the Cosmic, or God himself.

Mental fixations can be very stubborn and deeply ingrained in onesmind; they can form a permanentblock to successful trea tm ent. To overcome this block, the psychic body hasto be activated into its normal andrigh tful function. Once this is done thesympathetic nervous system begins tovibrate with vital energy and DivineIntelligence. The impact of these healthyvibrations is passed to every cell of the

physical body. Then m ans Soul withall its potentialities will come to thefore.

Most of the civilized people recog


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T he

Rosicrucian

DigestFebruary

1955

nize and admit that a man has a Soul.Some know that mans soul has existedfor many, many years prior to his presen t life span. W hile his physical bodyis on this earth for a very short time,his soul has appeared and reappearedon this physical plane, time ana timeagain, through reincarnation, and as

such, has had vast experiences and contains a store of memories. Although thebrain, being a part of the physical self,may reach a point of helplessness, our

problems, if left to the intelligence ofthe Soul, may become solved.

D i a g n o si s a n d I n t u i t i o n

The physical man may voluntarily,or through ignorance or stubbornness,push the past life of his soul out of hisobjective consciousness. A hum an being has this privilege. But his soul willtry, from time to time, to speak to him.

The man, even in his stubbornness,may often hear this quiet, inner voice.He may call it intuition, or a hunch,and sometimes he may even respond,especially when he thinks that hishunch will be of some material benefit to him. This quiet, inner voice maysometimes warn the patient of someimm inent danger. It is wise for a physician to listen to his patients hunches

an d no t tr eat them lightly.

A little over a year ago, a younglady, who had been our patient forsome time, came in to say that she

had cancer. Physically she felt well,looked well, and presented a picture of

perfec t health . Tnis was confirmed bya careful medical examination. Becausethe mother had cancer of the stomach,we X-rayed the daughter's stomach butthe findings were negative. The re wasno cancer. Th e patient was reassuredand sent home, but shortly afterwardsshe came back again, expressing herconcern about her breast. She wasadmitted to the hospital for biopsy (removal of tissue for microscopic examination ). The pathological report was

inconclusive. Th e pathologist could notpositively make a diagnosis of cancer.Here we have a case where a physi

cian could not tell, the surgeon couldnot tell, the pathologist could not tell,but the patient could. He r hunch

{>roved to be correct. A few monthsater she died of cancer, a very atypicalcase of cancer.

Not long ago a dear old lady cameto tell us tha t she had diabetes. Shehad no other complaints whatsoeverand could give us no reason why shethought she had diabetes. She felt perfectly hea lthy and happy. She had nadno previous medical examinations. Nobody ev er suggested to her th at she

might have this disease or any otherShe came from a healthy family, anddid not know one single symptom ofthe disease. But she was right. She didhave diabetes. By listening to the voiceinside she secured precautiona ry measures for herself, and has enjoyed goodhealth, and deservedly so.

There is no one alive, who at sometime has not had a physical problem ofhealth to face. From the moment weinhale the first breath, we have ourphysical body to take care of. We haveto feed it, give it air and vital energy,

and clothe it. W ith good care, goodfood, and the supply of natural demands, we can build a healthy body.This body becomes a material instrument with which we discharge ourdaily duties and responsibilities, enjoyour worldly pleasures; it also becomesa beautiful temple for our positive self,the psychic body. This temple, in reality, is the most beautiful materialstructure in life. But we must knowthat food and chemicals, drugs and surgery, air and water, alone cannot maintain its strength and beauty.

T h e T r u e H ea l e r

The health of body can be attainedonly when there is perfect harmony ofvibrations or impulses between the

physica l an d the psychic body.

The next point in the process of healing is the physician. He has a less impo rtant role to play. It is the duty ofa physician to acquaint himself withthe physical properties of the body; tomaster the science of medicine and surgery; to become thoroughly proficientin the skills of the same; to keep him

self posted on all research and advancement in medicine; and to conform tothe highest standards and ethics of his

rofession. But he mu st remember thate as physician does not do the healing.

He is only directing from the Cosmicsuch vibrations as will bring about thehealing by perfectly natural means.The physician is only the medium or


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channel of the power, and not the power itself. Great men in medical historyhave made medicine important becausethey worked with the principle thatthey themselves were only the medium

H ippocrates, Harvey, Hunte r, Virchow, Pasteur, Sir William Osier and

man y others were such men. The healing principle was exemplified to humanity by the greatest physician of alltimes, the Master Jesus.

The third or final point in healing isthe Cosmic, the source of all healing.

A few years ago, a young pa tient wasadmitted to the Salvation Army GraceHospital for thyroidectomy. The surgical operation proceeded with the bestof success, but just before the completion of the operation she stopped brea thing. The anesthetist, with the aid of

the most modern equipment available,

broug ht the patient back to life, butshe stopped breathing again, and wasrevived but with more difficulty. Whenshe stopped breath ing for the third time,all efforts at resuscitation failed, andshe was given up as beyond hope. However, at this time at least one physician,

unknown to the others in the operatingroom, psych ically called for help direc tly to the Cosmic. Instantan eouslyand dramatically, the patient took onedeep breath, resumed normal respiration, and retu rned to life. In the mindsof all present it was a miracle. Thesemiracles occur more often than weare aware of. But are they really miracles, or is there some definite power

behind this so-called unexplained phenomenon? Grea t minds all over theworld are searching for the secrets of

the unknown.

Rosicrucian New Year

Imperator Proclaims Monday, March 21, the Beginning of the

Traditional Rosicrucian Year 3308

h e human mind is innately inclined towardperiodicity, or the acceptance of apparent beginnings or endings in thephenomena which it perceives. Consciousness, aswe know, is not a constant stream, but is inter

rupted by gaps of non-consciousness or

nonrealization, of an y stimuli. Thismakes possible the momentary retention of an impression sufficient for ourrealization of it. Though we are notordinarily aware of these hiatuses, orbreaks, in consciousness, they do constitute the beginnings and the endingsof experiences for us. So, too, our realization of any definite phenomenon innatu re constitutes its beginning. Itstransition to another form, or its apparent cessation, is to the mind its tempora ry end, at least.

The periodic recurrence of naturalphenom ena, as the adven t of the seasons, was most impressive to primitivemen and to men of the earlier cultures.The regularity engendered the conceptions of natural law and of a divineregulation of the seasons. The effectsof the coming of spring and of theautumn were eventually compared tothe great change manifesting in the

human cycle, or life and death. Withthe autumnal equinox in the Northernhemisphere, the hand of death seemedto descend upon the earth: foliagewithered away; the earth appeared tobecome dormant, and most pla nt lifeseemed to depart. The a ir was cold andthe sun shone infrequently and thenwith but little warmth. All nature appeared still and desolate.

