,,the ,,story      ,,of      ,,anna     
,,kingsford ,,and     ,,edward          
,,maitland      ,,and ,,of      ,,the   
,,new ,,gospel ,,of     ,,interpretation
      ,,by      ,,edward ,,maitland4    
,,edited ,,by ,,samuel ,,hopgood ,,hart4
       ,the days of the ,covenant of    
,manifestation are passing away2        
,the ,gospel of ,interpretation cometh4 
,there shall nothing new be told2 but   
that which is ancient     shall be      
interpreted4             99       99    
99       99       99      ,now is the   
,gospel of ,interpretation come1 and the
 kingdom     of the ,mother of          
,god4--,c4,w4,s41 ,part ,i4 ,no4 ii4    
7part #b7 #aj4 #aa4     and ,part ,,ii4 
,no4 xiii4 #ca4      ,,third ,,and      
,,enlarged ,,edition4      ,,price      
,,three ,,shillings ,,and ,,sixpence4   
,,birmingham3     ,,the ,,ruskin        
,,press1 ,,stafford ,,street4     #aije4
         #ast ,edition 444 ,christmas1  
#ahic4     #bnd ,edition 444 ,christmas1
 #ahid4     #crd ,edition 444           

,christmas1 #aije4     ,,preface  ,,to  
,,the ,,first ,,and ,,second ,,editions4
   ,this book is designed 7#a7 in       
satisfaction of the widely-expressed    
desire for a more particular account    
than has yet been rendered concerning   
the genesis of the writings claiming to 
constitute a ,new ,gospel of            
,interpretation2 and 7#b7 in fulfilment 
of the duty incumbent on me as the      
survivor of the two recipients of such  
,gospel to spare no means which may     
minister to its recognition and         
acceptance by the world1 for whose      
benefit it has been vouchsafed4         
,although largely biographical in       
character1 this book is not a history of
 individuals1 but of a ,work1 and       
involves only such personal references  
as are necessary to such history4 ,it is
 not1 however1 a full or a final account
 that is contained in it4 ,such an      
account can be given only in the form of
 the regular biography which is in      
course of preparation4 ,this book is an 

instalment only of that biography1 being
 put forth in advance of it1 partly1 as 
said above1 to meet a present need1 and 
partly1 to prevent a total loss of the  
record in the event of my failure to    
complete it--a contingency of which1 in 
view of the magnitude of the task and my
 advanced age1 ,i am bound to take      
account4      ,e4,m4     ,,preface  ,,to
 ,,the ,,third ,,edition4   ,since the  
publication in #ahic of this book which1
 as stated in ,chapter ,,vii41 was      
intended but as an epitome and          
instalment of a far larger book then in 
course of preparation1 the full and     
final account of the ,new ,gospel of    
,interpretation has been given to the   
world4 ,in #ahif ,edward ,maitland      
published his magnum opus1 ,the ,life of
 ,anna ,kingsford1 in two large volumes 
of #dbj pages1 illustrated with         
portraits1 views1 and facsimiles4 ,this 
is1 and will always be1 the biography   
par excellence of ,anna ,kingsford and  
,edward ,maitland1 and it is absolutely 

indispensable for those who would know  
all that there is to be known of them   
and their work and of the ,new ,gospel  
of ,interpretation4 ,as that book1      
however1 on account of its great length1
 must always be a costly book1 and      
therefore beyond the means of many who  
would like to have some reliable        
information concerning ,anna ,kingsford 
and ,edward ,maitland and their work1   
and as there are many who1 on account of
 their time for reading being limited or
 their inclination to read being little1
 require information within the compass 
of a small book or go without it        
altogether1 there will1 notwithstanding 
the publication of the ,life of ,anna   
,kingsford1 be a demand for this shorter
 ,story1 which is so admirably suited to
 meet the needs or requirements of these
 classes of persons2 for1 be it noted1  
the publication of ,the ,life of ,anna  
,kingsford has not in any way           
depreciated the value of this book in   
this sense that1 having been written by 

one of the two recipients of the ,new   
,gospel of ,interpretation1 it is a     
first authority second to none for the  
statements therein contained4  ,the     
change in the title of the book from    
,the ,story of the ,new ,gospel of      
,interpretation to the present title    
calls for some explanation and          
justification1 because the former title 
was an excellent one in many respects1  
and the book has become known to many by
 that title4 ,the ,gospel of            
,interpretation is the name or          
description which was given by its      
,divine ,inspirers1 the ,hierarchy of   
the ,spheres ,celestial1 to the work of 
which this book tells the story1 in     
token of its relation to the previous   
,gospel of ,manifestation4 ,the former  
title implied1 as the ,author pointed   
out in his preface1 that that which this
 book propounded was not really a new   
,gospel1 but one of ,interpretation     
only2 and this is not really new1 but1  
as the ,author has also pointed out1 so 

old as to have become forgotten and     
lost1 being the purely spiritual sense1 
as discerned from the purely spiritual  
standpoint originally intended and      
insisted on by ,scripture itself as its 
true sense and standpoint1 and those    
which alone render ,scripture           
intelligible#a4 ,but notwithstanding    
this1 and notwithstanding that on the   
front page it was expressly stated that 
,there shall nothing new be told2 but   
that which is ancient shall be          
interpreted1 the former title failed to 
convey to the minds of some the meaning 
that it was intended to convey1 and it  
gave no indication of the biographical  
nature of the work4 ,many who otherwise 
would have read the book refrained from 
doing so because they thought that a new
 ,gospel1 inconsistent with and perhaps 
opposed to if not intended to supersede 
the old ,gospel1 was propounded4 ,it is 
necessary1 therefore1 for me to state1  
if possible more explicitly than it was 
stated in the previous editions of this 

book1 that this is not an attempt to    
create a new ,gospel differing from that
 of ,jesus ,christ#b4 ,anna ,kingsford's
 and ,edward ,maitland's mission and aim
 was to interpret the ,christ1 not to   
rival or supersede ,him4 ,the ,new      
,gospel is1 first and foremost1         
interpretative1 and is destructive only 
in the sense of reconstructive4 ,it     
tells nothing new2 it simply restores   
and reinforces the old1 even the        
,gnosis1 which1 as the doctrine of the  
,church unfallen1 is that also of the   
,church fallen1 though the latter has   
lost the key to its interpretation#c4   
,nor is the teaching represented by this
 book opposed to the existence of an    
objective ,church4 ,anna ,kingsford and 
,edward ,maitland fully recognised the  
necessity of such an organisation for   
the formulation1 propagation1 and       
exposition of religion4 ,their          
opposition was only to the recognition  
by the ,church of the objective1        
historical1 and materialistic aspect of 

religion1 to the exclusion of that which
 really constitutes religion1 namely1   
its subjective1 spiritual1 and          
substantial aspect1 wherein alone it    
appeals to the mind and soul1 and is    
efficacious for redemption4 ,the aim of 
the ,new ,gospel is defined exactly1    
said ,edward ,maitland1 in the following
 citation from ,st4 ,dionysius the      
,areopagite 'not to destroy1 but to     
construct2 or1 rather1 to destroy by    
construction2 to conquer error by the   
full presentment of truth4' ,as will be 
obvious1 such a design does not         
necessarily involve the destruction of  
anything that exists whether of symbol  
or ritual1 or ecclesiastical            
organisation1 but only their            
regeneration by means of their          
translation into their spiritual and    
divinely intended sense4 ,and it is     
precisely because that sense has been   
lost--as declared in ,scripture it had  
long been1 and would yet long be1       
lost--that a new ',gospel of            

,interpretation' has been vouchsafed in 
fulfilment of the promises in ,scripture
 to that effect2 and this from the      
source of the original ,divine          
revelation1 namely1 the ,church         
,celestial1 and by the method which     
always was that of such revelation1     
namely1 the intuition operating under   
special illumination4444 ,even the      
priest1 though hitherto deservedly      
regarded as the 'enemy of man1' will not
 be destroyed under the new regime whose
 inauguration we are witnessing4 ,for in
 becoming interpreter as well as        
administrator1 he will be prophet as    
well as priest1 and speak out the things
 of ,god and the soul instead of        
concealing them under a veil4 ,so will  
the 'veil be taken away1' and ,cain1 the
 priest1 instead of killing ,abel1 the  
prophet1 as hitherto1 will unite with   
him1 becoming prophet and priest in one4
 ,and instead of any longer corrupting  
the 'woman' ,intuition1 and suppressing 
the 'man' ,intellect1 he will purify and

 exalt her1 and enable her to fulfil her
 proper function as 'the ,mother of     
,god' in man1 and will recognise the    
intellect1 when duly conjoined with her1
 as the heir of all things4 ,thus1      
becoming interpreter as well as         
administrator1 prophet as well as       
priest1 and recognising interpretation  
as the corollary of the understanding1  
the prophet-priest of the regeneration  
will give to men freely of the waters of
 life1 that only true bread of ,heaven1 
which is the food of the understanding1 
instead of the indigestible 'stones' and
 poisonous 'serpents' of doctrines1 the 
profession of which1 by divorcing assent
 from conviction1 involves that moral   
and intellectual suicide1 to induce     
others to join him in committing which  
,cardinal ,newman wrote his ',grammar of
 ,assent1' ,true it is 'faith that      
saves1' but the faith that is without   
understanding is not faith1 but         
credulity#d4 ,it is for the             
above-mentioned reasons that the title  

of this book has been changed4 ,the     
title must be subservient to the book1  
and it is hoped that1 the change having 
been made1 there will not be any further
 misunderstanding--even on the part of  
those who are most superficial--as to   
the nature and object of ,the ,story of 
the ,new ,gospel of ,interpretation4    
,edward ,maitland did not long survive  
the completion of the great task that he
 undertook when he set himself to write 
a full account of his life and that of  
his colleague4 ,he retained his full    
mental vigour until the publication of  
,the ,life of ,anna ,kingsford2 but     
after that he rapidly declined1 and on  
the #bnd ,october1 #ahig1 at the close  
of his seventy-third year1 a little over
 nine years after the death of ,anna    
,kingsford#e1 he passed away peacefully 
at ,the ,warders at ,tonbridge1 the home
 7at that time7 of his friends ,colonel 
and ,mrs4 ,currie1 with whom1 and under 
whose loving care1 he spent the last few
 months of his life--a life concerning  

which1 as also that of ,anna ,kingsford1
 ,i will not say anything here1 for this
 book will testify4 ,blessed are the    
souls whom the just commemorate before  
,god4         99       99       99      
99       99  ,many who read these pages 
will not rest until they know more of   
those great prophets the story of whose 
lives is here told1 and of the ,divine  
,gnosis that it was their high mission  
to proclaim4 ,i have indicated whence   
they can obtain this information4 ,this 
,story1 interesting as it is and much as
 there is in it1 is little more than an 
indication of some of the facts that are
 fully stated and dealt with in ,the    
,life of ,anna ,kingsford1 and there is 
much of importance that 7as it could not
 possibly receive proper treatment in a 
book of this size7 was passed over here 
to be related in the larger biography4  
,i have not thought it expedient to     
alter the character of or to add much to
 this book1 but ,i have enlarged it by  
incorporating therein1 from ,the ,life  

of ,anna ,kingsford1 some additional    
matter which is of interest1 and which  
should add to the value of the book4    
,the most important additions are the   
account of ,anna ,kingsford's vision of 
,the ,doomed ,train1 on p4p4 #dc-dg2 the
 account of ,anna ,kingsford's vision of
 ,adonai1 on pp4 #fd-fh2 the            
,exhortation of ,hermes to his          
,neophytes1 on pp4 #aaj-aab2 the verses 
,concerning the ,passage of the ,soul1  
on pp4 #afi-agj2 and the illumination of
 ,anna ,kingsford concerning the ,work  
of ,power1 on pp4 #ahj-aha4 ,i have also
 amplified the text in some places when1
 on comparing it with corresponding     
passages in ,the ,life of ,anna         
,kingsford1 ,i found that ,i could do so
 with advantage4 ,these amplifications  
are not otherwise noted4 ,finally1 ,i   
have added some notes where ,i thought  
that further explanation was desirable  
or would prove acceptable4      ,,saml4 
,,hopgood ,,hart4      ,croydon1        
,december1 #aije4  ,,footnotes3  #a     

,e4,m4 ,letter in ,light of #bith       
,august1 #ahia4  #b ,see further as to  
this1 an article by ,a4,k4 and ,e4,m4 in
 ,light of #bcrd ,september1 #ahhb1     
reprinted in ,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 p4
 #gg4  #c ,e4,m4 ,letter in ,light of   
#bbnd ,july1 #ahic4  #d ,e4,m4 ,letter  
in ,light of #agth ,december1 #ahib4  #e
 ,a4,k4 died on the #bbnd ,february1    
#ahhh     ,,introduction4   ,there are  
certain introductory remarks which1 in  
view of the prevailing tendency to      
reject prior to examination whatever    
conflicts with strongly cherished       
preconceptions--as anything purporting  
to be a new ,gospel is undoubtedly      
calculated to do--may be made with      
advantage4 ,those remarks are as        
follows3--  7#a7 ,as its title          
implies#f1 that which is propounded is  
not really a new ,gospel1 but one of    
,interpretation only1 which is precisely
 what is admitted by all serious and    
thoughtful persons to be the supreme    
need of the times4 ,it was said1 for    

instance1 by the late ,matthew ,arnold1 
,at the present moment there are two    
things about the ,christian religion    
which must be obvious to every          
percipient person3 one1 that men cannot 
do without it2 the other1 that they     
cannot do with it as it is4  7#b7 ,as   
also its title implies#f nothing new is 
told in it1 but that only which is old  
is interpreted2 and the appeal on its   
behalf is not to authority1 whether of  
,book1 ,tradition1 or ,institution1 but 
to the ,understanding--a quality which  
accords not only with the spirit of the 
times1 but also--as shewn herein--with  
that of religion itself1 properly so    
called4  7#c7 ,scripture manifestly     
comprises two conflicting systems of    
doctrine and practice1 having for their 
representatives respectively the priest 
and the prophet1 one only of which      
systems1 and this the system reprobated 
in ,scripture itself1 has hitherto      
obtained recognition from ,christendom4 
,it is the purpose of the ,new ,gospel  

of ,interpretation to expound the system
 represented by the prophet and approved
 in ,scripture1 with a view to replacing
 the other4  7#d7 ,for those who attach 
value to the prophecies contained in the
 ,bible1 so far from there being an a   
priori improbability against the        
delivery of a new revelation in         
interpretation1 confirmation1 or        
completion of the former revelation1 and
 in correction of the false presentment 
of it1 the probability ought to be all  
in favour of such an event4 ,this is    
because ,scripture abounds in           
predictions of a restoration both of    
faculty and of knowledge1 as to take    
place at the present time and under the 
existing conditions of ,church and      
,world2 and this of such kind as shall  
constitute a second and spiritual       
manifestation of the ,christ in         
rectification of the perversion of the  
import of ,his first and personal       
manifestation1 and in arrest of the     
great ,apostacy1 not only from the true 

faith of ,christ but from religion      
itself1 of which that perversion has    
been the cause4  7#e7 ,so far from the  
idea of a new revelation which shall    
have for its end the disclosure1 as the 
true sense of ,scripture and ,dogma1 of 
a sense differing so widely from that   
hitherto accepted as to be virtually    
destructive of it1--so far from this    
idea being universally repugnant to     
orthodox ecclesiastics1 it has found    
warm recognition from one of the        
foremost of modern churchmen4 ,this is  
the late ,cardinal ,newman4  ,said ,dr  
,newman in his ,apologia pro vita sua1  
speaking of his earlier days1 ,the broad
 philosophy of ,clement and ,origen     
carried me away2 the philosophy1 not the
 theological doctrine4444 ,some portions
 of their teaching1 magnificent in      
themselves1 came like music to my inward
 ear1 as if the response to ideas1      
which1 with little external to encourage
 them1 ,i had cherished so long4 ,these 
were based on the mystical or           

sacramental principle1 and spoke of the 
various ,economies or ,dispensations of 
the ,eternal4 ,i understood these       
passages to mean that the exterior      
world1 physical and historical1 was but 
the manifestation to our senses of      
realities greater than itself4 ,nature  
was a parable3 ,scripture was an        
allegory34444 ,the process of change had
 been slow2 it had been done not rashly1
 but by rule and measure1 'at sundry    
times and in divers manners1' first one 
disclosure and then another1 till the   
whole evangelical doctrine was brought  
into full manifestation4 ,and thus room 
was made for the anticipation of further
 and deeper disclosures of truths still 
under the veil of the letter1 and in    
their season to be revealed4 ,the       
visible world still remains without its 
divine interpretation3 ,holy ,church in 
her sacraments and her hierarchical     
appointments1 will remain1 even to the  
end of the world1 after all but a symbol
 of those heavenly facts which fill     

eternity4 ,her mysteries are but the    
expressions1 in human language1 of      
truths to which the human mind is       
unequal#g4  ,dr ,newman is credited also
 with the remark1 made on visiting ,rome
 for his investiture1 that he saw no    
hope for religion save in a new         
revelation4  ,these are utterances the  
value of which is in no way diminished  
by the fact that their utterer failed to
 bring his own life into accordance with
 them4 ,he could write1 indeed1 the hymn
 ,lead1 kindly light2 but when the      
kindly light was vouchsafed him of those
 suggestions of a system of thought     
concealed within the ,christian         
,symbology1 magnificent in themselves   
and making music to his inward ear1     
which he found in the patristic         
writings2 instead of following that     
lead1 and striving to exhume the        
treasures of divine truth thus buried   
and hidden from sight1 for the salvation
 of a world perishing for want of       
them1--he turned his back upon it1      

and--entering the ,church of            
,rome--wrote his ,grammar of ,assent1   
calling upon others to follow him in    
committing the suicide1 intellectual and
 moral1 of renouncing the understanding 
and divorcing profession from           
conviction4  ,this was a catastrophe the
 explanation of which is not far to     
seek4 ,dr ,newman had in him the        
elements which go to make both priest   
and prophet4 ,but the former proved the 
stronger2 and the ,cain1 the priest in  
him1 suppressed the ,abel1 the prophet  
in him4 ,thus was he a type of the      
,church as hitherto she has been4 ,but1 
happily1 not as henceforth she will be4 
,for now is the ,gospel of              
,interpretation come1 and the kingdom of
 the ,mother of ,god1 even the ,woman1  
,intuition1--the mind's feminine mode1  
wherein it represents the perceptions   
and recollections of the ,soul--who is  
ever ,mother of ,god in man1 and whose  
sons the prophets ever are1 the greatest
 of them being called emphatically1 for 

the fulness and purity of his intuition1
 the ,son of the ,woman and she a       
virgin4      ,e4,m4  ,,footnotes3  #f   
,the original title of this book was    
,the ,story of the ,new ,gospel of      
,interpretation4 ,see preface to the    
present edition4 ,s4,h4,h4  #g ,apologia
 pro vita sua1 by ,j4 ,h4 ,newman4 ,new 
edition of #ahic1 pp4 #bf1 #bg4         
,,frontispieces4        ,i4--,,portrait 
,,of ,,dr4 ,,anna ,,kingsford4          
,born1 ,sep4 #afth1 #ahdf2 ,died1 ,feb4 
#bbnd1 #ahhh4      ,,ii4--,,portrait    
,,of ,,edward ,,maitland 7,b4,a41       
,cantab74     ,born1 ,oct4 #bgth1 #ahbd2
 ,died1 ,oct1 #bnd1 #ahig4  ,,table ,,of
 ,,contents4                            
,,page      ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,first
 ,,and ,,second ,,editions              
v4      ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,third    
,,edition                               
vii4-xiii4      ,,introduction          
xv4-xix4      ,,table ,,of ,,contents   
xx4-xxii4      ,,abbreviations          
xxiii4       ,,chapter ,i4      ,,the   

,,vocation4      ,the                   
,instruments--,their early lives--,their
 consciousness of a special             
mission1 and intimations of a           
call--,their training in respect of     
circumstance1 character1 and faculty1   
until brought together       for their  
,joint work4                            
#a-cf       ,,chapter ,,ii4      ,,the  
,,initiation4      ,a baptism of the    
,spirit--,at last ,i have found a man   
through whom       ,i can               
speak6--,intimation of the nature and   
aim of their work--,the       ,doomed   
train1 ,no one on the                   
engine6--,instantaneous       transfer  
of inspiration--,woman1 what have ,i to 
do with       thee8--,the recovery of a 
,gospel scene1 and its import--,the     
woman taken in adultery--,vision of     
,adonai--,source of the       opening   
sentences in ,st4 ,john's               
,gospel--,chapter from the recovered    
,gnosis--,the ,generation of the ,word4 
#cg-gj       ,,chapter ,,iii4      ,,the

 ,,communication4      ,the perfect love
 that casts out fear4 ,in the presence  
of celestial       visitants--,a parable
 of the ,intuition--,the ,wonderful     
,spectacles--,the ,greek element in the 
work--,hermes and ,john the             
,baptist--,the heresy of                
,prometheus--,the ,fig-tree1 a symbol of
 the       inward understanding2 the    
time come for it to bear fruit--,the    
,seeress's faculty--,her relations with 
,hermes--,thou art the       ,rock      
addressed to ,hermes--,the parable of   
the ,fig-tree--,the       ,mystic ,woman
 of ,holy ,writ--,go thy way1           
,daniel4444       ,thou shalt rest1 and 
stand in thy lot at the end of the      
days--,the       prophecy of the book of
 ,esther--,the ,angel ,genius1 his      
account       of himself and his        
office--,divine revelation the supreme  
common       sense--,the source and     
method of the ,new ,revelation--,its    
chief       recipient not a medium or a 
seer1 but a prophet--,an instruction    

and a caution concerning the survival of
 tendencies encouraged       in past    
lives--,communion with souls of the     
departed--,the       conditions of such 
intercourse--,an instruction concerning 
,inspiration and ,prophesying--,the     
prophecy of the kingdom of       the    
,mother of ,god4                        
#ga-ajh       ,,chapter ,,iv4      ,,the
 ,,antagonisation4      ,ye are not yet 
perfected--,our respective ,auras--,an  
exhortation--,the ,seven ,spirits of    
,god1 their co-operation       necessary
 for a perfect work--,you belong to us  
now1 to do our       work and not your  
own--,enforced silence--,the ,powers of 
the ,air2       their mode of attack--,a
 strange visitant and his               
communication--,a       strained        
situation--,visions of guidance--,the   
refractory team1       and the ,two     
,stars--,the promised land reached only 
through       the wilderness--,the ,word
 a ,word of mystery1 and they who       
guard it ,seven--,one ,neophyte could   

not save himself--,a                    
,horoscope--,a descent into             
hell--,counsels of ,perfection--,a      
,merry ,christmas--,a timely            
arrival--,neoplatonic recognition       
of ,hermes--,the one ,truth1 never      
without a witness in the                
world--,the key of knowledge            
restored--,problems solved--,the mystic 
,woman of ,holy ,writ4                  
#aji-ada       ,,chapter ,v4      ,,the 
,,recapitulation4      ,the key to the  
mystery of the ,bible2 the ,veil of     
,moses       withdrawn--,the secret laid
 bare of the world's sacrificial system1
       and the feud between priest and  
prophet--,the ,memory of the            
,soul--,the ,standpoint of the          
,bible--,all that is true is            
,spiritual--,the revelation of that     
wicked one--,the seals broken       and 
the books opened--,the ,new ,gospel of  
,interpretation--,sacerdotalism the     
,jerusalem which killed the             
prophets--,the suppressed               

doctrines--,reincarnation the corollary 
and condition of ,regeneration and      
implicit in the       ,bible--,ye must  
be born again of ,virgin ,mary and ,holy
       ,ghost--,the doctrines of the    
,trinity and ,divine ,incarnation as now
       interpreted1 necessary and       
self-evident truths--,evolution the     
manifestation of a divine inherency2    
accomplished only by the                
realisation of ,divinity--,the process  
of regeneration1 and therein       of   
salvation1 interior to the              
individual--,adam and ,christ the       
initial and final stages in the         
spiritual evolution of every            
man--,the ,christ within of ,st         
,paul--,the ,credo an epitome of the    
spiritual history of the ,sons of ,god4 
#adb-afb       ,,chapter ,,vi4          
,,the ,,exemplification4                
,spontaneity of the ,seeress's          
faculty--,specific illuminations1 in    
illustration1 chiefly1 of the process of
 ,regeneration2 concerning       7#a7   

,holy ,writ2 7#b7 ,redemption2 7#c7 ,sin
 and death2 7#d7 ,the ,twelve           
,gates of ,regeneration2 7#e7 ,the      
,passage of the ,soul2 7#f7 ,the        
,mystic ,exodus2 7#g7 ,the ,spiritual   
,phoibos and the order of the           
,christs2 7#h7 ,the ,previous ,lives of 
,jesus1 and ,reincarnation2       7#i7  
,the ,work of ,power2 the land and      
tongue of the ,new       ,revelation1   
why ours4                               
#afc-ahc       ,,chapter ,,vii4         
,,the ,,promulgation ,,and              
,,recognition4      ,accordance of all  
the dates with those prophesied--,other 
coincidences--,why our work has remained
 so long unknown to the                 
generality--,notable recognitions1 by   
representative ,kabalists1              
,mystics1 ,occultists and ,divines1     
,catholic1 ,anglican1 and               
others--,spiritualism1 ,theosophy1 and  
the ,new ,gospel of                     
,interpretation as fellow-agents in the 
unfoldment of the world's               

spiritual consciousness1 and the        
unsealing of the world's ,bibles1       
prophesied to take place at this        
epoch--,abraham1 ,isaac1 and            
,jacob1 the ,hebrew equivalents for     
,brahma1 ,isis1 and ,iacchos1 to        
denote the mysteries of ,india1 ,egypt1 
and ,greece1 the ,spirit1 the           
,soul1 and the ,body1 and therein the   
,gnosis of which the ,christ is         
the fulfilment and personal             
demonstration1 and the restoration of   
which was prophesied by ,jesus as to    
mean the ,regeneration of the           
,church and the establishment of the    
divine kingdom on                       
earth--,mysticism and ,occultism1 the   
distinction between them1 and       the 
necessity of both physical and spiritual
 science to a perfect       system of   
thought and rule of life--,conclusion4  
#ahd-bjd     ,,abbreviations4           
,a4,k41 for ,anna ,kingsford4           
,b4,o4,a4,i41 for ,the ,bible's ,own    
,account of ,itself1 by ,e4,m42 second  

edition1 #aije4       ,c4,w4,s41 for    
,clothed ,with ,the ,sun1 being the book
 of the      ,illuminations of ,a4,k42  
edited by ,e4,m41 #ahhi4       ,d4 and  
,d4-,s41 for ,dreams and ,dream-,stones1
 by ,a4,k41 edited by      ,e4,m42      
second edition1 #ahhh4       ,e4,c4,u41 
for ,the ,esoteric ,christian ,union1   
founded by ,e4,m4 in      #ahia4        
,e4 and ,i41 for ,england and ,islam2   
or1 ,the ,counsel of ,caiaphas1 by      
,e4,m41 #ahgg4       ,e4,m41 for ,edward
 ,maitland4       ,life ,a4,k41 for ,the
 ,life of ,anna ,kingsford1 by ,e4,m41  
#ahif4       ,p4,w41 for ,the ,perfect  
,way2 or1 ,the ,finding of ,christ1 by  
,a4,k4 and      ,e4,m42 third edition1  
revised1 #ahij4       ,statement1       
,e4,c4,u41 for ,the ,new ,gospel of     
,interpretation2 being an      ,abstract
 of the ,doctrine and ,statement of the 
,objects of the      ,esoteric          
,christian ,union1 by ,e4,m42 revised   
and enlarged edition1      #ahib4       
,,birmingham3     ,,the ,,ruskin        

,,press1 ,,ruskin ,,house1              
,,stafford ,,street4     #aije4         
,illustration3 ,edward ,maitland        
,illustration3 ,anna ,kingsford         
,,the  ,,story ,,of ,,anna ,,kingsford  
,,and  ,,edward ,,maitland  ,,and  ,,of 
,,the ,,new ,,gospel ,,of               
,,interpretation4     ,,chapter ,i4     
,,the ,,vocation4   ,my colleague in the
 work1 the history of which ,i am about 
to render some account1 was the late    
,anna ,kingsford1 nee ,bonus1 ,m4,d4 of 
the ,university of ,paris4  ,there was a
 link between her husband's family and  
mine1 but we were not personally        
acquainted until1 in the summer of      
#ahgc1 she was led by reading one of my 
books#h to open a correspondence with   
me1 which disclosed so striking a       
community between us of ideas1 aims1 and
 methods1 that ,i accepted an invitation
 to visit her at her husband's rectory  
at ,pontesbury1 ,salop1 in ,shropshire1 
for the sake of a fuller discussion of  
them4 ,this visit which lasted nearly a 

fortnight1 took place in ,february1     
#ahgdi4  ,the account ,i received of her
 history was in this wise4 ,born at     
,stratford1 in ,essex1 on the #afth     
,september1 #ahdf1 long after the last  
of her many brothers and sisters1 and   
endowed with the most fragile of        
constitutions and liabilities the most  
distressing of bodily weakness and      
suffering1 and differing widely1        
moreover1 in temperament from all with  
whom she was associated1 her young life 
had enjoyed but a scanty share of human 
sympathy1 and was largely one of        
solitude and meditation1 and such as to 
foster the highly artistic1 idealistic1 
and mystic tendencies with which she was
 born4 ,singularly energetic of will1   
and conscious of powers both            
transcending in degree and differing in 
kind from any that she recognised in    
others1 she assiduously exercised her   
faculties in many and various directions
 in the hope of discovering the special 
direction in which her mission lay4     

,for1 from her earliest childhood she   
had been conscious of a mission1 for the
 accomplishment of which she had        
expressly come into the earth-life4 ,and
 she claimed even to have distinct      
recollection of having been strongly    
dissuaded from coming1 on account of the
 terrible suffering which awaited her in
 the event of her assuming a body of    
flesh4 ,indeed1 so little conscious was 
she of the reality of her human         
parentage that she was wont to look upon
 herself as a suppositious child of     
fairy origin2 and on her first visit to 
the pantomime1 when the fairies made    
their appearance on the stage1 she      
declared that they were her proper      
people1 and cried and struggled to get  
to them with such vehemence that it was 
necessary to remove her from the        
theatre4 ,among her amusements1 her     
chief delight was in the ample gardens  
around her homes at ,stratford and      
,blackheath1 where she would hold       
familiar converse with the flowers1     

putting into their petals tiny notes for
 her lost relatives1 the fairies1 who in
 return would visit her in her dreams   
and assure her of their continued       
affection1 and counsel her to have      
patience and courage4  ,the chief       
occupation of her girlhood was the      
writing of poems and tales#aj which were
 tinged with an exquisite mysticism1 and
 showed a ripeness of soul and maturity 
of feeling and knowledge wholly         
unaccountable for by her years1 her     
experiences1 or her physical heredity4  
,at school she always obtained the first
 prizes for composition1 and her faculty
 of improvisation was the delight of her
 companions2 the subjects of these her  
earlier romances being lovely           
princesses1 gallant knights1 castles1   
dragons1 and the like1 when--as may     
readily be supposed--her tall and       
slender frame1 long golden hair1        
delicacy of complexion1 deep-set hazel  
eyes1 beauty of feature1 the brow and   
the mouth being especially notable1 the 

brightness of her looks1 vivacity of her
 manner1 her musical voice1 and the easy
 eloquence of her diction1--all combined
 to make her an ideal heroine for her   
own romances4 ,she could hardly1        
however1 be said to be a persona grata  
with her pastors and masters4 ,for while
 her independence of character and      
strength of will were apt to bring her  
into conflict with rules and regulations
 of which she failed to recognise the   
need1 her thirst for knowledge1         
especially on religious subjects1       
prompted her to the proposition of      
questions which were highly embarrassing
 to her teachers2 and nothing that they 
could say succeeded in convincing her   
that her duty lay in believing what she 
was told1 and not in understanding it4  
,she very early learnt to resent the    
disabilities of her sex1 and to insist  
that they were not real but artificial1 
the result of masculine selfishness and 
injustice4 ,this hatred of injustice and
 its correlative cruelty1 especially    

towards animals1 attained in her the    
force and dignity of a passion1 her     
sensitiveness on this score making the  
chief mental misery of her life4  ,of   
one gift possessed by her she early     
learnt to repress the manifestation4    
,this was the faculty for seeing        
apparitions and divining the characters 
and fortunes of people4 ,for she was a  
born seer4 ,but the inability of her    
elders to comprehend the faculty1 and   
their consequent ascription of it to    
pathological causes1 were wont to lead  
to references to the family doctor with 
results so eminently disagreeable and   
even injurious to her1 as soon to       
suggest the wisdom of keeping silence   
respecting her experiences4  ,her first 
published compositions were written at  
the age of thirteen#aa1 the editors who 
accepted her contributions to their     
magazines being under the impression    
that they came from a grown-up person   
and not from the mere child that she    
was4 ,they cost her1 she assured me1    

little labour1 especially the poems1 but
 seemed to come to her ready-made1 and  
to flow through her spontaneously4 ,and 
whatever the country in which their     
scene lay1 the local colouring and      
descriptions were always faithful and   
vivid1 as if the places and their       
inhabitants were familiar and even      
actually visible to her4  ,it was not1  
however1 to any encouragement of her    
peculiar gifts that such excellency as  
she exhibited was due4 ,rather were they
 severely repressed1 especially in      
respect of drawing1 singing and music1  
lest she should be tempted to follow    
them as a profession2 a fear which had  
been excited by the suggestions of her  
masters that she would be certain of    
success in any of those lines4  ,her    
innate consciousness of a mission seemed
 to her to indicate her as destined for 
some redemptive work1 not only for      
others1 but also for herself4 ,for1     
while the instincts of the ,champion and
 the ,saviour were potent in her1 she   

was dimly conscious of its possessing   
also an expiatory element1 in virtue of 
which her own salvation would largely   
depend upon her endeavours to save      
others4 ,she had as yet no theory       
whereby to explain this or any other of 
the problems she was to herself4 ,all   
that she knew was that she possessed1 or
 rather was possessed of1 these feelings
 and impulses4 ,it was easy to see by   
her account of herself that she was as  
one driven of the ,spirit long before   
the ,spirit definitely revealed itself  
to her4 ,the two departments of humanity
 which she felt especially impelled to  
succour and save were her own sex and   
the animals4 ,for she would recognise no
 hard and fast line between masculine   
and feminine1 human and animal1 or even 
between animal and plant4 ,in her eyes  
everything that lived was humanity1 only
 in different stages of its unfoldment4 
,even the flowers were persons for her4 
,as she approached womanhood she found  
herself looking forward to marriage far 

