In this text and in the many other publications issued by the Fraternitas Rosae Crucis and the Philosophical Publishing Company you will find certain words and phrases whose meaning and interpretation are vital to the understanding of the information given and the instructions offered. In the past it was usually left to the individual student to gradually arrive at an understanding of these words and phrases, and even now it is still not easy to define them so that all might comprehend. But in this Introduction we shall do our best to provide the serious student with a modern definition of the key words and phrases used by the Initiates(1) of old and the present Arcane Masters(1).
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(1) The terms "Initiate" and "Arcane Master," as well as many other similar terms used in arcane literature, refer to an individual who has so lived in Harmony with the Divine Law that he has become conscious of the soul within himself. This exalted state of being is now called Illumination, but over the centuries various other names have been used to describe it and allied states, such as Soul Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness, Philosophical Initiation and Mastership. While there are subtle differences between these various stages of development, they all indicate a specific degree of spiritual attainment from Illumination onward.
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The most essential keys to an understanding of what Jesus referred to as the "Mysteries" are the four phrases, the Divine Law, the Great Work, Soul Illumination and Transmutation. Once the student is able to attain a working comprehension of the meaning of these four, he has opened the door to the first of the Mysteries mentioned by the man from Nazareth. While a great many other terms are used in our text and lessons, most of them are either synonyms of these four, various degrees of them or entities directly related to one or more of the four.

The Divine Law

Perhaps no other phrase is used as much in the books of the Fraternitas Rosae Crucis as the Divine Law. Every student is admonished not only to learn more of the Divine Law, but also to line in harmony with it. This may be well and good for those who are familiar with this Law, but what of those who have just encountered our Fraternity and its teaching? How are they to come to understand what we mean when we refer to the Divine Law? Just what is this Law, and how do we know if we are living in harmony with it?

There is nothing particularly mysterious about the Divine Law. It is a Law that each of us encounters a thousand times a day, though, of course, most individuals do not understand it as such. It is simply the Universal Operating Law of Creation. Each great spiritual teacher of mankind has taught its basic principles and adapted them to the people he was sent to instruct. While each of these interpretations may seem to vary since they were conceived for a specific time and group of people, the underlying Law does not, and cannot, change, because it is the only Law that allows the present state of Creation to exist. There is nothing arbitrary about the Divine Law, Since all existence, as we know it, is completely dependent upon its absolute perfection of operation. The degree of this perfection was intimated by the Nazarene when he stated,"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."___Matthew 10:29-30. If we substitute "the Divine Law" for "your Father" this statement is in full harmony with all that has been taught in the "Mysteries" since man became man. What the Nazarene was attempting to teach his disciples (and anyone else who had "ears to hear") was the omnipresence and omnipotence of the Divine Law; that this Law was first instituted by the Creator as a vital and essential part of Creation; that it and it alone was complete and exact enough to bring Order out of Chaos. This same inference (that of the Father being a synonym for the Divine Law He set into motion) is given in the statement, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."___Matthew 5:48. What the Nazarene is really saying to his listeners is, "Learn to function in harmony with the Divine Law which, by its very nature, must be perfect or the world as you know it would immediately return to Chaos."

The Divine Law was, and is, not an arbitrary Law. It was not just God's idea of how a Creation should be run. Rather, it was the only Law and set of rules and regulations that has allowed for the Universe as we know it. Take away the Divine Law, and you immediately return Creation to Chaos and consideration of man to only a vague memory.

This last point is of utmost importance to all men and women who live on this small planet. For centuries we have been taught of a vengeful God who is ever ready to punish those who do not obey His will. With such a negative concept, it is not difficult to see why so many individuals have left the church and embraced the religion of science. If the truth is to be admitted, more of the Divine Law is probably to be found today in the teachings of Science (particularly the science of business) than most churches or synagogues.

God does not punish. No, like the Nazarene, He weeps to see the suffering of those who, out of ignorance or desire, attempt to defy the Divine Law and thereby bring upon themselves the reaction of this exact Law. Notice we say "attempt to defy the Divine Law." No one, not even God Himself, can defy or circumvent the Divine Law. The most that can be accomplished is an attempt to do so. This was the point of the Nazarene in his dissertation with his disciples regarding the sparrow and the hairs of their head. He was attempting to convince them that if the death of a single sparrow is under the functioning "eye" of the Divine Law, how much more so would it be the governing Law for every action of man?

If you desire to construct anything, from an umbrella to a Universe, you have to take into consideration the various ways in which this can be accomplished. Certain factors have to be taken into consideration. As much as you might desire it otherwise, you would not be smart to make your umbrella out of a water-soluble substance. So the Creator discovered that in making His Universe out of Chaos (undefined matter) He too needed to follow certain criteria, or His orderly Creation would quickly revert to Chaos once again. This set of principles which God found to be essential to establish His Universe and to prevent it from immediately returning to Chaos is what we now call the Divine Law. This Law is not arbitrary. It is simply the only functioning mechanism that is sufficiently balanced and powerful to sustain matter in its various organized forms to produce the Universe we now know and love. As such, it should be obvious that the Divine Law can show no partiality. It is, and must remain, completely neutral. It is for this reason that the Bible informs us: "God is no respecter of persons."___Acts 10:34. Here again, if we substitute "the Divine Law" for "God" we discover the original meaning of this verse.

