Two years from now…
A little over two years from now a number of important events will take place. In the autumn of 2025 the Theosophical Society will celebrate its 150th anniversary. Formed in the autumn of 1875 in New York the society has been pivotal in introducing key ideas into Western thought such as karma and reincarnation, the unity and ubiquity of life and the nature of consciousness.
Astrologically and cyclically 2025 may prove to be a crucial year as the planet Pluto makes the transition from Capricorn into Aquarius. With a 248-year orbit of the sun Pluto has a powerful transformative effect – for better or worse. Reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006 it represents power and control. However, when people get more and more power they usually end up destroying themselves. Pluto can also signify war and conflict. It’s often described as the planet of death. The last time there was such a configuration the United States declared its independence in 1776.
In 2025 the Fourth Ray of Harmony through Conflict which has been ‘out of incarnation’ for a long time begins a new cycle. This is the ray of art and beauty and the ray which has a close affinity to humanity. And in 2025 there may well also be an important once-in-a-century event which could shape world events for the next one hundred years. The so-called Conclave of Masters meets in the twenty-fifth year of every century in the Council of Shambhala to make key decisions about the direction of humanity. Known as the Trans-Himalayan or Great White Brotherhood, this is the hidden hierarchy of advanced beings who govern the world covertly.
We appear to be at a crucial and rare turning point in history. It’s many, many millennia since the world was the way it is now. The last time was more than twelve thousand years ago during the times of Atlantis which like all civilizations finally collapsed and vanished. So, are we facing a similar collapse? Or is it merely another regular, cyclic readjustment of life on earth?
Despite external appearances in recent decades and centuries certainly some elements of humanity have made considerable progress in evolving both mentally and to a lesser extent spiritually. We’re much smarter than we were but our mental evolution has dwarfed our spiritual progress. And much of our thinking continues to be ruled by our emotions. And it’s claimed by some that currently only around eight per cent of humanity is in any way soul-connected.
Now, you may choose to dismiss some or all of what I’m about to say as yet another conspiracy theory. The phrase ‘conspiracy theory’ by the way was cooked up by America’s FBI as a means of discrediting people who knew too much or were dissidents of mainstream truth. And these weasel words are still often touted about and levelled at those who dare to dispute any part of the mainstream narrative – even when that evidence is indisputable.
Incidentally, the prevailing views of any era at any time in history have often proved to be completely wrong. For example, if in the fifteenth century if you’d dared to assert that the earth wasn’t flat as the Catholic Church insisted but round instead – as the ancient Greeks were well aware two thousand years earlier – you would have been an earlier type of conspiracy theorist, a heretic. And you may well have wound up on an Inquisition-inspired bonfire even though you’d spoken the truth.
Indeed, Madame Blavatsky’s ideas and the Theosophical Society she helped found were and still are heretical to some people. Theosophy promotes the exploration of new realities and alternative points of view and retain freedom of thought. It means having open minds and the ability to express ourselves freely. This is often difficult in our modern era of censorious cancel culture.
Defining the Dark Forces
For decades we’ve been witnessing a progressive hijacking of the world and the seizure of its wealth – and well-being – by small, controlling and atavistic elites. These are the modern faces of the forces of darkness. They’ve been largely unopposed and indeed even been welcomed by some. Being oppressed and controlled makes some people feel secure. This became clear during the Covid pandemic. The evidence for this seizure and control on many levels is overwhelming. Put crudely, the rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer.
The dark forces in the form of sinister elites are making a determined last stand to ensure that they retain the power to impede, control and enslave humanity.
We’re enmeshed in an apocalyptic age of digital domination, controlled by demonic minorities with a sinister global agenda and beleaguered by artificially created environmental, medical, financial and other crises. The threat of nuclear annihilation still hangs heavily above us. If not that, a nightmare world of transhumanism and Artificial Intelligence awaits – which may spell another form of extinction. The proponents of these things are enemies of the human spirit pure and simple. And so, the situation looks very grim indeed.
We’re in a war which is now playing out externally but has been raging on the inner planes for thousands of years. Since Atlantean times the dark forces – those powers who strive to keep humanity imprisoned by materialism – the secret power- and money-hungry cabals of one kind or another – have triumphed again and again and done their best to frustrate man’s attempts at spiritual realisation and evolution.
