The Sign of Equilibrium

Edward H. Brown

One beautiful morning I was standing peacefully in my law office looking upward into the eastern heavens thinking of the love of God. The sun was shining brightly but at an angle which permitted me to look along the path of its rays.

While admiring its beauty I seemed to notice a peculiarity in one of the light rays which suddenly manifested in the far distance. It naturally concentrated my attention so that I found myself watching it to the exclusion of all else.

I could not make it out at first but eventually it resolved itself into the form of a white dove.

This did not concern me especially as many doves had been accustomed to alight on my windowsill and I supposed this was one of them; nor was I surprised when it flew into the room through the open window, thinking it was perhaps hungry and come for some of the crumbs I often provided for the birds.

When it alighted on me I kept very still and spoke to my companion asking her to do the same lest the dove be frightened away. But this was no ordinary dove for when I looked down towards my breast on which the dove had alighted I saw it was of the purest white so that it seemed to glow with the whiteness. Little pink feet were clasping the lapels of my coat, two white wings spread out, each covering one of my breasts and into two little pink eyes I gazed with utter amazement at the intelligence I perceived to be glowing there.

As I gazed in bewilderment first two little feet, then the tips of the wings, then the breast of the dove closely clasping itself to mine began to disappear inwardly until nothing more was to be seen; and then I heard the Voice of the Dove speaking within me and saying “Beloved, never again will I leave thee. Prince of Eulis thou art, and Guardian of the Sacred Heart thou shalt be forevermore” and so on my Heart was written a name, that no one knew save him who received it.

Nor could I do further work that day but must seat myself on the shore of the ocean pondering this thing in my Heart and listening to the things which the Dove taught me.

Concerning the Great Work, a few things I have learned, and many more I have yet to learn. Of the few that I have learned I submit somewhat for consideration.

Infinity proceeds from Unity, therefore Unity compriseth Infinity within Itself. From Itself, the Formless One projects the Universe of Forms both visible and invisible to man.

A comprehension of these projections may be conveyed to the mind of man by expression in the form of words, symbols or numbers and may be experienced by the soul which is able to travel within itself to the Central Flame, vastating sheath upon sheath upon its journey till it establishes its Unity with that Central Flame and then returns, outwardly projecting from its own spark of the Divine Flame, sheath upon sheath until it becomes enwrapped in a human form.

To express geometrically these projections we conceive a point of beginning, which, having neither breadth nor thickness we may regard as a symbol of the Formless One.

Being the Center of all forms this point represents a state of Equilibrium and the First Projection, in order to preserve this balance must extend outwardly equal distances in opposite directions.

The Oneness of the Point has now become the Oneness of the Line, yet this Line being projected in equal and opposite directions possesses within its Oneness, dual characteristics of the One Thing which from their nature may be regarded as masculine and feminine so that we now have two Divine Principles expressed by one line, the Point evolving into the Fulcrum of the Heavenly Balance.

Since these projections are from the Center outward in direction, we cannot, in geometrical symbolization, without losing our Center of projection, consider this line as the arc of a circle having a radius of infinity but must return to our Center for another projection.

We therefore project another line at right angles to the first, each portion being equal in length and opposite in direction from the Center. Here we again express Oneness in the form of a duality, whose opposite and balanced characteristics we classify as Male and Female but Male and Female whose characteristics differ from those of the First projection to the degree of the angle of the arc which divides their extremities.

We now find we have evolved the Cross, whose ends, connected, present to us the Square divided into equal parts by the Cross, symbolizing the four quarters of the universe, each one ruled by one member of the Divine Quaternary, who themselves constitute the Logos; each of these four divisions being the original source of many revealed religions, whose contradictions are due to the fact that such religions pertain to the nature of that special division of the Divine One from whom they emanate and that they partake of the differentiated characteristics of that quarter of the universe over which they rule.

Let us now extend the arms of the Cross equal distances further from the Center, connect their ends, inscribe another square and draw a circle whose radius is equal to the length of the arms of the Cross

This symbolizes the projection of the twelve orders of archangels, three divisions emanating directly from each side of the square and the angel world emanating in countless number from each of the twelve divisions.