less for its own sake than as a means of
 emancipation from restrictions on her  
choice of a career4 ,her father died    
while she was yet wanting two or three  
years of her majority1 leaving her      
mistress of an income ample for a single
 woman4 ,and when at length she became  
engaged to ,algernon ,godfrey           
,kingsford1 a cousin to whom she had    
some time been attached1 it was on the  
understanding that she should remain    
unfettered in this respect4 ,he held at 
the time a post in the ,civil ,service2 
but soon after their marriage1 which    
took place on the last day of #ahfg1    
determined to read for holy orders4     
,this gave her an opportunity for making
 herself acquainted with ,anglican      
theology1 of which--thirsting for       
knowledge of all kinds--she eagerly     
availed herself1 accompanying him in all
 his studies1 and greatly facilitating  
them by her admirable scholarly methods4
 ,this proved to be the first great step
 in her religious and intellectual      

training for her destined mission4  ,one
 of the occupations of her early married
 life was the editing of a lady's       
magazine1 which she purchased with a    
view of making it an instrument for the 
dissemination of her ideas especially in
 regard to her sex4 ,and she accordingly
 took an active part in the movement    
then recently originated for the        
enfranchisement of women1 achieving an  
extraordinary success as a public       
speaker4 ,but1 becoming convinced that  
their cause would be best advanced by   
the practical demonstration of their    
fitness for the promotion they sought1  
and also feeling her own need for the   
discipline of a severe intellectual     
training to balance the emotional side  
of her nature1 she soon withdrew from   
active participation in the movement4   
,she moreover recognised as a grave     
mistake the disposition evinced by her  
fellow-workers to suppress their        
womanliness in favour of a factitious   
masculinity1 under the impression that  

they would thereby exalt their sex2 her 
idea being1 that their true policy lay  
in magnifying rather than in            
depreciating their womanhood4 ,meanwhile
 she had given birth to a daughter1 her 
only child4  ,her magazine was given up 
after a couple of years1 the results    
failing to justify the expenditure of   
time1 labour and money1 requisite for   
its continuance4 ,not that it lacked    
adequate support2 but the principles on 
which she insisted on conducting it     
proved to be incompatible with          
commercial success4 ,she resolutely     
refused all advertisements of articles1 
whether of food or of clothing1 of which
 she disapproved2 and she had adopted   
the pythagorean regimen and discarded as
 unhygienic sundry articles of attire   
ordinarily deemed indispensable by her  
sex4 ,it was in her magazine that she   
first struck the note which proved the  
initiation of the holy warfare since    
waged against the horrors of the        
physiological laboratory1 a warfare in  

which she bore a foremost part and      
developed the malady of which she died4 
,in #ahgj1 a long and severe illness1   
which compelled her return to her       
mother's house at ,hastings to be       
nursed1 led to her entry upon another   
phase in her inner life1 and a further  
stage in the process of her education   
for her mission4 ,she had early recoiled
 from the faith in which she had been   
reared4 ,this was ,protestantism in its 
most unlovely form1 cold1 harsh1 narrow1
 dogmatic4 ,her closer acquaintance with
 it as a clergyman's wife had done      
nothing to mitigate her judgment of it4 
,explaining nothing and lacking fervour 
and poetry1 it left head and heart alike
 unsatisfied4 ,her residence as an      
invalid at ,hastings brought her into   
intimacy with some devout ,catholics1   
the effect of which was to intensify the
 repugnance already set up4 ,she        
attended the ,catholic services1 and    
visited the sisters in the convent1     
reading their books of devotion and even

 making an extended study of ,catholic  
doctrine1 for she would do nothing by   
halves4 ,she found what satisfied her   
heart and artistic tastes4 ,but the     
chief determining cause of the change   
upon which she at length resolved1 was  
her reception by night of sundry        
visitations1 purporting to be of angelic
 nature1 and enjoining on her1 for the  
sake of the mission to which she was    
called--the knowledge of which1 she was 
told1 would in due time be revealed to  
her--that she join the ,roman communion4
 ,well aware that the confession of such
 experiences1 whether to her relations  
or to a minister of her own ,church1    
would elicit only a smile of pity or    
contempt1 with a recommendation to seek 
medical advice1 and involve other       
contingencies equally distasteful1 she  
resolved to see how the same confession 
would be treated by a ,catholic priest4 
,the result of the essay was that she   
was listened to with respect and        
sympathy1 and informed that the ,church 

fully recognised such visitations as    
coming within the divine order1 and as  
being a token of high spiritual favour  
and grace2 and while it refrained from  
pronouncing positively on them1         
considered that they ought not to be    
lightly disregarded4 ,she was soon      
afterwards received into the ,roman     
,church1 being baptised on ,september   
#ad1 #ahgj4 ,on ,june #i1 #ahgb1 she was
 confirmed by ,archbishop ,manning1 who 
admonished her to utilise her           
attractions in making converts4 ,and on 
each occasion she received additional   
names1 in virtue of which she now bore  
the names of all the five women who were
 by the ,cross and at the ,sepulchre4   
,none the less1 however1 did she retain 
her independence of mind and conduct4   
,she accepted no direction1 and         
professed no tenet that she did not     
understand4 ,and it was soon made clear 
to her that the ,spirit1 of whom she was
 being impelled1 did not intend her to  
regard her adoption of ,catholicism as  

more than a step in her education for   
the work required of her4 ,for the      
following year saw her bent on seeking a
 medical degree1 under the impression   
that such a step was in some way related
 to the mission of which she had        
received such and so many mysterious    
intimations4 ,and she had scarcely      
commenced her study of medicine when    
this impression was reinforced by the   
following incident1 the scene of which  
was her home in ,shropshire1 in the     
parish of which her husband had then    
recently become incumbent1 and where ,i 
first visited them4  ,this was the      
receipt of a letter from a lady who was 
a stranger to her1 written from a       
distant part of the country1 and saying 
that she1 the writer1 had read with     
profound interest and admiration a      
story#ab of ,mrs ,kingsford which1 after
 appearing in her magazine1 had been    
published as a book1 and that after     
reading it she had received from the    
,holy ,spirit a message for her which   

was to be delivered in person4 ,after   
some hesitation as to what reply to     
make1 ,mrs ,kingsford--whose account ,i 
am following exactly--agreed to receive 
her2 an appointment was made1 and the   
stranger duly presented herself4 ,she   
was tall1 erect1 distinguished looking1 
with hair of iron-grey and strangely    
brilliant eyes1 and was perfectly calm  
and collected of demeanour4 ,the message
 was to the effect that ,mrs ,kingsford 
was to remain in retirement for five    
years1 continuing the studies and mode  
of life on which she had entered1       
whatever they might be--for that the    
messenger did not know--and to suffer   
nothing and no one to draw her aside    
from them4 ,that when these probationary
 five years were past1 the ,holy ,spirit
 would bring her forth from her         
seclusion1 and a great work would be    
given her to do4 ,all this was uttered  
with a rapt and inspired expression1 as 
though she had been a ,sibyl pronouncing
 an oracle4 ,after delivering her       

message1 the messenger kissed her on    
both cheeks and departed1 first asking  
only whether she thought her mad2 a     
question to which for a moment ,mrs     
,kingsford found it somewhat difficult  
to make reply4 ,but only for a moment4  
,for then there rushed on her the       
conviction that it was all genuine and  
true1 and was but a fresh unfoldment of 
the mystery of her life and destiny1 and
 in full accordance with her own        
foreshadowings from the beginning4      
,some four years later1 at a time when  
,mrs ,kingsford was in great straits for
 want of a suitable home in ,london in  
which to carry on her studies1 the same 
lady was similarly commissioned on her  
behalf1 while totally ignorant both of  
her whereabouts and her need1 and with  
results entirely satisfactory4 ,on which
 occasion ,i had the privilege of making
 her acquaintance1 and the satisfaction 
of finding her not merely perfectly     
sane1 but a person entitled to the      
highest consideration1 noted for her    

pious devotion to works of beneficence  
involving complete self-abnegation2 and 
in short a veritable ,mother in ,israel4
  ,the event above related occurred in  
the spring of #ahgc1 the summer of which
 year saw ,mrs ,kingsford impelled to do
 what led to the most crucial of the    
events upon which her destined mission  
hinged1 namely1 to write to me the      
letter which led to my visit to her     
home4 ,in the autumn of the same year   
she passed her matriculation examination
 at the ,apothecaries' ,hall with       
success so great as to fill her with    
high hopes of a triumphant passage      
through the course of her student-life4 
,but immediately afterwards her hopes   
were dashed1 for the ,english medical   
authorities saw fit to close their      
schools to women1 and the way to her    
anticipated career was shut against her4
  ,such was the position when1 in       
,february1 #ahgd1 ,i visited the        
,shropshire rectory1 and such in brief  
the history which was gradually unfolded

 to me as my evident sympathy and       
appreciation gained the confidence of   
the still young couple1 whose senior ,i 
was by some twenty years4 ,both husband 
and wife were at their wits' end1 the   
situation being aggravated by a         
circumstance which was first brought to 
my knowledge on my suggestion of the    
postponement of her design until such   
time as the medical authorities should  
come to their right minds and re-open   
their schools to women4 ,the            
circumstance in question was her        
terrible liability on the ground of     
ill-health1 and especially of asthma1 to
 which she was a martyr1 life in the    
country being impossible to her for the 
greater part of the year1 when it was   
only in some large city that she was    
able to breathe4 ,with the schools      
closed against her in ,england1 her     
thoughts turned towards ,france1 the    
,university of ,paris being open to     
women4 ,but for obvious reasons her     
husband1 who could not absent himself   

from his duties to accompany her1 would 
not consent to her going thither unless 
under suitable protection4 ,for himself 
he had but one wish1 that she should    
follow her bent and fashion her life as 
seemed best to her2 for he recognised   
her as entitled by her endowments and   
aspirations1 as well as by the terms of 
their engagement1 to full liberty of    
action1 while the conditions of her     
health claimed all consideration from   
him4 ,if1 indeed1 the ,gods had destined
 her for a mission requiring freedom of 
action combined with the shelter and    
support of a husband's name1 it seemed  
to me that in him they had created a man
 expressly for the office4 ,for some    
time1 however1 the difficulty seemed    
insuperable1 and one that would yield to
 no amount of deliberation1 even with   
the best will of all concerned4         
,meanwhile her self-revelations         
continued1 being evidently prompted1 at 
least as much by the desire to obtain   
some explanation of herself for herself1

 to whom she was1 she avowed1 a complete
 puzzle1 as by the desire to elicit     
answering confidences from me4 ,and they
 became with each disclosure more and   
more striking1 until ,i could hardly    
resist the conviction that she was      
possessed of some faculty in virtue of  
which she was able to have direct       
perception of conclusions to which ,i   
had won my way by dint of long and      
arduous thinking1 and in some instances 
in advance of me4 ,she had read my      
mental history between the lines of my  
books1 and was fully prepared to learn  
that ,i too had a consciousness1        
analogous to her own1 of a mission in   
life perhaps also analogous to her own4 
,this1 ,i was able to assure her1 was   
indeed the case1 and that all my books  
had been written in the idea of finding 
my way to it by dint of free1 unfettered
 thinking4 ,for1 brought up in the      
strictest of evangelical sects1 ,i had  
even as a lad begun to be revolted by   
the creed in which ,i was reared1 and   

had very early come to regard its       
tenets1 especially of total depravity   
and vicarious atonement1 as a libel     
nothing short of blasphemous against    
both ,god and man1 and to feel that no  
greater boon could be bestowed on the   
world than its emancipation from the    
bondage of a belief so degrading and so 
destructive of any lofty ideal4 ,i had  
felt strongly that only in such measure 
as ,i might be the means of its         
abolition would my life be a success and
 a satisfaction to myself4 ,it even     
seemed to me that my own credit was     
involved in the matter2 and that in     
disproving such beliefs ,i should be    
vindicating my own character4 ,for if   
,god were evil1 as those doctrines made 
,him1 ,i could by no possibility be     
good1 since ,i must have my derivation  
from ,him4 ,and ,i knew that1 however   
weak and unwise ,i might be1 ,i was not 
evil4  ,then1 too1 my life1 like hers1  
had been one of much isolation and      
meditation4 ,i had felt myself a        

stranger even with my closest intimates4
 ,for ,i was always conscious of a      
difference which separated me from them1
 and of a side to which they could not  
have access4 ,i had graduated at        
,cambridge with the design of taking    
orders2 but only to find that ,i could  
not do so conscientiously1 and to feel  
that to commit myself to any conditions 
incompatible with absolute freedom of   
thought and expression would be a       
treachery against both myself and my    
kind2--for it was for no merely personal
 end that ,i wanted to discover the     
truth4 ,i longed to get away from all my
 surroundings in order1 first1 to think 
myself out of all that ,i had been      
taught1 and so to make my mind as a     
clean sheet whereon to receive true     
impressions and at first hand2 and1     
next1 to think myself into a condition  
and to a level wherein ,i could see all 
things--myself1 nature1 and ,god--face  
to face1 with vision undimmed and       
undistorted by beliefs which1 being     

inherited only and traditional1 instead 
of the result of conviction honestly    
arrived at1 were factitious and unreal2 
no living outcome of my own growth and  
observation1 but a veritable            
straitwaistcoat1 stifling life and      
restraining development4 ,and so it had 
come that--as related in my first novel1
 ,the ,pilgrim and the ,shrine#ac1 which
 was essentially autobiographical--,i   
had eagerly fallen in with a proposal to
 join an expedition to the then         
newly-discovered placers of ,california1
 an enterprise which1 besides promising 
to gratify the love for adventure1      
physical as well as mental1 which was   
strong in me1 would postpone if not     
solve the difficulty of my position4 ,it
 possessed1 moreover1 the high          
recommendation of taking me to the world
 of the fresh1 unsophisticated ,west1   
instead of to that ,east which had been 
made almost hateful to me by its        
association with the tenets by which    
existence had been poisoned for me4     

,so1 setting my face towards the sunset1
 ,i became one of the band of           
,forty-niners in ,california1 and       
remained abroad in the continents and   
isles of the ,pacific1 from ,america    
passing to ,australia1 until the        
intended year of my absence had grown   
into nearly ten years1 and ,i had       
experienced well-nigh every vicissitude 
and extreme which might serve to        
heighten the consciousness1 toughen the 
fibre1 and try the soul of man4 ,but    
throughout all1 the idea of a mission   
remained with me1 gathering force and   
consistency1 until it was made clear to 
me that not destruction merely1 but     
construction1 not the exposure of error 
but the demonstration of truth1 was     
comprised in it4 ,for ,i saw that it was
 possible to reduce religion to a series
 of first principles1 necessary truths  
and self-evident propositions1 and that 
only in such measure as it was thus     
reduced and discerned1 was it really    
true and really believed2--in short1    

that faith and knowledge are identical4 
,to accept a religion on the ground that
 one had been born in it1 and apart from
 its appeal to the mind and moral       
conscience1 and thus to make it         
dependent upon the accident of birth and
 parentage1 was to resemble the ,african
 savage who for the same reason worships
 ,mumbo ,jumbo4 ,how1 moreover1--,i     
asked myself--could a religion which was
 not in accord with first principles1   
represent a ,god1 ,who1 to be ,god1 must
 ,himself be the first of1 and must     
comprise all principles2 must account   
logically for all the facts of          
consciousness1 be it unfolded as far as 
it may8 ,granting that1 as the poet     
says1 an honest man's the noblest work  
of ,god1 it was for me no less true that
 an honest ,god's the noblest work of   
man4 ,and it was precisely such a being 
that ,i longed to elaborate out of1 or  
discover in1 my own consciousness1      
confident that the achievement meant the
 solution of all problems1 the          

rectification of all difficulties1 the  
satisfaction of all aspirations1        
intellectual1 moral1 and spiritual4     
,following such trains of thought1 ,i   
arrived at the assurance that ,i had    
within my own consciousness both the    
truth itself and the verification of the
 truth1 and that it remained only to    
find these4  ,returning to ,england in  
#aheg1 and1 after an interval1 devoting 
myself to literature1 all that ,i wrote1
 whether essay or fiction1 represented  
the endeavour by probing the            
consciousness to the utmost in every    
direction to discover a central1        
radiant1 and indefeasible point from    
which all things could be deduced1 and  
on which1 as a pivot they must depend   
and revolve4 ,i read largely1 and went  
much among people1 always in search of  
aid in my quest2 but only with the      
result of finding that neither from     
books nor from persons could ,i even    
begin to get what ,i sought1 but only   
from thought4  ,meanwhile everything    

seemed ordered with a view to the end   
ultimately attained4 ,for1 so far from  
having left behind me for ever the      
vicissitudes1 and struggles1 and trials1
 and ordeals1 in which the wildernesses 
of the western and southern worlds had  
been so fruitful1 ,i was found of them  
in the old world to which ,i had        
returned2 and this in number1 kind1 and 
degree1 such as to make it appear as if 
what ,i had borne before had been       
inflicted expressly for the purpose of  
enabling me to bear what was put upon me
 now4 ,and it was only when ,i had      
learnt by experience that the very      
capacity for thought is enhanced by     
feeling no less than by thinking1 that  
the ministry of pain found its          
explanation4 ,for the feeling required  
of me proved to be that of the inner1   
not merely of the outer man1 of the     
soul1 not merely of the body2 and the   
faculty1 to be the intuition1 and not   
merely the intellect4 ,hence ,i was made
 to learn by experience1 long before the

 fact was formulated for me in words1   
that only by the bruising of the outer1 
the inner is set free1 and man is alive 
only so far as he has felt4  ,everything
 seemed contrived expressly in order to 
force me in this inward direction4 ,even
 in my literary work1 nothing of the    
trade element was permitted to intrude4 
,i could not write except when writing  
to or from my own centre4 ,faculty      
itself was shut off1 if turned to any   
other purpose4 ,everything ,i wrote must
 minister to and represent a step in my 
own unfoldment4  ,i can confidently     
affirm that the only books which really 
helped me were1 with scarcely an        
exception1 those which ,i wrote myself4 
,of the exceptions the chief was        
,emerson4 ,his essays had been my vade  
mecum in all my world-wide wanderings4  
,and there were three sentences of his  
which1 to use his own phrase1 found me  
as no others had done4 ,they were these3
 ,the talent is the call2 ,i the        
imperfect adore my own perfect2 and1    

,beware when ,god lets loose a thinker  
on the earth4 ,like ,emerson himself1 ,i
 had yet to learn that man's own perfect
 is ,god1 and self-culture is           
,god-culture1 provided the self be the  
inmost self4 ,the two other books which 
most helped me were ,bailey's ,festus1  
and ,carlyle's ,hero-,worship4 ,and ,i  
owed something to ,tucker's ,light of   
,nature4 ,by which it will be seen that 
my affinity was always for the prophets 
rather than the priests of literature2  
for the intuitionalists rather than the 
externalists4  ,gradually two leading   
ideas took definite form in my mind1    
which1 however1 proved to be but two    
aspects or applications of one and the  
same idea4 ,and that idea proved to be  
the keynote of all that ,i was seeking  
after4 ,for it finally solved the       
problems of existence1 of religion1 of  
the ,bible1 of ,being itself4 ,hence the
 necessity of this reference to it4     
,this idea was that of a duality        
subsisting in every unity1 such as ,i   

had nowhere read or heard of4 ,i was1 of
 course1 aware that the theological     
doctrine of the ,trinity involved a     
,duality4 ,but not of a kind to find a  
response in my mind4 ,and being unable  
to assimilate it as it stood1 ,i ignored
 it2 putting it aside until it should   
present itself to me in an aspect in    
which it was intelligible4 ,i felt1     
however vaguely1 that the ,duality ,i   
sought was in the ,bible1 though it had 
been missed by the official expositors  
of that book4 ,and the conviction that  
it was in some way connected with my    
life-work was so strong that ,i         
constructed for the covers of my two    
first books a monogram symbolical of    
,genesis i4 #bg4 ,and ,i looked to the  
unfoldment of what ,i felt to be the    
secret significance of that utterance   
for the explication of all the mysteries
 the solution of which engrossed me4    
,the thought did not seem to originate  
in any of my experiences1 but rather to 
be part of my original stock of innate  

ideas1 supposing that there are such    
ideas1 and to derive confirmation and   
explanation from my experiences4  ,those
 experiences were in this wise4 ,it had 
been my privilege to have the friendship
 of several women of a type so noble    
that to know them was at once an        
education and a religion2 women whose   
perfection of character had served more 
than anything else to make me believe in
 ,god1 when all other grounds had       
failed4 ,i could in no wise account for 
them on the hypothesis of a fortuitous  
concourse of unintelligent atoms4 ,and  
not only did ,i find that the higher the
 type the more richly they were endowed 
with precisely the faculty of which ,i  
myself was conscious as distinguishing  
me from my fellows2 ,i found also that  
,i was unable to recognise any woman as 
of a high type as woman save in so far  
as she was possessed of it4 ,i had      
failed to find any who possessed the    
knowledge ,i craved1 and who were       
thereby able to help me in my thought4  

,they helped me nevertheless1 but it was
 by being what they were1 rather than by
 knowing and doing1 be they admirable as
 they might in these respects4 ,i       
recognised in them that which           
supplemented and complemented my mental 
self in such wise as to suggest         
unbounded possibilities of results to   
accrue from the intimate association of 
two minds thus attuned to each other1   
and duly unfolded by thought and study4 
,it needed1 it seemed to me1 but the    
reverberation and intensification of    
thought1 induced by the apposition of   
two minds thus related1 for the         
production of the divine child ,truth in
 the very highest spheres of thought4   
,so that the results would by no means  
be restricted to the mere sum of the    
associated capacities of the two minds  
themselves4 ,and in view of such high   
possibilities ,i found myself           
appropriating and applying the          
ejaculation which ,virgil puts into the 
mouth of ,anna when urging the union of 

her sister ,dido with ,a,eneas--        
,quae surgere regna     ,conjugio tali6 
and ,i felt with ,tennyson that         
,they two together well might move the  
world4  ,so boundless seemed to me the  
kingdoms of ,truth1 ,goodness1 and      
,beauty which would spring from such    
conjunction4  ,it goes without saying   
that such relationship was contemplated 
by me only as the accompaniment of a    
happy re-marriage4 ,for ,i had married  
in ,australia only to be widowered after
 a year's wedlock4 ,but such a prospect 
was so long withheld as to make me      
dubious of its realisation#ad4          
,nevertheless1 some inner voice was ever
 saying3 ,wait2 wait4 ,everything comes 
to him who waits1 provided only he do so
 in faith and patience1 looking to the  
highest4 ,but that ,i did wait1 and     
accordingly kept myself free for what   
ultimately was assigned to me1 was due  
far less to the expectation of finding  
that for which ,i waited1 than to the   
vivid consciousness which ,i had of the 

bitterness that would come of finding   
it1 only to be withheld from it through 
a previous disposal of myself in some   
other and incompatible quarter4 ,this   
was an impression which served largely  
to keep my life as free as ,i desired my
 thought to be4 ,but that the as yet    
undisclosed arbiters of my destiny      
deemed it insufficient as a deterrent1  
appeared from their reinforcement of it 
in a manner which effectually debarred  
me from marriage save on the condition1 
impossible to me1 of a mercenary        
alliance4 ,this was a reversal of       
fortune through a succession of losses  
so serious as to be the cause of        
reducing my means to the minimum        
compatible with existence at all in my  
own station1 which soon afterwards      
happened4 ,that there were yet further  
reasons for this imposition on me of the
 rule of poverty1 arising out of the    
nature of the work required of me1 was  
in due time made manifest1 and also what
 those reasons were4 ,they need not be  

specified here1 excepting only this one4
 ,it made impossible the ascription to  
my destined colleague of mercenary      
motives for her association with me4 ,in
 this ,i came to recognise a delicate   
providence for which ,i felt ,i could   
not be too thankful4 ,in the meantime1  
even while smarting severely from this  
dispensation1 and others yet more bitter
 which were heaped on me for no apparent
 cause or fault of my own that ,i could 
discern1 the thought that most of all   
served to sustain me under what ,i felt 
would have utterly broken down in heart 
or head1 or in both of these organs1 any
 other person whatever of whom ,i had   
knowledge1--that thought was the surmise
 or suspicion that all these things1    
hard to bear as they were1 and          
undeserved as they seemed1 might prove  
to be blessings in disguise1 in         
ministering to the realisation of the   
controlling ambition of my life by      
educating me for it2 and that according 
to the manner in which ,i bore them     

might be the result4  ,there is yet one 
more personal disclosure essential to   
this part of my relation4 ,it concerns  
my own mental standpoint at the time at 
which my narrative has arrived4 ,bent as
 ,i was on penetrating the secret of    
things at first hand1 and by means of a 
thought absolutely free1 ,i was never   
for a moment disposed to turn1 as my    
so-called free-thinking contemporaries  
one and all had turned1 a scornful back 
upon whatever related to or savoured of 
the current religion4 ,scripture and    
dogma were not for me necessarily either
 false or inscrutable because their     
official exponents had presented them in
 an aspect which outraged my reason and 
revolted my conscience4 ,i felt         
bound--if only in justice to them and   
myself--at least to find out what they  
did mean before finally discarding them4
 ,and in this act of justice ,i was     
strangely sustained by a sense of the   
possibility that the truth1 if any1     
contained in them1 was no other than    

that of which ,i was in search4 ,this is
 to say1 that in all my investigations  
,i kept before me the idea that1 if ,i  
could discern the actual nature of      
existence and the intended sense of the 
,bible and ,christianity1 independently 
of each other1 they might prove on      
comparison to be identical2 in which    
case the latter would really represent a
 true revelation4 ,meanwhile1 ,i found  
myself constrained to believe1 as an    
axiomatic proposition1 that the higher  
and nobler the conception ,i framed in  
my imagination of the nature of         
existence1 and the more in accordance   
with my ideas of what1 to be perfect1   
the constitution of the universe ought  
to be1 the nearer ,i should come to the 
actual truth4  ,similarly with religion4
 ,for a religion to be true1 it must1 ,i
 felt absolutely assured1 be ideally    
perfect after the most perfect ideal    
that we can frame4 ,this is to say1 that
 not only must it be in itself such as  
to satisfy both head and heart1 mind and

 moral conscience1 spirit and soul2 it  
must also be perfectly simple1 obviously
 reasonable1 coherent1 self-evident1    
founded in the nature of things1        
incapable--when once comprehended--of   
being conceived of as otherwise1        
absolutely equitable1 eternally true1   
and recognisable as being all these1    
invariable in operation1 independent of 
all accidents of time1 place1 persons   
and events1 and comparable to the       
demonstration of a mathematical problem 
in that it needs no testimony or        
authority beyond those of the mind2 and 
requiring for its efficacious           
observance1 nothing that is extraneous  
or inaccessible to the                  
subject-individual1 but within his      
ability to recognise and fulfil1        
provided only that he so will4 ,it must 
also be such as to enable him by the    
observance of it to turn his existence  
to the highest possible account         
imaginable by him1 be his imagination as
 developed as it may3 and all this as   

independently of any being other than   
himself1 as if he were the sole personal
 entity in the universe1 and were       
himself the universe4 ,that is to say1  
the means of a man's perfectionment must
 inhere in his own system1 and he must  
be competent of himself effectually to  
apply them4 ,it is further necessary1   
because equitable1 that he be allowed   
sufficient time and opportunity for the 
discovery1 understanding and application
 of such means4  ,such are the terms and
 conditions of an ideally perfect       
religion1 as ,i conceived of them4 ,it  
is a definition which excludes          
well-nigh1 if not quite1 all the        
characteristics ordinarily regarded as  
appertaining to religion1 and notably to
 that of ,christendom4 ,for in excluding
 everything extraneous to the actual    
subject-individual1 and requiring       
religion to be self-evident and         
necessarily true1 it excludes as        
superfluous and irrelevant1 history1    
tradition1 authority1 revelation1 as    

ordinarily conceived of1 ecclesiastical 
ordinance1 priestly ministration1       
mediatorial function1 vicarious         
satisfaction1 and even the operation of 
,deity as subsisting without and apart  
from the man1 all of which are essential
 elements in the accepted conception of 
religion4 ,nevertheless1 profound as was
 my distrust of the faithfulness of the 
orthodox presentation1 ,i could not     
reconcile myself to a renunciation of   
the originals on which that presentation
 was founded1 until ,i had satisfied    
myself that ,i had fathomed their       
intended and real meaning4  ,i had1     
moreover1 very early conceived a        
personal affection for ,jesus as a man1 
so strong as to serve as a deterrent    
both from abandoning the faith founded  
on ,him1 and from accepting it as it is 
as worthy of ,him4  ,such was my        
standpoint1 intellectual and religious1 
at the period in question4 ,the time    
came when it found full justification2  
our results being such as to verify it  

in everyone of its manifold aspects4    
,and not this only4 ,the doctrine which 
had so mysteriously evolved itself out  
of my consciousness to attain by slow   
degrees the position of a controlling   
influence in my life1 the doctrine1     
namely of a ,duality subsisting in the  
,original ,unity of ,underived ,being1  
and as inhering therefore in every unit 
of derived being1 this doctrine proved  
to be the key to the mysteries both of  
,creation and of ,redemption1 as        
propounded in the ,bible and manifested 
in the ,christ2 the key also to the     
nature of man1 disclosing the facts both
 of his possession of divine            
potentialities as his birthright1 and   
his endowment with the faculty whereby  
to discern and to realise them4 ,and    
while it proved constructive in respect 
of ,divine ,truth1 it proved destructive
 in respect of the falsification of that
 truth which had passed for orthodoxy1  
by disclosing the source1 the motive1   
the method and the agents of that       

falsification4  ,but these things were  
still in the future4 ,at the time with  
which we are now concerned1 ,i had      
commenced a book to represent the       
standpoint just described1 ,the ,keys of
 the ,creeds4 ,the first and initial    
draft of that book was written under the
 sympathetic eye of one of the order of 
noble women to which reference has been 
made1 and owed much to the enhancement  
of faculty derived by me from such      
conjunction of minds4 ,the second and   
final draft was written under like      
relationship with another member of the 
self-same order1 even she who proved to 
be my destined collaborator in the work 
of which this book recounts the story4  
,it was published in #ahge4 ,it is      
necessary only to say further of the    
book thus produced1 that notwithstanding
 certain defects of expression1 due     
chiefly to an insufficient acquaintance 
with the terminology of metaphysics1 it 
proved an invaluable help to very many1 
as was amply shown by the letters of    

grateful appreciation received from them
 by me4 ,the keynote was that which     
afterwards found expression in the      
utterance1--  ,there is no enlightenment
 from without3 the secret of things is  
revealed from within4  ,from without    
cometh no ,divine ,revelation3 but the  
,spirit within beareth witness#ae4  ,for
 the lesson it contained was the lesson 
that the phenomenal world cannot        
disclose its own secret4 ,to find this1 
man must seek in that substantial world 
which lies within himself1 since all    
that is real is within the man4 ,from   
which it followed that if there is no   
within1 or if that within be            
inaccessible1 either there is no        
reality1 or man has no organon of       
knowledge1 and is by constitution       
agnostic4 ,meanwhile1 the very fact of  
my possession of an ideal exempt from   
the limitations of the apparent1        
constituted for me a strong presumption 
in favour of the reality of the ideal4  
,the moment of contact between my       

destined colleague and myself1 was as   
critical for one as for the other1 only 
that in my case the crisis was          
intellectual4 ,i could see to the end of
 the argument ,i was then elaborating2  
and that it landed me close to the      
dividing barrier between the two worlds 
of sense and spirit1 supposing the      
latter to have any being#af4 ,but ,i    
neither saw beyond1 nor knew how to     
ascertain whether or not there is a     
beyond4 ,we were discussing the question
 of there being an inner sense in       
,scripture1 such as my book suggested2  
and whether1 supposing it to have such a
 sense1 it required for its discernment 
any faculty more recondite than a subtle
 imagination2 and if it did1 is there   
such a faculty8 and what is its nature8 
,by which it will be seen that ,i was   
still in ignorance of the nature of the 
faculty ,i found in myself and          
recognised as especially subsisting in  
women1 and which1 for me1 really made   
the woman4  ,the reply rendered by her  

to these questionings constituted the   
proof positive that ,i had at length    
discovered the mind which my own had so 
long craved as its sorely needed        
complement4 ,in response to them she    
gave me a manuscript in her own writing1
 asking me to read it and tell her      
frankly what ,i thought of it4 ,having  
read and re-read it1 ,i enquired how and
 where she had got it4 ,she replied by  
asking what ,i thought of it4 ,i        
answered1 ,if there is such a thing as  
divine revelation1 ,i know of nothing   
that comes nearer to my ideal of what it
 ought to be4 ,it is exactly what the   
world is perishing for want of--a       
reasonable faith4 ,she then told me that
 it had come to her in her sleep1 but   
whence or how she did not know2 nor     
could she say whether she had seen it or
 heard it1 but only that it came        
suddenly into her mind1 without her     
having ever heard or thought of such    
teaching before4 ,it was an exposition  
of the ,story of the ,fall1 exhibiting  

it as a parable having a significance   
purely spiritual1 wholly reasonable1 and
 of universal application1 physical     
persons1 things1 and events described in
 it disappearing in favour of           
principles1 processes1 and states       
appertaining to the soul2 no mere local 
history1 therefore1 but an eternal      
verity4 ,the experience1 she went on to 
tell me1 was far from exceptional2 she  
had received many things which had      
greatly struck and pleased her in the   
same way1 and sometimes while in the    
waking state in a sort of day-dream4 ,it
 was subsequently incorporated into our 
book1 ,the ,perfect ,way4  ,her account 
of her faculty1 of which she related    
several instances1 produced a profound  
impression on me4 ,it differed          
altogether from any that ,i had heard of
 as claimed by the votaries of          
,spiritualism1 a creed to which neither 
of us had assented2 such little         
experience as we had of it having failed
 to convince us of the genuineness of   

its phenomena2 though she1 on her part1 
confessed to having been somewhat at a  
loss to account for some things she had 
seen4 ,but though not spiritualists1 we 
were not materialists4 ,rather were we  
idealists1 who had yet to learn and1 as 
the event proved1 were destined shortly 
to learn1 that the ,ideal is the ,real1 
and is ,spiritual4  ,the event also     
proved that in order to learn it and to 
know it positively by experience1 there 
were two conditions to be fulfilled1 on 
both of which she had already entered1  
but ,i had yet to enter4 ,one of these  
conditions was physical1 the other was  
emotional4 ,the former consisted in the 
renunciation of flesh-food in favour of 
a diet derived from the vegetable       
kingdom4 ,the latter condition consisted
 in the kindling of our enthusiasm for  
the ideal into a flame of such ardour   
and intensity as to make it the dominant
 passion of our lives1 and one in which 
all others would be swallowed up4 ,it   
was to be an enthusiasm at once for     

