The Brotherhood of Light Teachings Come to Earth

A tribute to Elbert Benjamine’s extraordinary achievement

by DW Sutton

Part 1, Elbert Benjamine

Since time immemorial the wisdom of the ancients was kept hermetically sealed and hidden away. Then in 1881 with the dawning of Aquarius came a request to document the ancient knowledge and give it unrestricted availability. But Aquarius offered new paradigms and the ancient information would have to be verified using strict scientific controls. It was going to take an exceptional thinker to test the ancient wisdom, unify it with modern science and document it in a way that would make it acceptable to the new scientific age.

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In the Age of Aquarius science advances at such a pace that anything seems possible. Single discoveries open up new continents of knowledge and every now and then there are revolutionary turning points in the way that life and the world are perceived. A sensational knowledge-revolution occurred from 1914 to 1949 when Elbert Benjamine, writing as CC Zain, wrote, revised and rewrote The Brotherhood of Light lessons. In these lessons he provides an unprecedented explanation of God, occult forces, astrology and the soul. But the story he tells of the soul’s past, present and future and the role played by astrological forces in its intelligence and ability development is so sensational that it’s bound to raise doubts and meet opposition. New revolutionary theories always do.

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Elbert Benjamine — the spiritual leader who introduced The Brotherhood of Light teachings to humanity — was born in Adel, Iowa on December 12, 1882. And just like all human souls he was born with a character, a unique and special skill-set and an astrology code. But every now and then the code in the sky sanctions the birth of a soul with exceptional skills and talents and Elbert was one of those rare individuals who are seldom seen.

His childhood circumstances were fortunate. His father and grandfather provided him with the opportunity to learn about the natural world and the God-intelligence that directed the show. And this paved the way for Elbert becoming a virtuoso in comprehending and explaining the astrological and other laws that influence how nature works. Elbert’s higher education was acquired in Adel, Iowa where he studied physics intending to become a naturalist. But in 1900 his life took an unexpected turn when he discovered astrology. And in the spring of 1910 he gave his promise to The Brotherhood of Light to present its teachings in 21 courses to be published as 21 separate books. The implications of his decision were just extraordinary. He committed to doing something that had never been done before.

So luckily for us Elbert did not become a sailor, lawyer, surgeon, architect or musician. He didn’t waste his time pursuing a career for which he had no particular talent. And he didn’t waste his time traveling or accumulating wealth and material possessions. He didn’t become a New-Age pilgrim who traveled the world in search of meaning and self-understanding. He did travel — from Adel, to Denver, Colorado and Los Angeles, California where he lived for 36 years — but he never set foot outside of America. Rather Elbert’s life journey took him to a place where few have ever ventured. He became an astrologer-educator and his training allowed him to acquire astrological skills that, in turn, provided him with the credentials to become the world’s leading authority on the influence and use of astrological and other occult energies.

Elbert wasn’t a frivolous, trivial thinker. He had a deep and broad intellect that left no stone unturned in his search for truth. So his message is never meaningless blather. The Brotherhood of Light lessons are cogent, dynamic structures of occult engineering that provide you with an education. You know that when you first start to read Elbert Benjamine that your education has just begun. Every word and every explanation performs a function as he provides you with plausible, evidence-based information that will bring you out of the darkness into the light. And the words, just like a diamond is polished to improve its appearance, were rewritten, revised and refined so that each bit of information became an exquisite treasure more precious that any diamond, pearl or gem.

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Every great achievement is the result of a fury of destruction and in presenting The Brotherhood of Light teachings Elbert Benjamine demolished the orthodox explanations of life and living. With a character fueled by leadership, courage, creative passion, sincerity, loyalty, dedication and honesty he had no agenda-bias to corrupt his purpose and no conformation-bias to warp his thinking and perceptions. And his mental equipment was so finely tuned to comprehending the mysteries of nature that he saw through all the misguided religious hokum and scientific subterfuge.

The Brotherhood of Light lessons are an edifice of occult information that presents the Brotherhood’s philosophy on life and living. Based on its investigation into seen and unseen worlds this information is used to acquire self-understanding and an understanding of the astrological forces that influence life on a personal and global level. The lessons present the Brotherhood’s view on how the universe and God’s Great Evolutionary Plan operate.

This grand occult structure, as laid out in The Brotherhood of Light lessons, is based on three great realistic perceptions: (1) The soul exists as a force of nature; (2) astrological forces influence its growth and development now and in the future; and (3) its life experience is a training program designed to develop the special ability that explains its existence as a worker contributing to the realization of God’s Great Evolutionary Plan. This occult information — of being a human soul with an astrological potential and cosmic purpose — not only reveals a great personal truth that’s written in your astrology code — the truth that will set you free — it paves the way for the attainment of self- conscious immortality.

