"INDIVIDUALISM AND UNIVERSALISM"

"Tonight, dear children, my first words must be to those who have pushed aside the weariness of the body and the tiredness of the mind to respond to Spirit. These sacrifices shall be blessed by God. But I would have you know at this same stage that the Father is not unmindful of the strain imposed, that the Father's Heart is Love Itself, that the Father yearns over those who find the road so steep, and out of that which they seek to do, so they shall find that a City Beautiful has been erected. Naught of any plane shall have the power to destroy or mar its beauty, for out of the weals of woe so the barricades have been erected for evermore; and in the Holy City shall be gathered the weak and frail, the ignorant ones of many spheres, to find peace and strength and comfort for their soul.

"Tonight, dear children, we must consider that which appertains to life as a whole. It is not mine to come into your midst and to say: Do this, do that, hold your hand, or, give out freely. It is mine to outline the Law of God, to give you the key to wisdom, to train and release within you right judgment, so that you respond to the unseen reins of Spirit that shall surely guide you through the wilderness into the Promised Land.

"I indicate truth as truth is; in miniature, it is true, because the mind of the body cannot grasp more than a fragment of that mighty gift, nor can the earth words be found to portray the things which are of God - eternal, indestructible. But that which I give unto you is truth in the inward parts, and the day is coming when, by the Power of Spirit, much illumination shall be born within through the release of the Christ, through the growing up of the real self, which in time, and in turn, will function in Spirit conditions, vibrate to that holiness, that peace which is of the Father's Home.

"But tonight we have work to do. I have been instructed by the Master to speak to you on that which I name: 'Individualism and Universalism', and I want to unfold, in little part, that which relates to each and everyone in all worlds, in all planes. You have been told that in the far, far past, you were created in the Image of the Divine, yet without the gift of experience; but in treading the path, slowly but surely, man emerged out of that which was nebulous into something taking form, so far as character is concerned. And as he pursued the path, by sorrow and by suffering over the lessons which surely must be learned, so in little part he became individualised, his personality mingling with other personalities; divided, separated, so it would seem to the human mind, but linked to the eternal chain, to Life as a whole.

"I want you to pause upon that thought. It is good, you say at this same time, to develop the individuality of the human mind, but the great weakness lies in this wise: So oft that individuality is unaccompanied by the growth of the individuality of the soul. The mind becomes dominant, the personality, as you name it, makes itself felt, there are others to recognise and to obey the power it expresses.

"But some, the thoughtful ones, ponder within: 'It is wise to develop character!' But there follows that doubt which strikes them like a whip: 'Is it not the astral character of the one concerned which is gaining ground, and is not the son or daughter of the Most High gradually slipping further back and almost passing out of sight?'

"Independence is sweet, independence in its true sense is right. The development of individuality, that is a law of God; but God has given man free-will, and if that individualised self becomes but an epitome of self itself, what of the plan, what of the Divine purpose?

"As you look out upon the world today, you see there dominant characters wresting from others that which is not their own. You see those swayed by material ambition, determined to rise to the top of the earthly tree. But when they reach that point, still how far is Heaven! The free birds soar through the air - they cannot catch them in their flight, and the larks trill on. Then lo, another comes and strikes at the roots, and in time their high position – fought for, schemed for – is no more. Here, dear children, you have the abuse of the gift of individuality.

"Then we turn to the God-side, and we know because of the wonderful Example of the Christ, what a soul individualised by Divine Grace can represent. There was One, born in the humblest dwelling, no earthly position, no education of this world, isolated, obscure, steadily climbing out of the rut of the mundane on to the ladder that at last lifted Him on to the Cross. And the thought comes to the thoughtful: 'How did He do it, whence the inspiration, was the Child aware of His destiny?'

"I send you back to the Holy Book, and there you can perceive yourselves that even while childhood imposed upon the soul its limitations, consciousness struggled free: 'Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business? The Child, searching the eyes of the older ones for understanding, for a glimmering of comprehension of all that charged within Him, inexpressible in words, but so tangible that it was irresistible to the One who contacted.

"Yea, the Master came as Example to man, not in one act, not in the dramatic sequel to His Ministry, but Example of how a soul linked to God becomes individualised by Divine Grace, and acts as a fount of power through which healing can come to the nations.

"Beloved children, surely you are marked upon your brows with the Sign of the Cross. There are always those who so gladly join the pilgrim throng, yet spiritual individuality has not yet been released - they are as sheep responding to the shepherd, yet the stamina is not there. One day they are all for sacrifice, and the next there is hesitation upon the path. The mind is saying: 'Take care, beware, you are willing to give up so much but no more'. And the voices of the earth at times drown the sweet voices of the Spirit.

