Command of the Eagle

The warrior is a man who fights for his freedom from social conditioning; for his freedom to think and decide for himself; for his freedom to move his assemblage point at will and thereby access any view of the world he may choose; and above all, for his freedom to enjoy his life and the abundant experiences it brings him. To live one's life in this way does not mean that all one's desires are automatically fulfilled, for this depends upon one's destiny in a particular lifetime. But it does mean that one's destiny, whether it is to be wealthy and to live in a mansion, or whether it is to lead a humble life in a small home, will unfold peacefully and quietly. In that quietness of life one finds the joy and wonder which springs from knowing that one is walking a Path with a Heart, for the heart is ever where our true destiny lies. Before we have come to know who we really are and what our true fate in this life is, we always have a great many wishes and desires which we believe will make us totally happy should they be fulfilled. But when our destiny finally unfolds we are always, without exception, struck by the beauty and wonder of it all. Even in our wildest imaginings we can never dream up anything even remotely as good and as exciting as our own true destiny.

Once we have been brave enough to seize our fleeting moment of chance, one thing begins to lead to another until finally, one day, in the midst of a battle, we suddenly find that our command has indeed become the Eagle's command. From that moment on we are free beings, the world becomes our oyster and joy flows unimpeded without end. This is the Eagle's gift to man - to all men who are willing to try, and to keep on trying whatever the cost. The reward though, is so much more, so very much more than the effort it takes to reach out for that gift.

Therefore, if you truly wish to know what is entailed in treading the Warrior's Path, then you must tread this path yourself: only then will your perception coincide with the vision. This is the Law. But know this much, and listen with care, for I now speak of things past, present and future: I speak of man atavistic, of hu-man, and of man conscious. Warriors are first and foremost men, humble men, who cannot avoid the confines of the Law. Their task in life is to learn by means of mapping the great unknown. To map the unknown requires having to enter that mysterious vastness, but each time we enter into it we transmute those energy fields within us which correspond with the great unknown outside of us. This transmutation affects our entire existence, so that our very state of beingness becomes irrevocably altered. With the effects of transmutation comes eventual transformation, the emission of all that is undesirable. The inevitable product of transformation is transfiguration, a complete metamorphosis.

Know then that once this process has been initiated a chain reaction takes place which cannot be stopped. The Warrior's Path is thus a path of no return - a path of transmutation, transformation, transfiguration.

Warriors of Atl, I salute you! By the love which is the essence of your own true inner fiery being! By the impeccability which constitutes your invincible power! By the humility which is the mark of your free spirit! May the peace and the harmony of the Yellow Rose of Friendship abide with you now and for ever more! Farewell, Atl'aman! Go now and learn what it is to be hu-man. Go learn what it is to stand! Go learn what it is to fight! The wheel will spin, and many times over will the great serpent bite its own tail before you will remember. But once you have begun to remember then let the Spear of Destiny fly true. Let the Sword of Power ring with the One Truth and flash forth the blue flame of the One Power! Atl'aman! I charge you! Remember the sacred trust!