Psychism and Spirituality
The Rosicrucian Dilemma - Part Two
This paper is entitled: Psychism and Spirituality – the
Rosicrucian Dilemma, was first read at a Rosicrucian Conference in Bournemouth 2010. it expresses some of my personal reflections on
the work of a Rosicrucian, particularly in the context of the FAMA & CONFESSIO,
in which, as I understand it, the distinction between Psychism and Spirituality
is essential to the accomplishment of the Great Work; by which I mean the
spiritual regeneration of the soul of both the individual and of humanity.
All quotations and references are from and to Thomas
Vaughan’s
English translation of the FAMA, published in 1652
Part Two - Concerning ‘Psychism’ & ‘Spirituality’
On the basis that a delusion, no matter how
common-place or popular, is still a delusion, I think this is the right place
to qualify what I mean by ‘Spirituality’ and ‘Psychism’; they are after all the
main theme of this address. I think most of us would agree that they are common
terms, but, do they have a common meaning?
The word Psychism is derived
from the Greek ‘Psyche’ which is a term that was, and still is commonly used
for the soul. The best description I have read concerning the Psyche is an allegorical
tale concerning the evolution of the soul, told by Apuleius in his book Metamorphoses, or the Golden Ass. This ancient
story tells of a beautiful princess named Psyche, whose beauty was so
marvellous that Venus the goddess of love was threatened by it, and thus she
sent her son Cupid to use one his fateful arrows to direct Psyche’s affection
towards all that is base and worthless.
However, Cupid, instead of
fulfilling his mother’s wishes fell in love with Psyche, and through his divine
powers transported her to his celestial palace where she became his wife.
However, in fear of his mother’s anger Cupid only visited Psyche in the
darkness of night and left before the dawn, thus she neither knew the name nor
the identity of her lover.
Cupid had warned Psyche
never to seek his identity, but Psyche, persuaded by the dark mischief of her
jealous sisters, who had convinced her that he was a hideous monster hiding his
true form in the darkness, lit a lamp as her husband slept, to see if this was
true. Unfortunately some of the hot oil fell from the lamp onto the shoulder of
Cupid, who awoke and admonished and divorced Psyche, leaving her desolate.
Thus begins Psyche’s long
and desperate search for her beloved, all the while hunted and tormented by the
goddess Venus. After many trials and tribulations, including overcoming Hades,
she finally achieves immortality and is reunited with Cupid. Personally I like
this story as it portrays the soul’s evolution out of the material world of the
senses and the instinctive nature of human biology, into the spiritual world.
However, in more prosaic
terms the Shorter Oxford English
Dictionary describes Psychism as the “Doctrine
or theory of the existence of forces unexplainable by physical science in
connexion with spiritistic phenomena.”
Not really very helpful, in my opinion. Alternatively, Madame
Blavatsky, the co-founder of the Theosophical Society, defined Psychism as “A term now used to denote very loosely every
kind of mental phenomena e.g.
mediumship, and the higher sensitiveness, hypnotic receptivity, and inspired
prophecy, simple clairvoyance in the astral light, and real divine seership.”
Perhaps the most revealing
thing about both of these definitions is that they describe Psychism in terms
of phenomena and the phenomenal world, whether it be the coarse material world
we perceive with our senses, or whether it be some astral/ethereal counterpart
that we experience with the mind. In either case they are definitions rooted in
the discursive mind born of Duality.
The word Spirituality is
derived from the word ‘Spirit’, which has many meanings in the English
language. Reference books and dictionaries describe the word ‘Spirit’, in its non-material sense, as signifying the
essential nature or principle of a place, a thing or a person, but it is also
used to signify an entity such as an angel, an elemental, a ghost or a demon.
But whether it refers to an object, quality or an entity the term is generally
used to describe something that is essentially incorporeal or immaterial. Thus,
the spiritual essence of a person, place or thing is beyond image and form. How
then is it to be understood?
In my experience this notion
of the essence being formless is best expressed in Kabbalistic terms.
Kabbalistic thought proposes that Creation emerges in four successive and
increasingly material modes from a formless and invisible essence, known as Ain Soph Aur.
The first world is
called Atziluth – the archetypal
world. It is the world in which the Spiritual essence coalesces into the divine
archetypes which are the basis of Creation.
