Research on the

Rosicrucian Egyptian

Museum’s collection is

ongoing. Donations

and bequests to

facilitate acquisitions,

research, and other

museum projects

are gratefully

acknowledged.

R O S I C R U C I A N E G Y P T I A N M U S E U M

Treasuresfrom ourMuseum

This little sculpture, fashioned fromgray-green schist and only about 24centimeters in height, represents an

important moment in Egyptian culture.Before this figure was created, no sculpturesof women had been produced in Egypt forthree hundred years.

The arrival of the Ptolemies, a Greekdynasty, signaled the re-introduction of femalesculpture in Egypt. It appears at first glanceto be a sculpture of the Saite Period, about600 B.C. But while it archaizes, that is, ismade to look like the art of an earlier period,the inscription and stylistic details give awayits true date. Another sculpture, similarenough to be made by the same artist, datesthis lady to the reign of Ptolemy II, andspecifically to 300-250 B.C. Without acontinuing tradition of female sculpture,Ptolemaic artists hearkened back to the lastfemale sculptures created in Egypt duringthe Saite Period hundreds of years earlier. Theart of the Saite Period, in turn, took itsinspiration from the styles of even earliertimes.

Unfortunately, this lady will always beanonymous. The inscription breaks off at thepoint where her name would be inscribed.The words that remain are the beginning ofa standard offering formula for the god Amunof Karnak. This lady, when given a choice,

chose to have herself represented alone andin a dignified pose before her god. While thisfigure was not made by the most skilled ofcraftsmen available at the time, the fact thatthis woman had this figure made for hermemory in the temple is an act of faith. Whileher name and rank may never be known, shewill not be forgotten as long as her image isdisplayed with the other treasures containedin the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum.

—Lisa Schwappach-Shirriff, M.A.Curator and Assistant DirectorRosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Theban LadyRC 1603

Official Magazine of theWorldwide

Rosicrucian OrderFrom the Grand Master’s Sanctum 2

The Campaign for Rosicrucian Park Donor List 3

Rosicrucian History, Part XI 7Magnetism and Egyptosophy

In the 18th century Hermetic science was confrontedby the Enlightenment, which marked a turning pointin the history of the West. During this period, theproponents of esotericism were enthralled by Egypt andbecame addicted to the new science of magnetism.

A Sound Mind in a Sound Body 18H. Spencer Lewis explains the miracle of the humanbody and how the laws of God, as expressed by nature,have provided every essential for maintaining soundnessin each physical body that is not abused.

The Huna Pathway to Our Inner Selves 21Traditional Hawaiians believed that within each ofus there dwell three very distinct beings or selves.The harmony or disharmony between these selves isresponsible for all human happiness or unhappiness.Consequently it is our responsibility to learn thenature of these aspects of consciousness or selves, theirinteractions, and to develop skill in creating aharmony among them.

Egyptian Mysteries: 25the Roots of Hermetic Tradition

Rosicrucian literature often mentions the Order’sconnection with European alchemy of the Renaissanceperiod and also claims a traditional link with themystery schools of ancient Egypt. Author Earl de Mottethrows light on the more intimate link of Hermeticphilosophy and alchemy with the Egyptian Mysteries.

Rosicrucian Conventions/Classes/Gatherings 31

Front Cover:This detail of a Middle Kingdom mural depicts work-men building a new Egyptian garden. The mural isfound in the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum’s RockTomb—which is a full-size reproduction of anEgyptian noble’s tomb at Beni Hasan in Upper Egypt.(Photo: C. Kawashima)

Articles Page

EDITOR

Robin M. Thompson

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Richard W. Majka

DESIGN & LAYOUT

C. H. Kawashima

Established in 1915 by the Supreme GrandLodge of the English Language Jurisdiction,AMORC, Rosicrucian Park, San Jose, CA 95191.

Copyright 2003 by the Supreme Grand Lodge ofAMORC, Inc. All rights reserved. Republicationof any portion of Rosicrucian Digest isprohibited without prior written permission ofthe publisher.

ROSICRUCIAN DIGEST (ISSN #0035-8339) ispublished quarterly for $12.00 per year, singlecopies $4.00, by the Grand Lodge of the EnglishLanguage Jurisdiction, AMORC, Inc., at 1342Naglee Ave., San Jose, CA 95191. PeriodicalsPostage Rates paid at San Jose, CA.POSTMASTER:Send address changes to ROSICRUCIANDIGEST at 1342 Naglee Ave., San Jose, CA95191-0001.

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Statements made in this publication are not theofficial expression of the organization or its officersunless declared to be official communications.

No. 2 - 2003 Vol. 81 - No. 2

Rosicrucian Digest

RosicrucianDigestNo. 22003

Page 2

Grand Master’s Sanctum

From the

Grand Master’s Sanctum

Dear Fratres and Sorores,

I continue to be profoundly impressed with the enormous generosity of the members of our Order.In response to the letter I sent out last fall describing plans for the renovation of Rosicrucian Parkand inviting members to participate in these exciting projects, we have received over $730,000 innew donations and pledges. This allows us to begin work on the following projects:

Summer 2003: Work has already begun on the renovation of the Rosicrucian Planetarium, the fifthplanetarium built in the United States, personally designed by H. Spencer Lewis. The planetariumwill be renovated and reopened this year. Donations may still be directed to the Planetariumrenovation project.

Summer – Fall 2003: The renovation of Galleries C and D in the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museumhas begun and will include two special shrines built on the upper floors of the museum; one featuringmonotheism and the period in which our venerated Pharaoh Akhnaton lived (the Amarna period),and the other explaining the pantheon of ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses.

Francis Bacon Auditorium will be renovated so that we may once again host lectures, concerts, andother presentations for large groups and the public.

Fall 2003: We will begin work on the new Rosicrucian Peace Garden, authentic to the 18th Dynastyof ancient Egypt, featuring an outdoor temple, grape arbor, viewing dais, an array of historic plants,and a reflecting pond to mirror this very special setting. Additional donations now will help uscomplete the garden in time for the 2004 AMORC World Peace Conference next summer.

As funds continue to come in, we will complete other projects that are part of our five-year plan forRosicrucian Park, including the new Rosicrucian Research Library and renovation of theAdministration building, conversion to Solar Energy, and the Ralph Lewis Memorial Plaza.

As one frater wrote to us, “Because of the generosity of Rosicrucians who came before us, we havebeen able to take pride in and enjoy the beauty and serenity of Rosicrucian Park. It is now time forour generation of Rosicrucians to pass this unique legacy on to Rosicrucians who will come after us.”

Fratres and Sorores, thanks to your generosity, the legacy of Rosicrucian Park is continuing!

With best wishes for Peace Profound,

Sincerely and fraternally,

Julie Scott

Grand Master

Thales $100,000 – $249,999Estate of John GerdesEstate of Mary Laudermilk

Pythagoras $50,000 – $99,999José Garcia TrustEstate of Hans J. Stocker

Diotima of Mantinea $25,000 – $49,999Julian Johnson

in honor of Ralph V. JohnsonLisa RubarthJulie ScottKaren WarkStephen Wu

Socrates $10,000 – $24,999Dr. Lonnie C. EdwardsEberhard EhrichBetsy MacKayEstate of Hermann J. SadlerEstate of Norbert & Marcelle

SchoenemanFrater Earl S. WilcoxHoward Zoufaly

Plato $5,000 – $9,999James A. AndersonEdward P. BrowneDavid & Jacqueline GriffithElmer MichaelKatherine PurnellR.S. Robin Robinett

Francis Bacon $2,500 – $4,999Philip CampbellGlenn DroegkampEdward & Jeanette EltonGertrude FillerupFitz GalePhilip J. HebertGale L. KranzBarbara B. LeeCeleste MartinezJoseph V. PipitoneVera & Bob Wuest

Robert Fludd $1,000 – $2,499Walter Henry AdamsGeorge AlbertJosephine AlcoserFrank L. AllardRennie A. Anllo

David C. AshworthAnonymousFred E. AuerMary P. BlakeJohn C. BlazinaEdward G. BorgensAlice BoronkayMaria ButinaRobert G. CarbaughMarie E. Casabonne, in

memory of her mother, Soror Marie Rose Cauhape

B.J. CookeyAnonymousRichard EggDelva J. FickIn memoriam – Agnes FinlanMichael C. FirthMarian GabrishLinda S. GallopsReinaldo GonzalezGertrude GroveRobert G. HahnKaren A. HallTeddy B. HarrisonRafael A. HernandezPeter L. HolmesLucy HopkinsLaVerne A. IsenbergSteven KassDorothy KosterVera E. La RoseMark LambertHolly J. Lapetina

Gerald LittnerA long-time devoted memberCelerina S. LopezRichard H. LoweYvonne Mac AulayAnonymousLinda Mc CuaigLeo MendezJeff MoellerMoria ElEno A. Nsima-ObotTomas OgazonPhilip Owusu-AnsahJohn PerezJames Albin PittonCarl M. PuseyIn memory of Mary ReedAurelia RicardoAlston J. RobertsMartha A. RodriguezIn recognition of Rosicrucian

Digest StaffMartin E. SchnaseDavid V. SealyLoretta Shephard

in honor of my late husband, A.E. Shephard, Inspector General South Florida

Juene Mendsen StancheFrank & Sharon TaralaFrank ToothMarjorie Van PuttenGlen R. Williams

ThankThank You!You! The following donations and pledges weremade to the Campaign for RosicrucianPark between October 1, 2002, andJune 4, 2003.

To contribute to the Campaign for Rosicrucian Park, donations or pledges may be sent to: Rosicrucian Order, AMORC,1342 Naglee Ave., San Jose, CA 95191. Please make check out to “AMORC Funds” and denote “Campaign forRosicrucian Park” on the check’s memo line. Future donations will be recognized in upcoming issues of theRosicrucian Digest.

RosicrucianDigestNo. 22003

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Isaac Newton – under $1,000Genevieve AbeleEglan A. AbramsMargaret O. AcheampongAnonymousBarbara AcostaLeo AdamsFrater Alfred AgbowuJacob AkellianShirley AkinolaEddie Ray AlbertsonJohn AlexanderRobert AlexanderTony AliceaArthur H. AndersonPercival AndersonAnonymousAnonymousWilliam F. ApflauerMartin L. ArcherGretchen ArizSteven ArmstrongNicholas AsanteChristina AsaroMr. & Mrs. Richard AyalaAnonymousConstance Ann BakerMichael BakerH. BallJohn S. BanasiakWilliam BarnettW.B. BartelAnonymousAnonymousWm. BechholdAnonymousAnonymousLloyd E. BellSteven BellVictoria BendaHarriet Bender, in memory of

Harry BenderKwesi Ahen BenninDale E. BernelleJames William BethelGerhard BeyerNancy BigelowAnonymousAnnelore BirknerMary E. BivinsG. BleckenwegnerJulia BlyWilfred Joseph BobcombeEric Ross BoeckerAnita C. BonarRudolph Plaside BoneoBruce Ian BonfieldLeonard C. BooneJustin Bowen

Chuck & Diane BradyJacob BraunCornelius Joseph BreauxAngela BrewsterMaritsa A. BrookesClaude BrooksCyril J. BrownJames St. Claire BrownAnonymousPatrick Q. BrowneChristopher BryantIn memory of Mary BryantBeverly M. BrylskiRudolph BubaloKonrad BuehringDr. James BurnettKaren L. Burton-OsmerDiana BusbySoror GBAntonio M. CaballeroMary Jane CainJerry Alan CalvaccaWalter C. Cambra, M.A., F.R.C.Guadalupe CantuJohn CarletonJeff CarrFrank CarreE. CarsonYolaine CartrightDiana G. CastellonJaime A. Cedeno G.Ana CervantesBill ChamplinPaul L. CharlesDavid ChaseMarcos E. CintronPaul A. ClarkSusan J. ClarkeLarry ClevengerGloria K. CobbEric G. ColeFreeman ConeyMichael E. ConlinAnonymousCarlton E. CooperMr. & Mrs. George W. CorfieldLeRoy CossieGary CounsellJohn D. CozzuolKenneth C. CrandallHelen L. CroymansMr. & Mrs. James R. CurranWarren J. DarrahRoger C. DavidsonCherita L. DavisDora DavisEdith R. DavisElaine Morgan DavisTyrone C. DavisSylvia DawsonMario F. de la Guardia

Ronald DeanMiche B. DejeanAnonymousErnesto R. DiazLou Dunn DiekemperHoracio DiemekAnonymousBetty DittmanJean DivitoArlene F. DixonDove PronaosPatricia A.T. DownesMargaret Mary DucharmePatrick & Rosemary DuganGordon John DunningE.G. Edwards, Ph.D.Miguel S. EgasDeborah EggersPhillip Douglas EllisHelena P. EnesIn honor of Harold J. Estep

(transition April 19, 1990)Mary EstepEileen EvansA. Thomas FarrarStephen FedosAnonymousGary M. FeySusan W. FilbertJohn Paul FlahertyHank FlanneryEugene FlinterAdis Flores MesaGilliam FontenotDiane ForbusAlfred G. FordJames Claude ForsheyFelipe V. FranciscoPercival FranklinAnthony R.D. FranksOdessa M. FranksonStephen B. FrewFrater Ronald FuhlrodtHans GartnerGeorge W. GayAlma J. GenoveseRoslyn GentlesWilliam W. GernerGeoffrey GibsonNorita E. GinterVeda V. GittensPatricia A. GlassKurt Godwin, in memory of

Lori GodwinC. Goodson, in honor of loved

ones passed in transitionDonna J. GormanNetta Agatha GrantManuel DeJ GrimaldoMike GuarinoJohn Harry Gunkel