The situation on the front line looks very grave and to some, hopeless. And this is precisely what these destructive and reactionary forces would like you to feel so that you’re exhausted, frightened, demoralised, isolated – and broke. Remember those chilling words from the chief architect of the deeply sinister and arch-globalist World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab: ‘You will be happy and own nothing.’
As chilling as it all seems right now this war will eventually end and these dark forces will ultimately be defeated. Right now, though, we face not only the threats from these forces but also the inevitable conflicts which are the hallmarks of the transition from one age into another – the gradual move from the Age of Pisces into the Age of Aquarius. These turning points are always tumultuous and often chaotic as the old gives way to the new.
What we might call the forces of light on the inner planes – spearheaded by the Great White Brotherhood of masters and advanced beings – are continuing their ages-old work of opposing their dark enemies.
Imperceptibly but inexorably we’re moving from an age of harsh logic to a world again subsumed by magic. Black magic can be defeated by its white counterpart – that is an understanding of nature’s forces and the ability to use them for beneficial and non-selfish, non-exploitative purposes.
Who are the Masters of Wisdom?
They’re said to be advanced adepts who are members of the Great White Lodge otherwise known as the Trans-Himalayan Brotherhood and by many other names. They feature extensively in theosophical literature and elsewhere. Formed during Lemurian times to assist human evolution these ‘brothers of light’ constitute the hidden hierarchy of wise beings who oversee developments on this planet – by influence and overshadowing certain individuals rather than by direct action.
Belief in these advanced beings is by no means ubiquitous or universal, although they were pivotal in the forming of the Theosophical Society itself. Some people are extremely sceptical about their very existence. Indeed, to some they’re purely fantasy figures based on fiction – or wishful thinking. However, we’ll assume that these masters or adepts are real although not necessarily always in physical bodies. We understand that while they do assume physical form they also utilise more subtle astral or other vehicles to communicate with people often many thousands of miles away.
They’re sometimes called mahatmas – which is Sanskrit for ‘great souls’ – and they represent an elite of the most spiritually evolved members of humanity.
Madame Blavatsky described a mahatma as ‘a personage who by special training and education, has evolved those higher faculties and has attained that spiritual knowledge which ordinary humanity will acquire after passing through numberless series of reincarnations during the process of cosmic evolution, provided, of course, that they do not go in the meanwhile, against the purposes of Nature and this bring on their own annihilation.’
This hidden brotherhood is nothing like the anonymous, vicious and manipulative elites who attempt to dominate, own and control the world today. The important point is that they’re a spiritual elite – a highly developed and benevolent brotherhood presiding over the evolution of all kingdoms of nature on this planet. The word master can be misleading because it suggests that they’re some kind of authoritarian overlords. They’re not. They’re masters of no one but themselves.
One question often arises. If these advanced beings have such power and influence, why don’t these supposed guides of humanity step in to make the world a better place? Why don’t they do something to dispel the darkness?
The standard response to this is that these masters cannot directly intervene in human affairs because if they did that would infringe our free will and prevent us from dealing with crises ourselves. It would directly contravene the Law of Karma and therefore impede humanity’s evolution gained through trial, quest, struggle and problem-solving.
It would appear that these masters work in much more subtle ways – by overshadowing individuals and influencing groups by introducing certain new and often revolutionary ideas to them. They’re said to back various philanthropic, artistic and scientific ventures as well as other major developments.
So, what do we know about this brotherhood? Much has been written about them – some of it wildly speculative and some of it no doubt inaccurate. But there is something of a consensus. We’re aware that some of its members have achieved much more prominence than others – especially in theosophical circles. The most well-known are Masters Morya or Master M and Koot Hoomi or Master KH who communicated with early members of the Theosophical Society by precipitating letters and other communications. They had a deep and long-lasting influence on Blavatsky’s deep esoteric knowledge and on her work, especially the writing of her magnum opus The Secret Doctrine.
Blavatsky and the Masters
Madame Blavatsky first encountered Master M when she was a young woman in England in 1851. This was the time of The Great Exhibition. He’s described as being a tall, imposing looking and lavishly costumed Rajput prince riding a magnificent horse. This is said to have taken place in Hyde Park but a less romantic version locates this encounter in Ramsgate.
