AGNES MARSLAND
President of the Grand Orient
Leader of the Order of the Initiates of Thibet
and personal representative of Dr. Sarak
after he returned to his headquarters in Paris
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I own the book, First Principles of Esoterism: a Text-Book for Students
of the First Degree of the Oriental Esoteric Society by Agnes E. Marsland, 1911
Ordered off online second-hand bookseller, Author thanks her master, Albert Sarak
Refers to "the Librarian" (aka H.N. Stokes) and his Library in the back
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the U.F.O. book, Invisible College, by Jacque Valee :
Shortly after the turn of the century, a cult similar to that
of Mrs. Keech flourished in Washington, D.C. (there's a footnote here that says "See in particular
"Washington's Most Curious Cult --Under the Leadership of a
Woman" in the Washington Post, October 31, 1909. [SEE BELOW])
It was called the Order of the Initiates of Tibet and was
presided over by Miss Marsland, daughter of George Marsland,
the founder of the American Bankers' Association. In 1909
the cult had five thousand followers, among them prominent
members of the social and diplomatic set. Miss Marsland
received her teachings from a mysterious source in Paris.
(Allegedly they emanated from Tibet, were written in
Sanskrit, and were translated into French by the high
initiate in Paris.) The mission of the sect was to "draw men
from the study of material effects which has so far occupied
the exclusive attention of scientists, and to direct them to
the study of cause, force, vibration, and the unseen." The
resulting advancement would "transmute the scientist into a
Magus" and lead to contact with the inhabitants of other
planets. This sect is an interesting precursor to the
various movements and cults that are active today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Washington Post, October 31, 1909 : "Washington's Most Curious Cult --Under the Leadership of a Woman"
|
Among the myriad isms which have found root in the fertile soil of Washington, none
presents more unusual or more mysterious phases than the Order of the Initiates of Tibet,
which had for its nucleus a group of four or five unique individuals five years ago.
Today the cult has as followers some of the most prominent members of the social and
diplomatic set, who gather twice weekly at the home of the Oriental Esoteric Center,
1443 Q Street, there to sit at the feet of the president of the order, Miss A.E. Marsland
(who uses the mystic letters M.E.S. after her name); and imbibe wisdom, which, in turn,
has been trasmitted to her from the fastnesses of mysterious Asia. Odd? Well, if you consider it unusual that a young woman, who did not have the advantage of a wide acquaintance or of large means, should begin a school of philosophy with a following of less than half a dozen; if it was out of the ordinary for this young woman to persist in lecturing week after week for three years to a pitiful handful, never discouraged, never sad, never doubtful of the final outcome; if it was unique that her motives for such perseverance and devotion to an ideal were merely that the world might become familiar with the philosophy of life that would alleviate mental suffering and moral degradation - if all these things combined constitute oddity, then the esoteric cult, with its home at 1443 Q street is odd. |
|
The Order of the Initiates of Tibet came into being in the United States on the crest of the great
wave of spiritual awakening which is now sweeping over the earth, and which is causing thoughtful
people in every land to investigate many of the extravagant claims of followers of the occult. Some
of these claims have been found to be scientifically correct; others a mere conglomeration of fantastic
untruths, with here and there a fragment of fact. What position the Order of the Initiates of Tibet will
hold in the ultimate outcome of this era of spiritual unrest and frantic effort to bridge the chasm that
now stretches between the realms of the seen and the unseen, the physical and the psychical, is a matter
of conjecture, with every one his own mentor. But, in any event, the teachings of this little band of workers
in Q street have a peculiar fascination for the workaday world. The Washington branch of the Order of the Initiates of Tibet is of special importance because it is the head center of the movement for America. This fact has added significance when it is known that according to the doctrine of the initiates the fifth great world leader and teacher of mankind is to be born in this country, and with the next 25 years. The four leaders who have already visited the earth are Rama (8,400 B.C.), Krishna (3,000 B.C.), Buddha (1,500 B.C.), and Jesus (or Isa). According to Miss Marsland, the world entered upon a new era in 1898, an epoch which is to be signalized by wonderful advancement in the knowledge of the occult. Perhaps within the next 2,000 years we shall become acquainted with the inhabitants of Mars, Venus, Mercury, and all the other planets. It is one of the tenets of the initiates that all the planets are inhabited and by spirits that have advanced or retrograded after an existence on this earth. In talking of this transmigration process, Miss Marsland is silent as to which of the planets are the abodes for the more advanced spirits and which for those people who failed to live uprightly on this earth. She says these are questions which can only be answered for those in the inner council. And there are other mysteries of the cult which are not even revealed to the president of the grand Orient, as Miss Marsland is called. For example, she does not know the exact place from which come her instructions and her lectures. She knows that the documents, written in Sanskrit are sent out from the fastnesses of Tibet (not from Lassa, however), and they go to Paris where they are translated into French, and then sent here, to Brazil, and to Egypt. The occult masters are the fountainhead of knowledge, but each center is independent, so far as internal government is concerned. |
