“A Sane Mind, A Soft Heart, A Sound Body” SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1999—$5.00

ROSICRUCIANS—TRUE AND FALSETHE WAY OF THE PASSION—THE CROWNING WITH THORNS

IN DEFENSE OF DISBELIEFMEDITATION—GUIDANCE OF THE INNER LIFE

A CHRISTIAN ESOTERIC MAGAZINE

Above: from Illustrations for Dante’s Divine Comedy, Gustave Doré (i833-1883);

The Sun—Glorified SoulsFront cover: Sunset, Paramount PhotosBack Cover: St. John the Evangelist, Stained glass, 1832, Christ Church Cathedral. Corel Professional Photos

“In such wise of those sempiternal roses The garlands twain encompassed us about, And thus the outer to the inner answered.”

—Paradiso XII, 19-21

This Issue...Feature

A Vision of the Christ...Ella Wheeler Wilcox .......................................................2

EditorialRosicrucians—True and False...............................................................................3

Mystic LightThe Way of the Passion—the Crowning with Thorns...Valentin Tomberg...........7The Value of Work...Carol Cornish.....................................................................11Meditation—Guidance of the Inner Life...Freidrich Rittelmeyer.......................14A Dream within a Dream...Pearl Peterson..........................................................21

From Max Heindel’ s WritingsCommendation vs. Condemnation......................................................................23

Readers’ QuestionsSignificance of the Four Gospels........................................................................25Occult Interpretation of Cain and Abel...............................................................26

Western W isdom Bible StudyMiscellaneous Interpretations...Max Heindel.....................................................27

AstrologyNeptune in the Horoscope...Max Heindel...........................................................30Horoscope Interpretation—Part 2...Karl Kleinstick............................................33Transmuting Squares to Trines...Alfa Lindanger................................................38

Religion and ArtThe Ring of the Niebelung—Part 3: The Battle of Truth and Error & Rebirth and the Lethal Drink...Max Heindel................................................41

Religion and the Public RealmIn Defense of Disbelief...Ralph Wood................................................................46

News PerspectivesSuch Stuff as Dreams Are Made of.....................................................................53

Book ReviewsMeditation—Portal to the Worlds of Spirit...Carl Swan.....................................54

Nutrition and HealthFaith and Luscious Apples...Lillian Carque, Sc.D................................................55

HealingReleasing Our Inner Powers................................................................................57

For ChildrenTo Win the Prize...Coursin Black........................................................................58

MiscellaneousThe Password (Poem)...W.T. Carson...................................................................22Self-Inquiry...Pythagoras.....................................................................................48

“A Sane Mind,A Soft Heart,

A Sound Body”©1999 The Rosicrucian Fellowship

A Christian Esoteric Magazine

Established byMax Heindel

June 1913

Volume 91, No. 5

September/October—1999USPS 471080—ISSN 0744-432X

Subscription in U.S.: one year, $20.00; twoyears, $38.00. Your Zip Code must containnine (9) digits (five + four). California resi-dents add applicable sales tax to all orders.Canada, Mexico and all other countries: oneyear, $25.00; two years, $43.00. Prices are inU.S. dollars and include postage. Foreign sub-scribers: please check current exchange rates forproper amount. Current single copies: $5.00.Second class postage paid at Oceanside, CA,92049-0713, U.S.A. Postmaster: Send addresschange to Rays from the Rose Cross, P.O. Box713, Oceanside, CA92049-0713, U.S.A.

Writers of published articles are alone responsi-ble for statements made. Typed manuscripts arewelcomed for all departments of theRays.

Issued bi-monthly. Change of address must reachus by the 1st of month preceding any issue. AddressALL correspondence and make ALL remit-tances payable to The Rosicrucian Fellowship.

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BYTHE ROSICRUCIAN FELLOWSHIP

P.O. Box 713, Oceanside, California92049-0713 U.S.A.

2222 Mission AvenueOceanside, CA92054 U.S.A.

Telephone: (760) 757-6600Fax: (760) 721-3806

E-mail: rosfshp@cts.comInternet:

www.rosicrucian.com

2 RAYS 99

FEATURE

A Vision of the ChristMy soul beheld a vision of the Master;

Methought He stood with grieved and questioning

eyes,

There Freedom drove its chariot to disaster

And Toilers heard, unheeding, Toilers’ cries.

Where Man withheld God’s bounties from his

neighbor,

And fertile fields were sterilized by Greed.

Where Labor’s hand was lifted against Labor,

And suffering serfs to despots turned when freed.

Majestic rose tall steeple after steeple;

Imperious bells called worshippers to pray;

But as they passed, the faces of the people

Were marred by envy, anger, and despair.

“Christ, the Redeemer of the world has risen,

Peace and good will,” so rang the major strain,

But forth from sweatshops, tenement and prison

Wailed minor protests, redolent with pain.

Methought about the Master, all unseeing

Fought desperate hosts of striking clan with clan;

Their primal purpose, meant for labor’s freeing,

Sunk in vindictive hate of man for man.

Pretentious Wealth, in unearned robes of beauty,

Flung Want a pittance from her bulging purse,

While ill-paid Toil went on dull rounds of duty,

Hell in her heart and on her lips a curse.

Then spoke the Christ (so wondrous was my

vision),

Deep, deep, His voice, with sorrow’s cadence

fraught:

“This world today would be a realm elysian

Had my disciples lived the love I taught.

Un-Christlike is the Christian creed men fashion,

Who kneel to worship, and who rise to slay.

Profane pretenders of my Holy Passion”,

Ye nail me newly to the Cross each day.

—Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Wat

erco

lor

(The

Firs

t Nai

l), J

ames

Tis

sot,

Bro

okly

n M

useu

m

SOME TIME AGO, wereceived the first number of amagazine called “Azoth”,with a request that we reviewit in our columns; but as our

space is all too limited forthe regular articles,weregret that we cannotcomply. However, inlooking over thepages of “Azoth”, wefound an article underthe above caption by “N. B. I.L.”, which we take the liberty of reprint-ing with some comments, for it brings outa point which we have been for yearstrying to impress upon students of ourphilosophy.

ROSICRUCIANS—TRUE AND FALSE

How the name of Rosicrucian fires theblood of all Occult students! The imagination runsriot. The Soul reaches out to—it knows not what,yet in its deepest recesses it is always seeking forTruth and Light. How many neophytes have beenasked the question “What do you wish?”; and havegiven the answer “Light, more Light, and Truth!”

How have these earnest seekers after truth beenanswered? Has the Light been unveiled to theiruplifted eyes? Has the longing of their souls been

satisfied? Has the information beengiven to them without money and with-out price? Or, has the “master” chargedso much a lesson? And, after all, what hasthe enquirer gained?

On this vast WesternContinent there is todaya great unrest, a peoplerunning hi ther andthither, after this teacher

and that. There are Schools,Circles, Classes, Lodges,

Ecclesias, Assemblies, Fellowships,White Societies, and so on, ad infinitum.But where are the Brethren of the RosyCross, the Rosicrucians?

Again, you ask me: “Are there any inexistence today? Where do they meet?Do they advertise? Where can I find them

and how may I know them?” Let me answer these queries as I have record-

ed them.Rosicrucians are in existence to-day. Their meeting places are secret, none but the

members of the Order knowing of the places andtimes of assembly.

They do not advertise; nothing is more repugnantto their teachings.

It is not permissible for me to answer the remain-ing queries. A member may be sitting next to youon the car, or at your elbow in your office or work-shop. You may discover him by your earnestnessin seeking to live a right life, by your endeavors toattain true spiritual equipoise and knowledge of

RAYS 99 3

True

EDITORIAL

Though this article appeared in an earlier issue of the Rays,we believe that it continues to be as relevant now as when itwas first published and that its relevance warrants reprint-ing in the editorial section, notwithstanding its length.

and False

Rosicrucians

Secret S

ymbols of the R

osicruciansof the 16th and 17th centuries, A

ltona, 1785

yourself. And you may know him by his unassum-ing life, by his endeavoring to live up to the injunc-tion, “Let him that is greatest among you becomethe servant of all.”

He that seeks earnestly shall find. To him thatknocks, the Door shall be opened. To him thatasks, if he be of good report, it shall be given ingreat abundance.

“Oh, yes,” you reply wearily, “I have heard allthis before, but tell me, how, out of these numeroussocieties and their various claims upon the credu-lous, am I to know which is which? You say thatthe Rosicrucian wears no emblem on the lapel ofhis coat, no charm on his watch-chain, no signetring on his finger. Then how am I to know whereto seek, or to knock, or to ask?”

The reply is test, Test, TEST, all. When you areready the teacher will appear.

Testing the authenticity of an order is very simple.If you are contemplating the purchase of a houseyou do not rely upon the mere word of the vendor.The first thing you do is to fully examine the title.Then to make doubly sure, if you are wise, youcall in an expert from a title insurance company. Ifhis report be adverse, you refuse to complete thepurchase.

If purchasing a piece of jewelry you turn it aboutto find the assay mark; if it be 14 carat, you pay 14carat price, and if 22 carat, 22 carat price. If it haveno assay mark you put it down as bogus.

In buying diamonds you go to a reputable firmand get a guarantee of their genuineness and weight.

If you wish to become a Freemason, you go tosomeone you have reason to believe is a memberof that Order. You tell him your desires and askfrom him his authority and the status of hisLodge, whether legally instituted or clandestine.You assure yourself by the most rigid scrutiny thatall is absolutely correct and upright. Then you areready to associate yourself with the Masons, if youare acceptable to them.

These are the methods you should use in testingthe genuineness of the claims made by any societythat invites your affiliation with them. If they willnot stand the acid and microscope tests, rejectthem.

The false order blazons its trademarks all over

the columns of such newspapers as it can get totake its copy. The editors are just as ready to takethe stuff as is the gullible reader to believe it. Ihave been amazed at the utter stupidity of someeditors in lending their columns to so bold and fla-grant a mass of Baron Munchausen fables.

In your search, you will discover that theRosicrucian Order never asks anyone to join. Youwill speedily find that it is like looking for aneedle in a haystack to learn where they meet.

I have read a report that there are thousands ofRosicrucian temples throughout the world, andthat hundreds of thousands of members are readyto welcome Rosicrucians from this country whomay be visiting France, Italy, Egypt, India, andEngland. There is not an authentic temple theworld over that would receive one of the membersof any organization which publicly claims itself tobe Rosicrucian.

The members of the Rosicrucian Order are notgenerally known, and there is no authority given toanyone to tell an outsider who these are.

I saw printed in a publication, some months ago,a list of twenty or twenty-five names of men andwomen Rosicrucians, presumably prominentthroughout the world. Being jealous for the honorand integrity of the true Rosicrucian Order, I wroteto these persons whose names and addresses werepublic property, with the result that I had returnedto me, through the Dead Letter Office, the majori-ty of my letters marked “Not Known.” And theyare still coming back one by one.

By their fruits ye shall know them. Any so-called Rosicrucian Order that dabbles in spiritual-istic seances or hypnotism is bogus.

If any high-degree Mason is a member of afraudulent Rosicrucian Order he can readily learnfor himself its lack of genuineness. Whether he bea 32nd degree member or a Knights Templar, hewill soon discover that the authentic source ofthese Orders is lacking. In the true RosicrucianOrder there is no mistaking the origination ofMasonry.

This was not written for the man in the street; hewill pass it by; it holds nothing for him. He maycall it twaddle, simple, inane, or any other namethat suits him. But to the Truth-seeker, who asks to

4 RAYS 99

be led aright, there is much hidden. Go search, and you will find the mes-

sage.

N. B. I. L. is right in a number of hispoints. There is a great unrest and hungrysouls are running hither and thither seek-ing the bread of life. They are also oftencaught by a name that has nothing to backit, and given a stone or even a serpent thatturns to bite and poison them.

But just as there must be a genuine dollarbefore there can be a counterfeit, so theremust be a real Rosicrucian Order before apseudo order can be formed, and in orderto give our students a proper conception ofwhat the real Order of Rosicrucians is andto guard them against misconceptions as totheir own status and the status of theRosicrucian Fellowship, we have madesome very explicit statements from time totime. We quote the following from a lessonpublished in 1911:

“It is essential that the student shouldunderstand exactly who and what are theRosicrucians and their relation to theRosicrucian Fellowship, for there aremany people who foolishly or ignorantlycall themselves Rosicrucians, and evenstudents of the Rosicrucian Fellowshipmight commit the samemistake in theirenthusiasm for the teachings.

“There are upon earth seven Schools ofthe Lesser Mysteries, and five of theGreater Mysteries, and the whole isgrouped under one central Head Who iscalled theLiberator.

“In the Schools of the lesser Mysteriesthe pupil is taught to understand his pastevolution upon earth (as thoroughly explainedunder the chapters on Initiation in the RosicrucianCosmo-Conception), and is also shown the futuredevelopment during the remainder of the EarthPeriod. The RosicrucianOrder is one of theseSchools and its teachings are particularly suited tothe people of the Western World. The other

Mystery Schools are variously graded to meet thespiritual requirements of the most precociousamong the earlier races with whom they work.

“We know well that when a boy has graduatedfrom grammar school he is not therefore fitted toteach; he must first go through high school andthen through college, and even after that training

RAYS 99 5

Painting, Steffi Grant, based on original design of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Skoob Pub., U.K.

Golden Dawn CrossThis densely symbolic design is an amalgam of occult figures, includingthe central Rose Cross, whose history dates at least as far back as theMiddle Ages. It is surrounded by the three Mother letters (correspondingto the elements of fire, air, and water); seven Double letters (correspond-ing to the planets); and twelve Simple letters (corresponding to the twelvesigns of the zodiac) of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the four arms of thelarger cross bear a pentagram surrounded by the symbols for the fourelements, plus the fifth element (quintessence) of spirit, and the alchem-ical symbols, in changed positions, for sulfur, salt, and mercury. Theplanetary hexagram is surrounded by the six planets with the sun in itscenter. The letters I.N.R.I., atop Christ’s cross, are at the fixed angles.

he may not feel the call to teach, but desire to takeup some other vocation. Similarly, in the school oflife, while graduation from the RosicrucianMysterySchool does make one an Adept, he is still not yeta Rosicrucian.

“These Adept-graduates of the schools teachingthe Lesser Mysteries advance into one of fiveschools that teach the four Greater Mysteries. Afterthey pass the four Great Initiations they reach theLiberator and receive knowledge concerning otherevolutions. They are then given the choice ofremaining here to assist their brothers, or of enter-ing other evolutions as Workers. Those who electto stay are given various positions, according totheir tastes and natural bent. The twelve Brothersof the Rose Cross are among those Compassionateones, and they, with their august Head (theThirteenth), are the only ones who have the right touse the name “Rosicrucian” as applying to them-selves.

“Neither the lay-brothers or lay-sisters who havereceived one or more Initiations at their hands, orthe Adepts who have graduated from their school,are entitled to use that name, much less, of course,the students in the Rosicrucian Fellowship, whohave just commenced a study of their sublimeteachings and started to live the life which, ifpersistently pursued, will eventually bring them indirect touch with the Elder Brothers of the RoseCross.”

Unfortunately, N. B. I. L. is right—there aremany people who sacrilegiously desecrate thename Rosicrucian, as there are thousands of peo-ple who commit sacrilege by applying the nameChristian to themselves. While it may be pedanticto harp upon these distinctions, it is well to holdthem in mind and, upon occasion, to enlightenthose who are not aware of the facts

But N. B. I. L. is emphatically wrong when hesays that “a member (of the Rosicrucian Order),may be sitting next to you on the car or at yourelbow in the office or workshop.” The ElderBrothers are not riding around in street cars, norhave they time to work in a shop or office. Thatmay apply to lay-brothers, and even very few ofthem are so employed at any time. Nor are Adepts

to be thus found. They have a greater work to do. Nor does N. B. I. L. give the test by which the

true Teacher is known and which we have giventime and again to protect our students from impo-sition by unscrupulous charlatans and self-styledteachers who offer to initiate them into this, that,and the other thing, though they have nothing togive, and leave the credulous, who think they cansubstitute dollars for soul-growth and buy theirway into heaven, poorer in pocket but richer inexperience. They are lucky if they do not findthemselves on a hospital cot or in an insane asylum.

All this may be avoided if the student will onlyuse common sense and realize that though theElder Brothers are human, they are vastly exaltedabove our own status, and that a considerable timelived as an intensely zealous visible helper isnecessary for the aspirant to evolve his soul-bodyto such a degree of luminosity that it will attractthe Teacher. No listless, easygoing study ordreamy contemplation will bring him. He ishimself a servantin the highest sense of that word,and no one who is not serving with all his soulneed expect to meet him.

When he does come, he will need no credentials,for the very first sentence spoken by him will carryits conviction, and so will every other word he everspeaks to the pupil; for being endowed with theconsciousness which we will all possess in theJupiter Period, (see Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception),each sentence creates in the listener a series ofpictures, which accurately illustrate his meaning.

If he undertakes to explain the method of death,the pupil sees inwardly the passing spirit leavingthe body; he may note the uncoiling of the SilverCord; he sees the rupture of the seed-atom in theheart and how it leaves the body and clings to thespirit.

No charlatans can produce these effects, and ifpeople would “judge them by their fruits,” insteadof falling for their baseless claims, they wouldsoon go out of business. But, alas, it is easier topay $25 or $100 for “Initiation” (?) than to live thelife, and we are afraid that people will continue todemand the services of the imposter. However, thestudents who have digested the facts here statedknow how to differentiate. ❐

6 RAYS 99

THE INNER MEETINGwith the spiritual Thorn-crowning, which followson the Foot-washing andthe Scourging, reveals

fundamental spiritual facts and lawsno less important than those dis-closed by the Foot-washing and theScourging. It reveals the kind ofadjustment, desired and intendedbythe Spiritual World, of the relation-ship between frontal and dorsal.For this relationship will be just asconsciously regulated under theChrist-impulse as the relationshipsof above and below, left and rightare regulated by spiritual work,destiny and world-history.

To understand on what the rela-tionship of frontal and dorsaldepends, we must first observe thehuman being from this point of view. And indeedwe must begin by considering, in its spiritual bear-ing, the “simple” fact that Man, in perception,speech, action and gait, is organized in a forwarddirection. The frontal Man is the Man who perceives,speaks, and uses his hands and feet, while thedorsal Man is blind, dumb, and incapable of action.The physical organization of Man expressestheinner fact that the active Man is provided for in

front and the passive Man, behind. All the courageneeded for life on Earth finds not only its expres-sion, but also its organs in the frontal Man; alldevotion to the governance of the higher and theunknown in existence is located in the dorsal Man.

But Man—as he has become since the Fall—does not represent exclusively courage and devo-tion. He is, on the contrary, so organized that Fearand Shame play at least as important a part ascourage for life and devotion to destiny. For thetwo basic elemental forces which entered into Manthrough the Fall are precisely Fear and Shame.This fact is indicated in the Bible when we are told

RAYS 99 7

The Way of the Passion—Crowning with

Thorns

MYSTIC LIGHT

This is the third in a series of six articles on the Way of thePassion, drawn from Valentin Tomberg’s studies of the NewTestament, copyright by Candeur Manuscripts (1985) andreprinted with the permission of the Anthroposophical Press.

Die Bibel in Bildern, Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1789-1853)

Adam and Eve Hide from the Presence of the Lord“ Hiding from the Lord” describes the condition of humanity fallen from ethericto material consciousness, and thus separated from perception and knowledgeof their Creator. “Where art thou?” called the Lord God. Adam answered, “Iwas afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”—Genesis 3:7-11

that Adam hid himself from the Lord God, and thatthe first human pair saw “that they were naked.”Their eyes were indeed “opened,” but at the sametime they became aware of their “nakedness.”Lucifer certainly kept his promise: the senses ofthe frontal Man were opened to the outer world,but at the same time Shame entered into him. Andthe power which expelled the dorsal Man from Para-dise and drove him to flight was the power of Fear.Since then, the frontal Man has been filled withShame, and the dorsal Man filled with Fear. Forthese two forces prevent Man from experiencing“Paradise,” on whose Threshold the Guardian stands.

Shame causes him to turn from Paradise, andFear holds him at a distance from it. But theactivity of these forces is, for the most part, hiddenin Man’s subconsciousness. There they form thecurtain concealing the Spiritual World. Only asmall part of these forces penetrates into theexperience of consciousness in the physical body.But when consciousness rises into the etheric body,it becomesaware of those forces. And it meetsthem in the etheric body in a way which correspondsto the character of the ether-body as the time-body;for it experiences Shame as the elementalforcewhich conceals the past, and Fear as the forceveiling the future.

For the organization of Man in his ether-body isthe opposite of his physical organization. Thisapplies not only to sex, but also to the relationshipbetween the frontal and the dorsal man. Whereasin the physical body Man is so constituted that helooks forward, in the etheric body he looks back-ward. The seeing—that is, the “frontal”—man is,in the ether body, the man that looks towards thepast, and the “dorsal” man faces forward, in thedirection of the future.

But this organization is more fully developed ina higher sphere during Man’s life after death; thereMan experiences the Kamaloka-[Desire World]state in a backward direction, and the Devachan-[Thought World] condition on into the future.But this arrangement is not, as a rule, elaboratedduring the life between birth and death, and thecause of that is that Shame and Fear conceal theSpiritual World. These two forces are the “inward”karma of the Luciferic and Ahrimanic influences

in Man. They keep Man back from consciouslyentering the Spiritual World. But the same forcesbecome wings to the soul when Shame is convertedinto Conscience, and Fear into Reverence. ForShame and Fear are the rays flashing from the two-edged sword of the Guardian who stands at theThreshold of the Spiritual World to prevent theunauthorized from crossing it. Awakened Conscienceand Reverence, on the other hand, are the pinionswhereon the Guardian raises the souls of men intothe Spiritual World.

The meeting with the Guardian of the Thresholdis, therefore, the third principle of the ChristianRosicrucian path. For this meeting determines themethod of preparation, and also vouches for thecertaintyof the knowledge gained of the SpiritualWorld. Because the untransformed Lucifericinfluences and the Ahrimanic influences are left onthis side of the Threshold, the experience on theother side is sure; it is free from the intervention ofthose forces which produce illusions.

