THE WORKINGS IN EGYPT

In Chapter VI we have commented upon the procedure adopted in Lodge when there is a candidate to be initiated. Naturally this is not always the case, and when it is not, after disposing of any business that may arise it is usual for the R.W.M., or some expert Bro. called upon by him, to give some instruction to the Brethren along Masonic lines, or to deliver a lecture on some historical point of Masonic interest. Sometimes the formulated "Lectures" of the Masculine Craft are rehearsed - a very interesting set of documents arranged in the form of questions and answers, which recapitulate and explain the ritual, and contain a good deal of miscellaneous Masonic information. Sometimes the official explanation of the t … b … is recited, with any comment or further elucidation which occurs to the R.W.M.

In ancient Egypt this was the point at which in the ordinary Lodges the special teaching of the Mysteries was given. It seems to have consisted of somewhat informal talks by the R.W.M, on the various sciences which were included in their rather extensive curriculum. The Brethren were permitted to ask questions, but everything was done with the greatest possible decorum, and with a certain archaic and formal but very real reverence that was charming to see. What we must call examinations, though they were very different from ours, were held when convenient, and no Bro. could pass into a higher degree without satisfying the officials as to his full knowledge and capability with regard to the stage in which he was then working. Whenever it was at all possible a special point was always made of the copious illustration of any subject under consideration, and this was effected sometimes by pictures and models, sometimes by dramatic representations (as of important scenes from ancient history), and sometimes by actual materialization of objects and materials which could not otherwise be procured.

In the three Grand Lodges the procedure differed. Their members had already acquired the necessary scientific knowledge, so they were able to devote themselves entirely to the great purpose for which they existed - the pouring forth of spiritual power over the country. This was done by means of a ritual perhaps as magnificent as any ever known to man - a ritual of which I will here give a free translation, though I feel it entirely impossible to reproduce in words the majesty and splendor of the original.

As already stated, the Grand Lodges were limited to forty members, but these Brethren, were especially and essentially picked men, and each one had it as a duty to take up some particular quality or activity and fit himself to be a representative of that. One man, for example, represented perseverance, and was called the Knight or Lord of Perseverance; another was the Knight or Lord of Courage; another took up the virtue of tact, and so on. A list of these qualities is appended; but I am not satisfied with it, for it is often exceedingly difficult to find English equivalents for the Egyptian ideas, and in many cases a whole sentence would be needed folly to explain the latter.

Love and Wisdom .................................................................... R.W.M.
Strength .................................................................................... W.S.W.
The Power to discover and appreciate Beauty ..................... W.J.W.
Discernment (Good Judgment or Discrimination) ............... I.P.M.
Eloquence ................................................................................. Orator or Mouthpiece
Truth and Accuracy ................................................................ Secretary (Recorder and Librarian)
Industry (Diligence) ................................................................. Administrator (Treasurer)
Efficiency .................................................................................. Director of Ceremonies
Sense of Unity (Sympathy) ...................................................... Director of Music
Courtesy ................................................................................... S.D.
Tact ........................................................................................... J.D.
Decision (Promptitude) ........................................................... I.G.
Courage .................................................................................... Tyler

Cheerfulness
Confidence
Calm
Balance ..................................................................................... Columns
Perseverance (Steadfastness)
Reverence
Devotion

Foresight (Calculation or Prescience)
One-pointedness
Sense of Honour
Impartiality (Unprejudicedness)
Justice
Desirelessness
Control of Thought
Control of Emotion
Control of Body
Judicious Speech ...................................................................... Columns
Control of Memory (Knowing what to remember and what to forget)
Meditation
Purity
Patience and Gentleness
Persuasiveness
Adaptability
Tolerance
Eagerness for Service (Humility)
Study
40. Perspicuity

It was, then, the duty of each brother to fit himself to expound or express his quality or activity - not for himself, but as a part of the whole. A man cultivated courage, not that he might be brave, but that he might represent courage in that group, regarded as a composite entity, which was in a very real sense a unity. Each one of them must know his quality not only from his own point of view, but also by an odd system of cross correspondences. Each person was supposed to be able to deliver a sermon about his quality from the point of view of each of the other qualities. Courage tempered by humility; courage affected by love, and so on; there were many quaint and interesting combinations. These were first-rate men - and they needed to be to do their work efficiently.

THE FORM OF THE TEMPLE OF AMEN-RA

The performance of the beautiful ceremony called "The Building of the Temple of Amen" was the principal work done by these great Lodges; and, as I have said, the Brethren regarded it as the chief reason for their existence. As explained in Chapter I, they held that the Hidden Light of God dwelt within the heart of every man, however unevolved he might be; and they considered it the duty of the enlightened one, first, so to live as to let that Light shine unobstructed through him, and secondly, to try by every means within his power to help to arouse and unveil that Hidden Light in his fellow-men.

