PracticalOccultismImportanttoStudentsAssomeofthelettersintheCORRESPONDENCEofthismonthshow，therearemanypeoplewhoarelookingforpracticalinstructioninOccultism。
Itbecomesnecessary，therefore，tostateonceforall：——（a）TheessentialdifferencebetweentheoreticalandpracticalOccultism；orwhatisgenerallyknownasTheosophyontheonehand，andOccultscienceontheother，and：——（b）Thenatureofthedifficultiesinvolvedinthestudyofthelatter。ItiseasytobecomeaTheosophist。Anypersonofaverageintellectualcapacities，andaleaningtowardthemetaphysical；ofpure，unselfishlife，whofindsmorejoyinhelpinghisneighborthaninreceivinghelphimself；
onewhoiseverreadytosacrificehisownpleasuresforthesakeofotherpeople；andwholovesTruth，GoodnessandWisdomfortheirownsake，notforthebenefittheymayconfer——isaTheosophist。
Butitisquiteanothermattertoputoneselfuponthepathwhichleadstotheknowledgeofwhatisgoodtodo，astotherightdiscriminationofgoodfromevil；apathwhichalsoleadsamantothatpowerthroughwhichhecandothegoodhedesires，oftenwithoutevenapparentlyliftingafinger。
Moreover，thereisoneimportantfactwithwhichthestudentshouldbemadeacquainted。Namely，theenormous，almostlimitless，responsibilityassumedbytheteacherforthesakeofthepupil。FromtheGurusoftheEastwhoteachopenlyorsecretly，downtothefewKabalistsinWesternlandswhoundertaketoteachtherudimentsoftheSacredSciencetotheirdisciples——thosewesternHierophantsbeingoftenthemselvesignorantofthedangertheyincur——oneandallofthese"Teachers"aresubjecttothesameinviolablelaw。Fromthemomenttheybeginreallytoteach，fromtheinstanttheyconferanypower——whetherpsychic，mentalorphysical——ontheirpupils，theytakeuponthemselvesallthesinsofthatpupil，inconnectionwiththeOccultSciences，whetherofomissionorcommission，untilthemomentwheninitiationmakesthepupilaMasterandresponsibleinhisturn。Thereisaweirdandmysticreligiouslaw，greatlyreverencedandacteduponintheGreek，half—forgottenintheRomanCatholic，andabsolutelyextinctintheProtestantChurch。ItdatesfromtheearliestdaysofChristianityandhasitsbasisinthelawjuststated，ofwhichitwasasymbolandanexpression。Thisisthedogmaoftheabsolutesacrednessoftherelationbetweenthegod—parentswhostandsponsorsforachild。（1）
Thesetacitlytakeuponthemselvesallthesinsofthenewlybaptizedchild——（anointed，asattheinitiation，amysterytruly！）——untilthedaywhenthechildbecomesaresponsibleunit，knowinggoodandevil。Thusitisclearwhythe"Teachers"aresoreticent，andwhy"Chelas"arerequiredtoserveasevenyearsprobationtoprovetheirfitness，anddevelopthequalitiesnecessarytothesecurityofbothMasterandpupil。
Occultismisnotmagic。Itiscomparativelyeasytolearnthetrickofspellsandthemethodsofusingthesubtler，butstillmaterial，forcesofphysicalnature；thepowersoftheanimalsoulinmanaresoonawakened；theforceswhichhislove，hishate，hispassion，cancallintooperation，arereadilydeveloped。ButthisisBlackMagic——Sorcery。Foritisthemotive，andthemotivealone，whichmakesanyexerciseofpowerbecomeblack，malignant，orwhite，beneficentMagic。
Itisimpossibletoemployspiritualforcesifthereistheslightesttingeofselfishnessremainingintheoperator。For，unlesstheintentionisentirelyunalloyed，thespiritualwilltransformitselfintothepsychic，actontheastralplane，anddireresultsmaybeproducedbyit。Thepowersandforcesofanimalnaturecanequallybeusedbytheselfishandrevengeful，asbytheunselfishandtheall—forgiving；thepowersandforcesofspiritlendthemselvesonlytotheperfectlypureinheart——andthisisDIVINE
MAGIC。
Whatarethentheconditionsrequiredtobecomeastudentofthe"DivineSapientia"？Forletitbeknownthatnosuchinstructioncanpossiblybegivenunlessthesecertainconditionsarecompliedwith，andrigorouslycarriedoutduringtheyearsofstudy。Thisisasinequanon。Nomancanswimunlessheentersdeepwater。Nobirdcanflyunlessitswingsaregrown，andithasspacebeforeitandcouragetotrustitselftotheair。Amanwhowillwieldatwoedgedsword，mustbeathoroughmasterofthebluntweapon，ifhewouldnotinjurehimself——orwhatisworse——others，atthefirstattempt。
TogiveanapproximateideaoftheconditionsunderwhichalonethestudyofDivineWisdomcanbepursuedwithsafety，thatiswithoutdangerthatDivinewillgiveplacetoBlackMagic，apageisgivenfromthe"privaterules，"withwhicheveryinstructorintheEastisfurnished。Thefewpassageswhichfollowarechosenfromagreatnumberandexplainedinbrackets。
————————
1。Theplaceselectedforreceivinginstructionmustbeaspotcalculatednottodistractthemind，andfilledwith"influence—evolving"（magnetic）
objects。Thefivesacredcolorsgatheredinacirclemustbethereamongotherthings。Theplacemustbefreefromanymalignantinfluenceshangingaboutintheair。[Theplacemustbesetapart，andusedfornootherpurpose。
Thefive"sacredcolors"aretheprismatichuesarrangedinacertainway，asthesecolorsareverymagnetic。By"malignantinfluences"aremeantanydisturbancesthroughstrife，quarrels，badfeelings，etc。，asthesearesaidtoimpressthemselvesimmediatelyontheastrallight，i。e。，intheatmosphereoftheplace，andtohang"aboutintheair。"Thisfirstconditionseemseasyenoughtoaccomplish，yet——onfurtherconsideration，itisoneofthemostdifficultonestoobtain。]2。Beforethediscipleshallbepermittedtostudy"facetoface，"hehastoacquirepreliminaryunderstandinginaselectcompanyofotherlayupasaka（disciples），thenumberofwhommustbeodd。["Facetoface，"meansinthisinstanceastudyindependentorapartfromothers，whenthedisciplegetshisinstructionfacetofaceeitherwithhimself（hishigher，DivineSelf）or——hisguru。
Itisthenonlythateachreceiveshisdueofinformation，accordingtotheusehehasmadeofhisknowledge。Thiscanhappenonlytowardtheendofthecycleofinstruction。]3。Beforethou（theteacher）shaltimparttothyLanoo（disciple）