Then again, there are other paths which, indeed,lead to spiritual experiences without the meetingwith the Guardian of the Threshold. There arethose, for instance, who extol “blissful rest in thelight.” But they strive to achieve it by desiring toexperience the Spiritual World as bliss. They raisethemselves by an enhancement of Reverence to anexperience of light-filled blessedness in which theyforget everything—even all the troubles and painof humanity. In this way, however, they offendagainst the injunction of the Guardian—to keepConscience awake. They certainly practice Rev-erence, but the striving after blessedness (anañda)benumbs the Conscience. And because theConscience is dulled, the consciousness of meetingwith the Guardian of the Threshold is also dulled.

As far as consciousness is concerned, this meet-ing does not take place; and, consequently, theentrance into the true Spiritual World does not takeplace. The “light-filled blessedness” experiencedon this path is not the Spiritual World entered byMan after death only when he has been purified inthe Kamaloka-state, and on the path of Initiation,only after meeting with the Guardian of theThreshold. It is, on the contrary, a distinct sphereof existence which may be called the “Luciferic

8 RAYS 99

devachan.” This region is a kind of “Lucifericdouble” of the Earth; it is full of light, butthere is no truth in it.

Others again strive after a knowledge of theoccult by the overcoming of Fear. But whatthey evolve in this way is not the couragewhich is the expression of Conscience, but thecourage of a realism without Reverence. Thus,they arrive at the so-called “unvarnished truth”concerning Man and the Universe. They learn,in fact, the secrets ofthe subconscious, bothin Man and in the Earth-organism. All formsof human egoism are, by this means, revealedto them, and many forces of the SubterraneanSpheres become known to them. Courage,indeed, is needed to perceive these things,butit is a courage which, by its very nature—because it is without Reverence—is a spiritualcynicism. And Man, as he is recognized onthis path, is not the true Man but the lowerman of the subconscious; and the world thusrecognized is not the true Spiritual World, but,rather, a reflection distorted into its opposite,in the form of the spheres of the Interior of theEarth. It is not possible to penetrate into theSpiritual World by this path; for the Guardianof the Threshold requires the courage of trueConscience and devotional Reverence from allwho enter there. If anyone evades the meeting withthe Guardian, his one-sided endeavor leads notinto the Spiritual World, but into the world eitherof Lucifer or of Ahriman.

For this reason the meeting with the Guardian ofthe Threshold is just as fundamental to the methodof the Christian Rosicrucian school as are theprinciples of Foot-washing and Scourging. But themeeting with the Guardian of the Threshold hasquite definite consequences for one who hasexperienced it. Certain secrets of existence arerevealed to him, and he becomes thereby, himself,a “guardian” of these mysteries. Henceforward,the Guardian of the Threshold entrusts a part of hismission to him. He himself is trusted with a sharein the responsibility and the task which theGuardian of the Threshold has. What was confidedto him by the Spiritual World, the Man must now“guard” in the spirit of the task of the Guardian of

the Threshold. But this means that he is left free todecide in what manner he will place his knowledgeat the service of Mankind. For the “guardianship”does not consist in withholding or keeping secretthis knowledge, but in the task of making it acces-sible in the right way to all who consciously striveafter it, and really need it.

A new dignity is conferred upon Man when hepasses the test of meeting with the Guardian of theThreshold. He is assigned a “crown,” but such acrown as would involve scorn and contempt in theeyes of the world, if the world ever heard of it, andwhich, for the man himself, means fresh pain andfurther trials. For as he had to overcome Shameand Fear in response to the demands of theGuardian of the Threshold, so, from henceforth, heis no longer only a representative of the Mysteries,but also an awakener of Shame and Fear in others.He is not only liberal benefactor to other men, he

RAYS 99 9

Opaque watercolor over graphite on wove paper. J. James Tissot, 1836-1902. Brooklyn Museum

The Crowning of ThornsExperiencing ultimate forms of derision and abuse are the lot of thedisciple of Christ who submits to the crowning of thorns.

also becomes a trial or test for many people. Hemust accept the fact that standing for the truthbefore men frequently brings with it the shamingand frightening of men. It may even involve thenecessity of remaining dumb under the eyes ofmany—under eyes which are either greedily spyingout something in the man unworthy of the truth forwhich he stands, or seeking in his conduct some-thing to prove that his truth is not true.

For Shame, anxious not to be exposed, sharpensthe eyes for all deficiencies in the personality ofhim who represents spiritual truth; and Fear,wanting to remain hidden, gives to the glance areadiness to find contradictions in the spiritualtruth which is represented. To such eyes is a manexposed when he has undertaken the task of“guarding”—of representing—spiritual truth. Andhe who wears the Crown of Thornsmust overcomeShame and Fear under exposure to such humaneyes, just as he had to overcome them at the voiceof the spiritual Conscience representing theGuardian of the Threshold. He must not allowhimself to be drawn into polemical self-defense,nor must he shrink before the “keen and brazenglance” of those who wish to strip him naked andto cut in pieces all that he holds most holy. He mustnot permit himself to take one aggressive stepforward, nor to yield one step backward. TheThorny Crown of his task obliges him to stand—tostand fast in the Truth. It is the experience of a newdignity—the dignity of Truth represented by Man.And this is true human dignity, the dignity of theSon of Man.

What we have attempted to characterize here ina general way can be made clear and astonishinglyalive by many actual examples, if the life ofRudolf Steiner is studied from this point of view.The life-history of Rudolf Steiner is, assuredly, thebest source from which to draw profound under-standing of the Foot-washing, the Scourging, theCrowning with Thorns, the Cross-bearing and theCrucifixion. These stages in the spiritual history ofthe present day run through the story of that life,and, at the same time, exhibit the characteristics ofthe future spiritual history of Mankind. For asthe Scourging, for instance, is a karmic necessityin the history of Man’s future, so also is the

Crowning with Thorns. The Thorn-crowning willbe part of the spiritual history of Man’s future atthe epoch when “white humanity” is pitted againstAhrimanic humanity—after a complete severanceof the two currents. Then white [figurativelyspeaking] humanity will stand as the representa-tive of spiritual truth—and, at the same time, as areproach and a warning to the rest of Mankind. Butit will be standing before a humanity grownclairvoyant for all deficiencies and weaknesses—ahumanity which will have the faculty not only ofspying out every imperfection, but also of workingdestruction through the entrance-doors of thoseimperfections. Then will the words become histor-ical truth: “Whosoever hath, to him shall be given,but whosoever hath not, from him shall be takenaway even that he hath.’’ All Goodness to whichthe element of compromise still clings will bedestroyed by the forces of the other section ofhumanity; so that “even that he hath’’ will be takenaway from those who “hath not” an attitude freefrom compromise.

And herewith our study of the first three stagesof the Passion, in their significance for methods ofoccultism, for karma, and for the spiritual historyof humanity, may be brought to a close.

Nevertheless, a short spiritual-moral summaryof the essentials on which these three stages arebased may not be out of place. This summary maybe given in quite short sentences. For in Foot-washing we deal with the conquest of pridethrough service; and in Scourging, with theuncompromisingattitude which swerves to neitherside; while in the Crowning with Thorns we dealwith the firm stand in the name of truth—neitherstriding forward, nor shrinking back

Thus the first three stages of the Christian pathmay be summed up in these words:

The First must be the servant of all.

His left hand must not know what his right hand doeth.

He must know that the servant is notgreater than his lord.

The further stages of the Way of the Passion willbe considered in the next article. (Continued) ❐

10 RAYS 99

WORK IS A PANACEA formost ills of mankind. Workis the endeavor of living.To live we must work. Notfor a living, or to earn a liv-

ing alone, but because to work is good.Endeavor is growth, and we must grow.

No man can work and not receive inspira-tion. Sometimes it would seem to the individ-ual that his labor is anything but inspiring, thatit is mere deadening drudgery, disagreeableand tiresome. When this is true, be assured thatit is not the work causing such a result, but theworker.

There is no denying that many workers arelaboring at jobs not to their liking, and for whichthey have no special ability. They are merely earningtheir daily bread. It is also true that earning one’sdaily bread is the least of the many values containedin work. Yet the earning of daily bread is essential tothe well-being, mental and physical, of any man. Inspite of this we repeat: It is the least of the many val-ues contained in work.

Proper food is purely a physical benefit, withoutwhich the body housing the imperishable spirit can-not continue to manifest perfectly. Improper foodcontributes to the body’s imperfection, detracts fromits healthy functioning, preys upon the mind, andgenerally disturbs the equilibrium of the person. So,we must not underestimate the importance of work-ing to earn sustenance.

So far as we are able we must, in all justice to our-selves, maintain, or, in many cases, attain a perfectvehicle for the indwelling individual spirit, which is

the true self or ego.We live in cycles: we respond to our endeavors

and grow from out them. As we mature and gain inmental and moral stature, we then proceed toendeavor differently, and as a result we graduallytransform our personalities. They become moreobjective, more impersonal, though no less human.Then it seems that wise Providence gives us anotheropportunity to apply the fruits of our growth to a sit-uation similar to one previously encountered, but,perhaps, not fully mastered. This small cycle fur-nishes us with the opportunity to observe and gaugeour progress. This retrospective comparison enablesus to see how far we have traveled and how much wehave grown; thus we take new courage for the everonward and upward journey.

If you dislike your work and go to it reluctantlyeach day, buoyed only by the thought of the wagesor salary you will receive—

If you are critical of your fellow workers and asso-

RAYS 99 11

The Value of Work

MYSTIC LIGHT

Acrylic on canvas

Men at WorkThat treasure which we may “lay up in heaven,” the “garnered pab-ulum of the soul and the extract therefrom [which were], symbolizedby the Shew Bread and the fragrant essences” in the Tabernacle ofthe Wilderness, was “the product of actual toil, of orderly systematicwork.”—from the Rosicrucian Fellowship Full Moon Service

© Joe V

andello

ciates—If you feel resentment against fate for forcing you

into your present situation—If you have any grudges whatever, any jealousies,

envies, or just plain dislikes—It is these that are holding you back. It is these that

form the millstone around your neck and makequicksand where you would move freely.

Do these observations seem harsh? Is the writersitting in judgment? I think not. We know that everythought we think has substance and form; it hasvibration whose formative signature is an identifi-able wave-length. Thoughts are things; they havecolor, pattern, and power.

Granting this to be true, it is then easily under-stood how and why silent thoughts can and do affectour daily living, our advancement, our prosperity,our happiness.

We are oppressed more by the weight of our ownthoughts and attitudes than by the exertions or cir-cumstances of our labors. As we continue to enter-tain our resentments (some entertainment!) and dis-satisfactions, we increase the height of our self-con-fining barriers and landmine our path with pitfallsand stumbling-blocks. We lose promotions we feltwe were entitled to. We have accidents that pass upthe fellow next to us. We suffer undeserved repri-mands while obvious malefactors go free. We seethewith the injustice of it all. Yet we ourselves, alone,are responsible for all our discomfiture.

This being inescapably true, should we go onfighting everything? Or should we confront the realadversary and begin a new battle within ourselves?

It is no small job to master one’s self, to correcthabits of negative thought, to think always up andnot down, to think constructively and not destruc-tively.

We pose ourself the following foolish questionbecause our actions suggest we do not know theanswer: Which is better, an employer who comesraving at us for our blunders, or one who kindly andsympathetically points out a better, easier way toachieve a certain result, with perhaps a hand ofencouragement on our shoulder, a smile in his eyes?

The law of doing unto others, of placing oneself inthe other fellow’s shoes, is very simple and effective,and easy to put into operation—at least so it would

seem. Just as the employer working in generous and

kindly sympathy with his employees gets betterresults than one who needs to “call the shots” and“lord it over” others—so does the willing, coopera-tive worker pleasantly attract better results for him-self than the reluctant, resentful, morose, orobstreperous worker.

Every position we obtain, in work as in life, is theeffect of our own thought, attitude, and behavior.

It matters not what one’s formal education hasbeen, in what line one has been trained; nor is expe-rience per se, or the references of others the control-ling factor in the law of merit. It is a function of pure-ly intrinsic qualities: What we make of our experi-ence; how we use what we know; the consistencywith which we permeate our moment-to-momentlives with earnestness and good will.

So, if you are unfavorably situated and feelinclined to blame (itself a dubious enterprise)—whether it be the political set-up, your employer,neighbor, family, or God—pause and reconsider.Redirect your attention selfward. Get rigorouslyhonest. See where the real problem lies and wherereal progress can be made. Then with newly openedeyes, a new perspective, and a humble willingness,set to work to get the most out of the least of yourwork. If you are faced with an especially arduoustask, one you dislike more than any other, ask your-self, What can I learn front this? In what manner canI benefit from it? Then perform the task with zest. Ifit is possible, make a better task of it. To master greatthings we must first perfectly master small things.

If there is someone working in your group againstwhom you have been holding ill will, begin to hon-estly search for his good qualities; or perhaps betterstill, be truthful with yourself to learn why you arenursing grievances. Usually you will find he hasinjured only your ego, deflated your sense of impor-tance, because you will find you have been thinkingonly of yourself and your agendas, your view onmatters.

If you are sure this is not the case, then, in all sym-pathy, consider why he is as he is—what combina-tion of prior causes and circumstances may havecontributed to his present personality and generalattitude.

12 RAYS 99

Silently and without condescen-sion imagine yourself as a physi-cian who is in sympathy with theills of the patient. Suppose the con-dition is most objectionable,brought on by the patient’s selfish-ness and folly. But the physiciandoes not sit in judgment; he onlygoes to work to repair the damage,if he can.

While we do not need to try tomake over our fellow associates,we could with profit seek to under-stand (in the sense of accountingfor) their “ailments” and theimperfections that irk us. Onceunderstanding these, we may beable to lessen their difficulties, andby so doing smooth our own roughpath.

Suppose some one certain thingis a source of constant irritation toyou on your job. Stop and weigh itsimportance. If you find it reallydoes not matter except to you per-sonally, then seek to shut it out;refuse to be irritated, practice peace of mind.

Our general attitude toward work makes or breaksus. We are happy or we are unhappy, accordingto ourattitude. We progress, or we remain in a rut; we sailalong blithely, enjoyably soaring over obstacles, orwe plod tiresomely along in the rut, gradually dig-ging ourselves in deeper.

The responsibility is ours; we are free agents,whether or not we care to believe it.

If our attitude is that our wages are small, there-fore we are only going to do as much work as iscommensurate with the pittance we are paid, we arenot only laying the foundation for demotion, orunemployment, we are burying our talents, layingthe foundation for our future misery, and retardingour spiritual progress.

If we refuse to help, without material compensa-tion, in some worthy undertaking, thinking—Whyshould we? We don’t owe themanything—we are butcreating grief for ourselves. Or, if we overcharge forour work because our client is in immediate need

and unable to secure other help, once more we arecreating bad karma that we shall eventually be calledupon to liquidate.

Work because it is good to accomplish, notbecause you get paid for it. Work because any goodendeavor increases your own working ability andpower and therefore is to your advantage. Workbecause you feel the urge to give service where it ismerited, though not necessarily appreciated.Withholding service where the need is great or thecause is good and right is like throwing away pre-cious jewels. With each instance of such behavior wereject a particular benefit to the soul and are spiritu-ally the poorer for it.

No job should be too lowly for well doing, norshould any job be deemed so great as to tempt us tovainglory. Rather, the greater the job, the morehumbly should we approach it. We should workbecause it is good to work, and our daily prayershould be: “Lord, let our work be good.” ❐

—Carol Cornish

RAYS 99 13

Oil on canvas, 1943, José Clemente Orozco (1883-1949);Museo de Arte Alvár y Carmen T. de Carrillo Gil, Mexico City

Christ Destroying His CrossNot without some basis in fact, the necessity for work has been regarded asa con-sequence of man’s first and ongoing disobedience, whose net effect required Christ’ssalvatory assumption of human form. The painter’s intuition graphically illustratesthe breaking up of crystallized forms which have become bereft of the living spir-it, be they codified laws, sense-locked learning, or elitist art itself. Depicted in vig-orous and violent action, the once passively crucified Christ now becomes anaggressively avenging force, with which a people exploited for their labor can espe-cially identify: A drastic preliminary to his words, “Behold ! I make all things new.”

Planet A

rt

WHEN FRANCIS TOOK leaveof Mount Alverno, upon whichhe had received the stigmata, hecast a last glance back towardsthe sacred heights. He kneeled

down and said, “Farewell, thou mountain of God,thou Holy Mountain; mons coagulatus, mons pin-guis, mons in quo bene placitum est Deo habitare;farewell, Mount Alverno, may God the Father, Godthe Son and God the Holy Ghost bless thee; peacebe with thee for we shall see one another no more.”

He who is alive to the soul of words like thesecan feel what the still places of prayer meant in thesoul of Francis and what the man of today lacks.Where now has man his mount of worship? Animpression from nature, upon a lonely mountainheight at sunrise, is the last dying whisper of thememory of that which the men of past ages feltupon their mountain tops. We must regain thatwhich echoes in such sayings of Francis, if thevery best is not to be lost from humanity.

Solovieff speaks in one place of the “innerAthos” which every man must have. The spirit ofRussia in him looks back to the sacred mountain inGreece, from which so much blessing hasstreamed out over Russia. But Solovieff knowsalso that the past does not return. The man of todaymust found his own cloister within himself. This istrue in a very much wider sense than one imagines.

This longing for the cloister in many men comesfrom deep reasons. But were we to flee to theRoman Catholic cloisters, we should find a worldother than that which we expected, a world inwhich we could no longer feel at home. Even at thebest we should admit to ourselves that our longinghad been for something different from what wefound there. But in the Protestant church this callfor the foundation of evangelical cloisters haslargely died away. It was really a misunderstand-ing. The call for the cloister is born out of innerneed. But it means something other than menthemselves think. It really calls for that which weare trying to do here. What is here taking place isthe founding of an order. But each must build hiscloister within himself; out of freedom in solitude.Those who belong to such an order may indeedsometimes meet or talk with one another. But what

14 RAYS 99

Meditation—Guidance of the Inner Life

MYSTIC LIGHT

With this issue of the Rayswe begin a series of articles drawnfrom Meditation, Guidance of the Inner Life, by FriedrichRittelmeyer, © The Christian Community Press and publishedby Floris Books, Edinburgh. Reprinted here with permission.

Contemplatio“The call for the cloister is born out of inner need....But each mustbuild his cloister within himself; out of freedom in solitude.”

© Law

rence OP

is most important comes in being alone. All thecloisters of the past are prophecies of that whichmust happen within the soul.

But let us return from the Catholic to theBiblical picture. When, in John’s Gospel, theSamaritan woman points Christ to Mount Gerazimand its sanctuary, Christ speaks words full ofmeaning for the future: “God is Spirit, and theythat worship Him must worship Him in spirit andin truth, for the Father seeketh such to worshipHim.” The mountain of which Christ speaks iswithin, and He calls it “the spirit.” The temple ofwhich He speaks is invisible; it stands upon nospot of earth, and He calls it “the truth.” Themountain of the spirit, upon which stands the tem-ple of truth, is what we seek. We want to build itwithin us as an “inner Athos,” as “the sacredMount Alverno.” And when we go to men and toour daily work, then shall we “come down fromthe mountain.” Once when Christ came down fromthe mountain, with the glory in which He dweltthere shining around Him, His disciples entreatedHim: “Lord, teach us to pray; to pray as thou canstpray.” When we are able to rouse in men longingsfor the mountain of the temple from which wedraw our strength, then shall we be the healers ofour age.

Rudolf Steiner once said that if this hurried,external life of ours continues for a few moredecades, the children will be born already trem-bling. Such words can most forcibly impress uponour souls the seriousness of the mission which wehave to ourselves and to our times.

The “truth” of which Christ speaks is a greatkingdom which we must first discover for our-selves. One can find it only when one has the qual-ity which corresponds to it, that is: sincerity. If onesuggests to oneself a thought to which one has noinward right, one takes a destructive element intoone’s soul. That is why it is so misleading whenCoué can recommend to mankind as a meditation,“Every day, in every way, I get better and better.”One may, of course, attain something by such med-itation, as one may often cure a disease by simplyignoring it or, as in Christian Science circles, bysimply treating illness in humanity as if it did notexist. Yet the tendency of this is false and danger-

ous and its failure to preserve entire truthfulness tothe facts must somewhere and somehow lead to arelapse. It would be better to meditate thus: “I wishthat it should go better with me,” or “I wish that theillness may be overcome.” Then we need only askfurther if such a representation to oneself of one’sbodily condition and health does not overlook still

deeper associations with reality, and invite intoone’s inner life spirits of egoism and materialism,which may indeed help against the evil of themoment, but later demand a worse penalty. Wehave the right to defend ourselves against every ill-ness. But true insight knows also that every illnessis meant to bring its own blessing into the house,for the soul and. . . for the body also. We ought tolet no illness depart from us without our havingwrung from it its blessing. One can apply to itexactly the old saying: “I will not let thee goexcept thou bless me.”

That for which we are here striving bears withinitself bodily health also. But this is spread throughthe body through the soul’s becoming healthy. Thisfeeling of becoming healthy ought to occur afterevery right meditation. “Through Thy word mysoul becomes whole,” says the Act of Consecrationof Man.* For my part I must admit that I neverrightly knew what health meant until I experiencedit through meditation. A real feeling of health per-meates soul and body. Some may think they knowthis feeling after a strenuous mountain climb orvigorous exercise in a game. The feeling describedhere is similar, only very much more spiritual. And

RAYS 99 15

*The Act of the Consecration of Man is the CommunionService of the Christian Community, a movement for therenewal of religious life through a living experience of Christ.

The mountain of the spirit,upon which stands the temple of truth,

is what we seek. W e want to build it within us

as an “inner Athos,” as “the sacred Mount Alverno.”

in this way one feels oneself safe, and in the longrun gets further than by curing oneself of someparticular illness by auto-suggestion.

