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The Universal Confederation of Orders,

Societies and Fraternities of Initiation

 

Articles of Association

1939

 

This Universal Confederation of Orders, Societies and Fraternities of Initiation, heretofore established and long existing by ties of brotherly love, fraternal fellowship, mutual interest and common purpose, in order to form a closer union, to provide for a closer cooperation among ourselves, to define a common course of united action and to better promote the general welfare of ourselves and all mankind, we, the member-organizations hereof, do hereby make and enter into these articles of Association and form this Confederation in Convocation at Paris, France, the day and year below written, (Editors note: March 20, 1939) and declare the basic principles to which we subscribe, and shall faithfully adhere, as follows:

General Object of Confederation

The general object of this Confederation is to bring together in one bond of fellowship, brotherly love, spiritual advancement, unification of work and closer fraternal communication and association all worthy esoteric, arcane and occult societies, orders and fraternities of initiation duly constituted and rightfully existing that subscribe and faithfully adhere to the basic purposes and fundamental principles, philosophy, ethics, teachings and practices herein set forth and hereby defined.  

Purpose of Member-Organizations

The specific purpose and Great Work of each member-organization of the Confederation is to encourage, aid, direct, guide and instruct the sons and daughters of men in the development of their spiritual natures and higher faculties; to initiate their adherents and neophytes into broader states of conscious understanding; to raise them to more exalted planes of being and to illuminate their Souls with the holy Light of Wisdom--all of this to the end that they may become Initiates of our Ancient and Holy Orders, therefore, the sons and daughters of Light, or as the Sacred literature describes it, sons of God.

We hold that, through Soul culture in developing the Spiritual nature, the higher self and the inner faculties of individuals, we advance and promote, first, the self, and then the general well-being and uplifting of all mankind, which is the true and lofty aim of this Confederation, looking forward to the eventual spiritualization and the highest development of all races and the ultimate universal brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God, with peace and good will to all men.

We know full well that races of men can be no better than the common denominator of the average of the individuals that compose them; that the evolution and progress of the human race is mirrored in the evolution and development of those that compose it; that human progress is deferred and held in check by the backward and the ignorant; that governments are tyrannical, unjust and imperfect because men composing them are credulous, weak Willed, selfish and ignorant, and that civilization can advance upward to the mountain top of progress and toward the pinnacle of perfection only as fast as the average man advances from darkness to light, from ignorance to truth and from truth to freedom.

It has been declared by a great Initiate, a Master among men, that Man shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make him free. Indeed, knowing the Truth does make men free, but no man may be wholly free until all men shall know the Truth. Therefore, the advancement of society, the perfection of government, the peace of the world and the progress of civilization depend upon the development and enlightenment of the individual. Hence the regeneration and redemption of the individual man, without interference can be and is the only means of salvation and deliverance of the world.

Men and women can develop their higher selves and inner faculties, or the forces of the Soul, only when they are free moral agents. We therefore declare that every man and woman should be permitted the greatest personal freedom and individual liberty consistent with, and without interfering with, the rights of others and their duties to their fellow-men and organized society. The freedom and liberty so essential to the proper development of man, as a condition, environment and developing agent, which we advocate, is not a license to abuse or misuse, but liberty with full responsibility for its rights and proper use.

If the “Great Work” is to be carried on and advanced among all of the people of the earth, it is necessary to eliminate the cause of war and heal the nations by removing selfishness, hatred, jealousy and misunderstanding between men and by making them conscious that these vicious passions INJURE THEMSELVES FIRST OF ALL. Even when these negative passions harm others, they WILL EVENTUALLY REFLECT BACK WITH INTEREST UPON THE ONE HARBORING OR DIRECTING THEM. Through harmonizing religious concepts, political ideals, economic theories, personal rights and social views with greater liberty and love for humanity, we promote a broader tolerance that teaches charity and due respect for all with ill-Will and malice for none, and the just punishment of the evildoer to humanity.

To assure our purpose being faithfully carried out and in no way hindered by discord among ourselves through jealousy of creeds, the distinction of color, racial pride or hatred and political dissension, this organization shall be strictly non-sectarian, non-political and without distinction as to race or color.