thegood（holy）wordsofLAMRIN，orshallpermithim"tomakeready"forDubjed，thoushalttakecarethathismindisthoroughlypurifiedandatpeacewithall，especiallywithhisotherSelves。OtherwisethewordsofWisdomandofthegoodLaw，shallscatterandbepickedupbythewinds。["Lamrin"isaworkofpracticalinstructions，byTson—kha—pa，intwoportions，oneforecclesiasticalandesotericpurposes，theotherforesotericuse。"Tomakeready"forDubjed，istopreparethevesselsusedforseership，suchasmirrorsandcrystals。The"otherselves，"referstothefellowstudents。Unlessthegreatestharmonyreignsamongthelearners，nosuccessispossible。Itistheteacherwhomakestheselectionsaccordingtothemagneticandelectricnaturesofthestudents，bringingtogetherandadjustingmostcarefullythepositiveandthenegativeelements。]4。Theupasakawhilestudyingmusttakecaretobeunitedasthefingersononehand。Thoushaltimpressupontheirmindsthatwhateverhurtsoneshouldhurttheothers，andiftherejoicingofonefindsnoechointhebreastsoftheothers，thentherequiredconditionsareabsent，anditisuselesstoproceed。[Thiscanhardlyhappenifthepreliminarychoicemadewasconsistentwiththemagneticrequirements。Itisknownthatchelasotherwisepromisingandfitforthereceptionoftruth，hadtowaitforyearsonaccountoftheirtemperandtheimpossibilitytheyfelttoputthemselvesintunewiththeircompanions。For——]5。Theco—disciplesmustbetunedbytheguruasthestringsofalute（vina），eachdifferentfromtheothers，yeteachemittingsoundsinharmonywithall。Collectivelytheymustformakey—boardansweringinallitspartstothylightesttouch（thetouchoftheMaster）。ThustheirmindsshallopenfortheharmoniesofWisdom，tovibrateasknowledgethrougheachandall，resultingineffectspleasingtothepresidinggods（tutelaryorpatron—angels）andusefultotheLanoo。SoshallWisdombeimpressedforeverontheirheartsandtheharmonyofthelawshallneverbebroken。
6。ThosewhodesiretoacquiretheknowledgeleadingtotheSiddhis（occultpowers）havetorenounceallthevanitiesoflifeandoftheworld（herefollowsenumerationoftheSiddhis）。
7。Nonecanfeelthedifferencebetweenhimselfandhisfellow—students，suchas"Iamthewisest，""Iammoreholyandpleasingtotheteacher，orinmycommunity，thanmybrother，"etc。，——andremainanupasaka。Histhoughtsmustbepredominantlyfixeduponhisheart，chasingtherefromeveryhostilethoughttoanylivingbeing。It（theheart）mustbefullofthefeelingofitsnon—separatenessfromtherestofbeingsasfromallinNature；otherwisenosuccesscanfollow。
8。ALanoo（disciple）hastodreadexternallivinginfluencealone（magneticemanationsfromlivingcreatures）。Forthisreasonwhileatonewithall，inhisinnernature，hemusttakecaretoseparatehisouter（external）bodyfromeveryforeigninfluence：nonemustdrinkoutof，oreatinhiscupbuthimself。Hemustavoidbodilycontact（i。e。，beingtouchedortouch）withhuman，aswithanimalbeing。[Nopetanimalsarepermittedanditisforbiddeneventotouchcertaintreesandplants。Adisciplehastolive，sotosay，inhisownatmosphereinordertoindividualizeitforoccultpurposes。]9。Themindmustremainblunttoallbuttheuniversaltruthsinnature，lestthe"DoctrineoftheHeart"shouldbecomeonlythe"DoctrineoftheEye，"（i。e。，emptyesotericritualism）。
10。Noanimalfoodofwhateverkind，nothingthathaslifeinit，shouldbetakenbythedisciple。Nowine，nospirits，oropiumshouldbeused：
fortheseareliketheLhamayin（evilspirits），whofastenupontheunwary，theydevourtheunderstanding。[WineandSpiritsaresupposedtocontainandpreservethebadmagnetismofallthemenwhohelpedintheirfabrication；themeatofeachanimal，topreservethepsychiccharacteristicsofitskind。]11。Meditation，abstinenceinall，theobservationofmoralduties，gentlethoughts，gooddeedsandkindwords，asgoodwilltoallandentireoblivionofSelf，arethemostefficaciousmeansofobtainingknowledgeandpreparingforthereceptionofhigherwisdom。
12。ItisonlybyvirtueofastrictobservanceoftheforegoingrulesthataLanoocanhopetoacquireingoodtimetheSiddhisoftheArhats，thegrowthwhichmakeshimbecomegraduallyOnewiththeUNIVERSALALL。
———————
Thesetwelveextractsaretakenfromamongstsomeseventy—threerules，toenumeratewhichwouldbeuseless，astheywouldbemeaninglessinEurope。
Buteventhesefewareenoughtoshowtheimmensityofthedifficultieswhichbesetthepathofthewould—be"Upasaka，"whohasbeenbornandbredinWesternlands。（2）
AllWestern，andespeciallyEnglish，educationisinstinctwiththeprincipleofemulationandstrife；eachboyisurgedtolearnmorequickly，tooutstriphiscompanions，andtosurpassthemineverypossibleway。
Whatismiscalled"friendlyrivalry"isassiduouslycultivated，andthesamespiritisfosteredandstrengthenedineverydetailoflife。
Withsuchideas"educatedinto"himfromhischildhood，howcanaWesternerbringhimselftofeeltowardshisco—students"asthefingersononehand"？
Thoseco—students，too，arenotofhisownselection，orchosenbyhimselffrompersonalsympathyandappreciation。Theyarechosenbyhisteacheronfarothergrounds，andhewhowouldbeastudentmustfirstbestrongenoughtokilloutinhisheartallfeelingsofdislikeandantipathytoothers。HowmanyWesternersarereadyeventoattemptthisinearnest？
Andthenthedetailsofdailylife，thecommandnottotoucheventhehandofone’snearestanddearest。HowcontrarytoWesternnotionsofaffectionandgoodfeeling！Howcoldandharditseems。Egotisticaltoo，peoplewouldsay，toabstainfromgivingpleasuretoothersforthesakeofone’sowndevelopment。Well，letthosewhothinksodefer，tillanotherlifetime，theattempttoenterthepathinrealearnest。Butletthemnotgloryintheirownfanciedunselfishness。For，inreality，itisonlytheseemingappearanceswhichtheyallowtodeceivethem，theconventionalnotions，basedonemotionalismandgush，orso—calledcourtesy，thingsoftheunreallife，notthedictatesofTruth。
Butevenputtingasidethesedifficulties，whichmaybeconsidered"external，"
thoughtheirimportanceisnonethelessgreat，howarestudentsintheWestto"attunethemselves"toharmonyashererequiredofthem？SostronghaspersonalitygrowninEuropeandAmerica，thatthereisnoschoolofartistsevenwhosemembersdonothateandarenotjealousofeachother。
"Professional"hatredandenvyhavebecomeproverbial；menseekeachtobenefithimselfatallcosts，andeventheso—calledcourtesiesoflifearebutahollowmaskcoveringthesedemonsofhatredandjealousy。
IntheEastthespiritof"non—separateness"isinculcatedassteadilyfromchildhoodup，asintheWestthespiritofrivalry。Personalambition，personalfeelingsanddesires，arenotencouragedtogrowsorampantthere。
Whenthesoilisnaturallygood，itiscultivatedintherightway，andthechildgrowsintoamaninwhomthehabitofsubordinationofone’slowertoone’shigherSelfisstrongandpowerful。IntheWestmenthinkthattheirownlikesanddislikesofothermenandthingsareguidingprinciplesforthemtoactupon，evenwhentheydonotmakeofthemthelawoftheirlivesandseektoimposethemuponothers。
LetthosewhocomplainthattheyhavelearnedlittleintheTheosophicalSocietylaytoheartthewordswritteninanarticleinthePathforlastFebruary："Thekeyineachdegreeistheaspiranthimself。"Itisnot"thefearofGod"whichis"thebeginningofWisdom，"buttheknowledgeofSELFwhichisWISDOMITSELF。