They found by experience that one of the most efficient modes of giving such help to large numbers simultaneously was to afford a channel for the outpouring of a vast flood of spiritual force over the surrounding country, and that was what they endeavored to do in the ceremony which I am about to describe. They said: "All Light comes from the Great One; but because men shut themselves away in the caves of ignorance and misunderstanding, our earthly mirrors can reflect that Light where otherwise it would not penetrate, and so the Great One accepts our help, and condescends to use in the work that part of Himself which is manifesting through us." They looked forward to this ceremony with the utmost eagerness and thought no pains too great to take to prepare themselves for it; and they threw themselves into its performance with an unsurpassable enthusiasm.

They met for this function in a subterranean hall of vast size, resembling in appearance a great cathedral. The Lodge was a small area in the midst of this prodigious cave, like the cella in a Greek temple. The mosaic floor, the tessellated pavement and the usual Masonic arrangements were there, just as we have them now. For the performance of this particular rite the altar stood in the middle; but the usual form of the Lodge in Egypt was the double square - an oblong about twice as long as it is broad - and in that case the altar stood at the middle point of the eastern square; but for "The Building of the Temple of Amen" the altar was absolutely central. In all Lodges in Egypt they attached very great importance to the altar, saying that the altars of Masonry had from time immemorial been the beacon - lights of liberty, and the Lodge a city of refuge.

Just outside the area of the Lodge on the north side was a row of nine subsidiary altars, somewhat like little round-topped tables. Each was a highly carved stone pillar, rising to a height of a little more than three feet and then spreading out into a round table-top, perhaps a couple of feet in diameter. On each of those was the name of one of the great Archangels. These were the altars of the Nine Orders of Angels, and that which now we represent under the name of the Archangel Michael was the central point of the nine. Below on the floor round each of these was a kind of shallow trough in which during the ceremony incense was burning all the time. I am not quite sure how the fire was kept up, for in the Egyptian Mysteries they had means of producing exceedingly bright light and intense heat which were quite different from ours - probably something we have not yet discovered. They had thus a thin veil of incense rising round each of these little altars.

The altar in the center of the Lodge was peculiar, and requires a little explanation. It was built on the same general plan as those of the Angels, but it was considerably more massive. Its edge was thick, and not strictly speaking circular; it was really a polygon with forty sides - a side for each person present. The altar-top was perhaps about seven feet in diameter, and each of the forty little facets was square. The altar was made of some kind of obsidian or possibly jade-glass-like, not black, but dark blue or green. In the center of this thick altar-top there was hidden a very bright light, quite invisible when all the mechanism was closed.

In the upper surface of this hollow altar there was a circular opening, closed by a little door, the two halves of which could slide apart so that the light could shine out upwards towards the roof through that hole in the top of the altar. Apart from this, each of the facets had a little door that drew up. One could take hold of the projecting frame, and draw up the little door, so that a pencil of light shone out horizontally towards the far-distant wall through the little slit which was thereby opened. Inside each of these little doors was colored glass, so that different rays came forth from each of these forty slits when they were opened. These colors were chosen to represent the various qualities, or at least to distinguish one from another. Some were simple colors, but most were combinations. I mean that a pencil of light would be divided - half yellow and half blue, let us say; sometimes such a division would be diagonal, and sometimes horizontal, so that the resulting beams were readily recognizable.

Over the altar in the center of the roof was the Blazing Star, which at full power was a really splendid light, equal to several big electric arcs put together. It was however, capable of being dimmed down gradually, and could be used at various degrees of power. Each of the Brethren brought to this ceremony a private light of his own, which was practically a dark lantern. It was a rather clumsy-looking bog of blue earthenware, but it had a tube corresponding to that of a bull's-eye lantern, so that it could shoot out a powerful pencil of light which stood out clearly in the incense-laden air. Each person's ray of light was different, corresponding to one of those from the altar in the center. Another feature which is quite foreign to our modern ideas was the presence of two attendant acolytes at the ceremony - a boy and a girl of about twelve years of age, most beautiful children, chosen for their beauty out of the whole land of Egypt. They were sworn under the most sacred oath (the oath by Amen, which none would ever dare to break) not to speak outside of what took place in the Lodge. Certain vessels and other paraphernalia were kept under the R. W. M.'s pedestal, and solemnly fetched thence by these little acolytes when required.

THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE OF AMEN-RA

When the ceremony of the Building of the Temple of Amen was to be performed the Lodge was opened in the ordinary way, and raised straight to the Third Degree by the shortest method in due and ancient form. The Blazing Star flashed out at the moment of opening, but not to its highest possibility. After inquiries as to business, the R.W.M. gave one k … which was answered as usual, and said:

"Brethren, we have met to perform the greatest of our duties - to build the Temple of the Great One, the Great Architect, the Grand Geometrician, the Most High."

As he uttered the first title, all present raised the back of the right hand to the forehead, and at each of the other titles the appropriate salutes were given, exactly as we know them now. Remaining at the salute the R.W.M. continued:

"May we be found worthy to serve Him."
All present repeated the words, chanting solemnly in reply:
"May we be found worthy to serve Him."
In the same way the following sentences were repeated:
R.W.M. - May our work be guided by His wisdom.
All - May our work be guided by His wisdom.
W.S.W. - May our work be inspired by His strength.
All - May our work be inspired by His strength.
W.J.W. - May our work show forth His beauty.
All - May our work show forth His beauty.
R.W.M. - May our work be acceptable in His sight.
All - May our work be acceptable in His sight.

That last sentence meant more than is conveyed in the English words, for it also included the idea that while He saw it, and approved it, He might also be seen in it, might shine through it and manifest Himself.

Then the R.W.M. said:

"Brethren, let us prepare ourselves by a few minutes of meditation."

He made a sign with his hand, and the Blazing Star was extinguished, leaving the Lodge in total darkness. Each brother had his lamp lit, but the light was perfectly concealed. At each man's seat was a sort of socket or stand into which his lamp fitted, and when it was laid on that socket its tube was accurately aimed at the corresponding facet of the central altar. Each brother (or sister) retained always the same seat, and the colored glass in the tube of his lantern exactly resembled that in the facet of the altar to which he was opposite.

THE UNVEILING OF THE HIDDEN LIGHT

After a few minutes of meditation in the darkness the R.W.M. gave a k …, which was answered as usual, and the W.S.W, said:

"R.W.M., is it your will that we pray the God Ra to unveil the Hidden Light?" (The God Ra is the Solar Logos, manifesting through the sun).

The R.W.M. replied:

"Ra unveils His light when we unveil ours. So give that you may receive."

Then he left his seat in the darkness, and walked down to the altar, with his two little attendants, and stood with his back to his own throne, but close to the altar. He also had a lamp like all the rest, and he now carried it in his hand. He drew up the slide of his lamp and showed his light, as he said: "I give the Light of wisdom," and aimed that light at the altar in front of him, and as he did so he stretched forth his hand and drew up the corresponding little door. There was a little ledge on which it hitched so that it remained open, and so in response to the colored ray from his lamp a similar colored ray shone upon him from the altar. He then handed his lamp to his little acolyte, who carried it back to his chair, and set it in its socket; and then the R.W.M. walked round the table to the other side.

Then the W.S.W., from his place, said: "I give the Light of strength," and uncovered his light, which also was set in its socket so that the ray of light fell on the edge of the table exactly opposite to him. The R.W.M. slipped up that little door, and the corresponding light shone out. Then the W.J.W. unveiled the light of beauty, and after him each member in turn mentioned his own quality, saying: "I give such and such a light," and each time the R.W.M. raised the little door opposite to the speaker, and the corresponding color shone forth - always the double ray, that which the man gave and the ray from the center which answered it.

When all the forty members had uncovered their lights in that way, the R.W.M. said:

"The circle is complete; let the light shine."

With these words he opened the top of the table, sliding back the two semi-circular doors, so that a strong cylindrical beam of white light flashed up to the roof. The colored rays of the qualities were perhaps four inches in diameter, but this beam measured a couple of feet through - a great funnel of light shooting up to the ceiling, which was very lofty - at least seventy feet high, I should think; and then in response to that, the Blazing Star was unveiled at its fullest power.

The symbolism here is obvious and beautiful. Each person first gives his quota and gets his response. When all have done their respective parts they have built up the perfect man. Then the white light which includes all shoots up, and down comes the Light of the Logos in reply. When the whole vast hall was flooded by this splendid light from the Blazing Star, the people closed their lamps, all the little doors in the sides of the altar were dropped down again, and those on the top of the table slid back into place.

THE OFFERINGS

The next part of the ceremony was a hymn to Ra, the Logos, the Sun-God, thanking Him for His response, giving glory to Him and saying: "Let us bathe in His Light, and pay Him due reverence." That was the general effect of it, but there were many verses. When that was finished, the R.W.M. said: "Bring in the offerings"; and his acolytes went off to his pedestal and produced them.

