AMORC
Initiation Ritual for Plane 2
1978/1985
Part One
Salutes in omnibus punctis trianguli!
Beloved Members of the Esoteric Hierarchy:
Earlier in the Degrees of the Rosicrucian Order you were promised an
introduction to the initiations and rites of the other venerable esoteric
orders. As you know, AMORC was affiliated with the F.U.D.O.S.I. during its
existence. The letters of that word compose the initials of the federation of
the true arcane esoteric orders of the world. Each of these orders and its
initiations perpetuate those mystical and psychological principles whereby the
consciousness of the individual is brought into harmony with self and the
Cosmic. Furthermore, each of such orders and societies has, as its heritage,
precepts which have descended from the ancient mystery schools. The F.U.D.O.S.I.
had its temple and held biennial Conclaves in Brussels, Belgium. Each of its
three highest dignitaries was an Imperator. The Imperator of AMORC was one of
these three. He participated in several Conclaves in Brussels with all the
hierophants and venerables of the member-societies.
At the Conclave held in Brussels during July, 1946, it was mutually agreed
that the true, tried, and tested members of the highest Degrees of each of the
respective societies shall have conferred upon them one or more of the
initiations of the other affiliated orders. Consequently, before you advance
into Plane Two of the Ordo Summum Bonum of the Rosicrucian Hierarchy, you shall
have added to the experiences of this incarnation an initiation into another of
the oldest of the arcane orders. It is only through your affiliation with AMORC
that you can enjoy this privilege. It is only in an order such as AMORC, so
recognized in esoteric circles throughout the world, that this experience of
diversified mystical initiations can come to you. On the other hand, you have
earned it by your devotion to the principles of the Rosicrucian Order throughout
the years of your membership. In allowing you the privilege of an introduction
to the mysteries of their orders, the hierophants have taken into consideration
your status as a member of the Hierarchy or that extension of it which forms
Plane Two. They believe you to have that sympathy of understanding and that
insight or illumination which makes you a worthy repository of some of their
most sacred symbols and truths.
The initiation ritual which shall follow was transmitted in the Latin and
French languages by the hierophant of that order to the venerables of the
F.U.D.O.S.I. The Chancellor of that body delivered it to the late Grand
Secretary of the A.M.O.R.C. of France. She, in turn, translated it into English
and forwarded it to the Imperator of AMORC in America. He, without omitting any
of the essential precepts or altering its inherent mystical spirit, has prepared
it for adaption to your home Sanctum.
Preparation:
Before actually performing the initiation, it is necessary that you make
certain preparations. This shall consist of acquiring simple objects and
arranging your Sanctum accordingly. It is suggested that for this week you
acquire what is needed and study the introductory history. Then you will be
prepared to perform the ritual as directed.
A - One white taper or candle about 30 cm in length.
B - About two tablespoonfuls of fine ashes removed from a fireplace or stove
and placed in a neat little pile on a sheet of white paper about 8 cm square.
C - A single flower—a rose, a lily, or any other flower will suffice.
D - Cut four pieces of cardboard into 8 cm squares. In the center of each
piece of cardboard print, as large as possible, a single numeral. In other
words, mark the pieces of cardboard 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively—that is, just
one number on each piece of cardboard.
E - A small bowl about 8-l0cm in diameter, of brass, copper, silver, or
glass, filled with fresh tap water.
History:
You are to confer upon yourself an initiation into the Apprentice Degree of
the Order Hermes Trismegistus. The teachings of this Order, its symbolism and
liturgies rest upon a foundation begun in antiquity. The exact source of some of
its knowledge, like that of A.M.O.R.C., is lost in the remoteness of time and
has become but a beloved tradition. The Order derives its name from a character
known as Hermes Trismegistus. There are some who say that there never was
such a person as Hermes Trismegistus. There are others who proclaim that he
lived before Plato, before the Seven Sages of whom Thales was one—even before
Moses. However, Hermes is the name which the Greeks ascribed to the Egyptian god
or legendary character known as Thoth. The title "Trismegistus" is the
Greek for "Thrice Great," or the Great Great Great. Inscribed on the
Rosetta Stone, in demotic writing, is the name of Thoth whom the Greeks called Hermes,
and the statement that he was the Great Great Great. The Egyptians characterized
him as a human figure with the head of an ibis, that is, the head of an Egyptian
bird that used to wade in the marshes along the Nile.
