AMORC Degree 11 (94-113).pdf

The Rosicrucian Order

MASTER MONOGRAPH

This monograph always remains the property of the

Supreme Grand Lodge of A. M. O. R. C. It is not

purchased by, but loaned to, the receiving member.

Degree

11

Monograph

94

lo 0 n ? $ vu cv$

Degree

11

Monograph

94

279

•>1.50 * £ 0 IS T E fte8 THROUGHOUT ThC WO* 1 0 ) M i*T tO I* U .*.*.

The matter contained herein is officially issued through the Su­ preme Council of the A. M. O. R. C. under the emblem above, which _{was registered in the United States Patent Office for the purpose of} protecting all the "printed, engraved, typewritten, and photographic copies of officially prescribed and copyrighted monographs, dis­ sertations. scientific postulations, philosophical discourses, academic studies, diagrams, illustrations, and charts" as authorized by the _{Imperator of A. M. O. R. C. (The above emblem and name of the} Order are also registered in countries throughout the world.) All matters herein contained are strictly confidential to the member receiving, and are imparted only as an incident to membership. The ownership of, the legal title, and the right of possession to this _{monograph is and snail remain in the Supreme Grand Lodge of} A. M. O. R. C. and it shall be returned to it upon its request. The contents herein are loaned to be used for the sole and exclusive Information of the receiving member and not otherwise. Any other use or attempted use does, ipso facto, terminate all rights of the member, and is a violation of tne Statutes of this Order._{A. M. O. R. C. is the only organization authorized to use the Reg­} istered name and symbols, and the Imperator has sole right to grant the use of them to other allied organizations or movements.

THE CONCURRENCE

This Week’s Consideration of a Famous Opinion

V V V

*1 In this monograph we have considered many

references occurring down through the ages to the

efficacy of the spoken Word, its traditional relations

to cosmology or the creation of the world. Below we \

quote from the Sepher Yezirah (the Book of Creation)

of the Kabala, which again shows the belief in the relationship of

the divine power to the spoken Word which objectifies it.

The spirit of the living God, praised and glorified be the name of

Him who lives to all eternity. The articulate word of creative power,

the spirit and the word are what we call the holy spirit.

Temple Section

A M O R C

The Rosicrucian Order

ELEVENTH DEGREE

NUMBER NINETY-FOUR

PAGE ONE

Beloved Members, Greetings!

In connection with our study of mantras and vowels and the efficacy of speech and its effect upon the psychic, emotional, and physical nature of man and his environment, it is appropriate that we give thought to the very ancient tradition of the Lost Word.

The doctrine of the Lost Word exists as an arcanum in the lit­ urgies of many of our religions today and in the rites of a number

of secret and philosophical societies which are still extant. Each

has its respective theological or philosophical explanation of this

persistent idea. On the other hand, they are all related to a

fundamental concept rooted deeply in the earliest beliefs of man.

A majority of these explanations of the Lost Word are based

upon the Biblical phrase: "In the beginning was_£he Word, and the

V^ord was with God, and the Wc5rd-^aS__Go?Trri [John lTl) . CosmoTog-

ically, this means that the ^rS~d.LioiT~ fff the u n iverse was accom-

p,l^shad_by a vocative idea— a~thought expres¥e3~~as a word^ IrT this

manner, God ari3 the Word are made syrionymous^ God, or Mind, as

creative reason, is made to manifest only with the issuance of a

W o r d . Consequently, the creative power of God is given force only

when it is spoken. The fCrce of God i"s~made his voice, or an in-

tonatioru It iS'Tiot sufficient, according to this concept, that

God should only exist for the universe and things to come forth from His nature, but it is also necessary that the active cause of His being, the law or decision of His Mi n d , be manifest as an utterance.

THE WORD It is a matter of observation among men that all

THE SYNTHESIS natural things have a law unto themselves. That

is, there is some particular cause upon which

they depend, and such things and laws are myriad. Therefore, it is

the presumption among men that the Word which was first uttered

must have been the synthesis of all cosmic and natural laws. The

Word in this sense did not fashion the elements of the universe out

of other substances. It was not a divine agent or force which

acted upon an indeterminate substance, as, for example, clay, but rather all things from planets to specks of sand were inchoate elements of the W o r d .

The Word is thus conceived as a vibratory, undulating energy

in which the basic essence of all things exist. For analogy, we

may compare it to a single sound which could include all octaves

and pitches simultaneously. Consequently, each individual sound

which the ear might discern would depend for its exist­ ence upon the original cause, the single united sound. As each color is a component part of white light, so all creation is of the composite law embraced by the Word.

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A M O R C

The Rosicrucian Order

ELEVENTH DEGREE

NUMBER NINETY-FOUR

PAGE TWO

Consequently, such a Word is endowed with the importance of being

the key to the universe. He who could know and intone it would

have mastery of all creation.

In line with such reasoning is the connotation that the law of creation or Locfos, once made vocative as the W o r d , never ceased

to exist, never died out or diminished. Upon its continuous trem­

ors or vibratory nature, all things have their causal dependence. Just as the light of an electric lamp is, in effect, dependent upon its constant cause, the flow of electricity to the heated filament within the lamp, so all manifestations are said to owe their exis­ tence to the continuous reverberations of the Word throughout the universe.

The vibratory nature of each thing thus fits into a gigantic

scale or keyboard. Each reality has some relationship to a note or

a combination of them, which is an integral part of the Wo r d . Thus, certain vowels could contain, within their combination, the creative. complete scale of cosmic energy, according to this concept.

