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A.'. A.'.
Official publication in Class C.
Issued by Order:
D.D.S. 7ø = 4ø
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N.S.F. 5ø = 6ø

{Illustration opposite to this page: A collotype in gray-blackon an
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The figure is vertical, frontal with hood down and triangleatop forehead.
Left arm hangs down vertically. Right hand with indexfinger to lips in
gesture of silence, other fingers closed under thumband palm facing left.
Feet are bare and placed heel nearly to heel at rightangles with right
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AN ACCOUNT OF A.'. A.'.

[The Revisers wish to acknowledge gratefully
the translation of Madame de Steiger, which
they have freely quoted.]
 

IT is necessary, my dear brothers, to give you a clearidea of the interior
Order; of that illuminated community which is scatteredthroughout the
world, but which is governed by one truth and unitedin one spirit.

This community possesses a School, in which all who thirstfor
knowledge are instructed by the Spirit of Wisdom itself;and all the
mysteries of nature are preserved in this school forthe children of light.
Perfect knowledge of nature and of humanity is taughtin this school. It
is from her that all truths penetrate into the world;she is the school of
all who search for wisdom, and it is in this communityalone that truth and
the explantation of all mystery are to be found. It isthe most hidden of
communities, yet it contains members from many circles;nor is there any
Centre of Thought whose activity is not due to the presenceof one of
ourselves. From all time there has been an exterior schoolbased on the
interior one, of which it is but the outer expression.From all time,
therefore, there has been a hidden assembly, a societyof the Elect, of
those who sought for and had capacity for light, andthis interior
society was the Axle of the R.O.T.A. All that any externalorder possesses
in symbol, ceremony, or rite is the letter expressiveoutwardly of that
spirit of truth which dwelleth in the interior Sanctuary.Nor is the
contradiction of the exterior any bar to the harmonyof the interior.

Hence this Sanctuary, composed of members widely scatteredindeed but
united by the bonds of perfect love, has been occupiedfrom the earliest
ages in building the grand Temple (through the evolutionof humanity) by
which the reign of L.V.X. will be manifest. This societyis in the
communion of those who have most capacity for light;they are united in
truth, and their Chief is the Light of the World himself,V.V.V.V.V., the
One Anointed in Light, the single teacher for the humanrace, the Way, the
Truth, and the Life.

The interior Order was formed immediately after the firstperception
of man's wider heritage had dawned upon the first ofthe adepts; it
received from the Masters at first-hand the revelationof the means by
which humanity could be raised to its rights and deliveredfrom its misery.
It received the primitive charge of all revelation andmystery; it received
the key of true science, both divine and natural.

But as men multiplied, the frailty of man necessitatedan exterior
society which veiled the interior one, and concealedthe spirit and the
truth in the letter, because many people were not capableof comprehending
great interior truth. Therefore, interior truths werewrapped in external
and perceptible ceremonies, so that men, by the perceptionof the outer
which is the symbol of the interior, might by degreesbe enabled safely to
approach the interior spiritual truths.

But the inner truth has always been confided to him whoin his day had
the most capacity for illumination, and he became thesole guardian of the
original Trust, as High Priest of the Sanctuary.

When it became necessary that interior truths should beenfolded in
exterior ceremony and symbol, on account of the realweakness of men who
were not capable of hearing the Light of Light, thenexterior worship
began. It was, however, always the type or symbol ofthe interior, that is
to say, the symbol of the true and Secret Sacrament.

The external worship would never have been separated frominterior
revel but for the weakness of man, which tends too easilyto forget the
spirit in the letter; but the Masters are vigilant tonote in every nation
those who are able to receive light, and such personsare employed as
agents to spread the light according to man's capacityand to revivify the
dead letter.

Through these instruments the interior truths of the Sanctuarywere
taken into every nation, and modified symbolically accordingto their
customs, capacity for instruction, climate, and receptiveness.So that the
external types of every religion, worship, ceremoniesand Sacred Books in
general have more or less clearly, as their object ofinstruction, the
interior truths of the Sanctuary, by which man will beconducted to the
universal knowledge of the one Absolute Truth.

The more the external worship of a people has remainedunited with the
spirit of esoteric truth, the purer its religion; butthe wider the
difference between the symbolic letter and the invisibletruth, the more
imperfect has become the religion. Finally, it may be,the external
form has entirely parted from its inner truth, so thatceremonial
observances without soul or life have remained alone.

In the midst of all this, truth reposes inviolable inthe inner
Sanctuary.

Faithful to the spirit of truth, the members of the interiorOrder
live in silence, but in real activity.

Yet, besides their secret holy work, they have from timeto time
decided upon political strategic action.

