“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

“For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.

“Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

“Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.

“Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice,

because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,

“Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise

“Your sun shall no more go down, or your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.

“Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever.

They are the shoot that I planted, the work of my hands, so that I might be glorified.

“You shall be called priests of the Lord, you shall be named ministers of our God; you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory.

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

“For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.”

-Isaiah 60, 61

Your Light has Come

This is not an ordinary light that might come from a candle or a light bulb. The Light Isaiah is talking about is the Divine Light that comes to us through the Spiritual Sun. That is why he then adds that the “Glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” Being one with God means allowing that Light into you to awaken and develop your spirit until it becomes a conscious Soul.

Darkness Shall Cover the Earth

This is certainly true today. There has never been a darker, more materialistic period in history than in the last few centuries. That is why this time is the final time we have to change our path and turn ourselves and all of humanity away from the darkness of materialism and toward the Light of Spirit.

Nations Will Come to Your Light

As the Community of Light grows, it will reach a point where desperate leaders of nations, businesses, and churches will turn to us for advice and help. We will gladly give them that help as humanity must be saved as a whole, not just a few of us.

Violence Shall No More Be Heard

When people turn to God’s Light, wars and violence of all kinds will be brought to an end. So will disease, famine, floods, and other “natural” disasters that are caused largely by Man’s angry and violent thought patterns that control the world far more than most of us realize.

Your Sun Shall No More Go Down

Materialistic people, and even some who think they are spiritual don’t think this is possible, or even a good idea. They think that light cannot exist without darkness, but they are wrong. As the universe becomes more and more spiritual, we will only be looking at the Spiritual Sun, which shines down on us at all times, even now. Since it is a Spirit, it is not limited at all by time and space.

Garment of Salvation

The Garment of Salvation, the Robe of Righteousness is the Spiritual Light. As we slowly change from our current material forms into more spiritual ones, we will literally glow with that light and help spread that light to all of humanity, all of the world, and all of the universe.

Seeds in the Garden

Our small Community is the seed in God’s Garden on Earth. We must grow and become a Great Garden of Light. That is our destiny. But unlike seeds in a regular garden, we can’t wait for others to water and fertilize us. We must seek out the Water of Life and the Fertilizer of Salvation which is that Spiritual Light flowing to us from God and through the Spiritual Sun.

“The path leading to cognition of the supersensible worlds is one which all men [and women] may travel, whatever their position under the present conditions of life may be. And in speaking of such a path it must be borne in mind that, while the goal of cognition and truth is the same at all times of the earth’s development, yet the starting point for Man has varied considerably at different periods. For instance, the man of the present day who wishes to find the way into supersensible worlds, cannot start from the same point as the Eqyptian candidate for initiation of old. This is why it is impossible for modern humanity to apply, without modification, the exercises given to the candidate for initiation in Ancient Egypt. … The capacities and qualities of souls change. Those who have studied human history only superficially can note that since the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, all life conditions have changed and that opinions, feelings, and even human capacities have become different from what they were before that time. The path for the acquirement of higher knowledge must be one which is suitable for souls in the present.

“From epoch to epoch, progressive evolution leads humanity, in respect to the path of higher cognition, to ever-changing modes , just as outer life likewise changes its form. For at all times, it is necessary that perfect harmony should reign between external life and initiation.”

–Rudolf Steiner

Supersensible Worlds

What Mr. Steiner calls “Supersensible Worlds” are today known as spiritual worlds or spiritual dimensions. What name we use isn’t important, but Steiner’s term tells us something about what these worlds are. As Supersensible worlds, they are above the sensible, or material world, in terms of frequency, level of consciousness, and evolution.

Present Conditions

The present conditions of life are indeed different than what they were in Ancient Egypt during its spiritual golden age and even different from what it was during the Greek golden age of spiritual development. In one sense, things have gotten worse because people today are much more materialistic than in those ancient periods. On the other hand, we now have the Sun of Righteousness shining down on us, and that makes spiritual development easier. In any case, many things have changed and that is why the methods of spiritual development must change with the times. While they may remain the same in a general sense, the details change. Today, the idea of having to live in a monastic community to engage in spiritual development appeals to few people, so that has changed. You can now be part of a spiritual community and still have a normal life with a home, a job, a spouse, etc.

