1

Notes for the Newly Admitted Frater

Introduction
Congratulations on your admission as a Zelator of the Society. You will have already been given a copy of the Ordinances (the Regulations of the Society), By-Laws, and the Zelator ritual. The purpose of this leaflet is to introduce you to the Aims and Objects of the Society and its areas of study. Also included are some Points of Contemplation which are designed to assist you in your study of the Zelator Grade so that you can show that you are sufficiently prepared to be advanced to the next Grade. You are also invited to write a short paragraph on each of those topics and to send them to your College Coordinator of Studies who will be pleased to assist your researches.

S.R.I.A. and Freemasonry

You will have doubtless been informed by your proposer that our Society is not just another Masonic Order or Degree, in fact it is not truly masonic at all. It is based on the Society of Rosicrucians, and it was only in relatively recent times (mid-19th century), at its reformation, that its membership was restricted to Christian Freemasons. This was done in order to ensure the highest quality of membership; with brethren whose character, fidelity and discretion had already been fully tested.

Aims and Objects

Although the character and teachings of the Society are Christian, its Objects are left very wide in order to encourage the widest possible personal study and to enable the sharing of knowledge and wisdom from a range of cultures and religious practices. At your admission you were told that Our objects are mutual aid and encouragement in working out the great problems of life, the advancement of science, the propagation of knowledge and the diffusion of that glorious revelation. In our Ordinances we read that our purpose is Searching out the Secrets of Nature; to facilitate the study of the system of Philosophy founded upon the Kabbalah and the doctrine of Hermes Trismegistus, which was inculcated by the original Fratres Rosae Crucis, AD 1450, and to investigate the meaning and symbolism of all that now remains of the wisdom, art and literature of the ancient world

Allegory and Symbol

The doctrines of the ancient Mystery Schools were expressed in allegorical form and with the use of symbols. To the uninitiated they were unintelligible, but the initiated were made aware of the meanings carefully hidden in these writings and in the ceremonies through which they had passed. Freemasonry, a descendant of the ancient Mystery Schools, uses this method to inculcate moral and spiritual truths, and our Society of Rosicrucians is no exception in this regard. As to the true meaning of our ceremonies and their personal relevance, that is something which can only be gained by personal study and application, all of which is enhanced by what we share at our college meetings.

Knowledge, Truth and Wisdom

Throughout the history of mankind, the spiritual leaders and sages of the world have told us that all knowledge comes from within, that truth is something which we perceive within our self, and that Wisdom is acquired as the result of our response to life's experiences; but it cannot be taught. At your first entry into the College, the Celebrant informed you that our Society is not the repository of all Truth, but rather, is composed of brethren who seek after Truth and Wisdom, and that our Society has a system of instruction and a method which will help each Frater along the path to Truth. You were also advised that Our aim is to be good, our desire to be humble, our study to be wise. Now the inquirer after Truth will find that his first steps tread on the confines of the impenetrable; that he is constantly finding himself out of his depth; that all his knowledge, no matter from what source it may proceed, tends to become transcendental; that he is led inexorably from the intellectual to the moral, from the physical to the spiritual. In many ways we might use that wonderful phrase from the Craft The light of a Mason is darkness visible. Nevertheless, you were encouraged to proceed on your Quest, though the way seems long and the soul is at times weary, and to toil on towards the utmost pinnacles of Wisdom, to the Source of Wisdom which is God made manifest. What you have already been told in the Zelator ceremony makes it very clear that knowledge is not to be confused with wisdom. Knowledge lies mainly in the observation of facts and phenomena, and in tracing the underlying principles; but discrimination in the application of knowledge is wisdom. Perception of Truth by the human intellect can only be partial and approximate, and our perception (understanding) of it will change during our lifetime. But we can perceive enough ascertainable truth to stimulate further enquiry and speculation, which never ends. We are all travellers on the road to Truth; we are all fellow-pilgrims on our Quest, in our search for the meaning of our life and being . 4

The Kabbalah
On your admission to the Society, you were told that Among the secrets of Nature are the writings of the Kabbalists which include the demonstration of the Eternal Essence of God, the key to the government of the Universe, and the powers and properties of numbers. The Kabbalah, the esoteric doctrine of the Jews, is one of the keys to greater knowledge in the Society, and it is referred to in more detail in higher Grades. In the Kabbalistic system, letters and numbers are interrelated, and this system can assist the seeker to delve more deeply into the layers of meaning contained within scripture. The Tree of Life, that great glyph of the Kabbalah, with its Sephiroth (Principles) and linking Paths, is a ladder to God and a mirror to ourselves and we can all benefit from a study of this method of spiritual development.

With regard to the power and properties of numbers, some information is provided in this Grade. It is an important branch of symbolism, and is a key to the symbolism of the Craft and other degrees in Freemasonry as well as S.R.I.A. But, as with the Knowledge Lectures in the higher Grades, it is up to the Frater to do the work and study; what is offered in the Lecture is only intended to be an introduction to the subject

Conclusion
The ceremony of your admission as a Frater of the Society is not only a formal introduction to the S.R.I.A., but it also provides an indication as to the direction for your studies and the conduct that you are to pursue. You begin your membership of the Society as a Student, and when you progress to the 2nd Order (Grade V) you have the responsibility of being a Teacher, and then in the 3rd Order (from Grade VIII) you are a Ruler. That there are ceremonies for all the various Grades indicates that there are important stages in this instruction, a progressive revelation of knowledge. In a sense, certain keys are put in your hands, but it is up to you to open the doors of knowledge and understanding, as we journey together in solving the great problems of life. There is no end to this acquisition of knowledge, but sooner or later we are forced to turn inward and look at the centre, rather than the circumference of the circle. Man know thyself could well be our motto, and the Society has much to offer the seeker who desires to achieve this understanding of himself, of life, and of the world in which he lives. As a member of this ancient and honoured Society of Rosicrucians, you have an exemplar to follow, our revered founder Christian Rosenkreutz, whose life and teachings are set out in the 17th century publications called the Fama Fraternitatis and the Confessio. He provided a wonderful example of The duty and beauty of service, not only to his Fratres, but also to all humanity. As a modern-day version of this Fraternity, we can but do our best; to do good to all and to seek The vision splendid. Finally, as we can read in the Fama, our life and work on this Earth is that Finally man might understand his own nobleness and worth and the reasons why he is called the Microcosm, that perfect reflection of the Macrocosm of the Divine Creator.

The History of the Fraternity

Part 1 There was, in or about 1610, a curious and anonymous Latin text that was circulated among the learned of Europe. It purported to be an account of a secret fraternity of adepts but how far it represented historical truth, or how far it could be regarded as symbolical truth in its form as a parable, has never been decided. In any case, internal evidence shows it most certainly was the work of an illuminated adept and such is the nature of the document that it is regarded as a fountainhead of the popular tradition concerning Western occultism. The object of that Fraternity was to attain knowledge of Jesus Christ, and of Nature hitherto unknown: to induce great wisdom, which would renew and reduce all arts to perfection, so that man might understand his own nature and worth, and why he is called the microcosm. Although theology, physics and mathematics do manifest the truth, it must also be said that the pride, the covetousness and the blinkered views of the learned do not permit them to agree together. It was to this end that "Our most godly and illuminated Brother C.R.C., a German, chief and originator of our Fraternity, hath much and long time laboured." He was born in I378 and was descended from noble parents, but by reason of poverty was placed in a cloister at five years of age, where he learned Latin and Greek indifferently, and became associated with a Brother P.A.L., with whom he planned to go to the Holy Land. On this journey Brother P.A.L. died at Cyprus, and Brother C.R.C. went on to Damascus, intending to go on to Jerusalem. But because of ill-health, however, he remained at Damascus, where he greatly impressed the Turks. It was here that he became acquainted with the wise men of Damascus and Arabia, who taught and showed him about the wonders of Nature that they had discovered. Although only 16 years of age, the Arabians received him, not as a stranger, but as one whom they had long expected, and they called him by his name, and showed him many secrets. 7

He learned there the Arabian tongue; physics; mathematics and translated the book "M" into Latin. After three years he went on into Egypt where he sojourned for a short while before sailing to Fez. Here the Arabians instructed him, and he became acquainted with those beings, which we call the Elementals, who revealed to him many of their secrets. As regards the work in Fez, he confesses that their magic was not altogether pure, and that their Qabalah was defiled by their religion; but he was still able make good use of their knowledge which not only served to increase his own faith but further confirmed to him the perfect harmony of the whole world, and in that tune and melody of God, with Heaven and Earth. He stayed for two years but then left Fez and sailed to Spain, hoping to exchange his knowledge with the learned men in Europe, however they made a mockery of his learning. All that is except one man whose name was Paracelsus who studied and complemented his work. After many painful travels, our loving Father C.R.C. at last returned to Germany where he built his house and there spent a great deal of time in meditation on philosophy, alchemy and mathematics. Five years later however there came about a change in his life and he was joined by three others in his work, who we know as; Bros. G.V., J.A., and J.O.. With these three he entered into an obligation that they would all be faithful, diligent and secret, and that they would commit carefully to writing all that he should direct and instruct. Thus did Christian Rosencreutz form The Fraternity and thereby the root stock from which we are sprung

. 8

Recommended Reading
There are a number of books available on the Rosicrucians and Rosicrucianism in general. Two that are recommended are: The Rosicrucian Enlightenment -Frances Yates The Rosicrucians -Christopher Mcintosh. On the subject of the Kabbalah the introductory books of note are: The Tree of Life -Halevi Qabalah -John Bonner For more in-depth reading on the Kabbalah: Mystical Qabalah -Dion Fortune Garden of Pomegranates -Israel Regardie The books of: Gareth Knight and William Gray A useful book on the subject of Numbers is: The Key to the Universe -Curtis

The Questions set out below are designed to assist the Frater in his understanding of the Grade of Zelator as well as his preparation for the Grade of Theoricus. You are invited to write a short paragraph or a series of notes on each subject and to send them to your College Coordinator of Studies who will be pleased to receive them and discuss them with you. Subjects for Contemplation

1. 2. 3. 4.