The Brotherhood’s teachings account for everything that material science and orthodox religion can’t explain. You’re not a bunch of neurons firing away and your brain is not a thought-factory creating and producing thoughts and feelings. Your soul is the intelligence that’s in charge of the show and it’s not destined to spend eternity in a static blissful heaven or inert scorching hell. The Brotherhood has obtained the evidence that supports these claims and it’s a trustworthy authority dedicated to providing humanity with the facts of astrology, the facts of extrasensory perception, the facts of directed thinking and the facts of induced emotion.

In The Brotherhood of Light lessons Elbert Benjamine explains astrological energies, psychic phenomena and extrasensory perception and these forces and faculties are demanding the creation of a new spiritual philosophy built on capacities that have no physical explanation. Elbert gave us a new view of life which proves that beneath the genes and chemicals — the illusion of appearance — is a dynamic mental reality that is being educated by experience to fulfill its function, or reason for being, as a worker in God’s Great Evolutionary Plan. And such a thought causes great shuddering in the halls of learning, laboratories, seminaries and churches.

The Brotherhood of Light teachings are where religion and science join hands in harmonious union. And they provide evidence that reveals that both material science and orthodox religion are providing humanity with false and misleading information. When material science and orthodox religion fail to see what’s really going on Elbert Benjamine comes to the rescue and reveals the truth behind the appearance. By explaining psychic phenomena, the nature of the soul, extrasensory perception, the astrological environment, the evolution of intelligence and ability and the nature of time and space on the inner- planes Elbert backs rational thought into a corner. The evidence he provides in The Brotherhood of Light lessons is requesting science to reconsider all its current ideas on these matters. And he’s requesting you to change the way you think about yourself and your life.

In these lessons Elbert Benjamine explains your existence as a dynamic component of a living universe and then he invites you to learn and adopt a psychologically sound way of living that maximizes your self- development, both now and in the future. Every word he wrote provides a personal or public benefit. As a researcher he skillfully investigates the theory, assesses the evidence and discovers the knowledge. As a teacher he sows the seeds of knowledge. In The Brotherhood of Light lessons he provides you with ideas that will light your day. With Elbert came the suggestion that you maximize your self- development when you contribute to the welfare of others.

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In The Brotherhood of Light lessons Elbert sets out to explain the universe, life and God and what he reveals shatters the claims of orthodoxy and established custom. He contends that as a child of the universe your destiny is written in the stars and that they guide your progress and development at each stage of your journey. He claims that your self-conscious experience at the human stage is the result of previous experience in non-human lives. And that all these subjective experiences with environment have been stored in memory in the thought-structures of your soul.

So Elbert’s ideas on life and its meaning and purpose contradict most contemporary scientific and religious notions. The scientific data is materialistic — it views the central idea of life and the universe as exclusively materialistic — and the religious data is traditional and moored to the past. Both orthodox science and religion have established rules and restrictions, but occult science moves these boundaries. This expands the possibilities of discovery — of finding important new knowledge — and of discovering truth. Elbert knew that the most important knowledge of all had been left out of the model of life and the universe provided by science and religion and he devoted his life to explaining what the information was.

This saw him tackle the very profound mind-matter problem. Elbert was not a materialist which means he did not believe that matter could experience. He believed that the physical sensation of conscious experience was the result of the soul interpenetrating the physical substance it animates. Without an animating soul matter is lifeless. And a physical form (matter) can only experience sensations and feelings when its animating life-force (mind or soul) is present.

In The Brotherhood of Light lessons Elbert presents the Brotherhood’s worldview of life and how it should be lived and this differs greatly to that provided by orthodox science and religion. The Hermetic philosophy of life is incompatible with current orthodox thinking. And Elbert did provide strong, irrefutable, observable evidence to support its philosophy. He integrated all that physical science could contribute into the subject matter and he provided statistical evidence. It’s just that some ideas are very difficult to prove.

Elbert Benjamine strove to understand the physical visible world and the non-physical invisible world. When modern science called a halt to the search for knowledge he continued on. He tackled the world of astrology and astrological energies with vigor and commitment. At a time when the astrological community was running on mystical ideas and fanciful notions Elbert recognized a need to scientifically investigate astrology. And with the help of Lenora Conwell and The Brotherhood of Light Astrological Research Department that’s what he did. He constantly urged the use of statistics, accurately timed birthcharts and carefully compiled case histories in determining the facts of astrology.

