The Classic Art of The Summit Lighthouse

By William House
RTR, 2023

“Whoever proclaims Beauty shall be saved!”

“Remember, Art is the one vital medium of the coming culture. Through Beauty will you approach.”

El Morya, Agni Yoga

Approach who, you ask? I think you know. The master and the Golden Age. As part of the coming culture, Mark and Elizabeth Clare Prophet recognized the need for beautiful focuses of light that would aid the soul to come up higher. Their goal was for us to imitate art and then go beyond, where the deft touch of the artists' vision lifts our awareness. If an artist can get out of his own way and let the master in, then magical things happen.

Photography vs. Art. If given a choice between a photograph of the master's retreats in Yosemite or the exact same scene painted by an extraordinary artist like Albert Bierstadt, I'll take the Bierstadt every time. A master painter infuses the canvas with his heart and soul and the scene comes alive.

I found these two quotes from Morya and Mark after I wrote that:

“If an artist were to depict Our Abode even approximately, the product of his imagination could be used as a teraph* (definition at the very end). But the best teraph is the human heart.” El Morya, Agni Yoga (from Supermundane, 60).

El Capitan in Yosemite Valley is one of his Abodes.

Gates of the Yosemite by Albert Bierstadt, 1888. (Smithsonian) El Capitan is just left of center, in the foreground. The Elohim Hercules’ retreat, Half Dome, is further back in the middle. I found this picture online for free with so many pixels that I was able to print out a large picture and have it framed. It now hangs in my bedroom to assist me in going to one or both of these retreats at night. I also like this picture because after my first conference in Pasadena called, "Soul Liberation" in 1977, I hitchiked to Yosemite and climbed the backside of Half Dome with a full backpack. I slept on top. Sadly, you can't do that anymore.

The second quote. Mark Prophet:

“Now all of this is a broadcast of energy which comes from the soul of the artist and is transferred to the medium and the medium then is supposed to recreate in you, when you behold it, the feeling that the artist had when he created it. This means that the greater the sensitivity in the soul of the artist, the more he can put into it, providing he has the technique. Now then, when it comes to you as the observer, the greater your perceptual ability and interpretive ability and awareness of what he was trying to convey, the more benefit to you as an individual.” 7/5/68

This is probably the most important and astounding concept in this article. Read it one more time. Some of you already did.

One prolonged gaze at Ruth Hawkins' pictures of Sanat Kumara and Lady Master Venus compels the viewer to go to a higher place. If you were Ramakrishna, one look at Lady Master Venus and you’ve left your body, frozen in place for several hours. Few of us can transport ourselves into samadhi in a split second. On the other hand, we can be lifted up daily by art according to our ‘perceptual and interpretive ability.’

All the original artwork here has been directed by the masters or the messengers. We begin then with the most iconic work of New Age Spirituality and the Aquarian Age, the picture of your real self.



Here is what Mark Prophet had to say about it: "One of the tricks of the evil forces on this planet is what is known as intimidation. That's why you have to know who you are in relationship to God and your Beloved I AM Presence. Because they intimidate you through inferiority; they try to make you feel so small and so insignificant and so little that you figure, ‘Well, I haven't got a chance to run in this race anyway. I might as well quit before I start.’ The Chart is the most immaculate proof of the fact that you do have a chance, ...” from markprophet.com

In the King James Bible it says Jesus put some spit on the eyes of a blind man then used his hands to heal him. The man said, “I see men as trees, walking.” What a weird thing to say. It’s so bizarre that if the censors knew what it really meant they would have hit delete long ago. Jesus had first opened his third eye as well as his normal vision. He saw the I AM Presence above. Jesus touched him again and he saw normally. There is no need to use that healing method here. We hope you see with new eyes.

Saint Germain wanted a new picture of the I AM Presence. Mark told Tom Miller what he wanted. The one on the left is the original 1964 Chart of the Presence. This was before air brushes revolutionized the art world. Tom’s final rendition is on the right.

Here is Tom in his own words, from his book “My Life and Times with the Prophets.”:

“It was 1964 and I had been on staff for about three or four weeks. Mark told me that Saint Germain would like a new Chart of the Presence for The Summit Lighthouse. The main difference from the I AM Activity’s Chart, which he had also sponsored, was that in this one he wanted to have the figure of the Christ between the I AM Presence and the lower figure.
   "Two other additions that the master asked for were to include a dove above the head of the middle figure, the Holy Christ Self, inside the crystal cord and the other is the paraclete above the lower self just inside the violet flame. Other than that, it seemed logical to me to a have a lighthouse on one side in the background and a majestic mountain and a tall pine tree on the other side. So, I used oils to paint it on masonite, and that was the first of a number of Charts I was eventually to create over the years.” (pp. 100-101)

Tom perfected the Chart in later renderings by using acrylics. It now has that brilliant appearance. So striking is the effect, that one’s gaze is held a few seconds longer. Later, in 2002 and 2007, John Paul Mathis worked on digitizing the I AM Presence Chart to preserve the image for posterity. Tom, then oversaw the reprinting of the Chart for the 50th Anniversary of The Summit Lighthouse.

If you look at the pictures of La Tourelle in Tom’s book, you’ll notice that the older Chart of the Presence hangs alone behind Mark and Mother. Way off to the left, perpendicular to the Chart was Ruth Hawkins' Saint Germain.

It wasn’t until around the mid 70’s that Sindelar’s Jesus and Saint Germain appeared on each side of the Chart, forming the Ark of the Covenant. A Keeper of the Flame who had been in the I AM Movement was given $3,000 by the Church to buy a couple Sindelar paintings from Charlie Thompson. Charlie had become friends with Pearl Sindelar, the wife of Charles Sindelar. Mr. Thompson got the rights to all the paintings after Pearl passed away.

In 1978 or maybe ’79 (the memory dims), the Summit had somewhat of a breakthrough. The archbishop and I drove down to Orange County, I believe we went to Whittier. Okay, I know what you’re thinking. ‘He’s not sure of two things here, the year and the town.’ All I can say is that I am reminded of ad for a T-shirt that pops up on my computer once in awhile. It says, “It’s weird being the same age as old people.”

Anyway, the two of us went to Charlie Thompson’s house. He was going to give us many of the paintings and reproductions. We knocked. The door opened and immediately a feast for the eyes appeared. Huge pictures of Jesus, Saint Germain and The All-Seeing Eye were everywhere in the living room, all done by Sindelar. These were better quality renderings than the two that were bought earlier.

One was missing. The Great Divine Director. Charlie wanted to keep that. Years later in 1985, Timothy Connor and Roger Gefvert met Charlie in a Bob’s Big Boy, they even gave him a tour of Camelot. They were unsuccessful in gaining the rights to The Great Divine Director. Charlie was 65 back then so he probably has made the transition. His wife was quite young and might still be alive, I guess she might have the original.

So now the Summit had several large Jesus and Saint Germain pictures that were of better quality. What a boon for the faithful.

In 2007, John Paul, the staff artist who under Mother's tenure and had retouched and overseen the printing of these pictures, was called upon to digitize the highly--faded Sindelar Altar portraits of Jesus and Saint Germain. These current digitized images were created starting with re-colorizing original Sindelar paintings from Mother's collection as the base images to stay as close as possible to Sindelar's original work.

Charles Sindelar was a young lad when he became friends with a neighbor lady. They would talk about spiritual things. She invited him to her Church on Sunday. He went. Sitting there in the pews, he discovered the neighbor lady was at the podium. Her name was Mary Baker Eddy. Don’t know if he became a Christian Scientist. He did go on to become an accomplished painter. He painted the portraits of three presidents: Roosevelt, Taft and Harding. He also created posters for Liberty War Bonds during WWII.

The original Jesus painting was done back in 1929. Jesus first appeared to Mr. Sindelar at the foot of his bed. He awoke, saw him and then asked his wife, Pearl, if she could see him. She couldn’t. Charles then thought it must be his time. Jesus was going to take him up to heaven. But it wasn’t his time, instead Jesus came back and appeared to Charles Sindelar at 2am for 22 days straight. Whatever work Charles tried to do, Jesus’ face would appear over the art he was trying to create. He didn’t know what to do. He asked a friend, who then told him, ‘I think he wants you to paint him.” And so he did. It took five days of non-stop work. Everyone loved the painting, but him. There was something wrong with the mouth. Five nights later at 2 am, Jesus returned. In two hours, he had fixed the mouth.

