RKMR Atrium Summary

The Atrium or Novice degree is divided into sections: Atrium 1, Atrium 2, and Atrium 3. At the beginning of every section is a self-initiation ritual termed as Initiation to the First, Second, and Third Chamber, respectively. Historical accounts of man's progress are found in this degree. Topics in the monographs are supplemented by brief essays from the writings of mystic philosophers, thinkers, scientists, historians, and other sages of the past.

The Novice degree presents some laws and principles for man to understand and manipulate his material existence and to a certain extent, relate the practices and experiments to his psychic development. Starting with the alchemy of wealth, techniques are elaborated on how to attract abundance and awaken wealth consciousness. In Atrium 1, it starts with the idea that poverty or wealth is a condition of the mind. A practice of concentrating and sending positive energy to the third thoracic area can make one healthy and attract material and spiritual wealth.

Time is the duration of consciousness; space is a state of mind. Triangle is the first symbol introduced and was applied to the trinity of principles of Time, Space, and Mind. The concept of the duality of man was introduced through the relation of these three principles.

The Inner Man or Inner Self refers to the Universal Mind in man and is in continuous contact with the mind of every human being and with God. The outer man is the material part of man. These two different aspects of man work in harmonious parallel. The most potent and formidable power in this part of the cosmic circle is resident in the very spiritual being of man. Cosmic consciousness is the consciousness of God - the perfect consciousness. This is man's goal. Conscious evolution begins when one ceases to allow the outer self to master him and casts out desires that increase vanity, pride and egotism of man.

Affirmations are powerful tools in bringing about change in one's life, whether it be in the form of personal change or bringing new people, things and situations into your life. When one performs affirmations, he declares out to the universe a statement or a command. The art of concentration is the key to the attainment of what you want to manifest.

Man must abide by the natural or spiritual laws. Disease, pain, suffering, poverty and discomfort are the result of the violation of the natural laws. Long established prejudice, ill feeling, erroneous thought or unkind sentiment lurking in the person's system is like a germ sapping the vitality of health and causing an inharmonious relationship with the cosmic laws and principles. The law of compensation properly, efficiently and sufficiently compensates a man in ways and times as will render the most help and benefit to the deserving one.

Everything we perceive are but vibration. The existence of matter depends upon Spirit vibrations and our knowledge of matter depends upon vibrations. Our whole knowledge of existence depends on our sensing these vibrations through sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. Vibrations travel at different speeds. There are vibrations of light, sound, music and thought-forms. Mastership of certain arts and sciences requires, in addition to intellectual comprehension, the development of certain activities and nerve centers, muscles and actions on the part of the mind and body in order to respond to the commands of the intellect.

Thoughts are energies that vibrate on different levels. The quality of thoughts have an effect on one's life, health, happiness and success. Meditation is a tool to improve one's thoughts and consciousness.

The Rosicrucian Chant is presented in Atrium 1 monograph.

The Confession of Maat and the Creed of Peace are presented in Atrium 2. Some key points in Atrium 2 are as follows.

You are an inseparable part of the Great Soul, the Universal Mind which pervades all space and is in all men. The cosmic is impersonal; all of nature is unselfish and selfless that man is able to enjoy many wonderful privileges. To realize these, attune yourself to the Cosmic by turning your attention inward toward the Universal Mind which resides within your own being. Likewise, you can attune to soul personalities including Cosmic Masters which are vibratory essences. Breathing, incense and vowels can be useful tools for attunement.

Alchemy is a philosophical system which aimed at penetrating the mysteries of creation and of life; it sought to place the microcosm of man in adjustment with the macrocosm of the universe. Its fundamental ideas are (1) all forms of matter are one in origin; (2) these forms are produced by evolutionary processes; (3) that matter has a common soul which alone is permanent. The body or outward form, a mode of manifestation of the soul, is transitory and may be transmuted.