Elbert’s important ideas came from his experience with life, astrology and his own search for meaning. Working with brilliant intuitive insights about the nature of life and its evolution on Earth (and the astral planes) his extraordinary achievement was to tie all his ideas together and clarify his theories with evidence-based research. We can only stand in awe of his discernment and of placing it all in writing for all to read.

His capacity to leave no stone unturned in his search for truth makes you wonder about his mental capacity. Just how good a researcher was he? From the point of view of knowledge and the evolution of ideas he has to be acknowledged as one of the truly great thinkers of all time. But his greatness is not boosted by impossible to understand complexity and misguided hero-worship. His messages are simple. They’re based on evidence that is easy to observe, investigate and understand.

When it comes to making sense of our lives most of us need help. We need help sorting the available data and fitting it into a coherent explanation. Science and religion provide data, but Elbert moved to the esoteric realm of occult science and in The Brotherhood of Light lessons he sorts the data into a logical order that makes it easy to follow and understand. By 1936 he had rewritten the belief-based astrology textbook in a way that was so scientific that the mystically minded couldn’t grasp its meaning and now, like a ticking time-bomb, humanity awaits the arrival of this explosive information. And by 1949 he had logically explained and placed each piece of the life-puzzle into a coherent order. The subject matter is you and Elbert explains the how and why of your existence. And in the 21st-century great minds continue to tackle this problem without success.

Having been constructed by a promise and the power of Elbert’s occult insight, creative imagination and can-do spirituality The Brotherhood of Light lessons are a monument to their writer. In an age when science has transformed mechanism and DNA into a religion and temporary glorious feelings are identified as the new spirituality these lessons invite you to experience a new spiritual awakening.

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Elbert Benjamine was The Brotherhood of Light’s information provider and with sincerity and perseverance he vigorously championed The Hermetic System of Astrology. He focused his attention on the inner-world astrological environment and provided you with a new way of understanding your existence. And his steady and sober approach to investigating the world of astrology ensured that the subject matter was in capable hands. His methods were strictly scientific — not fanciful or sensational. He forced astrology to reveal its secrets and then he re- examined the nature of human existence in the light of these new revelations. By using statistical analysis, experiment and the scientific method he provides you with an explanation of your life and existence that has you questioning the generally accepted scientific and religious axioms.

Elbert was a remorseless realist who applied the scientific method to confirm every intuitive impression. And his occult insight allowed him to penetrate the high-velocity world of astrological energies. His great achievement was to give insight into the inner-world of astrology and the role it plays in your life experience. Through astrology he united the scientific and spiritual quest, and this productive relationship is capable of producing marvelous off-spring. He knew that nothing made sense in astrology except in the light of evolution — the evolution of the soul’s intelligence and ability — and in The Hermetic System of Astrology Elbert boldly frames a system of ideas which allow you to make sense of your life and its purpose. He proved the existence of the soul, explained how its consciousness and know-how developed, and projected its existence into the vast vistas of an eternal future. He unveiled a view of life that had never before seen the light of day on planet Earth. His brilliant experimental and theoretical work gave astrology a unifying set of principles. His great insight saw how practical astrological information could be applied on a daily basis to ensure a better life outcome.

In The Brotherhood of Light lessons Elbert explains the process of consciousness development. He explains why thoughts and feelings can be grouped into ten different thought families; how thought-elements fuse into dynamic thought-cell groups; how thought-cell groups assimilate into definite compartments within the unconscious soul- mind; and how these not-conscious thoughts manage and influence the body’s biological processes. Elbert explains how you, using your birthchart and Hermetic astrology, can work out your past, present and future — even your cosmic purpose. He asked impossible questions and found logical answers. He provided an astrological model for life and explained how it worked. Your birthchart and Hermetic astrology offer you a new world of self-discovery. For the first time ever Elbert Benjamine provided the information and tools that permit you to have a factual and honest understanding of who you are.

In The Brotherhood of Light lessons the merely true wouldn’t do so establishing the facts of astrology was a big challenge and huge responsibility. New scientific standards demanded the highest level of scientific credibility and Elbert, as the information manager, had to ground his subject matter in facts that were supported by experimental research. He had to test the astrological legacy of the ancients. Beliefs that were very often wild fancies had to be investigated and examined in nature’s laboratory to determine their veracity. Elbert had to explore new ideas and he and The Brotherhood of Light Research Departments went where no other research teams have ever gone before.

