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'The ALL,SEEING EYE

BEING A MONTHLY MAGAZINE
Lectures onAncient Philosophy
By
is Manly P. HaIrs TEXT~BOOK and nowhere else in
his writings are the principles underlying rational liv~
MANLY P. HALL
DEVOTED TO THE SEARCH FOR THOSE
ing so definitely set forth . Its practical idealism is
FUNDAMENTAL VERITIES EXISTING IN
based upon the incomparable standards of ethics and THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS. RELIGIONS.
learning developed by the ancient MYSTERY AND PHILOSOPHIES OF ALL AGES
SCHOOLS. No.2
VOL. 5 NOVEMBER, 1930
Prof. Paul R. Radosavljevich. of the School of
Education of New York University. has said of this PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY
THE HALL PUBLISHING COMPANY
book: 301 TRINITY AUDITORIUM BLDG..
'1 have lust finished my first rapid reading 6f your
Los ANGELES. CALIFORNIA
TUCKER 2603
LECTURES ON ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY. I think
they ought to be read by every thinking American teacher,
for your lectures are very properly written in comparison M. M. SAXTON Editor
to Blavatsky's SECRET DOCTRINE and ISIS UN­ MARY S. YOUNG Busin ess JI,I! anagcr and Secretary
VEILED, Beck's STORY OF ORIENTAL PHILOS­
OPHY, Ouspensky's TERTIUM ORGANUM, Bragdon's J. AUGUSTUS KNAPP Artist
THE NEW IMAGE, etc:. * * *"
CONTENTS
LECTURES ON ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY is
The Natural Religion of Mankind .................................·.......... .35
a book containing nearly 500 pages of reading matter.
Notes on the Horoscope of The United States ........................39
well indexed and illustrated by numerous diagrams.
For a limited time the book may be purchased on the The Music of the Spheres ........................................................ ..42
deferred payment plan. Send us your remittance for A Little Essay on Beauty........................................................... .47
$1.00 and we will send you the book. express charges Tarot Symbolism ........................................................................ 48
prepaid. The balance of $4.00 on the purchase price Mysticism of Omar
may be paid in four monthly installments of $1.00 each. The Early Life of Rasputin ........................................................ 56
Zodiakos-The Circle of Holy Animals .................................... 59

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 .

1IIIh~EDITO~S Natural
~~BRIEFS Religion
A large and enthusiastic attendance marked the opening
of Mr. Hall's lecture series in Chicago on October 2nd. Even
the inclemency of the weather did ' not detract from the in~
of Man1{ind
terest in "Einstein's New Theory of Space."
Mr. Hall was invited to speak over Radio station
WMAQ, the broadcasting organ of the Chicago Daily News, What men ordinarily term religion may be de~
while in the city and his first talk was "In the Land of the fined . as a primitive tradition subjected to constant
Living Saints." The interest in philosophy and metaphysics
revision. reformation and restatement. The great
world religions of today are products of an almost
is very keen in the middle west at this time.
interminable process of modification. OccaSionally the
At the completion of his Chicago campaign Mr. Hall will advent of a new religion is announced. If we analyze
deliver a series of ten lectures in KANSAS CITY. MO., at its articles of faith, however, we will discover that it
the Ivanhoe Masonic Temple, 3201 Park Avenue, beginning is only a conscientious objection to some previous cult
or creed. Each succeeding religion is built coral~like
November 9th.
upon the dead substratum of a previous order. All
Any of our subscribers who have friends in Kansas City religious doctrines are interpretations in terms of
will confer a great favor if they will send names and addresses human limitation of certain ever~existing and unchang~
to our office so that we can mail programs and other informa~ ing spiritual and ethical realities.
tion to them. World Saviours are purifiers of tradition. re~
shapers and reformers of doctrines. Buddha was a
Mr. Hall's marked success during the past ten years is in conscientious objector to certain of the tenets of the
a great measure due to the active and continual cooperation Brahmans; Jesus was a conscientious objector to cer~
of an ever increasing body of sincere and interested persons tain of the tenets of the Jews; and Mohammed was a
who feel that in cooperating with his work they are accom~ conscientious objector to certain of the tenets of the
plishing -a definite good in the field of true education. Christians. Conscientious objection is, therefore. the
impulse continually arranging into new patterns the
fractional parts of religious opinion. We find the
reformer of things spiritual in every age and among all
~ peoples. He is endeavoring to re~establish according
to his own understanding the natural religion of man~
kind which has been obscured by false and idolatrous
conceptions.
It is. therefore. a mistake to consider religions as
essentially different, for the differences apparent in
34 35
 them are wholly superficial and accidental. The right to exist. The Freemason knows that primitive,
philosopher should rather attempt to visualize religion or natural. religion is consistent with the laws of
as a life~giving stream whose waters, rising from an Nature and God. That which departs from Nature
unknown source-the splendor of the Eternal Pres~ . dies physically and that which departs from God dies
ence-have become polluted from contact with the spiritually. Only when we abide by the .dictates of the
various civilizations through which they have flowed Great Father above and the Great Mother beneath
since the beginning of time. When these waters can we endure.
become the carrier of the poison of perverse opinion Departing from the laws of both Nature and God,
and creedal degeneracy, purifying reformations be~ temporal religions established an ecclesiasticism which
come necessary. These reformations, however, are seeks to dictate arbitrarily the destiny of souls. It is
not directed against the original idea but are simply this condition that produces the reformer and inclines
efforts to return to that idea. the mind to the study of such other sciences as can
In this century the dilemma has become acute. The coptribute to a new spiritual renaissance. True re~
departure of theology from its fundamental premises ligion is, in the last analysis, the highest and most per~
is painfully evident. with the inevitable result that men fect form of natural philosophy. The deterioration of
have turned from the insufficiency of dogma to seek religion sets in when, turning from the severity of
a fuller and more adequate revelation. The prayer of primitive tradition, it attempts to cater to human selfish~
the philosopher today must be, "Let that which is ness. Religions have a tendency to compromise with
irrelevant be eliminated that the relevancies may be principle in an effort to increase their own temporal
rendered apparent. May the Eternal Truth which is, power. This is the beginning of the end, for no relig~
was and ever shall be, be stated again in terms compre~ iouS order has ever survived a compromise. When
hensible to this civilization." spiritual truth is sacrificed for the welfare of the organ~
In every generation there are men who have ization, then the organization dooms itself to inevit~
desired light and who have banded themselves to~ able destruction.
