the american rosae crucis, february 1917

8/13/2019 The American Rosae Crucis, February 1917

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The American Rosae CrucisA Monthly Magazine Devoted to Science, Philosophy and Religion.

Published by

The Department of Publication

Minister of Publication, Editor-in-Chief

A. B. Brassard, Business M anager T h o r Kiim alehto, Publication M anager

The American Rosae Crucis is published with the permission of the American Supreme Council ofthe Order, under the patronage of the Most Worshipful Grand Master General, H. Spencer Lewis, F.R.C.,Imperator of the Order for the North American Continent and its Dependencies and Territories.Approved by the Departmen t of Publication of the A merican Ministraro of the Supreme Council and bearsthe official mark of this Dep artmen t. En tered as second-class m atter F ebrua ry 14, 1916, at the Post-office

at New York under the Act of March 3, 1879. Ann ual subscrip tions for the U nited States, Can ada andMexico, $2.50. F oreign subscriptions, $3.50. Single curren t copies, 25 cents. Rem ittances should be byMoney Order or registered letter, made payable to “Supreme Grand Treasurer, A. M. O. R. C.,” 306 West48th Street, New York. Rem ittances sent otherw ise at send er’s risk.

D©

p Supreme Lodge, Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis j j

306 W ES T 48th STREE T, NEW YOR K CITY, U. S. A.

O

Do

N o tice T o O u r Readers

It is useless to comment further on the lateness of our issues. T ry as we will, we canno trush the issuing of our publication withoutinjustice to the quality and diversity of matter

we wish to produce.This February issue will be in the mails before May first, al th ough man y may notreceive it until May.

The March issue is under way and will follow in the mails about May 10th to 15th. Itmay be possible to put the April issue in themails before June first; if so, we can expectto have the July issue on time by gaining a

little each month.If you do not receive your copies when

others receive them, please inform the Publisher at once.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Why We Have a Secret Order ....................... 33

Patriotic Loyalty of Our Order ..................... 34

My Impression of the Order ........................... 35

O The Mystical Life of Jesus .............................36

Annie Besant on “Toleration”.......................

45

The Passing of the Master Morya ............... 46

0 Finding Yourself ............................................... 47

0* O " * * 1------ T f t n f t P —

Black Magic in America ....................................50

The Work of the Order ....................................53

The Illuminated Cross—Poem ....................... 55 jjThe Sacred Kingdom ........................................56 O

The National Convention................................

58

Rosae Crucis—Poem ..........................................60

Supreme Lodge Notes ......................................61

30E30E

A p ri l 10 , 19 17 , E x- Cat he dr a



W hy W e Have A Secret Order A n Explanation of Rosaecrucianism

The question is often asked: “Why is it

necessary to have a secret order to promulgatethe wonderful teachings which you have?” Tothis question there are many answers and someof these are noted here.

Primarily the idea of a secret order is tounite the students in one body for definitework and study with such obligations as makefor unity of thought and purpose.

There is no other school or institute anywhere in the world dealing with diversifiedsubjects and starting with the very elementsof an education which holds its students soclosely to the work and maintains such deter

mination of purpose on the part of the student body, as a properly organized secret society. This very point is utilized, this verylaw is appropriated by organizations or groupsof evil workers also because of the efficiency it produces. W he n used for good it means won derful good; when used for evil it means formidable power.

Furthermore the teachings which our Order pr om ulga te are not fo r every one. This istrue, not because we so decreed it, but becausemany are not ready to receive them and understand them. There are many powers and

forces in nature which can be used for wonderful good, which all of us admit would be dangerous in the hands of the incompetent, insincere or evil minded. Bu t if we are mistake nin this opinion, based upon experience of athousand or more years, then the mistake can be remedied by those who believe otherwise .For, a widespread demand for our teachings, ademand by every human being for such knowledge, if ever manifested sincerely, accompanied with unselfishness, will bring a quick response on our part and our work will be opento all. Bu t time has shown and continues toshow, that out of every hundred men andwomen we meet casually there are only fifteenor twenty who are willing to devote one houror one day a week to deep and careful studyof the laws and principles involved in our work.

That the average human being is ready to

have someone tell him any great secret of life,

pe rfo rm some miracle, or make som e cure orotherwise apply the teachings of our Order,is granted. Bu t such willingness to be shownor given some interesting fact or law does notconstitute a sincere desire to study, master andunselfishly apply the laws and forces of naturefor the good of hum anity. And tha t is whywe have an Order, a systematized schooling,a secret organization and a method of selecting who shall and who shall not receive theteachings.

However, what is said above does not meanthat because but few are willing to study and

master the laws, all should not benefit by theknowledge which our Order possesses. Infact the very purpose of our Order is not togratify the personal desires of the members forknowledge, but to teach and help them to workin the interests of humanity. While only afew may know the laws, every man, womanand child, yea even the dumb animals, shouldreceive the benefits of that knowledge.

Every Rosaecrucian promises, in exchangefor the knowledge which he or she receives,to do at least one great act for humanity orfor some man or woman before passing out of

this life. Ou r wo rk is, therefore, altruistic,huma nitarian and utilitarian. The secrecy inour Order applies only to the study and teaching of the laws; the practise of them is to bedone in the open, for all, without regard torace, color or creed.

For many hundreds of years the Order hasgrown with this principle, and it is to-day themost powerful, silent, secret, unpretentious andunselfish agent for good known to man.

To heal the sick without demand for remuneration; to advise and direct those groping inthe dark by honest and unbiased advice; toremedy and trans mu te the evil forces into agencies for good,—these are the avowed purposesof our Order.

Are YOU ready for Rosaecrucianism? Inyour own answer will you find the reason forthe secrecy and th e exclusiveness of our Order.



M a n u s c r i p t s

should be typewrittenon one side of paper only,and should be accom panie d by postage to cove rcost of possible return.

Agents are appointed inevery part of the world towhom liberal inducementsare offered and exclusiveterritories assigned.

U. S. Subscr iption $2.50 yr .KForeign ' $3 .50 y r .SSingle Copy . . 25 cts ^

I Copyright, 1917, by A. M. O. R. C.o f Nor th Amer ica , Supreme Grand Lodge

S V olume 2 Num ber 2

THE American Rosae

Crucis is issued bythe Supreme Lodge, A.

M. O. R. C . 306 West48th Street, New York.

All communications should be add res sed to the com

pa ny . Rem ittance s made

by N . Y . Ban k Draf t orPostal Money Order.

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Patriotic Loyalty of Our Order Extracts from the Gre at Initiates O ath of the A. M . O. R. C . in the U nited States

“ . . . with the Will of God we shall, as Rosaecrucians and Brothers and

Sisters of the Order in America, uphold all the laws of the Government of the

United States; that we shall never be guilty of treason; that we shall honor

and respect the Flag of the United States; that we shall be good and useful

citizens . . . for the upbuilding of a better and more glorious nation of up

right, Godly, loving people.” . . .

(This Oath has been taken by every member upon entrance into the Order, and the Order is

just ly prou d, as it alw ays ha s been, of its loya lty to th e co unt ry in wh ich it op erates . To true

Rosaecrucians loyalty to the Country is second to loyalty to God and God’s purposes.)



My Impression of tke Order Hon. Andrev? Dickson Barlov?, Former American Consul General to Mexico

AN’S extremity is God’s opportunity.” So familiar, so frequently usedand yet—know YOU the meaning?

’Twas thus, in the year 1889, in a Western city, I caught a glimpse

of the “Light,” which shineth always, for youand for me, everywhere.

Dense was the darkness but dependable hasthe “Ray” since proven to have been, in whosecare I placed at that time, my very life.

“If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.”

(Mark 4:23.) Now!To life, there is something more th an appears

on the fashion plates, animate or inanimate,even here in New York; and that somethingI, too, wished to KNOW; for having inhaleddeep the sweet perfume, the flower was mysoul’s desire.

“Seek and ye shall find.” (Mat. 7:7.)Long and troublous has been the way and

oft have I faltered, for many and alluring werethe temptations.

“Lo here, lo there” did the voice of darkness cry unto me. Like the “b ark ers” of theshow, it was, come hither and join our latest brand of “up-to-the-minute” or “Latestthought” ism, we “guarantee” satisfaction.Alas! too often did I stop to listen; sentimental pap for Truth, multifarious (and his numerous family) beliefs, “lofty” ideas and theories substituted for Knowledge, and formsinnumerable of selfishness and self-aggrandizement for Love.

Onward, onward went the pilgrim, feeling pe rhaps as did Cardina l New man wh en hewrote “Lead Kindly Light” on his return fromEngland.

“Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge (Prov. 1 :7)and “Blessed are they who dohunger and thirst after righteousness, for theyshall be filled” (Mat. 5:6). Liste n to tha t

prom ise for you, N O W ! In qu estion ing doub tto the American Branch of the Ancient and

Mystical Order of the Rosae Crucis was I led.Overcome with uncertainty, many were myinterrogatories, but as little by little the re plies stood the te st , th e clouds faded and Ireceived by word and demonstration positive pro of of the power, wisdom, goodness and divinity of the AMORC for which I had soearnestly sought for many years, and I learnedthat since the year 1500 B. C. the order has

been an educat iona l one ,—b ut, de ar reader,whence cometh Knowledge?

After due and proper formalities, I was indeed happy to learn that my application for admission into the Order had been accepted andI was told to present myself prepared to takemy first initiation.

That night I shall ever remember—educational indeed! The “New Wine” was not

poured in to “Old Bot tles .” (M at. 9:17.)Forms and ceremonies? Yes, of rare beauty

bu t far , fa r m ore ; the su bs tance of a deep andeverlasting reality. The shell was not devoidof meat. Do you understand?

Step by step I traveled on safe ground, freefrom the quicksands, which we of the world,all so well know. Th ere was no speculation,nothing taken for granted. All stood the test,or will before it is finished; and there it wasI found satisfaction . Souls, w ith discerningminds there gathered, ’twas not the herding ofcattle for the “brand.” Free from frivolity areour deepest and most lasting joys.

The flower laden atmosphere of the Templevibrated by the sweetest music. Com ple te was the Circle an d in perfect accord I par tic ipated in a soul-in sp iring In it ia tion accompanied by thirt y other neophytes. Withconfidence complete in our dependable guide,

to higher realms were we taken.“Depending on the strength of self,I sought for peace in vain,And found it not ’till hopefully,I turned to Him again.”

—H an ne rty.



The Mystical Life of J esusA n O utline H istory of the Birth, Life, Initiation and Transition of the Master

Revealing Hitherto Unpublished Facts Extracted From Secret Rosaecrucian Records

By H . Sp encer Lev?is, F. R. C .

