by Orfeo Angelucci

When I awoke light was streaming brilliantly into the room. One entire wall had miraculously vanished revealing an outer balcony. I sat up and looked out beyond the balcony upon an incredibly wonderful and fantastic world. It was radiant with light and yet there appeared to be a heavy moving cloud bank overhead. A kind of continuous sheet lightning flashed through the rainbow-hued clouds and the constant rumble of distant thunder was slightly louder. Also, I saw brilliant slow-moving fireballs, bollides, vari-colored flares and showers of brilliant sparks.

I was puzzled for all of this phenomena did not seem at all familiar—as had so many other things in this world. I jumped up from the couch and ran out onto the broad balcony, marveling at the marvelous feeling of lightness and vibrant strength in my body.

What a glorious world I looked upon! A dream world—beyond the wildest flights of imagination. Ethereal, scintillating color everywhere. Fantastically beautiful buildings apparently constructed of a kind of crystal-plastic substance that quivered with continuously changing color tones. As I watched, windows, doors, balconies and stairs appeared and just as miraculously disappeared in the shining facades of the buildings. The grass, trees and flowers sparkled with living colors.

I caught my breath in awe. And yet, somehow, it was familiar—a world I had once known and forgotten. A few statuesque and majestically beautiful people were walking in the pedestrian lanes. Then I saw Lyra and Orion conversing with each other near a circular flower plot, almost directly below me. They both looked up and smiled, calling out a friendly greeting. I ran down and joined them exclaiming, “What a magnificent world!”

“Do you remember it, Neptune?” Lyra asked gently.

I hesitated, then replied, “Much is familiar, but other things are not. I can’t recall the lightning and the constant thunder. And the horizon appears to be only about a mile distant and it should be I seem to remember it was almost limitless!”

For a moment there was silence. Lyra glanced at Orion and a look of deep pain crossed their faces as the golden waves of irridescent light about them changed to misty purple. I realized immediately I had said the wrong thing.

Lyra touched a crystal she held in her hand and the sound of the thunder was muffled until it was barely audible. Then drifts of exquisite harmony filled the air—the same incredible music I had heard in my trip in the saucer. Only here in this world each tone manifested in the atmosphere as waves of glowing color.

As I listened spellbound, Lyra and Orion sat down upon the grass and motioned for me to join them. When we were seated Lyra laid her hand tenderly upon mine and Orion put an arm about my shoulders.

Then Orion spoke, saying, “Time is a dimension as your scientists now correctly surmise. But it is only a dimension when applied to the various densities of matter. In the Absolute, Time is non-existent. So let us say that in one of the Time frames, or dimensions, there once was a planet in the solar system called ‘Lucifer’. It was of the least material density of any of the planets and its orbit lay between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Among the Etheric Beings, or heavenly hosts, it was the Morning Star. Among the planets it was the most radiant body in the heavens and its life wave was incarnated in the most tenuous forms of matter.

“The name of the Prince of this radiant planet was also ‘Lucifer’, the beloved son of God. Well . . .” Orion paused and the sadness deepened in his eyes. Then he continued, “Earth’s legends about Lucifer and his hosts, are true. Pride and arrogance filled his heart and the hearts of many Luciferians. They discovered the secret of the Creative Word and sought to turn this omnipotent force against their brothers . . . against the Etheric Beings and against the Father, and to rule the universe. You know the rest of the legend—how Lucifer and his followers were cast down from their world. In simpler words, the Luciferians who were embodied in the least dense manifestation of matter, fell into embodiment in one of the most dense material evolutions which is the animalistic evolution of earth.”

I dared not look at him as his frightening words struck dark chords in my heart. “Then you mean that I . . . was one of them.” I said slowly as shamed tears of realization blinded my eyes.

“Yes . . . Neptune,” he said gently, as both he and Lyra put their arms around me.

Waves of bitter shame and sorrow flooded over me as I realized the terrible truth of Orion’s words. At last I said haltingly, “But Orion, you and Lyra and these others walking here in the garden—who are they?”

“We were among those who did not join the Luciferians in their revolt against the etheric hosts,” he explained gently. “Thus although the Luciferians shattered our radiant planet in the holocaust of their war, we entered the etheric, non-material worlds in the higher octaves of light, while the Luciferian hosts fell into the dream of mind in matter upon the dark planet of sorrows.”