In the end Elbert caused a seismic shift in the way astrology was understood. He changed the image of astrology from superstitious fortune-telling to an evidence-based self-science that educated people could use to guide their lives and endeavors. He provided you with information that will help you to get the best out of yourself. He released your soul from the constraints imposed by fundamentalist religion. He provided a new perspective on the natural world and a new understanding of astrology.

Elbert — the astrology trail-blazer — provided lightning bolt moments. He did not conform to tradition. He innovated a new way of understanding the birthchart. In striving to get to the truth of the matter he developed theories. The progressed chart became a model of thought-cell activity at a specified date and time and not the herald of fortunate and unfortunate events. And the circumstance that a thought- cell group working from the inner-plane can demonstrate when a new supply of energy from a progressed aspect turns it on depends upon the thought trend it possesses and the amount of new energy it receives. All mental demonstration utilizes this principle. Through some means the soul or unconscious mind, or some of its thought-cells are given the impetus to do something, and are afforded the energy with which to do the work demanded of them. If the work required is obtaining information it is called ESP. If the work required is some other type of accomplishment it is called EPP — Extra-physical power.

Elbert’s desire to discover the secrets of astrology never wavered. It was an all encompassing raging inferno. At a time when materialistic scientists relegated astrology to the pseudo-science scrapheap Elbert responded with statistically acquired evidence-based facts that proved their non-scientific ravings were erroneous. And all these facts perform an important structural function in the edifice of occult information he built. His research gave astrology a scientific foundation. And he, more than any other astrologer, gave the science of the soul and stars a dynamic and vitalizing Aquarian Age effect. With Elbert came a new era in astrological knowledge and the suggestion that you can work with your astrology code to maximize your self-development.

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Blending the spiritual with the scientific is not easy, as witnessed by some popular notions, and in The Brotherhood of Light lessons Elbert shines the light on aspects of life that are shrouded in darkness. There he emphasizes your importance as an active participant in an evolving universe. He recognizes that you bear the mark of deity.

In the lessons Elbert explains that the soul is a dynamic component of the natural world and the human soul, having attained self- consciousness and the capacity to think and reason, is very special. He then explains the soul’s reason for being in a way that allows you to understand your own existence and provides the tools that allow you to actively participate in your own self-development. And then he explains God’s Great Cosmic Venture — that you are an active participant in the unfolding potential of an unfinished universe — and that your soul’s existence is not terminated by the death of your physical body. Elbert observed a created universe that was in a continuous state of development. The creation event was not something that happened in the past. Life was in a constant state of development, process and change so creation is a now moment.

Elbert’s writings show that the fundamentalist sky-God and other notions of God are mostly erroneous. They reveal that the guiding intelligence of the universe is very misunderstood. Elbert did not observe an interventionist God. Rather he saw the creation of a life- force that was brought into existence to fulfill a definite function and a God who reveals this function through the astrological chart of birth. Elbert observed a material, visible universe that is the physical manifestation of God’s mind, with the planets, acting as dynamic agents, directing its evolution. The Sun, being the source of life and light, has been worshipped as God, but the spiritual counterpart of the physical universe — the spiritual universe — is God. And God’s will is made known through astrology — the science of the soul and stars.

Elbert recognized that God acts from the inside of things — as an internal force acting on the inner-world consciousness via definite laws and processes. It’s through these laws and processes that consciousness evolves. And God’s intervention in the evolutionary process is via astrological energies that guide the process. So it’s logical to assume that because rational thought plays such an insignificant part in the process and because there are no written guidelines on what to do, that the world today is the exclusive result of not-conscious thought-cell activity.

Elbert recognized that your thoughts guide your actions and behavior — that as you think so you live — so he moved the emphasis from the external world of electrochemical events to the internal world of thought. He reckoned that the big problem facing every human soul was adequate adaption to an ever-changing environment and you need to know that your physical body is part of that changing environment. And he emphasized that if you couldn’t change a circumstance you could change your attitude towards it. The one thing that you have complete control of is your attitude. He recognized that your life is an important development enterprise and this meant it wasn’t a trivial matter.

Fundamentalists hold the Bible as literal truth. Elbert saw it as divinely inspired but written in a language that very few people could understand. This language — astrology — is the language of the stars. Elbert explained how you can get to know God and develop a personal relationship with the creator of life, light and love. But he emphasized that finding God and contacting God require the use of extrasensory perception — not rational thought. That’s why material science has done all in its power to discredit ESP. It’s the only way that God can be contacted and materialistic science has a vested interest in an atheistic universe that has no God. To those who can’t feel the presence of Deity it cannot be explained.

