Rosicrucian Digest, June 1942

8/12/2019 Rosicrucian Digest, June 1942

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DIGEST


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T H E I N S T I T U T I O N B E H I N D T H I S A N N O U N C E M E


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R E C A P T U R E D S P L E N D O R

These Peruvian Indian maidens, descendants of the once powerful and proud Incas, are bedecked in fineryreminiscent of their forebears. T heir inverted llama w ool hats are brilliant red; the ponchos over their shouldersand their voluminous skirts are of equally intense blues and yellows, colors made from earth dyes of their native soil. O n their fingers and gar ments they w ear lav ish ornaments made of pure silver, depicting the skill oftheir silvers miths another heritage fr om their Inca proge nitors.

(Courtesy of AM O RC Camera Expedition.)


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Have You Had Thes

WHO has not experienced that inexplicable phenomeof sensing an unseen presence? Who has not suddrealized that he has been listening to a conversation w

himself -an eloquent appeal to self from some intangible

telligence? Who has not had that tenseness, that sensation

suppressed excitement, as though some power were seekin

manifest through him? Too long have the restrictions of or

doxy and the ridicule of unenlightened persons kept t

eommon- place occurrences shrouded in secrecy. Mil lions

admit the existence of an intimate persuasive power . .

centuries of superstition have caused them to fear it.Learn what the worlds greatest thinkers, artists, poets

geniuses found by accident . . . that the emotional self

infinite intelligence just beyond the border of your thin

consciousness, is the source of the greatest creative power

the human mind can command. It is the region from w

ideas spring, the fountain- head of imag ination and foret ho

A ccept this F R E E S e ale d B o

Y o u c a nno t be t te r y o ur pl a ce in lif e l>v t h in k in g o nly in te r m s o f

y o u ha v e r ea d or he a r d. O n ly by th e in t e ll ig e nt di r e c t io n o f y o ur

f a c ul t ie s wi l l y o u re c e iv e t ha t ne e d e d v is io n a nd im pe t us t o c a rr

b e y o nd t he pl o d d ing r o utine - e ns l a v e d m a s s es . T he a nc ie nt s ag e

m y s t i c s w e r e N O T d a y - d r e a m i ng i n t h e ir s e c l ud e d s a nc t ua r i e

t e m ple s , b ut ins t e a d t he y w e re inv o k ing t he s e na t ura l ( Jo d -

powers . . . the ir feats w ere not miracles, but the re sults of the

facult ies which you possess.

T he Ro s ie ruc ia ns . a t im e - ho nore d f ra t e rn i t y ( not a re l ig ious o

za t io n) d e v o t e d t o a s t ud y o f t he s e C o s m ic pr inc ipl e s a nd f o rc e

vife you t o s hare t h is k no wl e d g e whic h t he y ha v e pre s e rv e d . W

v o n c a n ga in the utmost fro m every cons cio us ho ur of your l i fe. I

g i f t c o upo n b e l o w unit secure wi t ho ut o b l ig a t io n, t he f a s c in

F R E E , S e a le d B o o k , w h ic h e x p l a in s f ur t h e r .

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Scribe, S. P. C.The Ro sicrucians, AM ORC,So n lo se, Cal i f o rnia.

I cm sincerely interested in kno wing mo re ab o ut this unseen, v i ta l pow hi c h c a n be us e d in a c q ui r in g the fu ll ne s s a nd ha pp in e s s of lif e. Plsend me, witho ut cost , the b oo k, 'TH E MAST ERY OF L IFE ," which me how to receive this information.

NA ME........

A DD RE S S STATE..


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

T H E O F F I C I A L 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 A G A -

Z I N E 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

JUNE, 1942

Recaptured Splendor (Frontispiece)

Thought of the Month: W h a t o f T o m o r ro w ?

Polarity and Its Field of Force: Part II

The Modern Artist as Mystic

Cathedral Contacts: Strength for the Present

The Practical Application of Mysticism

Sacred Cities of the Andes: W here Death Rei

The Evolution of Mind

Man In Our Image

Sanctum Musings: W ill Pow er ....

A Portal of the Past (Illustration)

Subsc ription to the Rosicrucian D igest, Three Dol lars per year. Single

copies twentyf ive cents.

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date of issue.

Statements made in this publ ication are not the off ic ial express ions of

the organization or its off icers unless stated to be off ic ial communications.

Pub l ished M onthl y b y the Supreme Co unc i l o f

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

R O S I C R U C I A N P A RK S A N J O SE , C A L I F O R N I A

ill]


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T H E

THOUGHT OF THE MONTH

WHAT OF TOMORROW?

By T HE I M P E R A T O R

T h e fo l l o w i n g b e g i n s a b r i e f s e r i e s o f a r t i c l e s b y R a l p h M . L e w i s , K . R . C . . o n t h e c h a n g e stoday 's Inter nat ion al involvement w i l l produce in the world i n t h e n e a r f u t u r e . H e w i l lproject an out l ine of the effects current events wi l l have on nat ions and on the minds. I ive3.and customs of the people who l ive in them. In pre sag ing these events , he is using nothingmore myster ious as an a id than a penci l, a wo rld map. the immane nt f acul t ies of observat ion and abstract ion, and a n analys is of w hat he perceives to be the pres ent t rends.Editor .

T he

Rosicrucian

Digest

June

1 9 4 2

H A T wil l come outof the maelstromof the present conf l ict of nat ions?How will you beaffected, as one ofthe teeming mill ions of humans

w ho ar e b e ingconstantly drawncloser as time andspace are beingannihilated?

Let us not resort to traditional sys

tems of prognostication or to long- rangepredictions. W e are not now concernedw ith the w or ld as it may ex ist , pol it ic ally or soc ially, in 2400 A . D., nor evenone century hence. W ha t may evolveor devolve in the next ten years, fromout of todays circumstances, is our

pre se nt interest. Y ou hav e to mak e nopreparations nor begin practicing self-abnegation for the conditions of the

w or ld 500 y ears fr om now . How ev er,the next ten years are contiguous to thelives of most of us. T he point of r adical departure from the world we haveknown to the one it will become, beginsat the peace conference tableat the conclusion of the present war.

A t the outsta rt we hav e one conf identpresumption. T he United Nationsw il lbe victorious. T his should be qualifiedby the statement that they will be asvictorious as any nation can be after a

gruelling and exhausting war. In theoryeach of the conferee nations will be motivated by the same idealism which thenow represent in the prosecution of th

w ar . T he conf er ees, in their deliber ations, will be influenced to move in onof tw o directions. One direction will bto consider the former status of the victory nations, especially the principapowers, a foundation upon which to rebuild the w orld. Patently , this woulmean restoring the pre- war balance oeconomic and political power as nearlas possible to its orig inal strength. Ve rlittle rhetorical sparring will be require

to disclose to all present that this is nothe direction in which the conferenc

w ill move. Some of the nat ions , pre viouinferior or secondary powers, will havbeen equally influential in bringing abouthe United Nations victory. T hey winot now consent to a position of infeior status, at least in the sphere of economic influence. Such nations will dmand that they be evaluated on thbasis of their military contributions animportance in having brought the wato a victorious conclusion.

T he sec ond direction, and the one

w hic h the conf er ence w il l move, w ill bto grant concessions to the former 'isignificant and lesser powers, nopartners in a victory. T his will givthem a degree of equality without seeming to lessen the status of the pre- wbig powers. T his will not be a strok


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of diplomacy for the great powers, forin fact it will be the beginning of theend for some of them, at least insofaras their tremendous sphere of influenceis concerned. T his is apodictical. A nyaddition of influence or power to aprevious lesser nation constitutes a sub

traction from the efficacy of the formermighty nations. T hese concessions willtake the form of a redistribution of thespheres of influence. W h a t w ill be thenature of this allottment? W ho willpartially benefit, at least for the moment, and who will be required to makethe greatest sacrifices?

Russia will be one of the first to raiseher voiceand it will be the loudest.She will have come into a consciousnessof a strength that surprised even her.She will be like a husky youth who,

w hen he firs t enters into compet it iv e

sports, is amazed at his previously unrealized prowess. T his awareness ofher own ability, and formerly doubtednational unity, will give her a confidence that w ill lend emphasis to herdemands. Othe r conferee nations willbe all too aware of their recent dependence upon her. Moreov er, they will beaware of her potentialities, for she willhave displayed, besides an unexpected,colossal, military might, an industrialingenuity and organization which wereunsuspected.

Russias demands will take the formof insistence upon having voice and

vote in any future decisions which willaffect the new balance and order ofthings, which the victorious confereesmay decide upon. She w ill place emphasis upon not tolerating pacts concerning the relations of any of the conferee nations in which she does notparticipate or have knowledge. She willarrogate and receive a slice of EasternRumania and Bulgar ia. T hese portions

w il l constitute the eastern end of theBlack S ea. If s he is accused of seekingspoils, she will consent to a mandateof those territories which will amount

to the same thing. T his w ill assure Russian domination of the Black Sea onthree sides. It is necessary to her for aneasy access to the Dardanelles, important gateway to the Mediterranean,and the Suez waterway to the IndianOcea n. In light of her precarious position in the Black Sea during the war,the victorious conferees will be at a dis

advantage in offering any objection.She will also demand and receive avoice in the future actual internationalcontrol of the Suez Canal.