Page 5

Alvergia E. GutronSteve HabartMartine HabibAnonymousAnonymousE.H. HardyConstantine L. HarrisonDixie HartleyVictor HaskettStacy HattonMargie HawkinsCharles P. HendricksRichard F. HenshawDorothy J. HermannAnna Marie HernandezFrater Julio HernandezMichael A. HewlettRuth & Reed HigginsMary HillmanGeorge E. HiltsCloyd G. HinkleAaron Barry HodgesFrancis HodobasBernice HoeferlinJane L. HollingsworthGift for Judith K. HolmgrenMichael R. HomyakAndrew K. HornRuth J. HornJoseph B. HudsonShannon HuertaChris HuffJanet HughesF. Stanley HurlbutRobert L. HurstGisela G. IbrahimOkechukwu C. IfedioraAlan J. IliffFrank P. IwatiwIgonikon JackFakhrudin GeumeiArthur M. JasinskiAnonymousGloria JennerBorge G. JensenLilly JensenOtto JensenHedley H. JohnCathy A. JohnsonD.B. JohnsonRobert L. JollyH. Calvin JonasJoAnn JonesAnonymousIan JosephAngela K. JoyceCarol J. JoyceJust the joy of giving is

enough for me in the bonds of our Order

John Kafer

John R. KarlbergKarnak ChapterMildred H. KawaharaChristine KawashimaPaul J.H. KerstenFrater Marinus KeyserAbdurrahim KhanAnonymousJulie K. KingGlenn KirkpatrickEvelyn KirnonFred L. KleinhenzAnonymousWalter K. KreutleRaymond KrukowskiJames P. KruppaRuth E. KuhlChantelle J. KurtzRobert Lacey, Jr.Blandine J. LamewonaTheodore LanierRoy J. LarsonLas Vegas PronaosJudy Ann LatanationDustin LatchawJoan E. LaxCharles R. LeakeWalter E.L. LediardEdward LeeAnonymousJason C. LeontiKim T. LermanKevin LettFrank & Anne LieckMarta L. LimbergDewey LipeAnonymousRachael LoganHarry P. & Sara M. LongAnonymousJohnny LottHarry S. LoughIn honor of Vicente LubricoAnonymousLester Anthony LyonsAlva D. MackayRichard MajkaAnonymousRafael MaldonadoStuart & Barbara MalkinFrank Mancini

Debra ManninoBob P. MariniJoseph MarinoMyra MarshLee R. MartinSamuel MartinAli José MataSita MataJane MatczakJohn MathewsSylvia MayoHugh Mc CagueH. L. Mc ClernonAnonymousDennis J. Mc DonaldJames Mc Dowell, Jr.Nancy E. Mc KeeDennis Mc KendrickMrs. Betty C. Mc ClanahanMark W. McClureRiley McConnellJudith A. McCrayAnonymousAnonymousAnonymousFrederick & Roberta McPhersonMarayaGeorge MeadW.M. MedinaAnonymousSilvia M. MelecioJames C. MeltonCornel A. Mends-ColeRoger C. MennerLloyd A. MerchantFelix C. MessiahGisele Michaud, in memory &

in honor of her mother, Jeanne Renee Lovelace

Wilfrid MichaudSteven L. MierschSalvatore MilazzoGeorge R. MillerSarah R. MillerRobert Lee MinterGerlinde M. MitznerAisha MohammedJane MooreFrater Hardy PhelpsWilliam D. MoralesRonald Martin MoranLinda & Gabe MorettiDavid MorganCharles F. MorsePatricia Rachelle MossDon MoyeLuis E. MurguiaDr. Joel MurphyAnonymousBobby NelsonGeraldine Nelson

➞

➞

Thanks toyour helpwe’re at45%

$5 Million Goal

Isaac Newton – under $1,000(continued)H.L. Nelson-MisnerAnonymousLamar NewellGwenalyn G. NicholsJeremy H. NicholsJean-Felix NicolasDr. Oluchi O. NnachiTom NootbaarNancy NormanSamuel C.O. NwangumeArthur NwekeAnonymousJane OatesHenry O. OdolomerunAlice OdumGodswill So. OgbangaAnonymousShirley Oliver, S.R.C.Kayode OluwoleTosan OmatsolaKaren A. O’NeilPatrick Onianwa, F.R.C.,

Fairfield, OhioNemesio OrellanaStella O. OresanyaOseloka O. OsadebePaul I. OsemeneNancy OssCharles G. Overby, IIOwen Ngozi OwunwanneStephen E. PajotteMartha M. PalapisThomas B. ParkerWalter Gregory ParksLouise PascoeAnonymousVictor M. PerezFrater Douglas F. PerthelLiz & Vic PetersenDouglas Irvin PetersonDennis J. PetilloNorma M. PierceTom PirtleSunday Ann PitiniiChristian RosencruzKim PocekJames PowellAnonymousMargaret G. PriceMark J. FurciniPaul ProvowMarie QuenstedtLa Vonne O. QuinnAnonymousArmando RaffoElizabeth S. RagsdaleMarlene W. RapkaMargaret ReeswhiteHattie P. ReevesAugusta Reid

AnonymousMichele M.C. RigaudR. Greg RoachGreg Roach, F.R.C.,

for his daughter LesliePauline RockenstirePatrick A. RodriguesViolet V. RodriguezNoel RojasJoel RosenbaumIn loving memory of

Donald A. Ross, Life Member since 1957

James RuffoloAnonymousLisa Renee RunningdeerEsther Marie RussellaCarl Joseph SabolAnnemarie SaffordMax SanchezZiooira (Zie) SantePaul V. SavinAnonymousMr. Matt SchifterCatherine SchindlerCharles J. SchmalzAlice SchneiderDoris J. SchultenLisa SchwappachMary Ann SchwenkC. ScottWilliam SeifertThomas H. SeonSergio E. SerranoMavis McNeely ShackelfordJustifica S.R.C.Eduardo ShiStan ShuldaL.A. ShullDorothy ShumateLillian SluzalecJack David SmithL.H. SmithRonald R. SmithWilliam O. SmithBernard J. SopkoSandra Spears, S.R.C.Donna L. SquierDeborah StaffordDale T. StalterElizabeth D. StephensIn loving memory of Soror

Jean StewartL.V. StewartKeith L. StraitKristin E. StrieterKathryn A. StuartAnonymousSternie Sylvester SullivanTeresa TabordaAlbina TacyThomas J. Takard

Gloria R. TeniaThankfulHenry R. ThomasAnonymousRansom M. ThompsonRobin ThompsonCheryl L. ThorntonLesley G.H. TierraLuella TimmonsJosé M. TorresJohn J. TrappMarion TrigoColleen TuckerMarie Owen TurnerRaymond L. TurnerAnonymousElba Moran UrquhartNancy A. VairatBrenice R. ValdezNicolaas-John

Van NieuwenhuysenJ.E. VigilBernadin VitalHelen VoegtliAnonymousRodney D. VolkLeonor Larios VolkmannCarolyn VollmannWilliam J. WadeDr. Sharon WahlJack & Ruth WaidelichDoris J. WallaceBill WallerIrma Pfannmoeller WebbConnie R. WeisRobert Wesley, M.D.I.J. WestPaul WestStanley Glen WestE.J. WhiteHyacinth Wiggan-JamesKenneth J. WilcuttsVRWHelena WilderRalph & Olive WilkeAudrey WilliamsBerquin B. WilliamsBonnie WilliamsDorothy WilliamsMary Ellen WilliamsRichard C. WilsonIsaiah WimpleBernard WitteAnonymousMarina WolkenDean H. WoodhullPeggy Ann K. WrightJanice A. YasenchakMartin ZelayaColleen S. ZrudskyBrett Peter M. Zwarych

RosicrucianDigestNo. 22003

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Part XI

Magnetism and Egyptosophy

by Christian Rebisse, F.R.C.

translated from the French by Richard Majka, F.R.C. Assistant Editor, Rosicrucian Digest

IN THE 18th century, Hermetic sciencewas confronted by the Enlightenment,which marked a turning point in the

history of the Western world. During thisperiod, the proponents of esotericism wereenthralled by Egypt and became addicted tothe new science of magnetism. It is importantto observe how these elements were connectedand what values they provide for understandingthe evolution experienced by Rosicrucianism.

The philosophical movement of theEnlightenment was characterized by thecomplete confidence placed in progress. Reasonwas considered to be humanity’s infallible

guide and everything revealed by religion ortradition was viewed with distrust. The lightsought by humanity was not that of God, butthat which shines within each of us throughour intelligence.

Throughout the Age of Enlightenmentpeople observed the world from a newperspective. Within a few years humanknowledge was considerably expanded. It sawthe beginnings of electric power, and the steampower discovered by Denis Papin found its firstapplications. The work of Antoine Laurent deLavoisier placed a permanent gap between theresearches of alchemists and the experimental

ROSICRUCIAN HISTORYfrom Its Origins to the Present

Fountain of Regeneration, detail of a drawing by Monnet (1797), Musée de l’Armée. Paris.

Page 7

RosicrucianDigestNo. 22003

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demonstrations of chemists. The works of thenaturalist Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffonproclaimed evolutionism, which created anenormous rift between a scientific compre-hension of the phenomena of life and thecreationist theories defended by religion.

SensationalismThe 18th century was not only an era of

scientists; it was also an era of philosophers,although the latter were primarily scholars.Étienne Bonnot de Condillac declared sensationto be the source of all knowledge. According tohim, each person gained awareness of himselfand his potentialities not by what he thought, asDescartes stated, but by what he sensed.Condillac introduced sensationalism, a movementthat included Claude Adrien Helvétius and PaulHenri Dietrich d’Holbach. Both espoused anabsolute materialism and atheism by presentingreligion as an instrument of tyranny that wascontrary to reason and prevented the attainmentof happiness.

Man A MachineThe agenda of this era was not to improve

the inner person, but to move toward thatprogress which brought happiness to eachperson. Moreover, this period cast doubt onthe very existence of the inner man, of thesoul. In the essay L’Homme-machine (Man AMachine; 1748), Julien Offray de la Mettriereduced the human to a mere mechanism havingno need of a Creator to find existence. Philos-ophers, for the most part, shared this point ofview. Although Jean-Jacques Rousseau protestedagainst this attitude, he nonetheless collaboratedwith such individuals as Helvétius, Voltaire,

Montesquieu, and Condillac on the crowningachievement of the century of Enlightenment:the Encyclopédie of Diderot and d’Alembert(1751-1772). The rationalism and materialismof this encyclopedia exercised a major influenceon the culture of the period. The Jesuits andJansenists called it the “book of the devil.”

With such definite stands, we are temptedto ask ourselves how the average individual ofthe 18th century could still believe that thereexisted in him or her a higher principle, a soul,relying on a hypothetical God. Certainly, thenormal person was hardly aware of the variousoutlooks of the Enlightenment, but the advocatesof Illuminism1—in other words, esotericism—were preoccupied by this question. Theappearance of a new science called magnetismled them to investigate the matter, thus stirringup debates in which spiritualists and materialistswere violently opposed. Abbé Fournié, theformer secretary of the order of Élus-Cohens,soon declared magnetism to have been sent byGod to help us understand that we have a souldistinct and independent of our body.2

Magnetism

For Éliphas Lévi, the most importantelement of the 18th century was not theEncyclopédie, nor the philosophy of Voltaire orthat of Rousseau, but the magnetism discoveredby Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815). He stated:“Mesmer is like Prometheus: he gave men thefire of the heavens that Franklin tried todivert.”3 In 1766 this physician, born in thesouthern German province of Swabia, wrote hisdoctoral dissertation entitled Dissertatio physico-medica de planetarum influxu (Physico-MedicalDissertation on the Influence of the Planets)4 inwhich he discussed the cause of universalgravitation and its influence on health. Herestated the hypotheses of Paracelsus andRobert Fludd regarding the World Soul, those ofthe alchemist Van Helmont on medical magne-tism,5 and the theories of William Maxwell onvital spirit.6 Comparing these different viewpointswith the principles enunciated by Isaac Newtonand his own reflections, Mesmer concluded bydeveloping his theory regarding “animal magne-tism.” Under this name, he designated “theproperty by which bodies are susceptible tothe action of a universal fluid surrounding every-thing in existence and whose purpose is tomaintain the balance of all vital functions.”7

Franz Anton Mesmer claimed that thissubtle energy could be collected for treating

Drawing from A Key to Magic . . . .(c. 1800), by E. Sibley.

Page 9

illnesses by restoring to patients the harmonynecessary for their health. He also claimed hecould heal all kinds of illnesses. In 1772, hebegan treatments with the application ofmagnets. Mesmer eventually realized that heobtained interesting results by magnetizing withhis hands. He also treated using magnetizedwater, but it is primarily with his celebratedbaquet that he treated patients. This tub, whichwas approximately six feet in diameter, containeda mixture of shards of broken bottles, crushedsticks of sulfur, and iron filings. The tub wasfilled with water and covered with a lid piercedby iron rods arranged in such a way that apatient could place one of the extremities of arod in contact with the part of his body meantto receive the restorative treatment.

The Society of HarmonyMesmer was soon suspected of

charlatanism and even of turning towardsmagic. However, his attitude was adamant andthroughout his life he did not cease to explainthat magnetism had nothing to do with thesupernatural, but that it involved physicalphenomena. Exhausted from the attacks of hiscritics, he left Vienna and settled first inMunich and then in Paris. While in Paris hepublished Mémoire sur la découverte dumagnétisme animal (Dissertation on theDiscovery of Animal Magnetism; 1779), apamphlet in which he tried to justify theorigin of his theory and where he revealed auniversal fluid circulating in the body.

Although Mesmer proved himself to be ratherarrogant regarding official science in numerouspassages of his memoirs, he forwarded his bookto forty-seven scholarly societies all around theworld, including America, Holland, Russia,Spain, etc.

This publication involved Mesmer innumerous quarrels with the Académie desSciences, the Société de Médecine, and theFaculté de Paris. These disagreements compelledhim to set out on the road again. He then settledin Spa, Belgium. Here Mesmer’s patients wereenthusiastic about the results that the magneticcures effected on their health. Two of them,Nicolas Bergasse, a lawyer from Lyons, andKornmann, an Alsatian banker, helped him toset up an establishment where patients could betreated by magnetic cures and where this sciencecould also be studied. Mesmer then foundedin 1783 the Société de l’Harmonie (Societyof Harmony), at which point magnetismexperienced increasing success. Even LouisClaude de Saint-Martin was fascinated by it atthis time.

Mesmer did his utmost to demonstratethat magnetism had nothing to do withoccultism, yet surprisingly he gave the Societyof Harmony a form that belonged to aMasonic rite. He called his society a “lodge”and used hieroglyphs and symbols to transmitits teachings. Furthermore, the members wereadmitted into the society by a reception ritualthat had certain similarities to an initiation;

D’Alembert reading from the Encyclopédie, detail from a painting by Lemonier.