INTRODUCTION

It was not a simple task I set for myselfwhen I finally determined to gather togetherfrom a great mass of records such facts aswould cast new light on the life of the manJesus. Even after the first casual reading ofsome of the papers, records and notations bearing upon the life of Jesus found among themost ancient of our documents, I was im

pressed with the greate r prob lem of ap proac hing such a history with the proper spirit. Nothing an tagonistic to an y relig ious doc

trine or belief should enter an unbiased historyof so great a man,—one whose every act,thought and intent have been used as a basisfor some form of religious, philosophical orhum anitarian practise. Th at there would bestatements made contradicting the many well-established beliefs in regard to Jesus seemedunavoidable; that other statements would bemade which would give a different interpretation to Biblical statements also seemed inevita ble. But a frank, ho nest and reason able pre sentation of these illuminating statementswould be most welcome to the greater numberof students of the life of Jesus, and this alonewarrants the publication of this history.

To those who find in these pages that whichdispleases or disappoints, I can say only this:If to you the ideal of Jesus is in any wayshattered, marred or transformed by this exposition of the real man, you must decide whichshall be your Jesus,—the ideal of your heartand soul, or the great, good Master of fleshand Spirit.

From a Rosaecrucian point of view the Jesus

of our records is no less noble, inspired, divine,good, loving and ideal than the Jesus of St.Paul, St. Mark and St. John; but our Jesus

is a brother, a friend, an Initiate, a man, aleader and a teacher whom we still look uponas the highest ideal of Rosaecrucian development in man, possible of imitation and probable of return.—The Author.

CHAPTER ONEThe Parenthood of Jesus.

Jesus was born of Gentile parents throughwhose veins flowed Aryan blood and in whose

hearts and minds had been implanted the Jewish religion.

This is the simple, straightforward, definitestatement found throughout our Rosaecrucianrecords.

There is ample proof, too, of the correctnessof this statement aside from the many references in our own archives. In the Bible, theTalmud and in many reliable records havingnaught to do with our work, we find statements which can mean nothing else than averification of the above positive statement; but th ese same statemen ts have been ei therlightly or incorrectly appreciated and inter preted .

The parents of Jesus lived in Galilee. Thereis no possible dispute on this point; and theywere Galileans, beyond any doubt. So our firstconsideration should be of Galilee and the Galileans.

In the 15th verse of the fourth chapter of St.Matthew we read a very significant statementwhich will warrant a careful investigation. Weread: “Galilee of the Gentiles.”

To the Bible student this remark shouldopen a great field of thought and research.More than likely thousands of Bible students

have read this statement and passed it by without due consideration. In fact, I find that muchwritten in this history of Jesus would be known

The Author is indebted for some of the foreign translations and Jewish comments used throughout this History, to Prof. H. Gratz of the University of Breslau, Rabbi Sigmund Frey, Paul Haupt,Edward Day and A. Kampmeier.



and understood from a proper and careful studyof the incidental statements made in the Synodic Gospels.

Jesus himself was called The Galilean.In th e F irst Book of the M accabees, the four

teenth to the twenty-third verse, we read thatmessengers from Galilee with to rn clothing andin great anguish came to Judas Maccabaeusand reported that “they of Ptolemais and ofTyrus and Sidon and all Galilee of the Gentiles are assembled against us to consume us.”And Judas told Simon, his brother, to choosecertain men to go to Galilee and rescue theJews who were in Galilee, that they might not be pe rsec uted by the Gentiles. Simon took3,000 men into Galilee where he fought many bat tles with the “h ea th en s” and those Jews liv ing in Galilee (or in Arbatta, as it states) andtheir wives and children were brought safely

into Judea.In this story we find much illumination,

though some few side-lights from our Rosae-crucian records of that period will help to ex

plain th e full im po rt of th is epoch mak ingevent.

This transfer of the Jews living in Galileewas made in 164 B. C. At abou t the sametime Judas Maccabaeus rescued his brotherswho lived among the “heathens” in the northof the country (and East of the Jordan) and br ou gh t them all to Jerusa lem.

According to this account, and many others,

there were Jews in Galilee after the year 164B. C. Th ereafter Galilee continued as a nation of Gentiles or “heathens” (with an interesting history, well worth deep study) untilthe year 103 B. C. when Aristobulus, grandson of Simon, and first King of the Jews, forcedall living in Galilee to adopt circumcision andthe Mosaic Law. Since then the Galileanswere Jews by religion but not Jews by race.

Now, these Juda ized Ga lileans were calledItureans (see Luke III, I) and the word meantAssyrians. This fact presents such an interesting story that it must not be passed by;furthermore it reveals the true parenthood ofJesus.

In the Second Book of Kings, Chapter XVand verse 29, we find an outline of the storywhich is well authenticated in our records andothers. It tells how in the days of Pekah, Kingof Israel there came Tiglath-pileser, King of

Assyria who took Ijon, Janoah and Kedesh andothers and Galilee, all the land of Nepthaliand carried them captive to Assyria.

Now, Tig la th -p ileser IV was the foun der ofthe Assyrian empire. His deportation of theGalileans to Assyria occurred in 738 B. C. Thedescendants of these deported Galileans weretherefore called Itureans.

In the cuneiform inscriptions of Tiglath- pi leser th er e is reference to th is co nq uest ofGalilee, but it has been misunderstood, as havemany other statements in the Bible relating toGalilee, because few knew that Galilee is referred to as the LAND OF HAMATH.

The same name, Hamath, is used in the OldTestament, but it seems that modern studentsof the ancient w ritings did n ot recognize in thisword Hamath the name of the ancient capitalof Galilee. However, let it be known now tha t

Ham ath is the famous hot springs half an hoursouth of Tiberias on the Western shore of theSea of Galilee.

Often in the Old Testament one may read ofthe “entrance to Hamath” and it always refersto the part of the northern boundary of Palestine. It is the WAD Y ALHA MM ANS nearMagdala, three miles northwest of Tiberias,where Mary Magdalene was born. In Num

be rs XX XIV , ve rse 7, we read th at the northern boundary of Palestine ran from MountCarmel on the Mediterranean to Mount Hor orMount Tabor, five miles east of Nazareth; and

from Mount Tabor to the entrance to Hamath,and so on.Other Biblical references to Hamath are as

follows: The King of Ham ath, who sent hisson to salute David, was a Galilean; Solomon’s storehouses or granaries which he builtin Hamath, were situated near the Sea of Galilee. The territory of Ham ath which JeroboamII recovered for Israel about 750 B. C. was theregion west of the Sea of Galilee.

The true spelling of the name is Hammothor Hammath, the Assyrian form being Ham-mati, which means Ho t Springs. In the XIXChapter of Hoshua, verse 35 we read: “Thefenced cities are Ziddin, Zer, and Hammath,Rak kath and Chinnereth.” This should read:Ziddin, Zer and HAMMOTH RAKKATHCH INN OR OT H. Then it would mean thecities of Ziddin, Zer and “Hot Springs on theShore of The Great Harp .” The first “and”



These were the conditions at the very dawnof civilization, when in the valleys of the Nileand the Euphrates certain minds were illumined and discerned many simple truths. They be gan to th ink, to reason , to analyze and to

study the traditions which had been handeddown from prehistoric nations. They comparedthe old beliefs of the Atlanteans with the beliefs of their own peoples. They exam ined thecarefully recorded and classified practises ofthe ancients with the subconscious actions ofthe present minds. And in such study theyfound evidences of the working of the CosmicMind which gives true understanding to all peoples at all tim es.

They found in their own circles of philoso ph ers those who seemed to pe rceive Divinelyor Cosmically. Th ese illumined minds seemed

to be attuned in some strange way so thatknowledge came as if by inspiration.Thus there came to be among the discern

ing a few who were looked upon as naturalinterpreters and teachers of nature’s laws. Tothese few the others turned in reverence, if notfear, for an explanation, an understanding anda protection.

These sages, mystics, seers, could offer noother explanation of their understanding thanthat given by the astounded multitude. Theywere “chosen,” born for the high and gloriouswork of directing, teaching and leading the

misguided.Gradually the myths dissolved and reason and logic supplanted imagination. In the placeof childish fancies, limited coincidences andvague intelligences there came recognition ofspecial divinities and unseen powers.

The great, natural, inspired teachers bandedtogether for the promotion of their studies and practises. The y ha d come to learn, und ou btedly from experience, that through silent meditation amid quiet surroundings and suggestiveenvironment, a greater influx of knowledgecame as understanding by attunement. Attune-

ment to what and how, they may have learnedonly very gradually. Bu t the act or necessityof meditation is one of the first conscious practices they recorded as a law.

The result of this known law was the building of temples, grottoes or other places where

these men—and women—could meet in silenceand reverence.

It is a natural thing for the mind of man toreverence that which seems supernatural orabove the natural. Certainly their experiences

in being able to comprehend the mysterious,taught or impressed them reverentially.The history of these early temples, as re

corded in our own Rosaecrucian documents(and reflected in some of our ceremonies inour Lodges to-day) indicates that the mysticsappreciated the effects, the dominating influences, of environment. Therefo re considerableattention was given to the plan, architectureand decorations of these early Temples.

That it was necessary to meet in secrecy aswell as silence must have come as a result ofstudied diplomacy.

These sages or mystics were dispelling notonly ignorance, but the sacred superstitions ofthe people. Slowly, throu gh a century ofyears, the beliefs and fancies of the uneducatedminds were giving way to less understandable

but more ar bit ra ry and au to crat ic in te rp re ta tions. The deities of imagination were beingsupplanted by,gods of reason; and these couldnot be summ arily dismissed or altered in powerand influence to suit the contingencies of individual vicissitudes.

Such destructive and constructive work wassure to antagonize as many, if not more, mindsthan were pleased and benefited; and as in the

world to-day, evil is more drastic, more spontaneous and more intense than good. Th erefore it behooved these sages and mystics tomeet in secrecy in their sacred temples, andthere, in med itation and discussion, receive and propou nd th e know ledg e which cam e fro m theCosmic Mind.

To these temples in Egypt came men frommany lands to study and acquire; and as theymarvelled at the wisdom of the sages they, too,came to realize that some men were born Divinely attuned or inspired to receive the understanding of all mysteries.

Gradually there was established a firm belief—which assumed the nature of a doctrine —that in every century or every cycle, gr ea tmen were born to become teachers and leaders.

It is not impossible to trace the slow development of this idea into the doctrine held by



the sages for a hundred or more years priorto the birth of Jesus.

In fact, our Rosaecrucian records for 600years prior to the birth of Jesus, show that, inaccordance with a well established periodicity,

there was born to each nation of peoples Onewho should be born nameless but become greatof name. It w as the exactness of the periodicity—the periodical recurrence of the birth ofsuch an avatar—that led to the discovery ofthe law of re-incarnation. This phase of thesubject is too vast, however, to be treated atthis time.

Then came the great light to Egypt whenAmenhotep IV (the great Master of the Rosaecrucian Order) promulgated for the first timethe doctrine of one grea t God who was supremeand from which Divine Intelligence came alllaws, all powers and all that was.

Believing that the time had come—then 1358B. C.—to spread such an important revelationto the minds of all men, he undertook a revo-'lution of the religion of Egypt, Syria andPersia. It was fraug ht with dire consequencesand great potential good; but the populacewould have none of it; and, as the greatest ofall Egyptian historians, Breasted, has said, thegreat light came, illuminated the darkness fora while, and passed away,—the first doctrineof montheism ever given to the world.

