I Am Groups

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I AM Groups

★1834 ★

Ascended Master Fellowship

(Defunct)

The Ascended Master Fellowship was founded in 1972 by the Rev. Theodore M. Pierce, a former minister in the Cosmic Church of Life and Spiritual Science. In 1954, he had been called by Ascended Master Saint Germain through a vision in which he was shown the word "Freedom" written across the universe. The basic teachings of the church are found in two volumes written by A.D.K. Luk, Law of Life. The volumes are a variation on the original "I AM" teachings as presented by Guy Ballard, founder of the "I AM" Religious Activity. Volume II includes a minute description of the spiritual hierarchy and the personages that fill the positions. The Fellowship worked especially under Saint Germain, the Chohan of the Aquarian Age, but also was in cooperation with Ascended Masters Jesus and Mother Mary.

The Reverend Pierce entered the realm of spiritual healing, and practiced cosmic surgery through several spirit doctors. According to the Fellowship, in January, 1969, during a healing session, he was taken out of his body and taken back in time so as to be able to release "misqualified energy" (karma) from the individual. Pierce subsequently became a karmic eraser, one who can remove the consequences of evil that was done in former incarnations.

Regular services were held at the headquarters at Yarnell, Arizona. Affiliated groups were located in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Phoenix; Arizona; and individual members were found across the United States, and in Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia. For a number of years, Pierce published a periodical, Temple Notes The fellowship was discontinued when the demand on Pierce for past life readings began to take all of his time.

Sources:

Luk, A. D. K. Law of Life. 2 vols. Baltimore, MD: The Author, 1959-60.

Pierce, Ted M. Healer Extraordinaire. Yarnell, AZ: Top Publishers, 1987.

★1835 ★

Ascended Master Teaching Foundation

Box 466
Mount Shasta, CA 96067

The Ascended Master Teaching Foundation was founded in 1980 by Werner Schroeder and other students of the Ascended Masters. Of particular interest are messages received by Guy Ballard, co-founder of the "I AM" Religious Activity in the 1930s, and Geraldine Innocente, a messenger with the Bridge to Freedom in the 1950s. It is the goal of the foundation to gather, cross index, make available to students, and translate into foreign languages the messages received by these two messengers, where legally possible. In addition, the foundation encourages the formation of study groups for people who wish to learn the teachings and initiate spiritual practice through decrees, songs, and visualizations. Within its first 20 years it has reprinted and/or published 40 books and 21 tapes.

It is the belief of the foundation that in the 1930s, Ascended Master Saint Germain initiated a "New Age" dispensation through Guy W. Ballard and his wife Edna Ballard. To Mr. Ballard, he expounded cosmic law in precise terms. For the first time since the sinking of the continent of Atlantis, the knowledge of the I AM Presence, (the spiritual body), and the practice of invoking the Violet Flame (which erases karma) was made public. Ballard spread the messages until his "ascension" (death) in 1939. In the ensuing years, the books were no longer freely available until the mid-1980's, and the books have never been permitted to be translated into other languages. In 1951 the Masters began to give additional messages through Geraldine Innocente. After her ascension in 1961 most of her messages were no longer published.

The effort begun in the 1930s is the last effort to free mankind. The Masters plan to increase the light to earth so that humanity can go through future planetary changes with the least amount of suffering possible. They plan to redeem the earth quickly and bring all humanity into contact with the Ascended Masters.

Membership: Not reported. Affiliated members can be found in Austria, Italy, Greece, Sweden, Nigeria, Tanzania, Canada and many coutries in Central and South America.

Periodicals: The Spiritual Caravan.

Sources:

King, Godfre Ray. "Guy Ballard". Unveiled Mysteries. Mount Shasta, CA: Ascended Master Teaching Foundation, 1986.

Prinz, Thomas Geraldine Innocente. Memoirs of Beloved Mary, Mother of Jesus. 1855 Reprint. Mount Shasta, CA: Ascended Master Teaching Foundation, 1986. 178 pp.

——. The Seventh Ray. 1953 Reprint. Mount Shasta, CA: Ascendee Master Teaching Foundation, 1986. 123 pp.

Schroeder, Werner. Man—His Origin, History and Destiny. Mount Shasta, CA: Ascended Master Teaching Foundation, 1984.

★1836 ★

The Bridge to Spiritual Freedom, Inc.

Box 333
Kings Park, NY 11754

This Activity, incorporated in the early 1950s under the name, the Bridge to Freedom, was later called The New Age Church of the Christ. At the present time, the name, The Bridge to Spritual Freedom, has been reinstated, as it more accurately describes the Activity of the Ascended Masters. Its origins can be traced to 1944, when Geraldine Innocente, then a member of the "I AM" Religious Activity, was contacted by the Ascended Master El Morya. This marked the beginning of a series of dictations from the Maha Chohan, other members of the Great White Brotherhood, and Cosmic Beings. These instructions formed the foundation upon which The Bridge to Spiritual Freedom is based.

