Teacher Lesson 1
Sep. 1st, 2022 01:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ecosophia
Onto the home stretch! There are seven lessons for the Teacher grade, each of which includes an assortment of materials for study and practice, and then the complete set of group rituals for the grades of initiation and the solstice and equinox ceremonies -- any initiate of the Teacher grade has the right to establish a temple of the FHR, confer initiations, and celebrate the seasons there, and these are the rituals. I have also completed the process of assembling the full collection of FHR material into four PDF volumes, which will be published shortly under a Creative Commons free-use license -- that is to say, they'll be free for the downloading. Anyone who is interested in hosting the material on a website will not merely be free to do so, but will have my enthusiastic cooperation. I want to make sure that anybody anywhere who wants to work with this material can do so -- not least because it looks as though we're heading into hard economic times, and not everyone will be able to afford books.
With that said, let's get started.
5° Overview
Welcome Teacher! Once you have completed the studies and performed the initiation rituals of the previous grades, and the initiation of the present grade, you are an initiate of the 5° grade of Teacher. By this point you have a good deal of experience with the work of the Fellowship and should the basic the lessons of this grade relatively straightforward.
The requirements you must fulfill to complete the work of the Teacher grade and proceed to the next stage, the 6° grade of Initiate, are as follows:
1. Continued daily practice of a protective ritual (Sphere of Protection, Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, or Judson exercise), discursive meditation, and some form of divination;
2. Continued weekly practice of the ritual for opening and closing the temple;
3. Study of several papers assigned to the Teacher grade;
4. Study of at least five additional books on some aspect of occultism;
5. Performance of a sequence of studies and rituals corresponding to the Minor Orders of the Universal Gnostic Church;
6. Introduction to the equinox and solstice rituals in their solo forms;
7. Study of the necessary information needed to found and run a temple of the Fellowship of the Hermetic Rose which can perform initiations and seasonal rituals;
8. Introduction to the grade, equinox, and solstice rituals in their temple forms.
Once you complete these requirements, you will be able to perform the self-initiation ritual for the 6° grade of Initiate. This uses the same equipment as the previous initiations, though you will need all four candles, and you will also need your four elemental working tools. At least four months should elapse between your Teacher and Initiate initiations; you may take as much additional time as you find useful.
A few comments on some of the requirements for the grade may be helpful at this point. You are expected to learn three methods of divination over the course of your training; if you’ve been following the instructions in previous overviews, you should be most of the way to mastering all three methods. Now is a good time to go over your experiences so far and work on shoring up any weak points in your divination abilities.
The books you read to fulfill requirement #4 may be literally any book on any occult topic, so long as you have not previously read them. By now you should have a good idea of what aspects of occult study and practice interests you, and you may begin to specialize in your studies if you so desire.
In the previous grades you have worked with the energies of the four elements in scrying, and provided yourself with consecrated working tools of each of the elements. The 5° initiation marks the completion of that work and the beginning of a new cycle of work, corresponding to the element of Spirit. The Gnostic Lessons, which were used in John Gilbert’s day as training for the Minor Orders of the Universal Gnostic Church, are to be used for this cycle of work. The realm of Spirit is the realm with which religion traditionally deals; the Fellowship does not presume to tell you what your relationship with the Divine should be, but certain of the practices of religion are helpful at this stage of the work.
The equinoxes and solstices are the days on which certain magical energies flow between sun and earth, and occultists can make contact with these energetic flows to bless and empower themselves and the world. Rituals for this purpose are presented at this stage.
Finally, as an initiate of the grade of Teacher, you have the right to establish and run a temple of the Fellowship of the Hermetic Rose. The Temple rituals for the grade initiations and the solstice and equinox ceremonies are therefore provided to you, along with certain notes you may find useful in temple work. You are not required to found and run any temple larger than the solitary one you have created for (and by) your own personal work; however, if you wish to do so, you now have that right and privilege. The temple forms of the grade, equinox, and solstice rituals are presented at this time.
* * * *
At this stage the eighth chapter of The Kybalion may be studied with advantage.
CHAPTER VIII: The Planes of Correspondence
Symbolism:
Grade: 6°, Initiate
Emerald Table: “Thou shalt separate the Earth from the Fire, the subtle from the coarse, gently and with much ingenuity.”
Cabala: Hod to Tiphareth, Path of Courage
Tarot: Arcanum VIII, Strength
Geomancy: Puer—Mars in Aries
Text:
“As above, so below; as below, so above”–The Kybalion.