,humanity1 for ,perfection1 for ,god4   
,had we been in any degree instructed in
 spiritual or occult science1 we should 
have known that the renunciation of     
flesh-food1 though in itself a physical 
act1 has ever been recognised by        
initiates as the prime essential in the 
unfoldment of the spiritual faculties2  
since only when man is purely nourished 
can he attain clearness and fulness of  
spiritual perception4 ,as it was1       
neither of us had ever heard of occult  
science1 or of the necessity of such a  
regimen to the perfectionment of        
faculty4 ,she had adopted it on grounds 
physiological1 chemical1 hygienic1      
aesthetic1 and moral2 not on grounds    
mental or spiritual4 ,i now undertook to
 adopt it partly on the same grounds    
which had influenced her1 and partly    
with a view to enhance and consolidate  
the sympathy subsisting between us4 ,the
 mental and spiritual advantages of the 
regimen made themselves known to us by  
experience4  ,the other condition found 

its fulfilment through the knowledge ,i 
derived from her of the methods of the  
physiologists4 ,that savages1 sorcerers1
 brigands1 religious fanatics1 and      
corrupt priesthoods had always been wont
 to make torture their gain or their    
pastime1 ,i was well aware1 and believed
 that evolution would sweep them and    
their practices away in its course4 ,but
 the discovery now first made to me that
 identical barbarities are              
systematically perpetrated by the       
leaders of modern science on the pretext
 of benefiting humanity1 in an age which
 claims to represent the summit of such 
evolution as has yet been accomplished2 
and that after all its boasts1 the best 
that science can do for the world is to 
convert it into a hell and its          
population into fiends1 by the          
deliberate renunciation of the          
distinctive sentiments of               
humanity1--this was a discovery which   
filled me with unspeakable horror and   
amazement1 at once raising to a white   

heat the enthusiasm of love for the     
ideal already kindled within me1 and    
adding to it a like enthusiasm of       
detestation for its opposite4 ,from     
which it came that ,i found myself under
 the impulsion simultaneously of two    
mighty influences1 the one attracting1  
the other repelling1 but both operating 
in the same direction4 ,for while by the
 former ,i was drawn upwards by the     
beauty of an ideal indefinitely enhanced
 by its contrast with the foul actual   
below1 by the latter ,i was impelled    
upwards by the hideousness of that      
actual4 ,the sight of the moral abyss   
disclosed to me in ,vivisection1 as ,i  
perused volume after volume of the      
annals of the practice written by the   
perpetrators themselves1 and now first  
made accessible to me1 effectually      
purged out of my system any particle of 
dilettanteism that might have still     
lurked in it1 compelling me to regard as
 of the utmost urgency all and more than
 all that ,i had hitherto contemplated  

doing deliberately4  ,this was the      
construction of a system of thought     
which by force of its appeal to both    
those two indispensable constituents of 
humanity1 the head and the heart1 shall 
compel acceptance from all persons      
really human1 and in presence of which  
the whole system of which ,vivisection  
was the typical outcome and symbol      
should vanish from off the earth4 ,this 
system was ,materialism of which only   
now did ,i discern the full             
significance4 ,the systematic           
organisation of wholesale1 protracted1  
uncompensatable torture1 for ends purely
 selfish1 was--,i saw with absolute     
distinctness--not an accidental and     
avoidable outcome of ,materialism1 but  
its logical and inevitable outcome4 ,and
 it was to the eradication of           
,materialism that1 from that moment1 ,i 
dedicated myself4 ,it was a rescue work 
for both man and beast1 seeing that     
humanity itself was menaced with        
extinction4 ,for the materialist1 of    

course1 that which makes the man is the 
form4 ,for me it was the character1 and 
it was this1 the character of mankind   
present and to come1 that was at stake4 
,for man demonised is no longer man4 ,in
 the overthrow of ,materialism1 ,i saw  
absolutely1 was salvation alone to be   
found1 whether for man or beast4 ,the   
consideration that only as an abstainer 
from flesh-food ,i could with entire    
consistency contend against vivisection1
 was a potent factor in determining my  
change of diet4 ,true1 the distinction  
between death and torture was a broad   
one4 ,but the statistics ,i now for the 
first time perused1 of the              
slaughter-house and the cattle-traffic1 
showed beyond question1 that torture1   
and this prolonged and severe1 is       
involved in the use of animals for food 
as well as for science4 ,and over and   
above this was the instinctive          
perception of the probability that      
neither would they who had them killed1 
whether for food1 for sport1 or for     

clothing1 be allowed the privilege of   
rescuing them from the hands of the     
physiologist2 nor would the animals be  
allowed to accept their deliverance at  
the hands of those who thus used them4  
,they who would save others1 we felt1   
must first make sacrifice in themselves4
 ,and in the presence of the joy of     
working to effect such salvation1       
sacrifice would cease to be sacrifice4  
,this1 too1 we noted1 and with no small 
satisfaction--that to make the rescue of
 the animals an immediate and urgent    
motive1 was in no way to abandon the    
original motive of hatred to the tenet  
of vicarious atonement4 ,for we         
recognised vivisection itself as but the
 extension to the domain of science1 of 
the very principle by which we had been 
inexpressibly revolted in the domain of 
religion2--the principle of seeking     
one's own salvation by the sacrifice of 
another1 and that the innocent4 ,and so 
we learnt that ,new ,scientist is but   
,old ,priest writ differently1--to vary 

,milton's expression2 and that in both  
domains the tenet had its root in       
,materialism4 ,when the time came for   
our mission to be more particularly     
defined1 our satisfaction was unbounded 
on receiving the charge1 ,we mean you to
 lay bare the secrets of the world's    
sacrificial system4 ,it expressed with  
absolute conciseness and exactitude all 
that we had in our minds1 far better    
than we could have expressed it4  ,the  
importance of this question of          
vivisection in vitalising us for the    
work before us1 will be seen by the     
following fact4 ,the time came when we  
knew that the work committed to us was  
that revelation anew of the ,christ     
which was to constitute ,his ,second    
,advent1 inasmuch as it was the         
interpretation of the truth of which ,he
 was the manifestation4 ,it was to be a 
spiritual coming2 in the clouds of      
heaven1 the heaven of the kingdom within
 of man's restored understanding4 ,and1 
as at ,his first advent so at ,his      

second1 ,he was to have ,his birth among
 the animals4  ,and so it verily was4   
,for--as ,i have elsewhere              
stated#ag--,their terrible wrongs1      
culminating at the hands of their       
scientific tormentors1 were the last    
drops which filled to overflowing with  
anguish1 indignation and wrath1 hearts  
already brimming with the sense of the  
world's degradation and misery1 wringing
 from them the cry which rent the       
heavens for ,his descent1 and in direct 
and immediate response to which ,he     
came4  ,for the ,new ,gospel of         
,interpretation was vouchsafed in       
express recognition of the determined   
endeavour1 by means of a thought        
absolutely fearless and free1 to scale  
the topmost heights1 fathom the lowest  
depths1 and penetrate to the inmost     
recesses of ,consciousness1 in search of
 the solution of the problem of         
,existence1 under the assured conviction
 that1 when found1 it would prove to be 
one that would make above all things    

,vivisection impossible1 if only by     
demonstrating the constitution of things
 to be such that1 terrible as is the lot
 of the victims of the practice here1   
they are not without compensation       
hereafter1 while the lot of their       
tormentors will be unspeakably worse    
than even that of their victims here4   
,and so it proved1 with absolute        
certainty to be the case1 to the full   
vindication at the same time of the     
,divine ,justice and the ,divine ,love2 
no experience being withheld which would
 qualify us to bear positive testimony  
thereto4 ,for1 although at the outset we
 were1 as ,i have said1 in no wise      
believers in the possibility of such    
experiences1 the time came1 and came    
quickly1 when the veil was withdrawn1   
and the secrets of the ,beyond were     
disclosed to us in plenitude1 in its    
every sphere1 from the abyss of hell to 
the heights of heaven4 ,and we learnt   
that this had become possible through   
the passionate energy with which1 in our

 search for the highest truth1 for the  
highest ends1 and in purest love to     
redeem1 we had directed our thought     
inwards and upwards1 living at the same 
time the life requisite to qualify us   
for such perceptions4 ,thus did we      
obtain practical realisation of the     
promise that they who do the divine     
will1 by living the divine life1 shall  
know of the divine doctrine4 ,our whole 
mental attitude had been one of prayer  
in its essential sense2 which is not    
that of saying prayers1 but as it came  
to be defined for us--the intense       
direction of the will and desire towards
 the ,highest2 an unchanging intent to  
know nothing but the ,highest4 ,because 
to think inwardly1 to pray intensely1   
and to imagine centrally1 is to hold    
converse with ,god4 ,and we had done    
this without knowing it was prayer1 or  
calling it by that name4 ,for1 knowing  
only the conventional conception of     
prayer1 we had recoiled from it as from 
other conventional conceptions of things

 religious4  ,now1 however1 we found    
that we had done instinctively and      
spontaneously precisely what was        
necessary to bring us into relations at 
once with our spiritual selves and with 
the world of those who consist only of  
the spiritual self4 ,for1 by thus       
becoming vitalised and sensitive in that
 part of man's system which endures and 
passes on1 we had come into open        
conditions with the world of those who  
have thus endured and passed on1 and are
 no longer of the terrestrial1 but of   
the celestial1 having surmounted all    
lower and intermediate planes4 ,all this
 came to us without anticipation on our 
part1 or any conscious seeking for it2  
but yet without causing dismay or       
surprise when it came4 ,for it came so  
gradually as to seem to be but the      
natural and orderly result of the       
unfoldment of our own spiritual         
consciousness1 and excited only feelings
 of joy and thankfulness at finding our 
method and aspirations crowned with so  

high a success4 ,thus was it made       
absolutely clear to us that1 so far from
 divine revelation involving miracle1 or
 requiring for its instruments persons  
other in kind than the ordinary1 it is a
 prerogative of man1 belonging to him as
 man2 and requiring for its reception   
only that he be fully man1 alive and    
sensitive in his own innermost and      
highest1 in his centre as in his        
circumference4 ,thus living on the quick
 and finding no others who did so1 it   
seemed to us as if we alone were the    
quick1 and all others were dead4  ,we   
noted yet another way in which we       
supplemented and complemented each      
other4 ,it was in this wise4 ,as ,i was 
bent on the construction of a system of 
thought which should be at once a       
science1 a philosophy1 a morality1 and a
 religion1 and recognisable by the      
understanding as indubitably true2 she  
was bent on the construction of a rule  
of life equally obvious and binding1 and
 recognisable by the sentiments as alone

 according with them1 its basis being   
that sense of perfect justice which     
springs from perfect sympathy4  ,by     
which it will be seen that while it was 
her aim to establish a perfect practice1
 which might or might not consist with a
 perfect doctrine1 it was my aim to     
establish a perfect doctrine which would
 inevitably issue in a perfect practice1
 by at once defining it and supplying an
 all-compelling motive for its          
observance4  ,these1 as we at once      
recognised1 were the two indispensable  
halves of one perfect whole4 ,but we had
 yet to learn the nature and source of  
the compelling motive for its           
enforcement4  ,the deficiency was made  
good by the discovery of the fact of    
man's permanence as an individual4 ,the 
revelation of this truth was the        
demonstration to us of the inanity--not 
to use a stronger term--of the system   
called ,positivism4 ,in ignoring the    
soul1 that system lacks the motive and  
repudiates the source of the sentiments 

on which it insists1 and to the         
experiences of which those sentiments   
are due4  ,,footnotes3  #h ,the book was
 ,by and ,by3 ,an ,historical ,romance  
of the ,future1 its object being to show
 a state of society in which the        
intuition is supreme1 and individuals   
follow their own ideals4 ,it represents 
a step in ,e4,m4's unfoldment1 but not  
his final conclusions4 ,in #ahgc ,a4,k41
 having read a review of this book in   
the ,examiner 7which also contained a   
notice of one of her tales71            
communicated with ,e4,m4 7,life ,a4,k4  
,vol4 ,i4 p4 #bg47  #i ,this was not the
 first time that ,e4,m4 met ,a4,k4 ,he  
had met her once before1 in ,january1   
#ahgd1 in a picture gallery in ,london4 
,it was but for a short time1 and during
 a single afternoon2 but it was         
sufficient to convince him of the       
unusual character of the personality    
with which he had come into contact4    
7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #cb47  #aj   
,her very first published production was

 a poem in a religious magazine1 when   
she was but nine years old4 7,life      
,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #bi47  #aa          
,beatrice3 ,a ,tale of the ,early       
,christians1 was written by ,a4,k4 in   
#ahei1 for the ,churchman's ,companion1 
but the publisher thought it worthy to  
make a separate volume1 and offered to  
bring it out in that form1 and to give  
her a present for it1 which offer was   
accepted4 7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 p4    
#d47  #ab ,the ,story was ,in my ,lady's
 ,chamber1 and purported to be a        
speculative romance touching a few      
questions of the day4 ,it was afterwards
 published separately as by ,colossa4   
7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 pp4 #ba1 #bb47  
#ac ,the first edition of ,the ,pilgrim 
and the ,shrine was published in #ahfg4 
#ad ,e4,m4 did not marry again4 ,he had 
one child1 ,charles ,bradley ,maitland1 
and he died on the #afth ,february1     
#aija4  #ae ,see p4 #ajj  #af ,e4,m4    
says that ,the ,keys of the ,creeds     
brought his thought up to the extreme   

limits of a thought merely intellectual1
 to transcend which it would be         
necessary to penetrate the barrier      
between the worlds of sense and of      
spirit4 7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #ed47
  #ag ,statement ,e4,c4,u4 p4 #hj4      
,,chapter ,,ii4  ,,the ,,initiation4    
,my visit to the rectory resulted in an 
intimacy which made me to such extent a 
member of the family as to remove all   
obstacles to the collaboration required 
of us4 ,it was soon made evident that   
not only our association1 but her design
 of seeking a medical education was for 
both of us an indispensable element in  
our preparation for our now recognised  
joint-mission4 ,in its general aspect   
that mission had for its purpose the    
overthrow of ,materialism1 and in order 
to qualify us for it1 it was deemed     
necessary that we undergo a training in 
the most materialistic of the world's   
schools4 ,this was the ,university of   
,paris4 ,she alone was to seek a        
diploma4 ,for me it was enough that ,i  

accompany her in her studies1 and that  
we submit the teachings received by her 
to rigid analysis by our combined       
faculties4 ,doing this1 we found        
ourselves competent to declare          
positively the falsity of the           
materialistic system on the strength    
both of logical processes and of        
practical demonstration1 by means of the
 experiences of which we found ourselves
 the recipients4 ,for although we had   
never heard of such things as psychic   
faculties1--the very phrase was not yet 
invented--we found ourselves possessed  
of them in such measure that no longer  
did the veil which divides the world    
sensible from the world spiritual       
constitute an impassable barrier1 but   
both were open to view1 and the latter  
was as real and accessible as the       
former4  ,it was about the middle of    
#ahgf that this remarkable accession of 
faculty began to manifest itself in     
plenitude1 ,i being the first to        
experience it1 notwithstanding my       

previous total lack of any faculty of   
the kind1 or of belief in the           
possibility of my having it4 ,but the   
purification which my physical system   
had undergone by means of my new dietary
 regimen1 and the constant and intense  
direction of my thought inwards and     
upwards1 the forcible concentration of  
my mind upon the essential and          
substantial ideas of things1 and this   
under impulsion of an enthusiasm kindled
 to a white heat--an enthusiasm1 as     
already said1 both of aspiration and of 
repulsion--and the enhancement of       
faculty through sympathetic             
association1--these had so attenuated   
the veil that it no longer impeded my   
vision of spiritual realities4 ,and ,i  
found myself--without seeking for or    
expecting it--spiritually sensitive in  
respect of sight1 hearing1 and touch1   
and in open1 palpable relations with a  
world which ,i had no difficulty in     
recognising as of celestial nature2 so  
far did it transcend everything of which

 ,i had heard or read in the annals of  
the contemporary spiritualism2 so       
entirely did it accord with my          
conceptions of the divine4  ,that ,i    
refrain from employing the terms        
supernatural and superhuman1 is because 
they assume the knowledge of the limits 
of the natural and the human1 and       
arbitrarily exclude from those          
categories regions of being which may   
really belong to them4 ,the celestial   
and the divine are not necessarily      
either superhuman or supernatural2 they 
may be but the higher human and the     
higher natural4 ,if they are at all1    
they are according to natural order1 and
 it is natural for them to be4          
,nevertheless1 vast as was the interval 
it represented between my past and      
present states1 it came so naturally and
 easily as to be clearly the result1 not
 of any abnormal or accidental cataclysm
 involving a breach of continuity1 but  
of a perfectly orderly unfoldment every 
step of which was distinctly traceable4 

,for though the process was akin to that
 of the attainment of sight by one      
previously blind1 and the final issue   
was sudden1 the issue had been led up to
 in such wise as to render it legitimate
 and normal4 ,for its earliest          
indication#ah was an opening of the mind
 in such wise that subjects hitherto    
beyond my grasp1 and problems deemed    
insoluble1 became comprehensible and    
clear2 while whole vistas of thought    
perfectly continuous and coherent1 would
 disclose themselves to my view1        
stretching far away towards their source
 in the very principles of things1 so   
that ,i found myself intellectually the 
master of questions which previously had
 baffled me4  ,the experience ,i am     
about to relate was not only remarkable 
in itself1 it was remarkable also as    
striking what proved to be the keynote  
of all our subsequent work1 the         
doctrine1 namely1 of the substantial    
identity of ,god and man4 ,it had       
suddenly flashed on my mind as a        

necessary and self-evident truth1 the   
contrary of which was absurd2 and ,i had
 seated myself at my writing-table to   
give it expression for a book ,i had    
lately commenced#ai4 ,i was alone and   
locked in my room in my chambers off    
,pall ,mall1 ,mrs ,kingsford being at   
the time in ,paris1 accompanied by her  
husband4 ,it was past midnight1 and all 
without was quiet2 there was not a sound
 to break my abstraction4 ,this was so  
profound that ,i had written some four  
pages without drawing breath1 the matter
 seeming to flow not merely from but    
through me without conscious mental     
effort of my own4 ,i saw so clearly that
 there was no need to think4 ,in the    
course of the writing ,i became         
distinctly aware of a presence as of    
someone bending over me from behind1 and
 actively engaged in blending with and  
reinforcing my mind4 ,being unwilling to
 risk an interruption to the flow of my 
thought1 ,i resisted the impulse to look
 up and ascertain who or what it was4   

,of alarm at so unlooked-for a presence 
,i had not a particle4 ,be it whom it   
might1 the accord between us was as     
perfect as if it had been merely a      
projection of my own higher self4 ,i had
 never heard of higher selves in those  
days1 or of the possibility of such a   
phenomenon2 but the idea of such an     
explanation occurred to me then and     
there4 ,but this solution of the problem
 of my visitant's personality was       
presently dissipated by the event4  ,the
 passage ,i had been writing concluded  
with these words3--       ,the perfect  
man of any race is no other than the    
perfect      expression in the flesh of 
all the essential characteristics of the
      soul of that race4 ,escaping the  
limitations of the individual man1      
such an one represents the soul of his  
people4 ,escaping the      limitations  
of the individual people1 he represents 
the soul of      all peoples1 or        
,humanity4 ,escaping the limitations of 
,humanity1 but      still preserving its

 essential characteristics1 he          
represents the      soul of the system  
of which the earth is but an individual 
member4      ,and finally1 after        
climbing many a further step of the     
infinite      ladder of existence1 and  
escaping the limitations of all systems 
whatever1 he represents--nay1 finds that
 he is--the soul of the      universe1  
even ,god ,himself1 once 'manifested in 
the flesh1' and now      'perfected     
through suffering1' 'purified1          
sanctified1 redeemed1      justified1   
glorified1' 'crowned with honour and    
glory1' and 'seated      for ever at the
 right hand of the ,father1' 'one with  
,god1' even ,god      ,himself4  ,at    
this moment--my mind being so wholly    
preoccupied with the utterance and all  
that ,i saw it involved1 as to make me  
oblivious of all else--the presence ,i  
had felt bending over me darted itself  
into me just below the cerebral bulb at 
the back of my neck1 the sensation being
 that of a slight tap1 as of a          

finger-touch2 and then in a voice full1 
rich1 firm1 measured1 and so strong that
 it resounded through the room1         
exclaimed1 in a tone indicative of high 
satisfaction1 ,at last ,i have found a  
man through whom ,i can speak6  ,so     
powerful was the intonation that the    
tympana of my ears vibrated to the      
sound1 palpably bulging outwards1       
showing that they had been struck on the
 inner side1 and that the presence had  
actually projected itself into my larynx
 and spoken from within me1 but without 
using my organs of speech1 ,i was       
conscious of being in radiant health at 
the time1 and was unable to detect any  
symptom of being otherwise4 ,my thought1
 too1 and observation were perfectly    
coherent and continuous1 and ,i could   
discern no smallest pretext for distrust
 of the reality of the experience4 ,and 
my delight and satisfaction1 which were 
unbounded1 found expression in the      
single utterance1 ,then the ancients    
were right1 and the ,gods ,,are6 so     

resistless was the conviction that only 
by a divinised being could the wisdom   
and power be manifested of the presence 
of which ,i was conscious4 ,the words1  
,at last ,i have found a man were       
incompatible with the theory of its     
being an objectivation of my own        
particular ego1 and1 moreover1 they     
indicated the speaker as one high in    
authority over the race4  ,nothing more 
passed on that occasion2 but a vivid    
impression was left with me that my     
visitant belonged to the order of       
spirits called ,planetaries4 ,but as ,i 
had then no knowledge of such beings1 ,i
 put aside the question of his identity 
for the solution which ,i trusted would 
come of further enlightenment4 ,this    
came in due time1 with the result of    
confirming the impression given me at   
the time4 ,the explanation1 however1    
does not come within the scope of this  
present writing4 ,some time afterwards1 
when searching at the library of the    
,british ,museum in the writings of the 

old occultists for experiences analogous
 to our own1 ,i came upon one account   
which described the entrance into the   
man of an overshadowing spirit exactly  
as it had occurred to me1 so far as it  
concerned the nape of the neck as the   
point of entry and the slightness of the
 sensation4 ,the only further reference 
to the incident necessary here is as    
follows4  ,a little later ,mrs          
,kingsford had returned to ,england1    
being compelled to quit ,paris by a     
severe illness which she had contracted 
immediately on her arrival there2 and   
was pursuing her studies in ,london1    
making her home with a relative in      
,chelsea4 ,the event proved that she had
 been sent back by the supervisors of   
our work expressly in order to be within
 reach of me4 ,indeed1 an intimation had
 been given me before she had gone that 
she would not be allowed to stay abroad1
 as our near contiguity was             
indispensable1 and ,i had accordingly   
viewed her departure with considerable  

disquietude1 circumstances rendering it 
impossible for me to leave home just    
then4 ,prior to coming back she had     
obtained from the ,minister of          
,education the exceptional privilege of 
a permit allowing her attendance at a   
,london hospital to count in her ,paris 
course4  ,the first experience received 
by her in relation to our work1 after   
her return to ,london1 was the terrific 
vision of ,the ,doomed ,train#bj4  ,on  
bringing it to me on the morning of its 
occurrence1 she exclaimed as she entered
 the room1 ,oh1 ,i have had such a      
terrific dream6 ,it has quite shattered 
me4 ,and ,i have brought it for you to  
try and find its meaning1 if it has one4
 ,i wrote it down the moment ,i was     
able4 ,her appearance fully confirmed   
her statement4 ,it alarmed me4 ,this is 
the account3--  ,i was visited1 last    
night1 by a dream of so strange and     
vivid a kind that ,i feel impelled to   
communicate it to you1 not only to      
relieve my own mind of the oppression   

which the recollection of it causes me1 
but also to give you an opportunity of  
finding the meaning1 which ,i am still  
far too much shaken and terrified to    
seek for myself4  ,it seemed to me that 
you and ,i were two of a vast company of
 men and women1 upon all of whom1 with  
the exception of myself--for ,i was     
there voluntarily--sentence of death had
 been passed4 ,i was sensible of the    
knowledge--how obtained ,i know         
not--that this terrible doom had been   
pronounced by the official agents of    
some new reign of terror4 ,certain ,i   
was that none of the party had really   
been guilty of any crime deserving of   
death2 but that the penalty had been    
incurred through their connection with  
some regime1 political1 social1 or      
religious1 which was doomed to utter    
destruction4 ,it became known among us  
that the sentence was about to be       
carried out on a colossal scale2 but we 
remained in absolute ignorance as to the
 place and method of the intended       

execution4 ,thus far my dream gave me no
 intimation of the scene which next     
burst on me1--a scene which strained to 
their utmost tension every sense of     
sight1 hearing1 and touch in a manner   
unprecedented in any dream ,i have      
previously had4  ,it was night1 dark and
 starless1 and ,i found myself1 together
 with the whole company of doomed men   
and women who knew that they were soon  
to die1 but not how or where1 in a      
railway train hurrying through the      
darkness to some unknown destination4 ,i
 sat in a carriage quite at the rear end
 of the train1 in a corner seat1 and was
 leaning out of the open window1 peering
 into the darkness1 when1 suddenly1 a   
voice1 which seemed to speak out of the 
air1 said to me in a low1 distinct1     
intense tone1 the mere recollection of  
which makes me shudder1--',the sentence 
is being carried out even now4 ,you are 
all of you lost4 ,ahead of the train is 
a frightful precipice of monstrous      
height1 and at its base beats a         

fathomless sea4 ,the railway ends only  
with the abyss4 ,over that will the     
train hurl itself into annihilation4    
,,there ,,is ,,no ,,one ,,on ,,the      
,,engine6'  ,at this ,i sprang from my  
seat in horror1 and looked round at the 
faces of the persons in the carriage    
with me4 ,no one of them had spoken1 or 
had heard those awful words4 ,the       
lamplight from the dome of the carriage 
flickered on the forms about me4 ,i     
looked from one to the other1 but saw no
 sign of alarm given by any of them4    
,then again the voice out of the air    
spoke to me1--',there is but one way to 
be saved4 ,you must leap out of the     
train6'  ,in frantic haste ,i pushed    
open the carriage-door and stepped out  
on the footboard4 ,the train was going  
at a terrific pace1 swaying to and fro  
as with the passion of its speed2 and   
the mighty wind of its passage beat my  
hair about my face and tore at my       
garments4  ,until this moment ,i had not
 thought of you1 or even seemed         

conscious of your presence in the train4
 ,holding tightly on to the rail by the 
carriage-door1 ,i began to creep along  
the footboard towards the engine1 hoping
 to find a chance of dropping safely    
down on the line4 ,hand-over-hand ,i    
passed along in this way from one       
carriage to another2 and as ,i did so ,i
 saw by the light within each carriage  
that the passengers had no idea of the  
fate upon which they were being hurried4
 ,at length1 in one of the compartments1
 ,i saw you4 ',come out6' ,i cried2     
'come out6 ,save yourself6 ,in another  
minute we shall be dashed to pieces6'   
,you rose instantly1 wrenched open the  
door1 and stood beside me outside on the
 footboard4 ,the rapidity at which we   
were going was now more fearful than    
ever4 ,the train rocked as it fled      
onwards4 ,the wind shrieked as we were  
carried through it4 ',leap down6' ,i    
cried to you4 ',save yourself6 ,it is   
certain death to stay here4 ,before us  
is an abyss2 and there is no one on the 

engine6'  ,at this you turned your face 
full upon me with a look of intense     
earnestness1 and said1 ',no1 we will not
 leap down2 we will stop the train4'    
,with these words you left me1 and crept
 along the footboard towards the front  
of the train4 ,full of half-angry       
anxiety at what seemed to me a ,quixotic
 act1 ,i followed4 ,in one of the       
carriages we passed ,i saw my mother and
 eldest brother1 unconscious as the     
rest4 ,presently we reached the last    
carriage1 and saw by the lurid light of 
the furnace that the voice had spoken   
truly1 and that there was no one on the 
engine4  ,you continued to move onwards4
 ',impossible6 ,impossible6' ,i cried2  
'it cannot be done4 ,oh1 pray1 come     
away6'  ,then you knelt upon the        
footboard1 and said1 ',you are right4   
,it cannot be done in that way2 but we  
can save the train4 ,help me to get     
these irons asunder4'  ,the engine was  
connected with the train by two great   
iron hooks and staples4 ,by a tremendous

 effort1 in making which ,i almost lost 
my balance1 we unhooked the irons and   
detached the train2 when1 with a mighty 
leap as of some mad supernatural        
monster1 the engine sped on its way     
alone1 shooting back as it went a great 
flaming trail of sparks1 and was lost in
 the darkness4 ,we stood together on the
 footboard1 watching in silence the     
gradual slackening of the speed4 ,when  
at length the train had come to a       
standstill1 we cried to the passengers1 
',saved6 ,saved6' ,and then1 amid the   
confusion of opening the doors and      
descending and eager talking1 my dream  
ended1 leaving me shattered and         
palpitating with the horror of it4      
,this vision was intended to show us the
 destruction1 moral1 intellectual1 and  
spiritual1 towards which the world was  
tending by following materialistic modes
 of thought1 and the part we were to    
bear in arresting its progress towards  
the fatal precipice1 at all hazards to  
ourselves4 ,the startling announcement  

made to her by the invisible voice when 
the crowded train was rushing at full   
speed to its doom1 ,there is no one on  
the engine6 exactly represented the     
philosophy which1 denying mind in the   
universe1 recognises only blind force4  
,i had determined to include an account 
of this vision in the book on which ,i  
was then engaged1 ,england and ,islam4  
,and ,i was alone in my rooms1 reading  
the proofs of it1 my mind being occupied
 solely with the letterpress1 until ,i  
came to the remark ascribed to me in the
 vision1 as made in reply to her        
entreaty that ,i would jump out with her
 to save ourselves1 ,no1 we will not    
leap down1 we will stop the train4 ,at  
this moment the voice which shortly     
before#ba had said to me1 ,at last ,i   
have found a man through whom ,i can    
speak6 addressed me again1 saying in a  
pleased and encouraging tone1 as if the 
speaker had been following me in my     
reading1 and desired to remove any      
doubts ,i might have of the reality of  

our mission1--,yes6 ,yes6 ,i have       
trusted all to you6 ,this time he spoke 
from without me1 but apparently quite   
close by4 ,and among the impressions    
which at the same instant were flashed  
into my mind1 was the impression1       
amounting to a conviction1 that whatever
 might be the part assigned to others in
 the work of the new illumination in    
progress and the restoration thereby to 
the world of one true doctrine of       
existence1 the exposition of its        
innermost and highest sphere1 the head  
corner-stone of the pyramid of the      
system which is to make the humanity of 
the future1 had been committed to us    
alone4 ,and now1 writing nearly twenty  
years later1 ,i can truly say that this 
conviction has never for a moment been  
weakened1 but on the contrary has       
gathered confirmation and strength with 
every successive accession of experience
 and knowledge1 and while cognisant of  
and fully appreciating all that has     
taken place in the unfoldment of the    

world's thought during the interval4    
,ever since that memorable winter of    
#ahgf-g1 the conviction1 shared equally 
by my colleague1 has been with me that  
the controlling spirit of the ,hebrew   
prophets was that also of our work1 the 
purpose of which was the accomplishment 
of their prophecies1 by the promotion of
 the world's spiritual consciousness to 
a level surpassing any yet attained by  
it1 to the regeneration of the church   
and the establishment of the kingdom of 
,god with power4 ,having which          
conviction1 there was for us but one    
object in life3--to fulfil at whatever  
cost to ourselves the conditions        
necessary to make us fitting instruments
 for the perfect accomplishment of a    
work which we recognised as the loftiest
 that could be committed to mortals4    
,my colleague's enforced return to      
,london was promptly signalised by an   
experience which served not only yet    
further to demonstrate the reality and  
nature of our mission1 and of her       

primacy in our work1 but to disclose its
 essentially ,christian character1 which
 hitherto had been an open question for 
us4 ,for that upon which we ourselves   
were bent was the discovery of the      
nature of existence at first hand1 and  
independently of any existing system    
whatever4 ,it was truth and truth alone 
that we sought1 and to this end we had  
laboured to make ourselves as those of  
whom it is said1 ,of such is the kingdom
 of heaven4 ,for in divesting ourselves 
of all prepossessions and prejudices1 we
 had made ourselves as little children4 
,we were neither believers nor          
disbelievers1 but pure sceptics in that 
best sense of the term in which it      
denotes the unbiased seeker after ,god  
and truth4 ,this is to say1 we were1 and
 we gloried in being1 absolutely free   
thinkers1 a term which1 in its true     
acceptation1 we regarded as man's       
noblest title4 ,this is the sense in    
which it denotes a thought able to      
exercise itself in all directions open  

to thought1 outwards and downwards to   
matter and negation1 and inwards and    
upwards to spirit and reality4 ,and our 
work proved in the event to be the      
supreme triumph of ,free ,thought4  ,the
 experience in question was as follows4 
,it was night and ,i was alone and      
locked in my chambers1 and was writing  
at full speed1 lest it should escape me1
 an exposition of the place and office  
of woman under the coming regeneration4 
,and ,i was conscious of an exaltation  
of faculty such as might conceivably be 
the result of an enhancement of my own  
mind by junction with another and       
superior mind4 ,i was even conscious1   
though in a far less degree than before1
 of an invisible presence4 ,but ,i was  
too much engrossed with my idea to pay  
heed to persons1 be they whom they      
might1 human or divine1 as well as      
anxious to take advantage of such       
assistance4 ,i had clearly and vividly  
in my mind all that ,i desired to say   
for several pages on4 ,then1 suddenly   

and completely1 like the stoppage of a  
stream in its flow through a tube by the
 quick turning of a tap1 the current of 
my thought ceased1 leaving my mind an   
utter blank as to what ,i had meant to  
say1 and totally unable to recall the   
least idea of it4 ,so palpable was its  
withdrawal1 that it seemed to me as if  
it must still be hovering somewhere near
 me1 and ,i looked up and impatiently   
exclaimed aloud to it1 ,where are you8  
,at length1 after ransacking my mind in 
vain1 ,i turned to other work1 for ,i   
was perfectly fresh1 and the desertion  
had been in no way due to exhaustion1   
physical or mental4 ,on taking note of  
the time of the disappearance1 ,i found 
it was #aa4cj precisely4  ,the next     
morning failed to bring my thought back 
to me as ,i had hoped it would do2 but  
it brought instead1 an unusually early  
visit from ,mrs4 ,kingsford1 who was--as
 ,i have said--staying in ,chelsea4     
,such a curious thing happened to me    
last night1 she began1 on entering the  

room1 and ,i want to tell you of it and 
see if you can explain it4 ,i had       
finished my day's work1 but though it   
was late ,i was not inclined to rest1   
for ,i was wakeful with a sense of      
irritation at the thought of what you   
are doing1 and at my exclusion from any 
share in it4 ,and ,i was feeling envious
 of your sex for the superior advantages
 you have over ours of doing great and  
useful work4 ,as ,i sat by the fire     
thinking this1 ,i suddenly found myself 
impelled to take a pencil and paper1 and
 to write4 ,i did so1 and wrote with    
extreme rapidity1 in a half-dreamy      
state1 without any clear idea of what ,i
 was writing1 but supposing it to be    
something expressive of my discontent4  
,i had soon covered a page and a half of
 a large sheet with writing different   
from my own1 and it was quite unlike    
what was in my mind1 as you will see4   
,on perusing the paper ,i found that it 
was a continuation of my missing        
thought1 taken up at the point where it 

had left me1 but translated to a higher 
plane1 the expression also being        
similarly elevated in accordance both   
with the theme and the writer1 having   
the exquisiteness so characteristic of  
her genius4 ,to my enquiry as to the    
hour of the occurrence1 she at once     
replied1 ,half-past eleven exactly2 for 
,i was so struck by it that ,i took     
particular notice of the time4  ,what ,i
 had written was as follows3--          
,those of us who1 being men1 refuse to  
accord to women the same      freedom of
 evolution for their consciousness which
 we claim for      ourselves1 do so in  
consequence of a total misconception of 
the      nature and functions both of   
,humanity and of ,existence at large4   
,the notion that men and women can by   
any possibility do each      other's    
work1 is utterly absurd4 ,whom ,god hath
 distinguished1 none      can confound4 
,to do the same thing is not to do the  
same work2      inasmuch as the spirit  
is more than the fact1 and the spirit of

 man      and of woman is different4    
,while for the production of perfect    
results it is necessary that they work  
harmoniously together1 it is            
necessary also that they fulfil separate
 functions in regard to      that       
work#bb4  ,this was the point at which  
my thought had failed me1 to be taken up
 by her at the same instant two miles   
away1 without her knowing even that ,i  
contemplated treating that particular   
theme1 as ,i had purposely reserved it  
until ,i should have completed the      
expression1 hoping to give her a        
pleasant surprise2 for it was one very  
near to her heart4 ,this is her         
continuation of it4 ,it will be seen    
that1 besides complementing my thought1 
it responded remedially to her own      
mood3--       ,in a true mission of     
redemption1 in the proclamation of a    
gospel      to save1 it is the man who  
must preach2 it is the man who must     
stand forward among the people2 it is   
the man who1 if need be1 must      die4 