The children brought him two golden vessels, which bore some resemblance to those used in the Christian eucharistic service, and evidently to a certain extent corresponded to them. This ceremony long antedated Christianity, so it is by no means impossible that some of its features may have been absorbed by the later religion. We may clearly regard this as the Egyptian form of the Eucharist, for its object was identical; the Brethren offered themselves, body, soul and spirit, to God, He entered into them in an especial manner in return, and they then acted as the channels of His bounty to the world.

The boy returned from the Master's pedestal bearing in his hands a circular golden dish with a domed cover perhaps twelve inches in diameter; in fact, it was in shape and size by no means unlike some that are used to hold vegetables at a modern dinner table, but made apparently of solid gold, richly chased and evidently very heavy. The girl bore a cup of similar manufacture - not quite the Christian chalice; more like the two-handled loving-cup of mediaeval times. These vessels were treated with the utmost reverence, as of immemorial antiquity; they were scarcely in the Egyptian style, and may quite possibly have been Atlantean. The girl carried also a curious triangle of gold, in the center of which was realistically engraved a human eye. A slight bowl-like depression at the apex of the triangle enabled the officiant to use it as a kind of spoon, as will presently be explained.

These vessels were placed on the altar before the R.W.M., who extended his hands over them and said:

"O thou Most High, Most Strong, Most Wise, Thou ever-shining Light, from Whom all light forever comes, we return to Thee herein the light and life that Thou hast given us. Our life is in this offering; we lay it at Thy feet, we pour it forth before Thee. As it bears our life to Thee, so may it bear Thy Life to us. Flood Thou our offering with Thy Life, that it may awaken Thee in us."

All stretched forth their hands and chanted the Egyptian equivalent of: "So mote it be."

The R.W.M. then drew over himself a wonderful golden robe, which his acolyte had brought from the pedestal, gave a k … and, turning slowly round, with his arms extended towards the columns, said:

"Brethren, you have given yourselves to our Lord Osiris-Ra; now Osiris-Ra will give Himself to you."

And once more all chanted: "So mote it be."

Then the R.W.M, removed the covers from the vessels. In the dish there lay a curious-looking flat cake, perhaps six inches square and half an inch in thickness, which was scored into squares like a chess-board - not cut through, but half cut by six lines parallel to each of the sides, so that it could easily be broken into small squares. The marking was heavier round the nine squares in the center. The cake was of flour, with a slightly sweetish taste, but the top was covered by a thin layer of whitish-grey material, not unlike the icing on some modern cakes. The cup contained a colorless fluid.

THE DESCENT OF OSIRIS

As soon as the R.W.M. had uncovered the vessels, he raised his arms towards the Blazing Star, and cried three times: "O LORD, descend!" When that tremendous flood of light fell upon the offerings, a remarkable chemical change was at once set up, presumably by the actinic action of the light-rays, and the greyish-white icing grew crimson. It would appear that the same sensitive chemical was in solution in the cup, for the colorless liquid also became a deep rose. The change of color was obviously intended to symbolize the descent of the Divine Life, and when it was completed, the R.W.M. gave seven k … in a peculiar sequence (which were repeated by the W. W.s, the I.G., and the Tyler) and said:

"The Lord gives Himself to us; thank we the Lord."

All the Brethren repeated these words, chanting them over and over again in a kind of anthem with many parts, which was evidently very well known to all.

THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SACRAMENT

When this was finished the R.W.M. beckoned to the D.C., who marshaled in order eight members from the south-east corner of the Lodge, and brought them to the altar with him. These nine grouped themselves around the R.W.M. as he stood at the altar. He then, facing the altar, broke off the little square at the north-east corner of the cake, and dropped it into the cup; taking up the strange golden triangle, he dipped the apex into the cup, brought out the little square in the spoon-bowl, and reverently consumed it. Then, as he turned from the altar to the nine Brethren, standing round him, they bowed slightly to him, all saying together: "Thou art Osiris."