“It [the visions] came to me in the night and would not be denied”— Charles Sindelar

From the Roman Proconsul Lentulus who saw Jesus in person:
    “Lentulus, the Governor of the Jerusalemites to the Roman Senate and People, greetings. .... He is a man of medium size (statura procerus, mediocris et spectabilis); he has a venerable aspect, and his beholders can both fear and love him. His hair is of the colour of the ripe hazel-nut, straight down to the ears, but below the ears wavy and curled, with a bluish and bright reflection, flowing over his shoulders. It is parted in two on the top of the head, after the pattern of the Nazarenes. His brow is smooth and very cheerful with a face without wrinkle or spot, embellished by a slightly reddish complexion. His nose and mouth are faultless. His beard is abundant, of the colour of his hair, not long, but divided at the chin. His aspect is simple and mature, his eyes are blue-gray and bright. …"

Next up, he painted Saint Germain with the help and guidance of Godfre who was in turn guided by the master himself. You may not know it, but you have seen Charles Sindelar’s face many times over the years. He did a very jolly self-portrait of himself for the round Quaker Oats box a long time ago.

Saint Germain Dictation, Calgary, Alberta. 11/14/81.

“If you can retain the image of me being with you, physically present in the image of my own portrait, painted by Charles Sindelar, you will know, O my beloved, just how closely I can work with you when that image is retained. For all is in the image and the imaging. When you hold my image in the soul as the negative polarity of Being, you will attract likewise the full momentum of my own ascended master presence. This is the way the masters step through the veil and this is the way we are concurrent flames, one with the other. Retain the image and I AM with you not by favoritism but by the fulfilling of the law of a cosmic alchemy so fundamental and yet it seems a bit too complex for ordinary mortals.”

Wow! “all is in the image and the imaging.” We are fortunate to have the best imagers, past and present. If you haven’t yet burned this image into your consciousness, be the alchemist, give it another deep penetrating look.

Paintings of ascended masters must walk the line of being a little bit human because they have recently embodied while at the same time showing the divine nature of their being. Mr. Sindelar’s paintings of Jesus and Saint Germain does this better than anyone.

Tom Miller: “Another thing is that some pictures give syrupy look to the face of Jesus or Serapis Bey or Saint Germain. To me that is not a true look. Many times in portraits, the masters seem very calm and dignified, as in Sindelar paintings of Jesus and of Saint Germain which I thought were two of the best drawings and paintings that were ever released. Apparently, the artist was able to see the masters as long as Godfre was in the room. I consider Charles Sindelar to be one of the greatest artists of all time. So, I think he did a miraculous job, and it was a miracle that those pictures were produced.
   "There were some pictures that were produced for the Theosophical Society that had a certain look to them and I valued greatly. They were almost like old photographs of Kuthumi and El Morya. … "(In the original Theosophical sepia tone painting of Kuthumi both the masters M. and K.H. assisted the artist Schmiechen. Morya placed his hand on the head and the arm of the painter, while Kuthumi stood close by. A Ms. Holloway who’s third eye was opened, described K.H. to Mr. Schmiechen.
   "On occasion I was asked to do my version. I was provided with a black-and-white as a kind of canvas, and I would try to change it to be more contemporary and realistic-looking. That is what happened with the Kuthumi painting. … I painted over it and still tried to make it work that would honor the master. Mother’s one request to me about that picture was that she wanted the background to be the color of old rose—which is interesting because Kuthumi is on the yellow ray. But I thought if that’s what she wants that’s fine with me, and I was happy that she was happy. I finally did that particular painting, and it has been hanging on the Summit Lighthouse altars for a long time.” Ibid. (pp. 98, 99)

It's still there. It has an authentic look, gained over time.

Kuthumi

The Kuthumi in the portable altar at the top of this page is a revision of Tom’s version. Mother asked John Paul to change it. That old rose color is gone. Yellow has replaced it in the new versions. JP worked off Tom’s picture. Adolphus Glen, a Kali photographer, made a lighter print. John Paul air brushed in a yellow background, then used oils to change the hair style a little bit, at Mother’s request. Voilà, a lighter KH, also seen below.

El Morya

Mark Prophet also liked the original Morya drawing, but he wanted to colorize it. The first color picture of El Morya was actually done by Mark himself using translucent paints. Tom Miller was quite impressed with the look and vibration of Mark’s rendering. However, with the coming of the large Jesus and Saint Germain paintings, a larger, less grainy El Morya was needed. Mother asked John Paul Mathis to see what he could do. He was the right man for the job.

El Morya has said in the past, that pictures based on the Theosophy picture are the most effective.

In the late 80’s Kali Productions gave John Paul a sepia tone picture to work with. I think most of you know it. It’s quite remarkable. John Paul colorized that picture.

ECP, 12/30/77, God is Mother:

“Jesus appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1675 and gave her twelve promises that would be fulfilled for all who had devotion to his Sacred Heart. This is a simple teaching that was given to a nun in a convent in Paray-le-Monial in France.”

The following is one of the promises:

“The ninth promise is "I will bless every place where a picture of my heart shall be set up and honored." We understand the law that wherever there is a picture of himself, that Ascended Master can recreate the molecules of his own Divine Presence, which we call the Electronic Presence, and can place his forcefield with you by means of the picture.
   "It is not the picture or the piece of paper in itself, for that is just an instrument the Ascended Masters use. The same is true of statues. Nor does it mean that we are idolators. It means that we are alchemists of the sacred fire and we understand the law.
   I will never forget how impressed I was by this law on the day of the baptism of one of our children. It was in Washington, D.C., at a conference. I was carrying a child who was just a few weeks old. Mark was at the platform as the Messenger.
   "There was a picture of El Morya on the altar. It was a very large portrait, and Morya was there for the baptism of the child. Mark instructed me to carry the child before the picture. I came and stood with the child about two and a half feet away from the picture. Then Mark said to me, "Come closer to the picture."
   "I moved up to about a foot away. Then Mark repeated, "Come closer" until I had the child about six inches away from the Master's picture. Then the ceremony began.
   "It was one of the greatest lessons of my life. I realized that El Morya was projecting certain energies of his consciousness through the forcefield of that picture, and a certain proximity was necessary for the intensity of the transfer of energy.”

In the eighties, Mother was quite impressed with the Self Realization Fellowship’s portable altar. She asked Roger Gefvert to come up with one for the Summit. The first one had the chart, Jesus and Saint Germain. Kuthumi and El Morya were added a few years later. He gave it a nice geometric cathedral looking background with muted tones that did not detract from the focuses. The design was inspired by the Chapel of the Holy Grail at Camelot. I’m guessing every chela has at least one.

There you have it, the five most important pictures comprising the artwork of the Summit Lighthouse. Let's move on to some of the books and other artwork.

The Ancient of Days by William Blake

Now we are going to backtrack, I mean way back—to the 18^th and 19^th century, when an extraordinary poet and visionary artist lived. His name was William Blake (1757 - 1827). You might know some of his work like The Ancient of Days holding a compass, or his memorable opening line of a poem: “Tyger, Tyger, burning bright.” He was virtually unknown in his own lifetime and fell on hard times. William Wordsworth rescued him and helped him out financially. We'd like to give him his due in this lifetime. He re-embodied as Auriel Bessemer. You know him primarily through his wonderful depiction of twin flames that the Summit uses in posters, prints and book covers.

The one on top is the original version from Climb the Highest Mountain. It was a little risqué. You see, Auriel learned a way of drawing and painting that was called Dynamic Symmetry, which was invented by a Canadian, Jay Hambridge, a student at The Art Students League in NYC in the late 1800’s. Auriel went there also, many years later (parenthetically, my Dad went there too.). Dynamic Symmetry uses mathematical formulas that includes the golden ratio and Fibonacci sequence, among others. It also included the beauty and form of Greek art and sculpture. Auriel most likely gained his appreciation of the human form from this connection to the Greeks.

Several people who were there in the early 70’s have said, Mr. Bessemer was not a happy camper when Mark decided to have a female artist on staff (probably Bonnie Scott) give the twin flames some slightly more modest clothing. I think we all agree it was tastefully done. Auriel did not like the change. By all accounts he was quite the character. I only knew him casually in the late 70’s, we always had nice conversations.

Nevertheless, Mark and Mother did acquiesce to the Greek artist in Auriel and let him populate the 1^st edition of Climb the Highest Mountain with 28 illustrations. Many were in the Greek tradition with a softness of curves and tasteful nudes here and there. Many other angels and individuals had angular faces. This was a product not only of Mr. Bessemer’s Dynamic Symmetry training, but also being in FDR’s Federal Arts Project. 10,000 artists were hired to lift the spirits and the vision of the country coming out of the depression. Auriel did numerous murals in Post Offices and gov’t buildings. He became famous doing so. It was only fitting that the visionary artist, William Blake, tried to give the American people a new vision of the future. His murals reflected much of the government art at the time. A masculine/Herculean effort was needed to get the country back on track, hence the strong masculine faces.

And yet, there was one more aspect to the artistry of Mr. Bessemer. It came from far off worlds.