THE WORD It is expounded by most of the philosophical and reli-

W AS LOST gious organizations which preserve the tradition of the

Word that at one time man possessed, as a divine and rightful heritage, knowledge of it which gave him a true mastery

of his domain, the Earth. How man became dispossessed of such a

great treasure or lost the Word is a tradition for which different

groups offer various and divergent explanations. Each, likewise,

in its own way, believes man may redeem himself and recover the Lost W o r d , or at least certain efficacious syllables of it.

This, it is generally conceded, can be accomplished through a synthesis of exoteric and esoteric knowledge, namely, through the study of the basic sciences and the worship of God, or communion

with the Absolute. In fact, there are perpetuated today, in rites

and sacred ceremonies, certain syllables or vowels which are said to be of the Lost Word and, when intoned, do produce amazing crea­

tive and beneficial powers and manifestations. Other mystics

declare that the complete Lost Word is ineffable by man, that he would never be able to utter it even if he came to know its con­ tent, but that he can pronounce certain of its syllables from which he may acquire tremendous personal power.

We have said that this belief had its provenance in the early

thought of man. It will contribute to our understanding of this

mystery, which has become a respected doctrine, to review

its history. According to ancient liturgical text, the

Sumerian vocable for word is 'Inim,' pronounced "enem." From this word the Sumerians developed the concept of

Temple Section

A M O R C

The Rosicrucian Order

E L E V E N T H D E G R E E N U M B E R N I N E T Y - F O U R P A G E T H R E E

incantation. To the Sumerians, incantation was the formal words

of the magician or priest. In fact, the Sumerian for incantation

is "inim-inim-ma," which is a duplication of "Inim. To the

Sumerian, Inim or word meant to "utter a decision."

The ancient Semites regarded a formally spoken word contain­ ing the force of a command or a promise as a very definite or

real thing, that is, an entity the same as a substance of some

kind. Therefore, from the words of a deity, priest, or human under

formal circumstances there issued a magical and terrible power. The formally spoken words of the great gods were apotheosized by the Sumerians; that is, they were regarded as a divine entity equivalent to the god.

Because of its conformity to this concept, let us recall our previous Biblical quotation in part, " . . . and the Word was with

God, and the Word was God." Before 2900 B.C., we find the in­

scription, "Enem-Ma-Ni-Zid," Literally translated, "His word is

true.” Likewise, in pre-Sargonic times, about 28 00 B.C., and on a

temple record of Lugalanda is the phrase "Enem-Dug-Dug-Ga-Ni An-Dub," or:

"The word which he spoke shakes the heavens.

The word which beneath causes the earth to tremble."

Here we see the first conception of the dynamic power of the Divine Word expressed nearly 5000 years ago.

A further development of the Sumerians was the identifying of

the Word of the god Enlil with his spirit. The Word of the god was

made as an attribute of his all-embracing nature, moving forth from

him into the chaotic world. For example, another Sumerian liturgy

reads: "The utterance of thy mouth is a beneficent wind, the

breath of life of the lands." Again, by this we are reminded of the Old Testament, for in the Book of Genesis 1:2, we find, "Aryi

;the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Following

this we ~^re told~tKar~~Godr-spo^cgT >T ^ E ~ T h e r e ~ b e ~ H g h t . " To the

Sumerians, the breath of God was a warm flood of light. The in­

fluence of the religions of the Sumerians and Babylonians upon their Hebrew captives is quite apparent in the books of the Old Testament.

The Sumerians and Babylonians invariably regarded w ^ gr as the first principle, the primordial substance from which all things

came. Water to them was not a creative force, but rather the first

element out of which other substances developed or

evolved. Since, therefore, all things came from water, it

was deduced that reason or wisdom dwelt within it. The

word which the Sumerians conferred upon this creative

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A M O R C

The Rosicrucian Order

ELEVENTH DEGREE

NUMBER NINETY-FOUR

PAGE FOUR

Damascius said this word meant "creative reason"— the wisdom which

created all things. In the Book of Genesis we find another paral­

lel^ to _ this. That— is ,_tiiajt vfater was the f irs~€ 'ITuErstance over

which" . . ^ the Spirit o f . God^moved-. ~ ~ r .w T h i s doctrine ~of- water asTihe first substance found its way into an early school of phi­

losophy of ancient Greece. Thales of Miletus apparently borrowed

it from the Babylonians.

Anaximander and Anaximenes apparently influenced by their con­ tact with the Hebrew scholars and their traditions, and so they

resorted to syncretism as well. They declared that the cosmic

substance was itself reasoruvyisdom,. harmony; or N o u s . This, we

see, corresponds to ^heBabylorTian Logos, 'or M u m m u , the creative

reason which is immanent in watejr. Heraclitus, of 500 B .

t~ ,

expounded a doctrine of evolution and relativity, that of all mat­ ter "becoming" through a process of development from fire to air and return, held that the only reality was the law of becoming, a cosmic law— the Wo r d .

WORD R E P LA C E D A transition gradually occurred, in which the

BY LOGOS Word, as a divine utterance, was to be replaced

by the Logos (law). This Logos was the will of

God, expressed as an immutable and active law in the universe. The

ancient Stoics held that the divine principle or first cause was

pneuma, the breath of God which permeated all things. This breath

manifested as a series of creative laws in matter. It became the

physical laws which science knows and studies. In man, this breath

or Logos became a lesser spirit and moved him as a soul.

