THE SECRET DOCTRINE OF THE ROSICRUCIANS/PART 4

 

PART IV

THE UNIVERSAL  ANDROGYNE

In the Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians,  we  find  the  following  Third  Aphorism:

The Third Aphorism III. The One became Two. The Neuter  became Bi-Sexual. Male and Female—the  Two  in  One—evolved from  the  Neuter.  And  the  work  of  Generation  began.

In  this  Third  Aphorism  of  Creation  the  Rosicrucian  is  directed  to  apply  his  attention  to  the  conception  of  the World  Soul—the  First  Manifestation  of  the  Eternal  Parent—as  a  Bi-sexual  Universal Being. This Bi-Sexual, Universal Being, combining  within  itself  the  elements  and  principles  of  both  Masculinity  and  Femininity,  is known  in  the  Rosicrucian  Teachings  as "The Universal Hermaphrodite," and "The  Universal  Androgyne."

The term "Hermaphrodite" is defined as: "An individual which  has the attributes of both Male and Female." The term is  derived  by joining together the two names,  viz.,  Hermes  and  Aphrodite.  The term came into ancient use through the legend of  Hermaphroditus,  son  of  Hermes  and  Aphrodite,  who,  while  bathing, became  joined  in  one body with the nymph  Salmacis. The term "Androgyne" is  defined  as:  "An  individual  possessing  the  attributes  of both  Male and Female; a Hermaphrodite." The term is derived from  the  combination  of  two  Greek  words,  viz., "Andros," meaning "a man," and "Gyne," meaning "a woman."

The conception of the Bi-Sexuality in the Universal  Manifestation, or Universal Being, is one met with on all sides in the ancient esoteric and  occult  philosophies in all  lands. In  ancient  Greece, in Ancient India, and in  Ancient  Atlantis,  Persia,  and Chaldea the doctrine formed an important part  of  the  Inner  Teachings.

 

 

In  its  highest  forms,  this  teaching  lay  at  the  very  heart of the Ancient Mysteries, and  resulted  in  the  very  highest and  noblest  conception  of  the  dignity  and  worthiness  of  Sex.  But  prostituted  by  the  vulgar  popular  mind, encouraged  by  a  debased  priesthood,  the  same  teachings  were  inverted  and  made  to  serve  as  the  basis  of  the various  degenerate  phase  of Phallic Worship, the traces of which  are  found  on  every  page  of  ancient  philosophical  or religious history. The Rosicrucians have never countenanced even the slight descent into  Phallicism,  but,  on  the  contrary  have  kept  alive  the  Flame  of  the True  Teaching,  and  have  used  its  particular  symbol  as  the  distinctive  symbolic  name  and  emblem  of  the  Order.  

 

 

In order to understand the symbology of the Universal  Androgyne,  it  is  necessary  to  first  become  familiar  with  the two  ancient  symbols  of  Sex.  In  all  the  ancient  philosophies  and  religions,  we  find  that  the  "Cross"  (+)  is  the symbol  of  the  Male;  and  the  "Circle"  (O)  the  symbol of the Female.  In  representing  the  Bisexual,  the Hermaphrodite,  the  Androgyne,  the  two  symbols, i.e. the Cross and the Circle are  combined  in  one  of  several ways.  The  original  way  was  that of placing  the Cross within the circumference of the Circle;  but  later  usage  preferred the various forms of the so-called "Phallic Cross,"  which consists  of  the  Circle,  or  Oval,  sustaining  the  Cross  which depends downward from it. (See illustrations.) Sometimes  the  Cross  is  represented  as  the  letter  "T",  and  the  Circle  as  the letter "O".

 

 

 The  well-known  esoteric symbol,  the  "Swastica"  (see  illustration)  consists  of  a  modified  Cross,  conceived  as  a  "whirling  wheel" (something  like  the  familiar  spinning  "pin  wheel"  of  the  boys’  fireworks.)  The  whirling  Cross  of  the  Swastica, when seen in  rapid  motion,  presents  the  appearance  of  a  Circle  enclosing  a  Cross.

This symbol of the "Circle enclosing the Cross" is  one  particularly  sacred to the Rosicrucians, since to them it represents the  Universal  Activity  and  Universal Creation, symbolizing the Great Mystery of Occult  Generation on all planes of Life. In the fanciful symbology of the ancient Rosicrucian  Brotherhoods,  the Circle was transformed into the Rose, and the Cross sometimes  transformed  into the Sword with  its  Cross-like  handle. The  sign,  then,  of  the  Cross  (or  Sword) combined with the Circle (or  Rose),  symbolized  the  Mystic  Union  of  the  Rose  and  the  Cross,  from  whence  arose the  name  of  the  Order,  i.e.  Rosi-Crucian,  meaning  "Rose-Cross."

The Third Aphorism states: "The One  became  Two.  The  Neuter  became Bi-Sexual. Male and  Female—the Two  in  One—evolved  from  the  Neuter.  And  the  Work  of  Creation  began."