Psychic centers are parts of the body where the energy or frequencies of the Soul are toned down to combine with the body in a usable form. Through these centers, the Soul and Spirit combine to give rise to consciousness and the realization of the Self. Their development facilitates man's subjected awareness or his sensitivity to the harmonics of the universal forces that govern his existence. There are 7 important psychic centers. The pituitary and the pineal have to do with the important connections of the objective consciousness with the subconscious levels of mind and act as transformers in transferring impressions from one level of consciousness to the other.

Love is a powerful emotion which is one requirement for real mental growth. It is a sensitivity to harmony in the universe. The more sensitive we are to this harmony, the more we become part of it.

Nerve energy is one of the great forces in the human body. Its source is in the vital force of life. The tips of the thumb and the first and second fingers of both hands are principal nerve terminals of the body that emit strong vibratory nerve energy that can be used for healing.

Soul and body are both forms of cosmic or universal energy. At transition, the soul personality experiences a oneness with the universal soul and thus loses consciousness of its individuality for a time. Man is reborn on the earth plane on an average of every 144 years.

Fire, earth, air, and water are the first principal manifestations of the elements composing man's body. Man is magnetic with magnetism and electrical vitality operating through every cell and part of his being.

Atrium 3 starts with the short biography of the great sage Confucius with some of his reflections.

Rosicrucians are encouraged not only to believe in a virtuous life but to live it. They should be living expressions of goodness, the morality, the harmony and the constructive creativity espoused by RKMR. Lessons and exercises are designed to transform one's personality into a radiant example of positive living.

Mind is an attribute of Being. It has great power to direct activities of the body and the soul through which it is channeled. These powers can be increased to a more and more efficient peak through refinement of the channel and optimum use and exercise. The mind has also the ability to extend the consciousness to the distant places and to generate imagery. The mind of man and the Cosmic mind are one and the same.

Nerves are long cords of tissue distributed throughout the physical body that supplies the whole body with special form of energy.Different classifications are nerves of motion; nerves of sensation; nerves of special senses; and the autonomic nerves.

Solar plexus is one of the important psychic centers that is easily affected by all the emotions.

The mystical symbolical significance of fire is its process of purging, purification, and regeneration, that through the flames or the heat may come a newer, better, and higher form of revealed existence, that is, purifying the spirit and the body of man. Fire may consume but does not destroy. It is a great agent of change.

The soul personality, in its process of evolution through incarnations, brings into each new incarnation the memory of the past which is simply the mark showing the development the soul personality has attained in its journey.

Mental suggestion means that through the power of will a certain desire is directed or concentrated on a given point. When the objective mind is at rest, the subconscious or deeper parts of the mind are very susceptible to suggestion. The thought must be in the form of suggestion, properly visualized, pictured and worded that it can be stated in the form of a decree. Excellent periods of suggestion are early in the morning and late at night just before retiring.

The most common of all abnormal conditions of the body is found or evidenced in the vitality of the blood or nerve energy. The aura is a result of the vital emanations of the life force in the human body.

Proper visualization begins with a clear mental picture. The thing or scene you visualize must inspire emotions, that is, one has to feel and realize it through the physical senses.

Lastly, we are reminded that the universe is a school.

Commentary

In this Novice degree, the student learns about the material, spiritual, and soul constitution of man; and about some universal laws and principles. The material aspect of man's existence which he perceives through his five senses appear to many as their only reality. In its proper time, when the knowledge revealed in this degree will be commonplace, then man would understand his place in the Cosmic scheme of things. Probably he will learn to manifest and control the powers latent in his being. When man could grasp how his immortal existence is influenced by forces or vibrations within and without then he can gradually find meaning in the idea of Oneness of All. Probably, it will still take an infinitely long process based on the historical accounts of how man reached his present stage of development. It seemed that even though this wisdom was laid down by God's messenger for man's consumption, humanity continues to be blind and choose a life of suffering. Indeed, RKMR students should heed the advice to devote some time to meditation and concentration upon the principles and laws of nature as this is the way shown by the sages who have trodden the path.