EMISSARIES OF DIVINE LIGHT
Reflections on the fundamental principles and teachings and
–
Recollections of a personal journey - living as part of the
Emissary network.
By Rob Hitchings January 2003 (minor edits 11 Oct 2015 )
What did I learn in 14 years of community living? (9 years
at Mickleton, 1.5 at Fourways, Johannesburg ,
0.5 at Zevern Rivieren, (nr Cape Town
1. Be
Thankful! – in each and every moment – for what life brings you.
2. Be
Open – don’t judge – you never have the full picture. Your own tinted glasses!
3. Be
Alert! – be aware of what is going on in each situation.
4.
Be the light – the truth of who you are. (a concept)
5. Be
Radiant – Let love radiate without concern for results.
6. Be
patient – timing is everything. The Creative Process works in its own time.
7. Be
in service for the highest good – the highest vision one can see each moment.
BE THANKFUL
The principle here is that whatever happens, happens as the
perfect outworking of all that has gone before and is undoubtedly part of an
ongoing ‘Creative Cycle’. The idea is that if we are thankful then our attitude
is one of blessing and the ‘vibrational’ seeds we are sowing must inevitably
grow into a Heavenly harvest.
If our attitude is not one of thankfulness then (unless it
is absolutely neutral – which is very hard to be - then it must be one of
resistance – resentment and in effect saying ‘No’ to what is there – no to
‘Life’.
In being thankful we are in effect saying ‘YES’ to Life. Open
to outcome – open to the present situation actually being just part of a larger
outworking – which if one plays ones part – with thankfulness (and hence
without judgement) – then Life can have it’s way.
When, as a group of people, we practised this together on a
daily basis, Life did indeed feel magical and light. Whatever worked out – one
was ok with – it always seemed transient (this too will pass) and being
unattached to outcome one was emotionally ‘unhooked’ – everything was ‘fine’.
My reflection:
Was everything actually OK? Mostly - yes. What wasn’t?
Different levels of listening – coming from different levels of consciousness –
(Listening does not just mean ‘audibly hearing’ or even taking in the meaning
via sound – it can also mean being ‘Alert’ – taking in, ‘hearing’ the deeper
meaning of peoples actions and understanding the inter-personal dynamics of
situations.)
Another problem with this principle was that whilst it
trained me to be open to outcome and unhook emotionally – it laid me open to
abuse (conscious or unconscious) from those above in the ‘design’ (The
Hierarchy) and it did NOT train me to tune into my own truth, path, and what
was my own unfolding life’s journey.
BE OPEN
Being ‘open’ was a great principle. It was part and parcel
of being ‘available’. We were ‘expected’ to be ready to swop rooms, double up,
drop one job and take up another, re-paint a room that had just been re-painted
a different colour – all without question. Such experience has value and is
similar (I imagine) to being in the army navy, etc. To have a body of people
all open to ‘whatever’ and lead by a person who was also open and coming from
their own intention of ‘the highest good’ is a great vision – and the
experience – to the degree that it worked – was amazing and fulfilling – a
taste of Heaven on Earth.
Again, I do not think this serves ones individual path to do
this for longer than it takes to ‘get’ the principle. (Because every
individuals path is so unique and there is such a wide range of backgrounds,
experience, psychological programming and damage. What I believe IS necessary
is “collective work” where each ones individual UNIQUNESS is honoured and
assistance/support given to each one to heal their psychological wounds and
training given on how to cope with life on earth in a physical body and in the
civilisation that we find ourselves in).
I found the experience of living as a member of the Emissary
Community only trained me to be a good cog in a wheel. I was not encouraged to
question the wheel. That it was ‘right’ and divinely ordained was a ‘given’. I
DID question this from time to time and it was not really welcomed. Often there
was an attempt to white-wash the question – to disappear it, make it seem
insignificant – or better still – turn it around so that it becomes MY problem.
BE ALERT
This was one of Bill Bains lovely catch phrases. There is a
more recent term from Angeles Arrien – ‘Pay attention to what has heart and
meaning’ – or from various pop songs – listen to your heart.
Being alert means being receptive, all ones antennae
switched on. Ones mind relatively still. Certainly not ‘absent without leave’ –
on a mission. Aware of ones surroundings. For example – when entering a room –
‘tuning in’ to who and what is there before becoming an active participant. (An
example seen now a days of someone crossing a busy street whilst holding a
conversation with someone on a cell phone is the very antithesis of being alert
and fully present to what is going on right where one is). (‘Noticing’ was the
equivalent word used by The Life Training. Just ‘notice’ what is going on –
both externally and INTERNALLY. Watch ones own ‘mind-talk’ – as it does at a
rate of knots!)
We were supposed to re-programme our ‘first flush of
feeling’ so that it would be ‘loving’, ‘yes’, ‘thankful’, ‘alert’ and ready to
express love and light into – the next moment.
‘My only purpose is to be the ‘cross-over point’ to bring heaven into earth
in THIS moment – and this – and this….’
