Rosicrucian Digest, December 1937
Rosicrucian Digest, December 1937
Rosicrucian Digest, December 1937
1937
pat cop*
T he Secret of Success
STUDENTS
LESSON
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The fundamental law of success vs order. Systematic
arrangement of your thoughts, your plans and your acts,
assures you against lost time. The greatest genius is at a
disadvantage if he is compelled to search for his imple
ments, pen, or brush when inspired. The student is equally
striving against odds if his monographs or lessons are
haphazardly filed, requiring a shuffling of pages, a sorting
of manuscripts, each time a point, principle, law, or fact
is sought. There is no greater torment than the tantalizing
thought that you possess the needed information, but just
cannot locate it. There is no wisdom so useless as that just
beyond recall. Why not begin today to file your mono
graphs methodically? We have prepared a specially made,
serviceable and attractive lesson binder for this purpose.
This special binder will accommodate ayear's monographs.
It is very attractive, and stamped in gold with the symbol
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T he R O S I C R U C I A N SU P P L Y B U R E A U
ROSI CRUCI AN PARK
SAN JOSE, CAL I FORNI A
4
*
*
*
N J EARLY i
^^ life that
wo thousand years ago a
a cause might live in the
Man gave His
hearts of men.
T h e A MORC S t a r r
Whi l e peoples are divided in opinion as to the time
and nature ol His birth, and who shall be the inter
preter o! His words, the need lor His cause confronts
them all. 1he exercise of independent thought. Iree-
dom to seek happiness where one may without a vi o
lation of peace on earth, is what all rational men seek.
I hat end can be attained, so Hi s cause expounded, only
through manifesting good will toward all men.
I hough theology, with its creeds and dogmas, may con
tuse His precepts, and hi storians may question the
incidents ol Hi s life, no clearer solution to the problem
ol human strife has ever been given. ir ci . ristmas ac
complishes nothing else than a pause in the mad rush
of human endeavor, during which men reflect upon the
omni potence ol the Divinity, the brotherhood ol man.
and have a sympatheti c understandi ng ol each other,
I lis cause wi II not h ave perish ed. If one can find no
other reason, let it at least be hallowed as a day of
communi on among men.
W e extend to each and every member and I riend on
this occasion with the full import of its meaning . . .
Christmas Greetings
TH E TEM PLE OF TH E SPHI NX
The Temple of the Sphinx, shown above, was one of many oblong valley-temples connected with the pyramids,
on the plateau above, by long stone causeways. The granite blocks forming the rows of pillars shown here weigh
approximately twenty tons each. In this temple many mystical ceremonies were conducted in ancient times. From
here processions began their trek to the Great Pyramid of Gizeh, seen inthe background.
(Courtesy o[ TheRosicrucian Digest.)
I Z?IV
WE S i L W Z l Z
ROSICRUCIAN
DIGEST
COVERS THE WORLD
33333311
THE OFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL ROSICRUCIAN MAGA
ZINE OF THE WOR L D- WI DE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER
DECEMBER, 1937
The Temple of the Sphinx (Frontispiece) 402
The Thought of the Month: Shall We Go to War? 404
The Philosopher's Stone....... . 407
Cathedral Contacts: A Cathedral Amid the Trees 410
The Truth About Vitamins 412
Pages from the Past: Washington Gladden 417
Cracker-barrel Philosophy 418
Along Civilizations Trail: The Unknown
Conditions in Palestine 419
Summaries of Science: Nations Are Men 425
Man the Master of Earth 429
Sanctum Musings: The Lives of the Mystics 434
Creation (Illustration) 437
Subscription to The Rosicrucian Digest, Three Dollars per
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Changes of address must reach us by the tenth of the month
preceding date of issue.
Statements made in this publication are not the official ex
pressions of the organization or its officers unless stated to
be official communications.
TEH77n r
Published Monthly by the Supreme Council of
THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER A M O R C
ROSICRUCIAN PARK SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
SFfl
The
Rosicruciati
Digest
December
1937
TOS
THE
THOUGHT OF THE MONTH
"SHALL WE GO TO WAR?"
By THE IMPERATOR
4-rft
HE rapidly evolv
ing political con
ditions throughout
the world, and the
atti tude of the
American Govern
ment and other
forms of govern
ment, in regard to
threatening wars
and war activities,
are being serious
ly di scussed by
our members in
the United States and elsewhere and
are resulting in considerable corres
pondence coming to us on this subject.
I think it right, therefore, that we dis
cuss this matter here and now because,
as our new pamphlet containing the
predictions of 1938 will show, our
American Government and country is
rapidly approaching the time when it
will participate in another war in
foreign lands, or at least will participate
in the strife and contention, and call for
the use of the Army and Navy.
I do not want to enter into an outline
of the predictions contained in the new
booklet, for all of you will receive a copy
of it in due time, but I do want to antici
pate many of the letters that will be
written to us.
The most general type of letter asks
this very definite question pertaining to
our individual Karma: "I f we are called
upon or permit ourselves to be drawn
into the war as individual soldiers or
fighters, is there any way we can pos
sibly avoid bringing upon ourselves un
fortunate Karma by joining such war
fare activities?
As I have said on many occasions, all
Rosicrucians everywhere in the world
are peace loving individuals and will
make any sacrifice in their personal lives
and positions to prevent war and bring
peace not only in their own country, but
among any and all of the peoples and
nations of the world. All real Rosicru
cians look upon war and the shedding
of blood as not only a horrible catastro
phe, a useless, senseless waste and de
struction of property, and a retrogession
of civilization, but as a fruitless method
of attaining or acqui ri ng anything.