gether to investigate the deeper mysteries of God and The primitive religion of prehistoric man divided
Nature. These men have been persecuted because their into two main branches, one of which was restated by
discoveries threatened the integrity of prevailing opin~ the Brahmans, reformed by the Chinese, re~emphasized
ionism. Still they have persisted and many of the by the Buddhists, purified by the Taoists, moralized
symbols of alchemy, Hermeticism and Freemasonry by the Confucianists, and transformed into an ele~
bear witness to their devotion and ability. Max Mul~ mental worship by the Shintoists. Each of these
ler, the German Oriental scholar, stated a fundainental groups endeavored to purge the original revelation of
truth when he said that there had never been a false the inconsequentials carried upon the surface of the
religion unless a child be a false man. stream. Each succeeded in some detail but failed in
All religions have had one common origin-a others.
desire for greater justice and enlightenment. Most, The other branch of the ageless Truth flowed
also, have had a common end. Departing from the westward to Chaldea and Phcenicia and, abiding for
simplicity of their origin to become involved in mean~ a time in Egypt. raised the Double Empire of the Nile
ingless complexities and dissensions, they have failed to chief place among the repositories of wisdom. Egypt
from the earth because they no longer served the soul proved to be a laboratory of chemistry both divine and
hunger of man. An organization is merely the vehicle infernal. and when the stream at last flowed beyond
of an idea, and when the idea fails or is hopelessly the boundaries of Khem it had lost all semblance of its
deflected, ~he organization can no longer justify its former appearance. Thousands of years will be neces~
36 37
sary to correct the evils originating in the decadent
priestcrafts of Egypt. To the Egyptian priests we are NOTES ON THE HOROSCOPE OF THE
indebted for nearly all the fallacies of Occidental UNITED STATES
ecclesiasticism. A battle of truth against error was
fought in the dark mysteries of the ancient Egyptians. S WE continue our diagnosis of
Truth was supported by the truly enlightened hiero­ the hundred per cent Ameri­
phants of the temples, initiates of the great Fire can from last month, it should
Mystery. Against these was arrayed a pseudo-sacer­ be particularly noted that
dotal caste, which probably sprang into existence as with Gemini ascending, the
the result of the demoralizing influence of barbarians ruler of the horoscope of the
and usurpers brought to the throne of Egypt by war United States is retrograde
and conquest. These uninitiated foreigners , by virtue Mercury in the second house.
of Egyptian law being raised automatically to the It is further significant that
chief place in the priesthood but being individually the second decan of Gemini
unqualified for such distinction, perverted their relig­ on the ascendant is almost
ious power and finally brought the Mysteries into dis­ equivalent to a Libra 'quality,
repute. and Libra (the natural ruler of the seventh house)
Primitive religion thus was lost in a maze of ab­ governs partnerships, corporations, trusts, and sim­
surdities created by fools, perfected by fools , arid ilar institutions. This brings a negative Venus in­
finally destroyed by fools . I t was in Egypt that religion fluence with a tendency to egotism and vanity. Here
died and theology was born. Hence, theology may also is the night club and cabaret life. The retrograde
well be termed "a doctrine of usurpers. " Mercury warns of a perverse application of the two
elements which Mercury represents-quickness and
intellect.
We have already noted that nerves are a
SPECIAL DECK OF TAROT CARDS national disease. The speed consciousness is a factor
In ancient times, books were not bound or sewed; in this nervous condition and can become a menace to
they consisted merely of loose leaves conflned by cover the integrity of the people. We do things faster in this
boards on top and bottom, and bound round with cords. country than anywhere else on earth. In fact, rapidity
Thus, the 78 cards of the Tarot deck represent the
is undermining quality and greatly detracting from the
leaves of some sacred book of the ancient pagan world.
comforts of a more leisurely existence.
This special deck of Tarot cards, beautifully and ar~
tistically done in full colors by J. Augustus Knapp (who
With Jupiter in the first house, the mind is in­
so ably illustrated Mr. Hall's monumental work on clined toward mass production; while Venus, a
Symbolical Philosophy) , contains not only the dis~ somewhat superficial planet, increases the gullibility of
tinctive features of all preceding decks but additional the popular mind, with the result that things are
material secured by Mr. Hall from an exhaustive re~ accepted on their face value and not given proper
search into the origin and purpose of the Tarot cards. analytical consideration.
For convenience the Tarot cards have been printed in Mars conjunct the ascendant bestows an unusual
the size and style of standard playing cards. A 48~page
explanatory brochure by Mr. Hall accompanies each
amount of energy and an insatiable ambition, which
deck. Postpaid $3.00. strengthens the superiority complex. The retrograde
.M ercury, the spirit of haste, is apt to be without com­
prehension of the destination to which it is speeding.
38 39
Daily we see the spectacle of speed mania. Everyone section under Leo. Hence the East is political, finan ..
is in a mad rush, but no one seems to know where he cial, and speculative; the Middle West is more sub..
is going or why he is in such haste to get there. It is stantial, productive, and practical; while the West is
one thing to be a messenger of the gods, but it is a idealistic, ambitious, and pleasure..loving. The East
still more desirable condition to know what is the mes.. is analytical, the Middle West phlegmatic, and the
sage we are supposed to convey. West impulsive. These three constellations of Gemini,
Mercury retrograde in the second house also tells Cancer, and Leo also carry the national diseases, which
us considerable about our financial system and through the migration of the populace become rather
methods. A retrograde Mercury is tricky, being given evenly distributed. The East is the seat of tubercu..
to scheming and intrigue. We are more interested in losis and nervous disorders, the Middle West of
the posseSSion of money than in the earning of it, and stomach trouble, and the West of heart and blood dis ..
will juggle finances to achieve a condition of opulence turbances. There is no question but that the trend of
without lending ourselves to the task of production. American civilization is definitely westward, and from
Mercury is the hypothetical middle man, the financial the chart we can readily see why progressive religiOUS
genius of this country, and to a great measure symbolic movements experience their greatest success along the
of our money system. This retrogression in the house Pacific Coast.
of finance denotes periodical, unusual, and extreme Uranus is the patron genius of this country. It is
fluctuations of money values. Financial panics will in Gemini, close to the ascendant, revealing the liberal
occur whenever progressed planets move over this and yet erratic temperament of the average American.
house or form aspects from vital angles of the chart. Mercury, as the ruler of the chart, foreshadows our
N early all these panics result from the surfeit of ficti.. inventive ability and the tremendous progress made in
tious money values-money made in someone's head, the fields of communication and transportation.
on paper or in other devious ways, with not enough Scorpio upon the cusp of the sixth and Venus in
actual cash on hand to go around. The financial atti .. the first house reminds us that sex is the vital factor in
tude of our people is revealed as innately speculative. national health. There is an extreme and unnatural
We enjoy the theory of speculation; we are natural emphasis upon it in the general temperament of the
gamblers and, like the members of that profession, people. The moral situation is constantly occupying
have little real money sense. It is easy come, easy go, the public mind. Scorpio upon the cusp of the house
and no matter how much the average American earns, of health further Signifies to the serious thinker the
he will never have anything because he will always live startling amount of venereal disease in this country.
slightly in excess of his income. As long as we spend Aquarius upon the cusp of the ninth house with
anticipated profits, we are likely to have unsound the moon therein shows our idealistic tendencies and
finances. We mortgage the future, and where the ever..growing inclination toward the occult. The lord
future is as uncertain as it is today, this is a practice of the eighth house intercepted in the fifth warns that
highly dangerous, to say the least. our love of amusement, pleasure, and indulgence may
The sun in the second house reveals our brilliant result in national destruction.
financial career, at times more spectacular than sound.
