Version: October 10, 2004
The new millennium is upon us. Will there be a dramatic shift in all that we know and find familiar? There is a sign on my study door that says, "Constant Change is Here to Stay." In spite of what year or time the calendar or clock indicate, the evolution of our lives will proceed in the measured rhythms of Natural Law. If we focus our attention on fear of change, we will find fearful changes; if we move in harmony with the rhythms of change we will find wonderful opportunities for positive growth.
I am not suggesting that we turn our backs on the problems that confront us on every hand, or think only lovely thoughts. Our best plan of action must be to find our place of balance, insight, and active will. With such a mind and spirit set we can become an active part in the constant change of life, unhampered by paralyzing fear.
Perhaps many will remember the times of excitement and pleasurable anticipation when, as children, our teacher passed out large sheets of "good" paper during an art lesson with the instructions to draw anything we wanted with our new box of crayons. I like to think of a new century as a sheet of "good paper." We bring to that paper all our hopes and fears, all our talents, with which to build a new interpretation of our life's journey. We cannot hold back with fear that our efforts won't be good enough. Our teacher urges us on with joy and approval of all our efforts, for through those efforts we learn the necessary skills to serve us on our journey.
The spirit of God within each of us has endured for millennia past, and will continue long into the future. We have the courage, fortitude, and skill to work with the changes before us in the present, if we will only seize the moment with Faith and Love.
Let us wish each other, with new insights and meaning, the most nurturing of holidays and the happiest of new years - indeed, of new centuries!
- Eleanor L. Shumway
Guardian in Chief
The winter solstice, the Christmas day and the New Year of our calendar all invite an exchange of blessings and good wishes, of renewed cheer and hope for the days that are to come. They will be as joyous as we exercise the man-made privilege of choosing to make them so, for thus do we carry into the future in sacredness all the thoughts, words, and deeds of our daily lives.
May all the forces of love symbolized by the Christmases and New Years of all religions and peoples be with us in an increasing bond of unity for all mankind.
- Harold E. Forgostein
- Jurgen Scheutzow
My Prayer for thee, my friend, this Christmas-tide: May the fragrance of the Christ-flower, sown with thine heart by Infinite Love, brighten and sweeten the lives of all who come thy way and bring to thee thy heart's desire.
In all tenderness, I am thy friend.
- Francia A. LaDue
Each of us has our own voice. Defined not just by our personalities and talents, human beings are a complex interaction of environment and family, chemistry and events, vision and understanding, discipline and luck. As an art instructor, I am astounded each semester at the work students produce in our classes: Consider that 20 or 30 people are taught by one teacher, learn the same concepts, work on the same subject for the same amount of time, use the same materials, yet come up with wondrously different results. Like fingerprints and iris patterns, we have our own unique expression, and Art - and the art of doing something well - is one of the most meaningful ways we can share our voices with others.
What allows humans this uniqueness? Humans differ from most animals in a few really significant ways. First, we walk upright: our powerful gluteal muscles developed in a manner that freed us to stand up and move about in the world on two legs. This let the upper limbs move independently of walking, and, with the evolution of the opposable thumb, gave us the ability to grasp objects in our hands. Perhaps the most significant difference is our brains, and that our minds, consciousness, and language give us an awareness of and connection to other beings in ways science is still trying to fathom.
As a result, our impact on the world greatly exceeds the reach of plants and animals. For better and for worse, humans make the world a more beautiful place in some ways and foul our nest in others, because we have the power of choice and can use the same means to achieve very different ends. Human actions can be constructive, imbued with the power to build in harmony with natural law - and they can be destructive, ignoring our relationship to other forms of life and design. Our motives and sense of unity with other biosystems on earth determine the outcome.
Our prehistoric ancestors didn't have livestock yards, weather satellites, in-vitro fertilization, or supermarkets; their world, canopied by the sky and stars, extended as far as they could walk, and the forces that governed it were mysteries. The art they created is thought to have been for practical purposes of survival, as ways to ensure food supply and offspring. In the course of evolution they began to make tools and invent symbols, some crawling deep into caves to incise or paint images on the walls, some forming small sculptures from clay and stone. Communicating with nature forces or gods through symbolic means became essential to survival, as our predecessors established beliefs and relationships with the invisible forces that governed their lives.
