Count of Saint Germain

Count of St Germain by unknown artist

The Count of St. Germain (fl. 1710–1784) was a mysterious gentleman who had at least pretensions of alchemy. After his death, various mystical organizations have adopted him as a model figure, guide and teacher. Some sources claim that his name is not familial, but was invented by him as a French version of the Latin Sanctus Germanus, meaning "Holy Brother."

Life

There are many versions of the origin and ancestry of Saint Germain.

One desribes him as the son of Francis II Rákóczi, the Prince of Transylvania, by Rákóczi's first wife. Another describes him as the illegitimate son of Maria Anna of Pfalz-Neuburg, the widow of Charles II of Spain. And yet another describes him as the son of the king of Portugal (presumably John V). However, such conflicting facts and reports have yet to be reconciled. In short, all that can be said of The Count of Saint Germain "authoritatively" at this point in regard to his actual birth, childhood, as well as much of his life is that the evidence is based mostly on anecdotes in the form of mystery accounts.

Myths, legends and speculations about St. Germain began to be widespread in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when he was often referenced in Theosophy, and continue today. There were reports that he was immortal, the Wandering Jew, an alchemist with the "Elixir of Life", or a Rosicrucian, and that he prophesied the French Revolution. He is said to have met the forger Giuseppe Balsamo (alias Cagliostro) in London. He reportedly worked behind the scenes to try to establish a United States of Europe in some fashion as well he also worked behind the scenes with George Washington and Benjamin Franklin to establish the United States of America. There are stories of his visits with Marie Antoinette and her intimate friend, Madame d'Adhémar, chronicling his abilities as an Adept, as well as his warning regarding the coming debacle and death of the king and queen.

Several Theosophists claimed to have met Saint Germain spanning that same period, including Annie Besant, said to have met the Count in 1896. C. W. Leadbeater claimed to have met him in Rome in 1926. Leadbeater said that Saint Germain showed him a robe that had been previously owned by a Roman emperor and that Saint Germain told him that one of his residences was a castle in Transylvania. Guy Ballard, founder of the "I AM" Activity, claimed that he met Saint Germain on Mount Shasta in California in August of 1930, and that this initiated his "training" and experiences with other Ascended Masters in various parts of the world.

Biographies

The two best-known biographies on Saint Germain are Isabel Cooper-Oakley's The Count of St. Germain (1912) and Jean Overton-Fuller's The Comte de Saint-Germain: Last Scion of the House of Rakockzy (1988). A book titled "The Great Secret, Count St. Germain," by Dr. Raymond Bernard purports that St. Germain was actually Francis Bacon by birth, and who was also the author of the Shakesperean Plays. Saint Germain's ancestry is often a matter of much speculation. Theosophists consider him to be a Mahatma, Master or adept. Helena Blavatsky said he was one of her Masters of Wisdom and hinted at secret documents. He is the very heart of the Saint Germain Series of Books published by the Saint Germain Press. The first two volumes, "Unveiled Mysteries" and "The Magic Presence," written by Godfre Ray King, describe Saint Germain as an Ascended Master, like Jesus, who is assisting humanity and the Earth at present. Godfre Ray King is the pen-name for Guy W. Ballard. In the first two books, he discusses his personal experiences with Saint Germain and reveals many teachings that are in harmony with Theosophy and the other works referenced above.

Books supposedly based on the Discourses or direct Teachings of Saint Germain include the "Green Books" or Saint Germain Series of books published by the Saint Germain Press, and the "Comte de Gabalis."

One book attributed to Saint Germain is "The Most Holy Trinosophia of the Comte de St. Germain." There are also two triangular books in the Manly Palmer Hall Collection of Alchemical Manuscripts at the Getty Research Library which are attributed to Saint Germain.[1]

Occult and New Age views about St. Germain

Many groups in occultism honor St. Germain as an Ascended Master. As such, for some, he is believed to have paranormal or magical powers such as the ability to teleport, levitate, walk through walls, influence people telepathically, etc. Some esoteric groups credit him with inspiring the Founding Fathers to draft the United States Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, as well as providing the design of the Great Seal of the United States. (See P.Manly Hall's "Secret Teachings of All Ages.") In the New Age beliefs regarding him, Saint Germain is always associated with the color violet, the jewel amethyst, and the Maltese cross rendered in violet (usually the iron cross style cross patee version); he is also regarded as the "Cosmic Master of the Seventh (violet) Ray"—according to Theosophy, the Seven Rays are seven metaphysical principles that govern both individual souls and the unfolding of each 2,158 year long Astrological Age. Since according to Theosophy the next Astrological Age, the Age of Aquarius, will be governed by the Seventh (violet) Ray (the Ray of Ceremonial Order), Saint Germain is sometimes called "The Hierarch of the Age of Aquarius."