You’re a work in progress. It’s taken nature millions of years to develop and perfect a living human consciousness. You’re here for a reason and your creation, consciousness development and gradual perfection is explained in The Brotherhood of Light lessons. This requires an understanding of God’s Great Evolutionary Plan and some idea about how God’s mind works. But with an understanding of the astrological forces that God uses to manage developments here on the physical Earth, you get some insight into the mind of God and the energies that are involved in the building of your consciousness and the universe. And God is in the business of perfecting both you and the universe.

The Brotherhood of Light teachings will bring you closer to yourself and to God. And you want all the knowledge there is regarding your Creator and yourself, the creation. This is your right as a human soul. And Elbert Benjamine provides information that will help you to understand these crucial issues of creation and identity. With your birthchart and the Hermetic teachings Elbert gives you the keys to the gates of heaven.

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Somewhere in time a spiritual class of people, more interested in the soul and its relationship to God and the universe than in fighting, money-making and clever theorizing, discovered the inner-world of astrological energies. They deciphered the role played by these hidden astrological forces in the soul’s consciousness development; discovered the birthchart - the blueprint for development; and identified the nature of the zodiac signs and planets. These Ancient Masters, using an easy to understand language, left us their wisdom. It’s written in the sky and it’s not an illusion or superstition or unproved theory. And Elbert Benjamine provided a culturally relevant Aquarian Age translation of their ancient wisdom.

In 1936 Elbert wrote: ‘If we are to study what the ancients thought and taught we must drop our assumption of mental superiority based merely upon the fact that we use a different method of acquiring information and a different language in presenting it to others. We must be willing not to accept their ideas merely because they taught them, but to test statistically or at least scientifically in the modern way, what they taught in an effort to perceive how much is truth and how much they left is rubbish. And to know what they taught, and thus to know what to put to the test of modern scientific methods, we must learn the language which invariably they used to record their findings.

That is, we must be able to translate into plain straightforward English the symbolical pictographs which constitute the 48 constellations they traced in the sky, and the symbolical pictographs which constitute an additional commentary on the teachings of the 48 constellations, on the influence of the planets, on thoughts, and the people born under the various signs, which they inscribed on the tarot cards.

The value and correctness of the ideas left by ancient minds as recorded in the constellations and on the tarot cards should never be taken for granted. They should be subjected to the strictest tests. Yet in view of the fact that most of the astrological precepts thus handed down have stood the severe tests of practical application, and are found sound by modern astrological practitioners, it would seem that their other ideas well warrant thorough examination. After all, they were specialists, not in mechanics and invention, as are modern men, nor even in art and literature as were the Greeks, but in determining the relation between the soul and the stars; between the influences of the signs and planets and the things on the earth. For thousands of generations specially gifted men were set apart to devote their entire lives exclusively to such research.’

Elbert Benjamine knew that the wisdom of the ancients was preserved in the vaults of heaven and that it was written there in the language of universal symbolism. And he claimed that, with a little study, this language could be understood by anyone no matter their race and arbitrary language. But his personal capacity to interpret this language was just extraordinary. The beauty, logic and insight of the words he wrote in Brotherhood of Light Course 6 – The Sacred Tarot – and Brotherhood of Light Course 7 – Spiritual Astrology – is inspirational. They’re written testimony to his extraordinary capacity to interpret this language. Without Elbert most of us are left blundering around in the dark.

And most of us are happy for our five senses to provide us with a report on what’s going on, but Elbert realized that the non-physical inner- world could not be investigated with the physical senses. He knew that sensory inputs, microscopes, telescopes and neuroimaging wouldn’t help so he developed his psychic senses and extrasensory perception skills. This required effort and training as the technique of occult science is every bit as arduous and lengthy as that of law, architecture or dance. But there is no way of knowing the actual abilities that Elbert had and the extent to which he developed them. There was no point in him revealing to us what he could do. Chances are we wouldn’t understand.

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So you’re asking — who am I and why am I here? — and you’re hoping to get a logical answer. But if you’re seeking a religious answer from some holy book or a scientific answer from some academic in a research laboratory you’re looking in the wrong place. The answer can be found in The Brotherhood of Light lessons. They provide information that’s vital to your self-understanding and self- development. But having discovered the information, there’s the matter of working out what it means and the issue of its application, and this is your responsibility.

When you read the words that Elbert wrote you know you have contacted something special — the thoughts and ideas of a spectacular intelligence. He was a deep thinker who possessed a natural potential to develop cosmic consciousness and this allowed him to mentally see what most people can’t. And he was an educationalist in the spirit of other great spiritual teachers. But he did not expect you to blindly believe his astrological and other teachings. He requested that you study, learn and test them for yourself. Elbert maintained that thinking about what you read is far more important than the reading. And his creative astrological thinking allows you to think about what he thought. So you just don’t read the words that Elbert wrote — you test them to confirm their veracity for yourself.