The Divine Law is not a capricious edict of the Creator. It is simply the only functioning mechanism under which our Universe can exist. When the various spiritual texts of each authentic religion admonished mankind to "obey" the will of God, they used language they felt the common people could understand and apply, but which, in fact, is not the full truth as we know it today. What they would have said if the people had ears to hear was: "Learn to understand the Divine Law, and live in harmony with it. Since this is the basic Law of your existence, any attempt to defy it will always create an undesirable reaction for you."

It has been our experience that many fine, dedicated and moral human beings can no longer accept the admonition to "obey" God without further explanation. They are so sufficiently independent that they desire to obey only their own conscience and not be forced or coerced to obey just because they are told to do so by either Church or state. We personally applaud these individuals and count ourselves among their cadre.

Most religious teachings as they have been handed down to us were not meant for such independently thinking individuals. They were designed instead for those who are not so much interested in the order of things in Creation, but who rather are looking for a simple pattern of belief to bring some solace and peace to an otherwise difficult existence.

Today we find the world divided into two general camps: (1) Those who are satisfied with the religious teachings of punishment and retribution doled out by a "loving" God if one does not "obey" His commands as dictated by the church and (2) those whose reasoning mind and rational conscience directs them to reject such church teachings as without scientific foundation. Admittedly, many of this latter group give "lip service" to the popular religions, much in the same way that the intelligentsia of Greece and Rome did to the mythology of their day; but by their actions one can readily discern their real feelings and beliefs.

Just as the philosophy of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle transcended the popular mythology of their day, so do the teachings of the Fraternitas Rosae Crucis concerning the Divine Law, the Great Work and Soul Illumination transcend the religious mythologies of today. These three concepts are not for those who are satisfied with the status quo. They are concepts for those who are willing to think for themselves; who desire to know the Laws of their being and furthermore are not only willing, but eager to learn to live in harmony with them, knowing that this effort alone is able to bring them all that is good and productive in existence. They soon learn that it is not a "chore" to live in harmony with these three great principles, but rather that such a life rapidly becomes an "obsession," or, as one of our Fraternal brothers called in his book by the same name, a Magnificent Obsession.

The Divine Law is nothing more or less than the functioning mechanism of our existence. It manifests in every conceivable manner, since there is nothing in all of life, human and otherwise, that can function in any way without interfacing with this Law. If our actions are in harmony with its principles, we prosper and gain all that is good and useful in life. If, on the other hand, we attempt to work counter to the principles of this functioning mechanism, we will suffer the consequences of our ignorance or defiance. Neither man nor God can set aside the reaction of this mechanism.

Let us take for an example the well-known law of gravity. This, like all else we can envision or discover, is a functioning part of the Divine Law. If we stand on a high cliff and contemplate whether we can fly if we jumped off, we are using the free will given us as men and women to make our own decisions. We trust that the little knowledge we already have of the Divine Law will tell us that we will not be able to fly if we jump (unless we have developed some mechanism that will allow us to do so under the principles of the Divine Law) and that it would not be a good thing to do. So, if we decide not to test our ability to fly, we have harmonized with the Divine Law. Now, that was easy, wasn't it? If on the other hand we jump and are smashed on the rocks below, we still learn something of the working of the Divine Law, but our use of this new understanding is short-lived. Happily, most of the learning experiences we go through to gain greater comprehension of the Divine Law are not quite so final as this example, and we will have an opportunity to put our newly discovered knowledge to use in future endeavors.

In the example given you will notice one thing that distinguishes man from all other entities that function under the Divine Law. He has a reasoning mind that allows him to decide, first, what is the Law and, second, whether he wants to follow the Divine Law. He has a choice, and thus introduces into Creation the factor of drama. Will he or will he not follow the Divine Law/ Once he learns to do so, he will, as promised, become like the gods, knowing good and evil. If he does not or, rather, will not, then he will of his own efforts and free will bring about his complete annihilation from all existence. This is the final result of his attempt to defy the Divine Law. This final result is not a form of punishment from a vengeful God or even the condemnation of church prelates, but only the natural and expected reaction under the Divine Law of his own willful destructive actions.

This is the great secret of all action and reaction in our world. No one sits in judgment on our actions: no one punishes us because we break some arbitrary rules set up by a jealous and vengeful God long ago. We create reactions only from the actions we take of our own free will. If these actions are in harmony with the functioning mechanism of our existence (the Divine Law), the reactions will be what we call good. If our actions are not in harmony with this functioning mechanism, they will be what we call bad or unpleasant. We leave it up to you to evaluate our world today and to determine if you believe the majority live in harmony with the Divine Law or not. However, regardless of what others do, you may learn to live in harmony with the Divine Law and then, even though all else around you is in ruin and decay, you still reap the reaction of the thoughts, desires and actions that you alone have created. This is one of the most reassuring facets of the Divine Law.