A furthe r conces sion w hic h she w illrelegate to herself will be a mandate inManchukuo. T his will permit the Soviets to come further south, behind Japan.T his will give protection to Russ ias Siberian port of V ladivostok , and preventpossible future invasion through herSiberian back door by any power. Next,

w ha t she once at te mpte d throug h co nquest, she will now have transmitted toher by agreement. She will demand andreceive the occupation of such territoryas will be equivalent to a corridor south

w ar d throug h the lit tle B al tic States ofEstonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and that partof Germany which now projects intothe Baltic. T his will give her unques

tioned domination of the Baltic Sea.It will also provide an all- year ice-free course to the North Sea and the

A tl an ti c.

By fortifying her position in the Baltic States and in that part of Germany

w hic h juts into the B al tic Sea , she w illput a ring of steel around three sides ofPola nd. She cannot occupy or in any

w ay oppos e the sov ere ig nty of Pol an d,w ho w il l als o be one of the A ll ie s of theUnited Nations, without reflecting uponthe motives by which the conferees

w il l be said to be ac tua te d. T his move,

however, will accomplish the desired effects- and ove r the protests o f P oland.It will make it possible to throttle thefree port of Danzig through whichPoland has access to the sea for her exports and imports to and from distantlands.

Russia will further demand and eventually receive a corridor across thenorthernmost tip of Finland, which ad

joins her K ol a Pe ninsula . T his w il l hav ethe desired effect of pushing the Russian frontier to Norw ay . It will leavebut a comparative strip of territory, the

w idth of Nor w ay at that point, bet we enthe Nor th Sea and her ow n frontier. Itw il l ac co mplis h pr ev enting a w edg e be

ing driven between herSoviet Russia and Norw ay . It w il l be fur the r beneficial to her, in that it will likewise surround Finland on nearly three sides.

Chinas voice, for the first time inmodern history, will carry weight at a


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T he P hilippines w ill g ain a negativesover eignty. T hat is, they w ill concedeUnited States naval and air bases onthe islands amounting to a United Statesprotectorate which even the most extreme Filipino nationals will not protest

for several decades.A s for the U ni te d States of A merica,

she will make no large territorial demands, but insist upon receiving mandates over nearly all of the most strategic is lands in the So uth Pacific islands now occupied by or which weremandated to Japan after W or ld W a r I.England will weakly protest this plan,but will be definitely overruled by allthe other Unite d Nations. T he countries of the Archipelago, principally

A us tr alia and New Zeala nd , w il l s upport the claims of the United States.T his w ill mark the end of Eng lan dsbeing first power in the South Pacific.

Likewise, the then newly organizedFrench Government will concede theUnited States permanent naval and airbases, and extensive fortifications inFrench Guiana and on Martinique,Guadeloupe, and other French possessions adjacent to the approaches of thePanama Ca nal. T here are other strategic points equally near the Canal

w hic h are the terri tory of other power s.However, for the United States to in

sist upon establishing bases upon themmight cause certain Central and SouthA merican natio ns to point a finger ather and cry imperialism. T he UnitedStates, for reasons of trade and harmony in the Western Hemisphere, will

w is h to av oid such an accus at ion w hic hmight disrupt a hard attained, at least,partial, Pan- A merican friendship.

T he position of France, however, willbe different. She will finally agr ee tothe United States demands for basesas a kind of retribution for the acts ofthe V ichy Gove rnment during the war.

T hus United S tates will have accomplished what she has long wanted tosecurean absolute sphere of influencein the Caribbean and in the immediateregion of the Panama Canal.

W h a t w il l be meted out to the losers the conquer ed nat ions? O n the disposition of this matter, the future of the

w or ld w il l ver y much depend. In thelight of Italys striking lack of spirit inher military campaigns, it will be as

sumed to have been a reluctance on thepart of the Italian populace to participate in the w ar. In other words, it willaffirm that the Italian people were notsympathetic to the war, into which theirgov ernment precipitated them. A t least,

this reasoning will have a tendency atthe conference table to mitigate theotherwise harsh discipline several of theconferee nations will be disposed to impose on Italy.

T he boundaries o f Italy proper willremain intact. She will be obliged tosacrifice her A fr ican possessions, and

w il l for fei t her empir e. B r itain w il l demand and establish a protectorate overLibia. T he proximity of Libia to Eg yptand to the Suez Canal and the abilityof a power holding the former to menace the latter will motivate Eng land. It

w il l also mak e the def ens e of E g y ptfrom the west more easily accomplished.T he Italian Eas t A frican empire willcompletely disappear. Ethiopia will assume a self- rulea nd pseudo sovereignty under a British sphere of influencefor Britain will no longer risk the seizureof those headwaters which feed theNile, life- blood of E gy pt.

Italian Somaliland will also become aBritish mandated territory, its proximityto the G ulf of A den and the Red Seacausing Britain to insist upon this dom

ination, which will be approved by thevictorious conferees. Eng land, France,and Russia will require the demobilizingof the military strength of Sicily, thatstepping- stone between Ita ly and theNorth A fr ican coast. T his demobilization will mitigate, according to theseconferees, the possibility of the islandbeing used by Italy in the future as anair base to strike at Gibraltar and toobstruct passage through the Mediterranean. W it h concurrence to this planby the United States, Italy will be keptan ineffectual sea and air power in the

Mediterranean, which, however, willnot affect her commerce in the region.

W h a t of Germa ny , to w ard w hom theprincipal invectives will be directed?T he V ersailles T reaty w ill appear innocuous by comparison to the new protocol which will be drawn concerningthis nation. T he preponderance of proposals will be not to make her futureposition a puerile one, but to completelyabolish her existence as a state. In


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T heRos i c r uc i an

D iges t

June

1 9 4 2

other words, a spirit of attrition towardher w ill prevail. T his attitude will notonly be manifest by several of the victorious conferees, but also by her formerallies. Sever al of these allies will assume an air of contriteness, hoping tominimize their own penalties.

T he first act w ill consist of the restoration of the sovereign and territorialrights of those nations invaded by Germany. T his will include the liberationand independence of Czecho- Slovakia,for example, even with the realizationthat Czecho- Slovakia has a tremendousGerman population who are, as a whole,bound in spirit to their mother country,and whose lands were once part of it.T he same w ill apply to Austria. Germany's African empire, lost to her after

W o r ld W a r I, w il l remain lost to her remaining in the hands of B riti sh an d

other powers. T o allow Germany toremain intact as a sovereign state, asafter W or ld W a r I , and to be policedby armies of occupation, it w ill beargued, will be a repetition of what willbe called "a fatal mistake. T he victorious conferees will expound thatGermany must be immunized to thegerms of aggression.

In the heat of the conference, it willbe made to appear as though only onenation or people was subject to this contagion. Cer tain conferees at the table

w il l propose the absor ption o f par ts ofher territory by themselves. T hey w illattempt to justify this inconsistent policy by an illogical tracing into the past,the origin of their own nations, andshowing that such areas as they wouldacquire are rightfully theirs. It will appear that such an action would be toomuch of a travesty on the whole effortput forth by the United Nations duringthe war, and thus it will be discarded

w ith grea t relucta nce by some of theinfluential powers. Tremendous indemnities will not be exacted from Germany, as occurred after W or ld W a r I .

Such a method, it will be reasoned,unites a people by their common plight

an d mak es the m bit te r and vengef ul.T he following w ill eventually be proposed and acted upon:

Germany will be decentralized. Eachof the states which compose the GermanReich, such as Bavaria, Saxony, andSilesia, will be politically severed, util

izing its own name exclusively as whenit was a separate king dom. Prussia willbe the ex ception. T o the world, Pr ussia will seem to symbolize German militar y might and spirit. It will, therefore,be subject to a division of its territorybetween the other states, such as Ba

va ria and Sax ony. In this manner, itsname and existence will be abolished.Each of these states, then, will haveprovincial governments. In other words,each will be organized as a separateprovince governing itself under the supervision of a United Nations Commission. E ng lan d w ill desire to exercisethe greatest control in this commissionbut this will be renounced.

T o fu rth er decen tra l i z e G erma n y ,these provinces will have border andimmigration restrictions as if each weretruly a sovereign nation. Eac h of these

provinces or former states of Germanyw il l be set up in competition w ith each

other. T hus one province which wasformerly principally agricultural, willlikewise now need to manufacture manyof its own commodities and compete

w ith its former sis ter s, w ho hav e alway smanufactured the same articles. Fur ther, in shipping raw materials and finished products to one another, they will beobliged to levy duty on each otherscommodities. T hese ex port and importrestrictions will constitute a great economic disadvantage to the provinces.