RosicrucianDigestNo. 22003

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and the meetings, where a penchant forsecrecy was cultivated, consisted of ceremoniesthat were virtually rituals. In fact, it could besaid that the Society of Harmony was a kindof paramasonic society. Mesmer himself was aFreemason, as were most of the members of thesociety, which also included many Martinists.8

Before long Mesmer authorized the creation ofsocieties in many towns. The Marquis dePuységur founded the Société harmonique debienfaisance des amis réunis (HarmonicCharitable Society of Reunited Friends) inStrasbourg, while Dr. Dutrech founded theConcorde in Lyons. Dr. Mocet also founded asociety in Bordeaux.

Egyptian Influences in Art and ArchitectureThe Church’s loss of

influence in the 18th centuryled people to question otherforms of spirituality morefreely, and the attraction forEgypt, begun a few yearsearlier, added to this trend.This tendency first manifestedin art in the 17th century. AtSaint-Germain-en-Laye Jean-Baptiste Lully presented Isis(1677), an opera inspiredby Egypt; and in Paris, theThéâtre de Bourgognepresented a work by Jean-François Regnard,Les Momies d’Égypte (The Mummies of Egypt;1696), where Cleopatra and Osiris appearedon the stage. In our previous article, wementioned Abbé Terrasson’s novel entitledSéthos ou vie tirée des monuments et anecdotes del’Ancienne Égypte (1731), which describedinitiations in the Great Pyramid and the templesof Memphis. The trials of purification by thefour elements—earth, water, fire, and air—which its heroes submitted to (Volume 2,Book III), were adopted by Freemasonry in itsrituals. A few years later, Jean-PhilippeRameau presented at Versailles a balletentitled Les Festes de l’Himen ou les Dieux del’Égypt (The Marriage Rites or the Gods ofEgypt; 1749), in which Osiris appeared.Rameau later improved upon this theme in hisballet-opera, La Naissance d’Osiris (The Birthof Osiris; 1751).

Architecture was not to be outdone, andin his work entitled Différentes manièresd’orner les cheminées (Different Ways ofOrnamenting Fireplaces; 1769), Giambattista

Piranesi suggested numerous decorationsinspired by the Egyptian style. Queen Marie-Antoinette deeply appreciated Egyptian estheticsand thus ordered various objects showing thisinfluence for the royal palaces, in particularthe sphinxes at Versailles, Fontainebleau, andSaint-Cloud. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart setto music Thamos, King of Egypt, a drama byBaron von Gebler, a few elements of whichhe used again in The Magic Flute (1791), hisMasonic opera influenced by Eyptianism.Johann Gottlieb Naumann premiered Osiris(1781), an opera of Egyptian inspiration, inDresden. Other works followed, such as Le

voyage de Kosti (1795), byKarl von Eckhartshausen, aninitiatic novel describinghow the heroes are instructedin the hidden meaning of theMasonic symbols in thepyramids.9

Primitive WorshipIt was during this period

that a publication appearedwhich marked a crucial stagein the comparative studies ofreligion. Le Monde Primitifanalysé et comparé avec lemonde moderne (ThePrimitive World Analyzedand Compared to the Modern

World; 1773-1784) by Antoine Court deGébelin.10 In his own way, this authorhastened the investigation of the PrimordialTradition through the study of the origin oflanguages. Seeking the “lost word,” he sought torecover humanity’s original language so as torestore it to its primitive purity. Court deGébelin’s reflections led him to believe thatParis was formerly the center of an Egyptiansanctuary. According to him, the name Pariscame from Bar Isis—i.e., the “barque of Isis.”11

He indicated that at the location of the Notre-Dame cathedral there once stood a sanctuaryconsecrated to Isis. In Volume VIII of Le MondePrimitif (1781), the first esoteric studydedicated to tarot was included. He describedtarot as being of Egyptian origin and indicatedthat Thoth was its creator.

In 1783, Court de Gébelin fell ill and wastreated by Franz Anton Mesmer. His recoveryhad considerable repercussions, because theauthor attributed his cure to magnetism at ameeting of the Musée de Paris (an academicoffshoot of the celebrated lodge of the

Mesmer’s tub (engraving).

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Neuf-Soeurs of which he was a member). InJuly, he published a letter on magnetism that hesent to the king of France. Soon it was circulatingthroughout Paris and fed the argumentssurrounding Mesmer . . . all the more so asCourt de Gébelin died the following year as aresult of his illness. Etteilla (Jean-BaptisteAlliette, 1738-1791), his disciple, continued hisresearches on the tarot and Egypt, andfounded a mysterious initiatic order, the ParfaitsInitiés d’Égypte (Perfect Initiates of Egypt).

In a previous chapter concerning thecomparative study of religions, we promised tomention the work that, after the demise of theauthor of Le Monde Primitif, had momentousrepercussions. This book was L’Origine de Tousles Cultes ou Religion Universelle (The Origin ofAll Cults or Universal Religion; 1796) byCharles-François Dupuis. This vast treatiseregarding mythology, whose middle section ismade up of a “Treatise Concerning theMysteries,” tries to demonstrate that all doctrines,legends, and holidays have a common originin a universal religion based on astronomicalphenomena. The author, a Freemason, followedthe mysteries from their Egyptian source. Hejudged them bad, defective, and contrary totruth, because for Dupuis, “truth has nothingto do with mysteries: they belong only to errorand deception.” He tore Christianity to shredsby showing that it borrowed its componentsfrom the ancient religions by distorting theirmeaning. Dupuis’ book was enormously success-ful among the rationalists who made it intotheir bible.12

CagliostroIn a way, Egypt and magnetism were

brought together in an Egyptian Masonic ritecreated by Alessandro Cagliostro. The originsof this individual are enigmatic. It is thoughtthat he had received a Rosicrucian initiation inMalta between 1766 and 1768. In 1778, heestablished in Holland the first lodge of a newkind, namely, an Egyptian rite. After havingtraveled throughout Europe, Cagliostro arrivedin Lyons in October 1784. In December of thatyear he inaugurated La Sagesse Triomphante, themother lodge of his order. Like Franz-AntonMesmer, he organized the two “quarantines,”that is, cures of an initiatic nature. The firstallowed the Egyptian Mason to become “morallyperfect,” and the second allowed him to become“physically perfect.”13 According to RobertAmadou, Cagliostro’s ritualistic and personalpractice, even though it proceeded from a

historical filiation connected with Egypt,“embraced the lineage of pharaonic Egypt relayedthrough Coptic Christianity.”14 Here theurgy,religious magic, and a search for immortality,were to be found, particularly the elementsbelonging to the practices and aspirations ofEgyptian wisdom.

The development of all sorts of rites—practicing or not practicing occultism, magne-tism, Templarism, Rosicrucianism, Martinism—led Freemasons to question themselves regardingtheir origins. During the years 1784-1785 and1786-1787, the Masonic regime of Philalethesconvened a large international assembly whereeach person was invited to give his opinionconcerning the order he felt most capable ofleading its followers toward Wisdom.15 It isreported that on this occasion, in May 1785,Cagliostro stated: “Gentlemen, seek no furtherthe symbolic expression of the divine idea: itwas created sixty centuries ago by the Magi ofEgypt. Hermes-Thoth set down two words.The first was Rose, because this flower takes aspherical form, the most perfect symbol ofunity, and because the perfume it exhales islike a revelation of life. This Rose is placed inthe center of a Cross, a figure expressing thepoint where are brought together the tips oftwo right angles whose lines can be stretchedout to infinity through our conception, in thetriple sense of height, width, and depth. Formatter this symbol has gold, which signifies,in occult science, light and purity; the sageHermes called it the Rose Cross—otherwords, the Sphere of the Infinite.” Cagliostro’smission was short-lived. Following the Affairof the Diamond Necklace, he fled to England

Drawing from Differentes manieres d’orner les cheminées(1769).

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into exile but, hounded by theInquisition, he was arrested onDecember 27, 1789. He wascondemned for heresy andmagic, and died in the fortressof San Leo on August 26, 1795.His public role lasted no morethan thirteen years.

The Condemnation ofMagnetism

From the beginning of the18th century the French royalcourt had lost its social pre-eminence and was replaced bythe activity of the salons, whereartists, writers, philosophers, and savantsgathered. Soon magnetism held sway, and itssessions rapidly became an activity, even adiversion, highly appreciated by high society.However, this practice was a veritable challengeto Reason, elevated into a dogma by thefollowers of the Enlightenment. In 1784, KingLouis XVI appointed a commission,composed of Antoine Laurent de Lavoisier,Benjamin Franklin, and four members ofthe Académie de Médecine, to study thematter. This commission, although recognizingmagnetism’s curative effects, advised against it,judging it to be unscientific and too filledwith superstition. It was primarily seen as theeffect of the imagination. Pamphlets againstmagnetism then multiplied.

Somnambulism

At the end of the 18th century, Mesmerismwas experiencing difficulties. In 1785, NicolasBergasse, Franz Anton Mesmer’s principalcollaborator and translator (Mesmer’s commandof French was poor), was expelled from theSociety of Harmony. He soon fell in with thespiritualists, who, like Louis Claude de Saint-Martin or Jean-Philippe Dutoit-Membrini,began to distrust magnetism.16 Mesmer, theeternal wanderer, left briefly for Toulouse andsettled down in March 1786 with the Bourgs,a family of Élus-Cohens closely connectedwith Louis Claude de Saint-Martin.17 TheSociety of Harmony was disbanded a few yearslater, in 1789, and Mesmer passed to the“Eternal East” in 1815. However, for a fewyears, magnetism turned towards occultism.Indeed, Armand Marie Jacques de Chastenet,the Marquis de Puységur, a colonel of theartillery, made a discovery that led magnetismin a new direction: somnambulism.18

When a subject ismagnetized for a few minutesby means of passes, he falls intoa form of lethargy—namely,“magnetic sleep.” In April 1784,while being magnetized accord-ing to Mesmer’s principles, theMarquis de Puységur discoveredthat when a subject is in a deepmagnetic sleep, his personalityis changed. It produces in hima prodigious extension of thesenses that allows him to see andhear things inaccessible to thehuman mind. Moreover, thesubject becomes a medium

endowed with amazing clairvoyance and capableof answering questions touching on things ofthe invisible. This was the beginning ofmagnetic or artificial somnambulism, adiscovery which led to a fundamental discovery,that of the unconscious.19

Inevitably, anyone who was inclined towardthe invisible sciences, and toward the first levelof the Élus-Cohens, was seduced by this practice.The oracles of the somnambulists were recordedalmost everywhere. Jean-Baptiste Willermoz didnot escape this general infatuation, and it isprobable that this practice was primarilyresponsible for the fall of the order of Élus-Cohens. Indeed, with somnambulism, there wasno more need for asceticism or complicated ritesfor communicating with the invisible; all oneneeded to do was put a patient into a magneticsleep and interrogate him. Alas, the practiceshowed that things were not quite so simple,and Jean-Baptiste Willermoz, who created theSociété des initiés (Society of Initiates; 1785) aspart of this movement, assumed the costsbetween April 1785 and October 1788.20 Hethen fell in with the Martinists, who, likeRodolphe Salzmann, considered him to bedangerous for wanting to raise the veil toanother world without engaging in the workof sanctification.

In the 18th century, the Church did notpreoccupy itself with condemning magnetism.It was more resolute towards Freemasonry,because the infatuation with esotericism hadcaused many Christians to seek entry into thelodges. Freemasonry was denounced in apapal bull (In eminenti) of 1738, renewed bythe bull of Benedict XV (Providas) in 1751.Yet this interdiction remained ineffective, andthe lodges expanded nearly everywhere in France.

Seal included in the original manuscriptof Cagliostro’s Egyptian ritual.

Freemasonry was even found in monasteries.José A. Ferrer-Benimelli estimates that nearly2000 clerics frequented the lodges.21 In thisperiod, around 650 Masonic workshops weredistributed around the country. With theonset of the Revolution, nearly all of themwent inactive.

The Pyramid of the TuileriesIn 1789, France seesawed in putting an end

to the Ancien Régime, that of the royalty. It issurprising to note that the revolutionaries werenot insensitive to Egypt. They appeared toproject their primitive ideal of purity, justice,and wisdom onto it. Thus, on August 26, 1792,a gigantic pyramid was erected in the Tuileriesduring a ceremony held to honor the martyrsof August 10. In August of the following year,a Festival of Regenerated Nature was held tocommemorate the fall of the Ancien Régime.The Fountain of Regeneration, which took theform of a statue of Isis, representing Nature,was raised upon the rubble of the Bastille. Inthe same era, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne mountedNephté (derived from the names of the godsNeith and Ptah), the first opera whose plot wasset completely in the lands of the pharaohs.The scenery, created by Pierre-Adrien Pâris,included pyramids, tombs, and an alley ofsphinxes leading to the temple of Osiris.

Napoleon and EgyptA few years later, the passion for Egypt

assumed a much wider scope under Napoleon.It incited the creation of initiatory ordersclaiming to be from the land of the pharaohs.In May 1798 Napoleon Bonaparte sailed towardEgypt with 54,000 soldiers and dozens ofscholars,mathematicians, astronomers, engineers,draftsmen, and artists. He disembarked atAlexandria at the beginning of July 1798. A fewdays later, the Mamelukes were vanquished atthe Battle of the Pyramids. In the following yearNapoleon set up a commission to study Egypt,which resulted in a prestigious publication, theDescription de l’Égypte, encompassing ninevolumes of text and eleven volumes of engrav-ings, that were published between 1809 and1829. This monumental work revealed to theworld the splendors of this land and markedthe debut of an “Egyptomania.”22

A seminal work was published separatelybefore it appeared in the Description de l’Égypt;namely, the papyrus of the text now calledthe “Book of the Dead.” It was published

by M. Cadet under the title Copie figurée d’unrouleau de papyrus trouvé à Thèbes dans untombeau des rois . . . . (Copy Represented on aPapyrus Roll Found in Thebes in a Tomb ofKings). In the following century, Henri Durville,the promoter of modern magnetism, commentedon it at length within the framework of theOrdre Eudiaque, an Egyptianized movementof his own creation. Once again, the land ofthe pyramids inspired artists, and in March1808 Emperor Napoleon had the pleasure ofattending the opening of Amours d’Antoine etCléopâtre, a ballet by Jean-Pierre Aumer thatwas set to the music of Rudolphe Kreutzer. Isiscontinued to fascinate the Parisians, and in1809 a commission studied the validity of thehypothesis formulated by Court de Gébelinregarding the origins of the name of Paris (BarIsis). It concluded in favor of the truth of thislegend by recalling the existence of an ancientcult to Isis. In January 1811, the Isian origin ofParis was officially recognized, and for a timethe Egyptian goddess was depicted in thearmorial bearings of the city of Paris.