Progressive Evolution

While Steiner may be correct in a physical sense, man has actually not been evolving spiritually, but devolving over the centuries. Fortunately, that is finally changing due to the arrival of the Sun of Righteousness in the End Times of the present age, which marks the beginning of a new age of spiritual growth. We don’t know how long it will take, but man will evolve into a pure spiritual being, and death, disease, and other problems of having a physical body will be over. We will no longer have to kill and eat other physical beings to survive but will need only God’s Light to nourish and sustain us.

“Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches…

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

“The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God’s creation: So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ”

“For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

“I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent.

“Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come into you and eat with you, and you with me

“To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

“See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them;

they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them;

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”

“Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty, I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.

“Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels… on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates

“ And the city was a perfect cube, and it length is as large as its breadth: the length and the breadth and the height of it are all equal.

“The angel who talked to me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width; and he measured the city with his rod, fifteen hundred miles;,its length and width and height are equal.

“The wall is built of jasper, while the city is pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city are adorned with every jewel; the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, each of the gates is a single pearl, and the street of the city is pure gold, transparent as glass.

“I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

– Revelation

The Book Of Revelation

Most of the Bible, like much scripture of other faiths, is written in allegorical language. The Book of Revelation probably more so than any other book of the Bible. In a way, John explains some of the symbology in the sections quoted above, but not entirely. He starts by saying that the seven stars and seven lamps represent the seven churches, but he doesn’t say what seven churches. Many assume it means the early Christian churches, but I think John was speaking in a more universal sense, and the seven churches are the seven major religions of the world.

Because You are Lukewarm

The allegory used here is fairly obvious. John is criticizing the church of Laodicea for not being devoted enough in their worship of God. They are like so many Christians today who call themselves Christians, yet rarely do what Jesus taught the apostles to do. They either don’t go to church as often as they should, or they go more as a social event rather than a spiritual one. Of course, real spiritual development requires more than going to church or reading scripture, and he is talking about that also.

Rich, But Poor and Naked

This is even more true today. People think they are successful because they have a lot of money, land, or other forms of material wealth. John is saying these people are really poor and naked because they have accomplished nothing on a spiritual level. Money, land, and fine clothes won’t get you into Heaven. You need to be “clothed” in God’s Light that comes only to those who practice spiritual development techniques, and do it with the proper attitude of love and humility.

God Will Be With Us

In a sense, God is with all of us now as his presence is in the Sun of Righteousness that now shines down on us, but the Light from that sun has little effect on the average person. We have to practice spiritual development techniques to absorb a significant amount of that Light and become one with God.

City with Twelve Gates

This city represents the entryway into Heaven. It is described as being of pure gold, but clear like glass. To me, that is a good description of the Spiritual Sun. Gold is often associated with the sun, and clear like glass can only mean that it is not visible but is there anyway. That only applies to the Spiritual Sun. And what about those twelve gates? Look at our Cosolargy Cross. It has twelve suns on the outer sections in four groups of three. While the version we use in Cosolargy was specifically designed for our community using the knowledge of modern math, harmony, and proportion, versions of this cross have been around for thousands of years!

Summary

We can’t go through all the allegory in one post, so suffice it to say that it should now be apparent that Revelation is about Spiritual Awakening and Spiritual Development.

“Everyone must stand up against violence and say that what is going on in the world is not in accordance with the Christ teaching, it is not in accordance with God’s Love.

“Why did Christ come to Earth, what was his basic idea? The idea of Love, which can solve all issues (mental, emotional, and social), is the law of the living Love. In what specifically rests this living Love? To know that every man [and woman] in the world feels and suffers like you do and has such needs as you have. Consequently, to enter fully in their situation and be ready to help as you would do for yourself. This is a philosophy, this is a science, which will be applied in the future.

“Fear is the greatest disease that modern people have. It is a trap; it is a weakness of the human character, and ninety-nine percent of all crimes are due to fear. Consequently, every one of you who wants to be a hero must have absolutely no fear. His [or her] heart must be full of love.”