The inevitable result of all warfare is
that even the victor is the loser. Look
ing at it coolly and unemotionally and
free from any spiritual or mystical point
of view, nothing is really attained that
is constructive and beneficial by such
wanton destruction of life and property,
and the setback in the progress of the
sciences, arts, culture, morals , and
ethics is a horrible and terrible price to
pay for the supposed benefit that would
accrue from any kind of war. But on
the other hand, there is another angle
to the entire matter and it behooves a
true Rosicrucian as a true citizen of his
country to view the matter from both
angles and both sides of the question.
Whether or not you as an individual
believe in war, or want to go to war, or
are willing to go to war and participate
in bloodshed and the destruction of
property, is purely a personal matter
that cannot enter into your considera
tion of your duties or obligations to
your country, or the country in which
you live. Next to your duty to God and
to your fellow man is your duty to your
country, to the nation in which you are
Four hundred [our
living, to the collective body of peoples
who represent your fellow citizens. If
you are living in any country and en
joying the benefits of its protection, the
benefits of its development, and the
blessings of the land, and the guidance
of its officials, you are duty bound to
repay your country or the land in which
you live, and the government which
protects you, by obeying its official de
crees and participating in its official ac
tivities whether you personally believe
they are right or wrong.
The proper time to determine whether
your country is right or wrong in its at
titudes, in its principles, and in its activ
ities is when you are given an oppor
tunity to express your opinion by vote,
or when you assist in the making of its
laws and in the creation of its funda
mental constitutional laws and amend
ments. If you, through failure to vote, or
an indifference in voting, are part of a
nation whose majority of individual
citizens approves of war and elects of
ficials and directors who approve of
war, or who will institute war, then you
are duty bound to comply with the
conditions and accept the resulting
Karma.
For a moment let us view it from the
other angle. Would it be fair for you
to decide now in the face of possible
war that you are not a part of the ma
jority, or part of the nation or country,
because you have a different opinion re
garding war and do not want to partici
pate in war? Would it be fair for you
to say that you are one with your coun
try in all of its blessings, in all of its
peaceful activities, and ready to accept
everything that you approve of, but that
when it comes to something you do not
approve of, you will isolate yourself and
let the other citizens do what you are
unwilling to do? In other words is it
fair for you to stay home and remain in
a peaceful, inactive, nonpartisan atti
tude, and allow the other fellow to risk
his life, to shed the blood of another, to
participate in war, and to do the things
that may bitterly arouse his antipathy,
but to which he submits as a duty and
obligation which he owes to his
country?
Your individual Karma is so closely
connected with, or affected by the
Karma of the country in which you live,
Four hundred five
that you cannot blow hot or cold on
that Karma and say it shall be only
good Karma, or that you will give your
wholehearted support only to the things
that are pleasant and agreeable to you.
The time for you to make a distinction
between what you think is right and
wrong, and to avoid being called into
unpleasant or unfortunate duties is at
the 1 Hot box, or in the assistance of
the f mation of national and interna-
tiona movements that will do away
with .he wrong ideas, the errors of
thought, the causes of war and the mis
understanding and disagreements.
No nation is any stronger or any
weaker than the opinions of its people.
No nation can do anything except with
the approval of the majority of its
people. I f all American, British, Japa
nese, Chinese, Italian, Russian, and
German citizens determine unanimous
ly that they do not want any more war,
there would be no officials, dictators,
or rulers, who would dare to suggest
starting a war or participating in a war.
And if the majority of the people in
each country were in perfect agreement
and accord regarding the ending of all
wars, the small minority that seems to
want war constantly, and to benefit by
war, or glorify war, would be afraid to
make even the slightest suggestion of
war in the future.
In other words, the fault does not lie
with the government, the rulers, or with
luck or chance, or with Karma. The
fault lies right with each one of us and
if throughout the peaceful years we
make no move and fail to use our mind
power to direct and control the laws of
our country to do away with war, then
it is too late when our nations begin to
plan war for us to crawl into convenient
shells and raise the white flag and pro
claim ourselves conscientious objectors,
spiritual beings, noncombatants, and
everything else that the average in
dividual deems himself when he refuses
to participate in war. I nstead of remain
ing silent objectors throughout the
peaceful years and becoming conscien
tious objectors only when war is at
hand, we should be conscientious and
determined objectors from morning
until night, and from one end of the
year to the other until war is so out
lawed in the human consciousness and
in the statutes and laws of every coun
try, and in our plans and thoughts of
the future, that the question of war will
never arise and there will never be an
occasion for men and women to decide
among themselves on which side they
will be or what attitude they will take.
In the Great War many hundreds of
our Rosicrucian members were active at
the front in the trenches, and battle
fields, and also in the hospitals, and in
engineering and constructive depart
ments, and we are proud to say, in
many departments that took care of the
humanitarian and rehabilitation activi
ties. There was a Rosicrucian member
who sat in a private office in Washing
ton throughout the American participa
tion in the war and acted as secret edi
tor of all of the war dispatches and war
news. It was also a Rosicrucian who
worked out some of the secret codes
and ciphers that were used in helping
to prevent unexpected and horrible
catastrophies and disasters. It was a
Rosicrucian who used personal funds to
improve one of the most essential de
partments in one of the largest re
habilitation hospitals so that thousands
of injured soldiers might be able to earn
a livelihood again and be relieved from
suffering and pain throughout the re
mainder of their lives. It was a Rosi
crucian who turned a vast estate into a
home and grounds for children who
were orphans as a result of the war.