The sun in Cancer, which constellation rules the great
Mississippi Valley, also reveals the seat of our na..
tional wealth. The United States is divided into three
great belts-the eastern section under Gemini, the
middle section under Cancer, and the extreme western
40 41
 tiate their mathematical system of harmonic ratios from
the more common Harmonic School of their day. which
affirmed the ear to be the final criterion of harmony.
The Music of So deeply concerned were the Greeks with the laws of
musical harmony that they forbade the playing of mu~
The Spheres sical selections which were not dignified and 'i nspiring,
decJaring that ignoble music endangered the very
An Introduction to the solidarity of the state. Pythagoras also frequently
Pythagorean System of employed music in healing, and one of his disciples
Sidereal Harmonics cured afflictions of the nerves and muscles by blowing
a trumpet in the patient's ear.
The greatest as well as most sacred symbol of the
The Greek philosophers declared all things to Pythagoreans was a triangular arrangement of ten dots
have a threefold foundation manifesting through a called the tetracty s, which they formed thus:
fourfold constitution. Thus the triangle became the
proper symbol of cause and the square the natural em~
blem of effect. The religious and philosophical sys~
terns of Greece were founded upon the teachings of a
triad of divinely illumined intellects-Orpheus, Pytha~
goras, and Plato. Orpheus was the founder of the Within this triangle of points was contained the sum
Greek Mysteries and mythological system. Pytha~ of philosophy. It was the absolute key to mathematics,
goras was the master of numbers, music, and astron~ astronomy, geometry, music, and cosmogony. The
omy. He overthrew the postulates of the uninitiated disciples of Pythagoras so revered this emblem that
Thales. who declared the heavens to be a crystal ball they referred to God as "the One who has given to our
and the stars gilt~headed tacks driven deeply into its souls the mystery of the tetractys." Ten is the sum
surface. Plato was indirectly the disciple of Pytha~ of the first four numbers (1 plus 2 plus 3 plus 4 equal
goras, and most of his writings are based upon frag~ 10) and represents the creative processes. F rom the
ments of the secret Pythagorean code saved from the 1 (God) came the 2 (polarity). From the 2 came the
burned University of Crotona. When forty~nine years 3 (Divine Nature), and from the 3 came the 4 (ele~
of age, Plato was initiated into the Mysteries of the mentary Nature), thus establishing all creatures and
Pyramid, and was thus " raised" by the same exalted powers.
Brotherhood that had sent both Orpheus and Pytha~ In his Life of Pythagoras, Iamblichus describes
goras into the world. the curious incident which first led the seer of Samos
Of all men it was declared that Pythagoras alone to evolve the theory of musical steps or intervals. One
could hear "the music of the spheres." He was the day Pythagoras, while meditating upon the intervals
first to affirm that music was controlled solely by, and of the tetractys, chanced to pass a brazier's shop where
consequently was subordinate to, the laws of mathe~ workmen were pounding out a piece of iron upon an
matics. For this reason Pythagoras believed that it anvil. By noting the difference in pitch between the
was a mistake to permit harmony to be determined by sounds of the different hammer blows and their re~
the ear, declaring that numerical ratios alone consti~ sultant harmony or discord, he gained his first clue to
tuted its true normative principle. Pythagorean musi~ the musical intervals of the diatonic scale. Entering
cians therefore called themselves Canonics to differen~ the shop, he found that the difference in pitch was due
42 43
to the difference in size of the hammers. After care­ Elohim of the Hebrews. Of these seven, three are
fully examining the tools and making an accurate esti­ primary and first, and four are secondary and last.
mate of their weights, he returned home and con­ The Pythagorean arrangement of the seven ancient
structed an arm of wood to extend across the room planets with their corresponding color and tonal values
from one wall to the other. At regular intervals along was as follows:
this arm he then attached four cords, all being of the Saturn Green Fa
same composition, size, and length. At the lower end Jupiter Blue Sol
of each cord he tied weights of different magnitude to Mars Red Do
correspond with the different sizes of the hammers. Sun Orange Re
To the first cord he attached a 12-pound weight, Venus Indigo La
to the second a 9-pound weight, to the third an 8­ Mercury Yellow Mi
pound weight, and to the fourth a 6-pound weight. Moon Violet Si
He then discovered that the first and fourth strings ;, While differing radically from the modern ar­
when sounded together produced a symphony diapa­ rangement, this table has certain points in its favor.
son, or the octave, for doubling the weight produced The intervals of the first, the third, and the fifth notes
the same effect as halving the string. The weight of of the diatonic scale (Do, Mi, Sol) have as their color
the first string being twice that of the fourth, their correspondences Red, Yellow, and Blue-the primary
ratio was said to be 2 : 1, or duple. By similar ex­ color tones of the spectrum. Also the seventh note of
perimentation he ascertained that the first and third the diatonic scale (Si), being the most imperfect, cor­
strings when sounded together produced the symphony responds to Violet, the least perfect color of the spec­
diapente. The weight of the first string being half trum, and to the moon whose ray is the least perfect of
again as much as the third, their ratio was said to be the sidereal forces.