This process of personal confirmation is vital. Elbert knew that most people prefer to rely on experts and opinion-makers to do their thinking for them and this indiscretion has always resulted in personal disaster. Selfish priest-craft and scientific and political imposture have always been threats to freedom. So — whatever the subject matter — you must develop some understanding of its content and judge its claims for yourself. Information that is not supported by scientific investigation or can’t be personally tested should be given a dubious and doubtful rating; and information that is vaguely presented invites you to take on board the same vague claims, ideas and assumptions. And this is the road to mystical fancy.

In The Brotherhood of Light lessons Elbert provides powerful information regarding your soul and its intelligence and ability development. And you have to make a personal interpretation of what the words mean. When it comes to you and your life you’re the only authority. You can consider another person’s opinion, but in the end you’re responsible for what you accept as truthful information. It’s a task that evolves and develops as a higher level of understanding paves the way for a clearer comprehension of the issue being considered.

Elbert wrote about vital truths and reading about these vital truths for the first time is a profound personal experience. But it’s unfortunate that he didn’t always address his comments to you. More often than not they’re addressed to an impersonal unknown individual — the third person. This style of writing transfers the message away from you — the second person. But when Elbert personalizes his comments and writes in the second person his writing becomes more dynamic. You need to know that every word Elbert wrote was for you and you should get into the habit of personalizing all his third person comments.

In structure The Brotherhood of Light lessons are virtually impeccable, but Elbert knew that complex ideas and theories are difficult to understand. And he knew that if you were to benefit from the astrological and other information, he had to present it in words that were easy to understand. So he collected the data, simplified what it meant and sent it to you as easy to understand messages. He explained the facts of life in a way that you can understand. But the story he relates is so detailed and has so many factors to consider that it will test your capacity to comprehend the entire narrative. Right from the very first sentence — ‘The word occult means that which is hidden’ — you learn that you’re entering a world of esoteric information. What you didn’t know is that much of the information has been unscientifically vilified by a scientific agenda that suffers from confirmation-bias. And this will test your resolve to impartially acquire the information and objectively investigate its message.

In The Brotherhood of Light lessons Elbert provides game-changing information that inspires awe, reverence and wonder. He presents a plethora of natural facts that are grounded in his ideas, judgments and scientific research, but they’re the result of the Brotherhood’s knowledge-building. The lessons contain the Brotherhood’s knowledge- base at the time of their writing and Elbert’s words will take away your pain and discomfort and give you joy, peace and contentment, but you have to live through the intellectual process of getting there.

Your self-education starts with these lessons. They provide you with an answer to the question: Who do you think you are? They allow you to educate yourself about yourself. And it’s a rational education grounded in scientific facts that you can test for yourself. But there’s a lot of information to learn and your job is to draw it out. That’s what the word education means. You have to find the answers for yourself and this requires the development of a questioning attitude. As the teacher and the student your self-education requires that you ask yourself the right questions. The lessons supply information and your job is to take as much of the knowledge away with you and apply it in your daily life as best you can. And your current level of learning represents the starting point of the next stage of your knowledge-building.

In writing The Brotherhood of Light lessons Elbert displays intelligence, creativity, originality and innovation. He did change and modify his thinking but he never lost his originality. And the words he wrote are alive with energy and creative passion; they’re rich in ardor and exuberance. Elbert had the knowledge transfer responsibility and he made judgments about life, God and astrology in the light of his own understanding. And this means that your capacity to comprehend his ideas and theories is really a matter of understanding.

The Brotherhood of Light lessons represent the most important compilation of occult and astrological knowledge ever, but writers like Elbert Benjamine are easily miscomprehended and misunderstood. Great thinkers often have their teachings distorted and misrepresented by followers who either don’t take the time to clearly understand the meaning of the teaching or who don’t have the mental capacity to comprehend its meaning at their current state of development. For many people, due to their consciousness development and conditioning by experience, Elbert’s thoughts are beyond comprehension.

Very few people, for example, clearly comprehend the unorthodox data of Elbert’s theory of astral substance and astral vibration and his theory of a soul whose consciousness evolves through experience in accordance with its astrology code is a no-knowledge zone for most. It’s a shame that too few people are striving to comprehend the words he wrote and, through experimental research, build on his knowledge-base.

