The Wisdom of the Soul

[Stefanus]

The Wisdom of the Soul

A COSMIC BLESSING
DEDICATED TO MANKIND

O ye Children of Earth, Open the door of the Inner Sanctuary,
Open the door that My Light may enter, and that ye may enjoy the
great beneíits which I have in store for you.
Come unto Me, that ye may earn that Peace, Love and Wisdom which will
make you My Children once more, and which will bring you back into
the Fold of the Great Cosmic Creator.
I give you My Blessing.
Lift up your hearts and rejoice and be no more sad.
I am with you, to take you by the hand and comfort you.
I am in all places at all times, and My Ear is never deaf unto
the calling of those who truly seek Me.
My Blessing be upon all Humanity Eternally, and for all Time.
Amen.

[Stefanus]

PART I - THE WISDOM OF THE SOUL

FOREWORD

THIS book is written sincerely and with the sole intention of presenting the various avenues of Spiritual research and material argument which have been opened up to me by the Master Oneferu.

I want my readers to realise from the start that the writings are the corelation of teachings and debates which were attended by the Central Committee of "The Knights Templars of Aquarius." The actual words of the Teacher have been recorded on tape and afterwards copied into a special book kept for this purpose.

The authority for the teachings and statements contained within its pages belongs to the Osirian Group, an Order within the Brotherhood of Master Masons, who are working through specific Initiates now incarnate in different parts of the world. Their task is to make sure that the seed of spiritual truth finds fertile ground upon which to grow, so that the anti-spiritual forces of materialism may be diluted and submerged in the ever rising flood-tide of spiritual enlightenment now being vouchsafed to Man.

There are always many and vigorous arguments brought forward to challenge the authority of a thesis which savours of anything new or of the unorthodox. The attitude is not new and has always been adopted towards those prophets and teachers who have volunteered to return to Earth in the service of God and Man.

Through process of time, initial Truth becomes distorted and diffused and struggles for life surrounded and choked by a mass of illogical and unintelligent dogma, causing it to lose its original meaning.

Each different religion weaves its own special dogmas and ideas around this small but eternal seed, and those who, from time to time, have tried to rescue it from its bed of weeds have been scorned and slandered and in the past, killed, for daring to challenge the weed-growers of Orthodox Theology.

If we cast our thoughts back a little under two thousand years, we shall recall that one, Jesus of Nazareth, committed such an act of sacrilege and was very quickly silenced. That the charges levelled at him were totally unfounded mattered not at all to Orthodox Jewry of the day so long as he, Jesus, was removed.

The same thing has gone on within the ranks of Christianity from the day of its becoming a State religion under the Emperor Constantine.

Christianity has split into numerous sects each one waiting for an opportunity to destroy the other. The method has not altered since the days of Jesus and has consisted of falsehood and false witness. Rulers have used the Church and have altered its constitution to suit their own ends. A very good example in our own England was King Henry VIII, who ruined his one-time friend and chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey, because he finally bowed to Rome and would not flout the power of the Pope in the matter of Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, Church and State in conflict.
This was an effect of the original cause, when the Christian Fathers sold themselves to the State of Rome, thinking that they were at last safe under the patronage of the world's then most powerful Ruler. They had forgotten Jesus' words: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."

The true knowledge of the Spirit must be free and unfettered by any State Control. The Church's role is to lead, advise and guide those in political authority, but never to be in subjection to, or inversely controlling, the temporal power of the State for its own ends. This latter has happened many times, and the Church has ruled the State, as it did in Egypt in the Middle Empire, in Rome, throughout the domination of the Holy Roman Empire, and later in France when under the control of Marie de Medici, Richlieu, and Mazarin. These are but a few examples. There has, in fact, been a constant struggle for material power and the things of the Spirit have been made to fit the temporal and ecclesiastical requirements of the times. The Church, if it is to survive, must in future devote itself to things spiritual and exert its influence in advising and guiding mankind in his search for true knowledge. But, as has been stated by high-ranking Churchmen, it must put its house in order and revise its teachings accordingly in the light of present day scientific advancement. Dr. Barry, the Bishop of Southwell, tells us, for instance, that the story of Adam and Eve does not describe an event which happened at the dawn of history ; it presents one of the permanent and moral realities of human nature. The writer goes on to say, "I want to explain the right way to approach these early chapters of Genesis, and much else that is in the Bible."
By this inference we are forced to the conclusion that the various myths and fables of biblical history must be revised and interpreted to make common sense. The question that arises is, can Orthodoxy give the correct interpretations, and if so, will it do so, thus uncovering the many falsities inherent in its doctrines and teachings ?

[Stefanus]

PART I - THE WISDOM OF THE SOUL

FOREWORD

That the layman must find himself in the midst of a fog of mistranslation, misquotation, mythological and allegorical dogma, we can understand.