The publication of the Description de l’Égyptestimulated speculation regarding the mysteriesof the knowledge retained by priests of thelands of the Nile. Alexandre Lenoir publishedLa Franche Maçonnerie rendue à sa véritableorigine (Freemasonry Restored to its True Origin;1807), a book in which he tried to linkFreemasonry with the Egyptian religion, whichhe described as the natural and primordialreligion. For his part, A.P.J. de Visme publishedhis Nouvelles recherches sur l’origine et ladestination des Pyramides d’Égypte (NewResearches on the Origin and Destiny of the

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Mesmer’s tomb.

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Pyramids of Egypt; 1812), a book in which hedevoted himself to showing that they revealedthe elementary principles of the abstract andoccult sciences. He then reworked Séthos, which,on this occasion, experienced greater successthan in its first edition.

The Friends of the DesertIt was within this favorable climate,

characterized by an often idealized Egypt, thatnumerous Egyptianized initiatic groups arose.The first, the Ordre des Sophisiens (Order ofSophisiens; 1801), remained mysterious, beingonly mentioned in passing by Ragon. Whatinterests us primarily is the group that arose inToulouse through the efforts of Alexandre DuMège (1780-1862), an archeologist whofounded the Société Archéologique du Midi—an association we will discuss further whendescribing the late 19th century Rosicrucianmovement of Toulouse. This Freemason, whoachieved the Rose-Croix degree, created LesAmis du Désert (The Friends of the Desert) in1806. He established its mother-lodge, laSouveraine Pyramide, in Toulouse.23 Accordingto its founder’s plan, the lodge should be inthe form of a pyramid, the door guarded bytwo sphinxes. It had to include an altardedicated to “God Humanity-Truth,” erectedbefore representations of Isis and Osiris.Likewise, the walls had to be decorated withhieroglyphs copied from the engravings ofancient Egyptian monuments. The costumesof the order’s members were to be in Egyptianstyle. We do not know whether this plan wascarried out, because this order seemed to havehad an ephemeral existence. Apart fromToulouse, it included “pyramids” inMontauban and Auch. However, it is not at allimpossible that it survived in a modest way for

several years. A little later, in 1822, two otherToulousians, Colonel Louis-Emanuel Dupuyand Jean-Raymond Cardes, the head archivistof Haute-Garonne, appeared to have takenpart in continuing this Egyptian plan throughthe creation of a lodge of the Misraim rite.

The Memphis RiteAround 1814, Marc and Michel Bédarrides,

officers of Napoleon’s army in Italy, broughtback to Paris the Misraim (the Hebrew wordfor “Egyptians”) rite. However, apart from itsname, this order made very little reference toEgypt in its ceremonies. This rite arose in theFrench military and administrative circles inItaly, established in that country followingthe Napoleonic campaigns. During this period,the French and English continued to fightover Egypt. The Freemasons were quitenumerous in the French imperial armies, and itis understandable why they wished to findanother source for their order than that codifiedby Anderson. The marvels they discovered inEgypt had a bearing on their decision, to theextent that they lived in a period whereesotericism and Egypt tended to be placed inthe same category. As we have shown in ourprevious articles, this viewpoint brought theRenaissance to the fore, which viewed the Egyptof Hermes as being the source of thePrimordial Tradition.24

In 1838, some years after the appearanceof the Misraim Rite, the Memphis Rite was

The French consul general in Egypt (Bibliothèque nationale,Paris).

Diagram of a “pyramid” of the Friends of the Desert.

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founded by Jean-Étienne Marconis de Nègre.Unlike its predecessor, this order attempted toincorporate elements taken from the Egyptianmysteries, such as those recorded by DiodorusSiculus and Abbé Terrasson in Séthos. Marconisde Nègre was also undoubtedly influenced byLes Mystères d’Isis et d’Osiris, Initiation Égyptienne(The Mysteries of Isis and Osiris, EgyptianInitiation; 1820). Its author, T.P. Boulange, abarrister at the royal court and professor of thefaculty of law in Paris, denounced Dupuis’ errorsand demonstrated the initiatory value of theEgyptian mysteries which, according to him,were intended to train the disciple in the practiceof virtue and the study of higher knowledge.

The Rosetta StoneUntil this time, the speculations regarding

Egypt gave rise to innumerable theories. How-ever, the true contents of the Egyptian textswere completely unknown. The hypotheses ofAthanasius Kircher, the scholar impassioned byarcheology, linguistics, alchemy, and magnetism,were law (Oedipus Aegyptiacus, 1652). Thesituation changed suddenly in 1822. Thanks tothe Rosetta Stone, which included a text writtenin three scripts: hieroglyphic, demotic, andGreek, Jean-François Champollion (1790-1832)discovered the key allowing the meaning ofthe hieroglyphs to be understood. All at once thehypotheses of Athanasius Kircher crumbled todust, and Egyptology truly came into being.France felt that it had become “Egypt’s oldersister.” The Louvre unveiled its Egyptianmuseum in 1827 with Champollion being itsfirst curator.

The Society of MagnetismDuring the same period, the movement

brought into being by Mesmer continued toprogress in new forms. The Marquis dePuységur, a great magnetizer and benefactor(his home was always open to the poor anddeprived), published many works in which hediscussed healings and the results obtained bymagnetic cures. With his pupil, Joseph-PierreDeleuze, he launched the first periodicaldevoted entirely to magnetism, the Annales duMagnétisme (1814-1816), and in 1815 theMarquis caused quite a stir when he foundedthe Société du Magnétisme. Some other trendsemerged from this period, which will betouched upon in our next article.

Some authors also tried to connectmagnetism with Egypt. These included Dr.

Alphonse Teste, a magnetizer physician andhomeopath. In his Manuel Pratique demagnétisme animal (1828 and 1840), hediscussed the Egyptian sources of this practice.Likewise, an article of the magazine LeMagnétiseur spiritualiste, the official organ ofthe Société des Magnétiseurs spiritualistes deParis, established by Alphonse Cahagnet, mademention of Egypt. Dr. Martins discussed thevisions of his medium who had seen an Egyptiantemple-hospital where the beds were arrangedaround a magnetic chain.

The Church assumed an ambiguousposition regarding magnetism. At first itcondemned magnetism in 1841, but adopteda more open policy in 1856. Indeed, the Churchcould not reject a movement that, to someextent, fought against the materialism of theEnlightenment by attempting to produceevidence for the existence of the soul. Forexample, in Le Monde occulte ou Mysterères dumagnétisme (The Occult World or Mysteriesof Magnetism; 1851 and 1856), Henri Delaagefelt that magnetism was a proper means forbringing back unbelievers to the faith. His bookwas prefaced by the celebrated Father HenriLacordaire who, from 1846, spoke favorablyabout this science after having assumed thepulpit at Notre-Dame in Paris. Delaage’s workgave prominence to this statement of AlexandreDumas: “If there is a science in the world whichmakes the soul visible, it is unquestionablymagnetism.” Honoré de Balzac himself, in hisnovel Ursule Mirouët (1841), paints for us theportrait of a physician, Dr. Minoret, whorediscovered his faith following an experiencewith magnetism. Chapter VI of his book wasentitled “Summary of Magnetism.”

Drawing from La Magie dévoilée by Du Potet (1908).

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Jesus the EsseneMeanwhile, the dogmatism of the Church

discouraged those who, in this context, werein search of true Christianity, of a primitiveChristianity. This was the case with AbbéChatel (1795-1837), the promoter of theFrench Catholic Church. This church was tiedin with the neo-Templar order of Fabré-Palaprat. Certain others, such as PierreLeroux, saw Essenianism as being the trueChristianity. His book De l’Humanité, de sonPrincipe et de son Avenir (RegardingHumanity, Its Principle and Future; 1840)described Jesus as being an Essene in contactwith Eastern traditions. Daniel Ramée followedthe same line with La Mort de Jésus, Révélationshistoriques . . . d’après le manuscrit d’un Frère del’ordre sacré des esséniens, contemporain de Jésus(The Death of Jesus, Historical Revelations;1863). Thus, Essenianism, which had startedwith the Golden Rosy Cross of the AncientSystem in 1776, continued to preoccupy thosewho were in search of the Primordial Tradition.It was combined with Egyptosophy, a passionfor a popular wisdom whose basics werebeing rediscovered.

It could be said that the era we have justdescribed was characterized by a new relation-ship with the higher worlds. The magicappearing in the Renaissance now tended to betransformed through new practices devoid ofreligious connotations. With magnetism, thedesire to give birth to a science of occultworlds can be almost detected.

This detour through magnetism may appearstrange in a series devoted to the history ofRosicrucianism. Nevertheless, it is essential, asit helps us to better understand the way in which

the esoteric heritage and its practices evolved.Indeed, the phenomenon of magnetism gaverise to many movements that were associatedwith the study of the human psyche, itsunexploited faculties, and the method ofdeveloping them so as to live more harmo-niously. In 1836 an event that would haveimportant consequences occurred: a Frenchman,Charles Poyan, a student of the Marquis dePuységur, introduced Mesmerism to America.In our next article we will discuss thismatter further. S

Footnotes1 Antoine Faivre devoted a very complete study to this subject,

L’Ésotérisme au XVIIIe siècle, (Paris: Seghers, 1973). On thesame subject, also see the two volumes of Auguste Viatte, LesSources occultes du romantisme, Illuminisme et Théosophie,1770-1820 (Paris: Honoré Champion, 1979).

2 Pierre Fournié, Ce que nous avons été, ce que nous sommes, et ceque nous deviendrons (London: A. Dulau et Co., 1801) p. 363.

3 Éliphas Lévi, Histoire de la Magie (Paris: Félix Alcan, 1922)book VI, chap. I, p. 416.

4 Dissertatio physico-medica de planetarum influxu (Vienna, 1766).This text was published by Robert Amadou in 1971 in a volumewhich, under the name of Le Magnétisme animal (Éditions Payot),reassembled the work written by Mesmer on this subject. Wefind here, apart from the Dissertation physico-médicale sur l’influencedes planètes, his Discours sur le Magnétisme, Mémoire sur ladécouverte du Magnétisme animal, as well as his correspondence.

5 De Magnetica vulnerum curatione (Paris: Vic. Leroy, 1621).6 De Medicina magnetica (Frankfurt, 1679).7 Extrait du Catéchisme du Magnétisme animal, a text that Mesmergave to his followers. See F.A. Mesmer, Le Magnétisme animal,op. cit., p. 225.

8 The title of Martinist is used here to designate those whoplaced themselves in the movement of Martínez de Pasquales,Jean-Baptiste Willermoz, and Louis Claude de Saint-Martin.The latter used it in this sense from 1787.

9 An invaluable resource on this subject is the magnificentlyillustrated work Égyptomania, l’Égypte dans l’art occiental 1730-1930 (Paris and Ottawa: Réunion des Musées nationaux, 1994).

Temple court, scenery for The Magic Flute, S. Quagio(1818), Theatermuseum, Munich.

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10 Concerning this individual and his work, see the book byAnne-Marie Mercier-Faivre, Un Supplément à “l’Encyclopédie,”Le Monde primitif d’Antoine Court de Gébelin (Paris: HonoréChampion, 1999).

11 Franc-Maçonnerie et religion, Antoine Court de Gébelin et lemythe des origines, Charles Porset, Honoré, editor (Paris:Champion, 1999).

12 On the genesis of this work, see the article by Claude Rétat:“Lumières et ténèbres du citoyen Dupuis,” in Chroniques d’histoiremaçonnique, No. 50, IDERM, 1999, pp. 5-68.

13 Arturo Reghini, Cagliostro, documents et études (Milan: Arché,1987) chap. II, pp. 43-68.

14 See the article “Cagliostro” in Encyclopédia de la Franc-Maçonneries(Livre de Poche, 2000) p. 247.

15 Regarding this general assembly, see Charles Porset, Les Philalètheset les Convents de Paris (Paris: Honoré Champion, 1996).

16 See the work of Jean-Philippe Dutoit-Membrini (under thepseudonym of Keleph Ben Nathan), La Philosophie Divineappliquée aux lumières naturelles, magiques, astrales, surnaturelles,céleste et divines. He includes a critical text by Saint-Martinwhich brings forth the dangers of magnetism.

17 This family practiced magnetism until the Terror. SeeTournier Clément, Le Mesmérisme à Toulouse (1911).

18 Regarding the history of magnetism, see the study by BertrandMéheust, Somnambulisme et médiumnité, Tome 1, “Le Défi dumagnétisme” and Tome 2, “Le Choc des sciences psychiques,”Institut Synthélabo, from the collection “les Empêcheurs depenser en rond” (Le Plessis-Robinson, 1999).

19 René Roussillon, Du Baquet de Mesmer au “baquet” de S. Freud,une archéologie du cadre et de la pratique psychanalytique (Paris:PUF, 1992).

20 See the article “L’Agent Inconnu,” by Christian Rebisse inPantacle No. 1, January 1993, pp. 29-34.

21 Les Archives secrètes du Vatican et de la Franc-Maçonnerie,histoire d’une condamnation pontificale (Paris: Dervy, 1989).

22 On this subject, see the works by Robert Solé, Égypt, passionfrançaise (Paris: Seuil, 1997) and Les Savants de Bonaparte(Paris: Seuil, 1998).

23 Concerning this rite, see the article by Maurice Caillet, “Un ritemaçonnique inédit à Toulouse et à Auch en 1806,” in Bulletinde la Société Archéologique du Gers, 1st trim. 1959, pp. 27-57.

24 “Egypt and the Primordial Tradition,” Rosicrucian Digest, Vol. 78,No. 1, 2000.