Howgrandandtrueappears，thus，tothestudentofOccultismwhohascommencedtorealizesomeoftheforegoingtruths，theanswergivenbytheDelphicOracletoallwhocameseekingafterOccultWisdom——wordsrepeatedandenforcedagainandagainbythewiseSocrates：——MANKNOW
THYSELF……
————————
Chelashiphasnothingwhatevertodowithmeansofsubsistenceoranythingofthekind，foramancanisolatehismindentirelyfromhisbodyanditssurroundings。Chelashipisastateofmind，ratherthanalifeaccordingtohardandfastrulesonthephysicalplane。Thisappliesespeciallytotheearlier，probationaryperiod，whiletherulesgiveninLuciferforAprillastpertainproperlytoalaterstage，thatofactualocculttrainingandthedevelopmentofoccultpowersandinsight。Theserulesindicate，however，themodeoflifewhichoughttobefollowedbyallaspirantssofaraspracticable，sinceitisthemosthelpfultothemintheiraspirations。
ItshouldneverbeforgottenthatOccultismisconcernedwiththeinnermanwhomustbestrengthenedandfreedfromthedominionofthephysicalbodyanditssurroundings，whichmustbecomehisservants。HencethefirstandchiefnecessityofChelashipisaspiritofabsoluteunselfishnessanddevotiontoTruth；thenfollowself—knowledgeandself—mastery。Theseareall—important；whileoutwardobservanceoffixedrulesoflifeisamatterofsecondarymoment。——H。P。Blavatsky，LuciferIV，348n1。SoholyistheconnectionthusformeddeemedintheGreekChurch，thatamarriagebetweengod—parentsofthesamechildisregardedastheworstkindofincest，isconsideredillegalandisdissolvedbylaw；andthisabsoluteprohibitionextendseventothechildrenofoneofthesponsorsasregardsthoseoftheother。（returntotext）
2。Beitrememberedthatall"Chelas，"evenlaydisciples，arecalledUpasakauntilaftertheirfirstinitiation，whentheybecomelanoo—Upasaka。Tothatday，eventhosewhobelongtoLamaseriesandaresetapart，areconsideredas"laymen。"（returntotext）
StudiesinOccultismbyBlavatsky：OccultismvstheOccultArtsOccultismversustheOccultArtsIofthaveheard，butne’erbelievedtillnow，Thereare，whocanbypotentmagicspells，BendtotheircrookedpurposeNature’slaws。——MILTONInthismonth’s"Correspondence"severalletterstestifytothestrongimpressionproducedonsomemindsbyourlastmonth’sarticle"PracticalOccultism。"Suchlettersgofartoproveandstrengthentwologicalconclusions。（a）Therearemorewell—educatedandthoughtfulmenwhobelieveintheexistenceofOccultismandMagic（thetwodifferingvastly）thanthemodernmaterialistdreamsof；and——（b）Thatmostofthebelievers（comprisingmanytheosophists）
havenodefiniteideaofthenatureofOccultismandconfuseitwiththeOccultsciencesingeneral，the"Blackart"included。Theirrepresentationsofthepowersitconfersonuponman，andofthemeanstobeusedtoacquirethemareasvariedastheyarefanciful。Someimaginethatamasterintheart，toshowtheway，isallthatisneededtobecomeaZanoni。Others，thatonehasbuttocrosstheCanalofSuezandgotoIndiatobloomforthasRogerBaconorevenaCountSt。Germain。
ManytakefortheiridealMargravewithhisever—renewingyouth，andcarelittleforthesoulasthepricepaidforit。Notafew，mistaking"Witch—of—Endorism"
pureandsimple，forOccultism——"throughtheyawningEarthfromStygiangloom，callupthemeagerghosttowalksoflight，"andwant，onthestrengthofthisfeat，toberegardedasfull—blownAdepts。"CeremonialMagic"accordingtotherulesmockinglylaiddownbyEliphasLevi，isanotherimaginedalter—egoofthephilosophyoftheArhatsofold。Inshort，theprismsthroughwhichOccultismappears，tothoseinnocentofthephilosophy，areasmulticoloredandvariedashumanfancycanmakethem。
WillthesecandidatestoWisdomandPowerfeelveryindignantiftoldtheplaintruth？Itisnotonlyuseful，butithasnowbecomenecessarytodisabusemostofthemandbeforeitistoolate。Thistruthmaybesaidinafewwords：TherearenotintheWesthalf—a—dozenamongtheferventhundredswhocallthemselves"Occultists，"whohaveevenanapproximatelycorrectideaofthenatureoftheSciencetheyseektomaster。Withafewexceptions，theyareallonthehighwaytoSorcery。Letthemrestoresomeorderinthechaosthatreignsintheirminds，beforetheyprotestagainstthisstatement。LetthemfirstlearnthetruerelationinwhichtheOccultSciencesstandtoOccultism，andthedifferencebetweenthetwo，andthenfeelwrathfuliftheystillthinkthemselvesright。Meanwhile，letthemlearnthatOccultismdiffersfromMagicandothersecretSciencesastheglorioussundoesfromarush—light，astheimmutableandimmortalSpiritofMan——thereflectionoftheabsolute，causelessandunknowableALL
——differsfromthemortalclay——thehumanbody。
InourhighlycivilizedWest，wheremodernlanguageshavebeenformed，andwordscoined，inthewakeofideasandthoughts——ashappenedwitheverytongue——themorethelatterbecamematerializedinthecoldatmosphereofWesternselfishnessanditsincessantchaseafterthegoodsofthisworld，thelesswasthereanyneedfeltfortheproductionofnewtermstoexpressthatwhichwastacitlyregardedasabsoluteandexploded"superstition。"
Suchwordscouldansweronlytoideaswhichaculturedmanwasscarcelysupposedtoharborinhismind。"Magic，"asynonymforjugglery，"Sorcery，"
anequivalentforcrassignorance，and"Occultism，"thesorryrelicofcrack—brained，mediaevalFire—philosophers，oftheJacobBoehmesandtheSt。Martins，areexpressionsbelievedmorethanamplysufficienttocoverthewholefieldof"thimble—rigging。"Theyaretermsofcontempt，andusedgenerallyonlyinreferencetothedrossandresiduesofthedarkagesandtheprecedingaeonsofpaganism。ThereforehavewenotermsintheEnglishtonguetodefineandshadethedifferencebetweensuchabnormalpowers，orthesciencesthatleadtotheacquisitionofthem，withthenicetypossibleintheEasternlanguages——pre—eminentlytheSanskrit。
Whatdothewords"miracle"and"enchantment"（wordsidenticalinmeaningafterall，asbothexpresstheideaofproducingwonderfulthingsbybreakingthelawsofnature[！！]asexplainedbytheacceptedauthorities）conveytothemindsofthosewhohear，orpronouncethem？AChristian——breaking"ofthelawsofnature，"notwithstanding——whilebelievingfirmlyinthemiracles，becausesaidtohavebeenproducedbyGodthroughMoses，willeitherscouttheenchantmentsperformedbyPharaoh’smagicians，orattributethemtothedevil。ItisthelatterwhomourpiousenemiesconnectwithOccultism，whiletheirimpiousfoes，theinfidels，laughatMoses，MagiciansandOccultists，andwouldblushtogiveoneseriousthoughttosuch"superstitions。"This，becausethereisnoterminexistencetoshowthedifference；nowordstoexpressthelightsandshadowsanddrawthelineofdemarcationbetweenthesublimeandthetrue，theabsurdandtheridiculous。Thelatterarethetheologicalinterpretationswhichteachthe"breakingofthelawsofNature"byman，God，ordevil；theformer——thescientific"miracles"andenchantmentsofMosesandtheMagiciansinaccordancewithnaturallaws，bothhavingbeenlearnedinalltheWisdomoftheSanctuaries，whichwerethe"RoyalSocieties"ofthosedays——andintrueOCCULTISM。Thislastwordiscertainlymisleading，translatedasitstandsfromthecompoundwordGupta—Vidya，"SecretKnowledge。"Buttheknowledgeofwhat？SomeoftheSanskrittermsmayhelpus。