These early relatives left intriguing remnants. The Venus of Willendorf, a plump, palm-sized, female fertility figure crafted 15,000-30,000 years ago, is thought to have been carved from stone as an amulet to make children happen, however that magically took place (remember, they didn't know about sperm, ovum, and the intricacies of conception then). Cave paintings of horses in Lascaux, France, may have been meant to forge a bond between the spirits of the hunters and the sustenance provided by the spirits of the creatures killed in the hunt. Transitory arts leave no remnants, but most certainly song, dance, and storytelling were also used to talk to the gods. We have more theories than answers, but these oldest known forms of human symbolic expression are at the core of what art is about: the urge to communicate, and the need to make sense of creation.
What does Art have to do with the Temple of the People? Our philosophy is based on one primary principle: the unity of all life. How we understand that principle and live it is the focus of all our teachings, studies, and services. If you look inside the front cover of any copy of The Temple Artisan, you will find the five objects of The Temple:
First: To formulate the truths of religion as the fundamental factor in the evolution of the human race. And this does not mean the formulation of a creed.
Second: To set forth a philosophy of life that is in accord with natural and divine law.
Third: To promote the study of the sciences and the fundamental facts and laws upon which the sciences are based which will permit us to extend our belief and knowledge from what is known to the unknown.
Fourth: To promote the study and practice of art on fundamental lines, showing that art is in reality the application of knowledge to human good and welfare, and that the Christos can speak to humanity through art as well as through any other fundamental line of manifestation.
Fifth: The promotion of a knowledge of true social science based on immutable law, showing the relationship between one human being and another, and between human beings, God, and nature. When these relationships are understood we will instinctively formulate and follow the law of true brotherhood: the unity of ALL life.
Because it addresses art directly, the fourth object is the point of this talk: "To promote the study and practice of art on fundamental lines, showing that art is in reality the application of knowledge to human good and welfare, and that the Christos can speak to humanity through art as well as through any other fundamental line of manifestation." Two important aspects are revealed here: One is that art applies knowledge of our world to improve the human condition. The other is that the Christos, God, or Universal Consciousness by whatever Name, can speak to us through all life and activity.
I imagine these five aspects in a wheel, connected, revolving quietly through our lives and consciousness, paraphrased like this: There is one Truth, no matter what religion you belong to. Be aware of it and live it. Study it so your understanding deepens. Use it to make the world a better, more beautiful place. Because everything - God, Nature, and each person - is connected as One. See #1 and begin again.
- Roselma Quinn
Notice that the fourth object of the Temple does not limit Art to painting pictures, singing, and dancing. It seems to be saying that all of us have the capacity to bring an artful approach that is, skill and consciousness - to our activities, and that any human endeavor can be elevated to benefit humanity as a whole. But how?
Symbolic language is the language of Art. It is also the language of God, or of the gods, speaking to us and through us, helping to make sense of things through all forms of expression and knowledge. Consider it the Esperanto of the Spheres, a universal language that all peoples in all times understand, which means that if God speaks to us through art, God also speaks to us through science.
Consider the symbols and power of music, of the sounds and silences and notations musicians use to create symphonies. Equally majestic are the doorways created by mathematical symbols and ideas, which give rise to the understanding of energy and light and the theories that flesh out our conceptions of the forces of creation. In botany, chemistry, rocket science, and archaeology, symbols are studied and used to unlock doors and deepen awareness of the connections that hold all life together in patterns and designs that repeat, unfold, and reflect the complexity of the universe.
So maybe you're not a rocket scientist or an artist - where do you find the symbolic language of life? Certainly dreams speak to us individually in symbolic ways every night. More broadly, it may be that this mystery is most clearly revealed in things we all call beautiful. We don't need to know a thing about E=mc2 to experience the majesty of the sun setting on the ocean, that moment when everyone walking on the beach stops to marvel at the color and the light and the wonder of that time of day. We don't need to know botany to see the miracle of creation in the colors and forms of the flower world, watching as the rose opens or the iris unfolds its petals to the light. The grace of ballet dancers and of athletes is not diminished for lack of knowledge of physics and anatomy - we still appreciate the beauty, power and balance of the human body in motion. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and whenever we take time to behold the world and all things in it, the great circle of Creation speaks to us, with our appreciation and sense of connection to All That Is in answer.
