,dedication ,this ,special ,student's ,edition of 8,the ,initiates of the ,flame0 is dedicated by the author to the ,one ,thousand ,students of the ,classes of #aibb1 and is limited to one thousand copies of which this one is ,number #ia ,illustration3 ,multiplicatio4 ,the ,,initiates of the ,,flame ,illustration ,he who lives the ,life shall know the ,doctrine ,,fully ,,illustrated ,copyrighted1 ,october1 #aibb ,all rights reserved ,permission to copy or translate may be secured upon application ,,contents ,page ,introduction #g ,foreword #ac ,chapter ,one ,the ,fire ,upon the ,altar #ae ,chapter ,two ,the ,sacred ,city of ,shamballa #be ,chapter ,three ,the ,mystery of the ,alchemist #ce ,chapter ,four ,the ,egyptian ,initiate #de ,chapter ,five ,the ,ark of the ,covenant #ee ,chapter ,six ,the ,knights of the ,holy ,grail #fc ,chapter ,seven ,the ,mystery of the ,pyramids #gc ,,illustrations ,page ,the ,cube ,altar #ad ,the ,everburning ,lamp #af ,the ,masonic ,censor #ah ,the ,grave ,digger's ,spade #bj ,the ,candle #bb ,the ,lotus #bh ,the ,rod ,that ,budded #cj ,the ,philosopher's ,stone #cd ,the ,five ,pointed ,star #ch ,the ,marriage of the ,sun and ,moon #dj ,the ,pillars of the ,temple #db ,the ,serpent #dd ,the ,masonic ,apron #df ,the ,scepters of ,egypt #dh ,the ,sacred ,scarab #ej ,the ,priest before the ,ark of the ,covenant #ed ,the ,rod that ,budded1 the ,pot of ,manna1 and the ,tablets of the ,law #eh ,the ,holy ,grail #fb ,the ,stone and the ,sword #fd ,the ,rosicrucian ,rose #ff ,the ,sacred ,spear #fh ,cross ,section of the ,great ,pyramid of ,gizah #gd ,the ,pyramid #gf ,the ,sphinx #gh ,the ,key and the ,cross #hb ,the ,white ,grail #hf ,the ,black ,grail #hg ,illustration ,the ,initiates of the ,flame ,,introduction ,few realize that even at the present stage of civilization in this world1 there are souls who1 like the priests of the ancient temples1 walk the earth and watch and guard the sacred fires that burn upon the altar of humanity4 ,purified ones they are1 who have renounced the life of this sphere in order to guard and protect the ,flame1 that spiritual principle in man1 now hidden beneath the ruins of his fallen temple4 ,as we think of the nations that are past1 of ,greece and ,rome and the grandeur that was ,egypt's1 we sigh as we recall the story of their fall2 and we watch the nations of today1 not knowing which will be the next to draw its shroud around itself and join that great ghostly file of peoples that are dead4 ,but everywhere1 even in the rise and fall of nations1 we see through the haze of materiality1 justice2 everywhere we see reward1 not of man but of the invincible ,one1 the eternal ,flame4 ,a great hand reaches out from the unseen and regulates the affairs of man4 ,it reaches out from that great spiritual ,flame which nourishes all created things1 the never dying fire that burns on the sacred altar of ,cosmos--that great fire which is the spirit of ,god4 ,if we turn again to the races now dead1 we shall1 if we look1 find the cause of their destruction4 ,the light had gone out4 ,when the flame within the body is withdrawn1 the body is dead4 ,when the light was taken from the altar1 the temple was no longer the dwelling place of a living ,god4 ,degeneracy1 lust1 and passion1 hates and fears1 crept into the souls of ,greece and ,rome1 and ,black ,magic overshadowed ,egypt2 the light upon the altar grew weaker and weaker4 ,the priests lost the ,word1 the name of the ,flame4 ,little by little the ,flame flickered out1 and as the last spark grew cold1 a mighty nation died1 buried beneath the dead ashes of its own spiritual fire4 ,but the ,flame did not die4 ,like spirit of which it is the essence1 it cannot die1 because it is life1 and life cannot cease to be4 ,in some wilderness of land or sea it rested once again1 and there rose a mighty nation around that flame4 ,so history goes on through the ages4 ,as long as a people are true to the ,flame1 it remains1 but when they cease to nourish it with their lives1 it goes on to other lands and other worlds4 ,those who worship this ,flame are now called heathens4 ,little do we realize that we are heathen ourselves until we are baptised of the ,holy ,spirit1 which is ,fire1 for fire is ,light1 and the children of the ,flame are the ,sons of ,light1 even as ,god is ,light4 ,there are those who have for ages labored with man to help him to kindle within himself this spark1 which is his divine birthright4 ,it is these who by their lives of self-sacrifice and service have awakened and tended this fire1 and who through ages of study have learned the mystery it contained1 that we now call the 8,initiates of the ,flame40 ,for ages they have labored with mankind to help him to uncover the light within himself1 and on the pages of history they have left their seal1 the seal of ,fire4 ,unhonored and unsung they have labored with humanity1 and now their lives are used as fairy stories to amuse children1 but the time will yet come when the world shall know the work they did1 and realize that our present civilization is raised upon the shoulders of the mighty demigods of the past4 ,we stand as ,faust stood1 with all our lore1 a fool no wiser than before1 because we refuse to take the truths they gave us and the evidence of their experiences4 ,let us honor these ,sons of the ,flame1 not by words1 but by so living that their sacrifice shall not be in vain4 ,they have shown us the way1 they have led man to the gateway of the unknown1 and there in their robes of glory passed behind the ,veil4 ,their lives were the key to their wisdom1 as it must always be4 ,they have gone1 but in history they stand1 milestones on the road of human progress4 ,let us watch these mighty ones as they pass silently by4 ,first1 ,orpheus1 playing upon the seven stringed lyre of his own being1 the music of the spheres4 ,then ,hermes1 the thrice greatest1 with his emerald tablet of divine revelation4 ,through the shades of the past we dimly see ,krishna1 the illuminated1 who on the battlefield of life taught man the mysteries of his own soul4 ,then we see the sublime ,buddha1 his yellow robe not half so glorious as the heart it covered1 and our own dear ,master1 the man ,jesus1 his head surrounded with a halo of ,golden ,flame1 and his brow serene with the calm of mastery4 ,then ,mohammed1 ,zoroaster1 ,confucius1 ,odin1 and ,moses1 and others no less worthy pass by before the eyes of the student4 ,they were the ,sons of ,flame4 ,from the ,flame they came1 and to the ,flame they have returned4 ,to us they beckon1 and bid us join them1 and in our robes of self-earned glory to serve the ,flame they love4 ,they were without creed or clan2 they served but the one great ideal4 ,from the same place they all came1 and to the same place they have returned4 ,there was no superiority there4 ,hand in hand they labor for humanity4 ,each loves the other1 for the power that has made them masters has shown them the ,brotherhood of all life4 ,in the pages that follow we will try to show this great thread1 the spiritual thread1 the thread of living fire that winds in and out through all religions and binds them together with a mutual ideal and mutual needs4 ,in the story of the ,grail and the ,legends of ,king ,arthur we find that thread wound around the ,table of the ,king and the ,temple of ,mount ,salvart4 ,this same thread of life that passes through the roses of the ,rosicrucians1 winds among the pedals of the ,lotus1 and among the temple pillars of ,luxor4 ,,there ,,is ,,but ,,one ,,religion ,,in ,,all ,,the ,,world1 and that is the worship of ,god1 the spiritual ,flame of the universe4 ,under many names ,he is known in all lands1 but as ,iswari or ,ammon or ,god1 ,he is the same1 the ,creator of the universe1 and fire is ,his universal symbol4 ,we are the ,flame-,born ,sons of ,god1 thrown out as sparks from the wheels of the infinite4 ,around this ,flame we have built forms which have hidden our light1 but as students we are increasing this light by love and service1 until it shall again proclaim us ,suns of the ,eternal4 ,within us burns that ,flame1 and before ,its altar the lower man must bow1 a faithful servant of the ,higher4 ,when he serves the ,flame he grows1 and the light grows until he takes his place with the true ,initiates of the universe1 those who have given all to the ,infinite1 in the name of the ,flame within4 ,let us find this ,flame and also serve it1 realizing that it is in all created things1 that all are one because all are part of that eternal ,flame1 the fire of spirit1 the life and power of the universe4 ,upon the altar of this ,flame1 to the true creator of this book1 the writer offers it1 and dedicates it to the one ,fire which blazes forth from ,god1 and is now hidden within each living thing4 ,illustration ,,foreword ,,the ,,greatest ,,of ,,mystery ,,schools ,the ,world is the schoolroom of ,god4 ,our being in school does not make us learn1 but within that school is the opportunity for all learning4 ,it has its grades and its classes1 its sciences and its arts1 and admission to it is the birthright of man4 ,its graduates are its teachers1 its pupils are all created things4 ,its examples are ,nature1 and its rules are ,god's laws4 ,those who would go into the greater colleges and universities must first1 day by day1 and year by year1 work through the common school of life1 and present to their new teachers the diplomas they have won1 upon which is written the name that none may read save those who have received it4 ,the hours may seem long1 and the teachers cruel1 but each of us must walk