Therearefour（outofthemanyothers）namesofthevariouskindsofEsotericKnowledgeorSciencesgiven，evenintheexotericPuranas。Thereis（1）Yajna—Vidya，*knowledgeoftheoccultpowersawakenedinNaturebytheperformanceofcertainreligiousceremoniesandrites。（2）Mahavidya，the"greatknowledge，"themagicoftheKabalistsandtheTantrikaworship，oftenSorceryoftheworstdescription。（3）Guhya—Vidya，knowledgeofthemysticpowersresidinginSound（Ether），henceintheMantras（chantedprayersorincantations）anddependingontherhythmandmelodyused；inotherwords，amagicalperformancebasedonKnowledgeoftheforcesofNatureandtheircorrelation；and（4）ATMA—VIDYA，atermwhichistranslatedsimply"KnowledgeoftheSoul，"trueWisdombytheOrientalists，butwhichmeansfarmore。
ThislastistheonlykindofOccultismthatanytheosophistwhoadmires"LightonthePath，"andwhowouldbewiseandunselfish，oughttostriveafter。Alltherestissomebranchofthe"OccultSciences，"，i。e。
artsbasedontheknowledgeoftheultimateessenceofallthingsintheKingdomsofNature——suchasminerals，plantsandanimals——henceofthingspertainingtotherealmofmaterialnature，howeverinvisiblethatessencemaybe，andhowsoevermuchithashithertoeludedthegraspofScience。Alchemy，Astrology，OccultPhysiology，Chiromancy，existinNatureandtheexactSciences——perhapssocalled，becausetheyarefoundinthisageofparadoxicalphilosophiesthereverse——havealreadydiscoverednotafewofthesecretsoftheabovearts。Butclairvoyance，symbolizedinIndiaasthe"EyeofSiva，"calledinJapan，"InfiniteVision，"
isnotHypnotism，theillegitimatesonofMesmerism，andisnottobeacquiredbysucharts。Alltheothersmaybemasteredandresultsobtained，whethergood，bad，orindifferent；butAtma—Vidyasetssmallvalueonthem。Itincludesthemallandmayevenusethemoccasionally，butitdoessoafterpurifyingthemoftheirdross，forbeneficentpurposes，andtakingcaretodeprivethemofeveryelementofselfishmotive。Letusexplain：Anymanorwomancansethimselforherselftostudyoneoralloftheabovespecified"OccultArts"withoutanygreatpreviouspreparation，andevenwithoutadoptinganytoorestrainingmodeoflife。Onecouldevendispensewithanyloftystandardofmorality。Inthelastcase，ofcourse，tentoonethestudentwouldblossomintoaverydecentkindofsorcerer，andtumbledownheadlongintoblackmagic。Butwhatcanthismatter？TheVoodoosandDugpaseat，drinkandaremerryoverhecatombsofvictimsoftheirinfernalarts。Andsodotheamiablegentlemenvivisectionistsandthediplomaed"Hypnotizers"oftheFacultiesofMedicine；theonlydifferencebetweenthetwoclassesbeingthattheVoodoosandDugpasareconscious，andtheCharcott—Richetcrewunconscious，Sorcerers。
Thus，sincebothhavetoreapthefruitsoftheirlaborsandachievementsintheblackart，theWesternpractitionersshouldnothavethepunishmentandreputationwithouttheprofitsandenjoymentstheymaygettherefrom。
Forwesayitagain，hypnotismandvivisectionaspractisedinsuchschools，areSorcerypureandsimple，minusaknowledgethattheVoodoosandDugpasenjoy，andwhichnoCharcott—Richetcanprocureforhimselfinfiftyyearsofhardstudyandexperimentalobservation。
Letthenthosewhowilldabbleinmagic，whethertheyunderstanditsnatureornot，butwhofindtherulesimposeduponstudentstoohard，andwho，therefore，layAtma—VidyaorOccultismaside——gowithoutit。Letthembecomemagiciansbyallmeans，eventhoughtheydobecomeVoodoosandDugpasforthenexttenincarnations。
Buttheinterestofourreaderswillprobablycenteronthosewhoareinvinciblyattractedtowardsthe"Occult，"yetwhoneitherrealizethetruenatureofwhattheyaspiretowards，norhavetheybecomepassion—proof，farlesstrulyunselfish。
Howabouttheseunfortunates，weshallbeasked，whoarethusrentintwainbyconflictingforces？Forithasbeensaidtoooftentoneedrepetition，andthefactitselfispatenttoanyobserver，thatwhenoncethedesireforOccultismhasreallyawakenedinaman’sheart，thereremainsforhimnohopeofpeace，noplaceofrestandcomfortinalltheworld。Heisdrivenoutintothewildanddesolatespacesoflifebyanever—gnawingunresthecannotquell。HisheartistoofullofpassionandselfishdesiretopermithimtopasstheGoldenGate；hecannotfindrestorpeaceinordinarylife。Musthetheninevitablyfallintosorceryandblackmagic，andthroughmanyincarnationsheapupforhimselfaterribleKarma？Istherenootherroadforhim？
Indeedthereis，weanswer。Lethimaspiretonohigherthanhefeelsabletoaccomplish。Lethimnottakeaburdenuponhimselftooheavyforhimtocarry。Withouteverbecominga"Mahatma，"aBuddhaoraGreatSaint，lethimstudythephilosophyandthe"ScienceoftheSoul，"andhecanbecomeoneofthemodestbenefactorsofhumanity，withoutany"super—human"
powers。Siddhis（ortheArhatpowers）areonlyforthosewhoareableto"leadthelife，"tocomplywiththeterriblesacrificesrequiredforsuchatraining，andtocomplywiththemtotheveryletter。Letthemknowatonceandrememberalways，thattrueOccultismorTheosophyisthe"GreatRenunciationofSELF，"unconditionallyandabsolutely，inthoughtasinaction。ItisALTRUISM，anditthrowshimwhopracticesitoutofcalculationoftheranksofthelivingaltogether。"Notforhimself，butfortheworld，helives，"assoonashehaspledgedhimselftothework。Muchisforgivenduringthefirstyearsofprobation。But，nosoonerishe"accepted"thanhispersonalitymustdisappear，andhehastobecomeamerebeneficentforceinNature。Therearetwopolesforhimafterthat，twopaths，andnomidwardplaceofrest。Hehaseithertoascendlaboriously，stepbystep，oftenthroughnumerousincarnationsandnoDevachanicbreak，thegoldenladderleadingtoMahatmaship（theArhatorBodhisattvacondition），or——hewilllethimselfslidedowntheladderatthefirstfalsestep，androlldownintoDugpaship……