Philo, a Jewish eclectic philosopher, at the beginning of the Christian era, developed the Logos concept into a most important central doctrine of a philosophy which found its way into the theo-

logocal dogmas of some of our present prominent religions. To

Philo, the Logos was, on the one hand, the Divine Wisdom, the pro­

ducing rational power of the Supreme Being. In other words, the

Logos was the Mind of G o d .

On the other hand, the Logos was not the absolute nature of

God— it was not the substance of the deity. It was rather an at­

tribute of His nature. It was reason coming forth from^im_as^ an

emanation. It was held to be the "uttered reason." Thus, from

EHTs- w e f i n d that again the Logos talcei on the significance of the

Wo r d , namely, the expressed will or "utterance" of God. The Logos

or Word was held by Philo to dwell within the world. God was not

immanent in the world. He transcended it, but the Logos, his W o r d ,

descended into the sentient world as a mediator between God and man.

Temple Section

A M O R C

The Rosicrucian Order

ELEVENTH DEGREE

NUMBER NINETY-FOUR

PAGE FIVE

For a summation of this topic, we may say that most men have believed that a desire or wish has no efficacy unless it is made

vocative. They conceive that a thought in itself is not sufficient

unless it is accompanied by some active agent like the spoken word. Therefore, to the natural cosmic forces, the physical laws of the universe, he attributes a once-uttered Word as their source, which continues to reverberate throughout the universe and which he can no longer, at least in its entirety, apprehend.

In our next monograph we will see how rituals transform words, phrases, sounds, music, and gestures so as to make a whole symbolic

act. In fact, we will have a ritual for you to perform so as to

illustrate these principles.

Fraternally,

The Weekly Application

Whatsoever thou reaoluest to do, do it quickly. Defer not till the evening what the morning may accomplish.—UNTO THEE I GRANT

Still on the subject of words as symbols, the super word of all times seems to

be the Lost Word, or the Creative Word that went forth at the beginning. Since

words are symbols, then we can safely say that the Lost Word is also the super

symbol of all times. Right off, then, we can stop trying to read any magical

power into the symbol itself, but rather search for its form and meaning.

Perhaps if we use the word

as our word and symbol, rather than just

saying

it will be easier to find form and meaning. Since there never

has been a beginning either, we can dispense with that as a starting point.

Creation

is a vibrating-inass of some form of primary element, the prim a

m ateria of the alchemists. It is imbued with mjraLand force that m a b of it

cSfisciousTvital entity. Its meaning is in its prime directive,

Thi« aimplp

'statement

give you much food for thought as you contemplate /

Summary of This Monograph

V V V

Below is a summary of the important principles of this monograph. It contains the

essential statements which you should not forget. After you have carefully read the

complete monograph, try to recall as many as you can of the important points you read.

Then read this summary and see if you have forgotten any. Also refer to this summary

during the ensuing week to refresh your memory.

5{ A majority of the explanations of the Lost Word are based on the Biblical

phrase, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and

the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

U Cosmologically the above Biblical phrase means that the creation of the

universe was accomplished by a vocative idea, a thought expressed as a

Word.

5J Tradition held that the law of creation, or Logos, once made vocative as the

Word, never ceased to exist, never died out or diminished.

51 Tradition contends that at one time man possessed as a divine heritage

knowledge of the full power of the Lost Word.

5| The ancient Sumerians identified the Word of the god Enlil with his spirit.

The ancient Stoics held that the divine principle and first cause waspneuma,

the breath of God which permeated all things.

I

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m

O o o

ir

The Rosicrucian Order

MASTER MONOGRAPH

This monograph always remains the property of the

Supreme Grand Lodge of A. M. O. R. C. It is not

purchased by, but loaned to, the receiving member.

Degree

11

Monograph

95

C>

Degree

11

Monograph

95

279

P«it»TCO (N U.S.*.

The matter contained herein is officially issued through the Su­ preme Council of the A. M. O. R. C. under the emblem above, which was registered In the United States Patent Office for the purpose of protecting all the "printed, engraved, typewritten, and photographic copies of officially prescribed and copyrighted monographs, dis­_{sertations. scientific postulations, philosophical discourses, academic} studies, diagrams. iUustraUona. and charts" as authorized by the _{Imperator of A. M. O. R. C. (The above emblem and name of the} Order are also registered in countries throughout the world.) All matters herein contained are strictly confidential to the member _{receiving, and are imparted only as an incident to membership. The} ownership of. the legal title, and the right of possession to this monograph is and snail remain in the Supreme Grand Lodge of A. M. O. R. C. and it shall be returned to it upon its request. The contents herein are loaned to be used for the sole and exclusive information of the receiving member and not otherwise. Any other use or attempted use does, ipso facto, terminate all rights of the member, and is a violation of the Statutes of this Order._{A. M. O. R. C. is the only organization authorized to use the Reg­} istered name and symbols, and the Imperator has sole right to grant the use of them to other allied organizations or movements.

THE CONCURRENCE

This Week’s Consideration of a Famous Opinion

V V V

Cfl

In this monograph there is a discussion of rituals

and their significance. Many persons have a

prejudice toward rituals only because they do not

understand them. Yet, each day those persons per­

form some rituals without a realization that they are

doing so. Below, as a concurrence to the subject of this monograph,

we quote from a treatise by A. Z. Idelsohn, Professor of the Faculty of Hebrew

Union College.