Declaration of Basic Principles

We believe in the existence of a SUPREME BEING, a Deity that is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, which is the Divine essence, the creative, REgenerative and sustaining power and the Supreme Intelligence and Directing force wherein we live and move and have our being, from which we al1 proceeded, of which we are all a part, of which all who truly desire and so Will, may partake freely and abundantly. To simplify our terminology, to clarify our meaning and to prevent a confusion of tongues, we use the language of the Initiates and here declare that those who direct us KNOW the Law, live within the Law and teach THE LAW, which is the operative truth of all existence, of all being and of all created things of or in Nature.

We maintain that THE LAW is natural (self-operating) justice; that it is infallible and absolute because it is the REaction of every man's action; that it operates by Involution and Evolution, through the operation of the Law of Karma made possible through Reincarnation, or through the principles of what we know as Cause and Effect; that the Microcosm may become an exact duplication, on a smaller scale, of the Macrocosm; that the Father and the Son are one, and that the axioms, "As above, so below," and "As is the cause, so will be the effect (rebound or return)," are eternally and everlastingly true.

We know that a New Cycle has set in and that we have entered a New Age; that it has evolved through the LAW operating as natural justice; that this New Age is fraught with discord and laden with a heavy burden of Karma. We know it will gradually bring about an era resulting in a happier civilization based on a higher culture and nobler sentiments; a more evenly distributed functioning of justice, and a more benevolent and harmonious humanity. We realize that this cannot come to pass without a generally better understanding of THE LAW, and not until men more fully comprehend that this LAW is Love in action and that this begets Wisdom, and will bring forth all that is good and desirable.

Therefore, we pledge our united efforts to make this New Age a better era wherein will be found the true interpretation and rightful application of the Law of God by teaching the Ancient Ageless Wisdom. We declare that our organizations, our teachings and our Great Work as a whole are in strict accord with the sublime ideals, precepts and injunctions of the Great White Brotherhood and the Hierarchies thereof, to whom we look for constant and eternal guidance and leadership.

We trace the origin of our Great Work back through the ages to the old Masters and Initiates of the Ancient Wisdom and the Great Arcane Schools of the remote ages, and have the assurance that we possess the original, true esoteric and arcane teachings of the Sons of the LIGHT, i.e., the Sons of God.

The sacred doctrine and teachings of the Ancient Esoteric Schools, as preserved and handed down to us through Supreme Grand Master to Supreme Grand Master, are the essential philosophy, the original landmarks, tenets, ethics and teachings of the authentic HERMETIC BROTHERHOOD, and the original FRATERNITAS ROSAE CRUCIS, parent of the Order of the Red Rose and Golden and Rosy Cross, are the fundamentals of this International Confederation of Initiates and the basis upon which it is founded and operated.

We use our knowledge and impart our teachings only for the improvement and ultimate reformation of the spiritual and material world; to liberate men and women from personal limitations of mortality and to illuminate their Souls; that is, to raise to Soul Consciousness or Cosmic Consciousness, thence to the At-One-ment with the OVER- or COSMIC-SOUL, the Universal ALL. We faithfully continue to adhere to the principles of universal law and order and to truth, which is the esoteric basis of all that is highest in religious thought and practice. In doing this we embrace and recognize all that is sound in religious inculcations, and thus, condemning none, we labor to reconcile all.

Religious aspirations spring from the needs of the Divine Spark which is within the inmost heart of man. It is essentially a part of his spiritual nature. It is the innate and spontaneous searching of his Soul for the Light, the quest for Illumination and Immortality. It is the Voice of the Holy Flame, speaking from the depths of human experience as recorded in the sacred scriptures and inspired literature of all peoples, of all races throughout the ages, and was best known to those who so diligently searched for the Holy Grail.

All sacred scriptures and inspired writings are found to be true basically and of righteous intent when interpreted in their esoteric sense. When understood according to their mystical or true meaning, they are based on the same profound truths, proclaiming and teaching the true relation of God to man and man to humanity. Each one of the scriptures has its own audience. Each audience is attracted to scripture interpretation according to its degree of understanding and acceptance.