From such false advice men have come to thinkthat every meditation is self-suggestion. It is nomore and no less so than if a man should undertaketo master his temper, or to bear a pain, or to behavedecently to someone else. Byaccusing it of being auto-sugges-tion, one can throw suspicion onevery effort of the will. One caneven forbid any kind of influenceexercised by teachers upon chil-dren, because it may be sugges-tion. In reality the question iswhether that to which one wishesto give the mastery in one’s soulis a truth or an ideal which onehas understood, and which onemay safely make a lasting posses-sion. In the very nature of sugges-tion and autosuggestion is implic-it an unreality which one wouldlike to press upon oneself and oth-ers, or at least the unlawful interference withanother’s freedom. Through such confused con-ceptions it comes about that men do not trust them-selves to exert their wills against their naturalinstincts at that moment in their history when it isall-important that they should learn to do so, inorder to remain human, and even to becomehuman. Concerning the exercises of the soul whichare here recommended, one can only repeat thatthey should be practiced only in the land of truthand freedom. In it even the strongest will can bringno harm, but will be a real help and benefit.

So that we may first learn the value of inwardoccupation with oneself from exercises whicheveryone who comes to them from without canshare, let us here discuss fully such a preliminaryexercise. But first it is well to reply to a questionoften asked by beginners: “What bodily attitude isbest for meditation?”

Certainly the bodily attitude is not unimportant.And from the body difficulties arise, which weshall discuss more fully later. The Eastern manbrought his body to rest by sitting down upon his

crossed legs. But, apart from the fact that we areunaccustomed to such a position and assume itonly with difficulty, it cuts men off from certaincurrents which pass from the earth into the body.By such a bodily position the Oriental man assistshis striving away from the earth, which striving isthe content of his meditation and the spirit of his

view of the world. We see almostexactly the opposite of this inWestern man, who for centurieshas prayed upon his knees. Insuch a bodily position man is out-wardly nearer to the earth, but hereceives the earth influences,though naturally quite gently andunconsciously, yet more stronglyinto himself. This occurs the morereadily, as we indeed can feel,because the feet have much morespirituality of their own than theknees have. We feel them in amuch more living way. Therefore,when we kneel, we unite our-selves still more closely with that

which streams forth from the earth, and also bykneeling to pray, the mission of the West to theearth is prepared and furthered.

And now what is our position? For us, it is notright to allow ourselves to be supported by any nat-ural spiritual force whatsoever, which we do notunderstand, but we must seek the higher world outof a clear consciousness and out of a free will.Therefore, there is only one rule for us: our natur-al bodily existence must disturb us as little as pos-sible. The position in which our spirit feels itself aslittle disturbed as possible, is best for us. One canfind this out only by experiment. One man requiresgreater comfort, which makes another man go tosleep. The other requires a more rigid posture,which would distract the first. One can only say,“as much comfort as is possible without laziness.”

The meditation of which we are now about tospeak is an aid to acquiring calmness of spirit. It isso arranged that it is of especial benefit to the manof the present day in his hurried life, and at thesame time shows how one can rise to the veryhighest from what is quite simple.

16 RAYS 99

Ink on paper, courtesy of Harry M

enne

Let us simply turn our attention to the word“rest.” At a time when the quiet life of the hermitis common, it would not be good to choose it, but,in the age of incessant haste, it may be to innu-merable people a rare benefit to body and soul tocome to be at home with this word “rest.”

Here again the treasures of remembrance mustcome to our aid. Where, in my past life, did I moststrongly experience what rest is? We think of aquiet evening in a wood. We sat upon a seat by alake. The waves rippled gently at our feet. The treesrustled almost imperceptibly in the evening wind.Twilight spread itself like a sheltering garment overthe land. That day we had done our full measure ofwork. Now we had rest at evening. The more liv-ing and concrete the picture is, the better. When wehave called the picture strongly to life, then we dis-miss it and retain only the feeling; the feeling of agreat refreshing peace filling all around.

What an evening in a wood is to one man, theimpression made by high mountains with eternalsnows may be to another, as he saw them quitesuddenly, far before him in the distance, as he wenton an expedition, like an unfathomable premoni-tion of a higher world. And still another may recallthe starry heavens, as they made their strongimpression upon him when he came out from somestormy public meeting or lively private assembly.. . . It is always important that all the details of one’srecollection should serve only as a help to reachinga feeling of great rest.

This rest must be felt as strongly as possible. Wemay say to ourselves in such a case: “You havenow a strong feeling of rest, but there are certainlypeople who feel it ten times as strongly as you do.”It is not only necessary in this meditation, whichmay last from five to fifteen minutes, to continueto hold fast to this rest as consciously as possible,and at the same time to assent to it inwardly, but itis also necessary to let it become ever stronger, asfar as this is possible, and to fill the whole bodywith it and to pour forth the body with it. We mayalso, in order to remain inwardly active, bring ourlimbs to rest one by one. Then we will notice howmuch tension there is in our limbs, in our hands,our feet, our brain and in the neck muscles whichcarry our head. We look upon rest as a drink which

flows throughout all the kingdom of the body. Certainly some will say “That would send me to

sleep,” and is it such a bad thing if one has a meansof going to sleep? This meditation may help him tosleep who finds it hard to do so. He relaxes himselfin it. He goes around his body like a watchmanround a house and sees what is unwilling to sleepand brings it to rest. Especially there, where thehead joins the body, it is well to see that every-thing is right, so that the head may be quiterelaxed. One lets “rest” really rest within one. If aman really wishes it, he may even in apparentlydifficult cases, go to sleep by means of the exer-cise; but he will often notice that he is not reallywilling to do so; rather that he is in love with hisdisturbed thoughts and feelings, and will on noaccount give them up for such a rest. But if he real-ly cannot get to sleep by these means, yet the restwhich fills him when he really ceases to think ofparticular things and rests only in this rest, may bealso as beneficial as a real sleep.

If anyone is trying to find rest at night in sleep, Iwould advise him as far as possible to make him-self a part of the following picture: Here I restupon my bed, around me are the walls of thehouse, but outside is the procession of the stars;stars are above me, stars are around me, stars areunder me. I should see them through the earth, hadI the eyes. The walls of the house, the whole housearound me is passing away, even the earth itself ispassing away, but that which lives in the stars,remains. I give myself to it, I go out among thestars, I share myself among them until nothing ofmyself remains here, all is outside with the stars. Imove along with them in their courses, slowly,calmly, majestically, I eternally. . . .

[T]his way, with our conscious wills, we go tomeet that which sleep requires of us. Such a restcan be of inexpressibly great benefit to us, andwhen we know it we might almost choose to sleepno more. But if, after this conception of a picture,we can come to the conception of a voice and hearthe whole heaven of stars singing this song ofpraise: “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earthpeace to men of good will,” and if we can furtherretain the living feeling which lies at the root ofthis conception of sound, can keep the sacred spirit

RAYS 99 17

of peace, which turns in praise to the heavenlyFather, the joyful heavenly rest, the restful joy ofheaven, as one keeps a taste upon one’s tongue,and can have it throughout our whole being, thenwe are really with the angels, and can spiritualizeand transfigure our sleep in a way of which wehave not had hitherto even a distant idea.

But, throughout, we have to do, not with theability to sleep, but really with the ability to awake.As one can imagine eyes which see by day the star-ry heaven which is always around us, there can atleast be a spirit which dives down so deeply intopeace of soul that he feels deep within him that thestarry heaven is above him by day also. The spiritof the stars, as we may call it, accompanies himupon his life’s way.

As one can take in rest like a medicine, so onecan, of course, take into oneself all other possiblespiritual contents. An especially health-givingexercise is: purity. One can build it up and shape itin the same way as we have done with rest. In this,it may help us to plunge ourselves into the inno-cent life-stream of the plants, or into the crystalpure glory of a snowy landscape, or the picture ofthe Sistine Madonna, or again, the heaven of stars.In the same way a man can learn to draw into him-self strength of will, sincerity, kindness. He willfind that a great spiritual store of healing, which hecan never exhaust, is at his disposal.

If we turn back to the exercise on rest, it can pre-sent itself to him as a sanatorium, which he hasbuilt for himself. He does not require long andcostly journeys into the mountains when he wantsrest and refreshment. He enters into his own rest.At first, I often imagined to myself that I lived inthis rest, as a diver stays under a great glass bell inthe sea. Outside the waves pass, the fish go by, thesharks and other sea pirates seek their prey, but heis safely sheltered in his transparent house fromwhich he looks out at what is around him. Thusmay a man look out in spirit from his house of restupon the noise and haste outside. So one canstrengthen the feeling of rest by contrast.

Many people will in such ways gradually learnwhat rest really is. Up till now they have known itonly in the form of unconscious sleep. Rest itselfpasses into us, rests in us, awake and living, feeds

us, heals us, makes us divine. When I first experi-enced that, I had the feeling that now, at last, I sawthe possibility of doing something for “nerves.” Aswe can lift a load if we can get a grip beneath it, sonow we find a realm which lies below the nerves,and we need only think of the word “rest,” and weare already in our house of rest. In the worst ofstreet noises, in the most excited meeting, if weonly think of it, rest rises up like a temple andreceives us into its peace.

When we put this into words, we are working atthe spiritual life of humanity like a nerve special-ist. No drug will help men like these exercises inrest. If humanity would only take seriously what ishere written, the danger of neurasthenia and ofother worse mental illnesses, which arise from dis-tracting haste, would be overcome in a few decades.

In this study, we have, up to now, spoken in sucha way that even the man who is furthest from reli-

18 RAYS 99

Oil on panel, Raphael (1483-1520), Gemäldegalerie, Dresden

The Sistine MadonnaIts harmonious composition and purity of conception makethe Sistine Madonna an inspiring subject for meditation.

Planet A

rt

gion can accompany us. In conclusion, let some-thing more be added out of the world of whichreligion speaks. Let him who finds grounds for itin his life, change this rest into a great and com-plete trustfulness. Let him look up to the spiritwhich rules behind and above all the starry worlds,and permit the peace, which streams to him fromafar, to flow back in a great, deep, perfect trustful-ness of heart. He will then notice that, in so doing,very much within him will be relaxed which he didnot even know was strained. He will be able to “re-act away” much hidden anxiety and fear, withoutfirst bringing it by psychoanalytical methods fullyinto his consciousness. Only it must be a livingtrust which does not sink down into a fatalistic res-ignation. For the man of today needs the power ofactive world-conquest. Resignation has beenreached by many men of the past. That which istold of Roman Stoics and still more of Buddhistmonks, and especially of Buddha himself, arousesreverence before these heights of self-trainedhumanity, but it is not yet Christian peace.

Therefore it is good here also to look at Christ.Is He not the Word; the Word for the world? Doesnot that which spoke to us out of all the depths ofthe starry heaven, sound forth also from Him? Isnot the angels’song of praise upon that holy nightreally His own being echoing forth? In Hisfarewell discourse Christ said to His disciples,“These words have I spoken unto you that in Meye might have peace: in the world ye shall havetribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcomethe world.” And this other word, “Peace I leavewith you, My peace I give unto you, not as theworld giveth give I unto you.” This word of Christis found in the Act of Consecration of Man, as itwas also in the ancient Mass. In the former it isborn again out of His innermost spirit in the words“I am at peace with the world. This peace with theworld can be with you also because I give it toyou.” And after the resurrection Christ greets Hisdisciples in words full of meaning: “The peace bewith you.” One may think of this word as spokenonce in the past of Christ’s history. But one canalso think of it as spoken out of the present, as it isevery evening in the starry sky, when the revela-tion of the highest and most divine Spirit is seek-

ing for our souls. If we experience this out of thegreatness of the universe, then there is no danger,either that our peace will be merely personal, as soeasily happens in a religion of forgiveness of sins,or that we should remain in passive peace, as soeasily happens in a religion of trusting in God. Butthe stern progress of the great world-clock thereoutside is in sympathy with our inmost feelings.And that is why it is there. Then we are at peacewith the world, but we make ourselves one with itsprogress, as that can come about through Christ.“My peace,” says Christ with emphasis in John’sGospel. That means, the peace which is I. Fromthat we receive authority to hear Him speaking tous also: “I am the peace. The peace which is I, bewith thee I.” If one can so experience the medita-tion on rest that one hears the voice of ChristHimself out of all breadths, depths and heights,then one has carried it upward to the greatness and

RAYS 99 19

Sacred Heart of Jesus“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you, not as theworld giveth give I unto you....These words have I spokenunto you that in Me ye might have peace” (John 14:27, 16:33)

© C

.D. S

mith

divine power which can be attained by men. The reader will now wish to ask: Yes, but which

meditation ought we then to pursue, that on Love,suggested in the first letter, or this on Peace, whichis here suggested? Such questions will becomemore urgent for many when we discuss a wholeseries of other meditations in the following studies,from which it will, we hope, become more andmore clear what meditation is and is intended tobe. The fact is that one cannot, in advice given inletters, name for everyone the exact meditationwhich is suited to him. Therefore we can heredevelop only an organism of inward exercises inwhich lives the whole Gospel of John. Out of iteach must choose that which is right for him. Buthe may also choose the whole of it, and then hislife-work may be to make it inwardly his own. Heis upon a good path. For the spirit of John’sGospel, which is so near to the spirit of the comingage, lives in all its fullness in this organism. Butwe must always keep our eyes fixed upon the cen-tral saying which sums up all: “I am Love.” Weshall unfold the meaning of this saying as we pro-ceed to experience this “I” in the seven “I ams,”and then look on “Love” in its divine revelation, inthe seven stages of the passion, and lastly see, inthe seven miracles of John’s Gospel, the “am” inits actual earthly life, and receive it into ourselves.

But the words “I am Peace,” which we are con-sidering today, are as a background to this. I canimagine a reader finding that he first requirespeace more in the sense of John’s Gospel; then hemight so meditate that he lets peace sound out untilit dies away into love, so that it can be no selfishand passive peace, but the peace “which unitesitself with the world’s evolving.” Another mightprefer to remain at the word “love.” Then he mightfirst let the word “peace” sound out so that loveacquires the greatness, the purity, the rest of thecosmic background, out of which it came withChrist, and so does not lose itself in unhealthyworries or in human pettiness. For the “world’sevolving through Christ,” of which the Act ofConsecration of Man speaks, comes out of “beingat peace” with the world.

But we can also think as follows. We take theword “peace” in the evening, so that it passes awayinto “love,” and the word “love” in the morning, so

that it proceeds out of “peace.” We can let the word“love” arise over us with the sun and the new day;just as we hear the word “peace” resound from thestarry heavens and the sheltering night. A greatrhythm comes into our life, like the rhythm of dayand night, which, indeed, bears within itself thevery spirit of this rhythm. This is like a daily divinebreathing. A breathing-in when we meditate uponthe word “peace,” a breathing-out when we medi-tate upon the word “love.” It is like a going outfrom, and returning into the Father, which corre-sponds to the hidden rhythm of the life of ChristHimself, as it is shown to us in the Gospel in Hisday and His night life. Yes, this rhythm lies deep inthe background of the proclamation of ChristHimself, as it is shown to us in John’s Gospel. “Icome from the Father,” says the first part; “I go tothe Father,” says the second part.

And so we learn in these two meditations to takeChrist into our life, as He is described to us by Hisnearest disciples and friends.. . . [T]he great divinelife bears within itself its mighty and solemnrhythm, since ever, after a world-day of a millionyears, there comes an evening of rest for the world,when the world returns to God, to come forth fromhim again newer and greater. With the words“love” and “peace” we come as near as is humanlypossible to this rhythm in the life of the Father God.

And let us not keep silence about one secretmore, even if to most of our readers it is only likea tale that is told. If our being bathes itself inpeace, in harmony with the deepest powers of thecosmos, then gently and inwardly another bodybuilds itself up for us out of the cosmos. If love,the divine spirit of the cosmos, streams throughour being, our blood is actually renewed. Andtherefore in this twin meditation one can experi-ence the highest communion and receive fromChrist, to whom we may ever look as far as wemay understand Him, His body and His blood.

This is the highest to which we can rise by med-itation, that we should simply look into Christ,pass into Him, learn to be in Him and live in Him.To make this possible for men, in all its life andfullness, is the purpose of these studies. Man canfeel himself as if enfolded in Christ, breathe inHim as in a higher air, awake as in a higher light,arise as in a higher body. (Continued) ❐

20 RAYS 99

IDREAMED THAT I WAS a prisoner in ahouse where there were many others. Theguards were very cruel and seemed to havetaken a special dislike to me, torturing mewhenever possible. I was knocked down and

otherwise mistreated and a guard watched over meto prevent me from leaving the house. Moreover,surrounding the house was a tall fence made ofswords which seemed impossible to climb. Butone day, hungry and utterly exhausted, I escaped.Taking a companion in misery by the hand, I gaveone jump and both of us seemed to fly over thefence. The rest did not miss us, they were moreinterested in themselves and in begging the guardsto be lenient, to give them food and drink to keepthem from starving.

We had walked but a little distance when we meta small child. She asked where we were going. Ianswered that I was seeking rest and quiet andwanted to go far away where there was no trouble.With a child’s look of entire trust and confidence,she pointed to a number of houses on a hill, saying,“My Father can help you—he knows everything.”

Thereupon we were led by this little child up ahill to a large group of buildings looking somewhatlike a monastery. A broad flight of steps led to awide porch covered by grapevines from whichlarge clusters of grapes hung in strangely transpar-ent bunches. It seemed as if a light were back ofthem and to the taste they were very sweet andrefreshing.

As we hesitated, an old white-bearded man cameto the door. Light was shining from his almosttransparent face and his bright eyes glowed andshone with a pure white light. They were a darkblue black and looked kindly down at me.

My companion had left me and taking my hand,the venerable man said, “Child, you want peace,yet peace is within you. You want rest and rest isall about you. You know and yet have come forhelp. Don’t you know that in my Father’s houseare many mansions? You must seek, not by books,but by practice.”

He talked long and lovingly, then, as be bade meGodspeed, he again repeated these directions:“Child of the world, go! Seek near and far amongmy Father’s Mansions. You will learn much, andwhen you have gained the right, you will be admit-ted into the place of peace, where sorrow teachesits lessons in the way God intended. The House ofSoul Rest you will find, but learn well each lessonas it comes, and God will bless you and care foryou in your search.”

I Turned toward the broad path pointed outbefore me, full of obstacles and trials, then Ilooked back. The man’s face was still beaming,only more so, if that were possible, and his armsand hands were extended toward me in a blessingas I started on my way.

One by one I surmounted the obstacles in mypath and triumphantly moved onward. Miles flewby, buildings appeared and disappeared, trainsrushed by and there was much noise and confusionaround me.

Something seemed to impel me into a large struc-ture,open at the sides, where people in all stages ofgrief and trouble were gathered. Some were softlysobbing,others were crying out in agony. Somehad hands and arms wounded and bleeding. Somewere on crutches, andstill others had limbs partlytorn off and hanging. Crushed faces and smallbabies in spasms increased the effect of torment

RAYS 99 21

A Dream within a Dream

MYSTIC LIGHT

and suffering. In this great crowd of unfortunates Isaw only one soul who appeared to be aware of theothers’grief; they were exclusively preoccupied inbewailing and cursing their own misfortunes.

Stooping to speak to a tiny child and comfort it,I saw a pair of pensive blue eyes watching me. Themouth was drawn in pain yet it uttered no word ofcomplaint. Only the man’s eyes spoke of resigna-tion. Going over I discovered that both his limbswere missing, so I stayed with him.

I must have slept a while for I remember gettingup and going to another building that glistened likesunwashed white marble. Where before confusionand trouble reigned, here there was quiet andserenity. Smiling faces appeared everywhere Ilooked for the child and the man. The white glis-tening building was ablaze with golden light, but Ifound neither the child nor the man.

I passed through a door. On the lintel above itwas written in large letters of yellow light “Houseof Soul Rest and Peace.” I sat down on soft whitecushions and watched the play of colors that cameand went through the room. Golden light waseverywhere; the iridescent air gleamed and glis-tened all around me.

Sinking into the cushions I could feel tranquillitypouring over, in and through me. At last my soulceased its longing. After what seemed endlessstress and countless struggles I had found peace,just as my friend had predicted. All earthly affairswere forgotten. I wanted to stay there for ever, inthis supreme happiness. Nothing else mattered,only that I remain in the “House of Soul Rest andPeace” and experience this supreme contentment.

But then I remembered the child and the man. Isaw again the house of tears and agony. I heardagain the moan of the maimed, and I burned withshame and humiliation at the thought of havingdeserted my suffering brother to seek my own easeand peace.

So I fled the House of Soul Rest, vowing neverto return till I had found my brother and broughthim also.

Then I awoke from the dream within the dreamand found myself sitting again by the man and thechild. I recognized them as the little child that hadfirst led me and the benevolent Father who had

taught me. Again he smiled, and his face shoneeven brighter when he said:

“My daughter, you have learned one secret ofthe path to the House of Soul Rest—it cannot beenjoyed in solitude. I will tell you another secret,every pain in the world detracts from the pleasureof those within this House. Seek you therefore allwho are weak and heavy laden and try to bringthem rest, for in so doing you will find the onlytrue and lasting peace.”

And as I woke there fell from my lips the vow:“I will strive first to show my brothers the path topeace, and in God’s good time I shall follow.” ❐

—Pearl Peterson

22 RAYS 99

The Password

A neophyte approached the temple door,

And wondered at the portal open wide.

No guard behind, no watcher stood before.

Yet few passed in, though very many tried.

“No doubt,” he mused, “they lack ‘the word’

who fail.

But those possessing it need have no fear.

Its potent power is certain to prevail.”

And confident in this he then drew near.

He gave the password, Service, and essayed

To cross the sacred threshold. But alas

A subtle force repelled him and, dismayed,

He realized his impotence to pass.

Chagrined, he sought the wisest of the sages,

Whose dwelling is the boundless depth within.

There lies concealed the wisdom of the ages,

And all of this may steadfast courage win.

That rugged path Experience he traveled.

The shining One he reached in course of time.

And then the mystic problem was unraveled,

In presence of the Higher Self sublime.

By those who merely know ‘the word’ and give it,

The lesson of its potency is missed.

For those who by persistent effort live it,

No barriers of any kind exist.