-Biensa Douno

Against Violence

It is in Gene Savoy, Sr.’s teachings that violence is contrary to being spiritual. Not only did he advise that we avoid acts of violence, but that we also avoid watching violent movies, television shows, and even sports activities with a lot of violence in them as they do affect our behavior and beliefs. The young people of today turn to violence far more than people did thirty or forty years ago because they watch a lot of violent movies and play violent video games where killing or maiming those you oppose is the norm.

Christ Taught Love

While it wasn’t the only thing he taught, it is true that all of the teachings of Jesus were based on love. God’s love for us is the only reason we have a path to redemption from the fallen realm of matter. Our love of God is the most important factor when it comes to developing our spiritual Self. Without that love, it would probably be impossible to resist the temptations of the dark beings an forces and the pleasures of the fallen realm of matter. It is also impossible to live in peace with each other if we don’t have love.

Everyone Suffers

While it may seem to you that some people have a perfect life and never have any problems, that is always an illusion. A person might be very wealthy, but his greed and fear prevent him from being able to truly enjoy that wealth. Another person may seem healthy and strong, yet have a disease that is not visible, yet is killing them. So everyone does suffer, in one way or another. That is why we need to have love for all people and not be jealous because we think someone else has it much better than we do. And remember, when it comes to God, and God’s Grace, how much money we have is not significant.

Fear is the Greatest Disease

Fear is the cause of most of the problems in the world. We avoid people who are different, as in a different race, a different religion, etc. because we fear their strangeness. We may not think that is why, but in truth, it is. We take jobs we really don’t want, jobs that harm the environment, animals, or even people, because we fear that if we quit that job, we won’t be able to find a better one. We war with other peoples and nations because we fear them in one way or another. We may fear that they are getting too powerful and will soon be strong enough to be a threat to us. We may fear that they will cut off the flow of natural resources that they have and we need. It isn’t really about oil, it’s about fear. Fear is behind almost all evil. But love conquers fear, which is why Jesus, Buddha, and other great religious and spiritual leaders tell us to love each other, to love God, and to love all that is. They don’t tell us to stop fearing because that wouldn’t work. They tell us we must learn to love, and so we must. It won’t happen overnight, but keep practicing your spiritual techniques, and love will develop.

“My heart has been pruned and its flower has appeared, and so goodness has sprouted up in it, and my heart has borne fruit for the Lord.

“For the Most High had pruned around me through His Holy Spirit, and so laid open toward Him my innermost being, and so filled me with His deep affection.

“And so His pruning around me became my salvation; and I made my way quickly in His peace, along the Way of True Realization.

“From the beginning to the end, I received His knowledge,

and I was established solidly on the rock of True Reality, the solid rock where He had set me up;

 

“and speaking waters touched my lips from the spring of the Lord, which does not hold back,

and I drank and became drunk from the Living Water That Does Not Die.

“And my drunkenness was not the kind that does not lead to knowledge. Did I not leave behind useless things?

And I turned back toward the Most High, my God, and I was made rich by His gift of goodness.

“And I left behind the foolishness that is broadcast upon the Earth, and then I took it off and cast it away from me.

And the Lord renewed me with His raiment, and so acquired me with His Light;

“and from above He revived me with what cannot be corrupted, and so I became like a land that blossoms and laughs in its fruits,

and the Lord became like the Sun upon the face of the land.

 

“My eyes lit up, and my countenance collected the dew,

and my breath laughed with the sweet fragrance of the Lord.

“And He led me away into His paradise, where is the wealth of the Lord’s delight.

And I revered the Lord because of His glorious radiance.

And I said, “They are good, O Lord, are they not, those who are planted in Your land, and have a place in Your paradise,

and who sprout up in Your trees’ sprouting growth, and have transformed from Darkness to Light?

“See, all Your laborers are beautiful, they who work good works, and turn away from what is useless toward Your sweetness.

 

“And by themselves the trees have changed from bitterness, once they were planted in Your land;

and they all exist as a remnant of You, and an eternal remembrance of Your faithful servants.

“How great is the space in Your paradise! And what place in it lies idle? Is it not all filled with fruit?

