p. 63The Magi

The first secret society of which, up to the present date, we have an historical account, were the Magi in the eastern part of Asia, away back in the early dawn of history. Aristotle asserts that the Magi antedate the foundation of the kingdom of Egypt, which antedates the time of Abraham. Magus or Majus is derived from Maya or Maja, the mirror wherein Brahma, according to Indian mythology, “from all eternity beholds himself and his perfections.” Magi is often translated “wise men,” as in the Gospel where mention is made of the “wise men” who came to adore the Messiah. But these three wise men or kings did not belong to the class mentioned in this article. Some writers of ancient history assert that Zoroaster was the founder of the Magi. Be that as it may, there was in ancient times a secret society which called itself the Magi. The candidate for initiation was prepared by numerous lustrations with fire, water and honey. He had to pass through seven stages of initiation. First, he beheld a deep and dangerous vault from the precipice where he stood, into which a single false step might throw him down to the “throne of dreadful necessity.” Groping his way through the mazes of the gloomy cavern, he soon beheld the sacred fire at intervals flash through the recesses and illuminate his path; he also heard the distant yelling of ravenous beasts, the roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the fierce and threatening bark of dogs. But his attendant, who maintained a profound silence, hurried him forward towards the quarter whence these sounds proceeded, and at the sudden opening of a door he found himself in a den of wild beasts, dimly lighted with a single lamp. He was immediately attacked by the initiated in the forms of lions, tigers, wolves, griffins, and other monstrous beasts, from whom he seldom escaped unhurt. Thence he passed into another cavern, shrouded in darkness, where he heard the terrific roaring of thunder, and saw vivid and continuous flashes of lightning, which in streaming sheets of fire rendered visible the flitting shades of avenging genii, resenting his intrusion into their chosen abodes. To restore the candidate a little he was next conducted into another apartment, where his excited feelings were soothed with melodious music and the flavor of delightful perfumes. On his expressing his readiness to proceed through the remaining ceremonies, a signal was given by his conductor, and three magi immediately made their appearance, one of whom cast a living serpent into his bosom as a token of regeneration; and, a private door having been opened, there issued forth such howlings and cries of lamentation and dismay, as struck him with new and indescribable emotions of terror. On turning his eyes to the place whence these noises proceeded, he beheld exhibited in every appalling form the torments of the wicked in Hades. Then he was passed through the devious labyrinth consisting of seven spacious vaults, connected by winding galleries, each opening with a narrow stone portal, the scene of some perilous adventure, until he reached the Sacellum, or Holy of Holies, which was brilliantly illuminated, and sparkled with gold and precious stones. A splendid sun and starry system moved in accordance with delicious music. The Archimagus sat in the east on a throne of burnished gold, crowned with a rich diadem decorated with myrtle boughs, and habited in a tunic of bright cerulean hue; around him were assembled the præsules and dispensers of the mysteries. By these the novice was received with congratulations, and after having entered into the usual engagement for keeping secret the rites of Zoroaster, the secrets were imparted to him. About the “Magi” of today the following from the Chicago Tribune for Sunday, February 7, 1898, is self-explaining:

“Quietly established in the heart of the city and continuing on its way without flourish of trumpets or undue blazonry of any sort is the Temple of Magi, representing the oldest religion in the world, the religion of the stars, or, more properly, a scientific religion, which makes it the religion of the entire universe. The basis of this religion is the heliocentric astrology, and it is applicable to the inhabitants of any planet, for, according to the philosophy taught here, there are other inhabited worlds than ours—notably Mars, Venus, and the moons of Jupiter, and Uranus. Revealed in the esoteric secrets of the order are many things hidden from the ordinary ken of man. It is claimed, for instance, that messages have been flashed from these other worlds to ours to the initiates of the order, the revelation of the astral light shining through space until the inhabitants of planets other than ours have sent word to their brethren here.”

“There is no doubt at all about other planets being inhabited,” said B. C. Peterson, G. M. of the jurisdiction of Chicago. “Of this we are aware and have full proof. The inhabitants of Mars are larger and more advanced in intelligence than we are here; those of Venus are smaller and not so far advanced in civilization; and those of the moons of Jupiter and Uranus are small in stature and are intellectual pigmies, together with an undeveloped religious sense. I cannot say that this knowledge is obtained in any one way in our order. We study the heliocentric system of astrology, believe in the nebular hypothesis, and we believe that every one who enters our fold will find the grand principles of mystic truth and a satisfactory solution to the four cardinal propositions with which all religions deal—origin, destiny, humanity, and divinity. Our order is a school of profound wisdom, not a college for polish and rhetoric. Many of our best members are independent men and women.”