The second world is Briah, the Creative World. This is the
world in which the divine archetypes – the differentiated essence – become
dynamic but have yet to take form.
The third world is Yetzirah, the Formative world, and it
is in this world that the archetypes begin to take form, as in the mind of an
architect or designer – albeit a subtle ethereal form that is not usually
perceptible to the senses, but is perceivable to the mind.
The fourth is Assiah, the Material world, which is
the world of Matter, wherein the archetypes have their most concrete form, a
form perceptible to the senses. It is in this world that Adam & Eve were
given tunics of skin (Gen. 3: 21).
This concept of a
transcendent and formless spiritual essence is also found in Neo-Platonic
thought, which propose three principal modes of being,
The One is the Infinite, the
Absolute, the source and ground of existence. It is Unity pure and simple.
The Divine Nous is the Divine Spirit/Mind in which exists the archetypal ideas and
prototypes of creation.
The world Soul is the model of creation itself. It consists of a celestial part that
contemplates the Divine Nous, and a terrestrial part which is the vehicle
through which the material cosmos is generated.
Human souls proceed from the World Soul, and
as a microcosm of the World Soul consists of two or more parts, the Terrestrial part, the two lowest illustrated in this chart, comprises the realm
most commonly experienced by humanity and consists of the material world of the
senses and the ethereal world – most commonly known as the Astral. The highest
part, the Celestial, the upper two
illustrated in this chart, is capable of rising above the material and ethereal
world to contemplate the Divine Nous, which constitutes the goal of many
esoteric systems.
There are other models that demonstrate this point
but the Kabbalistic and Neo-Platonic models shown here were reasonably well
known to the esoteric community in the 16th century (See Thorndyke’s
History of Magic, and Experimental
Science), and are sufficient to demonstrate the SPIRITUAL and the PSYCHIC
being a distinction between FORM
and ESSENCE. It is clear, then, that throughout history the custodians of the
Tradition, whose ranks, according to the Fama
must include the first three generations of ROSICRUCIANS, recognised that there
is a distinction to be made between Form and Essence. And that the SPIRITUAL is
concerned with Essence, and the PSYCHIC with Form.
It seems to me that if there is a one thing above
all else that distinguishes Essence and Form it is the concepts of UNITY and
DUALITY. That which is spiritual pertaining to Essence and UNITY and that which is psychic pertaining to Form and DUALITY and all that such
implies, including the infinity of worlds and creatures who inhabit them.
The following illustrations
of p.62 and p. 63, of the Confessio clearly demonstrates that the authors were conscious
of this distinction, and that the realm of Form, was transient and of the
nature of Duality.
It seems very clear to me that the main objective of
the Fama was to demonstrate, albeit
in a veiled manner, an understanding of the spiritual nature of the Great Work,
inspiring aspirants in the opening years of the 17th century to
focus on the mysteries of the spiritual life rather than squabbling over the
theological and political issues that dominated the poisonous atmosphere of
religious hatred that polluted Europe throughout the 16th & 17th
centuries. This the Fama does, using
the metaphoric and allegorical language of Kabbalah and Alchemy, following the precedents
established in the ancient world of using stories as allegories of the
spiritual life, transmitted in such a way as to convey and protect the
integrity of important spiritual ideas by embodying them in a memorable tale.
Examples of such methods can be seen in the Mosaic
books such as the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt, and Moses’ ascent of Mt. Sinai,
where history and allegory are obviously combined, or in non-Christian texts
such as the story of the Argonauts’ quest for the Golden Fleece. Indeed, as I
understand it Apuleius devised the story of the Metamorphoses or Golden Ass as an allegory to circumvent the taboo
against speaking publicly about the Sacred Mysteries of Eleusis. He even
embedded in the Metamorphoses the
story of Cupid and Psyche, which is
itself an echo or reflection of the soul’s quest for redemption as portrayed in
the Mysteries by Persephone. I think he sailed very close to the wind with
that.