“Radiant splendor is Yours, O God, the everlasting delight of paradise!”

Hallelujah

-From the Forgotten Books of Eden, Translation by RF Robert Petrovich

My Heart Has Been Pruned

The Odes of Solomon describe one person’s journey of Spiritual Enlightenment. Like most scripture and other books of such information, it is written in mostly allegorical language. A real spiritual student will make sense of the allegories, whereas most others will not. Here, the writer is not talking about a literal pruning, nor about the physical heart. He is talking about a cleansing of the soul and mind, removing anger, jealousy, and all other negativity, leaving behind, love, tolerance, peace, and humility. God does this, the quote says, through His Holy Spirit, Which is another way of saying through His Light and Knowledge that is sent to us through Divine Light.

Rock of True Reality

When you have received God’s gift of Knowledge, the kind of true Knowledge that the Gnostics call Gnosis, you are on an allegorical Rock of Reality because you know that this knowledge is real, true, with no opinions, speculations, or theories. It’s Truth in its purest form. It reveals the true Reality of Heaven and Earth to us.

Spring of the Lord

This allegory refers to the Divine Light that “flows” to us from God through the intermediary of the sun. The Fountain of Youth is another reference to this Light.

Land that Blossoms

A person who becomes spiritually enlightened is like a land of blossoming flowers. We blossom with love, peace, and joy when we are enlightened. Like some rare flowers, we may take many years to blossom, but the effort required is worth it.

His Glorious Radiance

Again we see God being described with words that relate to Light because Light is the true face of God, the true image of God. We were once beings of Light also and we can become such beings again.

The Great Space of Paradise

The ode says that Paradise is a great space, which it is because it is unlimited by space and time being spirit, not matter. It adds that it is filled with fruit and no part of it is idle. Heaven is not a place of idleness, but one of motion, and the “fruit” found there is the souls of those who have achieved complete enlightenment, awakened their Christ Consciousness, and now dwell in Heaven with God and the Angels.

“Here we are on the verge of that great self-merging act which is the essence of pure love: which Reality has sought of us, and we have unknowingly desired of it. Here contemplation and union are one. ‘Thus do we grow,’ says Ruysbroeck, ‘and, carried above ourselves, above reason, into the very heart of love, there do we feed according to the Spirit, and taking flight for the Godhead by naked love, we go to the encounter of the Bridegroom, to the encounter of His Spirit, which is His Love; and thus we are brought forth by God, out of our selfhood, into the immersion of love, in which we possess blessedness and are one with God.’

“The beginning of this process of introversion, will not merely be the yielding to an instinct; it will be a voluntary and purposeful undertaking. Like conversion, it entails a break with the obvious, which must, of necessity, involve and affect the whole normal consciousness. It will be evoked by the mystic’s love, and directed by his reason, but can only be accomplished by the strenuous exercise of his will. … There must be a deliberate act of attention, a deliberate expelling of all discordant images from the consciousness.”

-Evelyn Underhill

Self-Merging

Self-Merging is something that happens on two levels. First, there is the personal self-merging in which your individual body, mind, and spirit merge into a fully integrated being. Second, is the Self-Merging with God and the All. Both are part of what Ms. Underhill is describing.

Contemplation

It should be understood that contemplation doesn’t mean basic forms of meditation that so many practice today without getting any significant spiritual development from it. Contemplation here means more like thinking about what you are doing and what you are trying to achieve when you practice spiritual development techniques. That could mean anything from concentrating on sending light to your weakest energy centers to thinking about the ultimate goal of self-merging with God.

Voluntary and Purposeful

The idea that if you just wait around for it, spiritual enlightenment will come to you eventually. That’s like relying on a big lottery win to provide your retirement income. You can buy a lottery ticket and hope for the best, but you don’t rely on that money for anything. So the best way to grow spiritually is to voluntarily and purposefully practice spiritual development techniques. Why voluntarily? Because if someone is forcing you to do it, you won’t have the right mental attitude and you will accomplish very little. Underhill says it is accomplished by “strenuous exercise of his will,” but I don’t think that is all there is to it. You do have to use your will, but also your intuition. And you have to practice with love and humility.