The R.W.M. broke off another fragment of the cake, and dropped it into the cup; then the D.C. stepped forward with the salute and handed him a small spoon made of that beautiful blue highly glazed earthenware which we often find in ushabtis. The R.W.M. took the spoon, picked up the fragment in it, and administered it to the D.C. As soon as the latter had received it, the whole group, including the R.W.M., bowed slightly to him, and said simultaneously: "Thou art Osiris." Each Bro. in turn produced his spoon, received his fragment of the cake and the grave bow and salutation from his Brethren

When the group of nine had all partaken, the D.C. conducted them to their seats, and brought up to the altar the W.J.W. and nine others - the south-west corner in fact - who went through precisely the same ritual. Then the W.S.W. and nine from the north-west corner came, and finally the Secretary and nine from the north-east. Each Bro. brought his little spoon and, after using it for administration to him, the R.W.M. dropped it into a large golden bowl which was held at his side by his young attendants. An important point noticed was that they held out the bowl in front of the R.W.M. every time he administered a fragment, lest a drop of the liquid should fall. As the R.W.M. gave the fragment to each man, he said: "Receive the Light; thou art Osiris; let the Light shine." And the nine brethren bowed gravely and repeated: "Thou art Osiris."

It will be seen that when all the forty had received and returned to their places, the central block of nine squares still remained. The R.W.M. broke off one of these, dropped it into the cup, took it out in his own golden triangle-spoon, and carried it to one of the Angel-altars in the north. He was accompanied by his young acolytes, who walked one on each side, holding a cloth stretched before him to catch any drop that might fall from the triangle. On each altar was a small square of linen with a tiny blue saucer upon it, and in this the R.W.M. laid the fragment of the cake, saying: "The gift of Osiris to …" (mentioning the name of the Angel). The Brethren chanted in response: "Praise to the holy …" using the same name. The R.W.M. did this at each of the nine altars, passing back to the large altar each time; and the last fragment, which was the central square of the original cake, went to the altar of the Archangel whom we call St. Michael.

The children then brought from the pedestal a flagon containing water, and the R.W.M. carefully washed the dish, cup and triangle, the water being poured into the large bowl into which the blue spoons had been thrown. The vessels were wiped with the cloth which the acolytes held in front of the R.W.M. He then proceeded with his attendants to the nine altars of the Angels, carefully removed from each the tiny saucer with the fragment of cake, and threw both saucer and cake into the bowl. Then he took up the little square of linen, wiped the top of the altar with it, and threw that also into the bowl. It is evident that each Angel was supposed to have extracted from the offering whatever he wished, so that the outer symbol might now be removed. The R.W.M. did not in this case make a separate journey for each, but began at the west end of the line and moved straight along. When he returned to the central altar he threw into the bowl the cloth with which the vessels were wiped. The cover of the bowl was then placed upon it, and the R.W.M. sealed it in two places with his seal. It was then set aside by the acolytes until the end of the ceremony.

THE REUNION OF OSIRIS

This being done, the R.W.M. returned to his chair with his attendants, and all were seated. Then he gave a k …, and said:

"Brethren, the body of Osiris is broken and buried within you. How shall Osiris rise again?"

And the Brethren took up the same words:

"The body of Osiris is broken and buried within us; how shall Osiris rise again?"

They chanted them over and over again antiphonally. It was an anthem, yet set to a strange weird minor melody which was wonderfully impressive. This music grew gradually softer and more melancholy, and as it did so, the light slowly faded until there was complete darkness. Then the music died down altogether, and there was a period of silence during which the Brethren meditated upon the death and life of Osiris.

Out of the silence there presently arose soft, faraway fairy-like music, which swelled and drew nearer by imperceptible degrees. Though so soft it was no longer sad, but calm and happy, with a lovely haunting refrain; and after a while a voice emerged, but so gradually, so skillfully that it was scarcely possible to say when it began. At first it seemed to be humming the air; then words somehow shaped themselves little by little, and before one knew it the voice was singing ever more and more strongly and clearly: "Osiris is immortal, unchanging; Osiris is broken, divided into thousands of parts, yet ever reunited; though He may be many, yet is He ever One. We are Osiris; through us shall He rise again; through us shall He be reunited; for we be one, even as He is One." Then the Brethren joined in and sang the same words in gradually swelling chorus.

As their chant ceased the R.W.M. gave the k … and his voice rang out:

"Rise, Brethren, you who are Osiris; as you have received, so give."

He himself rose, turned to the East and uncovered his lamp, throwing its light on the far-away eastern wall of the great hall, saying as he did so:

"I, Osiris, give the Light of wisdom." All the Brethren now faced outwards towards the walls, and the W.S.W. uncovered his lamp and said:

"I, Osiris, give the Light of strength."

Then the W.J.W. in the same way sent out the Light of beauty, and each brother in turn uncovered his light and sent out his especial quality with all his might into the dim vastness of the cathedral, which typified the darkness of the outer world. So flexible was the language that "the Light of beauty" could just as well be taken to mean "the beauty of the Light".