,but he is not alone4 ,if his be the    
glory of the full noontide1      his day
 has been ushered in by a goddess4      
,aurora has preceded      ,phoibos      
,apollo2 ,mary has been before ,christ4 
,for1 mark that ,he      shall do ,his  
first and greatest work at her          
suggestion4 ,to her      shall ever     
belong the glory of the inauguration2 of
 her shall the      gospel be born2 from
 her lips shall the ,christ take the    
bidding for      ,his first miracle2    
from her shall ,his earliest inspiration
 be      drawn4 ,the people are athirst 
for the living wine1 which shall be     
better1 sweeter1 purer1 stronger1 than  
any they have yet tasted4      ,the     
festival lags1 the joy slackens1 for    
need of it4 ,the ,christ is      in     
their midst1 but ,he opens not ,his     
lips2 ,his heart is sealed1 ,his        
hour is not yet come4 ,mark that the    
first inspiration falls on the          
woman by ,his side1 on ,mary the ,mother
 of ,god2 she saith unto ,him1          

',they have no wine4' ,she has spoken1  
the impulse is given to      ,divinity4 
,his soul awakens1 ,his pulse quickens1 
,he utters the word      that works the 
miracle4 ,hail1 ,mary1 full of grace2   
,christ is thy      gift to the world6  
,without thee ,he could not have been2  
but for      thine impulse ,he could    
have worked no mighty work4 ,this shall 
be      the history of all time2 it     
shall be the sign of the ,christ4 ,mary 
shall feel2 ,christ shall speak4 ,hers  
the glory of setting ,his heart      in 
action2 hers the thrill of emotion to   
which ,his power shall      respond4    
,but for her ,he shall be powerless2 but
 for her ,he shall be      dumb2 but for
 her ,he shall have no strength to      
smite1 no hand to      help4 ,it is the 
seed of the woman who shall bruise the  
serpent's      head4 ,the ,christ1 the  
true prophet1 is her child1 her gift to 
the      world4 ',woman1 behold thy     
,son6'  ,such was the first intimation  
and the manner thereof1 given us of the 

truth subsequently revealed in          
plenitude1--the presence in ,scripture  
of a mystical sense concealed within the
 apparent sense1 as a kernel in its     
shell1 which1 and not the literal sense1
 is the intended sense#bc4 ,as was later
 shown us in regard to the story of the 
cursing of the fig-tree1 that of the    
marriage in ,cana was a parable having a
 spiritual import2 and the character of 
,jesus was cleared from the reproaches  
based on the literal sense4 ,striving   
for fuller unfoldment and enlightenment1
 we were at length enabled to discern   
the tremendous mistake which orthodoxy  
has made2 the mistake of confounding1   
first1 ,jesus with ,christ1 and1 next1  
,mary the mother of ,jesus1 with the    
,virgin ,mary1 the mother of ,christ1   
and the conversion thereby of a perfect 
philosophy into a gross idolatry4       
,meanwhile1 the experience was a further
 demonstration to us of the reality and 
accessibility not merely of the world   
spiritual1 but of the world celestial   

also1 and of the high source of the     
commission under which we had become    
associated together4 ,it was also an    
indication that as concerned ourselves  
our work appertained to the spiritual1  
rather than to the social plane4 ,such  
application of it would follow in due   
time4 ,no other hypothesis that we could
 devise would account for the facts4    
,nor could we imagine any source other  
than the ,church invisible for an       
interpretation so noble of the          
,scriptures of the ,church visible4     
,not that the hypothesis of an          
extraneous source accounted for all our 
experiences4 ,for besides receiving     
knowledge from such influences1 there   
were instances in which we actually saw 
and seemed to remember scenes1 events1  
and persons1 long since vanished from   
earth1 and felt at the time that it     
needed only that the period of lucidity 
be sufficiently prolonged to enable us  
to recover from personal recollection   
the whole history concerned4  ,i was    

somewhat surprised by finding the first 
experiences of this nature1 as well as  
certain others of an equally high and   
rare order1 occurring to me rather than 
to my colleague1 of the superiority of  
whose faculty and of whose primacy in   
our work ,i had no manner of doubt4 ,the
 explanation at length vouchsafed was in
 this wise4 ,it was in order to qualify 
me for recognising by my own experiences
 the reality and value of hers when they
 should come4 ,not otherwise should ,i  
know enough to be able to believe4 ,it  
proved1 moreover1 to be part of the plan
 ordained to withdraw from me1 in a     
great measure1 the faculty requisite for
 them1 when ,i had become familiar with 
them4 ,the reason for according her such
 preference over and above the          
superiority of her gifts will presently 
appear4 ,it was another and an exquisite
 illustration of the depth and          
tenderness of the mystical element      
underlying ,christianity as divinely    
conceived and intended4         99      

99       99       99       99  ,the     
partial withdrawal from me of faculty   
just alluded to took place early in     
#ahgg1 but not until ,i had undergone a 
thorough experiential training in its   
varied manifestations4 ,among these were
 two which call for relation here1 by   
reason of their serving to show that    
nothing was withheld which might        
minister to the completeness of the work
 set us4 ,the first was as follows3--   
,being seated at my writing-table1 and  
meditating on the gospel narrative1 with
 a strange sense of being separated by  
only a narrow interval from a full      
knowledge of all that it implied1 ,i    
found myself impelled to seek the       
precise idea intended to be conveyed by 
the story of the woman taken in         
adultery4 ,no account that ,i had read  
of it had satisfied me1 least of all    
that which was proposed in the ,ecce    
,homo of ,professor ,seeley1 a book then
 recent and enjoying a repute which     
filled me with a strong feeling of      

personal resentment4 ,for his account1  
especially of the feelings excited in   
,jesus by the sight of the accused      
woman1 revolted me by its inscription to
 ,him of a sense of impropriety at once 
monkish and conventional1 and of a      
limitation of charity altogether        
incompatible with the abounding sympathy
 which was the essence of ,his nature4  
,it made ,him that most odious of       
characters1 a prude4  ,as ,i meditated1 
and in following my idea ,i passed into 
a state which1 though highly interior1  
was not sufficiently interior for my    
purpose--for ,i wanted1 so to speak1 to 
see my idea--a voice audible only to the
 inner hearing1 yet quite distinct1 said
 to me1 ,you have it within you4 ,seek  
for it4 ,thus encouraged1 ,i made a     
further effort at concentration1        
when--to my utter surprise1 for ,i had  
no expectation or conception of such a  
thing--the whole scene of the incident  
appeared palpably before me1 like a     
living picture in a camera obscura1 so  

natural1 minute and distinct as to leave
 nothing to be desired1 and1 at the same
 time1 utterly unlike any pictorial     
representation ,i had ever seen of it4  
,close before me1 on my right hand1     
stood the ,temple1 with ,jesus seated on
 a stone ledge in the porch1 while      
ranged before ,him was a crowd of       
persons in the costumes of the country  
and the time2 each costume showing the  
grade or calling of its wearer4         
,standing together in a group in front  
of ,him were the disciples1 and         
immediately beside them were the        
accusers1 who were readily recognisable 
by their ample robes and sanctimonious  
demeanour2 and quite close to ,him1     
between ,him and them1 stood the accused
 woman4 ,as ,i approached the scene1    
moving meteor-like through the air1 ,he 
was in the act of lifting ,himself up   
from stooping to write on the ground1   
and ,i had a perfect view of ,his face4 
,he was of middle age1 but1 to my       
surprise1 the type was that of a        

,murillo1 rather than a ,raffaelle1 and 
the lower portion of the face was       
covered with a short1 dark beard4 ,the  
expression was worn and anxious1 and    
somewhat weary4 ,the skin was rough as  
from exposure to the weather4 ,the eyes 
were deep-set and lustrous1 and         
remarkable for the tenderness of their  
gaze4 ,one of the apostles1 whom ,i at  
once recognised by his comparative      
youthfulness as ,john1 though his back  
was towards me as ,i approached1 was in 
the act of bending forwards to read the 
words just traced in the dust on the    
pavement2 and1 as if drawn to him by    
some potent attraction1 ,i at once      
passed unhesitatingly into him as he    
bent forward1 and tried to read the     
words through his eyes4 ,their exact    
purport escaped me2 but the impression  
,i obtained was that they were          
unimportant in themselves1 having been  
written merely to enable ,jesus to      
collect and calm ,himself4 ,for ,he was 
filled with a mighty indignation1 which 

was directed1 not against the accused   
woman1 but against the by-standing      
representatives of the conventional     
orthodoxies1 the chief priests and      
,pharisees1 her sanctimonious and       
hypocritical accusers1--those moral     
vivisectors through whose pitilessness  
the shrinking woman stood there exposed 
to the public gaze1 while her fault was 
so brutally blurted out in her presence 
for all to hear2 for her attitude showed
 her ready to sink with shame into the  
ground1 and afraid to look either her   
accusers or her ,judge in the face4 ,he1
 her ,judge1 also has heard it1 and     
knows that they who utter it are        
themselves a thousand-fold greater      
sinners than she1 inasmuch as that which
 she has yielded through exigency either
 of passion or of compassion1 has with  
them been a cold-blooded habit          
engendered of ingrained impurity4  ,in  
contrast with them she stands out in    
,his eyes an angel of innocence2 and an 
overwhelming indignation takes          

possession of ,him1 so that ,he will not
 at once trust ,himself to speak4 ,his  
impulse is to drive them forth with     
blows and reproaches from ,his presence1
 as once already ,he has driven the     
barterers from the ,temple4 ,and so1 to 
keep ,his wrath from exploding1 ,he     
stoops down and scribbles on the        
ground1--no matter what1 anything to    
keep ,himself within bounds4 ,in the    
exercise ,his spirit calms4             
,indignation1 ,he reflects1 is too noble
 a thing to be expended upon insensates 
such as they1 and exhortation would be  
vain4 ,he will try sarcasm4 ,so ,he     
raises himself up1 and looks at them1   
very quietly1 and even assentingly4     
,yes1 they are quite right2 the law must
 be vindicated1 and so flagrant a sin   
severely punished4 ,but1 of course1 only
 the guiltless is entitled to inflict   
punishment on the guilty4 ,therefore ,he
 says1 ,he of you who is blameless in   
respect of this sin1 let him first cast 
a stone at her4 ,and having said this1  

,he stoops down again to write1 this    
time to hide ,his smiles at their       
confusion1 the sight of which would but 
have incensed and hardened them4 ,what6 
no rush for ammunition wherewith to     
pound to death this only too human      
specimen of humanity#bd6 ,what can be   
the meaning of the general move among   
these self-appointed censors of morals8 
,they which heard ,him1 being convicted 
of their own consciences1 went out one  
by one1 beginning at the eldest even    
unto the last4 ,no wonder they crucified
 ,him when they got their chance4 ,and  
no wonder that most of the ancient      
authorities omit all mention of the     
incident4 ,even of ,his immediate       
biographers only he records it who is   
styled the ,beloved1 and whose name1    
office1 and character indicate him as   
the representative especially of the    
love-principle in humanity4  ,such were 
the impressions made on me by this      
vision while it lasted1 and written down
 at the time4 ,and so strong in me was  

the feeling that ,i could similarly     
recall the whole history of ,jesus1 that
 ,i mentally addressed to the presences 
which ,i felt1 though ,i could not see1 
around me an inquiry whether ,i should  
then and there begin the attempt4 ,the  
reply1 similarly given1 was a decided   
negative so far as that present time was
 concerned1 but accompanied by an       
intimation that our future work would   
comprise something of the kind2 a       
prediction which was duly fulfilled4  ,i
 found myself perplexed beyond measure  
to comprehend the modus operandi of this
 experience4 ,no explanation was        
forthcoming1 whether from my own mind or
 from my illuminators1 until long       
afterwards2 and when it came it was in  
reference immediately to similar        
experiences received by my colleague1   
some of which likewise involved         
corresponding personal recollections    
coinciding with but surpassing mine4 ,in
 the meantime the teaching given us     
comprised the doctrine of reincarnation1

 stated so positively1 systematically1  
and scientifically that1 when taken in  
conjunction with our experiences1 we    
found that it1 and it alone1 afforded a 
satisfactory explanation of them4 ,and  
then it was shown us that the method of 
the new ,gospel of ,interpretation1 of  
which we were the appointed recipients1 
was so ordered as to be itself a        
demonstration of the truth of that      
doctrine1 and that among the lives we   
had lived1 which qualified us for our   
mission1 were those in which we had been
 in association with ,jesus and with    
each other#be4 ,concerning this         
doctrine1 the motive for its            
suppression1 and the fatal consequences 
thereof to the religion of ,christ1 it  
will be time to speak when describing   
the results attained by us4 ,it is with 
our initial experiences--those which    
constituted our initiation--that the    
present concern lies4  ,there is one    
supreme experience in the spiritual     
life1 known to mystics as the vision of 

,adonai1 or ,god as the ,lord4 ,the     
reception of this vision by us was1 we  
were assured1 a conclusive proof that   
nothing would be withheld that was      
necessary to our full equipment for a   
complete work4 ,although described      
several times in the ,bible as an actual
 occurrence1 it had failed to find any  
response in our own consciousness1 more 
than if it had no existence4 ,nor had it
 ever been the subject of intelligent   
comment by any ,bible-expositors known  
to us4 ,rather did it seem to have been 
entirely passed over as a matter wholly 
apart from human cognition4 ,hence1 when
 it was vouchsafed to us1 it was        
entirely without anticipation of its    
occurrence or previous knowledge even of
 its possibility4  ,it was received     
first by myself1 the manner of it being 
as follows4 ,i had observed that when ,i
 was following an idea inwards in search
 of its primary meaning1 and to that end
 concentrated my mind upon a point lying
 within and beyond the apparent concept1

 ,i saw a whole vista of related ideas  
stretching far away as if towards their 
source1 in what ,i could only suppose to
 be the ,divine ,mind2 and ,i seemed at 
the same time to reach a more interior  
region of my own consciousness2 so that1
 supposing man's system to consist of a 
series of concentric spheres1 each fresh
 effort to focus my mind upon a more    
recondite aspect of the idea under      
analysis was accompanied and marked by a
 corresponding advance of the perceptive
 point of the mind itself towards my own
 central sphere and radiant point4 ,and 
,i was prompted to try to ascertain the 
extent to which it was possible thus to 
concentrate myself interiorly1 and what 
would be the effect of reaching the     
mind's ultimate focus4 ,i was absolutely
 without knowledge or expectation when  
,i yielded to the impulse to make the   
attempt4 ,i simply experimented on a    
faculty of which ,i found myself newly  
possessed1 with the view of discovering 
the range of its capacity1 being seated 

at my writing-table the while in order  
to record the results as they came1 and 
resolved to retain my hold on my outer  
and circumferential consciousness no    
matter how far towards my inner and     
central consciousness ,i might go4 ,for 
,i knew not whether ,i should be able to
 regain the former if ,i once quitted my
 hold of it1 or to recollect the facts  
of the experience4 ,at length ,i        
achieved my object1 though only by a    
strong effort1 the tension occasioned by
 the endeavour to keep both extremes of 
the consciousness in view at once being 
very great4  ,once well started on my   
quest1 ,i found myself traversing a     
succession of spheres or belts of a     
medium1 the tenuity and luminance of    
which increased at every stage of my    
progress2 the impression produced being 
that of mounting a vast ladder          
stretching from the circumference       
towards the centre of a system1 which   
was at once my own system1 the solar    
system1 and the universal system1 the   

three systems being at once diverse and 
identical4 ,my progress in this ascent  
was clearly dependent upon my ability to
 concentrate the rays of my             
consciousness into a focus4 ,for1 while 
to relax the effort was to recede       
outwards1 to intensify it was to advance
 inwards4 ,the process was like that of 
travelling by will power from the orbit 
of ,saturn to the ,sun--taking ,saturn  
as representing the seventh and         
outermost sphere of the spiritual       
kosmos1 and the ,sun its central and    
radiant point--with the intermediate    
orbits for stepping-stones and stages1  
,i trying the while to keep both        
extremes in view4 ,presently1 by a      
supreme1 and what ,i felt must be a     
final1 effort--for the tension was      
becoming too much for me1 unless ,i let 
go my hold of the outer--,i succeeded in
 polarising the whole of the convergent 
rays of my consciousness into the       
desired focus4 ,and at the same instant1
 as if through the sudden ignition of   

the rays thus fused into a unity1 ,i    
found myself confronted with a glory of 
unspeakable whiteness and brightness1   
and of a lustre so intense as well-nigh 
to beat me back4 ,at the same instant1  
too1 there came to me1 as by a sudden   
recollection1 the sense of being already
 familiar with the phenomenon1 as also  
with its whole import1 as if in virtue  
of having experienced it in some former 
and forgotten state of being4 ,i knew it
 to be the ,great ,white ,throne of the 
seer of the ,apocalypse4 ,but though    
feeling that ,i had no need to explore  
further1 ,i resolved to make assurance  
doubly sure by piercing1 if ,i could1   
the almost blinding lustre1 and seeing  
what it enshrined4 ,with a great effort 
,i succeeded1 and the glance revealed to
 me that which ,i had felt must be      
there4 ,this was the dual form of the   
,son1 the ,word1 the ,logos1 the        
,adonai1 the ,sitter on the ,throne1 the
 first formulation of ,divinity1 the    
unmanifest made manifest1 the           

unformulate formulate1 the unindividuate
 individuate1 ,god as the ,lord1 proving
 by ,his ,duality that ,god is          
,substance as well as ,force1 ,love as  
well as ,will1 feminine as well as      
masculine1 ,mother as well as ,father4  
,overjoyed at having this supreme       
problem solved in accordance with my    
highest aspirations1 my one thought was 
to return and proclaim the glad news4   
,but ,i had no sooner set myself to     
write down the things thus seen and     
remembered1 than ,i found myself        
constrained to maintain regarding them  
the strictest silence1 and this even as 
regarded my fellow-worker2 and all that 
,i was permitted to say at that time    
was1 that under a sudden burst of       
illumination ,i had become absolutely   
aware of the truth of the doctrine of   
the ,duality in ,unity of ,deity to     
which that in ,humanity corresponds1    
both alike being twain in one4 ,on      
seeking the reason for the reticence    
thus imposed on me1 ,i learned that the 

stage in our work had not yet come when 
it could be given to the world1 either  
with safety to myself or with advantage 
to others2 and it was necessary that my 
colleague receive no intimation in      
advance of any experiences which were to
 be given to her--of which this         
experience was one--in order that her   
mind might be wholly free from bias or  
expectation4 ,only so would our         
testimony have its due value as that of 
two independent witnesses4  ,in the     
following summer the same vision was    
vouchsafed to her in a measure and with 
a fulness far transcending mine#bf4  ,on
 the occasion she had been forewarned of
 something of unusual solemnity as about
 to occur1 and prompted to make certain 
ceremonial preparations obviously       
calculated to impress the imagination4  
,the access came upon her while standing
 by the open window1 gazing at the moon1
 then close upon the full4 ,the first   
effect of the afflatus was to cause her 
to kneel and pray in a rapt attitude1   

with her arms extended towards the sky4 
,it appeared afterwards1 that under an  
access of spiritual exaltation1 she had 
yielded to a sudden and uncontrollable  
impulse to pray that she might be taken 
to the stars1 and shown all the glory of
 the universe4 ,presently she rose1 and 
after gazing upwards in ecstasy for a   
few moments1 lowered her eyes1 and1     
clasping her arms around her head as if 
to shut out the view1 uttered in tones  
of wonder1 mingled with moans and cries 
of anguish1 the following tokens of the 
intolerable splendour of the vision she 
had unwittingly invited3--  ,oh1 ,i see 
masses1 masses of stars6 ,it makes me   
giddy to look at them4 ,o my ,god1 what 
masses6 ,millions and millions6 ,,wheels
 of planets6 ,o my ,god1 my ,god1 why   
didst ,thou create8 ,it was by ,will1   
all ,will1 that ,thou didst it4 ,oh6    
what might1 what might of ,will6 ,oh1   
what gulfs6 what gulfs6 ,millions and   
millions of miles broad and deep6 ,hold 
me6 hold me up6 ,i shall sink--,i shall 

sink into the gulfs4 ,i am sick and     
giddy1 as on a billowy sea4 ,i am on a  
sea1 an ocean--the ocean of infinite    
space4 ,oh1 what depths6 what depths6 ,i
 sink--,i fail6 ,i cannot1 cannot bear  
it6  ,i shall never come back4 ,i have  
left my body for ever4 ,i am dying2 ,i  
believe ,i am dead4 ,impossible to      
return from such a distance6 ,oh1 what  
colossal forms6 ,they are the angels of 
the planets4 ,every planet has its angel
 standing erect above it4 ,and what     
beauty6--what marvellous beauty6 ,i see 
,raphael4 ,i see the ,angel of the      
,earth4 ,he has six wings4 ,he is a     
,god--the ,god of our planet4 ,i see my 
genius1 who called himself ,a4,z42 but  
his name is ,salathiel4 ,oh1 how        
surpassingly beautiful he is6 ,my genius
 is a male1 and his colour is ruby4     
,yours1 ,caro1 is a female1 and         
sapphire4 ,they are friends--they are   
the same--not two1 but one2 and for that
 reason they have associated us         
together1 and speak of themselves       

sometimes as ,i1 sometimes as ,we4 ,it  
is the ,angel of the ,earth himself that
 is your genius and mine1 ,caro4 ,he it 
was who inspired you1 who spoke to you4 
,and they call me ',bitterness4' ,and ,i
 see sorrow--oh1 what unending sorrow do
 ,i behold6 ,sorrow1 always sorrow1 but 
never without love4 ,i shall always have
 love4 ,how dim is this sphere6444 ,i am
 entering a brighter region now444 ,oh1 
the dazzling1 dazzling brightness6 ,hide
 me1 hide me from it6 ,i cannot1 cannot 
bear it6 ,it is agony supreme to look   
upon4 ,o ,god6 ,o ,god6 ,thou art       
slaying me with ,thy light4 ,it is the  
,throne itself1 the ,great ,white       
,throne of ,god that ,i behold6 ,oh1    
what light6 what light6 ,it is like an  
emerald8 a sapphire8 ,no2 a diamond6 ,in
 its midst stands ,deity erect1 ,his    
right hand raised aloft1 and from ,him  
pours the light of light4 ,forth from   
,his right hand streams the universe1   
projected by the omnipotent repulsion of
 ,his will4 ,back to ,his left1 which is

 depressed and set backwards1 returns   
the universe1 drawn by the attraction of
 ,his love4 ,repulsion and attraction1  
will and love1 right and left1 these are
 the forces1 centrifugal and            
centripetal1 male and female1 whereby   
,god creates and redeems4 ,adonai6 ,o   
,adonai6 ,lord ,god of life1 made of the
 substance of light1 how beautiful art  
,thou in ,thine everlasting youth6 with 
,thy glowing golden locks1 how adorable6
 ,and ,i had thought of ,god as elderly 
and venerable6 ,as if the ,eternal could
 grow old6 ,and now not as ,man only do 
,i behold ,thee6 ,for now ,thou art to  
me as ,woman4 ,lo1 ,thou art both4 ,one1
 and ,two also4 ,and thereby dost ,thou 
produce creation4 ,o ,god1 ,o ,god6 why 
didst ,thou create this stupendous      
existence8 ,surely1 surely1 it had been 
better in love to have restrained ,thy  
will4 ,it was by will that ,thou        
createdst1 by will alone1 not by love1  
was it not8--was it not8 ,i cannot see  
clearly4 ,a cloud has come between4  ,i 

see ,thee now as ,woman4 ,maria is next 
beside ,thee4 ,thou art ,maria4 ,maria  
is ,god4 ,oh ,maria6 ,god as ,woman6    
,thee1 thee ,i adore6 ,maria-,aphrodite6
 ,mother6 ,mother-,god6  ,they are      
returning with me now1 ,i think4 ,but ,i
 shall never get back4 ,what strange    
forms6 how huge they are6 ,all angels   
and archangels4 ,human in form1 yet some
 with eagles' heads4 ,all the planets   
are inhabited6 how innumerable is the   
variety of forms6 ,oh6 universe of      
existence1 how stupendous is existence6 
,oh6 take me not near the sun2 ,i cannot
 bear its heat4 ,already do ,i feel     
myself burning4 ,here is ,jupiter6 ,it  
has nine moons6 ,yes2 nine4 ,some are   
exceedingly small4 ,and1 oh1 how red it 
is6 ,it has so much iron4 ,and what     
enormous men and women6 ,there is evil  
there1 too4 ,for evil is wherever are   
matter and limitation4 ,but the people  
of ,jupiter are far better than we on   
earth4 ,they know much more2 they are   
much wiser4 ,there is less evil in their

 planet4 ,ah6 and they have another     
sense1 too4 ,what is it8 ,no2 ,i cannot 
describe it4 ,i cannot tell what it is4 
,it differs from any of the others4 ,we 
have nothing like it4 ,i cannot get back
 yet4 ,i shall never get back4 ,i       
believe ,i am dead4 ,it is only my body 
you are holding4 ,it has grown cold for 
want of me4 ,yet ,i must be approaching2
 it is growing shallower4 ,we are       
passing out of the depths4 ,yet ,i can  
never wholly return--never--never6#bg   
,the account given of the vision of     
,adonai in ,lecture ,,ix4 of ,the       
,perfect ,way1 was written solely from  
our joint experiences4 ,it was with an  
interest altogether novel in kind and   
degree that ,i now turned to the ,bible 
narratives of the same vision1 and found
 that in the record of its reception by 
the ,elders of ,israel1 it is stated1 as
 if in token of the power of the        
spiritual battery with which ,moses had 
surrounded himself1 that no less than   
seventy of his initiates were able to   

receive the vision without magnetic     
reinforcement by the imposition of their
 master's hands4 ,but1 as we learnt from
 our own manifold experiences1 it does  
not follow that because there is no     
imposition of visible hands1 no         
extraneous aid is rendered4 ,the seeker 
after ,god cannot1 even if he would1    
accomplish his quest alone2 but always  
are there attracted to him those angelic
 beings whose office it is1 as ministers
 of ,god1 to sustain and illuminate     
souls by the imposition of hands        
invisible to the outer senses4 ,in her  
case such aid was palpable4 ,there was  
no effort on her part4 ,and she held    
converse with those by whom she was     
upborne in her stupendous flight4  ,when
 in due course the time came for us to  
receive the ancient and long-lost       
,gnosis which underlay the sacred       
religions and scriptures of antiquity1  
the following was given us1 and we      
recognised in it the original ,scripture
 from which the opening sentences in ,st

 ,john's ,gospel are drawn4  ,after     
defining the ,elohim as comprising the  
two original principles of all ,being1  
the ,spirit and the ,water1 or ,force   
and ,substance1 and bringing up the     
process whereby ,deity proceeds into    
manifestation to the point described in 
,genesis in the words1 ,and the ,spirit 
of ,god moved upon the face of the      
,waters4 ,and ,god said1--the utterance 
thus continues1--       ,then from the  
midst of the ,divine ,duality1 the ,only
 ,begotten of ,god      came forth3     
,adonai1 the ,word1 the ,voice          
invisible4       ,he was in the         
beginning1 and by ,him were all things  
discovered4       ,without ,him was not 
anything made which is visible4         
,for ,he is the ,manifestor1 and in ,him
 was the life of the world4       ,god  
the nameless hath not revealed ,god1 but
 ,adonai hath revealed      ,god from   
the beginning4       ,he is the         
presentation of ,elohim1 and by ,him the
 ,gods are made      manifest4       ,he

 is the third aspect of the ,divine     
,triad3       ,co-equal with the ,spirit
 and the heavenly deep4       ,for      
except by three in one1 the ,spirits of 
the ,invisible ,light      could not    
have been made manifest4       ,but now 
is the prism perfect1 and the generation
 of the ,gods      discovered in their  
order4       ,adonai dissolves and      
resumes2 in ,his two hands are the dual 
powers      of all things4       ,he is 
of ,his ,father the ,spirit1 and of ,his
 ,mother the great deep4       ,having  
the potency of both in ,himself1 and the
 power of things      material4         
,yet being ,himself invisible1 for ,he  
is the cause1 and not the      effect4  
,he is the ,manifestor1 and not that    
which is manifest4       ,that which is 
manifest is the ,divine ,substance#bh4  
,the reason for the suppression by the  
translators of the ,bible of its        
numerous affirmations of the ,divine    
,duality1 saving only those of ,genesis 
i4 #bf1 #bg1 was in due time disclosed  

to us2 as also was the extent of the    
loss to man through the elimination of  
the feminine principle from his         
conception of ,original ,being1 and the 
consequent perversion of the doctrine of
 the ,trinity1 and therein of the true  
nature of ,existence1 in both its       
aspects1 ,creation and ,redemption4     
,,footnotes3  #ah ,in #ahge4 7,life     
,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #gc47  #ai ,the book
 was ,england and ,islam3 or ,the       
,counsel of ,caiaphas1 which was        
published in #ahgg4  #bj ,this vision   
occurred in ,london in ,november1 #ahgf4
 ,it was merely referred to in the      
previous editions of this book1 but ,i  
have inserted it here in full from ,the 
,life of ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 pp4 #aae-aag4 
,it is also given in ,england and       
,islam1 pp4 #dch-ddb4 ,s4,h4,h4  #ba p4 
#da4  #bb ,e4 and ,i4 p4 #bii4  #bc ,it 
is probable that ,e4,m4 intended this   
statement to apply only to the ,n4,t41  
or to the ,gospels1 because1 before     
,february1 #ahgd1 when he first visited 

