This is
the forth chapter of the book “The Secret Doctrine of the
Rosicrucians.”
THE
UNIVERSAL ANDROGYNE
In the Secret Doctrine of the
Rosicrucians, we find the following Third Aphorism:
“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."
(I have not seen the genuine Rosicrucian
teachings speak of androgyny.)
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.
Figure 5. Symbol of the Universal
Androgyne.
(As far as I know, figure 5 represents
the four elements, and in ancient Mediterranean culture the symbol of Venus was
used to represent femininity and the symbol of Mars to represent masculinity,
and therefore the androgynous is a combination of both.)
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".
Figure 6. Symbol of the Phallic
Cross.
(What William Atkinson calls the
"phallic cross" is known as ankh and in ancient Egypt it represented
life, fertility and immortality.)
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.
(That is not true, you do not see a
cross but a shaded disk.)
Figure 7. Symbol of the Swastica.
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.
(I suspect this asseveration is being
made up by William Atkinson because I have not seen such the swastika in the
ancient Rosicrucian texts.)
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."
(This is not true, the
name of the Rosicrucian Order comes from its founder Christian Rosenkreuz, and
the symbol of the Rosicrucians was originally a small cross within a large
rose.
And it was individuals
who no longer knew about occult symbology who later altered this symbol
transforming it into a large cross with a small rose in the middle.)
ALL IS SEX
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.
(What Atkinson says is false since there
are no male atoms that mate with female atoms to procreate baby atoms, cells
and microorganisms do not reproduce that way either, minerals are not divided
by sex; and the masters explained that the realms higher than human have no gender.)
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.
(I do not know what ancient esoteric
teachings and modern sciences William Atkinson studied, because in none of
those disciplines I have seen them say such a thing.)
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.
(Here William
Atkinson confuses sex with polarity, because to make a creation effectively the
unit is required to diversify into various polarities, but that does not mean
that sex is everywhere, since for example:
Matter and
antimatter are not male and female because when matter and antimatter touch,
they disintegrate and transform into energy, but when a woman touches a man,
they do not disintegrate and transform into energy.
Another example:
day and night are not male and female either, since when the sunlight appears,
the darkness of the night disappears. On the other hand, when the man appears,
the woman does not disappear.
And so there are
many examples that show that sex is one polarity, but that the other polarities
are not equal to sex.)
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.
(Here William Atkinson is very lost in
the way particles are composed and act.)
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.
(Here William Atkinson mistakes sex for
opposite charges.)
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.
(What he says is false)
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.
(Ionization produces electricity and
magnetism, but not heat which is produced by the vibration of molecules, and
light is produced by photons.)
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 reaffirm the "vagaries" of the old alchemists
regarding this important fact of nature.
(I get the impression
that William Atkinson was obsessed with sex because he saw sex everywhere, and
here once again he is wrong since chemical phenomena are not due to
"repulsions or sexual attractions" between substances, but because of
the molecular properties that these substances contain. And although a certain
similarity can be verified, the mechanisms are very different.)
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.
(The appearance of crystals is not
similar to sexual reproduction, nor are the changes in minerals.)
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 Bi-Sexual, 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.
(So spiritual elevation through chastity
is also a sexual activity... What a mess William Atkinson makes with the
concepts he handles!)
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.
(Here Atkinson confuses sex with the law
of action and reaction.)
And as all Things are but the
products of Change, Process, Becoming, and Creation, it follows that without
Sex there would have been to Things in the Universe — and in that even the
World Soul would have abided apart, alone, and single until the end of its days.
(And here he confuses sex with
diversification.)
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.
OBSERVATIONS
This is not a Rosicrucian teaching
but it is the concept that William Atkinson had about what he considered
"the universal law of sex" and which he spoke extensively in his book
The Kybalion, but there it was “the
seventh aphorism and a hidden teaching of Hermeticism,” which is also false.
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