The great Second Hermetic Principle embodies the truth that there is a harmony, agreement, and correspondence between the several planes of Manifestation, Life and Being. This truth is a truth because all that is included in the Universe emanates from the same source, and the same laws, principles, and characteristics apply to each unit, or combination of units of activity, as each manifests its own phenomena upon its own plane. For the purpose of convenience of thought and study, the Hermetic Philosophy considers that the Universe may be divided into three great classes of phenomena, known as the Three Great Planes, namely:
I. The Great Physical Plane.
II. The Great Mental Plane.
III. The Great Spiritual Plane.
These divisions are more or less artificial and arbitrary, for the truth is that all of the three divisions are but ascending degrees of the great scale of Life, the lowest point of which is undifferentiated Matter, and the highest point that of Spirit. And, moreover, the different Planes shade into each other, so that no hard and fast division may be made between the higher phenomena of the Physical and the lower of the Mental; or between the higher of the Mental and the lower of the Physical.
In short, the Three Great Planes may be regarded as three great groups of degrees of Life Manifestation. While the purposes of this little book do not allow us to enter into an extended discussion of, or explanation of, the subject of these different planes, still we think it well to give a general description of the same at this point.
At the beginning we may as well consider the question so often asked by the neophyte, who desires to be informed regarding the meaning of the word “Plane,” which term has been very freely used, and very poorly explained, in many recent works upon the subject of occultism, The question is generally about as fellows: “Is a Plane a place having dimensions, or is it merely a condition or state?” We answer: “No, not a place, nor ordinary dimension of space; and yet more than a state or condition. it may be considered as a state or condition, and yet the state or condition is a degree of dimension, in a scale subject to measurement.”
Somewhat paradoxical, is it not? But let us examine the matter. A “dimension,” you know, is “a measure in a straight line, relating to measure,” etc. The ordinary dimensions of space are length, breadth, and height, or perhaps length, breadth, height, thickness or circumference. But there is another dimension of “created things,” or “measure in a straight line,” known to occultists, and to scientists as well, although the latter have not as yet applied the term “dimension” to it–and this new dimension, which, by the way, is the much speculated about “Fourth Dimension,” is the standard used in determining the degrees or “planes.”
This Fourth Dimension may be called “the Dimension of Vibration.” It is a fact well known to modern science, as well as to the Hermetists who have embodied the truth in their “Third Hermetic Principle,” that “everything is in motion; everything vibrates; nothing is at rest.” From the highest manifestation, to the lowest, everything and all things Vibrate. Not only do they vibrate at different rates of motion, but as in different directions and in a different manner. The degrees of the “rate” of vibrations constitute the degrees of measurement on the Scale of Vibrations–in other words the degrees of the Fourth Dimension. And these degrees form what occultists call “Planes.” The higher the degree of rate of vibration, the higher the plane, and the higher the manifestation of Life occupying that plane. So that while a plane is not “a place,” nor yet “a state or condition,” yet it possesses qualities common to both. We shall have more to say regarding the subject of the scale of Vibrations in our next lessons, in which we shall consider the Hermetic Principle of Vibration.
You will kindly remember, however, that the Three Great Planes are not actual divisions of the phenomena of the Universe, but merely arbitrary terms used by the Hermetists in order to aid in the thought and study of the various degrees and forms of universal activity and life. The atom of matter, the unit of force, the mind of man, and the being of the archangel are all but degrees in one scale, and all fundamentally the same, the difference between solely a matter of degree, and rate of vibration–all are creations of THE ALL, and have their existence solely within the Infinite Mind of THE ALL. The Hermetists sub-divide each of the Three Great Planes into Seven Minor Planes, and each of these latter are also sub-divided into seven sub-planes, all divisions being more or less arbitrary, shading into each other, and adopted merely for convenience of scientific study and thought.
The Great Physical Plane, and its Seven Minor Planes, is that division of the phenomena of the Universe which includes all that relates to physics, or material things, forces, and manifestations. It includes all forms of that which we call Matter, and all forms of that which we call Energy or Force. But you must remember that the Hermetic Philosophy does not recognize Matter as a “thing in itself,” or as having a separate existence even in the Mind of THE ALL. The Teachings are that Matter is but a form of Energy–that is, Energy at a low rate of vibrations of a certain kind. And accordingly the Hermetists classify Matter under the head of Energy, and give to it three of the Seven Minor Planes of the Great Physical Plane.