that path1 and the only ones ready to go onward are those who have passed through the gateway of experience1 ,,god',s ,,great ,,school ,,for ,,man4 ,illustration3 ,the ,cube ,altar3 ,of the elements of the earth is this altar composed4 ,it is the great cube of matter4 ,on or in this altar burns a ,flame4 ,it is this ,flame that is the spirit of all created things4 ,man1 know thyself4 ,thou art the ,flame1 and thy bodies are the living altar4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,fire ,,upon ,,the ,,altar ,as far back as our history goes we find that fire has played an important part in the religious ceremonial of the human race4 ,in practically every religion we find the sacred altar fires1 which were guarded by the priests and vestals with greater care than their own lives4 ,in the ,bible we find many references made to the sacred fires which were used as one form of devotion by the ancient ,israelites4 ,the ,altar of ,burnt ,offerings is as old as the human race1 and dates from the time when the first man1 lifting himself out of the mists of ancient ,lemuria1 first saw the sun1 the great ,fire ,spirit of the universe4 ,among the followers of ,zoroaster1 the ,persian ,initiate1 fire has been used for centuries in honor of the great ,fire ,god1 ,ormuzd1 who is said by them to have created the universe4 ,illustration3 ,the ,everburning ,lamp3 ,know that the ,flame that burns within thee and lights thy way is the ever burning lamp of the ancients4 ,as their lamps were fed by the purest of oil1 so thy spiritual ,flame must be fed by a life of purity and altruism4 ,there are two paths or divisions of humanity whose history is closely related to that of the ,wisdom ,teachings4 ,they embody the doctrines of fire and water1 the two opposites of nature4 ,those who follow the path of faith or the heart1 use water1 and are known as the ,sons of ,seth1 while those who follow the path of the mind and action are the ,children of ,cain1 who was the son of ,samael1 the ,spirit of ,fire4 ,today we find the latter among the alchemists1 the hermetic philosophers1 the ,rosicrucians1 and the ,freemasons4 ,it is well for us to understand that we ourselves are the cube altar upon which and in which burns the altar fire4 ,for many centuries the ,initiate of fire has been nourishing and guarding the ,spiritual ,flame within himself1 as the ancient priests watched day and night the altar fires of ,vesta's temple4 ,the ever burning lamp of the alchemist1 which having burned thousands of years without fuel in the catacombs of ,rome1 is but a symbol of this same spiritual fire within himself4 ,in the picture we see the ever burning lamp which was carried by the ,initiate in his wandering4 ,it represents the spinal column of man1 at the top of which is flickering a little blue and red flame4 ,as the lamp of the ancients was fed and kept burning by the purest of olive oil1 so man is transmitting within himself and cleansing in the laver of purification the life essences1 which1 when turned upward1 provide fuel for the ever burning lamp within himself4 ,illustration3 ,the ,masonic ,censor3 ,as the perfume rising from the incense burner was acceptable in the sight of the ,lord1 so may our words and actions ever be a sweet incense acceptable in the sight of the ,most ,high4 ,upon the altars of the ancients were offered sacrifices to their gods4 ,the ancient ,hierophant offered up sacrifices of spices and incense4 ,the ,masonic brother of today still has among his symbols the incense burner or censer1 but few of the brothers recognize themselves in this symbol4 ,the ancients symbolized under such things as this the development of the individual1 and as the tiny spark burning among the incense cubes slowly consumes all1 so the ,spiritual ,flame within the student is slowly burning away and transmuting the base metals and properties within himself1 and offering up the essence thereof as the smoke upon the altar of ,divinity4 ,it is said that ,king ,solomon1 when he completed his temple1 offered bulls as a sacrifice to the ,lord1 by burning them upon the temple altar4 ,those who believe in a harmless life wonder why so many references are made in the ,bible to animal sacrifice4 ,the student realizes that the animal sacrifices are those of the celestial zodiac1 and that when the ,ram or the ,bull was offered upon the altar1 it represented the qualities in man which come through ,aries1 the celestial ,ram1 and ,taurus1 the ,bull in the zodiac4 ,in other words1 the ,initiate1 passing through his tests and purification1 is offering upon the altar of his own higher being the lower animal instincts and desires within himself4 ,among the ,masonic brothers we also find what is called the ,symbol of ,mortality4 ,it is a spade1 a coffin1 and an open grave1 while upon the coffin has been laid a sprig of acacia1 or evergreen4 ,in the picture we see the spade of the grave digger1 which has been considered the symbol of death for centuries4 ,illustration3 ,the ,grave ,digger's ,spade3 ,let us take the spade that now digs our grave through the passions and emotions of life and use it to unearth the secret room far below the rubbish of the fallen temple of the human soul4 ,in the ,book of ,thoth1 that strange document which has descended to man at his present stage of evolution as a deck of playing cards1 we find a very wonderful symbolism4 ,of all the suits of cards1 that of the spade is the only suit in which all the court cards face away from the pip4 ,in all the other kings and queens1 the faces are looking at the little marker in the corner of the card1 but in the spade suit1 they look away from it4 ,now it is said that the spade has been taken from the acorn1 but the occult student has a different idea4 ,he sees in the spade1 which has for ages been the symbol of death1 a certain part of his own anatomy4 ,if you will again turn to the picture of the spade1 you will see1 if you have ever studied anatomy1 that the grave digger's spade is the spinal column1 and the spade-shaped piece which is used on the deck of cards1 is nothing more nor less than the sacrum bone4 ,illustration ,this bone forms the base of the spinal column1 and is also the spear of the ,passion4 ,through it and the foramana which pierce it1 pass the roots of the spinal nerve1 which indeed are the roots of the ,tree of ,life4 ,it is the center through which are nourished and fed the lower vertebrae of the spine1 and the sacrum and coxygeal bones that dig the graves for all created things4 ,this point has been beautifully symbolized by the grave digger's spade1 which has been used by the brothers of many mystic organizations for ages4 ,the currents and forces working through these lower spinal nerves must be transmuted and lifted upward to feed the altar fire at the positive or upper end of the spine4 ,illustration3 ,the ,candle3 ,this is the light that has gone out4 ,it is the candle that is hidden under the bushel4 ,this is the true light that forever dispels the darkness of ignorance and uncertainty4 ,let the light shine forth through a purified body and a balanced mind4 ,for this light is the life of our brother creatures4 ,the centering of thought or emotion upon higher or lower things1 as the case may be1 determines where thin life energy will be expended4 ,if the lower emotions predominate1 the flame upon the altar burns low and flickers out1 because the forces which feed it have been concentrated upon the lower centers4 ,but when altruism predominates1 then the lower forces are raised upward and pass through the purification which makes possible their being used as fuel for the ever burning lamp4 ,thus we see why it was a great sin to let the lamp go out1 for the pillar of flames which hovers over the ,tabernacle1 purified and prepared after the directions of the ,most ,high1 is the ,spiritual ,flame that1 hovering above man1 lights his way wherever he may go4 ,the sun of our solar system1 that is1 the ,spiritual ,sun behind the physical globe1 is one of these ,flames4 ,it began no greater than ours1 and through the power of attraction and the transmuting of its ever increasing energies it has reached its present proportions4 ,this flame in man is the 8light that shineth in darkness40 ,it is the ,spiritual ,flame within himself4 ,it lights his way as no exterior light can4 ,this radiating out from him brings into view1 one by one1 the hidden things of the cosmos1 and his ignorance is dispelled in exactly the same proportion as his light is spread1 for the darkness of the unknown can only be removed by light1 and the greater the light1 the further back the darkness is driven4 ,this is the ,lamp of the ,philosopher1 which he carries through the dark passageways of life1 and by the light of which he walks among the stones and along the narrow cliff edge without fear4 ,but although he gain all other things and have not this light within himself1 he cannot know where he goes2 he cannot watch his footsteps2 and he cannot dispel his ignorance with the light of truth4 ,therefore let each student watch the fire that burns upon his altar4 ,let him also make that altar1 his body1 as beautiful and harmonious as possible1 and let him also sacrifice upon that altar the frankincense and myrrh1 his actions and his deeds4 ,as in the ,tabernacle he offers all upon the altar of divinity1 so let him day by day dispel the symbols of mortality--the coffin and the open grave by which he prepared himself through the mastery of the lower emotions within himself--and recognize that no matter how crystallized or dead his life may be1 