What did you seek and what brought you to this Society? What are the Aims of the Society? What do the Four Ancients represent to you? What do the letters IHVH and INRI signify, how are they related and how is the latter represented in the college? What do you understand by the maxim As above, so it Is Below, but after another fashion.? Numbers have meanings other than their arithmetical value, how explained? How many rounds are there on Jacobs Ladder. and what do they signify? What do you understand by the words The Tree of Life? What is inscribed on the jewel of our Society? What do you understand by the name The Rose of Sharon?

5.

6.

7.

8. 9. 10.

John Paternoster & Fred Shade

10

Notes for the Theoricus

Introduction
The purpose of each Grade in the S.R.I.A. is to initiate the Frater into a new level of knowledge and also to introduce a further subject for him to study and into which to gain some insight. In the Zelator Grade, there were several traditions and areas of knowledge brought to the candidate's notice, for example the Kabbalah; the science and meaning of numbers and the Elements in Nature etc. In this, the second Grade, the significance of Colours and how man perceives them is presented as a topic for study, with the emphasis again being that this is only an introduction As in the former Grade, the focus is again on how this subject relates both to man and the universe in which he lives. However, the value of this new Grade depends entirely on how far the Frater pursues his own studies and remember that the unfolding of the primary colours themselves, as well as the increasing complexity of the colours holds many deeper meanings.

The Solemn Engagement

The candidate is asked to make a solemn engagement to attend the meetings of the College at least once a year. This was in fact one of the undertakings made by the original Fratres Rosae Crucis in the 16th century and this special and solemn undertaking is not to be taken lightly. The reason for this is to be found from a study of the founding of the original Fratres Rosae Crucis which is outlined in the Fama Fraternitatis where the reasons are explained.

The Ancients
The position of the four Ancients is similar to the position they occupied in the Second Part of the Zelator Grade, but their function in this Grade is different. The aspirant travels clockwise, as one would expect , and the journey can be appreciated at different levels. For example he progresses through the Elements; the Zodiac and through to the spiritual planes. The charge delivered by each Ancient has much to convey to the mind of the candidate, and each has a spiritual as well as a moral significance. These charges warrant careful reading and it is suggested that each one is used in turn for reflection and contemplation; because in this way they become more meaningful. The Cross which is carried during the ceremony is related to the Ancients in several ways and this too is worthy of much further study.

The Lecture
There is no need to go through in detail the Lecture on the Colours because it is straightforward. The Colours referred to here are the three primary; the four secondary or supplementary colours, and others which we perceive in nature and which we commonly use ourselves - such as black and white. All of them correspond in some way to ourselves and the world in which we live. For example we are all well aware of the phrase seeing red, and we will often refer to a person having a blue period. Some of these correlations are described in the lecture, but they need to be further explored with the assistance of reference works, such as an encyclopaedia. It is also of particular interest to see how various colours are used for their psychological impact; in our Masonic Orders, and also in ecclesiastical vestments etc.

The Journey
In the Grade of Zelator you passed into the Sephirah of Malkuth which is the 10th Sephirah on the Tree of Life. This Sephirah is concerned with this physical world. It is the final concretion or precipitation into matter of the Creative Divine Plan and as such it represents the whole Cosmos right down, even to the body of man which, as we are told in the Book of Genesis, was formed in the image of God. It is into this earthly world that we are born, poor and penniless and it is in this physical world that we first explore the reality of our five basic senses. We also learn to use and to look after our bodies and these basic skills have to be mastered before we are able to progress and recognise, and then to control the various instincts and passions that dominate and rule our lives.
Malkuth (basic plans of the Tree of Life are on Pages 7&8) is the first regular step down the pathway of life. It is our first Degree because it is our Initiation and now you have just taken your second regular step on the path and this is the Foundation on which you build your life. In this 2nd Grade you advance to the 9th Sephirah, named Yesod which is called The Foundation. It is called the foundation of this physical world because it is the etheric framework and to give you an example, you might consider Yesod as the scaffolding behind the scenery of a theatrical stage set. It is that frame, or form behind the physical, material and earthly shapes as we recognise them. One of the correspondences of Yesod is the Moon and thereby the personality. Just as Malkuth represents our body, so does Yesod represent our personality. Remember that what we show to the world is but a shadow of our true selves, just as the moon only imperfectly reflects the true light of the sun. It is only on the one day in its cycle that the moon show us its full true face; the rest of the time it projects its shadow side to the world.

Another very important correspondence of Yesod is with the patriarch Jacob. Jacob had a coat of many colours, but this was not referring to its patchwork quality, but to the fact that he had a coat of many personalities. This is not just a story about Joseph, it is also about ourselves. This is one reason why there is an emphasis on the subject of colours in this Grade. Remember that there is nothing in our rituals and teachings that should ever be taken at face value, there is a world of meaning to each and everything. As a passing thought consider Jacobs coat and its many colours that allude to the various shades of our own personalities with which we clothe ourselves and remember the phrase like father, like son. Consider then the possibility that his 12 sons might also allude to a cycle of archetypal personalities -perhaps even to the 12 signs of the Zodiac or then again perhaps to the archetypes that Jung was familiar with, for after all, Jung was a Kabbalist.

The History of the Fraternity

Part 2 Christian Rosencreutz formed The Fraternity and thereby the root stock from which we are all sprung. At first there were only the four members, but they eventually finished the new building which was called 'Sancti Spiritus', or The House of the Holy Spirit. However because of the extent of this work, together with their writing; research and the healing for the many sick people who came to visit them, they were forced to increase their numbers. To this end our Father chose his cousin Bro.G.G.; Bro.B. who was a skilful painter; Bro.G. and lastly Bro.P.D. who was the secretary. All except for Bro.J.A. were German and all were bachelors who had vowed to remain celibate. Eventually these eight brethren so arranged things that they were able to devote a considerable amount of time to their passion of philosophy and magical works. Each thereby became so learned in the study of the secret and manifested philosophy that they decided to 5

separate and to travel to widen even more their understanding and to test their wisdom so that if anyone found it to be lacking in any way, then it could be rectified. However, before they separated they all agreed to the following set of ideals and confirmed that they would practice them whenever possible:I. None of them should profess anything, and should cure the sick gratis. 2. They should not be constrained to wear any kind ofhabit but to follow the custom of the country. 3. Every year on an appointed day they would meet at thehouse 'Sancti Spiritus' or write the cause of absence. 4. Every brother should look for a worthy person to succeed him. 5. The word R.C. should be their seal, mark and character. 6. The Fraternity should remain secret for 100 years. Five of the brethren then departed, but Bro,B. the painter and Bro.P.D. the Secretary, remained with Father C.R.C. for a year, after which they likewise departed after their annual meeting, but left there Bro.G.G. who was Bro.C.R.C.'s cousin and Bro.J.O., so that he always had two Fratres with him. Every year they assembled together and met with their accustomed fraternal fellowship and made a full report of what had been done and the wonders which God had showed them during their journeys there through the world. The first to die was Bro.J.C. in England. He was very learned in the Qabalah as his book "H" witnesses. He was spoken of as having cured a young Earl of Norfolk of leprosy. They had agreed that as far as possible their burying-place should be kept secret, and it is not known to us what has become of them, but each one's place was supplied by a fit successor. 6

After the death of Bro.J.C. Father C.R.C. called the rest together and from what we can gather laid the plans for his grave. It is not known exactly when that loving Father died, but we do know something about the vault where he was laid to rest. A certain Bro.N.N., who was of the third generation of the fratres, decided that since 'Fortune' had smiled on him, then he would make some alterations to the building. This was in the year 1604. In so doing he came upon a brass memorial tablet containing all the names of the brethren, and some other few things, which he thought he would transfer to some more fitting vault. In this tablet was stuck a great nail and which on being drawn out brought with it a large stone out of a thinly plastered wall, which revealed a hidden door. Immediately he pulled down the rest of the wall and cleared the door, and upon the door he found some large writing which read:-

After I20 years I shall be open." and with the date.

POST CXX ANNOS PATEBO

Recommended Reading
These books are not specifically concerned with the nature and exploration of Colour, but are intended to further the seekers interest and follow on from the books of the previous Grade. The Anatomy of Fate - Zve Ben Shimon Haleve A Kabbalistic Universe - Zve Ben Shimon Haleve The Magical Mason - R.A. Gilbert

The Tree of Life

The Kingdom

The Tree in the form of our Masonic Pillars

The Questions set out below are designed to assist the Frater in his understanding of the Grade of Theoricus as well as his preparation for the Grade of Practicus. You are invited to write a short paragraph or a series of notes on each subject and to send them to your College Coordinator of Studies who will pleased to receive them and discuss them with you. 9

Points for Contemplation I 2 3 What is the purpose of choosing a motto ? What are the colours associated with the four Elements ? What is the sequence of the Elements during your progress and what is their orientation in this Grade ? What are the Words communicated to you by the Ancients and what do their initials signify ? How is the body of Man described by the Exponent ? What is the Holy Name referred to in this Grade and how is it depicted in your journey ? What are the 4 Worlds of Existence and what do they signify ? What are the seven colours we recognise in the rainbow and what other Masonic correspondences to the number 7 do you recognise ? Name the colour with which you identify, and try to explain why this so. The Cosmos and all that it contains has often been described as the Garment of God. What do you understand by this expression ?