When we study the science behind the beauty, another circle of life is completed, as knowledge and spirit merge. The symbol of the snake swallowing its tail signifies the alchemy in the union of the seen and the unseen, the body of knowledge and science progressing to the place where the more we understand about the world, the more mystery lies before us. It is that point where the beginning is the end, and the end is the beginning, the instant of Infinite wonder. The wonder of living today is that science and faith are dancing together, two divergent approaches to the great questions of life, each moving closer to the realization that there is truth in the other. This is only right, because in truth we are One.
To communicate or to create, there must be a sender and a receiver to open a circuit, a conversation, a flow of energy back and forth. This moment I am the sender and you are the receivers, and our motive is to link our minds and hearts together, for the purpose sharing our spiritual bonds. Simply put, this is the principle of Creative Fire, which is at the core of all creative endeavor: together, a positive and a negative develop aspects of themselves evenly, building through concentration of will and mind the intent to evolve something higher. Whether it is two people making love in order to create a child, or dedication to developing an idea, building an art form, or seeking deeper knowledge, the Creative Fire works through us and our motives to make something new.
Creative Fire is not limited to certain individuals or tasks. Like all tools and fuels, it can be focused for any purpose to build or to destroy, to warm or to incinerate, depending on how we choose to use it. Artists use Creative Fire to do four basic things: to record places and moments, to visualize the unknown, to portray feelings, and to stretch the ability to see. By extension, this job description reaches out to make all of us chroniclers, dreamers, provokers and inventors in every walk of life, adding our voices to the chorus of creation. Because its language is universal, the Arts have the ability to reach across time, cultures, and circumstances to touch others.
A real-life illustration of art's ability to reach across circumstances was the development over many years of an exhibit of plaster mask portraits of famous people. Created for a particular kind of artistic communication, it was called "Please Touch," and invited blind visitors to approach the masks and use their hands to feel the features of each piece. Sighted people see images of famous folks every day, and we take for granted our ability to recognize their features and expressions; we also experience museums differently, because their contents are usually meant to be seen and not touched. This unusual invitation to touch let blind individuals "see" Muhammad Ali, Louise Nevelson, the Dalai Lama, Stevie Wonder, Rosa Parks and other notable individuals of our time. The reach of the masks extended far beyond their visual beauty, as they lit up the faces and understanding of the blind with tangible expression.
I experienced universal language in an unforgettable way in 1984, on a Christmas tour of Poland with the Hancock College Choir. Besides raising $2000 apiece, all 68 of us memorized a mountain of music to perform in Polish Catholic churches. With great determination and numerous mnemonic devices, we also learned the first verses of three Polish carols, to sing near the end of each of the daily concerts. In all ways it was a working tour. The purpose was to reach out with music.
After 24 hours of travel, we landed in Warsaw, unpacked, and set out for the first concert in a chilly stone church filled with people who had waited for two hours to hear "the American Choir." The Iron Curtain was just coming down then, and since there was still little contact with the West, we were greeted like royalty as people reached out to touch our robes, or to press small gifts into our hands. These bundles of fur hats, big coats, and earnest faces listened with their whole souls, looking heavenward, clapping after every piece with gratitude and gusto, as if we had showered them with gold.
When it came time to sing the Polish carols, something extraordinary happened. As the first notes and words in their language rang out, their eyes welled with tears. Smiling and crying, they wrapped themselves in the sounds we had worked so hard to learn, and then spontaneously sang back to us, their voices growing greater with each verse. We were all reduced to tears as the church swelled with heart and hope and dignity, the indomitable spirits of these people surging through the house of the Lord, wrapping us in their intensity. At every concert this happened in its own magical way, the power of many hearts uniting as one. It didn't matter that we couldn't speak Polish and they couldn't speak English. No one needed words, because we all heard the same voice: Unity.
Art is hard work, although at times it can be effortless. The combination of skill, practice, intuition and desire makes being an artist not for the faint of heart. Many feel that there's a Good Fairy somewhere with a magic wand, who flits from this person to that, a fickle sprite bestowing artistic ability to the Chosen Few. However, talk to anyone you know who pursues some form of art on a daily basis - in this I include the creative spirit and mastery that can be brought to any human activity - and you will find that the Art of it requires constant effort, as well as determination.