During the following years, the messages received through Geraldine Innocente were published under the sponsorship of Master El Morya. Using the psuedonym Thomas Printz, he directed the editing and compilng of these communications. This name appears on most of the publications released up to the present day. This includes a periodical called The Bridge to Spiritual Freedom Journal and weekly letters from various Ascended Masters called The Shamballa Letter, which are published at the worldwide headquarters on Long Island, New York.

Geraldine Innocente made her transition in June 1961. Her duties as Contact for the Ascended Masters and President of this organization were given to Lucy W. Littlejohn. Mrs. Littlejohn served in this capacity until her retirement on December 31, 1989. At the present time, following the instructions of Master El Morya, the Contact is to remain anonymous. The Activity serves as a bridge of consciousness between the physical octave and the Heirarchy of Ascended Masters, through which cooperative work may take place to raise the consciousness of all the people on Earth.

The goals are brotherhood and peace between all people and nations, and the elevation of humanity above disease, limitation, and imperfection. Students are taught about the use of the Sacred Fire through various methods, including the decrees, rhythmic breathing, and constructive visualization.

Since the beginning of the era of spiritual freedom in 1954 under the direction of the Ascended Master Saint Germain, attention has been focused on the activities of the Seventh Ray and the use of the Violet transmuting Flame.

In addition to publishing, activities at Headquarters include three regularly scheduled services each week, plus ongoing training programs as needed. There are also conferences scheduled each year, which are open to the entire membership.

Membership: Not reported. Outpost groups are located throughout the world, and it is estimated that many thousands of students now follow the teachings of the Ascended Masters as released through the Bridge.

Periodicals: The Bridge to Spiritual Freedom Journal (monthly).• The Shamballa Letter (weekly). • Ascended Master Discourses (annual).

Sources:

Kuthumi, Ascended Master. The Wisdom of the Ages. 2 vols. St. James, NY: Bridge to Freedom, n.d.

Printz, Thomas. Memoirs of Beloved Mary, Mother of Jesus. Philadelphia: Bridge to Freedom, 1955.

——. The Seven Beloved Archangels Speak. Mount Shasta, CA: Ascended Master Teaching Foundation, 1986.

——. The Student's Handbook. King's Park, NY: Bridge to Freedom, 1972.

The Violet Transmuting Flame. Kings Park, NY: Bridge to Freedom, 1968.

★1837 ★

Church Universal and Triumphant

Box 5000
Livingston, MT 59047

History. The Church Universal and Triumphant had its beginnings in the Summit Lighthouse, founded in 1958 in Washington, D.C., by Mark L. Prophet under the direction of the Ascended Master El Morya. Prophet had previously been associated with the Lighthouse of Freedom, a Philadelphia-based organization headed by Frances K. Ekey.

The Summit Lighthouse had as its primary purpose the publication and dissemination of the teachings of the Ascended Masters, described as "Immortal, God-free beings" who have mastered the circumstances of their lives by victoriously passing all of their tests and trials on earth. These Illuminaries, such as Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, Moses, Zarathustra, and Gautama Buddha, are the saints, revolutionaries, mystics, wise men, and women of all ages who have fulfilled their reason for being, balanced their karma and ascended to God, free at last from the round of rebirth. El Morya, an Ascended Master, is considered to be the Chief of the Darjeeling Council of the Great White Brotherhood. The brotherhood is thought to be an order of Western saints and Eastern masters. (The word white refers not to race, but to the aura (halo) that surrounds the masters and their embodied disciples). The primary method of disseminating the messages is a periodical, Pearls of Wisdom, published weekly since 1958, and numerous books and tapes.

In 1961, Prophet was joined by Elizabeth Clare Wulf, whom he later married and who eventually received the mantle of Messenger from Saint Germain, which (the Church teaches) confers the empowerment of the Word by the Holy Spirit. In the I AM tradition, the messenger is one through whom the Ascended Masters can speak. Mark Prophet was such a messenger, and after her training, Elizabeth Clare Prophet also became one.

In 1962, the Ascended Master Saint Germain established the Keepers of the Flame Fraternity, an order within the larger group of those receiving the Pearls of Wisdom, of men and women especially dedicated to the freedom and enlightenment of humanity. In 1966, the headquarters moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where the publishing of the teachings continued. Here a Montesorri preschool was established in 1970 to provide a spiritual and academic bilingual (English/Spanish) education for the children of the Keepers of the Flame. Over the years it has grown into a full elementary and high school program.

Summit University was founded in Santa Barbara, California, in 1971 to provide a more intensive and direct presentation of the teachings of the Ascended Masters to members of the Keepers of the Flame who have moved through the basic course of lessons. At an annual eight-week retreat each summer by Elizabeth Clare Prophet, students pursue the master's teachings on a wide variety of subjects including the study of world religions and their sacred texts, the "lost teachings" of Jesus as delivered by the Ascended Masters, as well as the masters' prophecy for the present age.

