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OCCULTISM II CHICAGO.THREE SOCIETIES DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF THE GREAT PROBLEM.• *»«■ Dttvw Tiivii' Ori|(iu fro Ml Times—A Sacred Baud of Brotherhood —The Kino Degrees—The Thoosophlcal Society—'Tho Molecules of “Akasa.”The ■wheel? of life move on unendingly, but the forces that move them must be sought for in tho realm of the viowlesi The unseen rules tho unseen; but while this fact is palpable the impalpable causes elude search. It is the problem of tho agos. What and why is life? Where is truth/ How can it bo applied to solvo the complex problems of human existence? Nature—our mother Isis —can she give tho solution? Has she tho key? Many systems of philosophy hare spoken in reply, but none havo answered— so say the occults—save occulism.There are throe societies in Chicago devoted to the study of the occult But for all purposes of Idle inquiry two of these brotherhoods are a very sphinx of silence, posing in a mystery as profound, an isolation as impenetrable as their ancient prototype dwelling in the desert of old Egypt, with the sands of centuries drifting deeply around her. Not even their names are known to the uninitiated. Each of these two societies has a probationary term of. seven years for the neophyte. The first degree can not bo taken until this time has elapsed, unless tho right of admission has been conquered through an unusual development of occult powers.THE KIKE DEGREES OF OCCULTISM.They date their origin from, mythical times. There are ten degrees in each; however, only nine of these can bo taken in this country. The aspirant for the tenth must seek it in the laud of the Nile. The membership is composed of about an equal number of men and women, and there are lodge3, as the societies are called, in all tho principal cities Of this country and across seas, including the remote east Tho number of members is limited in each country, but it is not likely that the quota will be filled, for there are very few who have either the physical, moral or spiritual courage to undergo t'w o-dcal through which admission is obtained. T . y -i-e ascetic in habit, and their special cl ~ .s. .o u'.vri * unselfishness of action. Tiieir b . -. r ! is sosacred and binding Laa i. .i.e _____ 4*eelygiven by brother for brother. They uie both the Jewish and Oriental Kabala?. a believe the soul possesses the pove • io ... cu gage itself from the body, making ■ uatral” visits whensoever it wills. These “viridical phantoms,'7 or, as the German phrase It, the “dopplo-gahger,” are plainly recognizable as fac-simile representations of the Individual, and the occultist claims that many apparitions can bo accounted for in thi3 way.Tho rooms occupied by these societies are arranged according to the harmonic laws which are suppposed to govern the development of occult powers, and are never entered save by initiates. At their weekly meetings each member occupies tho same seal The keys of tho Iodgo-room are held in sacred keeping by the chief magus. There are only two person? in this country —ono in Chicago and ono in Now York— who havo taken the first nine degrees of these societies.THE LA.TCII-5TRIXG OF THE030PHT.The third body of the occult group—tha Theosopbical society—h*3 its latch string always out, inviting tho wayfarer athirst for such science to enter and drink at the mountain of truth, whose disciples they believe themselves to be. Condensed within a single phrase, theosophy is the broadest altruism—a veritable brotherhood of humanity, whoso only path to “Nirvana” lies through utter abnegation of self. _ It seeks to develop to demonstrate the god in man. “Nirvana,” theosophically understood, is the attainment of tho highest individuality through a complete divestment of everything which clogs the pure spirit entity or 'tho “Brahman.” Consequently it is absolute harmony with the laws of universal being. This is called ■ “deliverance,” and to attain it, if one would join the company of the gods, purity of thought, purity of word, and purity of deed are the essentials.The theosophical standpoint Is exactly the reverse of that occupied by modern Spiritualism. Spiritualism believes in pasrivity and submitting to “control.” Theosophy believes in activity—the highest spiritual activity—and in not permitting outside control from any source whatever. It teaches tho cultivation of tho divine powers resident within tho ego until it shall become “aj a god.” The occultist belioves in tho broadest sense that knowledge is power. In other words, “to believe without knowledge is weakness; to believe because one knows js power.” His motto is: “There is no impossibility to him who wills.” To this end, therefore, he studies the hidden mysteries of nature and the psychic powers latent in man; and in order to attain mastery over the forces of so-called inanimate nature he must first bring' his own carnal nature under the subjection of the wilLIn tho same manner that the telegraph operator makes tho electric currents the servant of his intelligence, so the occulist claims that will-power can be be used on the molecules of “akasm” Akasa is that sublimation of matter which contains all the dement* of the universe in a resolved state: Tho adept will can set in motion these molecules, condense them, or reform them by the operation of' his inherent power?.—An-, tometfcj V. H. Wakeman in Chicago Times
Newspaper Details
Davenport Gazette
Davenport, Iowa, US
Thu, May 06, 1886
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Caroline A.
NA, 01 Dec 2024
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