The Greeks in their ancient writings said that Thoth, called Hermes,
was the principal source of all wisdom, a sort of fountain of knowledge. They
called him the father of philosophy. The Egyptians in their ancient
writings referred to Thoth as the lord of books and said he was the inventor of
the science of numbers—namely, mathematics—and that he taught men to speak,
and moreover, that he taught them the demotic writing. The earliest Egyptian
writing was the hieroglyph, or picture writing, and it is said that Thoth taught
the demotic writing, or script, in the manner which we now write so that man
would have many signs for many things. Today, a magnitude of literature is
credited to Hermeticism. There are quotations which say that he, Hermes,
or Thoth was the author of thousands of works, while reliable sources say that
he wrote forty-two books, and these had six sections, one on astronomy, one on
the science of writing, one on religion, and so forth.
Manetho, great Egyptian historian of the third century, B.C., and, for some
time in the past, thought to be a legendary character whose works have since
been translated, was known significantly as the Truth of Thoth, and as the First
Priest of Thoth, which would mean that he was a teacher of the wisdom of this
great character. In the writings of Manetho, we learn that he was commanded by
Ptolemy Philadelphus, who presided over the great school of learning and library
of ancient Alexandria, to collect the great learning of the ancient Egyptians
for that library, and that Manetho presented to Philadelphus the sacred books of
Thoth, one of which is known as The Shepherd of Man. It is interesting to
note that a phrase in that book anticipates a statement in the Book of Genesis,
namely, that God begat man equal to Himself.
In the records in stone inscribed on the monuments of Egypt, the tombs and
temples, we find much reference to Hermes, or to Thoth as they called him, and
it is said that the principal seat of the school of Thoth where his wisdom was
taught was at Khemennu, which the Greeks later named Hermopolis, or
literally translated: the City of Hermes. It is said that this school was a
"place on high ground" and that it was where Ra, the Sun, first rested
when it rose in the East. Now of course this is allegorical, because these
records further relate that the school was a place of initiation for the mystery
school candidates. During such initiation, the candidates ascended the
mountain of their inner nature, their inner consciousness, and when they reached
the top, the spiritual sun rested upon them. In other words, when they
attained within themselves a state of Cosmic Consciousness, then they were
bathed in illumination or spiritual understanding.
Profane or general history, in all of its investigations, can disclose no
reason for the calling of Thoth, or Hermes, the Thrice Illustrious or Thrice
Great. Rosicrucian records as we have them here, which are a continuation and a
perpetuation of that knowledge transmitted to the Order from the Old World, tell
us that there actually was such a character as Hermes or Thoth. He was not a god
but a great sage. He was born in Thebes, ancient capital of Egypt, in 1399 B.C.,
and attained a great age. He received the appellation "Thrice
Illustrious" because he participated in the organization of the great
mystery school, had the experience of seeing the illustrious Amenhotep IV
initiated as a Great Grand Master, and further, had the experience of seeing the
work perpetuated; he himself assisted in the initiation of the successor of
Amenhotep IV.
