Cult of the Week- Aetherius Society

The Aetherius Society was found by George King with the goal of "cooperating with Ascended Masters to help usher in a New Age of Peace and Enlightenment upon our world" and of introducing a "Cosmic Concept into the minds of searching and thinking people everywhere." "This Cosmic Concept depicts our true place in creation and has been specifically given at this crucial crossroads in the evolution of humanity". (that's their pychobabble). In 1954, King was researching the field of radionics (a form of distant healing) while practicing an intense regimen of yoga, when he claims to have received a message during a meditative trance. This was a summons from a Yoga Master, later identified as the Master Aetherius, who instructed him: "Prepare yourself! You are to become the voice of Interplanetary Parliament." (I don't know what it is about these alien un's everyone's seems to like so much). During his lifetime, King cooperated with the Cosmic Masters (which include the Great White Brotherhood of Theosophy), among whom are claimed to be historical figures such as the Lord Buddha, Jesus, and Count Saint-Germain, as well as extraterrestrials known as Master Aetherius and "Mars Sector 6." Members of the Society believe that George King was chosen by the Brotherhood to become the spiritual prophet who transmits messages from the Masters to humankind.

Beliefs

The society believes that we each exist within our own consciousness and, therefore, that we will continue to exist even after our physical bodies are gone. Once the soul/consciousness leaves the body, its energy level intensifies and it is transported to the "astral plane" where it will remain until it is ready to be reincarnated in a new physical body.

By tapping into what many believe is the "universal consciousness," George King was able to connect with this other level of existence, as had many other practitioners of yoga, meditation, and various altered state exercises. Aetherius Society members believe that the Cosmic Masters on other planets are beings who have learned to control the vibratory rate of their energy level and have chosen to exist permanently on a higher realm of consciousness.

The Cosmic Masters are believed to be far more technologically and spiritually advanced than we. This has allowed them to avoid detection by radar adn telescopes until they choose to let their presence be known. According to the Society, this has happened repeatedly in the past fifty years. Society members explain that extraterrestrials can decrease their vibratory rate at will and assume physical bodies as easily as they can increase their energy levels and dematerialize. When asked why the Masters choose to visit us, the Society responds that they are benevolent beings who wish to guide humankind in its evolution. They define the evolution process as the journey back to God the Creator. Once a soul masters its lessons on Earth, it leaves the cycle of rebirth and moves on to a more subtle and lasting body. This is described as an inward journey toward the "Spark of God" within us .
Not only do these extraterrestrials act as spiritual guides, hey also protect us from both internal and external forces. Members of the Aetherius Society believe that the Cosmic Masters actively prevent ecological disasters, as well as cosmic warfare, and that there are flying saucers hovering constantly around the Earth protecting us from evil and warning us about imminent attacks. At one point, the Cosmic Masters went so far as to devise an invisible barrier around the planet to shield it from destructive forces. Despite their efforts, however, Earth is believed to be presently under attack by "The Black Magicians" who wish to enslave its inhabitants.

Those souls that achieve enlightenment but choose to stay to help humankind become members of "The Great White Brotherhood" in the spiritual hierarchy of Earth. Those souls that leave Earth may choose to begin life on other planets within our solar system, both to learn new lessons and to help new civilizations. The Aetherius Society teaches that all aspects of the universe, including Mother Earth, are sentient and alive, and at some point in our infinite existence we will merge with other life forms and become moons, planets, stars, and other celestial bodies. These great beings contain the deepest wisdom, are in closest unity with God, and they aid human beings in their path towards enlightenment.
Members of the Aetherius Society believe that humankind is severely out of karmic balance and, therefore, is teetering on the brink of total self-destruction, an event which they believe has taken place twice before on Earth. The first catastrophic fall occurred in what is known as Lemuria, or Mu, and was followed by the fall of Atlantis. Before our existence on Earth, Aetherians believe that humankind lived on a planet called Maldek, once found between Mars and Jupiter. The Aetherius Society teaches that this planet was destroyed in a global war which left only an asteroid belt in its wake.