So, over time, controversies will arise between people over what he meant. The prejudiced and ignorant will disparage and criticize his ideas and theories; the uninformed will misinterpret his words; and the enemies of truth will twist and distort their meaning giving rise to mixed-messages. It's well documented that Christ, Marx and other great thinkers were misrepresented by their followers. This can't be allowed to happen to Elbert Benjamine and need not concern you. One hundred years before fact-checking became fashionable Elbert advised you not to believe what others say. He insisted that you determine truth for yourself by doing your own thinking. So your job is to make sure that you clearly comprehend the true meaning of each Brotherhood of Light teaching as he wrote it. For those who have trouble understanding the Hermetic message you need to know that most philosophers and thinkers work very hard at being comprehensible, but remain incomprehensible and that Elbert did it better than most.

Elbert Benjamine had a passion for truthful knowledge. He delighted in discovering the truths that physical matter conceals. He unraveled great mysteries, brought hidden teachings out into the light and established a magnificent edifice of astrological knowledge for the new Aquarian Age. He integrated the findings of physical science with those of occult science. Elbert was an information provider and his words successfully explain the Hermetic worldview where science and religion become one. Without him we just wouldn’t know. Without him we would be lost in the dark struggling to understand the natural world and our lives.

So it’s very obvious that Elbert didn’t write The Brotherhood of Light course books as light entertainment. The subject matter is very serious and it could be the most important and powerful information you ever read. He is intellectually exacting as he confronts your foggy thoughts and vague ideas and guides you into a state of mind where uncertainty is replaced with self-assured intuition that is supported by scientifically determined truths. So you don’t read Elbert to escape the difficulties of a disagreeable day or as alternative entertainment when there’s nothing worth watching on the television. Elbert wrote The Brotherhood of Light lessons for those people who were ready for an alternative truth — not the truth of appearances, but the truth of reality. And since his departure to a higher plane of endeavor all we have are the words he wrote.

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Elbert Benjamine wrote The Brotherhood of Light lessons at a time when brutality, selfishness, beastly greed and atheistic materialism held sway over altruism, spirituality and unselfish, humanitarian endeavor. A time-line of events reveals a period of great conflict and turmoil. In June, 1914, two months after Elbert commenced his epic project, World War 1 erupts in Europe. In October, 1929 the stock price crash on Wall Street marks the start of the Great Depression. In the 1930s atheistic materialism infiltrates the halls of learning and in 1938 astrology comes under attack from hostile scientific chauvinism. In September, 1939 Britain declares war on Germany and World War 2 starts and in February 1945 the Cold War begins. On April 30, 1945 Hitler commits suicide and on August 6 and 9 US planes drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In June 1949 US troops leave Korea and on August 29, 1949, at about the time Elbert completed his final revisions to Course 15, the Soviets explode their first atomic bomb. Then, in June 1950 the Korean War begins. So The Brotherhood of Light teachings came to Earth during turbulent and troubled times. And today — in 2014 — the forces of light and darkness remain locked in a no-holds barred fight to the finish.

Elbert recognized that the time in which he was writing was particularly dangerous. He knew that each human soul was experiencing life in a dangerous world-environment and that the Lower-Pluto forces were intent on turning off the spiritual lights and estranging the human soul from its creator. He recognized that materialism encouraged a belief in the realities of appearances; that orthodox religious beliefs and dogmas satisfied those who have no other way of expressing their religious needs; and that the so-called scientifically minded demand specific evidence to support their beliefs. He recognized that conformity was a powerful trend when it came to human behavior and that blind conformity to established custom was a bar to human progress. And he knew the intellectual extremist was a scientific fraud and spiritual pygmy whose misguided attitude loudly discounts alternative information without investigation.

Today, in the 21st-century, modern science has adopted an unscientific attitude towards astrology. It believes astrology is an exploded myth — a superstitious remnant from a scientifically unenlightened age — and refuses to investigate the claims of modern astrological science. It just doesn’t know that astrology has been subject to the same rigorous tests as other disciplines. Modern astrological research is far more sophisticated and thorough than is commonly recognized. And modern science, by adopting its unscientific attitude to protect its false and erroneous worldview, does humanity a grave injustice.

Elbert Benjamine did not seek to travel a popular path — truth was the important issue — and he knew The Brotherhood of Light teachings were way out of step with the prevailing intellectual trends. His objective was a belief in God — a new astrology — a sophisticated scientific understanding of life — a new spirituality — and their unification into a way of living. But there are mighty forces at work intent on having him fail. The world of science is bewildered by an avalanche of new biological information; material science has its atheistic agenda; and the pop astrology that’s made a big splash on the post-modern world is best described as vulgarized mumbo-jumbo. So in the 21st-century, in spite of the magnitude of his work Elbert remains relatively obscure. But when his ideas and observations are scientifically investigated and critically examined he will be recognized and appreciated as a remarkable and truly great global-citizen. So we have to be patient and take comfort in knowing that eventually the truth always wins.

