Balancing the Energies of Exchange
By the late Shomer Michael Freedman
And expanded upon by Shomer Jean de Cabalis
Fees Balancing the Energies of Exchange
Any membership subscriptions within Magical Orders should be based upon a modest yearly fee as to NOT to complete the exchange of energy expected of their students and members.
Why should an esoteric or spiritual order charge some fees to members? We must set out an important principle in the study and practise of the esoteric. That is should you receive benefit from any organisation then you must be prepared to balance the Energies of Exchange.
Within every communication between the worker and student, there must an energy exchange. Just as there is always an energy exchange between any two people who come into communication. This is especially true when working with spiritual principles.
While the Rules of the Faculty of the Rosie Crosse state that fees must not be charged for spiritual instruction or healing – it is reasonable for non Rosy Cross occult lodges to charge a modest fee to students for materials received and in support of their running expenses.
However these fees should be to cover running costs and MUST never be for used to generate profit. A rule of thumb is, if the fees are high enough to purchase the Imperator a new car or fly to such person international destinations at the expense of the members, then the fees are likely too high.
Accordingly if the fees do not meet the cost of publishing knowledge materials, paying the power bill, of temple equipment costs and even coffee etc – then the subs probably should be increased.
The Guardians have always only allowed for a minimal membership fee which is deliberately not enough to compensate for costs etc of the organisation. So why not just simply charge more? Consider this; In the case of a shopkeeper, such as a bookseller, the exchange of energy is simple and extremely limited. The store person passes to you a book, and you pass to them some money (stored energy or solid energy). The transaction is complete. Now, it is possible for a teacher to limit the communication to such a level, and in the ordinary schools, where children learn the skills of society, such an arrangement is convenient, as the population grows larger and schools become bigger. The exchange is often circuitous, from the family to the government to the teacher, for example. But, usually there is an end to it and the exchanges of energy are fulfilled with quite a simple cycle.
However, the risk in charging fees is that, in charging fees such organisations increase their level or acquisition of negative Karma. Thus potentially seriously damaging the good work that they do and hindering the spiritual growth of others. No person should be turned away for not being able to pay fees. I know various organisations claiming to be Rosy Cross that upon members ceasing to stop paying their expensive quarterly membership subs that will immediately stop sending their lecture notes. Even for said persons who are knowingly financially experiencing hardship; who may be ill, or living off a state benefit etc, these organisations offer no discount nor allow for free will.
What these organisations do, when and if they refusing a needy and poor person access to spiritual teaching; they summon destructive energy into their egregore. These are the same monetary energies that are presently destroying the world today.
The poor are those persons who find it difficult or cannot afford to pay the subs, because they just have enough money to pay the rent or purchase enough food to survive on. It is very sad to see once pure egregores becoming defiled by those losing their original spiritual insight, charity and wisdom.
Energy Exchange within the Tradition
In the case of any truly spiritual or esoteric teacher, the matter is entirely different, At this level, it becomes important for the motives of teachers and the students to be examined.
It must be apparent that true magical teachers do have something else up their sleeves as their purpose is usually wider.
In the case of the previous Chief Adept of the Guardians, in 1967, when his predecessor committed the care of the Order into his hands, a week prior to his death, his charge to him was:
Raise up a new generations of guardians for the coming age.
Therefore, when I teach, it is not just a matter of a student wanting some knowledge and me having some information, so that the exchange of information for money satisfies the matter. You may want some information, but I want members who love the Great Work. If you expect me to contribute to the growth of your own understanding and integration of your magical personally – then your money is not enough.
My purpose is to raise up a new generations of persons who will become guardians of the sacred mysteries and caretakers of the biosphere.
Therefore, if I simply placed a charged for the material, accepted your money and left it at that, the exchanges would be complete and there would be an end to it. But, NO I will not let you off so lightly, and nor will I deny spiritual wisdom to those who have not received from society enough solid energy even to feed themselves adequately.
We want your energy to lighten the world in compassion.
The exchange of energy must have wisdom to bring all closer to communion with the One, but money’s received may do more than meet the immediate energy needs of meeting temple costs – and not the cost of wished for new car.
Members must be able, through the teachings of the skills, to tap that infinite reservoir of energy that we call The Limitless Light. Some of the energy is used internally, as it were; but always, there is so much available. Will you the prospective member let it dissipate and mizzle away, as it will, if not used: or will you try to hold on to it and use it for your personal spiritual growth? There is no faster way for the energy received to grow sour and to lead to a spiritual sickness and malaise of mystification and bewilderment.
For your far greater share in the exchange is to radiate compassionate energy to others.
Addendum by the Prior, Frater Carfax
An additional example of the exchange of energy involves what we currently do with the fees for the Introductory Qabalah course. Rather than donations to charity, we collate the money into a Kiva (www.kiva.org) account which is provided as micro-credit to those who are not only in need, but have a plan and motivation to raise themselves above this state. As all money/energy is repaid, the energy harnessed in the fees to the Guardians is kept in a beneficial circuit and does not dissipate.
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