In this Aphorism there is given  the  "hint"  at  the  very  important  teaching of the Rosicrucians concerning the Universal Sex  Principles  in  Nature—the  presence  and  activity  of  the  Sexual Pairs of Opposites, Male and Female, which constitute the Secret of  Creation.  According  to  the  Secret  Doctrine  of  the  Rosicrucians,  there  are  present  in All-Creation  the  activities  of  a  Male  Principle and a Female  Principle,  both  Universal  in Nature, Character and Extent—both Opposing  Aspects  of  the  World  Soul—which  act  and  react,  one  upon  the  other,  and  thus  produce  all Creative  Activity and  the  "Cosmic  Becoming"  or  Universal  Activity  and  Change.  And  the  teachings  also  are  that these Two Sex Principles  operate  and  manifest  upon  every  plane  of  Life,  from  the  Sub-Mineral,  on  to  the  Mineral, on  to  the  Plant,  on  to  the  Animal,  on  to  the  Human,  or  to  the  Super-Human,  on  to  the  Angelic  or  God-like.  And, likewise,  that  in  every  Thing  in  Creation  there  is  present  and  manifest  the  activity  of  Sex.

The  above  statement  of  the  Universality  of  Sex may  seem  somewhat  surprising  to  the  person  who  has  not  acquainted  himself,  or  herself,  with  the  Ancient Wisdom of  the  Esoteric  Schools;  or  who  is  not  familiar  with  the  daring  conceptions  of advanced modern science. But to that one  who  has  mastered  the  ancient  wisdom-teachings,  and  who  has  likewise  become  acquainted with the best of modern advanced scientific thought, there will seem nothing strange about these  statements. The ancient  teachings  taught  positively  that  there  was  present  and  active  Sex  in  all Manifested Creation; and Modern Science is  beginning  to  teach  that  the  evidence  of  the  presence  of  Sex  in  every  Thing  is  conclusive.

The  ancient  teachings,  which  were  later  embodied  in  the  early  Rosicrucian  teachings,  held  that  in  order  that  there might  be  Becoming,  Change,  or  Creation,  there  must  be  Re-action  following  Action—the  play  of  one  force  on another.

And  the  best  teachings  of  the  ancients  were  that  these  two  opposing forces  in  Nature  were  Masculine, and Feminine, respectively—dual aspects of the  Universal  Being.  And  Modern  Science  is  fast  coming  to recognize  and  teach  the  same  great  truth. The  best  teachings  of  modern  science  is  that  there  is  a  stimulating  or  fertilizing  activity  in  nature which  acts  upon a  generative  force,  the  latter  reacting  upon  the  former.  And,  at  the  other  end  of  the  material  scale,  we  find  the teaching  that  the  atom  (once  supposed  to  be  the  ultimate  form  of  matter)  is  now  discovered  to  be  composed  of  a multitude  of  electrons,  corpuscles,  or  ions  (different  names  for  the  same  thing)  revolving  around  each  other  at  a tremendous rate of  motion.  It was  formerly  supposed  that the electrons simply revolved one around another, and that all were alike in  character  and nature;  but  the  later  discoveries  show  that  the  formation of the atom is  due  rather  to  the  action  of  numerous circling positive (or "male") electrons around a central  negative  (or "female") electron, the positive (or "male") electrons  seemingly  exerting  a  peculiar  effect  upon  the  negative  (or  "female")  electron,  causing  her  to  put  forth certain  energies  which  result  in  the  "generation"  of  the  atomic  structure.

This is  in  perfect  accordance with the  old  Rosicrucian  doctrine  that the  "positive"  pole  of  magnetism  and electricity  (for  both  were  well  known  to  the  ancient  alchemists)  was  "masculine,"  and  that  the  "negative"  pole  of the  same  was  "feminine."  But, unfortunately, the terms "positive" and "negative,"  respectively  are  used  with  the wrong implication and  much  confusion  results  therefrom.  For  instance,  the  term  "positive"  is used to indicate strength and reality, as opposed to  weaknesses  and  unreality  of  the  "negative."  But  the  real  facts of physical science show us the falsity of such an interpretation of these terms. The so-called  "negative" pole of the battery is really the pole  of generation or the  production of new forms and energies—the best  authorities  now  prefer  to use the  term  "the  cathode  pole"  in  place  of  "the  negative;"  the  word  "cathode"  being  derived  from  the  Greek  word meaning  "descent;  the  path  of  generation,"  etc.  From  the  "cathode"  pole  of  the  battery  emerge  the  great  swarms  of electrons,  ions,  or  corpuscles;  and  from  the  same  pole  also  emerge the wonderful "rays" which have played such an  important  part  in  modern  physics.  The  "cathode"  pole  of  the  battery  is  the  Mother  of  all  that  strange  brood  of new  forms  of  matter  which  have  appeared  to  confute  the  old materialistic  theories,  and  to  destroy  the  old  conceptions  of  science.  The  "cathode"  pole  should,  in  reality  and truth,  be  called  the  "female"  pole;  and  the  "positive"  the  "male,"  for  such  terms  truly  represent  their  true respective  offices.