One of the most important principles of the Divine Law is its absolute reliance on balance and equal exchange. It is this principle that allowed the Creator to make Order out of chaos. For this reason we have the assurance that "Order is Heaven's first Law," and such order can only be obtained and, equally importantly, maintained by the reliance on balance and equal exchange.

Biblically this principle was stated in several ways. The Nazarene assured his followers, "and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."___Matthew 7:2. Saint Paul put it slightly different when he assured his listeners:

"But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.... Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." ___Galatians 6:4-8.

We find that both the Master from Galilee and Saint Paul taught the Law of balance and compensation in different words, so that the Law would be adapted to those to whom they spoke, but in both instances the message was the same: "there is an exact balance to the divine Law. You will be treated by the Law in exact proportion to the way you treat the Law and thereby others. Whatever actions you take will create an equal reaction that will, in time, return to you with interest, be that good or ill."

While we do not find the scientific nature of this reaction explained in Scripture (the people were not yet that far advanced), it is easily explained today. Under the Divine Law all must remain in balance, or the entire system will return to Chaos; there is no middle ground. To maintain this essential exact order, the Divine Law must be self-maintaining. That is, the action of the Law must be such that any movement in any direction must at the same time be compensated for by a reactive motion in the opposite direction. The Knowledge of this fact of the Divine Law allowed both the Nazarene and Saint Paul to make the positive statements of the Law they did. They had no fear of contradiction, since they were both well versed in the functioning of the Divine Law. This same acquaintance with the Law allowed the Nazarene to assure his disciples that the "hairs of their head were numbered." He did not mean to indicate that God went around counting the hairs of people's heads, but rather that the Divine Law was so inclusive in its monitoring of Creation that no detail, no matter how minuscule, could be overlooked by it in its efforts to maintain order and prevent a return to Chaos.

At the beginning of Creation God set the Divine Law into motion as the only possible way of maintaining order in the Universe. He well knew that not even He could alter this Law once it was set into motion without destroying His entire Creation. This Law, this Divine Law, is self-perpetuation and self-maintaining. It does not, cannot, show favorites: to do so, would instantly destroy the Law itself and with it all of God's Creation.

God does not, and would not, attempt to circumvent the Divine Law; the rest of Nature(animal, vegetable and mineral) cannot circumvent the Divine Law; only men and women, possession both a mind and free will, have the ability or desire to attempt to circumvent the Divine Law. This fact being comprehended and accepted, it is easy to understand some very important concepts about human existence.

If we assume that evil, sin, wrongdoing, misfortune, catastrophe, call it what you will, is the result of attempted defiance of the Divine Law (for such it is) and that God would not (and the rest of existence cannot) attempt to defy His own Divine Law for reasons already given, we find the only culprits left are we, the men and women of this earth. As a radio star of the 1940s (yes, we go back that far) used to say, "What a revolting development this is." There is simply no way to avoid the rather unpleasant conclusion about our world, that is, that we, not God, other humans, or fate, are responsible for the adverse reactions that come to us; That we, as the human race have been the creators of all the evil and other despicable reactions we find in our world. Furthermore, if they are to be corrected and changed, it is we and we alone who must do the correcting and changing, because the balanced reactive nature of the Divine Law will allow for no other corrective measures.

Equal exchange has to be one of the obvious principles of a just and orderly Law, and the Divine Law is, must be, just that. For whatever we receive in this life we must be willing, even eager, to make full and just compensation. This is essential to maintain the necessary balance required by the Divine Law. As we become more and more acquainted with the Divine Law, we come to understand that all so-called "sin" is nothing more or less than an attempt to steal that which we do not deserve, because under the Divine Law we have not yet paid the price. That is, we were not willing to make the proper compensation to the Divine Law so as to allow it to preserve its required balance. Since the Divine Law cannot become unbalanced, whenever we attempt to take that which we have not earned, the Law must take from us that which we have earned previously to compensate it for the loss. This is a hard concept to accept at first, but it is the only way the Divine Law can maintain the required Universal Order.

Since there is always a certain amount of interest to be extracted by the Divine Law so that its "books" are balanced in regard to the time interval between the attempted "stealing" and the "payback," there is always a steady loss to all those who insist on "stealing" from the Law. Some may take exception to our use of the word "stealing' and yet there is none better, for that is exactly what transpires. When you attempt to take that which you have not yet earned, you must, under the reaction of the Law, attempt to take from someone who has earned it, since all that belongs to someone or something, and you cannot legitimately attempt to take it from him unless you give him just compensation in return. To do otherwise is to set into motion an adverse (to you) reaction of the Divine Law.