The scene at this point was most impressive, the pencils of light shooting out in all directions into the dim surrounding vastness. When the last brother had spoken, the R.W.M. added:

"As the truest wisdom is love, I send out also the Light of love, which enfolds and includes all."

THE SHINING OF THE LIGHT

After a few minutes of intense silent concentration, the R.W.M. repeated the special sevenfold k …, which was answered by the Wardens and Guards, all the Brethren faced inwards, and immediately a chant of triumph rang out:

"Osiris hath risen again; Osiris is One; we are all one in Him. Rejoice, O brothers, rejoice! for Osiris hath conquered death and fear. There is no death, there is no fear; Osiris lives forever, and we live in Him."

This was re-echoed anthem-wise, and finally culminated in a great triumphant shout:

"Shine forth, Osiris-Ra; let the Light shine!"

And at that the R.W.M. turned on the Blazing Star so that the whole immense hall was flooded with light once more. All the Brethren then extinguished their lamps, and drew round themselves beautiful shimmering festal robes in honour of the resurrection of Osiris; and when they were ready the R.W.M. gave a single k …, and said:
R.W.M. - W.S.W., is Osiris one or many?
W.S.W. - Osiris is ever One, R.W.M., yet shows Himself in many forms.
R.W.M. - W.J.W., when does He show Himself in many forms?
W.J.W. - When He divides Himself and descends into the lower worlds, R.W.M.
R.W.M. - W.S.W., why does He thus descend?
W.S.W. - For our sake, R.W.M.
R.W.M. - How for our sake, W.J.W.?
W.J.W. - Because without Him we could not be, R.W.M.
R.W.M. - W.S.W., are we then Osiris?
W.S.W. - We are Osiris, R.W.M., and through us His Light should shine.
R.W.M. - W.J.W., whence comes that Light?
W.J.W. - From the Eye of Osiris, R.W.M., when He looks upon His world.
R.W.M. - W.S.W., what if He turned away His glance?
W.S.W. - The world would cease to be, R.W.M.
R.W.M. - W.J.W., is His light then in all?
W.J.W. - It is, R.W.M., but in some it is hidden through ignorance.
R.W.M. - W.S.W., what then is our work?
W.S.W. - To unveil that Hidden Light, R.W.M.
R.W.M. - W.J.W., how can we do this work?
W.J.W. - R.W.M., the more clearly the Light shines in us, the more will it call forth the Hidden Light in others.
R.W.M. - W.S.W., why is that so?
W.S.W. - Because Osiris is one, R.W.M., and Osiris within us calls to Osiris in our brethren.
R.W.M. - Then, Brethren, let us ever express our gratitude for what He has done for us by making
His Light to shine upon others, as we have done today.
R.W.M. (continuing) - And let us now join in recognition of Him.

THE PLEDGE AND THE BLESSING

A procession was then formed, all Brethren wearing their gorgeous festal robes, and they marched round the great hall, singing joyous hymns with tremendous enthusiasm. Having completed their circumambulation, they divided into four groups, one taking its position at the middle point of each of the four walls of the hall; then at a given signal, they all moved simultaneously towards the center, and took up their original positions in the Lodge. When these were reached, the R.W.M. gave the peculiar sevenfold k …, and raising his arms above his head, said:

"Brethren, we have built again the Temple of Amen-Ra, who creates, sustains and ends the worlds. Osiris, Isis, Horus, all are One in Him. We pledge our lives to Him from whom we receive them; let us invoke His blessing."

In response, all the Brethren raised their arms towards the Blazing Star, and solemnly repeated:

"We pledge our lives to Amen-Ra, to Him from whom they came." Then, lowering their arms, they broke out into a wonderful finale, an anthem in which the Sacred Name was repeated many times, much as it is in the Amen Chorus in Handel's Messiah, though the music was more reminiscent of Bach's fugues: "Praise to Amen, thanks to Amen; Amen, Amen, Amen-Ra." The happiness and enthusiasm of the Brethren were indescribable.

When the last glad chord had died away, the R.W.M. raised his arms again and said with deep feeling:

"Blessing and Peace and Love and Life be yours from Amen for ever."

And all stretched forth their hands, and replied:

"So mote it be."

Then the Lodge was lowered and closed in due and antient form.

* * * *

At a convenient time after the whole ceremony was over, the R.W.M. and some of the Officers took the golden bowl to the bank of the Nile. They embarked upon a boat, and were rowed out to the middle of the river, and there the R.W.M. broke his seals, and emptied out the entire contents of the bowl into deep water. Then he carefully washed it and it was borne back to the sanctuary.