I could tell many stories of the won
derful humanitarian activities of our
Rosicrucian members throughout the
World War. Yet every one of them
was ready, if called upon, to take up
arms alongside of others, and assume
the responsibilities of his acts, and as
sume the Karmic debt of the nation in
obeying the dictates of his country as a
good and useful citizen.
As a good Rosicrucian you should
pray, hope, and aspire for universal
peace and universal brotherhood, but
you should first prepare yourself to
understand how to bring about uni
versal peace by creating universal love
and toleration in your own heart, and
then helping to spread it to the hearts
of other human beings. But this duty as
a Rosicrucian should not supplant the
other great duty that of assisting in
preventing war by exercising your
privilege as a citizen and a voter, rather
than by shirking your duty or modify
ing that duty in time of war.
V V V
R E A D T H E R O S I C R U C I A N F O R U M
gmnumiiuim...........................................uimnnuni.........................................................................................................................nmmiimiiinf?!
1938 and FATE
What I t Has in Store for You
The
Rosicrucian
Digest
December
1937
Are predictions and divinations possible?Canthe humanmind penetrate the veil of
the future?Most certainly, yes! However, not by fantastic systems of prognostication
or fortune-telling, but by rational conclusions drawnfromananalysis of Cosmic, eco
nomic, political, and humancycles ofactivity. Whenwe throw a stone into the air, we
canpredict with certainty that it will strike the earth withina certaindefinite time. Such
a predictionis the result ofa knowledge of natural law.
The Rosicrucianannual prophecies are renowned for their accuracy becausethey are
also the result of knowledge, a masterful interpretationof fundamental causes whose
results are clearly discerned. Thousands each year eagerly demand these helpful
brochures. 1938andFATE, this years booklet of predictions, awaits your request for it.
More thanone copy will be sent youfree ifyoucanplace themdirectly inthe hands of
interested, sincere personsnot merely casually distribute them.
Write for themtoday. There is no charge, but a few postage stamps will be ap
preciated. Address RosicrucianExtensionDepartment, RosicrucianPark, SanJose, Calif.
Four hundred six
The Philosophers Stone
A RECORD OF THE SECRET BOOK OF THE ALCHEMISTS
By Fr at e r Raymo nd Lind g r e n, F. R. C.
HE BOOK has a
binding of copper,
engr aved with
hieroglyphics and
strange symbols.
Its pages are of
the bark of trees
and closely cover
ed with writing.
Every 8th page
contai ns a dia
gram-mystic key
to the text. There
is an aura of rev
erend antiquity about it, for this is The
Book of Abraham The Jew!
In it are the secrets of existenceof
life and death of transmutation of
metalsof the soul. Where is it?
The story of this ancient manuscript
is an unfinished drama running through
the centuries, with bearded alchemists
and secretive mystics as its actors, in
scenes that are now tragic, again divine
ly gratifying, and at all times fas
cinating to the seeker after truth.
But let us dip back to about the mid
dle of the 14th century, when the Book
first came out of the East and into the
hands of a simple bookseller in Paris;
one Nicolas Flamel. The life and works
of Flamel are not legendary, for docu
ments bearing evidence of his accom
plishments have been found.
Against the columns of Saint-Jacque
la Boucherie, was his little bookstall,
barely 2 by 21/& feet in measurement.
But it soon grew causing him to move
Four hundred seven
to a large house, where those who
copied and illuminated manuscripts
could work with him. At this time
Nicolas Flamel married Pernelle, whose
intelligence and devotion were so great
a help to him during his long life.
Even at this time, Flamel was some
what of a mystic. He knew that the
secret of the philosophers stone existed
and he desired to find it. But not only
for the formulae that would enable him
to turn base metals into gold; there
were other secrets more precious that
would teach him transmutation of the
soul. But how could he, a poor Paris
bookseller, ever contact the eastern
sages whom he was convinced pos
sessed this knowledge?
So strong was his desire, so constant,
that one night he dreamed that an
angel showed him the Book, admonish
ing him to look well upon it. Shortly
thereafter, a ragged man came to his
shop with a book to sell. Flamel knew,
the moment he saw it, that here at last
was the fulfilment of his dream. He
knew also that the Book comes only to
those who are meant to have it.
For 21 years Nicolas Flamel medi
tated and pondered the secret symbols.
But he was without understanding.
Much of the text was in ancient He
brew, so here too he was thwarted in
his efforts. There were at that time no
Jews in France to help him, for they
had been banished, many flying to
Spain, where they formed into com
munities of learned mystics.
The
Rosicrucian
Digest
December
1937
At the end of this score of years
of concentration and disappointment
which was not long considering what
was at stakeFlamel found he could
safely go to Spain with the idea of con-
tacting some of these learned Jews,
were he to adopt the clothes and habits
of a pilgrim. This he did, but the ex
hausting journey was a failure, until,
weary and disappointed he turned his
face toward Paris and his beloved
Pernelle.
At Leon, the bookseller was by
chance put in touch with a learned old
Rabbi. Yes! He knew of the Book; had
been awaiting this moment all his life.
The two worked through the night,
zealously, inspired. But Flamel had
brought only the pages containing a
copy of the Hebrew text and a few of
the symbols. They must travel to Paris
at once.
But Jews were not allowed in France.