According to Max Heindel

In Rosicrucian Max Heindel's writings, the Count of St Germain (18th century) is described as one of the later incarnations of Christian Rosenkreuz, an enigmatic individual born in the 14th century and the Head of the Rosicrucian Order. According to this author, Rosenkreuz had been Lazarus in a previous life, a biblical character in the New Testament (this would contradict the idea that he was Joseph, since they both lived at the same time) and Hiram Abiff, the Widow's Son of Freemasonry, in an earlier existence.

According to C.W. Leadbeater

In the 1925 book The Masters and the Path by C.W. Leadbeater, an adherent of Theosophy, St. Germain is called both the "Comte de St. Germain" and the "Master Rakoczi." His previous incarnations are enumerated (the same ones as noted below in the Ascended Master Teachings). On page 240 of The Masters and the Path it is stated that when performing magical rituals in his castle in Transylvania, St. Germain wears "a suit of golden chain-mail which once belonged to a Roman Emperor; over it is thrown a magnificent cloak of crimson, with on its clasp a seven-pointed star in diamond and amethyst, and sometimes he wears a glorious robe of violet."

According to Alice Bailey

In Alice A. Bailey's books, St. Germain is referred to as the "Master Rakoczi" or the "Master R." Alice A. Bailey's book The Externalisation of the Hierarchy (1934) gives the most information about his reputed role as a spiritual Master. His title is said to be the "Lord of Civilization." He is said to telepathically influence people who are seen by him as being instrumental in bringing about the new civilization of the Age of Aquarius. Alice A. Bailey said that "sometime after AD 2025" Master Jesus, Master Rakoczi, Kuthumi, and the others in the Spiritual Hierarchy (except Gautama Buddha) would "externalise", i.e., descend from the spiritual worlds, and live physically on Earth in ashrams surrounded by their disciples.

According to Samael Aun Weor

In the 1953 book The Seven Words by Samael Aun Weor, Saint Germain is considered as being the ruler of the world's politics, since he belongs to the Jupiter's Ray, the Ray of Politics. Samael Aun Weor considers Saint Germain as an Immortal, a Son of Resurrection, someone who, using the Art of Alchemy, has overcome death. In this same book, the author claims that Saint Germain is Master Rakoczy, and the same Roger Bacon, Francis Bacon, and that he is still alive, living in Tibet with the same physical body from the medievals.

In the 1969 book Esoteric Course of Kabbalah, Samael Aun Weor tells that Saint Germain was the musical rival of Paganini. He also states that Saint Germain is able to speak any language, and is also able to make diamonds through the Art of Alchemy. Indeed, the author claims that Saint Germain knew and worked with the secret of Alchemy, the sexual transmutation enabled by white sexual magic. According to the same book, Cagliostro would have been the best disciple of Saint Germain.

Ascended Master Teachings

According to The "I AM" Activity, The Bridge to Freedom, The Summit Lighthouse, and The Temple of The Presence, Saint Germain was embodied as: (see notes 1, 2, and 3 for sources)

• Ruler of a Golden Age civilization in the area of the Sahara Desert 70,000 years ago
• High priest on Atlantis 13,000 years ago, serving in the Order of Lord Zadkiel in the Temple of Purification, located where the island of Cuba is now
• Samuel, eleventh century B.C.E. Religious leader in Israel who served as prophet, priest, and last of the Hebrew judges
• Hesiod, Greek poet whose writings serve as a major source for knowledge of Greek mythology and cosmology (circa 700 B.C.E.)
• Plato, Philosopher who studied with students of Pythagoras and scholars in Egypt. He established his own school of philosophy at the Academy in Athens. (427 - 347 B.C.E.)
• Saint Joseph, first century C.E., Nazareth. Husband of Mary and Guardian of Jesus
• Saint Alban, late third or early fourth century, town of Verulamium, renamed St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England. First British martyr—he had sheltered a fugitive priest, became a devout convert, and was put to death for disguising himself as the priest so he could die in his place
• Proclus, c. 410 - 485 C.E. Athens. The last major Greek Neoplatonic philosopher, headed the Platonic Academy and wrote extensively on philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, and grammar
• Merlin, c. fifth or sixth century, Britain. Magician and counselor at King Arthur's Camelot who inspired the establishment of the Order of the Knights of the Round Table
• Roger Bacon, c. 1220–1292 C.E., England. Philosopher, educational reformer, and experimental scientist; forerunner of modern science renowned for his exhaustive investigations into alchemy, optics, mathematics, and languages
• Organizer behind the scenes for the Secret Societies in Germany in the late fourteen and early fifteenth centuries. The creation of a fictional character named "Christian Rosenkreuz" was inspired by his efforts.
• Christopher Columbus, 1451–1506 C.E. Believed to have been born in Genoa, Italy and settled in Portugal. Discovered America in 1492 during first of four voyages to the New World sponsored by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain
• Francis Bacon, 1561–1626, England. Philosopher, statesman, essayist and literary master, author of the Shakespearean plays (according to I AM teachings), father of inductive science and herald of the scientific revolution.