Mills, for example, which formerly secured raw materials from what oncewas a re g ion in the same natio n, w illhave to pay import levies, making it extremely difficult to compete in outsidemarkets.

A ll of thisw ill be said to be done toprevent Germany again rising to a pointof military might and menacing the

w or ld. It w il l, how ev er , also ver y grea tly gladden the avaricious spirit of certain European powers, for it will dissectGermany industrially and commercially,and remove her as a great competitor in

the world trade.England will receive a further concession to fortify and occupy certainzones on the coast of former NorthernGe rmany . Eng land will see in this theneed and opportunity to push CentralEurope further from her shores and toameliorate Russias sphere of influenceon the Baltic.

(T o be continued)


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Po l a r i t y and I t s F i e l d o f Fo r ce

By E r w i n W a t e r m e y e r , F. R . C .

P a r t I I

N T H E a rt ic le oflast months Rosicrucian Digest Is u m m a r i z e d t h efundamental lawsof polarity. It wasstated in that article that any ob

ject in a polar izedcondition is able

to af fect anothero b j e c t , l ik e w i s epolarized, withoutt h e n ec es s i t y o f

an intermediate substance, and that thenature of the manifestation of this effect depends upon the polarity (positiveor negative) of both objects under consider ation. In the same article the fundamental principles governing the behavior of polarized objects were summarized in seven laws . It will be of advantage to the student of this article toreview these seven laws before commencing to read the present discussion.

T he fact that appare ntly no materialsubstance is necessary through whichan electric or magnetic force may acthas been a great puzzle to mundane science. Fo r many y ears science postulated the existence of a hypotheticalsubstance, called the ether, which

was as sumed to be the carrier of theelectric and mag netic forces. J ust as inthe case of sound it is the air or anyother elastic substance which is carry

ing the sound waves, so it was assumedthat it was the ether' which served asthe carrier of the electric and magnetic

wav es. B ut w he n mundan e science investigated the properties which such an ether w ould have to possess if it actually existed, it was found that in suchan event this ether wo uld by necessity be required to possess a number ofcontradictory properties. Fo r instance

it would have to be infinitely rigid andinfinitely e lastic at the same time. Inaddition to such mutually exclusiveproperties all material experiments designed to detect the presence of thisether have completely failed. Forreasons such as these mundane sciencehas abandoned the postulation of theexistence of an ether and has substituted in its place the postulate that anyfree, empty space itself is the carrier ofelectric and mag netic forces. B ut thisnew postulate introduced an entirelynew mental picture of the objective conception of s pace. Here tofore men hadbeen taught to conceive of an emptyspace as being an entirely negative condition. Space w as the condition in theobjective world which you obtained

w he n ev er y piece of matter and substance was re moved from it. Space hadbeen defined as being the absence ofmatter. T hus its ex istence had beenvisualized as being entirely negative.Now, suddenly, space was no longera negative condition. It w as suddenly


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assumed to possess a positive property;namely, it served as the carrier of electric and magnetic forces. Science g ra dually began to realize that the negativeconception of space, previously adopted, was due to the limitations of mansobjective senses. O ur objective sensescan perceive only two properties ofspace: ex tension and separation. A nyother property of space our objectivesenses are not capable of perceiving. Inother words mundane science tacitlybegan to admit that there exist certainphenomena in nature which are not material and which cannot be perceived bythe objective senses. It dimly beg an tosense that there exist other phenomenaoutside the domain of time and space,of which the material events are justreflections.

It is the reflections of the laws ofnature upon the material plane of timeand of space which are the domain ofinves tigation of material science. T hequestion which science asks of nature isthe question, H ow ? ", and not the question, W h y ? . For instance, science isonly interested in discovering what electricity does." It is not interested, except in a minor way, in discovering whatelectricity is ." Science desires to discover the precise relationships betweenphenomena which can be observed intime and space. Once such relation

ships have been accurately determinedand their results have been systematizedthe scientific investigation of a particular phenomenon has ended.

T he progress and a dvance of scienceuntil the beginning of the present century was greatly influenced by the success of the science of mechanics. Itattempted to explain all physical eventsin terms of mechanical pushes and pullsbetween objects and substances. In factsuch material and mechanical pushesand pulls were the only types of forces

w it h w hic h the objectiv e mind of manw as fam iliar . A ny other ty pe of for ce,such as the force of gravitation or theforces of electricity and magnetism,either provided an inscrutable mystery

X A e to man, or ma n at te mpted to devisesome artifice by means of which he

. w ould be able to use his mechanicalD i g est concepts of pushes an d pulls. Fr om thisJune attitude of mind arose the mechanistic1 9 4 2 picture of the univers e, w hich has domi

nated human consciousness for so mancenturies.

Perhaps the greatest progress in scientific thought of our time has been threalization that a mechanical model othe universe is insufficient to accounfor observable phenomena, and thathere exist forces in nature which arbeyond the objective conceptions otime and space. It is being g ra duallrealized that the origin of many forcethe effects of which we observe in nature might possibly be of an immaterinature, beyond the limitations of thstraight- jacket o f our objective sensebeing situated beyond and at the samtime w ithin space and time. A bando ning the concept of a material etheand substituting in its place the concepthat an immaterial empty space serveas the carrier of electric and magnetforces is a striking example of sucevolution of scientific thought.

Returning now to the discussiocommenced in the previous article, wrealize that a field of force is an immaterial condition, which is able to prduce certain manifestations in the mterial world which can be interpreted terms of mechanical forces. A polarizeobject, polarized by material methodssuch as friction in the case of electrstaticsis able to serve as the originatof this immaterial condition.

W e mus t keep in mi nd tha t we havthe analogous s ituation in our Rosicrcian ex periments. B y certain exercisand definite procedures we are creatincertain polarized conditions within ouselves. T hese polarized conditions aable to create an immaterial field force or an aura which, pervadiall space, is able to affect others, similaly polarized. T here are two processof polarization which we use in our eperiments, namely the process necesary to t r a ns m it certain immaterstructures and also the process of pola

ization required to perceive the exience of such immaterial structures. both processes are examined very closly it will be found that they are relate

A deta ile d discussion of this matthowever, cannot be the subject ofpublic article.

T he laws of polarity, illustrated means of the special case of electrici

w hic h wer e enumer at ed in the previo


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article in the Rosicrucian Digest, applied to polarized objects in a state ofrest. A n electrically polarized object,at rest, was able to exert a force uponanother electrically polarized object,

w hic h w as lik ew ise at rest .

T he question arises whether the nature of this force changes in any manner if the polarized object is suddenlymade to move. Na tura lly , if an electrically charged object is suddenly set intomotion, then the electric field (aura)

w hic h it creates moves alo ng w ith it.But there is one additional effect produced which is of importance, and

w hic h cas ts li g ht upon cert ain principlesin our Rosicr ucian studies. In order todiscuss these new, additional laws weshall next discuss the Laws of Electro

dynamics.T he f undamental ex periment in Ele c

trodynamics is Oersteds experiment.T he scientist Oers ted, in the year 1819,discovered that whenever an electriccurrent was allowed to flow through a

wire, the n such a cur rent w as able toaffect a magnetic compass needle placednearby. T his ex periment may be readily performed by connecting a n ordinarydry- cell, an electric switch, and a wireinto a closed series circuit. If a compass needle is placed above or belowthe wire and the switch is suddenlyclosed so that an electric current canflow, then the compass needle will beforced to move. T he importance of thissimple experiment cannot be overestimated, if we analyz e it carefully. A nelectric current through a wire consistsof moving electrical charges. Ea ch individual charge is surrounded by anelectric field (aur a). Hence, surr ounding the wire which carries a current, islocated a changing electric field, anaura in motion, so to speak. T his moving electric field is able to produce an

effect upon a magnet placed within thereg ion of its action. B ut a magnetic object can onl y be af fe cte d by other magnetized objects. A non- magnetized ob

ject has no eff ect upon a ma g net. Henceit follows from Oersteds Experimentthat an electrically polarized object,

w hic h has been set int o motio n producesan entirely new type of field: a magnetic field. In other wo rds, whe n anaura is set into motion then it creates anew aura, of a higher order. In this

particular case, a moving electric fieldproduces a magnetic field, which is atrest.

Oer steds ex pe r im e nt demonstratesthat the phenomena of electricity andmagnetism are interlinked and related.It shows that Magnetism is caused bymoving electrical charges . T o us, asRosicrucian students, it points out thatthe aura created by a stationary polarized object differs from the aura created by a ' mov ing polarized object,and that it is possible to create newtypes of auras by changing the state ofexisting auras.

