IN THE LODGE OF THE WHITE BROTHERHOOD
by JAT-CATEK
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(We present here a most unusual document - a personal letter detailing an actual visit to a Lodge of the White Brothers. We speak of it with this confidence, because the writer of it is a friend of long standing, whose word is completely acceptable to the RR Editor. This unadorned account is of far more basic importance, in our opinion, than the most sensational tale would be, if derived from less dependable sources. -- M.L.)
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Dear M.L.,
I hesitate in writing of my Mexican experience this summer, for the fact that the average reader is unable to understand the reality of such a happening and of the actuality of such a Brotherhood and its Lodge. For there is no way of presenting objective proof, even though Madame Blavatsky spoke of this Lodge and its location, and Manly Hall states that "one of the seats of the White Brotherhood is in the Baja California section of Mexico."
There are no reasons for my being called to a meeting at this Lodge, other than those I have given you, which hinge on the fact that for better than twenty years I have been in communication with one of the Brothers of this Lodge, even to the extent of having been given hundreds of thousands of words on the ancient history of this planet. This Brother, known to us as E. E., always appeared and still does in a materialized type of body. And at our meeting in the Lodge, his appearance was in no way different to my eyes than that of any other physical body, although for the outer record, he passed out of his physical body in England some time during the years of 1926 to 1938. I never did know when exactly for at each appearance, and all of them were in my home, he seemed the same.
You and Dr. R. have seemingly never doubted the facts of my visit. To any other reader of this letter I can only say, that there are only two things evident: either I was insane when this happened and I still am, or I was sane and still am. I must leave that to my friends and relatives.
Not wishing to give dates (you know them), I will say that on a certain Saturday afternoon during the middle of the summer, when residing in San Diego, my employer who was then with me, and I decided that it would be fine to have our dinner at a certain cafe in Tijuana, just across the border in Mexico. We went over early in the evening as we wanted to do a little shopping before having dinner, and with the time this occupied it was after seven before we sat down at our table. The meal was a leisurely affair, and when about half through the proprietor came by and during our conversation the subject of sanitation came upend I went with him to inspect his kitchen. We had inspected the large refrigeration boxes, admiring the many carcasses of deer occupying the hooks and the wonderful looking beef, when he was called to the front. To occupy my time until he would return, I stood by the back entrance talking to one of the waiters who had a good command of English and had spent many years in the States. After about ten minutes of this, my attention was called to a young Mexican in a sort of uniform of blue and black, who was beckoning to me. I went over to dim and without any formal introduction whatsoever, he called me by name, presented certain insignia as well as giving a spoken formula known to me, stating only that a car waited for me and I was requested to accompany him. This I immediately did, thinking [3] at the time that perhaps the writer of the message was close by and that he had seen me on the streets and wished to have me call on him before I left. I soon found out that the writer was far from being close by, and furthermore, that the expected visit rather than occupying a few minutes or an hour, actually extended into some thirty hours . . .
The driver, for such he was, led me to a large black automobile of American manufacture, which was parked in a close by lot, and in a matter of minutes we were beyond the limits of the city and in the desert. We drove hour after hour and in all that time very few words were spoken, and none about where we were going or where it was. As near as I can make out, we must have driven some one hundred and fifty miles straight across the desert. Some time after midnight, we came to a small airplane landing field equipped with lights, on which was parked a small plane of usual four-passenger design, the only thing unusual being that there were absolutely no markings on it, whatsoever, and it was painted black. The pilot was a young Mexican, also uniformed in a design similar to that of the chauffeur, and he too was somewhat tongue-tied. And, like an animal being led to the slaughter, I willingly and without conscious thought, entered the plane and we were off, rising ever higher and higher until the lights of the field were invisible and all that I could see was the stars over head. The altimeter soon said ten thousand feet and we were headed due -----, toward the mountains. How long we were in the air I don't know, but it was yet dark when we made a landing on a small modern field high among the peaks; a perfect landing and we soon rolled to a stop and I was being helped out by attendants.