Every religion has ceremonies. Indeed there can be no creed

without its forms, because a faith manifests itself through prayer

and action, both of which gradually crystalize into rites, genuinely

expressive of a certain group’s thoughts, dreams, manner of life,

and history. The time of worship and the place of worship become

established. The manner of voicing and symbolizing ideas, takes

definite shape. In the course of time, certain determining events in

the life of the adherents of a religion, find permanent place in the

religious calendar. Thus ceremonies deal at once with the pro-

foundest ideals and the minutest habits of daily life. Only those

people can appreciate them who understand the thought, the belief,

the hope, or the incident for which they stand. They can be “lifeless”

and “meaningless” only to those who see them with eyes but not

with heart or head.

Temple Section

A M O R C

The Rosicrucian Order

ELEVENTH DEGREE

NUMBER NINETY-FIVE

PAGE ONE

Beloved Members, Greetings!

Mystical rituals combine symbolic acts, objects, words,

sounds, and people in order that the initiate may have an emotional and psychic experience, to instruct him, and to assist him in real­ izing and expressing his inner self.

There are many kinds of ritual. Meetings are opened with a

ritual. Saluting the flag or saying grace are brief rituals. A

mystical ritual differs from other kinds in that it is performed to assist the individual to achieve mystical development and union.

ROSICRUCIAN When a ritual is performed in a Rosicrucian Tem-

RITUAL pie, Lodge, or home Sanctum, it is carried out in

a sacred place. The first symbolic act then is to

go from the mundane world into a symbolic cosmic world. The

appointments such as the stations of the Temple, the Shekinah, or the altar in the Sanctum, the candles, cross, and the like are all symbolic and contribute to the meaning of the ritual.

In the ritual of a Temple or Lodge, the ritual team is also

symbolic. The Master, the Chaplain, the Matre, and the Colombe are

all symbols and as such are an integral part of the ritual.

The actions of the initiate as well as the ritual officers are

part of the symbolism of the ritual. The Sign of the Cross, the

symbolic Salutations to the East in the Convocation ritual, the perambulations in the initiations which you have performed in your Sanctum are part of the meaning conveyed by the ritual.

Sounds such as gongs and music are symbolic also. The music

serves to assist the members in a Convocation to become passive and

achieve attunement. The gong lets them know when they should enter

the Temple or when they should stand up. At the same time these

sounds become symbolic of the Temple and its ritual and of Attune­ ment .

It is the words, however, which set forth the meaning of the

symbols and the ritual itself. The words of the Guardian, the

Chaplain, and the Master, for instance, direct the thoughts of the

members in the symbolic meaning of the Convocation. The Guardian

not only lets the members know When they may enter the Temple, but

he points out that it is a sacred Temple. The Chaplain's speech

sets forth the metaphysical or philosophical basis of the ritual. The Master in his speech before the meditation period says that the

Temple is sacred because of the thought and conduct of the

members. The words of the ritual are symbolic, and they

are, by their'nature and function', mantras. They act in

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A M O R C

The Rosicrucian Order

ELEVENTH DEGREE

NUMBER NINETY-FIVE

PAGE TWO

A HIGH POINT A mystical ritual, like the plot of a novel or

OR CLIM AX drama, has a high point or climax. In the Con­

vocation this is the discourse delivered by the

Master. In your Sanctum it is the monograph which is studied, some

inspirational passage read, or it is simply a period of meditation,

an exercise performed, or assistance given metaphysically. In the

Convocation in the Temple or Lodge this is preceded by intonation of vowel sounds and a meditation period to prepare the members. The vowel sounds help in attuning the facets of the individual him­ self with the members in the Temple and with the Cosmic.

The purposes of the ritual are four: 1) to achieve Attunement, 2) instruction or knowledge imparted to the initiate or member, 3) direction or influence of the attitudes, emotions, or inner self, 4) awareness or realization of this inner self and self-

expression. All of these are accomplished to some extent in mysti­

cal ritual; how much and how well depends on the ritual, on the quality of its performance, and on the individuals participating in

it. Each initiation ritual, whether received in the monographs or

performed in a Lodge or Temple, is designed to be a step in the

student's progress. Each is, therefore, designed and carried out

differently. Taken as a series or a unit, the rituals symbolize

the steps in the student's development.

A ritual is thus a unified series of acts using symbolic objects, gestures, words, people, etc., to accomplish attunement, instruction, direction or influence, and self-realization and ex­

pression. The initiate performs a series of acts, but they are a

unified series. They may be very simple, but they must be care­

fully designed to lead the student naturally through the ritual and produce the psychological and psychic effects desired.

The words of the ritual express the philosophy, attitudes, and

instruction desired. They help bring about the attunement, instruc­

tion, etc. All language consists of signs and symbols, but the

language of a mystical ritual has, by nature, a specialized meaning

and function. Such a ritual is an outward representation of an

inward process, and it helps that inner process to function. It is

a projection or objectification of the inner psychic self and its development, and it directs that development.

When a ritual becomes automatic or ceases to have meaning, then it is functioning as a system of signs rather than symbols.

It has degenerated from symbol to sign. It may become static; that

is, it no longer functions to develop the inner self. It may be

only a signal for emotional reactions. Finally, it may

become or be taken literally instead of symbolically. if

saluting the Shekinah has become a signal for a pleasura­ ble reaction, then it has degenerated, and it must be

Temple Section

A M O R C

The Rosicrucian Order

ELEVENTH DEGREE

NUMBER NINETY-FIVE

PAGE THREE

meditated upon in order to make it once more a vital symbol. The

words are the key or essence of the ritual, but they may become useless if performed improperly.