—W.T. Carson

THE ROSICRUCIAN FELLOWSHIPlays stress upon actual service to ourfellowmen, and very, often the ques-tion is asked, “How can I serve my fel-lowmen? I do not seem to have the

opportunity.” It may therefore be well to point outthat service does not necessarily mean a great andspectacular deed, such as getting in front of a run-away horse and carriage and saving the lives of thepeople in it, or going into a burning building to res-cue those who would otherwise burn to death.Such opportunities do not come to every one, orevery day; but all without any exception whateverhave opportunity to serve, no matter what theirenvironment is. The line of service that we shallindicate in this article is of even greater value thanany one single act of saving someone from death,which must sooner or later be the portion of all, forsurely it is of greater value to help people to livewell than to help them merely to escape death.

It is a deplorable fact that the great majority ofus are selfish to a high degree. We seek the bestthere is in life with an almost entire disregard ofour neighbor; and one of the ways this selfishnessexpresses itself most frequently is in maintainingan attitude of self-satisfaction. We are too prone tocompare our efforts, our belongings, our facultieswith those of others, and where it is manifest thatthey have more than we, that they are more accom-plished, etc., there is a feeling of jealousy and envythat prompts us to speak slightingly of them or insome way to minimize their success or attain-ments, under the illusion that by this comparisonwe rise to their level, or above it.

If, on the other hand, it is manifest that they havenot as much as we, if it appears that their socialstanding is beneath our own, and it seems easy toestablish their inferiority, we may adopt the super-cilious attitude, we may speak patronizingly orcondescendingly of them, thinking that by suchcomparison we raise ourselves greatly above ouractual position.

If we hear someone speak evil of another, we areusually ready and prone to believe the very worst,because then by comparison we seem to be somuch better, so much holier, and so far exaltedabove the culprit in the case. And where merit is somanifest that praise can not be withheld, we gen-erally give it in a grudging manner, for we feel asif the praise given to others takes away from our-selves, or perhaps even exalts them above our-selves.

That is the general attitude of the world.However deplorable or lamentable it may be, it isa fact, and among the great majority of mankindeverybody seems concerned to keep everybodyelse back. This is one of the greatest items of man’sinhumanity to man, which makes countless thou-sands mourn, and causes them to make othercountless thousands mourn in return.

What greater service can anyone render toeveryone else than that of adopting a systematicattitude of encouragement and commendation?There is nothing more true than the sentiment ofthe doggerel: “There is so much good in the worstof us, and so much bad in the best of us, that itscarcely behooves any of us to find fault with anyof the rest, of us.” In the home, in the shop, in the

RAYS 99 23

FROM MAX HEINDEL’S WRITINGS

Commendation vs Condemnation

office, everywhere, we meet day by day differentpeople, every one of them amenable to encourage-ment. As the sunshine is to the flower, so is anencouraging word to any person in the world. Ifsomeone has done well and we speak a word ofappreciation, that word will help him or her to doeven better the next time. If someone has donewrong or failed, a word of sympathy and confi-dence in his ultimate ability to achieve or retrievewill encourage him to try again and to win, just assurely as an attitude of discouragement will witherand make a wreck out of the life that might havebeen saved by a word of cheer. When someonecomes along with a tale of evil about someoneelse, be very slow to believe, and be slower still totell anyone else. Endeavor by every means of per-suasion to stop the one who came to you with thetale from repeating it to others. No good can everaccrue to yourself or to anyone else from listeningto and believing in such tales.

This line of service may seem to be very easy atfirst thought. But you must bear in mind that it willvery often require a great deal of self-abnegation tocarry on such work, because we are all so imbuedwith selfishness that it is next to impossible formost of us to put self away entirely, place our-selves in the position of others, and give to themthe encouragement and commendation for whichwe ourselves so earnestly long.

But if we persist in this attitude, and carry it outconsistently with everyone in our environment,always making it a point to speak a word ofencouragement wherever we can possibly find anopportunity, we shall presently find that peoplecome to us not only with their sorrows, but alsowith their joys; thus we may gain some recom-pense. We shall feel then that we have had a largeshare in their attainment; and in all these successesof other people there will be a joy and a successthat legitimately belong to ourselves, a successmoreover that no one can take from us, somethingthat will go with us beyond the grave as treasure inheaven.

Let it not be forgotten that every single little actis engraved upon the seed atom in our hearts, thatthe feeling and emotion which accompanies thatact will react upon us in the postmortem existence,

and that all the joy, all the pleasure, all the love thatwe pour out toward other people will react upon usin the first heaven and give us a sublime experi-ence. This will develop in us a wonderful facultyof giving more and more joy to others, of being of

greater and greater service. And let us rememberthat this is the only true greatness, the only great-ness which is worth working for, the greatness thathelps us to be of service.

Above everything, even more than encouragingothers in their work, let us remember the part ofthe service outlined that deals with stopping tales.When anyone comes to us with a tale concerningsomeone else, no matter what we may think our-selves, no matter what may be the justification,repetition does not do any good, it does harm. As asnowball that rolls down a mountain accumulatesmore and more snow, grows larger and larger, soalso the tale which is carried from one mouth toanother becomes exaggerated, and much sorrowand suffering are caused by the tongue of the gossip.

Therefore we can render no greater service tothe parties involved or the community than byendeavoring to get those who carry tales of evil tostop that habit. Homes have been wrecked, com-munities have been disrupted, men have gone tothe gallows time and again, or to a life-long servi-tude in some institution, which is far worse,because of idle tales carried about. Therefore wecan render as great a service by refusing to listen togossip as by encouraging those who have failed intheir ambition, or by commending those who havesucceeded. Every day opportunities are knockingat our door, no matter where we are or what ourstation in life is. ❐

24 RAYS 99

When anyone comes to uswith a tale concerning

someone else, no matterwhat we may think

ourselves, no matter whatmay be the justification,

repetition does not do anygood, it does harm.

QUESTION: In oneof his writings Mr.Heindel indicatedthat originally theGospels had a sym-bol: a man’s face for

Matthew; a lion for Mark; a bull forLuke; and an eagle for John. What isthe significance for each?

My pondering has produced that withthe teachings in Matthew we “begin” ashumanity, but then what do the others infer?I think I also understand about John, that as anastrological eagle we rise above problems, that wesee or perceive an overall dimension. Surely thereare additional and deeper teachings implied.Please—what?

ANSWER: The four zodiacal icons associatedwith the four canonical Christian Gospels collec-tively constitute one of the oldest and most com-pact symbols in occultism. They originate in earli-er epochs of human development and find theirmost cogent form in the Egyptian Sphinx, a com-posite of bull, lion, eagle and human aspects. Andit is generic Man who is the answer to the riddleposed Oedipus by the Sphinx. For it is spiritualMan, Man made in the image of his Creator, whois the answer to all Earth riddles.

Of the “four living creatures” that appeared toEzekiel (Chapter 1), each “had the likeness of aman,” even though each had four faces, only oneof which was a “human face.” The others were ofa lion, an ox, and an eagle. We must conclude, andspiritual science confirms, that the composite

h u m a nbeing bears

within him forces

be identified in thesecreaturely forms.The “four beasts” seen by John the Apocalyptist

(4:6-8) are an echo of Ezekiel's vision. Both seersare viewing the four creative Group Spirits of earlyhumanity. In pre-Lemurian times the physicalhuman hovered as a shadowy, tenuous form in theperiphery of the earth.

During the Lemurian Age what worked on thehuman structure, as if from the inner part of theearth to the surface, is related to that which subse-quently worked constructively on our ruminatinganimals, and is comprised esoterically in the sym-bol of the Bull.

Later, those forces which are summed up esoter-ically under the name of the Lion began to influ-ence human development. A third creative streampoured in upon man from cosmic space and ischaracterized by the name of Eagle.

RAYS 99 25

Significance of theFour Gospel

Symbols

READERS’ QUESTIONST

he Four E

vangelists, Benozzo G

ozzoli (c.1421-1497),fresco, vault of choir chapel, Sant’A

gostino, San G

imignano,Tuscany

whose physical manifestation or condensation can

The external physical form of man is a harmonicsynthesis of the Eagle, Bull, and Lion outpourings,streams from angelic hierarchies raying forth sub-stance of their spiritual being. The real Man,Archetypal Man, is the product of Saturn (Eagle),Sun (Lion), Moon (Bull) and Earth (Man) evolu-tions. Thus the Sphinx represents the riddle ofman’s development. Contemplating this fourfoldbeing clairvoyant consciousness is inwardly drawnto acknowledge, “That am I myself.”

The four Gospels have retained traces of the for-mative origins of human development, as seenthrough the various initiation experiences of theirrespective authors. Matthew knew particularly the“Man Mystery” initiation as exemplified in the lifeof Jesus of Nazareth, which was closely akin to thewisdom of Egypt. Thus only he mentions Jesus’journey to Egypt as a child.

Luke also had in former incarnations achievedinitiations leading to the Bull Spirit through theEgyptian Mysteries, though his Gospel does notmention the Flight to Egypt. His “Bull knowledge”is more internal.

The author of the Gospel of St. Mark describesonly what occurred after the Baptism by John. Theinitiation this Evangelist had undergone was theone that led to a knowledge of the higher worlds asgiven through the Leo Spirit. Therefore ancienttradition links him with the symbol of the Lion.

He who wrote the John Gospel was initiated byChrist Jesus Himself, so he was able to foretellsomething of the efficacy of the Christ-Impulse forthe far distant future. This Evangelist was one ofthe Eagle initiates who had advanced to a laterevolutionary stage. The initiation contemporaryfor that time was set down by the author of theMark Gospel. The Christ activity pertaining tofuture times, actively transcending earthboundmatters, is described in St. John, which explainswhy tradition connects him with the symbol of theEagle.

When the scientist of spirit investigates earlierhuman evolution he sees how four group-souls,four archetypes, have developed out of the com-mon involving macrocosmic god-man. Throughthe light of the Holy Spirit this fourfold wisdom isexpressed in the four Gospels.

The Matthew Gospel with its Aquarius/Mansymbol should not be viewed as the most exaltedrepresentative of the human archetype. Rather isthere a fifth—not Man but the Son of Man, thenew Adam, the essence of the four, the quintes-sence, the One Who rules the seven planetary stars(Revelation 1:12) when He fully appears to man inHis true form. ❐

OCCULT INTERPRETATION OFCAIN AND ABEL

QUESTION: Is the Bible account of the slayingof Abel by Cain true, or is it just an allegory?

ANSWER: The story of Cain and Abel asrecorded in the Bible is allegorical. In the light ofoccult understanding Cain is a symbolical namerepresenting' that part of humanity who have thecreative instinct highly developed and who havetherefore become the craftsmen of the world.Accordingly, Cain represents those who are work-ing out their own salvation by mastery of theforces and material resources of nature. Cain alsorepresents those individuals who acquire con-scious knowledge of spiritual realities by means ofthe positive development of their own inner poten-tial spiritual powers.

Abel symbolizes that part of humanity who liveby faith, that is to say, those who acquire theirknowledge of spiritual realities from intuition andfrom the teachings of those highly advancedLeaders and Teachers who have charge of the var-ious phases of the evolution of mankind

The reference to Cain killing Abel also symbol-ically expresses the fact that the development ofmaterialism on the part of the human race hasgradually extinguished the spiritual perception ofthe invisible realms which primitive man pos-sessed in earlier ages before he had involved so faraway from the spirit world.

This inner spiritual perception is typified byAbel. A later product, namely, faith, symbolized bySeth, manifested itself after Abel was killed; thatis, the faith fostered by the orthodox church has formany ages taken the place of the inner spiritual,intuitive understanding possessed by the sons ofSeth. ❐

26 RAYS 99

IF ONE THINKS of confession and absolu-tion as practiced in the Catholic Church, itmay be stated that the priest, certainly, has nopower to forgive the sins of the penitent, andthe practice of confession by order of a

church is usually but an outward show of penitence,putting one in mind of the prayer of the Phariseewho went into the temple that he might be seen ofmen.

If, on the other hand, confession is made in thespirit of the publican, which is the spirit of true pen-itence, then there is a certain value, for as a littlechild who has committed a wrong feels conscience-smitten and sorry, so may we feel extremely peni-tent for our sins of omission and commission.

It is a fact often noticed by kind parents that pen-itence in silence is sometimes insufficient to thechild which feels the need of going to the parent andconfessing its sin. When the forgiveness of the par-ent has been obtained its conscience is at rest. Soalso with the child of God. We sin and we are sorryfor our sins; we determine not to commit this or thatwrong again but if we confess to someone in whomwe have faith, and get their sympathy and assurancethat this wrong will not be held against us, we shallfeel easier in conscience.

That was the principle underlying the commandof the Bible, “Confess your sins to one another.”The one to whom we confess will, of course, be aperson for whom we have a profound respect andlove, and he or she will stand toward us at thatmoment as the representative of God in our ownhigher nature, and we shall feel very much relievedat having received his sympathy. But we shall feelalso that the pact we have made with ourselves not

to commit the sin in question again has beenstrengthened by having him as a witness. If confes-sion is made thus, and absolution so obtained, thenit has undoubtedly a very beneficial effect.

The Value of Ritual

At the present time all humanity has evolved sofar that they are above law in some effects. Mostpeople obey the law “Thou shalt not steal,” forinstance.

Law is a curb on the desire nature, but whereoccult or rather spiritual advancement is contem-plated, the spiritualization of the vital body mustalso be accomplished. That is attained by means ofart and religion, in oft-repeated impacts, for thekeynote of the vital body is repetition, as we can seeby looking at the plants which have only a dense

RAYS 99 27

Miscellaneous

Interpretations—Part 2

Confession and Absolution

WESTERN WISDOM BIBLE STUDY

Created by Ariel Agemian exclusively for the Confraternity of the Precious Blood

Confession“I seek a pure heart, and there is the place of my rest.”—Is. 66:1

body and a vital body. There stem and leaf followeach other in upward succession; the plant keeps ongrowing them alternately. It was the vital body thatbuilt the vertebrae of the human spine one afteranother by constant repetition. And memory, forinstance, which is one of the faculties of the vitalbody, is strengthened and developed by constantiteration and reiteration.

When the Protestants left the Catholic Churchthey truly left many of the abuses behind, but theyalso left almost everything of value. They aban-doned the ritual which everyone may know andunderstand regardless of poor enunciation upon thepart of the preacher. Knowing the ritual, the laitycould send their thoughts in the same direction asthe thought of the priest who was reading, and thusan enormous volume of identical spiritual thoughtwas massed together and projected upon the com-munity for good or evil.

Nowadays the congregation in a Protestantchurch listens to the extemporaneous prayer or ser-mon of their minister, who usually does not think somuch of the spiritual work before him as he does ofhow he may turn out the most harmonious phrasesto tickle the ears of his congregation. They oftenforget what he has said before they leave the church.Those who go to a Catholic Church understandingthe ritual are still today able to unite their thoughtsin spiritual conclave and keep within memory thatwhich has been gone through. Thus they are everytime adding a little to the spiritualization of theirvital bodies, while the Protestant church membershave been affected only in their emotional natures,and that effect is soon thrown out. The Bible tells usto pray without ceasing, and many have scoffed say-ing that if God is omniscient, He knows whereof wehave need without our prayer, and if He is not, Hecan hardly be omnipotent. Therefore our prayers arenot granted, and it is useless to pray. But that com-mand was written from a knowledge of the nature ofthe vital body, which needs that repetition in orderthat it may be spiritualized.

As to the use of the Latin language, it is stated inthe first chapter of John that in the beginning wasthe word....and without it was nothing made thatwas made. Word is sound. If we take sand or plantspores and place them upon a brass or a glass plate,then take a violin bow and draw it across the edges,

we shall produce a sound. That sound will cause thespores or grains of sand to arrange themselves ingeometrical figures, similar to the crystals of whichall things are composed. Every sound produces adifferent formation. Thus, if a certain sound pro-duces a certain effect which we wish to produce, wecannot change the sound without also changing theeffect. If we emit a certain sound and say “Deum,”then translate Deum and say “God,” the sound isvery different, and as sound produces certain effectsupon our invisible bodies, the effects that were pro-duced by the original Latin ritual have been lost tothe Protestant churches which changed it intoEnglish or dropped it altogether.

“I came not to send peace but a sword.”

It is said that the “law and the prophets were untilChrist,” and there are four steps whereby man liftshimself to God. At first, when he awakens to a con-sciousness in the physical world and is in the savagestate, he finds himself surrounded by other menwho, by the very stress of circumstances, are forcedto fight for life. Men among whom “might is right.”Here he learns to rely upon his own strength to savehim from the onslaughts of wild animals and othermen. But he perceives around him the nature pow-ers, and of them he is afraid, for he knows their abil-ity to kill and his own impotence to cope with them.He therefore begins to worship, seeking to propiti-ate the God he fears, by bloody sacrifice.

Then comes the time when he begins to look toGod as the giver of things, who will reward himhere and now for obedience to His law and punishhim instantly for disobedience. This God is a mightyally against his (man’s) enemies but also a powerfulenemy, therefore He is much to be feared. Man thusworships and sacrifices animals through fear andavarice.

Then comes the stage when he is taught to wor-ship a God of Love and to sacrifice himself fromday to day, through his whole life, for a reward in afuture state which he is to believe in by faith andwhich is not even clearly outlined.

Finally man will reach a stage when he will rec-ognize his divinity and do right because it is right,without thought of fear or bribe.

The Jews had reached the second of these stagesand were under the law. The Christian religion is

28 RAYS 99

gradually working through the thirdstage, though not yet freed from the sec-ond. All of us are yet under laws made byGod and by man in order to curb ourdesire bodies by fear, but to advance usspiritually from now on we must sensi-tize our vital body, which is amenable tolove, while not at all cognizant of lawwhich governs the desire nature. Inorder to prepare this coming state, thepriests, who were more advanced thanthe ordinary people, kept separate andapart from them. We hear in the East thatonly a certain caste, the Brahmins, wereallowed to enter the temples and performthe temple services. Among the Jews,only the Levites were allowed to approach the holyplace, and among other nations it was the same. Thepriests were always a distinct class, who were notallowed to marry among the ordinary people. Thewere separate and apart in every respect.

That was because the leaders of humanity coulduse only the strain where there existed a certain lax-ity between the vital body and the dense body. Andso they bred these priests and herded them aroundthe temples, regulating their life in every respect.But at the time when Christ was liberated from thebody of Jesus and diffused His Being throughout thewhole Earth, the veil was rent, as a symbol of thefact that the need for any special condition hadpassed away. From that time on the ether has beenchanging in the Earth. An increasingly higher rate ofvibration allows for the expression of altruistic qual-ities. It was the starting of that enormous vibrationwhich caused the darkness said to have attended thecrucifixion. That was not darkness at all, but anintense light which blinded people for the timebeing until the vibrations slowed down by immer-sion in the dense, physical earth. A few hours laterthe radiant Christ Spirit had drawn into the Earthsufficiently to restore normal conditions. But gradu-ally the power from within is gaining the ascendan-cy, and the etheric vibrations are being accelerated,increasing altruism and spiritual growth. Thus theconditions are now such that no special or privi-leged class need exist, but each and every one mayaspire to enter the path of Initiation.

However, old conditions die hard. Under the

regime of Jehovah, the Spirit of the Moon, humani-ty had been broken up into nations, and in order thatHe might guide them it was necessary that Heshould at times use one nation to punish another, forhumanity was not then amenable to love—it wouldobey only under the lash of fear. Before the greatUniversal Brotherhood of Love can be inauguratedit is necessary to break up these nations on the sameprinciple that if we have a number of buildings com-posed of bricks and we wish to build them into onegrand structure, it is necessary first to break them topieces so that the individual bricks will be availablefor use in the larger building. Therefore, the Christsaid, “I came not to send peace, but a sword.”

We must outgrow patriotism and learn to say asthat great soul, Thomas Paine, “The world is mycountry, and to do good is my religion.” On the holynight when the Christ child was born, the Angelssang a song, “Peace On Earth and Good WillAmong Men.” Later the child grew up and said, “Icame not to send peace, but a sword,” and theChristian religion has been the bloodiest of all reli-gions of humanity. It has carried desolation and sor-row with it wherever it has gone. But out of all thetravail there will yet come the day when the song ofthe Angels will become a fact and the words of theChrist uttered at other times concerning love toone’s neighbor will be lived. When the sword hasdone its work it will be beaten into plowshares, andthere will be no more war, for there will be no morenations. ❐

—Max Heindel

RAYS 99 29

Watercolor, J. James Tissot (1836-1902), Brooklyn Museum of Art

The Centurion glorifies Christ Who irradiates blinding light.

DEAR FRIENDS, let me reiteratethat though we are now consideringthe effects of a certain planet, +,[Neptune], the method of judgementis identical for the other planets, and

that when we know how to combine the effects ofaspect, house, and intrinsic nature of one planet,we may readily apply the same system of combi-nation to the other planets. To convey in one wordall that is included in the sphere of influence of aplanet is difficult; but if you will meditate upon thekeywords given below, you will receive more illu-mination concerning the inherent nature of plane-tary vibrations than you can ever obtain by readingof other people’s ideas, for the divine spark whichis YOU, by this earnest striving after spiritualunderstanding, draws directly from the fountain-head of information—namely, the planetary Spiritof the particular heavenly body upon whose natureyou are meditating.

In order to impress upon the student’s mind howperfectly reasonable this idea is and to give a bet-ter understanding of the method whereby this innerillumination may be obtained, let us illustrate: In amachinery hall giant wheels are revolving; thefriction of the belts, humming of electric dynamos,etc., blend in a noise which is deafening and con-fusing to the inexperienced; a chaos of sound. Butto the trained ear of the engineer there is no chaos.He hears a variety of well ordered sounds, eachbringing to him intelligence regarding the condi-tion and work of the particular machine whence itemanates. Each variation from the standard sound

has its meaning, which the trained man compre-hends as readily as if the engine were endowedwith speech. Study of the internal construction ofeach machine has given him his knowledge and theability to act quickly in emergencies to avert immi-nent disaster before the uninitiated would haverealized that anything unusual was taking place.