Allthisiseitherunknownorleftoutofsightaltogether。Indeed，onewhoisabletofollowthesilentevolutionofthepreliminaryaspirationsofthecandidates，oftenfindsstrangeideasquietlytakingpossessionoftheirminds。Therearethosewhosereasoningpowershavebeensodistortedbyforeigninfluencesthattheyimaginethatanimalpassionscanbesosublimatedandelevatedthattheirfury，force，andfirecan，sotospeak，beturnedinwards；thattheycanbestoredandshutupinone’sbreast，untiltheirenergyis，notexpended，butturnedtowardhigherandmoreholypurposes：namely，untiltheircollectiveandunexpendedstrengthenablestheirpossessortoenterthetrueSanctuaryoftheSoulandstandthereininthepresenceoftheMaster——theHIGHERSELF！
Forthispurposetheywillnotstrugglewiththeirpassionsnorslaythem。
Theywillsimply，byastrongeffortofwill，putdownthefierceflamesandkeepthematbaywithintheirnatures，allowingthefiretosmolderunderathinlayerofashes。TheysubmitjoyfullytothetortureoftheSpartanboywhoallowedthefoxtodevourhisentrailsratherthanpartwithit。Oh，poorblindvisionaries！
Aswellhopethatabandofdrunkenchimney—sweeps，hotandgreasyfromtheirwork，maybeshutupinaSanctuaryhungwithpurewhitelinen，andthatinsteadofsoilingandturningitbytheirpresenceintoaheapofdirtyshreds，theywillbecomemastersinandofthesacredrecess，andfinallyemergefromitasimmaculateasthatrecess。WhynotimaginethatadozenofskunksimprisonedinthepureatmosphereofaDgon—pa（amonastery）canissueoutofitimpregnatedwithalltheperfumesoftheincensesused？……Strangeaberrationofthehumanmind。Canitbeso？
Letusargue。
The"Master"intheSanctuaryofoursoulsis"theHigherSelf"——thedivinespiritwhoseconsciousnessisbaseduponandderivedsolely（atanyrateduringthemortallifeofthemaninwhomitiscaptive）fromtheMind，whichwehaveagreedtocalltheHumanSoul（the"SpiritualSoul"beingthevehicleoftheSpirit）。Initsturntheformer（thepersonalorhumansoul）isacompoundinitshighestform，ofspiritualaspirations，volitions，anddivinelove；andinitsloweraspects，ofanimaldesiresandterrestrialpassionsimpartedtoitbyitsassociationswithitsvehicle，theseatofallthese。Itthusstandsasalinkandamediumbetweentheanimalnatureofmanwhichitshigherreasonseekstosubdue，andhisdivinespiritualnaturetowhichitgravitates，wheneverithastheupperhandinitsstrugglewiththeinneranimal。Thelatteristheinstinctual"animalSoul"andisthehotbedofthosepassions，which，asjustshown，arelulledinsteadofbeingkilled，andlockedupintheirbreastsbysomeimprudententhusiasts。Dotheystillhopetoturntherebythemuddystreamoftheanimalsewerintothecrystallinewatersoflife？Andwhere，onwhatneutralgroundcantheybeimprisonedsoasnottoaffectman？Thefiercepassionsofloveandlustarestillaliveandtheyareallowedtostillremainintheplaceoftheirbirth——thatsameanimalsoul；
forboththehigherandthelowerportionsofthe"HumanSoul"orMindrejectsuchinmates，thoughtheycannotavoidbeingtaintedwiththemasneighbors。The"HigherSelf"orSpiritisasunabletoassimilatesuchfeelingsaswatertogetmixedwithoiloruncleanliquidtallow。Itisthusthemindalone，thesolelinkandmediumbetweenthemanofearthandtheHigherSelf——thatistheonlysufferer，andwhichisintheincessantdangerofbeingdraggeddownbythosepassionsthatmaybere—awakenedatanymoment，andperishintheabyssofmatter。AndhowcaniteverattuneitselftothedivineharmonyofthehighestPrinciple，whenthatharmonyisdestroyedbythemerepresence，withintheSanctuaryinpreparation，ofsuchanimalpassions？Howcanharmonyprevailandconquer，whenthesoulisstainedanddistractedwiththeturmoilofpassionsandtheterrestrialdesiresofthebodilysenses，orevenofthe"Astralman"？
Forthis"Astral"——theshadowy"double"（intheanimalasinman）
isnotthecompanionofthedivineEgobutoftheearthlybody。
ItisthelinkbetweenthepersonalSELF，thelowerconsciousnessofManasandtheBody，andisthevehicleoftransitory，notofimmortallife。
Liketheshadowprojectedbyman，itfollowsthemovementsandimpulsesslavishlyandmechanically，andleansthereforetomatterwithouteverascendingtoSpirit。Itisonlywhenthepowerofthepassionsisdeadaltogether，andwhentheyhavebeencrushedandannihilatedintheretortofanunflinchingwill；whennotonlyallthelustsandlongingsoftheflesharedead，butalsotherecognitionofthepersonalSelfiskilledoutandthe"astral"hasbeenreducedinconsequencetoacipher，thattheUnionwiththe"HigherSelf"cantakeplace。Thenwhenthe"Astral"
reflectsonlytheconqueredman，thestilllivingbutnomorethelonging，selfishpersonality，thenthebrilliantAugoeides，thedivineSELF，canvibrateinconsciousharmonywithboththepolesofthehumanEntity——themanofmatterpurified，andtheeverpureSpiritualSoul——andstandinthepresenceoftheMASTERSELF，theChristosofthemysticGnostic，blended，mergedinto，andonewithITforever。**
Howthencanitbethoughtpossibleforamantoenterthe"straightgate"ofoccultismwhenhisdailyandhourlythoughtsareboundupwithworldlythings，desiresofpossessionandpower，withlust，ambitionandduties，which，howeverhonorable，arestilloftheearthearthy？Eventheloveofwifeandfamily——thepurestasthemostunselfishofhumanaffections——isabarriertorealoccultism。Forwhetherwetakeasanexampletheholyloveofamotherforherchild，orthatofahusbandforhiswife，eveninthesefeelings，whenanalyzedtotheverybottom，andthoroughlysifted，thereisstillselfishnessinthefirst，andanegoismeadeuxinthesecondinstance。Whatmotherwouldnotsacrificewithoutamoment’shesitationhundredsandthousandsoflivesforthatofthechildofherheart？andwhatloverortruehusbandwouldnotbreakthehappinessofeveryothermanandwomanaroundhimtosatisfythedesireofonewhimheloves？Thisisbutnatural，weshallbetold。Quiteso；inthelightofthecodeofhumanaffections；lessso，inthatofdivineuniversallove。
For，whiletheheartisfullofthoughtsforalittlegroupofselves，nearanddeartous，howshalltherestofmankindfareinoursouls？Whatpercentageofloveandcarewillthereremaintobestowonthe"greatorphan"？
Andhowshallthe"stillsmallvoice"makeitselfheardinasoulentirelyoccupiedwithitsownprivilegedtenants？WhatroomisthereleftfortheseedsofHumanityenbloctoimpressthemselvesupon，orevenreceiveaspeedyresponse？Andyet，hewhowouldprofitbythewisdomoftheuniversalmind，hastoreachitthroughthewholeofHumanitywithoutdistinctionofrace，complexion，religionorsocialstatus。Itisaltruism，notego—ismeveninitsmostlegalandnobleconception，thatcanleadtheunittomergeitslittleSelfintheUniversalSelves。ItistotheseneedsandtothisworkthatthetruediscipleofOccultismhastodevotehimself，ifhewouldobtaintheo—sophy，divineWisdomandKnowledge。