Very well. I will be converted, said
the old Rabbi. With great haste they
began their journey to Paris, but the
feeble old Jew died on the way. Flamel
returned alone, aware that the knowl
edge he now possessed would allow the
complete translation of the Book.
After three years of intensive ap
plication, the simple bookseller, his
research finished, changed half a pound
of mercury into silver, then into gold.
From this time on Nicolas Flamel was
rich, but all of the wealth he created
was spent on charitable schemes such
as the building of hospitals, churches
and houses. He worked on at his shop
and continued to live in a simple manner
until his transition.
Pernelle died first and her husband
spent his last few years writing books
on alchemy. Then he followed Pernelle.
And what of The Book of Abraham
The Jew? As soon as the death of
Flamel became known, almost every al
chemist in Europe made a pilgrimage
to his massive tomb. As time passed,
his house and shop, in fact any build
ing with which he had anything to do,
was ransacked in search of the Book
and perhaps a few phials of the magic
projection powder, without which the
transmutation of metals was impossible.
But the truth is that the Manuscript,
as well as a supply of the red projection
powder, had been entrusted to a
nephew of Flamel, and remained in the
family for the following 200 years. In
the reign of Louis XI I I , robbers smash
ed into Flamel's tomb and, soon after,
word went around that the coffin was
empty.
About this time a descendant of
Flamel foolishly used some of the pow
der in a public demonstration. Thus
began a new act in our drama, for the
famous Cardinal Richelieu now took
possession of the Book and tried his
best to decipher and understand its
veiled contents. But he died unpos
sessed of its secrets, and the Book
again disappeared.
But there is no doubt that it was
copiedl One is known to have existed
in Milan, Italy in the 17th century. In
1719, one Paul Lucas wrote a book on
his adventures in the Near East. He
told of meeting a philosopher in Turkey
who was familiar with the story of
Flamel, and who had made the astound
ing assertion that both Flamel and his
wife were still alive in India. But it is
improbable that this was true, for
Nicolas Flamels philosophy welcomed
natural death as a release.
About 1550 a manuscript which was
probably a copy of the lost Book came
to light in a curious manner in Wales.
A de-barred lawyer named Talbot
spent the night at an inn and the land
lord showed him an unintelligible old
book. It had been found, he said, sev
eral years before, together with two
ivory balls, in the grave of a Catholic
Bishop. The landlord called his chil
dren, who were even then playing with
one of these mysterious ivory balls.
Talbot bought the book and ball for
five dollars, and took them to a friend
who was interested in hermetic science.
The ivory ball contained a red powder
and they made gold at their first at
tempt. But the manuscript itself re
mained forever meaningless to them,
and when the powder was exhausted
they could make no more gold.
Lust for the yellow metal and the
worldly riches it brings has doomed
many men down the centuries. Most of
the alchemists who were able to probe
for the philosophers stone and its
means and formulae for transmutation
of metals, missed, or were entirely un
Four hundred eight
aware of, the sublime secrets it held for
the transmutation of the spirit.
Raymond Lulle made gold for Ed
ward III. Gustavus Adolphus of
Sweden issued gold coins bearing a
special mark denoting their hermetic
origin. Wilhelm Leibnitz, famous phi
losopher, joined a body of Rosicrucians
in Nuremberg, in pursuit of the philos
ophers stone. Elector Augustus of
Saxony, alchemist, left an immense for
tune. Till the end of the 18th century
alchemists who valued their existence
were forced to practice the strictest
secrecy, for the persecutions and tor
tures inflicted on these fathers of all our
modern science were horrible, beyond
writing.
But the secrets were not lost! Three
years ago a business man and Rosicru-
cian, call him Mr. X, was attending a
sale at Sothebeys, the world-famous
auctioneers in Bond Street, London.
The personal library and effects of the
Grand Master of the Masonic Order of
France were being auctioned to the
highest bidder.
A flat, brown book, noted in the cata
logue as a copy of the breviary of
Nicolas Flamel, was put up for sale.
Mr. X felt suddenly that he must pos
sess that book. Bidding began. It
leaped stiffly skyward. A few early
voices dropped out. Higher soared the
figure. One opponent remained. With
a steady voice, Mr. X called out his last
offer. Silence. Bang went the gavel,
and the book was his.
It had cost him a preposterous price,
but he knew better than to argue with
the hunch that had urged him to buy it.
He took the book home and placed it on
a shelf with some first editions and for
got about it. That was in 1934.
A few weeks ago Mr. X was in his
library and felt impelled to go to a shelf
and take down this strange book; he
had forgotten what it was. Slowly he
thumbed through the pages; noticed
that it was penned in the middle of the
19th century in ancient French; noticed
also that it was in illuminated script,
containing many drawings of alchemical
apparatus, in gold, silver and various
other colors. On the first page there
was a portrait, postage stamp size, of
Nicolas Flamel.
Mr. X recognized also many secret
symbols, and as he had studied this
very French years ago, saw that the
text was a translation of the cyphers, as
well as of secret alchemical signs used
in the middle ages to disguise the
formulae of alchemists. But he was un
moved by this discovery, and replacing
the book, turned to other interests.
About a week later, a friend said
casually, Have you read The Return
Of The Magi? I think you would be
interested in it. Mr. X bought the
book that same day and opened it at
random. His eyes fell, surprised, on
certain words which he quickly con
nected with the old manuscript in his
library.
Then suddenly, he realized why he
had been forced to purchase at so great
a price, that strange book. It was a
copy of The Book Of Abraham The
Jew!