Similarly, we are living in a world flooded withsound; the Harmony of the Spheres is about ourears though we hear it not, and each vibration car-ries with it certain intelligence. If our ears are deafwe are the losers, as are the blind who miss thebeauty of the flower, the glory of the sunset. But ifwe train ourselves to understand the heavenlysymphony recorded upon the page of the horo-scope we shall know things that must ever remainsecret from the unlearned, and thus we maybecome co-workers with God in a most intimatemanner.

After years of close study and meditation I usethe following keywords for the intrinsic nature ofthe planets:

0 LIFE Y FECUNDATION ^ ALTRUISM B REASON C ATTRACTION L OBSTRUCTION F DYNAMIC ENERGY+ DIVINITYK IDEATION

If you meditate on each planet by itself or withits opposite or with its affinities for a few days orweeks at the time you devote to this study, you willgain a wonderful insight into their natures andeffects; for instance: The 0 (Sun) is LIFE

30 RAYS 99

Neptune in the Horoscope

ASTROLOGY

The text for this article is excerpted from lessons 7-9 in theSenior Astrology Course. Readers may take this course after theyhave completed the 26 lessons of the Junior Astrology Course.

absolute, manifest or unmanifest; but F (Mars)represents the DYNAMIC ENERGYwhich is amanifestation of life. L (Saturn) seeks toOBSTRUCT, and when he succeeds death ensues.The Y (Moon) gives the germ of LIFE, C (Venus)furthers FECUNDATION, and thus a body is pro-duced. K (Jupiter) gives the germinal IDEA, B(Mercury) fecundates the mind so that ideas takedefinite form as THOUGHT, and the DYNAMICENERGYof F brings them into manifestation sothat thoughts become things.

“Love” is a much hackneyed word, and the emo-tion thus miscalled is usually so tainted with pas-sion and desire that it is Martian rather thanVenusian in character. Coalition suggests a mostintimate union, a blending of the very souls of twoor more people who compose a family; but altru-ism, the keyword of ̂ , hints at such an all-embracing love as our Savior felt when He weptover Jerusalem and applied that wonderful simileof the hen which gathers its brood under its wings.Thus ̂ is the octave of C, and anyone ready toenter the Path of Preparation which leads to theWay of Initiation must gradually learn to outgrowthe C love which makes the immediate family allin all and begin to cultivate the all-embracing ^altruism. The aspects of B and + to ^ bring thetests which further our development, if passed, anddelay us when we fail. The goal is high, and thosewho aim high often fall low. When we essay totranscend the C love and cultivate the ̂ altruismwe are in great danger, and the most promisinglives are sometimes wrecked by the pernicious the-ory of soul mates, clandestine love affairs, and per-version of the creative function.

In a horoscope such as we are considering,where the progressed MC (midheaven) squares +in the 12th house, Neptune at the same time oppos-ing ^ on the cusp of the 7th, we have one of themost dangerous combinations, for the aspect to +tends to attract spirit controls. These despicableentities have a knack of beguiling their unsuspect-ing victims, by plausible platitudes, into the mostabominable practices, as indicated by the aspectsof ^ and +. The double square to the MC, whichrules honor and social standing, would indicatethat a public scandal is inevitable—IF.

Yes, thank God there is always that “if,” for inthe final analysis there is the man with his Godlikefaculty of reason to be reckoned with. Experiencehas taught us the unwisdom of depending upon theappearance of an applicant for a position of trust ;we demand credentials as to character andantecedents. Ought we not to be much more care-ful with “spirit voices” from the Invisible? Paulexhorted his followers to “try the spirits.” They areknown by their fruits. Love, Joy, Peace,Forbearance, Kindness, Goodness, Fidelity,Meekness and Self-control are mentioned as“fruits of the godly spirit.” Paul exhorts his fol-lowers particularly not to use their liberty for “anoccasion of the flesh,” licentiousness being men-tioned as prime “fruit of the flesh.”

Paul was speaking to people upon the Path ofPreparation and all who have qualified to receivethese lessons are there also, though at varyingstages. They feel the Uranian vibrations urgingthem to love beyond the confines of the family cir-cle. May God bless their efforts.

But remember this: Altruism does not requirereturn of the love bestowed upon others; it hasabsolutely no concern with sex. It will not lessenthe love for our family, but they, being nearest tous, will feel the increase of our love to a greaterdegree than those farther away. Unless our lovebrings forth such fruits, it is not Uranian, nor even

RAYS 99 31

Venusian; it will not further us upon the Path ofAttainment. When + is on the Asc. in l (Pisces)or the 12th house, spirit voices are the tempters; inthe 9th house, one’s own mind; in the 7th an asso-ciate, etc.

“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in theTemple.”

Mercury is usually associated with reason andintelligence; to him is ascribed rule over the ner-vous system, which is the medium of transmissionbetween the embodied spirit and the world with-out. Thus, as Neptunesignifies the subhumanand superhuman intel-ligences who live andmove in the spiritualrealms of the universe,but who work with andupon us, so Mercuryindicates the humanintelligence focusedupon the terrestrial,physical world wherewe live from birth todeath. Therefore it may be said that Neptune is theoctave of Mercury. But there is a deeper sense thanthis.

Reference to a textbook of anatomy or physiolo-gy will show that lengthwise fissures in the spinalcord divide it into three parts which togetherenclose a hollow tube. Each of these columns isruled by one of the Hierarchies in closest touchwith us—the lunar, martial, and mercurial; one oranother predominating according to the stage ofevolution of the individual. In the spinal canal therays of Neptune kindle the spiritual fire wherebythe human spirit is enabled to pierce the veil offlesh and contact the worlds beyond. The resultingvision is colored according to the column of thecord most actively excited.

In the childhood days of mankind the creativeforce which is now turned outward to build ships,houses, railways, telephones, etc., was usedinwardly to build the organs of the body, and as thesurrounding physical world is photographed uponthe table of a camera obscura, so the spiritualworld was reflected in the spinal canal. There man

first beheld the lunar God, Jehovah, whose angelswere then his tutors. Later, angels who had fallenbehind the standard of their compeers and whoseevolutionary requirements were therefore differ-ent, forced entrance to the spinal cord of man.

The spiritual inner vision of mankind fadedwhen “their eyes were opened and they saw thatthey were naked.” Then they lost touch with thehigher self, they saw only the person, and thedocile creature of Jehovah was soon transformedinto a savage and a brute under the impulses of the

Luci fer spir i ts, theHierarchy of Mars. Butby their promptingsman learned to conquermaterial obstacles, tobuild outwardly andbecome architect of theworld.

To counteract theunmitigated selfishnessbred by the Martianangels and to make

mankind humane, ourElder Brothers from Mercury, human like our-selves, whose high state of evolution required thehigh vibration generated and prevailing in closeproximity to the sun, were required to invest thespinal cord of mankind also. Through their laborscivilization has taken on a different form. Mankindis again beginning to look inward, and when themercurial ray meets the ray of Neptune in thespinal canal, man finds again his higher self: theChrist is born within.

Thus you see the connection between the Moon,Mercury, and Neptune. Those who come in touchwith Neptune through the Moon become irrespon-sible mediums, victims of obsession, etc., butwhere Mercury is the gate, reason and understand-ing guide the aspiring spirit. An afflicted Mercurymay sometimes tempt seekers to enter by thewrong door, and mental trouble may result. Ifaware of the danger, however, continual care andpersistence usually unlock the door of the Temple,for the good forces are in ascendancy now andgrow stronger as time passes. ❐

—Max Heindel

32 RAYS 99

Mankind is again begin-ning to look inward, andwhen the mercurial ray

meets the ray of Neptunein the spinal canal, man

finds again his higher self:the Christ is born within

ANOTHER SOURCE of apparenterror in horoscope interpretation isthe meaning of experience. As men-tioned in the first article of this series(RaysJuly/August 1999) experiences

have different meanings to different people.Due to a subconscious pull from the past, when

we all participated in a group consciousness with-out any individuality, there is a tendency to want toconform to a peer group. This, in turn, gives a ten-dency to interpret experiences in terms of the com-mon values and to suppress differences which arisethrough the development of individuality. This ten-dency is further supported by pressure from othersto conform to a common belief because they areunsure of their own individuality . The tension thuscreated between the development of individualityand the pressure to conform often results in psy-chological confusion, neurosis, insecurity feelings,and fears and uncertainties about one’s own self.

The astrologer, having a key to the individualityin the horoscope, may sometimes touch upon sucha point of tension, where the individual indicationsare at odds with the values of the common group.This may then draw an objection. But now is thetime for the astrologer really to be helpful byassisting the person to understand his own self, asdistinct from a group consciousness. The morepeople understand their own selves and their ownpatterns of living, the more consciously and mean-ingfully they can contribute to society instead ofjust existing as a part of it, and the more fulfillmentthey can experience in their actions.

Here we see another side of the coin. It hasalready been said that a self-seeking attitude pre-

sents the danger of projecting one’s own valuesonto others. We now see another danger, that ofprojecting the values of group consciousness ontopeople who should be developing as individuals.Thus, again, the astrologer should be able to facehis own horoscope, so that in understanding hisown individuality he will be able to understandand appreciate the individuality of others.

All this conflict comes about as result of thetransition from a group consciousness to an indi-

RAYS 99 33

HoroscopeInterpretation

Part 2

ASTROLOGY

Painted by Augustus Knapp for The Secret Teaching of All Ages

The inception and evolution of religions is a response to andmanifestation of the precession of the equinoxes and the reg-nant constellation on the equator at the vernal equinox.Thus, the sequential influence of the four zodiacal signs ofTaurus, Aries, Pisces, and emerging Aquarius account for thereligions pictured above in their identifying imagery.

©T

he Philosophical R

esearch Society

vidual consciousness. It is the struggle betweenunconscious submission to the whole and con-scious co-operation with the whole. During thetransition period there is likely to be much confu-sion, selfishness, misunderstanding, and strifebecause of an unsettled and uncertain state ofaffairs. It is necessary for people first to establishtheir individuality, implying temporary separative-ness, before they can make an individual contribu-tion to the whole.

Thus, let us realize that, ultimately, each personwill become a law and an authority unto himself,and that each horoscope represents the pattern ofan emerging individual, which must be consideredrelative to itself.

It is generally recognized that the horoscopedoes not show a person’s free will. It is not so gen-erally recognized that there is another factor whichis not shown by the horoscope, and that is the levelof evolution that a person is on. That is to say, thedegree of emergence of the individual.

To take an example: let us assume a horoscopewith Sun conjunct Mercury in Gemini and the 3rdhouse, trine to Jupiter in Aquarius and the 11thhouse. Traditionally, we could consider that thisconfiguration basically indicates a sharp, inquisi-tive, philosophical mind that is quick on the uptakein mental pursuits, and that this person is a goodwriter and talker and probably at the top of hisclass in school.

Suppose we made such a delineation to an indi-vidual, and he replied that he was only getting C’sin school, and that although he liked to read, write,and think a lot, he just did not seem to be able todo as well as others. What would we say then?

We made our error when we compared him toothers by saying that he would be near the top ofhis class, when we had no justification for sodoing. A more creative interpretation would be asfollows: a sense of purpose is found along intellec-tual lines, and inner strength of character manifestsin light-hearted, inquisitive behavior. The mind isalso of an inquiring nature and seeks knowledgealong diverse lines, in cooperating with the innerstrength of character and sense of purpose. Theabove tendencies are applied to learning about andunderstanding everything the person contacts. The

knowledge thus gained is freely and cheerfullyimparted to others, and friends and acquaintancesgain thereby. Stimulation toward further mentaldevelopment comes through the encouragement ofacquaintances who are also somewhat intellectualin nature, though perhaps less inquisitive and morefixed in their ideas.

When our friend now complains about his aver-age showing in school it in no way affects thedelineation. There are people who are at the top oftheir classes in school who have very little of aninquisitive nature or cheerful attitude; they merelyfollow the book and conform to the notions of theday. Our friend may have a good, clear under-standing in many areas, but because he does notchoose to subscribe to the same way of thinking as“the usual,” he does not do as well according to thenorms established at the time by others.

Discussing points such as the above can domuch to reassure a person and help him understandhimself and his experiences in the proper light.

In summary, the main point is that each horo-scope must be interpreted relative to itself and beapplied accordingly to specific experiences.Experiences should be interpreted in the perspec-tive gained from the horoscope; the horoscopeshould not be interpreted relative to the experi-ences.

It occasionally happens that people are not readyto hear what the astrologer has to say. In this case,they may strenuously deny, object to, argue with,or in some way indicate discomfiture. If, aftercarefully reexamining the horoscope, the astrologerarrives at the same conclusions, it is wise merely tohave stated the matter and then let it drop.Something has been brought to the surface whichthe person cannot presently handle, but which hemay be able to deal with at some later time.

It should be made clear that a horoscope is neverinterpreted once and for all. The amount of infor-mation that can be gleaned from a horoscope atany particular time is limited by the astrologer’sknowledge and experience, and by the person’sability to relate and react to what is said. Furtherdevelopment of both persons will open the way fora more complete understanding of the horoscope.

Furthermore, the horoscope shows the pattern

34 RAYS 99

and tendencies a person has brought with him intothis life. Those schools of astrology which claimthat the horoscope shows what one is supposed tobe, or what one is supposed to develop into, are notonly misleading, but also deny the spiritual view-point. The spiritual viewpoint maintains that thehoroscope shows to a great extent the materialfrom which we build our lives, but how we use thismaterial is left to our own free will. The personwho ends up exactly as his horoscope portrays himhas wasted his life, because he has failed to devel-op anything beyond what he had brought overfrom the past.

The astrologer must take this into account andrealize that the person who takes the high road in lifewill tend to change the tendencies shown in his horo-scope, so that as he grows older he will be ruling hisstars, and his stars will no longer be ruling him.

A horoscope delineation should include both thepositive and negative points, imparted impartially.Too much one-sided emphasis on the positivesounds nice but does not alert the person to diffi -culties that lie ahead and thus help him to preparefor them. Therefore, such an approach is naive,deceptive, and really quite useless. On the otherhand, too much one-sided negative emphasis leadsto undue depression and pessimism, and gives nostrength or hope with which to overcome andtransmute the negative things. Admittedly, therecan be a very fine line of balance between thesetwo undesirables, and it is not always easy to knowwhen too much has been said, when not enough,and when just the right amount.

One final note is that the astrologer himselfshould calculate the horoscopes he intends to inter-pret as often as possible. Aside from the fact thatothers may make errors which pass completelyunnoticed, the astrologer can pick up some goodintuitive feelings about a chart in the process ofsetting it up. As he is calculating a chart, he is trac-ing out a symbolic pattern of a person’s life, and ifhe is at all sensitive, he will pick up some very def-inite insights relative thereto, which are not so eas-ily gained otherwise.

There are some very good computer serviceswhich do horoscope calculation and eliminatepractically all possibility of mathematical error.

Although these may be good for statisticalresearch purposes, to help the beginning astrologercheck his calculations, and other such matters,they should be avoided by the experiencedastrologer for most interpretive purposes.

Some astrologers will complain that doing theirown calculations takes too much time. But let usremember that we strive to understand a personthrough the horoscope and to help that personaccordingly, and the extra time spent in doing cal-culations is well worth it in accomplishing thatend. Our purpose is loving, self-forgetting service,not mass production of doubtful advice in order tomake money. It is far better to be able to help a fewpeople meaningfully than to dispense superficialinformation to many.

RAYS 99 35

Illumination on parchment. Codex Vindobonensis 2554 (French, ca. 1250), f.1 verso, in theÖsterreichische Nationalbibliothek.

God the GeometerGod as Creator marks off a portion of chaos and gives it pri-mordial form, the circumscribed area showing a strikingresemblance to the female womb bearing embryonic life, butas easily construed as nascent creation at any dimension—cosmic or molecular. Closer inspection of the image shows sunand stars surrounding a geocentric amorphous Earth.

The FormatThe most difficult problem for the aspiring

astrologer is how to go about interpreting a chart.Even when he has taken the necessary time andeffort to learn the meanings of the basic astrologi-cal factors and has gathered a good sampling ofhoroscopes from among his friends and acquain-tances, he is still almost always baffled when itcomes to organizing everything into a workablesystem of interpretation. He stares at a horoscope,and his mind promptly goes blank, refusing to givethe slightest hint as to what the thing might mean.

Several difficulties bar the way to learning horo-scope interpretation. Some of these have beentouched upon in foregoing comments. Not the leastdifficulty is the lack of a good, systematic approachto the horoscope. To be sure, there is no systemthat will answer equally well for all horoscopes,but there is a definite need for some type of formatwhich will help the student get a grasp on theinformation presented in the horoscope.

There are two general approaches to organizingthe information in a horoscope. The first is to takeeach particle of information presented and tie ittogether with every other by means of some for-mula or sequence. The second method is first to tryto grasp the main points in a horoscope as a whole,by means of certain patterns and planetary distrib-utions, and then move to consideration of each part.

The former method has traditionally enjoyed thegreater popularity, practically to the total exclusionof the latter, until relatively recent times. The lattermethod is now steadily gaining in popularity, how-ever, and, unfortunately, has a great deal of appealto the modern astrological mind.

That may seem a rather startling comment, butnevertheless, let us review the matter from a spiri-tual point of view: to move from the whole to theparts, as the second method does, is contrary to thetrend of evolution.On the other hand, to movefrom the parts to the whole, which the first methoddoes, is precisely in line with the evolutionaryimpulse and is therefore the method which thespiritually oriented astrologer should use.

Why should it make any great difference whichmethod the astrologer uses, as long as he getsresults? Because, as mentioned in the previous

article, horoscope interpretation can reach right tothe heart of a person and affect him accordingly.To do an interpretation that proceeds from thewhole to the parts impresses a person with a ten-dency that leads further into materialism, which isto say, away from a true spiritual understanding ofthings. An interpretation that proceeds from theparts to the whole helps to elevate a person’s con-sciousness to a higher level, because it is in linewith natural law.

At the commencement of man’s journey throughmatter, he was possessed of cosmic consciousnessand perceived the unity of all things; but he had noself-consciousness. Thus, in a manner of speaking,we could say that he possessed cosmic uncon-sciousness because he was not aware of his state;he merely existed in it. The purpose of man’s pil-grimage through matter is to make him self-con-scious, so that in regaining his cosmic state of con-sciousness, he can be a voluntary, creative partici-pant in it and be aware of his participation.

The part of man’s journey that leads from cos-mic to individual consciousness is termed involu-tion. During this period, man, the Virgin Spirit,acquired his three vehicles—the dense, vital, anddesire bodies—and the mind, and had his threefoldSpirit—Divine, Life, and Human—awakened.This is the part of the journey that led from thewhole to the parts and resulted in the full wakingconsciousness that we experience today. First, manwas a united whole; then he associated himself inturn with a race, tribe, clan, and family, and final-ly, he perceived himself as an individual.

The part of our journey which now lies before usis evolution, wherein the awakened Spirit worksthrough its vehicles to produce soul, which willnourish the individual consciousness into a self-conscious, creative consciousness.

As each man becomes more of an individual,there will be less selfishness, for selfishness comesabout when a person first realizes his individualitybut is unsure of what it is or how to handle it. Hefeels the preciousness of this acquisition which hehas worked so hard to attain through eons ofunconscious involution, and being afraid to lose it,he finds it necessary to assert his own self, regard-less of others. However, as a man who is sure of

36 RAYS 99

his own strength finds it unnecessary to be con-stantly testing it or showing it off in front of oth-ers, as a bully does, so the man who is sure of hisindividuality no longer finds it necessary to beselfish, self-centered, or self-assertive. Then, unitedin the bonds of Christlike love and friendship, manwill share a unity of purpose and interest, thoughthe diversity of talent, creativity, and method willmake possible a more glorious whole than couldever have been realized before. We shall know thejoy of sharing with each other as individuals,where each has something to give to the other.

Consider the manner in which we learn how toaccomplish things in the physical world: if wewish to learn how to be artists, we first learn thegeneral principles of light, color, proportion, paint-ing technique, etc. After this, more specific knowl-edge and technique are learned, until we feel con-fident to try doing serious art work on our own,taking the ideas we have learned and combiningthem in our own individual style, producing cre-

ative works of art. There are as many different styles in art as there

are individual artists, and certainly no one wouldadvocate that all artists should conform to onestyle. It is the diversity of style and technique andthe richness of variety in art that make it such anexcellent medium of expression. Each artist makeshis own particular contribution to the field of artthrough his works, from which other artists maylearn and profit according to their needs and incli-nations.

Thus, the heritage of art grows in proportion tothe development of individual artists, just as theheritage of the human race grows in proportion tothe development of individualized consciousness.It may seem that we have made a rather lengthydigression, but it was necessary that we thoroughlyunderstand these principles so that we can nowapply them to the problems of horoscope interpre-tation. (Continued) ❐

—Karl Kleinstick

RAYS 99 37

Astro-Diagnosis —A Guide to Healing

by Max Heindel and Augusta Foss Heindel

A treatise on medical astrology and the diagnosisof disease from the natal horoscope.

Astro-diagnosis is the science and art of obtaining scientificknowledge regarding disease and its causes and the means ofovercoming it as shown by the planets.

Ninth Edition. 446 pages. Indexed. Paper. Order on page 64. Published by The Rosicrucian Fellowship.

● A recognized classic in its field, this volume is essential to students of the stellar sciencewho are engaged in healing or nursing, whether they are attached to the orthodox med-ical school or to the nature-cure school.

● Based on thirty years of intensive research, study, and practical experience by theauthors. Special section: How the Rosicrucians Heal the Sick.

● Complete delineations of 94 example horoscopes from the authors’ files.

SUPREME BEING manifests in Histhreefold aspect as Power, the Word, andMotion—corresponding to the Will,Wisdom, and Activity of the God of oursolar system. The Trinity—perfect unity,

completeness, the triune God—is represented bythe astrological Trine. God, the creative Word,spoke or brought into being all the different worldswith their infinitude of forms, which were receivedand worked out in detail by the innumerable cre-ative Hierarchies emanated from Him. This creationis still going on. From activity, matter in motion —incompleteness—comes the astrological Square.

The nearest approach we have to a visible sym-bol of God is the Sun, orb of light and life. Hismessengers and assistants are the spiritualIntelligences in the planets, the fixed stars of theconstellations, and the zodiac. In the immensityand splendor of our solar system we may read theWord of God, guiding man as a God-in-the-mak-ing on his evolutionary path toward perfection;from impotence to omnipotence, from the VirginSpirit to a self-conscious, spiritual, creativeIntelligence.