From that moment onwards M was a more or less permanent presence in Blavatsky’s life and was to remain in close communication with her for the next forty years until her death in 1891. At this first meeting Morya apparently urged her to make the first of her visits to India. She arrived there at the end of 1852 and stayed for two years. Blavatsky also had extensive and regular contact with KH.
These Mahatma Letters as they’re known were from M and KH but also the Mahachohan – the head of the hidden hierarchy – sometimes known as the Lord of Civilization. They were sent to early theosophists such as Percy Sinnett and Alan Hume as well as others. These letters are still widely studied and 1,300 pages of them are housed in London’s British Library.
Little has been heard of Masters M and KH since the late nineteenth century and their whereabouts are now unknown unknown. Whether they play an active role today isn’t for me to say. The theosophical writer and artist Nicholas Roerich said he found no trace of them during his travels in Tibet during the late 1920s. Nor did the French explorer Alexandra David-Neel.
Master M is said to have had an illustrious roll-call of incarnations – including Melchior, one of the three wise men, the biblical patriarch Abraham, King Arthur of Camelot, the English Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas A Beckett, the English statesman Thomas More, and the Mogul Emperor Akbar – among others.
It’s understood that KH has worked in close co-operation with Morya – operating almost as a unit – for many centuries. KH is said to have been educated at a British university, was of Kashmiri origin and concerned himself with revitalising various philosophies and working with philanthropic agencies. His previous incarnations are said to have included the Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras, a magi priest from Persia, Saint Francis of Assisi and the Indian Emperor Shah Jahan.
Within and beyond theosophical circles other masters are also mentioned. These include: Djwahl Khul or DK who inspired the writings of Alice Bailey. There’s also The Master Jupiter, The Venetian Master, Master Serapis and Master Hilarion. Formerly Paul of Tarsus, Hilarion is described as a handsome Greek in charge of science and who spent a lot of time in Egypt. His work also involves developing the intuition and he was responsible for stimulating psychical research groups.
Master Jesus is said to be of Syrian origin and as the name suggests, promotes Christianity. He’s also said to have been involved with both M and KH in unifying eastern and western thought and was said to work with various movements rather than individuals.
Another frequently mentioned master – outside the theosophical orbit – is the Master Rakoczi who is described the regent for Europe and works on the seventh ray of ceremonial order and magic – the predominant synthesising ray of the new Aquarian age. Rakoczi’s previous incarnations are said to include Saint Alban, the fourth century neo-platonic philosopher Proclus, the thirteenth century English monk Roger Bacon, Christian Rosenkreutz, and the seventeenth century English polymath Francis Bacon. His last incarnation was as the renowned yet mysterious and enigmatic Hungarian prince, the Count de Saint Germain, a body he continued to inhabit for several centuries apparently. Sometimes known as The Count he effectively acts as the hierarchy’s general manager.
Other high-ranking figures include the English Master (sometimes named as the poet Robert Browning).
Other key figures
There are also highly advanced individuals openly at work on this planet such as the fourteenth Dalai Lama who’s widely-recognised by both Tibetan Buddhists and others as one of humanity’s most important spiritual leaders. He’s said to be the seventy-fourth incarnation of the Buddha but has indicated he may be the last of his line.
These days the internet is full of supposed channellings by mysterious terrestrial and cosmic beings. There seem to be more ascended masters than members of the Chinese army. How many of these communications are bona fide, I’ll leave you to decide.
Another very widespread idea within and outside religions involves various predictions of a new avatar who may help guide humanity out of one of its periodic crises and towards a better and presumably more spiritually-orientated future. Many mainstream Christians firmly believe in the reappearance of Jesus in some form. Others refer more generally to the re-emergence of The Christ.
The Hindu tradition speaks of a line of avatars who are all incarnations of the god Vishnu – the preserver and protector. He is part of the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Each avatar appears when the world is jeopardised by chaos, sin or evil. So far there have been nine avatars. The tenth and final incarnation – the Kalki or The Mighty Warrior – is due to appear some unspecified time at the end of the present dark age, the Kali yuga.