Contrary to the pronouncements of such authorities as Dr. Barry and the late Dr. Barnes, Bishop of Birmingham, we are faced with those of Dr. Billy Graham, the American Evangelist and preacher. He has told us to believe in a literal Bible, every word of it, and was reported in the press of early 1954 as saying: " Unless you accept the divinity of Christ you are the devil's own and you will be tormented for ever." What a dogmatic and bigoted statement to make ! This is the kind of attitude that drives the youth of the Nations away from religion. Instead of showing the light of truth to the ordinary man and woman, people who make such pronouncements are doing the cause of Christianity much harm.

Let us give this Evangelist his due. He has a dynamic personality and a charm of manner that appeals to the emotions. All this, and a strong business sense, coupled with a knowledge of showmanship, will sustain him for a time on a flood-tide of curiosity and mass-hysteria. Emotionalism, however, is not a solid foundation on which to build, and is shifting sand. True spiritual conversion is born of an inner urge which comes in the stillness and enters the temple of the soul. This endures, for it is the simple Truth of God merging with our innermost consciousness, when we can say "I KNOW." Once this realisation dawns, it can never again be quenched, for we have come face to face with Him, and all earthly show ceases to attract us like moths to the glaring light of false illusion.

Jesus preached simplicity, and if the Church cannot put its house in order to the extent of making Theological research interesting and attractive by revising the Bible, explaining or cutting out all those things which simply will not hold water any longer, then its cause is a dying one.

To-day there is a vast generation growing up who want an intelligent explanation, as far as is possible, of the marvels of Creation.

The time is drawing near when science must make a marriage with the spiritual and work hand in hand with it. It is no longer any use propping up and preaching dead and worn out dogma,but it is also useless to say to the rising generation that "it's all wrong." This line of approach will only tear down the accepted social and moral barriers for a right standard of living. People should be taught to see God in His true relationship to Nature. The student must be shown that the law of Nature is cause and effect.
That a wrong deed will be the cause of a resultant similar effect, and that the wrong-doer will find that his misdemeanours will boomerang back upon him, wherever he may hide himself, be it in this life or the next. This will give him a very potent and
logical reason for not transgressing the moral code. The laws of Moses, handed down from Atlantis, contain the greatest moral and social ethics that have ever been put forward, embodying the essence of all theological and temporal requirements. The trouble is that Orthodox Churchgoers will parrot them off in church but they do not give them a second thought when outside the building. How often is the law "Thou shalt not bear false witness " trampled in the dust, and people's characters torn to shreds on the slenderest hear-say evidence. Yet the people who give lip-service in the churches are amongst the very ones who are mostly to blame for this kind of law-breaking. They seldom have the courage to face the victims of their destructive and petty gossip themselves, but usually preface their slanderous attacks with such words as, "Don't mention my name, but everybody says . . .! " Always beware of the '' they say'' brigade ; they are the present-day Pharisees under the cloak of Christianity, the wolves in sheep's clothing.

I would say to all those who read this book, examine yourselves individually along the lines indicated, and cease to bury your heads in the sands of wilful forgetfulness. Think of all those to whom you have done likewise and make your peace with God.

Jesus said, " love one another." We are all the children of the Universal Creator and have, as our birthright, His Divine gift of freewill. We can use this as we please in finding the way back to Him. Some may take longer than others, but in the end all must pass the portals of at-one-ment with God.

The Jews accused Jesus of consorting with publicans and sinners, but Jesus knew it was in the midst of spiritual ignorance that his calling lay. What need to heal the healthy? It is to those who are in need of spiritual help and comfort that this book is dedicated.

At this point in my foreword I am going to clarify and answer a question and a charge that has sometimes been levelled at my unorthodox Theological Theses.

[Stefanus]

PART I - THE WISDOM OF THE SOUL

FOREWORD

Firstly a question that is always ready on the lips of the orthodox, "Why do you have to get your information from an Egyptian priest who lived some 1,300 B.C. and who, therefore, would certainly know nothing of Christianity? " I beg to differ. The teachings that have come through inspirationally from the Master Oneferu are the initial Truths of the Christ Spirit, which Jesus proclaimed at a later date, and which have been brought through by all great teachers wherever and whenever they have had a mission to perform, from earliest times.

Orthodoxy confuses the man Jesus with the Christ Spirit which is universal and emanates from God. His Prophets and Teachers throughout the ages have manifested it upon Earth in their endeavours to enlighten humanity. Each has taught and lived it according to his personality and individuality, thus a different facet of the jewel has been seen in each one. They have also been chosen according to the period or age in which they have lived. These Masters and Teachers are not the products of any particular age, but are themselves eternal in the service of God and Man.

So I say to all professing Christians, '' act according to the age-old Truths which the Master Jesus taught. In his words, “ Go ye and do likewise." Show the light of understanding to all who seek it, in so much as it is perceived by you yourself. Be yourselves teachers and saviours of men, judge not those who are in like manner trying to serve God in sincerity and humility.

Now the charge to which I referred. I have heard it said that those who espouse what is called an unorthodox outlook are not Christians. If you have read with an unbiased mind what I have said concerning the Christian Spirit, it must be evident that what answers the question, also answers the charge.

