[18]

EHEU HUMANITAS!

(RR Editor presents the following document without comment, simply because, far the second time in his life, speech fails him. The first time was when he choked on his false teeth after being publicly insulted by a Substantial Deacon of the Three-Seeds-in-the-Spirit Integrated Baptist Church of the Southwestern Diocese - and this is the second).

Dear Round Robin Editor: -

The following is a copy of the most astounding letter I have ever received - among some 85,000 in the last three decades. I have waited patiently for this doctor to phone me, but evidently he found a better way out of his troubles. I would have made a novel out of it if I could have contacted the doctor - so my one purpose in releasing it is general welfare. And to show how a fraud mind thinks.

Sincerely
Ed Bodin
(Authors' Agent,
545-5th Ave.,
N.Y.C. 17)

Dear Mr Bodin:

I have just read your book SCARE ME, and while your arguments are convincing, I don't think that you or anyone else will ever prove to the world that consciousness survives death. But I can prove it sufficiently to convince skeptics, if you will back me financially. It will take about 18 months.

I am a doctor facing bankruptcy. I want to retire to some secret laboratory where I can experiment on a new therapy which I have almost perfected. I need expensive equipment. I am positive of success within a year.

In lay terms, some years ago my left leg below the knee suffered a certain fracture, the scar of which still shows on X-ray photos. I have photos in my files. Recently while visiting a young student in the dissecting room of an eastern medical college, I noticed a leg bone showing the identical scar as mine. I took that bone unknown to anyone. I have it concealed. Examination shows it from a man approximately the same age and height as my own.

Here is what I would like to do. I will take a cruise to Cuba, and on board will complain of dizziness and a certain ailment. Then one night, with your arrangements, I will disappear from the boat, indicating having fallen overboard. You will have me secretly picked up, then hide me and disguise me in some mountain retreat where I can experiment on my new therapy.

My death will be reported, but the insurance company will hesitate about paying my sister who has my policy. (Last Christmas my sister gave me an expensive pair of garters with a metal clasp). My sister will try to collect my insurance, but she will be told, of course, that she has to wait several years.

A few weeks later you will arrange for a man-eating shark to be caught off the coast of Florida, and in the belly of that shark will supposedly be found the leg bone I mentioned, along with the metal [19] clasp from my garter. Both will be slightly decomposed to indicate having been in the shark's stomach for a certain period. I guarantee to fool the best doctors on that count. You will see that the newspapers play this up and report all these facts. This will reach my sister who will identify the leg and the garter. Then with the aid of the X-ray photos in my files and a good lawyer she can convince the insurance company that I am dead.

Now, my sister is susceptible to spiritualism. So you will arrange with a suitable medium; and about a year after my funeral (of the leg bone) this medium will report that he has gotten in touch with a spirit who asks for Emma at a certain address. She will come to the seance and through secret messages which I will give the medium, my sister will be convinced that she has contacted my ghost. I will tell her where certain money is buried and she will find it. This will be news enough to hit the front pages of the newspapers. The medium will hold more seances and you will bring friends of mine, and through messages I will furnish, they too will be absolutely convinced. Then, when the world is talking, I will advise the medium of my new therapy, which will be astounding world news.

Thus I will be the first spirit to return with proof and concrete value to humanity. You and your medium will be rich, and I will be satisfied as your unknown partner who will see a monument erected to his memory.

I will phone you in the near future unless plans are changed.

Cordially John Timothy Jones
(not my real name)

_______    _______

We have commented from time to time on the decline and loss of genius apparently suffered beyond the Veil; but once in a while a poem 'comes through' which at least has much of the true idiom. Chimes gives such a one, communicated through Owen Washburn of Guilford, Vermont, and called A New Poem, by William Blake.

Bring me my wings of high desire;
Cast out my loved but outworn dreams.
Armor my spirit! I aspire
To follow where my banner gleams!

My veins are quick with sparking wine,
With mingled blood and heavenly fire;
The victory and the spoil are mine;
Forward, till Death itself expire!