Members of the Aetherius Society maintain that the end of humankind on Earth will come as a result of advanced technology and increased materialism. Our only hope is to begin focusing on the development of our higher selves and to learn how to practice science within the Law of God. In order to restore balance between technological and spiritual growth, the Cosmic Masters have been given permission to increase their help to humankind. They both guide us towards God with the teachings they have sent through George King and boost our spiritual energy by sending large amounts of positive healing energy towards Earth at certain times of the year in what are called "Spiritual Pushes".

Now that George King has "moved on," the Cosmic Masters have prophesized that the next Master will come to replace him. On November 23, 1958, the Lord Karma sent a Cosmic Prophecy revealing the coming of the next Master and explaining how to identify him (Aetherius Society, "The Next Master"):

There will shortly come Another among you. He will stand tall among men with a shining countenance. This One will be attired in a single garment of the type now known to you. His shoes will be soft-topped, yet not made of the skin of animals. He will approach the Earth leaders. They will ask of Him His credentials. He will produce these. His magic will be greater that any upon Earth - greater than the combined materialistic might of all the armies. And they who heed not His words, shall be removed from the Earth. This Rock is now Holy - and will remain so for as long as the World exists. Go ye forth and spread My Word, so that all men of pure heart may prepare for His coming.The Society has made no attempt to specify when exactly this prediction will be fulfilled. In fact the advent of this Master is shrouded in mystery:

The next Master will come to Earth only when the time is right, as decided by the Karmic Lords. It could be within ten years or it could be a hundred years or even longer. It depends on humanity's progress. When humanity evolves to a certain stage, and enough people are firmly on the ladder of spiritual growth, then the karma will be such that he can come. (How convenient)

Mission of Group

In its desire to serve humankind, the Aetherius Society has organized a number of world missions, several of which continue today. One of these ongoing mission is Operation Prayer Power which began in 1973. The purpose of this mission is to store "prayer energy" created by dynamic prayer, the recital of Tibetan mantras, and the use of mundras in order that the prayer energy may be sent out in a highly concentrated form to areas that are in need. This healing energy is controlled by cooperating Cosmic Masters who use a device called the Spiritual Energy Radiator to redirect the prayers.

The second mission performed by the Society is Operation Sunbeam. This is directly concerned with the welfare of the planet Earth. Members of the society use energy that would otherwise have been used for the good of humanity and send it directly to the Earth. Between 1958 and 1961 "Operation Starlight" charged nineteen mountains throughout the world with "spiritual energy," naming them as especially powerful psychic centers (Aetherius Society, Operation Sunbeam"; "Pilgrimages to Holy Mountains"). The first transmission of energy to the Earth took place on Sept. 24th, 1966. Since then, over 600 transmissions have been completed. The Aetherius Society believes that each of these acts performed selflessly by its members helps to balance human Karma and, therefore, brings us closer to God.

The third mission, called "Operation Spacepower," involves cooperation between Interplanetary Beings and the Aetherius Society in order to radiate spiritual power to Earth. Several times a year, a "large intergalactic spacecraft" called "Satellite No. 3" sends cosmic and solar energies which are beneficial to the human race and which are stored by the Aetherius Society in specially designed "Spiritual Energy Radiators".

Two other missions, called "Operation Starlight" and "Operation BlueWater," were begun by King in the late 1950s, and completed in the early 1960s with the aid of the Cosmic Masters. In Operation StarLight, King climbed to the tops of eighteen out of nineteen holy mountains where he transmitted a charge of spiritual energy from the Cosmic Masters. This spiritual energy has been stored in the mountains so that others may make pilgrimages to there and send out their prayers and healing. According to Saint Goo-Ling, one of the Cosmic Masters, the most potent spiritual practice available to humans is to recite "The Twelve Blessings" in one of these sacred places during a Spiritual Push, also known as a "Magnetization Period". Operation Bluewater corrected what Society members believe was a warp in the earth magnetic fields caused both by atomic experiments of the 1950s and by the negative thoughts and actions of human beings.

Interestingly enough, there has been little to no criticism of The Aetherius Society. There has been no negative media stories in regard to this group but with the right conditions, such as millenialism or some type of catastrophe, this could be a dangerous group.