Q i ai i i i i i i i i i i i i i i ai i i i i i i i i i i mi i i i i i mi i i i ai i i i i i i i mmmi mi i mi i i i i i i i i n i i ami maai i i ai i i i i i i i mi i i M i i i i mi i i i i i i 'i i i i i i i i i i i i i i ai i i i i i i ai l i i mi mi i i i i i N i i M mi i Q
a .
TO OUR MEMBERS I N BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
We wish to call the attention of all of our National Lodge members and other members E
= to the fact that the VictoriaLodge of AMORC, located in Victoria, British Columbia, E
I maintains avery interesting inquiry office, reading room and library, at 725 Courtney
\ Street. This library is open various evenings of the week and in the afternoons occasion- |
E ally, and every courtesy and welcome is extended to our members to drop into the read-
| ing room and read, or bring friends and acquaintances there to contact the organization i
E or make inquiries, secure literature, books, and other helpful matter. E
The Librarian is Mr. C. C. Bird, telephone number G-3757. Contact him if you wish |
i to make any special arrangements to visit the library on special occasions. All members E
! should feel at liberty to make this reading room and library and inquiry office their official =
E home. On certain evenings throughout each week and month there are special lectures E
E and initiation ceremonies which members can arrange to attend. If you cannot telephone, =
write and secure information regarding these special occasions.
Q n l i l l l l l l l l l i l ............................................................................................................................................................ ........... .. l i n n i n ........... l 11I I I 111l l 11.......................I I I 11 l I I tl 11........... ..
(6 \
jinru-ui
Four hundred nine
The "Cathedral of the Soul is a Cosmic meeting place for all minds of the
most advanced and highly developed spiritual members and workers of the
Rosicrucian Fraternity. It is a focal point of Cosmic radiations and thought
waves fromwhich radiate vibrations of health, peace, happiness, and inner
awakening. Various periods of the day are set aside when many thousands
of minds are attuned with the Cathedral of the Soul, and others attuning with
the Cathedral at this time will receive the benefit of the vibrations. Those who
are not members of the organization may share in the unusual benefits as well
as those who are members. The book called "Liber 777 describes the periods
for various contacts with the Cathedral. Copies will be sent to persons who
are not members if they address their requests for this book to Friar S. P. C.,
care of AMORC Temple, San Jose, California, enclosing three cents inpostage
stamps. (Pleasestatewhether member or notthisisimportant.)
'juiimiiimHiiiimimmiiiimimiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiniiiMiiiiiiiimMiimiiii.........
A CATHEDRAL OF THE SOUL AMID THE TREES
The
Rosicrucian
Digest
December
1937
ERE is the story of
what one good
Brother was in
spired by the
G r eat W hi te
Brotherhood to do
to represent the
spirit of the Ca
thedral of the
Soul on earth.
He was moved
by the quotation,
One is nearer to
Gods heart in a
garden.............. only God can make a
tree. He chose a spot on the side of a
hill on his Highland Estate at Glen-
cruitten, Scotland. Realizing that this
might be his last great spiritual act in
this incarnation, he decided to spend all
of his life's savings and give to future
posterity something that would sym
bolize the spirituality of the soul in
meditation, the principles of universal
brotherhood and love, and the sym
bolism of the Cross. He therefore sent
to various parts of the Continent and
also to America for rare trees and
shrubs, and engaged artists, artisans
and landscape experts to assist him.
Today this remarkable Cathedral visit
ed by tourists who come within a hun
dred miles of the location and hear of
it, and known to the mystics of all
lands, is almost completed. It is known
that he has spent practically fifteen
thousand pounds of English money,
equivalent to approximately seventy-five
thousand dollars, and although he pass
ed away two years ago at the age of
Four hundred ten
eighty and his ashes are buried near the
altar in the center of the Cathedral, his
good wife is continuing the finishing
touches of the Cathedral and arranging
to have a permanent fund established to
maintain it for many years into the
future.
This open air Cathedral of trees is in
the form of a huge cross with its sacred
shrine in the center, representative, to
us, of the spirit of the rose with the
Rosy Cross. The main or long section
of the cross is two hundred and fifty
feet long with the Nave inside of it one
hundred and seventy feet long, while
the two transepts or cross-sections of
the Cathedral are one hundred and
eighty feet wide. The floor is carpeted
with different types of heath in mosaic
design, with pink, yellow, white and
purple blooms. The outer wall is of
chestnut trees and the inner wall of lime
trees, with pillars of yew trees. Most of
the trees have already attained an im
pressive height, and it is anticipated
that in a few years the trees will have
attained a height of fifty feet or more
and will cause this cathedral on the hill
side to stand out above everything else
in its vicinity.
One of our good members who visit
ed it recently gives us the following
description:
On a spring morning, while the dew
remained, the snares of spiders hung
with extreme craftiness between the
borders, and on every strand of the
spiderwebs were beads of dew. Through
the trees representing the East Window
of this Cathedral, the sun came up
through the mists into the clear blue.
Soon its magnetic power had gained
mastery and had drunk away the dew.
Then seemed to be the appointed time
for the emergence of many dragon-flies
and butterflies. As the air became more
heated, the brimstone butterflynew
born and speckless^fluttered over the
hedge and the daffodil-colored wings
conjured a vision of spring. It was not
long before the butterfliesblues, small
heaths and small coppers brought a
charming animation to this enchanted
place. The finest of the dragon-flies is
not more splendid than the butterfly
fresh from the chrysalis. This Cathedral
Four hundred eleven
of trees has provided a sanctuary and
the comfort of a home for birds and
myriads of creatures.