Perhaps the perfect example of this principle of the Divine Law is to be found in the exercise of the sexual nature of man. The Divine Law, or God if you will, since one is not conceivable without the other, arranged the sexual nature of men and women to provide all good things for them and the world we know as Earth. They, if we may use the term to refer to God and His Law, carefully designed things so that this sexual function, like everything else in life, provided both privileges and responsibilities. The privileges, of course, being the undeniable pleasure of the sexual embrace; the responsibilities on the part of the husband, being the care and protection of his wife and family, and on the part of the wife, the trials and dangers of bearing children as well as the required dedication to raising them. Under these circumstances, we should not be surprised to discover that one of man's (woman's?) first efforts to circumvent the Divine Law (in Genesis, 3:7, Moses indicates by their new sense of nakedness that it was the first) was an attempt to enjoy the pleasures of sexual congress without accepting the natural consequences of such acts. Moses details this "original sin" (that is, man's first attempt to circumvent the Divine Law) in is story of Adam, Eve and the serpent. While we were not there and so cannot verify the Mosaic concept of the "Original Sin" as an eye witness, we find it difficult to conceive of a more plausible way of introducing "sin" (the attempts to circumvent the Divine Law) into the world. So until someone comes up with a more logical and compelling concept, we'll stick with Moses'.

Adam and Eve were, of course, only the beginning of mankind's desire to transgress the Divine Law by attempting to "steal" sexual pleasure while refusing to accept the responsibilities for their actions. In fact, there are many wiser than we are who have stated that such desires and their resultant actions are the root of nearly all the "sin," disease and suffering in the world today. Most certainly, it does seem that there is little effort on the part of most humans to undo the "curse" brought to them by father Adam. Instead, it appears that most men are attempting to show God and the Divine Law that father Adam was a piker compared with what they can do to build a sexual indebtedness to the Divine Law. This is the same debt that forced Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, the same debt that brought about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the same debt that produced the downfall of Greece and Rome and now the same debt that is decimating the world's population via AIDS epidemic. It was, and is, man's greatest obstacle to finding true health and happiness on this planet. If our world today cannot find a way to reverse this trend, we too are destined to go the way of these degenerate civilizations of the past.

The Divine Law is not only the Law of balance and equal compensation; it is also the Law of force and power. It is the Law of all positive and negative energy. It is the Law of Yin and Yang; male and female; day and night; Summer and Winter; growth and death and, then, rebirth once again. Thus it is the Law of motion and action, for motion is life and there can be no life without motion and there can be no motion without such opposites.

Our Creator set into motion a great law to give all His children the best of everything. This Divine Law assures us that if we are willing to do our part we can always count on it to do its part. It shows no favorites; it treats rich and poor alike. It has neither color nor gender bias. Its basic principle is simple:

"Whatever you give to me, I will give back to you in kind. If you bring me love, I will return to you love in abundance. If you bring me hate, it is hate that you shall receive until it is overflowing. You make the choice. I only reflect your choice - with interest."

Every Avatar that has come to mankind has taught this part of the Divine Law and yet, even today, how few want to hear this message. It would seem that the majority of mankind want to be treated as special. They want a special dispensation for them and theirs. This is not possible. Men may feel they have found ways to circumvent the Divine Law but they only delude themselves. The very nature of our existence is the Law. We initiate the action of the Divine Law ourselves. While we may be able to elude the reaction to our actions for a time, the Law will have its day, and it will exact high interest from the moment we thought we were getting away with something.

The Divine Law is the functioning Law of Creation. It is not a capricious creation of God or man, but is instead the only functioning mechanism that can hold the Creative material of Chaos together to form the Universe as we know it. Man is unique in that he has the ability to work in harmony with the Divine Law or attempt to circumvent it. However, man cannot circumvent the Law; he can only attempt to do so and such attempts always bring reactions that are in direct proportion to the extent of the attempted circumventions. The Law is utterly impartial. It returns whatever is sent forth on its "waters." Send all things good and positive and they shall return to you in abundance; send those things that hurt and destroy and these too will be returned by the Divine Law with equal enthusiasm and largess.

The Great Work

Even if we learn to accept the principle of the Divine Law, we might well ask these questions. "Why was man given the power of free will? "Why go to all this special trouble for him?" "Would it not have been easier just to make him a follower of his instincts like the rest of the animals?" These are fair questions, but surprisingly, the answer to them all is that man is now the being we know and love not in spite of his original failings, as taught by many religious authorities, but because of them. Only with such free will is man able to become a god.

The ancient Initiate Masters taught that the accomplishment of the Great Work is the main reason for man's sojourn on Earth. They, like the Nazarene himself, taught that this was the only way to the fulfillment of all the desires, ambitions and loves of earthly life, and the only road to an immortal productive and creative existence once earthly life is completed.

Both the Nazarene and these Initiate Masters also taught that all men and women will either complete this Great Work eventually or utterly destroy themselves - not alone the physical self but the immortal self as well. The rationale behind this all-or-nothing concept becomes clear and acceptable once the nature of, and the need for, the Great Work is fully understood.

In order to gain a solid grasp of the Initiate concept of the Great Work, we need to move back in history several hundred thousand years to a time when man as we know him did not exist. In the world of that time, all creation was functioning in full harmony with the Divine Law instituted by our Creator. However, it was not long before this harmony was jeopardized by a new desire awakening in the hearts of some of God's more advanced creations.