Expelling Discordant Images

Ms. Underhill also says we need to expel discordant images to gain that state of self-merging. That might work, but is not so easy to do. It’s like the old story of telling people to close their eyes and don’t think about an elephant. The first thing that pops into their head when someone says that is an image of an elephant. A better approach is to try and put a better image into your mind, such as our Community Cross. That is why you learn in the basic techniques to form the image of the cross around and over the sun.

“The religious and esoteric history of every nation was embedded in symbols; it was never expressed in so many words. All the thoughts and emotions, all the learning and knowledge, revealed and acquired, of the early races, found their pictorial expression in allegory and parable. Why? Because the spoken word has an unknown to, unsuspected and disbelieved in, by the modern ‘sages’. Because sound and rhythm are closely related to the four Elements of the Ancients; and because such or another vibration in the air is sure to awaken corresponding powers, union with which produces good or bad results, as the case may be. No student was ever allowed to recite historical, religious, or any real events in so many unmistakable words, lest the powers connected with the event be once more attracted. Such events were narrated only during the initiation, and every student had to record them in corresponding symbols, drawn out of his own mind, and examined later by his master, before they were finally accepted. Thus was created in time the Chinese Alphabet, as, before that, hieratic symbols were fixed in old Egypt. In the Chinese language, the alphabet which may be read in any language, and which is only a little less ancient than the Egyptian alphabet of Thoth, every word has its corresponding symbol conveying the word needed in a pictorial form. The language possesses many thousands of such symbol letters, or logograms, each meaning a whole word.”

–Helena P. Blavatsky

Use of Symbols

There were several reasons why the ancient esoteric and religious writers used symbols. One was to hide the true meaning from materialistic people who would misuse the knowledge. Another was because symbols are the language of the soul. A third was because some of these symbols were in use before alphabets were created. But symbols are not always graphic, such as in Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Symbols can also be spoken sounds, and it makes sense that such sounds were often used by spiritual schools since it was forbidden to write down much of the spiritual knowledge they taught.

Sound and Rhythm

Sound is a type of vibration, and like other forms of vibration, it can cause other things to start vibrating in rhythm and harmony with them. That is why some ancient and primitive societies used sound for healing the physical body, such as the Australian Aborigines who used the didgeridoo for that purpose. Some theories now indicate that the mysterious rocks at Stonehenge may have been struck with a hammer to produce sounds that helped those present increase their spiritual vibration rate.

No Student Allowed

It is reasonable that students would not be allowed to recite the religious and spiritual teachings in the ancient schools, as they would be likely to mispronounce some of the sounds, or not use the correct rhythm. Of course, students would be allowed to sing or chant together as that would help them all raise their vibrations, even if some were not doing it with the exact right tone. Musical instruments could also be played by students if they were deemed good enough by their teachers. It is known that the students of Pythagoras played music while practicing spiritual techniques at sunrise.

Scripture

It is because of such use of sound that scripture is an unreliable source of spiritual knowledge. Few people understand that sometimes the ancient writers used a certain word because of the sound it made when spoken rather than for its literal meaning. Likewise, certain words were used in combination to produce sound progressions. This is all in the teachings of Gene Savoy, Sr.

In most cases, the scripture we read today, whether Christian, Jewish, Vedic or any other kind, is a translation from the language in which it was originally written. Very often we are reading a translation of a translation. The translators are translating according to the literal meaning of the words, with no regard whatsoever for the sound of the words when spoken. As a result, much of the intended meaning and purpose of the scripture has been lost. At least many churches and temples use music during their services, which does help. It is why we use music in our services.

“The state of the saints is transparent and shining, and therefore they receive the Brightness without intermediary, but our state is still mortal and gross, and this sets up an obstacle which causes a shadow over the sun, which so darkens our understanding that we cannot know God and heavenly things as clearly as the saints do. For as long as we dwell in the shadow, we cannot see the Divine Sun clearly, but we see the sun through a glass darkly. Yet the shadow is so enlightened by the Sunshine that we can perceive the distinctions between all the virtues, and all the truth which is helpful in our mortal state. If we would become one with the Brightness of the Spiritual Sun, we must follow Love, and go out from ourselves into the Wayless, and then the sun will draw us with our blinded eyes into its Brightness, in which we shall possess Unity with God. As soon as we feel and understand ourselves thus, we are in that contemplative life which is within reach of our mortal state.”