The altar sent forth the golden ray
of Love, for it was covered with coton-
Easter. A golden tree in the center with
four dwarf juniper trees formed a mini
ature cross. One was tempted to linger
here and partake of the mental stimu
lant provided by such a peaceful en
vironment, until the winds were up-
gathered and the breeze carried onward
the summer clouds.
Finally lights and shadows came
over the scene as the sun set in peaceful
splendor. Its dying fires filled the West.
And when the glory of the afterglow
was fastly ebbing, one could think only
of rest. A perfume of rarest incense of
flowers floated throughout the Cathe
dral and the birds twittered; the swal
lows seemed to delight in skimming
over the magnificent natural carpet.
Then the pipistrelle bats flittered in and
out and vanished in the shadows. The
lark raised an organ note and then all
became quiet, with perfect attunement
with the Cosmic.
The fountains of life are in this en
vironment, as a stream of evolution
flows through all things. There is the
voice of the fire and the spirit of the
winds, and the Light, Life and Love of
the Sun, while a mist cloaks the far side
of the hill. The absolute stillness at
times helps one to appreciate the spir
itual power of the Cosmic and to sense
and interpret the high vibrations, for in
this Cathedral one truly finds Peace
Profound.
Thus is described the beautiful
Cathedral of the Soul amid the trees in
Scotland. But such a Cathedral exists
also in the spiritual space above us in
the world of the heavens and the Cos
mic realm. If you would find peace and
power and happiness, attune yourself
with this Cosmic Cathedral of the Soul.
The booklet which we are glad to send
to you, entitled Liber 777. will tell you
without any obligation, or without any
interference with your religion or your
daily duties, how your soul and mind
may find happiness in contact, medita
tion and prayer within the Cathedral of
the Soul.
The
Rosicrucian
Digest
December
1937
The Truth About Vitamins
SOME SURPRISING FACTS OF SPECIAL I NTEREST
TO OUR MEMBERS
By T he I mpe r at o r
NE OF the most
valuable and fas
cinating contribu
tions to therapy in
recent years has
been the study
and investigations
of that mysterious
element in life
known as vita
mins. It has led
to the successful
treatment of many
strange and seri
ous maladies and promises to revolu
tionize some of our long established
ideas and beliefs regarding the nature
and cause of disease.
But like every other discovery or in
vestigation in the field of medicine, the
early announcements of the few im
portant facts that have been found in
regard to this matter have been seized
by quacks and charlatans, by advertis
ing specialists and manufacturers of
patent medicines and other patented
concoctions, and today the word vita
mins is being grossly misused and
commercialized, and pretentious claims
that are absurd and ridiculous are being
presented to the public in the form of
popular advertising. Already we hear
about vitamins in tooth powder, hair
tonics, facial creams, face powders,
food tablets, medicinal capsules, corn
cures, nail polishes, and what not.
Certain manufacturers claim, without
the least embarrassment to their con
sciences, that they are putting vitamins
A, B, C, D, E and F into various prep
arations which they claim are specific
remedies or applications for various
things, and to judge from the bland
statements made by these advertisers,
one would think that the chemist has
only to rush into his stockroom of na
tures bountiful elements and grab a
bottle from the shelf marked Vitamin
A and sprinkle some of these vitamins
into his tooth powder or his food tablets
or face cream, as one would add grains
of salt or small buckshot or some other
small round pellets of great potency.
Radio advertisers talk so glibly, so free
ly, so positively, and so convincingly
about the existence of vitamins in this,
that, and the other thing, and how you
can make miraculous and astounding
changes in your body and your health,
the color of your eyes and texture of
your skin, by simply using their prepar
ations, that many thousands of persons
are tempted to believe that vitamins are
the most scientifically known, positively
identified, easily obtained and efficiently
applied element of medicine that the
world has ever known.
Now the truth of the matter is that
no living human being has ever seen a
vitamin or knows what a vitamin is or
what it is composed of, or where it
positively comes from or just how it
Four hundred twelve
acts in the human body. It is a theo
retical thing, given a theoretical name
to accomplish something that is known
only slightly, and yet so full of possi
bilities that the field of investigation,
analysis and study, is almost as great
as the universe itself.
In giving you the facts about vitamins
in this brief article, I am taking extracts
from Rosicrucian records, recent Rosi-
crucian reports which I requested from
our archives in Europe, to compare with
our own records here, and from the
latest scientific findings on the part of
research scientists and medical experts
here in America. The article is not in
tended to institute or constitute a hoped
for reform in the use of advertised
remedies, for probably many thousands
of our readers of this magazine will
continue to go to drugstores and special
food shops and elsewhere and buy ad
vertised preparations solely because of
the claim regarding vitamins. I believe,
however, that a majority of our mem
bers who read my statements will modi
fy any tendencies they may have had
in this regard in the past.
It may be interesting to state briefly
and in a non-technical manner, the
manner in which vitamins as a non-
identified thing were discovered. For
many years those scientists devoted to
the study and analysis of chronic and
unusual physical ailments were divided
into two groups as far as two ailments
were concerned. One group was at
tempting to find a cure for rickets, and
another group was attempting to find a
cure for the disease known as beri-beri,
and similar scurvy conditions of the
skin. It was finally found by one of the
groups that certain forms of diet or cer
tain elements in the diet and food of a
person threatened with rickets, or suf
fering from the early stages of it, would
bring about a cure or prevent the de
velopment of rickets.