With the vernal equinox, the adventof the spring, all nature seemed to berejuvenated. Everywhere there were

vuin.rj


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signs of birth and of rebirth. Th e treesand flowers budded; the hills and valleys were covered with carpets of verdure. The earth itself seemed revitalizedand gave off a sweet scent, as the warmrays of the sun caressed it.

Physically and psychologically menwere influenced by thiswhat seemed to

themm iraculous phenomenon. T heybecame more confident, ha pp y and en ergetic. Life was once mo re good tolive. The y planned and worked towardthe accomplishment of certain ends before the annual cycle, or winter, shouldcome again. It was a time for planting ,reaping, and harvesting.

It is quite comprehensible that manyrites and ceremonies, paying homage tothe spring and the imagined gods offertility, should have been evolved. Theoccasion of the spring equinox, the exact date of the beginning of spring as

determined by the earlier astrologer-astronomers, was a festive event withmuch rejoicing as well as thankfulnessfor the gift of life itself. Among themore profound thinkers, the philosophers an d the mystics, the sp rin g equinox offered the opportunity to teachma nkind m any lessons. It depicted theimmortality of mans soul and the principle of the souls rebirth. Jus t as most

lant life is not perennially destroyedy the death of winter and is reborn in

the spring, so, too, mans inner beingwas conceived to survive the bodysearthly transition.

The Rosicrucians p erpetuate the Mystery School traditions commemoratingthe beginning of the New Year withthe adv ent of spring. To them, as tomany of the ancients, it was the naturalbeginn ing of the new year , an d not thecalendar date of January 1, when inthe Northern hemisphere most of theearth is dormant and deathlike. In Rosicrucian lodges and chapters throughoutthe world, a beautiful age-old ceremony

and ritualistic feast is conducted in thetemples. This inspiring ritual, nonsectarian in nature but enlightening in itssymbolism, is performed when the Sunon its celestial journey enters thezodiacal sign of Aries. This y ea r thisoccurs at 11:27 a.m. on March 21,Greenwich Time. All lodges, chapters

and pronaoi will perform their ritualon or about that date. Every activemember of the Rosicrucian Order,AMORC, is eligible to attend one ofthese Convocations by presenting hismem bership credentials. The directories, appearing in the back of the Rosicrucian Digest, show the addresses ofthese subordinate Rosicrucian bodies.You may locate the one nearest you.The directories alternate: one month

presents the United State s addresses;the next month, those of the branchesof the Order elsewhere throughout the

world.Rosicrucian members not living closeto Rosicrucian lodges, chapters, or pronaoi, may have an inspiring and simpleRosicrucian New Year ritual to be performed in the privacy of their ownsanctums. Merely address a letter to:The Grand Secretary, Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, Rosicrucian Park, SanJose, California, United States, enclosing 25 cents to cover mailing costs(members from countries other thanCanadian, please include postal couponsin the same amount), and request acopy of the Sanctum New Year

Ritual.The New Years Convocation in the

be au tiful Supreme Temple will be conducted on Friday, March 18, at 8:00

p.m. The doors open for ad mittan ce at7:00 p.m. Eve ry active Rosicrucianmember, who may wish to be present,is eligible to participate in this beautifulevent in the Supreme Temple. It isnecessary, however, that membershipcredentials be presented for admittance.

V A V

The

RosicrucianDig es t

February Would you be of service . . . show . . . by you r own example wh at kind of men

1955 philosophy makes. Epictetus , first century A.D.


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raw

5;1

1

The Cathedral of the Soul is a Cosmic meeting place for all minds of the most highly developed and spiritually advanced members and workers of the Rosicrucian fraternity. It is the focal point of Cosmic radiations and thoughtwaves from which radiate vibrations of health, peace, happiness, and inner awakening. Various periods of the day are set aside when m any thousandsof minds are attuned with the Cathedral of the Soul, and others attuning with the Cathedral at the time w ill receive the benefit of the vibrations. Those whoare not members of the organization may share in the unusual benefits as well as those who are members. The book called Lib er 777 describes the periodsfor various contacts with the Cathedral. Copies wi ll be sent to persons whoare not members if they address their requests for this book to Scribe S. P. C.fcare of AMORC Temple, San Jose, California, enclosing three cents in postage stamps. (Please state wh ether mem ber or not this is important.)

1Ii|

1

if.

SSfSii *r

THE ESSENCE OF CULTURE

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

t i s obvious that the purpose of a civilization andits culture is to advancem an s w elfare . Therewould be no reason to

believe th at civilization isany better than an uncivilized state unless man

________________ c o u l d b e b e n e f i te d b y

participation in the stan da rd of livingwhich civilization makes possible. Backof every civilization lies a culture, or acomposite of cultures. A culture in cludes the social, economic, political,and religious concepts, as well as theideas ana knowledge that constitute the

po int of view an d also the aims andpurposes of a part icula r people at apar ticu lar time.

The first civilizations evolved in linewith the basic culture of a society. Ascivilization develops at any time in history, culture and civilization becomealmost synonymousone expressingthe other, one influencing the other. Aninterplay takes place between the twowhich causes civilization at times toreflect the culture of the people, and atother times the culture to be the inspiration of the existing civilization.

The earlier civilizations of which wehave either archaeological or historicalrecord grew in direct proportion to theaccumulation of knowledge by thosewho composed its leaders. Wise men

propounded the un de rlying philosophy,which was based upon different concepts and different principles depending

/ @ \

Jiruinrj

[ S 3 ]


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1955

upon the time and place. It also depended to a degree upon the precedingcivilizations and a knowledge that the

pa rt icula r people at th at tim e had ofthose civilizations.

The concept of a culture usually, ifnot specifically, for the benefit of men,or at least a limited group of the popu

lation, tended to create circumstancesthat would be better for man to utilizeas a means of growth for himself and

poste rity. The build ing of edifices forcultural, religious, educational, or commercial purposes was a part of thegrowth of the civilization and expressedthe existing concepts of art and sciencein their construction. Und erlying allthese manifestations of civilizationthat is, the buildings and physical thingsthat accompanied the growth of a particular n ation or societywas the thinking of those who became the philoso

phers. In ancien t Greece, the philosophythat grew out of the Athenian civilization became the pattern of idealism formuch of the philosophy in the Westernworld today.