3 : 2, or sesquialter. The second and fourth strings "The music of the spheres" was the result of three
having the same ratio as the first and third, when conditions: (1-) the magnitude, velocity, and prox­
sounded together also produced another symphony imity of the celestial body; (2) the keynote of the body
diapente. The first and second strings when sounded itself; (3) the intervals existing between the various
together produced a symphony diatessaron. The heavenly bodies.
weight of the first string being a third again as much Counting inward from the circumference, Pyth­
as the second, their ratio was said to be 4 : 3, or ses­ agoras divided the universe into twelve parts. The
quitertian. The third and fourth strings having the first division was called the empyrean, or the sphere
same ratio as the first and second, when sounded to­ of the fixed stars, the dwelling place of the immortals.
gether also produced another symphony diatessaron. The second was the sphere of Saturn, the third Jupiter,
The second and third strings were said to have the the fourth Mars, the fifth the sun, the sixth Venus,
ratio of 9 : 8, or epogdoan. the seventh Mercury, the eighth the moon, the ninth
Modern efforts to reproduce this experiment have fire, the tenth air, the eleventh water, and the twelfth
failed. Pythagoras really discovered the harmonic earth. Because the octave consists of six whole tones,
ratios with the aid of a curious instrument having a some authors-such as Robert Fludd, the great Eng­
single string and movable frets, which he termed a lish Rosicrucian-have used a double octave to signify
Cosmic Monochord. these twelve divisions.
The first three dots of the tetractys signify the The tonal intervals between the planets are as fo]­
powers resident in the sun, and the remaining seven lows: Between the sphere of the earth and that of the
dots the forces manifesting through the planets-the moon, one tone; between the moon and Mercury, one­
44 4S
half tone; between Mercury and Venus, one~half tone; with his own voice. After intoning this for a few sec~
between Venus and the sun, one and one~half tones; onds, the glass would be shattered to bits. In all like~
between the sun and Mars, one tone; between Mars lihood, this is the true explanation of the story of the
and Jupiter, one~half tone; between Jupiter and Saturn, walls of Jericho which fell when the trumpets of Israel
one~half tone; between Saturn and the sphere of the were sounded. By applying the same principle (in a
fixed stars, one~half tone. The sum of these intervals manner now unknown), a disciple of Pythagoras once
equals six whole tones, or the sum of the tones of the prevented a guest from murdering his host. After
octave. striking a few notes upon a lyre, the angry man with
From the foregoing, the harmonic relationships drawn sword trembled like a leaf and was unable to
between the various heavenly bodies may be very easily move until the musician ceased his playing.
determined. For example, the harmonic chord be~
tween the sun and the earth is a symphony diapente,
between the sun and the moon a symphony diates~
saron, as is also the harmonic ratio between the sun
and the fixed stars. Between the earth and the fixed A Little
stars is the most perfect harmonic interval-the octave.
In his History of Philosophy, Stanley shows a
Essay on
single cord stretched between the outer extremity of
the starry heavens and the surface of the earth. The
Beauty
planets are placed according to the ancient Greek or~
der, for although Pythagoras recognized the sun as the
center of the solar system, he placed the earth in the
center of his monochord because his calculations were Beauty is an elusive power, whose presence is an
made from its surface. This reveals what the ancients invisible asset, whose absence leaves a supreme need
meant when they spoke of "the seven heavens" unfulfilled. Beauty has been defined as symmetry, or
through which the soul descends into birth. the harmony of form. It is a proper adjustment of
parts, a reasonable syntheSiS of members, an order
The Greek Mysteries included in their doctrines pleasing because it is proper.
a remarkable concept concerning the relationship of
music to form. The elements of architecture, for ex~ Beauty is not identical with an object nor with
ample, were considered as comparable to musical notes the grouping of objects. It is a spirit which is created
or as having a musical counterpart. The inspired by the proper bringing together of a number of parts
Goethe centuries later said: "Architecture is crystal~ which may not be necessarily beautiful in themselves
lized music." When a building was erected by the but which produce a harmonious whole. Physical
Greeks in which a number of architectural elements beauty is invoked by a consistent co~ordination of ele~
ments. We may ask what is the criterion of consist~
were combined, the structure was then likened to a
musical chord, which chord was harmonic only when ency and, with Plotinus, we may say that the soul
which is the criterion of consistency in man, rejoicing
it fully satisfied the mathematical requirements of har~
in beholding other natures harmonious to itself, be~
mony. Thus a certain chord was said to be the key~
comes the determinator of beauty. The soul of man is
note of the edifice. The late Enrico Caruso used to
demonstrate this principle of the keynote with a glass rational. Rationality is simply beauty upon the plane
tumbler. First striking the tumbler several times to of reason. Thus the rational soul, beholding other
ascertain its tonal pitch, he would then reproduce it ( Continued on Page 64 )
46 47
 which circumscribe all personality and bind the uni­
verse into a wholeness. A study of the individual
cards, if divorced from an inclusive estimation of the
deck as a whole, must inevitably lead to a host of glar­
ing and discouraging errors. The cards must be re­
'T arot garded as elements and as such should be conscien­
tiously examined, not, however, with the purpose of
Symbolism isolating the various elements but rather to grasp the
chemistry of their combination.
Continued
The Zero, or unnumbered, card presents to us the
.f figure of the Fool or Divine Idiot-the cosmic madman,
THE the blindfolded buffoon. This card is the supreme
UNNUMBERED
CARD
t mystery of the Tarot and no wonder, for as the mind
ponders the Significance of the figure, its philosophic
possibilities are endless. This card of contradictions
contains two widely diversified yet strangely related
THE secrets.
aI LE FOD I~ FOOL ' .1 7-:
In the Hebrew Mysteries, Ain Soph-the abso­
lute, boundless, dimensionless abstractness which pre­
cedes all manifestation and is utter homogeneity, was
We should first realize that the Tarot cards have represented in symbolism by a closed eye. As most
passed through many modifications both of color and wise men have been called fools, why should not the
design. I t should be evident even to the uninformed madman be an appropriate figure for that wisdom
that the symbols now upon the cards are of medieval which surpasseth all understanding? Thus the Fool is
origin, hence the student should not waste an unwar­ the Infinite Itself, blind and hastening ever along the
ranted amount of energy in the effort to interpret the road to Nowhere. It is from the zero assigned to the
pictorial details which ·for the most part are accidental card rather than from the appearance of the figure it­
accumulations. If one studies the cards too intensely, self that we secure the most important hint as to the
he is likely to be diverted from the major issue and be­ interpretation.
come lost in a maze of curious but not necessarily rele­ If the deck represents in fact the pages of an an­
vant speculation. It is more profitable to follow the cient Mystery, recording the wanderings of the human
Pythagorean premise of emphasizing the importance soul in quest of light, then in the Fool we behold the
of the intervals existing between objects rather than neophyte or the uninitiated blindly questioning Reality.
the objects themselves. Before him are the gates of the Mysteries in the yawn­
ing mouth of the crocodile; behind him are the limita­
The basic facts of Tarot symbolism are more
tions of the flesh in the false doctrines and the
likely to be discovered through grasping the whole
panorama of the trumps and suits than through a
microscopic analysis of any of the separate symbols.