I cast aside my crown of thorns,
My earth-made, clinging robes of shame;
Blow, blow my rude-voiced battle horns!
Shout, soul of mine, your glorious name!

No conflict or defeat I fear;
Mine is the power that saves or slays;
Hark! sounding through the war I hear
Ten thousand spirits sing life's praise!

[20]

Correspondents - Contributors - Collaborators
(C - C - C)

If We Die Shall We Live Again? asks Round Robin friend ANNE HOWARD

"When I awakened I was still realizing the wonderful thing that had happened to me. My preparations for sleep had been as usual - I was going to sleep -

Then suddenly my hands which I had clasped over my head were no longer holding each other, instead each grasped a man's thumb. And I was not in my bed, I was somewhere in space with no support but thin air and those thumbs, and I could see nothing. And the thumbs twisted and tried to detach themselves, so that I screamed in fright - yet somehow knew that I was all right. Then a man's clear voice said;

"That scares you? Well, try these for a while!"

And he placed under my own hands which love has not let me forget - my mother's. They were hers by every perception of the spirit.

My fear slowly left me, to be replaced by a sense of complete rapport with her wonderful spirit - a feeling which can be understood only by those who have experienced it. From this state I passed, after a little time, into a deep sleep, which however lasted only a few moments . . . This is where my story began, and here in reverence to those I love in spirit, I end it."

___________    ___________

The Lord God of Truth Within. This is a book by "M", published by the Phoenix Press of Los Angeles - and MARY JUDITH HYDE sends us her notes about it. It's a posthumous sequel to The Dayspring of Youth, and teaches the reader "that if he will but aspire he will one day know God, which is also to know the conscious will of Nature. There is much in this book about the cooperation of the world of the Devas with humanity - and about the great Red American Initiate, and the new age that is already upon us . . . And it is easily read, which is something in these days of confusion."

The Candle of Vision, by "AE" (George Russell) is familiar to most of us, for insight and for sheer beauty of expression, and Mrs Hyde comments on this book also. "AE believes that the deity worshipped by the ancient seers was the Earth Spirit, and he apparently got this from the earth itself, through meditation out of doors on a 'high place.' And AE believes that one can desire only that which is his own, and therefore desire brings its object to us." (Printed 1919)

___________    ___________

Mrs H.M. Plemon, already known to some of our readers, sends us some of her 'vibrational' (automatic) drawings - elaborate and graceful combinations of flowing curves, whirls, loops, circles, not without their own symbolic significance, They are drawn on large sheets, then photographed on post card size, in colors, and with a bit of verse to accompany them make an unique birthday card - a design and a color for each astrological House - and not something invented for the market. (Mrs Plemon's address is 59 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach 2, Ca1if.)

[21]

-- PUBLICATIONS --

"Wisdom and virtue live close to nature . . . The higher the development, the more imperative it becomes to cultivate silence, solitude, detachment, and intimacy with nature . . . Cities are at best centers of corruption, and the name of a city, Babylon, has become the symbol of all that is an abomination." Thus Theodore Heline in The New Age Interpreter, writing on The Rhythm of Dispersion. And Corinne Heline begins a series of articles on Music - Ancient Origins - In Lemuria - in Atlantis. The magazine is devoted to "spiritual reorientation in the light of the Ageless Wisdom." (Box 6133 Metropol. Sta., Los Angeles 55. 8 mo. $1.00. sample copy free)

A.R.E. Bulletin No. 7, for March, features "An Extraordinary Hypnotic Experiment", by Vaughan Shelton - American soldiers in a chateau near Metz, projection experiments under hypnosis, and in one case the recovery of memories of a past life, with corroborative details. And Editor Gina Cerminara points out that the so-called education of our day is 'childishly inadequate' and 'hopelessly outmoded.' How we would like to expand upon that text, if only our blood pressure permitted us! How tired we are of the gabble about 'education' as the panacea for all ills! But what education? The same, no doubt, as has already bred our blood-stained mockery of culture!  . . . It so happens that we wasted many a year among 'educators', have been insultingly called one, and must hereby declare that for dreariness, repetitiousness, and general mental ineptitude they are sans egal - outdone only by the stupidity of people who fondly expect schools and colleges to make something worth while out of their ill-bred brats! (The Bulletin is published at Virginia Beach, Va.)