Whist it worked, it was great. When you felt you were the
only one who was alert amongst a room full of people who were ‘supposed’ to be
also alert – was not so much fun. This particularly showed up as cult responses
to services - cloned patterns of behaviour. Sitting in groups of people
excitedly discussing a topic and not being able to get a word in – as everyone
else was interrupting or so champing at the bit to get their word in – and
often it seemed like they just wanted to have their own voice heard. On
reflection – probably a deep psychological need for many of us.
BE THE LIGHT
It was a great concept to adopt – that the truth of who I am
is ‘light’ or even (a part of or an expression of God. When one didn’t ‘feel’
like ‘light’ one was off ‘centre’ and we were advised to have an ‘attunement’ –
presumably with someone who WAS centred – and often it did seem to have a
calming and centring effect. After Martin Exeter died something shifted and the
‘shadow’ aspect of individuals and the collective came into the light for
examination. Just shining the light became seriously questioned. The reality dawned that we are both ‘light’
and ‘dark’. However the darkness seems to surface unwelcomed, when the
conscious mind has taken a rain check – often due to reaction to a situation.
Human nature reactions one to another came into play and
people left many of the communities for a variety of reasons - some due to
reactions, some because life called them to do other things. ‘Shining the
light’ seems easier to do in a relaxed group of friends – it is understood and
appreciated. In the world ‘out there’ it is treated with suspicion and can also
make others feel very uncomfortable. “What is his/her angle/ hidden agenda/
motive?”
BE RADIANT
….without concern for results. The truth was more like –
don’t be concerned for your ‘self’. Just put your back into what is required with
love – but there was definitely
concern for results expressed by those ‘higher in the design’ when we were
preparing rooms etc for ‘top notch’ visitors…which often involved upgrades and
re-decoration.
BE PATIENT
Timing is everything. This proved to be a very valuable and
accurate lesson. From small situations – such as just patiently listening to
another to the larger outworking of cycles in ones life.
IN SERVICE TO THE HIGHEST VISION
There were undoubtedly a few quirks and questionable ways of
carrying on – but accepting what was – in the moment – and being patient with
the inevitable ‘creative process’, was a good test. I could write reams to
describe the many ways in which excellence was practised and integrity, love,
caring, hospitality expressed.
EMISSARY CONCEPTS
Vibrational ministry. Body of God on earth. 3rd
Sacred School. World Service. Attunements and Attunement Current. Baptism of
water. Cycles of life. WAEF.
VIBRATIONAL MINISTRY
I regularly attended ‘Radiant Gatherings’ – a circle where
we sat in silence after starting by mentioning names of people we wished to
‘bring in’ to the circle and moving on to include world leaders and situations,
just sending a loving current – without concern for results. Staying ‘centred’ and responding to a
situation rather than ‘reacting’ was an aim in maintaining the ‘vibrational
ministry’. All activities were
undertaken in this loving conscious way thus maintaining the love vibration.
Singing in the choir or chant group also added to this. Meals cooked, housework
done – were all to be done radiantly.
BODY OF GOD ON EARTH
The idea was that we were becoming conscious of our identity
as God-beings and hence collectively we were supposed to be Gods emerging body
on earth.
THIRD SACRED SCHOOL
Based on Moses being the first SS – (physical), Jesus being
the second SS (mental) and Uranda being the third AND
FINAL, SS. (Spiritual plane approach)
WORLD SERVICE
The idea was put across that we were in training to be
‘World Servers’. There was a series of ‘classes’ to prepare us for this work.
Later, the last class in the series was called ‘World Service Class’. Once one
had done World Service Class (or earlier equivalent) one ‘might’ be chosen to
be a unit focus or area co-ordinator. This only happened if you were married
and was more likely if you had money or status. The focus person or
co-ordinator was always male. This was part of the Doctrine.
ATTUNEMENTS
My first attunement was shared by a focus person in London .
I felt quite a powerful exchange of energy and was quite ‘charged’ by the
experience. This non-touch type of ‘laying on of hands’ can have quite a palpable
effect especially when one is feeling off-centre or ‘out of sorts’. We were
encouraged to receive at least one attunement a week. I became an ‘attunement
server’ and was a regular server at the Sunday 2pm
attunement circle.
However, I travelled abroad quite often for 3 months at a
stretch and had to develop my own methods for staying attuned without the need
of an attunement server. As with all such things like Reiki – where did the
first attunement server come from? The first Reiki Master? Obviously the first
one did it all by him/herself…..
The act of letting love radiate without concern for results
in this focussed way does seem to have a particularly special effect. However,
going to someone else for a tune-up can also be a crutch which one might become
dependant on a like a drug that one believes one cannot do without. It would be
better to be trained to self-attune. Meditation – as practised by other groups,
was however not practised.
The ‘Attunement Current’ is a palpable thing and is generated
by a person or persons being ‘radiant love’ – unattached to results in a mode
of outward blessing.
BAPTISM OF WATER
Water was equated with ‘Truth’ and this could be experienced
through exposure to ‘The Word’ - which was Uranda’s or Martins words usually as
expressed during a ‘service’. (A Sunday am meeting similar to a conventional
Christian church service except there were rarely any prayers or quotes from
the Bible, though sometimes Martin or Uranda did include these). Being
continually exposed to these words was supposed to clean out all the muck in
our psychic cess-pit by the continual pouring in of ‘clean water’. This was
known as the ‘Baptism of Water’. It seemed to work for many people, for many
years. But once the source dried up (when Martin died) the dross re-appeared in
people – it has been there all the time
really of course!