This idealism became far more impor tant in term s of tim e th an did anyphysical or materia l accomplishment ofthe civilization. M any buildings havecrumbled and have been forgotten, others are in ruins, but the ideals of Platolive on. These were the principles, orrather the forms of the essence of theculture that existed and manifested

through a civilization. It is, of course,true that, the majority of men then didnot participate in the more profound

phases of the cu lture of the Athen iancivilization; and the same fact holdstrue for all civilizations, even that ofmodern times. Un fortun ately the vastmajorit}'-, regardless of the civilizationin which they live, have little realization of the true depth of the culture ofwhich they are a part; and furthermore,in many cases, they care little as towhat may be the philosophy that underlies the civilization in which theylive.

Many men have forgotten, if theyever knew, the purpose and ideals thatunderlie the culture of the civilizationin which they exist. Th ey become concerned with those accompaniments ofcivilization that bring them ease, luxury, and the material things whichthey wish to possess. It develops tha t

the physical attainments of civilizatiobecome more im po rtant to the major itof people than the underlying culturwhich tends to support it, and the cuture which gives man a perspective, place in life , and an aim or end to atain in living. Therefore , as civilizatiohas advanced at various times in hum a

history, man has repeatedly reverted this primitive or animal nature, satisfying his wants and applying himself anhis efforts exclusively to the attainmenof the physical accompaniments of cultu re and the comforts of life. Hhas neglected to ask himself what it ithat would make a fuller life and thawould better prepare him to serve wh aever purpose may be his upon this eartand help him grow toward a fulleknowledge of himself and of thosforces which underlie the manifestation of all he sees about him.

The purpose of life may take a secondary place in a civilization whemen lose sight of the culture which ithe foundation of a civilization. Thethen devote themselves exclusively tthe enjoyment of the benefits that havcome as a result of the civilizing influences. Man thereby loses sight ohis end and purpose. He has lost thessence of culture which should hav

been the key th at would have providehim with the purpose of living in ancivilization.

The civilization in which we live today is no different in this respect thathose that have existed in the pastCivilizations rise and fall. Th ey reachtheir period of splendor and then arforgotten. They deteriorate and get lost

We can profit from the history oother civilizations by analyzing theicollapse and fall, and by considerinthe direction in which our present civiization moves. We have advanced, insofar as the standards of the world argenerally considered, far more thaany previous civilization. W e havgained more control over physical phenomena and more understanding of thmaterial world than, to the best of ouknowledge, has ever existed in the pastMan has gained, particularly in th

past century, those things which provide him with more leisure time. Whave machinery to do our work, anyet we are always rushed. We havgained new understanding for th


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maintenance of health, and yet thereare diseases which defy any control.In other words, the science that hasdeveloped in modem civilization hasbrought us m any things, but, at thesame time, it has created many problems. The fau lt does not lie in theculture, in the civilization, or in science;it lies in the mind of man. Man hasas a part of his endowment the abilityto see beyond the material accompaniments of civilization and to realize thatany civilization regardless of its progress or its accomplishments is unsuccessful if it does not provide for thedignity of the soul.

The essence of culture is, therefore,to be found in the world of the spirit.It is to be found in those values whichwill be permanent regardless of the

transitory manifestations of the material accomplishments of civilization.Civilization should contribute to manscomplete growth from the standpoint ofphysical health , physical accumulationof material things, and from the understanding of his real naturehis life,soul, and mind. W ithou t these accomplishments civilization has failed.

Today we have advanced a long wayin material achievements, but man still

lacks understanding of his inne r na tureand of the goal toward which he shouldbe directing himself . It is impe rativethat if man is to maintain a civilization,he must maintain a balanced conceptof values. He mu st realize tha t the es

sence of all being lies within himself,and that the spark of life that resideswithin him must be linked consciouslyto the source of all life, to the forcewhich sustains it. We mu st come to acloser understanding between ourselvesas individuals and the source fromwhich we spring.

This concept of mans relationship toforces that lie beyond his world, andthe civilization that he produces thereby, will be th means of giving himthe wisdom and ability to control the

material forces with which he experiments and hopes to improve the worldin which he lives. It is within m anschoice to free the accumulated forcesof the physical universe for destructionor for hum an benefit. This choice willbe based upon whether or not he is ableto see beyond material values and toassociate himself with a force that transcends any that can be limited exclusively to the physical world.

V A V

. . . ROSE-CROIX UNIVERSITY . . .

Make Your Plans Now

Although the summer season is associated with vacations and recreation, it also means,

in the minds of many people, the opportunity for self-improvement.

To every Rosicrucian there is offered a combined period of improvement and recrea

tion in the activities of the Rose-Croix University. The three-week session at the Uni

versity, each year, offers recreation in the Rosicrucian Park and the Santa Clara Valley

of California, together with competent instruction and activity in many fields of study in which all Rosicrucians are interested.

The 1955 term of the Rose-Croix University will be held from June 20 to July 9,

and will offer specialized study in philosophy, science, music, art, drama, and many

other subjects, as well as special lectures by officers of the Supreme and Grand Lodges

on topics directly related to the Rosicrucian teachings.

Now is the time to prepare for attendance at the 1955 term of the summer session.

Before you forget, write to the Registrar of the Rose-Croix University, Rosicrucian Park,

San Jose, California, and ask for your copy of the Story of Learning and complete in

structions as to how to prepare for the 1955 term.


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UPl z < Afamz[z?L. cz f~ni(jaaJ.o %By H a r o ld P r e e ce

o r years, his picture hung uniden

tified in the hall ofthe Historical Societyof Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Two centuries after his birth,we know him only bythe symbol ic namethat he had assumedas an Initiate.

But through the diligence of that inspired

historian, Julius Friedrich Sachse, hismemory has been saved from obliteration. Yet this mysterious Rosicrucianwas the very first American to wininternational recognition as a scholarand scientist. Even before BenjaminFranklin and Thomas Paine, he wasacclaimed by European contemporariesas one of the most celebrated mathematicians and physicists of the Eighteenth Century.

Jacob Philadelphiaso he is listedin the national archives of Germanywhose learned men considered him to

be one of the towering geniuses of histime. We can safely deduce that Jacobwas undoubtedly the Hebraic namegiven him by his parents. But the cryptic surname of Philadelphia was presumably suggested by that city wherehe was bom, probably in the year 1720.

A contemporary historian has calledhim a Jewish Dr. Faustus . But thisis perhaps too narrow and sectarian aframework for a man whose thinkingdisplayed such striking depth and uni-versalism. Very possibly, however, hewas the first Jewish child born in Penn

sylvania. The scant available evidenceunearthed by Sachse, also suggests thathis forebears were Portuguese Jews whomigrated to Pennsylvania from SouthAmerica or the West Indies.