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osicrucian Park’s Francis BaconAuditorium was the scene on May

19th for an incredible concertperformed by University of Arizona’s“HarpFusion” under the direction of Dr. CarrolMcLaughlin. Eleven concert harps and theirexpert players formed a semicircle on theFrancis Bacon stage for this outstandingperformance. The eclectic program showed offthe variety of styles in which the harp can beplayed, with pieces ranging from Pachelbel’s“Canon in D” to Scott Joplin’s “Spaghetti Rag.”Several pieces composed by Dr. McLaughlinwere also performed, including “Masmoudi forthe Pharaoh.” Dr. McLaughlin’s intense interestin the development of each one of her studentswas exciting to witness as the concert unfolded.

HarpFusion was named by members ofthe group because of its unique fusion of manydifferent styles of music and cultures representedin the ensemble. The performers are all harpstudents at the University of Arizona and students

of Dr. McLaughlin. HarpFusion is the largesttouring harp ensemble in the world and hasreceived international acclaim for its creative andexciting performances. The ensemble performedlast summer at the World Harp Congress inGeneva, Switzerland, and other internationaltours have taken the group to Japan, Russia,Czech Republic, Indonesia, and Puerto Rico.All the music HarpFusion plays is written orarranged by members of the ensemble. Theyhave recorded three CDs, and are in the processof recording a DVD, which has involved filmingand recording in Russia, Switzerland, andthroughout the U.S. In fact, HarpFusion’s tripto Rosicrucian Park was not only to perform,but also to put the finishing touches on theirDVD, the final scenes of which were filmed inthe Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and Rosi-crucian Park! Dr. McLaughlin exclaimed that shecouldn’t think of a more beautiful and inspiringsetting in which to complete their DVD. TheSRO audience was thrilled and looks forward tofurther concerts in the Park.

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IT SEEMS LOGICAL to believe that normalhealth and soundness of body are vital toany form of development that makes an

individual more nearly approach the ideal thatGod had in mind in creating human beings.

It is undoubtedly true that humans werecreated in the spiritual likeness of God. But itis also true that God had in mind, and created,the greatest of all miracles in constructing thephysical body to surround and clothe the spiritualbeing within. “Wonderfully and fearfully” are wemade in the physical sense, and the laws of God,as expressed by nature, have provided for everyessential for maintaining soundness in everyphysical body that is not abused.

Processes of ReconstructionThe manner in which blood rushes to a

wound, accompanied by other chemical agencieswhich coagulate at the wound and close it toprevent the entrance of foreign matter and theunnecessary loss of blood, while other elementsstart a process of creating new tissue to heal thewound, is but one of the many complicatedand marvelous systems used by nature underthe direction of the Divine Mind to preservethe normal condition of the body and keep itat a high standard of usefulness.

To believe that the physical body shouldbe weakened in its existing standard or brokendown in its relatively important place in thescheme of things is to belittle these wonderfulprocesses of reconstruction and to deny theomnipotent wisdom of the Creator.

But we find in much of the modern occultand mystical literature of today the inference andoften the direct statement that, until the seekerfor light and illumination breaks down the

vitality and physical process of the body, spiritualdevelopment and advancement are impossible!

This is expressed in one form by those whoinsist that the seeker and the student should eatonly a vegetarian diet and ignore meat in anyform, because meat adds too much strength tothe physical body, while vegetables will justsufficiently nourish the body to a degreenecessary for the maintenance of life. We findthe same idea expressed by others who state thatlong periods of fasting and even of physicalsuffering for the want of food will give thespiritual part of a human being a greater oppor-tunity to function.

It is true that the more the spiritual side ofour nature develops, or in other words the moredeveloped we become—mystics in the truemeaning of this word—the more sensitive webecome to impressions from both the cosmicand mundane worlds. Such supersensitivenessbecomes a vital factor in our daily lives and hasa considerable bearing upon our poise and peaceof mind.

Of course, the effect will manifest itself ina greater sensitiveness of the physical mind andphysical body to objective impressions, and wefind the truly developed mystic crying in agonyat the suffering of humanity and the evils of theworld one moment, and the next moment revel-ing in the greatest of joy and happiness over thegood and beautiful things of life. Because, thetruly developed mystic lives as no one else lives!The mystic’s life is full! And every moment ofconsciousness is charged with the vibrations ofthe fullness of life. Sad at times and extremelyjoyous at other times, quiet and receptive onemoment, enthusiastic and active the next.This truly is living!

Physical weakness no aid to spirituality.

by Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, F.R.C.

Since thousands of our readers have not read many of the earlierarticles of Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, first Imperator (1915-1939) ofthe present Rosicrucian cycle, we occasionally reprint one of hisoutstanding articles so that his thoughts will continue to berepresented within the pages of this publication.

To say that such spiritual development withthe attendant changes in the consciousness of thephysical body is disharmony or that spiritualillumination and development bring disharmonyto the physical body is to wrongly state a fact orfalsely misstate a law. Only when the physicalbody and the objective mind, as related organi-zations, are functioning in harmony can a personbe truly sensitive to the impressions of thephysical world.

Abundant Life

God gave us eyes with which to see and earswith which to hear, a sensitive nervous systemwith which to feel, and highly developed organswith which to smell and taste. They were givento us and are maintained within our bodies forthe purpose of acquainting us with those vibra-tory emanations which the physical world castsupon our environment. The shutting off of oneof these avenues of physical reception constitutesa breaking down of the standard of normalitywhich God ordained for humans.

The more healthy and normal the physicalbody and its attributes, the more completely arehumans receptive to all the vibrations of life;and is it illogical to believe that the inner self, thepsychic self, will function more completely andmore naturally if the outer person is normaland sound?

Among our advanced and advancingRosicrucian students, our experience with thetrue Rosicrucian work has been that as thevarious centers of spiritual attunement have beenawakened and the psychic self more fully devel-oped, the physical body has become more andmore normal and vital. In this regard our workhas been a grand testimonial to the fact thatspiritual growth leads to more abundant life,physically and mentally, and that one is notindependent of the other.

Please note that throughout the paragraphsof this article reference is made to normality ofhealth and soundness of body. This does notmean overeating or undereating. It does notmean building up a strong muscular body suchas the muscular automatons that we see on thestage performing feats of physical prowess, nordoes it mean reducing the physical body toan ethereal sylphlike form to which nothingneed be added but wings to make it leave theearth and float in the clouds. Nor do we referto any of the many fanatical and extrememethods of eating, drinking, exercising, sleeping,and thinking.

Balanced Living

When we carry our search for truth to suchan extreme that we sacrifice the essentials ofnormal living and become fanatics in study andpractice, then we weaken the normal standardof our physical body; and when we carry ourdesire for physical perfection to such an extremethat we sacrifice the development of our intellectand our spiritual unfoldment, then we weakenour spiritual relationship with the Cosmic andbecome more of a beast than the one who hascultivated his spiritual nature but neglected hisphysical body.

Moderation in all things is the fundamentallaw of life for Rosicrucians. If a student findsthat eating meat enriches his blood too greatlyand that a vegetarian diet is more consistent withthe chemical processes of his body, then he isindeed wrong if he ignores this fact and refusesto become a vegetarian. Or, if an individual stu-dent finds that, because of the nature of hisphysical activities during the day and the resultingeffect upon the digestion of his food, he shouldoccasionally fast for a few days, then he would befoolish to ignore this fact because of its resembl-ance to principles set forth by certain systemsof living.

But because one finds these things true inone’s own case is not sufficient warrant for thesudden determination to become a reformer andpreach and advocate that everyone else shoulddo these things. Science has not yet found anyone diet that is adaptable to and beneficial forevery human being, nor has the human mindever been able to conceive of one formula ofthinking or one line of mental action that iscomprehensible and applicable to and for allhumanity. We must pursue our individual pathsand our individual modes to meet our individualrequirements in eating, resting, thinking, anddoing. This calls for tolerance on the part ofthose who analyze their own requirements.

A Constructive System

AMORC emphasizes in every grade of itscourse of study and with every examplepossible of illustration and application the lawof saneness. Even in regard to therapeutics, theteachings of AMORC are distinctive for theirhuman broadness and liberal tolerance. Whilethe AMORC does teach many methods forthe prevention of most diseases and themaintenance of normal health and also giveseach member a true system for the restorationof harmony and health in the body by

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removing the cause of disharmony in most cases,it does not lean so heavily toward the otherdependable and worthy means used by varioussystems of therapeutics.

Christian Science, as a religion and as aphilosophical system, has done a wonderfulwork in this world by educating the awakeningmasses to the danger of needless medicaldrugging and has also pointed out very clearlythe benefit of thinking properly in regard tohealth and disease; but the Rosicrucians holdthat not all principles which are true in a generalway are true specifically in every way. Becausethe overuse and occasional misuse of medicineis found injurious is no reason to condemn theentire practice of medicine as a therapeuticsystem. And because the human mind is capableof controlling and directing some of the func-tionings of the human body at any time, or allof them at some times, is no reason to believethat by the use of the mind and its powerseverything in and about the physical body canalways be controlled by the mind.

The Rosicrucians thoroughly believe andunderstand the principle that “if thou hast a

thorn in thine side, pluck it out!” and if there isa splinter in the finger or a gallstone in the gallsac, each of these should be removed by properphysical processes, as any foreign matter wouldbe removed from any part of an organism of anykind. Mind alone will not do it, and the greatestMaster of all Masters used both physical andmental processes in performing his miracles.

We are indeed happy that we find in ourwork such beautiful consistency, such saneness,and such tolerance. To be a true Rosicrucian isto be healthy, normal, spiritual, divine, strongin physical abilities, rational in mental processes,magnetic in personality, cultured in the ethicallaws and principles, religious in the universalmind, tolerant in our thoughts, considerate inour desires, willing and unselfish in our abilityto do, and, with all, laughing, crying, smiling,and weeping, seeing and knowing, and alwayssympathetic with understanding. The blessingsof the world are our privileges, and we attractto ourselves that which we would share themost, namely, the material as well as thespiritual riches of the Universe. S

The Rosicrucian Order’s English GrandLodge for the Americas is happy to give ourmembers access to the members-onlysection of our website! We invite you tolog in and begin exploring its manysections—which are exclusive features ofyour membership in our jurisdiction.

If you have not requested access to ourwebsite’s members-only section, please go to:http : / /www.ros icrucian.org /members /register.htmland complete the form. You will be sentinstructions about how to log in once ourMember Services Department has confirmedthat you are an active and paid member.Since this is done manually, please allow 5 to7 working days to receive your logininstructions.

The members-only website has sectionsfor Instruction, Grand Lodge, ResearchLibrary, RCUI Online, and TMO. There isan exciting new series of Discussion Forums

on various Rosicrucian and Martinist topics.You will also find a Member Supplies andBooks section where you can download andprint out an order form for either mailing orfaxing orders to Grand Lodge. Later this yearwe will add the ability to order supplies online!

In the new series of Discussion Forumson Rosicrucian and Martinist topics a messageboard system enables you to communicate andshare ideas with other members in a supportiveand respectful environment. You may alsoaccess online issues of the Rosicrucian Forum,Monograph indexes, and Forum indexes, alongwith other valuable and informative resources.

We hope that this new manifestation ofthe vision for our beloved Order will behelpful, stimulating, and fun! If youexperience any problems logging in or usingthe website, please send an e-mail to

webmaster@rosicrucian.orgYour comments and suggestions are also

most welcome. See you online!

(Please note: this members-only section is for English Grand Lodge for the Americas members only.)New Members-Only Website Launched!

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THE ANCIENT HAWAIIANS believedthat within each of us there dwell threevery distinct beings or selves. That is not

to say that there are separate entities withinus, but instead, three distinct aspects ofconsciousness. Each self possesses uniquecharacteristics and is related to the otherselves. The harmony or disharmony betweenthese selves is responsible for all humanhappiness or unhappiness. We are consequentlyendowed with a responsibility to learn thenature of these aspects of consciousness orselves, their interactions, and to develop skillin creating harmony among them. Thus, it issquarely in our lap to promote unity withinour consciousness.

The mystical healers of Hawaii—theKahunas—gave each aspect of consciousness aname. They called them Unihipili, or Low Self,comparable to the subconscious; Uhane, orMiddle Self, comparable to the objective con-sciousness; and the Aumakua, or High Self,which is the Cosmic Self or God within.*

Each self possesses a unique physicaldwelling place within the material reality. TheUnihipili dwells within the region of thediaphragm, respectively, but has a presencethroughout the entire body. The Uhane dwellswithin the region of the head or brain, while theAumakua dwells above the head and is con-nected to the body, specifically the Unihipili,by a chord of aka or spiritual substance.

The UnihipiliThe Unihipili is the subconscious aspect of

consciousness. It can be accurately calledthe esoteric self, since its realm is the innerdominions. It is the creative imagination, the

The Huna Pathway toOur Inner Selves

The Huna Pathway toOur Inner Selves

by Glenn Cronick, F.R.C.

˝

*In pronouncing Hawaiian words the sound of the vowels is thesame as that used in Latin. A as in father; E as long a in ale; I aslong e in enough; Ai as long I in isle; U as oo in moon; O as longo in over; W almost like v. Unihipili is pronounced oo-nee-hee-pee-lee. Uhane is pronounced oo-hah-nay. Aumakua ispronounced ah-oo-mah-koo-ah.

Temples built for Kamehameha.

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Master Within. This self is intensely powerful,controlling the involuntary processes of thebody, and generating energy for all physicalfunctions. The Kahunas likened this Unihipilito a powerful animal, part of primal nature, andin need of training, discipline, and guidance.However, it is imperative to be aware that in factit cannot be controlled; it resists control andresponds instead to emotionally charged gentleguidance. This Unihipili is the seat of theemotions, habit, and memories, both personaland impersonal, from past and present incar-nations. It is the center of psychic happeningsand can reach out to other beings via the chordsof aka, or spiritual substance, created wheninteracting with other beings. It possesses a directline of communication with the Aumakua orCosmic that the Uhane does not possess. Infact, it is through the Unihipili that we reachout to God in prayer and receive a response. Itis within the realm of dreams, where symbolsare the language of choice, that both theUnihipili and the Aumakua communicatewith the Uhane or waking consciousness.