Since very little ‘dross’ (negativity) was expressed by
anyone once they had done their first Art of Living class - it wasn’t being
purged – it was being glossed over/suppressed. Naturally once the tap was
turned off, people had to look to themselves for inspiration and all kinds of
weird stuff came up. Other processes and
facilitators were brought in to share ‘their’ methods for dealing with our
murkier sides and less than radiant expressions. This lack of real purging and
facing of our shadow aspects was, I believe, one of the reasons why people left
communities and did weird things after Martin died.
CYCLES OF LIFE
A ‘doctrine’ of EDL was the order of creation. Water, Air,
Earth and Fire. Which was Urandas interpretation of the symbols given in
sequence in the 1st chapter of Genesis. Water = Truth, Air = Spirit, Earth = Form and
Fire = Love.
It was a logical sequence and may well be accurate. It was
taught in class as the ‘ages of man’. Water age, Air age etc. Moses’ was a
‘physical ministry’ and involved travel on foot into the wilderness, stone
tablets and golden images. Jesus age was ‘water’ – walking on water, changing
water into wine, fishermen and sea travel.
Then Urandas age involved ‘air’ - planes, radio, TV and the
exploration of space. Following this we had ‘Martins age’ (still in ‘air’) with
Nuclear reactors, sonic boom – faster than sound travel, global warming, micro
waves, solar power, flower power – free love and an explosion of New Age
spiritual teachings.
FOURTH SACRED ORDER.
Since Martin's death there has been an attempt to lay the
Third Sacred School to rest – peacefully and part of this was to recognise that
something new is emerging. Dimensional shifts have been talked about widely in
New Age circles and since many of the Emissary principles are now ‘out there’
in every New Age book shop absorbed and adopted by many groups, it seems
logical to acknowledge this and one way is to give it a label. The phrase “Fourth Sacred Order” was coined
by some Emissary which, to me, was a way of still putting The Emissaries ‘up’,
ahead of the game, ‘in the know’. (Wise a serpents.)
DEVOTIONAL ORDER
In the eighties, in Emissary communities, there were many
opportunities to express ones commitment to the ‘order’. Sunday morning service
was almost obligatory. In the early eighties we also met Sunday evenings and
Wednesday evenings. Thursday evening was choir practice and Saturday mornings
were separate ‘mens’ and ‘womens’ meetings followed by a work party – doing
maintenance jobs around our properties.
COMING HOME
This devotional ‘atmosphere’ plus the happy smiling faces
and palpable sense of fulfilment in lives dedicated to a higher vision was
extremely attractive – yet as mentioned before, also a cause for suspicion from
outsiders. The only way to become and ‘insider’ was to do a class. This,
hopefully would give one access to ones ‘internal switch’, an experience of
what it was to BE love in expression. Once experienced the drive was engaged to
want to experience this all the time.
I recall being able to hold this ‘internal state’ for a few
days after my first Art of Living class – and then losing it. After a two-week
class I ‘held’ it for about a further two weeks. The idea was planted that
internally we have a switch – “The single switch at the centre of things”. When
I felt myself loosing it – reacting to something – I could mentally find this
switch and pull the lever to the ‘love ON’ position, and suddenly I would relax
and feel OK with whatever was happening.
For non-residents, people who just attended services at
Emissary centres, the existence of those centres became a crucial factor in
their sense of well-being. There was often a sense of belonging, home and
family – as with any church or group – and this could be had without the need
for surrendering ones position of independent control of one’s life, or without
the need to really commit to anything. Those who gave up their lives in order
to serve within the Emissary communities found that opportunities to stretch
and grow followed thick and fast. It was really a question of saying “OK, for
this vision, I am willing to be uncomfortable, VERY uncomfortable if
necessary”. And we were trained to examine the discomfort and notice that in
all cases it came from within, and that the way to release that discomfort was
also within. “Total personal responsibility” as Uranda once said.
WHAT NEXT?
Follow ones heart, follow ones ‘excitement’ (as Bashar
says). There is still a network - linked by our history together and by
whatever value we each place upon maintaining a current connection.
Then there are those who gave a great deal either financial
or a chunk of their life or both to the building and maintaining of Mickleton
and other Communities and who subsequently moved on. Some of whom could no
longer relate to those who stayed behind. Many of these I feel sure hold their
time with EDL in a special place in their hearts. Some with some discomfort
too.
I believe there were some great and universal principles
taught. There were often mature role models around. And there was an
irreplaceable experience of love, community and family. I for one am sad not to
be currently experiencing this in my life and so I feel some sadness that I
could not find my place within EDL in South
Africa .
I long to be at ease with the friends that I travelled with
for so many years. To be loved and accepted as I am NOW. I have tried to be
true to my inner guidance and this has led me far from where I started both
physically and spiritually.
You cannot put new wine into old bottles. Let the new
bottles appear…….