Sachse is authority for the statementthat Jacob received only the fair education available to youngsters in colonialAmerica. But even within the boundsof a limited curriculum, the sensitive,

precocious boy showeda marked f la i r formathematics and physics. Then a fter exhausting wha t or thodoxscience had to say onthese subjec ts , heturned to the Cabalafor the esoteric andsupplemental information it provided him.

Many Jewish scholars had prev ious ly

delved into that arcane classic to giveit interpretations often fanciful ornaively sectarian. For this, we mustblame the cruel exclusion of Jews fromintellectual contact with other peoplesduring centuries when Catholic-dominated monarchs enforced a rigid segregation. Yet in a land of freedom andrespect for all religions, Jacob Philadelphia, a Jewish thinker, grasped theuniversal truths of the Cabala and sawthem as a whole.

He realized that these sublime tenetsof a majestic book had been revealed

for the benefit of all mankind. Inevitably this understanding would causehim to evaluate his ancestral faith ofJudaism within a broader perspective.It would also draw him, in the mutualaffinity of scholars, to those Christian-born Cabalists: the ea rly Rosicruciansettlers of Pennsylvania.

Eventually, Jacob came to know thethree last survivors of that pioneerRosicrucian establishmentthe Woman in the Wilderness communitywhich had been built on the Wissahick-

on River ne ar the city in 1694. Thesethree were Johann Gottfried Seelig,Conrad Matthai, and Dr. ChristopherWitt.

The young seekers sincerity andbe nt for learning made such an impression upon these th ree venerableAdepts that Dr. W itt accepted him asa personal disciple. Leaving the homeof his parents, Jacob went to live with


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his preceptor in Philadelphias suburbof Germantown.

Forever, great teachers and brilliantpupils complement each other. Dr.Witt, in the words of Sachse, was anexpert mechanician, well-versed in the

mechanic arts and horology, as well asin the occult sciences and Cabbalisticlore. Moreover, he was a botanistand an astronomer of note while hisreputation as a physician was secondto none in the Province. In turn,J a c o b s e a g e r n e s s a n d r e c e p t i v i t ymatched the desire of the wise doctorto imp art knowledge. Perhaps we canfind a parallel in the inspired relationwhich existed between Socrates and hisfavorite pupil, Plato.

After several years with Dr. Witt,

Jacob, as those sages who had precededhim, went into solitude on the Wissahick-on. Th ere he livedfor an appropriate period, passing the timein study and in thecontemplation of nature. At the end ofhis hermitage, he wasthus well-equipped togo abroad and takehis place among thel ea rned s tuden t s o fEurope.Cu l t u r a l P r o m o t i o n s

It was, then, afterfinishing his long apprenticeship in theSacred Mysteries that he took for asurname the name of his native city.Possibly his decision to leave Americamay have been motivated by the needof Rosicrucians in a colonial countryto maintain closer liaison with theirfellow members in the governing nationof England. This theo ry is supportedby the fact th at Jacob carried letters ofintroduction written b y Dr. W itt to theeminen t British Rosicrucian, Lord Frederick Henry, Duke of Cumberland.

In those days, cultured noblemen considered it a n honor to serve as patrons oflearned men. For some years, Jacoblived on the Dukes pleasant estates,engaged in mechanical experimentsand fu rther perfecting himself in m athematical sciences. No doubt, he alsohelped conduct various Temple ritualsand otherwise participated in the manyactivities of the flourish ing British lodges.

After the Duke had entered transitionin 1758, Jacob decided to make hisknowledge available to the people. Bythat time he was thirty-eight, andtwenty years of constant study lay behind him. English Rosicrucians prob

ably assisted in arranging his first appearances an d in publicizing themamong the learned men of the time.His first series of lectures on the mechanical arts and related subjects provedto be an overnight sensation in thecountry where he had previously been

but an obscure and hu mble sojourner.Jacob Philadelphia left the same im

pac t upon Britain th at his fellow Rosicrucian, Benjamin Franklin, wouldmake upon France, a generation later.For the first time the British intelligentsia began realizing that a kindred

body of intellectualswas developing in thesomew hat despised colonies overseas. Previously, those of theselect London circleshad known little contact wi th educatedA m e r i c a n s b e y o n ddo gm atic New England theologians whooccasionally made thetrip across. And thosewere often opposed toevery one of the liberal, advanced ideas

fermenting incessantly in Europe. Generally speaking, most Englishmen regarded America as a country of scarcely literate barbarians more apt with

plows an d muskets th an with pens andprinting presses.

Now a hu mble scholar of an oppressed race and from a supposedlybackward land was persuad ing themotherwise. For within any adequateperspective of history, Jacob Philade lph ia, the Rosicrucian, must be regardedas the initial ambassador of Americanculture to the nations of Europe.

Indeed, European scholars felt thatthey were listening to a colleague andan equal whenever he addressed them.He threatened nobody as he spoke inhis calm, yet forceful manner, to audiences jamming massive halls to hearhim. W ha t he had to say about scientific progress and its promise for humanity overshadowed, by contrast, the

The author of this article,

well known to readers of the

Rosic ruc ian Digest, is not a

member of AMORC. He pre

sents this biography as a pro

fessional writer and researcher,

basing his findings on intensive

study of public records, upon

interviews, and on traditional

material. His unbiased view

point should prove enlightening

to all our readers. E d i t o r


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1955

frightful writings of American Puritandivines emphasizing e ternal punishmentto the exclusion ofeternal love.

As it was, every intellectual salon,every coffeehouse where the learnedgathered, buzzed with the name of thismodest and enlightened American.Some even compared him, for scholarly

background, with the popu lar Frenchphilosopher, Voltaire, except th at Jacobsthinking was completely tree from thebritt le cynic ism which so often ch aracterized his illustrious contemporary.

English universities begged Jacob torepeat his discourses to their students.In those early centers of learning, onewho followed an ancient body of truthlectured on such subjects as matter, motion, and velocity, demonstrating his

princ iples with various appa ratus andcomplex mathematical equations.

After a triumphal tour, Jacob journeyed to Portugal for a brief visit.Probably he went there to see relativeswho still were secretly practicing Judaism. In fact, this trip lends substanceto the belief that his parents or grand

parents were Portuguese Jews houndedfrom their hom eland by the bigoted andtyrannical Roman Inquisition.

When Jacob returned from dark,Church-dominated Portugal, he foundthat he had become an internationalfigure. Invitations to lecture came fromevery European cou ntry where the holdof priestc raft had been loosened. Wedo not know his exact itinerary duringthis period. But that unfailing ly accurate Rosicrucian chronicler, Sachse,mentions his visiting all of the continents leading cities and centers oflearning, repeating his experiments andlectures, and attracting universal attention among the learned and wealthyclasses.

