Aquarian ray will raise the earth's vibrations to a pitch we are as yet

unable to comprehend, though we have demonstrations of the material

workings of this force in the inventions which have revolutionized life

within the memory of the present generation. We have wondered at the

X-ray, which sees through the human body, but each one has a sense latent

which when evolved will enable him to see through any number of bodies or

to any distance. We marvel at the telephone conversations across the

continent of America, but each has within a latent sense of speech and

hearing that is far more acute; we are surprised at the exploits of ships

under sea and in the sky, but we are all capable of passage under water or

through the sky; nay, more, we may pass unscathed through the solid rock

and the raging fire, if we know how, and lightning itself is slow compared

to the speed with which we may travel. This sounds like a fairy tale

today, as did Jules Verne's stories a generation ago, but the Aquarian Age

will witness the realization of these dreams, and ever so much more that

we still do not even dream of. Such faculties will then be the possessions

of large numbers of people who will have gradually evolved them as

previously the ability to walk, speak, hear, and see, were developed.



Therein lies a great danger, for, obviously, anyone endowed with such

faculties may use them to the greatest detriment of the world at large,

unless restrained by a spirit of unselfishness and an all-embracing

altruism. Therefore religion is needed today as never before, to foster

love and fellow-feeling among humanity so that it may be prepared to use

the great gifts in store for it wisely and well. This need of religion is

specially felt in a certain class where the ether is more loosely knit to

the physical atoms than in the majority, and on that account they are now

beginning to sense the Aquarian vibrations.



This class is again divided in two groups. In one the intellect is

dominant, and the people in that class therefore seek to grasp the

spiritual mysteries out of curiosity from the viewpoint of cold reason.

They pursue the path of knowledge for the sake of knowledge, considering

that an end in itself. The idea that knowledge is of value only when put

to practical constructive use does not seem to have presented itself to

them. This class we may call occultists.



The other group does not care for knowledge, but feels an inner urge

God-ward, and pursues the path of devotion to the high ideal set before

them in Christ, doing the deeds that He did as far their flesh will

permit, and this in time results in an interior illumination which brings

with it all the knowledge obtained by the other class, and much more. This

class we may describe as mystics.



Certain dangers confront each of the two groups. If the occultist obtains

illumination and evolves within himself the latent spiritual faculties, he

may use them for the furtherance of his personal objects, to the great

detriment of his fellow-men. That is black magic, and the punishment which

it automatically calls down upon the head of the perpetrator is so awful

that it is best to draw the veil over it. The mystic may also err because

of ignorance, and fall into the meshes of nature's law, but being actuated

by love, his mistakes will never be very serious, and as he grows in grace

the soundless voice within his heart will speak more distinctly to teach

him the way.



The Rosicrucian Fellowship endeavors to prepare the world in general, and

the sensitives of the two groups in particular, for the awakening of the

latent powers in man, so that all may be guided safely through the

danger-zone and be as well fitted as possible to use these new faculties.

Effort is made to blend the love without which Paul declared a knowledge

of all mysteries worthless, with a mystic knowledge rooted and grounded in

love, so that the pupils of this school may become living exponents of

this blended soul-science of the Western Wisdom School, and gradually

educate humanity at large in the virtues necessary to make the possession

of higher powers safe.



Note:--



Pages 19 to 26 inclusive, describing Mt. Ecclesia, have been transferred

to the back of the book. (Transcriber's Note: They are pages 191 through

200.)