Bu t the thou ght of Am enhotep spread. Thelight had not shone in vain. The sages and

mystics of the Temples still taught the truthsof Amenhotep and these reached and fired thehearts of the people of Israel.

So there came into Israel an intellectualforce, an ethical sense and a religious spiritwhich brough t many changes. The ir god became the great “Yahveh.” To the simple mindstheir god was a mythical deity to whom theyattributed powers and abilities which their wisest men could not understand. Th roug h theirforms of worship their god gradually becameone who was to be feared and loved, respectedand dreaded, approachable and unapproachable, just and unjust, jealous, revengeful, mysterious and mystical.

Judaism inherited much mysticism from theEgyptian teachings through the teachers whocame back from Egypt, and even the Persianteachings made modifications from time to

time. In this wise arose the beliefs in a dual po wer in the un iverse ,—good and evil, m aterial and immaterial, physical and spiritual; andto each they attributed a domain,—heaven forthe good and the spiritual, hades for the evil

and the material.In this doctrine was found an explanationof the contests of life. Egy ptian and Persianmysticism and philosophy helped them to conceive that the good and evil forces of the universe were ever contesting for control of man,and that man in every action expressed thiscontest. The evil tha t men did was the tem

por ary victor y of the evil forces in m an ; thegood he did was likewise a temporary victoryfor the good forces. Disease and disa ster—even the calamities in nature—were other ex pressions of th is co ntes t betw een the tw oworlds or the two realms.

Then came the belief in the final victory ofgood over evil. Goodness by its virtu e musteventually prevail and the kingdom of God, of“Y ahveh,” mu st be victorious. As a supplement to this thought came another, which was,after all, the dominating thought of Israel atthe time Jesus was born. It was tha t God,or the great Messiah, would visit Israel andredeem the land and its people from the tem po ra ry victor ies of evil. He would come tosave, to reign, and take into His kingdom allIsrael. He would destroy not only all evil,

but all na tion s no t su bju gat in g to Is ra el’s re

demption . Th e house of David was to becomethe greatest nation on earth, and a new Jerusalem, the glorified Zion, would be established.

This was the doctrine, the belief, the hopeand the prayers in Israel; and back of this, inthe minds of the wise men who had contactedthe mysticism and teachings of Egypt was thefirm, though silent, belief that a great leader,a true avatar, was to come as a representativeof the Cosmic Forces as others had come beforein Egypt and Assyria.

Thus, at the very hour preceding the birthof Jesus, we find the land of Israel expecting bo th a Messiah, and, with a few, an avata r;while Egypt confidentially expected another ofthe periodical avatars, a re-incarnated Master.Truly there was a perfect, mystical setting forso imp ortant an event. It required but theright flame, timely applied, properly an



coa

nounced, to arouse the dormant passions ofthe land.

CHAPTER 3The Name of Jesus.

It may be a startling statement to make, butit must be said that the name Jesus was NOTthe name with which this great man was christened, nor was it given to him until after hehad given evidence of mighty powers and wonderful understanding.

To the inquisitive mind a number of questions most naturally arise, and among theseare: W as the name “Jesu s” given to the childat birth?

Certainly we have many Biblical statementswarranting our belief that the name of Jesuswas actually given to the unborn child; but

there are other Biblical statements which seemto contradict this. Therefore the inquiringmind should examine all possible referencesand records.

The Gospel of St. Luke tells us the familiarstory of how an Angel appeared to Mary andtold her that her unborn child would be calledJesus. But this statem ent and tha t in St. M atthew are prophecies. The y say, simply, thatMary SH AL L bring forth a child who SHA LL be know n as Jesus.

There is no statement that he should bechristened or named Jesus at the time of his

circumcision, but we do find reference to suchnaming at his circumcision elsewhere in theGospels of the Infancy of Jesus.

We must remember, however, that theseGospels were written long after Jesus was

po pu la rly kn ow n as Jesus. To his followersand those who wrote of him, he had beenknown always as Jesus. They never seem tohave questioned for one moment how he cameto have the name Jesus and for how long hewas known by that name.

The fact that it was predicted that this childSHOULD be named Jesus causes one to ask,

Why? and in the answer one finds much illumination.

Many references in the Bible inform us thatMary was told that the child would be of theHoly Spirit, or because of his greatness, or

since he would come to save the world fromsin, he SHOULD be called Jesus.

Here was a babe to be born to humble parents of Galilee. The pa rents were not of Jew ish blood nor Hebrew tongue. Neither thefather or the mother exhibited any unusual un

ders tand ing of God or God’s laws. Th ere isno evidence of any pretensions on the part ofthe parents; in fact every recorded phase ofthe birth of the man Jesus—excepting the prophecies and the tr ad it io nal stor y of theW ise Men—is one of hum anness . And, wesearch in vain for any concrete, definite statement from Jesus himself or his parents thathis birth was other than a most simple, unpretentious, human event.

The unusual Divinity of Jesus is not to beconsidered in this history, for two reasons;first, because we have so little except tradition

upon which to build, and secondly, because ithas no bearing whatever upon the interesting pa rt s of his life which alone crea ted the necessity for such a history as this.

So, in considering the cause or causes forthe naming of this man “Jesus,” and before theRosaecrucian facts are set forth, I shall present an interpretation of the name.

We have heard so often that the word Christcomes from the Greek “Christos,” which, translated, is said to mean Messiah.

We find that the word Christos was originally introduced when the Septuagint was pre pared, ab ou t 100 B. C., and th at it was used totranslate the word Mashiach, “the anointedone” or in its more complete form, Meschiach

—Ja hv eh , “Jah veh’s an ointed .” W e find theword used in First Samuel II, 10; XII, 3 and5; XVI, 6; XXIV, 7 and 11, and elsewhere.In Isaiah XLV 1, however, Cyrus is calledChristos, and in Psalms CV 15, the plural form,Christoi is used to apply to the patriarchs. TheOld Testament use of the word Christos islimited to mean a Jewish King, except in thecase of Cyrus and the patriarchs, which exceptions prove that it could mean a man great inmore ways than one. In the New Testament,

however, the word has a distinct meaning.After the birth, life and death of Jesus, theword Christ is used exclusively to mean theMessiah. W hy this change in the meaning—or rather application—of the word should occur



T H E A M E R I C A N R O S A E C R U C I S

br in gs us at once to the qu es tion : W hy wasit applied to Jesus?

Going back to the Septuagint, we find that,instead of the word Christos being a Greekword, it comes, like nearly all the names ofGreek deities, from the Egyptians.

To the Egyptians the word, as I will show,had a very specific meaning; and it was properly applied to the man Jesus for specific reasons.

To Egypt can we turn for many names ap pe ar ing in the Bible. And, in th is re ga rd afew citations will prove interesting to Rosae-crucians and Masons.

There was old Hermes whose name has beencorrupted or translated into Heram of Tyrewho built the temple without noise of axe or

hammer. The Latin form of the name is Mercury ; the G reek form is H erm es; and th eEgyptian form was Tachut. In HebrewTachut (called “Thoth” occasionally in Greek)means “und er” and “benea th.” “T ho th” islord of Maa (Egyptian Maa or Maat) meaning“truth,” and Maa kHeru meaning “truewords,” from which came the Greek form“Merkury or Mercury. The Egyptian verb Taor Da, “to give,” is the The-os of the Greekand the De-us of the Latin. The Latin word Natur a, (E ng lish , N atur e) is likewise deriv edfrom the Egyptian word Neter, meaning “God”

or “divine.” Jup iter is also derived from theEgyptian E-Gypt-Ur, meaning “Great Egypt,”a name applied to the Nile.

Now, at the time the Sep tu ag in t wa s pr e pa red the wh ole of Egypt was concerned witha discussion of “L ogos.” The word, its meaning and portent was the cause of speculationin all the schools and Temples around theMediterranean. This was at the time that, asstated in the preceding chapter, the Mysticsand Sages were anticipating the coming of areincarnated Avatar, while the priests of Israelwere looking for the coming Messiah.

In Egypt the equivalent of the Logos wasTachu t. As previously stated, Tachu t was thelord of truth, or “true words,” and as MaakHeru he had written a guide for the soul onits journey through the Shades to Aalu. Thisguide, at first simulated on papyri, was later

symbolized by the words “Maa kHeru,” andthese latter words were invariably placed afterthe name of the deceased on the funeral

papy ri. In classic mytho logy we find th istranslated by Mercury or Hermes accompany

ing or escorting the Soul.Further investigation of Egyptian writings

reveals that Tachut (or Maa kHeru) was notonly considered the protector of the dead butthe creator of the living,—that is, he createdthe world and was therefore the best guide ofthe soul in its passage into, and out of theworld.

Because of this act of creation, and becausehe spoke “true words” the Egyptian Sages andmystics associated “truth,” or “voice,” or“words” with creation, and they held that bythe “truth” or “word” was the world created.

This view is still held by the Rosaecruciansand demonstrated in our occult way to be correct in theory and fact. The idea has alsofound its way into the Theology of manycreeds.

The idea was further developed by the Egyptians to mean that Tachut was a personification of the “word” and in many Egyptian writings we find kHeru to represent the “voice.”

It is only a step further in the developmentof this idea to have a personified “Logos,” representing the Word of Creation.

The Egyptian letter kH is a highly aspired

H, and by the Greeks is usually transcribedas X and vice versa. Th e value of the GreekX is usually transcribed as Ch. The kH eru ofthe Egyptians would be, therefore, Cheru orCh—R. These latter letters form the famousX P cryptogra m of the early Christians. Itis generally accepted that this XP referred toChrist, and in the Greek Gospel of John, Jesusis called the “Logos.”

From all this it is plain that the word“Christ” was a term or title to be specificallyapplied, and the sense of the term naturallyimplies that it w ould be applied to one who had

earned that title or demonstrated worthinessor reason for being so honored and glorified,if not deified.

The name or word “Jesus” presents the sameunderstan ding. The older Heb rew form of theword, as found in the Old Testament, is



“Joshua” or “Jeshua” and could be rendered“Jesu,” the Greek form of the name being responsible for the final s. Originally the H e

brew form m ea nt “helped of Yahve h” wh ilethe later Hebrew form meant “to deliver” or

“to save.” Therefore Jeshua came to be knownas meaning “saviour” to the followers of Jesus.That this name “Jesus” was not generally

applied to Him in his early work or even during His great work, is indicated in many passages in the B ible which have not been affected

by la te r in te rp re ta tions or additions. In MarkV I: 1 to 3 we find that Jesus is referred towithout the title, in this wise: “Is not this theCarpenter, the son of Mary?” and in Matthewthe question is practically the same.

Now here in the Sy noptic Gospe ls are th e disciples reported as calling their Master “Jesus.”

They did call Him “rabbi” (teacher) and“adthonai” (Master) and other titles of respectand love, without the slightest reference to anytitle such as “Jesus ” implies. Nor did Jesusever apply the term to Himself except in onecase where He charged His disciples with notspeaking to others of Him as “Jesus theChrist!”