The great Laws of Rebirth and Consequenceexplain in a most satisfactory and illuminatingmanner the reason and method of the spirit’s longpilgrimage through matter. This may be likened toa period of training in school. Life is a schoolwhose purpose, end, and aim is not to play but towork, to learn lessons, to gather experience, togain knowledge and wisdom that we may improveand advance to higher fields of endeavor. Our pre-sent life on earth may be compared to one term or

class in school. When we return from vacation—our stay in the heaven world—we start anewaccording to our previous record.

The horoscope, set up for the moment when wedraw our first breath, is our report card from thepreceding incarnation, with good or poor marks,our certificate of previous character, to improve ornot as we choose.

The four Recording Angels, represented in the

38 RAYS 99

Transmuting Squaresto Trines

ASTROLOGY

Jacob Böhme, Theosophische Wercke, Amsterdam, 1682, Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg

Earthly and Heavenly MysteriesThe “square” of the cross, the earthly world compounded of thefour elements signified by the superscription letters I.N.R.I.,describes the way in which the “squares” of incarnate expe-rience are transmuted into the “trine” of trinitarian Spirit.

chart as the angles, have set our poor marks asadverse aspects—squares and oppositions.Wherever in the map these are found we know thatsome weakness, some shortcoming, some previ-ous breaking of nature’s wise laws is indicated.The square shows inharmonious forces which,converging at right angles, will likely produce painand suffering. Through their influence we will beimpelled to take another turn, to retrace our steps,to correct our mistakes.

A square is one quarter of the 360 degree circle,or 90 degrees; the opposition is one-half, or 180degrees. Reduced to a numerological unit each is9, the number of the earth and man in the presentincomplete stage of evolution.

The trine is the three-pointed triangle of merit,denoting good qualities of character and goodopportunities earned. Whatever trines we have inour horoscope we have indeed worked hard for.Let us remember that the so-called good or badconfigurations are not the result of chance or luck;they are both the product of our own voluntary actsin the past. According to the immutable Law ofConsequence nothing can come to us that we havenot earned, any more than we can reap where wehave not sown. Neither, according to the same law,can we escape harvesting whatever we have plantedof good or ill. All our attempts at evasion willprove futile, though it may take many lives beforethe destiny is ripe.

As an inspired poet has expressed it:

We build our future thought by thought For good or ill, and know it not.Yet, so the universe is wrought. Thought is another name for fate; Choose, then, thy destiny, and wait, For love brings love, and hate brings hate.

There is no retaliation, no retribution; eternaljustice always. “Though the mills of the gods grindslowly, yet they grind exceeding small.” Whateverwrong or injustice we have committed must berighted; and the stars show accurately the timewhen the debt is due. The payment must be made;to evade it is beyond our power. But let us thor-oughly understand that though there is some fate

which cannot be escaped, we have a certain scopefor free will in modifying causes already set inmotion. Opportunities for good, for improvement,for self-control, for service will be placed before

us, one by one in orderly succession. How we, freeand independent spirits, will meet them cannot bedetermined beforehand. We may not even recog-nize them as opportunities. They may be gonebefore we are aware of their far-reaching possibil-ities. As the immortal Shakespeare says: “There isa tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at theflood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyageof their life is bound in shallows and in miseries.”

When we first begin the marvelously enlighten-ing study of the esoteric science of Astrology, wesometimes become discouraged and impatient.There appears to be so much, so vast a store ofknowledge, that our dwarfed intellects cannotgrasp it all. But it is steadfastness, patient persis-tence, with a rock-like determination to keep on,that finally will be rewarded; and then the key tothe heavens will be given us.

When this key, this astrological knowledge, isours, what shall we do with it? We might say: useit in the service of humanity. But what does thisreally mean? One may say: I have all I can do intaking care of my own affairs; how can I help oth-ers? Another says: my troubles simply overwhelmme. I am not well: everything goes wrong; themore 1 do, the more I try, the worse my condition

RAYS 99 39

How can a ball of mud andmineral in the sky affect mydestiny? asks the skeptic. It

doesn’t, says the Rosicrucian;but the indwelling PlanetarySpirit of that ball, that planet,

does have an effect upon you.The planetary arrangement

at birth is a photograph of your character and character is destiny .

becomes. Furthermore, I have studied my ownhoroscope, and I have too many squares, there isno hope for me!

To such a one we say, No hope? Yes, there ishope. Ponder your horoscope again. Go into thesilence of your own heart and begin to analyzeyourself. Make a firm resolve to change theunpleasant part of your disposition, to rid it of fear,doubt, and suspicion. Lift up your heart in prayer;the light within will begin to glow, and you willsee more clearly. Then begin a systematic, steadyprocess of eradicating the most glaring faults,those that jar upon others, causing friction andunhappiness in your surroundings.

But you may say, It is the others whose faultsand difficult tempers make my life so hard. Nevermind; remember that the Law of Causation drewthem to you. Attend strictly to yourself; do notattempt to change others until you have improvedyourself. By doing this, your conduct, your behav-ior, and the light that shines from you will reactupon them, and little by little the surchargedatmosphere of discord will clear, and you willbegin to understand one another better. By thusarranging your affairs, you will get the utmostgood out of your astrological squares, and make ofyour so-called unlucky horoscope a fruitful andblessed pattern of life.

Now finally you have arrived at the point where,through your astrological knowledge and personaldemonstration of its practical value in daily life,you can be of comfort and service to others whoare still struggling and groping for the light.Therefore use your Astrology for this purpose.The strongest force in the universe is love. It islove wedded to reason, intelligently directed facul-ties of mind, body, and spirit, which are to changethe world into another Garden of Eden. By thepower of imagination and the faculty of intuitionbuild for yourself ideals of peace, beauty, and har-mony, and pursue them with pure thoughts andclean living. Then energize these ideals with anintense feeling of compassion for all humanity—and behold, “The light shineth, and there is dark-ness no more”: the horoscopical squares are trans-muted and have now the power of trines! ❐

—Alfa Lindanger

40 RAYS 99

The MessageOf The StarsBy Max and Augusta Foss Heindel

AN ESOTERIC EXPOSITION OF

NATAL AND MEDICAL ASTROLOGY

EXPLAINS THE SCIENCE AND ARTOF READING THE HOROSCOPE

AND DIAGNOSING DISEASE

M NEW EDITION —NEW MATERIAL M

CORRELATES ASTROLOGY TO THE

WESTERNWISDOM TEACHINGS.

NATAL—PART I

Describes the nature and effects of signs and planets. Progressions. Prediction. Evolution asshown in the Zodiac.

MEDICAL—P ART II

Explains the method for the astro-diagnosis ofdisease. Pathogenic effects of the signs and planets. The ductless glands. Thirty-six example charts and delineations.

Addenda on Pluto and Planetary Hours

Please order on page 64.

Nineteenth Edition. First printing. 728 Pages. Extensivelyindexed. Paper. Published by The Rosicrucian Fellowship.

THERE ARE NO WORDS adequateto convey a conception of what thesoul feels when it stands in that pres-ence, far above this world (where theveil of flesh hides the living realities

under a mask) also, beyond the world of desire andillusion where fantastic and illusory shapes mis-lead us into believing that they are something verydifferent from what they are in reality. Only in theRegion of Concrete Thought, where the archetypesof all things unite in that grand celestial choir whichPythagoras spoke of as “the harmony of thespheres,” do we find truth revealed in all its beauty.

But the Spirit cannot stay there forever. Thistruth and reality—so ardently desired by everyonewho has been driven to enter the quest by aninward urge stronger than the ties of friendship,relationship, or any other consideration—is but ameans to an end. Truth must be brought down tothis realm of physical form in order that it may be ofreal value in the world’s work.Therefore Siegfried,the truth seeker, must of a necessity leave the rockof Brunhilde, return through the fire of illusion andre-enter the material world to be tempted and tried,to prove whether he will be true to the vows oflove which pass between himself and the re-awakened Valkuerie.

It is a hard battle that is before him. The world isnot ready for truth, and however vehemently itmay protest its desire in that direction, it schemesand plots, by all means within its great power, todown anyone who brings the truth to its doors; forthere are few institutions that can bear the dazzlingbrightness of its light.

Not even the gods can endure it, as Brunhildeknows to her sorrow, for was she not exiled byWotan, because she refused to use her power onthe side of convention? And anyone who stepsupon conventionalities, to uphold truth, will findthat the whole world is against him and that hemust stand alone. Wotan was her father and he pro-fessed to love her dearly. Yes, he did love her in hisway, but he loved the power symbolized by Valhalmore. The Ring of Creed, whereby he dominatedhumanity, was more desirable, in his eyes, thanBrunhilde, the spirit of truth; so he put her to

RAYS 99 41

The Ring of the NiebelungTHE BATTLE OF TRUTH AND ERROR

&REBIRTH AND THE LETHAL DRINK

SPIRITUAL SCIENCE AND ART

Watercolor, 1910, from Rackham’s Color Illustrations for Wagner’s Ring, Arthur Rackham

Brunhilde, Valkyrie daughter of Wotan, refused to use herpower to enforce convention because it opposed the truth.

Dover P

ublications

sleep behind the circle flame of illusion.If such be the attitude of the gods, what then

may be expected from men who do not professsuch high and noble deals as the gods, the keepersof religion, were supposed to inculcate into them?All this and more than we can put into words—much that it will do the student good to meditateupon—flashed upon the mind of Brunhilde in themoment of her parting from Siegfried, and, inorder to give him at least a chance in the battle oflife, she magnetizes, as it were, his whole body tomake him invulnerable. Every place in thus pro-tected save one point on the back between theshoulders. Here we have a case analogous to thatof Achilles, whose body was made invulnerable inall places save one of his heels.

There is a great significance in this fact; for aslong as the soldier of truth wears this armor, ofwhich Paul speaks, in the battle of life, and boldlyfaces his enemies, it is certain that, however hardhe is beset, eventuallyhe will win. Because, byfacing the world and baring his breast to the arrowsof antagonism, calumny, and slander, he showsthat he has the courage of his convictions, and apower higher than he, the power that is alwaysworking for good, protects him no matter howgreat the onslaught he faces. But woe be unto him,if at any time he turns his back! Then, when he isnot watching the onslaught of the enemies of truth,they will find the vulnerable spot, be it in the heelor between the shoulders.

Therefore, it behooves us and everyone else wholoves truth, to take a lesson from this wonderfulsymbology, and to realize our responsibility toalways love truth above everything. Friendship,relationship, and all other considerations shouldhave no weight with us compared with this onegreat work with truth and for truth. Christ, whowas the very embodiment of truth, said to Hisdisciples, “They have hated me, and they will hateyou.”

So let us not deceive ourselves: The path of prin-ciple is a rugged road, and strenuous is the labor ofclimbing. On the way we shall probably lose castewith everyone near and dear to us. Though theworld now professes to grant religious freedom,the day of persecution has not yet ended. Creed

and dogmatism are still in power, ready to prose-cute and persecute anyone who does not go alongthe conventional lines. But so long as we face themand pursue our path regardless of criticism, truthwill always come out unscathed from the battle. Itis only when we show ourselves to be cowards andcravens that these inimical forces can give us ourdeath blow through this vulnerable spot.

Another point: when Siegfried starts out fromthe rock of the Valkuerie to re-enter the world, hegives to Brunhilde the Ring of the Niebelung. ThisRing, as you remember, was formed from theRhinegold, representing the Universal Spirit, byAlberich the Niebelung. And we also rememberthat he could not shape this nugget until he had for-sworn love; for friendship and love ceased whenthe Universal Spirit was surrounded by the ring ofegoism.

From that time the battle of life has been waged

42 RAYS 99

Watercolor, 1910, from Rackham’s Color Illustrations for Wagner’s Ring, Arthur Rackham

Having “married” the Spirit of Truth (Brunhilde) in the Worldof Concrete Thought, Siegfried leaves without the ring of egoism,and resolves to fight for truth in the world of material illusion.

Dover P

ublications

in all its fierceness: every man’s hand beingagainst his brother because of his egoism, whichimpels each to seek his own, regardless of the wel-fare of others.

But when the Spirit has found truth and hascome in contact with the divine realities, when ithas entered the Region of Concrete Thought,which is heaven, and has seen that one great verity—that all things are oneand that though they mayseem separate here, there is an invisible threaduniting each with all, when the Spirit has thusregained universality and love, it cannot be sepa-rate any longer. So, when it leaves the realm oftruth, it leaves behind the feeling of separatenessand self, symbolized by the Ring. Thus it becomesuniversal in its nature. It knows neither kin norcountry, but feels like the much misunderstoodThomas Paine, when he said, “The world is mycountry; to do good is my religion.” This attitudeof mind is allegorically represented when Siegfriedgives to Brunhilde the Ring of the Niebelung.

As you will remember, the Valkueries weredaughters of Wotan, the chief god of the Norsemythology. They rode through the air on horses atgreat speed, to any place where deadly combat,whether between two or a greater number, was inprogress. As soon as a warrior fell dead they liftedhim tenderly to their saddles and carried him toValhal, the abode of the gods, where he was resus-citated and lived in bliss forever after. You remem-ber, also, that the name Valkuerie was interpretedas chosen by acclamation. Those who fought thebattle of life to the very end were chosen byacclamation to be the companions of the gods.

Brunhilde was chief of these daughters ofWotan, and her horse, Grane, was the swiftest ofsteeds. This animal, which had thus faithfully car-ried the spirit of truth, she gave to her husband; fortruth may ever be considered the bride of the onewho has found it. The horse, therefore, is symboli-cal of the swiftness and decision wherewith onewho has married truth is able to choose aright anddiscern truth from error—only, provided heremains faithful.

Thus with the love of truth in his heart, andmounted upon the steed of discernment, Siegfriedstarts out to fight the battle of truth and bring the

world captive to the feet of Brunhilde. Heaven andEarth hang in the balance, for he may revolution-ize the world if he is faithful and courageous; butif he forgets his mission and becomes enmeshed inthe sphere of illusion, the last hope of redeemingthe world is gone. The twilight of the gods is closeat hand,when the present order of things shall bedone away, when the heavens shall melt in thefiery heat so that out of the travail of Nature a NewHeaven and a New Earth may be born, wherein right-eousnessas a garment shall clothe all and everything.

Let us now turn our eyes from heaven, fromSiegfried and Brunhilde, to Earth, where theworld, which the truth is to set free, waits for thecoming hero. The northern myth introduces us tothe court of Gunther, a king honest and uprightaccording to the standards of the world. Gutrune,his sister, is the highest lady in the land, her broth-er being unmarried. Among the courtiers there isHagen, a name which means hook, signifyinginherent selfishness. He is scion of the Niebelungs,related to Alberich who formed the fatal Ring.

RAYS 99 43

Watercolor, 1910, from Rackham’s Color Illustrations for Wagner’s Ring, Arthur Rackham

The golden rope of the three Norns (Fates), representing the lawsof the old order, breaks. The old wisdom gives way to the new.

Dover P

ublications

Ever since the days when that passed out of theirpossession, the Niebelungs have kept close watchupon its possessors: first, Wotan, who trickedAlberich and robbed him of the Ring, then Fafnerand Fasolt, the giants who had built Valhal forWotan, and who forced him to give them the Ringin part payment to ransom Freya, the goddess oflove and youth, whom Wotan had prostituted andsold for the sake of power: then when Fafner slewFasolt, the Niebelungs watched closely the cavewhere Fafner lay concealed, brooding over thehoard of the Niebelung as a huge dragon. AndMime, the foster father of Siegfried, paid with hislife for scheming to obtain possession of the cov-eted treasure.

Nor was Siegfried safe from their vigilant watch,save when he was at the rock of the Valkuerie; forno Niebelung, nor one who is a cur or coward, canever penetrate beyond the circle flame of illusioninto the realm of truth. Therefore, the Niebelungsdo not know what has become of the Ring when

Siegfried emerges anew into the world; though, ofcourse, they surmise that it has been left withBrunhilde, and instantly commence plotting howto obtain it.

The court of Gunther lies directly in the path ofSiegfried, and Alberich speeds ahead and informsHagen that the last known possessor of the Ring iscoming. Together, they scheme how to find out itswhereabouts and obtain possession, but each in hisblack heart, also plots how to outwit the other andobtain the treasure for himself alone; for there is nohonor in the battle of the separate self; each isagainst all others regardless of who they are.Though in the world we find co-operation for acommon purpose, the question that is uppermost inthe mind of every one who participates is: Whatcan I get out of it I Unless this is plain and a per-sonal reward is in sight, the great majority ofmankind are unwilling to work. The apostle tellsus, “not to be concerned with the things for selfalone, but also, to be mindful of the things of oth-ers.” And we have given intellectual assent in theChristian countries, but, alas! how few are willingto live up to the ideal of unselfish service.

REBIRTH AND THE LETHAL DRINK

Birth is but a sleep and a forgetting.The soul that rises with us, our life’s star,Has elsewhere had its setting,And cometh from afar. —Wordsworth.

When Siegfried leaves the rock of the Valkuerieand reaches the worldly court of Gunther, he isgiven a drink calculated to make him forget allabout his past life and Brunhilde, the spirit of truth,whom he had won for his very own.

It is usually supposed that the doctrine of rebirthis taught only in the ancient religions of the Orient,but a study of the Scandinavian mythology willsoon rout that misconception. Indeed, they believedin both rebirth and the Law of Cause and Effect asapplied to moral conduct, until Christianity cloudedthese doctrines, for reasons given in theRosicrucianCosmo-Conception(p. 167). And it is curious toread of the confusion caused when the ancient reli-gion of Wotan was being superseded byChristianity. Men believed in rebirth in their hearts,but repudiated it outwardly, as the following story

44 RAYS 99

Bronze, early nineteenth century, Hermann Ernst Freund, Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen

OdinOdin is the Scandinavian counterpart of the Teutonic Wotan

told of Saint Olaf, King of Norway and one of theearliest and most zealous converts to Christianity,will show.

When Asta, the Queen of King Harold, was inlabor but could not bring to birth, a man came tothe court with some jewels, of which he gave thefollowing account: King Olaf Geirstad, who hadreigned in Norway many years before and was thedirect ancestor of Harold, had appeared to him in adream and directed him to openthe great earth-mound in whichhis body lay, and having severedit from the head with a sword, toconvey certain jewels, which hewould find in the coffin, to thequeen, whose pains would thencease. The jewels were taken intothe queen’s chamber, and soonafter she was delivered of a malechild, whom they named Olaf. Itwas generally believed that theSpirit of Olaf Geirstad had passedinto the body of the child, whowas named after him.

Many years after, when Olafhad become King of Norway, andhad embraced Christianity, herode one day, as he often did, bythe mound where his ancestor lay,and a courtier, who was with himat the time asked, “Is it true, my lord,that you once lay in this mound?”

“Never,” replied the king, “has my Spirit inhab-ited two bodies.”

“Yet, it has been reported that you have beenheard to say, on passing this mound, ‘Here was I.Here I lived.’”

“I have never so said,” returned the king, “andnever will I say so.”

He was much discomfited, and rode hastilyaway, presumably to avoid discussion of an inwardconviction which all the dogmas of the new faithcould not eradicate.

As a matter of fact, all ancient people, whetherin the East or in the West, knew much about birthand death which has been forgotten in moderntimes, because second sight was more prevalent

then. To this day, for instance, many peasants inNorway assert ability to see the Spirit passing oatof the body at death, as a long narrow white cloud,which is, of course, the vital body; and theRosicrucian teaching—that the deceased hoveraround their earthly abode for some time afterdeath, that they assume a luminous body and aresorely afflicted by the grief of dear ones—wascommon knowledge among the ancient North-

men. When the deceased KingHelge of Denmark materialized toassuagethe grief of his widow,and she exclaimed in anguish“The dew of death has bathed hiswarrior body,” he answered:

‘Tis thou, Sigruna, Art cause alone, That Helge is bathed With dew of sorrow. Thou wilt not cease thy grief, Nor dry the bitter tears.Each bloody tear Falls on my breast, Icy cold. They will not let me rest.

Students, when they realize thefact of rebirth, generally wonderwhy the memory of past lives isblotted out, and many are filledwith an almost overpowering

desire to know the past. They cannotunderstand the benefit derived from

the lethal drink of forgetfulness, and they look withenvy at people who claim to know their past lives—when they claim to have been kings, queens,philosophers, priests, et cetera.

There is, however, a most beneficent purpose inthis forgetfulness, for no experience is of value inlife except for the impress which it leaves by thepurgatorial or heavenly postmortem experience.This impress then acts in such a manner that at theproper time it directs, warns, or urges a certain lineof action, and this warning, or urge, though dissoci-ated from the experience, or rather for the reasonthat it is dissociated from the experience wherefromit was extracted, acts with a quickness greater thanthat of thought. (Continued) ❐

RAYS 99 45

© D

oug Houghton

St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney

St. Olaf of Norway

AHEALTHY DOSE of Christian dis-belief or “holy skepticism” wouldserve as a much-needed antidote tothe soft-core spirituality that sapsmuch of contemporary Christianity,

especially in its evangelical expression. An anti-doctrinal sentimentality often rules the worship andthe art of our churches, where self-serving emotionsare exalted over true mystery. The church of ourtime needs a theology that repudiates all saccharinsubstitutes for the hard thinking that Christian faithrequires.

As in so many other matters, Flannery O’Connorforesaw our reduction of transcendent faith to senti-mental subjectivity. She likened it to the scientificprocess whereby the wings can be bred off chickensto produce more succulent white meat. O’Connorsaid that it is possible to breed the moral and theo-logical sense out of people in a similar way. Shedescribed our current generation as a brood of wing-less chickens. This is what Nietzsche meant, sheexplained, when he declared God dead. It alsomeans that nihilism is the atmosphere of our age, thegas that we all breathe, whether inside or outside theChurch. The Church has made Christianity nearlyindistinguishable from the coziness of a warm blan-ket and the kindliness of a golden heart. With typi-cal starchiness, O’Connor added that “a golden

heart would be a positive interference for the writ-ing of fiction.”

