Interpretation of Rosicrucian Fellowship
Hymns
The Rosicrucian Fellowship Opening Hymn
Words by Max
Heindel
(Tune: "Sweet Hour of Prayer")
Each star that in its orbit goes
Law steadfast and eternal shows.
Expressions, are the stars, of God,
Unchangeable as ebb and flood.
The marching orbs in circle dance,
Through time and space each year advance
The harmony of rolling spheres
Resounds in cosmos through the years.
Man's ignorance of Cosmic Law
Caused discord, then came death and woe;
Now trouble, sorrow, grief must reign
Till harmony prevails again.
We've met to study Nature's Law,
We seek eternal truth to know,
And with such truth as we may find
We hope to serve and free mankind.
Let's strive to know that we may do.
What lifts, ennobles, is right and true.
With love to all and hate to none,
Let's shun no duty that should be done.
For knowing how to act aright,
And doing it from morn till night,
From day to day and year to year,
We conquer self and sin and fear.
With reason's torch we search for truth
To restore the harmony, life, and youth;
For reason's torch when thus applied
In wisdom's quest is safest guide.
If we persist' though oft we fail,
In time our efforts shall prevail
To end the discord and dispel
All evil with harmony's rhythmic swell.
Interpretation of Rosicrucian Fellowship Hymns
The Sunday Evening Service at
Headquarters always begins with those in attendance singing what is called
the "Rosicrucian Opening Hymn." The music of this hymn is written in the
Key of D Major, two sharps. This key sounds the power of the Libran life
wave, the Lords of Individuality; consequently it assists the individual
in acquiring balance, justice, courtesy, and hopefulness. This life wave
is dominated by the vibratory power of the planet Venus, which embodies
love, harmony, and unity and carries a binding, cohesive force.
The key of D Major, dominated by Venus
love, may be likened to a tuning fork. When its tone is struck all other
tuning forks within radius of its vibratory waves (those in the audience)
will sing in unison if of identical pitch.
Note that the key power of Venus, which
dominates the Libran life wave, is i>love. Love is correlated to the
second aspect of God and man. Man therefore responds to this love power
when it is sounded in the keynote of Libra, probably very faint at first;
but gradually this continually sounding force will awaken the love power
in man, and in time will develop its full expression, which includes
harmony and unity. This much to be desired result accounts for the reason
why every Sunday evening without fail the Rosicrucian Opening Hymn is
sung.
The words of this hymn were written by
Max Heindel and contain much illuminating information. Let us examine its
stanzas and find just what they do contain:
"Each star that in its orbit goes."
Here we are told that each star (the body of a mighty individual) has a
separate and distinct path in the heavens all its very own.
"Law steadfast and eternal shows." Here
we learn that the path of each star is directed and governed by cosmic
law, unvarying and steadfast in nature.
"Expressions are the stars of God." Now
we learn that each star expresses not only some particular power of the
God by Whom it was created but that there was a definite purpose for its
creation.
"Unchangeable as ebb and flood." The
path of these stars in the sky does not change, neither does the
particular power which it embodies; but on and on, unvaryingly, it
expresses the God power within itself, thereby accomplishing the spiritual
results for which it was created.
"The marching orbs in circle dance."
Although apparently stationary in the sky the stars are continually
changing their positions, and their general path takes the form of a
circle around a central point which is the center of the consciousness of
God, the Creator.
"Through time and space each year
advance." These star paths, although circular, are also spiral, for they
continually advance through space.
"The harmony of rolling spheres." Their
true form is spherical and they revolve each on its own axis. Each star
emits a harmonic tone which is in perfect accord with the tones produced
by all the other stars.
"Resounds in Cosmos through the years."
The music of the spheres goes on and on as long as manifestation lasts,
and it permeates the entire solar system. Furthermore, should the harmony
fail for one single moment the whole solar system would crumble and
disintegrate.
"Man's ignorance of Cosmic Law." Man
does not know all of the laws pertaining to the Cosmos, but he has
persistently refused to obey those that were made known to him. See the
Ten Commandments, for example. Cosmic law has been made known to him as
fast as he was able to comprehend it.
"Caused discord, then came death and
woe." Man's refusal to obey the Ten Commandments is the principal source
of all discord and sorrow, and the cause of death as we know it
today.
"Now trouble, sorrow, grief must reign,
till harmony prevails again." Harmony cannot prevail until man has
incorporated the Ten Commandments into his being and lives them in his
daily life. He must also learn of the Law of Cause and Effect, coupled
with that of Rebirth.
"We've met to study nature's law." It
is only when we begin in real earnest to study Nature's laws, when we
learn to understand these laws and why it is necessary that we live in
accord with them, that we begin to make real spiritual progress.
"We seek eternal truth to know."
Meaning all things which are in exact accordance with actual facts, the
unchanging, ever operative laws of Nature all of which are animated by the
wili of Deity and are ceaselessly working toward bringing about perfection
in all that has been created in embryonic form.
"And with such truth as we may find, we
hope to serve and free mankind." When we have acquired an understanding
knowledge of God, His laws, the various processes of creation, what we
are, why we are here, the process of spiritual development, the eternal
Life of the spirit, the oneness of all created beings, then and then only
are we fairly well equipped to serve mankind. We may then become teachers
ready and willing to carry the message to all who are able to receive it
and free themselves from the false delusions which hold them
ensnared.