On the earth, the creature we now call homo sapiens had evolved to a point where he (she) had attained a degree of accomplishment and beauty that drew the attention of some of God's obedient celestial beings. Scripture describes this attraction in this manner:

"...the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose."___Genesis 6:2.

What occurred, in less poetic language, was that certain celestial beings (sons of God) were, because of their desire and the benevolence of their Creator, allowed to enter the bodies of men and thus able to take to wife the "daughters of men." Since God could not (still cannot) show partiality, we like to think that this activity was reciprocal in that female celestial beings were also allowed to come to Earth to enter the bodies of the daughters of men and thus to take to husband the sons of men. (Admittedly, Moses does not mention this reciprocity as such, but at his time the phrase "sons of god" might well have meant both male and female, just as we use the term "he" and "his" to mean both in much of our modern literature.) This rather fascinating and intriguing situation produced what the Bible terms the "Garden of Eden," a period in human history aptly described in Scripture:

"There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown."___Genesis 6:4.

While we are told little more of these "men of renown" in Scripture, the ancient arcane histories in possession of the "Keepers of the Mysteries" have many reports of their great deeds, accomplishments and influences on human history.

Unfortunately, this halcyon time of the "men of renown" did not last for long. If we go to the next Biblical verse that follows the above, we discover that all was not well in Paradise:

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."___Genesis 6:5.

Oh, oh, we have trouble in Paradise! Of real interest here is the fact that we now find man characterized as wicked. What happened to those "sons of God" and the "men of renown"? What we now know did happen, as taught us by the "Keepers of the Mysteries," was that the combination of man and angel (for such were the sons and daughters of God) had done very well for a while, but eventually the angelic part of this dual being allowed the mortal part to corrupt the more Godly.

Prior to its "fall," the angelic part of this being could travel back and forth from its heavenly home at will because its celestial integrity was intact, but once the animal part had sufficiently corrupted the angelic, this was no longer possible. The angelic became entrapped in the body of this two-legged animal and an new being was formed. A hybrid of animal and angel that we now call man. A paradoxical being that is part mortal and part immortal. A being that is less than an angel, but because of the opportunity to learn from his transgressions has the ability to become greater than an angel - a god. The key word here is "become." Only through personal effort to overcome the animalistic passions of his nature, thereby resuscitating the angelic portion of this strange mixture, can the entity we know as man become a god. Not an angel, because this is innocence lost, and once innocence is lost it cannot be reestablished, but wisdom can and must take its place. Thus, man, that is, the onetime angelic part of man, must learn to find wisdom by overcoming the same weaknesses that cost him his original innocence. This effort will allow man to gain godhood by "knowing" both good and evil and choosing, of his own free will, the good over the evil. This is the great Drama of the Ages. It is the supreme experiment of God to date. It is what has always been known as The Great Work, and such truly is.

There are many philosophical arguments as to why the Creator would have allowed His angelic beings to descend to the physical plane and thereby be in a position to be tempted by their animal bodies to create evil, sin and "wickedness" to sully God's perfect world. In my own humble opinion, God knew exactly what He was doing (if He didn't, who did?) when He allowed the angels to descent into the bodies of men and women. He knew that the odds were strong that this New "man" would "fall" and thus create a situation(of his will, not God's) where he would have a chance to either totally destroy himself or make of himself a god. We can hardly begin to imagine the dull and boring nature of the formerly perfect world. Surely Sir William Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan fame gave us an inkling when he penned these thoughtful, but somewhat tongue-in-cheek, lines:

"Oh, don't the days seem lank and long
When all goes right and nothing goes wrong,
And isn't the world extremely flat
When you've nothing whatever to grumble at?"

Imagine what your own world would be like if there was no one to appreciate your efforts for what they really are. If no matter what you did all you heard was, "It's perfect. Couldn't be better." Well, if that's true, why do anything more? You might as well just close up shop and call it a day (or a Creation).

However, once the angel-man attempted to circumvent the Divine Law, it was a whole new ball game. Drama, wonderful drama, was introduced into this dull, perfect world. The famous Initiate Lord Bulwer-Lytton once wrote a novel entitled, What Will He Do With It? This statement perfectly describes the underlying nature of what Initiate Masters call The Drama of the Ages. Prior to the "fall of man" (a misnomer - it really was the fall of the angelic being in man. The animal part of man actually succeeded in gaining control over the angelic being) the world had no real drama. That is, there was no suspense, no indecision, no guessing - no fun. Now, with the "fall of man," all these and many more fascinating opportunities were introduced into Creation. For the first time since God's "Big Bang" (the formation of organized matter out of Chaos), even God could not predict what might go on in His worlds.

This did not mean that the perfect Law (Divine Law) the Creator set into motion could be subverted or set aside by any man or woman, but only that they now had the free will to attempt to circumvent the Divine Law, and not even God could be certain just what they might do from one moment to the next. What a delightful situation for all concerned!

