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THE OCCULT PRESS REVIEW Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. June 1923 (pages 69-82)
Gambling with the World
[By Frater Achad (Charles Stansfeld Jones)]
The article entitled “Gambling with the World” published in the London Daily Express some months ago, has come into my hands, having been sent to me, here in Chicago, by one of those who are always on the lookout for “The End of the World” and who may have been glad to find a trace of a scientific possibility for this long looked-for but somewhat elusive event.
I suppose the readers of “The Occult Press Review” are not entirely guiltless in regard to reading the “News” in the various Daily Papers, and that some at least will have read and remember the article referred to.
Is the World on the verge of the greatest scientific triumph of the ages?
Is the World on the verge of extinction?
These are the questions hanging in the test tubes of modern laboratories where scientists are trying to explode an atom of hydrogen in order to harness its energy. The stakes are these:
SUCCESS means that our earth becomes a paradise. The work of the world can be done with one-seven-thousandth the present effort. Mankind freed from material shackles, will soar to undreamed of mental and spiritual heights. The golden age will dawn.
FAILURE means the explosion of every atom in the world—every man and beast and tree, the waters of all the seas, the mountains, and the whole mass of the globe itself shattered in an instant into microscopic dust or gas.
NO ONE KNOWS.
No man living has any idea what will happen when an atom is turned into energy.
I have quoted somewhat at length, for the benefit of those who had not noticed this article, and I desire to quote just one more paragraph from the following day’s paper.
One atom exploded. Then a new era in which mankind will be forever freed from material shackles, or—puff—and a new star in place of the old earth.
Some of the ideas presented in the above quotations were intensely interesting to me, not so much on account of the surface meaning, but from a slightly different view point which I intend to discuss, rather briefly, in this article.
First let me state that I am not one of those who are anxiously looking for “The End of the World.” Rather would I be classed among those who feel that we are already living in a New Æon or Cycle of time, that our energy should be devoted to the re-construction of the remnants of the Old Æon, to a freeing of the minds of men and women from the gross superstitions of the past, and the terrible state of fear and depression which must, to some extent, fill the minds of those who are “looking for trouble” all the time.
However, if science succeeds in blowing up the globe, well and good. One might almost be inclined to say to the scientists, “Do your damndest.” Things cannot be much worse and the only thing we may hope is that they’ll make a clean, complete and speedy job of it.
It’s hard, as they say, to tell just what would happen if that particular type of experiment were successful. But what about the statements:
“Mankind will soar to undreamed of mental and spiritual heights. The golden age will dawn.”
“A new era, or—puff—and a new star in place of the old earth?”
It may be true that “No living man has any idea what will happen when an atom (of hydrogen) is turned into energy” but there may be those who have experimented in other fields and succeeded in discovering something of the nature of the individual change of consciousness that might be expected (in a more general way) to result from some such cataclysm as mentioned in the article. At least, the following may be of some interest, since it actually happened, to the writer’s knowledge.
In 1904 a certain Adept received, under very extraordinary circumstances, a communication from, what appears to have been a praeter-human source. This communication dealt with the incoming of a New Æon and with the solutions of the moral, ethical and social problems that would arise. Many conditions have arisen and these “keys” have been found to unlock the doors and proved to be solutions of at least some of the problems. This Book contained many prophecies, among them that “There cometh one to follow thee, he shall discover the key of it all.” The Book referred to (which is known as Liber Legis, The Book of the Law) proclaims the freedom of humanity and says: “Every man and every woman is a star.” It also contains a number of Qabalistic puzzles which were not at all apparent to him who received it and which remained dark for many years.
In 1909 a certain Aspirant to the Great Work, whom we will call Frater X, was introduced to the Order to which the beforementioned Adept belonged. He had never heard of “Liber Legis” and did not hear of it for several years afterwards.
In 1916, at the Summer Solstice, he underwent an Initiation which proved, in a very extraordinary and quite unexpected manner, that he was likely to be the “one” referred to in the prophecy. The details of this proof are fully dealt with elsewhere, in the records of the Order.