The Unihipili uses deductive reasoning;taking a premise assimilated within its beingand methodically manifesting the consequencesof that premise in the greatest detail via thepower of the Aumakua. The constant beliefs wefeed this subconscious, through the objectiveself, are perpetually being presented to thecosmic self for manifestation in daily life. Con-sciousness is highly creative. Thus, it is criticallyimportant to be aware that our perceived realitieswhich have become solidified as beliefs willmanifest in some aspect. This Unihipili isconstantly amenable to suggestion, thoughin varying degrees depending on our emotionaland physical circumstances, and must be fedhealthy and constructive perceptions. This isthe function of the Uhane.

The UhaneThe Uhane is the objective aspect of

consciousness and can best be described as theexoteric self, since its primary domain is thematerial reality. It is conscious of the five physicalsenses, uses language, pictures, and is the seatof reason. The Uhane is in perpetual commu-nication with the Unihipili, presentinginformation and perceptions gathered aboutthe material universe. Thus, the Uhane tendsto create beliefs regarding its experience ofreality. It passes this information on to theUnihipili through emotionalized thought,

both habitual and fleeting. However, habitualemotionalized thought creates the mostpowerful and lasting impressions within theUnihilipi, which are in turn presented to theAumakua for manifestation.

Since the Uhane uses inductive reasoning,it can create a premise not in keeping withmaterial reality. It can completely misinterpretreality, which can be quite problematic. TheUhane possesses an immense will power thatthe ancient Hawaiians advised must be used towisely guide the Unihipili, feeding it withconstructive premises and positive emotionsin order to bring forth a harmonious reality,the experience of miracles, and the overcomingof challenges. Lastly, it is important to notethat the Uhane can direct its awareness bothoutwardly, such as when it is involved in somephysical activity, or inwardly, when contem-plating a particular subject or during meditation.

The Aumakua

The Aumakua or cosmic self is the creatorof reality. The Kahunas called this self “the god”but did not see it as the Supreme Creator.Instead, it was believed to be an ancestor orhighly evolved spirit possessing both male andfemale qualities sent to aid and guide anindividual towards greater evolution andhappiness. This “god’ is able to accomplishanything, being an utterly trustworthy andfaithful spirit, vehemently dedicated to theindividual’s well-being. To accomplish a goal,this cosmic self may see fit to contact the cosmicselves of other persons, and other moreevolved beings, going so far as to contact theSupreme Creator. Again, after accepting apremise from the Uhane, the Unihipili passesthat belief on to the Aumakua for manifestation.The Aumakua continually accepts theemotionally charged premises given to theUnihipili and uses that information to createour individual reality. Thus, every thought, word,and deed is a powerful prayer that manifestsafter its kind. As we sow, so shall we reap.Thus, it is of utmost importance to feed theUnihipili quality emotions and beliefs that arepositive, constructive, and faith-filled in nature.

Bear in mind that all three selves are inconstant communication with one another,twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.Also, be aware that only the Unihipili cancontact the Aumakua directly. Uhane contactsthe Aumakua by way of the Unihilipi. When

emotionalized-thought is experienced by theUhane, this thought is impressed upon theUnihilipi, which in turn is presented to theAumakua for manifestation. The stronger andmore persistent the thought, the more clearlyit will manifest.

The Ha Prayer Rite

As Rosicrucians, it is ourconstant desire and challengeto improve the quality of ourconsciousness, and thereby hewout a more desirable reality forour experience and for thebenefit of others. The Kahunasof Hawaii pursued the sameend and used prayer as the mainvehicle of achievement. Modernstudents of Huna, as the studyof this knowledge is calledtoday, have named this formulaof prayer the Ha Prayer Rite.

The Kahunas believed thatbefore a prayer can manifestand reality reconstructed, thepath of realization must becleared. They believed that guilt,whether actual or imagined,would block the connectionbetween the Unihilipi andAumakua, neutralizing ourconsciously directed andemotionalized prayer. Allhabitual negative emotions havethe same tendency and must bereplaced with positive emotions.Thus, one must forgive oneself for wrongscommitted and make amends, whetherphysical or spiritual. For the ancientHawaiians, the only sin was to deliberately seekto harm another. Also, we must talk to ourUnihilipi and convince ourselves of theworthiness of our desire. This would includetaking into consideration individual moral beliefsregarding the consequences of our fulfilleddesire. It is like preparing soil for a garden.Once the soil is turned, filled with fertile matter,and freed of stones, the seeds can be planted.Likewise, once the path is cleared of spiritualstones, we can begin to plant our prayers.

The Kahunas believed that once we decideprecisely what we desire to see manifested, itmust be clearly visualized. It is important to notethat some students have a difficult time “seeing”

something in their mind’s eye, with detail andlife. Consequently, it must be remembered thatvisualization includes word pictures or what Icall “word visualization.” I have experiencedamazing results through verbally describing mydesire in all its detail, while keeping emotionallycharged as to its eventual manifestation.

Once we visualize our desire, in whateverway is best for us, we mustback it up with emotion. TheKahunas saw this act in itselfas transference of one’s desireto the Unihipili for eventualpresentation to the Aumakuafor manifestation. Withoutemotion, the desire is dead andyour seeds will not germinate.All persistent emotionallycharged thoughts manifestthemselves in some aspect. So,one can see the importance oftruly desiring what one isasking for. It is often the casethat we ask for something thatwe do not sincerely want, butfeel we should want. Thus, ourdesire is tepid and will reap littleor no result. We must trulydesire what we present and withgreat emotion. While presentingprayer, the Kahunas wouldengage in directed deep breath-ing to still the mind and chargethe Unihipili with mana orlife force energy. This was animportant way to raise energylevels of the body so that great

emotion could be conjured.

The best time for presenting thisemotionally charged desire to the Unihipili isduring a time of balance. During the wakingstate, the Uhane, or objective self, dominates,and during our sleeping state, the Unihipili, orsubconscious self, dominates. Thus, hypnagogicand hynopompic states are ideal for suchcontact. Excellent times also includemeditation and during simple or elaborateritual, in which the body and mind are relaxed,yet alert. If the Unihipili is too much to thefore we will lack the vitality to make thepresentation, and if the Uhane is too much tothe fore we will be too awake and stimulatedfor the presentation to get through. Thus, anideal state of relaxation and alertness must becultivated. One can often experience this after

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a hot bath or shower, a large meal, or followingintense physical activity.

Back It Up With Emotion . . .

Once the emotionally charged requesthas been made, the desire must be droppedfrom the mind. The process can be likened toplanting a garden once the soil has beenprepared. We must choose the seed, preparethe soil, plant the seed, water the seed, thenallow it to grow and prepare for harvest. If wewere to dig up the soil to watch the seedsgerminate, they would never develop. Wemust water the soil with faith, trust, andexpectancy, allowing the seeds to grow anddevelop.

Whatever your desire, dear frater andsoror, it can manifest. First, decide preciselywhat you desire. Second, prepare the soil, byclearing the path of communication fromguilt and doubt. Third, present the desire in arelaxed state of balance between the objectiveand subconscious selves, with an emotionalcharge and enthusiasm. Fourth, you mustdrop the desire from your mind until you makethe presentation to the Unihipili again. Thepresentation can be made repeatedly until wefeel the impression has been adequately acceptedby our subconscious. We see this expressed in

novenas and consecutive day rituals. Lastly, wemust water this desire with faith and expectancy.We must trust that once the Unihipili acceptsthe desire and presents it to the Aumakua forcreation, our desire will manifest, according tothe laws of nature.

If this short presentation of the Hunaknowledge has piqued your interest, Iencourage you to look further into thispsycho-religious construct.

It is my sincere wish that all your worthydesires manifest with the greatest ease andresulting happiness. I wish you all PeaceProfound. S

References:Huna: A Beginner’s Guide, Enid Hoffman,Para Research, 1976.

Mastering Your Hidden Self: A Guide to the theHuna Way, Theosophical Publishing House,Wheaton, IL, 1985.

The Secret Science Behind Miracles, MaxFreedom Long, DeVorss & Co., Marina delRey, CA, 1976 (originally published byKosmon Publishers, Los Angeles, CA, 1948).

Huna: The Ancient Religion of Positive Thinking,William R. Glover, Huna Press (HunaResearch Assoc.), Cape Girardeau, MO, 1983.

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In MemoriamHarry (Hank) Bersok, F.R.C.

Frater Harry Bersok, past Grand Secretary of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC,passed through transition and experienced the Great Initiation on April 25, 2003,in Mesa, Arizona. He was 81 years old. Frater Bersok joined the Rosicrucian Orderin 1957. He served as Master of Thebes Lodge in Detroit, Michigan, in the early1960s, and subsequently moved to Grand Lodge in San Jose, where he served asDirector of the Department of Instruction. In 1980 Frater Bersok was appointedAMORC Grand Secretary. He served in that office with great dedication, becomingknown to members throughout the world through his writings and travels. Heretired in 1985. Frater Bersok is survived by his wife Cherie.

#$%̂

ROSICRUCIAN literature often mentionsthe Order’s connection with Europeanalchemy of the Renaissance period and

also claims a traditional link with the mysteryschools of ancient Egypt. The purpose of thisarticle is to throw some light on the moreintimate link of Hermetic philosophy andalchemy with the Egyptian Mysteries. The readerwill find the observations made here to be ofconsiderable interest in one’s search for esotericknowledge, while the Rosicrucian student willhave yet another perspective into the lineage ofthe Order as part of the Great Tradition.

Hermetic philosophy touched the imagin-ation and lives of people in the early Christian erawith references to the wisdom and magical artsof a legendary character, Hermes Trismegistus,the “Thrice Great Hermes.” Some believe thatHermes was a real person born in Thebes about1399 B.C. It is generally agreed, however, thatno such person existed, but that the writingsattributed to him were the work of a group ofwriters who lived in ancient Alexandria aboutthe first to the 3rd centuries A.D. In fact it hasbeen claimed that what these writers wrote camefrom Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom andwriting, and that these writers “were merelyrendering tribute to that mythologicalcharacter . . . they probably meant that they

had been inspired by the god Thoth, that theirwords were merely his words coming throughtheir minds and hands.”1

The oldest equivalent of the Egyptian godThoth to the Greek Hermes dates back to about165 B.C., recorded in the Greek demotic textsat Saqqara.2 Thoth’s identification with Hermeswas due to their common role as messengers ofthe gods. Thoth himself appears in varioussequences of the Osirian myth, as told in theUnderworld books. Most frequently mentionedis the scene in which he stands at the scales inthe Hall of Judgment, with Osiris presiding, priorto the determination of the destiny of souls.Thoth is the scribe performing an importantjudicial role.

Alexandria, a city founded by Alexanderthe Great, the famous Greek conqueror, andsubsequently occupied by Rome, became a placewhere peoples of many cultures and creedscongregated. It became a fertile ground for newideas, since scholarship was cultivated in thecity. Among the various Gnostic and Christianwritings, but having its distinct philosophy, therearose a body of literature, attributed to HermesTrismegistus, covering a vast subject areaincluding astrology, theology, medicine, alchemy,magic, and the occult sciences. More importantwas the attempt among Hermeticists to see thesebranches of knowledge as one integrated field.

A strong belief existed among Greeks andRomans of the 2nd century A.D., says FrancesYates, that Egypt was the original home of themost profound knowledge, and that its priestshad been initiated into the Egyptian Mysteriesperformed in the subterranean vaults of theirtemples. The attraction of antiquity andsacred authority of the wisdom of an ancientcivilization was also enhanced by a distrust ofGreek rationalism which tended to sidelinereligion. Contemporary Egyptophiles felt moreresonance with the all-comprehensive explana-tion of the universe and man than what wasoffered in other sects. The Truths of Hermeswere to be sought in Egyptian Mystery Schools,revealed in the Hermetic texts, and allegorizedin Egyptian mythology and sacred ritual.

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Egyptian MysteriesThe Roots of Hermetic Tradition

by Earl de Motte, F.R.C.

Thoth in his incarnation as an ibis.

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There is neither epigraphic evidence northe testimony of witnesses describing Hermes assuch prior to the Hellenistic period. We relyon eyewitness reports of historical figures likeHerodotus, Plutarch, Apuleius, Iamblichus,Plato, and others, and on a close study of thelanguage and symbols in Egypt’s older funerarytexts to strengthen the case for seeking theorigins of Hermetic thought and practice inEgypt’s distant past. If, then, Hermes stands asa symbol for Thoth’s attributes and powers, theHermetic seeds were sown when Thoth wasoriginally included in the Egyptian pantheonof neteru or energies of the universe, far backin Egypt’s past.

Among the works ascribed to Hermes werethose of the Asclepius and the CorpusHermeticum (100-300 A.D.) which becamethe directing force of alchemical thought andpractice in the Renaissance. In the content ofthese texts were the “words that came from thevery dawn of time, and were the originalrevelation of alchemy to man through the divinepower of Hermes Trismegistos.”3 An impressivereference for esotericists was the Emerald Tablet,a source book and creed for the alchemist. Itsreal existence has been doubted, but the textreferring to it claimed to contain “secret”knowledge not revealed to the uninitiated, thatis, those who had not been admitted to theMysteries. The Asclepius provides a reason forthis injunction as it describes the nature of theknowledge received. Four initiates, Hermes,Asclepius, and two others meet in an Egyptiantemple, but the unprepared and unworthy werenot invited for their fear of profaning the

knowledge that they were about to receive.Sometime during their convocation, possiblyat a moment of deep meditation, the fourreceived a message from the divinity, spokenthrough the lips of Hermes. This became thecontent of the Asclepius. In this event we find afundamental doctrine of the direct apprehensionor gnosis of Divine Will, unmediated by anyreligious authority.

That part of the Corpus Hermeticumknown as the Poemander gives an account ofcosmogony and the progress of the humansoul on its journey to the planetary spheres. Thesoul of an Egyptian pharaoh (and we read intothis, that of the initiate) eventually occupied hisplace as a star in heaven. It was another way ofdescribing human regeneration as the breakingaway of the human soul from the fetters of thephysical world in order to reach a more blissfulstate. The theme appears repeatedly in theUnderworld stories and their accompanyingrituals. In the “Opening of the Mouth Cere-mony” (depicted in the Tomb of Tutankhamon),the deceased (or initiate) breaks the fetters ofSeth to continue on his journey to become a star.And again, in the Amduat and the Book ofPylons, the sun god’s journey through the nightof the Underworld is constantly threatened byApophis the monster, but he reaches the Easternhorizon and passes into the heavens once moreto light up and renew the world.

