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。
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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。
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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……
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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。