TheaspiranthastochooseabsolutelybetweenthelifeoftheworldandthelifeofOccultism。Itisuselessandvaintoendeavortounitethetwo，fornoonecanservetwomastersandsatisfyboth。NoonecanservehisbodyandthehigherSoul，anddohisfamilydutyandhisuniversalduty，withoutdeprivingeitheroneortheotherofitsrights；forhewilleitherlendhiseartothe"stillsmallvoice"andfailtohearthecriesofhislittleones，or，hewilllistenbuttothewantsofthelatterandremaindeaftothevoiceofHumanity。Itwouldbeaceaseless，amaddeningstruggleforalmostanymarriedman，whowouldpursuetruepracticalOccultism，insteadofitstheoreticalphilosophy。ForhewouldfindhimselfeverhesitatingbetweenthevoiceoftheimpersonaldivineloveofHumanity，andthatofthepersonal，terrestriallove。Andthiscouldonlyleadhimtofailinoneortheother，orperhapsinbothhisduties。
Worsethanthis。For，whoeverindulgesafterhavingpledgedhimselftoOCCULTISMinthegratificationofaterrestrialloveorlust，mustfeelanalmostimmediateresult；thatofbeingirresistiblydraggedfromtheimpersonaldivinestatedowntothelowerplaneofmatter。Sensual，evenmentalself—gratification，involvestheimmediatelossofthepowersofspiritualdiscernment；thevoiceoftheMASTERcannolongerbedistinguishedfromthatofone’spassionsoreventhatofaDugpa；therightfromwrong；soundmoralityfrommerecasuistry。TheDeadSeafruitassumesthemostgloriousmysticappearance，onlytoturntoashesontheirlips，andtogallintheheartresultingin：——Deptheverdeepening，darknessdarkeningstill；
Follyforwisdom，guiltforinnocence；
Anguishforrapture，andforhopedespair。Andoncebeingmistakenandhavingactedontheirmistakes，mostmenshrinkfromrealizingtheirerror，andthusdescenddeeperanddeeperintothemire。And，althoughitistheintentionthatdecidesprimarilywhetherwhiteorblackmagicisexercised，yettheresultsevenofinvoluntary，unconscioussorcerycannotfailtobeproductiveofbadKarma。
Enoughhasbeensaidtoshowthatsorceryisanykindofevilinfluenceexerciseduponotherpersons，whosuffer，ormakeotherpersonstosuffer，inconsequence。KarmaisaheavystonesplashedinthequietwatersofLife；anditmustproduceeverwideningcirclesofripples，carriedwiderandwider，almostadinfinitum。Suchcausesproducedhavetocallfortheffects，andtheseareevidencedinthejustlawsofRetribution。
Muchofthismaybeavoidedifpeoplewillonlyabstainfromrushingintopracticesneitherthenaturenorimportanceofwhichtheyunderstand。
Nooneisexpectedtocarryaburdenbeyondhisstrengthandpowers。Thereare"natural—bornmagicians"；MysticandOccultistsbybirth，andbyrightofdirectinheritancefromaseriesofincarnationsandaeonsofsufferingandfailures。Thesearepassion—proof，sotosay。Nofiresofearthyorigincanfanintoaflameanyoftheirsenses；nohumanvoicecanfindresponseintheirsouls，exceptthegreatcryofHumanity。Theseonlymaybecertainofsuccess。Buttheycanbemetonlyfarandwide，andtheypassthroughthenarrowgatesofOccultismbecausetheycarrynopersonalluggageofhumantransitorysentimentsalongwiththem。Theyhavegotridofthefeelingsofthelowerpersonality，paralyzedtherebythe"astral"animal，andthegolden，butnarrowgateisthrownopenbeforethem。Notsowiththosewhohavetocarryyetforseveralincarnationstheburdenofsinscommittedinpreviouslives，andevenintheirpresentexistence。Forsuch，unlesstheyproceedwithgreatcaution，thegoldengateofWisdommaygettransformedintothewidegateandthebroadway"thatleadethuntodestruction，"andtherefore"manybetheythatenterinthereby。"ThisistheGateoftheOccultarts，practisedforselfishmotivesandintheabsenceoftherestrainingandbeneficentinfluenceofATMA—VIDYA。WeareintheKaliYugaanditsfatalinfluenceisathousandfoldmorepowerfulintheWestthanitisintheEast。；hencetheeasypreysmadebythePowersoftheAgeofDarknessinthiscyclicstruggle，andthemanydelusionsunderwhichtheworldisnowlaboring。Oneoftheseistherelativefacilitywithwhichmenfancytheycangetatthe"Gate"andcrossthethresholdofOccultismwithoutanygreatsacrifice。ItisthedreamofmostTheosophists，oneinspiredbydesireforPowerandpersonalselfishness，anditisnotsuchfeelingsthatcaneverleadthemtothecovetedgoal。For，aswellsaidbyonebelievedtohavesacrificedhimselfforHumanity——"narrowisthegateandstraitenedthewaythatleadethuntolife"eternal，andtherefore"fewbetheythatfindit。"Sostraightindeed，thatatthebarementionofsomeofthepreliminarydifficultiestheaffrightedWesterncandidatesturnbackandretreatwithashudder……
Letthemstophereandattemptnomoreintheirgreatweakness。Forif，whileturningtheirbacksonthenarrowgate，theyaredraggedbytheirdesirefortheOccultonestepinthedirectionofthebroadandmoreinvitingGatesofthatgoldenmysterywhichglittersinthelightofillusion，woetothem！ItcanleadonlytoDugpa—ship，andtheywillbesuretofindthemselvesverysoonlandedonthatViaFatale，overwhoseportalDantereadthewords：——
PermesivanellacittadolentePermesivanell’eternodolorePermesivatralaperdutagente……
FOOTNOTES：
*"TheYajna，"saytheBrahmans，"existsfrometernity，foritproceededforthfromtheSupremeOne……inwhomitlaydormantfrom’nobeginning。’ItisthekeytotheTRAIVIDYA，thethricesacredsciencecontainedintheRigverses，whichteachestheYajusorsacrificialmysteries。’TheYajna’existsasaninvisiblethingatalltime；itislikethelatentpowerofelectricityinanelectrifyingmachine，requiringonlytheoperationofasuitableapparatusinordertobeelicited。ItissupposedtoextendfromtheAhavaniyaorsacrificialfiretotheheavens，formingabridgeorladderbymeansofwhichthesacrificercancommunicatewiththeworldofgodsandspirits，andevenascendwhenalivetotheirabodes。"——MartinHaug’sAitareyaBrahmana。
"ThisYajnaisagainoneoftheformsoftheAkasa；andthemysticwordcallingitintoexistenceandpronouncedmentallybytheinitiatedPriestistheLostWordreceivingimpulsethroughWILL
POWER。"——IsisUnveiled，Vol。I。Introduction。SeeAitareyaBrahmana，Haug。（returntotext）
**ThosewhowouldfeelinclinedtoseethreeEgosinonemanwillshowthemselvesunabletoperceivethemetaphysicalmeaning。
ManisatrinitycomposedofBody，SoulandSpirit；butmanisneverthelessoneandissurelynothisbody。Itisthelatterwhichistheproperty，thetransitoryclothingoftheman。Thethree"Egos"areMANinhisthreeaspectsontheastral，intellectualorpsychic，andSpiritualplanes，orstates。（returntotext）