Actually, however, the philosophy and teachings of the Order Hermes
Trismegistus are eclectic. They have borrowed and incorporated into themselves,
besides the traditions of Hermes, the ancient doctrines of Nee-Platonism,
Stoicism, Gnosticism, and the elements of Christianity. Alexandria, Egypt,
during the second century after Christ, was a great center of philosophical
learning. Here were taught the doctrines of Plato and Pythagoras, those of the
Stoics, and other Greek philosophical concepts. In addition to these teachings,
teachers were expounding the mysteries of Mithraism and the venerated mysteries
of Egypt herself, as well as the new postulations of Christianity. It was to be
expected that these teachings, which were contiguous, should influence each
other. Consciously or unconsciously, the advocates of each practiced syncretism;
that is, they borrowed from each other. It is this fact that accounts for
Christian theology having such a flavor of Neo-Platonism. Here also Hermeticism,
or the gnosis of Hermes, underwent a transition. Many of the occult and mystical
principles of the other systems of thought were grafted onto it. One of the
paramount influences on the Hermetic teachings was the Pythagorean doctrines,
that is, the teachings of the great Greek philosopher Pythagoras. In fact,
although the Order of Hermes Trismegistus venerates the name of Hermes, its
doctrines and liturgies reflect more the concepts of Pythagoras. Consequently,
it behooves us to review briefly the interesting highlights of that early
thinker's life before proceeding with the initiation.
From most of the authentic sources, such as the classical historian, Diogenes
Laertius, it is estimated that Pythagoras was born about 580 B.C. The place of
his birth was said to be the little island of Samos in the Aegean Sea, off the
coast of Greece. The early Greeks were divided into separate city-kingdoms, each
independent and more or less self-sufficient. The numerous islands off the coast
of the mainland fostered distinct cultural environments, so that each community
often had its preferred philosophical doctrines. These communities gave rise to
some of the enlightened philosophical systems or schools of thought which
influenced the world for centuries and which live on in some of our present
religions.
Pythagoras was the son of a silversmith and was reared in a favorable social
environment. While still young, it is related, he was so eager for knowledge
that he decided to leave his own country and journeyed to other countries and,
we are told, "had himself initiated into all the mysteries and rites not
only of Greece but also of foreign countries."
While in Crete, he went "down into the cave of Ida." This refers to
the initiatory chambers which were frequently subterranean. These mysteries were
often named after gods or heroes who represented the different virtues which man
must learn to acquire through the initiatory rites. Many young men who were
sincere in acquiring knowledge sought initiation into the mystery schools as
young men seek admission into universities today. However, initiation into the
mystery schools entailed not only intellectual qualifications but moral ones as
well.
While Pythagoras was in Egypt, Polycrates, a political leader of Samos, his
home island, sent him a letter of introduction to Amasis, a Pharaoh of Egypt.
This letter was most influential because it gave Pythagoras entree to many sites
otherwise forbidden. As a true scholar, Pythagoras learned the Egyptian
language, which undoubtedly facilitated his acquiring knowledge in this
enigmatical land.
His first journey in the Near East brought him to the lands of the Chaldeans
and the Magi. He dwelt among them for some time and was introduced to their
secret gnosis, which included mathematics and astronomy. Upon returning to
Egypt, he was extended a rare privilege for foreigners. He was permitted to
enter the sanctuaries of the mystery schools and, in the course of
initiation, there was revealed to him "their sacred lore concerning the
gods." This does not mean that he was only taught Egyptian theology or the
religions extant at the time. Each appanage or natural classification of
knowledge was characterized in Egypt by the name or figure of a god. In other
words, a god symbolized the kind of knowledge–one god having jurisdiction over
spiritual matters, another, over the mind. Still others were over agriculture,
the arts and crafts, and so on. To study the lore of the gods was, then, to
study those subjects classified under the name of the god. For analogy, the
United States Army Medical Corps has, as its symbol today, the caduceus, the
wand of the Greek god Mercury.
Pythagoras returned to Samos to find his country now under the tyranny of
Polycrates. Being a lover of freedom, he sailed away to Croton, Italy. He
established himself there and was soon accepted and greatly admired by the
Italian-Greek populace as a learned and much traveled man. He laid down a very
effective constitution which was adopted by the people. He established a school
for the postulation of what he had learned in the mystery schools and which he
had fashioned into a personal philosophy.
Pythagoras is quoted as having once said that he was the "son of
Hermes." Many persons took this literally, as meaning that he was the son
of the god Hermes as a sort of divine being. Among his students, however,
it was interpreted to mean that he was an exponent of the traditional mysteries
and truths of Hermes, namely, a follower of them. It is related that he wrote
three books which were available to all. These are On Education, On
Statesmanship, and On Nature. Many others are attributed to him but
modern and many classical historians alike consider the others but forgeries.