Mark Prophet died in 1973, and Elizabeth assumed full responsibility for the leadership and direction of the movement. During the remainder of the decade, as the work grew the organization added new departments and study groups were established across the United States and Canada, in Europe and Africa, and in Australia and the Philippines. In 1974, the Church Universal and Triumphant was incorporated. The church took on the liturgical functions of the Summit Lighthouse and expanded its original mission of publishing the teachings of the Ascended Masters.

Individuals may participate in the church at a variety of levels. The general public may take part in religious services and conferences. The teachings are made available in the many books and publications, such as the weekly Pearls of Wisdom, which contain messages from the Ascended Masters. Those who join the Keepers of the Flame pledge to keep the flame of Life and Liberty on behalf of earth's evolutions. They receive graded instruction dictated by Ascended Masters which are distributed monthly. At advanced levels of initiation and commitment, fraternity members may choose to become communicants (members) of the church and be formally baptized. Full church members must formally subscribe to the tenets of the church and tithe their income. The church has a number of teaching centers around the world with live-in facilities for church staff. These centers offer lectures and weekly services to the surrounding community.

In 1976, the headquarters of the church was moved temporarily to Pasadena, California, and two years later to the 200-acre campus in Malibu, California. The international headquarters moved in 1986 to a 28,000-acre Royal Teton Ranch just north of Yellowstone National Park in Montana. In addition to its publishing work and ongoing religious activities, the church is actively involved in organic farming, ranching, and in building a self-sufficient spiritual community.

Beliefs. The doctrines of the Church Universal and Triumphant are contained in the many books of messages of the Ascended Masters and the texts written by the Prophets, especially their basic text, Climb the Highest Mountain. The church describes the teachings as essentially Judeo-Christian but centered on the eternal truths of the Universal Christ wherever they are found in the religions of both East and West. The church teaches and builds upon the mystical paths at the heart of the world's major religions.

According to the church's teaching, the soul is the living potential of God. Souls were conceived in the mind of God in the first instance as a realization of God's unity. Then they were born as a manifestation of the duality of God, that is a being of both spirit and matter. The individual thus has two parts, the higher changeless self and the lower changing self. The whole of creation reflects the duality of unchanging spirit that is the fiery core and blueprint of creation, and the ever-changing material world.

The I AM Presence, or individualized presence of God, is a miniature replica of the Deity. It is the God-identity of each individual, the origin of the soul focused in the planes of spirit just above the physical form. Each individual is an extension of the presence into matter, time, and space.

The individual as spiritual being has an unlimited potential and dominion. As a material being, the individual is limited by boundaries set by the Deity. The power and authority of the I AM Presence are not to be transferred to the lesser aspect of the individual until it shall prove worthy by undergoing certain initiations and demonstrate a willingness to "affinitize" the soul with the Divine Nature—to be, in fact, the individualized manifestation of the God flame.

Eventually people can become an individualized manifestation of the God Flame. This flame is the divine spark which focuses the primary attributes of Power, Wisdom, and Love, a bestowal of God to every man and woman.

According to church teachings, the goal of life for the soul evolving through numerous incarnations is to purify him/herself and to become one with the Christ while in physical embodiment. The masters teach the science of the spoken word, i.e., the use of prayers, mantras, and decrees to call forth Light is the key whereby the soul can achieve this goal. The Ascended Master Saint Germain has given humankind the knowledge of how to use the violet flame. This violet flame of transmutation is the sacred fire of the Holy Spirit which, when invoked in conjunction with service to life, allows the soul to balance the karma of mistakes and errors that have been made in this and previous lifetimes. After the soul has become purified in the fullness of the Christ consciousness, it is called by God to return to the Divine Source through the ritual of the sacred fire known as the ascension, the ritual whereby the soul reunites with the I AM Presence. The ascension is the culmination of the soul's journey in time and space.

Organization. As the messenger of the Great White Brotherhood, Elizabeth Clare Prophet is the spiritual leader of the Church Universal and Triumphant. Administratively, the church is governed by a board of directors charged with managing its temporal affairs. The church sponsors a cable television program "Elizabeth Clare Prophet/Prophetic Vision/Spiritual Solutions" which is seen on 206 stations nationwide. Summit University Press has published more than 50 books and an extensive library of audio-and videocassette recordings.

Membership: Not reported. It is against the policy of the church to report membership figures.

Educational Facilities: Summit University, Corwin Springs, Montana.

Periodicals: Pearls of Wisdom. • Royal Teton Ranch News.

Sources:

Morya, El. The Chela and the Path. Colorado Springs, CO: Summit University Press, 1976.

Prophet, Elizabeth Clare. The Great White Brotherhood in the History, Culture, and Religion of America. Los Angeles, CA: Summit University Press, 1976.

——. The Lost Years of Jesus. Livingston, MT: Summit University Press, 1984.

Prophet, Mark L., and Elizabeth Clare Prophet. Climb the Highest Mountain. Colorado Springs, CO: Summit Lighthouse, 1972.

——. The Lost Teachings of Jesus. 2 vols. Livingston, MT: Summit University Press, 1986, 1988.

——. My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord. Colorado Springs, CO: Summit Lighthouse, 1974.