StudiesinOccultismbyBlavatsky："TheBlessingsofPublicity"TheBlessingsofPublicityAwell—knownpubliclecturer，adistinguishedEgyptologist，said，inoneofhislecturesagainsttheteachingsofTheosophy，afewsuggestivewords，whicharenowquotedandmustbeanswered："Itisadelusiontosupposethereisanythingintheexperienceorwisdomofthepast，theascertainedresultsofwhichcanonlybecommunicatedfrombeneaththecloakandmaskofmystery……ExplanationistheSoulofScience。Theywilltellyouwecannothavetheirknowledgewithoutlivingtheirlife……Publicexperimentalresearch，theprintingpress，andafree—thoughtplatform，haveabolishedtheneedofmystery。
Itisnolongernecessaryforsciencetotaketheveil，asshewasforcedtodoforsecurityintimespast……Thisisaverymistakenviewinoneaspect。"Secretsofthepurerandprofounderlife"notonlymaybutmustbemadeuniversallyknown。ButtherearesecretsthatkillinthearcanaofOccultism，andunlessamanlivesthelifehecannotbeentrustedwiththem。
ThelateProfessorFaradayhadveryseriousdoubtswhetheritwasquitewiseandreasonabletogiveouttothepublicatlargecertaindiscoveriesofmodernscience。Chemistryhadledtotheinventionoftooterriblemeansofdestructioninourcenturytoallowittofallintothehandsoftheprofane。Whatmanofsense——inthefaceofsuchfiendishapplicationsofdynamiteandotherexplosivesubstancesasaremadebythoseincarnationsoftheDestroyingPower，whogloryincallingthemselvesAnarchistsandSocialists——wouldnotagreewithusinsaying：——Farbetterformankindthatitshouldneverhaveblastedarockbymodernperfectedmeans，thanthatitshouldhaveshatteredthelimbsofonepercentevenofthosewhohavebeenthusdestroyedbythepitilesshandofRussianNihilists，IrishFeniansandAnarchists。Thatsuchdiscoveries，andchieflytheirmurderousapplication，oughttohavebeenwithheldfrompublicknowledgemaybeshownontheauthorityofstatisticsandcommissionsappointedtoinvestigateandrecordtheresultoftheevildone。Thefollowinginformationgatheredfrompublicpaperswillgiveaninsightintowhatmaybeinstoreforwretchedmankind。
Englandalone——thecenterofcivilization——has21，268firmsfabricatingandsellingexplosivesubstances。（1）
Butthecentersofthedynamitetrade，ofinfernalmachines，andothersuchresultsofmoderncivilization，arechieflyatPhiladelphiaandNewYork。Itisintheformercityof"BrotherlyLove"thatthenowmostfamousmanufacturerofexplosivesflourishes。Itisoneofthewell—knownrespectablecitizens——theinventorandmanufacturerofthemostmurderous"dynamitetoys"——who，calledbeforetheSenateoftheUnitedStatesanxioustoadoptmeansfortherepressionofatoofreetradeinsuchimplements，foundanargumentthatoughttobecomeimmortalizedforitscynicalsophistry：
"Mymachines，"thatexpertisreportedtohavesaid——"arequiteharmlesstolookat；astheymaybemanufacturedintheshapeoforanges，hats，boats，andanythingonelikes……Criminalishewhomurderspeoplebymeansofsuchmachines，nothewhomanufacturesthem。Thefirmrefusestoadmitthatweretherenosupplytherewouldbenoincentivefordemandonthemarket；butinsiststhateverydemandshouldbesatisfiedbyasupplyreadyathand。"
That"supply"isthefruitofcivilizationandofthepublicitygiventothediscoveryofeverymurderouspropertyinmatter。Whatisit？AsfoundintheReportoftheCommissionappointedtoinvestigatethevarietyandcharacteroftheso—called"infernalmachines，"sofarthefollowingimplementsofinstantaneoushumandestructionarealreadyonhand。ThemostfashionableofallamongthemanyvarietiesfabricatedbyMr。Holgate，arethe"Ticker，"the"EightDayMachine，"the"LittleExterminator，"andthe"BottleMachine。"The"Ticker"isinappearancelikeapieceoflead，afootlongandfourinchesthick。Itcontainsanironorsteeltube，fullofakindofgunpowderinventedbyHolgatehimself。Thatgunpowder，inappearancelikeanyothercommonstuffofthatname，has，however，anexplosivepowertwohundredtimesstrongerthancommongunpowder；the"Ticker"containingthusapowderwhichequalsinforcetwohundredpoundsofthecommongunpowder。
Atoneendofthemachineisfastenedaninvisibleclock—workmeanttoregulatethetimeoftheexplosion，whichtimemaybefixedfromoneminutetothirty—sixhours。Thesparkisproducedbymeansofasteelneedlewhichgivesasparkatthetouch—hole，andcommunicatestherebythefiretothewholemachine。
The"EightDayMachine"isconsideredthemostpowerful，butatthesametimethemostcomplicated，ofallthoseinvented。Onemustbefamiliarwithhandlingitbeforeafullsuccesscanbesecured。ItisowingtothisdifficultythattheterriblefateintendedforLondonBridgeanditsneighborhoodwasturnedasidebytheinstantaneouskillinginsteadofthetwoFeniancriminals。Thesizeandappearanceofthatmachinechanges，Proteus—like，accordingtothenecessityofsmugglingitin，inoneoranotherway，unperceivedbythevictims。Itmaybeconcealedinbread，inabasketoforanges，inaliquid，andsoon。TheCommissionofExpertsissaidtohavedeclaredthatitsexplosivepowerissuchastoreducetoatomsinstantlythelargestedificeintheworld。
The"LittleExterminator"isaninnocent—lookingplainutensilhavingtheshapeofamodestjug。Itcontainsneitherdynamitenorpowder，butsecretes，nevertheless，adeadlygas，andhasahardlyperceptibleclock—workattachedtoitsedge，theneedleofwhichpointstothetimewhenthatgaswilleffectitsescape。Inashut—uproomthisnew"vril"oflethalkind，willsmothertodeath，nearlyinstantaneously，everylivingbeingwithinadistanceofahundredfeet，theradiusofthemurderousjug。Withthesethree"latestnovelties"inthehighseasonofChristiancivilization，thecatalogueofthedynamitersisclosed；alltherestbelongstotheold"fashion"ofthepastyears。Itconsistsofhats，portecigars，bottlesofordinarykind，andevenladies’smellingbottles，filledwithdynamite，nitro—glycerine，etc。，etc。——weapons，someofwhich，followingunconsciouslyKarmiclaw，killedmanyofthedynamitersinthelastChicagorevolution。Addtothistheforthcominglong—promisedKeely’svibratoryforce，capableofreducinginafewsecondsadeadbullocktoaheapofashes，andthenaskyourselfiftheInfernoofDanteasalocalitycaneverrivalearthintheproductionofmorehellishenginesofdestruction！
Thus，ifpurelymaterialimplementsarecapableofblowingup，fromafewcorners，thegreatestcitiesoftheglobe，providedthemurderousweaponsareguidedbyexperthands——whatterribledangersmightnotarisefrommagicaloccultsecretsbeingrevealed，andallowedtofallintothepossessionofill—meaningpersons！Athousandtimesmoredangerousandlethalarethese，becauseneitherthecriminalhand，northeimmaterial，invisibleweaponused，caneverbedetected。