However, he taught much which was recondite and did not find its way into books.
Such was the wisdom extended to the devotees of the mystery school which he
founded at Croton and which now comprises a principal part of the teachings of
the Order Hermes Trismegistus.
Pythagoras' disciples had to keep silent for five years, merely listening to
his discourses, without seeing him until they passed the examination. It is said
that most of his discourses were held at night and that he spoke from the
shadows. This procedure is often puzzling to present-day students of his life.
However, it indicates that Pythagoras was truly a master teacher and an
excellent psychologist. He did not want the students to be affected favorably or
unfavorably by his personality. He wanted them not to follow him, the man, but
rather his doctrines. If they did not, or could not, concentrate just upon what
he said, then they would not be true students but mere personality-followers or
curiosity seekers. Further, just listening to his voice as he spoke to them in
the darkness, prevented any distraction of thought. It was a severe test which
eliminated the unworthy ones.
He did not permit his disciples to speak to him during discourses for five
years because he wished them to converse with him only when they were his
equals, How many times will a student rise to his feet and argue with one of his
instructors before he has been grounded in the subject, making himself appear
ridiculous before those who have more extensive knowledge! He unnecessarily
wastes the instructor's time and confuses other listeners. When one has learned
all the instructor has to offer, then he is entitled to meet him on equal terms
and together they may converse and mutually advance themselves.
It is related that it was Pythagoras who first brought geometry to
perfection, particularly the arithmetical aspect. He is said to have classified
the musical intervals of a monochord—that variations of the length of a string
of a musical instrument have a mathematical relationship to the varying
vibrations of sound in the scale. Archeologists have, in comparatively recent
years, discovered that the Egyptians had a musical scale and, therefore, in all
probability, Pythagoras acquired his knowledge of the mathematical relationship
of sound from the Egyptian mystery schools into which he was initiated.
Pythagoras is principally renowned for his doctrine of numbers. He asserted
that the principle of all things is the monad, the unit. In other words,
basically all things are united into one or the monad. The numeral 1
symbolizes beginning or unity. Arising from this monad is the undefined dyad
or 2. This latter becomes the material substratum. To put it more simply, out of
one arises the principle of the two opposites or the two polarities or, as we
refer to them, the negative and the positive. These two opposites are the
substratum by which the things of our world are generated. From the monad and
the dyad, or from 1 and then 2, spring the other numbers. From numbers come
points, lines, planes, figures, solids, and so on. These variations interchange
and turn one into the other, producing the animate universe.
To further explain, the universe, the cosmos, is a monad, a single unit. From
this unit emerges the principle of duality. This constant flux or combining and
recombining of the opposites produces the animate universe, the world of motion
and change, with its myriads of things of everyday experience. Can you see how
Pythagoras anticipated the doctrine of motion and energy and those mathematical
laws of harmony as taught in our Rosicrucian work and as are now substantiated
by general science?
Pythagoras, of course, did not limit his teachings to cosmology or the
structure of the universe, but also concerned himself with spiritual matters,
such as the nature of the soul. He said that the soul draws nourishment from the
blood. To the uninitiated this seemed preposterous. To us Rosicrucians, this is
understandable. We take into our lungs with each breath the positive polarity of
Nous, or the Infinite Intelligence. This, as our Fourth and Sixth Degree
monographs have explained, vitalizes the blood and carries through the
bloodstream to each cell the positive divine force and the Infinite
Intelligence, by which the involuntary actions of our body are performed. The
cells have as their nucleus, then, a positive vibrating Divine Intelligence.
This is the soul force in man. The blood is, therefore, one of the
principal media for conveying it to the cell structure in the human organism.
The single statement of Pythagoras given above is not sufficient to explain
fully what he meant. That is why his critics ridiculed the statement.
Pythagoras also said that the "air is full of souls." If
unqualified, this statement also appears mystifying. If we understand it to mean
that in the air, not of the air, is the essence of the Universal Soul,
which flows through all men and causes them to become individually expressed
souls, we cannot help but agree with our Venerable Master, Pythagoras.