~' deceivers, the lynx, cat or the wild dog. In his pack,
the neophyte carries experience and also that load of
) woes which ignorance must always bear. The night is
That which is true of life in general is true of the Tarot dark about him, the way is obscure. The river of life
in particular. If we examine personalities too care­ flows at his feet, on its bank the broken pillar of am­
fully, we are apt to forget those greater principles bition. I t is in this living river that the crocodile of
48 49
Philosophic Death awaits his victims; for by devouring
them he brings them back to life again, a mystery which
is part of the ancient ritual of the second death and the
new birth into immortality.
There is also another interpretation to this card
which has for the most part been strangely overlooked.
The Fool is an appropriate figure of the human Ego­ of Omar
the vital impulse behind personality. The unnum~
bered card sets forth with philosophic accuracy the
phenomenon of the soul entering into the body at birth.
The Ego is blindfolded because the lesser, its personal
self, can never know the greater and impersonal reality.
Before it is the great sea of illusion into which it is
soon to be pluns:led and where abides Typhon, the Omar, the mystic, climbed through the seven
spirit of rebirth. The curious creature biting at the legs gates and on the ancient throne of Saturn sate; many a
of the Fool in this interpretation becomes symbolic of knot he unravelled by the way, but not the master-knot
of human Fate. Thus, from his own admission we
the animal soul or sin body. The broken pillar repre­
learn that the tent-maker followed Mohammed
sents the lapsed state of the Ego, whose path into gen­ through the seven spheres, exploring with extended
eration resulted from the symbolic "Fall" by which intellectual faculties all the mysteries of existence, only
man was banished from his primitive paradise and to discover finally that the essential truths of life re­
forced to wander in the dark abyss of matter. The mained as unsolvable as before.
scene is nocturnal for, as the Greeks knew, the soul
The pessimistic quatrains of Omar are the result
entering generation finds night most congenial to this of this disillusionment concerning the reality or even
purpose. -!"1 . ~~,~ i
the possibility of knowledge. He had not yet learned
In some decks of the Tarot, the creature tearing that reason is a process in the understanding rather
at the legs of the Fool has so rent his garments as to than in the mind. So from this fruitless effort to grasp
reveal the buttocks. To the ancient symbolists, this infinities with finite comprehension Omar turned to
signified the material universe whose mysteries were choose the mystic way of ecstasy. He tells us of his
revealed by the cats or panthers-the priests of Osiris, secret aspiration, how from his base metal will be filed
who, rending the garments of the Infinite, rendered a key th?t shall unlock the door the Dervish flouts
His inferior parts visible to the wise. A somewhat without. Omar himself becomes an embodiment of the
similar allegory is related about Moses, who was wild abandonment of Jelaluddin, that saint who
s:lranted the right of beholding the nether parts of God. whirled himself into Infinity by spinning his body to
the rhythm of the stars.
The animal tearing at the garments may in this case be
interpreted as either the Dog of Hermes (the symbol of Grieving over the unreality of things as they seem
wisdom) Or the Cat of Bubastes (the night-seer, or the to be and the hopelessness of Being itself, Omar turns
Hierophant whose inner vision is capable of pene­ from the contemplation of phenomenal illusions to
nd drown his sorrows in the wine of forgetfulness. This
trating the darkness of matter).
is a definitely Oriental idea. Departing from the so­
(Next month the Juggler, the first numbered card, called reasonable attitudes of mankind, the ascetic
will be analyzed.) finds himself picked up and whirled through space, his
50 51
 very being scattered through the substances of the fect bliss that knows neither itself nor any other thing.
super-dimensional universe. In his ecstasy he sud­ For a moment the dervish is not, life is not, God is not;
denly realizes that yesterday is dead and tomorrow nothing is but the sweeping vibration that whirls the
will never come; that there is only an infinite and whole being into a terrific emotional crisis. If you
eternal ever-flowing Now; that the past is a vast area look into the face of the dervish while this awesome
of faint regrets and the future abode of dreams that mood possesses him, you will see his visage lighted by
will never come true. The mystic no longer dwells in an almost terrifying splendor. He is "drunk with
time-time dwells in him. He absorbs dimensions and God." This is the "mystical experience" which psy­
intervals and by virtue of his own enthusiasm extends chologists have such difficulty in explaining, which
beyond all boundaries and limitations. science cannot comprehend, and which is wholly in­
Sensing the impossibility of ever rationally com­ describable. I t is the ecstasy of the saints-that tre­
prehending the Infinite, the dervish attempts to feel mendous force which, whether actual or imaginary,
that which he can never know by intellection. Unable completely destroys the normal rhythm of life and
to understand life, he chooses to open himself to it so throws the ascetic into an almost unbelievable state of
completely that he becomes "intoxicated" by the di­ sufficiency.
vinity that flows through him. Stirred by a strange When he returns to normal consciousness, the
fire that glows within and urges him to the wild dervish brings with him a certain recollection of the
abandon of his sect, the dervish flings wide his arms condition through which he has passed. From that
and, as his whirling starts, he so completely relaxes time on he lives but with a single ideal-the final
that even as he spins he seemingly sinks backward into absorption into this bliss of which he has tasted. Union
the soft embrace of space. His mind thinks motion, with his "Beloved" becomes his one purpose and this
his soul feels motion, and with some inner faculty he "Beloved" is nought else but the sphere of his ecstasy.
perceives the infinite motion of Cosmos. The earth Not until this inner realization of the power of
beneath him and things about him vanish, as in a beauty, the infinite perfectness and wisdom of exist­
whirlwind; the phenomenal sphere with its infinite ence, and the strength of infinite purpose does the in­
diversity of illusions fades into nothingness and he dividual achieve to true wisdom. A man may possess
whirls, possessed by the strange exuberance of life. the earth, reach the heights of authority, master the
Something within him stirs. The bud of the mystic most intricate art or science, and be elevated to the
rose turns over and swells from within outward, as state of godhood by an admiring populace, yet until
with waves of ecstasy he feels its petals opening one beauty possesses his soul he is an empty and lifeless
by one and releaSing the reservoir of life within. First shell. Not knowledge but appreciation for and ability
little ringlets of life appear, then streams of energy to sense the deeper purposes of life constitute the open
pour from him, and finally, as the flower reaches the sesame to the divine sphere. Appreciation is the power
fullness of its bloom, it seems as though his soul is to sense the greater beauty-to see with the eyes of the
whirled into nothingness. soul. Appreciation is something that cannot be created
This is the intoxication of the Persian and Mo­ ~ by mere affirmation. It is an instinctive thing, the
hammedan mystics. They are drunk, as it were, with measure of consciousness. It is the instantaneous real­
the spiritual effulgency; the individuality is shattered ization of values neither intellectual nor again purely
by the force of this immense and all-possessing pas­
t"l)
emotional. Appreciation is the highest form of com­
sion. In this dance of ecstasy, hopes as well as regrets prehension .