the fact that he exists at all proves that the sprig of acacia1 the promise of life and immortality1 is somewhere within himself2 and although the flame of life may appear faint or cold1 if he will supply the fuel by his daily actions1 he will kindle the altar flame once more within himself1 which1 shining forth1 will also help his brother to kindle this flame1 which is a living sacrifice to the living ,god4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,sacred ,,city ,,of ,,shamballa ,in every mythology and legendary religion of the world there is one spot that is sacred above all others to the great ideal of that religion4 ,to the ,norseman it was ,valhalla1 the ,city of the ,slain1 built of the spears of heroes1 where feasting and warfare was the order of the day4 ,here the heroes fought all day and reveled by night4 ,every day they killed the wild boar and feasted on it1 and the next day it came to life again4 ,in the ,northland they tell that ,valhalla was high on the top of the mountains1 and that it was connected to the earth below by ,befrost1 the ,rainbow ,bridge2 that up and down this bridge the ,gods came1 and ,odin1 the ,all-father1 came down from ,asgard1 the ,city of the ,gods1 and worked and labored with mankind4 ,among the ,greeks1 ,mount ,olympus was held sacred1 and here the gods are said to have lived high on the top of a mountain4 ,the ,knights of the ,grail are said to have had their castle among the crags and peaks of ,northern ,spain on ,mount ,salvart4 ,in every religion of the world there is a sacred spot3 ,meru of the oriental1 and ,mount ,moriah and ,mount ,sinai 7upon which the tablets of law were given to man72 all those are symbols of one universal ideal1 and as each of these religions claimed among the clouds a castle and a home1 so it is said that all the religions of the world have their headquarters in ,shamballa1 the ,sacred ,city in the ,gobi ,desert of ,mongolia4 ,among the oriental peoples there are wonderful legends of this sacred city1 where it is said the ,great ,white ,lodge or ,brotherhood meets to carry on the governing of world affairs4 ,as the ,assirs of ,scandinavia were twelve in number1 as ,olympus had twelve gods1 so the ,great ,white ,brotherhood is said to have twelve members1 which meet in ,shamballa and direct the affairs of men4 ,it is said that this center of universal religion descended upon the earth when the polar cap1 which was the first part of the earth to crystallize1 became solid enough to support life4 ,science now knows that not only does the earth have two motions1 that of rotation upon its axis and revolution around the sun1 but that it has nine other motions1 according to ,flammarion1 the ,french astronomer4 ,one of these motions is that of the alternation of the poles2 in other words1 some day that part of the earth's surface which is now the ,north ,pole will become the ,south ,pole4 ,therefore it is said that the ,sacred ,city has left its central position and after much wandering is now located in ,mongolia4 ,those who are acquainted with the ,mohammedan religion will see something of great interest in the pilgrimage to the ,kabba at ,mecca1 where thousands go each year to give honor to the ,stone of ,abraham1 the great aerolight1 upon which ,mohammed is said to have rested his foot4 ,old and young alike1 some even carried1 wind through desert sands and endure untold hardships1 many coming from great distances1 to visit the place they cherish and love4 ,in ,india we find the same thing4 ,there are many sacred places to which pilgrims go1 even as the ,templars went in our ,christian religion to the ,sepulcher of ,christ4 ,few see in this anything more than an outward symbol1 but the true student recognizes the great esoteric truth contained therein4 ,the spiritual consciousness in man is a pilgrim on the way to ,mecca4 ,as this consciousness passes upward through the centers and nerves of the body1 it is like the pilgrim1 climbing the heights of ,sinai1 or the ,knight of the ,grail returning to ,mount ,salvart4 ,when the spinal fire of man starts upward in its wanderings1 it stops at many shrines and visits many holy places1 for like the ,masonic brother and his ,jacob's ,ladder1 the way that leads to heaven is upward and inward4 ,the spinal fire goes through the centers or seed ground of many great principles1 and worships at the shrine of many ,divine ,essences within itself1 but it is eternally going upward1 and finally it reaches the great desert4 ,only after pain and suffering and long labor does it cross that waste of sand4 ,this is the ,gethsemane of the higher man1 but finally he crosses the sacred desert1 and before him in the heart of the ,lotus rises the ,golden ,city1 ,shamballa4 ,illustration3 ,the ,lotus3 ,may your consciousness be lifted upward through the ,tree of ,life within yourself until in the brain it blossoms forth as the ,lotus1 that rising from the darkness of the lower world1 lifts its flower to catch the rays of the ,sun4 ,illustration3 ,,frontal ,,sinus ,in the spreading of the bone between the eyes called the frontal sinus1 is the seat of the divine in man4 ,there1 in a peculiar gaseous material1 floats1 or rather exists1 or is1 the fine essence which we know as the ,spirit4 ,this is the ,lost ,city in the ,sacred ,desert1 connected to the lower world by the ,rainbow ,bridge1 or the ,silver ,cord1 and it is to this point in himself that the student is striving to rise4 ,this is the ,sacred ,pilgrimage of the ,soul1 in which the individual leaves the lower man and the world below and climbs upward into the ,higher ,man or ,higher ,world1 the brain4 ,this is the great pilgrimage to ,shamballa1 and as that great city is the center for the direction of our earth1 so the corresponding great city in man is the center for his governmental system4 ,illustration3 ,the ,rod ,that ,budded3 ,the buds in the ,rod are the seven centers within yourself1 which when you develop their spiritual powers shine out as centers of fire within your own being4 ,the ancients have taken flowers to symbolize these centers1 which when they shine out show that the dead stick1 cut from the ,tree of ,life1 has budded4 ,when any other thing governs man1 he is not attuned to his own higher self1 and it is only when the gods1 representing the higher principle1 come down the ,rainbow ,bridge and labor with him1 teaching him the arts and sciences1 that he is truly receiving his divine birthright4 ,in the ,orient the student looks forward with eager longing to the time when he shall be allowed to worship before the gates of the sacred city2 when he also shall see the ,initiates in silent conclave around the circular table of the zodiac2 when the veil of ,isis shall be torn away1 and the cover lifted from the ,grail ,cup4 ,let the student remember that all of these things must first happen within himself before he can find them in the universe without4 ,the twelve ,elder ,brothers within himself must first be reached and understood before those of the universe can be comprehended4 ,if he would find the great ,initiates without1 he must first find them within2 and if he would see that ,sacred ,city in the ,lotus ,blossom1 he must first open that ,lotus within himself1 which he does1 petal by petal1 when he purifies and attunes himself to the higher principles within4 ,the ,lotus is the spinal column once more2 its roots1 deep in materiality2 its blossom1 the brain2 and only when he sends upward nourishment and power1 can that ,lotus blossom within himself--blossom forth with its many petals1 giving out their spiritual fragrance4 ,sometimes you will see in store windows funny little ,chinese gods or oriental ,buddhas sitting on the blossom of a lotus4 ,in fact1 if you look carefully1 you will find that nearly all of the oriental gods are so depicted4 ,this means that they have opened within themselves that ,spiritual ,consciousness which they call the ,shushuma4 ,you have seen the funny little hats worn by the ,hindu gods4 ,they are made to represent a flower upside down1 and once more1 like the rod of ,aaron that budded1 we see the reference made to the unfolding of consciousness within4 ,when the lotus blossom has reached maturity1 it drops its seed1 and from this seed new plants are produced4 ,it is the same within the spiritual consciousness1 which1 when the plant is finished and its work is done1 is released to work and produce other things4 ,in the ,western ,world the lotus has been changed to the rose4 ,the roses of the ,rosicrucian1 the roses of the ,masonic degrees1 and also those of the ,order of the ,garter in ,england1 all stand for the same thing1 the awakening of consciousness and the unfolding into full bloom of the soul qualities of man4 ,when man awakens and opens this bud within himself1 he finds1 like the gold pollen in a flower1 this wonderful spiritual city1 ,shamballa1 in the heart of the lotus4 ,when this pilgrimage of his spiritual fire is accomplished1 he is liberated from the top of the mountain1 as in the ascension of ,christ1 and the spiritual man1 freed by his pilgrimage from the ,wheel of ,bondage1 rises upward from among his disciples1 the convolutions of the brain1 with the great cry of the ,initiate1 which has sounded through the ,mystery ,schools for ages when the purified student goes onward and upward to become a pillar in the temple of his ,god4 ,with that last cry the true mystery of ,shamballa1 the sacred city1 is understood and he joins the ranks of those who in white robes of purity1 their own soul bodies1 gaze down upon the world and see others