PIKES PEAK ATRIUM GROUP LEADER'S MESSAGE

Greetings Fratres and Sorores!!

We just completed a wonderful Mystical Retreat in Colorado Springs focused on symbolism. I’d like to share some of the highlights, then expound a little more on symbolism in general. Rich Harmon did a great job with his opening presentation, “When Words Fail.” Words can be great symbols of everyday life, whether esoteric or exoteric. But words themselves convey only a small percentage of what we wish to communicate. Rich led us on a magical adventure to look for meaning in the rituals of motions – of body language, and in the awareness of how we move, in the smallest details of how we do anything. When we become aware of ourselves, of our motions, we can prepare ourselves for and accomplish so much more!

Terry Orlikoski next gave an in-depth presentation on “Tabula Smaragdina Hermetis”, the Emerald Tablet of Hermes. This contained explanations of a great many symbols and how they can be related, both from an alchemical and from an astrological standpoint. Terry related several other correspondences, and included Isaac Newton’s translation of the Emerald Tablet. This presentation could be a foundation from which many more enlightening discussions and experiences can be derived. David Schloegel followed with a presentation that focused on differences between actuality and reality. Objects and events in our universe emit vibrations over such a broad spectrum compared to the spectrum we can receive through our senses that we have at best a very limited idea of actuality. Our reality cannot hope to encompass everything there is. We can enhance our understanding with symbols. And we can broaden our reality by developing other senses than the five we have in our physical bodies. David concluded his presentation with an exercise to develop our intuition or second sight, using symbols to help convey thoughts telepathically. This exercise can become a great starting point for further research and psychic development.

Ed Elton next presented his discourse on Mystical Axioms, rules which govern the Universe on a mystical level. When mastered through mediation and practical exercises, these axioms help us understand and use the relationships between the physical and spiritual worlds to further our own Cosmic development.

Dave Wheeler concluded the first day’s presentations with “Cross-Cultural Symbolism”, starting with and using a story of how he was raised in South America, examining some of the symbolism in an indigenous culture and comparing it to the symbolism of our own. He presented questions to encourage an open-minded approach to investigating other cultures, looking for ways to learn from them rather than assuming that our own familiar symbolism applies equally everywhere. He concluded with an invitation for non-member guests to join us in our Rosicrucian investigations, to pursue symbolism and mysticism at a deeper level.

Our Mystical Retreat continued later that evening with the special symbolism of an Atrium Convocation, then centered the next day around the symbolism of a Lodge Temple and Convocation. We can find symbolism everywhere we look, Fratres and Sorores. And we can apply those symbols in ways that enhance our lives and the lives of those around us. If something somebody says or does makes little or no sense to us, it behooves us to look deeper, to search for the assumptions we have made regarding their words and actions, then to discover what that person really meant and to grow ourselves from the experience.

Wars have been fought because people and nations could not or would not understand cultural differences, the differences that could have been overcome with a little more patient study of the way other people interpret symbols. Let us devote ourselves further to that study, both to enhance our own knowledge and experiences, and to help promote Peace, both on a personal and on a global scale.

Peace Profound to you all!

Dave Wheeler

Group Leader, Pikes Peak Atrium