–John of Ruysbroeck

The State of the Saints

When Ruysbroeck speaks of the saints, he means the true saints and not everyone who has been given that title. These saints are not literally transparent, but they have nothing to hide, so transparent in that way. They do shine with the Brightness of God’s Light that comes down to us from the Spiritual Sun.

Shadow Over the Sun

Whether you call it a shadow or a veil, the sun has been partially blocked from us for centuries. This is to protect us as well as to protect the sun from the thoughts of primitive, materialistic people. Now that we are in the End Times, and the birth of the Sun of Righteousness has happened, that shadow has been removed so that we can turn to the sun and receive God’s Brightness even if we are not yet saints.

With Love and Humility

With Love and Humility, and without greed or a selfish desire to use the Sun’s Power to control others, we can receive the Light of the Spiritual Sun, although we still receive the light of the physical sun along with it. We can, to a large degree, block out the negative effects of the physical sun by visualizing the Cosolargy Crose over the sun and over our eyes when we practice solar viewing techniques.

Unity with God

This is indeed the ultimate goal of spiritual practices. Few people achieve this during their physical life and those who do usually achieve it only for brief moments. Yet it is what we should aim for so that we can continue that quest to reach Unity with God and the All at the highest level of consciousness after the death of our physical body.

“Let it always appear and be manifest to you that solitariness, and places in the desert, so esteemed by philosophers, are of themselves but thus and thus; and all things are to them who live in towns also, and converse with others as there is the same nature everywhere to be seen and observed: to them that have retired themselves to the top of mountains, and to desert havens, or other desert places. For anywhere it thou wilt mayest thou may find and apply this to thyself; which Plato saith of his philosopher, in a place: as private and retiring, saith he, as if he were shut up and enclosed about in some shepherd’s lodge, on the top of a hill. There by thyself to put these question to thyself or to enter into considerations: What is my chief and principle part, which has power over the rest? What is now the present state of it, as I use it; and what is it that I employ it for? Is it now void of reason or no? Is it fresh and separated; or so affixed, so congealed and grown together as it were with the flesh, that is is swayed by the motions and inclinations of it?”

-Marcus Aurelius

Solitary Places in the Desert

It is somewhat difficult to follow the convoluted language of Aurelius, even though I have simplified it a little in the quote, yet I think we can all get the point he is trying to make. First, he tells us that we don’t need to be out in the desert or in some solitary place to practice our spiritual development techniques. Depending on where you live, it might be impossible for you to go to a desert, or a mountaintop regularly to do those practices. But Aurelius assures us that even those living in towns and cities can practice spiritual development techniques and get good results. So why do philosophers like Plato advise going to the desert or to a mountain? Because some places are better than others.

Who You’re With

Who you are with, or around, when you practice techniques is one reason why the ancient teachers recommended going to a solitary place. When doing techniques, it is best to be surrounded only by like-minded people. If that is not possible, then it is best to do them away from others whose negative or materialistic thoughts interfere with yours. It is like trying to get good reception on a cell phone when you are in a place surrounded by many electrical sources emitting static. You might still be able to hear the other person, but not very well. That is why it is recommended that those who live in urban areas make an effort to get out to the country, or at least to an open area such as a park, occasionally.

Find Your Place

Aurelius advises us to choose our place for spiritual practices by asking ourselves: What is the state of that place now? Does it feel spiritual to you, or has it become congealed into a materialistic place? Many places that were once considered holy or spiritual are not so anymore. So do the best you can to find a good spot and if you can be in a desert, by the seashore, or on a mountain top occasionally, you should make the effort to go there.

I fly above the dark and angry sea
I call to others to come join me.
But few respond, most cannot see
or hear the things ahead of me.
So fly alone, if you must fly
’til others join you in the sky.
One day, the angry sea will end
And we will call each other “friend”.