Elizabeth Clare Prophet, 7/2/72: “Auriel came to us as an angel just at the conclusion of the writing of the book [Climb the Highest Mountain], he came and contributed. It has his magnificent skill as an artist. I want to tell you that Auriel has the technique of Mercurian art; that is the art that comes from the Planet Mercury. Beloved El Morya comes from that planet and he trained Nicholas Roerich who did the paintings that you see in our library on either side of the Chart which will bear your examination. They’re an intense action of the sacred fire, the most unusual type of artwork. I’m sure when you examined these pictures you had that feeling that was a very different artwork. And just as you were deciding it was different you began to decide that you liked it, because it conveys to you the Spirit, it brings you directly to the heart of the Spirit. I think this Fiery Destiny [below] is one of the most pleasing. It shows mankind as one body. We are one body, the body of God rising in his flame.”

Here are some of Mr. Bessemer’s drawings. The first two are from Climb the Highest Mountain, the rest from Vials of the Seven Last Plagues and Light from Heavenly Lanterns:



Queen of the Angels, Archeia Mary from “Vials of the Seven Last Plagues.”


El Morya and Cosmic Angels from “Light from Heavenly Lantern
and Archeia Amethyst from “Vials of the Seven Last Plagues”

In the late 80's, Climb the Highest Mountain was changed. Mother went for a more up-to-date and modern look using color pictures. Auriel's work was left out. The good news is that his Twin Flames picture has become iconic. Its new colorized image instantly conveys the meaning without any text.

Mark was fond of saying Auriel studied under Nicholas Roerich. The archives don’t have a record of Auriel saying that. But they do have a record showing that after The Art Students League, he studied at the Nicholas Roerich Center in NYC. Auriel said he learned more there than at any other art school. Since he was there in person, he very well could have had contact with Roerich.

Ruth Hawkins

Ruth Hawkins never went to art school but she did have close contact with a master painter, Paul the Venetian. Her art was mostly two dimensional with limited use of shadows and knowledge of anatomy, but it had a radiation as Mark liked to say. In a letter to Roger Gefvert, Ruth once wrote that Paul the Venetian said in a dictation to paint the masters as though they were held together by Light, they do not have a muscular skeletal structure (with shadows, as we might expect). Not something you normally think of but it’s obvious, they are beings of Light so of course there are no shadows. At the present time however, that doesn’t work when painting a portrait. You have to have shadows. This might explain some of Ruth’s technique. Because of its simplicity, it's a perfect example of the intention and love of the artist, the overshadowing of a master and the reception of the onlooker. We love these pictures.

When Ruth was going to paint Sanat Kumara and Lady Master Venus, Roger and John Paul gave her some anatomy books. I think you’ll notice the different style, the rounded shoulders, highlights, shading etc. It became her crème de la crème of portraits and one of our favorite paintings of the masters.

Paul the Venetian   and   Mother Mary

Sanat Kumara   and   Lady Master Venus

ECP, 12/30/96 Just prior to Ruth’s first dictation:

“ … Ruth Hawkins was a keeper of the flame who was born February 18, 1907, in Topeka, Kansas. She was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when she made her ascension in October 1995 at the age of eighty-eight. I had the opportunity to speak to her a number of times by phone in her last days, and it was surely a cause of great rejoicing for me to be able to reconnect to her. She was very lucid, although very much burdened in her body.

"All the years that I have known Ruth, she was a fiery, stalwart soul who gave greatly to the cause of the Great White Brotherhood. I saw her as a role model when I first joined The Summit Lighthouse. She had blonde hair and beautiful, crystal-clear blue eyes. Her manner was regal and she carried herself with dignity.

"Ruth first found the masters’ teachings through the I AM Activity around 1936 when she was twenty-nine years old. She also belonged to the Bridge to Freedom activity before she joined The Summit Lighthouse in the early 1960s.

"According to a keeper of the flame of long standing, while Ruth was a member of the Bridge to Freedom, Paul the Venetian gave a dictation revealing that Ruth was his twin flame. He said that when she ascended her name would be the Goddess of Beauty. She was very, very beautiful.

"From 1963 to 1973, Ruth was the director of The Summit Lighthouse Study Group in Los Angeles, which was then called Saint Germain’s Freedom Group. At that time it was one of the largest Summit Lighthouse groups in the country. Every Thursday afternoon for nearly twenty years, Ruth held a vigil with other keepers of the flame.

"In 1971, in a service conducted by Mark Prophet, Ruth Hawkins was knighted by Saint Germain for her tireless and faithful work and her meritorious service to the ascended masters. He knighted her Lady Adoremus. The Latin word adoremus means “we worship” or “we adore.” …

“An Artist Devoted to Truth and Beauty”

“As the twin flame of Paul the Venetian, Ruth was wholly devoted to truth and beauty. She was an artist and she poured her devotion into her painting. Ruth said that if it were not for Paul the Venetian, she would not have been able to paint. Sometimes, under Paul the Venetian’s direction, she would begin a portrait before she even knew whom she was going to paint.

"She created many portraits of the ascended masters. We still use these as focuses for the masters’ presence. Mark Prophet said that if she continued painting, she would make her ascension. Her work included portraits of Paul the Venetian, Saint Germain, Mother Mary, Nada, Kuan Yin, Sanat Kumara and Lady Master Venus.”

Saint Germain                       Kuan Yin                        Lady Master Nada

The following is from Mark on Ruth Hawkins, art and artists. It’s fairly long but there are some very interesting comments, so nearly all is included in this excerpt.

Mark Prophet from The Class of the Freeborn, La Tourelle, Colorado Springs. July 4, 1967:

“This afternoon we have an informal talk here which I wish to give together with a sort of more formalized section in it on The Way to Freedom. We also have an event which I think I would like to have happen at the close of "The Way to Freedom Ye Know" and that is that the beautiful painting of the Ascended Master Saint Germain that was executed for us by Mrs. Ruth Hawkins, the director of The Summit Lighthouse Los Angeles group, will be unveiled. And it hangs as a companion piece to her Paul the Venetian. I do want to say that our good friend, Mrs. Bonnie Scott is also going to work on certain paintings for us. She knows what they are, but it has come to me that there's a strong possibility of our having her do the Master Jesus for here in an oval frame, and the Master Kuthumi for here in an oval frame, so that the World Teachers would be here on the front of the altar, and after Saint Germain and Paul there, and ultimately, of course, we hope to have all of the Chohans in the room or the hall so that the radiation pictures of the masters will be part of our forte.

"One of the problems I'd like to discuss with you is this: That we have a large number of artists in The Summit Lighthouse. Some of these artists are very good artists in their own field and some are mediocre and some are not too good an artist in our opinion. However, all of the artists are sincere people and good students.

"Now, when you hang a painting, as we did this one, up and you put your seal of approval on it, you have to recognize that it represents the artist's best talent that they could possibly bring. Now, that's Ruth's first painting (exclamations from the audience), and the moment we saw it we recognized that it had quality in it and radiation and we liked it, and so we put our seal of approval on it. She herself has said that if she were doing it over she probably could do a better job, and I think this will always be true in all art. I suppose that Leonardo da Vinci, coming back from the higher realms of light, would decide that now he could do a better job than he did before. …

“Once they're produced [a painting] --some people say, "Oh, I like that." Fine. Some people say, "I don't like that painting." Well, there isn't anything you can do about it, you either like it or you don't. And so most of the people like Paul. We had one man wrote us a terrible letter against it. In fact, he quit The Summit, he quit--dropped the Pearls. He said, "Stop all your material," he said. He said, "I can't stand that sickly Marcel on him." (Audience laugh), …

“He said, "The idea of doing a Master with a finger wave." And so he, this got to be such a big obstacle to him that he dropped everything.”

[Editor: I had to look up Marcel. In 1967, the audience obviously knew what it meant. It means, ‘a deep artificial wave in the hair.’ It had never occurred to me that the wavy hair on Paul the Venetian looks odd. I felt the radiation so I went with it. Also, Paul the Venetian is not only Venetian but he’s probably part French by now. Afterall, he lives in France. You know how the French can be, ... a little strange, shall we say. In marketing and branding, it’s not the reality that counts. It’s the perception that sticks. The perception of the French as strange mostly occurred in the 50’s and 60’s, due to their New Wave Cinema.”

Mark continues: “Well, you know, we are not, The Summit Lighthouse is not a group of painters. This is an organization, and I'm sure the Catholic Church, which is a very old institution, has a lot of art in, in the Catholic Church that they have hanging in various places that no one would quit the Church because they didn't like the painting that they had in a certain building.

"But you know, people are very prejudiced, that is, some of them are. But most people have pretty good common sense and this doesn't bother them. So we hope that you will all like this painting that we're going to unveil this afternoon. We hope you'll like it. Personally, Elizabeth and I think it's very good.