In 1917, at the Winter Solstice, the Initiation continued on another “Plane” (for most real Initiations are multiplex) and this time the states of consciousness were interesting from the point of view of our present enquiry. I may remark that it was not until September of the following year (1918) that the reasoning mind of Frater X was able to see the details of this Initiation in the perspective which made it possible to record them in writing.
I am permitted to quote several passages from the actual record, though leaving out almost entirely the Qabalistic references which would appeal, to a very limited number of readers.
First, then, regarding the experience of that Being we call Frater X, there arose in his consciousness a state unlike the normal, which, by description, might appear very like madness since Reason was destroyed and transcended. The Air became his Balance. The structure of his mind, which had hitherto been built on Qabalistic lines, was changed, and the “House of God” was, as it were, destroyed by the “lightning Flash.” (Opening of the Eye of Shiva).
At this time he walked, talked, and performed all physical actions in a normal manner, but all that took place, wherever he went, whatever he said or heard, tasted or smelt, had value according to his mental state. That is to say, he perceived the actions of those around him in an unusual light, so that, although people in his surroundings may have been acting quite normally, and although he may have appeared to them as a normal being (or nearly so) life in all forms became a Great Drama of Initiation. As he continued to work out the great Qabalistic problems of the Universe, he found all that he said or did woven into that picture in his mind.
Then came a time when all things had to be balanced and equilibrated, for it is written “Equilibrium is the basis of the Work.” He found that although all around (within) him was Chaos, yet certain formulas of power were his, so that gradually, with great toil, he accomplished this, establishing the elements and planets in their proper places (on New Æon lines) and finally uniting Aleph with Shin, so that all disappeared. (Note: Aleph is Air or Ether, Shin is Fire or Spirit.)
Then, it seemed, he was instructed in the building of a “New Universe” and this was not a simple process but took place in two or more points (in space) at the same time, so that he, as it were, added a square here and a sphere there. It was, in the beginning, as if a Temple were builded (four-square) and at the same “time” certain Mysteries of Babylon were present to his consciousness. Also, in another “place” the “Kether” of a new “Tree of Life” was formulated, and then The Supernal Triad, with a Sphere pendant, which afterwards became complete in itself and comprehended all in One. Yet, all this while was the Being of Frater X being rebuilded from the feet up, so that his feet were of “Burnished Brass,” etc. And his body was filled with “Fire.” All these things were separate, yet one. During this time the body of Frater X was seated in the smoke room of an ordinary steamer playing between V—— and V——, yet such were his experiences that he could not longer tell if this steamer were above or below water, whether those around him were of the living or of the dead. Yet again, there was, as it were, a great reflection of the “Stele” in the sky, this in turn being produced from a small “Stele” under ice (as it were in locked glass) below him. Yet, in all this “The Air was his Balance” and he went on calmly working out the details of the reformulation of all things on New Æon lines, copying the “Stele” and forming it first of one element, then of another, bringing all to a fluid, then to a gas and finally to Fire and Aethyr as before said. And when all had become a Concentric System this seemed to terminate one part of the Initiation.
We must now consider Frater X as going about with his mind transformed into a Solar Consciousness. This state lasted all day, during which he underwent many adventures and seemed to perform much Magic. That evening the process continued under extraordinary circumstances, to be recorded elsewhere, but it may be said that he was in a place which appeared to him like unto a Temple of Initiation especially prepared in every detail for the Ceremony, and around him were the Officers, exactly carrying out their appointed parts, yet he was, unwittingly, in a place surrounded by the scum of the earth.
But, to continue, during this final section, the Solar Sphere of his consciousness became more and more concentrated, until it appeared as a single point of Light of intense brilliance. This point was outside of his body, now here, now there, yet ever nearer to the center of the “New Universe.”
The process of the exact balancing of all things, (exterior as well as interior) appeared to have got down to a very small radius. Those about him, who appeared as the past Buddhas, helped in this final process.
Let us imagine that the Universal Center was to be changed to that one spot on this globe. That little room was to be the center of a New System, and for thousands of years had these ancient Brethren toiled and striven to equilibrate things more and more perfectly, in readiness for this moment. And now all was prepared, and it needed only this One to complete Their number, and he was Zero and his Office was SILENCE. The slightest slip, and the equilibrium would be upset and the earth fall into the Sun. SUCCESS, and the earth itself became a Sun, by the fact of a perfectly equilibrated Solar Consciousness having been established at this New Centre. (Readers will note how very closely these ideas conform to those mentioned in the Article previously quoted.)