,a4,k4 at her house 7p4 #b71 she had    
received in sleep an exposition of the  
,story of the ,fall1 exhibiting it as a 
parable having a significance purely    
spiritual and ,e4,m4 certainty regarded 
the ,biblical ,story of the ,fall as    
,scripture4 ,s4,h4,h4  #bd ,the         
expression of which the above is an     
adaptation1 had recently been applied by
 ,mr ,gladstone to the ,turkish power4  
,for the period was the eve of the      
,turco-,russian ,war2 and ,mr ,gladstone
 had found vent for his strong          
sacerdotal proclivities by siding       
fiercely against the priest-hating and  
prophet-venerating ,turks1 and demanding
 their expulsion from ,europe1 very much
 on the plea that it was good for       
,europe that one nation die for the     
rest4 ,it was in recognition of the part
 thus played by him that ,i took for the
 sub-title of my book 7,england and     
,islam7 ,the ,counsel of ,caiaphas4 ,the
 book--which was written under a high   
degree of illumination--contained an    

earnest appeal to ,mr ,gladstone1 which1
 if heeded1 would have saved the country
 from its subsequent humiliations4      
,among other things ,i was clearly shown
 that the policy which sought to detach 
,england from the ,east1 was of infernal
 instigation1 being intended to thwart  
the rapprochement between ,christianity 
and ,buddhism from which the new        
humanity was to spring4 ,but the        
circumstances of the book's             
production--it was poured through me at 
great speed and printed off as it       
came--precluded due revision and        
elimination of redundant matter2 and for
 these and other reasons1 ,i have       
suffered it to go out of print4 ,e4,m4  
#be ,there is another fact1 referred to 
in ,the ,life of ,a4,k41 that must be   
taken into consideration in connection  
with experiences of this nature1 that   
is1 the survival for an indefinite      
period of the images of events occurring
 on the earth1 in the astral light1 or  
memory of the planet1 called the anima  

mundi1 which images can be evoked and   
beheld4 7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol ,i4 p4 #abe47
 ,s4,h4,h4  #bf ,this ,vision of ,adonai
 by ,a4,k4 was merely referred to in the
 previous editions of this book4 ,i have
 extracted the following account of the 
most interesting part of it from ,the   
,life of ,a4,k4 7,vol4 ,i4 pp4          
#aic-aif47 ,s4,h4,h4  #bg ,speaking of  
this vision1 ,e4,m4 says3--,her         
apprehension was not without            
justification2 for her body was         
completely torpid1 and several hours    
passed before consciousness was fully   
restored to it4 7,c4,w4,s4 p4 #bhc47    
#bh ,this is one of the illuminations   
that were received by ,a4,k41 during the
 latter part of #ahgh1 directly from the
 hierarchy of the ,church ,invisible and
 ,celestial4 ,speaking of these         
illuminations1 which dealt with the     
profoundest subjects of cognition1      
,e4,m4 says that he and ,a4,k4 found in 
them a synthesis and an analysis        
combined of the sacred mysteries of all 

the great religions of antiquity1 and   
the true origines of ,christianity as   
originally and divinely intended1       
together with the secret and method of  
its corruption and perversion into that 
which now bears its name2 and they were 
at no loss to recognise in them the     
destined ,scriptures of the future1 so  
long promised and at length vouchsafed  
in interpretation of the ,scriptures of 
the past4 7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 pp4   
#bic1 #bid47 ,s4,h4,h4     ,,chapter    
,,iii4  ,,the ,,communication4   ,a     
striking feature for us was the         
exquisite tenderness and poetic         
delicacy1 both in matter and manner1    
which characterised all that we         
received4 ,nor was there the intrusion  
of anything to suggest feelings such as 
are described by ,daniel when he says1  
,i saw this great vision1 and there     
remained no strength in me1 neither was 
there breath left in me4 ,and not only  
was the element of terror so completely 
absent as to make us feel as if we had  

entered on the dispensation of that     
perfect love which casteth out fear1 but
 there was occasionally an element of   
playfulness1 and this on the part of our
 chiefest illuminators1 the ,gods       
themselves4 ,while their instructions   
were replete with every graceful and    
delicate adornment such as could not but
 delight the poet and the artist1 and   
this without abatement of profundity or 
solemnity4 ,by these things it was      
intimated to us that the religion of the
 future was indeed to be one of         
sweetness and light1 and for the severe 
and gloomy spirit of the ,semite would  
be substituted the bright and joyous    
spirit of the ,greek4 ,all this1 we     
learnt1 was because the new dispensation
 was to be that of the ,woman1 and in   
accord therefore with woman's nature and
 sentiments4 ,it was moreover to be     
introduced by means of the ,woman's     
faculty1 the ,intuition1 and this as    
subsisting in a woman4  ,the following  
exquisite little apologue1 which was    

given us in the early days of our       
novitiate1 is an instance in point3--   
,a blind man once lost himself in a     
forest4 ,an angel took pity on      him1
 and led him into an open place4 ,as he 
went he received his      sight4 ,then  
he saw the angel1 and said to him1      
,brother1 what doest      thou here8    
,suffer me to go before thee1 for ,i am 
thine elder4 ,so      the man went      
first1 taking the lead4 ,but the angel  
spread his wings      and returned to   
heaven4 ,and darkness fell again upon   
him to whom      sight had been given4  
,here was a parable which1 slight as it 
seemed1 was truly ,biblical for the     
depth and manifoldness of its           
signification4 ,for while it applied to 
ourselves both separately and jointly1  
and to our work1 it was also an eternal 
verity applicable alike to the          
individual1 the collective1 and the     
universal4 ,for as the angel was to the 
man1 so is the intuition to the         
intellect1 which of itself cannot       

transcend the sense-nature1 but remains 
blind and dark and lost in the          
wilderness of illusion4 ,and as she1 my 
colleague1 had supplemented me1 so were 
we each to supplement in ourselves      
intellect by intuition1 in order to     
become capable of knowledge and         
understanding4 ,it was1 moreover1 a     
parable of the ,fall and of the         
,redemption1 an epitome in short of     
man's spiritual history4 ,and it had    
been spelt out for us by the tilting of 
a table in one of our earliest essays in
 spiritualism6 ,so carefully guarded and
 daintily taught were we from the       
outset4  ,the charming allegory of ,the 
,wonderful ,spectacles which was given  
in ,london on the #cast ,january1 #ahgg1
 to my colleague in sleep1 was not only 
an instruction concerning the nature of 
her faculty and its indispensableness as
 an adjunct to mine for the work        
assigned to us2 it was also a prophetic 
intimation of the character of that     
work1 and of the nature of the          

influences controlling it1 which at the 
time was altogether unsuspected by us4  
,this is the account which she sent to  
me by letter1 for we were not then      
together3--       ,i dreamt that ,i was 
walking alone on the sea-shore4 ,the day
 was      singularly clear and sunny4   
,inland lay the most beautiful landscape
      ever seen2 and far off were ranges
 of tall hills1 the highest peaks       
of which were white with glistening     
snow4 ,along the sands by the      sea  
towards me came a man accoutred as a    
postman4 ,he gave me a      letter4 ,it 
was from you4 ,it ran thus3--       ,i  
have got hold of the rarest and most    
precious book extant4 ,it      was      
written before the world began4 ,the    
text is easy enough to      read2 but   
the notes1 which are very copious and   
numerous1 are in      such very minute  
and obscure characters that ,i cannot   
make them      out4 ,i want you to get  
for me the spectacles which ,swedenborg 
used      to wear2 not the smaller      

pair--those he gave to ,hans ,christian 
,andersen--but the large pair1 and these
 seem to have got mislaid4 ,i      think
 they are ,spinoza's make4 ,you know he 
was an optical-glass      maker by      
profession1 and the best we have ever   
had4 ,see if you can      get them for  
me#bi4       ,when ,i looked up after   
reading this letter1 ,i saw the postman 
hastening away across the sands1 and ,i 
called out to him1 ,stop6      how am ,i
 to send the answer8 ,won't you wait for
 me8       ,he looked round1 stopped1   
and came back to me4       ,i have the  
answer here1 he said1 tapping his letter
 bag1 and ,i      shall deliver it      
immediately4       ,how can you have the
 answer before ,i have written it8 said 
,i4      ,you are making a mistake4     
,no1 said he1 ,in the city from which ,i
 come1 the replies are all      written 
at the office and sent out with the     
letters themselves4      ,your reply is 
in my bag4       ,let me see it1 ,i     
said4 ,he took another letter from his  

wallet and      gave it to me4 ,i opened
 it1 and read1 in my own handwriting1   
this      answer1 addressed to you3--   
,the spectacles you want can be bought  
in ,london4 ,but you will not      be   
able to use them at once1 for they have 
not been worn for many      years1 and  
they want cleaning sadly4 ,this you will
 not be able to      do yourself in     
,london1 because it is too dark there to
 see1 and      because your fingers are 
not small enough to clean them properly4
      ,bring them here to me1 and ,i    
will do it for you4       ,i gave this  
letter back to the postman4 ,he smiled  
and nodded at me2      and ,i saw then  
to my astonishment that he wore a       
camel's-hair tunic      round his waist4
 ,i had been on the point of addressing 
him--,i know      not why--as ,hermes4  
,but ,i now saw that it was ,john the   
,baptist2      and in my fright at      
having spoken with so great a saint1 ,i 
awoke4  ,this was the second suggestion 
of a ,greek element in our work1 the    

first having been the slight allusion to
 ,phoibos ,apollo in the illumination   
concerning the ,marriage in ,cana of    
,galilee#cj4 ,the signification of the  
connection between ,hermes and ,john the
 ,baptist remained unintelligible to us 
until the key to it was given us in a   
revelation of the method of the         
,bible-writers explaining their practice
 of representing principles as persons4 
,we then found that by the baptism or   
purification1 physical and mental1      
practised by ,john1 was meant the course
 of life and thought whereby alone man  
develops the faculty of the             
understanding of spiritual things4 ,and 
,hermes is the ,greco-,egyptian name for
 the second of the ,gods1 called by     
,isaiah the ,spirit of ,understanding4  
,hence the adoption of this name by the 
formulators of the ,hermetic1 or sacred 
books of ,egypt2 and the favourite motto
 of the ,hermetists3--       ,est in    
,mercurio quicquid quoerunt sapientes1  
,all is in the understanding that the   

wise seek1--,mercury being the ,latin   
equivalent for ,hermes4  ,the mention of
 ,swedenborg and ,andersen implied their
 possession of the faculty indispensable
 to our work1 that of mystical insight1 
of which they were the most notable     
recent representatives4  ,a larger part 
was played by ,hermes in another        
instruction received a few months       
later#ca4 ,this was also given in sleep1
 the vision taking the form of a        
,banquet of the ,gods in which the      
seeress received the following          
exhortation from him1 in enforcement of 
the necessity of pure and natural habits
 of life for the perfectionment of the  
faculties requisite for full spiritual  
perception1 when1 having put into her   
hands a branch of a fig-tree bearing    
upon it ripe fruit1 he said3--       ,if
 you would be perfect1 and able to know 
and to do all things1      quit the     
heresy of ,prometheus4 ,let fire warm   
and comfort you      externally3 it is  
heaven's gift4 ,but do not wrest it from

 its      rightful purpose1 as did that 
betrayer of your race1 to fill the      
veins of humanity with its contagion1   
and to consume your interior      being 
with its breath4 ,all of you are men of 
clay1 as was the      image which       
,prometheus made4 ,ye are nourished with
 stolen fire1 and      it consumes you4 
,of all the evil uses of heaven's good  
gifts1 none      is so evil as the      
internal use of fire4 ,for your hot     
foods and      drinks have consumed and 
dried up the magnetic power of your     
nerves1 sealed your senses1 and cut     
short your lives4 ,now1 you      neither
 see nor hear2 for the fire in your     
organs consumes your      senses4 ,ye   
are all blind and deaf1 creatures of    
clay4 ,we have sent      you a book to  
read4 ,practise its precepts1 and your  
senses shall be      opened4            
,then1 not recognising him1 ,i said1    
,tell me your name1 ,lord4 ,at      this
 he laughed and answered1 ,i have been  
about you from the      beginning4 ,i am

 the white cloud on the noon-day sky4   
,do you1      then1 ,i asked1 desire the
 whole world to abandon the use of fire 
in preparing food and drink8            
,instead of answering my question1 he   
said1 ,we show you the      excellent   
way4 ,two places only are vacant at our 
table4 ,we have      told you all that  
can be shown you on the level on which  
you stand4      ,but our perfect gifts1 
the fruits of the ,tree of ,life1 are   
beyond      your reach now4 ,we cannot  
give them to you until you are purified 
and have come up higher4 ,the conditions
 are ,,god',s2 the will is with         
you#cb4  ,the allusion to ,prometheus1  
and the fact that ,hermes had been      
represented in the ,greek tragedy of    
that name as the executor of the        
vengeance of the ,gods upon ,prometheus1
 as well also as the significance of the
 fig-branch and the fact of its being   
the symbol of ,hermes as the ,spirit of 
,understanding1--all these things were  
beyond her knowledge at the time1 some  

of them indeed having been long lost4   
,but all were made clear as our         
education for our work proceeded1 and we
 learnt the intention and recognised the
 necessity of restoring the ,greek      
presentment of the ,sacred ,mysteries in
 explanation of the ,hebrew1 and in     
correction of the ecclesiastical        
presentment of ,christianity4 ,the      
restoration was to be twofold1 of       
faculty and of knowledge1 the knowledge 
to be recovered through the faculty by  
which it was originally obtained4 ,hence
 the insistance on our adoption of the  
pure regimen of the ,seers of all time4 
,hence1 too1 the presentation to her by 
,hermes of the fig-branch bearing ripe  
fruit4 ,the parable of the cursing of   
the barren fig-tree was explained to us 
as denoting the loss by the church of   
the inward understanding1 the           
,intuition4 ,in the ,seeress it was     
restored2 she was the appointed         
representative of it4 ,the time of the  
end was at hand1 of the approach of     

which the budding of the fig-tree was to
 be the sign4 ,and here it was not      
merely budding and blossoming1 but      
bearing mature fruit to signify that in 
her the faculty was restored in its     
perfection4  ,in an instruction         
subsequently given to me by her ,genius1
 he said of her1 ,i have fashioned a    
perfect instrument1 implying that the   
process of her preparation under his    
tuition had extended over numerous      
lives4 ,and again1 ,the ,gods have given
 to their own a perfect ear4  ,being    
desirous once to test the powers of a   
medium to whom she was totally unknown  
even by name1 she asked his controlling 
spirit about herself and her faculty4   
,you are not a trance-medium at all6 the
 spirit exclaimed in reply4 ,my medium  
is a trance-medium4 ,you are far beyond 
that4 ,you are a spiritual lens4 ,you   
are a mirror in which the highest       
spirits--the ,gods--can reflect their   
faces4 ,you take the light of the whole 
universe and divide it so that it can be

 understood1 as it has never been       
understood yet4 ,your gift is very      
extraordinary4 ,you are a glass to      
reflect the highest and the greatest to 
the world4 ,this was in #ahgg1 before   
she was known in connection with the    
spiritual movement of the age4  ,the    
description given of himself by ,hermes 
as the white cloud in the noon-day sky1 
proved to be a quotation from an ancient
 ritual1 subsequently recovered by her1 
in which the ,hymn to ,hermes#cc opens  
thus3--       ,as a moving light between
 heaven and earth3 as a white cloud     
assuming many shapes2       ,he descends
 and rises3 he guides and illumines2 he 
transmutes      himself from small to   
great1 from bright to shadowy1 from the 
opaque image to the diaphanous mist4    
,star of the ,east1 conducting the      
,magi2 cloud from whose midst the       
holy voice speaketh2 by day a pillar of 
vapour1 by night a shining      flame4  
,all these are symbolic expressions for 
the ,understanding1 especially in       

respect of divine things1 so that       
,hermes is no individual soul or spirit1
 but the divine spirit ,itself operating
 as the second of the ,creative ,elohim1
 and as a function therefore of man's   
own spirit when duly unfolded and       
purified1 in token whereof it is said in
 the recovered hymn#cd to the           
,planet-,god ,iacchos--       ,within   
thee1 ,o ,man1 is the ,universe2 the    
thrones of all the ,gods      are in thy
 temple4444       ,and the ,spirits     
which speak unto thee are of thine own  
kingdom4  ,in the hymn of invocation    
summoning the ,seeress to her mission in
 the name of the two first of the ,holy 
,seven1 the ,spirits of ,wisdom and     
,understanding1 both of whom were wont  
to manifest themselves to her1 ,hermes  
is referred to as the ,god who knows2   
the other being personified as ,pallas  
,athena4 ,in the ,celestial1 we were    
informed1 all things are ,persons4      
,wake1 prophet-soul1 the time draws     
near1       ',the ,god who knows' within

 thee stirs       ,and speaks1 for ,his 
thou art1 and ,hers     ,who bears the  
mystic shield and spear4      ,a touch  
divine shall thrill thy brain1          
,thy soul shall leap to life1 and lo6   
,what she has known1 again shall know1  
,what she has seen1 shall see again4    
,the ancient past through which she     
came4444#ce  ,as the ,spirit of         
,understanding1 the name of ,hermes     
signifies both ,rock and ,interpreter4  
,hence the significance of the saying of
 ,jesus1 ,thou art the ,rock1 and upon  
this ,rock ,i will build ,my ,church1   
which ,he addressed not to the man      
,peter1 but to the ,spirit of           
,understanding whom ,he discerned as the
 prompter of ,peter's confession of     
faith4 ,by this ,jesus implied that the 
only true and infallible church is that 
which is founded on the ,understanding1 
and not on authority whether of book1   
tradition or institution4 ,the utterance
 of ,jesus was a citation from the proem
 to the hymn to ,hermes#cf recovered by 

us3--       ,he is as a rock between    
earth and heaven1 and the ,lord ,god    
shall      build ,his ,church thereon4  
,as a city upon a mountain of stone1    
whose windows look forth on      either 
side4  ,as our education proceeded we   
found indubitably that in excluding from
 its curriculum the whole range of the  
knowledges represented by the term      
,hermetic1 ,ecclesiasticism has ignored 
the chief source of information         
concerning the ,christian origines4     
,doing which it has incurred the        
reproach uttered by ,jesus against those
 who took away the key of knowledge1    
neither entering in themselves1 nor     
suffering others to enter in4 ,and it   
was to restore this ,gnosis1 suppressed 
by the priests1 that the new revelation 
was promised1 with the reception of     
which we found ourselves charged1 the   
prophecies pointing to a restoration    
both of faculty and of knowledge4       
,besides the ,fig-branch of ,hermes1    
there is another symbol of the          

intuitional understanding which was     
disclosed to us as having special and   
peculiar relation to the work set us4   
,this symbol is ,woman herself4 ,she had
 already1 in the instruction concerning 
the marriage in ,cana#cg1 been shown to 
us as the inspirer and prompter4 ,she   
was now shown to us as the interpreter4 
,the reason why the fig-tree was the    
emblem of the inward understanding will 
be found in the citation presently to be
 given2 which is a portion of an        
instruction received in interpretation  
of the prophecy of ,daniel1             
re-enunciated by ,jesus1 concerning the 
recognition of the abomination of       
desolation standing in the holy         
place#ch1 as making and marking the time
 of the end of that generation which1   
for its materialisation of spiritual    
things1 was called by ,him an           
adulterous1 meaning an idolatrous1      
generation4 ,it will be seen that in the
 ,scripture symbology1 as the soul is   
the feminine principle in man's         

spiritual system1 and is called         
therefore the ,woman1 the spirit being  
the masculine principle2 so in man's    
mental system the intuition as the      
feminine mode of the mind is called the 
,woman1 and the intellect1 as the       
masculine mode1 the ,man4 ,the following
 is the citation in question3--         
,behold the ,,fig-,,tree1 and learn her 
parable4 ,when the branch thereof       
shall become tender1 and her buds       
appear1 know that the day of ,god       
is upon you4       ,wherefore1 then1    
saith the ,lord that the budding of the 
,fig-,tree      shall foretell the end8 
,because the ,fig-,tree is the symbol of
 the ,divine ,woman1 as the ,vine       
of the ,divine ,man4       ,the ,fig is 
the similitude of the ,matrix1          
containing inward buds1      bearing    
blossoms on its placenta1 and bringing  
forth fruit in      darkness4 ,it is the
 ,cup of ,life1 and its flesh is the    
seed-ground      of new births4         
,the stems of the ,fig-,tree run with   

milk3 her leaves are as human           
hands1 like the leaves of her brother   
the ,vine4       ,and when the          
,fig-,tree shall bear figs1 then shall  
be the ,second      ,advent1 the new    
sign of the ,man bearing ,water1 and the
      manifestation of the              
,virgin-,mother crowned4       ,for when
 the ,lord would enter the holy city1 to
 celebrate ,his ,last      ,supper with 
,his disciples1 ,he sent before ,him the
 ,fisherman ,peter      to meet the ,man
 of the ,coming ,sign4       ,there     
shall meet you a ,man bearing a pitcher 
of ,water4       ,because1 as the ,lord 
was first manifest at a wine-feast in   
the      morning1 so must ,he consummate
 ,his work at a wine-feast in the       
evening4       ,it is ,his ,pass-,over2 
for thereafter the ,sun must pass into a
 new      ,sign4       ,after the ,fish1
 the ,water-,carrier2 but the ,lamb of  
,god remains      always in the place of
 victory1 being slain from the          
foundation of      the world4       ,for

 ,his place is the place of the ,sun's  
triumph4       ,after the ,vine the     
,fig2 for ,adam is first formed1 then   
,eve4       ,and because our ,lady is   
not yet manifest1 our ,lord is          
crucified4       ,therefore came ,he    
vainly seeking fruit upon the           
,fig-,tree1 for the      time of figs   
was not yet4       ,and from that day   
forth1 because of the curse of ,eve1 no 
man has      eaten fruit of the         
,fig-,tree4       ,for the inward       
understanding has withered away1 there  
is no      discernment any more in men4 
,they have crucified the ,lord because  
of their ignorance1 not knowing what    
they did4       ,wherefore1 indeed1 said
 our ,lord to our ,lady3--,woman1 what  
is      between me and thee8 ,for even  
my hour is not yet come4       ,because 
until the hour of the ,man is           
accomplished and fulfilled1      the    
hour of the ,woman must be deferred4    
,jesus is the ,vine2 ,mary is the       
,fig-,tree4 ,and the vintage must be    

completed and the wine trodden out1 or  
ever the harvest of the ,figs      be   
gathered4       ,but when the hour of   
our ,lord is achieved2 hanging on ,his  
,cross1 ,he      gives our ,lady to the 
faithful4       ,the chalice is drained1
 the lees are wrung out3 then says ,he  
to ,his      ,elect3--,behold thy       
,mother6       ,but so long as the      
grapes remain unplucked1 the ,vine has  
nought to      do with the ,fig-,tree1  
nor ,jesus with ,mary4       ,he is     
first revealed1 for ,he is the ,word2   
afterwards shall come the      hour of  
its ,interpretation4       ,and in that 
day every man shall sit under the ,,vine
 and the      ,,fig-,,tree2 the         
,dayspring shall arise in the ,orient1  
and the ,fig-,tree      shall bear her  
fruit4       ,for1 from the beginning1  
the ,fig-leaf covered the shame of      
,incarnation1 because the riddle of     
existence can be expounded only      by 
him who has the ,woman's secret4 ,it is 
the riddle of the ,sphinx4       ,look  

for that ,tree which alone of all ,trees
 bears a fruit      blossoming          
interiorly1 in concealment1 and thou    
shalt discover the      ,fig4           
,look for the sufficient meaning of the 
manifest universe and of the            
written ,word1 and thou shalt find only 
their mystical sense4       ,cover the  
nakedness of ,matter and of ,nature with
 the ,fig-leaf1 and      thou hast      
hidden all their shame4 ,for the ,fig is
 the ,interpreter4       ,so when the   
hour of ,interpretation comes1 and the  
,fig-,tree puts      forth her buds1    
know that the time of the ,end and the  
dawning of      the new ,day are at     
hand1--even at the doors4  ,on handing  
me the first portion of the instruction 
of which the foregoing is the           
conclusion1 ,mary--to use the name which
 meanwhile had been bestowed on her by  
our ,illuminators in token of her office
 as representative of the ,soul and     
,intuition--confessed to some           
perplexity4 ,her usual ,illuminator for 

revelations of this order was ,hermes1  
whose ,hebrew equivalent is ,raphael4   
,but on this occasion it had been a     
,hebrew one1 ,gabriel4 ,her surprise and
 delight were great on being reminded   
that ,gabriel was ,daniel's own inspirer
 in respect of the prophecy in question1
 and that he had prophesied his return1 
saying1 ,go thy way1 ,daniel1 for the   
words are closed up and sealed till the 
time of the end4444 ,thou shalt rest and
 stand in thy lot at the end of the     
days4 ,the explanation given us was that
 both ,daniel's own spirit and his      
illuminating angel had come to her1 the 
former serving as the vehicle of the    
latter4 ,as with all our other results  
similarly obtained1 we judged it        
entirely by its own intrinsic merits1   
and not by its alleged derivation4 ,we  
knew too well the propensity of low     
influences to appropriate to themselves 
great and even divine names1 and the    
liability of the recipients to be       
deceived and to make the names the      

criterion instead of the communication  
itself4 ,but in no instance did it      
happen to us that we had any cause to   
distrust the genuineness either of      
messenger or of message1 even when both 
claimed to be divine4         99        
99       99       99       99  ,the     
difference between the two              
interpretations or applications given us
 of the incident at the ,marriage in    
,cana of ,galilee1 was explained to us  
as an instance of the manifoldness of   
the sense of ,scripture4 ,the parables  
have a separate meaning for each of the 
four planes of existence#ci4  ,we       
wondered much whether there were any    
parallels in history to our work and to 
the manner of it2 and especially as to  
how far an association such as ours     
coincided with the ideas of the         
,hebrews4 ,it was true that they had    
both prophets and prophetesses1 but did 
they work like us in supplement and     
complement of each other8 ,as regarded  
the recovery of knowledge acquired in a 

previous life1 ,ezra also had ascribed  
his recovery of the long lost ,law to   
intuitional recollection occurring under
 special illumination1 saying1 ,the     
,spirit strengthened my memory4 ,but no 
mention is made of a female coadjutor4  
,nor does it appear that the ,vestal    
,virgins were similarly supplemented1   
except to be thrown into the magnetic   
trance-state4 ,in her zeal for her sex  
and her corresponding distrust of       
men--sentiments which seemed to be      
inborn in her--,mary was disposed to    
think that most of the prophesying of   
old had been done by women1 but that the
 credit had been appropriated by men4   
,the answer to these questionings was of
 a kind altogether unexpected by us1    
both as regarded its manner and its     
matter4 ,for neither of us had the      
smallest suspicion that the book        
referred to was capable of the          
interpretation given us of it4 ,this was
 the book of ,esther4 ,the incident was 
as follows3--  ,the occasion was an     

,easter ,sunday#dj1 and we were at      
,paris4 ,electing to remain indoors     
rather than encounter the crowds of     
holiday makers1 ,mary was moved during  
the afternoon to sit for some           
communication by joint writing4 ,but we 
were no sooner seated than it was       
written1--       ,do you1 ,caro#da1 take
 a pencil and write1 and let her look   
inwards1 and we will dictate slowly4    
,mary then became entranced1 and        
delivered orally1 repeating it slowly1  
without break or pause1 after a voice   
heard interiorly1 the following         
exposition of the book of ,esther1 an   
exposition entirely novel1 as ,i have   
said1 to us1 and1 we believed1 to the   
world4 ,some divines have called the    
book a romance1 but none have discovered
 that it is a prophecy in the form of a 
parable4 ,luther1 indeed1 pronounced    
both it and the ,apocalypse to be so    
worthless that their destruction would  
be no loss4  ,the most important book in
 the ,bible for you to study now1 and   

that most nearly about to be fulfilled1 
is one of the most mystic books in the  
,old ,testament1 the book of ,esther4   
,this book is a mystic prophecy1 written
 in the form of an actual history4 ,if  
,i give you the key1 the clue of the    
thread of it1 it will be the easiest    
thing in the world to unravel the whole4
       ,the great ,king ,assuerus1 who  
had all the world under his dominion1   
and possessed the wealth of all the     
nations1 is the genius of the      age4 
,queen ,vasthi1 who for her disobedience
 to the king was deposed from      her  
royal seat1 is the orthodox ,catholic   
,church4       ,the ,jews1 scattered    
among the nations under the dominion of 
the      king1 are the true ,israel of  
,god4       ,mardochi the ,jew          
represents the spirit of intuitive      
reason and      understanding4          
,his enemy ,aman is the spirit of       
materialism1 taken into the favour      
and protection of the genius of the age1
 and exalted to the highest      place  

in the world's councils after the       
deposition of the orthodox              
religion4       ,now ,aman has a wife   
and ten sons4       ,esther--who1 under 
the care and tuition of ,mardochi1 is   
brought up      pure and virgin--is that
 spirit of love and sympathetic         
interpretation which shall redeem the   
world4       ,i have told you that it   
shall be redeemed by a woman4       ,now
 the several philosophical systems by   
which the councillors of      the age   
propose to replace the dethroned        
,church1 are one by one      submitted  
to the judgment of the age2 and ,esther1
 coming last1      shall find favour4   
,six years shall she be anointed with   
oil of myrrh1 that is1 with      study  
and training severe and bitter1 that she
 may be proficient in      intellectual 
knowledge1 as must all systems which    
seek the favour      of the age4        
,and six years with sweet perfumes1 that
 is with the gracious      loveliness of
 the imagery and poetry of the faiths of

 the past1      that religion may not be
 lacking in sweetness and beauty4       
,but she shall not seek to put on any of
 those adornments of dogma1      or of  
mere sense1 which1 by trick of          
priestcraft1 former systems      have   
used to gain power or favour with the   
world and the age1 and      for which   
they have been found wanting4       ,now
 there come out of the darkness and the 
storm which shall arise      upon the   
earth1 two dragons#db4       ,and they  
fight and tear each other1 until there  
arises a star1 a      fountain of light1
 a queen1 who is ,esther#dc4       ,i   
have given you the key4 ,unlock the     
meaning of all that is      written4    
,i do not tell you if in the history of 
the past these voices had      part in  
the world of men4       ,if they had1   
guess now who were ,mardochi and        
,esther4       ,but ,i tell you that    
which shall be in the days about to     
come#dd4  ,on consulting the            
,bible-dictionary1 we found this        

relation between ,esther and ,easter4   
,the feast of ,purim1 which was         
instituted in token of the deliverance  
wrought through ,esther1 coincides in   
date with ,easter4 ,and it was on       
,easter day that this was given us1 by  
way of enhancing the correspondence     
between the parts assigned to us and    
those of ,mordecai and ,esther4 ,later  
it was shown us that the parts assigned 
to ,joseph and ,mary were1 in one       
aspect1 also identical with those of    
,mordecai and ,esther4 ,this is the     
aspect in which ,joseph represents the  
mind1 and ,mary the soul in the         
regenerated human system4  ,besides     
,hermes1 ,mary received much of her     
illumination from her ,genius1 her      
relations with whom far surpassed not   
only my relations with mine1 but any    
that are recorded in history1 the       
experiences of ,socrates1 the chief     
instance on record1 being insignificant 
both in quantity and in quality as      
compared with hers4 ,it is important1   

therefore1 to give an account of the    
nature and office of this order of      
angels1 which shall be rendered in his  
own words4       ,every man is a planet1
 having sun1 moon1 and stars4 ,the      
,genius of a      man is his satellite2 
,god--the ,god of the man--is his sun1  
and the      moon of this planet is     
,isis1 its initiator or ,genius4 ,the   
,genius is      made to minister to the 
man1 and to give him light4 ,but the    
light      he gives is from ,god1 and   
not of himself4 ,he is not a planet but 
a      moon1 and his function is to     
light up the dark places of his         
planet4       ,the day and night of the 
microcosm1 man1 are its positive and    
passive1 or protective and reflective   
states4 ,in the projective      state we
 seek actively outwards2 we aspire and  
will forcibly2 we      hold active      
communion with the ,god without4 ,in the
 reflective state      we look inwards2 
we commune with our own heart2 we indraw
 and      concentrate ourselves secretly

 and interiorly4 ,during this           
condition the ,moon enlightens our      
hidden chamber with her torch1      and 
shows us ourselves in our interior      
recess4       ,who or what1 then1 is    
this moon8 ,it is part of ourselves and 
revolves with us4 ,it is our celestial  
affinity1--of whose order it      is    
said--as by ,jesus--,their angels do    
always behold the face of ,my           
,father4       ,every human soul has a  
celestial affinity1 which is part of his
      system and a type of his spiritual
 nature4 ,this angelic counterpart      
is the bond of union between the man and
 ,god2 and it is in virtue      of his  
spiritual nature that this angel is     
attached to him4444       ,it is in     
virtue of man's being a planet that he  
has a moon4 ,if he      were not        
fourfold1 as is the planet1 he could not
 have one4      ,rudimentary men are not
 fourfold1 they have not the ,spirit4   
,the ,genius is the moon to the planet  
man1 reflecting to him the      ,sun1 or

 ,god1 within him4 ,for the ,divine     
,spirit which animates and              
eternises the man1 is the ,god of the   
man1 the ,sun that enlightens           
him4444 ,and because the ,genius        
reflects1 not the planet1 but the       
,sun1 not the man 7as do the astrals71  
but the ,god1 his light is      always  
to be trusted4444       ,the memory of  
the soul is recovered by a threefold    
operation--that      of the ,soul       
herself1 of the ,moon1 and of the ,sun4 
,the ,genius is not      an informing   
spirit4 ,he can tell nothing to the     
soul4 ,all that she      receives is    
already within herself4 ,but in the     
darkness of the      night1 it would    
remain there undiscovered1 but for the  
torch of the      angel who enlightens4 
,yea1 says the angel ,genius to his     
client1      ,i illuminate thee1 but ,i 
instruct thee not4 ,i warn thee1 but ,i 
fight not4 ,i attend1 but ,i lead not4  
,thy treasure is within      thyself4   
,my light showeth where it lieth4444    

,the voice of the ,genius is the voice  
of ,god2 for ,god speaks through        
him as a man through the horn of a      
trumpet4 ,thou mayest not adore         
him1 for he is the instrument of ,god1  
and thy minister4 ,but thou      must   
obey him1 for he hath no voice of his   
own1 but sheweth thee      the will of  
the ,spirit4  ,we noted that the        
inspiring angel of the ,apocalypse had  
twice similarly spoken when the seer was
 about to worship him2--,see thou do it 
not2 for ,i am thy fellow-servant1 and  
of thy brethren the prophets1 and of    
them which keep the sayings of this     
book3 ,worship ,god4  ,the like positive
 injunctions were given us also against 
according divine honours to ,jesus4     
,besides ,socrates1 there is another    
notable historical ,spiritualist of whom
 our experiences vividly reminded us4   
,this was ,joan of ,arc4 ,the           
correspondence between her and ,mary1 in
 gifts1 experiences1 and personal       
characteristics1 was of the closest4 ,we

 had no difficulty in believing her     
history4 ,each of them1 moreover1 had a 
mission of deliverance1 the one         
political and national1 the other       
spiritual and universal4  ,although we  
had learned to trust our ,illuminators  
implicitly long before the receipt of   
the above instruction1 we were still    
without assurance as to the source and  
method of the revelation4 ,be the       
knowledges received by us as new as they
 might to our external selves1 they     
never failed to be familiar as recovered
 memories1 excepting in such cases as   
they were couched in terms of which the 
sense1 being mystical1 was not at once  
recognised4 ,but such difficulties were 
soon overcome1 and the doctrine1 when   
fully apprehended1 was always to us as  
necessary and self-evident truth1 and   
such as to excite wonder at the potency 
of the glamour which had hitherto       
withheld it from the world's            
recognition4 ,in every detail1 the      
revelation represented for us           

,common-,sense in its loftiest mode4    
,for the agreement it represented was   
not that of all men merely1 but that of 
all parts of ,man3 of mind1 soul and    
spirit1 intellect and intuition1 and    
these purified and unfolded to the      
utmost1 and perfectly equilibrated4     
,whatever the manner of its             
communication1 whether heard by the     
interior ear1 seen by the interior eye1 
flashed on the mind as vivid ideas1     
whether acquired waking or sleeping1 or 
in the intermediate state of            
trance-lucidity1 or given in writing1 it
 always seemed that we knew it before1  
and did not require to be told it1 but  
only to be reminded of it4  ,the problem
 specially exercised myself4 ,mary had  
other work than the analysis of our     
spiritual experiences4 ,that was my     
special function4 ,i learnt to see in   
her a soul of surpassing luminousness   
and variousness1 who had been entrusted 
to my charge expressly in order that by 
my study of her ,i might recover for the

 world's benefit the long-lost knowledge
 of the soul's being1 nature1 and       
history4 ,and so many and various were  
her spiritual states1 that she seemed to
 me to represent in turn every stage of 
the soul's evolution1 and to be not one1
 but all mankind's epitome4  ,this also 
used to occur so frequently as to be    
observed by both of us and discussed    
between us4 ,when in the process of my  
endeavour to find the solution of some  
problem1 such as the meaning of a       
parabolic or otherwise obscure passage  
in ,scripture1 ,i had exhausted my stock
 of tentative hypotheses1 but1 through  
consideration for her other and         
engrossing work1 refrained from         
imparting my need to her1 she would     
receive in sleep the desired solution1  
which she wrote down on waking1 and     
which invariably proved satisfactory    
beyond my highest imaginings4 ,and      
besides showing intimate acquaintance   
with the course of my thought1 it was   
couched in language which1 for          

simplicity1 dignity1 purity1 and        
lucidity1 was without an equal in       
literature2 the ,english being that of  
the best period of our literature1 and  
better than the best even of that       
period4 ,she herself had a remarkable   
mastery of ,english1 but these          
compositions reduced her to despair1    
causing her to exclaim1 ,why cannot ,i  
write as well when ,i am awake as ,i do 
in my sleep6 ,of course the explanation 
lay in the limiting influence of the    
physical organism4  ,the frequency of   
this occurrence led me1 in the absence  
of authoritative explanation1 to try the
 following1 as an hypothesis purely     
tentative4 ,the revelations generally   
came to her when1 through my inability  
to find the interpretations which       
satisfied me1 my work required them1 and
 they came independently of any desire  
or knowledge on her part4 ,might it not 
be1 then1 that it was my own spirit who 
knew them and gave them to her1 finding 
her more sensitive to impression than   

myself8 ,the explanation was not one    
that either pleased or satisfied me1 one
 reason being that ,i took a delight in 
recognising the primacy accorded to her4
 ,the idea occurred to me one night1 and
 ,i pondered it the next day1 but did   
not divulge it4 ,what happened on the   
evening of that day led me to suspect   
that our ,genii had suggested it to me  
in order to make it the occasion of     
imparting to me the knowledge in        
question1 namely1 that of the real      
source and method of the revelation4    
,for the experience to be properly      
appreciated it must be remembered that  
,mary had no knowledge of the           
explanation suggested to me1 and neither
 of us had as yet entertained the idea  
of past lives as the key to our present 
work4 ,the question of ,reincarnation   
itself had not come before us1 and far  
less the possibility of recovering the  
memory of the things learnt in previous 
existences1 much as we had been puzzled 
to account for our experiences in the   

absence of some such explanation4  ,the 
proposal to sit for a written           
communication came from her1 having     
evidently been prompted by our          
illuminators4 ,the method was one which 
both they and we disliked1 and it was   
adopted only when they desired to       
address us both at once4 ,so we sat for 
writing4  ,the result confirmed my      
surmise4 ,we had scarcely seated        
ourselves when the writing began1 as if 
we were being waited for4 ,and this is  
what was written3--       ,we are       
instructed to say several things        
to-night4 ,we are your      ,genii4     
7,to ,,caro47 ,in the first place1 you  
entirely misconceive the      process by
 which the ,revelation comes to ,mary4  
,the method of this      revelation is  
entirely interior4 ,mary is not a       
,medium2 nor is she      even a ,seer as
 you understand the word4 ,she is a     
,prophet4 ,by this      we mean that all
 she has ever written or will write1 is 
from      within1 and not from without4 

