Q. Should I assume that St Germain and the Violet Flame are not divine influences?
A. Firstly, the vast majority of new age teachings are at best compromised: some truth and much water. There is a great deal of distortion, illusion and falsehood in the new age movement. Secondly, St Germain no longer exists in that form, just as you or I will no longer exist as we rae today after our personalities are dissolved following corporeal death. One definition of 'evil' is: that which has become obsolete in the world but is still being applied by ignorance. Therefore, by clinging to an idea that is past and thus outmoded, one invites evil forces into the world. The St. Germain/violet flame idea is one being circulated by well-intentioned (and sometimes less well-intentioned) discarnate spirits in the psychic sphere.
Q. While St Germain no longer exists in the old form, does evoking the Violet Flame still have an impact, given the "elementary esoteric fact that when, over time, many people fix their minds upon one idea, a mighty astral image of that idea develops"?
A. The example that you have given is adequate for understanding how an imitation 'violet flame' has been created in the astral sphere by so many new age people (and spirits) harboring less than wise motives.
Since in Reality (in Christ) there are no colours (and yet all colours merged into a blazing Brilliance), the violet flame is essentially an illusion. The Avatars did not teach about the violet flame. It is yet another distraction from the simple, straight and narrow path of love and selfless service.
It is always our motives for calling upon anything or anyone that determine whether we link ourselves with the psychic plane or with the Body of Christ. If those motives are pure and selfless, then we shall not need to think in terms of coloured flames for protection or whatever else. Purity is purity is purity, and like attracts like.
Q. Can you speak about St. John of the Cross and the relevance of his vision to the spiritual path?
A. St.John of the Cross sought a union with God through a spiritual journey of withdrawal and abstinence from pleasure. Working with Teresa of Avila, he reformed the rule and set up the Carmelite order. He wrote, "The soul that desires God to surrender Himself to it wholly, must surrender itself to Him wholly leaving nothing for itself...Walk in solitude with God".
Writing mainly for the Carmelite nuns, he showed how God alone was necessary in order to reach Him. Because of his disapproval of the way the nuns were kept ignorant and dependent upon incompetent priests as directors, he sought to communicate the "science of love". He taught that we are created for the union, through love, with God, and we need to recognize that God is already within. John knew how easy it is to say that we want God, that we will hand ourselves over to Him, but he revealed that we scarcely know what we are talking about. He exposes our selfishness and shows what spirituality really is by reference to Philippians 3:8 - "Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ."
St. John knew that the purpose of asceticism was to release one from the tyranny of the ego. Living in community gave the opportunity to think of others more highly than oneself, to let go of one's own will, be without choice and wait on God. It was not a passive way lacking initiative, but one of faith in the Lord's revelations through others, and through events. This love and acceptance of others would set one free of the ego.
John made great demands upon himself due to his certainty of the presence of God within and his resolve to find Him. His journey is one of suffering the "Dark Night of Sense" when the Fire of God consumes all that is not of Him. The divine gaze imprints its own image, painfully revealing one's own defiled condition. It can be a time of sickness and great suffering. This leads eventually to a mystical knowledge of God, and prayer becomes God giving himself to us if we are there to receive Him, but that also must be surrendered to God, we can have no control over it. This of course is divinely-infused contemplation, and few make progress here, for almost everyone seeks to understand for themselves what is happening, and such an intellectual preoccupation with this process and our own position is selfishness. It is a matter of living our lives by faith in Christ after the crucifixion of self. God is a consuming Fire, and John, it is said, sees essential prayer as standing unprotected before God. In order to know God we must unconditionally surrender to God.
Q. Once the uplinking/transformation process is activated and firmly engaged, is it correct to state that you have to go till the end result (transfiguration), without any possible pause, like if you are taken up into an accelerating crescendo of awakening and an ever increasing fireworks of realisations and deep-level realignments... or you crash?
A. Similar to the dynamics of a heavy flywheel, once the momentum has begun, it is a very good idea to keep it turning. Eventually, just a light flick will keep the wheel in rapid motion. This analogy is correct with regard to the effortless and joyful Evolution experienced in the divine Universe. The crash will come for anyone today who receives the Call but turns away from the door of opportunity. For example, I have watched while previously 'loyal' parties to the Work became occultly possessed right in front of my eyes because they chose to attack a messenger of the New Spirit. Jesus once said: "If you see the Son then you see the Father," and I would add to that: "If you spit in the eye of the Son then you violate God".