Others predict the appearance of a high adept known as Maitreya. The Scottish artist, writer and esoteric thinker Benjamin Crème, who died in 2016, spent much of his life speaking about a highly-evolved individual of that name who moved to London from the Indian sub-continent in 1977. Crème claimed that the Maitreya had made limited public appearances and even appeared on television in various countries. But for various reasons he wasn’t yet ready to go public. According to Crème this was because the public wasn’t ready.
These are, of course, numerous and often exotic predictions concerning the appearance of a new messiah.
A crucial meeting
Two years from now another pivotal event is scheduled. This is the supposed Conclave of the Masters at the Council of Shambhala – a crucially significant meeting which takes place in the twenty-fifth year of every century. Shambhala is said to exist somewhere in the remotest regions of the Himalayas. According to some it’s no longer in physical form but exists purely on the etheric levels. The last such gathering in 1925 took place in the aftermath of World War I and featured a number of important developments.
The first was the founding of a group of so-called ‘conditioning souls’ known as the New Group of World Servers. This was intended as a network of spiritually-minded people of goodwill working co-operatively to promote global enlightenment.
As well as linking individuals and various spiritual organisations its aim is to implement ‘a core group of initiatives centred around the keynotes emanating from the heart of the spiritual hierarchy’. These are the will-to-good; right human relations; brotherhood; service to humanity; and unity.
It’s claimed that at this 1925 conclave the hierarchy ‘shifted gears’ for the first time since the days of the Atlantean civilization more than 12,000 years ago. By this we mean that they moved operations – or ashrams – from the mental to the buddhic plane – that is the realm of wisdom-intuition, a state of consciousness above the mental.
Shortly after the Second World War we’re also told that ‘the door where evil dwells’ – that is the collective darkness of the world sometimes called The Dweller on the Threshold shifted its focus from Germany to the United States where it remains. Interestingly, prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941 the United States had been a steadfastly non-interventionist nation with a relatively small military. The war changed all that. The US now has thousands of military bases round the world and is widely viewed as the aggressor in many conflicts.
The widely-held view is that these conflicts beginning in the twentieth century were a recapitulation – a re-run – of the bitter wars in Atlantean times. This was a conflict between the Lords of the Dark Face – the reactionary forces of materialism and anti-spirituality – and their opponents the Lords of the Shining Countenance. This dividing of Atlanteans into two groups in conflict with one another, is said to have been one of the key causes of the destruction of that ancient continent. Many believe the effects of this war has played out on the inner planes ever since and continues today. I’ll leave it for you to decide who the Lords of Darkness – these sinister, manipulative elites – are in the modern era.
The first World War was said to be the war to end all wars but wasn’t. But it set the template for even bloodier conflicts. The second World War may have ended in 1945 but immediately the Iron Curtain descended across Europe and the Cold War unfolded. Then there was the Korean War followed by numerous post-colonial conflicts involving Britain and other European countries as nations demanded independence.
The Viet Nam war continued from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s. Soon after that we had the First Gulf War and its second incarnation a decade later. This was followed by disastrous forays into Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya. There has been war in the Congo since 1960 and numerous other lesser wars which aren’t reported. And so it seems that we’ve had continuous armed conflict since 1914. At no time since then have the arms manufacturers ever had empty order books.
A planned reappearance?
At the 2025 Conclave it’s speculated that the key topic for discussion will be the first stage of the possibly physical reappearance of these masters and their direct involvement with humanity. This is sometimes known as the externalisation of the hierarchy. This is the first time this will have occurred for many thousands of years. The hierarchy withdrew from the physical plane because of the raging Atlantean wars and their subsequent cataclysms.
This Conclave will apparently determine the timing of this externalisation – whether it be within a few years or several decades. This reappearance is said to present enormous difficulties for the initiates involved because it means their stepping down their vibrations on to the physical plane once again which is apparently an extremely demanding and uncomfortable process for them.
And this re-emergence is apparently far from a done deal since there are conditions which have to be met before this externalisation can take place. These are known as the three recognitions:
Firstly: the engendering of the divine idea in human consciousness – i.e. that we’re essentially souls occupying physical bodies.
Secondly: a recognition of the fact that there is such a body as the Hierarchy which implements the divine plan or evolution of humanity.
And thirdly: a recognition that there is such a divinely-inspired plan itself for humanity – even if we’re unaware of what that plan involves.
