Occult Reticence: A Principle of Right Action

As students of the Ageless Wisdom and creative workers in our environment, one of the most precious things we have is our credibility. The best--the quickest and surest--way for one to destroy his credibility is to do a lot of indiscriminate talking, especially about things esoteric. In addition to being a sure-fire way to destroy credibility, indiscriminate talking, because of the distortion which usually accompanies it, is a potentially serious threat to the very nature of the Teaching and to the spiritual evolution of those who may be victimized by exposure to the distortions.

To the true worker, the dedicated server, occult reticence is a basic and guiding principle which permeates his entire life. The most elementary step toward the practicing of this particular virtue is simply to be quiet, to avoid uncontrolled talking--not just talking about things esoteric, but uncontrolled talking about anything.

There is, however, a whole lot more to occult reticence than just being quiet. A spiritual principle is the basis of right action. Like all of the spiritual principles or virtues of right action (such as Impersonality and Divine Indifference), Occult Reticence is a positive formula for progress upon the Path of Initiation and for creative living. Occult reticence is not a no thing. It is a yes thing. It is the deliberate, conscious control and scientific use of energy. And, just one step further, its initial application is made on the mental plane, at the level of thought. Occult reticence is a natural and necessary part of the science of meditation--the science of invocation and evocation.

The true occultist works entirely in the field of forces and energy, and he is well aware of the fact that energy follows thought. He is also, as an occultist, always conscious of the law of the conservation of energy. His aim is to bring to bear exactly that which is necessary, no more no less, at exactly the right time. For the occultist then, reticence is largely a matter of the careful, practical direction of energy. The controls are made at the thought level. Once the non-serviceable thought has been thought, the energy has been directed, and occult reticence has failed. In all probability that energy will find a form through which it can manifest (non-serviceably) on the physical plane. The more powerful the thinker, the more likelihood that this will be so. Trying to inhibit physical speech after careless thinking is not going to keep the thing out of form for long. The inhibition is a sort of force dam behind which the thought directed energy piles up, and through which it will eventually burst--with the same sort of effect on the environment that any bursting dam has, inundation. (As a slight side issue, one ought to consider the additional waste of energy involved in the construction and maintenance of that dam.)

And besides, speech is just one of the avenues energy follows on its way to manifestation. A petty, or mean, or vicious and hateful thought may manifest in dozens of ways--from getting eggshells in the soft-boiled breakfast eggs, to cutting in front of a brother's car on the freeway, to murder.

Any efforts toward the practice of the virtue of occult reticence, therefore, must be initiated upon the mental plane. The worker who is consciously in control of his thought life and who thinks with care and deliberation about the Good--whatever it may be for his particular part in the Plan--that worker will in all likelihood be occultly reticent.

Occult reticence in this worker's life may not demonstrate as not talking. It will demonstrate as a sane and calm expression of the guiding principles of his life--love, right human relations, joyousness, emotional and mental poise, a sense of humor, tolerance and a non-critical spirit toward time, events and the human condition. It will also demonstrate as a great silence. The atmospheres which surround him will have a quality of stillness about them, even though his work may require him to engage in dynamic activity including a great deal of speech. The quality of stillness which surrounds him will be evident in the ease with which one can think in his presence and in the absence of emotional or physical trauma.

That energy which he releases into his environment, which he sends out into form--whether the form be spoken or written words, paintings or buildings, or simply bus drivings or airplane flyings-- regardless of the form it takes, the energy he releases will have a healing and bridging effect because it will have been directed through the practice of the virtue of occult reticence on the mental plane, where it counts. As students of the Ageless Wisdom and as creative workers in our environments, it seems to me that our function is not to not talk about truths and reality and love, but to be occultly reticent--which is to find creative and beneficial ways to release our energy into our environments. The occultist will release energy--speak, write, act, plan--only when he deems it practicable to further the working out of the Plan. When he speaks or writes or acts, people will listen and observe because he will have been identified as a sane and loving person. He will be known for his equilibrium, his just sense of proportion, a due regard for environing conditions, a sound common sense and a real sense of humor. He will, in a word, be credible. Occult reticence is the hallmark of the initiate server.

As occult participants in the Three Linked Panhuman Festivals, we invoke and receive a great inflow of energy. It is then our most sacred task and opportunity to direct that energy into creative and liberating forms. If we make the virtue of Occult Reticence our constant guide and companion, we can take a giant step forward into the New Age.

"It is time to make ready the Banner of the Coming One."

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