5 6

7 8

10

John Paternoster & Fred Shade 7/2001

10

Notes for the Practicus

Opening
The opening ceremony and prayer make very clear the subject of The Grade of Practicus - Alchemy and the transmutation of the Elements, but in this ceremony the Ancients, who are arranged in the College as in the Grade of Thcoricus, do not have an active role.

The Work
The ritual makes it clear that although the secret knowledge of Alchemy is not directly contained within the ceremonies we perform, certain keys and clues are given to the candidate, to assist him in understanding the key points of this ancient science. Indeed the candidate has already been given some clues as to where to look in the Fellow Craft Degree where he is directed to study "The hidden mysteries of nature and science". However, with this aid it is hoped that he will be able to understand and resolve the issues and paradoxes that are presented to him both in this Grade and in his related studies. But, it is up to the new Practicus to do this work himself, because as the Celebrant says, "We can but point out the Way; you yourself must follow the path .... you yourself must perform the steps of the process." Emphasis is placed on the steps of the process in physical Alchemy, as presented in the writings of our ancient brethren, but the candidate is also advised that there is a spiritual Alchemy which must be pursued. The processes and symbolism used in this Higher Alchemy are briefly referred to in this Grade and its lecture, but more is given on this subject in a higher Grade. Above all it must be remembered that just as the study of the other systems of beliefs was in order to draw the seeker back to the realms of his creator, so too does the study of this subject bring the candidate nearer to his God. 2

The Cross
The particular Cross which is carried by the candidate is a Sw. or F. Cross, and is of very ancient date. Although it is given a Christian explanation, the symbol in fact comes from pre-Christian times. For example, it can be found prominently displayed on Hindu temples in India etc. But in the Practicus ceremony, the Cross is presented in a Christian context and therefore within the Western esoteric tradition, and so it points to the importance of such things as the Ancients, the Elements, the Zodiac, and the Names of God etc., as we understand them in the West. The explanation of the Cross given to the candidate by the Celebrant is an excellent summary of its various meanings. It links up with the special knowledge that the Frater has already received, and also presents some additional information, such as the Names of God in different languages. All of these correspondences the candidate is encouraged to explore.

The Lecture
The lecture on Alchemy, although extensive, only skims the surface of the subject. The Lecture is printed in the ritual. It reviews the etymology of the word Alchemy / Alchymy, its origins and development as a science (and as precursor to modern chemistry), and refers to some of the great alchemists who contributed to its development, from ancient Egypt and Greece to the present day. Some technical terms relating to the alchemical process which arc referred to in the ritual are then explained. Higher Alchemy, or Spiritual Alchemy, is also mentioned as the next area of study in the Society. The study of ancient Alchemy, as a precursor to modern-day chemistry, is useful information to have in its own right. It is also one source of our understanding of the cosmology of the ancient world. The science of Alchemy reveals to us, albeit in symbolic terms, how our 3

ancient brethren saw the dynamic relationship between spirit and matter between heaven and earth, between God and Mali, between the various 'elements' of the material world and Man's own nature, and how he may be able to control or change them. The splitting of the atom and the manipulation of subatomic particles achieved in recent times is merely a continuation of Man's efforts to harness energy and control Nature. Modern-day technology is certainly superior to that of our predecessors, but our insights into the nature of matter and how it can be changed also supports many of the theories which were used by our predecessors as the basis of their alchemical work. (Remember, the ancient Greeks proposed the theory of the atom long before we could 'prove' its existence.) The Lecture then goes on to say that we are also to explore another aspect of this ancient science and one which our predecessors believed to be of even greater importance; this is what they called the Higher Alchemy. This is the alchemy or transformation of the soul and it uses the language, symbols and processes of physical Alchemy as metaphors for this personal psycho-spiritual development and its various stages. For this reason, the two types of Alchemy, both Material and Spiritual, are in fact interdependent; they are two sides Of the one alchemical coin! And so the so-called 'spiritual' cannot be properly understood without first studying the 'physical' side of Alchemy. These are the aims of the Grade of Practicus :i to understand the physical process of ancient alchemy. ii to use this science as a spiritual alchemy of the soul, i.e. for one's own moral and spiritual development. iii to seek the Philosopher's Stone in Christ. These are in fact what the Frater committed himself to undertake when he was admitted to the Society. The Great Work has begun. 4

An Outline of Alchemy
By R.Wy.Fr. Robert Black

Alchemy, a member of the great Hermetic quartet that consists of alchemy, astrology, the Kabbalah and magic, has recently been defined as The art of liberating parts of the cosmos from temporal existence to achieve perfection, which for metals was gold and for man, longevity, immortality and finally redemption. Material perfection was sought through the action of a preparation (for example the Philosophers Stone for metals; the Elixir of Life for humans), while spiritual ennoblement could result from the receipt of inner revelation (gnosis or other mystical experience). It is uncertain precisely where the art of alchemy first began although the earliest practitioners of which there is any detailed knowledge come from the Egypto-Greek world. Democritos (c.460 c.370 BC) defined alchemy as an art purporting to relate to the transmutation of metals, and described in a terminology at once physical and mystical. There had always been a mystical side to early metallurgical processes. Gold in particular, from its natural occurrence in its metallic form, was regarded as the most beautiful and perfect of metals. Among primitive people sacred rituals involving a preparation of fasting, sexual abstinence, accompanied metallurgical operations on gold and strict silence was kept while the metal was melted and poured into the mould. Because of its beauty, attempts were made to make other metals take on the appearance of gold and recipes for such processes are to be found in the Ebers and the Leyden and Stockholm papyri. The Ebers papyrus was compiled about 1550 BC and the Leyden and Stockholm papyri during the early centuries of the Christian era. The theoretical basis of alchemy derived from the concept that all matter was derived from the combination of the properties of the four elements, earth, air, water and fire, in different proportions. Transmutation was merely the adjustment of the proportions of the 5

elements in a given metal to those qualities characteristic of gold. This adjustment could be brought about by the use of a fifth element, the Quintessence (later to become the Philosophers Stone), ascribed to Aristotle, a student and friend of Plato. Alchemical work became centred on the great library at Alexandria and in a sense alchemy, the science of the time, was based on the study of Nature and was an attempt to understand how the various different metals were produced in the earth as minerals. When the library was destroyed in 640 AD alchemy suffered a decline but was to receive stimulation from an unexpected source -the Moslem empire of the Caliphs of Baghdad. Under such enlightened rulers as Harun AlRaschid many Greek works on alchemy and science, philosophy and mathematics were translated into Arabic, for the most part by Syriacspeaking Nestorians in the University of Jundi-Shapur in South West Persia. It was by the later re-translation of these Arabic manuscripts back into Latin by scholars such as Robert of Chester that Western alchemy revived in the 12th and 13th centuries. These Islamic manuscripts had been enriched by concepts derived from the great Indian and Chinese alchemists that had travelled along the trade routes of Asia -the Silk Road. In this way alchemy acquired the ideas of immortality, from China the Elixir of Life and from India the intoxicating and enlightening power of Soma. In the West, many of the students of alchemy such as Albertus Magnus, Roger Bacon and Thomas Aquinas were closely associated with the Church or with monastic orders and from this and a very real belief in the close nature of things spiritual and temporal, the as it is above, so below, of the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistos, gave rise to work in the laboratory in conjunction with that in the oratory (Laborare est orare!). From this it became obvious that the discovery of the prime material, from which the Philosophers Stone might be prepared was a God given gift and could only be obtained by divine inspiration or by an oral tradition from a father in alchemy. Many alchemists sought long and hard before they attained the goal. Some like Nicholas Flamel set out on an alchemical pilgrimage to the shrine 6

of St. James at Compostella in Spain having been encouraged by the acquisition of an old illustrated book which needed explanation by a master of the art. The search for the Stone had many of the attributes of the quest for the Holy Grail. Both Stone and Grail being not quite of this world! The literature of alchemy is highly symbolic as alchemists were not permitted to disclose the secrets of their work but could only hint at their procedures in terms understandable by other adepts but hidden from the mundane world. For example one word might stand for many substances while another substance might be named under many words! Illustrations were used to depict processes and the alchemical engravings of the 17th century are notorious for their beauty and depth of understanding. During the last thousand years an immense amount has been written and published on the subject of alchemy. Scientists as eminent as Robert Boyle and Isaac Newton have laboured valiantly in order to establish the truth behind the apparently successful reports and demonstrations of transmutation carried out during the 17th century by such mysterious characters as the Elias of the Gold-makers, who travelled the continent with the object of convincing sceptics of the reality of transmutation of base metals into gold. As recently as 1922, however, Eugene Canseliet claimed to have transmuted 100 grams of lead into gold in the laboratory of a gasworks at Sarcelles near Paris, using a minute quantity of the Philosophers Stone given to him by his master a contemporary alchemist writing under the name of Fulcanelli. While it is known from the work of Lord Rutherford that the metal platinum can be transmuted in minute quantities into (the less expensive!) gold by bombarding a target of that metal with high energy neutrons, there is some doubt on the part of the scientific establishment whether transmutation by the method described by the alchemists was in fact ever achieved. Even the accounts of transmutation carried out by eminent scientists of the past, such as Helvetius, Van Helmont and Robert Boyle, with small quantities of the Stone are open to doubt 7

although modern research into the methods employed by the alchemists would indicate that some of the effects that they reported can be duplicated in a modern chemical laboratory. Alchemists such as Nicholas Flamel, who lived during the 14th century; managed to amass considerable wealth; build fourteen hostels for the poor, three chapels and repair some seven churches among his other charitable activities in the city of Paris, although spending his life as a public notary. This could only have been achieved by supernatural means. Flamel possessed all the characteristics that might be expected of a true alchemist: the long search, the providential guidance, the participation of a female collaborator, his wife Perrenelle, the rags to riches transformation and the evidence for longevity or of some mystical personality change. It may well be that the alchemists unknowingly developed some form of hyper-chemistry as yet unknown! Only the future will tell. ** * * ****

The History of the Fraternity

Part 3 In the morning the door was opened and there appeared behind it a vault of seven sides; every side was 5 feet wide and 8 feet high; and although the sun could never shine in this vault, it was brightly lit from the centre of the ceiling. In the midst was a round altar covered over by a plate of brass on which was engraven:-

"A.C.R.C. This compendium of the Universe I made in my lifetime to be my tomb".