"Man is willing to run duty and pleasure in double harness, but duty is like a steed that must away. Pleasure is an animal that lingers where the pasture is sweet. And so, dear children, oft the higher call is laid aside for a while. They say: 'Only for a while!' But God's Law cannot be defied. The searching is severe, the journey is long and difficult, before that which eventually takes them into the Kingdom is found and harnessed.

"So tonight, my precious tools - drawn here by the Power of Spirit, your guides linking up with the unseen workers in this sanctuary of effort built by suffering over the past - so my precious instruments, I speak to you as to your part, and as to where you have reached in the processes of growth.

"Some of you may say unto me: 'I seem to be a cypher; even personality escapes my longing grasp!' And I answer: Perchance your mind rests upon the personality of the earth, but remember the Father and His love for you.

"Strange it seems to some when the casket of flesh is thrown aside, and they stand, as it were, naked before their Master and their Lord, to find that those characteristics which brought the admiration of many friends when upon the earth plane, seem to be like fluttering rags around them, which they kick aside, hoping that others will not perceive.

"Strange it is to the humble-hearted man and woman when they too meet their Master face to face. They kneel before Him, tears of penitence shut out the brightness of His smile; but the Master is there to reveal unto them the miracle of grace which has taken place - no longer unknown, unwanted, but individualised souls, ready to work for God, and to bring peace and joy to those once proud of heart, holding high position.

"Then we pursue this avenue of thought another inch, and shall we not ask and answer: What is the purpose of individualism, even in the God-sense? And at once the link is found with that wonderful truth expressed in Universalism, using earthly language to convey in miniature a Divine truth. We are one Life, there is but one Law, and in all life the same Law operates with a precision impossible for the mind of the body to grasp, and in the one Law are contained all the laws of every sphere and condition there could be.

"So, dear children, tonight I come with joy in my heart, seeking to comfort those who stand in need of consolation, loving to pass on power to those whose power has been drained by others. And surely as you think of the past and all that it held - the disappointments, the plans that have gone awry, the hopes unfulfilled, the promises seemingly unkept - surely a glimmering of truth is made your own, and in being made your own, brings with it solace for your aching hearts? In spirit you have desired to individualise your soul. Why? Because of the universal law of life; and indeed without the spiritualisation of the human heart and mind there can be no Universalism in this plane or the next.

"We come with strength and power, having seen our... the Master is here to bless!... having seen our Lord. Humbly we seek to mould ourselves, in little part, in His sweet Likeness, to individualise our soul by the same processes which He exampled, and which brought such wonderful results for you, for me, for every form of life there could be. We know, dear children, having seen our Lord, that all at last will be gathered in, no soul shall fall too low for His loving hand to reach; but until we are more like Him, surely the Divine Plan is hindered and delayed?

"You look around you and you see that which brings thankfulness to your heart - many souls, perhaps unconsciously, climbing steadily the steep hill of spiritual attainment; and if there are those who at this same time are occupied with other things, again the thought of cheer comes to you, that by passing on knowledge of the Divine, by giving out that which you know concerning the Law, more and more will be persuaded to give up their toys, to take up their staff and climb in turn.

"Christ's Mission is indeed Universalism in its purified form: No one left out, no religion excluded, no form of life - however low it may seem to the mind of man - not having its own special place.

"True it is, the mind of the body can scarce grasp all the responsibility and the sweet privilege that lie within these words: The Christ Mission. Sometimes it seems that the horizon clears, the courage has returned, the mind is willing to do its part, the sacrifices are shown in their true guise - as gifts of the Spirit - and lo, the pilgrim steps forward. Exhilaration holds his being, the Promised Land is just in front, and then... These moments of spiritual ecstasy have their work to do. The clouds draw nigh, the cruel wind of criticism cuts through to the very bones themselves, the thunder rolls, the lightning tears the nerves to shreds - 'My God, why hast Thou forsaken me!'

"Dear children, that is the road. In the early stages so the power is given and the instrument, as it were, is taken along on the impetus of others. We cannot expect those young in experience to stand alone, nor would it be the Father's will to test them over-much during those early stages.