Art in any endeavor elevates that endeavor by recognizing the innate pattern and order in creation. The dictionary speaks to the range of artistic influence, saying that, among other things, art is: 1. the quality, production, expression, or realm of what is beautiful or of more than ordinary significance; 2. skill in conducting any human activity; 3. skilled workmanship, execution or agency, as distinguished from nature. In seeking to bring the esthetic into our consciousness and lives, we honor the Creative Fire by consciously infusing our activities with meaning, design, and connections. Symbols and art help us to remember our roots, worldly and spiritual, national and familial; they help to make sense of passages in life that are difficult to undergo and understand; they give expression to emotions, as a way to rejoice and mourn and be angry and share hope; they inspire us to see things in a new way, to make constructive change and evoke dialogue. The processes and concepts involved in all forms of art embody elements of philosophy, science, economics, mathematics, psychology, and the other bodies of knowledge we study to understand ourselves. Metaphors are ways of comparing concepts - the word literally means to transfer - and the understanding of artistic concepts helps us to add to our understanding of the laws of the universe.
For example, in figure drawing, learning the scale, order and purpose of the bones and muscles in the body engenders awareness of and appreciation for correlations in the structure and design of other life forms. When learning to see the patterns of light and dark in painting, we might understand more clearly that life is not simply good or bad, but a mix of both, of yin and yang, and that we don't see the one without having the other. The study of light and color also evokes comparisons, as Sir Isaac Newton first illustrated in 1666 when he passed a ray of light through a prism and observed how the light was refracted into the different colors of the rainbow; when he recombined the spectrum by using a second prism, the light merged back into white light - an easy translation into the concept of the unity of all life, as well as the concept that the whole is greater that the sum of its parts.
Our daily lives hold many opportunities to find meaning and creative outlet. For me, one such endeavor is work as a gallery director. I have learned that there is an art in listening to art, just as there is in listening to people. The relationships between art works is a subtle language, and depending on how one piece of art speaks to another, pairings and trios form; groups segue into others; and, like a symphony or a good soup, the various parts begin to blend into a unified whole. Gallery work isn't just about putting pictures together. I believe there is a larger purpose to fulfill, and that is, when an exhibition is designed well and a gallery space is filled with the intention that communication will take place, it creates an environment in which the voice of the artist can be heard. With consciousness of the Creative Fire, the space realizes its own voice, inviting, enticing, engaging, and encouraging interaction with the viewer, providing an ambiance that allows us to experience the ordinary in an extraordinary way. I feel the same way about classrooms and places of worship: these are spaces in which our intent to enter and listen is their primary reason for existing. Galleries and forests, symphony halls and journals, theaters and gardens, libraries and lakes - all are cathedrals, in nature or of our own making, of whatever size and intimacy, which allow us to hear the voice of God, and to celebrate our connection with It.
And what about the mundane activities of daily life? Do we consider our interpersonal relationships as opportunities for the Divine to work through us? Do we make our work more meaningful by bringing the creative spirit to it? Do we send our prayers, aspirations, and Thanksgivings with the same generous spirit we desire to hear in return from our Creator?
The fourth objective of the Temple says that we are capable of developing the skill, awareness, and creativity to live artful lives, and that it is within our power and choice to make the world a better place with our thoughts, words, and deeds. By reaching out this way, we not only realize our connection with all things, we return the Creative Fire to its source, completing the circuit from God to us, Nature to us, Spirit to us, and back again. As we manifest the spirit of the Creator with our own voices and lives, we embody the spirit of unity that is at the core of all religions.
The human part of this equation is that we forget the Truth, and need to be reminded of it once in awhile. And who reminds us? Nature, of course; but more to the point, each other, in our dreams, aspirations, and passion for the endeavors we enter into with our whole hearts. For in the end, the artful, compassionate, beneficent touch of the others in our lives is really the hand of God on our shoulders, turning us toward the light, toward our best selves, and toward the grace-filled expression of our highest ideals.
- Marti Fast
While memory is an inestimable blessing in some respects, it is a curse past telling in others. If forgiveness is one of the essentials of a Godlike life, that quality is impossible of attainment while memory persists in pointing the finger of indebtedness at the one to be forgiven. You have not fully forgiven an offense as long as you willingly retain memory of that offense, if it be against you personally, for every time memory brings a picture of it before your mental eyes, consciously or unconsciously, you begin to draw comparisons, forget your own liability to the same or a like offense and bring the offender before the judgment bar of your own lower nature. Over and over the details of the offense trail through your own mind, adding mental energy to the same, giving more and more life to the mental picture first formed, making it more and more possible for the picture of wrongdoing to impress itself on other minds in the same vibration, and so tempt others to the commission of a like offense.