|
The initiates are not proselyters. They conduct their campaign of education
through circulating libraries. When persons, who hear of the work become interested and send in for information, books on Oriental
philosophy are mailed to them without charge. This work has grown to such proportions that a librarian, a stenographer, and a
secretary are kept busy. There are not lacking [sic?] in this new cult, which now numbers 5,000 followers, the insignia and trappings of a secret order. Of these, none is more interesting than the symbolic idea of nature, which is reproduced on this page. The title is Adda-Nari (Isis). Above the head of the female figure spring the waters of life and truth which fall upon the just (symbolized in the sacred bull) and the unjust (the tiger) alike. The foot of the woman is bruising the serpent's head and before her stretches the thorny way of life. Much of this idea is borrowed from the religion of the ancient Egyptians. Another bit of symbolism is shown in the crest at the extreme right of this page. The hemisphere at the base represents the world, which is just emerging from the clouds of ignorance. The serpent represents wisdom twining around the T. The first star represents the soul of the man, the wings the omniscience of the supreme being, and the sun typifies universal knowledge. Miss Marsland when lecturing wears a badge of gold and blue, on which are embroidered the letters "B.S." The initiates believe that their philosophy inculcates a spirit of peace and contentment, no matter in what sphere they may be forced to live. It is a school for the promotion of happiness. Whether this has been the sole explanation for the growth and spread of the cult since Miss Marsland, who is the daughter of George Marsland, founder of the American Bankers' Association, first came to Washington five years ago, is a matter for conjecture. The fact remains that the mysterious cult, the followers of which know not the source of inspiration, has grown, and is growing quietly and consistently. As to the tenets of the cult, they can best be outlined in Miss Marsland's own words: "The mission of the centers established by the Initiates of Tibet is to wean men away from the study of material effects which has so far occupied the exclusive attention of scientists, and to direct them to the study of cause, force, vibration, and the invisible. "But these invisible causes can only be approached in safety by the man who is master of himself, and so the stupendous task of the pioneers of the New Era is to transmute the scientist into the mage. "All the centers under the direction of this order have certain definite teachings and methods of development. The basic principles are: 1. The universe is one, therefore, all are united in universal brotherhood. 2. The existence of a supreme Deity. 3. Man is a spiritual being, and as such is responsible for his actions. |
|
1. The ascendancy of the spiritual man. 2. The development of the individuality or soul nature. 3. The entire submission of the personality, or man of emotion and desires, to the higher nature. 4. The cultivation of the will and its practice in the daily life in harmony with the Divine will. 5. Nonresistance of the law of love. 6. The realization of positive thought force and the rejection of the negative states of fear, doubt, and morbidity. 7. The strict accomplishment of all the duties of the daily life without any thought of reward, leaving the results to the Divine. 8. The order does not teach or indorse [sic] hypnotism, spiritism, or any negative, psychic practices, but teaches and points out their dangers. "The inner teachings to students supply a philosophy which renders his life intelligible and worth living; they illuminate the Scriptures and the doctrines of religions by unveiling their hidden meanings; and by realizing the nature and the indestructibility of life, as a religious as well as a scientific tenet, they place death in a new light, remove fear and open the gateway to a fuller and more radiant existence. "Our centers do not offer spiritual instruction for money, nor do they teach that the higher knowledge can be gained in any other way than by the greatest purity of life and thought." An interesting fact in connection with the order in France, where Prof. F. Charles Barlet controls, is the discovery recently of a remarkable spring at Chatel Guyon, at the foot of the extinct volcano, Puy de Dome. This mountain has, from the most ancient times, be the seat of mystic rites; ruins of the ancient temple to Venus and the Sun still standing on its summit, an object of interest to tourists as well as to occultists and all lovers of antiquity. The spring, which is the property of the order, is said to have great curative powers. |
|
To form a chain of universal brotherhood based upon the purest altruism, without hatred of creed, sect, caste, or color, in which reign tolerance, order, discipline, liberty
compassion and love. To study the occult sciences of the Orient, and to seek by meditation, concentration, and a special line of conduct to develop those powers which are in man and his environment. To provide a practical philosophy of life, which shall aid men in meeting the problems and enduring the trials of the world with fortitude. The mainspring of the center is service. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~