Thecongenitalblackmagicians——thosewho，toaninnatepropensitytowardsevil，unitehighly—developedmediumisticnatures——arebuttoonumerousinourage。Itisnightimethenthatpsychologistsandbelievers，atleast，shouldceaseadvocatingthebeautiesofpublicityandclaimingknowledgeofthesecretsofnatureforall。Itisnotinourageof"suggestion"
and"explosives"thatOccultismcanopenwidethedoorsofitslaboratoriesexcepttothosewhodolivethelife。
1。Nitro—glycerinehasfounditswayevenintomedicalcompounds。PhysiciansanddruggistsarevyingwiththeAnarchistsintheirendeavorstodestroythesurplusofmankind。Thefamouschocolatetabletsagainstdyspepsiaaresaidtocontainnitro—glycerine！Theymaysave，buttheycankillstillmoreeasily。（returntotext）
Theosophyarticle："Hypnotism，andItsRelationstoOtherModesofFascination"byBlavatskyHypnotism，andItsRelationstoOtherModesofFascinationWeareaskedby"H。C。"andotherFellows，toanswertheseveralquerieshereafterpropounded。Wedoso，butwithareservation：ourrepliesmustbemadefromthestandpointofOccultismalone，noconsiderationbeinggiventosuchhypothesesofmodern（anothernamefor"materialistic"）Science，asmayclashwithesotericteachings。
Q。WhatisHypnotism：howdoesitdifferfromAnimalMagnetism（orMesmerism）？
ANS。Hypnotismisthenewscientificnamefortheoldignorant"superstition"variouslycalled"fascination"and"enchantment。"Itisanantiquatedlietransformedintoamoderntruth。Thefactisthere，butthescientificexplanationofitisstillwanting。BysomeitisbelievedthatHypnotismistheresultofanirritationartificiallyproducedontheperipheryofthenerves；thatthisirritationreactingupon，passesintothecellsofthebrain—substance，causingbyexhaustionaconditionwhichisbutanothermodeofsleep（hypnosis，orhupnos）；byothersthatitissimplyaself—inducedstupor，producedchieflybyimagination，etc。，etc。ItdiffersfromanimalmagnetismwherethehypnoticconditionisproducedbytheBraidmethod，whichisapurelymechanicalone，i。e。，thefixingoftheeyesonsomebrightspot，ametaloracrystal。Itbecomes"animalmagnetism"（ormesmerism），whenitisachievedby"mesmeric"passesonthepatient，andforthesereasons。Whenthefirstmethodisused，noelectro—psychic，orevenelectro—physicalcurrentsareatwork，butsimplythemechanical，molecularvibrationsofthemetalorcrystalgazedatbythesubject。Itistheeye——themostoccultorganofall，onthesuperficiesofourbody——which，byservingasamediumbetweenthatbitofmetalorcrystalandthebrain，attunesthemolecularvibrationsofthenervouscentersofthelatterintounison（i。e。，equalityinthenumberoftheirrespectiveoscillations）withthevibrationsofthebrightobjectheld。And，itisthisunisonwhichproducesthehypnoticstate。Butinthesecondcase，therightnameforhypnotismwouldcertainlybe"animalmagnetism"orthatsomuchderidedterm"mesmerism。"
For，inthehypnotizationbypreliminarypasses，itisthehumanwill——
whetherconsciousorotherwise——oftheoperatorhimself，thatactsuponthenervoussystemofthepatient。Anditisagainthroughthevibrations——onlyatomic，notmolecular——producedbythatactofenergycalledWILLintheetherofspace（therefore，onquiteadifferentplane）thatthesuper—hypnoticstate（i。e。，"suggestion，"
etc。）isinduced。Forthosewhichwecall"will—vibrations"andtheiraura，areabsolutelydistinctfromthevibrationsproducedbythesimplymechanicalmolecularmotion，thetwoactingontwoseparatedegreesofthecosmo—terrestrialplanes。Here，ofcourse，aclearrealizationofthatwhichismeantbywillinOccultSciences，isnecessary。
Q。Inboth（hypnotismandanimalmagnetism）thereisanactofwillintheoperator，atransitofsomethingfromhimtohispatient，aneffectuponthepatient。Whatisthe"something"transmittedinbothcases？
ANS。ThatwhichistransmittedhasnonameinEuropeanlanguages，andifwesimplydescribeitaswill，itlosesallitsmeaning。
Theoldandverymuchtabooedwords，"enchantment，""fascination，""glamour，"
and"spell，"andespeciallytheverb"tobewitch，"expressedfarmoresuggestivelytherealactionthattookplaceduringtheprocessofsuchatransmission，thanthemodernandmeaninglessterms，"psychologize"and"biologize。"
Occultismcallstheforcetransmitted，the"auricfluid，"todistinguishitfromthe"auriclight"；the"fluid"beingacorrelationofatomsonahigherplane，andadescenttothislowerone，intheshapeofimpalpableandinvisibleplasticSubstances，generatedanddirectedbythepotentialWill；the"auriclight，"orthatwhichReichenbachcallsOd，alightthatsurroundseveryanimateandinanimateobjectinnature，is，ontheotherhand，buttheastralreflectionemanatingfromobjects；itsparticularcolorandcolors，thecombinationsandvarietiesofthelatter，denotingthestateofthegunas，orqualitiesandcharacteristicsofeachspecialobjectandsubject——thehumanbeing’saurabeingthestrongestofall。
Q。Whatistherationaleof"Vampirism"？
ANS。Ifbythiswordismeanttheinvoluntarytransmissionofaportionofone’svitality，orlife—essence，byakindofoccultosmosisfromonepersontoanother——thelatterbeingendowed，orafflictedrather，withsuchvampirizingfaculty，then，theactcanbecomecomprehensibleonlywhenwestudywellthenatureandessenceofthesemi—substantial"auricfluid"spokenofjustnow。Likeeveryotheroccultform[force？]
inNature，thisend—andexosmosicprocessmaybemadebeneficentormaleficent，eitherunconsciouslyoratwill。Whenahealthyoperatormesmerizesapatientwithadetermineddesiretorelieveandcurehim，theexhaustionfeltbytheformerisproportionatetothereliefgiven：
aprocessofendosmosehastakenplace，thehealerhavingpartedwithaportionofhisvitalauratobenefitthesickman。Vampirism，ontheotherhand，isablindandmechanicalprocess，generallyproducedwithouttheknowledgeofeithertheabsorber，orthevampirizedparty。Itisconsciousorunconsciousblackmagic，asthecasemaybe。Forinthecaseoftrainedadeptsandsorcerers，theprocessisproducedconsciouslyandwiththeguidanceoftheWill。Inbothcasestheagentoftransmissionisamagneticandattractivefaculty，terrestrialandphysiologicalinitsresults，yetgeneratedandproducedonthefour—dimensionalplane——
therealmofatoms。
Q。Underwhatcircumstancesishypnotism"blackmagic"？
ANS。Underthosejustdiscussed，buttocoverthesubjectfully，evenbygivingafewinstances，demandsmorespacethanwecansparefortheseanswers。Sufficienttosaythatwheneverthemotivewhichactuatestheoperatorisselfish，ordetrimentaltoanylivingbeingorbeings，allsuchactsareclassedbyusasblackmagic。Thehealthyvitalfluidimpartedbythephysicianwhomesmerizeshispatient，cananddoescure；
buttoomuchofitwillkill。