——. The Science of the Spoken Word. Colorado Springs, CO: Summit Lighthouse, 1974.

Whitsel, Bradley Christian. Escape to the Mountains: A Case Study of the Church Universal and Triumphant. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, Ph.D. diss., 1998.

★1838 ★

City of the Sun Foundation

Box 370
Columbus, NM 88029

The City of the Sun grew out of Christ's Truth Church and School of Wisdom, founded in 1968 by the Rev. Wayne Taylor as a New Age community under guidance and direction of the spiritual hierarchy, particularly Master Hilarion. The City of the Sun, as the growing community is known, is near Columbus, New Mexico, on the Mexican border. Taylor was for two years president of Sologa, Inc., and then helped edit The Mentor, published by the Sanctuary of the Master's Presence. During the time he was with Sologa, Inc. his wife, Grace Taylor, functioned as a channel. The move to New Mexico came as a result of messages received through that channeling. Preparation was made in the form of the acquisition of a tract of 159 acres near Columbus.

The basic teachings which led to the foundation are contained in Taylor's book, Pillars of Light. In it is told the story of man's fall, which has resulted in his being set back spiritually for missions of years. Taylor explains that through the "Light bearers of all ages the veil of spiritual darkness is being lifted. Man is about to enter the Golden Age, and the City of the Sun is one structure to prepare for transition."

Residents of the City of the Sun have set as their primary purpose the providing of a wholistic healing center, encompassing the mental, physical and spiritual aspects of each individual, but with special emphasis upon the spiritual. There are two distinctive features of their work. First, they use the Vortex of Light and the divine energies of the Central Sun for healing. Second, they allow each the freedom to follow his/her own Inner Christ guidance as long as it is in harmony with the Universal Truth. They believe in the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. The group is headed by a five-member board of trustees.

Membership: In 1988 there were 61 members of the foundation in the United States, most of whom reside at Columbus, New Mexico, and there were two Canadian members.

Periodicals: The Golden Dawn. Send orders to Box 356, Columbus, NM 88029.

Sources:

Taylor, Wayne H. Pillars of Light. Columbus, NM: The Author, 1965.

★1839 ★

The Foundation of Love

Current address not obtained for this edition.

The Foundation of Love is an independent "I AM" organization established in Livingston, Montana, in 1990 by Bill Guillot, its director. Based upon the teachings of the Ascended Masters who have spoken through the Messengers of the "I AM" Religious Activity and the Church Universal and Triumphant, the foundation emphasizes the one path, that is, the Path of Love, the only way to God. Sacrifice, service, surrender, and selflessness are the four essential "sure" ways to find true meaning and purpose in life.

The foundation's goals are to help people realize that they can be healthy, happy, and whole, to assist them toward a higher consciousness of divine love, and to work together in a cooperative Christ relationship.

Membership: The foundation is not a membership organization.

Sources:

The Master Book of Health, Happiness, and Higher Consciousness. Livingston, MT: The Foundation of Love, 1993. 50 pp.

★1840 ★

"I AM" Religious Activity

Saint Germain Foundation
1120 Stonehedge Dr.
Schaumburg, IL 60194

The "I AM" Religious Activity is the oldest branch of the Ascended Master thrust which was begun by Guy Ballard. It is also the most conservative branch, adhering strictly to the dictates of the Ascended Masters as brought forth through their only accredited Messengers, Guy and Edna Ballard. Through them was released a threefold truth not previously disclosed outside of the Ascended Masters' secret retreats: the knowledge of the "Mighty I AM Presence," the individualized presence of God; the use of the Violet Consuming Flame of Divine Love; and the use of God's Creative Name, "I AM."

The "I AM" Activity believes that the "I AM Presence" emanated from the heart of the cosmos and as it individualized, creation resulted. The "I AM Presence" is the essence of each individual. However, over the centuries, the misuse of God's energy has led to the present discord and evil present in the world. In spite of that discord and evil, a few individuals have risen above the world's situation and, by completely attuning themselves to their "I AM Presence" ascended into the light. Eventually, each person will follow them. In the meantime these Ascended Masters, also known as the Great White Brotherhood, work to lift humanity out of their present situation.

The central focus of the "I AM" Activity is contact and cooperation with the work of the Ascended Masters. The messengers left over 3,000 dictations from the Ascended Masters which present a total program for both individual and social life. The Saint Germain Foundation and Saint Germain Press work to publish and present this material to the public and its student body. The "I AM" Religious Activity considers itself a Christian religion. Jesus' example of the Ascension, in particular, deeply influences its teachings, and members believe that the Ascension is possible for everyone.

Primary means of attuning oneself to the "I AM Presence" is quiet contemplation and the repetition of affirmations and decrees. Affirmations are sentences which both affirm the individual's attunement to God usually in relation to a specific aspect of life and recount the blessings due as a result of that attunement. Decrees are fiats spoken from the perspective of the essential self, the "I AM Presence." They call forth the visible manifestation of a divine condition or the dissolution of an evil one. They are always given in the Name of God. Decrees are given daily.

