The Human Will, element or attribute of the Divine will, is the lever, the elevating power or force, that will either lift or lower in any desired direction. It is the Second great factor in man's advancement or retrogression - desire being the first: Desire, the inclination to act; the Will, the force of action. These two in conjunction with action or effort, will make or mar action; make of man a servile slave; a weakling that cannot be properly designated as "man," or a god-like being, an Initiate, an Initiate Master, one of the "select," or "elect," a part of God's eternal scheme.

Unguided, as both Will and desire are in most of humanity, except by the caprice of the mortal, carnal senses, the immoral urges, unregenerated Will and desire combine to act as the captain who guides the ship directly onto the shoals. Once the Will is properly directed, trained by concentration and centralization, exalted as in the process of awakening the Christos and bringing it into the Soul's Consciousness, there is nothing man cannot bring into being or accomplish. (1)
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(1) This text is primarily for those who have more or less awakened and have charted the course they are determined to follow. If they will heed these instructions and follow them by practice, they will accomplish the two-fold Great Work: Find the Scriptural Kingdom of heaven that is both within themselves and in the greater above; and also become Philosophic Initiates, or Occult Masters, as they will.
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So subtle and powerful is this grand faculty called the Will, having residence in the mind and being dictated to by the feelings from the emotional center, that only the closest study and most careful analysis will reveal to those following its course, either its nature, its modes of action, or its possibilities.

From the standpoint of ordinary human experience, the Will is forceful and oftentimes violent, yet always successful in the accomplishment of its ends, whether in the direction of construction or destruction, either within the inner realm of in the outer world.

There are two aspects specific to every force: one is positive, the other negative. This duality, which runs through every existing phase or avenue of man's activities and also throughout nature, is sometimes called masculine and feminine. The masculine corresponds to the positive; the feminine to the passive or negative.

The truly masculine is always aggressive, pushing, active, directive. The feminine is the passive, hidden, receptive, unmanifested, yet manifesting potency. Both the positive and the negative are requisite to the operation and fulfillment of any project, but either may exist in excess, thereby causing a lack of balance and a consequent defeat of the end to be attained.

As to Will, it is too often only the masculine phase which is recognized and brought into activity. Will in the human sense is commonly termed "brute force," because it customarily means an exhibition of violent energy as noted among wild beasts attacking their prey or the mother defending her little ones. This is not truly will; it is the Law of Self-Preservation and Self-Protection in action.

Masculine Will is powerful, explosive, convulsive and of short duration; hence, while it may accomplish wonders by its explosive energy, it is mostly without reason or foresight and unplanned. It is not to be relied upon for the accomplishment of great ends, unless specially trained and in harmony with its counterpart, the feminine aspect of action.

This perfect duality of force is seen in male and female as parents. The male acts and gives. The female receives and, silently and secretly, because hidden from view, carries that which she receives, when guided by wisdom, to perfect fulfillment. She is the productive or manifesting agent, bringing to pass that which was given her for a specific purpose.

While the male exhibition of energy is extremely active and eruptional, the final and crowning result can be attained only by the female's patient, persistent, silent work.

In the dual process of all activity, the positive or masculine must act, remove obstructions, create conditions, put forth energy in the initial step of the undertaking, and then subside into the background until necessity again demands active assertion or further cooperation.

The next step is to concentrate with singleness of purpose and unswerving desire, to work, to make the necessary effort, for its accomplishment or attainment as indicated in the Great work; this is the positive aspect.

Once the Neophyte's, or any man's desire for that matter, has been aroused or awakened, his aim in life discovered, he must then center his entire attention, both positive (directing) and negative (receiving), both masculine and feminine, on a plan and method of procedure. Such concentration of the Will upon a single purpose, if noble, is the Divine privilege of every Soul. In fact, each soul was destined to such a purpose and this is the reason why each person inherits certain "talents."

The question each one of the Path must ask himself or herself is: "Whatever the cost, whatever the effort necessary, am I perfectly willing to make the effort, pay the price? Am I willing to live up to the demands made upon me? If the answer is in the affirmative and honestly given, then the intense desire, the positive force of the Will, will sweep aside all obstacles, whatever their nature, or however great their poser, and create in their place the conditions that will bring the desire into realization.