"The only thing is that you all have to recognize--it's like the Chart of the Presence here. When Tom Miller finished that, and I worked very closely with him from the masters' level, bringing through suggestions and ideas, which I did some now with Ruth to change the painting which you deal breaker never saw when it first came in. But we made the statement together, all of us, Tom Miller, Ruth Hawkins, Elizabeth and I, that you never can put a beautiful light being on canvas, no matter how good your work is. So we tried here, Tom Miller tried to do his best. I'm sure that some day he might do better or someone else might do better. And Ruth Hawkins feels the same way. But she's doing a beautiful job. And Bonnie is going to do a beautiful job, I know. And all of the people that are working at certain standards and levels are doing a good job.

"Now, Elizabeth and I, together with the Board, have to pass on pictures. Fortunately, we haven't had too much trouble with people, but we have more trouble with unsolicited manuscripts than we do with paintings. You know, people come here and they, they're artists, and they see something, they say, "Gee, I'd like to paint a picture of The Summit." So they paint a picture. A lot of times it's ex officio. Now, Ruth did it under direction. But some of the people have not done it under direction. They just had a good feeling toward it and painted a picture and they sent to us in a crate.

"Well, we can't display all these pictures. We've got an attic full of pictures that different people have done. Some of them, in our opinion, do not meet the standards of The Summit Lighthouse as an activity. And I'm sure that you people in the audience, as well as all the members in the field, would agree that the art committee of The Summit Lighthouse has to make their own determination.

"Maybe some of you would like the person who did some of the paintings very well, and you might think it's awful if we didn't hang their paintings. But we have to go by the statement of Shakespeare when he said, "This above all, to thine own self be true and then it doth follow, as day the night, thou canst not be false to any man." And so we try to be true to our general membership and select those paintings that we feel from within are most representative of the type of work that we want.

"Every artist, as well as every member of our Board and all of our staff, recognize that there will always be times when something more transcendent than what we now have may come forth, but until then we have to stay with what brings us. And we're very well pleased with Paul; and I think you'll be pleased with Saint Germain's painting. The main thing to remember is that the master ensouls the picture. After it hangs in the chapel, people pour their love to the masters through the picture, the master pours his love back through the picture to the people, and gradually, even if the picture technique-wise would not be all that the artist themselves might want, which is true of the greatest artists as well as ordinary people, the master would still be pleased that the people would put their attention on him. And therefore, the painting might even be transmuted; it might even--a painting can become more beautiful because the master can change it in subtle, imperceptible ways so that a great deal of good comes about through the alchemy of change.

"And as I said before, I repeat, I've always liked the painting of Paul, and we got a wonderful reaction from the field, and we spent about a thousand dollars to have it reproduced and put on the covers of those books. So a lot of our students have these paintings in their home altars, and they're hanging there and they love the radiation of love that Paul sends out.

"So that's about all I'll say, except that I have one treat in store for you. When we unveil the painting, it will be unveiled to the accompaniment of a piece of music that was actually written by le Comte de Saint Germain, and so I had asked Mr. Reichardt to bring the record to the chapel, which is the record--the recording is in the, is in my dressing room as you recall. Oh, put it on the turntable, do not play it. When the painting is unveiled, it will be done to the tune of that piece by Saint Germain.”

The New El Morya

There are several pertinent lessons above from Mark for those who think the new El Morya picture is too different. Both pictures use the same Theosophy sepia tone face as a starting point. You may prefer one over the other and that’s OK as Mark said. But reading anymore into it might be a false reading. Obi-Wan Kenobi famously said, “search your feelings Luke.” Mark would have you do the same. Is your “perceptual ability” compromised?

Mother told John Paul that the two 1884 Schmiechen paintings of K.H. and M. were their Mahatma “pre-ascension” portraits. El Morya directed Mother to ask John Paul to paint him with a deep blue garment typical of that era and the Himalayan climate. She liked the picture of K.H. because he has the clothing one might wear in the Himalayas. In 2018, John Paul fulfilled El Morya's request to complete the set of Mahatma images by creating the new garment requested by El Morya who’s retreat is at the tall mountain called Kanchenjunga in Darjeeling. Mother gave the instruction to mix brown with the blue so that it was not a bright nor pure royal blue. John Paul Mathis poured his heart and soul into the latest version. We marvel at the mastery on behalf of the Master.

If you think you know what the masters are supposed to look like. Think again.

S.U. Lecture, Levels I and II
December 3, 1982
Lecture on John 11
ECP:

“So, all I can say to you is that if you really want to understand the masters, you ought to imagine that they are physical, that you have a physical friend. You should visualize Lanello or El Morya or Jesus or Saint Germain physically walking next to you not in a white robe, [laughter] in a business suit or in a relaxed shirt and a pair of slacks -the kind of thing that you would wear.
   "People that imagine that white robed beings are constantly floating around them do not have a realistic sense of themselves. Why, you're not running around in a white robe, and you don't live in that kind of an existence. And you have to think of the masters extremely relating to you where you are.
   "So, you really have to force yourselves to visualize masters in a much more practical way, because the more you see them as white robed beings floating around in the air and uttering words of wisdom, the more that you are going to be impractical.”

Sanat Kumara, the Flying Eagle and Mother

I must confess I haven’t been a fan of the painting above. I was even there on staff at Camelot on Jan. 1, 1983 when it was dedicated by Sanat Kumara. I had forgotten what he said. For one thing, he said “Let it therefore not be attention upon an outer personality, for it is not a portrait of an outer person.” I focused on the outer, in this case, the face. After reading this, I see it with new eyes. I’m a fan now.

At the end of Sanat Kumara’s dictation he said this:

“ … This portrait, unbeknownst to the messenger, was never appointed or commissioned simply for the purpose of the glory of the outer. But it has been our desire and design to establish this life-size focus of her in her office as my representative of the Flying Eagle and the Guru on the six o'clock line here in Southern California, here at Camelot, until all should be fulfilled.

"I therefore invite the most blessed Ray Brown and Ruth Brown, to bring now to the altar the work of their hearts and hands. [Portait brought to the center of lower altar.]

"I ask for the unveiling of the portrait. [applause 50 sec.]

"In the name of Almighty God, I, Sanat Kumara, now ensoul this painting with my own forcefield and Presence and with the causal body of the twin flames of the messenger. It embodies the office of Guru and of the Mother as Saviouress to the light-bearers of earth. It embodies the flame of the mighty sword of the judgment and the full power of the Brotherhood of Sirius anchored through the mighty eagle.

"Now there coalesces within this painting that light that shall be the focus for the holding of the balance here until all be fulfilled.

"This painting is to be hung at the six o'clock line of the sanctuary, opposite the chart of the Presence, above the door of exit. And therefore, you will see that opposite the chart, the Woman therefore holds the balance of the I AM Presence in Matter.

"All of you, then, who look upon this may take this image to your heart and to your soul and receive it as an image of yourself--yourself as Mother, yourself as part of the one body of God, yourself as you are one with Mother in the Guru/chela relationship and therefore one with me.

"It is a painting of the messenger; it is also a painting of myself, but I appear as the Sun behind the sun. I appear in the person of the Eagle, in the person of the Great Causal Body, and in the focuses of light that you see. Directly through the heart chakra pours the light of Venus.

"Let this then be a focus of the meditation of an office and of one who has worn it well. Let it therefore not be attention upon an outer personality, for it is not a portrait of an outer person, but of the inner Christ of your own Beloved.

"This magnificent work, executed and fulfilled against all of the temptations and the opposition of the powers of darkness, executed by Ray, for whom Ruth held the balance and the love and the vision, is that which you may understand as an initiation taken upon themselves by chelas who received this directly from my heart. For the messenger never requested or had any requirement of having for herself a portrait.

"And therefore, with great surprise and wonder and ongoing expectation, this work has been accomplished. And yet, it was hidden so much so in the secret rays of the hearts of these devotees, that even Mother herself did not have her attention upon it for many long months.

[Messenger moves to lower altar facing portrait.]

"In the name, I AM THAT I AM, it is sealed in the light of my heart, and it is the physical focus, therefore, for your own entering in to the path of the secret rays and into the Heart of the Inner Retreat.

"Keepers of the Flame worldwide, chelas of my heart, I commend you to the keeping of the Universal Virgin, who is the Sun behind the sun of every manifestation of Life, including the Mother. May you rejoice and be glad, for in this image you see a forerunner of the intense action of the physical stepping through the veil, not only of the ascended masters, but of your own Christ Self.

"For truly, the physical painting itself is a promise that your own Christ Self just above you stands also waiting to step through the veil. And you, the artist, must be so dedicated similarly in this fashion to bring forth the perfect painting of that Christ in flesh, and of the authority of that Christ, and of the scepter of the sword, of the Book of the Law.

"And to you, beloved hearts, beloved Ray and Ruth, I, Sanat Kumara, promise you my love and protection all the days of your life until you also fulfill the promise which you have brought forth and which is the key to your own ascension. May you also respond to the movement of the messenger.

[Messenger turns and faces the audience.]