There are many other examples of the allegorical
method available, Chretien De Troyes Arthurian
Romances, Dante’s Paradisio, and
Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress come to
mind, but they are simply a very few of many possible examples. However, in
their own way by their very existence they all support the validity of the Fama to stand, not merely as an ancient
political ‘manifesto’, a historical curiosity, but as an allegorical text full
of symbols of the spiritual life. To those who think themselves Rosicrucians
but have not studied the Fama, having
only read and listened to ‘scholarly’ opinion concerning it, I must say with
all due respect, that study it you must! It is well worth the effort, for it is
dripping with enigmatic and wonderful references to the mysteries of Alchemy
and Kabbalah. For example, consider the curious nature of the following passage
from page 3 of the Fama:
It reads: “To such an intent of a general Reformation,
the most godly and highly illuminated Father, our Brother, Christian
Rosencreutz a German, the chief and original of our Fraternity, hath much and
long time laboured, who by reason of his poverty (although descended of Noble
Parents) in the fifth year of his age (of his
Novitiate) was placed in a cloister, where he had learned indifferently
the Greek and Latin Tongues, who ( upon his earnest desire and request) being yet in his growing years, was associated to a
Brother, P.A.L. who had determined to go to the Holy Land.”
Now we have a choice; we either accept the literal
reading of the text; that a poor five year old boy was given over to a
monastery, and began learning Latin & Greek, and who sought the guidance of
a more senior member, who incidentally, was prepared to take him to the Holy
Land. This would make Christian Rosencreutz a monastic and a catholic, which is
possible but unlikely. Alternatively, if the words are considered in
metaphorical terms they suggest that Christian Rosencreutz was presented as an
initiated member of an esoteric brotherhood. It is even possible that both may be
true, that he was intended to be seen as both a monastic and an initiate of an
esoteric brotherhood; which is not as far-fetched as it might at first appear,
concerning which I refer you to the extensive work of Lynn Thorndike [History of Magic, and Experimental Science]
who makes abundantly clear just how involved some members of the monastic
orders were in the exploration of the esoteric.
Whatever the whole truth may
be it seems to me that one thing is certain – this passage is not saying is
that Christian Rosencreutz was a five year old infant when he entered the
cloisters, but that he was young in the Work. Furthermore, when Brother P.A.L.,
is considered in metaphorical terms, he may be seen as a senior member of the
Order, who assisted Christian Rosencreutz on his spiritual journey to The Holy Land
– which is a metaphor for the kingdom of heaven – the spiritual goal of the mystic and
contemplative.
That Brother P.A.L., died in
Cyprus and Christian Rosencreutz continued on his journey is also suggestive.
Either the author is alluding to ‘Death’ in Alchemical terms, suggesting that
Christian Rosencreutz had begun the process of Spiritual Alchemy in which the
death (quiescence) of the discursive mind, no matter how inspired, is
absolutely necessary. In which case brother P.A.L., is being used as a device
to symbolise a form of an inspired intellect [such as
John the Baptist], or, he may be alluding to the fact that the teacher
can only ever be a signpost and that the student must ultimately make the journey
alone. Consider the following passage: “At Fez
he did get acquaintance with those which are commonly called the Elementary
Inhabitants, who revealed unto him many of their secrets:”
I don’t know about you but
this passage leaves me with several questions: The first being’ what does the
author mean by Elementary Inhabitants? Is
he alluding to the ‘elementals’, the Sylphs, Undines, Salamanders and gnomes,
or is he suggesting something else?
He continues: Of these of Fez he often did confess, that their Magia was not altogether pure, and also
that their Cabala was defiled with
their religion; but notwithstanding he
knew how to make good use of the same ….” (p.6)
With what ‘Magia’ and
‘Cabala’ did he compare that of Fez,
and how was it that one so young, if indeed he was, and I quote: “knew how to make good use of the same”? Whatever the answer may be,
these are not the words that describe a youngster or novice alone a strange
land.
More revealing is the following:
On page 11, of the Fama Christian Rosencreutz is said to have build a neat habitation,
which is the Sancti Spiritus but more
of that later. In this ‘habitation’ he “ruminated
his voyage, and philosophy, and reduced them together in a true memorial ….”
– in my understanding this is a reference to the discipline of meditation, a
fundamental undertaking in the Great Work. But more interesting is what follows. Page 12 tells us that after five years he
drew out of his first cloister (in itself
a puzzle) three of his brethren and bound them to himself. This may mean
exactly what it says, that three brothers left their monastery to form a new
Order with Christian Rosencreutz, but it also suggests an alchemical allegory
concerning the three essential alchemical principles of Sulphur, Mercury and Salt.