Before concluding, I should like to make clear the position occupied by the Initiate Brotherhood of Cosmic Masons and their connection with the Order of the Knights Templars of Aquarius. We have been asked why this Order appears to have usurped the name of a famous mediaeval band of Masonic Knights. I was instructed by the Osirian Brotherhood to form this Order. Shortly afterwards the name of the Knights Templars of Aquarius was given me with the explanation that this Order was to be reformed for this age, to perpetuate the Truths of Cosmic Masonry, whose spiritual name is The Templars of the Grail.

The Mediaeval Knights Templars were originally formed A.D. 1118¹ for spiritual purposes. They were amongst those socalled Christian Knights who were responsible for the Crusades, the holy wars against Saladin the Turkish leader who was in possession of the traditional Holy Sepulchre. Actually, they achieved very little and were always quarrelling amongst themselves. They finally withdrew from Palestine because of these quarrels and lack of funds, without gaining their objective. They still kept their Orders in being on returning to their own lands; such as the Teutonic, or Black Knights, the Knights of Malta, and many others that could be mentioned. They further deteriorated into bands of Godless brigands who robbed and plundered other people's lands and possessions; and the Teutonic Knights, who, even so, still carried the emblem of the cross on their equipment, were amongst the worst. The Templars were liquidated in 1312 A.D., having lost all semblance of their original spiritual calling.

The name was later revived and became an Order of Material Masonry. The Knights Templars of Aquarius has no connection whatsoever with these materialistic Orders, and receives its instructions and teachings from the Initiate Masters of the Grail, whose Chief Initiate is the first Son of God outside the Trinity of Godhead, El Daoud, or God's Beloved Son.

The Grail is the spiritual Truth or God-Consciousness, which flows out to mankind, and which he can manifest for the benefit of his fellow-men according to the wisdom he has. It is the Cup of the Mysteries, whose Truth is only veiled to those without understanding.

To conclude, I think I can do no better than quote the Master Oneferu on Cosmic Realisation :

" Even as there is no beginning and no ending, the Book of Cosmic Knowledge has limitless pages. Never think for a moment that you can read through it in one life-time upon Earth, or aeons of time to come. You must strive onwards, always seeking the knowledge veiled within it, turning the pages one by one. You cannot understand or turn those that follow, until you have learnt the lessons of that one which is open before you at the moment."

1. The Knights Templars were formed in A.D. 1118 and distinguished themselves in the Crusades for the Holy Sepulchre. The Order became the Pope's Bankers. They were immensely wealthy and eventually lost all semblance of spirituality, extorting money and lands from those they overcame by the sword. They were suppressed by Pope Clement V in A.D. 1312. Jacque de Molay, who was Grand Master during the suppression, was burnt at the stake in Paris, A.D. 1314. Amongst other charges, he was accused of practising the Black Arts.

	THE WISDOM OF THE SOUL
	CONTENTS
	AUTHOR'S FOREWORD
	PART I - THE WISDOM OF THE SOUL
CHAPTER
I.	PROGRESS AND EVOLUTION
II.	THE PROCESS OF INCARNATION AND DEATH
III.	ETHERIC, ASTRAL AND AURA
IV.	SPIRITUAL SPHERES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
V.	KARMA AND FREEWILL
VI.	NATURE IN HARMONY AND DISHARMONY
VII.	THOUGHT
VIII.	HEALING
IX.	LOVE AND TOLERANCE
X.	WHAT IS PRAYER ?
XL	WHAT IS IMAGINATION ?
XII.	BY THEIR FRUITS SHALL YE KNOW THEM
XIII.	MAN KNOW THYSELF
XIV.	THE TRUTH WITHIN US
XV.	EARTH IS A SCHOOLROOM
XVI.	THE VISION
	PART II - THE WORLD WE LIVE IN
CHAPTER
I.	THE DAWNING OF POWER
II.	THE RISE OF EVIL
III.	ATLANTEAN EMIGRATION
IV.	CHURCH AND STATE
V.	THE BABEL OF MANY VOICES
VI.	CAUSES OF COMMUNISM
VII.	THE ATOMIC CLOUD
VIII.	UNKNOWN FORCES
IX.	FALSE TRAILS
X.	FACING THE FACTS
XL	WORLD PORTENTS
	APPENDIX A
	APPENDIX B

[Stefanus]

CHAPTER 1

PROGRESS AND EVOLUTION

SPIRITUAL values cannot be placed under the microscope of materiality. If we try to solve these mysteries by this method, then, the more we probe, the more we shall become lost in a labyrinth of what we like to call illogicality. There are so many apparent contradictions which we find confronting us, mainly because we are apt to view all things appertaining to the spiritual, through three-dimensional glasses. We lose sight of the fact that directly we start dealing with spiritual matters we must forsake three-dimensional standards by which we live. Having thrown away these limiting shackles, our minds will be free to explore those mystical realms of Spirit which hold the answer to so many of the problems which face us upon Earth.

In this chapter we shall deal with Spiritual Essence in relation to physical matter, and I hope to make it clear how this Spiritual Essence and physical matter are but different aspects of the Creative God-Force, merged with one another, to evolve finally into the higher animate and conscious forms of incarnate life.