“Interior Is Impressive

“An effort of the occult is borne in upon one immediately on entering the temple. The atmosphere is that of mysticism, for nothing is more certain than that the aura of the worshipers and students who assemble here invest the place so that its influence is perceptible to others. The banners, emblems and symbols on the walls are all significant and of immediate connection with the order. The most notable are the nine large blue charts or banners that hang on the walls, each covered with strange figures and pictures, and each signifying another and progressive step in the occultism of the order, and also representing the basic foundations of the system. These charts are respectively headed Crucimacicus, Magnetic, Sidereal, Taratology, Planetary, Formatic, Nebulæ, Geographical, and Comparative Sizes. Some of these charts, and others that appear in profusion about the room, are covered with a bewildering array of figures and symbols that cannot be understood save by those initiated into the secret inner orders, and it is not possible to obtain any account of their significance in the system. They are esoteric and their real meaning is never divulged even to any one who is a member of the order unless he takes those mystic inner and secret degrees.”

“There are altogether twelve of the outer degrees, all that are in most instances taken by those who join, for there is no encouragement given to undue haste, rather the initiate is cautioned against impatience and is counseled to make haste slowly and master one degree thoroughly before attempting to take another. These degrees are one for each sign of the zodiac, beginning with Libra and progressing throughout the system. The price for these degrees is $5, and it is advised for each one to take a year at least for each degree in order to master what is contained in it well. There are four of the inner or secret esoteric degrees, at $15 each, and those who rise to these reach a state of wisdom that is but rarely vouchsafed to mortals here. The foundations of this order extend into the mysteries of unknown worlds, dive into the secrets of earth and air, of fire and water, of millions of undiscovered suns, pierce the farthest recesses of the universe, and traverse not only the realm of the known as revealed in science and religion, but also the unlimited confines of that world of mystery which has in all ages been the goal of the philosopher, the mystic, the student, and the seeker after truth.”

“Know All Worth Knowing

“Viewed in the vast light thrown upon life and the visible world through the interpretation of these things all that has from time immemorial been transmitted to man by books and histories becomes trivial and inconsequential. By the side of the truths revealed here the Vedas, oldest of all the Bibles of all the religions, show that even they but partially convey the truth, for part of these books have been lost or mutilated in the course of ages, and they originally drew much of their information from these primary sources whence the students of the order today draw their information as from a well of truth at first hand. The foundation of this order is in the stars, and next to them come geology, mathematics, and chemistry, and on these is built the superstructure of the order, thus making it a universal religion, not only for the inhabitants of this world, but for those of other worlds as well. In taking the twelve degrees before mentioned an important step is taken each time in the development of the soul and mind, for each sign of the zodiac corresponds to some portion of the human body; hence, all these degrees, when taken together, make up the grand solar man, with Aries the head and Pisces the feet, meeting in the lower celestial meridian, and completing the esoteric significance of man as a microcosm.”

“In pursuing the study of the planets, many curious things are discovered in connection with them. For instance, each planet has its own distinct color, odor, and humor, and also each one has certain places or localities apportioned to it. Thus Hermes says that there is nothing like the fume of spermaceti for the raising of spirits, so that if a fume be made of spermaceti, lignum aloes, red storax, pepperwort, musk, and saffron, all tempered together with the blood of a lapwing, it will quickly gather airy spirits together, and if it be used about the graves of the dead it will gather together the spirits and ghosts of the dead.”

“Light holds an important place in the occult significance of the inner circle of the Magi. Originally emanating from the divine intelligence, it signifies life, holiness, purity, the visible splendor of the holy of holies, and in all its protean changes it retains throughout certain relations to spiritual qualities. Since the most immediate relation we can hold with the inhabitants of other worlds is through the communication with other planets, the worlds of our own system, it is natural that every color should have its value in relation to these. Thus black, brown, and earthy colors belong to Saturn; sapphire and airy colors and those which are green, purple, golden, or mixed with silver belong to Jupiter; red, flaming, and bloody colors relate to Mars; all white, fair, golden, and bright colors relate to the sun, and ruddy, saffron, and purple relate to Venus, Mercury, and the moon. Each sign of the zodiac also has its own peculiar fume. To Aries, myrrh; Taurus, pepperwort; Gemini, mastic; Cancer, camphor; Leo, frankincense; Virgo, sanders; Libra, galbanum; Scorpio, opoponax; Sagittarius, lignum aloes; Capricornus, benjamin; Aquarius, euphorbium; Pisces, red storax. In addition to these it may be interesting to give here the famous old formula of the great Hermes, said to be the most powerful in the world, compounded of the Seven Aromatics, according to the powers of the seven planets; from Saturn, pepperwort; from Jupiter, nutmeg; from Mars, lignum aloes; from the sun, mastic; from Venus, saffron; from Mercury, cinnamon; and from the moon, myrtle.”

