The Symbols on Our Literature
Echoes from Mount Ecclesia
January 1919
The Symbols on Our Literature
LIZZIE GRAHAM
How often have we looked at the cover of the Cosmo-Conception and our other publications and perhaps remarked that it was a good design and quite unique, and wondered who made it up, and if it meant anything at all. The following are the thoughts of one who has often tried to interpret it.
At the foot of the cover is the fleur-de-lis, the emblem of the Trinity - Father, Son and Spirit - but as only the Father and Spirit were active at the time here represented, we find but two of the petals colored with red, thus showing energy.
The beings created we see as a stream flowing upwards, provided for a time with but two bodies, the dense and the vital, but after a time the desire body is added and is shown by the red appearing in the ascending stream.
Although each stream looks alike outwardly, they are vastly different, the one on the left being known in our literature as the Sons of Cain. They are full of positive energy and are the craftsman of the world, the phree-messen, who carve their way through life, rather enjoying the obstacles which they know strengthen the character. They work through the intellect, as is shown by the lamp from the flame of which proceeds nine rays, showing the positive path chosen by the esoteric student.
The other stream develops the heart side of life and the divine flame proceeding from it shows but eight rays, a negative path. Those following it, desiring that they should have a leader, someone to follow, someone to worship, they are the churchmen of the world who obey the teachings of their leaders.
Each stream of life flows onward side by side till a time comes when the wise and loving ones guiding the evolution, decide that to hasten progress it is necessary that the two unite and plan that this shall be accomplished by the building of a Temple for the worshipers by the craftsmen and that both streams would unite in a Mystical Molten Sea. We can see the wonderful impulse by the chalice raised from each and filled with the red wine of life. You will read the story of this in the building of Solomon's Temple. This plan was frustrated by the treachery of the Sons of Seth - those on the right. And after this each swung further away from the other than before.
A serious condition now is shown in which some appear to fall away entirely through materialism. But still the race lives on, the churchman and the scientist, the mystic and the occultist, each pursuing their own path independent of the other, till a stage of such materialism is reached that the spiritual guiders see grave dangers ahead. To prevent the plan of evolution being defeated, a great destruction of the human bodies is permitted - the present war (World War 1) - which for a time looks as if it would wipe humanity off the earth. See the break in each stream. But this calamity has the desired effect, we now see again great force and each stream turned directly towards the other, where they may shortly unite as one.
At the foot of the page we find another symbol, so small that you may have overlooked it. Here is a small black cross, that represents the physical body. In the enlarged head of the cross is seen the heart. Heart and head have united and the result is shown in the spreading ray - the resultant soul body.
Still another emblem occupies the center of the page - the Rose Cross. The lower limb represents the plant life, which draws its sustenance from its roots. At one time of our existence we were plant-like. The cross piece is the emblem of our passage through the animal stage with its horizontal spine. The upper limb is the symbol of mind which is a human attribute and the radiant star represents the golden wedding garment which shall make us divine.