Has humanity adequately fulfilled these three conditions? There’s simply no way of knowing this. But judging by world affairs, human behaviour and the dominance of materialism one could be forgiven for being somewhat sceptical.
And needless to say, the dark forces which predominate on this planet at the present time will do everything with their considerable forces, power and influence to prevent this purported re-appearance from taking place. The shadow legions have had the world in their thrall for a very long time and naturally they’re reluctant to relinquish that all-consuming power.
So, humanity’s collective psyche seems to be vital in determining events. How many people are prepared to wake up to the stark realities and begin resisting the dark plans of the shadow legions is impossible to calculate. So, this may be extremely difficult. However, white magic is very powerful – more so even than black magic.
Revival of the Mystery Schools
This brings us on to another important and widely predicted development – the eventual revival of the Mystery Schools of old. These ancient schools thrived for millennia across the planet in ancient Egypt and Greece, across the Middle East in such locations as Babylon and Chaldea, throughout Vedic India and the Himalayas and in Europe and South America. The pyramids, Stonehenge and ruined Greek temples which hosted these schools are testimony to their power and influence.
In ancient Greece the Mystery Schools effectively created what we know as theatre where key esoteric ideas were presented in dramatic form – in comedies and tragedies – to inform basic truths to the masses.
The central role of the Mystery Schools in all locations was to focus on death and the awakening of the soul. Via ritual and other means they provided detailed route-maps for personal spiritual evolution, transformation and enlightenment. In some cases these psycho-dramas were highly elaborate and lengthy. A candidate could find themself placed in a stone sarcophagus re-enacting a highly realistic after-death journey. Sometimes hallucinogenic drugs were used to enhance these lengthy symbolic death journeys which could last for up to three days.
Although the schools were often aimed chiefly at the elites and influential members of society, the Greek Mysteries were open to many citizens. In Greece the philosopher Plato, the mathematician Pythagoras and the historian Herodotus all passed through their portals.
All the Mystery Schools demanded a binding oath of secrecy. Anyone revealing their secrets to the profane or the uninitiated straying into their private precincts was often punished by death.
In Greece and elsewhere the Mysteries were divided into two divisions, the Lesser and the Greater. The Lesser were aimed at neophytes and involved preparing the candidate for the path they would take via study and a close focus on emotional and physical purification.
The Greater Mysteries were for more advanced candidates and emphasised the idea of consciously accelerating one’s development so that those involved regarded themselves as evolving and awakening souls – part of the One Life. All this involved the study of many esoteric secrets.
We’re told the European Mystery Schools finally closed their doors by the third or fourth centuries of the common era. In 396 AD the last of the Graeco-Roman Mystery Schools was destroyed by the invading Goths. Then the knowledge they transmitted went silently underground to be revived in diluted form by such groups as the Knights Templar, the Freemasons, possibly the Rosicrucians and others.
Whether the Mystery Schools really vanished altogether or were preserved in some form is a matter of conjecture.
In recent times a range of writers have proposed that updated and rejuvenated schools are destined to appear. But the chief difference is that they would focus on planetary rather just than personal change to create a world of compassion, love and universal spirituality.
It’s been suggested that the new schools could possibly be sited in locations strongly associated with their historic predecessors and connected to important historic monuments, ancient temples and other places of initiation. Their core aim will be the evolution of the soul. And perhaps rather than being isolated institutions they would form a global network.
Like the Mystery Schools of old the new ones would also involve the equivalents of the Lesser and Greater Mysteries. The former will effectively be preparatory schools for novices teaching that each individual is an eternal, evolving soul on a voyage of discovery. The aim will be to teach the truth about death and re-birth and produce fully integrated individuals who are whole, independent and service-driven.
The Greater Mysteries will develop this work further and explore deeper levels of being with the ultimate aim of uniting and reconciling the lower self (personality) with the higher self (soul or individuality) to create new creativity and purpose.
Perhaps this revival is underway already in clandestine settings and enshrouded in secrecy. Maybe there will be a gradual re-emergence. Or else unknown and unpredictable events – or necessity itself – may somehow stimulate their reappearance.