You shall keep in mind all the foregoing facts of the times and of the
personalities which contributed to the formation of the Order Hermes
Trismegistus as you proceed with the ritual in Part Two, on your next study
night.
In the bonds of the Order,
Fraternally,
YOUR CLASS MASTER
Part Two
Before proceeding with the ritual, glance over the history given you in Part
One to refresh your memory. Then proceed with the arrangement of the Sanctum
and, finally, the ritual.
Arrangement of the Sanctum:
On your Sanctum altar there must be a single candle. It shall be unlighted
and remain so until you are instructed to light it during the ritual.
Immediately before the candle, place the small bowl of water. To the right of
the candle on the altar, place the single fresh flower. Lay it upon the altar
without any vase or container. On the left of the candle, place the small paper
with the ashes neatly piled upon it. At each of the four corners of your Sanctum
room, you shall place one of the numbers. Attach it temporarily to a wall or to
some object in the corner. Thus, in the corner of the room at the left of your
Sanctum, put No. 4. At the right of the Sanctum, place No. 3. Now go to the
opposite end of your room. As you face your Sanctum from that location, No. 2
should be in the corner to your right and No. 1 to your left.
You have now established the mystical square of the Order Hermes
Trismegistus. In the actual sanctuaries of the Order, always called Squares,
venerable dignitaries would be stationed in each corner. Now the personalities
of those who have so served the Order shall be invisibly present and may be
sensed by you as you proceed with the ritual.
The Sanctum room shall be kept dark, except for a soft, shaded light for
reading, beside your chair. Your chair shall be in the occident (the West) of
your Sanctum room or at the opposite end from your Sanctum altar and facing the
latter.
You are referred to in the ritual as the Profane, which is the
ritualistic name for the candidate or the uninitiated. The master shall be
referred to as the Venerable Master. You must imagine yourself in
one of the subterranean temples of the Order Hermes Trismegistus, with a
personal master and his associates conferring upon you the sacred rites. You
will become conscious of the presence of those great venerables who have passed
through this Initiation in Hermetic temples of the past. You will also feel the
presence of the Invisible Hosts. The benefit you shall derive from this
Initiation will depend upon how you change the environment with your thoughts of
devotion, your sincerity, and by your humble reverential response to what is
required of you. To be skeptical, to be doubtful, to feel that it is not
necessary to participate, but just to read the ritual, will mean that you are
denying yourself the experience that comes from enacting it. This room can be a
Temple in which your psychic self will relive a familiar experience or it can
become just a mundane surrounding. You create the spiritual vibrations by your
thoughts, by the response of your inner self. Each article or object of this
ritual must not be what it appears to be. It must represent an element of
mystical import. It must engender love and put you into harmony with the real
purpose of the Initiation.
Ritual
Seat yourself in the occident or West of your Sanctum as instructed.
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "Profane, you
shall now enter the Chamber of Meditation where you will gaze upon the symbols
of two of the greatest of all mysteries. These shall not be exhibited to you
until you have journeyed about the square which is emblematic of our Order.
Arise."
PROFANE: (Stand erect with this ritual in your hand. Then perambulate, that
is, slowly walk about the square. Proceed first to Point 1 at your left, thence
on a straight line to Point 2. Next, turn at right angles and proceed to Point
3; turn in the same manner and advance to Point 4. Turn sharply at Point 4 and
walk in a straight line back to Figure 1. From 1, walk to a point directly in
front of your chair and thence proceed slowly to the Sanctum altar. Now, light
the single candle on the altar.)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "O Profane, you have been wandering in the
exterior darkness and wish to study and receive the light from this respectable
square. But nothing indicates to us, who have preceded you, that you are not
merely imprudent, impulsed by a vain and improper spirit of investigation and
curiosity."
(Read softly)
PROFANE: "O Blessed Venerables,
who look upon me from the sacred square, misjudge not.my purpose. I stand ready
to be tested, to sacrifice, if need be, that I, too, may share the greater light
you have so well preserved."