"Beloved hearts of living fire, I, Sanat Kumara, seal you with the hand that has held the fruit of the Tree of Life and bears yet its vibration. Therefore, the sealing with the hand that is the bearer of the fruit is the beginning of the process of your own preparation to partake thereof and live forever. May this be your goal. May this be your joy.

"In the name of the cosmic host, in the name of our Father, our Son, our Holy Spirit, and our Mother--AUM Buddha.”

Amen. I stand corrected. William

All Seeing Eye

Above the Flying Eagle and the Guru but further back on the wall above AV is the All Seeing Eye.

The All Seeing Eye represents and is the symbol of Cyclopea, the Elohim of the fifth ray. Cyclopea holds the vision of the immaculate concept and of perfection. Since we received this Sindelar rendering from Charlie Thompson, it has been placed at the back of the Chapels we have used. At the Chapel of the Holy Grail at Camelot, it was above the choir loft and visible to some of the congregation. At the Court of King Arthur it is only visible if you’re on the altar, the decree leader spot or the front few pews. It is there to help the messenger, ministers and decree leaders hold the immaculate concept. (I think it might also be there because it’s too large to go any place else.)

Maha Chohan

The second picture Mark had Tom Miller do after the Chart of the Presence was the Maha Chohan. Mark had an older picture of the Maha Chohan. Tom worked from that. He said the original had a Dick Tracy nose. For those who weren’t around in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, that means a cartoonish sharp angled nose. Mark wanted him to change it, so Tom gave him a nose job. Around 1994 Mother had John Paul change his ears. The turban was altered slightly also. It now hangs near the altar in the Court of King Arthur.

Lord Maitreya



Most of you are familiar with the bust of Maitreya that the Summit has used over the years. It comes from Greco-Buddhist Art also called Gandhara Art in the northern part of the Indian Subcontinent. The two cultures met in Afghanistan. Alexander the Great from the west and the Buddhist King Ashoka from India. It’s quite a remarkable statue. John Paul Mathis modeled his painting after this statue. The bust actually has more jewels than this painting.

   John Paul used the Theosophy description in Masters and the Path for the Rod of Power. This was created and magnetized millions of years ago. Here is a quote on pages 324 and 325 about this Rod.

“… it is the physical sign of the concentration of the attention of the Logos and is carried from planet to planet as the attention shifts, that where it is, that is, for the moment the central theatre of evolution.”

It then says, if the Rod of Power is moved from a planet, that planet loses its inertia. That can’t be good.

We should pray that it stays here.

Chananda



This picture hangs in the Court of King Arthur. It was painted after Mother made her transition so we have no direct proof that this is a true representation of Chananda.
   Rev. Jaspal Soni is president of the Chananda Cultural Society in New Delhi, a devoted chela of the masters and a long time Keeper of the Flame. He saw that picture and told The Summit Lighthouse he wanted that picture and no other. He was exceedingly pleased with Tom Miller’s portrayal. Apparently so was the Summit Lighthouse Art Council, they gave their approval.

   So, this is an exception to the rule that three things are needed for ascended master art. The proper vibration of the artist, the sponsorship of the master or messenger and the spiritual receptivity of the viewer. We’re missing the middle one. Or are we?

   Tom spent many years painting under the direction of the messengers and masters. I know he’s very diligent about making the calls for divine direction. In fact, his first dictations taped and then later, live, were The Great Divine Director. On staff, Mother told him he was once the son of the Great Divine Director. I hesitate to guess how many thousands of years ago that must have been. And as if that wasn’t enough, in a previous life, he wrote the music for The Great Divine Director’s keynote. I think he’s got the whole thing about asking and receiving divine direction down pat.

   Oh, and did I mention Mark said he was Leonardo da Vinci. Very cool. I’d like to have an embodiment like that in my back pocket.

It comes down to us. Do you feel it? I’m feeling it, Chananda’s vibration and radiation is there.

Afra

The first ascended master to rise from the black race was the Ascended Master Afra. Afra is a soul of great light who evolved on the continent of Africa. The Ascended Master Kuthumi told us about this brother in a conference that Mark and Mother held in Ghana, West Africa, in 1972.

To give you an idea what it’s like to sit in on an artistic meeting with Mother. This is Roger’s notebook from a meeting about drawing Afra which Mother had requested for the Prayer and Meditation book. Her notes and drawing are on the left. Roger’s notes are on the right. Roger asked what kind of robe is he wearing? Mother was given a robe on a tour of Africa. She gave it to Roger to use in the painting.



The first drawing of Afra that we know of down through the ages, is the one above, on the left, from Prayer and Meditation. It was done by Roger Gefvert. The picture to the right of that, is a preliminary drawing done by him for a color painting. The honor of finishing the portrait was given to John Paul Mathis. The color portrait is his and hangs in the Court of King Arthur.

Also, from Prayer and Meditation


Lanello                                                                     Yogananda

What I like about this picture of Lanello is that we see him as an adept. Western mystics aren’t often thought of as great adepts. That’s reserved for eastern mystics. Here’s a fascinating excerpt from the archives showing Mark’s abilities and his humbleness:

“In fact, as a child--you see, Cardinal Richelieu, Cardinal Richelieu was very close to me in one embodiment in France (When he was Louis XIV). And then when he was born William Randolph Hearst, the great publisher--I don't know whether you knew that or not, but that is, that is who, that is who Hearst was, he was a reincarnation of Richelieu.
   "Pardon? Somebody say something? It's perfectly all right. I don't mind hearing. [response] OK. I wanted to not miss anything. Did some of you realize this? [response] Well, this happens to be true. And that's why he went over and bought, and brought so many of those things back, you see, to California and built that Hearst Castle.
   "When I was a boy, I used to come out in my finer bodies to California and I traveled all around that yard and all around his estate many, many nights. And I was present in his hall the night that this motion picture star, Orson Welles, was his guest. I was present in my finer body and I recalled it, I remembered it. And it was a very, very interesting experience. And it was something that involved a cancelling of time and space, in effect, because I was able to be alive where I was as a child and still I was able to have contact with some of these past events in history and to recognize some of these things very clearly.
   "So I'm not saying this to impress you. I'm just saying it as a point of interest. You can believe it or disbelieve it. It doesn't matter a bit to me. I'd just hope that you'll never make this fact that I made this statement a matter of your determination to either accept or reject the masters just because I said this. Because if you don't accept the masters, that's your problem, and I hope that it isn't your problem. [laughter].” 1/1/73

Love it! This was just so typical of how Mark would interact with people. It’s disarming and genuine at same time. If you go to San Simeon, it takes two or three tours to see the whole thing. No wonder Mark went there several times. Another curious thing about this encounter Mark had, is that Orson Welles made Citizen Kane which is very loosely based on Hearst’s life.

The other picture above is also a favorite of mine. To paraphrase Will Rogers, ‘I never met a man who disliked Yogananda.’ Grizzly bears even liked him. When he visited Yellowstone it was still admissible to feed the bears. He did just that from his car. The bears got used to humans and were less dangerous back then. They stopped tourists from feeding them and sealed all the trash bins. The contact with humans was drastically reduced. And now they are even more dangerous. Go figure.

As a side note, Yogananda told his students on more than one occasion that in a past life he was William the Conqueror. Kriyananda thought that this man was one “of history’s great villains” and had a hard time reconciling that with what he thought should be the path a spiritual man. Perhaps he forgot what Krishna told Arjuna in the "The Bhagavad Gita.' It is one of the greatest expositions on why a man of peace, a spiritual man, sometimes has to take action to defend life. Kriyananda researched the life of William the Conqueror and decided he had a lot of exceptional qualities.

Roger did a total of 18 wonderful ink drawings in the Chinese Brush Style. Mother originally wanted 33. But that was a bit much. It took him almost a year to do these. The story behind them is fascinating.

A staff member, suggested he walk around Chinatown in LA. At a community center he found the phone numbers of two potential teachers for Chinese Brush Style. One was male, the other female. The woman sounded the most promising. He told her he wanted to learn for a spiritual book. She agreed. When he arrived at her residence, the street was called something like Rue de Saint Germain. Well, that was definitely a sign he thought. Not only that but she only charged him $8 an hour for private lessons.

The normal way of learning was the teacher would demonstrate and the student would imitate. Roger had a pressing timeline so he also went to libraries to learn the craft. She had him use cotton paper rather than rice paper. It was more suitable for the medium. His first try was Padma Sambhava, which is quite exceptional. You can see it below.

But the first drawing he showed Mother was Saint Germain. She told him, that she liked it but maybe he should put a maltese cross in there so people would know it’s him. At that point he figured he better redo Saint Germain so he wouldn’t have to put the maltese cross in. Mother had a subtle way of suggesting something might be better if you did this or that. Roger always did the eyes and face first. The rest followed. His new rendition was just fine.

It’s hard to only pick five out of 18. You know the fifth picture I added below. Get yourself a copy of Prayer and Meditation if you want all 18.