There is in truth but one religion--only one, although as a result of theological interpretation there appear to be many versions of it. Religion (not theological inculcations) is universal; theology makes it exclusive. Religion is humanitarian; theology makes it sectarian. Religion, perhaps it would be better to use the term "spirituality seeking expression," is love, genuine and all-comprising; while theology, doing lip service to the virtues of brotherly love, practices bigotry and intolerance toward all who are of a different mind. Religion is truth, virtue, liberty and peace, unadulterated and immaculate. Theology, with its eternal bickering on exoteric doctrines, expresses a constant and increasing note of discard that estranges one from another, disunites nations and disturbs the peace of mankind; unknowingly, its mission is to divide and destroy.

From time immemorial, throughout the ages, with an ever-increasing and steady purpose, runs the sil-ver cord of continuity of the Arcane Schools of esoteric interpretation. Correctly interpreted, the mystic (hidden) meaning of Sacred scriptures and inspired literature, reconciling all seeming differences and exoteric conflicts of religious creeds and sects, and preserved for this generation and posterity the Ageless and Golden Wisdom Religion of the Prophets, Initiates, Masters and Hierarchies in charge- thus this must be and is to be the religion of humanity of the new, present, Manistic era, wherein the becoming of the divinity of Man shall become understood, developed and glorified to the honor of Him Who was our common Creator.

This Great Work is under the divine guidance of the Elder Brethren and the spiritual Hierarchies. Through the tireless efforts of the Masters of the Ageless Wisdom, it shall and will establish the religion of Light, Life, Love and Liberty. This will banish all creeds from the face of the earth; shall establish the complete recognition of the Fatherhood and Motherhood of God and bring into full bloom the universal Brotherhood of Man. Then shall the lion and the lamb lie down in peace together, and there shall be happiness and Peace, Liberty and Love, Light and Wisdom throughout the world.

Although there is a difference in our methods of teaching, terminology, symbolism, rites and rituals, of which we are fully mindful, yet being duly tolerant, these shall in no wise affect our joint efforts, nor disturb our harmonious work for the common end. The various affiliated organizations realize that beneath all, there is but one truth; that no one school can reach all peoples, and that all true paths lead ultimately to Truth; that each one, by different Ways and traveling different Paths, will eventually reach the common goal and enter the Kingdom which is Life, Love and Freedom, ending in Immortalization and communion with the Holy Assembly.

Therefore, notwithstanding the divergence of methods and practices which often are more superficial than real, we proclaim that our aims are basically the same, that we have a common goal and that we inculcate the doctrine of Light, Life and Love; the principles of Truth and Liberty; the philosophy of the Ancient Wisdom and Arcane Science of the Secret Schools of Initiation of ages past and present; whose ways are pure and righteous altogether, and whose Paths lead upward to the great White Throne of God; laboring eternally for the true and lasting benefit of humanity and to the eternal glory of the Creator.

Tenets and Canons of Ethics

1. We are pledged to no sect, to no creed confined; the world is our home, and our brethren are among all mankind.

2. We are practical men and women who believe in progress, law and order; self-control and self--improvement--the improvement and development of body, mind and Soul. Our motto is TRY. Our discipline is temperance, fortitude and perseverance.

3. We practice a Charity that is practical and broad; that is considerate, sympathetic, encouraging and helpful, with an intellectual hospitality that is understanding, consistent, steadfast and tolerant; we extend the helping hand of courteous patience whenever there is a human or spiritual need; we help men to help themselves, find themselves and save themselves. This is the Charity of Love and Strength, the Way to Manhood.

4. The Love that we seek to feel and manifest, know and apply, is patient, very kind; knows no jealousy; does not parade itself to be praised by man and does not give to itself airs of superiority. It is never rude, selfish, irritable or resentful. It is gladdened by goodness, slow to accuse and condemn; eager to believe the best about everyone and anxious to assist those in need; it is always hopeful, cheerful and full of good fellowship. It is the love that never fails or fades--it is the Light that Illuminates the Soul.

5. We advocate freedom- physical, social, economical, intellectual and spiritual-f or all mankind, and individual liberty combined with the acceptance of full personal responsibility. Only those ready and willing to accept full responsibility for their every thought, desire and act are fit to receive the full benefits of liberty.

6. All created things and attributes of Nature were made for man's benefit, attainment and advancement. All is good that is properly used and in nowise abused. We maintain that the only sin man can commit is that which injures himself or another.