Round the first circle or brim were the words, "Jesus is my all". Whilst in the middle were four images of figures which were enclosed in circles, whose circumscription was:-

"A vacuum exists nowhere. The yoke of the Law. The liberty of the Gospel. The whole Glory of God.
With this discovery we all knelt down together and gave thanks to God who hath shown us so much more than all men's wit could have thought out. The upper and lower part of the vault was divided into triangles and those from the seven sides of the upper part met at a mysterious light in the centre, which brilliantly illuminated the whole place. In every side or wall there was a door behind which was contained a chest in which was stored many strange things, books and the supposedly lost arcanum of the Fraternity. We then returned to the altar that was in the centre and moved it to one side and lifted a strong plate of brass from 9

the top. There we found the body of our Father which, most strangely, was entirely whole and without any decomposition. In his hand he held a parchment book called "I", which next to the Bible is our greatest treasure. At the end of this book stands the following eulogy:"C.R.C. sprang from the noble and renowned German family of R.C.: a man admitted into the mysteries and secrets of heaven and earth through the Divine Revelations, subtle cogitations and unwearied toil of his life, In his journeys through Arabia and Africa he collected a treasure passing that of Kings and Emperors, but finding it not suitable for his times, he kept it guarded for posterity to uncover, and appointed loyal and faithful heirs to his arts and also of his name. He constructed a microcosm corresponding in all motions to the Macrocosm, and finally drew up his compendium of things past, present and to come. Then having now passed the century of years (I06), though oppressed by no disease, which he had neither felt in his own body nor allowed to attack others, but summoned by the spirit of God, amid the last embraces or his brethren he rendered up his illuminated soul to God his Creator. A beloved father, an affectionate brother, a faithful teacher, a loyal friend, he was hidden here by his disciples for 120 years, Under this were subscribed the initials of eight Fratres, and at the end was written:"We are born from God; we die in Jesus; we live again through the Holy Ghost." We then covered the body again with the brass plates, and returned the altar to its original position; shut the door and made it secure with all our seals. Then we departed one from the other, and left the natural heirs in possession of our Jewels, knowing that after a time there would be a general reformation, both of Divine and human things. Then we hope some few may join together to increase the numbers and revitalize our Fraternity and make a happy renewal of our philosophical canons as prescribed by our Bro. C.R.C., and thus be partakers with us of our treasures, and walk not blindly in the knowledge of the wonderful works of God. 10

Recommended Reading
Simple alchemical books are rare, but there are certain books that relate to the subject and I have listed a good few below.

The Lecture in the Ritual of the Grade The Secret Art of Alchemy -Robert M. Black (SRIA publication No.16)

The Secret Art of Alchemy -Stanislas Klossowski de Rola (Thames & Hudson)

The Kabalistic Universe -Zve ben Shimon Halevi

Sacred Geometry -Robert Lawler

Hermetic Papers of A. E. Waite. -R. A. Gilbert

There is also a list of books at the back of Robert Blacks book on Alchemy that are worthy of study.

11

The Questions set out below are designed to assist the Frater in his understanding of the Grade of Practicus as well as his preparation for the Grade of Philosophus. You are invited to write a short paragraph or a series of notes on each subject and to send them to your College Co-ordinator of Studies who will pleased to receive them and discuss them with you.

12

Points of Contemplation
1. What is the name of the Cross carried during the ceremony? 2. What are the sacred letters attributed to the four Elements on the Cross, arid what are the Hebrew and Latin words to which they refer? 3, What is your understanding of the terms "the Way", "the path" and "the goal" used by the Celebrant? 4. What is the purpose of Physical Alchemy? 5. What is the purpose of Higher or Spiritual Alchemy? 6. What is the retort that your Soul is placed in and what are the forces that act upon it? 7. What are the four states of Matter? 8. All Chemical and Alchemical processes take time but was does the concept of time mean to you? Is time constant or is it variable? 9. What do you understand by the term Solve and Coagule? 10. In the Closing Prayer we ask that the Supernal Triad be with us and that each and every attribute of the Divine Sephiroth assists us in our exertions. What are you asking for?

John Paternoster & Fred Shade 11/200

13

Notes for the Philosophus

Opening
The opening of this Grade shows the Ancients seated as in the 1st Part of the Zelator Grade, though as with the Grade of Practicus, they have no active function to perform. The College is declared open with the minimum of ceremony and indeed in this Grade there is not even a prayer! The Cross which appears above the altar is a distinctive one and it is considered by many to be the correct form of the Rosicrucian Cross.

Reception There is a short dialogue between the Celebrant and Exponent prior to the candidate's reception and it refers to the purpose of this Grade, which is the study of Religions and Philosophies around the world, present and past and hope is expressed that by such a study, the new Frater will "come to a greater appreciation of the beauties of the Christian faith". They also declare that our fraternity "confers upon its members not only knowledge, but also wisdom".

Knowledge and Wisdom There is a striking claim made by the Celebrant and it is that colleges not only confer knowledge, but also wisdom, and that each Frater must decide for himself whether this claim is true or not. Certainly, we get some glimpses of the Wisdom of past ages when we undertake the study required of us in this Grade. Indeed, "the growth of ages has added to the store of learning" in our Society, and pearls of wisdom are conveyed to the candidate in each of the Grades. We are also reminded that the Wisdom of the Christian faith is the foundation stone of our Society, just as it was for our ancient brethren of the R.C, 2

The study of other religions and philosophies broadens and deepens our understanding of the mysteries of God, of Nature and of ourselves. Man has always been on a Quest; a search for a meaning and for a deeper knowledge of himself because as Carl Jung has written, the religious instinct in man is very strong and thus we find these common threads in the major religions of the world and the world's philosophies, which have been woven into the tapestry of beliefs and customs of all cultures.

The Cross In each Grade of the 1st Order, the candidate is required to carry a particular Cross. In this Grade it is a white Calvary Cross of 12 squares, with the bottom square painted black. The significance of this design is made known to the new Philosophus.

The Pledge The candidates pledge is to be virtuous at all times, to cultivate his higher self and to commence the ascent of the Mount of Wisdom, The Mount of Wisdom is represented in alchemical drawings as a mountain with the aspirant ascending the seven steps of Wisdom. These represent the stages in the alchemical process or the initiation of the seven l;ower Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. It is a similar journey to the S.... S.... Of W..... that of the Zelator took in the 2nd part of his ceremony. The ascent of the soul is represented figuratively in a similar manner in other branches of the Western Mystery Tradition, for example, it is the holy mountain upon which the communion with God is gained (in both the O.T and N.T.). Man's desire to ascend the holy mount or to withdraw into it and there dwell in the presence of the Most High, is a common theme in most of the religions of the world. 3

As a Freemason, the Philosophus has already taken this journey, physically and symbolically, many times - in the form of a ladder, a winding staircase, a mountain, or a pilgrimage along the road which ascends the mystical mount etc.

Lecture The Knowledge Lecture in this Grade covers some 23 pages and it reviews, albeit in a brief manner, the Religions of the Near-East and Far-East; the Mythologies of the Mediterranean cultures and also the Ancient and Modern Philosophers. It is suggested that, as a start, the new Philosophus selects one from each of these groups for detailed study, using the recommended references and his own resources to extend his knowledge. It is to be hoped that one of these traditions is of a particular interest to a Frater, and that he might share his knowledge at with the rest of the Fratres.

The Relationship of Christianity

R.Wy.Fr. Rev. Peter Swindell

In the ritual of the fourth grade of our Society we are exhorted, while adhering firmly to the Christian faith, to study the world religions. One such way is usually called "Comparative religion" and this is an academic study. It looks at the different religions from the outside; makes comparisons of their belief and practice; and tries to understand them from the perspective of a friendly outsider. No-one would deny that this is of value because any effort to understand one another must be of benefit to the human race, and indeed be part of our Christian compassion. However, in this article I would like to point the reader to a more exciting and risky enterprise and this is to attempt to gain an insiders view of another faith because religion can never be truly understood from the outside. It is as we practice a religion and engage as a practitioner with its belief-system that we begin to get some insight into the truth that it represents. In what I say below I shall give particular examples from Buddhism, because that is the other religion with which I myself engage, but mutatis mutandis what I say applies to other religions as well. One of the first questions you would be asked if you were known to be a Christian and that you also practiced another religion is, "How can you, as a Christian, get involved in this way?" If your questioner is aggressive enough, he might quote you the two following texts. The first is from John 14.6: "Jesus said l am the way, and the truth, and the life. None comes to the Father except through me"; and from Acts 4.12: "There is salvation in no one else (ie. other than Jesus), for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved." 5