liberated in the same way1 and who also sound the eternal tocsin1 8consumatum est0 7it is finished74 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,the ,philosopher's ,stone3 ,this is the true stone of the philosopher1 which gives him power over all created things4 ,this stone is himself4 ,the experiences of his evolution have cut and polished the rough stone until in the ,initiate it reflects the light of creation from a thousand different facets4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,mystery ,,of ,,the ,,alchemist ,there are very few occult students today who have not heard of the alchemist1 but there are very few who know anything about the strange men who lived during the ,middle ,ages and concealed under chemical symbolism the history of the soul4 ,at a time1 when to express a religious thought was to court annihilation at the stake or wheel1 they labored silently in underground caves and cellars to learn the mysteries of nature which the religious opinions of their day denied them the privilege of doing4 ,let us picture the alchemist of old1 deep in the study of natural lore4 ,we find him among the test tubes and retorts of his hidden laboratory4 ,around him are massive tomes and books by ancient writers2 he is a student of nature's mystery1 and has devoted years1 lives maybe1 to the work he loves4 ,his hair has long since grayed with age4 ,by the light of his little lamp he reads slowly and with difficulty the strange symbols on the pages before him4 ,his mind is centered upon one thing1 and that is the finding of the ,philosopher's ,stone4 ,with all the chemicals at his command1 their various combinations thoroughly understood1 he is laboring with his furnace and his burners to make of the base metals the ,philosopher's ,gold4 ,at last he finds the key and gives to the world the secret of the ,philosopher's ,gold and the ,immortal ,stone4 ,salt1 sulphur1 and mercury are the answer to his problem2 from them he makes the ,philosopher's ,stone2 from them he extracts the ,elixir of ,life2 with the power that they give him he transmutes the base metals into gold4 ,the world laughs at him1 but he goes on in silence1 really doing the things the world believes impossible4 ,after many years of labor he takes his little lamp and silently slips away into the ,great ,unknown4 ,no one knows what he has done1 or the discoveries that he has made1 but he1 with his little lamp1 still explores the mysteries of the universe4 ,as the close of the fifteenth century clouded him with mystery1 so the dawn of the twentieth century is crowning him with the glory of his just reward1 for the world is beginning to realize the truths he knew1 and to marvel at the understanding which his years of labor had earned for him4 ,man has been an alchemist from the time when he first raised himself1 and with the powers long latent pronounced himself as human4 ,experiences are the chemicals of life which the philosopher is experimenting with4 ,nature is the great book whose secrets he seeks to understand through her own wondrous symbolism4 ,his own ,spiritual ,flame is the lamp by which he reads1 and without this the printed pages mean nothing to him4 ,his own body is the furnace in which he prepares the ,philosopher's ,stone2 his senses and organs are the test tubes1 and incentive is the flame from the burner4 ,salt1 sulphur1 and mercury are the chemicals of his craft4 ,according to the ancient philosophers1 salt was of the earth earthy1 sulphur was a fire which was spirit1 while mercury was nothing1 only a messenger like the winged ,hermes of the ,greeks4 ,his color is purple1 which is the blending of the red and the blue--the blue of the spirit and the red of the body4 ,the alchemist realizes that he himself is the ,philosopher's ,stone1 and that this stone is made diamond-like when the salt and the sulphur1 or the spirit and the body1 are united through mercury1 the link of mind4 ,man is the incarnated principle of mind as the animal is of emotion4 ,he stands with one foot on the heavens and the other on the earth4 ,his higher being is lifted to the celestial spheres1 but the lower man ties him to matter4 ,now the philosopher1 building his sacred stone1 is doing so by harmonizing his spirit and his body4 ,the result is the ,philosopher's ,stone4 ,the hard knocks of life chip it away and facet it until it reflects lights from a million different angles4 ,illustration3 ,the ,five ,pointed ,star3 ,this picture1 known to all ,masons1 is that of the ,soul4 ,it is the ,star of ,bethlehem1 which heralds the coming of the ,christ within4 ,the two clasped hands are the spirit and body united in the marriage of the ,lamb4 ,it is from the union of the higher with the lower that the ,christ is born4 ,the ,elixir of ,life is once again the ,spirit ,fire1 or rather the fuel which nourishes that fire1 and the turning of the base metal into gold is accomplished when he transmutes the lower man into spiritual gold4 ,this he does by study and love4 ,thus he is building within himself the lost panacea for the world's woe4 ,the turning of the base metal into gold can be called a literal fact1 as the same chemical combination which spiritually produces gold1 will also do this physically4 ,it is a known fact that many of the ancient alchemists really did create the precious metal out of lead1 alloy1 etc4 ,but it was upon the principle that all things contain some part of everything else2 in other words1 every grain of sand or drop of water has in some proportion every element of the universe therein4 ,therefore the alchemist did not try to make something from nothing1 but rather to extract and build that which already was1 and this the student knows is the only possible course of procedure4 ,man can create nothing from nothing1 but he does contain within1 in potential energy1 all things2 and like the alchemist with his metals1 he is simply working with that which he already has4 ,the living ,philosopher's ,stone is a very beautiful thing4 ,indeed1 like the fire opal1 it shines with a million different lights1 changing with the mood of the wearer4 ,the transmuting process1 whereby the spiritual fire passing through the furnace of purification radiates from the body as the soul body of gold and blue1 is a very beautiful one4 ,illustration3 ,the ,marriage of the ,sun and ,moon3 ,this takes place in man when the heart and mind are joined in eternal union4 ,it occurs when the positive and negative poles within are united1 and from that union is made the ,philosopher's ,stone4 ,the ,masons have among their symbols that of a five-pointed star with two clasped hands within it1 and in that we have the mystery of the ,philosopher's ,stone4 ,the clasped hands represent the united man in which the higher and the lower are working for their mutual betterment1 by a co-operative rather than a competitive system4 ,the five-pointed star is the soul body1 born of this co-operation2 it is the living ,philosopher's ,stone1 more precious than all the jewels of earth4 ,from it pour the rivers of life spoken of in the ,bible2 it is the ,star of the ,morning that heralds the dawn of ,mastery1 and is the reward that comes to those who follow in the footsteps of the ancient alchemist4 ,it is well for the student to realize that the alchemy of life produces in natural sequence all of the states of progression which are explained in the writings of the alchemist1 until finally the sun and the moon are united as described in the ,hermetic ,marriage1 which is1 in truth1 the marriage of the body and the spirit for the mutual development of each other4 ,we are the alchemists who centuries ago carried on in secret our studies of the soul1 and we still have the same opportunity that we had then1 even more than then1 for now we can state our opinions with little danger of personal injury4 ,the modern alchemist thus has an opportunity that his ancient brother never had4 ,on a busy street corner he daily sees nature's experiments carried on4 ,he sees the mixing of metals1 and from the everyday book of life1 through the power of analogy1 he may study ,divinity4 ,through experience and often suffering the steel of his spirit is tempered by the flame of life4 ,as the moon in the zodiac touches off like a fuse the happenings of life1 so his own desires and wishes touch off the powers of his soul1 and the experiences may be transmuted into soul qualities when he has developed the eye which enables him to read the simplest of all books--everyday life4 ,illustration3 ,the ,pillars of the ,temple3 ,these pillars symbolize the heart and mind1 the positive and the negative poles of life4 ,those who would enter the temple must pass ,,between the pillars4 ,every extreme is dangerous4 ,it is the point between all poles that is safe to stand upon4 ,you cannot enter the temple by the development of either the heart or mind alone1 but only by the equal development of both4 ,the alchemist of today is not hidden in caves and cellars1 studying alone1 but as he goes on with his work1 it is seen that walls are built around him1 and while he is in the world1 like the master of old1 he is not of it4 ,as he goes further in his work1 the light of other people's advice and outside help grows weaker and weaker1 until finally he stands alone in darkness1 and then comes the time that he must use his own lamp1 and the various experiments which he has carried on must be his guide4 ,he must take the ,elixir of ,life which he has developed and with it fill the lamp of his spiritual consciousness1 and holding that above his head1 walk into the ,great ,unknown1 where if he has been a good and faithful servant1 he will learn of the alchemy of ,divinity4 ,where now test tubes and bottles are his implements1 then worlds and globes he will study1 and as a silent watcher will learn from that ,divine ,one1 who is the ,great ,alchemist of all the universe1 the greatest alchemy of all1 the creation of life1 the maintenance of form1 and the building of worlds4 ,illustration3 ,the ,serpent3 ,this is the serpent crown of the ancient ,gods4 ,it shows that the two paths or parts of the spirit fire have been united4 ,this crown is the symbol of mastery and the union takes place within the student when the life forces are lifted to the brain4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,egyptian ,,initiate ,many ages have elapsed since the ,egyptian ,priest ,king passed through the pillars of ,thebes4 ,ages before the sinking of ,atlantis1 thousands of years before the ,christian ,era1 ,egypt was a land of great truths4 ,the hand of the ,great ,white ,brotherhood was held out to the ,empire of the ,nile1 and the ancient pyramid passages resounded with the chants of the ,initiates4 ,it was then that the ,pharaoh1 now called half-human1 half-divine1 reigned in ancient ,egypt4 ,pharaoh is the ,egyptian word for king4 ,many of the later ,pharaohs were degenerate and of little account4 ,it is only the early ,pharaohs we now list among the ,priest ,kings4 ,illustration3 ,the ,masonic ,apron3 ,in the triangle we see spirit descending into the square of matter4 ,let us so purify matter that spirit may shine through it and make of us lights to guide the footsteps of humanity4 ,try to picture for a moment the great ,hall of ,luxor--its inscriptive columns holding up domes of solid granite1 each column carved with the histories of the gods4 ,there at the upper end of the chamber sat the ,pharaoh of the ,nile in his robes of state2 around him his counsellors1 chief among them the priest of the temple4 ,an imposing spectacle it was3 the gigantic frame of the later ,atlantean1 robed in gold and priceless jewels2 on his head the crown of the ,north and ,south1 the double empire of the ancient2 on his forehead the coiled serpent of the ,initiate1 the serpent which was raised in the wilderness that all who looked upon it might live2 that sleeping serpent power in man1 which coiled head downward around the tree of life1 drove him from the garden of the ,lord1 but which raised upon the ,cross1 became the symbol of the ,christ4 ,the ,pharaoh was an ,initiate of ,scorpio1 and the serpent is the transmuted ,scorpio energy1 which working upward in the regenerated individual is called the ,kundalini4 ,this serpent was the sign of ,initiation4 ,it meant that within him the serpent had been raised1 for the true ,pharaoh was a priest of ,god1 as well as a master of men4 ,there he sat upon the cube altar throne1 indicating his mastery over the four elements of his physical body--a judge of the living and of the dead1 who in spite of all his power and glory1 having about him the grandeur of the world's greatest empire1 still bowed in humble supplication to the will of the gods4 ,in his hands he carries the triple sceptre of the ,nile1 the ,shepherd's ,crook1 the ,anubis-headed ,staff and the ,flail or ,whip4 ,these were the symbols of his work4 ,they represent the powers which he had mastered4 ,with the whip he had subjugated his physical body2 with the ,shepherd's ,crook he was the guardian and keeper of his emotional body2 with the ,anubis-headed ,staff he was master of his mind and worthy to wield the powers of government over others1 because1 first of all1 he obeyed the laws himself4 ,illustration3 ,the ,sceptres of ,egypt3 ,these are the three bodies that are the tools with which we are to build our temple4 ,when they are mastered they are the living proof of our right to kingship4 ,with all his robes of state and with the scarab upon his breast1 and with the ,all-seeing ,eye above his throne1 there was still nothing as precious or as sacred to the ancient ,egyptian ,priest ,king as the triangular girdle or apron which was the symbol of his initiation4 ,the apron of the ancient ,egyptian carried with it the same symbolism as the ,masonic apron of today4 ,it symbolized the purification of the bodies1 when the seat of the lower emotions1 ,scorpio1 was covered by the white sheepskin of purification4 ,this symbol of his purification was the most precious belonging of the ancient ,pharaoh2 and this plain insignia1 worn by many others below him in rank and dignity1 but equal to him in spiritual purification1 was the most precious of all things to the ,priest ,king4 ,there he sat1 written upon him in the words of the ,initiate1 the symbols of his purification and mastery1 a wise king of a wise people4 ,and it was through these ,priest ,kings that the ,divine worked1 for they were of the order of ,melchisedec4 ,through them was formed that doctrine which degeneracy has not been able to entirely obliterate1 which we know as the divine right of kings--divine because through spirituality and growth ,god was able to manifest through them4 ,they were conscious instruments in the hands of a ready writer1 willing and proud to do the work of those with whom through knowledge and truth they had attuned themselves4 ,illustration3 ,the ,sacred ,scarab3 ,in this form the ancient ,egyptians worshiped ,khepera1 the rising ,sun1 and the sacred scarab was buried with the dead as the symbol of resurrection4 ,for as the sun rises from the darkness of night1 so the divine spirit rises from the body that is no more4 ,the life is eternal4 ,but the time came1 as in all nations1 when selfishness and egotism entered the heart of king and people alike1 and slowly the hand from the ,great ,white ,brotherhood that fed ancient ,egypt was withdrawn1 and the powers of darkness transformed the land of glory into one of ruins1 and the names of mighty kings were buried beneath the oblivion of degeneracy4 ,mighty cataclysms shook the world1 and out of the land of darkness the ,great ,white ,brotherhood carried the chosen people into the promised land2 ,egypt1 the land of glory1 disintegrated into dust4 ,the great temples of the ,pharaohs are ruins1 and the temples of ,isis are but broken heaps of sandstone4 ,but what of the priest kings who labored there in the days of its glory8 ,they are still with us1 for those who were leaders before are leaders now1 if they have continued to walk the path4 ,although his sceptre is gone1 and his priestly vestments have moulded away1 the ,priest ,king still walks the earth with the dignity and the power and the childish simplicity that before made him great4 ,he no longer wears the robes of his order4 ,although he bears no credentials1 he is as much a priest king now as then1 for he still bears the true insignia of his rank4 ,the coiled serpent has given place to knowledge and love4 ,the hand that bestowed the riches of the past does little acts of kindness now4 ,although he no longer carries the sceptres of self-mastery1 still he manifests that mastery in his daily life4 ,although the altar fires within the temple at ,karnac have long been dead1 the true fire within himself still burns1 and before that he still bows as he bowed in the days of ,egypt's glory4 ,although the priest no longer is his counsellor1 and the wise ones of his country no longer aid him in governmental problems1 still he is never alone1 for the priests in white and the counsellors in blue still march with him and whisper words of strength when he needs them4 ,have you seen people that somehow you liked regardless of appearances8 ,have you seen other charming people whom you hated in spite of their charms8 ,have you seen learned people who were fools or impressed you as such1 or people who knew little and yet you felt were wise8 ,those are the insignia of rank1 which the loss of title or position cannot destroy4 ,kings with or without crowns they were--not puppets dressed in tawdry tinsel4 ,and they still are kings and will be to the end of time1 and they still manifest their rank1 not by their superiority1 and their high-headedness1 but by the soul qualities which they radiate from themselves4 ,the purity of their lives still radiates outward from those who wore the apron of the ,initiate1 for while that triangular apron with its serpent drawn upon it has long since rotted away1 still the spiritual counterpart of that symbol radiates in their daily lives1 proving beyond all dispute that they were ,priest ,kings and are today4 ,we find them in every walk of life--in high places and down in the mire of life4 ,but wherever we find them1 they are still the mouthpieces of the gods1 and through them comes the promise to all who strive4 ,they are kings1 not of the earth but of heaven1 and in the life of our own ,master we find one who joined himself to those who served1 and was a true ,king even when his only crown was a wreath of thorns4 ,still in the pyramid of ,gizeh1 the initiations continue2 still the ,initiate receives the insignia of his rank4 ,before that ,fire within himself he makes his vows1 and upon the burning altar of his own higher being he lays his crown and his sceptre1 his robes and his diamonds1 his hates and his fears1 and sanctifies his life as a ,priest ,king1 and swears to serve none but his own higher self1 the god within4 ,his robes are his soul body2 and his crown is his life1 and in the streets of life he is enthroned4 ,the dusky towers and factory chimneys around him fade into the templed pillars of ,luxor1 and with a lunch pail on his arm1 