Sometime during His ministry—and towardthe close of His life—the term or title “Jesus”was applied to this man, and at His death, ifnot before, the believers in Him came to lookupon Him as “Jesus” because He had beentheir deliverer, their Saviour and their Christ.

But whether or not the name and title wasapplied during His childhood or later in lifehas no bearing upon the application of the titleto-day to a man who, as we shall see in a laterchapter, truly deserved the title.

The point to be remembered is that when theman Jesus was christened at the time of Hiscircumcision He was given the name Joseph—the name of His father—as shown by the record of his Initiation, introduced in this historyin another chapter

CHAPTER IV.The Birth of Jesus.

To approach a subject like this is a difficulttask; it presents almost insurmountable obstacles. One is deeply impressed with the im portan ce , the signif icance and the consequencesof every point connected with an event whichhas done more to bring the light of God into

the darkened corners of the earth than anyother event of history.

The very greatness of the event; the dominating grandeur of its significance—and the be au tif ul simplic ity of its envi ronm en t,—these

alone, aside from any religious aspect, makemy act seem a sacrilege to discuss and analyzethe event in cold type with modern tongue.

Since this history is to deal with the m ysticalevents in the life of Jesus, however, I will confine my record to only those points castinglight in that direction, and will leave to theinspired minds and pens the other, sweeter,Christian points so sacred to the hearts andsouls of many.

My first consideration will be of the birth place of Je su s, (for I shall co ntinue to use thetitle bestowed upon the Master).

An examination of the Biblical statementsregarding the birth place of Jesus is sure toleave one in much doubt as to the exact locality—that is, the city or town of the nativity.Accounts, records and statements vary, andone must always remember that all the Biblicalaccounts were written after Jesus had passedon to a higher plane.

Records written of a man many years—ahundred or more—after his transition, are veryapt to be influenced by the traditions, the im

pressions an d the ag gr an dizing stor ies to ld byhis adm irers. Th is is especially so when therecords are written by those admirers whoare anxious to show every good reason for theglorification of the man.

We have the same conditions to contendwith in the study of the lives of more modernmen than Jesus; even in the lives of men ofour own country and our own generation.

In the latter part of the life of Jesus and es pecially af te r the crucif ixion, it was sa id by thedisciples that Jesus was a son of David in anattempt to establish that genealogical connection. On this promise alone—for we find noother reason or explanation for it—the disciples assumed that Jesus was born in Beth

lehem, the native town of David. This assumption we find expressed in Matthew and Luke.

On the other hand, the casual reader is confronted with and puzzled by the many references to Jesus as “the Nazarene” implying thatJesus was from Nazareth.



T H E A M E R I C A N R O S A E C R U C I S

Since the Rosaecrucian records dispose of bo th Bethlehem and N az ar eth as the bir th place of Je su s, I will pres en t som e po ints re lating to the latter town first.

If we turn to a map of Palestine we find the

village of Na zare th in Galilee. Th is fact isthe only one which can be said to be circumstantial evidence of the claim that Jesus was born there, for Je su s was bo rn in Galilee.

We find, however, that the present villageof Nazareth is not so old as we have been ledto think. W hen the early Christian recordsspoke of Jesus as “the Nazarene” and impliedthat, therefore, some place of that name wasthe place of nativity, search was immediatelymade for such a village.

In the first few centuries after Christ, whenthe wonderful Christian doctrines were in themaking, every spot, place and incident in thelife of Jesus was eagerly tabulated and glorified. Palestine to-day presen ts to the pilgrima series of monuments, sacred shrines, glorified tombs, trees, wells, walls, hills, caves, tem

ples, cit ies , tow ns and dis tr ic ts connected withsome incident in the life of Jesus; and if onesuch has been overlooked by the Christianchurches, the heathens or the “guides,” it soonwill be found, labeled and—I am sorry to say

—quickly commercialized as far as th e pi lgrimor tourist is concerned.

When it came to finding a place called “Nazareth,” however, great difficulty was experi

enced. Nowhe re in the Old Te stam ent is sucha village mentioned. Ancient geographersnever heard of it, no record showed that itexisted. In fact, the name or word “N azar eth”was never used in the life time of Jesus, butthe word “Nazarene ” was used then. It wasnot until after the crucifixion, not until thedisciples, the admirers, the believers, the enthusiastic biographers of Jesus began to pre pare th e reco rds of His life th at the word “Nazareth” came into existence, and solely becauseit seemed to be implied by the saying: Hewas a Nazarene!

The disciples, however, did find in Galileea small—very small—settlement called “en- N as ira” and th at was im mediate ly tran slated(we should really say transmuted) into Nazareth; and to-day the maps of Palestine show“en-Nasira” and “Nazareth” as names for thesame village. Th e reason for this, as every

(To be continued

student of the language will tell you, is that byno stretch of the imagination, by no translating that is based on any law, and with norespect for truth can the name en-Nasira represent or mean the same as Nazareth.

The true meaning of the term “the Nazarene” was long overlooked or misunderstood by th e tran slator s, bu t is recogn ized to-day byevery student of the Bible who delves into theintimate facts. There was in Galilee at thetime, a sect known as the “Nazarenes” andJesus, by virtue of His illumination and life,was a member of this sect. “The Na zarene”meant that he was one of that sect, and nothing more. In the Greek texts of the Gospelsthe term “the Nazarene” is translated into “heof Nazareth,” but this is likewise due to thefact that the translators thought that the name

Nazarene re fe rred to a vil lag e ra th er th an asect.So, in the third century after Christ—and

not until then—was the village of en-Nasiraglorified as the city of Nazareth, in spite ofthe difference of the two sibillants. Sincethen—more particularly since the fifth century —en -N asira, as “N az areth, ” has gr ow n to beone of the p rominen t sacred places of Palestine,and a village of some importance.

One illuminating point stands out in MarkVI: 1, also in Matthew, it is the statement that“when He was come into his own country,He taught them in their synagogue.” Now,every interpreter of this statement, especiallythose of the orthodox Christian churches, saysthat the words “in his own country” in thatstatement refer to Nazareth; in fact, the wholestatement is used to prove that Jesus went into Naza re th to teach and preach. Y et—everyrecord shows that at that time “en-Nasira” wastoo small to have even the smallest kind of a

pla ce of worsh ip and mos t ce rtainly had nosynagogue. It was only a settlemen t arounda spring which was at that time called the“Spring of the Guard House” and is now called“The Spring of the Virgin” or “St. Mary’sW ell.” Th us have the change from en-Nasirato “Nazareth” and the traditions of time and

disciples altered even the name of a simple little spring, whose purpose in the days of Jesuswas to give cooling and refreshing draughts tothe simple folk, but whose purpose now is toattract undue attention, arouse speculative interest and pose as a religious monument,—oneof the m any doubtful, misleading shrines in thisChristian Mecca of Palestine.

in the March issue.) Pa ge For ty-fi ve



Annie Besant on Toleration”A Message to Tkeosophists

O many of our Theosophical friendshave written to us recently regretting that they could not join ourOrder because they believed thatthe rules, laws or obligations ofTheosophy—or rather of the Theo

sophical movement—prevented them fromuniting with any other movement of a similarnature.

Most of these seekers for truth referred tostatements which they believed Mrs. Besanthad made and likewise to remarks made byMr. Warrington of the Theosophical Society.

We have tried in every way possible to learnwhether there was any ground for such beliefon the part of Theosophists and have not beenable to receive any word direct from the T. S.Head quarters. We cannot conceive that the T.S. would be intolerant toward any good or wisemovement and the Imperator inquired of theRosaecrucian Lodge in India—where Theosophy and its principles are so well known—as to whether any light could be thrown onthis subject.

The reply received is very welcome and will prove illuminating and encourag ing to allAmerican Theosophists. It at once renews ouradmiration for the T. S. and, in fact, unites ourefforts if the principles given by Mrs. Besantare still applicable. In 1912 there wa s a gre atT. S. Convention held in Adyar, India, and thevery point we now raise was discussed officiallythen. The following are extracts from Pres ident Besant’s reply which formed an officialaddress:

“Then we come to the suggestion that allwho believe certain doctrines should be dissociated from the T. S. How far is tha t to go?Is every Hindu to leave it, because he holdsdoctrines the Theosophical Society does not

hold? Every Christian, every Mussulman,every Buddhist? W ho is going to be left?There are only two bases on which such a Society can exist. One, of utt er liberty of opinion—and tha t includes everybody. Or, on a

dogmatic basis, to which only those will beadmitted who hold those particular views.

“The fact is, you cannot go against one opinion you dislike without forcing yourself intogoing against all opinions. It was said quitetruly that animosities arise from differences. Igran t it. Bu t I thought the Theosophical Society had partly as its work to teach people todiscuss differences of opinion without showingthe animosities that arise in the outer world!It seemed to me that was its object: that as wesaw the world torn by religious animosities, wecame forward and said ‘Belonging to many

faiths, we join together to discuss our differences as brothers, instead of quarreling overthem as enemies.’ Are we to give up that noblework and bind ourselves down to a particularset of views?

“We have members in the order who worship Shri Krishna; we have others who worship Jesus; we have others who worship theChrist; we have others who simply think of agreat teacher and do not give any special nameto the teacher.

“Why I know quite well among you thosewho worship Vishnu, worship Shri Krishna,worship Mahadev, worship Lakshmi, worshipSarasvati. Are we to say tha t none who worship them are to belong to the TheosophicalSociety? Are we to say to the worship per ofShri Krishna, ‘You shall not preach about theDivine Object in Whom you believe, andagainst you the platform of the TheosophicalSociety is to be closed?’

“W hat kind of bigotry is this coming up inthe thirty-sixth year of our life? We have beenfree until now, and some of us intend to remain free until the end. TO LE RA NC E doesnot mean tolerating the opinion you agreewi th ; i t means TOLERATING THE OPIN

IONS WITH WHICH YOU DISAGREE.“I can tell you as a dry matter of fact that

if you thought of excluding from office all themembers of the E. S. there would be little leftof the Theosophical Society after you did it.



We do not want to dictate to any other whatGod he shall worship, what teacher he shall

bow before, but we claim th at in the inne rsanctuary of our own experience we shall beallowed freedom without being insulted, as all

others are allowed it within the limits of theTheosophical Society.“I AM IN FAVOR OF FREE SPEECH,

FRE E OPINION, FREE THOUGHT. I believe it is the condition of all growth in truth.But I am against the limiting of people inorder to suit a few people in the Society, whodo not even agree among themselves as to howfar the scepticism should go. Bhagavan Dasdesires the teaching of the impersonal; but theatheist would object even to that, and the atheist has as good a right in the Theosophical Society as I have. W here will you stop if you

begin to lay do wn belief an d non-belie f as thecondition of membership?”The foregoing extracts are taken from offi

cial T. S. records sent to us. We tru st that

Mrs. Besant’s reply to the questions asked in1912 by her members and officers—and whichquestions are pertinent at this very time—willleave no doubt in the minds of all Theoso-

phists as to the freedom of th ought in th eir organization. W e heartily agree with Mrs.Besant when she says: “Where will you stopif you begin to lay down belief and non-beliefas the condition of membership?” And this hasalways applied to our own Order just as we

believed it of the T. S. Nex t mon th we will pu bl ish—as a re su lt of

many inquiries—some side-lights on the originof the Masters’ Portraits which were sponsored by Mrs . Blav atsk y, and a few point s in rega rdto the M asters also. W e will use only officialinformation and, as ever, present an unbiasedand informing article. Later, we will publishsome hitherto little known facts regarding Mrs.