When God awoke from His slumbers and became immanent, finally giving birth to the great Universal Creative design, He saw all things in a Thought, and they WERE.

The Osirian Teachings tell us that there were orginally two life forces created ; the children of the Breath (initially created Twins Male-Female), and beyond them and further removed from the Initial God-Force, a Spiritual Essence (the Overplus).

This Overplus of the Creative-Word solidified into gross matter; and, individually, the Solar bodies are vital with His Creative Thought Seed. This Spiritual Seed or Essence, contained within the planets, is released and drawn out by Solar rays. Having within it the Creative God-Force, it reaches out, evolving up through plant life, until by evolutionary design it becomes conscious and individual. It finally manifests as Divine Sparks of the Coat of Skin. These are born and reborn in their own specific sex-band for a further period of time, until, at a later stage in their evolution, a male and female, who have reached the same degree of development, will attract one another to become Male-Female Twins.

Spiritual evolution has followed two paths: the Adamic family, born Twin-Beings, who tread the path of progression ; and the Divine Sparks who are evolving and continue to do so.

A question that arises here is this. At what stage in the evolution of the Overplus does Animal Life emerge to take its place in the great plan of Creation? The Master Oneferu has told us that it is a stage in the evolution of the Overplus, which exists between vegetable matter and the higher, or human conscious life. Animals have Group-Souls and, when sufficiently advanced, join with other Groups-Souls to form a Divine Spark.

Darwin's theory is wrong in so much as he muddles physical with Spiritual evolution. He pre-supposed that because Animals have physical bodies, and the higher animals (as he viewed human beings) also have physical bodies, that the human and animal kingdoms have sprung from a common root and origin. That, in fact, they have evolved from the unicellular amoeba. He did not, of course, accept the possibility of Man being a blend of spirit with the matter. The spiritual part was completely overlooked. We have shown how spirit in its descent into matter, on the outer circle of Creation, has to evolve upwards again towards the God-Force, through that very matter in which it is crystallized. As it releases itself, through aeons and aeons of time eternal, the gross matter will gradually dissolve and break up into its natural elements, returning again into the womb of the Father-Mother God.

Thus the process of evolution will continue upon its great eternal circle from Spirit into gross matter and upwards again into Spirit.

Part I - The Wisdom of the Soul

[Stefanus]

CHAPTER II

THE PROCESS OF INCARNATION AND DEATH

WHAT is mortal birth, when does life commence, and during mortal life, does the body have within it an animating spiritual force, which is not there the moment after death has occurred ?

I propose to answer these questions of birth and death as the Master Oneferu has explained them to me.

Medical Science argues that life takes place with the first intake of breath when the baby is born. With its limited material outlook it has no other explanation to offer. If we do not accept the presence of an animating life-force, such as the soul, then we also must agree with the doctors and scientists, and admit that man is purely physical.
This is a question which has its roots in the beginnings of Creation, and if we are to believe that Man is blended spirit and matter, then we must tackle the problem from its source.

What I want to show you is how the process takes place, and that mortal incarnation is a growing up, or crystallizing, of spirit and matter together.

In Chapter I, I have shown how spirit is evolving out of, and through, gross matter. Yet they are but different aspects of the same essence and are blended one with the other throughout the entire process of evolution and progression. In other words, all is spirit and matter blending and merging along a universal path. The process of physical birth is no more and no less than this, and has the same laws governing it.
The physical union of incarnate man and woman produces a physical body. They, of themselves, could not produce spirit. As, however, it is a fundamental law of Creation, we are told, that spirit and matter attract one another and merge, it follows that the embryo of the physical union of man and woman will attract a Spiritual Force and a human soul will be incarnated.

This leads to another point. As like attracts like, it is very necessary for those who intend to bring children into the world, to keep a close watch upon their thoughts. The power of thought, and how it influences human birth, is not realised by most people.

In the days of Atlantis, when the priests understood the Spiritual Laws governing attraction and repulsion, those wishing to marry consulted a Priest Initiate, who could advise them whether their union was likely to be a happy and spiritually pro ductive one, or the reverse. They were able in those days of Spiritual Knowledge (and later in Egypt) to read the influences exerted by the heavenly bodies within our solar system. To-day this knowledge has been, generally speaking, lost and only a few know how to cast solar-charts accurately. It has, in fact, fallen to the category of vulgar fortune-telling and the making of money, for the most part.

Now let us analyse how it is that the Spiritual Force becomes incarnate. Firstly, the physical embryo takes shape in the womb of the mother. The various organs and nerve-centres grow and expand if the union is healthy. During this process and when Quickening takes place, the body begins to absorb the awaiting Spirit-Force which merges with, and permeates, its physical vehicle proportionately as it grows, reaching the brain at birth.¹


This will explain why it is that a spirit comes into the flesh apparently shorn of any previous knowledge, acting in what we call a normal childish manner, having ideas and desires commensurate to its age.²

As the physical body continues to grow and the brain cells and nerves become more mature, so the Spiritual Force is further absorbed into the physical vehicle and can function as a normal adult human being.