“But this world?” I asked in bewilderment, “Isn’t it the world I half remember?”

“Yes, Neptune,” Lyra said compassionately. “This is a tiny part of what is left of that world. You mentioned that many things were unfamiliar such as the thunder and lightning and the nearness of the horizon. These conditions are new to you. For we are on one of the larger planetoids of the shattered planet Lucifer. It is only a few hundred miles in diameter—hence the nearness of the horizon. The thunder and lightning and constant play of colors in the atmosphere are the result of magnetic disturbances because of the close vicinity of other asteroids. The clouds you see above are not clouds as you know them upon earth, but they serve to obscure the drifting debris of our former planet. Only rarely do we leave our etheric state of being and enter our former time frame in individualized manifestations of the most attenuated form of matter, as you see us now.”

I was stunned into utter silence and the deepest sorrow. I bowed my head as I thought of the magnificent world I had lost—the shining heritage I had cast away to become a bondsman chained in the steel-like dungeon of dense matter with its erroneous manifestations of sin, sickness, corruption, evil, decay and repeated deaths. Sobs wracked my body as I thought of my blinded, lost fellows of earth. At last I murmured hesitantly, “Then all of the peoples of earth have fallen from this former high estate?”

Orion shook his head slowly, “No, not all, Neptune, but vast numbers of earthlings are former Luciferians. About the others we will explain to you later.”

Suddenly a terrible thought came to me, almost causing me to collapse in horror as I recoiled from it. Stark terror was in my eyes as I looked first at Lyra and then at Orion. I dared not voice what was in my mind.

Orion, discerning my thought, shook his head and his wonderful eyes radiated sympathy and understanding as he said, “No, Neptune—have no fear, you are not in reality Lucifer. In fact you are one of the Luciferians who least wanted to join the others.”

Relief flooded over me leaving me weak and shaken, as I heard Orion’s voice continuing, “Lucifer is presently incarnated upon earth, but we may not disclose to you his present identity. He has incarnated many times upon earth and every name is familiar even to grade school children.”

I sighed heavily, trying to comprehend all the shattering truths which had been revealed to me by Lyra and Orion. Rather incongruously then I remembered the phenomena of the flying saucers upon earth, which caused me to ask, “But if we destroyed your great planet why are your discs visiting earth now—why did Astra contact me? Why don’t you leave us to the fate we deserve—each one of us buried in his individual grave of living death?”

Lyra’s hand gripped mine and Orion’s arm tightened around my shoulders, “Love is stronger than life and deeper than the boundless depths of time and space,” he said softly. “While our brothers are lost in the hell of unreality and turn their blinded, imploring eyes to the mute heavens, we can never forget them. We intercede unceasingly for your people’s liberation. Thus today every bondsman upon earth has within himself the power through the mystery of the Christ to cancel his captivity. Eventually all of mankind, deep-drowned in time and matter, may surface to reality if they but recognize their basic unity of being. When man is for man honestly and sincerely and not selfishly arrayed against himself, the hour of deliverance from the underworld will be close at hand. We wait beyond the great, sad river of Time and Sorrows with open arms and hearts to receive our lost and prodigal brothers.”

“Our discs, or saucers as earth-men term them, are in your space-time frame as harbingers of mankind’s coming resurrection from the living death. Although our discs are essentially etheric; that is, non-material, they are controlled in such a way that they can almost instantaneously attract atoms to any degree of material density necessary. Other space craft are also visiting earth. These are from other worlds of various densities of matter, but all are operated by intelligences which are highly spiritual in nature. All are on a mission of love to the Brothers of the Dark World, but mankind’s understanding of their intent and purpose will only become apparent further along in earth’s time dimension.”

When Orion finished speaking there was silence. I sat with bowed head as realization of the full import of his words came to me. As Neptune, fittingly restored to my lost timeless, deathless state, I saw that we of earth are in reality in an underworld of illusion where we mistake shadows for reality and dream false dreams of separateness for our brothers.