Dossier on the Ascension

As you walk down the right side of the Court of King Arthur, heading towards El Morya, you pass a series of wonderful paintings and photographs. The last one before you approach the aura of Morya is a fascinating picture of Serapis Bey initiating a chela inside the secret chamber of a pyramid. But I'll let the artist tell you the rest. Tom Miller from his book:

“I had gotten an idea for the cover of this book when we were in Pasadena (1975–1978), and I had told this concept to Mother at that time while we were walking together down a sidewalk on the campus. I explained to her that there could be a hole in the cover (probably triangular), and it should be a picture of the Great Pyramid on the outside—maybe an engraving by one of the archaeologists who went with Napoleon to Egypt and did various drawings that I had seen. I would use that for the front cover, and when you looked through the hole you would see an initiation going on in the King’s Chamber. Seeing a small part of the picture would make you want to open the book to see what is going on behind the cover. And upon opening the cover, you would be able to see not only the initiation, but you would also see the Sphinx, the painting of the Great Pyramid in a sunrise, and you would see type explaining what the book was about. I also thought I would use a diagram that JF had put together showing the proportions of the Earth and the Moon and utilize some of the sacred geometry that is also part of the Great Pyramid. I could show a few devotees wearing white robes at the foot of the Sphinx. And on the left side, I would have a drawing of a neophyte standing before Serapis Bey, the hierarch of the temple of Luxor. Serapis would be standing there in his splendor with his white robe and staff, and the neophyte would be preparing to go into the King’s Chamber. So this was my idea for the inside front cover of the book. On the outside back cover, I thought we could have a picture of the Sphinx the way it might have originally appeared and some text below it regarding the book’s contents.
   "Now, what is so astonishing about all this is that I totally forgot this idea. Some years later (1979) when we were in Camelot in Los Angeles, Mother was ready to publish the book The Dossier on the Ascension. Florence (we were married then) and Mother were working on finishing the text of the book, and I was to create the cover. So Mother just said, “Now is the time. You need to get started.” But I had forgotten my idea and was working on some other ideas in a fog—not thinking too clearly. After a few days Mother called and said, “How are you coming?” I said, “I’m not sure I have the right idea for the cover. I think I should turn it over to RG [Roger Gefvert].” She said, “What is the matter with you? I want the cover idea you told me about when we were in Pasadena, the one you described to me then,” and then she reiterated the whole concept. “I want you to get working on it right away, and no more wasting time.” I was amazed that she had remembered what I had told her—and I had completely forgotten it.
   "So I plunged into it and a number of weeks later when it was finished, she was very pleased. On a Sunday shortly after that, El Morya mentioned the cover in a dictation and said that with this cover we should have no difficulty selling these books. I was thrilled to hear this. Later on I learned that it was the second best-selling book of The Summit Lighthouse, The Human Aura being the first.” Ibid. pp 110-112.

Funny stuff. Tom being the good chela that he was, didn’t take it personally. As a S.U. Press rep at the time, I was absolutely thrilled with this cover. I thought, 'Serapis will have no trouble reaching his chelas now.' Here is an important description Guru Ma gave Tom back in Pasadena.

Mother’s Description of Serapis Bey to Tom Miller, 4/27/1977

Very strong and yet extremely sensitive face, very sensitive.

Light skin with a kind of transparent type of skin with pink in it.

Blue eyes “I don’t know, I could see him with brown eyes, but I somehow register him with blue eyes.”

Face is slender.

Eyes are a little bit deep set, in a magnificent white turban and white robe.

In the inner sanctum with his turban off and his hair—which is flowing hair, I guess essentially he looks Venetian—flowing blonde hair, but I don’t think he comes out before his disciples without his turban on … The jewel in his turban is essentially pink and gold—gold-pink glow ray of the ascension.

Q. Is it a tear-shaped jewel, or is it more octagonal. How would you describe the jewel that you see?
A. It’s really oval—an extended circle.

I see this strong forehead line—the bone where the eyebrows are set.

Large forehead, small brownish/blonde beard and mustache, very carefully groomed and not too excessive.

Now, I can also see him in the mode of his hair being shorter … I think probably I would leave him with his turban and robe.

Q. Turban’s aren’t unique to the order of the Sikh’s are they? [She didn’t answer this.]

Q. Does his nose look more slender than Morya’s picture?
"Well Morya’s got the most slender nose of anybody—but he’s got a bone that’s obvious, and there’s not much flesh to his nose. It’s a long nose; his face is long and it’s got character and strength. Straight."

Above is the preliminary painting by Roger Gefvert for the back cover of Dossier on the Ascension. Tom Miller used this for the final version.

For a possible use on the front cover, Roger and a staff photographer went to UCLA’s Rare Books Department to look for engravings from Napoleon's Description de l’Egypt (1801). Napoleon brought about 154 scholars, scientists, engineers and artists with him in his conquest of Egypt. They discovered the Rosetta Stone and they preserved for all time, visual documents showing how the pyramids looked in 1800. Our staff were able to look at some originals. The best option of a pyramid was printed as a sepia tone foreground through which Tom’s initiation ceremony in the King’s Chamber is seen.

Truly, it is one of the great covers The Summit ever produced. If you have one of the originals, treasure it. If not, search for a used copy. You might get lucky.

A Historical Sidebar:

Usually, we associate Serapis with Luxor not the King’s Chamber. However, what better way to portray the exotic nature of the ritual of the ascension than with a view of the King’s Chamber through the pyramid.

It is interesting that at the same time a young Napoleon is in Egypt (1798-1801), the Comte de Saint Germain is still roaming around the halls of Europe. It is said that Napoleon spent a night in the King’s Chamber. He came out pale and visibly shaken. He would not talk about it. He kept his word until his death. A friend asked him when he was dying, what happened in the pyramid, he replied, “No, what’s the use. You’d never believe me.” We know that Saint Germain sponsored Napoleon in the beginning to form a United States of Europe. Napoleon was still young, not yet emperor (when Saint Germain withdrew his support). I suspect The Count appeared to the general in the King’s Chamber. The combination of the vibration of the chamber, the electrified presence of the Chohan of the Seventh Ray and the message that was delivered was too much for Napoleon to bear.

Napoleon’s foray into Egypt was a great victory for Egyptology, but at the same time, a military disaster. Napoleon paid the price for staying too long in Egypt. One of his generals, a General Dumas, warned him that the British could attack and of the risky deployment of his ships near Cairo. Sure enough, Lord Nelson came along with British ships and destroyed the French Fleet in the Battle of the Nile. For his warning and impudence, General Dumas was fired and sent to prison on a small island off the coast of Italy. Thus, was born the idea of one of his son’s most popular novels about 45 years later, Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo.

The Knight Commander

Speaking of the Count we all know and love, hanging on the wall in the foyer of the Court of King Arthur, down the hall from Sanat Kumara and Lady Master Venus, is this picture of the Comte de Saint Germain as The Knight Commander. It was done by Tom Miller. The original that Mark had is on the left. I don’t know where he got it. Tom doesn’t know either. The cropping left a lot to be desired. Tom gave it the necessary spacing and a complete hand.

Santissima (Virgin Holding the Globe)

ECP once said to Roger, ‘Several people have told me they saw Mother Mary in the retreats, and that she looked like Ruth Hawkins’ version of Mary.’ She was surprised by this. She asked Roger to make a new portrait based on Ruth’s picture. It was going to be for the Sanctissima CD and a cross-over audience. She wanted it to be more normal looking and a little more traditional. There were a few things that needed changing e.g. Mary’s neck is too long in the Hawkin’s portrayal. This was in 1991.

Roger did a quick sketch and showed it to Mother. She thought it was too yang and that it looked more like Amazonia. But she ok’d the concept.

Around this time, Mother had us return to Macrobiotics. It got a bad rap in the late 60’s and was banished. Back then, Annice Booth was on the number 7 diet which is all brown rice and basically nothing else. Mark came by to visit Annice one day and said something like, ‘Well, Mrs. Booth what have you been up to today.’ She tried to remember but couldn’t. That was the end of macrobiotics for over 20 years.

The point is, in macrobiotics there are examples of facial structure and eyes that denote the well being of a person. So Roger made sure the eyes weren’t sanpaku and that the face was perfectly proportioned and symmetrical.

Mother said there should be a veil too. Ruth’s picture didn’t have a veil. Once Roger was on the right track, Mother said he was close enough, use your attunement from then on.

Roger Gefvert’s study of Sanctissima and his finished painting.

Roger’s artistic process for Sanctissima is so mind boggling I’m only going to give you a fast staccato description. It went something like this: Pencil sketches – broken into collages – the face was done separately – eyes first – photograph of the entire collage – then colored pencils – pieces are then combined – then varnish – airbrushing – colors are brought to different areas – stencils are used to block other areas– colored pencils again – photographs throughout the process. There you have it, simple, and there it is, above.