There are currently three different Christian approaches to the question of the relationship between Christianity and other faiths, usually designated as the exclusivist, inclusivist and pluralist positions. The 'exclusivist' position is the one that held sway until recent times. Christianity is the sole true faith, and all others are either frankly wrong, or at best are but distant pointers to the true faith. Indeed, salvation depends on being a Christian. This is a powerful motive for Christian mission among compassionate Christians. St Francis Xavier, the 16th century pioneer Jesuit missionary to India, rejoiced at the number of children he baptised, for in this way they were saved from a half-life in the limbo of the unbaptised in Hell. He spoke of how he wished to go through the universities of Europe almost compelling people to come out to evangelise the heathen rather than bury themselves in their ivory towers. The 'exclusivist' position was summed up for the 'man in the Street' in the musical setting of Kiplings poem Mandalay, with its lines: Bloomin idol made of wood What they call the great god Budd" On the basis of the two texts quoted above, this is still the position of many Christians. However, it fails to meet the conviction of those Christians today who find aspects of ultimate truth in other faiths. Secondly, there is the 'inclusivist' position. This affirms the absolute truth of Christianity, and sees it as the supreme revelation. but it would also include the other religions, to a greater or lesser degree, within it. This is because the truth is to be found in all other religions, and Christ embraces all truth. This is an attractive option. It enables those who hold it to maintain the traditional ultimate claims of Christianity and yet to accommodate the truth wherever they find it. However, it can appear to those who hold other faiths that Christians are, all too often, making a take-over bid. "We hold the true faith, but we can accommodate you within it." Sadly this does not respect the integrity of another religion. 6

The third position is the 'pluralist'. This sees all religions as possessing the truth in various degrees and accommodates the many paths up the mountain, at the top of which you will find God, Allah or the Eternal. What matters is that you find the one that suits you, or if you hold this position, then you may find a convergence of paths as you ascend this mountain. This has the advantage of taking other religions seriously on their own terms. But of course it completely ignores the unique claims of Christianity for Christ. It can also lead to people constructing their own religion, selecting what suits them from different traditions, which, as we shall see later, can block all spiritual progress. I have adopted what could be called the modified inclusivist tradition. Whilst being convinced of the claims of Jesus Christ, I cannot deny the spiritual depth and truth I find in the Zen Buddhist communities of monks and laypeople, and in the teaching they provide. In fact I believe that Christ is at work there, and that his Spirit blows where it wills (cf John 3). It seems to me that Christ is often more clearly found there than in some Christian groups, which may gather 'in his name'. On this basis, you may ask whether there is any place left for the Christian mission? Let me tell you a story. On one occasion I was staying at a Zen monastery, and most of my fellow "lay trainees" did not know that I was a Christian priest. One day one of the monks addressed me as "Reverend Philip". There upon a trainee said, "Oh, are you a priest?", meaning no doubt a Zen priest. I explained who I was, whereupon exclaimed "Oh, I thought all Christians were bigots!". That, I felt, was a moment of mission, and no more need be said. Be warned, however, of a particular pitfall in mixing religious practice. This is the danger of syncretism or selectivity. By this I mean that it is all too easy to select the elements of different religions which happen to suit us at the time, and to weave them into a system which then becomes a 'do-it-yourself' or a 'pick-your~own' religion. This negates the whole enterprise. For the purpose of religion as I see it, is 7

not only to comfort and inspire, but also to challenge and confront us. If God, or the Eternal, as the Buddhists would say, is ultimate Reality, then it must follow that he is prepared to knock off all the "superfluous knobs and excrescencies" of our selfish ego, providing that we will let him. Every religion will in some aspect challenge us, but only if we take it all the way. A very important concept is that of function. Rather than putting doctrines side by side and suggesting that they are equivalent, we need to understand how the elements in the different religions fulfil the same function. I would suggest that the Eucharist in Christianity and the formal Meal-time ceremony in Zen Buddhism fulfil a similar function. This is not to say that the Eucharist is the same as the Mealtime ceremony -that would be patently absurd, but there are parallel ceremonies and teachings in different religions that fulfil the same function. This is surely what we should expect, because human beings only have a limited number of basic needs which all religions must be able to meet if they are to survive. Be wise but bold. Be wise and check out what is happening in your spiritual life with a person you can trust and this may be a priest of either tradition, or it may be a godly lay person. But also be bold, even though this may entail some suffering on your part, because false trails and dead ends have a way of becoming apparent and sorting themselves out in due time. So it is my hope that some of our Philosophi will enrich their Christian faith and practice by dipping a toe in those of another religion. You may well have the kind of experience which I have found. Often, when I have attended a Buddhist talk on a Saturday evening, and then gone to church on the Sunday morning, the Christian Scriptures have struck me with a new force and relevance. Christ, our universal Lord is greater than all the worlds religions put together. Chaplain General 8

The History of the Fraternity

Part 4 Like all topics and explanations that concern the mysteries it is most difficult to try and decide what is fact and what is allegory. For example, there has always been some doubt whether the name Rosicrucian did in fact come from the rose and the cross, or whether Father C.R.C. was the literal founder of the Order in and about 1400. There is a report that the word Rosicrucian comes from the word 'Ros', which means 'dew'. It is also interesting that 'Ras' means ;wisdom; and 'Rus' is translated as 'concealment'; all of which are both important and relevant. Arthur Waite believes that it was the word 'dew' that was the secret concealed within the name. One aspect however that is certainly clear is the connection of the Rosicrucians and Freemasonry. Many of those connected with the development of Freemasonry were suspected of being Rosicrucians; some, as in the case of Robert Fludd even wrote about this brotherhood. Similarly Elias Ashmole, who was also an eminent Freemason. Some authorities are even of the opinion that it was Sir Francis Bacon who had a hand in the writing of the Fama and Confessio, because they are said to have a very similar rhetorical style to Bacon's 'New Atlantis'. However, even though the authorship may be in some doubt, the adepts of the Brotherhood were most certainly men of a very higher order in terms of their evolution. Candidates were only accepted after long periods of probation and it took many years for them to complete their training. This, as now in most occult societies, included the transmutation of the base metals. Whether this was in purely physical or allegorical terms is open to question, but as most students of the Qabalah will know, all of the alchemical metals are precisely placed on the Tree of Life with the purest gold at the centre of Tiphareth; the position of Apollo and the position of the Solar Logos, to which we all must try to aspire. Thus the transformation of the base metals of our instincts into the gold of our Divines Spark is a task that we must all master. 9

The vault shows us the way because the vault is an allegory for ourselves. There were seven sides and these allude to the seven Elohim; the seven days of Creation and the seven lower Sephiroth of the Qabalah, with the Supernal Triad shining forth as a brilliant white light at the centre of the upper level. This is a symbol of our bodies. There is the brilliant Divine Spark illuminating the perfect potential which we all have deep within ourselves, but which remains hidden beneath a very crude and superficial layer of the plasterwork of our personalities. We should also remember that the central lamp at the focus of the ceiling of the vault is emblematic of the everlasting and eternal nature of our Divine Spark as opposed to the plasterwork of our bodily flesh which is both mortal and transient. It is the Divine aspect of each one of us that can illuminate our lives and lead us to escape that cycle of birth and death which is amply illustrated by the state of the body of our Master within the tomb. One of the most important things that we must all remember is that to call a person a Rosicrucian does not make him one; for precisely the same reason that to call a person a Christian does make him a Christ. The real Rosicrucian or Mason cannot be made; he must grow to be one by the expansion and unfolding of the Divine Will in his heart; the gradual expansion of his consciousness to encompass the Universe instead of just himself and the natural and fluidic inclusion in his daily life of square conduct, upright intentions and right actions in his daily life. It is the lack of attention to these truths that is the cause for so many of the churches, sects and secret societies from being far from that which their names express. God is not a problem to be solved or a solution to be admitted, but He is a reality to be possessed, known, contemplated, conversed with, enjoyed and loved. Because God made man in his own image the power to respond to the divine life which is at the centre of all things is in built, and we should recognise that the Son of God is the personal disclosure of God to man. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body and in Christ the Deity dwells bodily as a person. It is this that was the aim of the Rosicrucians and it is this that should be our constant aim. 10

Christian Rosencreutz may or may not have been an actual personality. He may or may not have been a system of spiritual philosophy, but he most certainly was the embodiment of those precepts that we as Masons hold most dear. Therefore and especially to those of us who presume to call ourselves Rosecrucians we should for ever hold that symbol of the Rose and the Cross vividly before us every minute of every day. It will maintain the mental and visible contact that exists between Him who is the Rose who was crucified upon the Cross of the Elements and ourselves. It is this contact that enables us to receive His help in times of crisis; His assistance through the maze of our daily lives and His Love and Grace which can flow to aid and assist in the transmutation of the metals of our base natures into that Heavenly Gold.

11

Recommended Reading

The Penguin Dictionary of Religions - Ed J.R. Hinnells, Penguin, 1984

A New Dictionary of Theology - Ed. A. Richardson & J. Bowden, SCM, London, 1983

A History of Christianity , Paul Johnson, Penguin, 1990

The Secret Teachings of All Ages (An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic & Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy.)Manly P. Hall, 1988

The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols Chevalier & A. Gheerbrant, Transl. . Buchanan-Brown, Penguin, 1996

A History of God (From Abraham to the Present: the 4000-year Quest for God.) Karen Armstrong, Vintage, Gt. Britain, 1999 The Varieties of Religious Experience William James, Collins/Fount, 1977 The Religious Experiences of Mankind Ninian Smart, Collins/Fount, 1977 Encyclopedia Britannica (Now available on CD-Rom.) 12

Points of Contemplation
1. Describe the Badge of Admission used in this Grade and its Significance. What is the difference between Knowledge and Wisdom? What is the nature of God? What does the phrase "the Mountain of Wisdom" signify to you? What does this Grade say about file requisites for Salvation, and do you agree? List some of the teachings, which are common to the world Religions. List some of the teachings which are unique to the Christian Religion. List the names of God used in the major Religions of the world. Comment on the phrase I think therefore I am What to you is Reality?

2. 3. 4. 5.

6.

7.

8. 9. 10.

