| The "Summit Lighthouse" and "Summit University" are lead by
Elizabeth Claire Prophet. She has written many books which claim
to be channneled information from members of "The Great White
Brotherhood", of which Saint Germain is said to be a member.
She was (is?) married to Mark Prophet, who (if I remember right)
died in the '50s or '60s, and has now become a spirit guide, helping
her write these books.
Her more recent books seem to be much better written than her
earlier works. Also Ms Prophet (called "Guru Ma" by her followers)
appears to be keeping her youthful good looks for a lot longer than
the average woman. (but then so has Joan Collins...) I do object
to the Summit Lighthouse Press' habit of publishing some of her
books under the name of the channeled entity, without clearly
indicating on the cover that this is channeled material, since this
appears deceptive.
The Summit lighthouse has centers in Pasadena, Calif, and
a school (university?) in Montana, as well as a center near the
Broadmoor hotel in Colorado Springs. (there may be others.)
The teachings have a LOT in common with the theosophical tradition
started by Ms Blavatsky. In particular "Koot-Hoomi" and "El Morya",
who sent messages to Ms Blavatsky, are cited as "authors" of books
channeled by Ms Prophet. She has also claimed to channel Mary,
the mother of Jesus.
In my opinion, the channeled writing is not as high quality
her own words. The introductions to her books (written in her
own name) I find more interesting than the main body of the books
which are channeled material.
Some "Christians" have labled her organization as a "cult",
which it may well be. Some of my friends have attended services
at the Colorado Springs center, and tell me that they do a lot of
chanting. Some of the stuff they are said to chant are along the
lines of "All hail Saint Germain", over and over. A former girlfriend
has told me her mother was "hypnotized" by this group to give away
all the family resources, and testified that the beliefs and practices
had practically destroyed her family.
I have not been personally involved, and have met only people
who are periphally involved, so I will reserve my judgement on this.
I have seen both apparent evil and apparent good in the writings
and effects on people. I have read all of 2 of her books, and
part of four others. I really enjoyed some of the reading, and
found other portions relatively useless.
Similar to Eckankar (sp?), she teaches that people can
"immortalize" their bodies, can contact "ascended masters", of
which Jesus Christ is said to be one, and that the members of
this brotherhood are the true rulers of the universe.
I hear she has a castle in Pasadena, that she calls "Camelot",
and that she holds court there, and often wears a crown. I think
I would enjoy meeting her, a truely interesting and unique person,
and probably would not enjoy being a member of her organization.
Alan.
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| I was scanning for notes about Saint-Germain, and discovered that
one which I had spent quite a bit of time typing up hadn't gotten
posted. Here it is.
Topher
__________________________________________________________________________
As it happens I just read about Saint-Germain a few weeks ago. It was
in the informative and enjoyable _The Encyclopedia of the Strange_ by
Daniel Cohen, published in paperback by Avon Books.
Daniel Cohen is known in parapsychology as a "friendly skeptic". What
this boils down to is that he is more than willing to admit when there
is a mystery or an anomaly -- he does not try to explain things away --
but, however poorly the facts seem to fit the conventional theories, he
takes a "wait-see" attitude. In other words, he *really* is a skeptic,
unlike many who claim that label.
What this boils down to, is that his scholarship is to be trusted as
much as anyone. He has no particular ax to grind either way.
Here is what he had to say [copied without permission].
Topher
*Saint-Germain* The Comte de Saint-Germain never claimed that he
possessed the Elixir of Life or that he had already lived several
hundred years, but if others chose to believe such stories, he did not
contradict them.
No one knows for certain who Saint-Germain was, though we can be fairly
certain that his name was not Saint-Germain and that he was not a
count. The best guess is that he was a Portuguese Jew and that he was
born around the year 1710.
Nothing at all is known of his early life. Around the year 1740, he
seems to have been arrested in London as a spy. Somewhat later he
turned up in Germany selling his Elixir of Life. In around 1748, a
French aristocrat visiting Germany met him, was intrigued, and induced
him to settle in Paris.