Any of the rituals or initiations may be performed again with this analysis in mind, and they will be more meaningful to you now

than before. The simple ritual below will also help you in under­

standing the nature and function of ritual and particularly of the

mantras used in rituals. It is suggested that you read it over

before carrying it out so that you will have prepared the items needed.

FROM THE PR O FAN E Remember too that when you enter a Temple,

TO THE SA C R ED a Lodge, or your Sanctum you are going from

the outside, profane world into the inner,

sacred or cosmic world. The Temple or Sanctum is a sacred micro­

cosm symbolic of the macrocosm. By simply stepping into it, you go

from the profane to the sacred. But it is sacred, as the Convoca­

tion ritual says, because of your thought and conduct; it is only as sacred as you make it.

RITUAL

First light two candles and, if you wish, some incense. Keep

in mind as you do this the symbolic meaning of the lighted candles

and the incense. Before you return to your seat make the Sign of

the Cross and say Cromaat as you have been instructed.

When you are seated and comfortable, intone three vowel

sounds, doing each three times. These should be of your own choos­

ing and may be changed when you perform the ritual again to suit your own desires and the effects you want.

Be passive and receptive for a short while, and then meditate on the words of this mantra: "I feel the Peace and Harmony of the

Cosmic in my being." Then speak the mantra softly and slowly three

times.

Now listen to some beautiful music, perhaps play a Rosicrucian phonograph recording; next, read something enlightening, or medi­

tate on a work of art or a mystical symbol. If you feel so in­

clined, write, draw, or play some musical instrument yourself. You

may study or review a monograph, if you wish.

For a short time meditate on what you have just ex­ perienced.

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The Rosicrucian Order

ELEVENTH DEGREE

NUMBER NINETY-FIVE

PAGE FOUR

CONCLUSION

Now extinguish the candles and repeat: "I will feel the Peace

and Harmony of the Cosmic in the hours and days to come."

Again make the sign of the Cross and close your Convocation.

V V V

Most religious and traditional esoteric ceremonies have their

foundation, in part at least, in the phenomena of nature. The

basic element of religion is subjective. It is a gradually evolved

idealism that stems from man's psychic nature. These psychic in­

clinations find their form of expression in the things of man's

world. The human being seeks some object or condition that will

symbolize or represent those innate feelings which he has. Since

these subconscious impulses are vague— that is, not associated with any particular objective experience— man is inclined to think of

them as being supernatural. This phenomenon will be pursued in

our next monograph.

Now let us analyze the ritual. We have used a Sanctum and its

appointments including candles and incense. Perhaps you have on

your Sanctum altar a symbolic cross. These symbolic objects are

an integral part of the ritual, and their meaning emphasizes the mystical nature of the ritual.

We have used a symbolic gesture, the Sign of the Cross. You

as the member or initiate are symbolic, but you are also the sym­

bolic Master. You perform both roles in the ritual.

Simple as the ritual is, it has a plot and a climax— the music, reading, or whatever you did for that part of the ritual. The steps before that point lead up to it, and those which come after it resolve the plot, so to speak.

The words used in the ritual present the essential meaning

and purposes of the whole. Note that these include not only the

two sentences concerning peace and harmony, but the Cromaat and the vowel sounds.

All of these parts of the ritual have both a practical func­

tion as well as a symbolic mystical meaning. They serve to bring

the individual into the Sanctum and be seated, and also to close

the period and leave the Sanctum. They impart instruction or are

objective and subjective aids in attunement. The prac­

tical and symbolic are both necessary.

It is important to understand too that the mantras are not just affirmations which will automatically attain

ELEVENTH DEGREE

the desired results, that they function as

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PAGE FIVE

They must be understood and meditated upon so true symbols.

Fraternally,

YOUR CLASS MASTER

The Weekly Application

Whatsoever thou resolvest to do. do it quickly. Defer not till the evening what the morning may accomplish.—UNTO THEE I GRANT

The use of ritual is well-explained in this monograph. An interesting exercise

for you is to prepare a ritual of your own. We all create little rituals from time to

time, and it should not be too difficult for you to come up with one that can be

directly applied to something you want accomplished. Follow the four purposes

listed in the lesson, and try to have your ritual fulfill these points. Make the

ritual fit your life, and in the end, make the affirmation that “it is done!”

Instead of simply visualizing what you want accomplished, add a little ritual

to it. Say, for example, that you have a lot of chores facing you on a weekend.

You could just visualize yourself taking care of all of them, efficiently, and with

the least amount of care, or you could prepare your weekend with little notes

posted here and there, like STEP 1, STEP 2, and so on, and with the conclusion

of each step, you could burn the note, and say “it is done!” It would make your

chores more interesting, and also none would be missed or overlooked.

Summary of This Monograph

V V V

Below is a summary of the important principles of this monograph. It contains the

essential statements which you should not forget. After you have carefully read the

complete monograph, try to recall as many as you can of the important points you read.

Then read this summary and see if you have forgotten any. Also refer to this summary

during the ensuing week to refresh your memory.

51 Rituals combine symbolic acts, objects, words, sounds, and people in order

that the initiate may have an emotional and psychic experience, to instruct

him, and to realize and express his inner self.

51 There are many kinds of rituals as saluting the flag, saying grace,

performing funeral and wedding ceremonies, etc.

51 In the ritual of a Temple or Lodge, the ritual team is also symbolic.

51 The sounds such as gongs and music are also symbolic.

51 It is the words which set forth the meaning of the symbols and ritual itself.

51 A mystical ritual, like the plot of a novel or drama, has a high point or

climax.