"Let's strive to know that we may do
what lifts, ennobles, is right and true." This knowledge cannot be gained
without effort. We must strive diligently if we would acquire it;
and when once it is acquired, it behooves us to live it if we
desire to be of real value in spreading the Light.
The words of this song as written by
Max Heindel when analyzed reveal as many deep spiritual truths as are to
be found in the opening hymn.
Nearer My God to Thee, when
played in the key of F Major, one flat, strikes the keynote of
Sagittarius, the Lords of Mind, who radiated from their own beings into
mankind the germ of mind. Any music played in this key will help to
develop the mind of man. When this song is played in G Major, one sharp,
which is the keynote of Capricorn, the archangelic life wave of which
Christ was the highest Initiate, the vibration set into action has a
direct effect on the further development of the desire body, as the
Archangels are experts at building form out of desire stuff, and are now
working with man from the invisible plane, influencing him subconsciously
in the way to build his desire body and how best to use it. Twice a day
those at Headquarters have an opportunity in united effort to take
advantage of the impetus given to mind development when Nearer My God
to Thee is being sung in the Chapel, as the key used in there is F
Major, which is one flat.
The Doxology sung in the chapel at the
close of the daily morning service is tuned to the key of G Major, which
has one sharp, F, the keynote of the Capricornians, who are Archangels.
The morning service thus closes with praise to God the Creator of our
solar system from all creatures here below and the heavenly hosts above,
not forgetting to remember the Father, highest Initiate of the
Sagittarians, Lords of Mind, the Son, Christ, highest Initiate of the
Capricornian lifewave, the Archangels, and the Holy Ghost, Jehovah, the
highest Initiate of the angelic life wave, all of which are working
faithfully to assist man in furthering his evolutionary
development.
It is a custom in churches or at
lectures to go up to the speaker at the close of the lecture and
compliment him. To follow this custom, many people feel forced to make
hypocrites of themselves, and if the compliments are not forthcoming, the
speaker feels he has not been appreciated. This is entirely wrong. There
is some good in the feeblest effort, and that good we should take. The one
who speaks usually gets the most benefit from the lecture, which should be
sufficient for him or her without expressions from others.... Many a good
and worthy man (or woman) has been lost because his (or her) appetite for
adulation grew as it was fed to them. Applause, when it is spontaneous,
shows that we have spoken to the emotions but when our innermost soul has
been touched we are speechless, for there are no words adequate to express
what we then feel. Therefore, a speaker should discourage expressions
concerning his effort, and auditors should refrain from giving them....
Here on Mt. Ecclesia no word is spoken, either of praise or blame, no
matter who the speaker. We are learning not to discuss lectures, but to
take that which has been given regardless of the source, for what we think
it is worth to us.
--Echoes, March, 1914
"For knowing how to act aright, and
doing it from morn till night, from day to day, and year to
year we conquer self and sin and fear." It is not only necessary that we
know how to act right, but we must practice right action -- not
just off and on, when we feel like it, but each and every day, year after
year When we have proved diligent in service, lovingly rendered, the just
reward is most surely ours, for by conquering self, and sin, and fear, we
have at last gained freedom from our physical body and have become indeed
and in truth free -- the Initiate who is free to travel at will wherever
he desires, untrammeled by the weight of a cumbersome physical body. Even
the Initiate, however, is not free from giving loving service in the
Physical World; he is only better equipped to render it, for: "With
reason's torch we search for truth to restore the harmony, life, and
youth." Equipped with the light of true reason (will power attribute) the
Initiate sets about to use his increased powers to restore harmony, life,
and youth to the world, by teaching that a knowledge of God and the cosmic
laws governing our solar system assists each individual to live in harmony
with his fellow man, prolongs his life, and restores his buoyant youthful
perspective on his future attainments.
"For reason's (will's) torch
(light) when thus applied, in wisdom's (love's) quest (search) is
safest guide." Loving self- forgetting service to others is
the shortest, the safest, and the most joyful road to God.
"If we persist, though oft we fail, in
time our efforts shall prevail to end the discord and dispel all evil with
harmony's rhythmic swell," Blessed assurance! If we persist, even though
we may fail in our tests (learning our lessons) from time to time, our
efforts shall prevail, and all discord and evil in ourselves and
all the world will be overcome by the orderly application of the power of
love (harmony's rhythmic swell.)
The words of this song when carefully
analyzed are found to contain the entire formula of Initiation.
Our closing hymn, God Be With You
Till We Meet Again, is tuned to the keynote of D flat Major, which
sounds the tone of the Aryan life wave, which is the most advanced of the
twelve, including our own, and this tone leaves the audience at the very
throne of God. Is there any wonder that Max Heindel, who knew an this,
requested that the friends leave the Chapel without disturbing the
vibration by talking?
Rosicrucian Fellowship Closing Hymn
Words by Max Heindel
(Tune: "God Be With
You Till We Meet Again")
God be with you till we meet again;
In His love
each day abide you;
That His wisdom's Light may guide you;
God be
with you till we meet again.
REFRAIN:
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet' the
Rosy Cross to greet,
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you
till we meet again.
God be with you in your hour of joy;
With life's
choicest gifts to bless you,
With no sorrow to oppress you,
Then may
Service give you added joy.
God be with you in your hour of pain,
When
temptations surge around you,
With helpful thoughts we will surround
you,
Till your darkness turns to light again.
God be with you till we meet again
At the Cross
with Roses garnished;
May our lives be pure, untarnished,
Till the
Rosy Cross we greet again.
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