At forty, a man without a universitydegree had won a reputation for scholarship transcending that earned bymany a noted academician of Europe.It may be said, however, that the rankof Rosicrucian Adept was consideredto be the equivalent of a doctor of

philosophy in eigh teenth-cen tury Europe. Corresp ond ing ly R os ic ruc ianlodges were held in the same esteemas are chapters of Phi Beta Kappa andother societies of the learned in modern-day America.

This was so because the renascenceof the Rosicrucian Order on the continent had paralleled and strengthenedthe torturous struggle of the humanmind to free itself from the dogmaticsuperstitions of priests perpetuating ignorance for profit. Through ages whenall university teachers had to conform

to various wordy sophistries, the ancient and infinitely higher learning ofthe Elder Masters was being transmitted to chosen disciples in necessarilysecret conventicles of the Rosy Cross.When the long fight for emancipationhad finally reached its climax, thinkingmen had turned for guidance to thosenobler doctrines so carefully transm ittedfrom generation to generation, so invulnerable against the fury of those

papal policemen in monks cowlstheJesuits and the Dominicans.

T o u r a in M a n y N a t i o n s

Jacob Philadelphia was, no doubt, inclose contact wim Rosicrucian instructors of humanity in every country. Perhaps in England he had known ThomasPaine whom the Rosicrucian Master,Benjamin Franklin, would later sponsorin America. In France, he was probably welcomed by the Illuminatithatrenowned group of distinguished scholars, inspired by the Rosy Cross, whowere prep aring the minds of the French

people fo r the transition from clerica lism to intellectual freedom and from

feudalism to democracy.But it was to Germany, where the

Mystic Rose had reached its fullestflowering, that Jacob Philadelphia wasdrawn irresistibly. There many o f theleading university professors and enlightened ministers of religion wereRosicrucian initiates. From Germ anyalso had come those first Rosicrucian

pilgrims to Am ericathose includingthe beloved mentor, Dr. Witt, who hadnurtured Jacob in the Sacred Truths.

The German Masters must have beenjust ly proud of th at branc h they hadhelped plant in the Western worldwhen they saw, in Jacob Philadelphia,such a distinguished product of itsteachings. Imm ediately, they arrangedlecture tours for him. His fame spreadthroughout the country. Scholars frommany sections of Germany braved theprim itive tran spor tation of those days


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to hear his discourses and witness hisexperiments.

No Adept had at trac ted so much attention from Germans since the renowned Dr. Faustus, who was a learnedalchemist and not a practitioner ofblack magic as charged by shallow

Roman scribblers. Nor nad any Adeptafter Faustus aroused so much opposition from German priests of the Romansect. These pompous, malicious clericsspread tales among the South Germanpeasants th at Jacob, like Faustus, had

sold his soul to a Devil who alwayscame in quite handily for Rome to destroy some man of hum ane wisdom. Inthis case, the American scholar wasdoubly pilloried not only because hewas a mystic but also because he wasa Jew.

Jacob was vilified in sermons andparochial gossip as an evil Ju de outto ha rm good Christians he whose very

pseudonym of Philadelphia embodied areference to brotherly love. But in tha tdeveloping age of old truths manifesting themselves through new revelations,all of Romes attacks upon the eruditewere beginning to boomerang becausefewer and fewer people were taking anystock in them.

Prejudice stirred up among the ignorant served only to enhance the respect that this eminent Rosicrucian

enjoyed among the enlightened. Certaintraditions indicate that, at the heightof the furor, Jacob was sent as a Legateby the supreme body of German y tothe venerable Mother Lodges of Egyptand India.

By his own testimony, preserved inthe German records, we know that hevisited these hallowed countries of theOrient. We can safely infer that oneof his standing in international Rosicrucian circles would be received directly by the Sovereign Masters of the

East. Perhaps he was inducted by theminto one of the grand lodges of the Magiwhich have functioned almost from thedawn of history in the cities of the

Nile an d of the Ganges.Other evidences raise the question of

whether or not he took to India certaindocuments of the American Order thatwere delivered in our day by the Indian Magi to the late Imperator, H.Spencer Lewis. Fu rthe r investigationwill be required to prove this theory,

0 0 0

THE SACRED GROVE

By Edla W aii lin , M. A., F. R. C.

Libr ar ian, Rosicrucian Research Libra ry

Ag e s ago there existed certain areasknown as Sacred Groves. In remote regionsof the earth where modern civilization has not penetrated, there still may be foundopen spaces in the midst of groves of trees, which mark the spots once devoted to worship. Boundary stones set apart these sacredareas. The Bible tells that Abraham planteda grove in Beersheba, and called there onthe name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

In the midst of the cleared area withinthe grove was planted the sacred Tree ofLife, which was a symbol of the Universe and human experience. In Hindu thought,the Tree of Life grew upside down, for the Upanishad states that There is that ancienttree, whose roots grow upward and whosebranches grow downwardthat indeed iscalled the Bright, that is called Brahman, that alone is called the Immortal. All worlds are contained in it, and no one goesbeyond.

The ancient symbol of the Tree of Lifecan be traced back to the very earliest schools of the Mysteries. Each school hadits own kind of tree. Thus in the Eleusinian rite the oak was dedicated to Demeter and

to Zeus. Among the Druids, also, the oakwas venerated, but the Norse Y ggdrasil wasan ash. The Hindus regard the sandal treeas sacred, whereas the Buddhist veneratesthe Bo tree under which his great teacherwas meditating when illumination descendedupon him. To the Rosicrucian the Tree ofLife is a rose tree, and as one of the groupeach member represents an unfolding bud.

Folk literature is full of superstition involving animism and tree worship, all ofwhich has had its origin in various interpretations of the symbolism of the Sacred Grove and the Tree of Life.


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which seems plausible since there appears to be no record of an y otherAmerican Rosicrucian visiting the Orient during this period.

Un fortuna tely m any details of Jacobslater years are still lacking. We know,from Sachses correspondence with German scholars, that he continued to

make his home in Germany and todeliver lectures till the infirmities ofage forbade further public appearances.One unproved account says tha t he m arried, and another that he renouncedJudaism. Th e first seems probable; thesecond, unlikely. Fo r devotion to the

principles of the Rosy Cross does notentail abandonment of ones traditionalfaith but rather results in giving itdeeper meaning.