Saint-Germain was a man of great charm and persuasiveness. He became a
popular figure at the gatherings of the rich and well-born. Quite soon,
the most incredible stories about him began to make the rounds of
Parisian society. At one dinner party, so it was said, Saint-Germain
was speaking with easy familiarity of King Richard the Lionhearted and
of some of the conversations they had had while in Palestine together
during the Crusades. When some of the other guests were openly
skeptical, Saint-Germain turned to his valet, who was standing behind
his chair, and asked him to confirm the truth of the story.
"I really cannot say, sir," the servant replied. "You forget, sir, I
have only been five hundred years in your service!"
"Ah! True," said Saint-Germain. "I remember now -- it was a little
before your time."
On one occasion, the king's mistress, Madame de Pompadour, complained,
"But you do not tell us your age, and yet you pretend you are very old.
The Countess de Gergy, who was, I believe, ambassadress at Vienna some
fifty years ago, says she saw you there exactly the same as you now
appear."
"It is true, Madame," replied Saint-Germain. "I knew Madame de Gergy
many years ago."
"But according to her account, you must be more than a hundred years
old."
"That is not impossible, but it is much more possible that the good
lady is in her dotage."
When Pompadour pressed Saint-Germain to give the king some of his
celebrated elixir, he replied, "Oh, Madame, the physicians would have
me broken on the wheel, were I to think of drugging his majesty."
Saint-Germain treated his reputation for great wealth the same way he
treated his reputation for great age -- he made no specific claims, but
if people chose to believe that he possessed the alchemical secret of
transmuting gold, or of making precious stones out of ordinary ones, he
would not deny it.
Once he showed Pompadour and her ladies a great quantity of sparkling
stones. Pompadour's practiced eye was quick to observe that almost all
of the flashy stones were fakes. But amid this collection of paste
jewels he displayed a superb genuine ruby. He also produced a small
jeweled cross of good workmanship but moderate value. When one of
Pompadour's ladies expressed admiration for the little cross,
Saint-Germain presented it to her, professing to disdain all wealth.
So it seems that by clever mixture of real and false jewels, Saint-
Germain managed to sustain his reputation for limitless wealth. How he
really did make his money is something of a mystery. He may have made
some by selling his Elixir of Life. Some may have come from his
activities as a spy. Mostly, though, it appears he lived off the
generosity of his many wealthy friends.
Around the year 1670, Saint-Germain left Paris, for political reasons
some said. From that time onward, stories of his comings and goings
are vague and unreliable. It was rumored that he was in London,
St. Petersburg, and in Germany. He seems to have spent his final days
at the court of his friend the Prince of Hesse-Cassel, dying there in
the year 1782.
What was the Comte de Saint-Germain? Many believe he was nothing more
than an extremely charming and clever fraud. Even occultists who
revere his memory admit that there was much of the actor about him.
Yet his life was so shrouded in mystery that there is still room for
doubt. His true identity remains unknown. The date and place of his
birth are completely unknown, and the date of his death is uncertain.
There are those who claimed, and still claim, that Saint-Germain never
died. From time to time during the past two centuries, people have
turned up saying that they have met Saint-Germain or that they actually
were Saint-Germain. Most commonly, it is claimed that Saint-Germain
has entered that vague world of semidivine and immortal masters of
adepts.
Saint-Germain is reputed to have founded a secret society called the
Temple of the Mystery. (His less successful and younger contemporary,
the Count of Cagliostro, claimed to have been initiated into this
society.) After the long and difficult initiation period was
completed, Saint-Germain passed on to his new followers the "great
secret." The "secret" was that Saint-Germain and his Elixir of Life
were fakes.
_Lives of the Alchemical Philosophers_ [no citation is given, the title
is familiar though. Steve, do you know it?] states, "Several essential
precepts were enjoined upon them, among others that they must detest,
avoid and calumniate men of understanding but flatter, foster and blind
fools; that they must spread abroad with much mystery and intelligence
that the Comte de Saint-Germain was five hundred years old, and that
they must make gold, but dupes before all."
It is highly doubtful that the very careful Saint-Germain, whatever his
private thoughts, would ever have been so candid. But it makes a nice
story.
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