These Seven Minor Physical Planes are as follows:
I. The Plane of Matter (A).
II. The Plane of Matter (B).
III. The Plane of Matter (C).
IV. The Plane of Ethereal Substance.
V. The Plane of Energy (A).
VI. The Plane of Energy (B).
VII. The Plane of Energy (C).
The Plane of Matter (A) comprises the forms of Matter in its form of solids, liquids, and gases, as generally recognized by the text-books on physics. The Plane of Matter (B) comprises certain higher and more subtle forms of Matter of the existence of which modern science is but now recognizing, the phenomena of Radiant Matter, in its phases of radium, etc., belonging to the lower sub-division of this Minor Plane. The Plane of Matter (C) comprises forms of the most subtle and tenuous Matter, the existence of which is not suspected by ordinary scientists. The Plane of Ethereal Substance comprises that which science speaks of as “The Ether,” a substance of extreme tenuity and elasticity, pervading all Universal Space, and acting as a medium for the transmission of waves of energy, such as light, heat, electricity, etc. This Ethereal Substance forms a connecting link between Matter (so-called) and Energy, and partakes of the nature of each. The Hermetic Teachings, however, instruct that this plane has seven sub-divisions (as have all of the Minor Planes), and that in fact there are seven ethers, instead of but one.
Next above the Plane of Ethereal Substance comes the Plane of Energy (A), which comprises the ordinary forms of Energy known to science, its seven sub-planes being, respectively, Heat; Light; Magnetism; Electricity, and Attraction (including Gravitation, Cohesion, Chemical Affinity, etc.) and several other forms of energy indicated by scientific experiments but not as yet named or classified. The Plane of Energy (B) comprises seven sub-planes of higher forms of energy not as yet discovered by science, but which have been called “Nature's Finer Forces” and which are called into operation in manifestations of certain forms of mental phenomena, and by which such phenomena becomes possible. The Plane of Energy (C) comprises seven sub-planes of energy so highly organized that it bears many of the characteristics of “life,” but which is not recognized by the minds of men on the ordinary plane of development, being available for the use on beings of the Spiritual Plane alone–such energy is unthinkable to ordinary man, and may be considered almost as “the divine power.” The beings employing the same are as “gods” compared even to the highest human types known to us.
The Great Mental Plane comprises those forms of “living things” known to us in ordinary life, as well as certain other forms not so well known except to the occultist. The classification of the Seven Minor Mental Planes is more or less satisfactory and arbitrary (unless accompanied by elaborate explanations which are foreign to the purpose of this particular work), but we may as well mention them. They are as follows:
I. The Plane of Mineral Mind.
II. The Plane of Elemental Mind (A).
III. The Plane of Plant Mind.
IV. The Plane of Elemental Mind (B)
V. The Plane of Animal Mind.
VI. The Plane of Elemental Mind (C).
VII. The Plane of Human Mind.
The Plane of Mineral Mind comprises the “states or conditions” of the units or entities, or groups and combinations of the same, which animate the forms known to us as “minerals, chemicals, etc.” These entities must not be confounded with the molecules, atoms and corpuscles themselves, the latter being merely the material bodies or forms of these entities, just as a man's body is but his material form and not “himself.” These entities may be called “souls “in one sense, and are living beings of a low degree of development, life, and mind–just a little more than the units of “living energy” which comprise the higher sub-divisions of the highest Physical Plane.
The average mind does not generally attribute the possession of mind, soul, or life, to the Mineral kingdom, but all occultists recognize the existence of the same, and modern science is rapidly moving forward to the point-of-view of the Hermetic, in this respect. The molecules, atoms and corpuscles have their “loves and hates”; likes and dislikes; “attractions and repulsions”; “affinities and non-affinities,” etc., and some of the more daring of modern scientific minds have expressed the opinion that the desire and will, emotions and feelings, of the atoms differ only in degree from those of men. We have no time or space to argue this matter here. All occultists know it to be a fact, and others are referred to some of the more recent scientific works for outside corroboration. There are the usual seven sub-divisions to this plane.
The Plane of Elemental Mind (A) comprises the state or condition, and degree of mental and vital development of a class of entities unknown to the average man, but recognized to occultists. They are invisible to the ordinary senses of man, but, nevertheless, exist and play their part of the Drama of the Universe. Their degree of intelligence is between that of the mineral and chemical entities on the one hand, and of the entities of the plant kingdom on the other. There are seven sub-divisions to this plane, also.