Thus, when the earth was night utterly corrupt by reasonof the Great
Sorcery, the Brethren sent Mohammed to bring freedomto mankind by the
sword.

This being but partially a success, they raised up oneLuther to teach
freedom of thought. Yet this freedom soon turned intoa heavier bondage
than before.

Then the Brethren delivered unto man the knowledge ofnature, and the
keys thereof; yet this also was prevented by the GreatSorcery.

Now then finally in nameless ways, as one of our Brethrenhath it now
in mind to declare, have they raised up One to deliverunto men the keys of
Spiritual Knowledge, and by His work shall He be judged.

This interior community of light is the reunion of allthose capable
of receiving light, and it is known as the Communionof Saints, the
primitive receptacle for all strength and truth, confidedto it from all
time.

By it the agents of L.V.X. were formed in every age, passingfrom the
interior to the exterior, and communicating spirit andlife to the dead
letter, as already said.

This illuminated community is the true school of L.V.X.;it has its
Chair, its Doctors; it possesses a rule for students;it has forms and
objects for study.

It has also its degrees for successive development togreater
altitudes.

This school of wisdom has been for ever most secretlyhidden from the
world, because it is invisible and submissive solelyto illuminated
government.

It has never been exposed to the accidents of time andto the weakness
of man, because only the most capable were chosen forit, and those who
selected made no error.

Through this school were developed the germs of all thesublime
sciences, which were first received by external schools,then clothed in
other forms, and hence degenerated.

According to time and circumstances, the society of sagescommunicated
unto the exterior societies their symbolic hieroglyphs,in order to attract
man to the great truths of their Sanctuary.

But all exterior societies subsist only by virtue of thisinterior
one. As soon as external societies wish to transforma temple of wisdom
into a political edifice, the interior society retiresand leaves only the
letter without the spirit. It is thus that secret externalsocieties of
wisdom were nothing but hieroglyphic screens, the truthremaining
inviolable in the Sanctuary so that she might never beprofaned.

In this interior society man finds wisdom and with herAll --- not the
wisdom of this world, which is but scientific knowledge,which revolves
round the outside but never touches the centre (in whichis contained all
strength), but true wisdom, understanding and knowledge,reflections of the
supreme illumination.

All disputes, all controversies, all the things belongingto the false
cares of this world, fruitless discussions, useless germsof opinions which
spread the seeds of disunion, all error, schisms, andsystems are banished.
Neither calumny nor scandal is known. Every man is honoured.Love alone
reigns.

We must not, however, imagine that this society resemblesany secret
society, meeting at certain times, choosing leaders andmembers, united by
special objects. All societies, be what they may, canbut come after this
interior illuminated circle. This society knows noneof the formalities
which belong to the outer rings, the work of man. Inthis kingdom of power
all outward forms cease.

L.V.X. is the Power always present. The greatest man ofhis times,
the chief himself, does not always know all the members,but the moment
when it is necessary that he should accomplish any objecthe finds them in
the world with certainty ready to his hand.

This community has no outside barriers. He who may bechosen is as
the first; he presents himself among the others withoutpresumption, and he
is received by the others without jealousy.

It if be necessary that real members should meet together,they find
and recognize each other with perfect certainty.

No disguise can be used, neither hypocrisy nor dissimulationcould
hide the characteristic qualities which distinguish themembers of this
society. All illusion is gone, and things appear in theirtrue form.

No one member can choose another; unanimous choice isrequired.
Though not all men are called, many of called are chosen,and that as soon
as they become fit for entrance.

Any man can look for the entrance, and any man who iswithin can teach
another to seek for it; but only he who is fit can arrivewithin.

Unprepared men occasion disorder in a community, and disorderis not
compatible with the Sanctuary. Thus it is impossibleto profane the
Sanctuary, since admission is not formal but real.

Worldly intelligence seeks this Sanctuary in vain; fruitlessalso will
be the efforts of malice to penetrate these great mysteries;all is
indecipherable to him who is not ripe; he can see nothing,read nothing in
the interior.

He who is fit is joined to the chain, perhaps often wherehe though
least likely, and at a point of which he knew nothinghimself.

To become fit should be the sole effort of him who seekswisdom.

But there are methods by which fitness is attained, forin this holy
communion is the primitive storehouse of the most ancientand original
science of the human race, with the primitive mysteriesalso of all
science. It is the unique and really illuminated communitywhich is
absolutely in possession of the key to all mystery, whichknows the centre
and source of all nature. It is a society which unitessuperior strength
to its own, and counts its members from more than oneworld. It is the
society whose members form the republic of Genius, theRegent Mother of the
whole World.
 

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