Chela and the Path

The picture on The Chela and the Path just about says it all. He’s obviously a chela and taking a path that meanders a little, but you can tell he’s focused on the Spiritual Path. Maybe a few pitfalls along the way, because it descends, but then, in the distance the path rises and climbs the mountain. He doesn’t carry an L.L. Bean aluminum telescoping hiking pole, no siree Bob. It’s an Old Testament looking staff good for a number of things, including wacking four legged or two legged creatures trying to stop him from the goal.

Tom Miller found himself embedding an S and U in the mountain shapes. I think I found the S. It must be like one of those brain teasers you see on the internet a lot these days. Somedays I see the U then on another day I can’t find it. I’ll let him tell the rest of the story:

“I thought what I would do is show him as a chela seeking the will of God and trying to do God’s will, so around his head instead of a white halo, I’d put a blue halo. That is what I decided to do. During the painting of this picture I did a lot of calls and decrees to El Morya and to the will of God because I thought that would be an important part of the painting and the alchemy of this picture. I was very pleased that I could do that and still paint.
   "Florence (my first wife, now ascended) was the executive secretary of The Summit Lighthouse at La Tourelle and worked closely with Mark and Mother. One day she saw that I was taking a break from painting to get some food and move around. She came in and asked me if she could take a quick nap in that room on the cot. I said, “Sure, go ahead, if you don’t mind the paint smell. I am going to take a break.” She said okay and went in there. And later when I saw her she said, “That was such an amazing experience. The radiation in that room was so intense—after I lay down, I just shot right out of my body! That was one of the best naps I’ve ever had.” So I was happy and grateful she told me about that.” Ibid. p. 105.

Just like Lady Kristine, I too felt the radiation in January of 1977 when I stepped into a used bookstore in Santa Cruz, California. I saw the spine, ‘Chela,’ ‘the Path,’ Morya, hmmm, the names were intriguing. I pulled the book out. The picture of the chela on the path sealed the deal. I bought my first Summit book.

The chicken or the egg. Eleven months after I bought that book. Mother came to San Francisco. We all lined up single file to talk to her. This was my first time talking to her one on one. When it was my turn, I said to her, “Mother, so many things make me think I’m on the blue ray and that El Morya is my master.” She said, “Yes, most definitely!” I later learned that she doesn’t normally answer those type of questions. I guess she knew that I knew. I think I may have babbled on after that. I wasn’t prepared for an extended conversation. So, which was first? Did the book bring me into the teachings by chance or did Morya guide his chela along a path to the book?

Book Design

Starting in the seventies, the Summit hired some outside help for graphic and book cover designers. The Chela and the Path and the trade size aura books got a makeover. ‘Chela’ was done by Bruce Babcock. Formerly the Chela and the Path picture (above) extended to the edges of the cover. Bruce reduced the size of the picture and increased the white border. He did it for a couple reasons. One, this new look with the borders drew the viewer in and secondly but more importantly, the main rationale he communicated to Mother, Roger and a few Board Members was that the full bleed image made it look like a book of the fantasy genre (Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Rings etc.) vs. a book of more serious subject matter.

The aura and alchemy books used some beautiful designs of almost a minimalist approach with limited uses of color but where it was used, became very effective. The trade size Aura books were done by Marty Neumeier, a Santa Barbara designer. He did a number of books, mostly in the 70’s. For Studies of the Human Aura, he used the head of David by Michelangelo. It was a black drawing with a colored rainbow on his head, a creative and ingenious idea. He added a spiritual concept to the western world’s archetype of the ‘perfect man.’ He also did Intermediate Studies of the Human Aura, the hardbound Climb the Highest Mountain and the first version of Quietly Comes the Buddha in 1977. And that’s not all, he did the Summit University and SU Press logo designs for which he won a number of awards from Communication Arts magazine, one of the most prestigious design publications of the time.

Overall, a new course was set for the 80’s and 90’s. Summit books became elegant.

Vials of the Seven Last Plagues

Tom Miller “This was one of the more intense pictures that I have done. I thought Archangel Michael would be concerned and not just smiling or even having a blank stare—the kind of look we have seen on many paintings of the masters’ faces. In this case, I felt I needed to put a concerned line in Archangel Michael’s forehead above the eyebrow line, and I did. I felt that here he was doing the judgment and pouring out these vials of karma. I tried to make it a little deeper and a little less obvious, but he had this intense look on his face. I thought well, actually, I was going to be okay with that. And I would show it to Mother and see what she said. …

"The highlight of this particular story of Archangel Michael and the vial was Mother wanting to reveal the picture. We were in Pasadena at the time, and she said, “Let’s put it on the stage and let’s cover it, and I will remove the cover for the audience.” So we set it up. I was still concerned about that line and his intense look. I tried to remove it and soften it. I tried strengthening it. And I felt it ended up that it was the right amount, but I was still concerned about it. Then Mother was before the altar getting ready to reveal the picture (which she had already seen, of course). She was wondering about the same thing that I was wondering about. Then she looked up at Archangel Michael, and he had that furrow, that line in his face, and then she knew, “Aha, this is okay,” and then she revealed the picture.” Ibid. p. 108.

Lost Years of Jesus

In the 80’s, when I was an S.U. Press salesman, I always appreciated a well-designed and crafted cover. Depending on the subject, the book would sell itself. That was the case with The Lost Years of Jesus. The interesting thing about this cover is that the author was not on staff nor in the teachings. Roger kept meeting this artist in unusual circumstances. They became friends and he agreed to do the cover. And what a great job he did.

Roger and another staff designer discussed the basic concept for the cover art with him and provided examples of Roerich’s work. He had not heard of Roerich before but loved his style when it was showed to him. As you can see, the composition is masterful. Even though Jesus is looking away, there is no doubt that it’s him. And Dorothy, he’s not in Palestine anymore. Nope, that’s a Tibetan Gompa in the background. We wouldn’t be surprised if Nicholas Roerich overshadowed him. He was definitely tuned in. The master could work with this cover and send his radiation.

In 1976, artists were given the right keep the copyright of their work. Mother was so impressed with this painting that she asked the artist if the church could buy the original painting. He agreed. I’m not sure where that original is. The first thing that comes to my mind when something like that might be stored somewhere, is the last scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The director has a closeup shot of the boxed up Ark of the Covenant, maybe the most important relic of two religions, being wheeled around. The camera pulls back. It’s a gigantic warehouse with identical wooden crates everywhere. Deep down you know, nobody is ever going to see the Ark again.

The good news is, we don’t have a warehouse like that.

On December 31, 1982, at the Buddhas in Winter conference, El Morya had this to say about the painting:

“My beloved hearts, I am grateful that a magnificent painting has been executed, at the direction of the Darjeeling Council through the messenger, of a wonderful profile of the youth, our Lord Jesus Christ, as he made his way to the Himalayas and came to Tibet to receive the high calling of the Son of God to be the instrument of Maitreya and Gautama.
   "I am grateful that this magnificent work of art will be made available to the people of the world. I am grateful that the knowledge of the journey and the trek of this holy one of God might be known by many across the face of the earth.
   "I anoint, therefore, each and every one of you, as Keepers of the Flame, to understand your role as Mediator …”

He went on to say he had a surprise for us. The first issue of Heart magazine was ready. Then he had Santa and the publishing team dressed as elves deliver a magazine to each one of us. He said,”we see this magazine as Keeper of the Flame Lessons prepared for the multitudes of planet Earth.” He went on to explain the hopes they had for Heart. Then he returned once more to the painting:

“O beloved hearts, this magnificent painting was conceived in my heart to the glory of Lord Jesus, given to the messenger, translated to a very talented artist in Los Angeles who is not a member of this organization, but whose heart leapt in the knowledge of the journey of Christ to the Himalayas—who responded in joy to paint this rendition and to give to the youth of the world the true idol to replace all rock stars and heroin addicts and Hollywood masks and political figures and Castros and Karl Marx and all the rest. This is the true hero of youth.
   "We will make available to you, beloved ones, this original oil reproduced as a lithographic print so that you may have it and hold it and frame it and have your altar to the youth and have it ready for the youth when you want to give that very, very special gift.” 1982 volume of Pearls, p. 633 and p. 640.

What a night! Morya, Santa, elves, a gift from Ma and M. Heart magazine sitting in our laps. I didn’t know how much attention I should be giving the magazine as I flipped the pages, after all, El Morya was speaking. And that’s not all, Gautama Buddha was still on the agenda to give his New Year’s Eve address. It just didn’t get any better than that.

Finally, an outer confirmation of Morya’s comments. The following is a letter directed to the artist, Mr. Spooner, in 1986.

Cosmic Consciousness

The original Cosmic Consciousness had this picture by Roger Gefvert. It’s now on Discourses on Cosmic Law Vol. 1 and 2, with some changes made by later department heads and artists.