John Paternoster & Fred Shade 11/2001

13

Notes for the Adeptus Minor

The Adept Grades
The three Grades of the Second Order Adeptus Minor (Grade V), Adeptus Major (Grade VI) and Adeptus Exemptus (Grade VII), mark a dramatic change from the Grades of the First Order (Grades I IV). This is particularly so in regard to the layout of the room and the instruction given. In these introductory notes only some features of the ceremony and teachings of this Grade can be mentioned and the best way for the Frater to appreciate this Grade and the experience thereof is for him to read the ritual several times.

The Ceremony
The time, place and location of the candidates admission are among the matters, which he has pledged not to reveal. However we may allude to the location of the meeting as being a Vt, although, interestingly enough, there is no explanation in the ritual as to whose Vt it is. But from the memorial that is placed upon the pastos there is sufficient to provide a clue to the discerning eye as to the answer of that question.

The Kabbalah
A few decades ago a Prologue was added to the ritual of this Grade, and this is a worthy addition as it explains the importance of the Tree of Life in the candidates progress in the Society. The Tree of Life with its ten points of Lights or Divine Emanations and 22 Pathways is the diagrammatical representation of the Menorah which was the foundation of the Jewish system of mystical and Gnostic instruction that underpins not only the Jewish religion and their sacred writings, but also of those of our own Christian Faith. It is very deep and profound in its teaching, and only the orthodox rabbis are taught it in their faith. It became known to the West during the Middle Ages and has ever since been a source of inspiration for Christian mystics as well as for Jews.

The Tree of Life may also be described as a picture of Creation in a diagrammatic diagram. It demonstrates the flow of the forces downward from the Divine to the lowest worlds which are then reflected back again and it also provides a comprehensive view of man. As man is an image of Creation, so is Creation but a reflection of the Creator. We are able, therefore, to study that which is below by looking at that which is above, and what we cannot observe above, we may perceive by observance of that which is below.

Obligation
This is described in the ritual as a covenant, which means a solemn undertaking or pledge of loyalty. It is a term used frequently in the Bible and it is used here in the same way. Notice that an obligation is not required of those who enter the First Order of the Society. Apart from anything else, making a covenant in the fifth Grade shows just how significant is our new commitment to the Society and to our fellow-Adepts. There is no going back.

Theme
The theme of this Grade is a solemn one, namely D., as the words of the Grade indicate. But it is explored from the point of view of its inevitability and how we can best prepare for it similar to the rd teachings of the 3 Degree in the Craft. Also, the ritual uses the term in a mystical sense, as the Inductor informs the candidate that only by dying to your lower self, with its passions and prejudices, and being raised to a higher plane of life and knowledge can you accomplish your task as a Rosicrucian Adept, and guide those learners who may be committed to your charge. We are, therefore, dealing with the subject at a more advanced level than the Craft. As has been mentioned in other publications, the Rosicrucian Grades and their rituals are concerned with our development as spiritual beings, of the alchemy of the soul, and the so-called psycho-spiritual process of the soul began on our first entry into the Society.

Adepts Jewel
The Jewel of an Adept is of an unusual and ancient design. It is triangular in shape, representing the sacred delta and within it is inscribed, in a pattern, a number of the Hebrew letter Yods. This is the first letter of the great Tetragrammaton, the Name of God. As it is a great honour to wear the sacred jewel, much will be expected from the newly admitted Adept.

Conclusion
The Society of the Rose and Cross is first and foremost a philosophical Fraternity. Its purpose is to assist its members in finding deeper meaning and purpose in life, to gain knowledge and insight, and above all, to attain wisdom. But none of this activity should be seen in isolation from the Fraters own personal faith. It has been declared more than once in this Society that we are Christians and that our Lord is the Way, the Truth and Life. Thus the effectiveness of the work of the Society, and the influence it will have on Fratres, will depend very much on how strong their personal faith is in the risen Christ.

The Tree of Life

As used by Arthur Waite

This was his own version of the Tree of Life around which he wrote his rituals. As you will notice, the arrangement of the Pathways round Daath is somewhat unique as also is his system of numbering the Paths. However, what is important is that his system works for him and this should remind the student that the Mysteries are not dictated by any written dogma or word, but that they are governed by ones own experience in life.

Some Thoughts of Arthur Waite

Having completed the 4 Grades of the First Order, the Frater is said to have consecrated the 4 aspects of his personality. He now returns to the Middle Pillar, that of Beauty and Equilibrium, which is the way back to his Heavenly home in the Spiritual heights. Arthur Waite wrote many wonderful rituals and I quote from some of them in these booklets of the Adept Grades. He therefore stands purified and consecrated within, even in the four parts of his natural personality. He has turned his will to God as one who in the darkness of night-time has set his face toward Jerusalem. He has seen the darkness kindle beyond the eternal hill, the light breaking in the East. The remembrance of that light is within him. It has shown him the straight and narrow way by which the spirit of the Aspirant ascends to Tiphareth. At the portal thereof, he has been told that a door shall open, but it has already opened in his heart. He has already offered up his whole nature on the Supernal Altar and it is by means of such an offering that those who have been called are chosen for the knowledge of the Tree of Life. It has been said also that he shall enter and go in. Born in the spiritual Bethlehem and presented in the Temple, have given unto him the desire of his heart which is the quest of the Divine within him. Therefore it is prayed : May God be with you , my Brother. May He grant that what here and now you have come to discern in symbolism, by your own efforts and our instruction, shall so sink into your heart that you will be penetrated by its active meaning, and will attain it at first hand in the way of experience. So shall the wavering and inconstant emotions which now aspire to Him in the restless sea of our desires be led into the true light through understanding and love. Again, and for ever, my Frater, the Way is now before you: the Gate can open now.

The Legend of The Rosy Cross

The sanctuaries of the hidden tradition have been established among many nations, and as there was never a period when the ordinances of Initiation were not in the world, so there was never a time and there was never a place when the Greater Mysteries were not the object of research. Under whatever names and with whatever varieties of pageant and established form, all true Rites and Mysteries have been but one Rite expounding one Mystery, which - to summarize it in all brevity -has been the re-integration of man in God. The legend in chief of the original Rosy Cross is concerned with the life and experiences of a particular German Adept; but herein the historical personality counts, mystically speaking, as nothing, while its symbolism is all in all. It is said that the Chief and Originator of our Fraternity belonged to the fourteenth century, much as the Master-Builder in another School of Initiation is referred to the land of Israel and the period of Solomon the King. He came from mean estate and was put to school in a cloister, a house of official religion, where he was instructed in the duties of faith and in knowledge. After these things we are told that he was sent on a time-long journey to a land that is called holy. It was a pilgrimage of the soul in God, a return journey toward the centre. He tarried at other houses of assembly, where it might be said that he came unto his own and that his own received him and as he had been taught in the higher mysteries, no matter where he knocked, it was opened unto him for the things both within and without were of God. Thus he journeyed along and through the Paths and the Worlds of the Tree towards that object of ascent, namely Kether, the Crown and Heavenly City. He returned at length to the world but he was despised and rejected of men and more especially by the wise in their wisdom. It was only in his own cloister that he found a few of the elect with whom he abode in peace at a House of the Holy Spirit.

Such was the beginning of our Fraternity, incorporating at first four persons only, being the number of our natural humanity, but afterwards increased to eight, the number of the Christhood. It was agreed that the Brotherhood as such should remain secret one hundred and twenty years, or for the symbolical period which answers to the age of the Frater who waits on the threshold of this Vth Grade. Subsequently some of the Brethren were scattered through various countries on works of ministry and they appointed successors in accordance with the Laws of the Order. The years elapsed and those who came after knew less and less of the true beginning so that they became the Philosophical Brethren. It is here that you find yourself.

Remember that in six days the material man was created and thereafter cometh a Jubilee. The natural man in six days is complete in his own degree, but above this is the manhood of the Sacred Temple. From the life of man in Nature, from the death which ensues therein and opens the further prospects, we who have been called of the spirit have sought a path of elevation toward a more perfect mode. It is in loosing that which the natural man holds most desirable that the spiritual man after six days shall find himself. In paths of contemplation, and these are the paths of love; in the rule of sacrifice, which is love made holy; we have found that life is love and this also is the quest and that this is also the end. Thus we find that there is a loving desire which kills and that the same also makes alive Amen, for ever and evermore.

Recommended Reading
Rosicrucian The Fama Fraternitatis or The Fame and Confession of the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross. Also the third Rosicrucian document entitled The Chemical Wedding. Kabbalah The books of :Halevi Dion Fortune Gareth Knight Rather more advanced :The Wisdom of the Zohar -Isaiah Tishby Various Books by Aryeh Kaplan Philosophy Sophies World - by Jostein Gaarder Religion Every Frater should also have in his possession a Bible Dictionary, Bible Concordance and Bible Commentary. If any Frater needs assistance, please contact your college Director of Studies or the Provincial Director of Studies.

Points of Contemplation
1 What is the time, place and location of your reception? 3 What is the maxim of the true life of Adeptship? 2 The Kabbalistic Tree of Life has 10 points of light or Divine Emanations called collectively the Sephiroth. Which one is referred to as the Christ-centre and how does this relate to yourown being and spiritual progress? 4 The question put to you on your arrival in the V...t was are you a Christian? What do you mean by your answer? 5 What is your understanding of Ecclesiastes 12;1-7? 6 What is your Rosicrucian motto and what does it signify? 7 What is the Word of the Grade and what does it signify? 8 What does dying to your lower self mean? 9 There are many Names for God. Make a list of the Divine Names you have encountered in your Masonic, Rosicrucian and other studies, and set down the meaning that you ascribe to them. 10 What is the meaning of the Latin Benediction used in the closing ceremony?