The Plane of Plant Mind, in its seven sub-divisions, comprises the states or conditions of the entities comprising the kingdoms of the Plant World, the vital and mental phenomena of which is fairly well understood by the average intelligent person, many new and interesting scientific works regarding “Mind and Life in Plants” having been published during the last decade. Plants have life, mind and “souls,” as well as have the animals, man, and superman. The Plane of Elemental Mind (B), in its seven sub-divisions, comprises the states and conditions of a higher form of “elemental” or unseen entities, playing their part in the general work of the Universe, the mind and life of which form a part of the scale between the Plane of Plant Mind and the Plane of Animal Mind, the entities partaking of the nature of both.
The Plane of Animal Mind, in its seven sub-divisions, comprises the states and conditions of the entities, beings, or souls, animating the animal forms of life, familiar to us all. It is not necessary to go into details regarding this kingdom or plane of life, for the animal world is as familiar to us as is our own.
The Plane of Elemental Mind (C), in its seven sub-divisions, comprises those entities or beings, invisible as are all such elemental forms, which partake of the nature of both animal and human life in a degree and in certain combinations. The highest forms are semi-human in intelligence.
The Plane of Human Mind, in its seven sub-divisions, comprises those manifestations of life and mentality which are common to Man, in his various grades, degrees, and division. In this connection, we wish to point out the fact that the average man of today occupies but the fourth sub-division of the Plane of Human Mind, and only the most intelligent have crossed the borders of the Fifth Sub-Division. It has taken the race millions of years to reach this stage, and it will take many more years for the race to move on to the sixth and seventh subdivisions, and beyond. But, remember, that there have been races before us which have passed through these degrees, and then on to higher planes. Our own race is the fifth (with stragglers from the fourth) which has set foot upon The Path. And, then there are a few advanced souls of our own race who have outstripped the masses, and who have passed on to the sixth and seventh sub-division, and some few being still further on. The man of the Sixth Sub-Division will be “The Super-Man”; he of the Seventh will be “The Over-Man.”
In our consideration of the Seven Minor Mental Planes, we have merely referred to the Three Elementary Planes in a general way. We do not wish to go into this subject in detail in this work, for it does not belong to this part of the general philosophy and teachings. But we may say this much, in order to give you a little clearer idea of the relations of these planes to the more familiar ones–the Elementary Planes bear the same relation to the Planes of Mineral, Plant, Animal and Human Mentality and Life, that the black keys on the piano do to the white keys. The white keys are sufficient to produce music, but there are certain scales, melodies, and harmonies, in which the black keys play their part, and in which their presence is necessary. They are also necessary as “connecting links” of soul-condition; entity states, etc., between the several other planes, certain forms of development being attained therein–this last fact giving to the reader who can “read between the lines” a new light upon the processes of Evolution, and a new key to the secret door of the “leaps of life” between kingdom and kingdom. The great kingdoms of Elementals are fully recognized by all occultists, and the esoteric writings are full of mention of them. The readers of Bulwer's “Zanoni'' and similar tales will recognize the entities inhabiting these planes of life.
Passing on from the Great Mental Plane to the Great Spiritual Plane, what shall we say? How can we explain these higher states of Being, Life and Mind, to minds as yet unable to grasp and understand the higher sub-divisions of the Plane of Human Mind? The task is impossible. We can speak only in the most general terms. How may Light be described to a man born blind–how sugar, to a man who has never tasted anything sweet–how harmony, to one born deaf?
All that we can say is that the Seven Minor Planes of the Great Spiritual Plane (each Minor Plane having its seven sub-divisions) comprise Beings possessing Life, Mind and Form as far above that of Man of to-day as the latter is above the earthworm, mineral or even certain forms of Energy or Matter. The Life of these Beings so far transcends ours, that we cannot even think of the details of the same; their Minds so far transcend ours, that to them we scarcely seem to “think,” and our mental processes seem almost akin to material processes; the Matter of which their forms are composed is of the highest Planes of Matter, nay, some are even said to be “clothed in Pure Energy.” What may be said of such Beings?
On the Seven Minor Planes of the Great Spiritual Plane exist Beings of whom we may speak as Angels; Archangels; Demi-Gods. On the lower Minor Planes dwell those great souls whom we call Masters and Adepts. Above them come the Great Hierarchies of the Angelic Hosts, unthinkable to man; and above those come those who may without irreverence be called “'The Gods,” so high in the scale of Being are they, their being, intelligence and power being akin to those attributed by the races of men to their conceptions of Deity. These Beings are beyond even the highest flights of the human imagination, the word “Divine” being the only one applicable to them. Many of these Beings, as well as the Angelic Host, take the greatest interest in the affairs of the Universe and play an important part in its affairs. These Unseen Divinities and Angelic Helpers extend their influence freely and powerfully, in the process of Evolution, and Cosmic Progress. Their occasional intervention and assistance in human affairs have led to the many legends, beliefs, religions and traditions of the race, past and present. They have super-imposed their knowledge and power upon the world, again and again, all under the Law of THE ALL, of course.