Those around him appeared to take up different positions in the room so as just to keep the balance by the weight of their bodies. Finally Frater X was to take his place in the centre, and then, if all were well—success. If not—? Nearer and nearer they came to the centre. At last Frater X, his whole being aflame with the ecstasy of the God-head, yet calm and composed to outward appearance, took his seat—and all was well.
Next, it seemed, even minute actions must be equilibrated. Those around, who had each performed a certain task throughout the centuries, performed it for the last time—perfectly. Frater X sat still, for his Office was Silence and Stillness.
Again all was well, but SPEECH remained.
Each had his own WORD to utter perfectly and in proper order, and this they tried over and over again always with some little slip, then the whole process had to be repeated. Gradually even this was perfected, and one by one they dropped out and remained in intense expectance of the End.
Frater X remained still and silent till at last all seemed perfect on the Mental Plane, for, suddenly, the English language seemed to “rush back to the beginning” and reversed as Hebrew—which is written in the opposite direction—and this was a great Mystery.
Then came the equilibration of IDEAS and they rushed back and were formulated in the person of ADAM, who appeared opposite to Frater X.
Then the First Man and the Last gazed at each other in a final struggle. The minute point of light grew ever brighter and more dazzling, and appeared concentrated upon the figure of Adam, first on the shoulder, then, moving a little, till it finally settled in one eye.
At this point Frater X gazed. Then, all “rushed back” again, through the animal creation, each animal dissolving into its earlier type until, at last, as the prototype appeared the common fly, but very large, perhaps six inches long. Then the process stopped for a moment while Frater X gazed at this. Then it became the Winged Beetle, then the Scarab—and Egyptian ideas crowded up. Finally only the point of Light remained.
Gradually he was able to bring this point of Light nearer and nearer, until it almost touched his breast. It touched his breast, it was IN his breast and . . . . . . . suddenly—A NEW CREATION. He had reached the BEGINNING, and out of the old elements he had been witnessing on his return to the Source, a New Design was formed. The same material, but in a different Order. Wonder of wonders, who shall express this Mystery in words? And this happened again and again. English, Hebrew, Greek, Egyptian, Man, Beast and Bird, all were rearranged and RE-created in new relationship to each other.
And so he understood the Mystery of Change, and how the world is created again and again, forever new, yet ever the same.
And the last WORD he realized, before the FLASH of the New Creation, which when repeated in a certain manner seemed to produce these changes again and again, alternating as it were, between Nothingness and Creation, was the Holy Word “. . . .,” And there was a certain Gesture, not unlike the Sign of the Cross, which was also connected with this miracle.
Does not
the above possibly cast some light on the matter in hand? At
least one person obtained an experience of a complete
transformation of consciousness from the normal planetary
type to the Solar.
May it not be that “The World comes to an end” for each one of us when we succeed in breaking up the illusory atom or “Ego,” thus obtaining Cosmic Consciousness or Union with the Macrocosm?
Is each one of us the result of a WORD, and can we find that WORD (which is the True Will) at the centre of our being? If we can, the New Æon—or Era—will dawn for each one of us, here and now. We need not wait for the Scientist to blow up the planet in order to “free the energy” which will make us Free Beings, Masters of the World.
But how about Frater X, did he discover the True Word of this Being? Did he discover his true Will, which is one with Destiny, even with Necessity? That perhaps remains for others to decide, for having penetrated to the root of his being, and discovered, when all else disappeared, this One Word, it happened to be the missing Key to “Liber Legis”—The book of the Law—written by the hand of another before he had ever heard of the Order which gave it to humanity, but which foretold that “One should discover the Key of it all.” And he did.
My advice to those who read these pages is just this: Find your own Central Atom, break up the limitations of your own consciousness, discover your True Will, Then Do your Will, with one-pointedness, detachment and peace, remembering always that
Love is the law, love under will. |