Alchemy assumes the existence of three principles in
all things, corresponding with the threefold division of man into body, soul
and spirit. These principles are Mercury, Sulphur,
and Salt. Sulphur
represents the Spiritus Primus. Its
nature is fire, and is understood to be an analogue of the soul. To Sulphur is
attributed the Sun, the conscious self – the embodiment of will. Mercury
represents the Materia Prima. Its
nature is water, which in alchemy is understood to be the Spirit. This is not
the spirit of Christian theology, which denotes the divine immortal element of
Man, but the vital force that is carried in the air, otherwise called the
‘waters of life’. It is passive malleable and volatile; to it is attributed the
Moon. Salt represents the Body, the material form resulting from the
combination of Mercury and Sulphur.
These three principles, acting together, constitute the nature of all things,
including man.
Alchemy also understands the universe to be a UNITY, and that all
material bodies emerged from that Unity, their component elements being different
forms of one matter and, therefore convertible into one another. This theory
may be seen as an analogy concerning the soul’s evolution and regeneration – an
evolution from an unregenerate state symbolised by the metal Lead to a
spiritually regenerate state symbolised by Gold.
Gold is the symbol of regeneration, and is
designated a noble metal, as is Silver; although it is thought to be less
mature than gold. In the Eighteenth century, Emanuel Swedenborg, the
illustrious Swedish scientist, philosopher and spiritual visionary, designated
the man of Gold as “celestial”, and the man of Silver as “spiritual”. Lead, on
the other hand, was regarded as a very immature and impure metal: heavy and
dull, and as such was considered to be a symbol of man in an unregenerate state.
On a personal note, I was taught to think of Sulphur, as Primus Spiritus, corresponding with the
Divine Nous, and to think of Quicksilver, as Materia Prima, corresponding to the World Soul. It is through the
conjunction of them both, symbolised by the alchemical marriage of the King and
Queen, that the World Soul gives form to the archetypes contained in potentia within the Divine Nous. The
materialised forms of the archetypes, and all forms derived from them are
represented by the element of salt.
The more I look at the Fama & the Confessio the more I see an
interesting structure woven ‘between the lines’ of the narrative. These core
Rosicrucian texts do not simply form a mandate for Magic and Experimental Science, although many have taken it as
such. As an expression of the aspirations of a tumultuous era the narrative, of
the Fama is interesting on its own
terms, but it also has hidden depths that veil a subtext concerning the
spiritual transformation of human nature, and as such it is invaluable. As far
as my understanding of such things allow, I perceive the language of the Fama to be a symbolic language of
allegory and metaphor steeped in esoteric thought, part mythological, part
alchemical and part Kabbalistic.
But when all is said and done it is clear that a
recognisable process of spiritual transformation is implicit in the text of the
Fama. And it seems to me that the
purpose of the text is to act as a vehicle for this process, a process that is
concealed through the use of allegory and metaphor, of sign and symbol, only to
be discovered by a persistent and reflective mind. This process appears in the Fama in four stages or phases:
1)
Apprenticeship (Elemental)
2)
Building the Sancti Spiritus
3)
Interior life (Meditation & Contemplation)
4)
Charity (six commendations)
The first, The
Apprenticeship, is described at the beginning of the Fama. It presents our Christian Rosencreutz on a journey of discovery
in the world, but what world he is exploring is left for the reader to
discover. At first glance it seems to be a quaint record of an adventure, but
closer examination reveals it to be an allegory of a student learning the basic
curriculum of the Work and maturing sufficiently to pass through a labyrinth of
esoterica until he arrives at a place of self-knowledge and is thus able to
begin the construction of the Sancti
Spiritus.
The second, the building of The Sancti Spiritus, describes Christian Rosencreutz building a
spiritual body, but only after he has understood that the world has little
interest in his discoveries is he motivated to do so. Our hero learns the hard
way that the world is only interested in securing control over the resources of
the world of the senses, and maintaining the status quo – personal power being
everything. [illus. p. 11]
The third, The
Interior Life, describes Christian engaging in meditation, exploring his spiritual journey thus far, and
reflecting upon the philosophy of the spiritual life. Mathematics is drawn to
the reader’s attention as a major subject of his exploration, and I can’t help
wondering just what the author of the Fama
means by ‘Mathematics’. Did the author mean the ‘philosophy of Number’, or did
the author mean the practise of Gematria to unravel the mysteries of scripture?