**********

John Paternoster & Fred Shade

Notes for the Adeptus Major

The Ceremony
Although the location of the meeting place, namely the Vt, remains the same in this Grade as previously, the time of day has now changed. We have arrived at the Spring when the Frater who has previously purified the nature of his soil is now ready for his new seed to burst forth into vernal growth so that this time he may bring himself to fruition with an increase of one hundred-fold. Thus does he now seek to fulfill his promise of working here on Earth to the glory of his Lord.

Theme
From the solemnity of the previous Grade we now arrive at the moment of birth when the bonds of the one life are released which then allows for an escape into the joyous happiness of the light of the next. Though the Frater is still engaged on the work of perfecting the Ashlar of his personality, he now has some clearer understanding of what is required of him and in this new cycle of growth, it is to this task that his attention has been directed. However black may have been the night of your previous troubles, your heart still beats on in faith and with love for within you resides that strength of belief that your eye will behold the coming radiance of Gods manifest light when those others who lack this fortitude and strength sink slowly into the terrors of the gloom and darkness. But for you my Frater, who is a child of hope, your footsteps will be aided and sustained by the that power of faith that looks upward to that glorious future that awaits all those who truly follow in His steps. You may now not only look back from whence you came but also look forward to a future of sustained dedication to His service. This is your great opportunity. No-one really knows the gloom in its true sense until he has risen to embrace the good

Let us therefore pray that in due time that which is immortal in us and which did once proceed from Him, may be delivered from the age-long cycle of birth and harvest and in due time be withdrawn in God and to the repose of that everlasting Temple in the eternal Kingdom. And, seeing that the Name of the Lord is set in all things and is the seal of all things, let us order the many forces of our wayward nature so that the Name of the Lord may be declared in us, and that we, in our own degree and from the height of our aspirations, may be even as the light of the world. Thus my Frater the Way, which has been made straight by the forerunner of Him who came to earth to be our great exemplar, is now before you. The Gate of Life can now open.

Some Thoughts of Arthur Waite on Temple Symbolism The Table of Shewbread

The Golden Table of Shewbread stood on the Northern side of the Holy Place, and the twelve loaves placed thereon were symbolical of the Bread of Life, of which those who partake in the spirit are joined together into one mystical body and community of the elect. They signify to us that the material nourishment of man may become the food of souls by the power behind the sacraments, the grace and life and light which it is the purpose of all the signs of Nature to communicate under their proper veils. For this reason the twelve loaves typify the universe of manifested things, behind which the Divine Immanence abides like a Secret Light. And because the Word of God - which is sought and found in our Society after an arcane manner - finds expression in creation, but is veiled also therein, the twelve loaves are also referable to the twelve simple letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. They signify further the Twelve Tribes of Israel, who were understood mystically as those who have been chosen out of all the tribes and tongues and peoples and nations, for Divine work in the world. They are also in correspondence with the figurative crown of twelve stars on the head of Our Lady, Bride and Queen; the Sanctum Regnum and the Kingdom of the elect which is also a City of God. The loaves of the Table of Shewbread may be likened again to twelve petals composing the Rose of Creation; and on the microcosmic side of the symbol, seen under this aspect, they typify finally the Rose of our Humanity, in the centre of which is consciousness enlightened by God, as the world itself is enlightened by virtue of the immanence within.

The Menorah
The seven-branched candlestick stood on the Southern side of the Holy Place, wrought about with golden lilies, lighting the Altar of Incense and the Table of Shewbread. Its seven lights correspond in our hidden tradition with the seven Palaces of Assiah, the World of Action, which is to say of the material world. It is also the seven double letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. The seven-branched Candlestick is also in analogy with the Seven Churches of Asia, and even as the petals of a rose, like the branches of the Light-Bearer in the Temple, are bound together, springing from the one root and one stem, so are the Severn Churches one Holy Church of the Elect. And as the Angels of the Churches are the Stars for the enlightenment therefore, so is there a mystical lesson in the days of the week. For those days are like the Severn Churches, and it is yours, my Frater, to so consecrate and rule your life within them that they shall be one Church and one Most Holy Temple with God dwelling therein. Thus shall you deserve to be crowned at the end of all with that Chaplet of Severn Stars, which are the gifts of the Spirit.

Yet to the inner eye this Candlestick tells of much more, for whilst there are the seven lights above, so there are also the ornamentations about the stem and arms below. Thus we find that the central stem which is enriched with the three ornaments, represents the Middle Pillar of the Tree of Life with the triad base of Malkuth, which is to say the manifestation in earth. This central stem is also revealed to us on the Craft 1st Degree tracing board where it is shown in symbolic form as the Ladder of Jacob. In total we find that there are the 10 Divine Lights of the Holy Sephiroth together with the shadow portal of Daath and that these are made up from the 7 Flames and the ornamentations of the central stem, together with the three footed base. There are also the 22 ornamentations that are found on the six arms and these represent the 22 Hebrew characters which are themselves the pathways of Heavenly Science with which we are familiar from Craft Masonry. It was wrought from one piece of gold which signifies purity and unity. This suggests to us that the perfect man must in like manner be the epitome of balance, with all of his instincts and emotions and indeed his every act, word and thought in complete harmony with his Almighty Creator so that his whole life might be as the incense on the Golden Altar which rises upward to the throne of God. Such my Frater should be your aspiration that your whole life should be a living Menorah. Set before your Fratres the bright example of an upright and perfect man, with a just and bounteous heart that is enflamed with this symbol of the Almighty Father of us all. When desire and aspiration have attained their term in you, may you at length eat of the manna of the Earth ensavoured with the salt of the Spirit; then to drink of that Wine reserved for those who are athirst in the Kingdom of our Father. Then may your Rose blossom in the Garden of the Lord and your Light shine upon the Mystic Mountain. So may you enter into those Eternal Palaces of everlasting life.

The Altar of Incense

Before the Veil of the Holy of Holies there stood the Golden Altar of Incense. It was wrought in the form of a double cube, representing the surface of things to the eye of the senses, but concealing the root and the source, as He is concealed in the universe; He who is the Author and Source of all. The Altar of Incense was golden to signify that perfect state which it is possible for our human nature to attain in union with its source, and wherein our human will becomes an acceptable offering, integrated in the will of God. But, with our present condition and so far as our Lodges are concerned, the Altar is black because we await the conversion of our personal elements from the state of impurity into the state of living gold, which then bears witness that Nature is raised through Grace into the sublime essence of the Light of Truth.

Upon the Altar were Incense, Oil and Fire and these are in correspondence with Aleph, Mem and Shin, the three mother letters of the Hebrew Alphabet.

The divisions of this alphabet, of which you have already heard briefly in connection with the Table of Shewbread, the Menorah are but a part of a deeper symbolism that lies behind the letters of the word of man -itself but a reflection of that Eternal Word which is concealed everywhere, but is ever declared in the secret heart From the throne of your imperishable spirit, O Frater, may the Triad and the Unity therein look forth upon the Kingdom which is yours; may the Seven Spirits and the Seven Graces encircle it , and may the Twelve Fruits of the Tree of Life ripen in tour external part. I now counsel you my Frater that for you in the work of our Society, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

May God be with you my Fratres. May He grant that what here and now you have come to discern in symbolism, by your own efforts and our instructions, shall so sink into your heart that you will be penetrated by its active meaning, and will attain it at first hand in the way of experience. So shall the wavering emotions which now aspire to Him in the restless sea of our desires be led into the true light through understanding and love. Again, my Frater, the Way is now before you: and again I say that the Gate can open now.

Recommended Reading

Rosicrucian The Fama Fraternitatis or The Fame and Confession of the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross. Also the third Rosicrucian document entitled The Chemical Wedding. Kabbalah The books of :Halevi Dion Fortune Gareth Knight Rather more advanced :The Wisdom of the Zohar -Isaiah Tishby Various Books by Aryeh Kaplan Philosophy Sophies World - by Jostein Gaarder Religion Every Frater should also have in his possession a Bible Dictionary, Bible Concordance and Bible Commentary. If any Frater needs assistance, please contact your college Director of Studies or the Provincial Director of Studies.

Points of Contemplation
1 What is the time and its implications of your reception? 2 The Tree of Life has 22 Pathways. What do they signify to you? 3 What is the light that shines in the darkness? 4 What is your essence of Immortality? 5 Where does this essence reside? 6 Why are you likened to a Pilgrim? 7 What does the idea of death convey to you? 8 How healthy is your spiritual essence and how is this reflected in your physical body? 9 What are the Words of the Grade and what do they signify? 10 Is it true to say that there is no progress to be made after the grave? **********

John Paternoster & Fred Shade 2004

Notes for the Adeptus Exemptus

The Ceremony
Once more the meeting place is in the Vt, but again the time of day has changed. We now stand in the meridian rays of a glorious Summer when we see precisely how well and how wholesome our growth has been. Here you stand in maturity and in full preparation for the arrival of that time when your talents will be harvested and the benefits to yourself and to mankind are weighed in the balance.

Theme
In the previous Grades of Adeptship you were invited to examine yourself and the manner in which you portray yourself to your fellow man. Here now you stand in the full presence of the Light of the Lord, ready or to be made ready to be consumed therein. You are also to advise and assist the Adepts of the lower Grades. Throughout the natural world everything that we see is governed by the cycles of life and we see that the quality of the new life is dependent on the seed and its cultivation. We come to observe that the nature of death is but only a change and it is but one state into another. We take for granted the transition of the caterpillar into the glorious butterfly and we never cast a thought about the change of water into ice. But each has died to the one state to take on the different properties of the new. It is to this portal of transition that you now approach. It stands before you. Therefore, let us remember that the door of the hidden presence is about to open for your reception. You have traversed many highways and byways of the outer life, but now you come to the gateway to the heights where with others who have turned their wills to God, you wait as the gate stands open for you to enter.