Those who had been specializing in
the chemical analysis of foods and the
proper diet for the prevention of
disease, the creating of health and the
cure of certain conditions had come to
an agreement many years ago that
something more was necessary for our
health and life and vitality than certain
definite amounts of pure carbohydrates,
Four hundred thirteen
proteins and fats. These three elements,
so to speak, were unquestionably neces
sary for the energy and material growth
and reconstruction of waste tissue in the
animal part of the body of man and
animals, but it was undoubtedly true
that something more than these things
was necessary in a physical, chemical
sense in the diet of all animals to main
tain what is generally called normal
health.
The Rosicrucian records state that
back in 1799 and through the early part
of the Nineteenth Century, or approxi
mately from 1820 to 1835, experiments
were made in a Rosicrucian laboratory
in Switzerland and in England to de
termine the so-called electronic neces
sities in the building up of the vitality
of the human body. Of course, the
Rosicrucians have always contended
that the health of the body depended
not only upon the chemical or physical
elements of food and water but upon
the electric or electronic or vibratory
energy which the Rosicrucians call
Nous. Unfortunately, for many
years the so-called science of diet or of
food study assumed that if we took into
our bodies through food and water a
certain number of chemical elements
that were of the earth, and breathed
into our lungs a certain amount of
oxygen, a correctly balanced and heal
thy normal physical body would result.
The specialists engaged in this study
almost wholly negated or overlooked
that more powerful element and almost
intangible quality that is really the
source of all life. Another group work
ing upon the mystery of beri-beri came
to the same conclusion, namely, that a
slightly different form of diet from that
administered to those suffering from
rickets would prevent a development of
the condition and bring about a cure.
A careful chemical analysis of the
foods administered for the treatment of
both of these conditions failed to reveal
any special chemical element that was
known or recognized, and yet there was
unquestionably something in these
foods that was constructive and cura
tive for certain conditions.
Experiments upon small animals re
vealed that unless certain forms of food
were included in their diets, the animals
The
Rosicrucian
Digest
December
1937
lost weight and finally died. It was
finally found, however, that the mys
terious and unknown elements that
were of great importance in addition to
carbohydrates, proteins and fats, exist
ed in small amounts of milk. Later on,
it was discovered that this same peculiar
quality or mysterious element was
found in substance extracted from the
yolks of eggs or from butter or butter
milk. Still later on, it was found that in
the oils of some fish there existed this
strange element. The Rosicrucian rec
ords state that those in our organization
working upon this same problem dis
covered that the principal elements for
the correct chemical and vitalizing com
position of the body were those which
existed in milk or products of milk,
eggs, and certain creative oils in ani
mals, all of which contained a creative,
vitalizing element used by the mother
animal to feed and nurse its young.
I find nowhere in the scientific re
ports on the part of investigators out
side of our organization that they had
come to this important conclusion or
had even given it any consideration. It
meant that the real difference between
the form of food given by the mother
from its own body to its young, as com
pared with other foods, consisted of
some element that God and Nature pur
posely created in the body of the mother
to nourish, strengthen and protect its
young from disease.
This probably explains why so many
of the various forms of artificial foods
for babies, advertised as substitutes for
mothers milk, have never been wholly
successful except in two classes of
cases, namely, where a little of the
mothers milk could be given to the
child occasionally, though not enough
to completely nourish it, or where the
child was born so extraordinarily heal
thy that the creative elements in its
body, accumulated there prior to birth,
carried it over through the important
and serious months of infant existence
after birth, despite the lack of these ele
ments in the mothers milk. It probably
explains, too, why the very best substi
tute for mothers milk is a form of more
or less raw milk or unpasteurized milk
from a good and healthy animal, espec
ially a cow. But the danger to an infant
in substituting raw milk for the unpas
teurized milk of a cow lay in the fact
that the milk from the same cow could
not always be guaranteed, and the milk
was often too rich in other elements for
proper digestion in the stomach and in
testines of the little child, and therefore
had to be diluted and treated in accord
ance with special formulas prepared by
specialists in infant feeding.
However, it gradually came about
that the scientists working upon the
study and analysis of this unknown and
mysterious vital element in certain
foods, gave a name to the thing they
were looking forthe thing they had
never found and knew nothing about.
This name for this vital element was the
word "vitamin. At first they thought
there was only one such element, but as
their researches revealed that certain
physical conditions required certain dif
ferent types of food, they came to the
conclusion that there were a number of
different forms of this mysterious ele
ment, and so they created a classifica
tion of vitamins beginning with "A for
the first one, "B for the second one,
and so on. Today we have vitamins A,
B-l, B-2, C, D, and E. And if we do
not watch out, the advertising special
ists and quacks will finish out the rest
of the alphabet and we will have life de
pending upon a series of letters that will
equal the Soviet and American systems
of governmental departments and feder
al activities.
The Rosicrucian research workers,
however, did not allow themselves to
wander away from their early funda
mental principles of recognition of an
electronic, magnetic, Cosmic element in
life that was as important, if not more
important, than the purely chemical ele
ments of the earth, all of which also
have in them many of the Cosmic
energies. Therefore, they decided that
this strange and unknown element in
foods must be little cells of some kind
containing electronic or Cosmic energy.
They compared the invisible and un
known mysterious cells to little globules
of "Nous. They did not adopt this
idea as a fact because they were
sensible enough to know that "Nous
could not be confined to or within a
little cell. But they did believe that some
Cosmic energy penetrated and concen
trated itself within some certain ele
Four hundred fourteen
ments of the liquids that the mother
animal passed on to her young.