After a meal in a dining room Orion and Lyra accompanied me to my room where I lay down upon the couch. They sat beside me until I fell into a deep sleep.

When I awoke I was alone. I walked outside onto the terrace, but the grounds were deserted. For a long while I stood there alone on the balcony marveling at that fantastically beautiful world. Apparently it was a World of eternal youth, eternal spring and eternal day although the rainbow-hued clouds were always moving overhead shot with soft waves of sheet lightning and the far-away echo of thunder never entirely ceased. The trees, the flowers and the grass were miracles of color, fire and light which in comparison made the remembered counterfeits of earth seem like gross and dull shadows.

As I stood there marveling, I saw Lyra come out of the adjoining building. As she called a warm greeting I saw she was holding a small crystal object in her hand. When she joined me she said mysteriously, “This is the seventh earth day . . . and through ourselves we shall take you back.”

Her strange, beautiful eyes were upon me seeming to look through and beyond me. She did not address me either as “Neptune” or “Orfeo.” For some unaccountable reason this saddened me for it made me realize that I was now a stranger and an impostor in THEIR shining world. Understanding my thought, she put her hand gently over mine and I saw a mist of tears in her eyes. Then she raised the odd crystal in her hand to her forehead. As though in magic response, a flood of exquisite melody arose from the sea-green building—not the ethereal music of their world, but a hauntingly familiar strain. As in a dream I recognized the stately melody of Albert Hay Mallote’s musical setting of the Lord’s Prayer. Tears flowed unrestrainedly down my cheeks for a half-remembered sad people who dwelt in a strange, shadowed region called Earth.

Softly she said, “You will remember this, Orfeo!”

The name sounded strange upon her lips—like the name of an utter stranger. I bowed my head in bitter regret for Neptune who was—and who now was not. And for the false shadow of Orfeo who is! Confused and perturbed I turned hastily from her and hurried into my room. Somehow I had the feeling that the secret of liberation lay in the mysterious crystal panel near my couch. But as I reached eagerly for the controls on the panel, I felt a gentle restraining hand upon my arm. I turned and looked into Lyra’s wonderful eyes shining with sympathy, compassion and purest love. My own heart swiftly responded. Then suddenly, miraculously we were as one being—enfolded in an embrace of the spirit untouched by sensuality or carnality. Intuitively I remembered that this was the embrace of the spirit—shared by all of those in the light of God’s love throughout the entire universe. What tragedy, I thought, that I and my lost brothers of earth know only the counterfeit embrace of desire and animal passion.

At that moment Orion came in the door and as he stood transfixed his vibrant love too enfolded us in its pure, golden unselfish light. “Our lost brother is home at last,” he said softly.

After a while Orion and Lyra seated themselves near the strange crystal control panel and I rested upon the lounge. Orion touched a crystal disc and immediately an entire wall of the room opened up into a huge three-dimensional void. The room darkened and I saw within the void a view into outer space. But all of space was shining with light; the stars and suns glowed with a deep reddish glow and only the planets were dark. The scene was focusing upon an unfamiliar part of the heavens. A sun and a number of encircling planets were in view. Then the scene centered upon a single planet in this unknown solar system. It was a smug, sleek planet and apparently as efficient as a billiard ball. But it was exceedingly dark in tone and surrounded with concentric waves of darkness. A tangible vibration or emanation came from it—evil, unpleasant and utterly without inspiration or hope. Approaching this world I saw a glowing red dot with a long, misty tail. The fiery dot seemed irresistibly attracted to the dark world. The two collided in a spectacular fiery display. I felt Lyra’s hand upon mine as she whispered, “It is an immutable Law of the Cosmos that too great a preponderance of evil inevitably brings about self-destruction.”

The scene shifted to a different part of the universe. Another dark, misty world was in view, although it was not as dark as the first world. And about this world there was a vibrant feeling of life and hope. But again, I saw a fiery red dot approaching and it was evident that this world too was doomed. I shuddered to think what would happen. But then I beheld two tiny dots coming forth from that world to intercept the fiery comet. Intuitively I realized that the dots were remotely controlled by intelligent beings who were concentrating the magnetic impulses of the dots upon the comet. Suddenly the comet apparently exploded leaving the world unscathed.