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "Know,
therefore, O Profane, that the Unknown Masters of our Order, whom we are now
representing, have interdicted us, under the most severe penalty, not to
initiate into our Order covetous persons who are simply and idly curious and
cannot offer to the Square a sound guarantee of their competency,
fraternal devotion and absolute discretion. We shall have to proceed to a very
severe examination before accepting you.
"Gaze to the left of the orient (left of your
altar.) There lies but an impalpable mass composed of simple ashes. A
similar substance, devoid of form, dignity, glory, and ambition will someday be
the only earthly remains of the body that now immures your soul. Look well upon
these ashes. Can you see in them the remnants of pride? Do they give evidence of
a once vaunted virility, a glibness of tongue, the power of authority, or the
fiery passions that seemed so eternal? All things of the body and by the body
are evanescent, and must eventually be reduced to the unimpressive simplicity of
these ashes."
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: (Continues) "Gaze
to the right of the orient. This flower symbolizes life, but not merely that
animation of matter which we call living things. It is the life of
immortality, the infinity of kind. What is generated by the soul, what
has its being in the idealism of self, never passes away. It leaves its eternal
mark upon humanity. Its nature and the happiness it affords never diminish. Such
things the soul provides in mortal existence and such it carries with it after
this existence. Upon these thoughts you shall now meditate."
PROFANE: (You shall return to your station—the chair in the West--by
proceeding to Point 3, thence to Point 2, and from there to the chair, where you
will be seated. Remain in meditation for about two or three minutes upon what
the Venerable Master has brought to your attention. Then proceed with the
ritual.)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "O Profane,
what is your age?"
PROFANE: (State softly your age)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "Alas,
Profane, we only too well surmised your absolute ignorance of the mysterious
initiatic subtleties. We asked your true age and you answered with your
vulgar worldly age. It is your Hermetic age we wish to know. The human being, as
was told by our Master, Hermes Trismegistus, and as was revealed to us by our
Greek Initiate, does not attain his true initiatic age, that is, 'the 4 occult
years' until the day when he learns, grasps, and understands: that all the
activities of his spirit, of his senses, and of his body are enclosed in 4
Cosmical lives, each clearly differentiated from the other. Man may participate
in each of these lives. In fact, the whole life of man is an integration of the
4 Cosmical lives, but usually one dominates. That one constitutes his Hermetic
age.
"The first of these lives is the mineral. Through his flesh, blood,
skeletal structure, h1s salts and ferments, man participates in the mineral life
of the universe. Through his respiratory, circulatory, and reproductive
functions, man is united to the vegetative life. Through his motility and
mobility, through the sensibility of his five senses, which give him
consciousness of the exterior world, man is endowed with a complete animal life.
At last, by the free exercise of his intelligence and will, he is endowed with a
rational life. This makes of him the legitimate king of the 4 cycles, or
manifested realms of the universe. These must all be harmoniously integrated. If
but one comprises his sphere of thought and activity, with the exception of the
rational life, he has not attained his full Hermetic age. If he devotes himself
to the rational life, he will intelligently live in—that is, abide by—the
other three lives as well. The rational being does not neglect his vegetative or
animal life."
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "Arise,
Profane. We shall journey about the square of investigation, so that we may
learn more of you and so that you shall be the recipient of some of our Sacred
Light."
PROFANE: (Arise and, turning at right angles, proceed to Point 2 of the
square, which is at your right. Stand at that point, facing the Sanctum. Adjust
your light, if necessary, so that reading is easy.)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "The Venerable
Dignitary, who presides over this point of our square, asks you the symbolical
question: What time is it in this place?"