Q. I love your work and your writings. I would recommend that you read. . .
A. Once the Essence of Reality has been understood, consecration re-established and the True Path embarked upon, one does not require to study further, for the living Truth becomes his Guide, his Inspiration and his Goal - for the good of all.
Q. . . . I am often misunderstood - and not often drawn to justify myself. So, let me say from the outset, if you deem me unfit, then I will not argue with you. I have often regarded myself as unfit for God. I have explored the horrible depths of myself and I have wanted out so desperately, and the only thing that kept me hanging in there was the belief that my life had some kind of Purpose and that to take myself out would be an absolute mistake that I would regret on the other side. . .
A. This is true; suicide only compounds one's karma and problems; experience is many times more intense in the astral world. Therefore suicide is not an alternative to suffering. Each and every life has a Purpose. If we are still learning from returning emotional or mental pain, then there is something that wants to be addressed in our mode of living.
Q. I thought that I knew what surrender to divine Will meant. At one point I made it part of my daily practice to invoke myself as a perfect reflection of divine Will in body, speech and mind for the Great Liberation of all sentient beings. Yet now I perceive the resistance of my personality to truly surrender to Christ. In fact, despite the apparent simplicity of such an act I am not sure I know how to do it!
A. The 'I' cannot try to surrender, since the natural propensity of the fallen microcosm is self-maintenance. Surrender cannot be 'done'. We cannot reach God through any self-effort. To do so is to walk the Left-Hand Path. Psychic powers and some pseudo-enlightenment may be obtained on the path of asceticism (even though it is gruelling and difficult), but the path of self-cultivation never leads to the summit of Life - ever.
Q. What is the nature of true surrender?
A. In true surrender the innermost Spirit enables the aspirant to drop all his dearly-held concepts and limiting beliefs, which obstruct the way for the incoming illumination of greater understanding. There is much more to studying the Gnosis than that which may first appear - there is a definite Purpose and Call within the Gnostic keys. Intelligent acceptance of shedding the old 'certainties' is the first step to real spiritual progress. A high mountain climber can never reach the top with all his camping gear. He must first shed as much as possible at base camp and keep only that which is essential if he is to reach the summit.
However, the earnest spiritual aspirant is not without succor in his efforts since, having surrendered in faith to the inner, divine life, he is assisted by the electro-magnetic field of the divine Kingdom. But only through thirsting for the Truth, emptying himself entirely of all dualistic beliefs and then living the Truth can he become one with Truth, as he is forever changed by it. Nothing can be left unresolved, i.e., not included in the process of sanctification, for it would sooner or later hold him back and even drag him down, ultimately back to square one. Entering the Kingdom may be analogously compared to passing through a metal-detector portal. The slightest piece of metallic matter held onto will be detected and further progress will be inevitably prevented. Holding onto anything for self negates true surrender. This includes self-healing, self-empowerment, self-liberation or personal ascension, etc., etc.Q. I have come to realize that I am nothing, so who am I to feel I am capable of helping anyone - when I'm still deluded myself. I have surrounded myself with unloving deluded people in an unloving deluded world. I'm just a series of contradictions. I feel terribly lonely and lost, and I am crying out for help. Can you help me find my way? I really don't know what to do anymore - if I ever did.
A. The spiritual Sun always shines just beyond the clouds. Therefore - SURRENDER and remember your Faith.
Q. Surrender is the key word...because having never done it one wonders how to do it. Saying "I surrender" is verbal masturbation. I want to know HOW to do it!!!
A. TRUST GOD. It is the 'I' that wants to do.
The confusion that you are experiencing is a positive type. It is a symptom of ego/illusion-destruction. Remember Neo in 'The Matrix' when he was first told the truth? He became angry, afraid, CONFUSED, and he was physically sick!
These are all symptoms of ego-death and are to be desired before the process of Transfiguration may begin. Most people, in ignorance, struggle with these symptoms. They judge them as negative, bad and undesirable. They then proceed to fight against them instead of SURRENDERING.
Q. So all this bad news is great news!! So not struggling when all about you is caving in is part of surrendering?
A. Yes.
Q. As each day brings new challenges against which there is no struggle, one would hope that in the surrender to the Truth, new understanding and greater faith will be born.
A. He who
has attained Knowledge has no need of hope (which is a form of desire).
"Desire is the root of all suffering." - Lord Buddha.
Hope is not surrender.
Therefore, in all your getting, get understanding. "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting, get understanding." - Proverbs 4:7
Confusion is always a symptom of our extrication from the Matrix. It is Lucifer who becomes confused, yet just beyond the luciferic cloud, the Christ-Soul stands shining - and waiting to begin its ministry of true Service. . .