In 1778, the only known picture ofJacob Philadelphia, first native American Adept, was painted by a local ar

tist in Niirnberg. At the time, Jacobwas lecturing in that old German city.The portrait, later identified by a duplicate in the Germanic Nationa l M useum at Niirnberg, shows a man of

benign countenance, ra th er past middleage and clothed in garb of the latter

part of th e 18th ce ntu ry . The headis crowned with a professional wigsuch as was then assumed by the learnedclasses. A border surro und ing the picture incorrectly gives the birth date ofthe subject as 1735. Th e mistake wascorrected by Sachse when he wrote ofthis illustrious Rosicrucian for the annual publication of the American Jewish Historical Society (Volume XVI,1907).

V A

Jacobs final lectures were probablydelivered in Switzerland in 1781. Twoyears later, he rendered a meritoriousservice to his native cou ntry (the newly

bo rn American republ ic) by he lping influence Frederick the Great of Prussiato open trade relations with it.

Our last authentic accounts place him

at Schulpforte, Saxonys celebrated center of learning in 1794-95. More unsubstantiated information says that hevisited Kehl on the Rhine during 1797An additional report, never verifiedclaims that he left the mortal spherewhile vacationing in the Alps near the

beginn ing of the 19th century.

A L o st N am e

There is a possibility that since theexact year and manner of his transitionis not known that Jacob Philadelphias

burial cou ld have been recorded under

his birth name, which no amount of research has as yet disclosed.But those of us who recognize him

as a M aster revere him. W e knowthat in America he exemplified the finetradition of scholarship and intellectualalertness which have always been thehallmark of Rosicrucian circles. In Germany, he helped create that liberalspiritual climate which would be sym

bolized by Goethe and Schiller, byLessing and Heine.

And if epitaph be needed for Jacob,let it be what Sachse wrote of himthat this kindly, unassuming Americanraised himself by his own efforts andaccomplishments to the foremost rankin the scientific circles of Europe . . .

V

ROSICRUCIAN RALLY IN TUCSON, ARIZONA

The fourth annual State-wide Rosicrucian Rally will be held at Tucson, Arizona, on

March 5, 1955, at the Lighthouse on the Desert, starting at 8:00 a.m. and closing

at 6:00 p.m. A cordial invitation to this rally is extended by the Phoenix and the

Tucson Chapters to all Rosicrucians in Arizona and to members visiting the state atthat time. The program will consist of a Temp le Convocation, lectures, demonstrations,

movies, a musical program, and a bazaar. The Grand Secretary, Frater Harvey Miles,

will represent the Grand Lodge at the Rally.

For additional information, members will please write to Mr. Thomas J. Croaff, Jr.,

State Rally Chairman, 208 West Jefferson Street, Phoenix , Arizona. The telephone

number is AL-43079.


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GullibilityBy R o d m a n R . C l a y s o n , Grand Master

And this our life, exem pt from public haun t, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything. S h a k e s p e a r e

cal and useful. W e do mean, however,that to get your attention as a prospective buyer, a sensational means of presentation is sometimes resorted to. Onceyour attention has been attracted, youshould then reason it out for yourselfas to just how much weight you canplace in the claims of the advertiser.

The same logical reasoning shouldapply to the gossip you hear. All gossip is sensational^designed to placesomeone in a bad light. Always compare the possible with the improbable.

It is quite common to be theatrical ordramatic in endeavoring to gain attention, but it is entirely up to you to reactintelligently.

If you doubt that much of the population of the world is inclined towardthe ridiculous and impossible, not tomention the fantastic, you need go onlyto the magazine stands and note thehuge number of magazines and pocket-sized books with their gaudy coversdesigned to attrac t you. Consider theso-called comic books for children,

which are under much discussion inthis country. Some of the questionablecomic books are extremely sensational.Our magazines and newspapers includeextremely sensational articles to attractgreater sales.

W hy should the t rial of a doctor whohas been indicted for murder be of national interest and given lead newsspace on the front page of nearly alldaily newspapers in the country? Thetrial may be sensational in a way, butthe news coverage of it is oftentimes

h e old saying that seeingis believing or all isnot what it seems or donot believe all you see orhear admonishes us tothink before we speak,and think before we believe. This does not meanthat we should be doubt

ing Thomases, as in the story of theman who seemed to doubt everything,but ra th er we should have inquiringand discerning minds.

By nature we are inclined to jumpto conclusions and accept the fantasticor the sensational. W e tend to be gullible. If you look around you will perceive that much that motivates people,and causes them to do what they do, isthe result of some fantastic tale, rumor,or gossip they have heard. The variouskinds of propaganda and the advertising to which we are subjected today areextremely sensational. Millions of barsof soap are sold because the advertiserssuggest that through its use a middle-

aged face can be restored to youthfulappearance. Do the users of the soapreally believe that they are going toexperience such a change as suggestedin the advertisement?

Think of the thousands of methodsadvertised suggesting how overweight

people m ay easily and comfortably reduce. The sensational claims of theadvertiser far outweigh the logical reasoning of the person concerned. We donot mean to say that all products andmethods widely advertised are not ethi-


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February

1955

dramatized out of proportion. If youdoubt that the majority of people areattracted to that which is sensational,you need only think back to the incidents of the McCarthy investigationcommittee of a year ago, in Washington, D.C., and more recently of themany days of deliberation by the Sen

ate in determining whether, as a body,it should censure the Senator.

i n t e r e st s a n d D e ci si o n s

You do not do what you do becauseof ignorance, but as the result of yourown thinking. One idea succeeds an other. This can lead to creative thoughtin the fields of science, music, and thearts. It can lead to additional personalinterests. In your personal interests,however, beware of that which is fantastic.

Never before in the history of the

world have we received so much development, research, and creation of thingsfor ease and comfort. Never beforehave there been such strides in thefields of medicine, therapeutic practices,and atomic energy. The various branches of science and psychology are farahead of the development of personalthought. How do we bring about personal development, p a rti c u la rly inthought, and separate fact from fancy?By creating the time to be better read,by being interested in m an y things, byachieving a speaking acquaintance w iththe facts and developments of our timeand how they may apply to us personally as well as to the world in general, by thinking for ourselves and making our own deductions and conclusionsfrom what we see, read, and hear.

The world turns on its axis and movesahead because of thought. W hat weenjoy or fear is the result of thought.In everyday life we have to make personal decisions. W e may wan t to buya new dress or suit, but are we financially in a position to do so? Or, shouldI buy a home this year or wait until

next year when I will have additionalfunds which will enable me not onlyto buy a new home, but to place newfurnitu re in it? Our greatest happinesswill come as the result of proper reasoning within our own mind.

If we would be successful in life, wecanno t be cynical or indifferent. Wemust analyze, be fair, and acquire all

the facts possible in making a decisionof any kind. We must be sure that iis logical and that we do not magnifythe circumstances out of proportion.

