body
might not constitute a hindrance and would not raise any objection or complaint
when the time
came. It is therefore in peace, and demands nothing from a mind always
too
prompt to satisfy its reasonable requests. And now, the moment has come.
The 'rendezvous', by the clock of my life, is fixed for 11 p.m. Half an
hour ago I had arranged my physical Sanctum in the desired manner. On the
altar I had lit the incense and a faint bluish light now illumines the
room. I have proceeded with the rite of purification and lighted the
candles, saying, as I have kept the habit of saying for so many years
since my Initiation into the First Neophyte Degree of the Rosicrucian
Order, AMORC:
- "Sacred light, symbol of the Greater Light, cast thy rays into the
darkness and illuminate my path!"
While lighting the candle on the left; and for the one on the right :
- "As Light is added unto Light, may the cross beams soften the lines and
the shadows, symbolizing the easing of pain and sorrow as would the coming
of the Greater Light."
Then, seated I recited the prayer recommended by our Imperator, Ralph M.
Lewis, in his remarkable work The Sanctuary of Self, I which he has every
reason to declare contains all the mystical elements:
- "May the Divine essence of the Cosmic cleanse me of all impurities of
mind
and body that I may commune with the Cathedral of the Soul; May my mortal
consciousness be so enlightened that any imperfections of my thinking may
be revealed to me, and may I be given the power of will to correct them. I
humbly petition that I may perceive the fullness of nature and partake
thereof, ever consistent with the Cosmic good. So Mote It Be!"
Then, with eyes closed, I abandoned myself to meditation, my heart singing
its gratitude for the privilege which I share with so many others, that of
being a Rosicrucian, that of serving.
But the
hour has come, and it is time to proceed with the visualization and to
take the
road to the Celestial Sanctum. Here it is, in the form it
usually takes for me, that of a cathedral. It is there, majestic in the
infinity of the heavens, and, on approaching the great portal I recognize
certain 'faces'. Each one, this evening, radiates a gravity which the
circumstance justifies. In the cathedral an immense crowd moves swiftly
into place. However, I know that only those who can, and should, will be
conscious of the Initiation. Besides, a great many have come into the
Cathedral of the Soul without knowing that an exceptional ceremony would
take place this night. As always, there are those who do not know that
they
are
there, that is, who are not conscious of having arrived there. It may be
that below on Earth they have fallen asleep after directing a last thought
toward the Cathedral of the Soul, perhaps while they await an impossible
physical impression made up of exclusively sensory pictures. Everyone,
it is evident, profits from Cosmic contact, which works efficiently for
them,
whether they know it or not, and to see them in this high place gives me
a feeling of peace and profound joy. Others are there for a personal
question which they wish solved, and they see nothing other than the
motive which is the reason for their presence in the Cathedral of the Soul.
Those who have a need for consolation, notice only the music of the Cosmic
organ or the songs which the Celestial choir will soon sing. Those who
are
in quest of Greater Light will receive only that, from the Master in
charge of instruction, and still others will be in communion with a dear
one who has left the physical plane and is preparing for a later
incarnation. In the Cathedral of the Soul, there are simultaneously as
many special attunements as there are 'elevated' consciousnesses at this Cosmic
level. Each one, therefore, takes part only in whatever he has come
to participate in. Many activities thus take place at the same time in
the
Cathedral of the Soul without interference from any other, or, to apply
a human word to a Cosmic state, without ‘'indiscretion’.
The sublime Initiation which will be conducted in the Cathedral of the Soul
will, consequently, be 'perceived' only by those who are entitled to take
part, or who can be witnesses. No others will know that a ceremony of this
importance is taking place, and I feel some regret in thinking of the
members of the highest Degrees of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, who have
now gathered together in the Cathedral of the Soul and cannot assist in
an Initiation of this nature. But the time will come for them to participate
in it, not as mere spectators, but as Initiates, and that will be their
great return, their Cosmic reconciliation, the sign of a supreme step
accomplished, the ultimate reward of an awakened consciousness. In the
cathedral which, for me, represents the Cathedral of the Soul, all the stalls
of the choir loft are occupied, and the light which emanates from the
crossbeams of these realized consciousnesses would be unbearable to the
physical eye, but the light which radiates from the throne under the
canopy shines still more brightly. It would be impossible to recognize
all those present and the one who presides if this knowledge had not already
been instilled into the souls of those admitted to participate in this
ceremony.