,she knows4 ,she is not told4 ,hers is  
an old1 old spirit4 ,she is older than  
you are1 ,caro1 older by many           
thousand years4 ,do not think that      
spirits other than her own are to       
be credited with the authorship of the  
new ,gospel4 ,as a proof of      this1  
and to correct the false impression you 
have on the subject1      the holy and  
inner truth1 of which she is the        
depositary1 will not      in future be  
given to her by the former method4 ,all 
she writes      henceforth1 she will    
write consciously4 ,yes1 she must finish
 the      new ,evangel by conscious     
effort of brain and will4  ,coming from 
a source which we had learnt to trust   
implicitly1 and according with our own  
highest conceptions1 this message was   
supremely satisfactory1 and was welcomed
 accordingly4 ,but it was followed      
forthwith by another which excited      
feelings of a very different character4 
,for1 as if expressly in order to       
prevent her from being made             

vain-glorious and uplifted by it1 they  
added--       7,to ,,mary47 ,it may     
serve to exhibit the path by which you  
have      come1 and to suggest the      
nature of some ancient tendencies which 
may yet tarnish the mirror of a soul    
destined to attain perfection1      to  
learn that you dwelt within the body of 
----4  ,here were given the name and    
character of a certain ,roman dame of   
some seventeen centuries ago1 one of    
high station1 but of a repute so evil as
 to cause an immense shock to both of   
us4 ,it does not come within the design 
of this book to disclose the particular 
personalities with whom we had been     
identified in the past#de4 ,concerning  
this one it must suffice to state here  
that1 omitting from account one whole   
side of ,mary's character1 we both      
recognised in the other side traits     
strongly resembling those which had been
 indicated4 ,and she subsequently       
recovered distinct recollections of     
scenes in the life in question which    

served to assure her on the point4 ,our 
discussions on the matter tended to     
conclusions of which fuller knowledge   
brought the verification4 ,it was not   
one of those lives in virtue of which   
she was directly qualified for her      
present work2 but it was one of those   
lives of which the sin and the suffering
 may well be conceived of as            
indispensable elements in the education 
of a soul called to a lofty work and    
destiny in the future1 in accordance    
with the principle which finds          
expression in the sayings1 ,the greater 
the sinner the greater the saint1 and   
,pecca ,fortiter4 ,this also we         
discerned clearly1 that1 supposing it to
 be indeed a truth that man is made     
perfect through suffering1 the          
experiences in the course of which the  
suffering is undergone must imply sin as
 well as pain and sorrow2 since         
otherwise there would be a whole region 
of his nature1 namely the moral1 in     
which he would remain unvitalised4 ,the 

lesson of which is that a man is alive  
only so far as he has lived4 ,there was 
yet another reflection that was prompted
 by the occasion in question1 and one   
which crowned and glorified the rest4   
,this was the assurance implied that    
none need despair4 ,if the soul which   
had dwelt in the body of the person     
named1 could nevertheless become within 
measureable time what ,mary was now1 and
 be destined to attain perfection1 there
 is hope for all1 and the doctrine of   
,reincarnation is indeed a gospel of    
salvation4 ,and herein we discerned a   
lesson hitherto unsuspected so far as we
 were aware1 in the parable of the      
,prodigal ,son4 ,it is not the elder    
brother who stays at home that can best 
appreciate the divine order2 but the    
prodigal who has gone forth into the    
world of experience to acquire knowledge
 for himself at first hand4 ,they who   
have been the most fully satiated with  
the husks of materiality1 can--when     
their time arrives for coming to their  

true selves--best estimate the fare     
provided in the ,father's ,house4 ,he   
loveth most to whom most has been       
forgiven4  ,while sitting alone one day 
and pondering these things1 and         
particularly the difficulty which people
 often find in correcting in themselves 
even the faults which they deplore1 this
 pregnant sentence was spoken audibly to
 my inner hearing by a voice which ,i   
recognised as that of my                
,genius3--,tendencies encouraged for    
ages cannot be cured in a single        
lifetime1 but may require ages4  ,this  
further reflection also was suggested to
 me3 that souls of exceptional strength 
are reincarnated in bodies of           
exceptionally strong passional natures1 
expressly in order to obtain the        
discipline which comes of the effort to 
subdue them4 ,all of which reflections  
tended to exhibit the rashness of       
judging outward judgment in respect of  
others4 ,in order to judge righteous    
judgment it is necessary to know the    

strength of their temptations1 and of   
their efforts to resist them4 ,and these
 can be known only to ,god4 ,the        
attainment of perfection1 and therein of
 salvation by conquest and not by       
flight1--this is the principle of       
reincarnation4 ,it is the condition of  
,regeneration1 which is from out of the 
body4  ,in due time we were able to     
recognise the whole plan of our work as 
so ordered as to make the work itself a 
demonstration of the doctrine of        
reincarnation4 ,when once this doctrine 
had become a practical question for us1 
it assumed a prominent place both in our
 teachings and in our experiences4 ,one 
instruction given us was no less        
striking in itself than in the          
circumstances of its communication4 ,the
 messenger was one with whom we had     
never anticipated coming into relations1
 for1 besides not courting intercourse  
with the souls of the departed1 we had  
not paid to the writings of the person  
concerned the heed that would entitle us

 to count him among our cordial         
sympathisers2 and still less as among   
our possible visitants4 ,this was the   
famous ,swedish ,seer1 ,emmanuel        
,swedenborg4 ,in the course of what we  
afterwards found to be a strikingly     
characteristic communication from him1  
he informed us that owing to the        
difficulty our angels had in approaching
 us just then1 through the condition of 
the spiritual atmosphere1 they had      
charged him with a message to us1 in    
which ,mary's ,genius had spoken to him 
of her as ,a soul of vast experience1   
who under his tuition had so painfully  
acquired the evangel of which she was   
the depositary2 adding that he1 her     
,genius1 had been promised help to      
recover for her1 in this incarnation1   
the memory of all that was in the past2 
and--which was the point of the         
message--that it was to be put forward1 
not as we were then contemplating       
putting it forward1 but as fragmentary  
specimens of such recollection occurring

 to one now a woman1 but formerly an    
initiate1 who is beginning to recover   
this power4  ,it will be interesting to 
remark on this experience1 that to this 
day the followers of ,swedenborg set    
their faces against the doctrine of     
reincarnation1 expressly on the ground  
that their master denied it in his      
lifetime4 ,whether ,swedenborg really   
denied it is uncertain4 ,there is grave 
cause to doubt whether his writings on  
the subject have been rightly understood
 or fairly represented4 ,it has been    
maintained with much show of reason that
 ,swedenborg denied only the            
reincarnation of the astral soul1 not of
 the true soul2 in which case he would  
be right4 ,having once obtained access  
to us1 his visits were for a time       
frequent1 the manner of them being      
various4 ,for he came to us jointly and 
separately1 in waking and in            
sleeping--the latter to ,mary only--and 
audibly and visibly--the latter also to 
,mary only4 ,he alluded to a recent     

incarnation of mine1 of which ,i have   
since had full and independent proof4   
,and he recognised our work as not only 
a confirmation and continuation of his  
own1 but also as a correction4 ,for1 as 
he gave us to understand1 he had been   
too much under the influence of the     
current orthodoxy to be able to transmit
 the revelation given to him in its     
proper purity1 and unbiased by his own  
preconceptions4 ,the doctrine in respect
 of which he was chiefly desirous of    
being set right was that of the         
,incarnation1 the orthodox presentment  
of which he now saw to be wrong1 by     
reason of its deification of ,jesus4 ,in
 referring to the perversion of the     
truth by the formulators of the         
,christian orthodoxy1 he said to us1    
with much emphasis1 ,do not be too kind 
to the ,christians4  ,this allusion to  
an experience which belongs to the      
category of spiritualism rather than to 
that of our special work1 may with      
advantage be followed by some account of

 our other experiences of the same      
order1 partly for the sake of testifying
 to the genuineness of the experiences  
relied on by spiritualists1 and partly  
in order to show the distinction between
 the two orders of experience1 as       
discerned by persons whose familiarity  
with both qualified them to institute   
comparison between them4 ,for1 having   
once become sensitised in the inner and 
higher regions of the consciousness1 we 
had become sensitised also in the       
intermediate regions1 and were able     
therefore to hold palpable converse with
 the denizens of these also4 ,and the   
converse thus held was of the most      
satisfactory character1 on the ground   
both of the certainty of its reality and
 its intrinsic nature4 ,father1 mother1 
wife1 brothers1 sundry dear friends1 and
 others interested in our work1 all came
 to me1 and some of them to my          
colleague1 and this several times1 and  
in a manner impossible to be distrusted4
 ,for my mother more than once spoke to 

me aloud in her own unmistakeable voice1
 and in tones that anyone might have    
heard1 as ,i sat alone in my study4 ,my 
wife came repeatedly to both of us1     
jointly and separately1 audibly1        
visibly1 and tangibly2 giving us timely 
warnings of dangers unsuspected by us   
but proving to be real4 ,and one of my  
brothers cleared up a mystery which had 
hung over his death4 ,no mere attenuated
 wraiths or soulless phantoms were they 
who thus visited us from beyond the     
veil1 they were strong1 distinct1       
intelligent individualities1 veritable  
souls1 palpitating with vitality1 and   
eager to render loving service4 ,but    
they came spontaneously and unevoked1   
for we never sought to compel their     
presence4 ,our quest was purely and     
simply for truth1 not for persons4 ,but 
we considered that1 when these also     
came1 as they did come1 to ourselves    
directly and without intervention of any
 third party1 to refuse to receive them 
on the ground that they had put off     

their bodies1 would be equivalent to    
repulsing our friends in the flesh on   
the ground that they had put off their  
overcoats4  ,the spirit in which alone  
such intercourse is permissible will be 
seen by the following citations from the
 instructions received by us4 ,terms    
from the ,hebrew1 ,greek1 and ,oriental 
,scriptures were used indifferently by  
our illuminators4 ,the word ,ruach in   
the following--which is ,hebrew for     
,spirit--is here used in a kabalistic   
sense to denote the astral soul or      
ghost1 as distinguished from the divine 
soul1 the ,psyche or ,neshamah1 and from
 the ,nephesh or mere phantom4 ,the     
following is from an instruction given  
to ,mary in sleep1 in direct solution of
 certain perplexities4       ,thou      
knowest that in the end1 when ,nirvana  
is attained1 the soul      shall gather 
up all that it hath left within the     
astral of holy      memories and worthy 
experience1 and to this end the ,ruach  
rises in      the astral sphere1 by the 

gradual decay and loss of its more      
material affinities1 until these have so
 disintegrated and      perished that   
its substance is thereby lightened and  
purified4 ,but      continual commerce  
and intercourse with earth add1 as it   
were1      fresh fuel to its earthly    
affinities1 keeping these alive1 and    
hindering its recall to its spiritual   
ego4 ,thus1 therefore1 the              
spiritual ego itself is detained from   
perfect absorption into the      divine1
 and union therewith4 ,for the ,ruach   
shall not all die1 if      there be in  
it anything worthy of recall4 ,the      
astral sphere is its      purging       
chamber4 ,for ,saturn1 who is ,time1 is 
the trier of all      things2 he        
devoureth all the dross2 only that      
escapeth which in its      nature is    
ethereal and destined to reign4 ,and    
this death of the      ,ruach is gradual
 and natural4 ,it is a process of       
elimination and      disintegration1    
often--as men measure time--extending   

over many      decades1 or even         
centuries4 ,and those ,ruachs which     
appertain to      wicked and evil       
persons1 having strong wills inclined   
earthwards1--these persist longest and  
manifest most frequently and            
vividly1 because they rise not1 but1    
being destined to perish      utterly1  
are not withdrawn from immediate contact
 with the earth4      ,they are all     
dross2 there is in them no redeemable   
element4 ,but the      ,ruach of the    
righteous complaineth if thou disturb   
his evolution4      ',why callest thou  
me8 disturb me not4 ,the memories of my 
earth-life      are chains about my     
neck2 the desire of the past detaineth  
me4      ,suffer me to rise towards my  
rest1 and hinder me not with            
evocations4 ,but let thy love go after  
me and encompass me2 so shalt      thou 
rise with me through sphere after       
sphere4'       ,for the good man upon   
earth can love nothing less than the    
divine4      ,wherefore that which he   

loveth in his friend is the divine1 that
      is1 the true and radiant self4    
,and if he love it as differentiated    
from ,god1 it is only on account of its 
separate tincture4 ,for in      the     
perfect light there are innumerable     
tinctures4 ,and according to      its   
celestial affinity1 one soul loveth this
 or that splendour more      than the   
rest4 ,and when the righteous friend of 
the good man dieth1      the love of the
 living man goeth after the true soul of
 the dead2      and the strength and    
divinity of this love helpeth the       
purgation      of the astral soul1 the  
psychic ghost4 ,it is to this astral    
soul1      which ever remaineth near the
 living friend1 an indication of the    
way it must also go1--a light shining   
upon the upward path that      leads    
from the astral to the celestial and    
everlasting4 ,for love1      being      
divine1 is towards the divine4 ',love   
exalteth1 love      purifieth1 love     
uplifteth4'  ,and this also1 which was  

similarly obtained1 represents a further
 restoration of the original1 pure1     
undistorted and unmutilated doctrine of 
,christianity concerning the communion  
of souls4         99       99       99  
99       99       ,so weepest thou and  
lamentest1 because the ,soul thou lovest
 is      taken from thy sight4          
,and life seemeth to thee a bitter      
thing3 yea1 thou cursest the            
destiny of all living creatures4        
,and thou deemest thy love of no avail1 
and thy tears as idle drops4            
,behold1 ,love is a ransom1 and the     
tears thereof are prayers4       ,and if
 thou have lived purely1 thy fervent    
desire shall be counted      grace to   
the soul of thy dead4       ,for the    
burning and continual prayer of the just
 availeth much4       ,yea1 thy love    
shall enfold the soul which thou lovest3
 it shall be      unto him a wedding    
garment and a vesture of blessing4      
,the baptism of thy sorrow shall baptize
 thy dead1 and he shall rise            

because of it4       ,thy prayers shall 
lift him up1 and thy tears shall        
encompass his      steps3 thy love shall
 be to him a light shining upon the     
upward      way4       ,and the angels  
of ,god shall say unto him1 ,o happy    
,soul1 that art      so well-beloved2   
that art made so strong with all these  
tears and      sighs4       ,praise the 
,father of ,spirits therefor3 for this  
great love shall      save thee many    
incarnations4       ,thou art advanced  
thereby2 thou art drawn aloft and       
carried upward      by cords of grace4  
,for in such wise do souls profit one   
another and have communion1      and    
receive and give blessing1 the departed 
of the living1 and the      living of   
the departed4       ,and so much the    
more as the heart within them is clean1 
and the way      of their intention is  
innocent in the sight of ,god4444       
,count not as lost thy suffering on     
behalf of other souls2 for every        
cry is a prayer1 and all prayer is      

power4       ,that thou willest to do is
 done2 thine intention is united to the 
,will of ,divine ,love4       ,nothing  
is lost of that which thou layest out   
for ,god and for thy      brother4      
,and it is love alone who redeemeth1 and
 love hath nothing of her      own#df4  
,but precious as is the communion of    
souls when thus conditioned1 it was not 
to them that we looked for light and    
guidance in our work4 ,nor1 indeed1 to  
any persons at all in the sense in which
 the term is ordinarily used4 ,we looked
 steadfastly and directly to the        
,highest1 confidently leaving to the    
,highest the appointment both of the    
,messenger and of the ,message1 but     
never failing to submit both manner and 
matter to the keenest scrutiny of       
faculties which we had striven to the   
utmost to attune to divine things4 ,we  
were1 moreover1 emphatically warned from
 the outset against allowing any        
intrusion into our work of the          
influences accessible to the ordinary   

sensitive1 the two planes being         
absolutely distinct4 ,herein lay the    
significance of the saying of ,mary's   
,genius1 that he had been promised help 
to enable her to recover in this        
incarnation the memory of all that is in
 the past4 ,the ,genii themselves1      
although of the celestial1 belong to its
 circumferential and lowest sphere4     
,they touch the astral1 but do not enter
 it4 ,the help spoken of was to come    
from the innermost and highest spheres4 
,and the charge was accordingly given   
us1 ,do not1 then1 seek after           
'controls4' ,keep your temple for the   
,lord ,god of ,hosts2 and turn out of it
 the money-changers1 the dove-sellers1  
and the dealers in curious arts1 yea1   
with a scourge of cords if need be4     
,the manner in which we received the    
first full and particular account       
respecting the method of revelation1 was
 as follows4 ,i was pondering to myself 
with much intentness the nature and     
source of inspiration1 and desiring a   

test whereby to distinguish between true
 and false inspiration4 ,but ,i         
refrained for various reasons from      
consulting my colleague1 at least until 
,i should have exhausted my own         
resources4 ,and she was still without   
any intimation of my need when she      
received the instruction concerning     
inspiration and prophesying of which the
 following is a portion4 ,it was        
received in sleep1 and the date was     
shortly before we were told that her    
knowledges were due to experiences      
undergone in previous lives#dg4 ,when ,i
 had read it she said1 referring to the 
first verse1 ,but ,i did not ask4 ,in   
reply to which ,i told her that ,i had  
asked4 ,it was addressed equally to both
 of us1 as making together one system4  
,i heard last night in my sleep a voice 
speaking to me1 and      saying--       
,you ask the method and nature of       
,inspiration1 and the means      whereby
 ,god revealeth the ,truth4       ,know 
that there is no enlightenment from     

without3 the secret of      things is   
revealed from within4       ,from       
without cometh no ,divine ,revelation3  
but the ,spirit within      beareth     
witness4       ,think not that ,i tell  
you that which you know not3 for except 
you      know it1 it cannot be given to 
you4       ,to him that hath it is      
given1 and he hath the more abundantly4 
,none is a prophet save he who knoweth3 
the instructor of the      people is a  
man of many lives4       ,inborn        
knowledge and the perception of things1 
these are the      sources of           
revelation3 the ,soul of the man        
instructeth him1 having      already    
learned by experience4       ,intuition 
is inborn experience2 that which the    
soul knoweth of old      and of former  
years4       ,and ,illumination is the  
,light of ,wisdom1 whereby a man        
perceiveth      heavenly secrets4       
,which ,light is the ,spirit of ,god    
within the man1 showing unto him        
the things of ,god4       ,do not think 

that ,i tell you anything you know not2 
all cometh      from within3 the ,spirit
 that informeth is the ,spirit of ,god  
in the      prophet4         99       99
       99       99       99             
,inspiration may indeed be mediumship1  
but it is conscious2 and the            
knowledge of the prophet instructeth    
him4       ,even though he speak in an  
ecstasy1 he uttereth nothing that he    
knoweth not4  ,then followed this       
apostrophe to the ,prophet3--           
,thou who art a prophet hast had many   
lives3 yea1 thou hast taught      many  
nations1 and hast stood before kings4   
,and ,god hath instructed thee in the   
years that are past1 and in the         
former times of the earth4       ,by    
prayer1 by fasting1 by meditation1 by   
painful seeking1 hast thou      attained
 that thou knowest4       ,there is no  
knowledge but by labour3 there is no    
intuition but by      experience4       
,i have seen thee on the hills of the   
,east3 ,i have followed thy      steps  

in the wilderness3 ,i have seen thee    
adore at sunrise3 ,i have      marked   
thy night watches in the caves of the   
mountains4       ,thou hast attained    
with patience1 ,o prophet6 ,god hath    
revealed the      truth to thee from    
within4       ,thus1 for the first time 
known to history1 was given a definition
      of the nature and method of       
inspiration and prophecy1 at once       
luminous1 reasonable1 and inexpugnable1 
to the full and final      solution of  
this stupendous problem2 and comporting 
with and      explaining1 as it did1 all
 our own experiences1 we felt that we   
could bear unreserved testimony to its  
truth4 ,but1 vast as was the            
addition thus made to the ,new ,gospel  
of ,interpretation1 it did not          
exhaust the treasures revealed and      
communicated on that wondrous           
night2 for it was followed immediately  
by a prophecy of the meaning      of the
 new dispensation on which the world is 
entering1 and of      which our work is 

the introduction4 ,at once ,biblical in 
diction and      character1 it reached  
in loftiness the highest level of       
,biblical      prophecy and inspiration1
 demonstrating the same world celestial 
and divine as the source of both4 ,for  
which reason1 and the      crushing blow
 administered by it to the superstitions
 which have      made of ,christianity a
 by-word and a reproach by their gross  
materialisations of mysteries purely    
spiritual1 it is reproduced in      full
 here4 ,the heading is of our own       
devising3--  ,a ,prophecy of the        
,kingdom of the ,soul1 mystically called
 the ,day of the ,woman4       ,and now 
,i show you a mystery and a new thing1  
which is part of the      mystery of the
 fourth day of creation4       ,the word
 which shall come to save the world1    
shall be uttered by a      woman4       
,a woman shall conceive1 and shall bring
 forth the tidings of      salvation4   
,for the reign of ,adam is at its last  
hour2 and ,god shall crown all          

things by the creation of ,eve4         
,hitherto the man hath been alone1 and  
hath had dominion over the      earth4  
,but when the woman shall be created1   
,god shall give unto her the            
kingdom2 and she shall be first in rule 
and highest in dignity4       ,yea1 the 
last shall be first1 and the elder shall
 serve the      younger4       ,so that 
women shall no more lament for their    
womanhood2 but men      shall rather    
say1 ,o that we had been born women6    
,for the strong shall be put down from  
their seat1 and the meek      shall be  
exalted to their place4       ,the days 
of the ,covenant of ,manifestation are  
passing away3 the      ,gospel of       
,interpretation cometh4       ,there    
shall nothing new be told2 but that     
which is ancient shall be               
interpreted4       ,so that man the     
manifesto shall resign his office3 and  
woman the      interpreter shall give   
light to the world4       ,hers is the  
fourth office3 she revealeth that which 

the ,lord hath      manifested4         
,hers is the light of the heavens1 and  
the brightest of the planets      of the
 holy seven4       ,she is the fourth   
dimension2 the eyes which enlighten2 the
 power      which draweth inward to     
,god4       ,and her kingdom cometh2 the
 day of the exaltation of woman4        
,and her reign shall be greater than the
 reign of the man3 for ,adam      shall 
be put down from his place2 and she     
shall have dominion for      ever4      
,and she who is alone shall bring forth 
more children to ,god1 then      she who
 hath an husband4       ,there shall no 
more be a reproach against women3 but   
against men      shall be the reproach4 
,for the woman is the crown of man1 and 
the final manifestation of              
humanity4       ,she is the nearest to  
the throne of ,god1 when she shall be   
revealed4       ,but the creation of    
woman is not yet complete3 but it shall 
be      complete in the time which is at
 hand4       ,all things are thine1 ,o  

,mother of ,god3 all things are thine1  
,o ,thou      who risest from the sea2  
and ,thou shalt have dominion over all  
the      worlds#dh4  ,,footnotes3  #bi  
,a4,k4 knew nothing of ,spinoza at this 
time1 and was unaware that he was an    
optician4 ,subsequent experience made it
 clear that the spectacles in question  
were intended to represent her own      
remarkable faculty of intuitional and   
interpretative perception4 7,see ,life  
,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 pp4 #aej-a47 ,s4,h4,h4 
#cj ,page #ebe  #ca ,the #bbnd          
,september1 #ahgg4  #cb ,the book       
referred to was a treatise entitled     
,fruit and ,bread1 which had been sent  
to her anonymously the previous day4    
,e4,m4  #cc ,the ,hymn to ,hermes was   
received by ,a4,k4 in #ahgh1 under      
illumination occurring in sleep4 ,she   
remembered it so perfectly that on      
waking she wrote it without hesitation  
or error4 ,representing knowledges long 
lost1 by no amount of mere scholarship  
could it have been reproduced4 ,it is   

given at length in the ,p4,w4 pp4       
#ceg-ceh1 and in ,the ,life of ,a4,k4   
,vol4 ,i4 p4 #bhg4 ,s4,h4,h4  #cd ,as to
 the recovery by ,a4,k4 of the ,hymn to 
the ,planet-,god1 see p4 #abb-c4  #ce   
,these dream-verses are from ,through   
the ,ages1 a poem received by ,a4,k41 in
 sleep1 in #ahhj4 ,in this poem1 some of
 her earliest incarnations are referred 
to4 7,d4 and ,d-,s4 p4 #gg47 ,s4,h4,h4  
#cf ,see p4 #abb note4  #cg ,see pp4    
#ea-eb-ec ante4  #ch ,that is1 in the   
place of ,god and the ,soul4  #ci ,the  
four planes being1 from without inwards1
 those of the body1 mind1 soul1 and     
spirit4 ,s4,h4,h4  #dj ,the #bhth       
,march1 #ahhj4 ,s4,h4,h4  #da ,the name 
by which ,i was thus addressed had been 
given me by our illuminators as an      
initiation name1 as that of ,mary to    
her4 ,it denoted love as the dominant   
note of our work1 and was an equivalent 
for ,john the ,beloved1 who--we were    
given to understand--is one of the two  
controlling angels of the new           

illumination--,daniel being the         
other--in accordance with the           
intimations given by ,jesus1 one to ,his
 disciples and the other to the ,seer of
 the ,apocalypse himself1 that ,john    
should tarry within reach of the        
earth-plane to bear part in the event   
which was to constitute the second      
advent of ,christ4 ,these names had a   
further correspondence in the ,greek    
parable of ,eros and ,psyche1 which     
denotes love as the vivifying principle 
of the soul4 ,e4,m4  #db ,materialism   
and ,superstition4  #dc ,the name       
,esther denotes a star or fountain of   
light1 a dawn or rising4  #dd ,the      
spelling of the names is that of the    
,douay ,version1 the ,protestants having
 relegated the second part of the book  
of ,esther1 in which the latter part of 
this narrative occurs1 to the           
,apocrypha4 ,as also that of ,ezra above
 cited4 ,e4,m4  #de ,these are disclosed
 in ,the ,life of ,a4,k4 ,the           
personality referred to on this occasion

 was ,faustine1 the ,roman1 the ,empress
 of ,marcus ,aurelius4 7,life ,a4,k4    
,vol4 ,i4 pp4 #cec-ced47 ,s4,h4,h4  #df 
,the ,hymn of ,aphrodite1 including the 
,discourse of the ,communion of ,souls1 
and of the ,uses of ,love between       
,creature and ,creature2 being part of  
the ,golden ,book of ,venus1 from which 
latter the above is taken1 is given in  
full in the ,p4,w4 pp4 #cej-cef4  #dg   
,the instruction concerning inspiration 
and prophesying was received by ,a4,k4  
in ,paris on the #gth ,february1 #ahhj4 
,s4,h4,h4  #dh ,p4,w4 pp4 #caa-cad4     
,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 pp4 #cdd-cde4    
,,chapter ,,iv4  ,,the ,,antagonisation4
   ,even had we been disposed1 which    
happily we were not1 to exalt ourselves 
on the strength of the loftiness of our 
mission1 the constant proofs afforded us
 of the paucity of our knowledge in     
comparison with what remained to be     
known1 would have effectually restrained
 us4 ,but as it was1 we were from the   
first penetrated by the conviction that 

only in so far as we succeeded in       
subordinating the individual to the     
universal1 the personal to the divine1  
could the work be successfully          
accomplished4 ,the man must make himself
 nothing that the ,god may be all4 ,this
 was the burden of the injunctions      
enforced on us throughout2 the failures 
of others through self-exaltation being 
adduced in illustration4 ,for1 as we    
were plainly given to understand1 many  
are called but few are chosen2 the weak 
point in their system1 the ,judas by    
whom they are betrayed and fail1 being  
generally vanity4 ,they are as          
instruments which mistake themselves for
 the mind and hand which wield them4    
,humility and ,love1 the violet and the 
red1 these are the two extremes of the  
prism which comprise between them all   
the ,seven ,spirits of ,god4 ,blended1  
they make the royal purple2 but the hue 
of that purple depends on the spiritual 
states of the individuals themselves    
whose tinctures they are4 ,they were1 we

 were told1 the tinctures of our own    
souls as indicated by the colours of our
 respective auras4 ,mary's was the      
blood-red ray of the innermost sphere1  
the sphere of the first of the ,gods1   
wherein love and wisdom are one4 ,for   
the ,hebrews ,uriel1 for the ,greeks    
,phoibos1 the ,bright ,one of ,god4     
,mine was the violet of the outermost   
sphere1 that of the last of the ,gods1  
the ,spirit of the ,fear of the ,lord1  
and therein of ,reverence and ,humility2
 for the ,greeks ,saturn1 and for the   
,hebrews ,satan1 the ,angel unfallen of 
the outermost sphere4 ,only when man is 
built up of all the ,gods1 and bears    
upon him the seal of each ,god1 having  
climbed the ladder of his regeneration  
from circumference to centre1 from      
,saturn to the ,sun1 is the week of his 
new and spiritual creation accomplished4
 ,similarly the co-operation of all     
these divine potencies was indispensable
 to our work4 ,and we were emphatically 
warned of the dangers both to it and to 

ourselves1 that would come of the lack  
of the divine presence in respect of any
 of them4 ,hence the necessity of       
maintaining the necessary conditions in 
ourselves1 and the caution addressed to 
us by ,hermes1 in view of the liability 
of mortals to appropriate to themselves 
the importance appertaining to their    
mission when this transcends the        
ordinary4 ,to this end1 in the following
 ,exhortation1 he disclosed to us the   
heights yet to be ascended1 saying--    
,he whose adversaries fight with weapons
 of steel1 must himself be      armed in
 like manner1 if he would not be        
ignominiously slain or      save himself
 by flight4       ,and not only so1 but 
forasmuch as his adversaries may be     
many1      while he is only one2 it is  
even necessary that the steel he        
carries be of purer temper and of more  
subtle point and contrivance      than  
theirs4       ,i1 ,hermes1 would arm you
 with such1 that bearing a blade with a 
double edge1 ye may be able to withstand

 in the evil hour4       ,for it is     
written that the tree of life is guarded
 by a sword which      turneth every    
way4       ,therefore ,i would have you 
armed both with a perfect philosophy and
      with the power of the divine life4
       ,and first the knowledge2 that   
you and they who hear you may know      
the reason of the faith which is in you4
       ,but knowledge cannot prevail    
alone1 and ye are not yet perfected4    
,when the fulness of the time shall     
come1 ,i will add unto you the          
power of the divine life4       ,it is  
the life of contemplation1 of fasting1  
of obedience1 and of      resistance4   
,and afterwards the chrism1 the power1  
and the glory4 ,but these are      not  
yet4       ,meanwhile remain together   
and perfect your philosophy4            
,boast not1 and be not lifted up2 for   
all things are ,god's1 and ye      are  
in ,god1 and ,god in you4       ,but    
when the word shall come to you1 be     
ready to obey4       ,there is but one  

way to power1 and it is the way of      
obedience4       ,call no man your      
master or king upon the earth1 lest ye  
forsake the      spirit for the form and
 become idolaters4       ,he who is     
indeed spiritual1 and transformed into  
the divine image1      desires a        
spiritual king4       ,purify your      
bodies1 and eat no dead thing that has  
looked with      living eyes upon the   
light of ,heaven4       ,for the eye is 
the symbol of brotherhood among you4    
,sight is the      mystical sense4      
,let no man take the life of his brother
 to feed withal his own4       ,but slay
 only such as are evil2 in the name of  
the ,lord4       ,they are miserably    
deceived who expect eternal life1 and   
restrain      not their hands from blood
 and death4       ,they are miserably   
deceived who look for wives from on     
high1 and      have not yet attained    
their manhood4       ,despise not the   
gift of knowledge2 and make not         
spiritual eunuchs      of yourselves4   