Death is the reverse process to that of birth, and when the vital or life force of the Spirit begins to withdraw itself, then the physical organs deteriorate and become atrophied. We often refer to old people as being in their second childhood. The ultimate result is physical death of the body, when the spirit snaps the cord of attachment and is completely withdrawn.

Some incarnates have the knowledge and power to arrest the ravages of time within the physical. They achieve this through the power of thought, that Universal essence which, when fully understood, gives vitality and strength to the incarnate Spiritual Force, which is passed through to the body and acts as a physical build-up, keeping the organs healthy and the limbs supple. With positive constructive thinking, the progress of physical decay can be slowed down, especially if the incarnate spirit has work to do which must be finished before it finds release in physical death.

So we see that the spirit is the animating force which keeps the body alive. When it is withdrawn, incarnate life ceases to exist and the flesh decays. The spirit withdraws itself from the nerves and brain as a receding essence, finally pulling itself away from the physical shell, like a hand withdrawing from a glove, until it snaps the vital cord, when mortal death ensues.

1. The spirit's point of inhalation into the body is the solar plexus, and that of exhalation (as in projection and death) through the crown of the head.
2. It is for this reason that children often see Fairies and Elementals, for as yet, and until the adult state is reached, they are functioning for the greater part in Spirit. When the absorption of the Spirit is complete the psychic perception wanes and must be re-developed.

Part I - The Wisdom of the Soul

[Stefanus]

Chapter III

ETHERIC, ASTRAL AND AURA

WHEN incarnate, the Vital-Force, Essence or Spirit, has also, in addition to its physical covering, the Astral and Etheric sheaths. This can be likened to a Chinese puzzle-box, one within the other, yet all are capable of separation whilst incarnate, if the knowledge is available and, eventually, when the natural process of physical death takes place.

The Etheric sheath, or shadow, is not a lasting part of the incarnate state. It is merely an emanation. All matter has an Etheric counterpart or emanation. In the case of the disintegration of that matter, then the Etheric fades and dissolves.

The Etheric can be seen by sensitives as an illumination surrounding a physical body or material object. It is an electrical force generated within the body by the spirit, and by impulses of thought which are continually passing through the physical. It is for this reason that the Aura (for that is the name by which it is known to students of the occult) changes with varying physical states of emotion, illness, etc. The sensitive is, in fact, witnessing the registration of thought vibrations and impulses as they flow throughout the physical body and exert their influences, good or bad, upon it.

Perhaps from what I am telling you, you will be able to realise how important it is to control thoughts, as far as it is individually possible. It is the outcome of negative and destructive thought-forces which produce disease, both physical and mental. They attack the human body, often causing premature death.

The Spirit, of itself, has no visible Aura, and when clothed in the Astral sheath will show a radiance illuminating it from within. This radiance must not be confused with the emanation of the physical and Etheric which outlines the contours of the physical body during incarnation of the Spirit.

The Soul, in spirit, gives off nothing but light, which like the rainbow should be visible as evenly-balanced colour bands, if it is of the higher Spheres of Thought. The more evenly balanced the colour bands are, the more spiritual harmony it has. The predominance of any particular colour band will disclose its character and the particular thought band on which it functions.

This is why it is so essential that incarnates who make contact with spirit, should make sure that their own vessel is purified. I have heard it said that the private way of life of a medium does not matter. Never was a more mischievous and wrong statement made. Like attracts like, and communicants will contact exactly what they, themselves, are.

The effect of these colour bands surrounding the spirit is that of rings passing and pulsing in and out of one another. White, magnesium white, is the highest degree of colour vibration. At the reverse end of the spectrum, when the lower forms of spiritual consciousness are reached, you will come to the bands of varying red, blending into browns, greys and finally, black. Yet the ray of God-consciousness, although unable to be seen, is there, running through the entire colour spectrum. It is the slender link with the Great Creator which penetrates all sorts and conditions of men and is hidden deep down somewhere in their consciousness. It is capable of being found even when the lowest depths have been plumbed.

The Astral sheath is an image, in etherialised matter, typifying the physical form. It grows with the physical body, from quickening in the womb of the mother until the peak of maturity is reached. When the spirit is withdrawn from the physical at mortal death, the Astral also comes out of the body, acting as an Etherialised vehicle for the released spirit. The Astral does not, as is averred by some, remain with the spirit as its etherialised covering throughout its various incarnations. When the spirit, after an earthly incarnation, leaves the body, the Astral remains only so long as the spirit is unsettled and unaware of its surroundings. Sometimes, for instance, a spirit may not have realised that it has passed over and will still hanker after those things it has left behind on the Earth plane. In these conditions, the Astral remains as a sheath and protection for the spirit. Directly realization dawns, however, and the spirit acquires knowledge of a higher degree, then it will discard the Astral and move into a higher thought-band. When the spirit again incarnates in another mortal body, then the process is repeated and a new Astral sheath, grows with it, conforming to the type and race of the new physical body.

