Written by Mária Szepes, who would sometimes write under the pseudonyms Mária Papir or Mária Orsi, Maria was a Hungarian author who worked as a journalist, screenwriter, and independent author in the field of hermetic philosophy from 1941. Maria was born into a Hungarian family of theater stars in Budapest. Her father a great star of Budapest's stages, and her mother a prima Donna.
The Red Lion recounts the adventures of a 16th-century alchemist’s apprentice who murders his magister in order to possess a potion rumored to confer the gift of immortality. But he acquires the Elixir while he is still spiritually unprepared and is thereby cursed.
This is the starting-point of his journey through the centuries: while he can physically die, the Elixir enables him to retain the full memory of his previous lives as he repeatedly reincarnates into a variety of different circumstances. Having murdered his magister this apprentice learns about life and ascension the hard way–from the bottom up as the novel follows his progress on each stage of his ascension path.
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| Mária Szepes |
Against the backdrop of the last five centuries of European history, he undergoes dramatic personal development: beginning as a spiritually unawakened character, he matures spiritually through the various challenges he is led to confront. He is first an Initiate then Aspirant, eventually attaining the pinnacle of human personality which characterizes the Magus, or spiritual Adept.
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| Maria and her family |
Highly valued by the worldwide alchemy community for its in-depth understanding of the science of the soul as well as the science of the body, this book is an impressive work sharing some of the wisdom of this process of thinking.
Some examples of the profound wisdom this book shares are:
One character relates, and I paraphrase: the psyche is the immortal intelligence highly developed in the consciousness of the human. However, when compared to the limitless Spirit, man's highest peak of intelligence is but a speck of dust in the entire cosmos.
"What is important is that you know the facts, do the work you were meant to do, and preserve your personal entity."
"The human soul is both divine and demonic .... Hate is the most frightening and magical force that has ever appeared on the earth. It can conquer every other human weakness. Which side predominates depends on which of the two forces reaches the control levers first...."
"The cornerstone of spiritual life … one must have strength and good health. A sick body produces unhealthy imaginings and blocks the organs that transmit spiritual light with a clog of emotions and strangulating anxiety."
"The uncompromising scientist ... [arrives] at the realization that all roads lead to the mystery of the Creative Spirit. That's where the traditional initiate starts out."
"You have to let people live their lives their own way. If you force them out of some experience they have to have, they just go find it somewhere else."
"Now the demons of the astral world couldn't frighten or subdue me any longer because I wasn't afraid of them. I knew they depended on me for existence; I had created them and I was their master. I could simply confront them and make them vanish like mist. ...Being afraid of something makes you a magnet for that of which you are afraid; if you stop being afraid, the magnetic attraction ceases."
...she wished not merely to believe but to understand.
"Since the inner essence of every being is the omniscient and patient Divine Ego, in each and every being there liveth not only the figure of coming into existence but also the desire ... to return unto her Divine Partner."The second and third portions of the book introduce us to the "brotherhood" of those walking the spiritual path. It introduces the Count de Saint-Germain as a main character for a time, and It describes some about this "order of brotherhood":
“There were nine grades in all: Juniors, Theoreticians, Practitioners, Philosophers, Minors, Majors, Adeptus Exemptus, Magisters, and finally the Magi.”
"The members of my Order have been variously called Rosicrucians, Templars, and Trinosophians, but in essence the Order was simply a continuation of those ancient communities which guarded the traditions of the most profound philosophy. The school of Pythagoras performed this sacred chore to the same extent as did the Essenes of Judea among whom Jesus prepared Himself for His mission. I have intentionally omitted the Masonic Lodge from this group for it has deviated into worldly affairs. [This brotherhood’s] leader was the Count Saint-Germain ... who was revered by the Brotherhood, misunderstood and admired by the nobility, and execrated by the masses, who referred to him as 'the man who has never died.'"
"You can't become a Master until you learn the real nature of things, including the law that a person can be reached only at his own level and only to the extent of his capacity. When there is no capacity to understand, you cannot force even the greatest and most wonderful treasures on a person."
"Anyone can learn what he does not know, if he wants to and has the interest to persevere."
In one scene the book lists some rules, duties, and secret signs of this order:
The Eleven Rules:
- Love God above all else.
- Use your time to develop your soul.
- Be completely unselfish.
- Be sober, humble, active, and silent.
- Learn the origins of the 'metals' in you.
- Beware of charlatans and liars.
- Constantly revere the highest Good.
- Learn the theory before you try to practice.
- Practice charity toward all beings.
- Read the ancient books of wisdom.
- Strive to understand their secret meaning.
The Six Duties:
- Heal the sick and relieve the suffering without thought of reward.
- Conform to the customs of the country in which you live.
- Meet with your fellow members in a pre-set place once a year.
- Select your own successor.
- Remember the letters R.C., symbols of the Brotherhood.
- Keep the existence of our Order secret for one hundred years.
The Sixteen Secret Signs:
- A member of the Order is patient.
- He is compassionate.
- He is incapable of envy.
- He is not a braggart.
- He is not proud.
- He is not debauched.
- He is not greedy.
- He is not easily roused to anger.
- He thinks no evil of others.
- He loves righteousness.
- He loves Truth.
- He knows how to remain silent.
- He believes what he has learned.
- His hope does not fail.
- He does not falter during suffering.
- He will always be a member of the Brotherhood."
The book does not contemplate or discuss these rules, duties or signs, but the book itself is a demonstration of how such concepts might be lived out in life.
Readers of understanding will find this book inspiring and enlightening. Readers with no understanding will find it difficult. But, as the book points out, "Anyone can learn what he does not know, if he wants to and has the interest to persevere." Teachers leave signposts for us: Truth, Love, and Peace. As a teacher, this book may help to demonstrate some of these to you and may guide you, or set you upon a right path towards reunion with the divine.
The Red Lion, Mária Szepes' first novel, was published in 1946 in Hungary. During the communist regime The Red Lion was considered to be nonconformist and was therefore prohibited. All copies of the book were ordered to be destroyed. However, a librarian and novelist managed to save four copies. Then, several supporters of the author typed up the novel, made templates for printing, and released the self-made copies through the underground.
Almost 40 years later the book was translated into German and was published as a paperback in 1984. The Red Lion has been adapted to stage and is performed in various theaters of the United States.
Mária Szepes' died on 3 September 2007 in Budapest, Hungary.