Some hundred or so feet beyond the field, we were met by two people in robes and led down and then up hundreds of broad stone steps to a large, perfectly smooth, stone area, so large that with the flash lamps the attendants were carrying, I could not see either side of the large field. We must have walked ten or fifteen minutes, no one saying a word, when we came to a set of broad stone steps, eighteen of them, for I had reason to count them. The railing on either side was what seemed to me to be a large, living serpent; I called them rattlesnakes. The reader may identify them. But anyway, I was plenty nervous and very glad when we reached the huge stone doorway into the edifice of stone built into the side of the mountain. Not until leaving the next evening (or was it night) did I appreciate the simple dignity and beauty of this stone entrance, built of stone so old that it seemed timeless. I was later informed that this building was in existence two thousand years before the birth of Christ, and yet the only picture or portrait to be seen in any of the large halls through which I was shown, was a portrait of the Christ; a portrait quite different from the visionary ones left to us by artists of the past. For this was a picture of a Man, a man of strength and beauty; a man to follow.
Yes, by this time, although few words had been spoken, I knew where I was and it was no surprise to be greeted by the Elder E.E. at the entrance to the great hall. To have his arms around me once again, was like the prodigal son getting home. Seeming to know that I had missed the greater part of my dinner the evening before, he led me into a long dining hall and soon we were seated at a massive table of black mahogany, unadorned tho the vessels and eating utensils were of gold. At our entrance, six large men, of similar appearance and dress, arose from the table and I was introduced and soon was placed at the side and to the right of E.E. The conversation was even more pleasant than was the food, tho I must confess that all I can remember of that was the dish of the largest and most delicious strawberries that I have ever tasted. And yes, what will surely shock some of my good occult friends, the haunch of venison in the center of the table; brown and tender as can be. We talked of general things; my reaction at the cafe and whether I was frightened or in doubt, the trip in the car under the desert moonlight and the ride under the Mexican [4] stars. Just talk, but such good talk, for it was between kind men; men of good-will.
When we had finished and yes, I had my cigarette, though no one else smoked, I was asked into what was termed E.E.'s study; a beautiful room hung in rich blue velvet draperies covering the walls, the only ornament (if such you may call it) being the enormous triune cross above the altar; the cross of gold and of blue-green emeralds. The cross of life, not of death. The furniture was plain and also of black mahogany; the chair in which I sat was so old that the arms were worn deep by the thousands of fingers which had clutched at them and fondled them in the past. We talked of many things; of personal things. Of the wrongs and the rights of the world; of the past, mine and his. It was wonderful conversation; full of hope and love; the love of man for man which is the love of God and the wonderful new day which is tomorrow. And then I was taken to my bed chamber, for I was tired in body, tho not in spirit; and I slept.
How long I slept I do not actually know; but it was asleep and yet not a sleep; for I was given the lessons and studies of a long lifetime. I travelled to the stars and to the uttermost ends of the earth; I met hundreds of people known in the past of long ago. I received their messages and gave them mine. I know this for that I remember. The lessons and the teachings at first were blank but day by day they come to me, and all are good and of the Christ, and of the Law and the Word which IS the Christ. But sleep I did and all this came in my sleep. The one thing I knew when I awoke, was the divisions of man; the two divisions which always were and which must become one. And now I um able to instantly place each and every person I meet (if I will it) into the group in which they are now. But with always the firm conviction that to have permanent peace they must become one in spirit. And the knowledge that in this time of now, 1947 - 1951, we are to have the Peace of Always. Yes, we are going to have peace, permanent peace; no getting away from it. For we have taken the atom of the Universe apart, not with love, but with hate; and we shall have peace - either the peace of Brotherhood or the peace of death. It is up to man himself.
When I awoke, I didn't know what time it was, for I had not wound my watch and it had stopped; that it was late I knew. But when I found out that it was late evening of Sunday, more than twelve hours from the time I had lain down, my feeling of regret and shame for my laziness knew no bounds. And only after it was explained to me that my "sleep" was necessary that I might be given information direct into my subconscious in the shortest time possible, and that I had been with them just the same, was I able to reconcile myself.
Not long after a delicious breakfast (?), I was again led into the courtyard and to the plane which was ready for flight back to the hates and follies of so-called civilization.
My good-byes were heart-felt, but they were not farewells, for I know that E.E. and the Brothers of the Triune Cross are with me always, and even as I write this I sense their presence at my side.
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