Theos-Talk Archives (April 1998 Message tt00188)

In a message dated 98-04-09 01:56:36 EDT, Doss wrote:

<< n Tillett's book, there is a reference to the Egyptian Ritual was adapted
 for use by a group of young women who were also ES members. >>

About 20 years ago, I "inherited" a theosophical library from a deceased
member because the relatives had no interest in the subject. Among the papers,
I found two parchments, they looked like diplomas, that had the name of the
Egyptian Rite on them. Each document showed that the participant had achieved
a certain level or degree. One referred to a temple degree associated with
Isis. Curious, I took them down to the Washington Lodge and showed them to an
elderly friend of mine who had been the librarian at Olcott for a quite a long
time. When she saw them, she gave me a big kiss on the lips, snatched the
documents out of my hands and said, "You're giving me to these, aren't you,
darling". Before I could reply, she made a beeline to Joy Mills in the next
room who happened to be there that day to give a lecture. I saw them in a
huddle whispering to one another. When my friend returned, I asked her what
they were and she passed it off by saying "Oh, it was just an organization
George Arundale set up to help people learn theosophy better". This lady was
in her eighties at the time, very knowledgable and quite charming but she was
an old-line theosophist, ES member and all that. My only regret was that I
didn't xerox the ER papers. But that's water under the bridge.

My other experience was even earlier, back in the early Sixties. When I was
being raised in Holy Orders in The LCC, Bishop Will Pitkin made the following
cryptic remark one morning, "One day you will be admitted to a group that
isn't Co-Masonry, the ES or The LCC. It will be something else but it will be
under the direct tutelage of the Master Himself". The other candidate for
Orders and myself sat there dumfounded but neither of us asked any questions
about what was just said. Another mistake, looking back in retrospect.

Lmhem111