- Blue Star
- Ellen Gillis
Hark! the Herald Angels sing, Glory to the newborn King! The refining, uplifting forces of Christmas are touching humanity with unceasing pressure as the Winter Solstice and Christmas day approach. These forces are not limited in impact to Christians, for these forces are divinity in action and transcend man-made divisions. Thomas Moore, in his recent book, Care of the Soul, said it well: "At the beginning of midnight Mass in the Roman Catholic church the choir chants, 'Puer natus est nobis.' 'A Child is born to us.' Christmas is the celebration of Jesus as infant and divinity entering the human arena. This motif of the divine child is common to many religions, suggesting not only the childhood of the God, but also the divinity of childhood. Just as the mythic mother is a foundational principle of all life, so the divine child is an aspect of all experience." The world is experiencing the focusing of divinity expressing itself through the myth and tradition of the birth of Jesus.
This focusing of divinity asks for "Peace on earth and mercy mild." God, through the incarnation of Jesus, taught Love. This is Love as the force that propels the Universe. It is a force that demands, as never before, that mankind clear its collective consciousness of all darkness and come into the light of Brother/ Sisterhood and Unity. We must dwell again in Self-consciousness with God; and yet our teachings tell us that, until we can learn to dwell with our brothers and sisters in peace and unity upon earth, it will be absolutely impossible for us to dwell with God in that conscious at-one-ment which constitutes perfection. We must work on that process of peace and unity with our brothers, sisters, neighbors, friends and enemies. This is done one step, one act, one minute, one day at a time.
The lesson "Unselfish Love" from our teachings says: "Love is the only medium through which our eyes may see clearly, unmistakably. Hate distorts, magnifies, or belittles. Passion blinds. True love throws open the portals of the Soul, and permits the lover to behold all that is unlovely, as well as all that is pure and beautiful by means of the power to examine and classify, to correctly distinguish between that which is transient and that which is eternal in the life of the beloved, to give to each its true value." The lesson goes on to say that rather than being a picture of transcendent heavenly beauty and truth, Love in its last analysis is sacrificial Service. When we truly earn that power of love, we do not make love an excuse for familiarity; we become incapable of thrusting ourselves intrusively into the presence or life of the ones we love. True service enters into the life of the beloved in a spirit of humility whenever and wherever there is need. We need to practice great patience and trust, allowing divinity a chance to work through the lives of our loved ones. However much we might rejoice in the knowledge that our love is appreciated and returned, such recognition is not requisite.
In her book, When the Sun Moves Northward, Mabel Collins has this to say about the power of love: "To live according to the law of love is a hundred thousand times harder than to live according to the law of hatred _ To live according to the law of love means the acceptance of every evil as a good. By that acceptance, if it is done in the spirit of love, the evil becomes good." She goes on to say that the evil of which she speaks is not sin as popularly understood; it is not reduced to thoughts or words or actions. "It is that force which causes these things, and which opposes goodness as hate opposes love, and pleasure opposes pain _ Love, the greatest power known to us, obliterates hatred by its very presence." We must embody that presence with conscious power. It is not in the act of standing serenely by with a loving smile on our face. It is an act of determined commitment to the creative principle which is love. It is love in action.
"Join the triumph of the Skies, With Angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem." Bethlehem is symbolic of the hearts of all humanity, and Christ is the embodiment of Love in action. We must join with the Angelic hosts in announcing, and then in doing, in being Love. Although we know that the Angelic kingdom is one of the expressions of the Divine consciousness, Angels often seem remote and elusive. Sung about at Christmas, appealed to when we are in crisis, honored as our guardians as we move through our lives, nevertheless they often do not feel like an immediate influence in our everyday life. And yet, someone once said that "Wherever there is love, there is an angel nearby." In The Angel Book, Karen Goldman says, "Angels are always trying to reach you through your good thoughts, your inspirations, your warm feelings. Through music, art, drama, the written word. Also through flowers and sunshine and rain. There is always an angel somewhere trying to communicate with you. The presence of angels can be felt in every atom of creation." She also points out that Angels lift the soul out of its cage of limitations and return the heart to a reflection of its larger, freer self. Angels are love in action, and we are Angels in training.