After the "fall," each individual human in god's Creation became a law onto himself and each lived his own exciting drama moment by moment, thus creating a never-ending source of interest for God and the Celestial beings. Interestingly, this concept of interest from above is best portrayed in the "Pagan" religions of Greece and Rome. Can we not view "man's fall" as the most important incident in all of Creation, next only to God's "Big Bang" itself?

Once we accept the importance of the creation of the angel-man being, do we really think that its creation was not anticipated by God and, just perhaps, micromanaged a little bit by Him? After all, is not the final result of this "fall of man" to the advantage of all concerned? God gets beings that have the intelligence and ability to honestly appreciate His handiwork - not just a bunch of "yes men" as He had before. Those angelic beings who remained in the Celestial Spheres get to watch billions of daily dramas (heavenly soap operas?) take place as they observe us either attempting to return to "Heaven" as a god (one knowing good and evil) or utterly destroying what is left or the angel within us. And we, this strange dual being, get the best deal of all. We have an opportunity to become a god and create our own worlds. No matter how we look at it, this is certainly a big advancement over our previous condition, whether we refer to either the animal or the angle part of us.

Our angelic part was the quintessence of innocence prior to its earthly escapades. As such it was but a servant of the gods (those who were able to distinguish good from evil). However, with its disobedience and "fall" it gained a new opportunity, as indicated in this verse from Genesis:

"And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: [he discovered evil by his attempt to circumvent the Divine Law] and now, lest [if] he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life [accomplish the Great Work],and eat [follow the Divine Law], and [then he will] live for ever: [having made of himself an immortal god]."___Genesis 3:22

One of the most intriguing phrases in the Bible is:

"Behold, the man is become as one of us."___Genesis 3:22.

It should not take more than a moment's contemplation for an astute seeker to see the fascinating and heretical concepts inherent in this verse. It is obvious that God is talking and that He is talking to others who, like Himself, are godlike in that they too understand the nature of good and evil (that which is in harmony with the Divine Law and that which is not). To these other gods, he clearly states, in this chapter and verse, that man's fall was not all that bad for man, because it gave man the ability to become like the gods and live forever, provided man follows the Divine Law and completes the Great Work.

But you may ask, "What happens to the animal part of man after the fall? How will it benefit from this whole process? One of the most important requirements of the Great Work is the "domestication" of the animal part of man by the angelic. This process of transmutation is absolutely essential if the Great Work. In this effort the animal man has just as much to gain as the angelic. All the suffering of the animal man is due to his attempt to circumvent the Divine Law. As he attempts to come into greater and greater harmony with the Divine Law, he will find that the physical (animal) man (woman) benefits on an equal level with the angelic. This under the ancient Law of Hermes, "As above, so below; as in the greater, so in the lesser; as in the inner, so in the outer."

We now have an idea of what the Great Work is and so can address the manner in which it must proceed. The mechanism and logistics, as proclaimed by God in harmony with His Divine Law, are that this unique dual being (half angel-half animal) must return to the "scene of the crime" (come back to Earth) over and over until one of two things occurs: (1)The Angelic part is able to so control the animal that it is able to restore its prefall contact with the Creator (Soul Illumination) and thereby have the option of taking its place in the Celestial world above or returning to Earth to help others, or (2)the animal part succeeds in completely destroying the angelic in which case the body may survive, but without the angelic, all hope of immortality is lost - only oblivion follows the death of the body.

The Great Work consists of several parts. One of the most important is the willingness and successful effort to pay all past debts. Whenever there is an attempted transgression of the Divine Law, a debt is incurred. Most of us have a large cache of these past debts, not alone from this life, but also from our many other incarnations since we first became dual beings eons ago. All such debts must be paid on the plane of their creation: "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto god the things that are God's."___Matthew 22:21. Each area of activity has its own province; debts created in Heaven must be paid in Heaven and those created on this physical plane must be paid on this physical plane.

The Initiate Masters (individuals who have completed the Great Work) assure us that there are two ways to pay these debts: We may pay them by suffering the reaction of the Divine Law or we may pay them by neutralizing them by our good deeds in the same of future lives. An individual may kill many of his fellow-humans in one life, only to neutralize the Divine Law's adverse reaction by saving the lives of many more in a subsequent incarnation.

While no one can complete the Great Work or forego this "Circle of Lives" until he has compensated for all past debts created here on Earth, this is only the physical or first part of the Great Work. There still exists the spiritual part to be accomplished. This is the effort to attain Soul Illumination.

Transmutation: An Essential

While all that we have described above is necessary for spiritual development, it will not bring us all that we desire if we neglect our efforts to transmute the nonconstructive in us into those things that are in harmony with the Divine Law. Transmutation is the process by which the destructive elements of our animal being are changed into those more in keeping with our desired angelic nature. The process of transmutation rests on the principle that all things in the world were originally good and only man's perversion of them has made them otherwise. Therefore, in transmuting we do not seek to destroy, but rather to change (sublimate, transmute) the destructive component of any entity (be it thought, desire or action) into its original God-ordained nature. Thus, hate can be transmuted into love, greed into practical generosity, fear into prudence and resentment into compassion by the power of thought image conversion.