"But the traveller has to be turned into a pilgrim, and the pilgrim travels light. Soon as strength manifests itself the guides must stand back; no man or woman builds effectively upon the efforts of others. Many try - that is the weakness of the human mind. They come in at the eleventh hour, the foundation has been put in, and they say within themselves: 'Here am I; so I will climb!' But the soul has not yet been individualised, the foundation is not its own, and disillusionment must come; but it should bring no sorrow in its train, for have not the pioneers of another age, has not every spiritual climber been tested in like measure, and will not the generations to come take up their lessons too?

"So oft, even with spiritual work, there are those who have toiled not, nor spun, but they would take of the garment weaved by others and throw it around their shoulders. This is the cause of the weakness in the churches and the chapels - why they are not all temples of peace. But these spiritual garbs are not to be had for the asking. Not only moment by moment, and year by year, but oft before the physical body was donned at all, much of the fabric had been brought into being by effort in the stage before, and in the life before that, back over a phase of living which is hidden from your minds at this same stage.

"Think then, dear children, not with sorrow over that which must be done in time to come, but rather realise the honour that God has laid upon you, making it possible that you yourselves, out of your efforts, out of the mundane things of daily life, can become an individualised soul ready to contribute your part to the great scheme of Universalism which expresses the Father and the Mother Heart of God.

"Children of the light, there is a great Light coming, and out of that Light there will emerge - as the sweet-scented flower from the seed which has been cradled in the earth to bring about its maturity - out of the Light will come the rising up of many souls, those who have the courage to become leaders; not leaders in the earthly sense, but leaders from the God-point of view, the ones willing to shoulder the heavy burdens, willing to subject the physical body to the needs of the growing spirit. Indeed a new race, as you name it, will be born, for, as it were, out of the twisting of sorrow, so the gross fabric of the material is torn asunder, and the soul, sweetened by the showers of adversity, made strong by the sun of God's Love, is born, to contribute its part to the Divine Plan.

"Time is fleeting, each one is wanted. No one can say that he or she is first or last; God shall decide. But out of the many hands and minds and bodies, weaving the great tapestry of effort upon the earth plane, so shall come at last the spiritual carpet of the Better Land, over which many shall walk and weary not, over which the ones weak and old and blind shall find renewal.

"Much, dear children, I could unfold, but point by point we pursue the path of Divine Wisdom, and as the mind seeks to struggle with its weaker desires, so is released inspiration in its truest sense; and illumination shall come to humanity from the inspiration purchased by man through the sorrows and trials of the past.

"Oh, forget not that in that great scheme of a universal religion, a universal life, a universal whole, you must do your part, if peace is to be made your own. It is the tilling of the barren land, it is the going out into the highways and byways and drawing the stragglers in. It is not by soaring through those clouds of metaphysics which so attract the human mind, but by continuing the simple paths so beautifully shown, nay, made by the Master Jesus, that at last the Gates of Revelation are opened wide, and man passes in.

"Now, dear children, I leave you for a span, but I ask that those who speak unto you shall be regarded not only as instruments of the Most High but as co-operators with you. Some may come who, indeed represent light; others half-light, but all are wanted. They weave in their own sweet strands, by effort, through service unto others, and the messages which they bring are for your little world, indicating, again, aspects of Divine Law. Thus I leave you.

"And now, beloved children, surely we turn to the Master Jesus and not only claim Him as our Lord, but thank Him that He has made it possible that the barriers between the two worlds can be broken down, that as we make ready, so portions of the Great Truth can be passed on to us, so our hearts can be gladdened by the thoughts of the future, so the future can be enhanced again and again in joy, in all the sweet endeavours that lie ahead.

"And when we think of the generosity of the Most High, how He has not only called us but chosen us, surely no difficulty becomes too great, no test too severe to bring about the individualisation of the soul, to make ready to do our part for the universal mission of the Holy Christ.

"Father, we thank Thee, and we know that because we come to Thee with humbleness of heart, seeking to lay aside desire in its many tangled forms, we know that before even we ask, Thou hast granted our requests, and wilt purify them until they become holy, fit for Thy casket.

"Indeed my eyes are opened and I look into the future - beyond the hills of the earthly plane, beyond the clouds of the earthly skies; and I see the growing Light that is coming, and I see behind the Light a great army of disembodied, purified souls waiting to do their part. Indeed, by the Grace we are blessed.

"So I take my leave, loving you, leaving you only in this way, hoping for you, praying for you, one with your guides and helpers, one with the great Christ army for the quelling of the pain and suffering and misunderstanding that torture the human brain. Peace be with you all.

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Download 9 chronologically-ordered digital books of earlier Zodiac Circle sittings (1923-1928)