"With Angelic Hosts proclaim" - not with harps and wings in full splendor in starry heavens, not just to announce the birth and rebirth of Christ, but rather to proclaim by our actions that Love is the way. What actions? A cheering word; a clear, loving look into the eyes of friend or stranger; a word of comfort; an act of kindness; considered silence; shared laughter; shared tears; criticism withheld; thanks given; truth spoken; acceptance of all of God's facets expressed throughout the physical world around us. These Angelic actions begin within the confines of our hearts first toward ourselves, and then must find expression with family members, next-door neighbors, and all the people we encounter in our busy lives. We don't accomplish this all at once, but we must not stop the process at any point. Remember, recognition of our love in action, our Angelic qualities, is not requisite however much such recognition and appreciation would please us. This love in action is Service with a capital S. We are constantly tested on our motives, and the refining fires will do their work wherever they find it necessary.
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing - to us, through us, by us. Let the angelic power flow as God's completeness flows around our uncompleted parts. Let us work together to bring Peace on Earth and mercy mild.
- Eleanor L. Shumway
- Derene Darrah
My Little Ones: Sit ye here with me in the twilight, as peace falls as a curtain over the turmoil of the day. Let the softly whispered "Hush" of Earth and Sky fall on your inner ears as your heads are bent for the horizon of the brooding Spirit of Rest.
I, too would speak to you, weary foot sore travelers o'er stony places. I have seen thy uplifted hands, have heard the low cry which has passed unheeded by those most near, most dear to you and would say again and yet again: Seek not surcease from pain and longing in the haunts of men, the hearts of women, for you will not find it. It is not there.
Dig deep through the encrusted layers of thine own Souls till thou findest the spot which Love hath chosen for its dwelling place, the nesting place of the Infinite.
Ah, well I know the tale is trite and old. Too oft hath it fallen on thine unheeding ear. But it is ever new to some sad Soul and, when thou hast found it, it will be new to thee, for it holds the beginning and end of thy travail, the unspeakable heights and depths of the manifested universe, the Glory of the Skekinah, the crown of thine own and all other lives.
The Avataric Conception is upon us.
It is above us, glory in the heavens;
It is beneath us, embryonic powers;
It is about us, beauty of perception;
It is within us, growth, wisdom's growth.
Out over the universe its marvels spread vastnesses,
Wings of beauty upon each one.
In through creation it impels love, ever-increasing love,
Over the earth it is flowering wisdom, fructifying that seed,
Within the hearts of all it is the blessing of true love,
high growth, faithfulness.
- John Varian
- Derene Darrah
On this plane of manifestation of life and action, we all have to come to the realization along life's pathway that where there is Light there is darkness; where there is darkness there is light. In the midst of death there is life and the midst of life there is death - the two poles of expression manifesting throughout all the kingdoms of life and light. Life in its ceaseless action is the great light of Divine Essence with its powerful self-generating cosmic machine which utters itself into manifestation in never-ending expressions, as the myriad monads give themselves to personalities for adventure and experience. When differentiated, the monad, a ray of the Absolute Spirit, partakes of the forces of matter for a time in the evolutionary process and so evolves in opposite directions. Spirit falls into matter gradually and deliberately, and matter ascends to pure spirit, the original state, untouched by the vast experience because it was always immortal, with a distinct individuality which remains so always. As such it is not changed by the conditions through which it passes or evolves, but is sent forth with its indwelling potentialities as a means of development for the personalities to gain experience. In this great process of unfoldment from the atom to the star, all proceed under the same laws, seizing opportunities, meeting obstacles until they are overcome, and the Soul realizes that out of this great sea of darkness there is light, peace, and spiritual knowledge.
When once set in motion, that great driving power, Divine Will, cannot be diverted from its true course of exact justice in striking a balance - a balance with purpose and design, the neutral center of balance and quiet.
All sincere occult students are searching for Spiritual knowledge and its practical application, the correlation between the inner and outer planes. In studying these hidden truths, one finds a great similarity in the origins of life in their exoteric and esoteric form, which all goes to show a definite plan beginning from the Great Spirit of all life. It shows that the thoughts or ideals wherever sent forth were fired by the same inspiration, and that all mankind was fostered under the same divine protection, the same tree root, under the same wing of the Great Bird of Life.