Blavatsky’s stay in Egypt and her work previous to the founding of the Theosophical Society, which we know will be welcomed byTheosophists and Rosaecrucians alike.

The Passing of the Master Morya

It is with profound regret that we announceto our readers that a Higher Call has come tothe great Master Morya.

For many years occultists and especiallyTheosophists have learned to know, love andrespect the character known to them only asthe Master Morya. To Madame Blavatsky dowe owe all that we know of this wonderful

pe rson ag e for she in trod uc ed him to th e Occidental world and gave to him the renownedreputation which he and the Master K. H.have borne so many years.

We have looked forward anxiously and with

deep interest to the promised coming of Master Morya. Only a year ago and up to sixmonths ago we were informed almost dailythat Master Morya was coming to Americaon the first of January, 1917, to visit all Occult

Orders, Societies and Lodges and after dueinvestigation select those which were right andgive them his blessing, and cause all othersto meet their fate and pass from material ex pression.

To those who loved the Master we extendour sympathy. W e deeply feel for the loss ofany ideal and especially one so dear to thehearts of thousands who have never seen him,heard his voice or even knew of him all thatwe would like to know.

To those who have been waiting to have allthe questions raised by Immanuel settled bythe Master Morya as promised, we can only

say, in the words of the Temple Artisan:“There are events in life so sacred that even

words cast a shade upon them, and the yieldingup of his physical body by a Great Mastercomes very near to being one of them.”



Finding Yourself By William Judson Kibby

(Editor’s Note.—We take great pleasure in introducing a new department in our

magazine devoted to teaching character analysis and giving guidance to our Brotherand Sister Rosaecrucians. Qu estions will be answ ered briefly, perta ining to the sub je ct involv ed in his artic les . Mr . Kibby is em ployed by som e of th e la rg es t commercial and industrial organizations in our country in giving them advice, in picking menand in training officials in his science, and the principles which he will set forth in hisarticles are all based upon his experience. Th e following article is one devoted tothe study of child life. Th e articles in future numb ers will be illustrated.

Any one wishing to communicate will direct their letters to William Judson Kibby,c/o this magazine. Mr. Kibby is an analyst for the g reat newspaper known as theCleveland Plain Dealer. He is also auth or of a work upon cha racte r analysis, andis an Officer in our Order.)

IMITATION AND ENVIRONMENT.

Imitation is a trait of character we are proneto associate with small children and fail torealize that a large percentage of them retainthis to a marked degree throughout life, whileall children retain more of it than we realize.

A mother came one day, with her splendid boy five years old, and explained th at the li ttle fellow was constantly employing himselfin the daily routine that she was accustomedto, and that she often found him doing, aheadof her, the things she did not want him todo, for instance : Try ing to darn stockings,sew on sewing machine, use the vacuumcleaner. She seemed unable to turn his mindto any other sort of play which children normally enjoy.

In studying the child, it was found that he possessed a ve ry large deve lopm ent of im ita tion, his father being away all day, the boy sawlittle of him, and had very little to imitatefrom the father. There were no children near“Bobby” to play with, he must imitate something, so he imitated mother.

Imitation is a wonderful power for usefulness or destruction, the difference beinglargely a matter of environment.

The sorrow is that altogether too few parents realize that the child is hourly imitatingand developing, mainly, our weaker traits of

character, instead of the stronger, for it requires less will power or exercise of tho ugh t tofollow negative conduct, than the positive.

This is a sad truth. It, therefore, behoovesfather and mother to control and properly direct their lives before their children, if they

would counteract such evil effects in afteryears.

When the boy or girl comes to associatewith other boys or girls, the imitation con

tinues as before.Parents do not know the children that their

offspring play with, as a rule, well enough tosee that they are becoming the composite ofthose whom they constantly meet in the mostintimate relationship in school, play or work:yet we see them change almost before oureyes, and know not where these strange ornew sayings come from, contrary thoughts andtraits which were never known in father ormother as children, and which seem to overwhelm the child. Then come misun derstand

ing and heartaches.A nagging mother forgets that she naggedher children all day when they were young,and when her children grow to maturity, shereproves them for their nagging upon thegrandchildren or grandmother.

Nagging to ch ildren, who are very cautiousand backward, is most dam aging, for the actionof nagging destroys self-reliance, initiative, anddevelops a deep rooted fear, which may, insome children, leave the child abnormal inmeeting others, whipped and afraid to ventureeven to the extent of exercising childlike play;

and in others, with combative tendencies, willdevelop a fighting, quarrelsome disposition. Inthe highly nervous type of child, it increasesnervousness, and results in a nervous wreckat an age when he should be getting the greatest possible strength for life.



A prominent educator recently b rought forththe fact that the lack of concentration is beingfostered to a marked degree in the home bythe paren t, in bringing to the children too manydifferent toys.

The mother does not realize that the constan t change of toys or too many toys developsdisco nten t and lack of concentration. A fewtoys well adapted to the child is a helpful influence.

Too much care cannot be exercised in selecting toys, for ofttimes toys decide the kind of

playmates the ch ildren wi ll choose. The sameis true with books.

The choice of playmates should have thedeepest consideration, for many of the sorrowsin our homes to-day are the result of playingwith mentally unbalanced children, children

who have never been disciplined.Children who show imitative tendenciesshould be influenced to read the autobiogra

phies of gre at men above all other read ing,and to hear noted men and women speak and be bro ught in co ntac t with those who aspi reto great undertakings and high ideals, and yetnot confined to any one line but rather broadand diversified, especially if the child is lightof color, hair, eyes and skin.

One of the startling facts about imitativechildren is that they imitate the coarser and baser ve ry much qu icke r than they do the be t

ter qualities, except where the child possessesan extremely refined disposition.One of the mo st common evils in prese nt day

life of children is the tendency of parents toreprove them by saying, “Y ou’re a bad boy” ;“You never will learn any thing” ; “Yo u’re themost stupid child I have ever seen,” and hundreds of even more harmful.

The effect of constant suggestions of a negative nature develops within the child exactlythe contrary life than that which the father ormother have desired.

A boy who think s disloyal thoughts, becomes

disloyal. A boy wh o thinks dishonest though ts,sooner or later becomes dishonest in his dealings, because these thoughts have had their

place in the mind before action ha s taken place. Never was a truer th ing said than “As a

man thinketh in his heart so is he,” and thesenegative suggestions build up a negative con

dition which only too often results in the downfall of what would have been a splendid typeof manhood.

Two of the most harmful outgrowths of the presen t-d ay environm en t are the lack of obedi

ence and industry.One of the greatest curses in the life of the busin ess boy or gi rl is the lack of str ic t obedience.

This, to a large degree, is responsible for theconstant shifting of young men from one position to the other and when you couple thiswith the lack of industry, you have touchedthe seat of one of the greatest drawbacks ofthis day and generation.

This is not said in the spirit of criticism, but ra th er to aw aken the paren t in the American home to a full realization of the meaningof a thoughtful program from the cradle up.

One has only to inquire of an employer ofa large number of young people to find thesefacts true.

Children should be taught to earn every penny they can secure, by a prog ram thoughtout, so that they will have means and opportunities created for the earning of money andthey can lay away for a college course, a business training, etc.

Failure to inculcate the idea of earningmoney has resulted in lack of appreciation ofthe value of a dollar and what it means toearn it.

It has also taken away independence andmade the victim willing to be dependent andleft him ignorant of the struggle which is sonecessary to the proper growth and development of real manhood and womanhood.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS.Every month questions will be an

swered pertaining to principles involvedin a better understanding of ourselves andadaptabilities. Address questions to William Judson Kibby, c/o this magazine.

R. D.—My boy is about to enter college. I

wa nt him to study for business. My husbandwants him to study agriculture. The boywan ts to take an engineering course. So wha tare we to do?

Throw away your preconceived notions asto what your boy should or should not be, butrather study him and see what his natural gifts



are. See if he has shown any constructive ten dencies or ideas. See if he is han dy at man ufacturing, or constructing of things with hishands, if he has the proper endurance for engineerin g work. Did he conceive this idea fromsome boy’s father, reading of a book or by talk

ing to other young companions? Be sure tha tthe boy’s talents and adaptabilities are the ob ject of you r co ns iderat ion an d not what youwant him to be and remember that it does notnecessarily follow that because your boy seemsto desire to be an engineer that he is fitted bynature to pursue any study of engineering andthat there are several types of engineeringwork.

A. L.—I am the mother of three fine boys.The oldest boy, 12 years of age, seems bentupon buying his way with the boys at play.Somehow he is beset with the idea that he can

pu rchase his way wh erev er he goes by bu yingothers. W hat can I do to help him away fromthis habit? He is appa rently very normal.

It looks as though your boy is the victim ofan environment which has drawn out this bargaining or trading instinct. Very likely you or

others in the family have early in life bargainedwith him by offering him little things, gifts,

pleasures, mo ney an d so fo rth, if he wo uld obeyor do the thing you wanted him to do.

See if you have not fallen a victim to thisfearfully bad h abit of purchasing obedience, forit is one of the most ruinous habits possible. Nev er al low an yone to barga in your ch ild reninto obeying. Appea l to the ir desire to serve.

D. C.—I am now in college stud yin g law. Ifairly detest it. W ha t shall I do?

If what you say is based upon a calm, reflective study of yourself and your adaptabilityto law, I should say that you were very foolishto remain a day longer than you have to. Inthe meantime analyze yourself and see whatyour strongest points are, your weakest points.Write them down upon paper, side by side, and

apply your strongest points to different linesof endeavor that you might have a craving tofollow, and see how they fit. Always remem ber th a t yo ur st ro ng point s are of tent im es yo urweak est points. Consult some experienced broad-minded individual.

The Editors Wish to Announce to All Members That a Child Was Born to

The Imperator and Sister H. Spencer Lewis

Coincident with Sunrise (5:17 A. M.) Wednesday

APRIL 18, 1917, R. C. 3270

At Inwood-on-the-Hudson New York(130 Post Avenue)

And the Child Shall be Christened in Our Temple

(Eolnmbr HHabrUrnp ICriuia

May Joy, Love, Understanding and Peace

Profound Find Expression Evermoreia This Manifestation of God’s Most Wonderful Laws.



fact that a dozen or more men and womenhave written or spoken to us for relief fromthis “curse” which is claimed to “eat the veryheart of the body with cancer” and thereby br ing abo ut “d ea th ” of th e body.