11 The vowel sounds help in attuning the facets of the individual himself with

the members in the Temple and with the Cosmic.

This m o n o g ra p h Is n o t su b je ct to sale o r p u rc h a s e b y a n y o n e . A sale or p u rc h a se m a y m ake the teller a n d p u rc h a se r sub ject to civil liability.

THE CONCURRENCE

This Week’s Consideration of a Famous Opinion

V V V

This monograph refers to the Orient (the East)

and the part it and the Sun have played in cere­

monies and temple arrangements since ancient

times. Below we quote from the Upanishads, ancient

Vedic literature, showing the veneration of the Sun,

and its powers centuries ago. This translation is by the eminent

philologist, F. Max Muller.

The sun is indeed the honey of the Deuas. The heaven is the

crossbeam (from which) the sky (hangs as) a hive, and the bright

vapours are the eggs of the bees.

The eastern rays of the sun are the honey-cells in front. The Rik

verses are the bees, the Rig-veda (sacrifice) is the flower, the water

(of the sacrificial libations) is the nectar (of the flower).

Those very Rik verses then (as bees) brooded over the Rig-veda

sacrifice (the flower); and from it, thus brooded on, sprang as its

(nectar) essence, fame, glory of countenance, vigour, strength, and

health.

That (essence) flowed forth and went towards the sun. And that

forms what we call the red (rohita) light of the rising sun.

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Beloved Members, Greetings!

To the primitive mind there is much in nature which, because

it seems inexplicable, appears to be of supernatural origin. Con­

sequently, it seems appropriate to this mind to relate such phenom­

ena to one's emotional and psychic nature. The natural elements,

the seasons, the Sun, the Moon, the stars and the heavens, even the

Earth itself, become symbolic of the religious concepts. They pro­

vide a means of dramatizing, that is, teaching a graphic lesson, by which to explain the subconscious experiences underlying man's moral self.

With man's increased intelligence and philosophical insight, the elements and forces of nature were not always considered as

directly related to his subconscious impressions. They were, how­

ever, conceived as an esoteric language, as a kind of symbolism by which the immanent impulses and spiritual life were to be ex­

plained. The most impressive of all natural phenomena has been the

sunrise. With the coming of the Sun, the darkness of night which

holds terrors to the primitive mind was dispelled. Man's vision

was returned to him. The world and its beauty took form in the

rays of the Sun. In the temperate zone the chill of the night air

gave way to the caressing warmth of the Sun. The golden majesty

of the orb, as it seemed to slowly float across the heavens, tran­

scended man's power. In no way could he affect its course. All of

these things deeply impressed him.

Notwithstanding the omnipotence of the Sun, it was realized by

almost all people of every age as a beneficent power. Its efficacy

in sustaining life was soon discovered by the primitive minds which lived so inti­

mately with nature. As a consequence, the

Sun was apotheosized and venerated as a

god. It is not difficult to understand

why the heavens were quartered into the cardinal points of east, west, north, and

south. These quarters have relation to

the rising and setting of the Sun and to

the seasons of the year. The word east

is of Aryan root and, significantly enough means "shine or burn."

West is also of Aryan origin, being the Aryan word for "dwell." This was very likely associated with the abiding place of the Sun

at night. Etymologically, the word south means "sunned." This

meaning is perhaps based on the Sun's greater potency when it follows the southern course in the Northern hemi­

sphere. The origin of the word north is, however, not

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ATTRACTION OF An example of early primitive orientation of

CONSCIOUSNESS structures to the Sun is Stonehenge on the

Salisbury Plain of England. It consists of

huge monoliths erected in a vast circle with one row on an east-

west axis. It has been surmised that the early people who erected

this structure used it for religious ceremonies. At certain times

of the year, the position of the Sun on the horizon at sunrise is in the center of the east end of what was the great row of mono­

liths. Thus priests, candidates, or supplicants could stand at the

west end of the row and make a salutation to the Sun as it rose above the horizon.

In the earliest burials in Egypt, the body is said to have been laid on the left side, lying north and south, with the face turned toward the east, according to Maspero, noted French

Egyptologist. Most of these burials were, of course, of proto-

Egyptians, that is, prehistoric, and before embalming was in gen­

eral use. Budge, however, says that prehistoric Egyptian bodies of

the deceased were laid on the left side, limbs bent and with the

face generally toward the south. These observations indicate that

early burials did take into consideration orientation according to the points of the compass.

The pyramids of Egypt generally have one side facing to the

north, relates Petrie. One side of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh is

4' west of north. This difference, it has been surmised, is pro­

bably due to the movement of the pole rather than any error in cal­

culation on the part of the builders. The six remaining pyramids

in the vicinity of Gizeh have a north entrance passage. This

entrance leads to an inclined passageway down the center. This is

no mere coincidence. Such a northern passageway, with an opening

at the apex of the pyramid, would have given the Egyptians an ex­

cellent view of what was then the polestar. As one archeologist

admits, it is "a circumstance which can hardly be supposed to have been unintentional."

It is of more than passing interest to note that the pyramids

stood on the west of any temple that was adjacent to them. This

orientation is perhaps due to the significance attached to the west

by the Egyptian— "the blessed West, the Land of the Souls." The

ireligious significance of the cardinal points of the compass per-

likaps also influenced the orientation of the Great Sphinx. The

llkncient Egyptians called the Sphinx Hor-em-Kher which means "Horps on the Horizon," or, in other words, the Sun in the act of ri^Tncr. Horus had many virtues, but he was primarily the god~~oT^sunris^V^

Therefore, the Sphinx was erected so that it "gazed

eastward— not, however, to just look across desert wastes or irrigated lands, but to peer into an ethereal world of sublime sacredotal import to the ancient Egyptians.