7. We subscribe to the highest standards of manhood and womanhood, with profound respect for the noble estate of wifehood and motherhood- the Keeper of the Sacred hearth. We promote a culture of the physical, mental and spiritual man that must inspire and create the highest respect for woman and a lasting and unfailing respect for the rights, privileges and prerogatives of others. We demand honor, sterling nobility, personal integrity and fair dealing between man and man, nation and nation, and recommend full punishment for the infraction of every moral or ethical code, inculcating the basic thought that a man's word should be an unbreakable bond under penalty of being shunned by all mankind as a traitor to his birthright.

8. We insist that individual responsibility is fundamentally the only basic right for man to exist; that salvation is individual and that while all men should be willing to help one another, no man is his brother's keeper, unless that man proves recreant to the Law which is for the welfare of all men. In the end each himself, for himself, must live the life and accomplish the Great Work which is: to work out his destiny and find his own Soul. However, for those who, mystically speaking, seek the "Philosopher's Stone" and the spring from whence flows the "Elixir of Life," we recognize the immense value of our sympathy and encouragement, our watchfulness and guidance. Accordingly, we suggest emulation and persistency, and advise all who would use the "Universal Solvent" to practice the Art of Transmutation and unravel the Mystery of the Grand Secret of all creative and regenerative power, and to learn that there is no difficulty for those who sincerely Desire and truly Will. To these we say: TRY, and falter not, and refuse to be dismayed or turned aside.

9. We seek to live free from hate, suspicion, whims of fleeting desire, jealousy, envy or fear; to be simple, honest, honorable, frank, natural, courteous and unaffected; to meet all men on absolute equality; to possess the strength of character and the force of Will necessary to face every obstacle and to meet all difficulties unabashed and unafraid; to radiate peace, cheer, happiness and good will and to live our lives to the highest, fullest and best possible. To the end that others may live as they deem best or desire, we shall not meddle, interfere, suggest or dictate; give advice that is unwanted, or assist when such service is not sought. If it be our good fortune to help, uplift or inspire others, let it be by example, precept, inference or suggestion rather than by injunction or dictation.

10. We proclaim the occult omnipotence of Will, tempered with love, and by our achievement demonstrate the Will of man to be the supreme and all-conquering force when once fairly brought into play and rightly directed; knowing this power to be only relatively strong when employed merely for selfish or personal ends. When called into action for a good purpose and with righteous intentions, nothing is able to with-stand its force. In the ultimate, goodness is power; therefore, we make every effort to cultivate good-ness and strengthen the power of Will.

11. The celestial and Ineffable Spark of Deity resides in the Soul of man; man therefore is potentially one with the All-Father-Mother of creation. Consequently the possibilities and potentialities of every man and woman are infinite and limited only by ignorance, feebleness of desire, weakness of Will, and lack of spiritual efforts to bring about the development of the celestial Ineffable Fire which becomes the Immortal Soul, holy attributes, and creative and constructive powers residing within the Soul.

12. Salvation or the gaining of Soul Consciousness as a result of compulsion is not possible. The kingdom of Heaven may not be taken by storm and retained. Only those who seek will be able to find; only those who of their own volition knock upon the Door may enter into the Temple. We would that all men and women should join us in the Great Work; that all might find the Universal Medicine and be healed of their ills, sins and iniquities, and made whole (holy) and Illuminated by the Great White Light constantly pouring down from the Ineffable Throne standing in the midst or the Kingdom of the Soul.

No worthy seeker is ever denied entrance into our Temples and fellowship to our Societies, Orders and Fraternities. All who knock shall find the door opened and the hand of help extended if they prove trustworthy and sincere, their motive pure and possessed of a pro-found reverence for that which is sacred and divine.

 A Manifesto and an Invitation

In so far as the present age (third cycle) is concerned there have been two ages--the Egyptian and the Christian. The Egyptian Age had its Osiris- Son of the Sun, which gave birth to the Christian, the Coptics and the Gnostic Christos becoming the Christians' Christ. Well was it taught by the Nazarene that "out of Egypt have I called my son."

The fullness of the cycle of lives is the composite of three- the Trinity. Two of these eras have passed, though we are still vitally affected and closely bound to the letter of the second- The Christian.