An investigation of the matter shows thatthese men and women, in buying certain so-called secret books from this firm, believingthereby to secure helpful and inspiring teachings, were asked to sign a pledge or promiseattached to the order blank so that these “rareand secret” books might be sent them by mail.As these readers completed one book, withouthaving found that for which they were seeking, they were encouraged to buy another book, usua lly a more costly book, an d at pr iceswhich were increased or decreased in accordance with the possibilities of the purchasers’

po ck et books.Always was the oath extracted from the bu ye r by having it inc luded in th e purchase of the book. The oa th did not seem to be of a ve ry serio us nature—especially forsuch wonderful secret books—and they weregenerally accepted, signed and returned to the

pu bl ishing firm.These simple oaths have, however, been

used lately to bring reluctant buyers to termsand to make those who thought of enteringany other school of study stop and wonder andthen find F EAR growing in their hearts. Thus,Black Magic scores again!

In order to relieve the anxiety and perhapsthe mental or physical suffering of those whohave purchased such books and have takensuch pledges, we wish to inform them of thefollowing facts:

You are told in letters sent you by mail fromthe publishing firm that if you unite with anyother movement you are breaking the solemn pled ges yo u made when join ing the secr etorder conducted by this publishing firm.

You are further told in these letters thatsuch action as uniting with any other move

ment will mean your expulsion from the othersecret order and with this expulsion will gothe curse or punishment which your bookshave taught you to fear.

You will read such statements in thosethreatening letters as this one, taken from a

letter dated March 21, 1917, signed by the headof the so-called secret order:

“Furthermo re, any member belonging to thisorder, makes oath, by the acceptance of mem be rship, to at once forw ard all books to theMaster or his secretary, if at any time suchmember joins any other order not in harmonywith this order. Failu re to do so shall bringthe pronouncement of anathema from theHierarchy, by the master.”

Other statements in such letters try to im pres s up on th e re ader’s mind , by in tim at io n,that he or she has taken an oath not to joinany other movement teaching truths or secretsof any kind. You will notice in the paragra phabove that it is said such oaths were taken bythe “acceptance of memb ership.” It does notsay that such an oath was signed. Th at is the po in t ov er look ed by so man y of th e inqu ire rs

who write to us in fear. The y believe theymay have signed such an oath, binding thefreedom of their minds and souls, and haveforgotten it. Th at is wh at is counted upon—that each will believe he has forgotten thenature or wording of the oath and will abide by th e in te rp re ta tion no w given of th at oa th.

Our records show, from oaths sent out bythat publishing firm and which were not accepted or signed, that there is nothing in theoaths which is being violated by joining anymovement, including the Vedanta Society, theTheosophical Society or our Rosaecrucian

Order. To make this plain, we publish here acopy of the wording of such an oath as wassent to a possible purchaser of a $2.50 book:

“I solemnly swear and affirm in the name ofmy parents and my sacred honor and in the presen ce of my liv ing soul an d God Alm ightyto maintain in inviolable secrecy until deathas regards all teachings and instructions thatmay come to me in the secret Occult School-Imperial Order MSS. or secret books and likewise I swear and affirm to divulge nothingconcerning Persons, Things or Places, whichknowledge may come to me through connec

tions with these schools.”Such an oath is reasonable if the books referred to contain secret matter of any kind.But there is nothing in this oath or the similar oaths which prevents the purchasers ofthe books from uniting with any movement



disseminating knowledge or inspiring teachings.

And most certainly there is nothing to befeared—not even by the good lady in Chicagowho spent $400 for books from this firm and

who was urged to take additional lessons froma “garu” at $25.00 per year in order to becomean “initiate” of the so-called order—by thethreats of “anathema” or other dire consequences because of seeking truth and lightwherever it may be found.

Such threats are only efficacious when theyare FEA RE D. And, Fear is a God to many.It makes slaves of those who acknowledge it.Be free; none but God can visit such punishment for any violation, and the violation must be of na tu ra l law s, not laws conceived in theevil mind of man.

Apropos of the foregoing, and as proof thatthere are many who believe that the art ofBlack Magic is a concrete thing which is sufficient as a weapon to use for personal pur poses, we an noun ce as a part of th e his to ryof occultism in this country, that a class has

been form ed in New York fo r the stud y of the“sacred art of Black Magic!”

A self-styled Indian prince—suzeraine and pont if of an un kn ow n ci ty sa id to be in the bo ttom of a m ys te riou s volcano—ha s no t onlycome to New York as a “superman” lookingfor a “superwoman” and incidentally to teach

subjects of all kinds and for all purposes atexcellent prices; but to make an appeal to theminds of those who believe in Black Magic,or to cater to the desires of those who wishto possess some power claimed to work evil,

he has organized a class of nine to study the pr inciples , prac tic es and art s of Black Magic.

This limited class—limited to those fewwhom he promises to make mighty workersand controllers of the destiny of men and institutions in this country—is to pay him forhis instructions at the rate of one hundreddollars per student for ten lessons.

In the circular matter regarding this “classof nine,” distributed by those who claim to beworkers in the fields of goodness and love, wefind that the claim is made that God and Jesus

were the master black magicians, and that theforces of Black Magic are superior to theforces of nature!

It does seem inconceivable to many th at such blasphem y, such cla ims and such work couldexist to-day. B ut we are sure tha t the classof nine is well filled, and that perhaps additional classes will be filled ere long. It isstill worth one hundred dollars to some tolearn how to practise Black Magic, but wethank God that there are thousands of othersmore anxious to learn how to live and let live,and to love and promote love.

©



The Work of the Order

During the past month the work and success of the Order has increased with the samesteadiness and enthu siasm experienced since itsinception in this country.

The great increase of correspondence, especially with the Department of Extension, hasforced this Department to add to its staff thoseBrothers and Sisters in the Supreme Lodgewho have so kindly offered their services.

Few realize what it means to organize, maintain and continue to extend such work as is being done by th is Order . The re are few ofthe largest business houses in America whichhave as many branch offices or representatives

as we have, and there are few firms or movements having the widespread, imperative anddetailed correspondence which our work naturally produces. Yet all this work is beingdone by the willing services of those who havenothing personal to gain, but who know thatin such service lies redemption and salvationas well as power and knowledge for those whowalk in darkness.

We are especially pleased to read from dayto day the very pleasing reports of the Secretaries of the various Lodges concerning thelectures of the First and Second Degrees. Now

that these lectures have been augmented andthe improved lessons have been given to somany hundreds of our students, the comments, praise and sugg es tion s make won derful ly in te resting reading.

The usual comment is: “Why have we not been able to receive such in fo rm ation be fore?”From the very first Temple Lecture of theFirst Degree—which now contains such wonderful matter—hundreds are benefited to suchan extent that, they say, their course of life ischanged, and always for the better.

In New York at the Supreme Grand Lodgewhere the members are working in the SixthDegree and studying the laws which underliedisease and health, many wonderful demonstrations are being given, like those given by ourImperator to nearly 300 members on his recenttrip to the West. Such unusual conditions as

pe rm an en t bl indness, deafn ess , abno rm algrowths, etc., have yielded to the powers ex plained in the lectures and chan ges have been broug ht ab ou t in fro m 3 to 5 minutes . Thesuccess of this work during the past month has

passed from Lodge to Lod ge ac ross th e coun try and the greatest enthusiasm to progressrapidly in the work is realized by all.

During the past two months we have hadmany visitors at the Supreme Lodge in NewYork. Many of these were Masters , Officers orBrothers or Sisters of our Lodges in differentStates, while others were representatives ofLodges being organized or about to be organ

ized. Bu t we have also had many strangerscome to us from various departments of theGovernment of the United States, Canada andMexico, as well as physicians, scientists andexpe rts in many schools. These come to us ex

pres sing th eir ap prec iation of the work theOrder is doing and offering to aid us in everyway possible.

We find that through many channels therehave been those who wished to investigate theOrder and test its claims, and these now comeforward with encouraging words of endorsement, and offer thei r services. Th e practica l

slogan of the Order, “Service to humanity,”has been understood and is bringing unusualresults.

Already the Temple of the Supreme GrandLodge in New York is found to be too smallfor the large convocations being held there continually. Eve n the executive offices are fartoo small for the proper conduct of the work,and the accumulation of records, files and official communications is crowding our rooms tothe limit. Therefore a Committee was ap

po inted to find an othe r bu ilding which may beoccupied after our lease expires at the presentaddress next August. Several excellent sitesand buildings have been offered to us and other plans have been su gg es ted for the purchase ofother places, but we must find a convenient aswell as large building which we can use exclusively as is our Temple at the present time.



The work of the various Lodges during the pas t mon th has been insp iring and en co uraging.

In the Grand Lodge of Porto Rico two Christenings were held on the evening of the Rosae

crucian New Year, March 20th. At that time,and during the New Year Feast, little EvaAlicia Rene Tanche z (born June 11, 1916), andAna Helena Lajara (born August 15, 1915),were duly Christened in accordance with ourancient custom.

The Grand Lodge of Illinois is seeking a bu ild ing for pe rm an en t hea dquarters with anappropriate Temple, Library, Master’s Room,Reception Room and Lab oratory . The mem-

Immortality(Written by Cicero in

And now, among the different sentiments ofthe philosophers concerning the consequencesof our final dissolution, may I not venture todeclare my own? and the rather, as the nearerdeath advances towards me, the more clearlyI seem to discern its real nature.

I am well convinced, then, that my dear de par ted friends , yo ur two illust riou s fa ther s, areso far from having ceased to live, that thestate they now enjoy can alone with propriety be called L IF E . The soul, du ring he r confine

ment within this prison of the body, is doomed by fa te to un de rgo a severe penance; for hernative seat is in heaven, and it is with reluctance that she is forced down from thosecelestial mansions into these lower regions,where all is foreign and repu gna nt to her divinenature. Bu t the gods, I am persuaded, havethus widely disseminated immortal spirits, andclothed them with human bodies, that theremight be a race of intelligent creatures, notonly to have dominion over this, our earth,

but to co ntem plate the hos t of heaven , andimitate in their moral conduct the same beau

tiful order and uniformity so conspicuous inthose splendid orbs. Th is opinion I am inducedto embrace, not only as agreeable to the bestdeductions of reason, but in just deference,also, to the authority of the noblest and mostdistinguished philosophers. And I am furth erconfirmed in my belief of the soul’s immortality

be rship of th a t Lodge ha s grow n steadi ly un tilit has reached the limit for one Lodge and must be divided into two or more. At the recent New Yea r’s Feast of th a t Lodge a be au tifulgold Master’s Jewel composed of a compass,

arc, triangle and cross, set with a ruby, wasgiven to the Master by the members of theLodge in appreciation of the excellent work hehas done.