PROFANE: (Answer by giving the standard or Greenwich time for your location;
namely, the hour your clock or watch shows.)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "Alas,
Profane, you are in the most profound error, and yet you can see that this
square constitutes a Fixed Point of Intellectual and Initiatic Light in the
midst of Universal Darkness. In such a place, which shines with the brighter
light of the Profound Wisdom transmitted to us by our Very Illustrious
Instructors and Masters of Ancient Thought, Lao-tse, Fo-Hi, Valkimi, Zoroaster,
Hermes Trismegistus, Plato, and Aristotle, there can be no Night. There is no
room for penumbra, shadow or darkness. Know, therefore, O Profane, that, since
you are endowed with 4 Cosmical lives, it is necessary for you to be perfectly
and thoroughly enlightened upon each one of them and that, consequently, the
time shall be '4 times noon' in this respectable square where you shall have to
be enlightened upon your own mystery. Such is the sacred hour in which the sun
of science is in its plenitude and dazzles all eyes with its inextinguishable
luminosity. Let us continue our journey."
PROFANE: (Now proceed, walking in a straight line to Point 3. Upon arriving
there, stand erect and again face the orient of your Sanctum.)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "O Profane, the Dignitary at this point of the square
presents to you the third symbolical request. It is: Please tell us the Sacred
Name of our Venerable Instructor and Master."
(Read softly)
PROFANE: (Answer either Hermes, Pythagoras, or that you do not
know.)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "Alas, my friend, even had you been able to tell us
the name of our Venerated and Very Illustrious Master, you could not know that
no Hermetist's mouth pronounces this Venerated Name as a vulgar or profane name
is uttered. Know, therefore, for the future that the Very Respectable Name of
our Very Illustrious Master cannot be uttered in one word; in respect, filial
piety, and legitimate veneration, his children, his faithful disciples,
pronounce it only by spelling it letter after letter; yet each one of the two
interlocutors in the dialogue can spell only one letter at a time. Thus the
first one says, 'P,' the second one, 'Y,' the first one, 'T,' and so on.
"Now proceed to Point 4 of our respectable square, O Profane."
PROFANE: (Walk in a straight line to Point 4 and then once again stand facing
the orient)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "You are
requested, Profane, to answer, for the Dignitary who presides over this point of
the square, the fourth symbolical question. Tell us through which place you have
passed, then who was your guide, and finally, which science you profess."
PROFANE: (Answer softly that you journeyed about a room or gallery, that you
were led by some unknown person; then state what is your worldly trade or
profession.)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "Alas, Profane, here, too, you have answered, to our
expectations, in a very imperfect way and your answers are lacking in precision.
Know, therefore, once and for all, that, to know about yourself before
penetrating into this place, you must have dwelt on the Island of Samos
where our Venerated and Illustrious Instructor and Master was born and where
shone for the first time the bright light of his High Psychological Science. All
places where the lessons of this Very Illustrious Master are taught can,
therefore, be called Samos. Whenever one desires truth and is determined
to find it, he is then dwelling mystically on the Island of Samos and
experiencing the first rays of the Pythagorean sun which enlighten the initiate.
"Your guide on this Samos was a regular disciple of our Venerable
and Very Illustrious Master. Your profession? Ah, my dear friend, your
profession is not the one which enables you or will enable you to live in this
lower world—that is, to maintain yourself, clothe and shelter yourself—but
rather the one that shall give to your spirit and mind its complete unfoldment
in the knowledge of the world; the one that shall raise them up to the summits
of universal science and that shall give you all the delights of truth. Your
supreme art is, therefore, the psychological study of the world and of the human
being in its total perfection. The initiate must study all his life, regardless
of his age, for there is no satiating the thirst of knowledge. You see, my
friend, that, in spite of your good will, you are as yet very little aware of
the mysterious symbolical language of the true initiate. But know, still, that
all your brothers and sisters have passed through such experiences and they,
like yourself, have been wearing the Black Veil of Ignorance. Finally, I call
your attention to the fact that, to be admitted into our Sacred Mysteries, it is
not enough, alas, to be very skilled in the profane sciences and to be
interested in the mysteries of the universe. It is also necessary to work,
earnestly and unceasingly, in spiritual research; it is necessary to have a
desire to understand and a thirst for knowledge; it is also necessary to be
capable of sacrifice for the sake of the initiates, your brothers, to kill in
oneself all selfishness, all blind passion so as to show to others an unlimited
devotion in all places and in all circumstances.