When the Astral shell falls away from the progressing spirit, the process of dissolution is like that of its dead physical counterpart. It eventually disintegrates as does the Earthly body. This is, however, where danger may lie for those incarnates who meddle in an uncontrolled way with spirit communication. The Astral shell, as I have said, does not dissolve immediately, especially whenit has clothed an unenlightened entity. These Astral shells can be revitalised for a period of time, by mischievous denizens of the Astral regions who can use them to manifest to Earthly communicants. They can pick up the vibrations, still existent within the Electro-Etheric shell of the original owner, and in such a way practise fraud and deception upon those who would contact the spirit of the deceased, through physical phenomena.

Hauntings do not come into this category, but are of two kinds. Firstly, strong thought-concentrations, to which sensitives can attune themselves (they are really Etheric pictures, having no substance other than in the clairvoyant vision of the sensitive); these may be so strong, in fact, as to register as objective forms in the mind of the medium. Secondly, hauntings may be the result of Earthbound spirits who, through lack of understanding or as the result of sudden or violent death, are precipitated into the planes of spirit but do not realise what has taken place. Sooner or later such Earthbound entities will understand what has happened, when the link with earth will be severed and the hauntings will cease.

A final question is: can a discarnate spirit, who is discarding its Astral sheath, circumvent this deception by disintegrating it? Yes, it can, if it has the knowledge to do so, through thought; just as on the Earth plane a physical shell can, and should, be destroyed by fire after the spirit has finally separated from it. A spirit is not held responsible for its Astral shell's disintegration, any more than it is for its physical counterpart's dissolution. Many aver that cremation is harmful, because they believe the spirit is still attached to the physical for a period of time after the actual passing has taken place. Do not heed this. The cord or vital link is always severed, and it is this severing process which causes mortal death. The Soul can more quickly leave its Earthly conditions when its outworn coat has been finally destroyed. Fire will not hurt spirit, because it is one of Nature's Elements.

Let us end this chapter by quoting Commandment No. 6 of the Twenty-One Statutes of Atlantis, i.e. " Seek not to call up the Spirits of the discarnate unless ye be the Masters and Teachers of the Divine Mysteries (Laws of Nature), for if ye do this thing, then shall ye be guilty of practising the abominable rites of Black Magic. "

Part I - The Wisdom of the Soul

[Stefanus]

Chapter IV

SPIRITUAL SPHERES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

SPIRITUAL projection may be either conscious or unconscious. For those functioning within the Astral Schoolroom of Earth and the three dimensional incarnate state, it is the channel through which knowledge is accumulated. It is the projection of the Soul Consciousness, the God Consciousness within, reaching out and upwards to make its contact with the Universal Creative Spirit of God. When this contact has been achieved, then knowledge can flow freely into the incarnate spirit. It is the positive thought expressed which makes the projection take place. The incarnate must, however, make the demand, the first move.

The knowledge is there for the taking and when allusion is made to the veiling of the mysteries, the implication is not so abstruse as would at first seem to be the case. "Mysteries" is merely another way of giving expression to the word "Truths." They are only veiled to individuals in a greater or lesser degree until they are understood. All things that we do not understand are mysteries to us.

The great Book of Cosmic Wisdom has many pages, and each page must be mastered and its knowledge absorbed and inscribed upon the soul's eternal consciousness. Then, and only then, are we permitted to turn the page and say '' that was a lesson well learnt." With knowledge will come the desire for more, and the soul will project and probe further in its quest for perfection. This will not be achieved on Earth nor will that complete state of at-one-ment be reached until we enter again the very consciousness of the Great Creator.

Much wisdom is acquired during sleep when the spirit travels to one of the schoolrooms or lodges where teaching is carried out. Each individual soul will automatically be attracted to its appropriate lodge compatible with the amount of knowledge it can absorb. Understanding gained in this way is brought back and stored in the subconscious mind of the incarnate entity. Sometimes a memory of what has been learnt is brought through by the conscious brain. This knowledge will probably manifest as disjointed fragments. These should be recorded to see if they cannot, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, be joined together to make a complete and comprehensive picture.

During the sleep state those who have the desire and the ability to help in God's Great Plan can be of service. They are able to visit people and countries, and through their consciousness of the power of Thought, influence the thoughts and reactions of individuals, especially those in control of the destinies of Nations. Astral travelling for this purpose can be achieved by making the demand and creating the thought, the last thing before retiring to sleep. Discarnate spirits can also be helped by the same means.

In the realms of spirit, like immediately attracts like, and a spirit can only travel along that pathway which is similar to its own band of consciousness. It will contact and absorb all things along that particular avenue. Other wave-bands of consciousness will be completely outside its understanding. The key to higher knowledge is the desire expressed to reach outwards. When the realisation is awakened that there are other wave-bands of consciousness, then the door will be opened and further knowledge will be assimilated proportionately to the spirit's ability to absorb it.