National Spiritualist for March has, among other worth-while articles, a full page editorial on the farcical 'investigation' of spiritualism by the Woman's Home Companion, concerning which the Round Robin Editor recently expressed his own opinion, though in less cultured language. Nevertheless, Editor Whitwell takes note of the "egotism" and "self-assurance", the mendacity and ignorance of the so-called investigators, and is as badly gravelled as ourselves by the incoherent mental processes of the W.H.C. writer. All decent people despise the fake investigator nearly as much as they do the fake medium, and we doubt whether WHO has made either friends or money out of its latest crusade.

Sunflower, "An Independent Spiritualist Periodical" is issued every two months, at 15 No. Maryland Ave., Atlantic City, N.J. Israel Shotz, Editor. 2 yrs, $1.00. Has a book list and a book-finding service which is very helpful.

Golden Rays comes to us from Baton Rapids, Michigan. Spiritualist monthly, $3.00 a year, copy .25.

Inspiration is a quarterly, published by Flower and Lawrence Newhouse, Vista, Calif. Box 116. $1.00 yr., copy .25.

The Spiritual Christian Voice is a publication cf the Texas Spiritual Christian Synod, 614 Travis Bldg., San Antonio 5, Tex. March issue has a reprint of Predictions from the Canadian Spiritualist.

Chimes comes to us from Box S, Placentia, Calif. Bert Welch, Editor. Monthly, $1.00 yr.

[22]

- THE HOLY TAROT -

Our Official Diviner Designate, having invoked H.R.U. who presideth over the mysteries of the Tarot, proposed the following questions:

1. Will any great natural disaster occur during 1946?

2. What will be, in their broad aspects, the fortunes of the United States during 1946?

For the first question, using the Old Celtic method of 10 cards, the spread fell as is shown in the left column; for the second as in the column on the right.

Competition, contention, unrest, "fairy favors", karma (both good and bad); on the other hand, safety, security, good news, the results of exact knowledge, basic material prosperity, strength, vigilance, power. The national fears are of error, treachery, harsh judgment. There will be surprising events but no great terrestrial disaster.

----------    ----------

The Flying Roll was delayed and not up to the standard we had hoped for, chiefly because of lack of cooperation. But with your help we can do much better.

----------    ----------

Through the kindness of Mr Max Freedom Long, we hope to offer the HUNA pamphlet to RR readers, gratis. But if you wish to help the 'Cause' along (of psychic education), pay Mr Long .25 (702 No. Cherokee Ave, Los Angeles), or send it to the RR Editor.

------------------------

Reader wants to know, who was Whit Wellman, who did a full-page article on Oahspe for a Hearst paper, probably in 1937.

----------    ----------

Re the Field Theory of J.P. Kayne (4518 Clarendon, Chicago 40, Ill.), we hope to have a review of this for May RR. Issued. as Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 at $1.00 each. Descriptive circulars on request for those seriously interested.

------------------------

THE WISDOM LIBRARY, Kenneth King, 724 So. Mariposa, Los Angeles 5, carries 6-700 titles in general field of Illuminism, lends without charge but voluntary contributions accepted. Use it, help it, don't abuse it!

------------------------

Who has, and will Sell, RR No.2 Vol.I? Wanted for State Library, by RR Editor.

[23]

P R O G N O S I S -

Or, things we want, hope, and ought to print in the next issue, and should have put into this one - that is, some of them, not all. Of course we shall continue with Mr.Krieger's article on the Aura, with Jack Webber's strange experiences in Ictal, and with the Editor's summary of the important Huna pamphlet of Max Freedom Long.

We have data on "occult" trees, from Vincent Gaddis and from Mrs M.J. Hyde - an admirable summary of the Talking Horse phenomenon sent us by Mrs H.L. (Mass.) - A clipped article from the Canadian Oracle of 1937 entitled Spiriton and Spiroculon, sent us by Dr. Dorothea Frood, and of special interest in the light of Dr. Haley's work on the same subject - a fine clip from Mrs Graham (N.M.) about a clairvoyant artist in London.