THE CEREMONY OF THE HOLY ANGELS

THE H.O.A.T.F. holds a Lodge of His own in one of the halls of His castle, and we have at various times been privileged to see some of His workings. One beautiful ritual that I witnessed there I am allowed to describe, as it is so unlike an ordinary Masonic meeting that there can be no infringement of any O.

It is a special ceremony performed annually on the Church festival of St. Michael and all Angels. It is worth the notice of the Masonic as well as of the ecclesiastical student that a number of these festivals of the Christian Church are much more than mere commemorations; they are definitely occasions on which, for various reasons, heaven and earth draw nearer together, and communication between the seen and the unseen worlds is noticeably easier than is commonly the case. Often there is an astronomical basis for the phenomenon, as in the case of the festivals of the two St. Johns who are said to be the patron saints of Freemasonry - one occurring on June 24th, and the other on December 27th - obviously aiming respectively at the summer and winter solstices, though wrong by a few days because of the maladjustment of the medieval calendar. Michaelmas Day is evidently an attempt to mark the autumnal equinox, though now it is a week behind time; still, it is one of the occasions which I have mentioned, and each year advantage is taken of that fact to make the wonderful interchange of forces which I am about to try to describe - though again, as in the former case, this is one of the many instances in which words seem hopelessly inadequate.

THE LODGE AND OFFICERS

At the eastern end of a large hall there was a beautifully carved throne of white marble raised upon several steps; and upon it sat the H.O.A.T.F., dressed in a splendid crimson robe like a cope, fastened on the breast by a design of brilliantly flashing jewels, diamond and amethyst, in the form of a seven-pointed star. Underneath the cope-like vestment he wore a suit of golden chain-mail, which was once the possession of a Roman Emperor. At each side of Him, standing upon one of the steps which led up to His throne, was an attendant dressed in silver chain-mail, holding his sword upright at the carry. At the western end, facing Him, sat the Chohan of the Third Ray, magnificently robed in green and gold; but the clasp of His robe was a golden triangle studded with diamonds and emeralds, and His throne was of polished porphyry. He was evidently acting as W.S.W.; and for the W.J.W. on the southern wall, midway between Them, was set a third throne, of rose-colored marble, upon which sat another well-known Adept, dressed in a white garment not unlike a chasuble, heavily ornamented with blue and gold. On the front of it was embroidered a Corinthian column, extending from neck to knees, and foliations sprayed out upwards from it over the shoulders, as do the orphreys of a Gothic chasuble. On His breast hung by a golden chain a five-pointed star of sapphires, and from it in turn depended a ruby cross.

The whole central part of the Lodge was left empty, though a number of Brethren robed in brilliant colors sat in the columns. The lozenges of the mosaic pavement were pale rose and pale blue, and there seemed to be some additional design faintly indicated upon it by lines. There were also lines of different colors round the edge of it, as is not unusual in Co-Masonic Lodges.

THE TRIANGLE OF ADEPTS

The H.O.A.T.F. was clearly in charge of the proceedings as R.W.M., and He began the ceremony by interchanging some rapid sentences with the other Adepts. There were also some singing and a number of quick simultaneous movements. Then the R.W.M. chanted some solemn sentences that sounded like a prayer, and came down from His throne and stood on the floor at a certain point a little distance in front of it. As He left the throne, the two attendants, facing each other, saluted Him with their swords as He passed between them, and then stepped down to the floor and stood in front of the throne awaiting His return. The W.S.W. also chanted a prayer and came down, and then the W.J.W. did exactly the same thing, so that They were standing on the floor in a right-angled triangle, all facing towards the center. After exchanging ceremonious salutes They chanted together antiphonally, and seemed to throw flashes of fire towards one another, till the triangle was marked out by lines of brilliant golden light.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE ANGELS

Then the R.W.M. turned towards the W.J.W. and chanted a sentence. The W.J.W. replied, and then They both turned Their backs on the center and stood facing outwards at right angles to the line of fire that joined Them - facing south-east. Then simultaneously They chanted an invocation, throwing Their arms forward; and suddenly two great Angels appeared facing Them, standing so as to make a square with Them. They exchanged certain signs as though in greeting, and then They again chanted and threw out lines of fire, so that the square was marked out in lines of golden light like the triangle. Then the W.S.W. turned towards the W.J.W., and They chanted together, facing outwards at right angles to the line which joined Them - facing south-west. They too chanted the invocation and repeated the movements which the R.W.M. and the W.J.W. had made before. Again two Angels appeared facing Them and forming a square with Them, and again the square was traced in lines of light. Each time when an Angel came a cry of welcome (H … B … B … H …) was raised by all present and some kind of salutation was given.