Almost as definitive as decreeing, the patriotism of the "I AM" Activity is noteworthy. Freedom has been a persistent theme throughout the decrees dictated to the Ballards. America is seen as having a special role in the Ascended Masters' plans. Reflective of this emphasis are the prominent display of American flags as a symbol of universal Freedom of the individual, at "I AM" centers and the special programs on patriotic holidays.

New students are introduced to the activity by their reading the first three books of the 18 volume Saint Germain series. The first two volumes, Unveiled Mysteries and The Magic Presence, tell the story of Guy W. Ballard's original contacts with the masters. Volume three, a series of dictations from Ascended Master Saint Germain, outlines the basic beliefs of the "I AM" Activity. After reading the books, they may attend an introductory class, held periodically in all local centers ("I AM" Sanctuaries).

The Saint Germain Foundation is the parent organization of the "I AM" activity. It was led by Guy W. Ballard until his death in 1939. His wife Edna W. Ballard then led the work until her death in 1971. At that time the board of directors assumed collective leadership of both the foundation and the press. That board, orginally five members, was expanded to eighteen in 1982. The board charters the local centers and sanctuaries, which otherwise are independent and autonomous. It also oversees the work of appointed messengers and field workers. The foundation sponsors a variety of national and regional gatherings, several of which are held at Shasta Springs, the retreat center located near Mt. Shasta, California. Annually at Mt. Shasta, the foundation sponsors a pageant on the Life of Christ, which in a spectacular finale emphasizes the importance of the Ascension of Christ.

Since 1978 headquarters of the activity have been in a new building complex in Schaumburg, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. A history of the "I AM" Activity is in preparation (2002). There is an independent but authorized "I AM" School in Mt. Shasta, California.

The group's Internet site is at http://www.saintgermanfoundation.org.

Membership: Not reported. In 2000 there were about 300 "I AM" sanctuaries and centers thoughout the world.

Periodicals: The "Voice of the I AM".

Remarks: Greatly affected by the court cases in the 1940s and the subsequent litigation to recover the foundation's tax-exempt status and the press' right to use the mails, the "I AM" Activity assumed a low profile. Under Edna W. Ballard's leadership, it cut itself off from the media and refused contact with reporters and/or religious researchers. As a result, all of the material available about the activity was either written during the period of controversy or is heavily reflective of that period. That material is generally hostile and unreflective of the present status and beliefs of the activity.

Sources:

Germain, Saint, through Guy W. Ballard. The "I AM" Discourses. Chicago: Saint Germain Press, 1935.

"I AM" Fundamental Group Outline. Schaumburg, IL: Saint Germain Press, 1982. King, Godfre Ray [Guy W. Ballard]. Unveiled Mysteries. Chicago: Saint Germain Press, 1934.

——. The Magic Presence. Chicago: Saint Germain Press, 1935.

★1841 ★

Joy Foundation, Inc.

Current address not obtained for this edition.

The Joy Foundation, Inc. was founded in Santa Barbara, California, in 1977 by the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Louise Huffer assisted by Richard Huffer and Donald Cyr. Dr. Huffer was raised a Roman Catholic but passed through a extensive and eclectic program of metaphysical/occult education after leaving the church. She studied astrology with renowned astrologer Carroll Righter and with the First Temple of Astrology in Los Angeles. She then studied with Dr. D. J. Bussell, founder of the Chirothesian Church of Faith; Dr. Fletcher Harding of the United Church of Religious Science in Tarzana, California; and Dr. Henry Cairns of the College of Divine Metaphysics, from which she received her doctorates in divinity and psychology. She was ordained in the Universal Church of the Master (UCM) in 1969 and in 1974 chartered the Joy Church as a congregation of the UCM. The Joy Foundation emerged as an independent body from the church in 1977.

The teachings and practice of the Joy Foundation reflect the eclectic background of the founder. Huffer draws upon the teachings of Alice Bailey, Ann Ree Colton, and Corinne Heline, but is also herself a channel for the Ascended Masters. She understands that planet earth is receiving the Rays of Light. Besides the seven rays commonly spoken of in "I AM" Religious Activity literature, Huffer describes 12 rays, five additional rays related to humanity's inherent possibilities of awareness and the entire 12 rays related to the signs of the zodiac. These rays are of particular colors and are related to the work of particular masters as are the first seven. The work of the foundation consists of being aware of the rays and qualifying (or directing them to particular tasks) by the process of decreeing and by meditation. (Decrees are invocations to the masters spoken in a forceful directive manner.) By using decrees and spending time in meditation, members are able to balance their physical and spiritual selves and thus become prepared to enter the New Age, the Age of Aquarius. Members daily use a variation of the Violent Flame Decree first popularized by the I AM Movement. A book of Invocations and Decrees offer decrees for all 12 rays to be used throughout the year.