Modern  science  also  teaches  that  the  electrons  which  are  "composed of negative (female) electricity," frequently becomes  detached  from  its  male  companion  corpuscles,  and  starts  on  an  independent  career.  It  seeks  a  union  with a  masculine  corpuscle,  and  gaining  it  a  new  set  of  creative  activity  is  begun. When the female corpuscle unites with the new  masculine  one a  strange  phenomenon  occurs;  the  corpuscles  began  vibrating  and  circling  around each  other,  and  the  result  is the birth of  a  new  atom  in  which  is  combined  the  masculine  and feminine energies in some particular  proportion.  The  atom,  thus formed, does not manifest the properties of  free  electricity  but manifests  an  entirely  new  set  of  properties. The process of detachment  of  the  feminine  electrons  is  called "ionization;"  and arising  from  such  detachments  and  the  formation  of  new  unions  result  the  varied phenomena of heat,  light,  electricity,  magnetism, etc.

In the same way, the varied phenomena of "chemical  attraction"  and  "chemical  affinity"  arise  from  the manifestation  of  Sex  on  the  atomic  plane,  though  science  has  not  as  yet  perceived  this to be the  truth.  Science teaches  that  there  are  "marriages,  divorces, and  re-marriages"  among  the  atoms,  but  it  hesitates  to  go  further  and assert  that  this  is  a  part  of  the  universal  Sex manifestation—but this  announcement  must come in time for  the evidence  is  overwhelmingly  convincing. The  explosive  properties  of  certain  substances really result from  a "divorce" of  the  atomic  and  molecular  parties—the  detachment  of  the  male  and  female  particles  under  the  influence  of  a stronger  attraction; and the formation of  the  different  substances  result  from the attractive unions of  certain  male and  female  elements  of  matter. Alchemy  has  always  known  this  to  be  a  fact;  it  remains  for  modern  science  to corroborate  and  re-affirm  the  "vagaries" of the old alchemists regarding this  important  fact  of  nature.

It  has  always  been  admitted  by  science  that  there  was  Sex  manifest in plant-life  as  well  as  by  animal-life,  but  the mineral-life was not given the benefit of the manifestation of the  universal  principle  of  Sex.  But  recent discoveries  have  forced  upon  scientists  the  fact  that  in  the  crystallization  of  minerals  there is an  unmistakable evidence  of  the  presence  and  activity  of  Sex,  and  in  the  near  future  it  will  be  found  that  all  the  other changes in minerals are the result of Sex-attraction or  repulsion. And, as we shall see  in  a  subsequent  chapter  of  this  book, there is present  the  activity  of  Sex  on  the  mental  planes  of  life.

In  short,  on  each  and  every  plane  of  Life,  physical,  mental,  or  spiritual  there  is  found  present  and  active  the Universal  Principle  of  Sex,  in  some  of  its  phases  and  forms.  Sex cannot be escaped in Nature—the Universe is BiSexual, and all  Creation,  on every plane, is caused by Sex and Sex only. A full  understanding of this important fact would  revolutionize  the  conceptions  of  modern  science,  and  render  practicable  many  important  ideas  which now  exist  merely  as  dreams  in  the  minds  of  the  advanced  scientists.  To  those  who  cannot  see  this  plainly, we would  say:  It  is  admitted  that  all  physical  and  mental  phenomena  depend  for  activity  upon  the  Law  of Attraction. When  it  is  discovered  that  the  law  of  Attraction  proceeds  along  the  lines  of  Sex,  and  Sex alone,  then  it  is  seen  that  all  activity  is  Sex-Activity.

Had  the  World-Soul  remained  Neuter,  there  would  have  been  no  Universal  Manifestation  or  Creation.  It  was necessary  that  the  Principle  of  Sex  should  appear,  in  order  that  Creation  should  begin.  It  is  only  by  the  constant and  continuous  action  and reaction of the  Two  Sex  Principles in Nature  that  Creation, Process, Becoming,  and Change  is  possible—and  as  all  Things  are but the products of Change, Process, Becoming, and Creation, it follows that  without  Sex  there  would  have  been  no  Things  in  the  Universe—and  in  that  even  the  World  Soul would  have  abided  apart,  alone,  and  single  until  the  end  of  its  days.  With  the  introduction  of  Sex  came  the beginning  of  Generation  and  Creation,  under  which the One became  the  Many and Sameness became  Variety  and Diversity.  The  ancient  teachings furnish  the  only  logical  explanation  of  Creation.  The  One  becomes  the  Two,  and from  the  Two  proceed  the  Many.