Those who have entered the Great Work, as well as all who are engaged in some special work perhaps not too popular with friends, relatives or associates, will very likely find to their sorrow that the subjection and dethronement of the senses and desires of the lower self, will receive opposition from those by whom they are surrounded and the desire will not be accomplished by merely wishing, but will require their herculean efforts to gain the mastery; but what satisfaction, mental and spiritual, will be theirs when it is accomplished!

So deeply, and through so many generations, have the erroneous view, ideas and principles penetrated that they are ingrained upon every fiber of man's being. Frequently, even after man has mentally accepted the concepts as taught by the "anointed," the "Messengers" and the Initiates of all ages, old habits and inclinations will frequently influence him in his conclusions and actions. When he becomes conscious of the error, a mighty battle will ensue, and he may suffer a feeling of disappointment and discouragement.

This latter result must be foreseen as a possibility and, if it does occur, must be accepted in a matter of fact manner - as something to try one's mettle. Even the greatest men had to meet their tests. The Nazarene was many times tested by the "devil" or forces of evil. He was not dismayed, and more or less serenely, kept on his course. The great Initiate, Dr. Randolph, was familiar with the battles to be fought and encouraged his Neophytes by the admonition:

"If at first you fail, try and try again, you'll succeed at last."

The traveler on the Path must take counsel with himself: "Have I the desire, the Will, the Strength to be true to my highest concepts?" If the desire is real, strengthened by the feelings now active within, then the answer will be: "Faithful unto death."

The heart will respond, while the awakened mind, gathering together all the forces of the Will, the feelings of the heart, and the Light from the soul, hurls all of these attributes into the fight against the temptations offered by the weak, carnal self, tempted to indulge or give way to the flesh and its demands that are not beneficial to the real self. Once the battle has been won, the entire being will have gained in strength and will possess forces that will help in overcoming all the still challenges the effort for supremacy.

Let it be impressed upon the minds of those on the Path that in the interim between these crises in their experience, There is a steady, Perhaps unconscious, development of power and clarification of vision, a gradual increase in the capacity for adjustment of the self to newer conditions and higher standards - all of these concerned with the progress of those truly trying.

It is not possible to impress too strongly or too frequently upon the minds of Neophytes and those seeking the Light for their "salvation," that inner and Spiritual Development is impossible unless the Aspirant first has gained a clear comprehension of the part Desire, Will and Feelings - the Spirit - must play in the forward movement of the Great Work. Desire is the incentive and director of the Will.

A few who are aesthetically inclined and not too anxious to make personal effort will discourage the true seeker and challenge: "What have Will and Desire to do with Salvation or Godly attainment? And why is Faith necessary? Why does Faith make all things possible?"

These forget the Law - that, without Feeling, there is no Desire. Without Desire there is no Will, and, without these two, there is no Faith, because without Desire and its associates there is nothing to inspire Faith. If there is no real desire, no longing for a thing, then there is assuredly little or no willingness to suffer, to sacrifice, or to labor in an effort to obtain. Willingness is will in action.

Once the Neophyte more or less fully comprehends the extreme importance and purpose of "Desire," the "Will," and the "Feeling" which is the incentive to action, the Neophyte or seeker will be ready, aye, anxious to proceed with hi efforts in the Great Work and this will result in the cleansing of the "stable" or temple that is himself. Then comes the awakening of the inmost real self, the Christos, that it may be brought into Consciousness; in or during the process, the Neophyte becomes one of the "elect," "select," (2) a member or the New Order of the Ages, perhaps an "Anointed" one, a "Messenger," and Initiate.

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(2) Much stress is placed on these terms because of the erroneous supposition, so misleading, that God makes the "selections" or "election," the "anointing," or the appointing of Messengers. The contrary is true, man becomes so, makes himself such, by the activating forces of this own feelings, desires and will, and it is impossible for him to do otherwise and be at peace within himself.
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The New Age is upon us. We have entered the New Order of the Ages, whether we will or not. This New age is forcing all men to a choice and happy is he, who has rightly chosen because of his own Desire. Humanity is at the parting of the ways, as foreseen by the prophets many centuries before America, the land overshadowed with wings, was discovered.

It has now become a question as to whether one is a seeker, or of the majority - willing to continue in the same old way, living as men have lived in misery, want, sorrow, darkness and semi-slavery, or whether one is dissatisfied sufficiently to break away from the old, beaten path and enter the new - where the divine Law, the Light that is "on neither land nor sea" will guide.