,for ,adam was first formed1 then ,eve4 
,ye are twain1 the man with the woman1  
and she with him1 neither man      nor  
woman1 but one creature4       ,and the 
kingdom of ,god is within you#di4  ,the 
knowledge of the ,seven ,spirits whereby
 ,deity operates in the universe1 has   
been completely dropped out of sight by 
the ,christian world4 ,it is necessary1 
therefore1 if only in vindication of the
 importance attached to them by our     
illuminators1 to recite the instruction 
received by us concerning them1 which is
 as follows4 ,it is a chapter from the  
recovered ,gnosis#ej3--       ,in the   
bosom of the ,eternal were all the ,gods
 comprehended1 as the      seven spirits
 of the prism1 contained in the         
,invisible ,light4         99       99  
99       99       99       ,by the ,word
 of ,elohim were the ,seven ,elohim     
manifest3 even the      ,seven ,spirits 
of ,god in the order of their           
precedence3       ,the ,spirit of       
,wisdom1 the ,spirit of ,understanding1 

the ,spirit of      ,counsel1 the       
,spirit of ,power1 the ,spirit of       
,knowledge1 the ,spirit      of         
,righteousness1 and the ,spirit of      
,divine ,awfulness4       ,all these are
 coequal and coeternal4       ,each has 
the nature of the whole in itself3 and  
each is a perfect      entity4          
,and the brightness of their            
manifestation shineth forth from the    
midst of each1 as wheel within wheel1   
encircling the ,white ,throne      of   
the ,invisible ,trinity in ,unity4      
,these are the ,divine fires which burn 
before the presence of ,god3      which 
proceed from the ,spirit1 and are one   
with the ,spirit4       ,he is divided1 
yet not diminished3 ,he is ,all1 and ,he
 is ,one4       ,for the ,spirit of ,god
 is a flame of fire which the ,word of  
,god      divideth into many3 yet the   
original flame is not decreased1 nor    
the power thereof nor the brightness    
thereof lessened4       ,thou mayest    
light many lamps from the flame of one2 

yet thou dost      in nothing diminish  
that first flame4       ,now the ,spirit
 of ,god is expressed by the ,word of   
,god1 which is      ,adonai4       ,for 
without the ,word the ,will could have  
had no utterance4       ,thus the       
,divine ,will divided the ,spirit of    
,god1 and the seven fires      went     
forth from the bosom of ,god and became 
seven spiritual      entities4          
,they went forth into the ,divine       
,substance1 which is the substance      
of all that is4  ,as already stated1    
,hermes is the ,greek name for the      
,second of the creative ,elohim above   
enumerated4 ,hence his special relation 
to the ,new ,gospel of ,interpretation1 
the appeal of which is to the           
,understanding4  ,being shown one day in
 vision the path we had to traverse for 
the accomplishment of our work1 ,mary   
exclaimed3--       ,what a dreadfully   
difficult thing it is to steer one's way
 amidst      such numbers of influences6
 ,i see a fine1 bright-shining thread4  

,it      is our own path1 and it is a   
pathway of light4 ,but1 oh6 so narrow1  
so narrow1 and all around are spirits   
trying to lure us from it4      ,here is
 ,hermes1 shining like a silver light4  
,my ,genius says that      the way to   
get the utmost vitality on the spiritual
 plane is to      abandon the plane of  
the body1 and keep it quite low1 by not 
indulging it4 ,the time for bodily      
indulgence is passed with us4           
,abstinence1 we have been told1 and     
watchfulness and fasting are            
needful4 ,and the time for the first of 
these has come4 ,nothing is      gained 
without labour or won without suffering4
 ,fasting and      ,watching and        
,abstinence1 these are ,beads and       
,rosary4 ,it is a hard      way and a   
long way1 and it makes one wishful to   
turn back4 ,we are      not to be misled
 by the story1 so much dwelt on to you  
by the      ,astrals1 of ,moses and     
,aaron#ea4 ,they both were failures1 who
      entered not into the land of      

,canaan4 ,we must be patient and trust4 
,we have to be cultivated on both       
planes1 the intellectual and the        
spiritual1 and not on the physical1 for 
this draws from and saps      the       
others4  ,so far as ,i was concerned1   
there was yet another rule that was made
 absolute3 this was the rule of         
,poverty4 ,desiring at one time to      
mitigate the rigour of my enforced      
economies by working with a commercial  
intent1 and to that end endeavouring to 
finish a tale some time before          
commenced1 ,i found myself baffled by a 
complete withdrawal of power4 ,i was    
well aware that no romance ,i could     
devise would compare with the romance ,i
 was living1 and that any incidents ,i  
could invent would be tame before those 
of my actual life2 but it was not this  
that withheld me4 ,it was made clear to 
me that there was now only one direction
 and one plane in which ,i was          
accessible to ideas and in which        
therefore ,i could work1 and this a     

direction and plane altogether          
incompatible with mundane ends4 ,but ,i 
had not fully reconciled myself to the  
loss of my earning power1 or resolved to
 refrain from further efforts in that   
behalf1 when ,i received the following  
experience4  ,i had gone to bed1 but not
 to sleep1 for thinking over the matter1
 when ,i became aware of the presence of
 a group of spiritual influences1 one of
 whom1 speaking for them all1 said to   
me1 in tones audible only to the inner  
hearing1 but distinct1 measured and     
authoritative--       ,we whom you know 
as the ,gods--,zeus1 ,phoibos1 ,hermes1 
and the      rest--are actual celestial 
personalities1 who are appointed to     
represent to mortals the principles and 
potencies called the ,seven             
,spirits of ,god4 ,we have chosen you   
for our instrument1 and have      tried 
you and proved you and instructed you2  
and you belong to us      to do our work
 and not your own1 save in so far as you
 make it your      own4 ,only in such   

measure as you do this will you have any
 success4      ,for you can do nothing  
without us now3 and it is useless for   
you to      attempt to do anything      
without our help4  ,by this and manifold
 other experiences1 we had practical    
demonstration of the existence of a     
celestial hierarchy consisting of souls 
perfected and divinised1 divided into   
orders corresponding to the ,seven      
,spirits of ,god1 and having for their  
function the illumination of those souls
 of men still on earth who are          
accessible by them2 and to whom they    
manifest themselves in the forms        
recognised in the mysteries in which    
such persons have formerly been         
initiated4  ,we had also manifold proofs
 of their power to arrest utterance     
before persons unfit to be entrusted    
with the mysteries4 ,the first instance 
occurred to myself1 and was in this     
wise4 ,i was reading some passages in   
illustration of our work to an old      
clerical friend who came to see me in   

,paris1 when ,i inadvertently turned to 
a part of the book which we had been    
charged to keep secret4 ,but before ,i  
had read a line1 the air round me became
 so dense with invisible presences that 
,i was unable to see1 and my heart was  
clutched1 as if by an invisible hand1   
and lifted up towards my throat with    
such force as almost to choke me2 while1
 at the same instant1 an overwhelming   
sense of my fault was impressed on my   
mind1 causing me for some hours to feel 
as one utterly ,god-forsaken and cast   
off4  ,not thinking that ,mary was      
liable to err in the same way1 or caring
 to tell her of my trespass1 ,i kept    
silence respecting this experience4 ,but
 a few weeks later it was repeated for  
her4 ,she was speaking of our work to a 
spiritualist friend with whom we were   
spending the evening1 and1 in her       
eagerness1 got upon topics which ,i     
recognised as forbidden4 ,but before ,i 
had time to remind her1 she suddenly    
stopped short and rose from her seat1   

gasping and dazed1 and insisted on      
returning home forthwith1 to our        
hostess's great amazement and           
disappointment4 ,divining what had      
occurred1 ,i refrained from questioning 
her until we were outside and alone1    
when in reply to me she described       
exactly what had happened to me1 using  
the words1 ,i did not want to be choked6
 ,there were other occasions on which ,i
 was cut short under like circumstances1
 by having all that ,i meant to say     
suddenly and completely obliterated from
 my mind4  ,being desirous to know more 
of the adverse influences against which 
we had been warned1 and from which we   
suffered1 ,mary consulted her           
illuminator respecting their origin and 
nature1 when the following colloquy     
ensued3--       ,they are1 he said1 the 
powers which affect and influence       
,sensitives4 ,they do not control1 for  
they have no force4444 ,they      are   
,reflects4 ,they have no real entity in 
themselves4 ,they resemble      mists   

which arise from the damp earth of      
low-lying lands1 and which      the heat
 of the sun disperses4 ,again1 they are 
like vapours in high      altitudes1    
upon which1 if a man's shadow falls1 he 
beholds himself      as a giant4 ,for   
these spirits invariably flatter and    
magnify a man      to himself4 ,and this
 is a sign whereby you may know them4   
,they tell      one that he is a king2  
another1 that he is a ,christ2 another1 
that      he is the wisest of mortals1  
and the like4 ,for1 being born of the   
fluids of the body1 they are unspiritual
 and live of the body4       ,do they1  
then1 ,i asked1 come from within the    
man8       ,all things1 he replied come 
from within4 ,a man's foes are they     
of his own household4       ,and how1 ,i
 asked1 may we discern the ,astrals from
 the higher      spirits8       ,i have 
told you of one sign2--they are         
flattering spirits4 ,now ,i      will   
tell you of another4 ,they always       
depreciate ,woman4 ,and they do         

this because their deadliest foe is the 
,intuition4 ,and these1 too1      are   
signs4 ,is there anything strong8 they  
will make it weak4 ,is      there       
anything wise8 they will make it        
foolish4 ,is there anything             
sublime8 they will distort and travesty 
it4 ,and this they do      because they 
are exhalations of matter1 and have no  
spiritual      nature4 ,hence they      
pursue and persecute the ,woman         
continually1      sending after her a   
flood of vituperation like a torrent to 
sweep      her away4 ,but it shall be in
 vain4 ,for ,god shall carry her to ,his
      throne1 and she shall tread on the
 necks of them4       ,therefore the    
,high ,gods will give through a woman   
the      ,interpretation which alone can
 save the world4 ,a woman shall open    
the gates of the ,kingdom to mankind1   
because ,intuition only can      redeem4
 ,between the ,woman and the ,astrals   
there is always enmity2      for they   
seek to destroy her and her office1 and 

to put themselves      in her place4    
,they are the delusive shapes who       
tempted the saints      of old with     
exceeding beauty and wiles of love1 and 
great show of      affection and        
flattery4 ,oh6 beware of them when they 
flatter1 for      they spread a net for 
thy soul4       ,am ,i1 then1 in danger 
from them8 ,i asked4 ,am ,i1 too1 a     
,sensitive8 ,and he said1--       ,no1  
you are a ,poet4 ,and in that is your   
strength and your      salvation4 ,poets
 are the children of the ,sun1 and the  
,sun illumines      them4 ,no poet can  
be vain or self-exalted2 for he knows   
that he      speaks only the words of   
,god4 ',i sing1' he says1 'because ,i   
must4'      ,learn a truth which is     
known only to the sons of ,god4 ,the    
,spirit      within you is divine4 ,it  
is ,god4 ,when you prophesy and when you
      sing1 it is the ,spirit within you
 which gives you utterance4 ,it is      
the ',new ,wine of ,dionysos4' ,by this 
,spirit your body is      enlightened1  

as is a lamp by the flame within it4    
,now1 the flame is      not the oil1 for
 the oil may be there without the light4
 ,yet the      flame cannot be there    
without the oil4 ,your body1 then1 is   
the      lamp-case into which the oil is
 poured4 ,and this--the oil--is your    
soul1 a fine and combustible fluid4 ,and
 the flame is the ,divine      ,spirit1 
which is not born of the oil1 but is    
conveyed to it by the      hand of ,god4
 ,you may quench this ,spirit utterly1  
and thenceforward      you will have no 
immortality2 but when the lamp-case     
breaks1 the      oil will be spilt on   
the earth1 and a few fumes will for a   
time      arise from it1 and then it    
will expend itself and leave at last no 
trace4 ,some oils are finer and more    
spontaneous than others4 ,the           
finest is that of the soul of the poet4 
,and in such a medium the      flame of 
,god's ,spirit burns more clearly and   
powerfully1 and      brightly1 so that  
sometimes mortal eyes can hardly endure 

its      brightness4 ,of such an one the
 soul is filled with holy raptures4     
,he sees as no other man sees1 and the  
atmosphere about him is      enkindled4 
,his soul becomes transmuted into flame2
 and when the      lamp of his body is  
shattered1 his flame mounts and soars1  
and is      united to the ,divine ,fire4
 ,can such an one1 think you1 be        
vain-glorious or self-exalted1 and      
lifted up8 ,oh no2 he is one with       
,god1 and knows that without ,god he is 
nothing4 ,i tell no man that      he is 
a reincarnation of ,moses1 of ,elias1 or
 of ,christ4 ,but ,i tell      him that 
he may have the ,spirit of these if1    
like them1 he be      humble and        
self-abased1 and obedient to the ,divine
 ,word4  ,so far from our being         
sufficiently advanced to escape         
molestation from the sources thus       
indicated1 there were times when we     
suffered much from their incursions1    
even to the hindrance1 for the time     
being1 of the work on which our whole   

hearts were set4 ,knowing that          
everything depended on our unanimity1   
they sought to make division between us1
 and what they lacked in force was more 
than made up for by subtlety#eb4        
,despite all our vigilance1 they would  
insinuate themselves like barbed and    
poisoned arrows between the joints of   
our armour1 there to rankle and envenom1
 so insidious were their suggestions4   
,they did not flatter1 but attacked us4 
,so that it was a satisfaction to be    
assured that they attack those only who 
are worth attacking4 ,the very nature of
 our work was such as to invite attack  
from them1 being what they were4        
,meanwhile1 no experience was withheld  
that would serve to qualify us for what 
proved to be an essential part of our   
work1 the discerning of spirits in the  
sense1 not merely of perceiving them1   
but of distinguishing their nature and  
character4 ,and always was the lesson   
given in a form which combined with its 
other features that of total            

unexpectedness4 ,especially important   
was it for us to be able to distinguish 
between the spirits of the astral1      
against which we were warned1 and       
spirits in the astral1 namely1 souls    
which had not yet accomplished their    
emancipation1 but were in course of     
doing so4 ,but while as regarded the    
former we were left to fight the battle 
for ourselves1 as regarded the latter   
there was a control exercised1 and none 
were permitted to approach us save such 
as had a message of service which would 
minister to the solution of a present   
problem4 ,of this the following         
experience was an instance4 ,it helped  
us to a yet fuller comprehension1 both  
of the reasons which had dictated our   
association1 and of the liabilities to  
be guarded against4  ,it was evening#ec1
 and we were occupied in our respective 
tasks1 and so entirely engrossed by them
 as to be disposed to resent any        
interruption1 when ,mary bent across the
 table1 and speaking in a low tone1 said

 to me1 ,there is a spirit in the room  
who wants to speak to us4 ,shall ,i let 
him8 ,i assented on the condition that  
he had something to tell us really worth
 hearing4 ,she then became entranced1   
being magnetised by his presence2 and   
after telling me that he spoke with a   
strong ,american accent and professed to
 be a meta-physical doctor--meaning1 she
 supposed1 a doctor in                  
metaphysics--repeated the following     
after him2 for ,i could neither see nor 
hear him3--       ,you two have been put
 together for a work which you could not
 do      separately4 ,i have been shown 
a chart of your past histories1         
containing your characters and your past
 incarnations4 ,she is of a      highly 
active1 wilful disposition1 and         
represents the centrifugal      force4  
,you1 ,caro1 are her opposite1 and1     
being contemplative and                 
concentrated1 represent the centripetal 
force4 ,without her      expansive      
energy you would become altogether      

indrawn and inactive      in deed2 and  
without your restraining influence she  
would go forth      and become          
dissipated in expansiveness4 ,so        
extraordinary is her      outward       
tendency that nothing but such an       
organism as she now has      could      
repress it and keep it within bounds4   
,it is for the work she      has to do  
that she has been placed in a body of   
weakness and      suffering4 ,she is the
 man--and you the woman--element in your
 joint      system4 ,i can see only her 
female incarnations1 but she has been a 
man much oftener than a woman2 while you
 have generally been a      woman1 and  
would be one now but for the work you   
have to do4 ,even      as a woman she   
has always been much more man than      
woman1 for her      wilfulness and      
recklessness have led her into          
enterprises of      incredible daring4  
,nothing restrained her when her will   
prompted      her4 ,she would wreck any 
work to follow that1 and only by        

combination with your centripetal       
tendency can she do the present         
work4 ,as a man she has been initiated1 
once1 a long time ago1 in      ,thebes1 
afterwards in ,india4 ,the things she   
has done in her past      lives6 ,well1 
,i do not say they were wrong1 for ,i   
do not hold the existence of moral evil4
 ,all things are allowed for      good  
ends2 but this is a difficult truth to  
express4  ,here she spoke in her own    
person1 having under his magnetism      
recovered her own vision and            
recollection1 saying--       ,o ,caro6  
,i can see your past4 ,you have         
been--no1 it is all wiped      out4 ,i  
cannot see it now4 ,i am not allowed to 
see it4 ,why is this8      ,i see my own
 past4 ,i see ,india3--a magnificent    
glittering white      marble temple1 and
 elephants4 ,how tame they are6 ,they   
are all out1      and feeding in a field
 or enclosure4 ,and there are such a    
number of      splendid red flowers1    
they are cactuses1 and all prickly4 ,the

 trees      have all their foliage on   
the top1 and such long stems4 ,they are 
palms4 ,the soil is of a white dust4    
,and the sky is so clear and      blue6 
,but the heat is terrible4 ,i see you   
again4 ,your colour is      blue1       
inclining to indigo1 owing to your want 
of expansiveness4 ,but      ,i cannot   
see your past1 except that you are      
mostly a woman4 ,and now      ,i am by  
the ,nile1--such a fine broad river6    
,here she returned to her normal        
consciousness1 our visitor having taken 
his departure4  ,subsequently1 in       
,march1 #ahha1 under the influence of a 
higher illuminative power1 she found    
herself as one of a group of initiates  
making solemn procession through the    
aisles of a vast ,egyptian temple1 and  
chanting in chorus the rituals which    
compose the marvellous ,hymn to the     
,planet-,god1 ,iacchos#ed4 ,for1 long as
 it is1 she was able to reproduce it    
afterwards4 ,it was thus1 by her        
recovery of the memory of knowledges    

acquired in past existences1 that the   
divine originals were recovered from    
which the ,bible-writers largely derived
 at once their doctrine and their       
diction4 ,this is not to say that these 
were mere borrowers and unilluminate4   
,it is to say only that they recognised 
the divinity of a prior revelation1 and 
regarded it as a common heritage4 ,the  
truth is one4  ,among the uses of the   
painful experience we were now          
undergoing#ee was this one4 ,it put me  
on a track of thought of high value in  
enabling me to determine our respective 
positions in regard to our work4 ,it was
 clearly the endeavour of the astral    
influences by which we were being       
assailed--the haters of the mysteries as
 our ,genii called them#ef--to break    
down our work by destroying that perfect
 harmony between us which was the first 
condition of it4 ,and all my endeavours 
failing to discover in myself the weak  
point which rendered us accessible to   
them1 carefully as ,i sought there for  

it1 ,i was forced to look for it in her1
 and was disposed to ascribe it to the  
survival from the far past of some      
defect of the affectional nature4 ,for1 
as we were now learning1 man has a dual 
heredity1 that of his physical parentage
 and that of his spiritual selfhood4    
,from the former of which he derives his
 outward characteristics2 and from the  
latter his inward character4 ,the       
experience just recited served to       
confirm the surmise1 but it did         
something else besides4 ,it suggested to
 me the following explanation of the    
situation as growing out of the         
exigencies of our work4 ,that work had  
for its purpose the accomplishment of   
the prophesied downfall of the world's  
sacrificial system4 ,it meant war to the
 knife against all the orthodoxies at   
once1 religious1 social1 scientific4 ,it
 meant a death-wrestle1 not against     
flesh and blood1 but against            
principalities1 against powers1 against 
the rulers of the darkness of this      

world1 against spiritual wickedness in  
high places4 ,it meant1 in short1 the   
destruction foretold by the prophets of 
that great city1 the world's            
materialistic system in ,church1 ,state1
 and ,society1 wherein the ,lord1 the   
divinity in man1 is ever systematically 
crucified1 and its replacement by the   
,holy ,city or system which comes down  
from the heaven of a perfect ideal4     
,what1 then1 ,i asked myself1 was the   
foremost moral need for the instruments 
of such a work8 ,surely it was ,courage4
 ,but courage subsists under two modes4 
,there is the courage which manifests   
itself in action and aggression1 and    
there is the courage which manifests    
itself in endurance and resistance4 ,the
 former is its masculine mode1 the      
latter its feminine mode4 ,the former   
connotes ,will1 the latter connotes     
,love4 ,and these were the parts        
assigned respectively to us in our joint
 system4 ,will and ,love united had made
 the world2 disunited1 they had ruined  

the world2 reunited1 they would redeem  
the world4 ,as ,he and ,she1 ,king and  
,queen1 positive and negative1          
centrifugal and centripetal1 they are   
the dual powers of all things1 the      
constituent principles at once of ,god  
and of ,man4 ,the whole ,universe is    
,humanity1 for it is the manifestation  
of ,god1 and they are the divine man and
 woman of all being2 in their           
conjunction omnipotent for good1 in     
their disjunction omnipotent for evil4  
,and whereas it is the function of ,will
 to inflict1 it is the function of ,love
 to bear4 ,it is not1 then1 to the lack 
of these qualities that our troubles are
 due1 but to the defect of them1 the    
defect of our respective qualities4     
,the tension of feeling induced by the  
situation had for me reached a pitch at 
which ,i had cause for serious          
apprehension lest my organism prove     
unequal to the strain4 ,for1 resolute   
though ,i myself was to endure to the   
end1 come what might1 the effort        

involved had so greatly affected my     
organic system as nearly to double the  
number of the heart's pulsations1 to the
 imminent risk of a rupture fatal to    
life or reason4 ,such was the emergency 
when1 longing for light and aid1 ,i     
received at night#eg the following      
experience1 which ,i reproduce as       
recorded at the time3--       ,it seemed
 to me that ,i was sole spectator in    
some circus or      hippodrome4 ,and in 
the arena were some horses1 seven in    
number1      harnessed to a common      
centre1 but all facing in different     
directions like the spokes of a wheel1  
and pulling frantically1 so      that   
the vehicle to which they were attached 
remained stationary      between them1  
through their counterbalancing each     
other2 while at      the same time it   
seemed as if it must presently be       
dragged asunder      into pieces4 ,on   
looking at it more closely1 the vehicle 
seemed to      become a person who was  
attempting to drive the horses1 but was 

unable to get them into a line2 and1    
strange to say1 the driver was      one 
and identical both with the horses and  
the vehicle1 so that it      was a      
living person who was in danger of being
 torn asunder by      creatures who were
 in reality himself4 ,while wondering   
what this      meant1 some one addressed
 me and said that if ,i would do any    
good1      ,i must help to control and  
direct the animals which were thus      
pulling their owner asunder4 ,and that  
the only way to do this was      by so  
disposing myself that ,i should be at   
one and the same time in      the centre
 with the driver1 to help him to curb   
and direct his      steeds1 and outside 
at their heads in order to compel their 
submission4 ,and not only must ,i be    
indifferent to their ramping and        
chafing1 ,i must even suffer myself to  
be struck and wounded and      trampled 
upon to any extent without flinching2   
for only when ,i was      so unconscious
 of self as to be indifferent as to what

 might happen      to me1 would they    
cease to have power against me4 ,and the
 reason      why ,i must be also in the 
centre was that only there could ,i     
effectually co-operate with the driver  
to enable him to do his part      in    
directing what in reality were the      
forces1 as yet unbroken in1      of his 
own system1 into the road it was        
necessary for us both to      follow4   
,we were destined to be                 
fellow-travellers1 and our journey      
was to be made together and with that   
team4 ,it could not be made by      one 
of us without the other1 and the failure
 to effect a complete      conjunction  
and co-operation would bring certain    
ruin to the hopes      of both of us and
 of all who looked to us4 ,the owner of 
the horses1      ,i was assured1 could  
not of himself control them1 and ,i     
could only      enable him to do so by  
an absolute surrender of myself4        
,applying this vision to the situation1 
the moral was obvious so far as ,i was  

concerned1 and ,i wondered whether ,mary
 would receive anything equally         
suggestive for herself4 ,in the morning1
 after remaining unusually late in her  
room1 she silently handed me the        
following account of an experience which
 had similarly and simultaneously been  
received by her3--       ,i was shown   
two stars near each other1 both of them 
shining with a      clear bright light1 
only that of one the light had a purple 
tinge1      and of the other a blood    
colour2 and a great ,angel stood beside 
me      and bade me look at them        
attentively4 ,i did so1 and saw that the
      stars were not round1 but seemed  
to have a piece cut out of the          
globe of each of them4 ,and ,i said to  
the ,angel1 ',the stars are not         
perfect2 but instead of being round1    
they are uneven4' ,he told me      to   
look again2 and ,i did so1 and saw that 
each globe was really      perfect1 but 
that in each a small portion remained   
dark so as to      present the          

appearance of having a piece out2 and ,i
 noticed that      these dark portions  
of the two stars were turned towards    
each      other4 ,upon this ,i looked to
 the ,angel for the explanation4        
,and the ,angel said to me1 ',these     
stars derive their light not only       
from the sun but from each other4 ,if   
there be darkness in one of      them1  
the corresponding face of the other will
 likewise be      darkened2 and how     
shall either reflect perfectly the image
 of the      sun if it be dark to its   
companion star8 ,for how shall it       
respond      to that which is above all1
 if it respond not to that which is     
nearest8'       ,and ,i said1 ',lord1 if
 the darkness in one of these stars be  
caused      by the darkness in its      
fellow1 which of them was first         
darkened8'       ,then he answered me   
and said1 ',these stars are of different
      tinctures2 one is of the sapphire1
 the other of the sardonyx4 ,of      the
 first the atmosphere is cool and       

equable2 of the other it is      burning
 and irregular4 ,the spirit of the first
 is as ,god towards      man2 the spirit
 of the second is as the soul towards   
,god4 ,the first      loves2 the second 
aspires4 ,and the office of the spirit  
which loves      is outwards2 while the 
office of the spirit which aspires is   
upwards4 ,the light of the first1 which 
is blue1 enfolds1 and      contains1 and
 embraces1 and sustains4 ,the light of  
the second1      which is red1 is as a  
flame which scorches1 and burns1 and    
troubles1 and seeks ,god only1 and his  
duty is not to the outward1      for it 
is not given to him to love4 ,god1 whom 
he seeks1 is love2      and therefore is
 he drawn upward to ,god only4 ,but the 
spirit of his      fellow descends4 ,she
 indraws1 and blesses1 and confers2 and 
hers is      the office which redeems4  
,wherefore if she fail in her love1 her 
failure is greater than his who hath no 
love2 and to be perfect she      must   
forgive until the seventy times seven1  

and be great in      humility4 ,for the 
violet1 which is the colour of humility1
 is of      the blue4 ,and if she seek  
her own1 or yield not in outward things1
      her nature is not perfected1 and  
her light is darkened4 ,let ,love1      
therefore1 think not of herself1 for she
 hath no self1 but all that      she    
hath is towards others1 and only in     
giving and forgiving is she      rich4  
,if1 on the contrary1 she make a self   
withinwards1 her light      is withdrawn
 and troubled1 and she is not perfect1  
and if she      demand of another that  
which he hath not1 then she seeketh her 
own1      and her light is darkened4    
,and if she be darkened towards him1 he 
also will darken towards her1 in        
respect1 that is1 of      enlightenment4
 ,and thus her failure of love will     
break the      communion with the       
,divine1 which is through him4 ,he      
cannot darken      outwardly first2 for 
love is not of him4 ,if he darken of    
himself1      it must be within towards 

,god4 ,but that which he receives of    
,god1      he gives not forth himself4  
,but he burns centrally and enlightens  
his fellow1 and she gives it forth      
according to her office4 ,and if        
she darken in any way outwardly1 she    
cannot receive enlightenment1      but  
darkens the burning star likewise1 and  
so hinders their      inter-communion4' 
,having thus spoken1 the ,angel looked  
upon me and said1 ',ye are the two      
stars1 and to one is given the office of
 the ,prophet1 and to the other the     
office of the ,redeemer4 ,but to be     
,prophet and ,redeemer in one1 this is  
the glory of the ,christ4'  ,here again 
was an intimation that on one plane at  
least of our respective systems she was 
of masculine and ,i of feminine potency1
 with functions to correspond4 ,that    
these functions were capable of being   
described in the terms employed was1 we 
felt1 no reason for arrogating high     
places to ourselves4 ,rather did we     
consider that everything is according to

 its degree2 and that1 as for persons1  
if the ,gods were to wait until they    
found perfect instruments1 or at least  
perfect persons for their instruments1  
they would never begin4 ,and this also1 
that if the world were in a condition to
 produce such persons1 it would have no 
need of redemption4 ,had not even ,jesus
 ,himself been crucified through        
weakness8  ,in view of the intensity of 
the distress undergone in this          
connection1 ,i found myself recalling   
the remark of ,plato1 ,many begin the   
mysteries1 but few complete them4 ,my   
only wonder was that any should survive 
the ordeals1 if they approached ours in 
severity4 ,meanwhile it was said to us  
by way of encouragement1 ,be sure there 
is trouble in store4 ,no man ever got to
 the ,promised ,land without first going
 through the wilderness4  ,the          
instruction to ,mary had not only       
justified my surmise1 it also met and   
corrected her in respect of the chief   
cause of our trouble4 ,this was her     

disposition1 at astral instigation1 to  
withhold from me the products of her    
illuminations1 and even to refrain from 
writing them down#eh1 on the specious   
pretext that they were meant for her own
 exclusive benefit1 and were too sacred 
to be given to the world1 or even to me2
 and she had failed to discern the      
source and motive of these suggestions4 
,so effectually had what were really    
spirits of darkness disguised themselves
 as angels of light4  ,the importance   
attached to the occult significance of  
our tinctures received illustration in  
this wise4 ,permission had been given us
 to make an exception to the rule of    
secrecy imposed with regard to certain  
of the ,scriptures received by us1 in   
favour of a friend#ei who took so warm  
an interest in our work as to be eager  
to render it material aid in the future 
should occasion arise4 ,it was her      
mission1 she declared1 to do so4 ,but   
when the day appointed for the reading  
came1 ,mary was so ill that her going   

seemed to be impossible1 and the        
question accordingly arose as to whether
 ,i might go alone and read them without
 her4 ,we had no sooner begun to        
consider the point than she became      
entranced1 and was shown a large open   
volume1 the book of the ,greater        
,mysteries to which our ,scriptures     
belonged1 surrounded by an ,iris        
composed of all the colours of the      
rainbow4 ,she was then shown the        
following lines1 which ,i wrote down as 
she repeated them3--       ,the one in  
,red guards his privileges1 and claims  
to be present      whatever is read4    
,for the air is filled with the haters  
of the ,mysteries4       ,therefore for 
your sake the chain must be complete2   
,and the ,light must be refracted round 
you seven times4       ,he who is ,red  
stands within the holy circle4          
,and the ,violet guards the outermost4  
,for the ,word is a ,word of ,mystery1  
and they who guard it are ,seven4       
,beware that nothing you hear be told   

unless the circle be perfect4       ,and
 this charge we lay upon you until the  
work be accomplished4       ,fire and   
sword and war are against you2 you walk 
in the midst of      commotion4         
,and your life is in peril every hour   
until the words be completed4  ,up to   
the latest moment of the interval before
 the appointment it seemed impossible   
for her to go4 ,she then suddenly       
recovered as by miracle1 and was able to
 attend the reading4  ,the liabilities  
of our position subsequently#fj received
 this further illustration4 ,mary was   
introduced in sleep1 by her ,genius1    
into an apartment in the spiritual world
 which purported to be the laboratory of
 ,william ,lilly1 the famous astrologer 
who had foretold the great plague and   
fire of ,london in #afff1 in order to   
have her horoscope told by him1 he still
 pursuing his favourite studies4 ,on    
quitting him she caught sight of a pile 
of books1 one of which contained the    
,gnosis we were in course of recovering4

 ,the following colloquy then ensued3-- 
,you also have these ,scriptures6 she   
exclaimed4  ,yes1 said he1 but ,i keep  
them for myself alone4  ,and why so1 she
 asked1 since1 if you have them1 they   
are for the learning of others likewise8
 ,will you not rather communicate these 
saving truths to thirsty souls8  ,i will
 communicate them1 said he1 fixing his  
eyes on her intently1 when ,i can find  
,seven ,men who for forty days have     
tasted no flesh1 whose hands have shed  
no blood1 and whose tongues have tasted 
of none4  ,but if you find not ,seven8  
,then1 mayhap1 ,i shall find ,five4     
,and if not ,five8  ,then1 maybe1 ,i    
shall meet with ,three4  ,but even this 
may be hard to find1 and if you should  
not meet with ,three1 what then will you
 do8  ,one ,neophyte would not be able  
to protect himself4  ,in communicating  
to her the results of his calculations1 
he had said that owing to the           
propensities indulged in certain of her 
former lives1 she had made for herself a

 destiny which ensured suffering and    
failure1 except when living in a similar
 manner2 doing which she would have a   
life of unbounded success4 ,but1 he     
continued1 your horoscope has nothing   
for you but misfortune so long as you   
persist in a virtuous course of life1   
and1 indeed1 it is now too late to adopt
 another4 ,i speak herein according to  
your ,fortune1 not in regard to your    
,inner life4 ,with that ,i have no      
concern4 ,i tell you what is forecast   
for you on the material and actual      
planisphere of your ,nativity4444 ,i see
 nothing but misfortune before you4     
,yea1 if you persist in virtue1 it is   
not unlikely that you may be stript of  
all your worldly goods1 and of all you  
possess1 and this evil fortune will     
follow your nearest associates4  ,to her
 enquiry1 ,can ,i never overcome this   
evil prognostic8 he replied that she    
could do so only by outliving the time  
appointed for her natural life in the   
career indicated1 and added this advice1