The Occult Review, Prediction, and the Theosophical Forum have important material in their last issues. The Journal of Parapsychology (Duke University Press) is now putting out a Parapsychology Bulletin, in the intervals between issues of the Journal; free for the first year to anyone who requests it - but voluntary contributions will not be refused. Write Dorothy H. Pope, College Station, Durham, N.C. This Bulletin is important to P.R. workers . . .

We note favorable previews of Ed Bodin's Give Me Liberty; it's for general sale but still stands up strongly for spiritualism - "has the consciousness of spiritualism and survival and couldn't have been been written without it" (says Mr Bodin's note to this Editor). Will be released this summer by Rockport Press, 59 W. 46th St. N.Y.C. 19.

The Cavalcade of the Supernatural is known to most students of psychic subjects - by Dr H.R.U. Cross, Dutton & Co., N.Y. - but RR hopes to give it a more extended write-up; it's a very fine summary of the status of psychic studies and happenings. A later book by Dr. Cross is Electricity in Therapeutics, highly praised by medical Journals.

Round Robin is also indebted to the Association for Research and Enlightenment (ARE) and Editor Gina Cerminara for useful material; the bulletins of the ARE continue to improve and increase in interest. (Virginia Beach, Va.) -- To Dr. H.C. Caylor (N.M.) for first hand data about effects of the atom-bomb experiment Box 941, Del Rio, Tex., is his address).

R. DeWitt Miller, author and investigator, heads a newly formed group in Los Angeles, the Society for the Investigation of Mysterious Phenomena, with laboratory facilities and adequate set-up for worth-while work. (They may take up some of the RR problems such as "Vitic" or carbon-force). The address is 457 So. Serrano Ave., Los Angeles 5. RR hopes to have more news about this group from time to time.

Physicist Walter Graham carries on a good fight, without much financial help, against the criminal folly of the proposed atom-bomb test. Here and there other scientists raise their voices also - but you don't read about them in the papers. This 'conspiracy of silence' is one of the most vicious aspects of the whole business. (Box 7046 Sta.G., Los Angeles 37).

Some of the best friends of RR, and helpful contributors, haven't been mentioned at all. Maybe the Editor hasn't even answered their letters . . . But that's one reason we're all for putting telepathy on a practical basis; then everybody would get at least a heart-felt thank you, with no delay at all . . . But that fellow who sent us an 1894 almanac with some crack about bringing RR up to date - and "stop that poppycock about spooks" - is due for a telepathic blister.

References

1. Bodin, Edward L. Scare Me!: A Symposium on Ghosts and Black Magic. New York: Orlin Tremaine Company, 1940. Print. <http://amzn.to/W7fvbz>
2. Bodin, Edward L. Give Me Liberty. New York: Rockport Press, Inc, 1946. Print. <http://amzn.to/1uh1Paj>
3. M. The Lord God of Truth Within: A Posthumous Sequel to the Dayspring of Youth. Los Angeles, Calif: The Phoenix Press, 1941. Print. <http://amzn.to/1w3g6rg>
4. M. The Dayspring of Youth: Yoga Practice Adapted for Western Bodies. London: Putnam, 1933. Print. <http://amzn.to/1tXByi7> [Weiser Books ed., 1970: <http://amzn.to/1lwXtv8>]
5. Russell, George W. The Candle of Vision. London: Macmillan, 1919. Print. <http://amzn.to/1vJG99E> [Digital: <https://archive.org/details/candleofvision00ae18>]
6. Cross, Harold H. U. A Cavalcade of the Supernatural. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co, 1939. Print. <http://amzn.to/1trmcUe> [Digital: <http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000473542>]
7. Cross, Harold H. U. Electricity in Therapeutics: A Technical and Clinical Compendium, Expressly Written to Meet the Needs of General Practice, Including Special Sections on Modern Electro-Diagnosis and Short-Wave Currents. London: C. Lockwood & Son Ltd, 1936. Print. <http://amzn.to/1tXGMKy>