“According to the Hermetic philosophers, there were seven primary causes of disease. The first was evil spirits. These were regarded as creatures born of degenerate actions, subsisting on the vital energies of those to whom they attached themselves. The second cause was a derangement of the spiritual nature and the material nature; these two failing to coordinate, produced mental and physical abnormalities. The third was an unhealthy mental attitude. Melancholia, morbid emotions, excess feelings, such as passions, lusts, greeds, and hates, affected the mumia, from which they reached the physical body, where they resulted in ulcers, tumors, cancers, fevers, and tuberculosis. The ancients viewed the disease germ as a unit of mumia which had been impregnated with the emanations from evil influences.

“The fourth cause of disease was what the Oriental call Karma, that is, the Law of Compensation. … A physician had to be careful about interfering with the working of this law. The fifth cause was the motion and aspects of the heavenly bodies. The stars did not compel the sickness but rather impelled it. The Hermetics taught that a wise man ruled his stars.

“The sixth cause of disease was a misuse of faculty, organ, or function, such as overstraining a member or overtaxing the nerves. The seventh cause was the presence in the system of foreign substances, impurities, or obstructions. Under this lead must be considered diet, air, sunlight, and the presence of foreign bodies. This list does not include accidental injuries. Frequently, they are the methods by which the Law of Karma expresses itself.”

–Manly P. Hall

Hermetic Philosophy of Disease

It seems that the Hermetic philosophers believed that disease was nearly always the fault of the sick person, at least partially. It isn’t that they didn’t believe in germs or other external causes, it’s that they felt in some way the diseased person had invited the attack from those external causes, usually without consciously realizing it.

Evil Spirits

The first cause listed by Mr. Hall is Evil Spirits. He says that these “creatures” were born of degenerate action and they subsisted on vital energies of those they became attached to. While that form of Evil Spirit may exist, there are Evil Spirit, often called Demons, that exist independently of us but are prone to attacking us and harming us. They may do it by absorbing some of our energies, or they may do it by putting evil energies into us.

Disharmony Between the Mind and the Spirit

The second cause in the Hermetic philosophy was a disharmony between mind and spirit. Generally speaking, this means that the mind has accepted as true the false philosophy of materialism while the spirit knows the truth lies in the spiritual. The third cause is, I believe, a variation of the second. The unhealthy attitudes of the mind are almost always related to the lack of coordination between the mind and the spirit, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say between the physical mind and the spiritual mind.

Karma

I have written about Karma previously, so I won’t get into it too deeply here. Suffice it to say that Karma is real and the deeds we do always result in Karma. Sometimes it is good Karma, sometimes it is bad Karma. Sometimes an illness caused by Karma may be the result of something we did just a few days ago, but it might also be caused by something we did a long time ago.

Heavenly Bodies

Here, Halls is talking about what we know of as Astrology. It is true that the movements of the stars can affect our health, but as Hall notes, the Hermetics, as well as other Spiritual Schools, ruled that the wise person who developed their spiritual faculties did not let the influences of stars or other heavenly bodies control them, though they were generally aware of such influences so they could be on guard for them.

Misuse of Faculty or Organ

This one is obvious to most of us. If we strain our eyes by watching too much television or being in front of a computer screen all the time, it may result in eye damage. If we workout too vigorously at the gym, it can result in muscle damage.

Foreign Substances

Foreign Substances can indeed cause many illnesses. The most obvious is poisons that can kill. But Hall mentions some of the less obvious ones. Diet is the most common one. When we eat a poor diet, our physical body doesn’t get the nutrition it needs, and becomes weak and susceptible to germs. Or we may eat a fairly healthy diet, but with some added things that are very unhealthy and cause damage to the body. Some such “foods” are red meat and added sugars.

Sunlight

Sunlight can cause illness when used improperly, but most often, especially today, it is the lack of sunlight that is causing the illnesses. A few decades ago, the medical profession, especially dermatologists started warning us to avoid sunlight as if it was some evil radiation. The result of people listening to them was illnesses caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, and thin, pale skin that is more likely to let germs into the body than tanned, thick skin that comes with reasonable exposure to sunlight. And as Cosolargists, we know of the value of sunlight, when used properly, for spiritual development.