There also exists a converse of Oerste ds ex periment. T his ex periment wasfirst performed by the scientist Faradayand is also known as Faradays Law of

Electromag netic Curre nt induction. T hisex periment is as follows: If a mag net israpidly moved across a conductor sothat its magnetic field cuts the conductor then an electrical current w ill beproduced within the conductor. Inasmuch as an electrical current consists ofmoving electrical charges this law asserts that a moving magnetic field isable to create a moving electric field.

A g ain w e note that the chang e in thecondition of one type of field creates anew, different type of field. T hus thetwo laws of electromagnetism are as

follows:(1) A moving electric field is able to

create a stationary magnetic field.

(2) A moving mag netic field is able

to create a moving electric field.W e not e that thes e tw o law s ar e not

quite symmetrical. In the first law thefield which is created is stationary (atres t). In the second law the new field

w hich is cr eated is in motion. T his as-symmetry is an indication that the magnetic field is of higher order than theelectric field.

There is, however, a third law ofelectromagnetism which we must discuss in order to make our discussion ofthe laws of polarity complete. Ourprevious two laws have dealt with electric currents. T he simplest type of anelectric current is a direct current,also abbreviated by the symbols D .C .In such a current the electrical chargesare flowing in a steady stream at an absolutely uniform speed. T hey neitherslow up nor speed up, but flow along at


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the same rate. It is such a steady electric current which produces the steadymagnetic field.

However, if an electric charge is suddenly accelerated, that is, when it issuddenly speeded up or slowed down,then another effect takes place. A ny

accelerated polarized object produces aw av e. A w av e is a r hy thmic disturbance, travelling out into space with adefinite velocity or speed. On e mig htvisualize this condition by assumingthat when a moving polarized object issuddenly stopped, then the moving aurais thrown off" by the object and onaccount of its inertia continues to moveout into space. In a similar ma nner ifa moving polarized object is suddenlyspeeded up then its field is momentarily lef t behind. In both events the fields(electric and magnetic) of the moving

polarized object are suddenly detachedfrom the polarized object itself andtravel out into the surrounding space,thus being able to produce a manifestation. T he wave produced by an accelerated electric charge is of a dualnature. It consists of a wav e of electricnature accompanied by a wave of amagnetic nature. Fo r this reason the

w av e gene rated by an accelerated electric charge is also called an electromagnetic wave. Radio waves are common examples of such waves . T he student will recall that in the early lecturesof the T emple Degrees he is provided

w it h a char t w hic h clearly indic ates theproperties of the various waves createdby accelerated electric polarities.

W e thus hav e a thir d la w of ele ctr omagnetism:

(3) W hene v er an electrically polarized object is accelerated, then it creates an electromagnetic wave.

Electromagnetic waves travel throughspace with a definite speed; namely, thevelocity of light, which is approximately 186,000 miles during one second. A llelectromagnetic waves travel with thesame speed, whether they are Radio.

Heat, Light, X- Ray , Gamma, or othertypes of waves. A ll these waves obeythe same fundamental laws. These laws

are discussed in detail in the course inPhysical Science at our Rose- CroixUniversity.

T he electrical laws discussed in thisand also in the previous article in theRosicrucian Digest are a summary ofall the fundamental laws of polarized

objects. A ny discussion and researchinto the nature of polarity must commence with these laws as a foundation.

Naturally it is impossible to presentthe various ramifications of the laws ofpolarity within the short space of thisarticle. It is also not ex pected that uponreading these two articles the student

w il l hav e an immediate g ras p of al l thelaws w hich have been discussed. T heacquisition of any law progresses invar ious steps. Firs t the meaning of aparticular law must be memorized andclearly understood. T he following step

is that the law must be visualized so thatit forms a mental picture. Fina lly thelaw must be applied to every possiblecase within the range of the experienceso that its full extent will impress itselfupon the student's consciousness.

T he development of many studentsand their efforts stop at the first step.T hey believe that by memorizing the

w or ds in w hic h a la w is ex press ed issufficient for its complete acquisition.But this is really only the preliminarystep. It simply fixes the law w ithin thestructure of the objective consciousness.T he processes of visualization and extension. which project the law withinthe realm of the psychic consciousnessare even more important. But thesesteps are difficult, and many studentsfeel exhausted even after the preliminar y steps. But it is these later steps

w hic h ar e mos t importa nt . A s has beenpointed out in these articles time andtime again: the laws of the materialuniverse are simply the building blocksand guides for the student to use in aiding his ow n deve lopment. In these articles some of the more important lawsand principles have been selected for

discussion to help and aid the studentw ho has patiently lear ned to open theeyes of his inner sight and to see.

V V V

W e are rich in w or ldly at ta inments and poor in inne r comprehe nsion and self-

discipline. T his k ind of economy makes for moral bankruptcy. V al idiv ar .

[ 172 1


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Th e M oder n A r t i st A s M yst i c By S o r o r E lo is e M y r u p O ls e n

E H A V E come a

long way from thephilosophy of thematerialistic s cient ist of the lat terp a r t o f t h e c e ntury ju s t passed.It is most gratifyin g t o se e t hebreaking down oft h e b a r r i e r s o fdogma, prejudice,an d w or l d l in e ss ,

w hich, in the pas t,have discredited spiritual values. It isalways thrilling to learn that science hasaccepted some Law long recognized inmystical teachings; or that a renownedscientist or philosopher has admittedthe existence of the noumenal worldlying beyond the phenomenal world ofobjective sense re ality . B ut there isanother kind of evidence for mysticaltruth which is too often overlooked:that of artistic expression, which, because it speaks through the emotions,can be a more potent influence than intellectual discourse.

Ouspensky, the eminent writer andoccultist, declares, in his book, Tertium

Organum, that in art we must study occultism, the hidden side of life; that theartist is clairvoyant, seeing what othersdo not; and that he is a magicia n, making others see w hat they do no t see;A rt sees further than we. . . A rt is thebeginning of Vis ion. T oday we findartists openly declaring themselves asmystics and striving for an intuitionalmethod of creation rather than intellectual. A s Picasso told his biogr apher:

W hils t I work, I take no stock of what

I am painting. Ev ery time I begin a picture I feel as though I were throwingmyself into a void. In fact, whenevergreat art has been created in any age ithas been as a result of the artists at-tunement, whether purposeful or accidental, with the source of all Creation.

A s stude nts of my stic is m, w e ar e accustomed to the fact that objectivereality does not constitute ultimateT ruth. Y et when we observe a workof art we often miss its true meaningbecause, like most people, we are looking too earnestly for objective subject-matter. If w e do not find it we are confused, perhaps even displeased. A picture is not good because of a realisticimitation of nature, or a clever or sentimental depiction of some incident fromlife. T hese things have nothing to do

w it h ar t and do no t make it either goodor bad. Neither do they have any thingto do with mysticism; they are objectiverealities gained from the minds storeof ex perience in an objective wor ld. Ifthey are what we really want we canfind them just as well, if not better, in asentimental calendar or humorous magazine cover; it is plainly something more

than this that makes art great.Perhaps we see a picture which has

been termed mys tical. It may depictsome scene or event having to do withmysticism, but it is not mystical, in thetruest sense, unless it also produces inthe observer the mystical experience,howev er noble and thought- provokingits subject- matter may be. Fo r the mystical experience, like the esthetic experience, cannot be given in objective, in-


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tellectual terms, but must be lived andfelt subjectively.

It is said that God put a piece ofclay in His hand and created all that

y ou know . T he ar tist, in his tur n, if hewishes to cr eat e a real ly div ine w or kmust not imitate nature but must usethe elements of nature to create a newelement. Pa ul Ga ug in, ar tist. B ut if

w e are not to look for an imitation ofnature in art, if we do not get truemeaning or mystical or esthetic experience through the ob je c tiv e subject-matter in a picture, to w hat then shall

w e tur n our at te ntion? F ir s t we ca n become more aware of those abstractelements out of which an artist fashionshis paintings: lines, planes and volumes,and textures and colors; apart fromanything that they may represent. T hen

we will become more sensitive to thatstill more abstract element, the something plus in art, which cannot be defined in words but must be felt to beunders tood. Ra lph Pear son, in his bookHow To See Modern Pictures, calls itthe felt- nature." w hich he says is bornof the artists attempt to express theforce underly ing all things the push ofthe sap upward in spring, the heave andgive of muscles, the urge of love to thefusion that means birth of new life, thepull of the love that protects age andinfa ncy . Sheldon Cheney , in his E xpressionism In A r t, uses the terms soulof an object," deeper reality, hiddenvalues, or essence. He ex plains thatwhat the camera sees can be imitated,depicted: the illusion of it given. T heessence can be expressed in other terms.