Huffer describes a spiritual hierarchy consisting of chohans, elohim, archangels, and angels. The chohans (or lords) are individuals who have lived many lifetimes during which they have mastered the energies of the rays, but especially mastered the energy of one ray. They are known as Ascended Masters. The elohim are cosmic beings with a more depersonalized and planentary influence. Archangels preside over the seasons of the years. Angels assist all humanity and planetary life.

Centers of the foundation are found in Sedona, Arizona, and Santa Barbara, California. The three festivals popularized by Alice Bailey consisting of Easter, Wesak, and Goodwill are celebrated by foundation members, and additional celebrations are held to mark the solstice and equinox.

Membership: In 1992, the foundation reported 35 members in two centers led by two ministers.

Periodicals: Prisms of Joy. • Waves of Joy.

Remarks: Donald Cyr, co-founder of the foundation, operates a printing shop in Santa Barbara, California, and is the editor of Stonehenge Viewpoint, a popular magazine which attempts to discern the significance of Stonehenge and the other megalithic sites of Europe, North America, and elsewhere.

Sources:

Huffer, Elizabeth Louise. Spiral to the Sun. Santa Barbara, CA: Joy Foundation, 1976.

Invocations and Decrees. Santa Barbara, CA: Joy Foundation, 1982.

★1842 ★

Law of Life Activity

8575 S. Crow Cutoff
Rye Star Rte.
Pueblo, CO 81004

A. D. K. Luk is an independent exponent of the I AM teachings who wrote and published the Law of Life, a popular variant treatment of I AM themes. It was also a comprehensive summary of the information scattered through the discourses given by the masters through Guy Ballard, founder of the "I AM" Religious Activity. During the 1960s a number of independent groups such as those advocated in the first volume of Law of Life formed to study, meditate, and decree. In 1971 Luk issued an instruction manual for group leaders to guide their efforts. Beliefs and practice follow those of the I AM Activity and the original Bridge to Freedom Activity. A. D. K. Publications issues a wide variety of materials for use by related groups. The books by Guy W. Ballard issued by the I AM Activity are also used, but there is no organizational affiliation. Besides the writings of Ballard, the Law of Life Activity also uses the works of Geraldine Innocente, who received messages for the Bridge to Freedom in the 1950s.

Membership: The Law of Life is not established formally as an organization and there is no accounting of members. The publications have been distributed to many countries of Western Europe, Africa, and to Australia and New Zealand.

Periodicals: Law of Life Enlightener.

Sources:

Luk, A. D. K. Law of Life. 2 vols. Oklahoma City, OK: A. D. K. Luk Publications, 1959-60.

——. Law of Life Instruction for Group Directors. Oklahoma City, OK: A.

D. K. Luk Publications, 1983.

★1843 ★

Morningland-Church of the Ascended Christ

2600 E. 7th St.
Long Beach, CA 90804

Morningland-Church of the Ascended Christ describes itself as a monastery for the people. Founded in 1971 by Daniel Mario Soerato (d. 1976), known within the church as Master Donato, Morningland reports that it has served more than 100,000 people since opening to the public in 1973.

On May 31, 1973, he received a final invitation as the Christavatas of the Aquarian Age. It is a "modern monastery," working to meet the specialized spiritual needs of people in the new millennium by offering healing for body, mind, and spirit under the auspices of a spiritual master teacher. Sri Donato is Master Donato's successor. His teachings are of the Master Donato, the Master Jesus (the New Testament), and the Ascended Masters.

Morningland Monastery is home to the Sacred Orders of Gopi and Kamazi, which are claimed to be representations of what is possible for all men and women to achieve in a practical and mystical way. The monastery welcomes all faiths to its eclectic ministry.

Membership: In 2002 the church reported a membership of more than 5,000 and a staff of 100.

Periodicals: Ring of Fire.

Sources:

Healing: A Thought Away from Donato. 2 vols. Long Beach, CA: Morningland Publications, 1981.

Jesus. 3 vols. Long Beach, CA: Morningland Publications, 1980.

Morningstaar. A Thought Away from Donato. Long Beach, CA: Morningland Publications, 1975.

Morningstaar. The Way to Oneness. Long Beach, CA: Morningland Publications, 1974.

Revelations. Long Beach, CA: Morningland Publications, 1979.

★1844 ★

Ruby Focus of Magnificent Consummation

PO Drawer 1188
Sedona, AZ 86336

The Ruby Focus of Magnificent Consummation, Inc. was founded in the mid-1960s by Garman Van Polen and Evangeline Van Polen, both former students of the "I AM" Religious Activity and the Bridge to Freedom, now the New Age Church of Christ. Evangeline eventually became a channel of the ascended masters, and in the late 1950s began to issue discourses under the aegis of the New Age Clinic of Spiritual Therapy in Phoenix, Arizona. In-fluential in the emergence of the Magnificent Consummation were the writings of Dr. C. H. Yeang. Yeang agreed with the Bridge to Freedom that over the years a number of changes had occurred in the makeup of the spiritual hierarchy. Specifically, he noted that in 1955, Gautama Buddha replaced Sanat Kumara as Lord of this World, that Lord Maitreya, formerly the World Teacher, now held the office of Buddha, and that Jesus and Koot Hoomi, formerly Chohans (ascended masters) of the Sixth and Second Rays, respectively, jointly function as the World Teacher. Yeang also believed that Saint Germain had been elevated and that Godfre-Ray King and Lotus King (i.e., Guy Ballard and Edna Ballard) had replaced him as Chohan of the Seventh Ray. St. Germain, in 1965, proclaimed himself as Eolia, now radiating the Golden Liquid Snow of Eolian Consciousness, the Light of the Central Sun. From that position, he will continue to direct the Seventh Ray and its new Chohan.