But, yet, even the highest of these advanced Beings exist merely as creations of, and in, the Mind of THE ALL, and are subject to the Cosmic Processes and Universal Laws. They are still Mortal. We may call them “gods” if we like, but still they are but the Elder Brethren of the Race,–the advanced souls who have outstripped their brethren, and who have foregone the ecstacy of Absorption by THE ALL, in order to help the race on its upward journey along The Path. But, they belong to the Universe, and are subject to its conditions–they are mortal–and their plane is below that of Absolute Spirit.
Only the most advanced Hermetists are able to grasp the Inner Teachings regarding the state of existence, and the powers manifested on the Spiritual Planes. The phenomena is so much higher than that of the Mental Planes that a confusion of ideas would surely result from an attempt to describe the same. Only those whose minds have been carefully trained along the lines of the Hermetic Philosophy for years–yes, those who have brought with them from other incarnations the knowledge acquired previously – can comprehend just what is meant by the Teaching regarding these Spiritual Planes. And much of these inner Teachings is held by the Hermetists as being too sacred, important and even dangerous for general public dissemination. The intelligent student may recognize what we mean by this when we state that the meaning of “Spirit” as used by the Hermetists is akin to “Living Power”; “Animated Force”; “Inner Essence”; “Essence of Life,“ etc., which meaning must not be confounded with that usually and commonly employed in connection with the term, i.e., “religious; ecclesiastical; spirituelle; ethereal; holy,” etc., etc. To occultists the word “Spirit” is used in the sense of “The Animating Principle,” carrying with it the idea of Power, Living Energy, Mystic Force, etc.
And occultists know that that which is known to them as “Spiritual Power” may be employed for evil as well as good ends (in accordance with the Principle of Polarity), a fact which has been recognized by the majority of religions in their conceptions of Satan, Beelzebub, the Devil, Lucifer, Fallen Angels, etc. And so the knowledge regarding these Planes has been kept in the Holy of Holies in all Esoteric Fraternities and Occult Orders,–in the Secret Chamber of the Temple. But this may be said here, that those who have attained high spiritual powers and have misused them, have a terrible fate in store for them, and the swing of the pendulum of Rhythm will inevitably swing them back to the furthest extreme of Material existence, from which point they must retrace their steps Spiritward, along the weary rounds of The Path, but always with the added torture of having always with them a lingering memory of the heights from which they fell owing to their evil actions. The legends of the Fallen Angels have a basis in actual facts, as all advanced occultists know. The striving for selfish power on the Spiritual Planes inevitably results in the selfish soul losing its spiritual balance and falling back as far as it had previously risen. But to even such a soul,the opportunity of a return is given–and such souls make the return journey, paying the terrible penalty according to the invariable Law.
In conclusion we would again remind you that according to the Principle of Correspondence, which embodies the truth: “As Above so Below; as Below, so Above,” all of the Seven Hermetic Principles are in full operation on all of the many planes, Physical, Mental and Spiritual. The Principle of Mental Substance of course applies to all the planes, for all are held in the Mind of THE ALL. The Principle of Correspondence manifests in all, for there is a correspondence, harmony and agreement between the several planes. The Principle of Vibration manifests on all planes, in fact the very differences that go to make the “planes” arise from Vibration, as we have explained. The Principle of Polarity manifests on each plane, the extremes of the Poles being apparently opposite and contradictory. The Principle of Rhythm manifests on each Plane, the movement of the phenomena having its ebb and flow, rise and flow, incoming and outgoing. The Principle of Cause and Effect manifests on each Plane, every Effect having its Cause and every Cause having its effect. The Principle of Gender manifests on each Plane, the Creative Energy being always manifest, and operating along the lines of its Masculine and Feminine Aspects.
“As Above so Below; as Below, so Above.” This centuries old Hermetic axiom embodies one of the great Principles of Universal Phenomena. As we proceed with our consideration of the remaining Principles, we will see even more clearly the truth of the universal nature of this great Principle of Correspondence.
* * * * *
The following text from the Gnostic Lessons is presented for your reflection, meditation, and study.
