For Roman Catholics, Vatican City is the site of the Holy See. For Moslems, the Kaaba (Arabic, ka'b, cube) is a mundane repository of spiritual presence. The extratemporal must ground at some point to communicate with the temporal. The Holy See (Latin, sedes, seat), as the earthly seat or focus of heavenly will, is as much symbolic as actual. The divine Omnipresence remains a Stranger to the earthbound unless It somehow graces their three-dimensional world. When the Pope issues formal decrees, he does so ex cathedra (Greek, kathedra, seat), from out of his seat in the Church (cathedral). The royal status of immutable truth is signified by its enthronement, plenary power reigning, as described in Revelations, chapters 4-5. The four corners of the zodiac are corners on which the heavens sit, or, as it were, rest. They designate the four fixed signs, which move not.

All the foregoing illustrations designate exoteric centers of power, foci of truth, points of manifestation, seats (as in department chairs in a university) of knowledge. They all exemplify, in a grand manner, what we in our modest daily lives seek to demonstrate: a resolution, a drawing together of our energies to apply to the task at hand; a focusing of our mental faculties on one issue at a time; being where our body is, since our body is, in a sense, our throne, our cathedral, our individual see from which we direct our daily affairs and conduct the mundane business of our microcosm in the light of the guiding Spirit.

That light shines right where we are, for where we are is right, right for now. Our bodies may be tabernacles in the wilderness of the physical world, our legs the staves by which the holy of holies seems to transit from place to place. But within that dark (to outer eyes), innermost room there is complete stillness. There is gathered power ready for summoning; there is wisdom leaning toward revelation; and there is chaos-dispersing light. Glory and blessing show forth from the mercy seat, that still point within, be the high priest of the soul present or absent.

Where we each are is where we are meant to be. Where we each are, potential blessing waits to bless us, truth awaits our discovery and gospeling. Our daily fiats may be a simple greeting (Awake!) or grateful remark (Well done! Be glad!) whose homespun vesture can't hide the light that shines forth from the spoken word, which is a condensation of spirit, a spiritual reveille.

The mountain top, the high altar, the seat of authority, the still, fixed point, the privileged holy place, all are always near the prayerful mind, the offered heart, the physical body in dynamic, recollected poise. May the below of our daily lives ever reflect and be open to the here-hovering, divine above. And may our deeds be an ongoing enactment of the creative command: Let there be light. And then see how this light shines away the dark, right where we are. Right now.
  — Rays from the Rose Cross Magazine, March/April, 1996