The exact process by which this transmutation is accomplished is taught to all students of the Fraternitas Rosae Crucis. While we cannot give the entire process her, we can give you a hint as to how this is to be accomplished. The human brain is so constructed that as we think and take actions these activities are recorded and programmed into the nerve cells. The more we think or do something, the stronger and stronger this nerve impression becomes. On the other hand, if we do not think or do certain things, the nerve impressions of these items gradually fade. If we consciously replace adverse thoughts and actions by those in harmony with the Divine Law, these more constructive elements will gradually replace the impressed nerve pathways of less desirable elements. Thus, by first changing our thought patterns we are eventually able to change our emotions, and with the change in our emotions we are able to modify our actions. This is the basic physical functioning of transmutation. It takes a strong desire and constant effort on the part of the student to accomplish such a work, but it is an absolutely essential part of the Great Work.

Therefore, the daily practice of this activity is one of the main cornerstones of the development of every true seeker after things Spiritual. By his efforts at transmutation, the student of the Arcane is able to set the stage so that his Divine Spark is cleared of much of the debris heaped upon it over the centuries and is thus able to "see" more clearly to build its Inner Center.

Soul Illumination

In the literature of the Fraternitas Rosae Crucis you will find the words Soul Illumination used again and again. A comprehension of this phrase is paramount to a complete understanding of the Great Work.

When our animal nature managed to corrupt the angelic part of us eons ago, our angelic part (our Soul) was displaced from the Center it had established when it first entered the animal body. Since it is only from this Center (home, throne, inner sanctum, sanctum sanctorum, call it what you will) that the angelic part (Soul) is able to establish conscious contact with the Creator, the second part of the Great Work is the effort to entice and assist the remnant of our soul (called the Divine Spark by the Initiate Masters) to come forth and rebuild its Soul Center and thus gain Soul Illumination and immortality.

Perhaps we can clarify this concept if we think of the original combination of angel and animal as a nation ruled by an Initiate king - as were many of the finest civilizations of ancient days. This Initiate king was our angelic being and the nation he ruled was our animal or lower self. This king was like a Solomon in that he was just, compassionate and merciful. In all that he did he always attempted to follow the Divine Law because he knew it was the Law of his being and that of his subjects.

Under this fair and gentle governor, the nation prospered and grew in wisdom and strength. However, as was so common then and now, there were those who did not like his rule because they wanted to do those things not allowed by the Divine Law, and this just king would not allow it, and as long as the king stayed on his throne and followed the Divine Law there was little they could do because here he was invincible.

One day a double agent who pretended to befriend the king, but who in reality was allied with those who would overthrow him (our passions), suggested to him that he get to know his people better by moving among them and learning their ways. To the king this sounded like a good and worthy idea.

So, dressed in common clothes, he set out to live as the common people did. Once the good king was away from his throne (Soul Center) and among the common people (susceptible to human passions), the renegade forces were able to stage a coup and even attempted to assassinate the good king. This they were not able to do, but they were able to wrest his throne from him and force him to flee into a hidden exile where they could not find him to destroy him. This is where he still resides in most individuals. The carnal forces of the body were not able to destroy him (except in a few cases) but the only way he has to help guide his people is by a few weak communications (from our conscience) that he is able to get past the dictators who now control this nation (our physical body).

Now that the renegade forces have control of the nation, there is little or no justice, and the common citizens of the nation live lives of quiet desperation and great suffering. At first the citizens of the nation listened to the siren call of the rebels, but they soon realized what they had lost and now long for the wisdom of their exiled king, but do not know how to help him back to power. The rebels (our animal passions) promise much, but deliver little except short-term pleasures followed by long-term pain and suffering. They, like the emperors of Ancient, offer circuses rather than the Bread of Life.

The deposed king has not forgotten the people, however. Even though in his exile he is weak and treated very shabbily, he is always trying to help his nation. He sends various emissaries to help enlist the nation's aid in restoring him to his rightful place, but in almost every instance the rebels are able to convince the people that these men are only false prophets, and the king is really dead, and that only they, the carnal passions, have any reality.

This is the situation that most individuals find themselves in today. Our just king (our Soul) has been exiled also and is now in hiding; more than that, he is in a piteous state, since we give him little support. He must now live in filth and is clothed in rags. In order for us to reinstate our just and fair king on his throne, we must do several things. First, we must do all we can to convince him that we want him back on his throne. After all, it was we who listened to the rebels in the first place and allowed them to displace him. One of the best ways we have of convincing him of our sincerity is by rejecting the siren voice of the rebels and attempting to once again follow the ways of the Divine Law that our faithful king taught us long ago. As time goes on and we are able to make amends for the grave mistreatment we gave our king, we will be able to help him invest himself with the raiment of a true monarch. Most certainly we cannot enthrone a king in dirty rags (our past Karmic indebtedness) and expect him to be accepted as the great and noble ruler he is. Once we have assured him by our desires and efforts that we want him to reign again, we must firs remove his disreputable raiment (transmute our ignoble passions), clothe him anew in suitable attire (replace our previous thoughts and actions with those of a more exalted nature) and then help him rebuild his throne (the seat of the Soul) by those methods taught in the Fraternitas Rosae Crucis. Only when all this is accomplished will he be able to return and be recrowned by the Creator Himself (Soul Illumination).