Two Avenues of KnowledgeThe communication of a divine message

to Hermes, as described in the Asclepius, hintsat the method by which one receives true knowl-edge. It also strengthens the Hermes/Thothconnection. Sir Wallis Budge states that Thothwas held to be the heart and tongue of Ra (thepower behind the sun god), that is to say, hewas the reason and mental powers of the godsand also the means by which their will wastranslated into speech.4 Since time immemorialhumanity has had to make its choice betweentwo avenues of knowledge. One was throughthe exercise of the intellect, of the rational mindsifting, ordering, and classifying sensoryinputs from the physical world. The other wasby being responsive to intuitive flashes enteringinto one’s consciousness from an inner source,and apparently unprocessed by man’s rationalfaculty. Intuitive urges frequently contradictedreason; intuition was more certain if unconta-minated by analytical thought, and it wascautionary at times and regarded as divine. Thoth in his incarnation as a baboon.

Later Hermetic alchemists were convincedthat they acquired true knowledge along thispath, that is, knowledge acquired by personalvision or revelation. Commenting on this secondway to knowledge, Gilchrist writes: “Knowledgeexists . . . we can attune ourselves to receive it.It is possible for the individual consciousness tolink into a consciousness of a higher order andlearn from it.”5 It is normal for rational man,who seldom follows his intuition, to sometimesarrogate this intuitive power by claiming anyinexplicable insights as simply the end productof well-exercised rational mental processes.Opposed to this position, however, theHermeticist prefers to see these intuitions as agift to a mind that has become aware of itspotential and zealously uses it to advantage.Furthermore, such knowledge can always betested in daily life and its validity or practicalusefulness subjected to scrutiny.

The Arab Transmission of KnowledgeHermetic wisdom passed into the care of

Arabic alchemists before the Hejira era andreceived shelter in places like Baghdad andHaran, during the time when Christianity wasconsolidating its hold as the only legitimatereligious and educational authority in Europe.But following the Islamic conquest of largeparts of southern Europe from the 8th centuryonwards and the later contact of Crusaders withIslamic culture in Palestine after the 11th century,Hermetic texts and alchemical practice, togetherwith the discoveries of Arabic science, passedon to Europe. As the authority of the ChristianChurch sought to defend itself against heresies,scholarship in the monasteries which attemptedto accommodate new thought had to avoid anopen challenge to Church dogma. Despite thethreat of possible adverse repercussion, however,the seeds of the future Renaissance were sownin some cosmopolitan university cities whereJewish, Christian, and Islamic cultures com-mingled. Actual Hermetic literature did notreach Europe until the 15th century, and whenit did, it played a substantial part in humanisticand scientific ideas that shaped Western culturefrom the Renaissance to the present. It is byway of this track that we are able to find thealchemical thread stitching the RosicrucianEnlightenment of the early 17th century tothe Hermeticists of Alexandria and throughthem to the ancient mysteries of Egypt.

It would now be appropriate to set downsome of the tenets of Hermetic philosophy

that make it a significant part of thedevelopment of human thought and progress.Hermetic doctrine, sometimes described as manydoctrines welded into one because of its inter-disciplinary comprehensiveness, was to begrasped through the initiatic method, and thisimplied secrecy among initiates and neophytes.But what can be pieced together from texts andreports of Initiates only provides a generalpicture, and a small part at that; for one couldnever apprehend the teachings properly (sincethere was a nonrational element in this kind ofknowledge), without following the initiatic path.With this reservation in mind we can now lookat the philosophical content of Hermeticism.

Hermetic cosmogony was a dominanttheme in the books of Hermes. The wholeHermetic mystery lies in their conception ofthe First Creation and the creative process. Inthis, Hermetic thought closely follows Egyptiancosmogony, in pointing to the cosmos as acreation of an orderly universe from a formlessvoid, rather than from nothing. The agent orinstrument of that Creation was God or Mind.We know this because He expresses Himselfthrough the Creation. Characteristics of thisCreation included the principles of order,harmony, and vitalism. Order and harmony canbe more easily observed, allowing for irregularintervals of chaos. But the principle of vitalismis more difficult to grasp. Hermeticists held theview that the whole universe was a vast organismcomprising a hierarchy of organisms commonlysupported and linked by the principle of life.

James Lovelock’s Gaia TheoryModern expressions of this principle were

given impetus by James Lovelock’s Gaiatheory. Stating the principle in nonspiritualterms, he called attention to the fact that theplanet Earth, as part of a universe, was capableof regulating itself. All life forms—and “life”here is not seen as excluding the inorganic—were participants in this self-regulation. Thetheory explains weather patterns, catastrophes,and major ecological changes as attempts bythe Earth to reach the appropriate balanceafter chaotic or deliberate “disturbances.” Ifthe disturbances are caused by humanityeither through ignorance or irresponsibility, areciprocal change would occur to stabilize thewhole system.

The Hermeticist has always held the viewthat the three “kingdoms”—animal, vegetable,and mineral—contain the three elements of

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body, spirit, and soul. We may not know yet inwhat degree or quality they possess theseelements, but the Hermetic alchemists acted ontheir belief and tried to demonstrate this in their“workshops” as they tested the transmutationprocess in minerals and man, thus integratingtheir investigations of nature and man treatedas a whole. After a century of fragmentation andspecialization, science is now taking the holisticapproach of Hermeticism. It is now talking moreof the interrelatedness of things, of quantumtheory revealing the oneness of the universe, ofunderstanding reality only by recognizing theinteraction of observer and observed, and ofthe theory of “force fields.” Perhaps the timegap between Hermes/Thoth and the reaches ofmodern science is being narrowed rapidly anddramatically as we approach the Aquarian Age.

Interrelatedness of All ThingsOur earliest references to the ideas of

interrelatedness are to be found in the very rootsof Hermeticism, in ancient Egypt. A well-knowngoddess or principle appearing in their funerarytexts is that of Maat, the ordering principle ofharmony, balance, and equilibrium amongdifferent cosmic forces and of the dynamics oflife in organized forms. The ancient Egyptianwas guided by his belief that the afterlife and thepresent one simply represented one reality in twotime segments, death and birth being transit gatesfrom one to another. All man’s social and survivalactivities were treated as sacred tasks performedin resonance with like acts of the gods orenergies of the universe. In this way, the Egyptiancontributed his “magic” towards the main-tenance of this order and harmony.

This “unitary” view was later modified bythe Alexandrian Hermeticists to a duality ofworlds which had correspondences (“As above,so below”) and resonances between them. Muchlater, the Hermetic alchemist Robert Fludd(1572-1637) even postulated the existence ofthree worlds—the archetypal (divine), themacrocosmic (universe and nature), and themicrocosmic (man). A constant principle,however, operating in all these worlds was thatof correspondence, even in respect to the humanpsyche. If the psyche were to be consideredpart of living and sentient man, then it, too,mirrors the external universe, as it would be animage also of the archetypal world. If the divine,archetypal invisible world was part of the FirstCreation, so too would the process be reflectedin the conception, birth, and development ofman, and it would be capable of being revealedto his inner nature.

Paracelsus, the early 16th century alchemistrepeated this point when he said that the birthof man was analogous to the birth of the universe.A closer study of Egyptian mythology, however,demonstrates, this correspondence or parallelismexists at three levels: the creation of the cosmoswith its orderly yet sometimes chaotic nature,but always tending to equilibrium; the ebb andflow of energy expressed by the movement ofthe sun god Ra through the heavens and throughthe nightly journey in the Tuat, serving also toexplain seasonal changes on Earth; and downto man, in the events surrounding the birth,life, death, and rebirth of a pharaoh (or initiateof the Mysteries).

Principle of VibrationAnother tenet of Hermetic philosophy

relevant to the maintenance of life in the universewas the principle of vibration: everything moves,nothing is at rest, and the movement has avibratory character. Within the scope of thisprinciple, modern science has postulated thelaws of thermodynamics, the laws explainingthe changes in the material universe as a randomdistribution of energy and its conservation. Thetendency of forces to run down is counter-balanced by the generative principle. In this waythe universe does not have to come to a standstill.

That the Egyptian priests were somehowaware of this is shown in their use of thesistrum for magical purposes. To ensure thecontinuity of man’s participation in theprocesses of creation, they employed the sistrumin their rituals. This was a hand-held rattle inwhich four rods with loose beads were fixed onan elliptical frame, with attached handle. Theaction of shaking this rattle was intended toshake the forces of nature out of its inevitabletendency to slumber, the shaking of the rattlerestoring nature’s movement. In Hegelian terms,Ra’s movement into the Underworld is thethesis; his challenge by Seth is the antithesis;the ensuing struggle between Horus and Seth,in which Horus wins, is the new synthesis. Thefact that Horus is spared in defeat leavesopportunity for the cycle to be repeated.

The law of cause and effect, in both thenoumenal and phenomenal realms, was alsopostulated by Hermeticists. This law wasobvious to any observer and knowledge of ithas valuable applications in the conduct ofhuman life. An extensive mystic literature ofhuman evolvement relating to the soul andKarma (cause and effect in the soul’s journey)is to be found in the records of early Gnostic

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sects and in those of Oriental religions. Once anunshakable doctrine, the proclaimed universalityof this law of cause and effect has been challengedby the theory of synchronicity (events havingacausal relationships) and chaos theory (whererandomness manifests in an apparent universalorder and challenges predictability). However,for all practical purposes, the law has not lost itsvalidity, to the extent that decisions made oncausal relationships rarely fail (the likelihood of“smart bombs” missing their targets is infinite-simal, an apple very rarely falls on one’s headinstead of the ground); while chaotic events, likeweather patterns and unexpected social collapse,do not negate fundamental or physical laws ormetaphysical laws so long as we make allowancefor occasional disorder and unpredictability.

More redoubtable is the Hermetic principleof duality and polarity in our cosmic order.According to this principle everything is dualand has poles; everything has its pair of opposites;and opposites are identical in nature but differentin degree. Central to the philosophy of themystical Hermeticist is the attempt to reachthe original unity that once preceded the FirstCreation. Both the creation of the universe andman (the “splendrous being” of the Asclepius)represents the “fallen state.” When the onebecame two or more, there was created auniverse of time and space, of duality andconflict, of change and renewal.

The Hermeticist’s View Most early Gnostics and Christians saw

conflict in nature as a battle between the forces oflight and darkness, of good and evil, the spiritagainst the flesh, and so on. Man’s salvation layin rescuing the spirit from matter, the divinefrom the human (who was flesh bound), so as toattain unity of spirit with spirit. The Hermeticist,however, while accepting duality as a reality inman’s world, turned it into an opportunity to usehis freedom to manipulate nature and to changehimself, as he responded to the divine sparkwithin him and used it to regain all of what heonce had as primordial man. Attempting toreach his former unity meant having an aware-ness of the totality of his experiences here onEarth and achieving a harmonious integration ofspirit and body (since both are of God) by propermanagement of the energies of each part.Paradoxically, one became like a god in propor-tion to one’s progress in the attempt to becomemore “human.”

This fundamental principle of duality andreconciliation of opposites was enacted on a

cosmic scale in the Osirian myth. This isdescribed in the wall paintings of the greattombs and on papyri. In some part of the seriesof episodes of the life, death, and resurrectionof Osiris, the characters of Horus and Seth areseen joined together in one double-headed body.Usually they are separated and in conflict. Horusis the lofty spirit of aspiration, which Seth triesto drag down or oppose.6 The image appearsfrequently enough in each of two-hour divisionsof the Amduat and the Book of Gates, whereOsiris’ two faces represent the two forces ofopposition and renewal. Again the same booksshow Ra and Osiris as two neteru (energies) whopersonify life and death. Ra moves towards deathas he moves into the western horizon, and Osiris,the dead Neter, represents the process of rebirth.

Their union in the Underworld is beautifullypainted in a wall tableau of Queen Nefertari’stomb, in which Isis and Nephthys (goddessesassociated with the soul) are seen to care for aram-headed Osirian figure. The accompanyingtext reads: “It is Ra who rests in Osiris; it is Osiriswho rests in Ra.” These figures, then, representthe duality of life and death in the universe asin man; but the essential message is the themeof final reconciliation of opposites in a new unityin which death simply represents a transitionfrom one life to another. As expressed by oneRosicrucian writer:

“Life and death appear to be irreconcilableopposites; yet they form everlasting life. Neitherbirth nor death predominates; they alternate, ormore aptly put, they produce one another. Themysterious achievement of divine purpose canappear contradictory until this cyclic conceptof the renewal of life through cooperation andthe fusion of opposites is understood.”7

A patent example of this dualist principleis also to be seen in male-female functions andrelationships. This theme is heavily burdenedwith controversy on the historical role ordominance of one sex or the other, vis-a-vis theordering of society. Patriarchy and matriarchyhave become polarized in past eras in varioussocieties, while forces of reconciliation attemptedto restore a just balance and a comforting inter-dependence. Hermeticism took a particularposition in the debate, based more on intuitionthan on logic. The God-Mind, to the Herme-ticist, is conceived as androgynous, the femaleaspect of this unity being sophia (wisdom) andthe male christos (will). It talks of the elementsdominant in each of the sexes and how theseshould manifest according to cosmic law.

Agreeing with moral equality and justice foreach sex, an attitude becoming more prominentand supported by law in many countriestoday, the Hermeticists nevertheless point toan essential difference—that of the spiritualand physical development of either sex. TheCorpus taught that the spirit or soul may selectthe body of either sex according to itsparticular stage of development and in respectto the experiences it requires to further itsevolvement. Male and female social roles, ifthey exist or should exist, and what attributeseach sex may have over the other, must beworked out at the social and political level. Tothis individual of either sex, these attitudesand experiences form the raw material uponwhich each life works out its further evolution.