The question is often posed: how many spheres of conscious ness are there in the Spirit Planes of the Universe ? There are as many spheres as there are facets of consciousness, and these are limitless. There are numberless consciousnesses working along the same paths. All those who have progressed to the same stage of spiritual development will make their own spheres of consciousness, just as is the case upon Earth. This brings us to the realisation that true Socialism is a spiritual state of existence in which Souls who have reached similar stages of learning, or consciousness, are drawn together by its unifying bonds. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the material or political brand. Freedom from the body places you automatically on a thought band or vibration compatible with your own. Political Socialism, on the other hand, would force all, irrespective of spiritual awareness, to live communally within the limits of a State-evolved standard of society.

It would bring all down to its social standards instead of trying to raise them to the higher ideals of spirituality. Political Socialism promises something for nothing, which fails because it is contrary to the Laws of Nature. Knowledge of the Spirit only comes through personal endeavour, which often leads through a stony wilderness before the spiritual oasis on the distant shore of achievement is reached. No use to sit down in the middle and say I will strike unless you, God, bring it to me," because He will not There is all eternity to learn God's truths, and the longer a soul takes, the harder it becomes, so behaving like a naughty child will not help in the least.

The assimilation of knowledge moves on like the shadow across the face of a sundial. It appears not to progress at first sight, but it does move forward all the time. So it is with the flow of knowledge to the seeker after Truth.

Part I - The Wisdom of the Soul

[Stefanus]

Chapter V

KARMA AND FREEWILL

MUCH is talked and written about Karma, but do those who use the word to describe a fellow human being's earthly lot, understand the fullness of its implications? I think, in the great majority of cases, they do not.

Karma is bound up closely with freewill and is, in fact, its child in every sense of the word. The Creator's gift to His children is freewill, and we can either follow the pathway of the Spirit or we can follow our own mortal desires which are born of the flesh.

Initially a human spirit was evolved pure and stainless, and not until it took upon itself the mortal body of flesh and blood did the spirit become enmeshed in material desires. So started the battle of the spirit against the lower promptings of its mortal garment. Karma is analogous to a refiner's fire, and as man chose this pathway of the flesh, to come into the Presence of the Creator, so he has to pass through successive stages of incarnation until he is strong enough in spirit to forswear the desires of the flesh, and march on steadfastly towards the light of at-one-ment.

What does it mean to forswear the desires of the flesh? Not a spineless avoiding, and turning from, all worldly desires and pleasures, but a conquering of excesses and all those things that provide an anti-spiritual make-up.

Jesus pointed out that both Heaven and Hell must be known by the Earthborn traveller before he could enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

This process of learning takes many decades, either longer or shorter, according to the learning propensity of the spirit, and it is during these earthly sojourns that freewill and Karma play their part.

Each time that a soul returns it will be met by a recurrence of situations engendering those weaknesses which have to be overcome and conquered before it can be reincarnated to more harmonious earth conditions. What happens in a previous incarnation may not manifest next time in the same way but it will be the same in essence. A Karma will be existent, but not necessarily in the same guise as it was before, yet it can present the same situations and lead to like

causes and effects. Eventually the lesson is learnt and a page of the Book of Knowledge can be turned. A specific Karma has been worked out and, in so doing, knowledge has been acquired.

You may say, " this subservience to Karma is not freewill, because it appears that I am incarnated and brought face to face with unpleasant things that I would rather avoid." Quite so, but remember that you started the Karmic sequence of events; you were evolved with a clean sheet, you, and you alone, have made the blots.

Karma is the operation of the Law of Cause and Effect and we should do well to remember that every action, every word, to a greater or lesser degree, has its resultant effect. It is like throwing a stone into a pond. From the central point ripples will go out causing a reaction to any object floating upon its surface.

Karma operates the law of attraction and repulsion. Like will attract like. It is no use grumbling at our lot, because we have attracted it to ourselves, and only by this realisation and a firm determination to root out all those things of an undesirable nature, can we strike off the links of our Karmic chain, until finally the last one is discarded, in the realisation of Divine Consciousness. Karma has ended in the supremacy of Cosmic perception and we can come into the Great Presence bearing in our hands His Divine gift of freewill. In overcoming Karma by the acquisition of knowledge, our freewill has become attracted towards at-one-ment with God, so that we do not further require it, being in complete harmony with the Creator.

We can say, as did the Master Jesus, "' Ye who have seen Me have seen the Father "; for surely our light will so shine before men that they will see the Divine Essence, regarding it as a jewel of more worth than all the riches of Earth.

Part I - The Wisdom of the Soul

[Stefanus]

Chapter VI

NATURE IN HARMONY AND DISHARMONY

UNIVERSAL Brotherhood is something that has held Man's imagination throughout the ages. This elusive Utopia has been striven after in many ways by mortals, but has often translated itself into the dogmas of Socialism and Communism.

In France, at the time of the Revolution, '' Fraternite '' was amongst the slogans that were proclaimed. The same was the case in Russia, and in fact all countries where despotic rule has flourished for any length of time.

Yet these epic examples have taught us that brotherhood will never be achieved through violence and ignorance, because the new possessors of power invariably vent their pent-up wrath upon those whom they have overcome, often in the most ferocious manner.