Here, in these words, is the clue tomuch of the abstraction and distortionin modern art. T he artist is beg inningto feel that the ignoring of realism isactually an aid to the communication ofthe inner t ruth, or essence. It is as ifhe says, If you are to appreciate mypicture at all it will have to be for its

abstract qualities rather than its realism. A nd he creates pictures resembling nothirg we have ever seen before,or in which familiar objects are hardlyrecognizable; bewildered, we ask, W ha tdoes it represent? W ha t is the meaning? O ur mistake is in ex pecting artto speak to the objective mind throughimages, concepts or sentiments. Notthat abstract painting is meaningless;

its meaning is a thing of feeling, not ofthe intellect. A bs tr ac t, or abstraction,is defined as the essence of a thing;essence, in turn, is that in which thetrue character of a thing exists. Becausethis true character is immaterial it canonly be sensed by an inner perception

or emotion.

T ota l abstraction is not usual, however, even in modern painting. Moreoften there is still some suggestion ofthe natural object or event by which theartists creative faculty has been stimulated. A nd here is where we get distortion: that greatest source of all the protests and criticism directed toward modern art. O f course, if we w ant photographic exactness, distortion is abominable; but remembering that outer appearance is not inner truth, distortion isnot important and mat/ even be necessary to a more artistic creation in anabstract sense, or to a more vivid expression of hidden essences. Ho w can

we ex pect to co mpr ehend either tr ue ar tqualities or this mystical thing, the essence, in a picture, if we fret because

we do not see the rea lit ies of the material plane, or because, in the words ofan old friend of the wr iter, T aintplumb.

Once rid of this obsession for ob-jective- re ality we w il l discover sur prising beauty and meaning in even totally

abstract paintings. As a matter of fact,in some cases, the artist seems actuallyto have become clairvoyant, so well dohis creations suggest the visions ofvery early childhood before the facultyof inner sight has been discouraged bymaterialistic standards. T he distinguishing thing about these perceptions intothe noumenal, or immaterial world, isthat they are so far removed from anything seen on the material plane that itis impossible to describe them; it is thusa double thrill to discover in an abstractpainting some quality, not of the color

ing or the form but of something moresubtle and quite inexpressible, whichis strongly reminiscent of these childhood v isions." F or ex ample, Geor giaO Keeffes tw o lovely abstractions ofthe W hit e Iris contain this quality,

w he ther or not the ar tis t so intended(It is of interest to note here that very

y oung childr en, far from being dis ma yed by distortion in art, accept it as a

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STRENGTH FOR THE PRESENT

T h e

Ros ic ruc ian

D iges t

June

1 9 4 2

T IS an acknowledged fact thats t r e n g t h r e s i s t sa n y a t t a c k f r o mt h e o u t s i d e .S t r e n g t h o f t h ep h y s i c a l bo dymakes it possibleto use that bo dy

w hen ne c e s s a r yto avoid or to dir ect o t h e r w i s e aforce that m ig htharm us. Strength

of resistance within the body equallyprotects the organism, as it makes possible the throwing off of the invasionsof disease and poor health. Str eng th ofmind makes it possible to see all thingsin broa d perspective. It enables us to

tY 'certainty and grief with an attitude that

fortifies the individual to literally accept the law of compensation. Stre ngthof character gives us the ability to at alltimes uphold the ideals to which wesubscribe. It makes it possible for us toproceed on a path directed toward anultimate purpose which we have selected without being misdirected or withoutswerving from this selected path because of those incidents which maycome to our attention that hold temporary appeal. Considered as a whole,strength is that attribute of the individual which makes it possible for the in

dividual to be a bulwark against all thatw ould br ing him phy sical har m or inany w ay cause him to lose his ideals.

It is true that we all cannot shareequally in strength of body, mind andcharacter, and it is also true that regardless of the development of strengthin each of these categories, from time to


19/44

time there will be tests, trials, temptations and indispositions that will constitute a real test of our strength. However, anything which is built or provided for the purpose of upholding something else must be subject to test. T hesteel girders which carry a bridge across

the stream, the important parts of anautomobile or an airplane have work todo, and should their strength not beequal to the support which they mustprovide, the whole mechanism or construction would fail to serve its purposeor its usefulness. T here for e, each itemmust be tested; it must be tested by being put under considerably more strainand stress than it will have to bear inthe ordinary fulfillment of its purpose.Steel girders are frequently subjectedto many times the weight they will haveto carry in order that it will be absolute

ly assured that what is essential forthem to do can be done easily . T hereis no exception to the strength of mindand character in the human being. W eare placed in the universe to fulfill apurpose, a purpose which requires thefull use of all our abilities. It requiresall the strength that can possibly berallied to be able to continue throughlife until a point of perfe ction is reached.

A ll str ength that man has also meetsa test a test which is fre quently far

beyond what apparently are the ulti

mate forces with which he must con

tend. In other words, just as the phys ical structure must be tested for strength

w hic h w il l ex ceed the pre ss ure that w ill

be placed upon it, so man in his mental

and character makeup must pass thro ugh

those experiences which will place a

strain upon the strength of these abili

ties which will exceed that with which

he will ordinarily have to cope in the

usual situations of life. Ev er y test adds

to our str ength. It makes it possible for

us to face the next with less fear, less

uncertainty and more assurance of theability of our strength to meet the

demands.

These are times when many points of

mind and character are meeting the full

est demands of our ability to cope

w it h them. W e ar e forced to make per

sonal sacrifices for the ideals to whichw e subscribe. T hese sacri fice s go as faras affecting our very lives and those ofour loved ones. W her ein w ill we findstreng th to meet these tests? Ca n wefind it in the accumulation of wealth, bysurrounding ourselves with the property

w hic h w e hav e, or should we turn topleasure in the form of entertainmentor even to the point of trying to subordinate our difficulties, subordinate thedemands of the present time by dullingthem through the use of drugs? Such

w ould be the path of a w ea k man orw om an. H e w ho is tr uly str ong and hasthe abilities for added stre ngth w ill facethe situations of the present regardlessof w hat that present may be. W eshould take heart in the fact that thosethings which are the most valuable arenot to be found in the material world,

or in possessions and property, but inthe immaterial. Regardless of what maybe the trend of circumstances in our immediate environment and in our personal lives, they will always remain as valuable and as complete as we choose tohav e them. It is in the immateria l that

w e w il l f ind support and assets of w hic hwe ca nno t be depriv ed.

In the contemplation of the philoso

phy of life as evidenced in the great

w ho have liv ed before, w e w il l g ain

strength of mind and character. W e

w il l buil d our ow n understa nding of

lifes principles from which we will not

w av er , beca use the pre sent mome nt w il l

be to us but a segment of the whole of

life. O ur r ealization w ill be that we

also can find in our own mind power the

abilities to face whatever demands are

placed upon us. T he cooperation of

others who will also place ultimate value

upon the intangible things of life will

be found to lend sympathetic support,

and so they can turn to the Cathedral

of the Soul in which all are invited to

participate when faced by those de

cisions that require the greatest of

strength. A copy of the book, "Liber

777, which explains the activities and

purposes of the Cathedral of the Soul,

w il l be p r o v id e d w ithout oblig atio n

upon request.


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T h e Pr act i c a l App l i c a t i on o f M yst i ci sm

ByD r . H. S p e n c e r L e w i s , F. R. C.

(The Mystic Triangle, November, 1926)

Many of the articles written by our late Imperator. Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, are asdeathless as time. T hat is. they are concerned with those laws and principles of life andliving which are eternal, and thus never lose their efficacy or their import, and are ashelpful and as inspiring when read today as they were when they were w ritten five, ten,fifteen, twenty or more years ago, and likewise w ill continue to be as he lpful and asInstructive In the future. For this reason, and for the reason that thousands of readers ofthe "Rosicrucian Digest have not read many of the earlier articles of our late Imperator,

we ar e g oi ng to ad opt the e dit or ia l po lic y of pu bl is hi ng in the "Ro s ic r uc ia n Di g e s t eac hmonth one of his outstanding articles so that his thoughts w ill continue to reside w ithinthe pages of this publication.

It is not uncommon for us to hearthrough our correspondence with those

w ho hav e gone int o the hig her g radesof the work, that we should almost eliminate the word "Mystical from ourliterature, if not from our Ritualisticand lesson papers . T hese persons claimthat while the mystical development

w it hin them has bee n enc our ag ed andstrengthened, the practical side of our

w or k far ov ers hadow s the my s tic al . W econtend, however, that the sole purposeof all our lessons and instructions is todevelop and perfect the mystical qualities, or the consciousness known asmys tical, in each human being. T hroug hthis men and women become attuned tohigher impressions, to a broader understanding and to a more correct interpretation of the emotions and sensa

tions to which they become more and

more sensitive by such development.Naturally we who know, claim that the

mystical side of man, or that which

eventually delights in the Mysticism of

the universe, is the higher side of man

and makes the successful man or woman

a more dominant figure in the world.

[ 1 7 8 ]

the laws and rules.