are forgotten. Memory ceases. Hope, ambition, The Occident is a stranger to this abandonment
everything vanishes until the only emotion left is a per­ of the soul which is an integral element in Oriental
S2 S3
 philosophy. In the West. however, there occasionally One would be led to infer from the Oriental
appears a personality so fundamentally Eastern in its fables (especially those of Arabia and Persia, and of
temperament that it exemplifies the true aceticism. which the Rubaiyat of Omar is an example) that
Such a person was St. Francis of Assisi who, in the Eastern saints and mystics were extremely intem~
height of his religious ecstasy, is said to have licked perate. Their intemperances, however, were of the
the lepers ' sores, yet because of his peculiar state was soul rather than the body. Arabian literature describes ­
never infected by any of the diseases constantly con~ the orgies of the wise in a manner resembling the
tacted by him. Another extreme example was Dante ancient Greek bacchanalia. The sages are depicted as
who, we are told, was so ecstatically keyed up that he seated before a board groaning beneath the weig ht of
could not look at a flower without being thrown into a culinary delicacies. As the banquet progresses, the
faint by the sense of beauty that swept over him. A wine flows like water. The partakers lose all sense of
mind so sensitive to the beauty and fragrance of the propriety and the whole affair reaches its climax in a
rose was considered unbalanced, because its poise and revolting scene of debauchery and licentiousness. The
' ~jJ
equilibrium were overturned by this soul intoxication. disgusted reader turns from the narrative as from an
There is no question that in later years Dante used the -unexpurgated edition of the Arabian Nights, unable to
character of Beatrice to signify this ecstatic state which find any excuse for chronicling the episode.
grew ever more to be his true sphere of manifestation. But what are the facts? Let us presume that we
The great East Indian saint, Ramakrishna, near are attending (vicariously, of course) one of these
the close of his life could only speak a few words con~ "banquets. " You will see the mystics, saints, and
cerning the glory of the Divine Mother before the sages sitting either along the wall or in a circle, each
mood of infinite tenderness and compassion thus in~ reclining against a forked stick which holds his arm
voked would sweep him into an ecstatic state. One of and supports his body. Neither food nor drink is in
the last pictures of Ramakrishna shows him being sight. and if by chance there should be a meaL it is of
supported by a disciple on either side. The man looks the coarsest ingredients and meagre in the extreme.
as though he were intoxicated, but he was "drunk with Indulgence is of the imagination, not of the body.
God. " He had given himself over to the "wine" of First is the banquet itself when the feast of the wise is
Omar. The last few years of Ramakrishna's life were spread-the feast of discourse-rich and dainty foods
hardly lived in this physical world at all, he being being the discussion of those great truths by which
united for the most part with the beauty and magnific~ heart and mind are fed with that knowledge which is
ence of the divinity whose abode was the sphere of indeed the bread of the wise. Then the wine begins
ecstasy. to flow, but the wine is chanting and praying or medi~
There is a strange thing about this soul intoxica~ tation by which the ecstatic state is gradually invoked.
tion-it is very habit~forming. An individual who The wild orgy that follows is the ecstasy of the soul
thinks that the nicotine, morphine or alcohol habit can which, lifting itself up, is mingled with its divine part.
possess the life should realize how completely enthral~ If you will read Omar thus interpreting the word
ling the ecstatic state becomes. Once the disciple has wine, the rest of the story becomes evident. The old
tasted of this wine of life, nothing else holds any in~ tent~maker should not be regarded as a wine~bibber in
terest for him. The visions of the Eastern mystic be~ the ordinary sense of the word; for his wine is the
come more frequent and of longer duration until Communion Cup of all ages, that sacred vessel con~
finally, with his face lighted as by some celestial taining the wine of ecstasy, the very blood of God
splendor, he whispers, " I go to my Beloved," to sink itself. Thus the true meaning of the word orgy is re~
into a trancelike state from which he returns no more. vealed in its original form being a communion of saints.
54 55
 had gathered at the home of his parents to discuss the
matter of a recent theft, when Rasputin, presumably
unconscious, rose from his sick~bed and, appearing
suddenly in the midst of the circle of astonished peas~
'The Early Life ants, actually jumped upon the back of one of the lead~
ing citizens of the town and pounded the amazed man
with his fists, crying out, "He stole the horse!" In~
of Rasputin spired by the impression that the boy had made, later
investigation proved him to have been correct, and the
townsfolk whispered together tha.t there was some~
thing very strange about a child who could thus read
the innermost thoughts of another.
Gregori Efimovich Rasputin was unquestionably Parallel with the development of this peculiar
the instrument of an outraged Providence. The al~ psychic power, there also grew an increasing tendency
cherny of life which produced this strange man en~ towards dissipation so that Gregori became ever more
dowed him with the qualities necessary to the accom~ of a contradiction. Rasputin's career reveals with
plishment of his mission. The child was as great a vividness the disaster which nearly always overtakes
mystery as the man, but maturity rendered the poten~ the untrained mystic. Between the ages of twelve and
tialities more evident. Yet in all things the end was thirty his life discloses nothing of particular signifi~
consistent with the beginning. cance. Adolescence brought with it a strong animal~
The story of Rasputin has its actual beginning in istic emphasis, intensifying the appetites and emotions
the twelfth year of his life, for at that time destiny and making the physical nature predominant. It has
first showed its hand. Gregori and his brother were been said that the worst sinners make the greatest
playing together by the side of a stream, when the saints. If this be true, Rasputin laid the groundwork
latter without warning fell backward into the icy for canonization in his early years. Like St. Francis
water. Without an instant's hesitation. Gregori of Assisi and Raymond Lully, he sinned heartily that
jumped to the rescue and both boys would have his salvation might be all the more complete. In fact,
drowned together clasped in each others' arms had not this thought became a definite element in Rasputin's
a peasant who chanced to be passing by rescued them. philosophy of life. He had a Lutheran twist, for he
The brother died of pneumonia and Gregori. sickening seemed to say with that great divine, "0 blessed evil
from the chill of exposure. was desperately ill for an that doth merit us salvation."
extended period of time. It was while recuperating At thirty we find Rasputin with a definite reputa~
from this episode that the boy first demonstrated the tion for dissipation upon the one hand and a peculiar
presence of a supernormal power. Previous to this mystical insight into spiritual things upon the other.