GNOSTIC LESSON ONE
WHAT UNIVERSAL GNOSTICISM IS NOT:
1. Dogmatic
2. Dictatorial
3. Prejudicial
4. Rigid
5. Inflexible
6. Impractical
7. Opinionated
WHAT UNIVERSAL GNOSTICISM IS:
1. Moderate
2. Sensible
3. Tolerant
4. Reasonable
5. Flexible
6. Humane
7. Open-minded
WHAT UNIVERSAL GNOSTICS GENERALLY BELIEVE:
1. The Divine is everything that is
2. The Divine created everything
3. Everything that exists is a part of the Divine
4. The Divine is more than the creation
5. We have free choice to determine our life
6. We have the right to commune with the Divine
7. Everybody incarnated now chose to be incarnated now
HISTORY OF UNIVERSAL GNOSTICISM
The Universal Gnostic Church (UGC) was founded in 1952 by Revs. Omar Zasluchy, Owen Symanski, and Matthew Shaw, three ministers of the Universalist Church in Pennsylvania who disagreed with their church’s decision to amalgamate with the Unitarian Church. They were inspired by what was then known of the ancient Gnostics, and hoped to combine the open-minded and tolerant attitudes of their Universalist heritage with the Gnostic focus on individual spiritual experience. They arranged to be consecrated to the historic episcopacy of the Christian church by Bishop Robert Monroe of the Liberal Catholic Church, an independent sacramental church allied with the Theosophical movement. The UGC was not exclusively Christian, despite this—it revered the Divine which, according to its teachings, was behind all religions.
While Bishops Zasluchy and Symansky remained in Pennsylvania, Shaw moved to Colorado, where he became an associate of the occult teacher Dr. Juliet Ashley. In 1984 he consecrated several new bishops of the UGC, John Gilbert among them. Later on, when the details of Bishop Shaw’s consecration were lost for a time, John later received consecration sub conditione from Archbishop Herman Spruitt of the Church of Antioch. In 2004, John Gilbert and two other UGC bishops, Rima Laibow and Albert Stubblebine, passed on the same consecration to me.
(Consecration sub conditione is an arrangement whereby a bishop whose lineage is in question receives an additional consecration from a bishop whose lineage is beyond doubt.)
Bishops of the UGC were permitted and even encouraged to found their own churches if they wanted to depart from the UGC’s own admittedly quirky traditions. At least one of these, the Gnostic Celtic Church, is still active today; it functions as the religious branch of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), another order in which John was an initiate. To the best of my knowledge, however, the UGC itself went dormant nearly a decade before John’s death.
The following document summarizes some of the teachings of the UGC. As with other teachings given in this course of study, these are not meant to be accepted blindly as articles of belief, but rather used as a basis for your own reflections and meditations.
SOME UNIVERSAL GNOSTIC TEACHINGS
In the beginning there was the Divine and nothing but the Divine. The Divine thought. As the Divine thought, the Divine became aware creation was possible. The Divine intended to create the universe of worlds and everything in them; and the Divine believed this was possible based upon previous experience in creating things with the Divine mind.
Thus the Divine created this world and everything in it. At the same time, the Divine created untold billions and trillions of worlds and everything in them. We are, each of us, a unique Child of the Divine living at this time in this world.
The Divine had a purpose when the Divine created the worlds and everything in them. The Divine had a purpose when the Divine created each of us as a living and unique Child of the Divine. Discovering our own unique purpose is one of the goals we can choose while living in this creation.
According to most mystics and great spiritual teachers throughout history, our primary purpose is to learn how to love one another more and more. If you think about it, this makes great sense. We're all brothers and sisters living, thinking, breathing, breeding and loving within the Divine. The Divine is the One Commonality that we all share. To love another person is to love the Divine. To love the Divine is to acknowledge that the Divine loves Itself.
To love ourselves is to love the Divine, and loving the Divine is loving everything within the creation including all other people. There's a basic psychological law that says you can love others only by loving yourself first. You must love yourself in order to love other people. Many of us find this difficult, but if we sit in communion with the Divine we will come to love the Divine as the Divine loves us. Since we are a part of the Divine, by loving the Divine we learn to love ourselves and everything else within the Divine.
Learning to love more and more appears to be the first purpose for all of us.
As we learn to love the Divine, ourselves and others, we learn how to help each other love more and more. Helping others and wanting to help others seems to be built into our constitution. It may be a part of our soul. It may be a natural consequence of learning how to love more and more. Whatever the cause, it appears our second purpose for incarnating into this world is to help each other.
Helping each other love more and more appears to be our second purpose.