Those wishing to learn of the nearest lodgein any State, or who desire to apply for mem bership in an y locality , shou ld wri te for information to the Supreme Secretary-General,306 West 48th Street, New York City.

of tne Soulthe 1st Century B. C . )

by the discou rse which So crates—w hom theoracle of Apollo pronounced to be the wisestof men—held upon this subject just before hisdeath. In a word, when I consider the faculties with which the human mind is endued; itsamazing celerity; its wonderful power in recollecting past events, and the sagacity in discerning future; together with its numberless discoveries in the several arts and sciences, I feela conscious conviction that this active, com prehensive principle can no t possibly be of a

mo rtal nature. And as this unceasing activityof the soul derives its energy from its own intrinsic and essential powers, without receivingit from any foreign or external impulse, itnecessarily follows (as it is absurd to supposethe soul would desert itself) that this activitym ust continue forever. But far ther ; as thesoul is evidently a simple, uncompounded substance, without any dissimilar parts or heterogeneous mixture, it can not, therefore, bedivided; consequently, it can not perish. Imight add, that the facility and expeditionwith which youth is taught to acquire num

be rless ve ry difficult ar ts, is a st ro ng pres umption that the soul possessed a considerable portion of knowledge before it entered into thehuman form, and that what seems to be received from instruction is, in fact, no otherthan a reminiscence or recollection of its formerideas. Th is, at least, is the opinion of Plato.



The Illuminated CrossBy Janet Bolton

I hold enshrined within my memoryA dream, for it was strangely real to me;I stood alone, and in the gathering gloomI saw a giant cross before me loom;My heart stood still,—I gazed with eyes of

dread,In vain I tried to turn and would have fledBut fear had entered like a poisoned dartAnd left me numb with terror stricken heartAnd transfixed gaze upon the cross of stoneThat like a giant spectre towered aloneWith empty arms outstretched against the

sky,— “My cross,”—I heard my anguished spirit cry.

And when I would have swooned in darkestnight,

Then lo upon the cross there shone a light,—A radiant light,—most wondrous bright and

warm,And to my troubled soul there came a calm,—A peaceful calm serenely sweet and deep,Remaining ’till I woke from out my sleep,—Awoke to find my cross was with me still—An aching void the years could never fill.

Yet o’er my spirit swept a calm delightThat wrapped my shivering soul in warmth

and light;Indeed, no less a cross it still would be,But an Illuminated Cross for me,— A lighted milestone on life’s journey set;And there where strange and devious pathways

metI kneeled to bless the cross and breathe this

pr ay er ,— “God help all those who have a cross to bearAnd fail to see the Light a-shining there.”



Tke Sacred Kingd omA Story of a Visit to the R. C . T emples and Shrines of An cient Egypt

By Es-Rahad(Continued from the January, 1917, issue.)

Nor ton had ju st stepped from the long gan gway leading from the ship to the strange-look-ing dock when he experienced th at inexplicableimpression which comes to foreigners the firsttime they enter Alexandria.

One sees but little of Alexandria from theship and still less from the dock. Ou t at seaone is able to discern some very odd-looking

bu ild ings whose stran ge tower s ar e tinted byreflections of light from adjoining brightly-

colored buildings; but from the dock the viewof the city is shut off by many wooden structure s, walls and dock divisions. It is not,therefore, the weirdness of the city, so keenlyappreciated when one is in the heart of it,which brings the strange impressions, but thevery atmosphere, the vibrations of the aura ofthe city and the country.

On the dock there are always the large num be r of na tive s whose dres s an d features arenot typical of Egypt but rather of a clan ornation of people entirely independent of anyother in Egypt. Too often does the touriststudy these natives at the dock and gain fromthem a false impression of the class of menand women one is likely to meet and deal within travels throug h Egy pt. I presume, withou tknowing, that it is this type of men and womenso often pictured or simulated in America inthe pictures or theatrical performances; forfrom descriptions given to me by Americans ofwhat they believe to be a typical looking Egyptian, I am always amused to find them describing what we call the shaduf workers orthe fellaheen laborers, and most of these areArabs by birth and—well nothing at all byeducation, belief or practice.

Nor ton, however, was no t gre at ly in tere stedin these men, ever anxious to serve, to bow inhumility and offer their advice for small sums.To him they were part of the unsightly arrangem ents of the dock. His sole thou ght wasto secure his baggage, get away from the dock

and to some hotel where he would make verydefinite plans.

Most of the passengers on his ship had lefthim at Marseilles, France, and he found nowthat there were but few to land at Alexandria.Some even indicated that they would be inAlexandria but a few days awaiting the returntrip of the vessel, for they were merely seagoing travelers who enjoy the water and makesuch trips often without having the least

inclination to see Egypt or any other country.Sooner than he had expected he found his ba gg ag e so rted and piled in one place readyfor him, much belabeled and marked and, toall appearances, having been around the worldon several trips.

Getting his permit to leave the dock andturning his baggage over to an English representative of a forwarding company, he passedalong the gloomy dock to what we shall consider a street or avenue.

With the guidance of the English baggageman Norton was soon located in the hotel.

His actions were those of a matter-of-fact mangreatly used to hotels of every kind and notat all strange to the odd customs of foreignhotels. He found his room comfortable andconvenient, planned after the latest of theEuropean hotels, with a beautiful view of theouter sections of the city.

It was perhaps four o’clock in the afternoonwhen Norton unpacked his wardrobe, arrangedhis toilet articles and prepared to take a cooling bath. The seeting rays of Ra in Alexandria at this time of the year and through June,July and August, make a cooling bath a luxury enjoyable many times a day.

But before Norton could remove his coator collar he was informed that there was a visitor to see him and would he have the gentleman—a term which signified an Englishman—see him in his room. Norton w as perplexedand displeased. But he could do no more than

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have the visitor sent to him and he so informed the servant.

In a few minutes the servant ushered into N orton’s room a tall, well-bu ilt fore ign -lo okinggentleman who bore every evidence of breeding, culture and education. He may have beenItalian or French by birth, though the sun’srays had darkened his skin to a deep brown,which gave him an appearance of a native ofsome tropical country. He entered the roomwith a swagger and a deference which gave Nor ton to unde rs tand th at he re was his equalin social position, whatever it may have been.

Nor ton waited for the st ra nger to speak, forhe was not sure whether he could make himself understood with his English, although hecould use, upon occasion, sufficient French toexpress himself in small matters.

And so the stranger spoke. His first words

indicated an excellent knowledge of Englishtainted with a practised mannerism whichadded charm to the definite foreign accents.

“If it pleases you, may I introduce myselfas a native of Egypt, an Official of the localGovernment,” he said politely: “and I havecome to offer you my services while you are inEgypt.”

“I am deligted with your courtesy and kindness,” replied Norton extending his hand, “andwhile I shall probably need little assistancefrom the Government while in Egypt, I mayneed some advice in planning my itinerary. My

name is Norton, Phillip Norton, of the U. S. A.And your name?”“I regret that I have no card to offer you,”

said the stranger in a manner which Nortontook to be less apologetic than it seemed. He prob ab ly m ea nt to cal l at te ntion to hi s ownsurprise at Norton’s very informal introduction.

“However, I am Tadros Bey, representingthe Department of Antiquarianism at Cairo.You will need my services, or rather those of areliable guide, during your visits to the Tem

ples , and I shal l be pleased to place such aman at your disposal.”

“The Temples?” queried Norton in surprise.“I refer to the ancient Temples, of course,”

explained Bey, as if he had not made himself pe rfec tly plain to Norton. “You have come toEgypt to delve into the mysteries of the Tem

ples, or ra th er in to the mys teries of Egyp t, andyou will most certainly require a dependableand familiar guide.”

“I, I, to delve into mysteries,” started Nor-tion, with some pretense of seeming surprisedat such a thing, but he was cut short rather intolerantly by Bey.

“Bu t it is true. You have not come here toexplore as do Englishmen at this time of theyear, and only explorers or investigators ofsome kind come here in the Spring. Your baggage which I saw being taken from the dock

did not indicate that you had made even theslightest preparations for explorations of anykind, and explorers from America are few andwell-known to us. Your mission thereforearoused my interest, excited my curiosity andthen—then I learned of your real purpose incoming to Egyp t. How this is so you willlearn very likely before you reach your goal,for you have a goal although you know it notat present. Th at is why I came here to warn,or rather advise you, not to make any further plans unti l I have se nt to yo ur presence th eone man who can prepare and direct you in

your search. If you desire he will call thisevening and together you can spend a pleasantevening which would otherwise be dull in a place like Alexand ria to one who know s solittle of the language and the customs. Myfriend speaks good English, and,—well I shallnot anticipate the things which he may tellyou. Shall I have him call afte r dinn er?”

“You greatly surprise me,” exclaimed Norton, nonplussed and unprepared for so suddena turn in his plans, “but I will be glad to talkto your friend this evening at eight-thirty.”



Tke National ContentionPittsburgh Pennsylvania July 31st to August 5tk

Instructions to All Lodges

The following official instructions are issuedto all Lodges of our Order and every membershould make his or her plans for attending theConvention in accordance with these instructions.

Each Lodge of the Order in North Americais to send two official representatives:

(a) The Master of the Lodge, or in his placethe Deputy Master, or in his place some otherOfficer or Councilor representing the Councilof the Lodge.

(b) A Brother or Sister of the Lodge whois not an Officer or Councilor, who shall represent the body of the Lodge in addition toand separate from the Council of the Lodge.This representative of the Lodge shall beelected by the members of the Lodge (theOfficers and Councilors not voting) and without advice or suggestion from any Officer orthe Council.

The voting power of these two representatives at the Convention shall be as follows:

Each representative will vote for his or herLodge on all questions pertaining to Consti

tutional laws or amendments and other matters in accordance with the number of mem bers in the Lo dge represen ted.

The proportionate power shall be: one votefor every five members in the Lodge or fraction of five members, for each representative.(In other words a Lodge having 65 members,including Officers and Councilors, will give toeach of their representatives 13 votes, makinga total of 26 votes for that Lodge; a Lodgehaving 53 members including Officers andCouncilors will give 11 votes to each representative, the number 53 being a fraction over

50 and counting the same as 55.In this wise the body of each Lodge willhave the same voting power in all matters asthe Council of the Lodge. This is merely asuspension of the autocratic power of eachMaster and each Council of every Lodge forthis one occasion only and in no wise affects

the autocratic power of every Master andCouncil in the administration of their Lodgeaffairs. However, it does permit of full repre sentation and equal vote and will demonstrateto all, that while the Order is autocratic ingovernment such autocracy is not tyrannical, bu t elastic and flex ible to the wil l of the gre atest number.

The Constitution of the Order for NorthAmerica, long since adopted and approved bythe Supreme Council, will be considered at

the Convention and adopted and amended byall the Lodges represented, thereby making the

pre se nt Cons titut ion na tio na lly approved .In our next issue we will outline many addi

tional details of the plans for the Convention, bu t du ring the coming month the following instructions should be acted upon by all themembers of every Lodge:

In addition to the two representatives to theConvention which each Lodge should send, allother members and Officers are very cordiallyinvited to attend all the sessions. Th e Im-

per ator is especia lly anxious to have all the

Vestal Virgins present, for a very pretty affairis being planned for them in addition to manyother features in which they can take special pa rt . They may be esco rte d by a pa rent , orwhen this is not possible, by one of the Sistersof the Lodge who may be coming to the Convention. Because these Vestals will be ente rtained in a special manner, possibly stoppingat one hotel together in charge of the VestalCommittee of the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge,we must know at once how many Vestals ex

pect to at tend the Convention. Therefore theMatre of each Lodge is requested to look into

the matter, learn whether the Vestal can attend and who will escort her and notify theChairman of the Convention whose address isgiven at the close of this announcement.