Remember and consider the words of Psalm 23. The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh my lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness; even for His namess sake. Even though I walk through the shadow of the valley of the shadow of dearth, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. I say to you my Frater that there is one who will lead you through all the terrors and difficulties of life even as did John come to make the way straight for our Great Exemplar. He is one who comes in the Light of Life and the Life of Light and He is one who cometh to all who truly seek the way of peace; the light of our Lord and the way back to the Father from whose Everlasting Kingdom we took our leave. In our sojourn in this foreign land we have been held in bondage and in captivity by our own base natures, but now the light of truth has shone down with meridian splendour and has illuminated the immortal word that was for always hidden from us, for it was engraven on the sacred altar of our heart. But now the veil is rent. Thus do we pray that in due season we shall rise up in the clothing of our spiritual body and see with our own eyes that to which all faiths make testimony.

Some Thoughts of Arthur Waite

We are told in the Secret Tradition that the sole object for which man was sent into this world was to know that God and His Shekinah are one. It was the power of the Divine Energy that the Shekinah sends out from the centre and draws back thereto; that every soul comes forth from God and that it can only attain true rest in its return to Him To this end I have heard testify that the middle way which is the way to the heights is a Path of Love. The reign of law is Love and this rules over and in all. There is one law alone, one rule and reign, and love is love for ever. Love is the key and love the keeper of keys; the treasure within and the only lock which opens. The kingdom which so always is sought without is found within, where there is also a throne and a sceptre and a crown which are Thine. There is a fruit of life to be found in symbols for those who can penetrate the green thickets and enter the orchard. Till then we dwell only in the precincts and feed only upon the outward shells of those images. But you are enabled to part the embroidered curtains and to behold a secret wall in your house beyond and through which you will find a vault. Within this darkened vault is alighted lamp which goes not out for ever. My Frater : Immortal Life removes the sting of death and Thou art our Life O Lord. We therefore pray to be crowned in our manifestation with the fruits of the work within. The soul is as a rose awaiting the consecration by the Spirit. The Rose of our desire becomes the Holy Rose. Rose of Jericho, Rose of Salem, Rose of the world below, Rose of the Paradise above; hide us in Thy sacred petals. Let the Dew of Thy Presence fall upon us that we may breath forth the fragrance of the Spirit.

The unknown country of our inward being becomes the Kingdom of God when the Guide - who is Love within - brings us to the Holy Place and opens the door thereof, which leads to the Holy of Holies and the Presence therein. The Guide is that which is said in an old traditional story to lead the seeker of the Living Rose up a Mountain in the midst of the Earth otherwise considered to be the middle place of the world. I say unto you that this Mountain is within and that it is found at our own centre. It is a place of many treasures, which the world does not value, because they do not bear its marks or exhibit material worth. It is said to be encompassed by cruel beasts and ravening birds, which are the evil passions and false desires that are within us. They are the lawless part of our nature in all the ways of our life, the spirit of the world within us which strives with the Spirit of God. But on the brink, as it may be, of formless swamps of being, in death and the shadow of death, we have remembered the promise of Life - of Life for ever more and ever more of Life. We have heard the voice of the Guide, the music which wakens the secret deeps of the soul and thence evokes response. He has come at our bidding, has opened a door of the heart and entered to abide within. We have contemplated in the heart because of him and have followed the lead of Love, the lead which is Thine, O Lord, for Love is Thine and Thou. When the desire of it has possessed us utterly, when the night is very dark within, then in a great silence the quest begins for the Mountain. It is reached at midnight, the middle night of the soul, when all the passions are stilled and all the images of sense are obscured. But there is an unknown desire that wells up from these depths and in those that know the Seeker makes to call from his heart on God, a voice upraised in the very deep of the soul; for now the end is nigh. The Lion and the dragon, the eager birds of prey shall fly before that which is our Guard as the perpetual light shines forth. I say unto you, believe and you will find. In the wind of the spirit you shall go up the Hidden Mountain. All that is of dead stone in your nature shall be rent like rocks; all that is perishable shall be consumed like earthly dross; then there are shall follow a great calm.

The dawn and the daystar shall rise on the Mount of God and the place of the Treasure shall be unveiled. In the images of the old parable that Treasure is the Highest Tincture, which might turn the world to gold. But this is the gold of God, according to another witness of the Living Rose, and this transmutes the soul. O Fount of life and health, Spirit and Presence of God; hereof is the Presence within, according to the picture-language, and such is the Hidden Treasure of the Secret mountain. The place of the treasure, in another mode of symbolism, is a Temple on the Mountaintop, which is the Earth of the World to come and the Land of the Living. What Laws of God come forth from the summit of Horeb to those who cross, with Love with their Guide, the arid wastes of Sinai? And what Transfiguration takes place on this Mystic Tabor? But the Living Rose bears witness to the High Tincture and the Eternal Life thereof. That which is called the Mountain in this old speaking allegory is known by other names in other types of legend. It is the Spiritual Citadel which contains that True Stone and Talisman of Philosophers, a gift which remains to eternity, though all things else dissolve. It is called the Glory of the World and the Way of Truth, the Hidden Sacrament of the Living Rose and the only Path to Life. It is also the True Elixir. But however much we multiply the images, and there is a profusion of others in the radiant lore of old, in reality it is one thing only a state of inward being attained in Love. It is reached by contemplation when the soul eludes the processes of the past and comes instead to bury itself in love. It enters then into the great reality of being - which is its own reality - and finds its objects in the height of the regenerated self; for there and thus only is God found within. Care Frater look to that which you are and remember ever the vocation of the Christ-Life. May you come to know the Christ whence you came and whither you are going. The Christ-Life in our Order is but a broad analogy to the Divine Life in Palestine, but it is exact within its own measures. In similarity, the state of your mystical death is only a broad analogy with the death on Calvary. Yet now in the meridian light of the spirit you may bear witness to that emergence from the bondage of darkness and the looking forward to that final attainment for all mankind which is that of being brought into Divine Union.

So may we pray: Thy Word is the protection for all those who are united by faith in Thee. Send down, we beseech Thee, the Ambassador of Thy merciful love; send down, we pray, Thy Holy Shekinah to abide with us and bring us to that knowledge of celestial benediction. For man cannot enter her Hidden Palace and behold her glorious face until he has been reborn in Thee. Therefore do we beseech Thee that after such regeneration may we aspire to live in her Holy Light and enter thence into the Mystery of Thine Union.

* ** *** **** My Fratres In due time do we come to the Way and we are called thereto and if some swords are broken at the entrance-gate, if for some the sword of the Cherubim keep that Way too keenly, there is also a sword of the Spirit, before which even the Cherubim raise their guard, so that those who are born for the Sanctuary may approach and go in. Remember also that the Pearl of Great Price is in our own House, in the Temple of our own personality; while that which is begun on earth from all true points of departure may be completed also on earth in the Heaven within us. For there is a certain mode of the mind which is other than the logical understanding. It is more resplendent and more highly enthroned. A Light descends there from through an ordered channel; it is called the Light of the Spirit and this channel is that Path by which the Fratres are called to go up. * ** *** ****

The practice of the Presence of God is a work in the heart of man and the work of love therein. It is attained by desire in the heart rather than by the thinking in the mind. At the beginning it is less an intellectual process that a labour of love. In fruition it is an experience of realization, a knowledge attained therein. The Presence is ever with us , but it must be sought and found in the heart. The great secret of all is to live in the Divine Presence until we on our part become that Presence. The first work lies in the consecration of desire, the extinction of that which is lower and increase in desire in the height, so that the heart is fixed on God. Remember always that Love is the Path and Love is also the goal. It is reached when the white heat of desire is held in the stillness of the inward Divine Centre. In that stillness the image of God shines in the soul. The soul henceforth and for ever is not apart from God. Work always that the Spirit of God may rule more and more over the emotions and desires. Let that which is given us to do be done with the all strength of our being, and so shall you grow in the likeness of God, till the Spirit and you are One. * ** *** **** The part of the human personality enter into a true state of consecration only when they are turned to God and covenant to abide in Him. They enter into a new mode of life when God is their Supreme Motive. There is a birth to come in our symbolism and see now that it takes place in life; in very truth it rests with you and me. Our pattern is the Christ-Life; our Way is His. In symbolism we are as that Bethlehem in the land of Judah, and are heart is the stable therein, where the Mystical King of Glory is brought to birth in time. Remember also to be as the Rose whose five petals signify to us the five virtues which lead to perfection, namely, Love of God, Chastity, Charity, Humility and Steadfastness in the experience of the living of the true Life. You are the Rose and must abide in its Centre.

Recommended Reading

Rosicrucian The Fama Fraternitatis or The Fame and Confession of the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross. Also the third Rosicrucian document entitled The Chemical Wedding. Kabbalah The books of :Halevi Dion Fortune Gareth Knight Rather more advanced :The Wisdom of the Zohar -Isaiah Tishby Various Books by Aryeh Kaplan Philosophy Sophies World - by Jostein Gaarder Religion Every Frater should also have in his possession a Bible Dictionary, Bible Concordance and Bible Commentary. If any Frater needs assistance, please contact your college Director of Studies or the Provincial Director of Studies.

Points of Contemplation
1 What is the time, place and location of your reception? 2 What do the watchwords Ever upward and onward signify? 3 What is the voice of Conscience? 4 What do the Words of the Grade signify? 5 How good an example are you to those in the lower Grades? 6 How do you use the Tree of Life in your everyday life? 7 What is the Rose a symbol of and why? 8 What does Now we look through a glass darkly mean to you? 9 What does In my Fathers House there are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you. mean to you? 10 How well do you know yourself? **********

John Paternoster & Fred Shade 2003