Then the W.J.W. raised His arms and chanted an invocation, and immediately there stood beside Him a great Angel dressed at He was. When the Angel appeared, the Adept and He clasped each the other's right hand, and raised Their left hands above Their heads. They exchanged some rapid salutations, the assembly uttered its cry of welcome, the Angel took the W. J. W.'s place, and the latter returned to His throne. Next the W.S.W. went through the same ritual, and was also replaced by an Angel dressed just like Him; and finally the R.W.M. did as the others had done. As the R.W.M. left the floor and prepared to go to His Throne, He drew His sword and made a certain sign in the air, replaced it in its scabbard and then returned to His seat. His attendants saluted Him as before, and resumed their previous places on the step. All the Adepts left Their chairs by the left-hand side, and returned to them by the right-hand side. We had now the Angels representing the seven Rays of our solar system arranged in two squares meeting in a point, and standing upon the two sides of the triangle which were adjacent to the right angle.

THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE OF THE ANGELS

After some further singing the R.W.M. rose from His throne and, extending His arms upwards, commenced a mighty invocation, in which, after He had sung the first sentence, all the Angels and the two W.W.s joined. Then the three officers and all the Angels turned sharply to the north, and joined in chanting a longer invocation, as a result of which two other Angels appeared, completing the third square. But these two were cosmic Angels, of the types which are not limited to one solar system; so that now all the nine Angelic Orders were represented; and when they had outlined their square of golden light we had before us on the floor a fiery delineation of the forty-seventh proposition of the first book of Euclid - with the preparation of which the Adept who was acting as W.J.W. was so closely associated in His incarnation as Pythagoras.

Figure 16

Again the Angels wove their lines of light, but this time throwing them upwards into the air, so that upon each of the three squares they erected a pyramid, and upon the original central triangle a tetrahedron. They then threw their lines downward into the earth, and thus produced a set of inverted pyramids. The entire figure was thus a nest of four prisms (one hexahedron and three octahedra), the floor upon which the Angels stood representing the central plane. A "bird's eye view" of this form is attempted in Fig. 15, and Plate XI is another effort to show it in perspective in color.

Plate XI

THE CEREMONY IN THE TEMPLE

Having thus built for themselves a temple of this strange form, the Angels proceeded to perform a most interesting ceremony inside it. They moved in a wonderful choric dance, arranging themselves in various figures much as the Adepts do at the Wesak ceremony, which I have described in The Masters and the Path, though the figures were no the same. They made a seven-pointed star, a swastika, a cross, and many other figures, but it was very difficult to see them on account of the dazzling radiations of colored fire from the points of the figure. After many such changes they all joined in a sort of hymn - a most marvelous outburst of music, in which the voices pealed out like trumpet-calls, like the chiming of mighty bells. The multiprismatoidal temple was transparent like crystal, and yet somehow permeated with fire, so that in watching it one realized the meaning of the strange description in the Revelation of a sea of glass mingled with fire.

As the angelic chorus swelled out the glow of this temple grew brighter and brighter, and lines of dazzling light shot out into the empyrean, bearing messages and greetings to worlds far away in space. And unmistakably there came a response to this wondrous call - even many responses. Strange to us beyond all words in magnetism and in feeling were these replies from other worlds; but that they were replies there was no question. Some came from other planets of our system; others just as surely came from worlds of which we at present know nothing.

The end of the ceremony was dramatic. The prisms glowed with greater and greater intensity, until the whole figure seemed a mass of living fire, and with a final grand outburst of triumphant song it suddenly swept upwards and vanished - caught up in a chariot of fire like Elijah of old. Then a hymn was sung, the H.O.A.T.F. solemnly blessed the assembly, and all filed out in procession, singing, the three Officials bringing up the rear as usual.

THE EFFECT OF THE FESTIVAL

The Festival of St. Michael and All Angels, on which, as I have said, this Masonic meeting is held every year, is an anniversary which long antedates the Christian era, though Christianity quite rightly adopted it, as it did so many of the festivals of earlier religions. It is an interchange of joyous greetings and hearty good wishes - a kind of 'happy new year' among the Angels. The ceremony is, however, not merely a celestial greeting, but has other functions as well, many of which are quite impossible to understand. It was evident, for example, that forces were being discharged into the interior of our earth; we were in some way being loaded or charged, and were in turn imparting to other worlds something of which they had need. I am sure that we are as yet far from fully comprehending the significance of this magnificent ritual. I remember that Madame Blavatsky once spoke to us of it, and I also once wavy years previously heard a reference made to it by one of the Adept Brotherhood.

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