I say this because the CONFESSIO states on page 49:
[illus. p.49]
This suggests to me a Kabbalistic exegesis of
Biblical texts using mathematical systems such as Gematria, Temura and Notarikon, and rightly so for such
systems are profound meditative tools, capable of revealing subtle layers of
meaning in the scriptures that are not obvious to the rational mind.
Furthermore, the description of the ‘Vault’ of Christian Rosencreutz gives a marvellous
insight to the nature of the Sancti
Spiritus, a description that is also an allegorical puzzle. It has
fascinated esoterically minded people for the last four hundred years or more,
and has been the central feature of many esoteric orders for more than a
century. However, I am inclined to accept the description of the VAULT as an
elucidation of the interior world of the soul from a Biblical perspective, [See Exodus 26] an internal cosmology expressed in
both Kabbalistic and Alchemical terms.
The fourth, I call Charity. Charity, because it is concerned with the work of a
Rosicrucian living in the world. At its heart is the dynamic of Love – that is
to say, Charity; and it is supported by the practice of Humility – by living
quietly and invisibly in the world without seeking fame, recompense, fortune or
power over others. This Rule, combined with the three previous phases,
establishes a quintessentially Christian model for living a spiritual life;
rooted as it is in the formula established by Jesus Christ: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy
strength, and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. [Mark 12. 30-31]
For those who have the eyes to see, this quotation is a cipher, to which I
shall refer shortly.
Conclusion
The theme of this paper is Spirituality or Psychism – A Rosicrucian Dilemma. It is entitled
thus because the dilemma for the aspiring Rosicrucian is simply this: if the
Great Work is the spiritual regeneration of the soul of both our race and the
individual, how much of a Rosicrucian’s time should be given to chasing the
ephemera that is ‘Psychism’ and how much should be given to the seeking of the
‘Spiritual’?
Put another way, what is the core objective of a
Rosicrucian? Is it to discover and
engage with the Essence that is the causal principle of Form or is it to
explore the science of Form? This is the dilemma (Theology versus
Technology)that I believe has always been central to Rosicrucianism, and I
believe it is a dilemma that will continue to present itself to succeeding
generations of Rosicrucians as they seek to understand the spiritual dimension
of the soul.
It seems to be the case that many begin the Work by
seeking codes and ciphers that might reveal material treasures and knowledge of
great secrets, and many choose the route of magic convinced that it is the
‘Sure Way’ to attain such things, but the Rosicrucian Way, as described in the
FAMA, is not the acquisition of more stuff, of more money, more power, more
secret knowledge, forever seeking to become immortal and attain the power of a
god.
Nevertheless, there are ciphers, and there are
codes, but they speak of things other than the transient. For example: the text
of the FAMA alludes to three important principles. In the first instance we are
directed to reflect upon CR’s aspiration to go to the Holy
Land. This is an allegorical message to seek the Kingdom
of God. The second rests
upon building the Sancti Spiritus and
entering therein. This is an allegorical reference to the Kingdom of God being ‘Within’. The third principle
rests upon the first of the Six Commendations: ‘To cure the sick, and that gratis’, to which all Rosicrucians are
committed. This is a reference to developing the dynamic of ‘Love’ which lies
at the heart of Christian Spirituality, and is embodied in the formula cited a
moment ago. Thus: Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and
with all thy strength, and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. [Mark
12. 30-31].
Look at like this:
Viewed without prejudice this is not only a moral
imperative but a cipher that introduces us to a means of entering the kingdom of God. The imperative is ‘Thou shalt love . . . .’ Now Love has
many forms, but only two concern us here. The first lies in the yearning of the
soul for union with God. It is a spiritual hunger for a tangible knowledge of
God, This very human love for the Divine is called Eros and it is in Eros that we see the soul’s love of God
reflected in the world, that is, in our love of self, family, friends, lovers,
beauty; in essence it is the soul seeking God in nature. As such it is a Purifying Fire in which the soul is
transformed in act of service and duty.