A New Age, born through the travail of the old, has set in, and this must fulfill the Law of the Trinity and complete the cycle. We are right now in the Manistic era- the Age of Man- the era of a greater humanity- and we must each become an individuality; not merely believe and have faith, but must build a nobler humanity in which the divinity of man must be developed and made fully manifest, or be annihilated as a race and give way and make a place for a new people who will obey the Divine Law.

The glorious Egyptian age gave birth to Osiris and the Great Priesthood and its Initiate Masters and Kings; the second era brought Jesus the Nazarene who became the Christ and the Christian Religion with its Mysticism, while the present third and completing age of the Trinity brings the Wisdom of all past ages. This Wisdom shall become manifest to all peoples through the efforts of the Universal Confederation of Initiates. The possessors of this Wisdom shall labor faithfully to fulfill the wondrous destiny of man, ennobled and redeemed, so that the full benefits and greater blessings of this age of the exaltation of Man may be realized to the greatest possible degree by all races, and to the bounteous advantage of an advanced, understanding and appreciative humanity.

The Hierarchies overshadowing our destiny demand the progress of just men made perfect, the advancement of the races of men, as a result of individual efforts, and the progress of each worker under the guidance of Initiates and Masters who have tread the Path and found the Way.

The great open field of humanity is ready for cultivation. The seeding time is here. The ground must be cultivated and seeds of Wisdom sown so that in due time there may be a harvest. To widen the effective range of our Great Work; to bring its munificent and ineffable benefits to the greatest number of seeking men and women of all races, and to improve the common lot of humanity, we shall gladly welcome to our midst, first as Acolytes, then as co-workers and co-heirs of Illumination, all those whose hearts and minds have been divested of fear and foreboding, and who are willing to unfetter themselves of the chains of custom and free themselves from the storms of passion and the prejudice that darkens and makes desolate the Souls of men.

To those who know nothing of our doctrine, but who feel themselves drawn to the spirit we display and the objective we here declare; who desire to improve themselves in body, mind and Soul; who long for better things, happier conditions and a fuller life of increasing happiness and usefulness, and who possess a love for their fellow men and would serve humanity while serving themselves- to all of those who are willing to TRY to possess a fair share of Hope, we declare:

The grandest heights that time has revealed--the most luminous region of thought and intellect--are to be attained by a steady devotion to our work and an unwavering progress in the paths of our esoteric science. In general terms we announce that the primary object of the Great Work is to explain the mysteries that encompass us in everyday life, and reverently raise the veil from the mysteries that await us in the dreaded domain of the unknown- looming like awful shadows through the profound abysses of the infinite and the eternal.

By calm meditation on ennobling themes, through inspiration engendered by a sacred philosophy, and by the application of our noble Art of Transmutation; performing the Great Work and Living the Life, the Soul is prepared for its wondrous destiny in the radiant day when the celestial essence of man shall be filled with Light and understanding from the fountainhead of Wisdom; and the mysteries now hidden in the shadow beyond the veil of the infinite and eternal will stand revealed.

The symbols with which our Neophytes are familiar, as well as those which are known only to the advanced Adepts, equally demonstrate the existence of an all-powerful and all-sustaining science and proclaim the necessity for Love, Light, Wisdom and a full understanding of the Law. Our Esoteric and Occult Lore is evolved from the womb of divine philosophy, and our principles are as indestructible as the great universe itself.

Come, then, with us. Follow us as we walk in the tracks of those enlightened sages whose names are hung in the corridors of time like the constellations in the heaven of flame. Through the successive stages of development let us trace and follow the perpetual progress of the Masters--then mount the mysterious ladder and learn at first hand the secret doctrines of Nature and the wondrous principles that govern the material and immaterial universe. Dare not to approach our Sacred Temple of Light with darkened intent or impure desire; far better to recede in silence than to advance incautiously or improperly to the consummation of our holy rites.

There are many things incomprehensible to untutored minds and untried Souls. Our ideas in youth differed considerably from those which we experience in riper age. It is so with the Neophytes. When they find themselves in the vestibule of knowledge and Wisdom they should not attempt to enter the sacred penetralia too hastily. If they enter rashly, thoughtlessly or carelessly the influence of its revelations might be unfelt and the spirituality of its solemnities go unheeded.

To all who feel the Desire to know and who possess the courage and the Will to overcome the difficulties that beset the Path, we bid them Try and Persevere.