If we have a specific spiritual purpose we want to accomplish in this lifetime, that purpose probably becomes our third purpose for incarnating at this time. According to ancient Gnostic teachings these are our three spiritual purposes. Learning to love more and more is our primary purpose and it's assigned to the Mother aspect of the Divine. Helping each other love more and more is our secondary purpose and it's assigned to the Father aspect of the Divine. Out own specific spiritual purpose is our third goal and it's assigned to the Creator aspect of the Divine. (Thus the original trinity is exposed as being Father-Mother-Creator the Divine.)
To these three spiritual purposes for incarnating in this lifetime, the ancient teachings indicate we can add one major purpose for each of the elements. A Fire purpose might have something to do with developing our intuition, setting and following our intentions and controlling our passions. An Air purpose might have to do with learning, improving our mind or attitude, teaching or sharing in this lifetime. A Water purpose might have to do with improving our relationships or managing our emotions better. An Earth purpose might have something to do with improving health and prosperity or making this planet a better place to live.
These four elements are assigned an aspect of the Divine in many different ways. One way is to assign the Fire Element to the Warrior aspect of the Divine, Air to the Teacher aspect, Water to the Healer aspect and Earth to the Helper aspect.
Warriors (Element of Fire) are the change agents in life. They are catalysts for change in one or more of the created worlds. These worlds are the physical, emotional, mental, psychological and spiritual worlds. Warriors help us change our physical environment, buildings, places and things. Warriors help us change how we feel about life and ourselves. Warriors help us change how we think about things and other people. Warriors help us change our intentions, desires, needs and wants. Warriors help us change how we react and commune with the Divine.
Healers (Element of Water) use Divine Love to help us heal ourselves. Healers help us decide what we must do to heal ourselves. Healers help us open lines of communication with the Divine (communion) and help us discover the root cause of our illness and separation from the Divine. Healers help us heal ourselves on the physical, emotional, mental, psychological and spiritual levels of our being. Healers help us heal our bodies and our environment, our feelings and relationships, our thoughts and attitudes, our desires and intentions and our spiritual being.
Teachers (Element of Air) help us learn the lessons we need to learn to survive, thrive and accomplish our own goals and intentions. Teachers help us learn what we need to know about our body, environment, behavior and possessions. Teachers help us learn about how to release and experience our emotions instead of blocking and stuffing them. Teachers help us learn how to change our minds and open ourselves to new ways of thinking and doing. Teachers help us learn how analyze and change our intentions and desires. Teachers help us learn how to commune with the Divine.
Helpers (Element of Earth) serve us in myriad ways as politicians, servants, merchants, providers and servants. Helpers make our physical life easier by providing services and things for us to use or consume. Helpers make our emotional life easier by releasing our pain and supporting us in all things. Helpers make our mental life easier by reducing our stress, depression, anger and anxiety. Helpers make our psychological life easier by helping us attain our desires, wants and intentions. Helpers make our spiritual life easier by praying for us and spiritually supporting us on our spiritual path.
We all have the capacity to function in all four of the types of Warrior, Healer, Teacher and Helper, but most of us are called to do one of these four types of work primarily in our present incarnation.
This is one way of looking at our reason for incarnating in this world at this time. Each of us as Universal Gnostics is free to adopt any other paradigm or create our own system for classifying our purpose for being here.
But according to ancient Gnostic teachings, this is not our primary, or even our secondary, purpose for incarnating into this world. Our ancient Gnostic brothers and sisters believed our primary purpose was to learn to love one another more and more. They also believed our secondary purpose was to help each other learn how to love each other more and more.
Our third purpose was to accomplish our life's mission based on what type of person we decided to become before we were born. Which of the basic types of personality we chose to use in this lifetime defines our third purpose.
According to this ancient tradition we each have four more purposes and these can be accomplished in any order or set aside until a later lifetime. These four optional purposes are:
1. Physical - related to health or finances
2. Emotional - involving emotions and relationships
3. Mental - learning new things or changing our attitude
4. Psychological - setting intentions and subduing desires
Thus humans were said to be seven-dimensional beings.
But none of this answers the question as to what Universal Gnostics believe. The answer is each of us believes what we believe and we are free to share these beliefs, change them, keep them secret or rigidly hold onto them. Our beliefs belong to us and we may do with them as we will. Religion is about relationship with the Divine. It is not about having a prescribed set of opinions.
NOTES ON THE MINOR ORDERS
In the Universal Gnostic Church there are five Minor Orders and two Major Orders. The five Minor Orders are Cleric, Doorkeeper, Reader, Warder, and Acolyte. The two Major Orders are Priest (or Priestess) and Bishop. Ordination as a priest or priestess and consecrationas a bishop can only be earned by extensive study and practice, but it was normal during the heyday of the UGC for most active members to receive one or more of the Minor Orders and to exercise the functions and spiritual gifts of those Orders under the supervision of a priest, priestess, or bishop.