U R members, andstudents of modern applied Mysticism generally int he n e w w o r l d ,c a n h a r d ly a ppreciate the realv a l u e o f M y s t icism as it is beingt a u g h t b y t he

A M O R C u n t i lt h ey h a v e ma d em a n y p r a c t i c a la p p l i c a t i o n s o f

Not so many years have passed sinceMysticism was little known in this country other than as a form of mystery ormagic dealing with Arcane subjects delighting the intellectual side of manmore than affording him any real helpin the material world. T here are manytoday in all walks of life, and we regret

T h e to say in those stations in life where we

Rosicrucian w ou^ least expect it, w ho still havethe same view in r e g ar d to things

Utgest mystical or that knowledge which weJune claim lies w ithin the field of mystical1 9 4 2 comprehension.


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Religion has always had for its endthe development of the higher side ofman. W he n religion, in any of its extreme forms, tends to develop manscomprehension solely along the lines ofthe spiritual expression in nature, and

ignores the practical matters of life, wefind that it fails in its real purpose; andthe success of the churches of today liesalong the path that demonstrates thetruth of our contention, namely: thatman must be guided and directed sothat his higher development and hisunderstanding of all things divine andmaterial assist him in living a better life,in having health, happiness and success.

One need only leave this new worldof the W e s t a nd go to the older countries of Europe and of the East todiscover what modern Mysticism, and

e spe cia ll y t ha t e x e m pl i f ie d b y t heA M O R C , has done in co ntr ibuting tothe great advancement of the WesternHemisphere. In these older countries,bound by traditions, limited by conventions, lacking in some w ay in the spiritof progressiveness, hampered by legislation, laws, principles and doctrinesunknown to us. Mysticism and Occultism are classified by a great many asdelightful subjects for investigation andsincere study, but not as practical helpsin the daily affa irs of the people. T hismay seem strange to those who know

that in these older countries Occultism,Mysticism and the Rosicrucian movement, to be specific, had their greatestdevelopment and permanent foundation.But it is because of this fact and because of the great reverence they havefor traditions and early foundations thatthe subject of Mysticism, and the Rosicrucian studies especially, have madelittle progress.

Speaking of our work in foreigncountries, one finds in every land andin every city the thought expressed that

A me rica and its people hav e some secr etmethod, some unusual knowledge orpossibly some mysterious key to successand prosperity. W he n one ventures toexplain that in the Rosicrucian teachings, as presented in the new world, theallegorical, veiled and symbolic principles are applied to the practical needsof our daily lives, they are astounded tothink that we can so adjust our dailyaffairs as to meet the principles and

laws contained in the teachings or, whatseems like a more impossible thing, toso adjust, translate and interpret theRosicrucian teachings that they will fitand apply to our very advanced andmaterial interests in this new world.

A t once the inquir er asks : W ha t ,do you even actually use the alchemicalprinciples and transmute metals intogold? T hat w ould seem to be one answer explaining the prosperity of America. A nother asks: D o you mean tosay that you take the Divine Principlescontained in the teachings and applythem in some strange way to your business affairs and in your homes and for

y our heal th and happines s? T his w ouldappear to the tradition- bound mind tobe adventuresome and a daring journeyinto an unknown field.

W h e n it is ex pla ine d to thos e ofIndia, Egypt, and even of Spain, Italyand Germany that a modern Rosicrucian in the new world looks behind allof the allegories, the Metaphysical symbols and the alchemical processes, andsees in them laws and principles that hecan use daily and almost hourly in allthe affairs of his life, at once the question is asked as to how this has beendone and in what manner the Americanmind or the mind of the new worldmakes such interesting and importanttranslations of principles.

T he Oc cult and mystical books mostcommon in the private or secret librariesof the mystical and Rosicrucian movements of Europe are those which werepopular hundreds of years ago and theyare read today from the same viewpointand with the same interpretation as

w hen they w er e offe re d by the aut hor sin their veiled expressions. T here arethousands to be found in every countryof the old world who still believe thatthe oft- repeated reference in the Ros icrucian writings to the transmutation ofbaser metals into the purest gold" refers exclusively to a chemical process tobe performed in a laboratory with crucibles, vials and instruments familiar tothe chemists and alchemists. In devoting themselves to a study and test ofthe formulas thus symbolically presented, and wasting years in an attempt toprove to their own satisfaction thatbaser metals can be transmuted intohigher and purer forms, they pass from


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y outh and v ig or int o ol d ag e w ithouthaving accomplished anything new formank ind or for themselves. It does notseem to dawn upon the minds of mostof them, even unto this day, that theancient writers used the chemical expressions to indicate that through thefire of test and trial and through thepurifying process of time, suffering, devotion and study, the baser elements ofmans nature might be transmuted intopure gold, into a higher expression.T his is w hat the Mys tics of the new

w or ld hav e done and this accounts fortheir great advancement, their success,their prosperity and happiness, whilethose in the old countries still hopedand prayed for the discovery of thegreat Elix ir, the Philosopher s Stone,the secret of transmutation and the sudden revelation of the key of life.

It is no reflection upon their intelligence and there can be no denial of thegreat good that has come to the worldthrough the devotion to the allegoricaland symbolic teachings of the ancientmystics. But centuries have passed,

years hav e mar che d by in rapid pr ogress, and the consciousness of man today and his entire environment, hisnecessities, his vision and his creativepowers have take n him bey ond the pointin the advancement of civilization existing when these ancient writings typifiedthe problems, desires and needs of thepeople.

W he n dise ase w as litt le understood,w he n per fect heal th w as considered anunusual prize, possessed only by thefortunate or starry- blessed, it was na tural for man to think that there must beone specific mineral, one combination ofelements, one drink of life fluid which,if discovered or evolved, might becomethe key to health and a protector fromdisease. T oda y man knows that healthis not a special gift, that it is not a rareattainment, not a mysterious blessing,but a natural birthright, and that disease results from the violation of laws.

T he modern mind in the new wor ldknows that by living properly health

w il l res ult in a natur al w ay and tha tthere is no one remedy, no one specific,no one secret formula which will guarantee health in the face of the violationof natur al laws. Just this change in oneviewpoint is, to a great extent, responsi

ble for the higher understanding of themystical or seemingly mysterious lawsof nature. Ever yw here in Europe andt he Or ie nt the A M O R C of N or t h

A me rica, w ith its re vise d and moder nized presentation of the ancient teachings, is highly praised. T he lectures andlessons of A M O R C have been readand translated in the Forums of mostof the European branches of the Rosicrucian Order and commendation, as

w el l as surpr ise, is univ er sal. Reques tsare received constantly from Europeanpoints for copies of our lectures, and reports are sent showing that when theminds of the people permit them to testthe principles and laws in a modern way

w it ho ut prej udice or bias, ver y unus uaresults have been found by them asthey have been found by our membersin North America.

A no the r comment made mos t fr e

quently and with enthusiastic emphasisis that o f a ll the so- called Rosicrucianliterature issued in the world today(most of which emanates from Americaor through American channels) the

A M O R C Ro sicrucian teac hing s offerthe most practical benefits and containthe only practical experiments and applications of value to men and women

w ho w is h to succee d in li fe and becomeliving examples of their natural birthrights. Members of the A M O R C w hhave gone abroad and who have visitedsome of the foreign Lodges and demon

strated some of the laws and principlein a modern way have appeared to bmiracle workers to the minds of those

w ho hav e nev er ventur ed to appl y theprinciples in this way.

A me rica today represents the mospowerful, successful, advanced civilization in the w orl d. T his is conceded ia political way, and by the Mystics andOccultists it is conceded in the way olight and knowledge. Y et we havthousands millions in this country

w ho believ e that self- appointed teachers and avatars coming here from som

Oriental country may possess that rarknowledge or those secret methods bw hic h heal th and happiness and prosperity may be attained in a few dayor a few hours.

A nd ther e ar e mil lions in the neww or ld to day w ho believe that there cabe found in some popular book, or in


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Sacr ed Ci t ies o f t he Ancles

By T h e I m p e ra to r

The following is the eighth episode of a narration by the Imperator concerning his recentjo ur ne y by ai r . tr a in , an d pac k int o the inte r io r of the A nde s to s tud y an d fi lm the ancie ntcapital, temples, and cultural remains of the once lost Incan Empire.Editor.

WHERE DEATH REIGNS

H E S e p t e m b e rm o r n i n g w a sp l e a s a n t l y c o o l .T h e a i r w a s r efreshing with thatd e l i g h t f u l fr agrance of growingt h i n g s w h i c hmakes one so conscious of the greatmotivating forceo f l i f e i n t he

______ s p r i n g . H e r e inthe A ndes, in the

Southern Hemisphere, the seasons arereversed a condition to which wefound it difficult to adjust ourselves,since but a few weeks before we hadleft Nor th America in mid- summer. A tthis hour we had little time to contemplate upon these things, for we had tohasten to gather our paraphernalia foran extended stay in the hinterlands.

W e wer e to depar t for M a c hu Picc hu.For some enigmatic reason it seemedlike the Mecca of our journey. T he veryutterance of the word stimulated our

imagination and aroused an excitingspirit of adventure.