What sustains both faith and fiction against suchincipient nihilism is Christian disbelief. O’Connorexplained the need for religious skepticism in a let-ter to an Emory University freshman named AlfredCorn, later to become a distinguished poet andanthologist. This shy student had written in 1955 tosay that he was vexed by the intellectual doubts hisprofessors had created. Their questions had put hisfaith in terrible jeopardy, and he asked O’Connorwhat he should do. To believe in God, she replied, isnot to avoid such doubts and difficulties but toundergo a lifelong combat with them. Faith isindeed a gift, she added, but it is a gift that must be

46 RAYS 99

In Defense of Disbelief

RELIGION AND THE PUBLIC REALM

An earlier version of this essay was delivered by Ralph E.Wood at the Calvin College Festival of Faith and Writing,April 3-4, 1998, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Appearing inthe October 1998 issue of First Things, it is reprinted herewith permission. First Things is published by Religion andPublic Life, an interreligious, nonpartisan research and edu-cation institute whose purpose is to advance a religiouslyinformed public philosophy for the ordering of society.

Created by Ariel Agemian exclusively for the Confraternity of the Precious Blood

“Grant, O Lord, Thy help to me who am entangled in trou-ble, for vain is the help of man.”—Thomas à Kempis

constantly cultivated and enlarged. Faith grows anddeepens through concrete acts of charity, sheexplained. These deeds are prompted, in turn, by adiscernment of the divine image in other persons.Only sacred sight can perceive their true worth.Such holy seeing is invigorated by imaginativemore than abstract thinking. O’Connor concludesher letter with splendidly keen counsel:

Even in the life of a Christian, faith rises andfalls like the tides of an invisible sea. [Faith isstill] there, even when [you] can’t see it orfeel it, if [you want] it to be there. You realize,I think, that [faith] is more valuable, moremysterious, altogether more immense thananything you can learn or decide upon in col-lege. Learn what you can, but cultivateChristian skepticism. It will keep you free—not free to do anything you please, but free tobe formed by something larger than your ownintellect or the intellects of those around you.

O’Connor believed that Christian dogma is whatforms the Christian imagination into somethinglarger than our own intelligence or the intelligenceof those around us. Knowing that the word “dogma”is a pejorative term for most Americans, O’Connorboldly capitalized it, confessing in the upper casethat “My stories have been watered and fed byDogma.” She rejected the popular view that dogmadivides while ethics unite and that, since the practi-cal and the useful are what truly matter, we can dis-pense with dogma. So long as everyone loves Jesus,according to the prevailing sentimentalism, doctri-nal claims can be shelved. O’Connor believed, onthe contrary, that dogma must be central rather thanperipheral. It is the distilled essence of God’s self-identification in Israel and Christ, and thus the truemeans for understanding both ourselves and theworld. “Dogma is an instrument for penetratingreality,” she declared. It “is about the only thing leftin the world that surely guards and respects mys-tery.”

For Flannery O’Connor, “mystery” is not synony-mous with “puzzle” and “riddle”—for those conun-drums that balk the mind and stifle all understand-ing. Nor is mystery another name for a spiritualityso vague that it cannot distinguish between John of

the Cross and Max Lucado. “To St. Paul and theearly Christian thinkers,” wrote ClaudeTresmontant, one of O’Connor’s favorite biblicalscholars, “[mystery] was on the contrary the partic-ular object of intelligence, its fullest nourishment.The musterion[a Greek word that can also be trans-lated sacrament] is something so rich in intelligiblecontent, so inexhaustibly full of delectation for themind that no contemplation [of it] can ever reach itsend.”

Such delectations of mind and imagination alsorequire Christians to make unmistakable declara-tions about what we do not believe. We cannotavoid the fact that Christian faith is inherentlypolemical. Every doctrinal claim implies its coun-terclaim, every affirmation its negation. Karl Barthlearned this lesson in his encounter with the Nazis,who pronounced his writings illegal and who bannedhim from teaching in German universities. Inresponse to the Nazi evils, Barth led the ConfessingChurch to develop the Barmen Declaration, a docu-ment wherein every credimus[we believe] is fol-lowed by its corollary damnamus[we reject]. Thefirst article, for example, declares that “Jesus Christ,as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the oneWord of God which we have to hear and which wehave to trust and obey in life and in death.” Lest theDeutsche Christenof the Nazi church (or anyoneelse) mistake what this means, a clear reference toder Führer follows: “We reject the false doctrine[that] the Church could and would have to acknowl-edge as a source of its proclamation, apart from andbesides this one Word of God, still other events,powers, figures, and truths as God’s revelation.”

Perhaps we need a new Barmen Declaration forChristian faith and writing in our time, a theologicalmanifesto setting forth the things we do not and willnot believe, precisely because we believe in JesusChrist. The theologian Christopher Morse hasdeveloped such a theology for the Church amidst itscurrent status confessionis. In Not Every Spirit: ADogmatics of Christian Disbelief(1994), Morseargues that faithful skepticism is a biblical no lessthan an ecclesial imperative. Already in the NewTestament it is made evident. “Beloved, do notbelieve every spirit,” we read in 1 John 4: 1, “buttest the spirits to see whether they are of God; formany false prophets have gone out into the world.”

RAYS 99 47

The Gospel of Mark shares this same disdain foruntrue claimants to the Truth: “And then if anyonesays, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’or ‘Look, there heis!’ do not believe it. False Christs and falseprophets will arise and show signs and wonders, tolead astray, if possible, the elect” (13:21- 22). Ifeven an angel from heaven should preach a falsegospel, says St. Paul, “let him be accursed”(Galatians 1:9).

These unspecified deceiving spirits and falseprophets and fake Christs are to be broadly under-stood, Morse states, as anyone or anything makingwrongful claims to our attention and allegiance.Christians are called to name these Antichrists andto refuse them our fealty—even as we are alsorequired to disbelieve those dogmas that have ossi-fied into lifeless propositions. Yet Christian disbe-lief does not mean a principled doubting of every-thing. Such radical skepticism soon slides into acynicism altogether as sentimental and self-servingas the easy optimism it rejects. Christian disbelief is,instead, a positive testing of what is true and falseby a single criterion: “By this you know the Spirit ofGod: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christhas come in the flesh is of God, and every spiritwhich does not confess Jesus is not of God” (I John4:2-3).

There are many so-called Christian “spirits” nowat work in our churches which deny that “JesusChrist has come in the flesh.” These gnostic and dis-carnate forms of Christianity are especially evidentin the sappiness of what passes as contemporaryChristian culture. This is not to say that sentimentalpiety always produces flaccid faith. There are manystaunch witnesses to the gospel who are sustainedby art more saccharin than sacred, and by worshipmore superficial than substantial. Such devout soulslive out their Christianity in ways that transcend thelimits of their piety, even as many of us academics[Wood is a Professor at Baylor University—Ed.]must be saved in spite of our better taste and moreorthodox theology. Yet the spiritual outrages beingcommitted in the name of Christ cannot be dis-missed as mere passing fads. They have come virtu-ally to dominate the evangelical Protestant world.

Consider the following examples from a so-calledChristian Book Fair. A T-shirt company calledLiving Epistles advertised a sweatshirt labeled “The

Lord’s Gym.” It featured not ArnoldSchwarzenegger but Jesus Christ as the pumped-up,steroid-loaded body builder. He is pressing himselfup on a pile of rocks, blood gushing from his crownof thorns, with an enormous cross on his back thatreads “The Sins of the World.” The caption beneathdares us to “Bench Press This!” On the other side ofthe shirt, Jesus’palm is pierced with a railroad spikeand covered in blood. Inscribed beneath are thewords “His Pain, Your Gain.” Other T-shirts shoutsuch slogans as “Salvation Is Not for Wimps,”“Jesus Loved You So Much it Hurt!”, “His Blood’sfor You,” and “God Made Grandmas So Kids CouldFeel His Hugs.” Bumper stickers declare that “RealMen Love Jesus” and “My Boss Is a JewishCarpenter.” A key-chain featuring a soccer ball con-tains the slogan “Jesus Is My Goal.”

Such spiritual pap can be made to fill even book-sized containers. Consider, for example, one of thefair’s prize-winning titles: Lord, I Haven’t Talked toYou Since the Last Crisis. Another much-toutedwork, Jesus Christ, CEO, describes our Lord as anexecutive who turned twelve ordinary men intomanagers of the most successful company the worldhas ever known. A fresh infusion of Christianskep-ticism would disdain such books, even as it wouldhelp deliver publishers from the temptation to getrich by manufacturing toilet tissue with the words“Get Thee Behind Me, Satan” printed on every sheet.

There are many other examples of Christian

48 RAYS 99

Self-Inquiry

Let no soft slumber close mine eyes

Ere I have recollected thrice

The train of actions through each day;

Where have my feet worked out their way?

What have I learned where’er I’ve been,

From all I’ve heard, from all I’ve seen?

What know I more that’s worth the knowing?

What have I done that’s worth the doing?

What have I sought that I should shun?

What duties have I left undone?

These self-inquiries are the road

That leads to Virtue and to God.

—Pythagoras

kitsch. At an Easter service held in a South CarolinaBaptist church, puppets popped up from behind ascreen and wagged their muppety heads whilesinging “I Found My Thrill on Calvary Hill” to theold Fats Domino tune. Twenty miles south ofNashville, a Christian entrepreneur named CharlesBudell has set up a miniature golf course in whichwindmills and water-hazards have been replaced bybiblical obstacles. There Christian golfers can teeoff at the Garden of Eden, get past the Devil, andend up in Heaven. Along the way, one putts intoNoah’s Ark, drops onto Mt. Sinai, and visits thetomb of Christ. On the seventeenth hole, the balldisappears into a shaft with Satan’s picture on it,

only to emerge beneath a red cross. “See,” saysBudell, “you beat the Devil.” Angels are seated nearthe seventeenth hole, where the ball sinks into anopening with the word RAPTURE emblazonedabove it.

0ne might argue that such gross parodies of thegospel are too silly to be dignified with criticism.The atrocious sacrileges of so-called Christian cul-ture would be laughable indeed were their effectsnot so deadly. T S. Eliot once observed that ourunconscious habits, especially our leisure lives,serve to shape our souls and form our imaginationsfar more decisively than all our deliberate efforts toacquire high culture. Neil Postman’s argument

RAYS 99 49

Engraving, 1559, Peter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525-1569), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Faith (Fides)A trenchant observer of human nature, Bruegel created The World of the Seven Virtues, Plus Onein seven engravings. Above,the allegorical figure of Faith stands on the lid of the empty tomb amidst many objects of the Gospel story of Christ’s cruci-fixion. While various Church sacraments are being administered (Baptism, Eucharist, Confession, Holy Matrimony) the laityis represented as largely indifferent or self-absorbed. The space containing the holy relics is otherwise empty and ignored, sharpcommentary on the negative state of enlightened Christian piety, a state also indicated by the crack in the column above the cross.

Dover P

ublications, Inc.

about America at large is even more alarmingly trueof our evangelical churches: we are amusing our-selves to death. The Christian culture critic KenMyers, editor of Mars Hill Tapes, rightly describespopular Christianity as being “of the world, but notin the world.” It espouses a worldly gospel of hap-piness and success that offers no serious engagementwith the deepest needs and desires of the world.

This sub-Christian religion devoted not to theFatherhood but the Daddyhood of God—a friend ofmine calls it Kiddyanity—can be seen most vigor-ously at work in contemporary worship. There is nodoubt that its emotional fervor serves to indict theLaodicean lifelessness of much traditional worship.Seeker services aim at introducing the unchurchedmasses of our post-Christian culture to the rudi-ments of the faith, teaching them the elementarytruths of the gospel in ways that liturgical worshipand doctrinal preaching might not. Yet I wonderwhether childlike beginners in a dumbed-down,user-friendly Christianity will ever grow up—whether such seekers will ever become finders andkeepers of the faith once delivered to the saints. It ismore likely, I fear, that they will subject themselvesto apostolic wrath. St. Paul warns againsta permanentinfancy in faith. He pronounces fierce judgment onthe Corinthians who remain milk-drinking believ-ers, never learning to eat the rich meat and to quaffthe good wine of the gospel.

This new ease in Zion, this friendly familiaritywith the Lord God of the cosmos, can be discernedin old-fashioned liberal no less than new-fangledevangelical churches. Edward Farley has recentlydeclared that the relevance-driven worship prac-ticed in oldline liberal congregations prompts onenot to exclaim “holy, holy, holy” but “nice, nice,nice.” In his book A Far Glory, Peter Berger arguesthat we are witnessing “the triumph of triviality”even in traditional churches. With the anger of anAmos, Berger laments the frontal hugs that wouldbring sexual harassment charges in other settings,the vigorous applause that follows the choir or thesoloist’s performance (as if the true audience werenot God but the congregation), the raucous laughterthat the preacher’s well-rehearsed one-liners evoke.“Sermons [in such churches] are politicalharangues,” Berger complains, “and ‘prayers’therecital of political platforms.” Hence Berger’s bitter

litany of liturgical offenses.

One could go on: To the embarrassed hand-shakes mislabeled “the kiss of peace.” To thepreacher mounting the pulpit in full sacerdo-tal regalia, only to begin his sermon with ahearty “good morning.” To the dedicatedremoval of every vestige of poetic beautyfrom the language of the liturgy...into proseresembling that of a mail-order catalogue. Ithink that what all these changes add up to isthe statement that nothing extraordinary isgoing on, that what is happening is a gather-ing of ordinary people enjoying the experi-ence of community.

Such loss of awe and mystery, such commodifi-cation of God into the service of our own needs,flattens the imagination of wonder and otherness. IfGod is only a kinder and gentler version of our-selves, there is nothing ultimate to inspire our wor-ship or command our service. No wonder thatFlannery O’Connor likened sentimentality in reli-gion to pornography in art: they both cultivateimmediate sensate experience for its own sake. In asimilar way the poet and mystical writer KathleenNorris protests the removal of the fierce psalms oflament and imprecation from contemporary lec-tionaries. These cursing psalms remind us, saysNorris, that wickedness cannot be conquered bymere niceness. Without anger, she adds, even thepraise of God dissolves into a “dreadful cheer,” asmiling blindness to the world’s woe, a gleaming-gummed oblivion to what Luther called the bruisedhuman conscience.

Leander Keck complains in a similar vein that ourchurches have replaced “the theocentric praise ofGod” with an “anthropocentric utilitarianism.” Thisinversion serves to tame and domesticate the livingLord of Scripture by ridding him of his jealousy andwrath. God is “reduced to the Great Enabler [who]has little to do except [to] warrant our causes andhelp us fulfill our aspirations.” Hence Keck’s bale-ful assessment of contemporary Christianity: “Theopening line of the Westminster Confession is nowreversed, for now the chief end of God is to glorifyus and to be useful to us indefinitely.”

Perhaps the subtlest manifestation of sentimental-ity is to be found in the triumph of the word “spiri-

50 RAYS 99

tuality” in Christian dis-course. At its best, thisnew concern with thespiritual life reflects alaudable desire to makeChristian faith a matter ofthe heart no less than thehead, a discipline ofdevotional practicesrather than a repetition ofdoctrinal propositions.Though he prefers theolder word “piety”—withits deep rootage inRoman history andCalvinist theology—J. I.Packer offers a succinctpositive definition ofChristian spirituality as an“enquiry into the wholeChristian enterprise ofpursuing, achieving, andcultivating communionwith God, which includes both public worship andprivate devotion, and the results of these in actualChristian life.”

If at its noblest the spirituality movement servesto revitalize Christian devotion, why substitute aname so gaseous and gossamer that it means nearlyeverything and therefore hardly anything? Are thepractitioners of spirituality to be regarded as spiritu-alists, and thus as adepts in spiritualism? Willseances and necromancy soon follow? We entangleourselves in such questions whenever we seek toavoid the offense of the gospel, its scandalous par-ticularity and finality, its thorny refusal to be madeone faith among others.

With uncanny prescience, C. S. Lewis anticipatedour current obsession with spirituality. In his spacenovel of 1944 called Perelandra, Lewis depicts hisdemonic scientist Weston as an advocate of animmanentist life-worship that has remarkable paral-lels to contemporary spirituality. Weston has con-tempt for the notion of a transcendent God who cre-ates and judges and redeems the world. He will havenothing to do with the incarnate Lord who requiresthat we worship him rather than his creation, whocommands that we live not for this world alone but

for the Life beyond life.Weston’s anti-theisticphilosophy proves pre-dictably anti-humanistic,as the denial of Godissues in hatred ofhumanity. Weston wor-ships not God but theunsupervised and imper-sonal life process. Hescorns “mere” humanityin the name of a vitalismas vacuous in its rhetoricas it is vicious in itsethics:

The majestic spectacleof this blind, inarticu-late purposivenessthrusting its wayupward and everupward in an endlessunity of differentiated

achievements towards an ever-increasing com-plexity of organization, towards spontaneityand spirituality, swept away all my old con-ception of a duty to Man as such. Man in him-self is nothing. The forward movement ofLife—the growing spirituality —is every-thing....To spread spirituality, not to spread thehuman race, is henceforth my mission.(Emphasis added.)

Our rampant desire to reduce knotty particulari-ties to spongy generalities has led a cynical friend toconfess that he grabs first for his wife and then forhis wallet when he hears this gnostic word “spiritu-ality.” William Temple spoke similar wisdom whenhe declared Christianity to be the world’s mostmaterialistic religion. Redemption is an outwardand public and visible thing wrought by the flesh-assuming, world- inhabiting God. The objectivework of Jesus Christ is the center of the Christianlife, upon which all subjective conversions arebased, themselves enabled by God’s own gift offaith. Our “decisions for Christ” announce that ourfaith is indeed intentional; it is uniquely ours, notjust the product of our parents or the community

RAYS 99 51

Detail, 1880, Gemaldegalerie, Staatliche Kunstammlungen, Dresden

The Cross in the Mountains

that nurtured us. Yet even the deepest personalencounter with God can never becommensuratewith the gift of salvation itself. An evangelicalreporter is said to have asked Karl Barth, when hewas visiting this country in 1962, whether he hadever been saved. “Yes,” Barth is rumored to havereplied. “Then tell us about your salvation experi-ence,” the reporter eagerly requested. “It happenedin A.D. 34, when Jesus was crucified and God raisedhim from the dead.”

Those who have turned the WWJD acronym intoa fashion item—donning decorative wear that asksWhat Would Jesus Do?—ignore this fundamentaldistinction between Christ’s objective work and oursubjective appropriation of it. As the Son of Godslain for the sins of the world, Jesus has a life qual-itatively different from ours. To ask what Jesuswould do is to assume that we are his qualitativeequal. The theologian Diogenes Allen puts the mat-ter exactly the other way around. He starklyobserves that, in a certain sense, Christ does notneed us: “Jesus is Lord because of who he is, notbecause he has followers.... He is Lord because he is

the Son of God. It isn’t because of us that heis the Son of God.” A more faithful questionneeds to be asked, even if it cannot bereduced to an acronym: “What does JesusChrist, because of his unique life and deathand resurrection, uniquely enable his disci-ples to do?” The difficult answer is that heis the only Savior who, having accom-plished their redemption, enables his fol-lowers to do works even greater than hisown (John 14:12). Like the Baptizer inGrunewald’s Isenheim Altar-piece—thelong-fingered prophet who points awayfrom himself to the crucified God—we canmake witness, in both word and deed, to thesalvation that we ourselves could not possi-bly have accomplished.

The recrudescent nineteenth-century the-ology of Christian subjectivism finds its lit-erary equivalent in the current Christianchic of salvation through autobiographyalone. Thus the current rage for tellingone’s own story as if it were God’s story—when, by contrast, we are called to conformour fallen and false stories to God’s one true

Story. An important Christian writer recentlydeclared, when asked about the sources of her art,that she writes entirely out of her own experience—her family, her friends, her church. Another avowed-ly Christianauthor confesses that doctrine no longermatters to her. She finds her audience in the manyChristians who gather to praise Jesus without squab-bling over their beliefs. Surely this is to forget thatthe gospel liberates us from subjective emotional-ism, giving us new lenses for perceiving both our-selves and our world, delivering us into the greatunexplored realm of the Not Merely Me. Luther inhis 1535 lectures on Galatians declared that thegospel of God “snatches us away from ourselves, sothat we do not depend on our own strength, con-science, experience, person, or works, but dependon that which is outside ourselves, that is, on thepromise and truth of God, which cannot deceive.”Christian art consists not in the transmission ofoften deceptive autobiographical experience intofictional guise, but rather its radical transfigurationinto the one undeceiving form: the form of the Crossand Resurrection.... ❐

52 RAYS 99

Oil on wood, from the Isenheim Altar, c. 1512-16, Matthias Grünewald, Musée d’Unterlinden, Colmar, France

The Crucifixion“Like the Baptizer in Grünewald’s Isenheim Altar-piece—the long-fin-gered prophet who points away from himself to the crucified God—wecan make witness, in both word and deed, to the salvation that we our-selves could not possibly have accomplished.”

ON APRIL 20, 1999, two senior studentswalked through their Littleton, Coloradohigh school parking lot and then into theschool building throwing bombs andshooting to kill as they advanced. Over a

three-hour span they murdered 13 and wounded 23before killing themselves.

Bad dream? Definitely. But worse, it actually hap-pened. Some students initially had doubts. Was it real?Maybe the gunfire was part of a prank. Even whenblood began to flow...well, a really well-devised hoaxcould simulate eruptions of fake blood. But any ves-tiges of lingering doubt were quickly dispelled. Thiswas real—real meaning: It is happening in the space Ishare with the people firing weapons and the peopleshedding blood and I’m in danger for my very life.

Dreams and reality—there is a fine line between thetwo. A real dream is one where we experience inner“events” as if they were real. How do we know theevents are fictive. We don’t—until we wake from themand enter another world, the world of our physicalsenses. But the dream world images may persist andimpress us with their power, their vivid facticity—evenif they be unseen in the physical world, purely interior.

Students of Western Wisdom Teachings mightdescribe dreams as lower desire world “events” depict-ing scenes in which the dreamer’s own desire impulsesare “acted out,” or where his soul is drawn to witnessbeings and situations he is too weak to reject or leave.