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Every temple in Egypt is directed toward the point on the horizon where the Sun or the particular star to which the temple

is consecrated will rise or set. This rising or setting is related

to a "particular ceremonial day." A particular star was first observed, then the temple was constructed according to such orien­

tation. If the entrance of the temple faces due east or west—

that is, on an east-west axis— it is called a Sun temple. It

derives its name from the fact that at some time during the year it faced directly either the sunrise or sunset.

The temple Sebak-Ra, at Ombos, points toward the setting of

Arcturus which the Egyptians symbolized as the crocodile. That

this orientation of temples was very important to these ancients is indicated by the bas-relief in the Temple of Dendera which depicts the king stretching a cord for foundations and with eyes set upon what appears to be the Great Bear.

It has been pointed out that this exact orientation of the ancient Egyptian temples with the stars would provide us today with

a kind of telescope. It would tell us of the heliacal rising (on

the horizon at sunrise) of stars in that remote time. The natural

shifting of the Earth's pole, in relation to the celestial one, would cause such stars not to be seen in the same position at pre­ sent.

The halls of the great temples, during the period of their

use, were dark, especially at the end opposite the entrance. Each

of the dividing or transverse halls had a central doorway directly

on the axis of the main hall. Thus "a priest standing in the dark

at the farthest end, looking through the long series of doorways, would have a good view of a star at heliacal rising, that is,

rising a little before sunrise." Such an occurrence would have

been perhaps interpreted as a propitious one for sacrifice or other important sacredotal events.

LIGHT AND The Egyptians, during the height of the priesthood at

LIFE Heliopolis and subsequently during the 18th Dynasty,

had the Sun, whom they called Ra, occupy a most pro­

minent place in their religion. Ra rose in the east. The East

was the place of glory or rebirth of light other than physical

light. Ra was thought to pass into the world of death and darkness

in the west, thence to travel through that realm to be reborn in

the east at sunrise. That which portrayed death was related to the

west and that representing life, the soul and divinity, was always

directed to the east. The private tombs in Egypt generally have

their entrance to the east, directed to Ra— never in the west.

This orientation according to the quarters of the

ELEVENTH DEGREE

NUMBER NINETY-SIX

PAGE FOUR

have their homes face the east. Sometimes their explanation is

that they face east so as not to offend a deity whose spirit is

associated with the east and the rising Sun. Many American Indians

place their encampment so that its entrance is toward the east. The Omaha tribe is especially particular about this arrangement of

its encampment during its ceremonies. The mystical meaning the

American Indians have conferred upon the phenomena of nature is most illuminating and is an extensive study in itself.

In the state of Manipur, India, the tribe known as the Naga

have, as a rule, their houses facing the west. They state that the

west is the direction taken by the spirits of the dead, which was

also believed by the ancient Egyptians. In fact, the great

Egyptian funeral processions were from east to west. The large

mortuary temples are almost all to be found on the west side of

the Nile. The so-called Valley of the Kings and Queens and the

tombs of the nobles are west of the Nile across from Thebes, ancient capital of Egypt.

The Babylonian temples had their corners oriented accordina

to the points of the compass. However, they almost all had en­

trances on each side. In India, also, the Buddhists orient their

temples so that they face east with the entrance in that point also.

With the Greeks there appears to be a syncretic influence in

the orientation of their temples. In other words, the impact of

the Egyptian custom made itself strongly felt upon the Greeks. The

Greek cella, the enclosed area of the temple, had a door in the

east side. The cella or inner sanctuary contained the image of the

deity. The image always faced east. In these temples of the gods,

the image was so oriented that "it would catch the first rays of

the morning Sun." This would, of course, not occur each day but

on those ceremonial days for which the temple had originally been

oriented to the exact position of the Sun on the horizon. In tem­

ples consecrated to heroes, the reverse practice was followed. The

temples were erected to face the west.

It is odd to note that the Romans gave no evidence of this

symbolic orientation. At least the direction of their temples is

not sufficiently consistant to draw any such conclusion from them.

It appears that the early Christian church took cognizance of

the age-old orientation of sacred edifices. There is an interest­

ing comment to the effect that Pope Leo of the 5th century com­ plained that the people turned to salute the rising Sun as

it shone through the east door of St. Peter's. It is

stated that this is the cause of one of the reversals of the churches to the present aspect, with the door to the

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west so that the worshippers face the east end of the edifice in­

stead. Many Christian churches are constructed on the east-west

axis today if circumstances permit.

In our next monograph we shall consider further a most inter­ esting element of Temple arrangement— the East, or Orient, as it

has long been called. This subject has a fascinating arcanum dat­

ing back into remote antiquity which we shall summarize.

Fraternally,

The Weekly Application

Whatsoever thou reaolvest to do, do it quickiy. Defer not till the evening what the morning may accomplish.—UNTO THEE I GRANT

A discussion of the Earth’s cardinal directions, and man’s adaptation to

them, brings us back to the possible effect of alignments with these directions in

our daily lives. In earlier monographs, you were asked to change your sleeping

direction occasionally to see if one direction was more conducive to sleep than

another. If you have not done this for a while, you might try it again. There is no

given direction that is best for everyone alike. It depends on your personal

bodily chemistry. A north-south alignment, for example, has the lines of

magnetic force from the poles running the length of your body. On an east-west

alignment, they would cross your body at right angles. Somewhere in between

might even be best for you, since either extreme may cause some discomfort. It is

an interesting experiment, and if you have difficulty sleeping, one well worth

trying.