Conditions there would be much moreT he primitive. T he journey, we knew, would

Rosicrucian ** frau9h with health dangers if onebecame at all negligent in his choice ofdiet and drink. W e had been compelledto submit to inoculations for small pox-

1 9 42 before entering the country , and it had

been advised that we receive as welinoculation for typhoid. T o the latte

we did not ag ree, and it w as not a compulsory requirement. W at e r was a principal menace, as it is in most primitivesections of the world or in those areas

w her e there is a pauc ity of sanitat ionand particularly is this so in the tropicsNo matter ones craving, with thirst aggravated by great heat, it may provedisastrous to drink f rom a stream. T hefact that water is cold, clear, and fast-

flowing is no assurance that it is nocontaminated.Likewise, even in eating establish

ments where a sparkling glass of coldw at er is an ex treme te mptat ion, onemust refrain or possibly contract a serious malady . T he reservoirs adjacent tothe cities and the aqueducts through

w hic h the w ate r is br oug ht to them areoften filthy. T he same precautions tokeep them free of refuse does not exisas in the United States of America, foex ample. T his does not connote thathe authorities are ignorant of the needof healthful water, but rather that the

great masses of the peoples of Peru, forexample, are ignorant of bacteriology

A s w ith mos t primitive or ill ite rate peoples. clear, pleasant, tasteless water isto them an assurance that it is innocuous. Further, it must be realized that othe some seven million people of Peruat least half of them are Indians, descendants of the Incas and the pre-


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Incaic aborigines. Further, the moreone dwells in the tropics or subtropicsadjacent to the jungles, the more one isinclined to malaria and other fevers unless ideal conditions prevail in thatregion. W e w ere to contend w ith such

regions.T he distance in miles fr om Cuzco to

Machu Picchu was about one hundredand twenty- five. T he means of transportation were to require at least eighthours before we finally reached ourdestination. T he major portion of thedistance wo uld be covered by the /erro-carril. T his railroad consists of a narrow gauge track on which, at this time,there was operated a motor bus to

w hic h ther e ha d been at tache d sta nda rdrailroa d iron wheels. O n the top of thisbus, rather precariously perched, was

strapped our equipment, which gave ussome concern.

Cuzco has to its north, as we havedescribed, a range of hills upon thenear summit of which is located the oldfortress of Sacsa huaman. T hese hillsmust be traversed before the floor ofthe plateau is ag ain reached. T o avo idextensive tunneling and a prohibitivegrade there is a series of switchbacks,one paralleling the other, but eachslightly higher. T hus, for nearly anhour this single car travels several milesback and forth, each time attaining aslig htly higher elevation. T he methodis most crude, but where time is not afactor of importance, it does not distractthe passengers.

Finally we are away . A t no time dow e tr av el in ex cess of thir ty miles an

hour. T his is par tly due to the manysharp curves and comparatively shortstraightaways . For many miles acrossthe plateau north and east of Cuzco theimmediate terrain and s ur r o un din gcountry is not unlike our approach tothe sacred city.

Spring planting is underway ; oxenslowly trudge along animals so patient that they seem completely devoidof spirit. T he rustic plow , its shear andbeam both of unfashioned timber, turnup a small furrow. T he Indian bringsthe oxen to a halt, stops and restsagainst their side, gazing after us aslong as we are visible, perhaps an excuse for the temporary stay of hislabors. T he passing of our vehicle is a

daily event, and most certainly couldnot invoke such great interest. Here andthere an obese Indian woman with acolorful, wide- brimmed hat, and w ithvoluminous, coarse llama wool skirt

w ould ex citedly driv e of f the ra ils ahead

of us several llamas. These llamas werebeing herded along the track, for it wasthe only road of any kind in the vicinity.There was a bond of amity betweenthese indigenous Indians and the crewmen of this railroad, for the latter neverremonstrated with the former.

T he trans formation of the terrainwas quit e sudde n. W e ha d been rapidly descending for some time, the gasoline train- car sw ay ing fr om side to sideas it negotiated the turns. T he littlevillages w ith their adobe huts orhovelsand patches of cultivated landhad disappeared. W e now entered aseries of s mall canyon- like gorges, andtraveled pr e ca r ious ly along roaringmountain streams to clatter over narrow trestles. A t times the w alls of thegorge were so close or tortuous as toshut out light except that which penetrated from directly overhead.

A t one point we thr il le d to see suspended from a rocky ledge upon which

we tr av eled, and cr ossing a roa ringstream, one of the original Inca suspension bridges about wide enough for a

man to cross. It was ex tremely dilapidated, and we hoped in disuse. T heInca engineering skill in suspendingthese bridges across gorges and can

y ons at great he ig ht is a matter of ma rvel. Eve n though originally they werequite safe, they would test the courageof an inexperienced traveler. Theyswayed and bobbed up and down witheach step as the traveler walked across,causing a most insecure feeling. Ho wever, without such a means this country,of canyons and gorges, could not havebeen linked into an empire as it was by

the Incas.W e ha d no w emerg ed from the series

of gorges and were making a gradualy et rapid descent. T he chang e in al titude was again noticeable. W ith in aspace of a comparatively short time wehad dropped from 11,500 feet to 6,000feet. T he air was now pressing in uponus. T he sensations were about the sameas that of high altitude difficulty inbreathing. It amused us that we had


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become so accustomed to high altitudethat 6,000 feet was now considered lowand discomforting.

T he transition in veg etation was alsoquite apparent; there was no more thebleakness of the plateau. Instead there

w as a ta ng le of ver dur e palms , gre at

ferns, trees whose leaves were brilliantin coloring, all entwining to form amatrix . Hig h grasses, many with colorful plumes, reached up to block ourvision below the virtual roof formed bythe trees themselves. Here on eitherside was a wall of foliage so dense itseemed that no man could penetrate it.The fragrance was really intoxicating.Ones nostrils were assailed by thepleasing scents.

A s suddenly as it beg an, an ot herchange took place. T he jungle g rowthreceded on either side of the narrowroad- bed upon which we coursed. T oour left, like a gigantic serpent freedfrom the undergrowth, there broke intoa view a wide stream, best described asa s ha ll ow b ut s w i f t l y - f l o w i n g r iv er .

A br uptly fr om its opposite ba nk arosethe steep sides of the foot- hills of oneof the lesser ranges. Its sides fr om the

w ate rs edg e to a great he ig ht wer estepped terraced. T hese ter races consisted of stone walls laid in regularcourses of small rocks in sizes varyingfrom the human fist to the head, andrising to a height of about four feet.T he w idth of the top of each terrace

w as also about four feet.These terraces had been built by the

Incas centuries ago. O n them they hadcultivated their vegetables and herbs.Mile after mile we traveled by theseterraces which were interrupted onlyfor short distances. T he major ity were,insofar as their structure was concerned, as excellent as the day they wereconstructed. Narrow valleys here in the

A ndes compelle d the Incas to uti liz e thesteep sides of the mountains for theirplanting; thus the terraces. A ctuallythroughout the former Inca empire hun

dreds of miles of such stone walls wereerected. T he tas k of building them must

T h e have been tremendous; the patience

Ros i c r u c i a n ^ rl c ?,u ,r e d i ne x h a u s t ib le E venn . though the country may be sa id to beLfigest literally a great quarry , the w ork ofJune gathering these stones must have been1 9 4 2 herculean.

W e wer e ente ri ng a small val ley , anaround us were to w e r ing mountaipeaks. T he ver dure crept up their sidetoward the snow line making them morappealing. T hese great masses of mater were literally crow ding in on us. T htemperature was quite warm for w

wer e ente ring the dow ns tr eam sectioof the mysterious Urubamba Valley.

Hundreds of years ago Inca Pachacutec found it necessary to make important conquests in this reg ion. T hfrontiers of his empire at that time werat Ollantaytampu, which is now undearcheological excavation, and which whad passed but an hour ago. T he incursions of savage tribes of aboriginefrom the near Montanas compelled IncPachacutec to set forth against themT he Montana s are the great fores

w hic h slope fr om the A nde s eastw ardown into the A mazo n region. A t the

highest altitude they constitute thw or ld s gre ates t s ta nd of hardw oo

Further down they merge into densalmost impenetrable jungles in the rgion of the headwaters of the Amazo

T he Montanas were entered only fa short distance by the Incas, and evetoday only a minute portion of them habeen traversed by a white man. In thetropical area, they are infested witsnakes, poisonous insects, w ild animaland tribes of s avag e head- hunters anpigmies. Sometime in the dista nt futuit may be worth the tremendous cost

construct a railroad into them and haul their timber the several hundremiles over the Andes through high alttude passes to the Pacific.

A t this point, also, the w at er wflowing eastward, away from the Pacfic, down to the A maz on basin becau

we had no w crossed the great connental divide.