We must keep in mind that as individuals we all are different. We noonly think differently, but we see differently. Every court of law has had

before it m an y times for testim ony several witnesses who had seen the sameaccident or incident; and yet the testimony of the various witnesses oftentimes will differ tremendously.

We must depend a great dc uponthe development of science I thefacts it has brought forth for Nom any of us clearly understan< ow avoice is carr ied hundreds c milethrough the air from a radio t smitter to the receiver in our hoi andstill fewer understand how without connecting wires a picture with sound is

transmitted through the air from a television transmitting station to the television receiver in our home. Th at suchis a fact we all acknowledge, eventhough we may not understand howit is done. Science, however, has madethe method possible in accordance withthe use of known physical lawsThrough a little study and the readingof authen tic texts or books, we can learnhow such things are scientifically produced.

Be l l e / s a n d Ou t l o o k s

If we would not be limited in ouroutlook, we must enter into the worldof knowledge and learn known factsabout the world and the universe. Wemust expand our horizons and not shutourselves off from new ideas, eventhough they may seem to be radical depa rtures or even sensational. Think othose days almost 500 years ago whenthe majority of thinking people, believing that the world was flat, were beingexposed to the idea, through the voyageof Columbus, that the world was roundThink of the earliest of our human kind

whose knowledge of warmth and heawas only from the open fire! It neveoccurred to them that heat and firecould be acquired in other ways, nodid they know that with the passingof time and the development of scientific thought, wheels would be inventedfor transportation on land, or that menwould learn to fly through the air, o


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that glasses would be developed forcorrecting faulty vision. These andthousands of other developments cameabout as the result of intelligent thought,logical reasoning, and sound analyzing.The developments were sensational in

their time, but they were not fantastic.There is quite a difference in the meaning of these two words.

Many years ago a writer struck thepopular fancy of his readers by sta tingthat there was a huge pyramid, somewhat like that of the ancient Egyptians,situated on the slopes of the AndesMountains in Peru. W hether or notthere is a pyramid in the Andes Mountains has never been scientifically determined to the best of my knowledge.Perhaps there is no pyramid. Perhaps

there is one submerged in the jungle,but the contention th at a pyramid exists there is not supported by knownfacts; and yet many people continue tospeak of the Peruvian Pyramid as if itsexistence were widely known.

Then we have the current belief inflying saucers. Here we have, in someinstances, a matter of seeing is believing and, in others, believing allthat we hear and read, particularlywhen it is sensationally presented inlectures, articles, and books. Who will

deny that the idea of flying saucers issensational, although some may denytha t the idea is fantastic? W heth er ornot one believes in the saucers is a personal matter. Each person should logically think for himself, ascertain whatfacts are known, and look for the conclusions of our scientists.

Then there is the widespread beliefthat there is no cure for cancer, a disease that is one of the greatest scourgesof mankind. Yet a well-read person whohas kept up with the times knows thatwhile the cause of cancer is questionable, the majority of cancer cases todayare being successfully treated, and fearof certain death from the disease is being greatly reduced by medical science.

The point in illustration is that ourimmediate personal acceptance andvoiced confirmation of any idea, whether true or otherwise, helps to keep theidea prevalent, and that when untrueor unproved it promotes further misconceptions in unthinking minds. Herewe see the relationship of the individualto the community and the world at

large. A personal concept or problemcan lend itself to a neighborhood orworld problem, as is evidenced by somany people believing that throughm ans own foolishness he will veryshortly bring about the end of the

world.If we jump to conclusions and accept hearsay, our minds may becomeimbued witn fear and the belief thatthe world and all of its people are going to be destro}red by hydrogen bombs.History reveals the fact that fear is thedestroyer of men. Actually, we havemore to be concerned about from fearthan from what the possible use ofhydrogen bombs migh t do. M any timesin the past, with fear in their hearts,people thoug ht th at the coming of a

comet, the eclipse of the sun, or theadvent of some other natural phenomenon meant that the end of the worldwas near. Such ideas do not lead towholesome thinking; they do not contribute to ones well-being or to hishappiness. In our unhappiness, we helpto make other people unhappy.

Fear can be replaced by accuratereasoning. Be careful of hea rsay ; becareful of vicious rumors; do not lendyour support to any unfounded or illogical idea. Un fortu na tely we accept

many thoughts, ideas, and concepts because they seem to be in accord withour own pet prejudices. W e are allgu ilty of prejudice. Those who do notlike operatic or symphonic music tendto be prejudiced against those who do.Those wno do not care for modemdance music tend to become prejudicedagainst those who like jive and jazz.

In our general outlook on life, and inour relationship with people, it is proper to have a questioning attitude, aninquiring mind as it were, and at all

times be observant and weigh intelligently and fairly the background offacts. Oftentimes, even when the factsare known, one inadvertently or intentionally distorts them. Do not embellishfacts with you r imagination. Use yourimagination for constructive, creativeideas. W hile you m ay not love everyone, there is no need for you to havea dislike for many people. You can becompassionate and tolerant. If youthink an acquaintance has done yousome wrong, you can give some thoughtto his weaknesses and peculiarities, but


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The

Rosicrucian

Dig est

February

1955

there is no need to bring harm to thisperson by telling other people aboutwhat you think you know.

F a n c i f u l T e n d e n c i e s

It must not be construed that thereis not a positive, good, or constructiveside to sensational writing, speaking,

and advertising. These serve a purposeif they provoke thought and cause youto think for yourself. The negative ornonconstructive phase of these things isin their fanciful or melodramatic presentation. At best, it is entertain ing.

Truth is often stranger than fiction;facts are more important than conjectures. All of us have a slight tendencytoward the sensational. Who is therewho has not enlarged upon truth aboutsimple little things, such as stating thatyou drove 70 miles an hour on the newfreeway, when actually you drove only

60 miles an hour? The latte r was stilla good speed. On a huntin g expeditionyour dog tramped through seven milesof rugged territory with you. The re isno need to say that he tramped tenmiles with you. Seven miles would still

be a good day s work. If you get up 7 oclock in the morning in preparatiofor your days work, there is no neeto tell others that you get up at oclock. Overstatements or enla rgments of the truth are not necessarisinful, but they are not necessary. Othepeople will be just as favorably im

pressed with the actual truth in whaever it is you have to say. In the telvision and radio programs which havbeen cu rrently popular for some yearnow, over and over again the statemenis emphasized that the police are onlin search of the facts in the case.Whewe exaggerate we are leaning towarthe sensational; and this, in turn, igetting away from the facts.