Beyond these we find in the Spaces innumerable Orders, Brotherhoods, Societies and Specialists in all forms of Knowledge within the acquaintance of mankind and in many subjects not yet projected into the realm of mind.

All these are solar emanations, the earth projections consisting of numerous concentric spheres known to the Brotherhood of the Invisible as the Moons of the Earth.

They constitute the thought worlds, dream worlds, world of the ordinary dead and the various spheres of magic ranging from innocuous circles near the region of the ordinary dead to the chaotic hells of the Black Magicians and beyond into the more orderly regions which contact the Will powers of the solar emanations.

Seven hells we shall find, each with its own distinctive characteristics; also seven hells brought into expression by man’s utilization of the substance of the heavens in perverted or inverted application.

The geometric symbolization of the Divine Emanation is also applicable to illustrate the degree of attainment made by the neophyte in his advance in the Great Work.

The Division of the Work on which the neophyte is specially engaged is indicated by the distance to and compass direction from the Center.
The Perfection of the Work is shown by the shape and completion of the symbol.

The Victory accomplished is expressed by the degree of Equilibrium manifested in the symbol. Crosses with arms of unequal length are Crosses of Suffering, not Crosses of Victory.

A balanced cross with pyramidal center and projected squares indicates victorious progress but incompletion of the Work. The Cross of Malta indicates a greater progress, also victorious; but the base lines of the Great Square do not join and the blending of the Quaternary is incomplete.

Only the Great Pyramid with its balanced Trines four square in the circle, in balanced proportion, facing North, South, East and West, represents the accomplishment of the Great Work by one man or woman.

If it ever be that two people of opposite sex accomplish the Great Work together, we may express this accomplishment by the symbol of the double pyramid enclosed within a sphere, the four square sides of the perfect cross evolving into the wings of the angel.

The world is lost and the Great Work incomplete so long as one side of the altar is in darkness, or out of balance with the others.

All the religions known to the world may be located with reference to one or more sides of the Great Pyramid, the angles of their sides and capstone itself. All mystic Orders may be equally well located with reference to the same object.

The number of Gods worshiped by the various religions, ranging from Monism to Pantheism, may be placed from the Center to the circumference according to the number of their Deities. The number of degrees of the mystic fraternities pertain to this same matter of radial distance. I write of the Riddle of Hermes and the New Jerusalem, of the Great Pyramid and the Logos, of the Cubical Stone and the Cross Victorious, of the Eye of Buddha and Paradise Regained.

The fall of man is a lapse of equilibrium, his rise, the Great Work.
The Blood of Jesus is red and can save no man but the Blood of Christ hath four colors and saveth all mankind. In an endeavor to embody in the formation of the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross a correspondence suitable to symbolize the Great Work, the Fraternity has functioned under an Inner Council of Four which has existed in America for nearly fifty years and an OUTER COUNCIL of TWELVE.

The Work of the Fraternity may be considered as divided into Four Grand Divisions, relating to the four quarters of the universe and their corresponding elements, the Work of each side of the square being subdivided into Three Degrees which relate to all four sides of the square. In its perfect completion the Temple of the Rosy Cross therefore has twelve degrees, the Thirteenth constituting the Point of Equilibrium or Balance of all twelve, the accomplishment of the Great Work.

Now the Three Degrees themselves capable of subdivision according to their nature, consist of Mason Work, Metal Work and Jewel Work and extend from the entrance to the altar on each of the four sides, North, South, East and West.

The Mason Work consists in the preparation of the earths for the Cement, the perfecting of the Stone and the laying of the Foundation of the Temple.

The Metal Work consists in the smelting of the ores and the refining of the baser metals into pure Gold through the process of transmutation and the erection of the superstructure of the Temple.
The Jewel Work relates to the crystallization of the Jewels from their metals and the construction of the altar.

I have spoken the Word which was Lost, given you the sign of the Inner and of the Outer and signed with the Seal of the Pyramid of the Four Trines.

Let each interpret according to his Light and fail not to TRY.