The Magnificent Consummation is the particular child of the Ruby Light of the Sixth Ray. Sananda and Lady Nada, Chohans of the Sixth Ray, are the directors. (Sananda is so labeled on all the literature.) The special work is to aid the descent of the Ruby Light of freedom, justice, peace, confidence, balance, and magnificence into the physical world. Almost all of the literature of the Ruby Focus is on pink paper, usually with red ink.

In the early 1970s, new additions to the hierarchy were recognized in the persons of Ruby and Christos, two additional Rays of Light. Ruby's color is iridescent ruby and Christos' is iridescent mother of pearl. They represent the negative and positive electric polarities and, together, are said to be the perfect laser beam of light. They will bring in the Magnificent Consummation of all seven colors plus themselves as the Rainbow Ray Consciousness and thus usher in the Aquarian Age.

From its headquarters, the Ruby Focus issues a variety of books. An order of service is built around a call upon one of the Seven Rays (plus the Eighth and Ninth Rays daily), songs, a message from one of the masters, and the taking in and radiation of light into the country and the world. Decrees are used extensively. The channeled messages received each Sunday are printed in the Open Letter.

Membership: Ruby Focus is not a membership organization.

Periodicals: Open Letter.

Sources:

Van Polen, Garman and Evangeline Van Polen. Catechism of Light. 2 vols. Sedona, AZ: Magnificent Consummation, 1965.

Van Polen, Garman, and Theresa Martin. A Treatise on Father-MotherLight as Golden Experiences. The Author, 1966.

Yeang, C. H. Who Am I? I Am That I Am. Privately published, [1965].

★1845 ★

Sacred Society of the Eth, Inc.

Current address not obtained for this edition.

The Sacred Society of the Eth, Inc. is the creation of Walter W. Jecker, known by his celestial name, Jo'el of Arcadia. During the 1960s, he went into the Siskiyou Mountains (a range in California and Oregon) and for seven years compiled volumes of words regarding love, light, and life. The words were published in 1967. He also founded the Society. His particular contact was with Jesus the Christ, known as the Ascended Master Sananda.

According to Jo'el, man is an emanation (sun) of God. While living in a body, man must know that he is the God of his being. Basic to man is Breath. The intelligence, says Jo'el, is in the Breath. Breath is thought and breathing is mind. Through Breath is the constant flow of the water of life. The etheric body is the fallen Breath of life. The Breath is creational. Man's life is determined by the hate or love within his mind.

Membership: Literature is distributed to study groups and individuals around the country.

Sources:

Jecker, Walter W. God in Man Alive. Forks of Salmon, CA: Sacred Society of the Eth, 1972.

——. God Speaks, I Hear His Voice. Forks of Salmon, CA: Sacred Society of the Eth, 1967.

——. The Words of Light. Forks of Salmon, CA: Sacred Society of the Eth, 1967.

★1846 ★

Sanctuary of the Master's Presence

Current address not obtained for this edition.

Closely related to other I AM groups is the Sanctuary of the Master's Presence. The Sanctuary was formed in the 1960s, but the public manifestation was not made until 1966 with the appearance of The Mentor, a periodical which carried the messages from the ascended masters. The Mentor was one of the entities from the spirit world who spoke through Mary Myneta, the principal percipient and teacher.

According the Mentor, man is evolving to a greater awareness of his creator. The present age is a time of man's becoming aware of a truth and reality not known previously. This step is precipitated by the powerful radiations of spiritual light from ascended masters' spheres of activity. The masters are projecting a golden radiance into earth to stir up our awareness.

Originally, the Sanctuary was headquartered in New York City and its periodical, edited by the Rev. Wayne Taylor, was published from Melbourne, Florida. However, in 1968, both were moved to Scarsdale, New York. From 1965 to 1968 Taylor had been president of Sologa, Inc., for whom his wife Grace Taylor was a channel. However, in 1968 the Taylors moved to Columbus, New Mexico to found Christ's Truth Church and School of Wisdom. Besides the group in Scarsdale, there are a few classes and group meetings, though they are no longer as strong as they were in the 1960s.

Membership: Not reported. The Sanctuary peaked in support in the 1960s, and there remains only a group in Scarsdale and few students around the United States.

Periodicals: The Mentor. Send orders to 2 Larkin Rd., Scarsdale, NY 10583.

Sources:

The Order of the Service. New York: Sanctuary of the Masters' Presence, [1969].