The point is that dreams can influence outwardactions—as in the case of the materialized celluloiddreams (fantasies?) we call movies, and the individual-ly packaged dreams we call videos. One of the twoteenagers had customized a version of a bloody shoot-’em-up video game called Doom, in which two shoot-ers with extra weapons and unlimited ammunitionencounter people who can’t fight back. A kind of dressrehearsal for the actual event.

As an investigator associated with the Simon

Weisenthal Center described it, “they were playing outtheir game in the God mode” (Time, May 10, 1999).Not the Christian God. One can do this in the electron-ic landscape of virtual reality—“virtual” as in“almost.” Yes, video games have consequences, butnot real consequences. Not, at least, in the games them-selves. That’s why they are called games. But they dohave consequences for life—grave consequences,whose emergence and discernable effect is but a ques-tion of time and degree. Can a viewer of video violencekeep his own violence (directed towards actualization)under wraps? Usually he can, he supposes. Unless hedoesn’t want to. Unless he is using the medium as astaging area for the real thing, perhaps not even know-ing he is headed toward that dimension where blood iswarm and wet and bullet maim and kill.

How many images of apparently effectless violencedoes it take to impel a mind, a “disturbed” mind, to“cross over” into the domain of hard facts and play animpromptu video (video as in I see), self-produced,self-directed, and writ large, where personal responsi-bility is blunted, human compassion and ethical aware-ness are absent, and dire consequences are hidden?

What is to be learned from this senseless massacre?That thoughts and feelings are things. That before gunsand bombs kill, video images of killing can kill, andbefore these audio-enhanced images can exert theirinfluence, thoughts and feelings must be of like nature;in fact, can and do pivot toward material reality asvideo images, and then as incarnate acts in the commonspace we call planet Earth—say in Littleton, Colorado.

How do we prevent real “acting out”? As parents andfriends, even as children, we teach and live right feel-ing and right thinking. We teach the love that absorbshurt rather than hurting another. We open to the personin emotional and mental pain before that pain has driventhem to commit some drastic action whose consequencesare irrevocable, whose karmic debt is woeful to con-template—and may be “hard as hell” to liquidate. ❐

RAYS 99 53

Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made Of

NEWS PERSPECTIVES

FREIDRICH RITTELMEYER’SMeditation, Guidance of the Inner Life(Floris Books, Edinburgh, 1987) is sucha full and deep treatment of the vitalsubject of meditation that no review,

short of quoting verbatim the complete text, woulddo it justice. And, in fact, the Rays, beginning withthis issue, will be featuring a number of chapterstaken from this important book (see page 14).

Formerly a prominent figure in the GermanLutheran Church at the beginning of the twentiethcentury, Rittelmeyer was the first leader of the Christ-ian Community, a movement for religious renewal.

For Rittelmeyer, the purpose of meditation isnothing short of the human transformation that isindicated by the Last Supper—the transubstantia-tion of earthly experience into supersensible cog-nitions and growing consciousness of the Spirit.

The Gospel of St. John provides the material forthe twelve (a significant figure) chapters of thisbook, which are themselves verbal forms ofmeditation. Particularly fruitful for contemplationare the seven “I am” sayings of Christ Jesus.

The tone of the author’s treatment is set in thefirst chapter, whose first meditation—“I am Love”—words not actually spoken by Christ, was thecontent of His life and radiate from His Person andall His deeds. We cannot think our way to the heartof these words, nor can a full surrender to our feel-ings achieve this goal. We must engage in a vigorousinward activity. It is suggested that this saying berepresented as a clear altar flame burning inwardlyin the soul, a flame to which our whole beingoffers itself. “We strive that our ego should glowand shine in this fire alone.” We sacrifice our egoto the fire of Christ. “We try to leave behind us our

whole life up to the present, to hear the voice ofChrist in a divine world above the earth, as Hespeaks out of the purest spirit of love: ‘No onetaketh My life, I give it. This new commandmenthave I from My Father, that I lay down My life forthe brethren.’And we seek in this spirit to returninto life. We seek to make this ego, illuminated byChrist, become so strong that it glows throughthree circles: first, through ourselves, completelythrough our being and life; then, through the wholecircle of men among whom we live; and lastly, asfar as possible, through the whole world.”

Successful Christian meditation, whose goal iscommunion with Christ, radically affects everyaspect of one’s life.

A brief listing of the topics Rittelmeyer’s studyaddresses includes: the posture of the body, goingto sleep and the starry heavens, meditation andprayer, physical and spiritual food, household hin-drances to meditation, the hallowing of time andspace, sickness of the ego and its cure, the ego asvessel of the Grail, vegetarianism, the sexual life,the powers of darkness, the effect of meditationupon the body, exercises in concentration, inwardbaptism, training of the will, healing powers,asceticism, fear and helps against it, spiritualisticseances, our relation to the dead, images of man.

Meditation shows us both what we are and whatwe are not. It reveals to us our fallenness. Butpursued with faith and fervor, the words andimages of truth work transformatively in us as wewhole-heartedly give ourselves to the divine reali-ty they point to. Increasingly, we begin toexperience real communion with God, Who is theultimate goal of all human aspiration. ❐

—Carl Swan

54 RAYS 99

Meditation—Portal to the Worlds of Spirit

BOOK REVIEWS

HAVE YOU NOT OBSERVED thenotoriously good digestion enjoyedby stomach sufferers on a holiday?Foods ingested on such occasionswith more or less impunity would

profoundly disturb their digestion at other times.For when the mind is carefree, when good cheer,faith, and hope dominate the mind and nervoussystem, the stomach glands do their best work andpour forth a copious and abundant amount of gas-tric juice, strong in digestive power. The stomachis probably the most suggestible organ in thewhole body, exceedingly susceptible to the slight-est changes in the mental state. Many stomach dis-orders are but a reflex of a similar mental derange-ment. A sour disposition in the course of theinevitable leads to a sour stomach.

When the mind is pleasantly disposed and antic-ipative of enjoying some favorite dish, the actionof the mind upon salivary secretion is such as willproduce a profuse secretion of thin, “makes yourmouth water,” fluid. In like manner, stage frightand other nervous and emotional states in whichfear is the dominating element have been accom-panied by a characteristic dry mouth resulting fromthe almost complete suppression of the saliva.

Faith and happiness encourage the production ofa strong and active saliva—a secretion powerful inits ability to convert starch into sugar. The diges-tion of starch commences in the mouth.Conversely, fear not only deteriorates the qualityand digestive power of the saliva, but not infre-quently results in the production of a secretion somodified as sometimes to become actually bitter.

Thus fear greatly favors the abnormal growth ofbacteria in the month, thereby exerting a perni-cious influence on the teeth.

An ancient experimental criminal test of theChinese is markedly illustrative of the power offear to diminish the flow of the saliva. Suspectswere compelled to line up and then to chew andquickly swallow a handful of dry rice. The guiltyman usually became so frightened that his salivaryglands refused to function. The parched conditionof his mouth and throat obviously menaced hiscapacity to swallow the rice in the allotted time.

Chronic worriers and despondent patients uni-versally suffer from deficient gastric juice andslow digestion. Melancholy people are almostinvariably dyspeptic; indeed many cases of so-called acid dyspepsia have been traced to acidmental and nervous states. This is because a fullsupply of the vital electric power is withheld fromthe pneumogastric nerve, which conveys from thebrain the life forces needed to give tone and activ-ity to the digestive organs.

Indeed, despondency affects all the organs of thesystem on the same principle; the brain consumesin its excitement more than its natural allowancesof nerve-electricity, and consequently it withholdsthe vital energy from the organs which are depen-dent upon it for healthful action. Faith encouragesthe assimilative powers of the body, while unusualsorrow and protracted grief retard and even tem-porarily inhibit the process of assimilation, thusinterfering with the nutrition of the cell.

Fortunately for humanity, each evil carries itsown remedy in its bosom; each action is followed

RAYS 99 55

Faith and Luscious ApplesTwo Master Keys to Health

NUTRITION AND HEALTH

by a corrective reaction. In the rescuesquad towers the luscious apple—king oforchard fruits.

The malic acid content of the apple isagreeably appetizing and aids digestionby assisting the digestive enzymes in theperformance of their duties; thus thedigestive system is stimulated to a morevigorous action and enjoys increasedcapacity in the handling of food commit-ted to its care. Especially in non-malig-nant conditions of the stomach and liverhas apple concentrate (condensed wholeapple) proved particularly beneficial,because of its marked stimulating effecton the digestive function.

Malic acid also plays a stellar role as a disinfec-tant for mouth, stomach, and intestines. Malic acidnormalizes the acidity of the gastric juices of thestomach, enhancing at the same time their germi-cidal effects.

Organic malic acid must not be placed in thesame category as those fruit acids that have beenproductive of much mischief. Malic acid exists inchemical combination with the mineral salts ofpotassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, andthe phosphates. These salts or malates are absorbeddirectly into the blood, and preserve and increasethe alkaline reserve.

When the mucous membrane is functioning nor-mally—as it does when faith dominates the mind—it secretes a mucus that lubricates, thus permit-ting food to pass along without scratching, bruis-ing, or irritating hypersensitive alimentary walls.Fear and anger cause an inadequate secretion, oftena complete suppression of mucus, which gives riseto peptic and duodenal ulcerations and other ero-sions. That is why the Great Cosmic Intelligencehas provided fruit pectin—generously available inthe condensed apple known as apple concentrate—there to exert its tranquilizing influence in sooth-ing sensitive as well as inflamed or irritated gas-trointestinal canals. Pectin is not indicated as aspecific for ulcers or other lesions. We warn againstself-medication in pathological conditions.

We merely want to emphasize that fruit pectin isan exceptionally fine source of uronic acid—an

important constituent of the mucus-producing cell.Any shortage of uronic acid produces erosions andulcerations.

The principal constituent of mucus is a proteinknown as mucin. Uronic acid is an important com-ponent of mucin; in the event of a shortage ofuronic acid, the mucous membrane is the first tosuffer, for it cannot manufacture its full quota ofmucus. Delicate alimentary surfaces are thusbruised in absence of this copious, viscous demul-cent secretion that is soft and slippery, thus inhibit-ing masticated food particles from passing along inthe normal easy gliding physiological way thatNature intended.

While raw apples, when ripe and properly mas-ticated, are extremely wholesome and verydigestible, doctors of repute recommend cooking,baking, or processing, via concentration, the wholefruit when included in the diets of invalids, conva-lescents, and those with weak digestive powersunable to load their stomachs with sufficient quan-tities of fresh fruits and leafy vegetables.

Doctors who were skeptical of the efficacy ofthis safe therapeutic measure and who availedthemselves of the apple technique only as a lastresort, were thoroughly satisfied with the uniformlygood results obtained and have enthusiasticallyacclaimed apple therapy as superior to any othersingle mode of treatment in uncomplicated gastro-intestinal derangements. ❐

—Lillian R. Carque, Sc.D.

56 RAYS 99

© Joy C

arson

RENEWED YOUTH, life,courage, and poise are theinevitable results of arelease of those innerpowers of the Spirit which

are latent within each one of us. Thecreative, constructive attitude of mindand feeling is the magic key whichunlocks the door to these inner treasures.

Thought is force and energy, and asimmensely powerful for good or ill asthat equally mysterious and intangibleforce called electricity. Hence equal care isrequired in the handling of our mental processes, ifdesirable results are to be obtained.

Truly, thoughts are things, and every thought wethink becomes a part of our mental aura and life.

When directed properly (by the Ego, orindwelling Spirit), the human mind accomplishesgood things continually in all phases of life. Thesevary in significance, power, and degree accordingto the strength of will injected into the thoughtform sent out. “By the power of will we project anidea through the mind, where it takes concreteshape as a thought form by drawing mind stuffaround it from the Region of Concrete Thought.”

Individual and collective thought, working alongcreative lines, produces all that is beautiful, useful,and really worth-while in life. Negative thoughtprocesses, through the constant contemplation andvisualization of troubles and obstacles of all kinds,tend always to interfere with normal, healthfulreactions and to hinder progress of any kind.

A cheerless outlook upon life breeds gloom and

obstructs the flow of vitality and health in thephysical organism. On the other hand, a cheery,optimistic spirit drives dull care away and replacesgloom with happiness, sickness with health, andlack with plenty. ❐

Visible Helpers are just as necessary as InvisibleHelpers, and our friends and patients may share ina high privilege, as well as add much to the powerof liberated healing force, by joining us in prayerfor the sick. Our Healing Service is held everyevening in the Healing Temple at 6:30 (7:30 whenDaylight time is in effect) and in the Pro-Ecclesiaat 4:15 P.M. when the Moon is in a cardinal sign onthe following dates:

September...............................5—11—19—26October.............................2—8—16—23—29

Relax, close your eyes, and make a mental pictureof the pure white rose in the center of the RosicrucianEmblem on the west wall of our Pro-Ecclesia, andconcentrate on Divine Love and Healing.

RAYS 99 57

Releasing OurInner Powers

HEALING

Engraving, from Illustrations of the Book of Job, William Blake, 1757-1827, Pierpont Morgan Library, New York

Abuoyant, positive attitude opens the heart and mind to God’s holy Presence.

CRAIG WAS EXCITED when hisschool announced a contest fordrawings. He must win the prize! Itwould mean he could get new colorsand supplies. Above all, it would con-

vince his father. Craig’s dad thought drawing wasa waste of time, especially for Craig. “Just anexcuse for dreaming,” he said. “It doesn’t do any-thing.”

Craig knew better. It created beauty, and Craigloved beauty. Woods, fields, snow, summer clouds,old rail fences, and blue smoke curling from redchimneys on a frosty morning. Just looking wasfun. But when you tried to draw things, it madeyou part of them.

He knew what he would draw. He went thereright after school, as he had done so many times. Itwas a little, hidden, secret glade in the woods. Awonderful stream flowed there; this goldenautumn day it was purple flecked with tiny silvercircles. A bright dragonfly zipped close to the sur-face; water spiders rowed, contentedly.

A willow tree arched overhead, its delicate greenfalling like protecting hands. The sunlight was softorange, touching the red and yellow leaves on theground—a magic glade of peace and color andcompanionship. One sensed all the hidden life ofthe woods, the very ants and wood flies and crea-tures that burrowed in the ground.

This he would paint. So he started right away,drawing from his pocket the cherished water col-ors, the two brushes, and the big sheet of Whatmanpaper. Hidden under a fallen log, wrapped inwaxed paper, was the drawing board. Craig drew,

and felt within him the spirit of the forest and thestirrings of pride and happiness.

He drew each evening for an hour, all the nextweek. His dad had finally allowed him time offfrom chores, but had fumed about it. “Just moon-ing in the woods,” he called it. His dad knew hehad no chance of winning, of course. But Craighad a very different idea.

As he drew the willow seemed to come alive inall its elfin witchery, and the brook was a thing ofmystery. The little glade caught the sparkle of sun-light, the haze of autumn, the crisp smell of wet,black earth and fallen leaves, the suggestion ofpumpkin pies, roasted chestnuts, and cool, sweetcider. Craig tried to capture with his brushes all thethings he saw, felt, and thought, all his memories,dreams, and hopes.

Then it was finished. Not just as he hoped.Perhaps it was a bit crude, but there seemed a cer-tain something about the drawing—a spirit ofbeauty, of woods, elves, and woods mystery. Neverhad the glade seemed so glorious as this last after-noon. Craig had seen it in all seasons—in winter,when the snow turned it into a Christmas card ofglitter and shimmering black and white; in spring,when the willow was a nymph dancing joyously inthe breeze and the brook ran gurgily; in summer,when the Sun came through the foliage in yellowgold shafts, and the shadows were purple pools;

58 RAYS 99

To Win the Prize

FOR CHILDREN

The little glade caught the sparkle of sunlight, the haze ofautumn, the crisp smell of wet, black earth and fallen leaves

Edition S

tehli

and on rainy days, when it was most companion-able of all to huddle beneath the branches and hearthe patter of the rain in a moist, lonely world. Butnever had he seen the glade so truly lovely as now.

Finally Craig rose, hid the drawing board,stuffed away the paints and brushes. In the westbig cumulus clouds were piling up, and a low mut-ter of thunder sounded. He must hurry home andfix his colors.

The boy was half-way home when he heard it—the low, repeated whine. He stopped, and saw thedog lying on the ground. Tip, a neighbor’s mutt.Craig had never liked Tip—a gossip and a chatter-box, barking aimlessly at everything and every-body. He simply couldn’t stop now; the first bigdrops were beginning to fall. But Tip had seen him,too, and burst into agonized pleadings. Frowning,the boy hastened over. He saw at once what hadhappened. Tip, probably chasing a squirrel, hadtried to get through the rail fence, caught his leg,and broken it. His eyes sought the boy’s frantically.

Craig pulled his shirt loose and gently thrust thedrawing between undershirt and trousers. Then,with an effort, he managed to lift the heavy animalin his arms. He was panting when he reachedthe back door of Josiah’s sprawling farmhouse—panting, and soaking wet from the pouring rain.

Josiah came from the barn at the sound ofCraig’s calls. He took the whining dog in his arms,turned to reach the party telephone inside thehouse. At that moment the drawing managed toedge its way out and fall to the ground. It landedface up and together the man and boy looked downat a streaked, smeared, blurred ruin. The drawingnow would not even pass for surrealist art. Thebeauty the boy had created had washed away intoa stained sheet of paper.

Craig let himself into the house very quietly. Heheard his mother in the kitchen as he went to hisroom and flung himself on the bed. He didn’t mindthe loss of a week’s work: that had been fun. Buthis opportunity to show his dad was now lost. Hismother understood, but his father didn’t.

The boy knew his dad liked the country. Afterhis return from the war they hadn’t been able tofind a home, so they had taken over this rundownfarm and were making a go of it. His dad liked

growing things, and the smell of hay, and beingaround horses. Maybe he liked sunsets and thesmell of rain and ozone, too. But he liked results.He liked to see something practical—corn, oats,buckwheat, alfalfa, and bins of apples and pota-toes. Craig liked all this too, but his dad didn’tunderstand that a fellow had an imagination, andneeded the woods and the drawing of trees to sortof, well, give him something inside that made himhappy. Maybe if he had shown his dad some of hisdrawings, he’d have understood. But Craig wassecretive. Besides, as he had never done anythingvery good, his dad thought he just scribbled, likepeople doodled on pads of paper.

Craig heard them calling him in the yard, andfinally he went down. They noticed how helooked. He mumbled something about the raincoming up. His dad smiled.

“Well, son, maybe now you can forget this draw-ing business for awhile. School and chores and allthe things to do this fall can keep you happy. Lateron, maybe....”

RAYS 99 59

Watercolor and crayon, 1992, C

ourtesy of the artist, Mary W

hyte, Nina M

. Dana C

ollection

He hadn’t explained. Craig wasn’t much on explaining things togrownups. He worked an hour in the barn after supper and then wentto his attic room again. He decided to go to bed. Then all at once hesensed the absence of something. The rain. It wasn’t raining. He wentto the window and looked out. The thin, filmy clouds were racingacross the sky and a big yellow-white moon made the whole outdoorssilver. It was beautiful, and it did something to the boy. The plan justseemed to come to him on a moonbeam. He could enter the contestafter all. Why not? He had never tried anything like this. But therewas a chance.

Craig found the big, clumsy charcoal pencil and a sheet of paper.A heavy box lid would serve as drawing board. He stole downstairs,passing the living room like a ghost. Outside, the air was sweet withthe rain fragrance. Trees and bushes were black phantoms, the yardwas pale silver. He walked some distance from the house and studiedit. A black silhouette it was against the storm-sky, but not unfriendly.The yellow of his small window, the orange glow from the livingroom, were like beacons.

The young artist set to work, surprised at the amount of light thebig Hunter’s Moon offered. Black and white, shadows and highlights,the black house, the black trees, the silver lawn, the thrilling sky.Nothing detailed like the glade, just a sketch that tried to catch thestrangeness of night, the vastness of sky, the friendliness of home, andlighted windows. It was nearly midnight when he finished and wentto his room. All the rest, of the house was dark and all were asleep.

Craig handed in his charcoal drawing the next morning. The exhib-it and judging were to take place in the afternoon. Well, he wouldn’tthink about it any more. He had done his best, but charcoal was newto him and he wasn’t so good at it. Still, he had a chance, maybe. Hisheart leaped at the thought he might win after all.

Straight to the barn the boy went from school. He saw Josiah andhis father talking when he went in. He spoke to Josiah and askedabout Tip. Josiah told him the veterinarian had fixed the leg and hewould soon be all right. His dad gave him a queer look.

“I’m sorry, son, about your water color getting ruined that way.”Craig shrugged. He liked his dad for not slopping over or praisinghim about the dog business. They understood each other pretty wellthat way.

Josiah said he was sorry that Tip had cost the boy his chance toenter the contest, but that he wouldn’t forget it had saved Tip’s life.

Craig didn’t want any sentimentality so he broke in. “But I didenter the contest.” He took his charcoal drawing from his big geog-raphy and showed it to his dad.

The big man studied it silently. “I never saw our home in quite thisway,” he said finally. “So mysterious and yet homey.” He passed it toJosiah. “I didn’t know you had any ability, really, son.”

“I didn’ t win the prize,” Craig said. He turned toward the silo.

60 RAYS 99

His father called him quietly.“Winning a prize isn’t all thatmatters, son. You didn’t give up.You tried something strange toyou, and you didn’t offer excus-es when you lost. Maybe that’sthe biggest prize a man can win.I think we’ll visit an art storenext Saturday—together.”

Craig caught a glimpse of theglade wrapped in snow, thebushes turned to magic in thesunlight; and a quick picture ofhis dad back of the team, har-rowing, next spring. A dozenother visions flashed in hismind, of color scenes that couldbring beauty to his soul and betransformed by his brushes topaper. Something began singingin his heart.

But he didn’t put any of thisinto words. “I’ll get down theensilage now,” he called to hisdad. Whistling, he opened thedoor and sniffed the pungent,fragrant aroma. ❐

Coursin Black

Though Craig’s picture got wet, heprobably saved Tip’s life.