his face brown with honest dirt1 he is as much a king as when the crown of the double ,nile rested upon his brow1 and the priest of the temple made him one with his ,god and his fellowman4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,the ,priest before the ,ark of the ,covenant1 and the ,spirit over the ,mercy ,seat4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,ark ,,of ,,the ,,covenant ,one of the most interesting symbols that has come down to us from the ancients is that of the ,ark1 or the box that was said to contain the sacred relics4 ,many people believe that this belongs particularly to the ,jewish nation1 but this is a great mistake1 because it has been the birthright of every country to have the ,ark4 ,all have1 like the ,jewish people1 lost much of their power and glory when they lost the sacred ,ark4 ,in ancient ,chaldea and ,phoenicia the ,ark was well known4 ,india celebrates it as the ,lotus1 and the ancient ,egyptians tell how the moon god ,osiris was imprisoned in an ark4 ,in all the ,mystery ,religions of the world1 individually and cosmically1 the ark represents the fountain-head of wisdom4 ,over it the ,shekinah's glory hovers1 as a column of flames by night and a pillar of smoke by day4 ,every country has seen and felt its presence when the ,priest ,kings and ,initiates bring out of an old civilization1 lost because of crystallization1 the sacred ,ark1 and surrounded by those faithful to the truth carry it into other lands and among other peoples4 ,in every creed and religion we find crystallization4 ,we find small groups of people separating themselves from their brother man4 ,we find those who1 clinging to the old1 refuse to advance with the new1 and whenever we find this crystallization1 we find the spirit of truth carried away to other people and embodied in other doctrines4 ,the ancient ,ark of the ,israelite never had removed from it the staves by which it was carried and moved1 until finally it was placed in ,solomon's temple4 ,neither does the spirit fire in man rest until finally it is enthroned in the holy place of his solar temple4 ,ever towards the rising sun its bearers carry this sacred truth4 ,nations are born of those who love the truth1 and are buried when they forget it4 ,the time has come when its silent bearers have taken the sacred ,ark and the ,shekinah's glory1 and in solemn file have moved across the waters and brought it to the new world4 ,the call has sounded through the universe1 and those who are true to their own higher principles have surrounded the sacred chest4 ,those who have sworn alliance to their own higher being are following the priests and their sacred burden1 and a beautiful mystery temple is being built in this beautiful land of ours1 loved and guarded by those who are laboring for humanity4 ,the staves are still in the ,ark1 however1 and only when real good can be done by it will it remain4 ,the opportunity is now confronting the ,western ,world4 ,the knowledge of the ancients1 the wisdom of the ages is knocking at the door and seeking those who will follow it4 ,the bearers of the ,ark have stopped and are gathering a nucleus of spiritual souls to carry on their work1 and whether or not the word of the ,lord will remain with a nation depends upon its own actions1 and the actions of a nation are the collective actions of its individuals4 ,if it finds nothing here attuned to itself1 if it finds few that will answer to its call1 the call of service and brotherhood1 then will its priests lift again the staves and the sacred work will go out into other lands4 ,the life of a country thus gone1 like the ancient city of the ,golden ,gate it will be swallowed up in oblivion4 ,the call is sounding1 and those who love the ,truth and think and care for the ,light must join that band of servers who have for centuries dedicated themselves to the preservation of ,truth4 ,their lives they have given a thousand times1 their happiness has been second to their duty4 ,they are the keepers of the sacred ,word1 and the law of attraction draws to them all who love and live the ,truth4 ,a great influx of spiritual light comes to those who live the life and have learned the doctrine1 and regardless of clan or country they have joined the silent file of watchers and workers around the sacred ,ark of the ,covenant4 ,every individual by his daily actions is expressing more plainly than by words his ideals1 his desires1 and his attitude towards this great work4 ,the composite attitude of a certain number of people either shuts out or lets in the light4 ,therefore every individual has a great duty1 a great work has to be done1 and to that the true student must dedicate his life4 ,then wherever he may go1 whatever he may do1 he is being led1 and the ,shekinah's glory directs his footsteps4 ,illustration3 ,the ,rod that ,budded1 the ,pot of ,manna1 and the ,tablets of the ,law3 ,in these three things contained within the ,ark we see the threefold spirit contained within the ark of man's bodies4 ,in the brain of man1 between the wings of the kneeling cherubim1 is the mercy seat1 and there man speaks with his ,god as the priest of the tabernacle spoke to the spirit of the ,lord hovering between the wings of the ,angels4 ,man is again the ,ark1 and within him are the three principles1 the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,spirit--the tablets of the law1 the pot of manna1 and the rod that budded4 ,but as in the case of the ancient ,israelites1 when they became crystallized the pot of manna and the rod that budded were removed from the ,ark1 and all that was left were the tablets or the letters of the law4 ,when the individual crystallizes and excludes various sidelights from his mind1 he excludes the life force which was flowing to him4 ,in shutting out strangers1 he shuts out his own life1 and all that he has left are the tablets of the law1 the material reasons from which the spiritual life has gone4 ,solomon's temple1 or the perfected temple of the human body1 the perfected temple of the universe and the perfected temple of the soul1 finally forms the perfect shrine for the living ,ark4 ,there at the head of a great cross it is placed1 and there in man it becomes permanently fixed4 ,the staves of polarity upon which it was carried are removed1 and it becomes a living thing1 a permanent place where man converses with his ,god4 ,there man1 the purified priest1 arrayed in the robes of his order1 the garments of his soul1 converses with the spirit hovering over the ,mercy ,seat4 ,this ,ark within is always present1 but man can only reach it after he has passed through the outer court of the ,tabernacle1 after he has passed through all the degrees of initiation1 and after he has taken the ,third ,degree and becomes a ,grand ,master4 ,then and then only can he enter into the presence of his ,lord1 and there in the darkened chamber1 lighted by the jewels of his own breast plate1 he converses with the ,most ,high1 the true spiritual essence within himself4 ,we are working towards this1 and the time will come when each person for himself will know the mystery of the ,ark1 when the student through purification shall be led through the door of the ,holy of ,holies and there be enveloped by the ,light of ,truth4 ,this was his birthright which he sold for a mess of pottage4 8,to this end came he into the world that he might bear witness to this truth1 that through this light all men might be saved40 ,the ,ark1 that great spiritual principle1 surrounded by its loving workers1 is calling all to follow it4 ,when through materiality and degeneracy a great people are destroyed or a continent sinks beneath the ocean1 then those that are true are called around the ,ark1 and as its faithful servers are led out of the land of darkness into the new world and a promised paradise4 ,all great teachings set forth the same thing4 ,the student will find that it is true1 and when he allies himself with the powers of light1 when he becomes a channel for its expression1 and when he radiates it from himself to all who need it1 then indeed will the ,light protect him and he shall become a ,sun of ,god4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,the ,holy ,grail3 ,see in this cup your own body within which is the life blood of the ,sun ,spirit of the ,universe4 ,each day that we live we perpetuate the ,last ,supper1 and in all that we do we drink again the blood of ,christ1 the life power of the ,cosmos4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,knights ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,grail ,before starting to take up the study of the ,grail legends1 it will be well for all who are interested to read those tales that are now listed under the heading of children's fairy stories4 ,for example the story of good ,king ,arthur and his ,round ,table is a cosmic myth1 and while there is little doubt that he as a man also lived1 the real mystery as in the story of the ,christ1 is not the literal tale1 but the great mystic or occult truth that it concealed under allegory and parable4 ,it is the same with the story of ,parsifal which can never be really understood and appreciated until the student sees in the ,knight and later ,king of the ,sacred ,cup1 his own spiritual development and the temptations he must also master if he would become a ,king of the ,grail4 ,illustration3 ,the ,stone and the ,sword3 ,,whoever ,,can ,,draw ,,this ,,sword ,,from ,,this ,,stone ,,is ,,the ,,master ,,of ,,the ,,universe4 ,in ,lohengrin also the same truth is shown to the world4 ,it is the path of ,initiation