Once having entered the Path, every effort made to overcome adverse and undesirable conditions, environments and associations, is so much gained and in the right direction. Even in the ordinary routine of daily life, there will be innumerable and unexpected opportunities to prove sincerity and test for understanding, patience and strength. Of all of these man should take advantage as he would of business opportunities.

It is essential not only to be physically awake, but to become mentally alert, gain by the experience of others and recognize that there are two phases of activity - one in the purely material, business world; the other on the higher plane. The Divine Law governs both as indicated by the Hermetic Law:

"As in the above, so in the below. As in the below, so in the above."

To see this Law illustrated, it is well for the Neophyte and the seeker for Spiritual verities outside of the August Fraternity to carefully pay attention to the man of the world engaged in business and recognized as highly successful. You will not find him noisy, boastful and blabbering. On the contrary, you will become aware that he is quiet, talking only when necessary or in a social gathering, that he is plodding, tenacious, energetic, and above all, orderly and regular in his procedures.

He may appear to sink into mediocrity when compared with some of his associates in the social scale, because his desires are not along that line, but he will be recognized as a success, though all his toil and self-denial will receive little notice and the unthinking will speak of his "good fortune."

Mark well, ye on the Path, first of all a man such as this awakens to an inner desire, possibly as a result of extreme self-searching or great loss and sorrow; then, at the urge of his desire, he will employ his explosive, powerful, masculine Will to set into operation plans he will have carefully formulated. This he follows by gradually, coolly, tenaciously holding to the purpose of one idea and plan, set into motion by his will and efforts - holding to his desire until his purpose is accomplished.

No Soul enters into the World devoid of Will, although we frequently hear people make the declaration that they have no Will of their own, and they bewail the lack. This is merely a confession on their part that they are too "lazy," to arouse a desire strong enough to bring the Will into activity. Potentially, where there is a mind there is also a Will, though it may be entirely latent. If Desire can be aroused by one who believes himself to be bereft of a will, then, through an incentive, it can be made strong enough to accomplish any sought for purpose. Lack of Will is actually neither more nor less than lack of feeling and desire. The awakening of Desire is the means to arousing the Giant Will.

The psychological (Spiritual - of the Soul) Law is in full harmony with the Divine Law and has so arranged the action of the human mind that it cannot think of two things at one and the same time. The stronger and deeper always replaces the weaker. If a man's love for achievement is greater than his desire for ease, the nobler will quickly eradicate the lesser and, through (by means of) the nobler impulses, the human Will comes into touch with the Divine Will. It must, however, always be born in mind that man's Free Will is never interfered with, nor is his right to choose.

In the Neophyte's progress toward a higher life and in his training of the Will to at all times work constructively, the Aspirant will soon become conscious of the Law of Growth here, as in all other realms of action, namely that only the less desirable is eradicated or destroyed while the greater or higher remains and is built upon.

The ultimate of the Great Work may well be said to bring about a harmonizing, an alliance, between the Divine Will and man's Will. Herein is hidden the final secret of all power, all possibilities and all attainment. This is how one becomes "elect," "select," "Anointed," a "Messenger," the Christos personified, and an Initiate, an Occult Master.

Heretofore, with rare exceptions, man proceeded on the assumption that he might become a world ruler, a dictator, a hercules in the business world and, in doing so, build unto death. In this New Cycle he will be compelled by the action of the Law itself to become conscious, in order to be held fully responsible, that he has inherited the nucleus of the Divine Nature, a particle of the Divine in the Christos, and that, if he continues to neglect this, even if he gain the whole world, he will actually have succeeded in losing everything.

The deeper man's realization of a willingness and readiness to follow through, the greater his desire to be one with the constructive purpose of the universal life in all its departments, the greater a channel of usefulness he will become and the more of all good things, both material and Spiritual, he will receive.

Selfishness will give place to self-benefit, helpfulness to others in real need, and, in the majesty of Omnipotence and paradoxical as it may appear, all constructive activity with unselfish purpose will revert, by the Reaction of the Law of activity, to his personal self. Here, as in many other respects, the Law operates - "He that would lose his life to save (help) others, shall find it."
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