If we will keep these things in mindthink for ourselves and avoid beinentirely credulous and gullible, we winot be led into bypaths of misunde

standing. W ith a thoughtful, inquirinmind, our comprehensive discernmenand perception will bring us an appreciation of well-founded knowledge whicwill contribute much to our wisdom anexperience.

ROSICRUCIAN LONDON OFFICEWe are happy to announce the opening of a Rosicrucian administrative office in

London which will mean many advantages to Rosicrucian members throughout theBritish Isles.

All inquiries from the British Isles for information pertaining to the RosicrucianOrder and its activities may be directed to this office. The office is also open for interviews daily, from 9:00 a.m . to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Appointments areadvisable. The director of the London office is Frater John La Buschagne.

Also, certain membership supplies and accessories will be available through this office.

The address and telephone number are:

ROSICRUCIAN ORDER, AMORC

25 Garrick Street,

London, W. C. 2

Telephone: COVent Garden 0061

CALIFORNIA,Long Beach:

Los Angeles:

MICHIGAN,

Detroit:

AMORC INITIATIONS

Abdiel Lodge, 2455 Atlantic Ave. E ig hth Deg ree, Feb. 18, at9:30 p.m.; N in th Degre e, Mar. 7, at 8:00 p.m.

Hermes Lodge, 148 Gramercy Place. E ig hth Degree , Feb. 19,

at 8:00 p.m.

Thebes Lodge, 616 W. Hancock. Fifth Degree, Feb. 15; Sixth

Degree, Feb. 22both at 8:15 p.m.

(If you are eligible, mark these dates on your calendar.)


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Mak in g D reams Come Tr u e

By D r . H . S p e n c e r L e w i s , F. R. C.(From the Rosicrucia n Digest, June 1932)

Since thousands of readers of the Rosicrucian Digest have not read many of the earlierarticles of our late Imperator, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, we adopted the editorial policy ofpublishing each month one of his outstanding articles, so that ids thoughts would continue to reside within the pages of this publication.

n approaching this subjectof making dreams cometrue, we must realize,that there are two kindsof dreams. I am not surewhich is the more mysteriousnight dreamingor t he so -c a l l e d da ydreams. I do not know

if it has ever been determined thatanimals lower in the scale of evolutionthan m an can have daydreamswhether they can build up in their imagination things that do not exist. However,we know that man can do thisthathe can turn ethereal, dreamy things into concrete form. Now, that is something which is not commonly admitted,and I have no doubt that many readerswill challenge my statement.

You can do yourself no harm by performing a test. If it fails, after two or

three trials, you perhaps will have reason for your doubts, but even two orthree failures would not be sufficientfor saying that there is nothing to the

princip le. If, af ter two or three tests,you find sufficient results tha t you neverhad before, you will have reason to believe there is something to the principle.

We know that man has the ability toimagine. Stop and think a mom entwhat makes it possible for you to closeyour eyes and build up something you

have never seen before. It is not merely a ma tter of recollection. If I said toyou, Close your eyes for a momentand visualize where you were or whatyou were doing Christmas Eve, eachone of you would recall that you hadbeen ou t somewhere, or at home, oraround the Christmas tree. Tha t processwould be the visualizing and recollect

ing of something that had alreadyexisted in concrete form and was registered in your mind.

But if I say, I want you to closeyour eyes and visualize something thatdoes not exist and that you have neverseen, you will ask, What is it? ThenI will say, Close 3'our eyes and visualize an old-fashioned sugar barrel sittingon the pavement and on top of it abronze Dust of George Washington.You would have no trouble in seeingthat, and yet there you are, imagining,

or, as science says, imaging, something tha t never before existed. I couldgo on and say, I want each one of youto close your eyes and visualize a five-room bungalow, in the middle of a lawn,two hundred feet square, with red tiled-roof and with green trimmings aroundthe windows. I could continue on andon, telling you about the curtains, etc.,and build up the whole picture in yourmind.

This is like taking one element from


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some quality and one element from another and making something new. It isa divine process, a divine faculty andpower th at is resident in you and notin the other animal species. Th ey haveno use or understanding for it. Yourimagination is absolutely unlimited.The men who have been conceiving

skyscrapers in New York, trying to outrival each other, imagine one taller andtaller until New York is just spottedwith them. I remember being on thetwentieth floor of the Hotel New Yorker, and looking down. Th at was not sohigh. There are many other floors inthat building, and this was only thetwentieth. As we looked eastward, wecould see the Empire State Buildingwith its mast for dirigibles, and manyother buildings, and each year they aretaller and taller.

The imaging of the architect in

put tin g the component elements together, in letting the buildings rise higherand higher, is unlimited. W hen building bridges, his imagina tion is unlimited.When he comes, however, to draw outon paper the plans for the structuralwork, there are certain structural limitations that have to be abided by. Hehas to shorten the span a little, or mayhave to drop the height a little in orderto come within building restrictions;however, mind has no limitations. The reis nothing to prevent mans mind fromvisualizing the taking of the AtlanticOcean and putting it into the Pacific,and from taking the Pacific Ocean andput tin g it into tne Atlantic.

T h o u g h t s C r e a t e

These things you form in your imagination. You do it co nstantly, althoughyou seldom realize it. If you would dosome thinking, you would recognize thispeculiar character istic of the hu manmind which enables it to create thingstha t have never existed before. Youhave to admit, of course, that you creatementally before you create materially.You know very well that before an ar

tist begins to paint a masterpiece oncanvas, he visualizes it first in his mind ;

The in fact, it is worked out so well that theRosicrucian Process f painting is really a transfer-

ence of the creation from his mind to^ e canvas. The man who is to build

February an apartment house works out a great1955 many of the general schemes of the

structure in his mind before he startsmaking lines on paper. We find thatall the way through nistory.

Take, for instance, the first man,sitting on the bough of a tree on a river

bank, and sleeping 011 some dry grassfor a bed in order that animals wouldnot get him. beginning to think of a

home, what it would be, where it wouldbe, the size of it, and how he would beprotected from the animals . He beganto think of means of safety and picturedit all in his mind before he began tomake wood and grass walls around thehome he was going to make.

All through civilization man has created mentally the things he wants, andhe does not stop. It is not sufficient todo this mental creating, visualizing, the

bu ild ing up of someth ing in yo ur mindthat is perfectly created, and then stop,because that would produce nothing.

Man wrould still be living in the boughsof a tree on the river bank, if that wereas far as he could go. The more wekeep working over the mental picturein our minds to make it a part of us,the more power we attract to it andgradually build it into material existence.

Please do not think I am implyingthat a man can go down

Documents

Rosicrucian Digest, February 1955