These organizations believe that Francis Bacon made it appear that he died on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1626, and that he even attended his own "funeral" in disguise. He then supposedly traveled secretly to Transylvania (now part of Romania) to the Rakoczy Mansion, where he is said to have continued preparations for his physical Ascension under the direct training of "the Master R" (Great Divine Director). They claim that he had incarnated in that area a number of times in previous lifetimes and felt particularly at home there. Since Francis Bacon was sighted in the area at various times over the following decades, the local people concluded that he must be a member of the Rakoczy family (possibly related to Prince Ferenc Rakoczy II of Transylvania). Finally on May 1, 1684 he is believed to have attained his physical Ascension. Not wanting to leave humanity in the "physical octave" without his direct visible assistance, he asked the Karmic Board for a special Dispensation to allow him to function in a physical tangible body among embodied mankind for a limited time period—even though he was already an Ascended Master. He was granted his request at the direct intercession of the Goddess of Liberty, and reappeared as "Le Comte de Saint Germain," the "Wonderman of Europe" in the 18th and 19th centuries; the subject of the main part of this article.

The belief is that Saint Germain is an Ascended Master now known as "The Chohan of the Seventh Ray of Freedom" for the Earth and, since May 1, 1954, is the Hierarch for the current 2150 year cycle of the Age of Aquarius.

Further reading

• Bernard, Raymond.Great Secret Count St. Germain. Mokelumne Hill, California: Mokelumne Hill Press, 1993 (reprint ed.). ISBN 0-7873-0095-0.
• Fuller, Jean Overton. The Comte de Saint-Germain: Last Scion of the House of Rakockzy. London: East-West Publications, 1988. ISBN 0-85692-114-9.
• Prophet, Elizabeth Clare. Saint Germain: Master Alchemist. Gardiner, Montana: Summit University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-922729-95-6.
• Prophet, Elizabeth Clare. Saint Germain's Prophecy for the New Millennium: Includes Dramatic Prophecies from Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, and Mother Mary. Gardiner, Montana: Summit University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-922729-45-X.
• Prophet, Elizabeth Clare. Violet Flame to Heal Body, Mind and Soul. Gardiner, Montana: Summit University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-922729-37-9.
• Saint Germain. Saint Germain on Alchemy: Formulas for Self-Transformation. Gardiner, Montana: Summit University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-916766-68-3.

External links

• The Comte de St. Germain (1912) by Isabel Cooper-Oakley, at sacred-texts.com
• Google Images search—Images of the Cosmic Master Saint Germain
• The Saint Germain Foundation—Guy Ballard and "I AM"
• Saint Germain Press—The publications of Guy Ballard for sale
• Comte Saint-Germain: The Immortal German Alchemist at Alchemy Lab
• An overview of the Count and his legend at The Media Desk
• "Count of St Germain: the Mysterious Rosicrucian, who was the Father of the American Republic"—Chapter Eleven from Great Secret: Count St. Germain by Raymond Bernard
• The Immortal Count by Doug Skinner, Fortean Times #146, 2001 (Google cached version)
• Saint Germain, Chohan of the Seventh Ray at Ascension Research Center
• Saint Germain Embodiments from The Temple of The Presence
• [http://www.levity.com/alchemy/t_arabictablet.html The Comte de St. Germain Manuscript
• INVENTORY OF THE MANLY PALMER HALL COLLECTION OF ALCHEMICAL MANUSCRIPTS, 1500-1825

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