This is not the way. The Brotherhood of Man can only be achieved by educating the soul incarnate in Man, and by teaching him to find his God-consciousness. When this can be achieved upon a large enough scale the materialism of oppression and greed for power will automatically disappear.

In the finding of the God within, all desire to possess worldly things as the only means to happiness, will be extinguished. With knowledge of the spirit will come a desire to help one another by passing on the spiritual riches which we have acquired through experience and striving.

Mankind's troubles will only be healed when all those possessing spiritual awareness come together in one complete whole, when out of the aggregate of their knowledge, a lasting Temple of Truth will be built. The more seekers who come to this Temple the nearer will humanity be to the Kingdom of God, or ultimate spiritual at-one-ment. Only through Universal Brotherhood can modern civilization be saved. We are all part of the Great Cosmic Whole and each individual must work in harmony with the Universal God-force.

Humanity will, sooner or later, have to realise that the soul of man is part of the God-consciousness from which it sprang, and which is dormant unless awakened through individual effort of striving and reaching out, in an attempt to solve the great enigmas of life. These mysteries of Creation should be made vital, and interesting, so that each incarnate soul will want to know more of why he exists and for what purpose he is here.
Orthodoxy does not seem to grasp this fact, so that one wonders if the Churches have missed the real significance lying behind the miracle of nature as she manifests to mankind.

If Man would apply to himself what nature is showing him, then his eyes would be opened. Mostly he misses the marvel of the rebirth of plant life each time that the warmth of spring caresses the root, seed and tree, nursing them back from winter sleep into new life. Surely here we have an example that all life is eternal and does but change its mortal garment from time to time.

God also inspires and educates Man's soul through artistic inspiration. It is creative, and forms the basis of the human social structure. Materialism has no place for art as a spiritual force, but sees it only as something by which to entertain or enrich itself, so that now we are faced with a decadence in artistic inspiration which is making itself felt through the whole social fabric. True inspiration never came out of anything that was unnatural. Perversion of sex is another of those parodies, and today it is increasing alarmingly, chiefly in the artistic world which it is perverting and twisting. The monstrosities which are produced in art and music are the physical manifestations of this vicious cult.

What do we mean when we use the word beauty ? Surely it should mean something that raises our spiritual vibrations and puts us upon a higher plane of consciousness. Look at a beautiful sunset; the glories of a tremendous mountain range; hear the sound of beautiful spiritual music, the music of the great masters, many of whom have now passed on ; the beauty of Shakespeare's prose and flowing verse; the touch of the brush of a master painter. All these things raise our spiritual perception and make it possible for us to open the doors of our souls to the great spiritual truths which are waiting for us.

Opposed to these blessings are the discordant music churned out by some modern composers; the distorted sculptures and paintings; the meaningless verses; lewd literature in the name of realism, all of which touch the strings of our lower astral vibrations. These are the parodies threatened in the curse of Lucifer.

A great proportion of modern music is a noise — that is all. Sculpture — much of it is just distorted lumps of clay and stone; and paintings — well, these are pictures in so far as they are daubs on canvas, but they are mostly meaningless and contain a sinister mockery. They pull those who worship at their unholy shrines down to the lower layers of spiritual thought, and are the " open sesame " for all the evil entities ever willing to do the behests of the Black Masters.

These fallen spirits, some of whom roam the astral regions within the earth's magnetic envelope, have an organised programme of spiritual sabotage. They are the wolves in sheep's clothing to which Jesus so often referred. Some are incarnate and some are not. Those not in the flesh are busy transmitting all manner of wrong information — styling themselves great ones and impersonating them. They produce that which is so near the truth as to be almost indiscernible from it, but the foundations are those of falsehood and, in many cases, ignorance.

You may ask, how was it that God allowed evil to manifest, for obviously he could have removed it had He wished ?

Thought, remember, is all that there IS within the Universe. It is the Cosmic Thought which holds all that we know, both spirit and matter, together. If that initial Creative Thought were withdrawn, then complete nothingness would result. This is, of course, beyond our finite intelligences, so we need not ponder its meaning. It is like asking a radio set with a limited radius of reception to pick up messages from thousands of miles away. It simply could not be done.

This question of God making an apparent compromise with evil can be answered in this way. As we have said, all that IS (all Thought) emanates from the One Creative God Source. By this we must at once realise that evil is a part of the Spiritual Spectrum, but is at the opposite end to the higher Thought Forces. God could not therefore cut out a part of His Creation, but must wait for evil to be gradually weakened and absorbed through progressive stages of evolution.

The accumulation of knowledge through personal experience will, in time, accomplish this; but, in the intervening periods, this knowledge only comes through trial and error — cause and effect. Sometimes, the results can be disastrous to mankind, but always there is time given to recover and rebuild upon a more spiritual basis until, finally, greater knowledge will overcome and drive out error.

At this point man will actually have deprived himself of his treasured birthright — FREEWILL; but it will be a voluntary surrender, because, in the finding of at-one-ment with God, he will not desire those lower planes of thought, and so the pull into materialism will be overcome and the soul will have become one with God. In Jesus' words we shall have entered the Kingdom of God.

Part I - The Wisdom of the Soul