The second description of ‘Love’ is not the dynamic
and compelling force of Eros but the experience of the love of God. This ‘love’
is Agape, which may be understood as
God’s love for the soul experienced not through any effort of the soul, but a
divine love freely bestowed upon the soul by God. In short, Eros drives the
soul to ‘possess’, but Agape is a
transforming Fire, that ‘possesses’ the soul. It is frequently experienced
as the ‘peace that surpasses all
understanding’, and once experienced it becomes the basis of unshakeable
faith. It is in the labour of meditation that Eros is manifest; in the
aspiration of the soul seeking divine union. But it is in the stillness of
contemplation that Agape frequently takes place – ‘dwelling in the presence of
God’.
To ‘Love’, as Christ commands, is a powerful dynamic. It is
not simply the intense articulation of feelings, but must also include the
application of a developed intention, for to love requires knowledge of that
which is loved, and to love the Lord thy God requires a conception of what God is
and means in human terms. Thus we are encouraged to develop our concept of God, [illus p. 30] which invariably takes a considerable
time, but once begun will continue to evolve, like a mysterious spiritual
crystal growing in the darkness of human ignorance, and the more we continue in
that alchemical process the greater will be our appreciation of the Divine.
To love the Lord thy God “with all thy soul” it is
necessary to have some knowledge of the soul, because just as our conception of
God is initially naive, so too is our concept of the soul; thus, knowledge of
the soul is a fundamental objective for all Rosicrucians. It has been described
variously as non-material and immortal or as a by-product of the chemistry of
matter, and definitely mortal, its existence ending with the ending of the
chemistry of matter. Some describe the soul as an entity others as a vehicle;
indeed, it has been and remains the subject of many opinions and definitions,
but regardless of prevailing opinion we should aspire to learn how to understand and govern the soul, to do so effectively requires knowledge of its
nature and dynamics, one of the chief purposes of Meditation. It is equally so
with regards to the mind. To understand and direct the mind requires more than
brute instinct or ‘natural intuition’, it requires an education and to that end
the beginning of the Work is directed.
Thus, this Great Commandment may be understood to be
a cipher that directs the reflective soul to learn how to love; to learn how to govern
the soul; to learn how to direct the
mind, and to harness the strength and
power of the psyche. All of which are to be directed to the service of God
and Humanity, for although the commandment begins with the words “Love the Lord thy God” it concludes
with the words: “Love thy neighbour as
thyself”. It is in this commandment that we discover the means of unfolding
the mystery of ‘Love’ taught by
Christ – a mystery that enables the soul to transcend SELF and draws it into
the all-encompassing ‘Presence’ of God.
Thus the dilemma is resolved in a life of service,
where SELF is sublimated in a life of service to God and Humanity – this is the
heart that I see beating at the centre of the FAMA and the CONFESSIO.
A Final Note
I have noticed that Rosicrucianism has frequently
been appropriated to support Pagan or non-Christian interests. Many seeing them
only in their connection with Alchemy, Magic and Kabbalah, and more recently,
with freemasonry, yet, it is only in the context and terms of the Fama & Confessio – which are undeniable
expressions of the Christian Mysteries – that Rosicrucians are defined. And it
is a matter of fact that the first Rosicrucians, whoever they were, are defined
therein as self-professed Christians, and it was as Christians that they engaged
with these disciplines – thus influencing over the centuries the pattern and
shape of esoteric endeavours in our world. But, that is, regrettably, the
subject of another discussion.
Thank you.
Note: This address may be found
The word ‘egregore’ is an uncommon word that is most frequently used today
among occultists to signify entities that are magically created by an esoteric
group, or, to signify the resultant though form of the group-mind of a group of
like-minded people that join together for a common purpose.
The etymology of the word ‘egregore’ is unclear. According
to one definition the word egregore is derived from the Latin ‘egredior’ (to go
out), and ‘grex’ (a collective, such as a flock or herd). Another definition
describes the word ‘egregore’ being derived from the Greek Egregoros’
(Watcher). A third derives the word ‘egregore’ from the Hebrew ‘Grigori’. The
Grigori are fallen angels referred to in the Book of Enoch – Of the
taking up of Enoch into the fifth Heaven. In Jewish legendary lore the
Grigori are fallen angels that resemble men in appearance, but are taller than
giants, and, are eternally silent; these too are called ‘watchers’. (See The
Legends of the Jews Vol.1, p 130. by Ginzberg. & A Dictionary of
Angels p 126-7 & 311by Gustav Davidson).
H.P. Blavatsky, The Theosophical Glossary. London, 1892,]
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