Furthermore all Brothers and Sisters planning or even anticipating or hoping to come tothe Convention are urged to write at once to



the Chairman of the Convention stating thatthey are SURE to come, are PLANNING tocome or HOPE to come, so that the Chairmancan prepare a list of those who will surelycome and those who may come and therebymake proper arrangements. By stating

whether you wish to have a room at a privatehouse (or furnished room house) or at a hotel,the Convention Committee can let you know ofthe possible rates, and according to the num ber at tend in g the Co nvention can reasonablerates and special accommodations be arranged.(If you wish replies of any nature please besure to enclose a correctly addressed returnenvelope with return postage.)

RAILROAD RATES AND SCHEDULEThe Imperator has secured the hearty co

operation of the Pennsylvania Railroad and ifall our members attending the Convention will

use the Pennsylvania lines so far as is possible it will mean special courtesies and reduced rates. The Passenger Departm ent ofthe Pennsylvania has prepared the followingschedule and rates for this Convention and itmeans a considerable saving in railroad fares.

If ten or more leave any city on the Pennsylvania lines, and at the time of buying therailroad tickets the purchasers state that theyare attending the Rosaecrucian Convention atPittsburgh and wish “party rates” on a blockticket for the same train, the ticket agent willmake a considerable reduction. From NewYork the party rate is $9.50 each instead of

$11.00; from Philadelphia the party rate is$8 each instead of $8.75; from Washingtonthe par ty rate is $6.71 instead of $8. Redu ctions from other cities will be proportionate.

It is planned to have all members reach

Pittsburgh on the evening of Monday, July30th. The refore those mem bers living in theWest and who may pass through cities wherewe have Lodges would do well to take suchtrains as will enable them to make connections with other parties of members so that

from Chicago eastward all may travel together.A Committee of the Grand Lodge of Illinoiswill be pleased to meet those coming from theWest and help them make connections withthe many who will leave Chicago. (Th e Chairman of the Chicago Committee is Mrs. Malvina A. Carr, 6023 Indiana Avenue, Chicago.)

Suggestions for music, entertainment andother special features should be addressed tothe Entertainment Committee, Supreme GrandLodge, 306 West 48th Street, New York City.

It is planned to have one large and beautiful First Degree Initiation during the Conven

tion for the Initiation of those applicants whodo not live near any Lodge at the present time.This ceremony will be conducted by the GrandMaster and Grand Officers of the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge and will be attended by allthe Officers of every other Lodge who may be

pr ese nt a t th e Convention. Eve ry Lo dgeshould, therefore, secure and send to the Su prem e Secretary-General in New York the ap plications of those mem bers in th ei r Ju ri sd ic tions or adjoining Jurisdictions who wish to be in itia ted at th is tim e.

All general correspondence regarding theConvention, arrangements for rooms, rates for

boarding , etc., should be sent to :MRS. JACK BROWN, K.R.C.,

Convention Chairman.209 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, Pa.



Rosae Crucis

W ritten in Appreciation of His Initiation

Lindsay Dorsey, Pennsylvania Grand Lodge

Hail! Across the misty veil of yearsThere comes again the Light,A rosy glow—the pale stars fadeInto the realm of night.

The haze divides—how bright the ray— This mist—dispelling Eastern Light, Nations flo urish but to fall,A tide, an ebb, a gain, a loss;Yet down the ages shines the LightIn splendor still—The Rosy Cross,

Amen-Hotep, before thy outer doorI humbly stood until from out the darkI heard thy voice; ’twas soft and sweetAnd music to my soul—Then a terror came,

A horrid ghoul—and stretched its wraithlikehand

To clutch my heart—“ ’Tis death!” I said;But then the answer rang—a silver tone—The place was flood with light,“Why choose ye death?—take me!”And death was put to flight;And through the wondrous Rosy CrossI came to Love and Light.

C03



Sup reme Lodge NotesA large group of tried and tested Brothers

and Sisters of the Sixth Degree in the Supreme

Lodge, were duly Initiated intc< the sacredSeventh Degree on Thursday Evening, April19, 1917.

Enthusiasm—quiet and dignified—regardingthe unusual work now going on in the SupremeLodge in such that the Brothers and Sistersare determined to have the Temple Lecturesand demonstrations of instantaneous healing, projec tio n of au ras, visual izat ion of mighty po wers an d forces, crea tio n of ea rly forms ofanimal life, etc., continue throughout thesumme r months. Soon many other Lodgeswill reach this same Degree of understandingand Mastership, and then the mighty work ofthe Order—little dreamed of by those outsideits fold—will be seen and felt throughout thecoun try to the benefit of mankind and the Gloryof God.

THE IMPERATOR’S MAILThe Imperator wishes to express his regret

in not being able to personally answer all theletters addressed to him by the Brothers andSisters of the Order. Aside from the regularofficial correspondence, the mail at headquarters is becoming unusually heavy and beyondthe attention of any one person. Wh ile the

Imperator is very glad to hear from the mem be rs and to receive th eir words of pleasure,thanks and appreciation, as well as comments,he cannot answer such letters unless they askquestions which require definite answers. Otherwise your letter will not be answered but asilent word of appreciation and acknowledgment will be sent forward for each one received.

HAVE YOU BOOKS TO GIVE?

The Supreme Grand Lodge in New YorkCity is anxious to make its library as com

plete as an y occu lt library in America. There

fore it again appeals to all Brothers and S istersand likewise to all our friends, even casual acquaintances, to donate to us any occult, religious, scientific or philosophical book whichcan be spared. In sending such books please

write your name on the title page and statethat you donate it to the Supreme Grand Lodge

of No rth America. W e do not wish, however,to have those books which Brothers and Sistersshould donate to their own Lodge Libraries, iftheir Lodges are establishing libraries. Allother books and pictures will be greatly appreciated and acknowledged. Addre ss: SupremeGrand Lodge Library, 306 West 48th Street, New York City.

ABOUT WRITING TO HEADQUARTERSAll Brothers and Sisters and others should

make note of the following suggestion: Inwriting to the Supreme Grand Lodge or anyof its Officers, please direct letters regarding

new Lodges to the “Minister of the Departmen t of Extension ” ; all letters reg arding official business should be addressed to the Su prem e Se cr etary General. All le tters regar ding financial transactions should be sent to theSupreme Financial Secretary and likewise allletters regarding the magazine’s articles orwork should be sent to the “Minister of theDepartment of Publication,” while remittancesfor the magazine and subscription mattersshould be directed to the Publication Manager.

All checks for all purposes should be made payable to no one but the “Suprem e GrandLod ge Trea sure r, A. M. O. R. C.” Official re

mittances made payable to the Imperator, orany other Officer, will, as heretofore, be returned so that they may be properly drawn.

RETURN POSTAGEHave you ever thought of what it means to

us—and to many other organizations and firmsor individuals—when you enclose with yourletters (asking for information), one or twostamps for return postage? It means so littleto you at the time, but the day’s mail at Headquarters in New York is growing so large, thatthe return postage on letters from membersand others amounts to a very large item each

week. If you wish information which is gladlygiven merely for the request, or you requestliterature which costs you nothing, surely youwill help us in our principles of economy byenclosing return postage with your letters.



2 PRIZES FOR OUR READERSA Little Thought, A Little Trouble,

And You Will Render Us A Service

The Editors are anxious to know what articles or subjects are desired by thereaders of this magazine so that the greatest service to the greater numbermay be given. Therefore every reader is invited to write a short note to the“Managing E dito r” stating which subjects appeal or please the most,—

whether scientific (like Dalton’s Laws, Magnetism, Electricity, etc.), astrological, mystical (like the Journey to Egypt now running), biographical and instructive (like the Life of Empedocles recently published and the Mystical Lifeof Jesus now running), or general reading (like God Spoke!, Intuition, Happiness, Cosmic Forces, etc.) Naturally the subject of Rosaecrucianism will always find a prominent place in this magazine in addition to the other articles.

For the best letter stating GOOD REASONS for the specializing of CERTAIN SUBJECTS, the publishers will award a Bound Set of the 1916 issuesof the magazine. All answers or suggestions must be in our hands by the1st of June.

Another set of the 1916 issues in a Binder will be given to the member ofour Order who can write in not over 50 words a statement of the aims and

purposes of Rosaecrucianism. Such sta tem ent must be in the natu re of adefinition of “Rosae Crucis” and also make plain the avowed work of the Order.In no reference work or dictionary of to-day can a proper statement be foundand we are sorely taxed to put such a statement in a few words,—less than 50if possible. All such answers or statem ents should be sent to the Imp erator before June 1st, with you r name and address properly signed.

S 'CD3



■Ss,f ^

ROSAECRUCIAN JEWELRY

No . 9.A. is a st ick pin fo r lad ies or gent lemen , ma de ofspecial silvered metal; contains 5 excellent brilliants andone large red stone for the Rose. Price 70c.

No. 10.B. is a special 14 kar a t Cr oss with ve ry fine redstone in center of triangles. Fro nt of Cross is chaste andcut, back is moulded into form of four Egyptian Lotussymbols. Chain is good “curb ” style, 16 inches long.Rom an and bri gh t finish. $4,00 each, with chain comp lete.

Illustration exact size. No . 9.A.

•‘V'.rjVwROSAE CRVCIS

tK . . ■<

BIND YOUR MAGAZINESAt the request of many of our readers we have had a special binder

made to order to hold 12 copies of the Am erican Rosae Crucis. Themagazines are easily bound or fastened into this binder, in such a waythat when the binder is laid open on the table it will remain perfectlyflat and perm it the whole mag azine page to lie flat. The b inder ismade with a strong wooden back and heavy sides covered with marooncanvas, stamped on the back and cover with our symbols and the titlein gold. This is an excellent way to preserve all you r issues of themagazine. Orders m ust be sent in now to be sure of your bind er asonly a limited number were ordered.

PRICE $1.00 EACH N ote: Tho se who wi sh ba ck nu m be rs to co mplete th ei r files m us t be ar in mind th a t th e pr ice

of the issues for Jan uary, Februa ry, March, A pril, May, June and July is 50 cents each. This pricewill increase as the copies become more scarce.

Send all orders to

ROS AECR UCIA N SU PPLY BUR EAU , 306 West 48th Street, New York City.

ASTROLOGICAL HOROSCOPES

IMPORTANT NOTICEThe Publishers wish to emphasize the points made clear in our last month’s notice

about Astrological Horoscopes. These so-called “readings” do not make predictions of

any kind and have nau ght to do with “fortune telling.” The maps and readings are madeexclusively for our members as a personal help in the study and interpretation of theancien t Eg yp tian Science of As trology . (See page 31 of the De cemb er, 1916, issue.)

the american rosae crucis, february 1917

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