time he had been a somewhat moody and peculiar child, Being uneducated, Gregori could not pholosophize
but now to the minds of the simple peasants he became upon the involvements of theology or the elaborate ec~
positively uncanny. It was noised about that young clesiastical system of the Russian Church. In religious
Gregori possessed second sight; in fact, he became , matters, he was more or less an instinctual Ignoran~
a sort of local oracle looked askance at but consulted tine. He did not seem to regard knowledge as a nec~
when all other mediums failed. essary means to any particular end. Regarding the
His fame grew from his detection of a horse thief. peasant as the prototype of all humanity, he func~
It was a most dramatic situation. A group of villagers tioned entirely upon the proletarian level. His mar~
S6 S7
riage at about thirty temporarily steadied the young
man. However, he rapidly drifted back into dissipa~ Zodia~os
tion, frequenting taverns and brothels, apparently
consecrated to the task of transforming himself into a
'The Circle of Holy Animals
perfect sinner. (Continued)
ARIES
Thirty~three is a sacred number and of peculiar
significance in the age of a man, and it was in his The glorious day when the sun entered into the
thirty~third year that Rasputin felt himself called to a
constellation of Aries at the vernal equinox was a time
holy life. It was this summons that brought him to of great rejoicing among ancient peoples, for it marked
the foot of the imperial throne and finally to his end in the beginning of the march of the victorious sun god
the dark waters of a half frozen river. This determin~ up the vaulted arch of heaven towards his golden
ation to devote his life to spiritual concerns came as the throne in the constellation of Leo. This radiant solar
result of prolonged meditation. While plowing one divinity is represented, therefore, as a golden~haired
day, as he came to the end of a row and was turning youth holding in one hand a lamb and in the other a
his team, the heavens opened and a choir of divine mu~ shepherd's crook. Thousands of years before the birth
sicians filled the air with soft music. As he bowed of Christ the pagans adored this figure of life and
terror~stricken, there floated above him the white~robed beauty, gathering in the squares before their temples
figure of the Virgin Mary, surrounded by saints and and crying out as with a single voice: "All hail! Lamb
martyrs. Rasputin would never discuss this vision of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." In
other than to affirm its profound effect upon his life. the ancient Isiac Mysteries of Egypt, the goddess Isis
Strange to relate, this extremely significant occurrence stands upon an altar formed of a black cube stone, the
produced no appreciable change in the habits of the corners of which were ornamented with the heads of
man. He never seemed to sense the application of rams. The ram is the symbol of fertility, for at the
virtue to his personal life, possibly because he had no season when the sun enters Aries the seeds, impreg~
intellectual concept of vice. nated with the solar life and rendered moist with the
lunar humidity, germinate and burst forth into growth
Centuries will probably elapse before we have the and power. To the Egyptians, the horns of the ram
perspective to analyze the true position occupied by the were symbols also of royalty and divinity, for they
so~called mad monk. Certain facts, however, stand appear upon the plumed helmets of the Egyptian gods
out: i. e. that his public life was an almost unbroken and also the hieroglyphical representations of their
series of achievement; that with a simple peasant ges~ deified Pharaohs. Jupiter Ammon is depicted with
ture he outwitted the intrigues of his adversaries; and rams' horns upon his forehead; the Moses of Michel~
that with the good of his people at stake, he devoted angelo is also shown with horns . Jupiter Pan, the Lord
himself unreservedly to their improvement and eman~ of the World, and God as the Demiurgus or Gener~
cipation. This he partly accomplished, with church ator of the inferior sphere, are both represented as a
and state arrayed against him, by virtue of his peculiar goat man. The pipes of Pan are the Seven Spheres
hold upon the Czar and the royal family. and the composite figure itself signifies the sun as the
symbol of virility. Aries, the ram of energy and am~
(Rasputin's Philosophy of Life will follow in the
bition, becomes man's tempter also. So the Devil is
December issue. )
represented with the head of a goat.
Among the ancient Scandinavians, the hiero~
glyphic of Aries is the hammer of the gods. In Free~
58 S9
masonic ritualism, this hammer is not only the mallet of the spirit of Osiris. The bull, for example, must
of the third degree with which the candidate is struck have a scarab under its tongue; the hair of its tail
but also the hammer of the Master Builder-chief must lie two ways; it must have a crescent upon its
among the tools of the Craft. Nor should we forget flank and a star upon its forehead . Osiris was the
the lambskin apron which is the emblem of purification sun god and when he took upon himself the form of
of the generative processes. In Greek mysticism, the the Celestial Bull at the vernal equinox, he was de~
Golden Fleece for which Jason and his Argonauts clared to have been born into the body of this beast.
risked so much is directly related to the ritualism of Hence, the annual horoscope of Egypt was erected
Aries, for this Fleece is now declared to have been a for the moment of this incarnation, or the annual en~
book which, written upon the skins of rams, contained trance of the sun into the sign of Taurus.
the wisdom of the Mysteries. The Golden Fleece, In India, the god Shiva rides upon the great white
therefore, is the "wool of the wise," the same wool bull Nandi, and in the sixth avatar of Vishnu (called
which they pull over the eyes of the foolish. In the the Parasu Rama incarnation) , the World Savior
ancient symbolism, Aries, the ram, was the throne of takes upon himself the body of the son of a holy man
the god Ares (Mars), the figure of creative energy. to whom Indra had entrusted the sacred cow. A
Ares was the symbol of the divine fire, the flame of wicked Rajah once conspired to steal the cow, and to
spirit. It was the beginning of life, for at the season this end murdered the holy man. Assuming the per~
over which it ruled, victorious Spring escaping from sonality of Parasu Rama, Vishnu slew the evil Rajah
the embrace of Winter begins its tragic journey down after twenty battles. In the "Elder Edda," the gods
the pathway of the year. Winter, Spring, Summer, were licked out of the blocks of ice by the Mother
and Autumn were called the Yugas, or ages of the Cow, Audhumla. The children of Israel made offer~
year. Winter was the beginning and the end, infancy ings to a golden calf because they were released from
and decrepitude. Spring was glorious adolescence, Egypt in the age of the Bull (Taurus) . This dis~
Summer, strong maturity; and Autumn, brave decline. pleased the God of Israel. The same divinity was
Born in Capricorn, the "Light of the World" finds in not offended, however, when King Solomon elevated
Aries the turning point where it casts aside its swad~ his laver, or molten sea, upon the backs of twelve
dling clothes and, filled with the exuberance of youth, oxen.
sets all creation athrill with the vibrations of its radiant
The five~footed Assyrian man~bull is a favorite
life.