Once more the scene shifted and focused upon a third world. Obviously, this was an “in-between” world—neither as dark and hopeless as the first, nor yet as light and inspired as the second. To the left of this planet appeared another smaller body—I recognized it as our Moon and the planet as Earth. From the earth planet several tiny space ships went out to the moon and did not return. Then a tiny fleet of space craft went out to the moon—but these returned to earth.

Suddenly, terrifyingly, to the right of the planet earth, appeared the fatalistic, red, fiery dot. Swiftly, it increased in size leaving behind it a fiery tail of flame. It was evident that the comet was being drawn irresistibly toward earth. Neither Lyra or Orion spoke, but a strange voice said, “In the time dimension of Earth it is now the year 1986.”

As I shuddered and waited anxiously, the portentous scene slowly faded from the screen. I turned excitedly to Orion, “But what happens to earth?” I implored him.

Orion and Lyra both looked compassionately at me as Orion gently replied, “That depends entirely upon your brothers of earth and their progress in Unity, Understanding and Brotherly Love during the time period left them between the so-called Now and the year 1986. All spiritual help possible will be given to them, not only by ourselves but by others in the universe. We believe that they and their world will be saved, but in no time frame, or dimension, is the future ever written irrevocably. If their planet is destroyed it means another fall for the entities of earth into even denser meshes of materiality and unreality. As you love your brothers of earth, Orfeo, fight to your dying breath to help them toward a world of love, light and Unity.”

With those awful and awesome words, he got up and slowly walked from the room, leaving me alone with Lyra.

She smiled gently into my eyes and touched the mysterious crystal panel. Immediately the incredible, huge, three-dimensional screen became active again. But no longer were we looking into the boundless depths of space and time. Instead, I saw the familiar outlines of the Lockheed plant in Burbank.

There was the shop in which I worked then the scene shifted inside the plant—I saw the radomes and my working companions Dave Donnegan and Richard Butterfield. An unpleasant sensation came over me as though I were fainting . . . as though I were fading into the huge screen and becoming an active part of the scene I was viewing. Terrified, I turned to call to Lyra, but she was no longer there only a mist. Then I blacked out!

My next conscious perception was my strange “awakening” on the job at Lockheed with all of my incredible experiences of those seven days seemingly utterly obliterated from my mind.

Oh, as I lay there beneath the stars that night, it was all suddenly crystal clear to me. My bewildered, frightening awakening upon earth. My sudden terrible revulsion with everything I saw upon earth as compared with the wonder world I had left, although as yet only my subconscious mind understood.

I remembered my fellow workers, Dave Donnegan and Richard Butterfield and their reactions to my strange behavior and sudden, apparently unreasoning outburst. In the greater scope of my new understanding I realized how nobly they had caught me up and sustained me by their own strength through those critical moments of my “awakening”. It was so clearly evident to me then that both Dave and Richard had the same basic inherent qualities of goodness and nobility as those godlike beings of that other world. They are both simple, humble men—average workers like myself—and yet POTENTIAL GODS! If only they and others like them KNEW and could REALIZE their DIVINITY—their kinship with God and the greater world of TRUE REALITY! If every man and woman upon earth could but grasp the great essential basic truth that WE ARE ALL ONE AND AN INTEGRAL PART OF GOD, then indeed all of mankind’s difficult trials and bitter tribulations would be over. If only in the abstract we could momentarily attain this illumination the heavy chains of material bondage would fall from our burdened bodies and our counterfeit world of darkness would vanish in true light.

Today, I believe with all my heart, soul and body in my brothers of earth. Because of the innate goodness, honesty, nobility and helpful fellowship of the countless other men and women like Dave Donnegan and Richard Butterfield, my undying faith in and love for humanity is forever instilled. Even though our greater brothers of that shining, lost, wonder world should offer to take me back to my former place among them, I should have to refuse. My lot is forever with my fellows of earth! I will fight courageously with them and for them in the undying belief that the good in our hearts will triumph over the evil. In the conviction that every human being upon earth trapped in Eternity and granted only one small awareness at a time, will be liberated from the prison of unreality and attain again his great lost heritage.

Excerpt from Mystic Magazine, October 1954

See Part I here.