There are many things that happen to block one's progress, and there are many hours of discouragement owing to the operation of the law of action and reaction as the result of one's actions, good, bad and indifferent, or of unselfish desires and aspirations; but sometime, somewhere, the Great Light will shine through and all the efforts and experiences will have been more than worth while as the two poles have worked out one's destiny. Natural law cannot be diverted from striking a balance in exact justice, because it is divine.
One has to build in the higher qualities in order to rise above the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. There is one attribute that is very necessary and important in the development of occult living and growth, and that is the force generated by the word gratitude. Gratitude -Thankfulness. Gratefulness stands for high and impersonal necessary accomplishment. It is a force of great occult significance and is closely associated with the law of supply and demand, as are all the other higher qualities in the occult scale of attainment. When a demand is set in motion the law of supply must be fulfilled by the action of divine will, and the results will be in accordance with the sincerity of gratitude and appreciation. The action of will goes just as far as the force of gratitude has been given or extended. Without the outpouring of this force of gratitude, the accomplishment of the act of will cannot be completed. It is stopped from completing its circle of attainment because of the action of the law and the lack of the strength of gratefulness. If one could see interiorly on the plane of forces, it could be seen why ingratitude stops the flow of pure will in carrying out its demand in full. The fulfillment of the action has been barred. This covers all degrees and phases of life, and none can escape the results of the broken law or of half-made intentions. When certain events or desires fail to come out as expected, it is well to consider the motive back of them: how grateful was one? how sincere in purpose and how devoted in truth to all that life has to offer?
A grateful Soul unconsciously vibrates the higher forces and brings into action the laws that fulfill his unselfish desires in whatever line of constructive endeavor he may function. Many factors enter into this important force back of the word gratitude, but it is well to realize the necessity of being truly grateful to the Lodge of Masters if true growth is to be accomplished in the sphere of action. No help from God or man can go without deep gratitude in one's heart for the bestower of any act of kindness; for the answer to a prayer from on high; for service rendered in the spirit of impersonal assistance.
Where there is Love in one's heart there is gratitude. Where there is a sense of justice there will be found one who is truly grateful for outer and inner gifts of life bestowed upon him and so extends fairness and courtesy to all others.
This attribute of thankfulness must become a permanent part of all occult students so that the interval of losing sight of its great importance may become less and less. Then the really vital things in life will strike a higher note in the grand scale of true Harmony and the student will be ever obedient to the Divine Will. Along all true lines the human will must become identified with the Divine Will for spiritual development and understanding. In the last analysis, there is but one Will active in the whole universe - the will of God - and when we realize this fundamental law, we will also know that any digression of its power will delay our coming into our own inheritance.
- Pearl F. Dower
- Linda Rollison
1. You will receive a body - You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around.
2. You will learn lessons - You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant or stupid.
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons - Growth is a process of trial and error, experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately works.
4. A lesson is repeated until learned - A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can then go on to the next lesson.
5. Learning lessons does not end - There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.
6. "There" is no better than "Here" - When your "there" has become a "here," you will simply obtain another "there" that will, again, look better than "here."
7. Others are merely mirrors of you - You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate in yourself.
8. What you make of your life is up to you - You have the resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.
9. Your answers lie inside you - The answers to life's questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
10. You will forget all this!
- Anonymous
The summer and fall brought much to-ing and fro-ing here at the Center. Our visitors included Ed and Kathy Schmuch from Minnesota, in June. While here they gave us a much needed boost with computers and electricity. Tatiana Murashkina, Science Director for the Moscow Roerich Foundation, came to visit, as did Nadeshda Bikalova, Economics Advisor on the problems of the Northern Regions to the Duma, the Russian Parliament. Nadeshda was in Washington, DC, working on her dissertation. During this time she flew to Wellington, New Zealand, to give a lecture to the 1999 Women Leaders' Network Meeting under APEC, the Asian Pacific Economic Commission, on "Women's Activity at the Economic Crisis." Nadeshda spent several days here as she was returning from Wellington.
Coming for the Temple's 100th Convention were Walter, Olga and Mark Karshat from San Jose; Sergey, Rita, Julie, Alex and Anna Moiseyev from Castro Valley; Igor, Elena, Alyona, and Konstantine Pletneva-Veller from Sacramento; Natasha and Simon Rykman from Miami, Florida; Tatiana Ageeva and friend Natasha from San Francisco; and Sheila Lynch from Simi Valley. Our own Ivan Ulz spent the summer here in Halcyon.
