Of Elbert Benjamine and The Brotherhood

Is Occult 'Enlightenment' Always the Good It's Promoted to Be?

One initially secret society later turned 'public' that has always seemed elusive to me is the Brotherhood of Light which opened its doors to the public with offers of classes and a study course on November 11, 1918 (Los Angeles, CA). An early founder, promoter, and teacher was 'C. C. Zain' (the pen name of astrologer Elbert Benjamine who was born as Benjamin Parker Williams--his RR: A birth data and link to his natal chart, below). Perhaps this sprung into my consciousness today because last week I heard an ad on Atlanta's WSB Radio promoting 'Scientology'. Ugh. Not that freakiness again. As if we need that with all that's going on.

But as we were saying...

The planets on November 11, 1918 tell a tale of activist and instigator Mars at a Cardinal World Point of Manifestation (00Cap12) along with a strong Saturn-Uranus influence for the two planets associated with Astrology are just beyond opposition, a 'be your own boss' sort of aspect of old (Saturn in Leo) and new (Uranus in Aquarius) and with a hint of Moon-Uranus excitement added to the event. Using '9:00 am PST' (exact hour doors opened is unknown) the Sun @18Scorpio promises 'deep study of specialized subjects' and with a cool Aquarian Moon, suggests that the group possessed 'intense determination, a talent for detached analysis', and great trouble-shooting ability. Both Sun and Moon are in rigid Fixed signs and square each other while pointing in T-Square formation toward Pluto @6Cancer (describing a critical time of development) though of course Pluto was not discovered until 1930, we're told, so any influence if active would have been unconscious.

However, 1918 Pluto @6Cancer actually times a Pluto-to-US-natal-Jupiter transit, a karmic period when intellectual horizons often expand although intolerance and fanaticism are cautions to be avoided. Personally, I would imagine any intolerance of the day would have been on the side of the public and/or government officials, plus, you'd have to be pretty fanatical to undertake such a large and unusual endeavor of founding an organization and school intended to insinuate occultism into the lives of regular folk. Some might call it dedication to a goal.

Note: Many of C. C. Zain's books remain available. Here's his Amazon page of selections with topics that include the Tarot.

So if you haven't sleuthed into C. C. yet and you're curious about the astrologer who was known by three names check out the natal horoscope of astrology pioneer Elbert Benjamine (Rodden Rating: A, from memory) where you'll see that the November 11, 1918 Sun conjoined Benjamine's natal North Node, a significator for successful endeavors involving the public. Then we can both sit back and admire his continued public status as an astrologer and seeker via natal Uranus at Midheaven!

For more Scorpio-Aquarius details see Sun Sign-Moon Sign by Charles and Suzi Harvey.

And the answer to my question? No. Occult enlightenment is not always good and to me seems to be rarely so. Beware. For dark forces will come when you call and they care absolutely nothing about you. After all, the use of the word 'light' is often only a shout-out to Lucifer, isn't it? The entity, not the very entertaining TV show.