along which each must pass on his road to self-mastery4 ,to every nation and in every tongue sacred legends have been given to teach man the path he must follow4 ,the blind ,homer of the ,greeks who told of the wanderings of ,ulysses gave the same great truths to the world4 ,the ,scalds of ancient ,norway and ,sweden and the ,prophets of the ,jews used the same means1 and everywhere from the ,sacred ,books of the ,east to the legends of the ,american ,indians we find one great connected truth told to many different people in ways that were best suited for their development4 ,such a truth is the legend of the ,round ,table1 given to ,king ,arthur as a wedding gift4 ,all true students know what wedding that was4 ,not of earth but the wedding of the ,spiritual and ,intellectual within the ,initiate himself1 when the spirit and the body are united eternally1 each swearing to honor and protect the other4 ,of such a marriage was the union of ,arthur and ,guinevere in the legend of the ,king4 ,let us first of all consider the coming of ,arthur the ,king4 ,we read in the legend of ,arthur regarding ,merlin the ,magician1 the wise man who it is said had charge of the coming ,king during his youth4 ,merlin represents the hand of the ,elder ,brothers1 who realizing that a great ego had come into the world1 had consecrated themselves to the work of preparing him for his mission4 ,illustration3 ,the ,rosicrucian ,rose3 ,in this flower1 which was painted upon the center of ,king ,arthur's ,table1 we see the soul of man1 which through purification and service has blossomed out with all the grandeur of the ,initiate4 ,it was under the direction of ,merlin1 the master mind1 that the anvil and stone with the sword thrust into it were raised in the square of the city when it became necessary for a new king to be selected4 ,it was he also who called all of the brave knights of the country and told them that the one who could draw forth the sword would be king of all the land4 ,and of all the knights in the land1 ,arthur the half-grown boy was the only one who could release the sword4 ,there is a very wonderful mystery of the soul contained within that divine allegory4 ,let us read the letters that were engraved upon the sword4 8,,who ,,so ,,pulleth ,,out ,,this ,,sword ,,of ,,this ,,stone ,,and ,,anvil ,,is ,,right-,,wise ,,king ,,born ,,of ,,england40 ,the cube stone is the body2 it has been so symbolized for centuries1 and today among the ,masons the ,ashler is the symbol of ,man4 ,experience is the anvil1 and it is upon this anvil that the sword is tempered4 ,the sword is spirit1 and he who would be ,king in the true spiritual sense of the word must first show his divine power by freeing the ,sword of ,spirit from the casings of the lower man and the world4 ,it is the same symbol as that later used by ,sir ,galahad1 the guileless knight1 the personification of the purified man1 who comes without a sword but who later arms himself with the sword of spirit that he draws from the cube block which was floating down the river 7of life7 past ,camelot4 ,sir ,galahad had the strength of ten because his heart was pure1 and the ,knight of today must follow in the same path4 ,illustration3 ,the ,sacred ,spear3 ,this is the spear of ,passion that pierces the side of the ,christ1 the higher principle in man4 ,but when in the hand of the pure of heart this power can heal the very wound it caused4 ,if you have read the story of ,king ,arthur1 you will remember how he was given ,excalibur1 the enchanted sword1 how it came up out of the water held by a hand draped in white4 ,excalibur represents light and truth1 which is the weapon of the true ,initiate4 ,in ,england there still hangs on a courthouse wall the ,round ,table of ,king ,arthur4 ,in the very center of the table is a beautiful rose painted in natural colors4 ,this symbol is that of the ,rosicrucians1 the ancient alchemists1 and there is a direct connection between the legend of the ,british ,king and the ancient philosophers of fire4 ,now let us turn our attention for a moment to the history of the ,holy ,grail1 or the cup from which ,christ drank at the ,last ,supper and which was said to have caught his blood when he was dying upon the cross4 ,ancient legends tell us that this cup was made from a sacred stone which had been the crown jewel of ,lucifer1 the dynamic energy of the universe4 ,it was said that the green stone had been struck from the crown of ,lucifer by the archangel ,michael during the famous battle in heaven4 ,after the death of ,christ it is said that ,joseph of ,arimathea took the sacred cup and the spear of the ,passion and carried them into a distant land4 ,he wandered with his sacred relics through ,europe and is said to have finally died1 and those who came after him after many centuries of tribulation carried the sacred relics to ,mount ,salvart in northern ,spain where they remained until ,parsifal finally took the grail and spear back to the ,east where it is to be now preserved4 ,it is around this cup and spear that the legends of ,parsifal and ,king ,arthur have been written1 and it is through study of this fact that we are able to better understand the mystery of the ,great ,white ,lodge of which the ,round ,table of ,arthur and the circular temple of the knights of the ,grail is a symbol4 ,although we no longer have the cup as a physical symbol1 it is not gone from among us1 and as in the days of old the brave knights of the ,round ,table went out to fight for right1 so those knights of today who belong to the ,great ,white ,brotherhood go out into the world in the name of truth and labor with mankind and seek to right the wrongs of the world4 ,it is said that the knights of ,arthur's court always fought for virtue and purity1 and so did those who rode out of ,mount ,salvart4 ,the grail cup is the symbol of the creative force of nature2 it is also the symbol of the human race which is slowly learning the mysteries of creation4 ,within the cup is the blood of ,christ1 that force which is transmuting the body into soul1 fast or slowly as we give it greater or lesser opportunity4 ,in the sacred spear we find symbolized again the creative force1 which in the hands of ,klingsor1 the evil one1 wounds and causes suffering1 but which when held by the pure ,parsifal heals the very wound that it caused4 ,a great lesson is being taught to man through these allegories1 but the average person is unwilling to stop and consider them4 ,they do not realize that they themselves are the ones whom the ,elder ,brothers of humanity must use in the fight against the forces of evil4 ,they do not realize that the dragons and ogres of the legends are their own lower natures which they must overcome4 ,they do not see in the hand to hand combat of the knights of old for a lady's hand the higher and lower man fighting for the soul within4 ,the knight of today does not realize that the white armor that he wears is his own purified body which is proof against all the attacks of vice and passion1 but nevertheless this is the meaning of the legend4 ,his shield is truth1 which is a perfect protection to the inner man4 ,his strong right arm is the knowledge and spiritual power he has developed within1 and the sword that he uses is the spiritual light with which the pure flame of the spirit fire dispels the darkness of ignorance and the demons of lust4 ,the sacred spear and the cup which he serves are the two poles of the creative life force within1 the development of which he gains as he daily serves his fellow men4 ,far from the uninitiated the twelve ,elder ,brothers of mankind sitting around the circular table of the universe watch the knights in their battle of life1 and the time comes when the student having finished his work here is liberated at the foot of the ,grail4 ,there the candidate stands robed from head to foot in the armor of spirit and in the pure white of a body that has been cleansed4 ,then the cloth is lifted from the sacred cup1 and he is illuminated by the light which would have killed him had he seen it without purification4 ,he then takes his place among the knights of the ,round ,table1 and joins those who give up all and labor for humanity4 ,when in sickness and in suffering we beg of the great unknown that he send us help1 then indeed our knight comes to us as ,lohengrin came to ,elsa4 ,when our loved ones pass into the great unknown1 there stands the brother of the ,grail1 the invisible helper1 who through days of labor has earned the right to become a member of that great band of servers who gather around the table of the ,king1 and while their bodies are asleep still labor in their great search for light and truth1 and pray for the day when they shall also become ,kings of the ,holy ,grail4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,mystery ,,of ,,the ,,pyramid ,there comes a time in the development of the occult student when he understands one of the great secrets of the ,initiates1 and that is that every sacred thing outside of himself stands for some organ or function within himself4 ,this is1 of course1 true in the case of the ,great ,pyramid1 except that this particular pile of stone said by many to be the oldest building on the surface of the earth1 is the great symbol of composite man4 ,in other words it stands for man as a unit4 ,let us first consider it simply from the exterior standpoint4 ,when we first look at it in the distance it seems to be one great stone1 but as we come closer we see that it is made of thousands of smaller stones1 each one carefully fitted into place4 ,here we see the first likeness between the pyramid and man4 ,we consider man to be a unit1 but when we examine more closely1 we find that he is a great number of small units1 each working in harmony with the others4 ,it is the same with everything4 ,we take a successful life and we think of it as an entirety1 but when we examine it1 we find that it is a number of small achievements joined together4 ,illustration3 ,cross ,section of the ,great ,pyramid of ,gizah4 ,as thousands of workmen were used in the building of the pyramid1 so there are unnumbered workmen at work in the building of our bodies1 which are symbolical of the same building4 ,there are many pyramids all over the world4 ,we find them in ,south ,america and in ,mexico2 we find mounds which were made to represent them among the ,american ,indians1 and in ,europe and ,britain we find remnants of the same things4 ,but there is only one real pyramid in all the world4 ,even the others in ,egypt are but copies of the ,great ,pyramid1 and were used as tombs for the ,pharaohs1 but nobody was ever found in ,cheops1 nor were there ever any signs that it had been so used4 ,now let us continue our analogy between the pyramid and man4 ,if you will look at the accompanying illustration1 you will see the pyramid laid flat1 and you will notice it is made of four triangles laid around the base square4 ,the four-sided base of the pyramid represents the four elements of which man's bodies are composed4 ,these are hydrogen1 nitrogen1 oxygen and carbon1 or earth1 water1 fire1 and air4 ,these are called the base of all things1 and upon this base the four bodies of man are raised1 each from its own element4 ,thus the physical body is raised from the earth4 ,the vital body is raised from the water1 the emotional body from the fire1 and the mental body from the air4 ,illustration3 ,the ,pyramid3 ,here we see the pyramid laid out so that the four triangles and the square are clearly seen4 ,this represents man once again1 and the ancient ,pyramid is man offering his higher being upon the altar of the ,great ,fire ,spirit4 ,there are twelve lines used in the drawing of the four triangles1 which stand for the twelvefold constitution of man when it is complete3 the threefold body1 the threefold mind1 the threefold soul1 and the threefold spirit4 ,it also gives us the twelve signs of the zodiac1 divided into their respective groups4 ,illustration ,out on the desert stands the ,sphinx1 the ,guardian of the ,threshold mentioned by ,bulwer ,lytton4 ,it stands for the bodies of man1 and is that strange being which must be passed before the student can go on in his development4 ,the four fixed signs of which the ,sphinx is a symbol are ,taurus the ,bull1 ,leo the ,lion1 ,scorpio the ,eagle1 and ,aquarius the ,man1 or the human head4 ,illustration3 ,the ,sphinx3 ,this is that mysterious being suspended 'twixt heaven and earth1 which has the head of a human being and the body of an animal4 ,in other words the ,sphinx symbolizes man4 ,i have already given you some work on the sacrum bone1 and ,i told you that it was the grave digger's spade4 ,here is a picture of the head of the ,sphinx1 and the inverted sacrum bone when it has been turned upward4 ,we see the ,sphinx in the inverted sacrum and also in it the inverted ,masonic keystone4 ,all this is very interesting1 but unless we realize the inner meaning of it1 its true value is lost4 ,but it is not chance that these things should be so4 ,you have most of you heard of the ,dweller on the ,threshold1 that creature built by our own actions and mistakes4 ,well out on ,egypt's desert it stands and bars the way to the pyramid1 the temple of the higher man4 ,and the message that it gives to the world is3 8,i am the bodies4 ,if you would go on to the temple you must master me1 for ,i am within you40 ,the ,sphinx again symbolizes man1 with the mind and spirit of the human rising out of the animal desires and emotions4 ,it is the riddle of the ages1 and man is once more the answer4 ,it is said that in ancient times the ,sphinx was the gateway of the pyramid1 and that there was an underground passage which led from the ,sphinx to ,cheops4 ,this would make the symbolism even more perfect1 for the gateway to the spirit is through the bodies according to the ancients4 ,let us now enter the pyramid and passing through the corridors come to the ,king's ,chamber as it is called4 ,there are three great rooms in the pyramid which are of great interest to the student4 ,the highest is the ,king's ,chamber1 then below that is the ,queen's ,chamber1 and down below the surface of the earth is the ,pit4 ,here we again find the great correlation between the pyramid and man4 ,the three rooms are the three great divisions in man which are the seats of the threefold spirit4 ,the lower room is the generative system under the control of ,jehovah4 ,the center room or ,queen's ,chamber is the heart1 under the control of the ,christ2 and the upper room or the ,king's ,chamber is the brain1 which is under the control of the ,father4 ,in this upper room is the coffer made of stone1 the meaning of which has never been explained1 but which the student recognizes as the third ventricle in the brain4 ,it is quite certain also that this coffer was used as a tomb during initiation1 when as is the case in the ,masonic initiations of today1 7which are the remnants of the ancient mysteries7 the candidate was buried in the earth and resurrected1 a symbol of the death of the lower man and the liberation of the higher4 ,it is said that ,moses was initiated in the ,great ,pyramid1 and some also say that ,jesus was instructed there also4 ,be that as it may1 we know that for thousands of years since the time it was built by the ,atlanteans it has been the greatest temple of ,initiation in the world4 ,it seems also that its work is not yet done1 for mutely it is teaching those who will see the mysteries of creation4 ,it is said by many that it is the original ,solomon's ,temple1 but this we know is not true1 for while it may be the first and original material temple1 the true temple of ,solomon is the universe1 the ,solarman's temple1 which is slowly being rebuilt in man as the temple of the ,soul of ,man4 ,there is probably no point that is as important in connection with the pyramid as that of the corner stone4 ,on the very top of the great pyramid is a comparatively flat place about thirty feet square4 ,in other words the ,,true ,,stone ,,which ,,is ,,the ,,head ,,of ,,all ,,the ,,corners ,,is ,,missing4 ,if we look at the reverse side of the ,united ,states seal1 we find again the pyramid from which the top is separated4 ,omar ,khayyam1 the ,persian ,poet1 gives us the secret of the keystone when he says3 8,from my base metal shall be filed a key1 ,which shall unlock the door he howls without40 ,the value of the stone is better understood when you understand that it completes all of the triangles at once1 and without it none of them are complete4 ,illustration3 ,the ,key and the ,cross3 ,upon the cross of matter that forms our bodies1 hangs the key to all the mysteries of creation4 ,it is our duty to take this key and with it unlock the door that conceals from us the unknown4 ,this key is the spirit4 ,release it4 ,this stone is the spirit in man1 which fell from its high position1 and has been lost beneath the rubbish of the lower man4 ,this is the true cap stone that is now hidden in the pit of man's temple1 and which he must exhume and place again as the true crown of his spiritual pyramid4 ,he can only do this when he calls the thousands of workmen within himself together and binds them to the service of the higher man4 ,there must be no traitors to murder the builder this time4 ,and ,lucifer1 the one rejected by man as the devil1 is the one who must through the planet ,mars send man the dynamic energy which man himself must transmute from the fire of passion to the flame of spirit4 ,he then must take the tools of the craft and cut and polish his own being into the cap stone of the ,universal ,temple4 ,it is interesting to note how the casing stones that once made the pyramid so beautiful and true were carried away to build the cities nearby1 and in connection with that it is interesting to note how the soul and body of man1 the casing stones of his spiritual temple1 have been sacrificed in order that he might have material things4 ,as we look at pictures of the ancient pyramid and ,sphinx which have stood on ,egypt's sands for ages1 let us see in them our own mystery temple1 made without the sound of hammer or the voice of workman4 ,and as we sadly think of this mighty ruin1 broken by ages of neglect1 let us remember our temple1 and that its corner stone is missing also and our walls are falling with neglect4 ,let us learn the lesson which it teaches1 hasten to perfect our pyramid1 cap it with the stone of spirit1 offer upon its altars our sacrifice to the ,great ,sun ,spirit1 and bury our lower nature in its ancient coffer4 ,then for us will its mysteries be revealed1 and the sealed lips of the ,sphinx give up their secret4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,,where ,,your ,,treasure ,,is1 ,,there ,,will ,,your ,,heart ,,be ,,also4 ,,the ,,white ,,grail ,illustration ,choose now your path ,illustration ,service4 ,self-,sacrifice4 ,purification4 ,love4 ,study4 ,,the ,,black ,,grail ,illustration ,choose now your path ,illustration ,prosperity at others expense4 ,selfishness4 ,short-cuts4 ,mastered by appetite4 ,comfort4 ,,finis ,,premier ,,printing ,,company #eab ,west ,twelfth ,street ,los ,angeles