Summary of This Monograph

V V V

Below is a summary of the important principles of this monograph. It contains the

essential statements which you should not forget. After you have carefully read the

complete monograph, try to recall as many as you can of the important points you read.

Then read this summary and see if you have forgotten any. Also refer to this summary

during the ensuing week to refresh your memory.

11 The Sun to peoples of almost every period of history was apotheosized and

venerated as a god.

1! The word east is of Aryan root and significantly enough means shine or

burn.

H In the earliest burials in Egypt, the body of the deceased was laid on the left

side, lying north and south, with the face turned toward the east.

11 The Great Sphinx of Egypt was erected so that it gazed eastward to peer

through an ethereal world of sublime sacerdotal import to the ancient

Egyptians.

11 The private tombs of ancient Egypt generally have their entrance to the

east directed to RA (the Sun)—never to the west.

T H E IN S T IT U T IO N B E H IN D T H E R O S IC R U C I A N O R G A N I Z A T I O N

Son Jo se, C a lifo rn ia, U. S. A. Rosicrucian Park

"C o n se c ra te d to truth and dedicated to every Rosicrucian"

T his m o n o g ra p h is not subject t o so le or p u rc h ase b y an y o n e . A sale or p u rc h a se m a y m ake the seller a n d p u rc h a se r sub je c t to civil liability.

THE CONCURRENCE

This Week’s Consideration of a Famous Opinion

V V V

*1 Upon the influx of Cosmic Consciousness, Jacob

Boehme, a humble cobbler, received such divine

knowledge that he was visited from afar by

noblemen and scholars, who took seriously his

opinions and visions. He was invited even to courts

and universities. This source of knowledge he thus

explains:

I was not versed in literature, nor in the arts that belong to this

world, nor have I desired to learn the sciences. But from boyhood I

have striven for salvation of my soul, taking thought how I might

come into the kingdom of heaven. Even within myself I found

powerful opposition to this intent, in the desires of the flesh, and I

had to undertake a mighty battle against my own corrupted nature

and the serpent’s seed in me. I resolved with God’s aid to overcome

and destroy that evil, and to enter into the love of God__ I resolved,

moreover, to regard my inherited form as dead in me, so that the

Spirit of God would make a new form within me, to the end that I

might conduct my life through Him and in Him. I said to myself

that I would will nothing except that which I knew to be His will.

He would thus be both my will and my doing. This I could not

wholly accomplish, but I persevered and fought a fierce battle

against m yself. . . . Finally the portals of the deep broke open, I

attained to the very centre of being, and a wonderful light arose

within my soul. It was a light wholly foreign to the man I had been.

Therein I first apprehended the true nature of God and of man, and

of the relationship existing between them, a thing which I had

never before understood.

Temple Section

A M O R C

The Rosicrucian Order

E L E V E N T H D E G R E E N U M B E R N I N E T Y - S E V E N P A G E O N E

Beloved Members, Greetings!

The term The East has inherent within it a wealth of mystical

meaning associated with the eastern point of the compass. It gen­

erally portrays, in occultism and mysticism, the point whence

illumination or divine wisdom emanates. It represents, as well,

the traditional, oriental source of wisdom and the beginning of the search by man in the Orient for truth and for personal evolvement. It further represents a fixed point in a lodge or temple for ado­ ration or worship, indicative of the point where the consciousness

of God descends to contact that of man. The Brahman today still

turns east for prayer at sunrise. The supplicant in the ancient

mystery schools usually faced the Sun or the east when taking solemn oaths and in offering prayers.

In the interrogation in the Third Degree of Freemasonry, there is the expression of "coming from the east," and "going to the

west." These have a mystical meaning. Mirandola, in his Kabbal-

istic Conclusions, said: "Every good soul is a new soul from the

east." Thomas Vaughan (Eugenius Philalethes) defined "the east" as

being Chokmah, that is, wisdom, the second Sephira which the

Kabbalists style the supernatural east. According to the

Didascalia, the Greek Apostolic Constitutions, prayer is offered with the face turned to the east "because God ascended to the heaven of heavens to the east and because paradise is situated in

the east." (Apost. Const, ii.57)

C. R. C. (Christian Rosenkreuz), often referred to as the traditional founder of the Rosicrucian Order, but actually the sym­ bolic title of a Rosicrucian Master, was said to have brought the wisdom "from the east" and then to have "come to the west." In almost all the mystery schools— as in Rosicrucian Temples and Lodges today— the candidate, during some part of his initiation

ceremony, was obliged to perambulate about the Temple. This con­

sisted of a progression from one point of the Temple to another. Each point or station in the Temple corresponded to a cardinal

point of the compass. These stations had an allegorical relation­

ship to the quarters of the heavens. Thus the Temple became in

fact a small world or Earth itself and the journey symbolic of the journey through life.

In the Rosicrucian Manual, we find the following: "Our Lodges

also represent the surface of the Earth, with four cardinal points or horizons— East, South, West, and North, with earth, fire, and water beneath our feet, and air and 'Nous' overhead, beyond which

are the 'stars and sky'— the immaterial world."

The Manual, referring to the symbolic East of the