"Proceed, Profane, to the Orient."
PROFANE: (Walk to a point directly in front of your Sanctum, taking this
ritual with you)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "We shall now
give unto you the Spotless Light, after effacing the Shadow of the Past. This
shall be done in the name of him who taught us the virtue of the numbers 1, 2,
3, and 4. Kneel down, my brother."
PROFANE: (Kneel upon your right knee before the Sanctum altar)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "Place the
tips of the fingers of your right hand in the lustral (purification) water
before you. Then asperge the drops upon your forehead."
PROFANE: (Proceed to do as directed)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "May this
water, my dear brother, in giving back to you your pristine candor, purify your
body as virtue purifies the spirit. You are this day born again to a new life;
this day is, therefore, a great day. The brethren salute your new birth. You
shall now rise again and then raise your right hand heavenward and pledge what I
shall say."
PROFANE: (Arise and, while holding your right hand aloft, read softly the
following) "Upon all the freedom which I profess in the five
natural senses,
Upon the existence of my reason which I declare to be bound in no way,
Upon the Intelligence which enlightens me, upholds and guides me,
I promise, swear, and make the vow
To inviolably keep all the secrets, signs, and mysteries of the occult and
Initiatic Order of Hermes Trismegistus,
To devote myself to my brothers in all things, on all planes, and in all
legitimate circumstances,
That the laws of our Venerated and Very Illustrious Master, P:: Y:: T:: H::
A:: G:: O:: R:: A:: S:: of Samos, shall be respected. So mote it be."
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "Retire to the
Seat of Meditation."
PROFANE: (Walk, by way of Points 3 and 2, to your chair and be seated)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "I have now
the honor and it is my pleasure to communicate to you, in all their clearness,
certain traditional secrets of our Venerable Order, such as have been
transmitted to us in the past ages from generation to generation by the eternal
chain of Hermetical Initiates.
"The first sign, known only by the Hermetists, is the Sign of
Recognizance. It consists in placing the left hand upon the heart, the thumb
folded in upon the interior part of the hand and the palm resting over the
heart. When this position has been taken, hold out slowly the hand, thus closed
with the fingers together, toward the person to whom you want to be known. You,
therefore, show to this person four stretched fingers, tightly pressed together.
It is obligatory to answer this Sign of Recognizance in the same manner. By
extending the hand from your heart toward your brother, you indicate that your
love goes to greet and receive him. You also remind him that the human being is
composed of 4 Cosmical lives, each different yet closely
associated.
"Next, to verify that your interlocutor is truly one of us, it is
necessary to ask him the Sacred Word. If he gives it at one time in its
entirety, he is a false brother. The letters of the Sacred Word must be spelled
out letter after letter, thus: I:: L:: L:: U:: M:: I:: N:: A:: R:: E::, which
means to enlighten.
"Your ritualistic age, as heretofore noted, indicates your grade in the
Order. The apprentice must say that his age is three years plus one or 4 occult
years, because he is being enlightened, first of all, about himself and learns
that he has 4 Cosmical lives which are different: three inferior ones and one
superior.
"The scriptal sign or the sign used when writing to known Hermetists is
the placing of four dots thus :: after your name. Once again, brother, journey
to the orient."
PROFANE: (Walk to the Sanctum, taking the ritual with you. Proceed by No. 2
and No. 3. Then stand, facing the altar.)
(Read, not aloud)
VENERABLE MASTER: "The physical
light in this square shall now be extinguished for, like the light of the Moon,
it is passive. That orb only reflects usefully the light of the Sun.
You shall now take your light from the Masters, at the same time trying to
reflect it usefully upon others. Blessed be the Venerated Master who has given
unto us wisdom and the perfect light upon all the points of the square of
nature."
PROFANE: (Now extinguish the candle with a candle snuffer, or with moistened
fingers. Do not blow out candle. This completes your Initiation into the
Apprentice Degree of the Order Hermes Trismegistus.)
The password given you, namely, Illuminare, shall be the password of Plane
Two, upon which you shall now enter.
End.