It was from out of these dismal daforests that the savages emerged to atack viciously the civilization of the Icas, so we are told by Spanish chroiclers. T hese aborigines burnt the

captives. T hey ke pt bits of the burskin as trophies. Furthermore, thmade drumheads out of the hides their slain enemies. T hey had a stranc ult o f d o g - w o r s h i p . T h at w o rtfriend of man was, on the one hanapothesized, and yet, on the other hanparadoxically, they esteemed eating


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flesh as a delicacy as w ell. T hey alsohad a revolting custom of making atrumpet out of a dogs skull. Thesetrumpets were used alike for their ownmusic and to terrify their enemies.

It was against these aborigines that

Inca Pachacutec set forth with an armyof thirty to forty thousand. He succeeded in pushing them back into theMontanas . T hen he established Ma chuPicchu as a great citadel on the edgeof the Montanas which was to compose his new easter n frontier. Mac huPicchu rises in the heart of this regionand commands a narrow canyon of theUr ubamba River . It clings to the sideof a precipitous mountain forming anatural fortress.

W e f ina lly ha d reached the end ofthe narrow gauge line. From here there

was no further means of tr ans por ta tio nexcept ones own feet, or by horse, orburro. T he surroundings wer e spectacular. A ro und us w as the tremendousmass of the mountains, the peaks of

w hic h seemed to scrape the azure blueof the skies. T he Urubamba Riverrushed past, and soon lost itself in agorge.

W e discov er ed that w e w ould hav eto carry our equipment for a mile to

wher e the saddle and pack hors es co uldbe obtained. W e secured the servicesof two Indian boys, and together with

them we carried the heavy cameraequipment, which under the hot sunseemed to increase in weig ht. O n reaching the horses we found that only onepack animal was available. T he othertwo were to carry us. T his left for disposition two small cases which, however, were too much for one boy tocarry. W e engaged the two boys topack them on foot to the summit. T hey

wer e g rat eful for the opportunit y ofearning the two soles each.

T he journey was str aight up. Fromwher e w e stood our tr ai l w as not ev envisible a few feet distant, lost in atangle of brush. Ma chu Picchu thelost citywas up there on top some-

where. Back and forth we zigzag ge d aswe as cended. T he hors es had no di fficulty with the continuous ascent, being used to the altitude. Soon the Ur ubamba V alley River lay l ike a si lverthread f ar below us ye t no sign ofMac hu Picchu. A ll about us was the

most magnificent mountain grandeurpossible the A ndes at their rug ge dbest. T he sun was beg inning to dip behind one of the peaks, and we knewfrom the purple coloring creeping upthe cany on walls, that night w ould come

quickly.A s har p tur n in the tr ail , an d we

found that we were nearly at the summit'and there w as Ma chu Picchu! Itclung, it seemed, to the peak of thismountain. Er ecte d on the near summit,by the Peruvian government, was asmall stone building, maintained by anIndian attendant who lived there in isolation. He prepared coarse but w holesome meals for us and provided armycots and bedding.

A fte r dinne r w e s tood lo ok ing out onthe mystery of it all. T he air was grow

ing cold at this higher altitude. Likesteam, clouds of vapor rose from thetropical vegetation below and slowlysettled down upon the ruins coveringthem like a protective blanket. A boveit all, however, remained just the tip ofHuano Picchu like a sentinel guardinga lost world.

T he f orm of Huano Picchu is likethat of a gigantic, recumbent, prehistoric beast, giving the entire mountainan eerie appearance. T o the Incas it

w as almost anima te d, and the y relatedmany strange tales about it which have

come dow n as legends. T he mists, thesun, the shadows would actually conferupon it many moods that would have aneffect upon the mind. Y ou had that inexplicable feeling that you were constantly being observed. A s y ou lookedupon Huano Picchu, you were compelled to fight the imaginative impression that the animal- like head of theformation of the mountain did not actually move and follow your very footsteps with unseen eyes. It was withsuppressed excitement that we finallyslept that night.

W e wer e up early , anx ious to put ina full day photographing. W e had,however, not reckoned with the mountain mists. T he sun was obscured by adeep fog which penetrated and coveredall. T he river far below could not beseen. J ust a port ion of the centuries- oldcity was visible at a hundred yards. T hesun, so Alonosus, bright Indian lad oftwelve informed us, would not disperse

rn


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prayers (See photograph, January, 1942issue). Leg end relates that the adherents would kneel before this altar justbefore the sun, whom the Incas called

Y nt i,would pass into the west, and theyw ould seek to tie it fa st to the shaf t

w hile the y offered it the ir prayer s.T he vista from here was soul stirring.

From the thirty foot arena we couldlook straight down thousands of feet tothe Urubamba River . A head of us,possibly five miles, w as a north- easternapproach to the canyon between twogreat mountain walls. T o the southeast,about the same distance, we could seethe other small entrance into this valleyfrom one point of vantage . Both entrances we could see in our minds eyeeasily fortified by short rows of stal

w art Inc a war rior s. If the y ha d beenforced back, they could have retreatedto this mountains sheer walls and tothis city of Machu Picchu, the citadeland here stand a siege indefinitely. IncaPachacutec had chosen well a site forhis f ortress. T he river below flowedfrom this point into the great dismalforests and the headwaters of the

A mazon a re gion in w hic h no w hiteman has ever deeply set foot andreturned.

T his altar s haft before us and theothers throughout the empire were also

used for time determining purposes.The Inca year was called Huato. Spanish chroniclers, such as Garcilasso, saythe Incas reckoned the length of thesolar year and period of the solstice bynoting the shadow cast by such specially constructed towers and by takingobservations from them. T his remindedus of the great megolithic structure atStonehenge, England, on the SalisburyPlains with its massive slaughter stonefacing the east used for a similar as

well as ritual is tic purpose. S uch str uctures as these in Peru were called Inti-

huantana. which is equivalent to theplace where the sun was tied up.

T ime after time we climbed to thesummit to this sun altar, and there sat,disinclined to speak, looking out uponthis cathedral of nature. W e w ould feelthe grooves in the stone about the altarformed by the muffled shuffling feet ofthe thousands who had come there inpast centuries when it was a thrivingcity to offer prayers. W e thought of the

priests who performed their liturgiesand offered libations to the Sun Godhimself. Howev er, often as we visitedit, somet hing w as absent; we sensed alack of some kind. I was not quite satisfied. I was like one who sips cool

w at er w hen he has a cr av ing thir st.

One night there came the experiencethat quenched this thirst within. T his

w as no t a prosaic ni g ht not jus t another time for early retirement. T heheavens were clear; for some inexplicable reason the usual night mist wasabsent. A f ul l moon s hone do w n withunbelievable luminosity. Suddenly I decided to go into the ruins. W e set forth.Night- time in this city of old is haz ar dous; darkness obscures the w ay . Loosestones which could be avoided during

the day but not seen at night mightthrow one off a terrace or tumble oneagainst a wall, causing a serious injury.Slowly we wended our way over theterraces and began our approach downone of the stone thoroughfares.

Fantastic patterns of light and shadows lay before us. They were grotesque, exciting. Quietly we passed edifices once occupied by Inca families;courtyards in which children and theirpets tumbled and cried centuries ago.The inky black shadows of the windows and open portals allowed our

imaginations to frame images withinthem.

On we walked in this city of thedead. W e hesitated a moment beforethe great sentry tower and looked up atits truncated top. O ur hearts bounded.Some sort of bond existed between itand ourselves. W e felt as though eyes

w hic h we could not perceiv e were scr utinizing us, as though w e were desecra-tors disturbing the peace of the nightand of the centuries. Certainly duringthe reign of the Incas we would nothave dared to so stealthily invade

Machu Picchu or to walk about unchallenged. Fo r the moment our memory of the past and our consciousnessof the oppressive silence made us feelcontrite, and then the wave of hesitancy disappeared. W e were here forno purpose of ridicule, no derision ofthe Incas and their ways of life, ratherto honor them and further reveal theircontributions to the progress which humanity had made. B y this reas oning a


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burden was lifted from us, and wew al ked fr eely along , the only soun d ourown heavy breathing and our footsteps.

Finally we came to the sacred wayand began our ascent, for the sun altar

w as our destinat ion. W e climbed thetime- worn stone steps that led to it. A s

though it symbolized the inner light ofa people, it was bathed in white, soluminous was the moonlight. Its details,its worn parts, it crevices, and depressions were lost in the uniformity of thelight. W e stood in revential silence andlooked toward the ominous shadowscast by Huano Picchu, neighboringmountain sentinel.

W e w er e but a few day s fro m thefall equinox, a time of great occasion tothe Incas. In the month of M ar ch, centuries ago, when they reaped their maizeor Indian wheat, they celebrated the oc

casion, the harvest, with joy and festivities, as many Oriental peoples celebratethe equinox in March, and as do weRosicrucians. Howev er, the Septemberequinox was also one of the four pr

Documents

Rosicrucian Digest, June 1942