This procedure (developing the Divine Spark into the Soul in its Center) is the crux of what the Nazarene called the "Mysteries." It is a process he taught to his disciples, but not to most of the public, because he knew if he did, it would be like "casting pearls before swine." This same procedure has been taught in all Arcane Schools from the very beginning of the dual man. In pursuing this process, the student must always be guided by one who has already accomplished the Great Work for himself.

As in all such matters on Earth, there are many charlatans who would lead the gullible astray by pretending to be able to guide seekers along the Path of the Great Work, but these are only the "blind leading the blind." The simplest way to tell the true teacher from the false is the manner of his (or her) own life. Ask yourself: Does he live according to the Divine Law and does he insist that his students do so as well? Only those with such knowledge, dedication and purity of heart and Soul can guide the serious seeker after truth through the process of true Soul Illumination.

While the concept expressed in the last few pages may seem strange to those raised in the paradigm of our most popular religions, it is not difficult to comprehend once an individual has an understanding of the nature or the Divine Law and is willing to undertake the effort to accomplish the Great Work. From this it is but a short step to understanding what the Initiate Masters call Soul Illumination.

Soul Illumination is the state produced when the Divine Spark (the remnant of the angelic part of us) has completed its Center and has been animated by the "fire" (Illumination) of the Creator. Once this takes place, human mortality has put on immortality and our angelic being within is in control once again. One of the most fascinating and revealing passages in the New Testament describes the mass Soul Illumination of all the apostles during Pentecost:

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, and they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."___Acts 2:1-4.

In all literature available to the public there is no more accurate and beautiful description of Soul Illumination than this. The Holy Ghost is the Illumined Soul, that is, the soul in its Center that has been activated by the "fire" of the Creator from above. The Biblical "cloven tongues of fire" are what the Illuminating force looked like to the Biblical writers. They had no better words to describe it, and in fact we cannot do very much better today.

On a more mundane plane, we may think of the vent of soul Illumination as the throwing of the power switch to turn on the lights of a newly constructed sports stadium. Before the lights can be lit and the park illuminated, a great deal of planning, effort and money must be expended. Only after all this hard work and expense can the switch be thrown. So it is with our own Soul Illumination. The real work must go before; the actual Soul Illumination is just the culmination of this process. The Nazarene had carefully prepared his apostles for the day of Pentecost. They had been taught and had learned to obey the Divine Law, had completed the early steps of the Great Work and needed only a final effort by their embryonic Soul to ready themselves for the Illuminating fire of the Creator.

While Soul Illumination is a major milestone in the potential spiritual development of man, it is not an end in itself, but rather the developing of a new insight. If the student of the Great Work is faithful in his efforts, the Divine Spark may be able to build and Illuminate the Center for the Soul before al the individual's earthly debts are paid. Once the student has reached Soul Illumination, it should be much easier for him to pay what indebtedness remains since now, with his new Soul sight, He will be better able to understand the Divine Law and is more likely to live in harmony with it.

In arcane literature, Soul Illumination may be presented under many other names such as Philosophical Initiation, Soul Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness or God Consciousness. While these terms may each have a slightly different meaning to the Initiate, the non-Initiate may consider them to mean approximately the same thing, the only real difference among them being in degree, not in their nature.

Soul Illumination is the goal of most students of the Fraternitas Rosae Crucis, but it is only the recognition for work already done. The true student of the Great Work soon realizes that the real satisfaction is in the efforts made in the Great Work itself. Once Soul Illumination is reached, renewed efforts must be made to use these new forces to bring about greater and greater benefit to the student and mankind. To the dedicated student, the Great Work is "more fun than fun." Only in this way and only with this attitude may he fulfill his manifest destiny.

Summary

We have come to an end of our definitions. Each describes a separate entity and yet each entity is dependent on the others for its fullest benefits to mankind. Everything we do falls under some component of the Divine Law. It is simply the Law that governs in all things in both Heaven and Earth. Like the proverbial Ol' Man River, it just keeps rolling along and cares little what we think of it. If we learn to live in harmony with it, we will prosper; if we do not, we will be "spanked' by the reaction of our own attempted disobedience.

If we are wise, we will seek out those who can teach us about the Divine Law and who are thereby able to help us to pursue the Path of the Great Work. This Great Work is our "reason for being," and each of us must come to it eventually or lose our immortal Soul and thereby vanish into the black holes of existence "from whose bourn no traveler returns."

The Great Work, if followed with dedication and persistence, along with daily successful efforts at transmutation, will eventually lead to Soul Illumination, a state of consciousness in which the truth of immortality is made self-evident, a state in which the Soul is in direct contact with its Creator and all else that is good in His Creation. This is not a promise of future Health and Happiness, it is an assurance of both - here and now.
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