I find that the Rosicrucian investiga
tors have not yet completed their studies
and analyses of this mysterious element
and they have not permitted themselves
to give any definite name to this ele
ment, allowing such indulgences to the
scientists outside of the Order. All this
reminds us of the name of ether
which scientists have given to an un
known, unseen, intangible and undis
covered quality in the atmosphere.
Despite all of the scientific, as well as
popular talk about ether and the
things that it is responsible for in life,
including the movement of radio waves
and light waves and sound waves, no
one has yet ever proved that there is
such a thing as ether and some scien
tists have actually denied that this
theoretical and artificially named thing
exists. We may safely say the same
thing about so-called vitamins.
It is interesting to note, however,
that the eminent scientists outside of our
organization working on this matter
have made one very valuable contribu
tion to the investigation, which confirms
some of the early Rosicrucian principles.
It was discovered by the scientists that
some of the foods that naturally contain
vitamins could be strengthened in their
vitamin content or nature by applying
ultra violet radiations upon the food.
This led to the discovery that "irradia
tion with ultra violet light could
awaken or quicken or establish in vari
ous foods certain elements which had
been named vitamins. And it was dis
covered that these vitamins could be
awakened and quickened in the human
body through the application of this
ultra-violet light, especially if the foods
in the body were exposed to the rays
of the sun and particularly to the spec
trum color of violet or to that section of
the spectrum containing the ultra violet
radiations. This at once confirms the
Rosicrucian principle that the vital ele
ment for which these scientists have
been searching is in some way as
sociated with "Nous or Cosmic energy
of some form. The word irradiation
used above has already been seized by
the quacks and advertising specialists,
and we find that word now being used
to describe many new concoctions or
Four hundred fifteen
improvements in concoctions. Many
women are actually buying certain face
creams and skin lotions because they
are claimed to have a degree of ir
radiation in them or about them and
few indeed know what is meant by this
term.
Today we find vitamin preparations
being sold in drug stores and some of
these are undoubtetdly worthy of rec
ommendation. Capsules made from fish
emulsions or oils claiming to have
Vitamin D in them have become popu
lar and are recommended by many
physicians. It would be possible for me
to go into a lengthy explanation of what
each one of the vitamins from A to E
is supposed to do and probably will do
in the improvement of the health, skin
and blood of human beings, but I do
not want to give such descriptions be
cause many persons may be tempted to
buy preparations claimed to contain
these vitamins expecting them to pro
duce remarkable results.
Vitamin preparations should not be
used except upon the recommendation
of a licensed, recognized physician.
They know better than anyone else
what vitamins will do and will not do,
and in which preparations or foods they
can be found. To be properly prescribed
and efficiently used, the physician
should be well acquainted with his
patient and should have an opportunity
correctly to determine just what the pa
tient needs or does not need. There
are altogether too many remedies being
sold in drug stores and pharmacies be
cause of popular advertising and used
by individuals who should not use them
simply because they have not consulted
a proper authority. Some of these ad
vertised remedies may do more harm to
an individual wrongly using them, or an
individual who should not use them,
than any good they could possibly do.
In general, however, I will say that
Vitamin A is found mostly in mam
malian liver and in fish liver oils and in
eggs. A fair amount of Vitamin A is
also found in fresh green vegetables
and cooked green vegetables and in
some forms of wheat, while the lowest
amount is found in potatoes. Vitamin D
is found in fish liver oils and only a
slight trace of it in milk, butter or cheese
unless these food elements have been
treated by irradiation or the ultra violet
rays. The B element is found mostly in
yeast and in legumes. There is a fair
amount of these two vitamins in green
vegetables, raw or uncooked, particular
ly in turnips, and none at all in flesh
foods or white bread. Vitamin C is
found mostly in fresh green vegetables
and in some fresh fruits, with none at all
in lean meats. Vitamin E is found most
ly in fresh or cooked green vegetables
and in eggs and some forms of wheat,
with none in fresh fruits. But only a
physician can tell you which vitamins
you need, and why and how. However,
as I have already said, no one knows
exactly what a vitamin is, or precisely
what it does, and it is something that
cannot be easily and truthfully added
to concoctions of all kinds for all pur
poses. So beware of foods and tablets
and other preparations which claim to
be rich in vitamins.The use of vitamins
and the talk about them has become so
profuse and so popular that like many
another good thing that is still in the
earliest stages of investigation, it is be
ing overdone and used as a means of
very profitable commercialism.
How It All Began
RITUAL ACTS AT DOORS
The
Rosicrucian
Digest
December
1937
CT)OORS symbolized the passing from one world, state, or condition
to another, even in the earliest of times. The first ritual of the
door is believed to have begun when men lived in caves during the late
stone age. In the protective environment of the cave, it was thought,
the gods of good fortune dwelled, and no harm could befall those who
were safe within. Beyond the entrance of the cave lay the great outside
world, menacing and unknown. When one passed through the portal
to this outside world, he was immediately at war with all of its hostile
influences. The hearth fires were usually built just within the outer
stones of the entrance way. Frequently the ancestors of the family were
buried beneath them. The ancestral ghosts were thought to dwell in
the hearth fire itself, guarding the entrance and protecting those within
the cave. Consequently, offerings were made to them at the cave en
trance by all who wished admission, and those
within paid their
homage to these
Four hundred sixteen