“Just what relation all these details bear to the order it is not possible to tell here, as the intimate mystic significance they bear to the different degrees is part of the secrets of the Magi, but it should be borne in mind that not the slightest matter relating to every fact of nature is overlooked in this system. Everything has its meaning, like the characters of the old Hebrew alphabet, which are known by all the wise men to have the greatest efficacy of all, because they have the greatest similarity with the celestials and the other worlds, and this, too, accounts for the fact that the original Hebrew cannot be exactly translated in any other tongue, because the very form of the letters lose something of their value. The Chaldean and Greek tongues also observe something of this relation; the vowels in the Greek answering to the seven planets, and the rest are attributed to the twelve signs of the zodiac, the four elements, and the spirit of the world.”

“Numbers are not less mystical and important, the great mystical number being 142,857. The meaning of this occult number lies far within the study of the degree of taratology, but it is known that it may be obtained in the following manner: If we should start all the eight planetary bodies of our solar system, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—among which are exactly twenty-eight conjunctions, four sevens—at the first point of Aries, each traveling its orbit as now, the sums of the periods of their conjunctions will make the mystic number 142,857.”

“‘It may be,’ said Mr. Peterson, ‘that no one outside of the order will be able to grasp the ideas which we inculcate from a long and involved statement, and although our ground is so comprehensive we have no difficulty in giving it a simple formula like this:”

“Instead of God we use the word O. M. The universal spiritual intelligence.”

“Instead of creation we use the word evolution.”

“Instead of the word Adam we use the word protoplasm.”

“Instead of a new born soul we speak of a reborn soul.”

“Instead of created souls we speak of an evoluted soul force.”

“We speak of the other side as the astral life.”

“Instead of the resurrection of the physical body we speak of the reincarnation into new forms.”

“We believe in no vicarious atonement.”

“We believe that each being must work out his own salvation. We can only offer the facts of science and the proven laws of nature and life in place of the dogmas of the various churches.”

“We set reason ahead of faith, and knowledge ahead of unsupported assertions.”

“These propositions form the basis of our order, and to support and elucidate them we are able to call upon all the truths of astronomy, geology, chemistry, and mathematics, thereby coming in harmony with science where revealed religion combats it at every step. The world is slowly but surely working towards better things, a more rational and scientific understanding of the great truths of the universe, and since we are satisfied that sooner or later all will come to us we never proselyte—it is against our principles.’”

“The Order of the Magi is a secret order, as much so as the Masons; no meetings are public, and only initiates attend any convocation, hence it is impossible to describe in detail any of the rites used at any of them. But little is known or can be known by the public, but that little is sufficient to show the deep significance and solemnity of the convocations and the initiations. In the center of the temple stands the altar. This altar is covered with a black cloth with the zodiac embroidered on it in gold. In the four corners are the four suits of the deck of cards, the diamond for the quarter from Libra to Sagittarius, the spade from Capricornus to Pisces, the heart from Aries to Gemini, and the club from Cancer to Virgo. These cards each represent one of the seasons of the year, and the secret of their presence in a temple devoted to the search after truth is one little dreamed of by modern cardplayers and reads like a tale out of a story book. Cards were invented, says the authority of the Magi, over 20,000 years ago by the Atlantesans, the inhabitants of the lost Atlantis, and they were first used as a book of sacred symbols and were never intended for profane purposes, such, for instance, as our modern whist and progressive euchre parties, poker, and such uses.”

“This degradation of cards is akin to black magic, and no member of the order will play any game of cards. They have an astronomical foundation, and an astrological philosophy runs through them in this wise: There are thirteen cards in each suit, because there are thirteen lunar circuits in the year; there are fifty-two cards in a pack, because there are fifty-two weeks in a year; the spot value of all the cards added together makes 364, the number of days in a year in the old Gregorian calendar, and the joker was added to account for the extra day in leap year, thus accounting for the calendar as it now stands. A deck of cards was originally called the Sacred Text Book, and by far the most astonishing claim made by the order is that it is the book carried by the angel in Revelation. The chief prophecies relating to the order are found in Daniel and Revelation, and they claim that the mysterious prophecies in those books, concerning which theologians have never been able to agree, are understood and interpreted only in the order.”

“Each spot on every card has a definite meaning, and one of the first things the candidate does in receiving the first degree is to have his birth emblem read for him to discover its relation to his life.”

“It is not possible to tell here in full all the part which the cards play in the initiation of the new member and in the unfolding of the secrets of the order, for they are interwoven everywhere. Diamonds mean wealth and power, and they represent the autumn, the richest season of the year; the spade means labor, duty, and death, and stands for winter; the heart, ethics and religion, and stands for summer; clubs, life and energy, and represents Aries, the lamb, spring.”

“There are now in the world about 2500 members of the Order of the Magi, and most of these are in America; their identity is a secret, save to their fellow-members.”