The Major Orders can only be passed on by personal contact through laying on of hands and anointing. It has been traditional for many years in the UGC, however, for the Minor Orders to be conferred through study and practice of spiritual disciplines, followed by a ceremony of commitment which may be performed by the aspirant alone or by a priest or bishop for the aspirant. That custom is followed in these lessons.
As initiates of the Grade of Teacher in the Fellowship of the Hermetic Rose you have already engaged in the systematic practice of spiritual disciplines. The additional discipline of prayer will be appropriate to add to those practices at this time.
In the Universal Gnostic Church, the Minor Orders have a twofold function. First, they pass on certain spiritual gifts of their own, and second, they form part of the preparation for ordination to the Gnostic priesthood or priestesshood. Only the first of those functions is included in these lessons. If in the future the Universal Gnostic Church is revived by its surviving bishops, a pathway to the priesthood or priestesshood will be provided for those who have already completed part of the work as a result of studying and practicing these lessons.
If you wish to prepare for this training, you may do so by reading and studying the following books, which may be purchased at bookstores or downloaded free of charge from various online sources:
The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James. This was the book that inspired the three founders of the Universal Gnostic Church in their work. It presents spirituality as a deeply personal matter rooted in individual experience and accessible to anyone.
Practical Mysticism: A Book for Normal People by Evelyn Underhill. A concise and deeply thoughful summary of traditional Western mysticism.
Three (or more) holy scriptures or books of sacred narratives from three different religious traditions. Since the Gnostic Universal Church sees the Divine as being present in all religions, its clergy must be conversant with more than one set of scriptures. You may choose any scriptures or books of sacred narratives that you wish. Among the many options are:
· The New Testament
· The Bhagavad-Gita
· The Dhammapada
· The Tao Te Ching
· The Kojiki
· The Theogony of Hesiod and the Orphic Hymns (count as one scripture)
· The Corpus Hermeticum
· The Elder Edda
· The Mabinogion
· The Popol Vuh
· The Book of Mormon
· Oahspe
This list should be seen as suggestive rather than restrictive, and you should feel free to choose scriptures or sacred narratives that are not listed here.
The two required books and three (or more) holy scriptures should be read repeatedly, not just once or twice. Study them, review them, think about them, challenge them, disagree with them, and above all, learn about yourself and the Divine through your response to them.
UGC
Date: 2022-09-01 07:14 pm (UTC)I was under the impression most of us didn't have much of a say in it... at any rate, I think I've missed something...is the FHR like a preliminary to the UGC, or has the UGC not been 'relaunched' yet?
Re: UGC
Date: 2022-09-02 02:01 am (UTC)Re: UGC
Date: 2022-09-03 05:27 am (UTC)Re: UGC
Date: 2022-09-04 06:09 am (UTC)So you wake up to find yourself lying prone in an expanse of muddy muck with a ceiling of barbed wire inches above you; muck and barbed wire both extending for many yards in every direction. All around you are other people also in this mud, struggling and crawling toward some goal you cannot see. Standing over you, above the barbed wire ceiling, is a large and very noisy man wearing a peculiar hat, yelling at you to get a move on and continue crawling through the mire.
What you have forgotten since becoming incarnated as a U.S. Marine Corps basic trainee, is that prior to this incarnation you talked to the recruiter at the Armed Forces recruiting station, who told you that you could join the Marines, become a pilot, and do cool and interesting things. What you also have forgotten, is that the recruiter did mention "oh, and you'll have to go through Basic Training before flight school."
This at least would explain some of the shale-tastic lives that some of us have to live.
- Cicada Grove
Re: UGC
Date: 2022-09-05 02:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-03 02:58 pm (UTC)What are the spiritual gifts for each Minor Order?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-03 06:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-03 04:14 pm (UTC)Also, out of curiosity, have any of the Golden Temple Empowerments mentioned on the old website survived and gotten folded into this scheme?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-03 06:47 pm (UTC)I received the Golden Temple empowerments when I became a bishop in the UGC. I haven't reactivated them, as they involve a lot of additional material. Reactivating them in some form is something I have in mind, but it's not something I plan on doing right away!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-03 06:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-03 07:02 pm (UTC)FHR up to 5th
Date: 2022-09-04 06:12 am (UTC)Fellowship of the Hermetic Rose: 5th Initiation