★1847 ★

Shasta Student League Foundation

(Defunct)

The Shasta Student League Foundation, active in the 1930s from its headquarters in Long Beach, California, was a Christian theosophical group in the "I AM" tradition. According to the teachings of the foundation, creation was generated out of the Central Sun, the center of the universe, located beyond the Lyra section of the constellation Sagittarius. The Central Sun contains the Three-Fold Life-Flame and the Form Concept of Cosmic Creation, the pattern from which all forms were created. Creation began as the Three-Fold Life-Flame projected into expression. The Basic Elements of the Flame—Life (energy), Light (intelligence), and Substance—are incorporated in all individual creations. The first level of manifestation is the band of the Macrocosmic Forms and the second that of the White Light Forms of the Angels or Celestial Beings. The White Light Forms are the individual expressions of God that came into being when God said, "Let there be Light." Angels exist in interstellar space, outside the segment of space with stars and planets.

The White Light of the Central Sun travels into the realm of solar systems and planets. When it hits the atmosphere of a planet, such as Earth, it breaks into the seven bands of the light spectrum. The violet ray forms around the outermost atmosphere, the red band is closest to the planet. All manifestation in form occurs through the seven rays. Chief among the manifestations are human beings. Humans result from the projection of the Life Flame of the Cosmic Christ Beings (Angels) into the blue light band (the second band) in the planet's atmosphere. The projected flame became a human ego which then took its bodily substance from the blue light. This human then decided to experience life on the planet's (in this case Earth's) surface. It assumed a flesh body and became like an animal, with one important difference. The animal evolved as an expression of red ray, while humans were projections from the celestial realms into red ray existence.

The seven color bands form a ladder that the human must climb in order to return to its celestial origin. Through various lifetimes (reincarnations) humans search the various levels, and the dominant thoughts and feelings of a person at present indicate the levels explored in previous lives. As each level is explored and its vibrations absorbed, the individual enlivens the next body it inhabits. As the process nears completion, the rate of vibration of the body is so transformed that it is capable of transmutation into an etheric body and can rise to the higher realms of light never to incarnate again. Eventually each individual will ascend and return to the White Light Plane.

As with all "I AM" groups the members of the Foundation utilized decrees—the declaration of spiritual truth in the form of affirmative statements. Among the key decrees used was the Shasta Declaration of Being:

I Am the Individualized Focus of God Mind, thinking my way back to my Source, the Great Central Sun, from which I was projected at the beginning of this Cosmic Day, and to which I must return at its end.

Sources:

Lyra (Lucy Simms Thompson). The Shasta Cosmic Key Message. Long Beach, CA: Shasta Student League Foundation, 1937. 37 pp.

★1848 ★

Sologa, Inc.

(Defunct)

Sologa, Inc., was established in 1959 by Dr. Ruth Scoles Lennox and included among its members Wayne Taylor, who succeeded to the presidency of the group upon Lennox's death in 1965, and Grace Taylor, his wife, a channel for the masters. In 1968, Taylor left Melbourne and Sologa for New Mexico, where he founded Christ's Truth Church and School of Wisdom and the City of the Sun Foundation.

Membership: In 1968 there were two Sologa groups, one in Miami and one in Melbourne, Florida.

★1849 ★

University of the Christ Light with the Twelve Rays

3427 Denson Pl.
Charlotte, NC 28215

In the 1970s, Dr. Mary L. Myers, who has been trained for the previous 40 years by the Angelic Host, established a training center to pass on the material she was receiving to the world. The center has existed under various names, each reflective of the new rise in consciousness: Essene Teachings (1977), University of the Twelve Rays of the Great Central Sun (1982), and the Path of Light(1986). Most recently the center has taken the name, University of the Christ Light with the Twelve Rays. Beginning in 1982, intensive weekly lessons have been distributed that have allowed students to progress to ever higher states of consciousness and make direct contact with the Angelic Host and the Oneness of the Christ Light.

Myers' work has been directed toward the beginning of the New Age as Angelic Beings have entered the earth's atmosphere. The work has focused on pioneering new knowledge, raising the consciousness of members and leaders, and clearing them of their DNA and RNA genetic codes, thus enabling them to enter interdimensional levels through cleansing activities, as each individual established the advanced truth within themselves, their own spirits, and received into conscious awareness, their own souls.

According to Myers, Jesus the Christ is the World teacher who has become One with the Universal Light of the Creator, who created our earth. He represents three great Rays—the Rays of Truth, Wisdom, and Love. He is the perfect interpreter of every portion of the Bible. He is also Yahweh, who has mastered the 12 Rays of the Great Central Sun of our Universe. Yahweh, the Ancient of Days, is considered the administrator of the Path of Light. He is also known as Sanat Kumara. His divine complement is Lady Master Venus Kumara. Yahweh's body is considered so vast that it includes the entire earth and all of humankind.

As of the late 1980s, the organization of Myers' students has decentralized as the leaders she trained took her teachings around the world. Affiliated teachers can be found in Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia.

Membership: Not reported.