symbol in the Mysteries and has a significance sim~
TAURUS ilar to that of the Sphinx, the latter creature being
When the vernal equinox took place in the con~ composed of the four fixed signs of the zodiac, or the
stellation of Taurus, it was declared that the Bull of foundation of the universe. In the abduction of
the Year broke the Annual Egg with its horns, there~ Europa, Zeus took upon himself the body of a bull.
by liberating the spirit or destiny of the year. Apis, Ancient altars were often ornamented with the horns
the sacred bull, was revered by the Egyptians as the of bulls and in the temples the horns of bu1ls and rams
creature into which the spirit of Osiris transmigrated. were used as drinking vessels to contain the holy
The selection of the sacred bull was an occasion ac~ mead. Among early Christian princes there are rec~
companied by great ceremonial. Many noble bulls ords of several such drinking vessels, some presum~
were examined before the one was discovered which ably carved from the twisted horns of unicorns. The
bore the marks of the divine incarnation. There were cherubim placed at the entrance to the Garden of
thirty of these distinctive markings, and only the ani~ Eden at the time when primitive man was exiled from
mal in which all were present was the residing place his celestial abode signifies (according to the original
60 61
meaning of the word) Kireb, an ox. The ancients was taken. Sacred bulls were treated with great re·
employed the bull in plowing and furrowing. Hence spect by ancient peoples. Their horns were plated
this divine creature was said to turn the fields of with solid gold, as were also their hoofs. Jewelry and
space and prepare them for the reception of life. trappings were also hung upon them and they were
In ancient times it was also customary to use the blanketed with most costly material and housed in
entrails of animals for divination purposes and the specially constructed stables adjacent to the temples.
bull was frequently chosen in this ceremonial. While These animals were even decorated with necklaces
such a custom now appears to be but an abject form and jeweled leg bands. The breath of the sacred
of superstition, there was a definite motive back of Apis was regarded by the Egyptians as a certain cure
the seeming madness. For example, when deliber· for all ailments, and to this day the excrement of
ating upon the founding of a city, a likely spot was sacred bulls is reputed to have rare medicinal virtues
first tentatively chosen and the priests pastured in by many Hindu castes.
this place a herd of cattle carefully selected for their The bull also has an .adverse symbolism. A:r;nong
health and vigor. The cattle were permitted to graze the Tibetans, Yama, the god of death, is often pic.
for several months upon the site of the proposed new tured with the head of a bull because of the material~
community. Then with great ceremony one of the ity and the physical propensities associated with this
animals was slain and its entrails carefully examined. animal. The Minotaur, or bull~headed man, that
If the animal's health had been impaired by its pastur~ dwelt in the recesses of the Cretan labyrinth is an~
age or the normal functioning of its internal organs other example of the symbolism of the bull as de­
upset, the city was not built upon that spot, for it stroyer. In this case the creature represents the ani~
was decided that either the air, the water or the earth mal that seeks to destroy the spiritual man wandering
upon which men must depend was not conducive to in the labyrinth of form. The University of Oxford
health and, consequently, a new location was chosen. derives its name from the Celestial Ox because of the
In the Cabirian rites, the initiates stood beneath Mithraic and Druidic figures of this animal which
specially prepared sacrificial gratings and were have been discovered in the environs of the college.
bathed in the blood of sacrificial bulls. In the Eleu· It is also assumed that the bleeding heart, so conspic~
sinian and Bacchic rites, candidates took their vows uous among the symbols of Roman Catholicism, was
of secrecy while standing upon the skins of newly originally the heart of an ox but that the heart of a
sacrificed bulls. In the Mithraic Mysteries of the Per~ lamb was later substituted for it.
sians, Mithras, the Savior Deity, is shown driving his (To be continued)
sword into the heart of a bull. This is significant of
.... / ~ .....
the release of the life blood of the sun and reminds the ...~ -::::J,,- """'_ ( .
initiated philosopher that when the vernal equinox ~ .(rG''0>
»aa=
"- -=-<xJ"r"'~'_'>--
4:sa
"7:> /"'::..,(;;i-,-=:;:'._iII
takes place in the sign of Taurus, all men are bathed ±:C: EL_ ----:5" :s;:e Wii2Q 'FJ-'-=-~

in the blood of the Celestial Bull, but when the vernal

equinox occurs in Aries, their sins are washed away One cannot know the right without knowing the
by the blood of the Lamb. wrong, and when neither of these postulates exists, we
White oxen were used in the processionals of the have a reversion to aboriginal conditions. I t has re~
Druid rites to draw the rough carriages on which quired many thousands of years to establish our codes
were transported the images of the gods, and in the of good and evil, and even after they have been thor~
ceremony of the gathering of the mistletoe white bulls oughly founded and accepted we have absolutely no
were sacrificed under the tree from which the plant evidence of their ultimate importance.
62
63
 (Continued from Page 47)
reasonable natures, rejoices in the similarity and hence
establishes the criterion of excellence.
In addition to the beauty of form we have beauty
of sound, which is harmony; beauty of mode or tempo,
which is rhythm; beauty of morality, which is virtue;
beauty of mind, which is intellect; and beauty of spirit,
which is the ultimate good.
The Platonic Triad is the One, the Beautiful, and
the Good, and the unity or wholeness of the world
was erected upon this triangle. The One was the sub~
stance of all natures and beings; the Beautiful, the
perfection of all natures and beings; and the Good, the
utility of all natures and beings.
Without beauty the soul of the people cannot
develop itself properly and sanely. We say that a
man must eat in order to live. Not only does he need
physical food, but there is a metaphysical nature with~
in him which must be fed with a superior sort of diet.
The soul is fed through the eyes and the other sense "The beginning of wisdom is the beginning of
perceptions. That which is grotesque or distorted is supernatural power. "-Paracelsus.
a poison to the soul; for, sensing the asymmetrical fig~
ure through the faculties, the soul suffers from the
shock of the incongruity. The inner nature feeds upon
environment and he who surrounds himself with beauty
nourishes his c£sthetic nature, without which he must
fail as a rational creature.
Beauty is essential to human survival. Deprived
of its influence, man speedily deteriorates into a state
of crassness and degradation. Plotinus declares the
most worthy profession to be the service of the beau~
tiful and that to destroy beauty was the most heinous
of all crimes. Greece produced the most beautiful civ~
ilization the world has ever known by emphasizing the
necessity of c£sthetics and establishing beauty as one
of the pillars of the state.
One of the great needs of our civilization is a
greater emphasis upon c£sthetic ideals to modify the
extreme utilitarianism of our age and thus permit the
survival of the subtler elements of culture.
64