The inspiration for the face of Mark were two faces. One was the chela in meditation before Jesus in Prayer and Meditation. And the other was the face of James Lynn on page 286 of the paperback version Autobiography of a Yogi. With dedicated meditation he became a kriya yogi. Yogananda dubbed him Saint Lynn. His countenance shines with a beatific smile meditating on a beach in Encinitas, California in 1937. You can see it in Lanello’s expression.

Climb the Highest Mountain



I thought you might find this interesting. The above picture on the left is a sketch and note from Mother to Roger showing what she is thinking for the title and front cover copy for a design of a new volume of Climb the Highest Mountain. Several design options were explored but the project was eventually set aside for other higher priority publications. When it came time to redo the CHM as a series, Roerich paintings were chosen. This illustration was eventually used for a new version of Sermons for a Sabbath Evening.

Honorable Mention:

Mark Prophet has said things in the past that just might get lost over time. He had Tom Miller create images from around the world for his Christmas Wind poem. This is what he told Tom, ‘I want this to be a mosaic in Victory’s Temple.’ Victory’s Temple has been a goal of the Summit for quite awhile.

On the masthead of the Pearls of Wisdom you’ll notice three pictures. The one on the left is of El Morya’s etheric retreat in Darjeeling. Mark hired an outside artist under his direction to draw it. You can also see it at the end of Chela and the Path. A chela was added to it, standing in the foreground.

Tom has also created several versions of the Chart of the Presence for most of the major religions.

Roger has created some other notable art that didn’t make the cut here. One is the chalice for the cover Mysteries of the Holy Grail. Tom Miller would say something like ‘I have this idea or this image came to me,’ and he’d ask Roger to pursue it. Well, the chalice he was thinking of was no easy task. It was a complex mathematical formula. The image dates back to 1430 AD and was done by Paulo Uccello. It is a line drawing of a 3D chalice. The lines curving around the back had to follow a precise pattern. You can see it on the cover of Mysteries of the Holy Grail.

When the two Human Aura books were combined into a paperback, Roger did a very fine painting of Mother with stars and a rainbow. I think he might believe when you ascend your brain looks like stars, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Jean Jones came on staff with artistic experience. She did the color plates for Djwal Kul’s trade size book. This included the chakras and muddied auras. Mother used these in slides for stumps. She used other slides from her as well, like the Heart, Head and Hand slides. When the Summit got the larger Saint Germain and Jesus, a new larger Chart of the I AM Presence was needed. Tom Miller, Jean Jones and Gary Stanley took just three days to make it.

Conclusion:

As you know, appreciation of art can be a very subjective thing. Mark mentioned it at the top of this article. There is no accounting for people’s tastes. Take me for instance, when I was a teenager these two pictures hung in my room.

Weird, right? The first one is by Gustave Caillebotte from 1877, called “Paris Street, Rainy Day.” The one below is by Albrecht Durer, called “Knight, Death and the Devil.” 1513 AD. Why would a teenager have these unusual paintings? They are probably a connection to past lives.

The painting in Paris is nice enough but not that special. It’s kind of bleak. And it’s raining to boot. Not a normal painting for a teenage boy. Maybe I had a pleasant life in 1700 or 1800’s France.

The next one is grim. And yet, the horse is proud. His gait, lively. The knight’s gaze is straight ahead. Unyielding. But he is older now and haggard. Death and the devil are mocking him. Things probably did not go well in the Crusades. But he made it back. This etching is just too bizarre for a young boy to have hanging on his wall. It has to be a past life recognition. Durer’s picture is at once sad and depressing but there is also something noble about it. This thought comes to mind, “Duty, Honor for King and Christ.”

Lest you think I was totally weird growing up, I also had two B&W posters on my walls. One was Steve McQueen jumping over the barb wire fence on a motorcycle in The Great Escape. The other was the famous poster of Raquel Welch standing amongst the rocks in One Million B.C.

So, the point is, different artwork appeals to people for various reasons.

When I enter the Court I nearly always sit on Saint Germain’s and El Morya’s side. They are my two favorite masters. Sometimes I feel guilty, so I sit of Jesus’ and Kuthumi’s side.

Do a search for Saint Germain on the internet. The Comte de St. Germain and Sindelar’s Saint Germain come up quite a bit. But then there are others. You know them by their vibration. There’s something about their eyes. They’re downright creepy. The artist might have good technique but lacks the attunement which prevents the master from blessing it. Finally, the question is, does the viewer have the where-with-all to see the difference. If people could feel the radiance of Sindelar’s Saint Germain, then they would be flocking to The Summit Lighthouse. But alas they don’t. People’s receptors have been damaged or covered over. They probably need the violet flame to appreciate the blessed radiance that comes from a true representation of the master.

Mother: “When a student is able to draw a painting of the master without drawing himself into the painting, then he becomes very valuable. That’s why Sindelar was so valuable in painting Saint Germain and Jesus. They appeared to him and he painted their likeness.” From A Work of Art for the Master, The Summit Lighthouse.

How true. There are a host of artists out there putting part of themselves into new age art. Even a genuine organization is not free from this phenomena. Once, an organization from the 30’s and 40’s lost the rights to Sindelar paintings, they turned to an artist who consistently put part of herself in the images. Saint Germain has said that students have no idea how much of her consciousness has been absorbed by them. Hint: it's the bug-eyed pictures or as Mother once told Phyllis, "the cupie doll pictures." To be fair, this artist was probably just trying to do what Lotus described, but she just didn't have the technique to do it.

There are other pictures of angels and masters out there that are really quite good. The skill level is exceptional, but they tend to fall into a couple of New Age traps. One is the belief that heavenly beings are androgynous This is usually most obvious with male angels and masters. The most common mistake is a very narrow chin that is obviously feminine. And the eyes, first and foremost, they have to be right.

Harkening back to Mark’s comments at the top, is the sensitivity of soul and feeling world of the artist such that he can tune it to the presence of an ascended being? And did the artist ask for assistance for that depiction? If neither is the case, we the viewer can’t make that important connection to the presence of the Divine.

Both Roger and John Paul (and Tom) felt it was an honor to serve the Masters and Mother. By working with Mother, step by step, they said they had access to her causal body. The tests sometimes came fast and furious under ‘interesting living and working conditions.’ The tests were there but the joy outpaced the tribulations. There was the camaraderie of staff life and then there is the feeling you get when you realize something you just created did not come from you alone. To sum up both would agree with Tom’s closing words:

Tom Miller: “It was wonderful to be able to pray to the ascended masters and then try to paint their pictures. You know that you can’t really do justice to a master in a painting, but on the other hand it is nice for the masters to be able to have focuses. So that is what you want to do, you want to create a focus that people can look at so they can talk to the master and think about the master when they see the focus.
   "I want to make a general comment about trying to paint charts and ascended master pictures and pictures that will hopefully be used as focuses of light, which is the intention for them. I feel that one of the major challenges is to be, as much as possible, a clear channel for the right matrices so the right light can get through. Therefore, you always begin by consecrating the efforts, the canvas, the brushes, the paint, whatever you are using, for the purposes of God and heaven. There is that aspect of things, and then doing prayers and decrees—sometimes even while painting and drawing.
   "But there is also the challenge of creating a matrix, which may be the right one or may not be the right one. The interesting thing—and it is one of the greatest challenges—is to make sure that the vibration of the art is not at the false-hierarchy level but at the higher level, truly at the level of the Christ consciousness. That to me is the major job: to bring through enough beauty and strength and grace and wisdom in all aspects of the painting so that it may be a focus of light, and to avoid the astral appearance that some pictures seem to have of something that is not quite right in a vibratory sense. Sometimes people sense it, and sometimes they have a bad feeling, or they think there is not enough beauty. It is an interesting challenge.” Ibid. p. 97, 98.

Thanks to Roger, Tom and John Paul for all your valuable input. Without it, this would be a shell of what it was intended to be.

May the image and the Presence of the Masters be with you, always,
William C. House
Whouse@tsl.org
www.reversespins.com

* What are teraphim? There is a great and complicated literature about teraphim. Teraphim have many forms and aspects. Broadly speaking, a teraph is a talisman or an accumulator of energies; thus, every article saturated with precipitations of psychic energy is a teraph. When saturated with the psychic energy of a specific command, the talisman or teraph conveys it to a person to whom it is sent. Often, in the past, teraphim acted as oracles. In antiquity the preparation of such teraphim was extremely complicated, and besides, the knowledge of astrology was widely applied. Of course there are also astral teraphim, but such teraphim belong only to highly developed spirits. The secret of the preparation of such teraphim is in the hands of the great Arhats. Through such teraphim it is possible strongly to influence a person, and also to guard his health. If you have read about the experiments in the exteriorization of sensitiveness, you can imagine the influence of such teraphim to a certain extent. In the book Agni Yoga the creation of a simple teraph is explained in detail. Letters of Helena Roerich I, 10 September 1934.