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Elbert Benjamine was the earthly representative of a great organization with a great cause. And The Brotherhood of Light lessons, which represent a moral, intellectual and spiritual revolution, were brought to Earth so that a truly spiritual, humanitarian civilization could be built during the Aquarian Age. Elbert labored to enlighten humanity. But he wasn’t blind to the fact that increased knowledge without spirituality would lead to disaster and that knowledge had to be spiritualized to abolish special privilege and give freedom from want, freedom from fear, freedom of expression and freedom of worship to all the people of the world.

Elbert had special abilities which allowed him to learn and discover extraordinary information and his generosity allowed him to share this information with you. His personal contribution to human welfare was to bring humanity out of the dark and into the light. His genius was to recognize that you could benefit from his abilities.

And he was a genius who answered questions that no one else could. He was greatness and goodness with exceptional skills and abilities. Elbert re-theorized the human mind, its psychological development and human activity and behavior. For the first time ever he provided the information and tools that allow you to know, or have a greater understanding of, who you are and why you are here. His knowledge of astrology and occult science was encyclopedic. He wrote the most important chapters in astrological science. Now ordinary people can make use of this extraordinary information. He laid an intellectual and spiritual foundation for Aquarian Age astrology. No human soul has contributed more to universal welfare and his commitment and dedication inspire awe and admiration.

Elbert brought order out of chaos. He was a global-citizen who used his special skills and abilities to benefit the spiritual advancement of his fellow travelers. In The Brotherhood of Light lessons he presents the Hermetic worldview — a new model of life that explains how you should live yours to maximize your reason for being. He made what appeared to be unknowable, knowable. His place in history outranks Darwin, Einstein and Freud. And Elbert, unlike a lot of people these days, didn’t need to reinvent himself. He just got better at being who he was.

With a character jam-packed with enthusiasm, exuberance and impatience Elbert Benjamine couldn’t inch himself forward. Once he had committed to the task it was all systems go. His nature demanded action. His enthusiasm couldn’t wait. And he had the persistence to push on and fulfill his commitment to The Brotherhood of Light. His building of a systematic and coherent body of occult information and spiritual truths is a magnificent tribute to one man’s courage, intelligence and dedication. The message is clear: Never doubt what one thoughtful, committed citizen of the universe can achieve.

Elbert had a profound understanding of life — its meaning and purpose — and of your relationship with God. And in The Brotherhood of Light Lessons he explains it all so that you can benefit from his ideas and insights. The Neo-Darwinist and post-modernist scoff but many great ideas seem foolish when they’re first thought and created. The final test will come when his astrological and other theories are scientifically investigated but you can’t afford to wait for orthodox verification. The information is too valuable to be left waiting. You need it now.

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Elbert Benjamine’s Aquarian Age education in Adel, Iowa, and his philosophical temperament and extraordinary abilities combined to produce a rare and exceptional individual. He was driven by the desire to investigate the natural world and how it operates — to know more about the science of astrology and other occult subjects — and in this quest his commitment to contribute his utmost to universal welfare never flickered. As The Brotherhood of Light’s representative here on Earth his job was to provide humanity with the Brotherhood’s worldview and by continually striving to improve his job performance he was rewarded with increased ability. In the end he experienced the satisfaction that came from doing what he promised to do.

Without a roadmap Elbert journeyed a road less traveled. And due to the natural order of circumstance he had to apply the scientific method when explaining the wisdom of the ancients. In The Brotherhood of Light lessons he integrates the new with the old and now you can benefit from the glorious words he wrote. In the Hermetic System of Astrology he boldly frames a system of ideas which allow you to make sense of your life and its purpose. Driven by occult insight and sheer inspiration Elbert opens up continents of new information and invites you to experience the spiritual delights of ancient wisdom and modern science. And his fairness, thoroughness, intelligence, evidence based- data and obedience to reason will commend The Brotherhood of Light teachings to generations of new readers. But you may be wondering: Will Elbert’s ideas and the Brotherhood’s teachings have an impact in the future? And the answer is: The Aquarian Age has a long time to run.

Author's Note

Part Two: Books and Chapters in Detail

Part Three: Articles and Books to Supplement the Lessons