The nature of true wisdom is arcane—that is, mysterious, secret, and acquired in acertain way. Iamblichus, a 3rd century writeron the Hermetic Mysteries cautioned that the(arcane) path was not for everyone. Recall theancient adage that clean water poured into astagnant pool only muddies the water in it.Such wisdom as that which comes from thisspecial source, whether from Thoth, Hermes,the God-Mind, or the inner resources of theunconscious, and through the initiatic method,has to be protected by the “sheath ofinvisibility” and the “veil of Isis,” as cautionedin the Egyptian Mysteries. Gadalla sees this “veil”as the more Hermetic symbolism that lies behindsome hieroglyphic images and verbal symbolsin Egypt; they cover subtler metaphysical realitiesof the universe. Most probably, it was thesesubtler mysteries that formed the core of thehigher mysteries of Egypt, shrouded from theeyes of the profane. From the “mouth” of Hermeswe presume the veil becomes more and moretransparent as we proceed up the Three Mysteriesof Thoth: we start as Mortals, who are instructedbut have no vision; we become Intelligences,

and our vision extends to seeing the life-formswithin the universe; and then we becomeBeings of Light, and are one with the Light.

To dismiss Hermeticism as just anothersyncretist fusion among the profusion ofEastern Mediterranean cults is erroneous. Ithas stood the test of time, from its earliestorigins in the Nile Valley. As an enduring partof the Great Tradition, it sustains theconviction of those who repudiate blind faithin external authority and the rational ego,preferring to place their trust in theirintuition, their private conscience, and theMysteries, to reach a first-hand experience orgnosis of a higher reality, and then to ordertheir lives accordingly. S

Footnotes:1 Ralph M. Lewis, Analytical Discourses – MJ-138, “ThePhilosopher’s Stone” (San Jose, CA: AMORC).

2 E. Hornung, Die Nachtfahrt der Sonne (Zurich, Switzerland:Artemis, 1991) pp. 186-187. But there are two earlier referencesto Thoth as being “Thrice Greatest,” the earlier being in the3rd century B.C. (see M. Baigent and R. Leigh, The Elixir andthe Stone [London: 1997] p. 22).

3 C. Gilchrist, The Elements of Alchemy (Brisbane, Australia:Element, 1991) p. 39.

4 Sir Wallis Budge, Gods of the Egyptians, I, p. 407 (as cited inG.A. Gaskell, Dictionary of All Scriptures and Myths [Julien,NY: 1960]).

5 Gilchrist, op. cit., p. 24.6 Moustafa Gadalla, Egyptian Cosmology (Erie, PA: Bastet, 1997)

p. 45.7 Burnam Schaa, “Egypt, Land of Alchemy,” Rosicrucian Digest,

Aug. 1981 (San Jose, CA: AMORC).

For Further Reading:Hutin, Serge, (trans. T. Alferoff ), A History of Alchemy (NewYork, NY: Tower Publications, 1962).

The Three Initiates, The Kybalion (Chicago, IL: YogiPublication Society, 1936).

West, John Anthony, The Traveler’s Key to Ancient Egypt (Wheaton,IL: Quest Books/Theosophical Publishing House, 1995).

Yates, Frances A., Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition(Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1964).

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TRANSLATORS NEEDED!Text translators are needed to prepare for the October 2003 Martinist Trilingual Convention

in New York, the June-July 2004 World Peace Conference in San Jose, and for other projects.Rosicrucians and Martinists who are able to translate French, Spanish, and German documentsinto English, and English texts into these languages—your help is needed in this very worthwhileendeavor!

Please contact the Membership Director at 1342 Naglee Ave., San Jose, CA 95191, USA; orvia e-mail at: lodges@rosicrucian.org or by telephone at (408) 947-3681; and please include a briefrésumé of your language(s) and/or translation experience.

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ROSICRUCIAN CONVENTIONS/CLASSES/GATHERINGS

Active Rosicrucian members at any level of study are eligible to attend Rosicrucian Conventions, RCUI Classes, IRC Classes, Retreats,and Mystical Weekends, although certain activities at these events may be restricted. Traditional Martinist Order events are openonly to active TMO members, unless otherwise specified. Some of the events listed also include activities that are open to thepublic—check the event description to find out if there are such activities. For additional information, check the Calendar atour members-only website at www.rosicrucian.org/members

TAMPA, FLORIDARegional ConventionJuly 10-13, 2003Co-hosted by Aquarian Peace Lodge andOrlando Chapter at the Hyatt Regency Westshoreon Tampa Bay, 6200 Courtney CampbellCauseway, Tampa. Grand Lodge dignitary will beVice President Dr. Lonnie Edwards. Special Guestspeaker will be Alan Holt, F.R.C., of NASA. TheConvention theme—“Hearts in Space”—providesmembers the opportunity for a fascinating explor-ation of both inner and outer space. “MartinistDay” precedes the Convention. For more infor-mation, please contact Steve Pluhar at (727)712-3650, or email: flrc2003@tampabay.rr.com

MT. SHASTA (WEED), CALIFORNIARosicrucian Medicine Wheel RetreatJuly 16-20, 2003This Rosicrucian retreat at Stewart MineralSprings will explore the dynamic energy of the“Rosicrucian Medicine Wheel,” as taught byRCUI Instructor Robin M. Thompson. Unwindin the hot springs and enjoy the special environmentaround Mt. Shasta while you hike, meditate, relax,and learn. Retreat fee includes instruction, four-nights lodging, all meals, and mineral springs baths.For more information, please email:

kwark@rosicrucian.org

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIATMO Seminar/WorkshopAugust 9, 2003Greater Los Angeles Heptad sponsors this event atthe Westin Hotel-L.A. Airport, 5400 W. CenturyBlvd., Los Angeles. Speaker: Grand Lodge VicePresident Dr. Lonnie Edwards. Theme: “TheSecret Doorway to Reintegration.” Seminar isdesigned to assist students in becoming aware ofwho they truly are—discovering the true Self.Associate Degree Initiation at Hermes Lodge: Friday,7 pm, August 8. For more information, contactTMO Coordinator Julia Kirk at (323) 850-6746, orby email at: juliakirk@earthlink.net

LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADARCUI & Regional ConventionAugust 14-17, 2003The Eastern Canada/Western New York RegionalCommittee sponsors Convention at Saugeen-Maitland Hall, University of Western Ontario.Honored Guest is Grand Master Julie Scott; themeis “The Path of Ascent.” RCUI Instructor StevenArmstrong speaks on “J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of theRings and the Mystical Path.” For moreinformation, please email:

ingridhutchinson@fancol.com

DETROIT, MICHIGANGreat Lakes Regional ConventionSeptember 19-21, 2003Convention takes place at Holiday Inn-FairlaneDearborn, 5801 Southfield Service Rd., Detroit.Honored Guest is Grand Master Julie Scott;Convention theme is “Radiating Peace in a Worldof Strife.” Convention highlight will be the annualRosicrucian Memorial Ceremony (Pyramid Cere-mony) on Sunday, and for those who qualify, thenew 10th Degree Initiation will be offered inconjunction with the Convention. For more infor-mation regarding the Convention, please contactThebes Lodge Master Louis Rutan at (313) 537-1690 or email: LWRUTAN@aol.com For info aboutthe 10th Degree Initiation, contact GrandCouncilor Steve Kass at: kasssa@ameritech.netFor reservations at the Convention hotel, call1-800-HOLIDAY, and mention the group bookingcode “ROS” to receive the group discount rate.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTARegional ConventionOctober 3-5, 2003Sponsored by the West Central Regional Committeeat the Red Lion Hotel, 1870 Old Hudson Rd.,St. Paul. Grand Lodge dignitary will be GrandMaster Julie Scott. For more information, pleaseemail: shellmas@msn.com

(continued overleaf )

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The Martinist Way: Creating the Ideal Personality

Trilingual Martinist ConventionOctober 10-12, 2003 Rye Brook, NY, USA

REGISTRATION FORM (Please print clearly and one form per participant)

❑ Brother ❑ Sister ❑ Provincial Master ❑ Master of Heptad Key Number ___________

First Name ___________________________________ Last Name _____________________________

Street Address _________________________________ City ___________________________________

State/Province ________________ Zip/Postal Code _____________ Country ___________________

Telephone __________________________ Email _______________________________

Preferred Language: ❑ English ❑ French ❑ Spanish

❑ Associate Degree Initiation (October 9, 2003 at the NY Heptad). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AMRA $________Request for Initiation must be received by June 1, 2003

❑ Convention Registration, $135 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ ________

Sunday Excursions: ❑ Cloisters, $45 or ❑ Nicholas Roerich Museum, $45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ ________

❑ AMRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ ________

Total amount enclosed $ ________

METHOD OF PAYMENT:

❑ American Express ❑ Visa ❑ MasterCard ❑ Discover❑ Check or money order made out to AMORC Funds

Name on credit card (Please print clearly) _________________________________________________

Card Number _________________________________ Exp. Date: Mo. __________ Yr. __________

Signature ____________________________________________________________________________

Send to: TMO CONVENTION, 1342 Naglee Avenue, San Jose, CA 95191 USAor register on line at: www.regonline.com/?6481

Convention Hotel—Rye Brook Hilton: The convention hotel is the lovely Rye Brook Hilton,approximately 35 minutes from Manhattan and easily accessible from both JFK and LaGuardia airports andNew York City’s Grand Central Station. The convention rate of $125 per night is guaranteed untilSeptember 9, 2003. To book your room at our convention hotel, please visit the Rye Brook Hilton websiteat: http://www.ryetown.hilton.com Our group booking code is ROS or you may telephone the hoteldirectly at 1.800.445.8667. Please book early, as space is limited.

Registrations not accepted after September 15, 2003. Absolutely no registrations taken at the door.CONVENTION REGISTRATION IS LIMITED TO 500 ATTENDEES

RYE BROOK, NEW YORKTrilingual Martinist ConventionOctober 10-12, 2003Martinists from around the world gather tostudy principles brought out in the conventiontheme: “The Martinist Way: Developing theIdeal Personality.” Dignitaries: Sovereign GrandMaster Christian Bernard, and Grand MastersSerge Toussaint, José Luis Aguilar Moreno, andJulie Scott. Register online at:

www.regonline.com/?6481or use form below.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA50th Anniversary CelebrationNovember 13-16, 2003St. Christopher Lodge’s 50th Anniversarycelebration takes place at the Hilton KingstonHotel, 77 Knutsford Blvd., Kingston. GrandLodge dignitary will be Grand Master Julie Scott,and the theme is “Spreading the Light.”Come celebrate this wonderful achievement!For more information, phone Joseph Williams at(876) 925-9704 or email:

joewillmusic@cwjamaica.com

Registration Form

2004 AMORC World Peace ConferenceSan Jose CA USA

June 29 through July 4, 2004

To register for the 2004 AMORC World Peace Conference: You may either register on online at:

www.rosicrucian.org/worldpeaceconference/register

or mail this completed registration form with your payment to:

2004 AMORC World Peace ConferenceRosicrucian Park, 1342 Naglee Ave, San Jose CA 95191, USA

Please print clearly and use one form per participant:

❑ Frater ❑ Soror ❑ Colombe ❑ Grand Councilor ❑ Regional Monitor Key Number _______________

First Name: _________________________________ Family Name: _________________________________

Street Address: ______________________________ City: _________________________________________

State/Province: ________________________ Zip /Postal Code ________ Country: _____________________

Email: _____________________________________ Telephone: ____________________________________

Language (please identify all languages spoken): _________________________________________________

If possible, I prefer translation into:

❑ English ❑ French ❑ German ❑ Spanish

Event Fee Total

First Temple Degree Initiation AMRAJune 27 & 28 at the Grand Temple, Rosicrucian Park

RCUI Class:“Mysticism Brought to Life: Putting the Rosicrucian Principles into Action” $75June 29, 9 am-5 pm, Fairmont Hotel

RCUI Class: $75“The Rosicrucian Medicine Wheel”June 30, 9 am-5 pm, Fairmont Hotel

RCUI Class: $75“Introductory Qabalah for Rosicrucian Students”July 1, 9 am-5 pm, Fairmont Hotel

2004 AMORC World Peace Conference, July 2-4, Fairmont Hotel $150

AMRA Donation

Total amount enclosed:

Registrations will not be accepted after February 15, 2004. ABSOLUTELY NO registrations will be taken at the door.

PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD ONLY: ❑ VISA ❑ MasterCard ❑ American Express ❑ Discover

Card Number: ____________________________________ Exp. Date: Mo ___________ Yr ____________

Name on Credit Card (Please print clearly) ________________________________________________________

Signature: _______________________________________________________________________________

2004 AMORC WORLDPEACE CONFERENCE

Travel Back to the Source….

San Jose CA USAJune 29 through July 4, 2004

Schedule DetailsMon., June 28, 1 pm-9 pm: Check-in for those attending RCUI classes.

Tues., June 29, 9 am-5 pm: RCUI class “Mysticism Brought to Life: Putting the RosicrucianPrinciples into Action”–Edward Lee, FRC, Instructor

Wed., June 30, 9 am-5 pm: RCUI class “The Rosicrucian Medicine Wheel”–Robin Thompson,FRC, Instructor

Thurs., July 1, 9 am-5 pm: RCUI class “Introductory Qabalah for Rosicrucian Students”–June Schaa, SRC, Instructor

Thurs., July 1, 5 pm-9 pm: Check-in for those attending the Conference only.

Fri., July 2 – Sun., July 4: Conference program opens at 9 am on Friday morning and concludes at 6 pm on Sunday witha Chapter Convocation with our Imperator, Christian Bernard.

Convocations at Rosicrucian ParkConvocations will be held on the evenings of June 29 – July 3 in the GrandTemple at Rosicrucian Park. Attendees will be assigned a date and time to attendone of the convocations presented. We will not be translating the discourses givenin the Temple so attendees will be assigned to a convocation based on language.Space is extremely limited for these convocations and will be assigned based onearly registrations. Please book early if you are planning to attend one of theconvocations in the Grand Temple.

Hotel InformationThe Convention hotel is the elegant Fairmont San Jose Hotel,conveniently located in the heart of downtown San Jose approximately2 miles (3.2 km) from Rosicrucian Park and only a few minutes fromSan Jose International Airport.

To book your room you may contact the Fairmont San Jose Hotel directlyby phoning 1.800.346.5550 or 1.408.998.1900, and specify that you areattending the Rosicrucian World Peace Conference. Our group bookingcode is OAMO or for online booking you may go directly to the 2004AMORC World Peace Conference website at:

http://www.rosicrucian.org/worldpeaceconference/location/html

PostagePaid

Rosicrucian Park1342 Naglee Avenue • San Jose, CA 95191USA

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