Other family comings and goings include Anastasia Quinn visiting grandmother Roselma from Seattle; Joanne Brown, from Texas, visiting mother Johanna Brkovich and daughter Marla Lowman; Wenonah and Eric Varian's granddaughter, Debra Rowlands, visiting from Tracy; and Mary Workman visiting from New York.
From Munich, Germany, Simone, Karl and Astrid Baumung came to visit the Center. Juan Carlos Segura spent a month in New York City. Eleanor Shumway attended a Shumway family reunion in Spokane, Washington, then later visited her aunt and uncle in Ukiah, California.
In October Eleanor, along with brother-in-law and sister Bill and Gloria Quale, spent two days in Sequoia National Park seeing Annie and Will Dunbar. In her absence all the Halcyon family donated time and money toward two new garage doors for the Central Home, much to her total surprise and delight!
Maryalice Mankins summered at home in Michigan and then at Mt. Shasta; Olive Hoff visited several weeks in Oregon and points between here and there. With great joy Karen White spent her month's vacation in her garden and home in Halcyon catching up on several projects. Laura Nelson has moved to Santa Maria where she will have more constant care. We send you love, dear Laura.
Our equine friend Dusty, one of Linda's horses, died of old age. We will miss his friendly interest in our comings and goings.
Summer projects around town include
upgrading the Halcyon water system; further work on the widening of Halcyon
Road by the County for a bike lane; the remodeling of part of the William Quan
Judge Library to better accomodate and display some outsized books; and the
removal of several dead cypress trees.
Barbara Ricardo's new grandchild arrived on September 9. Amanda Grace was born to Barbara's daughter Carrie and husband Gary Calmere. Barbara spent five days helping Carrie and Amanda get settled at their home in Atascadero.
The Temple has been gifted with two beautiful wood carvings by Anatoly Pokotyuk of Sokal, Ukraine. Anatoly is director of the "Man, Earth, Universe Museum" in Sokal which promotes brotherhood and understanding among all people.
Temple groups: There are groups in New York City and London, England, as well as several in locations in Germany, Lithuania, Russia, and Ukraine who meet regularly to study and discuss the Temple Teachings. Anyone wishing more information about these groups can contact the Temple offices in Halcyon.
William Quan Judge Library serves Temple members, residents of Halcyon, and friends with an interest in Theosophy, or who are doing research involving some of our special collections. Our library is staffed by volunteers; hours are Mondays, 9-11 a.m. and 6-8 p.m., and Fridays, 9 a.m.-12 noon. Other hours are by appointment through the Temple office.
The University Center Gallery is open by appointment. Please call the Temple office at (805) 489-2822 for information. This year the exhibition consists of paintings by Harold E. Forgostein, fourth Guardian in Chief of the Temple. This exhibit, "The Song of Hiawatha," features 12 of the series of 24 four-by-four-foot oils depicting the life and legends of Hiawatha and the League of Six Nations, along with their working watercolor sketches. The sketches give the viewers a glimpse of the creative process Forgostein experienced as he developed the final compositions for the larger paintings. Also on display are many interesting articles and artifacts accumulated through Temple history.
The Temple Healing Service is held at 12:00 Noon each day in the Temple. All are welcome to attend. A Meditation Meeting is held in the Temple on Sunday evening from 7 to 7:30.
Study Classes under the auspices of Temple Officers and various Temple Orders are held regularly in the University Center on Tuesdays and Fridays at 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Sunday Services are held at 10:30 a.m. in the Temple. the Feast of Fulfillment (the Communion Service of the Temple) is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month. The last Sunday of each month is a prayer and meditation meeting. Other Sundays are speakers' meetings. The public is cordially invited to all services.
Speakers in the Sunday services were: August 22, Istvan Balogh: The God Within; September 12, Linda Rollison read an English translation of Natalia Toots' and Vladimir Nadejine's report on their visit to the Temple; September 19, Chris Thyrring: The Course That Is Ordained; October 10, Eleanor Shumway read two of Pearl F. Dower's talks, Facing Life and Gratitude for Life's Gifts; October 17, Barbara Ricardo: The Realities of the Physical Plane and the Spiritual Side of Money; October 24, Marti Fast: The Big Picture, Art, Life, and The Temple; November 14, Eleanor Shumway: 101 and Counting.
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