This network of Mystery Schools certainly won’t replace conventional religions in the short term although they may influence and even modify them over time. One day in the distant future humanity may have evolved the point of requiring religions to confirm their spiritual identity. But we will have all reincarnated many more times before this is a reality.
Contact with other kingdoms
Personally, I think another key development is likely. I believe humanity is destined to connect – or should I say re-connect – with nature’s hidden kingdoms. Unknown to science and indeed the overwhelming majority of people, the entire universe is conscious and teeming with life both visible and concealed. And so is the earth we live on. Much of this life can’t be detected by our crude physical senses – although it is possible. In the past our ancestors interacted with these different classes of entities. These days they’re not only denied but anyone even suggesting they exist at all is destined to be mercilessly mocked or called crazy.
What are these hidden kingdoms?
Firstly, there are the elementals or nature-spirits which exist in etheric or astral form and belong to three kingdoms below that of the mineral kingdom. These are the builders of all life-forms on this planet – the flora, fauna, animals and human beings.
Secondly, in a different evolutionary stream from the human are the higher angelic kingdoms or devas as they’re called in Sanskrit. This means ‘shining ones’. We can regard them as the architects who direct the building work of the elementals and nature spirits. There are said to be many different classes of angels or devas ranging from mighty entities controlling an entire solar system or planet and lesser ones in charge of countries, oceans and mountains. Below them are numerous lesser classes supervising the work of the elemental builders of rocks, flowers, trees, animals and us. Devas or angelic beings appear in most religions and spiritual traditions.
Few people below clairvoyant status can easily perceive these although they can be detected. Remember they’re not in physical but etheric, astral or even mental form. The etheric planes are states of finer matter above solids, liquids and gases. They aren’t yet recognised by science.
Some people with well-developed intuitional abilities can sense them at work especially in the countryside although they’re active everywhere. Some control healing and can be seen near hospitals. Others preside over judicial, administrative or scientific buildings.
We’re destined to recognise and co-operate with these various kingdoms once again. The big problem is that most people don’t believe in their existence in the first place In recent decades there has been a revival of interest in these entities which have been recognised by virtually every single culture in history – with the sole exception of our current materialist, sceptical and crumbling civilization.
Tim Wyatt is a journalist, writer, lecturer and publisher specialising in esoteric subjects. He is editor of The Theosophical Society in England’s journal Esoterica and divides his time between Yorkshire and Greece. His books are available from www.firewheelbooks.co.uk
Hermes Risen 
This is a well-written piece and highlights some of the essential problems we face whenever we start talking about things in black and white terms. Be very careful when you start talking about “Great White Brotherhoods.” Let me illustrate what I mean. In one part of the piece, the author writes:
“We’re enmeshed in an apocalyptic age of digital domination, controlled by demonic minorities with a sinister global agenda and beleaguered by artificially created environmental, medical, financial and other crises. The threat of nuclear annihilation still hangs heavily above us. If not that, a nightmare world of transhumanism and Artificial Intelligence awaits – which may spell another form of extinction.”
However, elsewhere, the author also writes:
“Madame Blavatsky described a mahatma as ‘a personage who by special training and education, has evolved those higher faculties and has attained that spiritual knowledge which ordinary humanity will acquire after passing through numberless series of reincarnations during the process of cosmic evolution, provided, of course, that they do not go in the meanwhile, against the purposes of Nature and this bring on their own annihilation.’”
It is very easy to think of Artificial Intelligence as this spectral and gossamer, almost immaterial sort of thing, but we would do well to remember that at the end of the day, it is all physical electrons running through machines. In other words, Artificial Intelligence can do _no different_ than following the laws of Nature.
Having a long Theosophical background, I grasp the nuance here, but less-seasoned readers might easily grow confused here because one statement seems to paint AI, in its entirety, as an abomination while another one paints a very lucid picture of the reality that—as Blavatsky (or her Mahatmas, take your pick) said elsewhere: “Nature Unaided Fails.”
What is called for is a more intentional relationship with these “Dark Forces.” Anyone speaking of their annihiliation is leading people into very destructive folly.
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Excellent article and compilation, Tim! I appreciate your professionalism and all the study and research that was involved in producing this posting! God bless you!
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Thank you respected brother Tim for your Kind words on Esoteric Fact of our own Era.
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