 ,steel yourself2 learn to suffer2      
become a ,stoic2 care not4 ,if          
,misfortune be yours1 make it your      
,fortune4 ,let ,poverty become to you   
,riches4 ,let ,loss be ,gain4 ,let      
,sickness be ,health4 ,let ,pain be     
,pleasure4 ,let ,evil ,report be ,good  
,report4 ,yea1 let ,death be ,life4     
,fortune is in the ,imagination4 ,if you
 believe you have all things1 they are  
truly yours4 ,he concluded with an      
explanation reconciling destiny with    
free will1 and vindicating the divine   
justice1 in a manner which removed all  
our difficulties on those points1 and1  
as we later came to learn1 was entirely 
in accordance with the ,hindu doctrine  
of ,karma1 of which at this time we had 
never heard#fa4  ,there was no          
exaggeration in the terms of the warning
 of danger4 ,we were constantly made    
aware of the presence of the malignant  
entities above described focusing their 
influences on us to prevent the         
accomplishment of our work1 and         

requiring the utmost vigilance on our   
part1 as well also as on the part of our
 illuminators1 to thwart their purpose4 
,and we had good reason to believe that 
our difficulties and dangers were       
enhanced through ,mary's attendances at 
the schools and hospitals1 owing to the 
evil nature of the influences there     
dominant under a regimen grossly        
materialistic1 and her liability to be  
fastened upon and accompanied home by   
them4 ,the outer walls of her spiritual 
system--it was explained to us--were not
 yet completed1 owing to the vastness of
 the circuit of her selfhood2 and hence 
her accessibility to the incursion of   
noxious influences from without4 ,the   
treatment of the patients by men trained
 in the physiological laboratory1 and   
bent upon turning the hospital ward also
 into a laboratory with the patients    
themselves for the victims of cruel and 
wanton experimentation1 would send her  
home boiling with indignation and wrath1
 to the destruction of the serenity and 

self-control requisite for our spiritual
 work4  ,it was clear to us that no     
experience was to be wanting to exhibit 
the contrast between the world's actual 
and the world's possible4 ,the overthrow
 of the world's sacrificial system meant
 salvation for man and beast4 ,the      
condition of all really redemptive work 
is a descent into hell4 ,the following  
instruction to us is a typical one3--   
,teach the doctrine of the ,universal   
,soul and the ,immortality of      all  
creatures4 ,knowledge of this is what   
the world most needs1 and      this is  
the keynote of your joint mission4 ,on  
this you must build2      it is the     
key-stone of the arch4 ,the perfect life
 is not attainable      for man alone4  
,the whole world must be redeemed under 
the new      gospel you are to teach4   
,the following ,counsel of ,perfection  
which was received#fb by ,mary1 is an   
exquisite expression of the same        
theme3--       ,i dreamed that ,i was in
 a large room1 and there were in it     

seven      persons1 all men1 sitting at 
one long table2 and each of them had    
before him a scroll1 some having books  
also2 and all were      greyheaded and  
bent with age save one1 and this was a  
youth of      about twenty1 without hair
 on his face4 ,one of the aged men1 who 
had his finger on a place in a book open
 before him1 said3       ,this spirit1  
who is of our order1 writes in this     
book1--',be ye      perfect1 therefore1 
as your ,father in heaven is perfect4'  
,how shall      we understand this word 
'perfection'8 ,and another of the old   
men1      looking up1 answered1 ,it must
 mean ,wisdom1 for wisdom is the sum    
of perfection4 ,and another old man     
said1 ,that cannot be2 for no           
creature can be wise as ,god is wise4   
,where is he among us who could         
attain to such a state8 ,that which is  
part only1 cannot comprehend      the   
whole4 ,to bid a creature to be wise as 
,god is wise would be      mockery4     
,then a fourth old man said3--,it must  

be ,truth that is intended2      for    
truth only is perfection4 ,but he who   
sat next the last speaker      answered1
 ,truth also is partial2 for where is he
 among us who      shall be able to see 
as ,god sees8       ,and the sixth said1
 ,it must surely be ,justice2 for this  
is the      whole of righteousness4 ,and
 the old man who had spoken first1      
answered him3--,not so2 for justice     
comprehends vengeance1 and it      is   
written that vengeance is the ,lord's   
alone4       ,then the young man stood  
up with an open book in his hand and    
said3--,i have here another record of   
one who likewise heard these      words4
 ,let us see whether his rendering of   
them can help us to the      knowledge  
we seek4 ,and he found a place in the   
book and read      aloud3--       ,be ye
 merciful1 even as your ,father is      
merciful4       ,and all of them closed 
their books and fixed their eyes upon   
me4  ,that it was possible at all for   
her to study medicine in a school in    

which vivisection was an all prevailing 
practice1 was only because she set her  
face resolutely against it1 by refusing 
to attend any place or occasion where or
 on which it took place1 and relying for
 her own education chiefly on private   
tuition4 ,it was an essential part of   
her plan to prove that such             
experimentation was not necessary for a 
degree4 ,and this she effectually       
demonstrated by accomplishing her       
student-course with rare expedition and 
distinction1 despite her many and severe
 illnesses and her frequent change of   
professors4 ,for one after another      
resigned the office on account of her   
refusal to allow them to experiment on  
live animals at her lessons4 ,not until 
she had secured her diploma did she     
enter a physiological laboratory4 ,and  
then only in order to qualify herself by
 personal experience to denounce the    
practice4 ,for herself it was not       
necessary1 she declared1 to see a murder
 or a robbery committed to know that it 

is a crime4  ,the following incident    
shows how adverse the conditions of     
modern life were to our spiritual       
work3--  ,being in ,london one          
,christmas evening#fc1 and speaking to  
me under illumination1 ,mary suddenly   
broke off and said--  ,do not ask me    
such deep questions just now1 for ,i    
cannot see clearly1 and it hurts me to  
look4 ,the atmosphere is thick with the 
blood shed for the season's festivities4
 ,the ,astral ,belt is everywhere dense 
with blood4 ,my ,genius says that if we 
were in some country where the          
conditions of life are purer1 we could  
live in constant communication with the 
spiritual world4 ,for the earth here    
whirls round as in a cloud of blood like
 red fire4 ,he says distinctly and      
emphatically that the salvation of the  
world is impossible while people nourish
 themselves on blood4 ,the whole globe  
is like one vast charnel-house4 ,the    
magnetism is intercepted4 ,the blood    
strengthens the bonds between the       

,astrals and the ,earth4444 ,this time1 
which ought to be the best for spiritual
 communion1 is the worst1 on account of 
the horrid mode of living4 ,pray wake me
 up3 ,i cannot bear looking2 for ,i see 
the blood and hear the cries of the poor
 slaughtered creatures4 ,here her       
distress was so extreme that she wept   
bitterly1 and some days passed before   
she fully recovered her composure4  ,our
 first acquaintance with any literature 
kindred to our special work took place  
toward the close of our sojourn in      
,paris#fd4 ,it was due to the arrival of
 the friend in whose favour the         
exception had been made in respect of   
the reading of our ,mysteries1 and who  
was the possessor of an excellent       
library1 which she placed at our        
disposal1 of precisely the books it had 
now become necessary for us to read4    
,this was ,marie1 ,countess of          
,caithness and ,duchesse de ,pomar1 who 
had for many years been a spiritualist  
of zeal so ardent that--as ,i now came  

to learn--she had been wont to make my  
conversion to that faith a matter of    
special prayer1 long before ,i had been 
able to contemplate such an event as    
within the range of probability4 ,of    
wide culture1 open mind1 and large      
sympathies1 she had an enthusiastic and 
intelligent appreciation of our work1   
and her arrival on the scene proved so  
timely as to point to superior          
direction4 ,we were now able to begin to
 make acquaintance with many of the     
seers1 mystics1 and occultists of past  
ages1 from the ,neoplatonists1          
,hermetists1 ,rosicrucians1 and other   
orders of initiates1 to ,boehme1        
,swedenborg and ,eliphas ,levi1 and to  
see what the various spiritualistic     
schools of the present day had to say   
for themselves4  ,the following         
recognition of ,hermes by one of the    
greatest of the ,neoplatonists1         
,proclus1 who lived in the fifth century
 of our era1 was especially gratifying  
to us as proving the continuity of our  

experiences with those of past ages4    
,proclus1 it must be remembered1 was so 
eminent for his wisdom and powers as to 
be regarded by his contemporaries with a
 veneration approaching to adoration4   
,says ,proclus1 ,hermes1 as the         
messenger of ,god1 reveals to us ,his   
paternal ,will1 and--developing in us   
the ,intuition--imparts to us knowledge4
 ,the knowledge which descends into the 
soul from above1 excels any that can be 
attained by the mere exercise of the    
intellect4 ,intuition is the operation  
of the soul4 ,the knowledge received    
through it from above1 descending into  
the soul1 fills it with the perception  
of the interior causes of things4 ,the  
,gods announce it by their presence1 and
 by illumination1 and enable us to      
discern the universal order4 ,here was  
exactly the doctrine received by us1 and
 the manner of it1 only that the        
,intuition was further disclosed to us  
as due to interior recollection1 as     
declared by ,plato1 as well as to       

perception4  ,the results of the        
investigations thus begun1 and          
afterwards continued in the library of  
the ,british ,museum1 proved            
satisfactory and gratifying beyond all  
that we could have anticipated4 ,for    
while it was made clear to us that there
 had never been a time when there were  
not some in the world who had the       
witness to the truth in themselves1 and 
this one and the same truth1 it was also
 made clear that whereas others had     
received it in limitation1 and beheld it
 as through a glass darkly1 we were     
receiving it in plenitude and face to   
face1 to the realisation of the high    
anticipations of the sages1 saints1     
seers1 prophets1 redeemers1 and ,christs
 of all time2 and this1 too1 at the     
period1 in the manner1 and under the    
conditions declared by them as to mark  
and make the time of the end4  ,for in  
the illuminations vouchsafed to us the  
key had been restored which unlocked the
 meaning of the symbols in which the    

doctrines of all the churches1          
pre-,christian as well as ,christian1   
had been at once concealed and revealed1
 to the elucidation of all the problems 
which have so sorely perplexed the      
world1 and the verification1 by actual  
experience1 of the truth contained in   
them4 ,no longer now was there for us   
any doubt as to the meaning of          
allegories such as the ,fall1 the       
,deluge1 the ,exodus1 and others were   
now shown us to be2 or of prophecies    
such as those of the crushing of the    
serpent's head by the ,woman and her    
seed2 the return of ,astraea with her   
progeny of divine sons2 the fall from   
heaven of ,lucifer and ,satan2 the      
,return of the ,gods2 the reign of      
,michael1 that great prince who standeth
 for the children of ,god's people2 the 
breaking of the seals1 and opening of   
the books2 the recognition of the       
abomination of desolation standing in   
the holy place2 the budding of the      
fig-tree1 and the end of that adulterous

 generation2 the revelation of that     
wicked one1 the mystery of iniquity and 
son of perdition1 whom the ,lord1 at    
,his coming in the clouds of heaven with
 power and great glory1 shall consume   
with the spirit of ,his mouth1 and      
destroy with the brightness of ,his     
coming2 the two ,witnesses1 their       
resurrection from the dead1 and their   
ascent into heaven2 the drying up of the
 great river ,euphrates1 and the coming 
of the kings of the ,east by the way    
thus prepared2 the binding of ,satan1   
and the acceptable year of the ,lord to 
follow2 the exaltation to heaven1 and   
clothing with the sun1 of the mystic    
,woman of the ,apocalypse2 the advent of
 the angel flying in mid-heaven1 having 
an eternal gospel to proclaim unto every
 nation1 and tribe1 and tongue1 and     
people2 the coming of many from the     
,east1 and the ,west1 and the ,north1   
and the ,south1 to sit down with        
,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 in the    
kingdom of heaven2 and the battle of    

,armageddon1 and the end of the world4  
,to all these1 and other sacred enigmas 
of like nature1 the key had been given  
us4 ,and they one and all proved to be  
prophecies of one and the same event1   
the restoration of the faculty of inward
 understanding1 and of the divine       
knowledges which only through it are    
possible4 ,and whereas this was the     
faculty1 the corruption and loss of     
which had made the ,fall1 which was that
 of the original ,church1 so was it the 
faculty1 the purification and           
restoration of which was to reverse the 
,fall1 accomplishing the ,redemption4   
,for by it man will regain his mental   
balance1 in virtue of which he was made 
upright1 and become again sound1 whole1 
and sane1 and be by condition that which
 he has been divinely declared from the 
first to be by constitution1--an        
instrument of understanding1 competent  
for the comprehension of all truth4 ,for
 only thus is he really man1 and made in
 the divine image2 seeing that he is not

 really man1 but infant only1 until he  
attains his spiritual majority and is   
able to understand4 ,and that which thus
 makes him man on the plane mental and  
spiritual1 is that which makes him man  
on the plane physical4 ,it is his       
recognition and appropriation of the    
,woman of that plane1 the mystic ,woman 
of ,holy ,writ1 the mind's feminine     
mode1 the ,intuition4 ,it is of her     
first identification by us1 as the key  
to the whole mystery of the ,bible1 that
 the manner will now be recounted4      
,,footnotes3  #di ,the occasion of the  
receipt by ,a4,k4 and ,e4,m4 of the     
above was one of peculiar interest4 ,it 
was given in reference to a visit from  
the late ,laurence ,oliphant1 an account
 of which will be found in ,the ,life of
 ,a4,k4 ,it will suffice to say here    
that1 having heard of their work1       
,oliphant came to them as an emissary   
from his chief in ,america1 ,thomas     
,lake ,harris1 to summon them to place  
themselves and all that they were and   

had1 at his disposal as the king and    
,christ of the new dispensation4 ,the   
above instruction was given to them in  
direct reference to this incident4 ,it  
was followed by others fully exposing   
the delusive source and nature of the   
doctrine and practice of ,laurence      
,oliphant and ,thomas ,lake ,harris4    
,the above ,exhortation of ,hermes to   
his ,neophytes is now given in full in  
this book for the first time4 ,it is    
taken from ,the ,life of ,a4,k4 ,vol4   
,i4 pp4 #bhb-bhc4 ,s4,h4,h4  #ej ,see   
note p4 #g  #ea ,the above reference is 
to an experience of mine which does not 
call for relation here4 ,e4,m4  #eb     
,says ,e4,m4 in ,the ,life of           
,a4,k4--,the subtlety with which my most
 sensitive places were searched out1 and
 the mercilessness with which they were 
probed by the influences which had now  
obtained access to us1 seemed to me to  
belong altogether to the infernal4      
7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #cah47       
,s4,h4,h4  #ec ,the date was #bgth      

,march1 #ahhj4 ,s4,h4,h4  #ed ,the ,hymn
 to the ,planet-,god has been referred  
to on p4 #gi4 ,it is given in full in   
the ,p4,w4 pp4 #cda-cdi3 a portion of it
 concerning the passage of the ,soul1   
and concerning the ,mystic ,exodus1 are 
given on pp4 #afi-agc post4 ,the method 
of the recovery by ,a4,k4 of this most  
important ,hymn was such as to          
constitute it a proof positive of the   
great doctrine set forth in it1 the     
doctrine of ,reincarnation2 for it was  
as one of a band of initiates1 making   
solemn procession through the aisles of 
a vast ,egyptian temple1 chanting it in 
chorus1 that ',mary1' being asleep1     
recollected it4 7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 
p4 #def47 ,s4,h4,h4  #ee ,that is1 the  
strained conditions under which their   
association was then maintained and     
their work carried on4 7,life ,a4,k4    
,vol4 ,i4 p4 #cgd47 ,s4,h4,h4  #ef ,see 
p4 #acj4  #eg ,on the night of the #bcrd
 ,june1 #ahhj4 ,this vision was received
 by ,e4,m4 as he pondered and while he  

was awake4 7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 pp4  
#cgf-cgg47 ,s4,h4,h4  #eh ,some of      
,a4,k4's illuminations have thus been   
lost to the world4 7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4  
,i4 p4 #cgd47 ,s4,h4,h4  #ei ,lady      
,caithness4 7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 p4  
#cbi47 ,see pp4 #acg and #ahe post4     
,s4,h4,h4  #fj ,on the #acth-#adth      
,january1 #ahha4 7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4
 p4 #dce47 ,s4,h4,h4  #fa ,a full       
account of this interview with ,william 
,lily is given in ,the ,life of ,a4,k4  
,vol4 ,i4 pp4 #dce-dda4  #fb ,on the    
#ith ,april1 #ahgg1 in ,london4 7,life  
,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #agb47 ,s4,h4,h4    
#fc ,christmas ,day1 #ahhj4 7,life      
,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #dcj47  #fd ,the    
time referred to was ,september1 #ahgh4 
7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 pp4 #bhe-che47  
,,chapter ,v4  ,,the ,,recapitulation4  
,the first compendious statement of the 
doctrine which it was intended to       
restore1 was given to us at ,paris in   
the summer of #ahgh1 in the form of an  
exposition of the principles of         

,biblical interpretation1 under the     
following circumstances4  ,we had been  
following our respective tasks#fe for   
several months without any open or      
special illumination1 and ,i had written
 enough to make a considerable volume in
 exposition of the principles which     
appeared to me to be those on which1 in 
order to be a book of the soul1 the     
,bible ought to be constructed1 and by  
which1 therefore1 it must be            
interpreted4 ,it was not intended for   
publication1 but as an exercise for     
myself1 being purely tentative2 though  
,i was conscious of being aided by the  
occasional suggestion of ideas which    
served as points of light and guidance4 
,meanwhile1 ,i was entirely without help
 from books2 for1 besides being desirous
 of evolving the whole from my own      
consciousness1 as in the case of the    
demonstration of any mathematical       
problem1 ,i was not aware of any books  
which would help me2 the little ,i knew 
of ,swedenborg at this time--who was the

 only writer known to me as a worker in 
a similar direction--having failed to   
make much impression on me4 ,i could    
accept his general principles1 but not  
his particular applications of them4 ,i 
felt also that the sources of the       
knowledges vouchsafed to us1 far        
transcended those to which ,swedenborg  
had access4 ,and ,i accounted for the   
length of the interval which had elapsed
 without any larger measure of light    
being vouchsafed1 by supposing that it  
was intended for me to exhaust my own   
resources first4  ,the time had come    
when these were exhausted1 and ,i was   
reduced to the conviction that if the   
work was to be carried any further1     
assistance must be rendered1 whether for
 confirmation1 for correction1 or for   
extension4 ,and on retiring to rest one 
night#ff1 painfully oppressed by the    
sense of my own lack1 and the prolonged 
absence of the needed light1 ,i stood at
 the open window1 and in presence of a  
sky resplendent with stars mentally     

addressed to those whom we were wont to 
speak of as the ,gods1 and of whose     
presence ,i seemed to be dimly          
conscious1 a strong expression of my    
need1 declaring my utter inability to   
advance another step unassisted4 ,having
 done which ,i went to bed1 but in a    
mood the reverse of sanguine2 so many   
were the months for which they had been 
silent4  ,in the course of the following
 day1 ,mary--who knew nothing either of 
my need or of my adjuration of the      
preceding night1 and could not of       
herself have helped me--found herself   
under an access of exaltation of faculty
 which she described as resembling what 
might be produced by a draught of       
spiritual champagne4 ,for she felt      
herself at her very best1 having all her
 knowledge at her finger-ends4 ,the     
expression recurred to my mind some time
 afterwards on our receiving an         
explanation of the ,new ,wine of        
,dionysos in the ancient mysteries4 ,in 
this state she went down to the schools1

 where an examination in her subjects   
was being held1 in order to see how the 
candidates comported themselves1 and to 
compare them with herself2 for it was an
 oral examination4 ,from this she       
returned home in high delight1 declaring
 that she could have answered every     
question asked1 and far better than any 
of the students had done4 ,i hoped that 
her state might be an indication of the 
renewal of her illuminations4 ,but the  
events of the evening put all thoughts  
in this direction entirely out of my    
mind4 ,for1 as if poisoned by the       
atmosphere of the schools1 she was      
seized with an attack of sickness so    
intense and prolonged as seriously to   
endanger her life through the exhaustion
 induced4 ,and it was a late hour--past 
midnight--before she could be left      
alone4  ,nevertheless she was up betimes
 in the morning1 and on our meeting     
handed me a paper which she had written 
in pencil on waking1 saying it was      
something she had read in her sleep1 and

 asking if it was anything that ,i      
wanted1 as she had written it down so   
rapidly that she scarcely observed what 
it was about1 and she had not had time  
to read it over and think about it4     
,having read it1 ,i found that it met my
 every difficulty1 and shed on the      
,bible a light which rendered it        
luminous from beginning to end1         
disclosing it as pervaded by a system of
 thought which1 when once seen1 was as  
obvious as it had previously been       
unsuspected4  ,and while it confirmed me
 in respect of principles and method1 it
 corrected both of us in respect of     
sundry particulars4 ,it even referred   
directly to one of my tentative         
hypotheses1 at once negativing it and   
giving another altogether satisfactory4 
,this was my supposition of ,adam and   
,eve as possibly denoting spirit and    
matter4 ,the following is the writing3--
       ,if1 therefore1 they be ,mystic  
,books1 they ought also to have a       
mystic consideration4 ,but the fault of 

most writers lieth in      this1--that  
they distinguish not between the books  
of ,moses the      prophet1 and those   
books which are of an historical nature4
 ,and      this is the more surprising  
because not a few of such critics have  
rightly discerned the esoteric          
character1 if not indeed the true       
interpretation1 of the story of ,eden2  
yet have they not applied to      the   
remainder of the allegory the same      
method which they found to      fit the 
beginning2 but so soon as they are over 
the earlier stanzas      of the poem1   
they would have the rest of it to be of 
another      nature4       ,it is1 then1
 pretty well established and accepted of
 most authors1      that the legend of  
,adam and ,eve1 and of the miraculous   
tree and the      fruit which was the   
occasion of death1 is1 like the story of
 ,eros      and ,psyche1 and so many    
others of all religions1 a parable with 
a      hidden1 that is1 with a mystic   
meaning4 ,but so also is the legend     

which follows concerning the sons of    
these mystical parents1 the      story  
of ,cain and ,abel his brother1 the     
story of the ,flood1 of the      ,ark1  
of the saving of the clean and unclean  
beasts1 of the rainbow1      of the     
twelve sons of ,jacob1 and1 not stopping
 there1 of the whole      relation      
concerning the flight out of ,egypt4    
,for it is not to be      supposed that 
the two sacrifices offered to ,god by   
the sons of      ,adam1 were real       
sacrifices1 any more than it is to be   
supposed that      the apple which      
caused the doom of mankind1 was a real  
apple4 ,it      ought to be known1      
indeed1 for the right understanding of  
the      mystical books1 that in their  
esoteric sense they deal1 not with      
material things1 but with spiritual     
realities2 and that as ,adam is      not
 a man1 nor ,eve a woman1 nor the tree a
 plant in its true      signification1  
so also are not the beasts named in the 
same books      real beasts1 but that   

the mystic intention of them is implied4
      ,when1 therefore1 it is written   
that ,abel took of the firstlings of    
his flock to offer unto the ,lord1 it is
 signified that he offered      that    
which a lamb implies1 and which is the  
holiest and highest of      spiritual   
gifts4 ,nor is ,abel himself a real     
person1 but the type      and spiritual 
presentation of the race of the         
prophets2 of whom1      also1 ,moses was
 a member1 together with the            
,patriarchs4 ,were the      prophets1   
then1 shedders of blood8 ,god forbid2   
they dwelt not with      things         
material1 but with spiritual            
significations4 ,their lambs            
without spot1 their white doves1 their  
goats1 their rams1 and other      sacred
 creatures1 are so many signs and       
symbols of the various      graces and  
gifts which a mystic people should offer
 to ,heaven4      ,without such         
sacrifices is no remission of sin4 ,but 
when the mystic      sense was lost1    

then carnage followed1 the prophets     
ceased out of      the land1 and the    
priests bore rule over the people4      
,then1 when      again the voice of the 
prophets arose1 they were constrained to
      speak plainly1 and declared in a  
tongue foreign to their method1         
that the sacrifices of ,god are not the 
flesh of bulls or the blood      of     
goats1 but holy vows and sacred         
thanksgivings1 their mystical           
counterparts4 ,as ,god is a spirit1 so  
also are ,his sacrifices      spiritual4
 ,what folly1 what ignorance1 to offer  
material flesh and      drink to pure   
power and essential being6 ,surely in   
vain have the      prophets spoken1 and 
in vain have the ,christs been          
manifested6       ,why will you have    
,adam to be spirit1 and ,eve matter1    
since the      mystic books deal only   
with spiritual entities8 ,the tempter   
himself      even is not matter1 but    
that which gives matter the precedence4 
,adam is1 rather1 intellectual force3 he

 is of earth4 ,eve is the      moral    
conscience3 she is the mother of the    
living4 ,intellect1 then1      is the   
male1 and ,intuition the female         
principle4 ,and the sons of             
,intuition1 herself fallen1 shall at    
last recover ,truth1 and redeem      all
 things4 ,by her fault1 indeed1 is the  
moral conscience of      humanity made  
subject to the intellectual force1 and  
thereby all      manner of evil and     
confusion abounds1 since her desire is  
unto him1      and he rules over her    
until now4 ,but the end foretold by the 
seer      is not far off4 ,then shall   
the ,woman be exalted1 clothed with the 
,sun1 and carried to the throne of ,god4
 ,and her sons shall make war      with 
the dragon1 and have victory over him4  
,intuition1 therefore1      pure and a  
virgin1 shall be the mother and         
redemptress of her      fallen sons1    
whom she bore under bondage to her      
husband the      intellectual force4    
,this marvellously luminous exposition1 

she then told me1 had been read by her  
in a book she had found in a library    
which she had visited in sleep1 the     
owner of which was a courtly old        
gentleman in the costume of the last    
century4 ,the leaves of the book were of
 silver and reflected her back to       
herself as she read4 ,i took this as    
symbolising the ,intuition4 ,the event  
proved that her host was no other than  
,swedenborg1 and that--as her ,genius   
informed us--she had been enabled1 under
 the magnetism of ,swedenborg's         
presence1 to recover a memory of no     
small value1 thus confirming my surmise 
about its intuitional character4 ,the   
event proved also that it was           
,swedenborg's doctrine1 but without his 
limitations4 ,we ardently desired a     
continuation of it1 and on the next     
night but one1 she received the         
following addition to it3--             
,moses1 therefore1 knowing the mysteries
 of the religion of the      ,egyptians1
 and having learned of their occultists 

the value and      signification of all 
sacred birds and beasts1 delivered like 
mysteries to his own people4 ,but       
certain of the sacred animals of        
,egypt he retained not in honour1 for   
motives which were equally of           
mystic origin4       ,and he taught his 
initiated the spirit of the heavenly    
hieroglyphs1      and bade them1 when   
they made festival before ,god1 to carry
 with      them in procession1 with     
music and with dancing1 such of the     
sacred      animals as were1 by their   
interior significance1 related to the   
occasion4 ,now1 of these beasts1 he     
chiefly selected males of the      first
 year1 without spot or blemish1 to      
signify that it is beyond      all      
things needful that man should dedicate 
to the ,lord his      intellect and his 
reason1 and this from the beginning1 and
 without      the least reserve4 ,and   
that he was very wise in teaching this1 
is      evident from the history of the 
world in all ages1 and particularly     

in these last days4 ,for what is it that
 has led men to renounce the            
realities of the spirit1 and to         
propagate false theories and            
corrupt sciences1 denying all things    
save the appearance which can      be   
apprehended by the outer senses1 and    
making themselves one with      the dust
 of the ground8 ,it is their intellect  
which1 being      unsanctified1 has led 
them astray2 it is the force of the mind
 in      them1 which1 being corrupt1 is 
the cause of their own ruin1 and of     
that of their disciples4 ,as1 then1 the 
intellect is apt to be the      great   
traitor against heaven1 so also is it   
the force by which men1      following  
their pure intuition1 may also grasp and
 apprehend the      truth4 ,for which   
reason it is written that the ,christs  
are subject      to their mothers4 ,not 
that by any means the intellect is to be
      dishonoured2 for it is the heir of
 all things1 if only it be truly        
begotten and be no bastard4       ,and  

besides all these symbols1 ,moses taught
 the people to have      beyond all     
things an abhorrence of idolatry4 ,what1
 then1 is      idolatry1 and what are   
false gods8       ,to make an idol is to
 materialise spiritual mysteries4 ,the  
priests1 then1 were idolaters1 who      
coming after ,moses1 and      committing
 to writing those things which he by    
word of mouth had      delivered unto   
,israel1 replaced the true things       
signified1 by their      material       
symbols1 and shed innocent blood on the 
pure altars of the      ,lord4          
,they also are idolaters who understand 
the things of sense where      the      
things of the spirit are alone implied1 
and who conceal the      true features  
of the ,gods with material and spurious 
presentations4      ,idolatry is        
materialism1 the common and original sin
 of men1 which      replaces spirit by  
appearance1 substance by illusion1 and  
leads      both the moral and           
intellectual being into error1 so that  

they      substitute the nether for the 
upper1 and the depth for the height4    
,it is that false fruit which attracts  
the outer senses1 the bait of      the  
serpent in the beginning of the world4  
,until the mystic man and      woman had
 eaten of this fruit1 they knew only the
 things of the      spirit1 and found   
them suffice4 ,but after their fall1    
they began to      apprehend matter     
also1 and gave it the preference1 making
      themselves idolaters4 ,and their  
sin1 and the taint begotten of that     
false fruit1 have corrupted the blood of
 the whole race of men1      from which 
corruption the sons of ,god would have  
redeemed them4  ,she had received this1 
also in sleep1 as one of a class of     
neophytes seated in an ancient          
amphitheatre of white stone1 and        
listening to a lecture delivered by a   
man in priestly garb1 of which they took
 notes the while4 ,she complained that  
her notes had disappeared on waking1    
thus preventing her from rendering what 

she had heard as perfectly as she could 
have wished2 for she had trusted to her 
notes for it4  ,the more we pondered    
these communications1 the higher was our
 appreciation of them4 ,we felt that the
 veil of ,moses was at length taken away
 as promised1 and we had been enabled to
 tap a reservoir of boundless wisdom and
 knowledge4 ,for we found in them the   
longed-for solution of the purpose and  
nature of the ,bible and ,christianity1 
and the key to man's spiritual history4 
,the method of the ,bible-writers1 the  
meaning of idolatry1 the secret of the  
,cain and ,abel feud between priest and 
prophet1 as the ministers respectively  
of the sense-nature and of the          
intuition1 and the process whereby the  
religion of ,jesus had become distorted 
into the orthodoxy which has usurped    
,his name2--all these things were now   
clear to us as the demonstration of a   
proposition in geometry1 the witness of 
which was in our own minds4 ,and we1    
too1 we rejoiced to think1 were of the  

school of the prophets1 in that with all
 the force of our minds we had exalted  
the ,woman1 ,intuition1 and refused to  
make the word of ,god of none effect by 
priestly traditions4  ,not the least    
marvellous element in the case was the  
faculty whereby the seeress had been    
able to reproduce1 after waking1 with   
such evident faithfulness the things    
seen and heard at so great length in    
sleep4 ,in reply to my questionings she 
said that the words seemed to show      
themselves to her again as she wrote#fg4
  ,discoursing with her ,genius on this 
subject of memory1 she received the     
following1 which is valuable also for   
its recognition of the mystical import  
of the ,bible narratives1 and           
confirmation of ,st ,paul when he says  
in reference to certain narratives in   
,genesis1 ,these things are an allegory4
       ,concerning memory2 why should   
there any more be a difficulty in       
respect of it8 ,reflect on this         
saying1--',man sees as he knows4' ,to   

thee the deeps are more visible than the
 surfaces of things2 but to      men    
generally the surfaces only are visible4
 ,the material can      perceive only   
the material1 the astral the astral1 and
 the      spiritual the spiritual4 ,it  
all resolves itself1 therefore1 into a  
question of condition and of quality4   
,thy hold on matter is but      slight1 
and thine organic memory is feeble and  
treacherous4 ,it is      hard for thee  
to perceive the surfaces of things and  
to remember      their aspect4 ,but thy 
spiritual perception is the stronger for
 this      weakness1 and the profound is
 that which thou seest the most         
readily4 ,it is hard for thee to        
understand and to retain the memory     
of material facts2 but their meaning    
thou knowest instantly and by           
intuition1 which is the memory of the   
soul4 ,for the soul takes no      pains 
to remember2 she knows divinely4 ,is it 
not said that the      immaculate woman 
brings forth without a pang8 ,the sorrow

 and      travail of conception belong  
to her whose desire is unto             
',adam'#fh4  ,the following sentences   
sum up the conclusions to which1 by     
degrees1 we were led4 ,the first two    
paragraphs are from an exposition       
concerning the dogma of the ,immaculate 
,conception which we considered as one  
of the most sublime and momentous of all
 her illuminations#fi4  ,all that is    
true is spiritual4444 ,no dogma is real 
that is not spiritual4 ,if it be true1  
and yet seem to you to have a material  
signification1 know that you have not   
solved it4 ,it is a mystery2 seek its   
interpretation4 ,that which is true is  
for ,spirit alone4  ,for matter shall   
cease and all that is of it1 but the    
,word of the ,lord shall remain for     
ever4 ,and how shall it remain except it
 be purely spiritual2 since1 when matter
 ceases1 it would then be no longer     
comprehensible8  ,for1 though matter is 
eternally the mode whereby spirit       
manifests itself1 matter is not itself  

eternal4  ,the church has all the truth1
 but the priests have materialised it1  
making religion idolatry1 and themselves
 and their people idolaters4  ,in their 
real and divinely intended sense1 its   
doctrines are eternal verities1 founded 
in the nature of ,being4 ,as            
ecclesiastically propounded1 they are   
blasphemous absurdities4  ,all the      
mistakes made about the ,bible arise out
 of the mystic books being referred to  
times1 places1 and persons material1    
instead of being regarded as containing 
only eternal verities about things      
spiritual4  ,the ,bible was written by  
intuitionalists1 for intuitionalists1   
and from the intuitionalist standpoint4 
,it has been interpreted by             
externalists1 for externalists1 and from
 the externalist standpoint4 ,the most  
occult and mystical of books1 it has    
been expounded by persons without occult
 knowledge or mystical insight#gj4      
,thus gradually but surely we learnt    
that ,ecclesiastical education has      

rigidly excluded from its curriculum all
 those branches of study which could    
throw light on the real nature of       
existence1 and consists in learning what
 other men have said who1 themselves1   
did not know1 but were mere hearsay     
scholars lacking the witness in         
themselves4  ,we marvelled much as to   
how the priesthoods will comport        
themselves when compelled to recognise  
the fact that a ,new ,gospel of         
,interpretation has actually been       
vouchsafed from the world celestial in  
correction of their perversion and      
mutilation of the former ,gospel of     
,manifestation1 and suppression of the  
true doctrine of salvation4 ,will ,cain 
and ,caiaphas still have the dominion1  
and ecclesiasticism be as ready to      
crucify the ,christ on ,his second      
coming as it was on ,his first8 ,and if 
not1 how will it find courage to face   
the world with the humiliating          
confession that all through the long    
ages of its history1 while arrogantly   

claiming to be the faithful and         
infallible minister of the ,gospel of   
,christ1 it has persistently withheld   
that gospel1 and1 losing the key to its 
meaning1 has substituted for the        
wholesome bread of divine truth1 the    
stones of innutritious because          
unintelligible dogmas2 and for the fish 
of the living waters1 the serpents of   
the letter which kills8 and that when   
men have rightly suspected that         
,christianity has failed1 not because it
 is false1 but because it has been      
falsified1 and have sought to their own 
inner light for the truth of which      
ecclesiasticism had defrauded them1 it  
dealt out to them pitiless anathema and 
persecution1 making the earth a scene of
 torture and slaughter in assertion of  
the right of the priesthoods to teach   
wrong8  ,that the work committed to us  
implied nothing less than the fulfilment
 of the prophecies of which the promise 
of the ,second ,coming of ,christ was   
the culmination1 while intimated to us  

from the outset1 was gradually unfolded 
into full assurance1 and we were enabled
 to see that the very terms in which it 
was couched implied a spiritual advent1 
and one which should disclose the       
perfect system at once of science1      
philosophy1 morality1 and religion1 of  
which ,christ is both the foundation and
 the consummation4 ,for the clouds of   
heaven in which it was to take place1   
were no other than the heaven of the    
kingdom within man of his restored      
spiritual consciousness4 ,that wicked   
one1 the son of perdition1 and mystery  
of iniquity then to be revealed and     
destroyed1 was no other than the        
inspiring evil spirit of an             
ecclesiasticism which had received      
indeed its doctrines from above1 but    
their interpretation and application    
from below4 ,and the ,spirit of ,his    
mouth1 and the ,brightness of ,his      
,coming were no other than a new ,word  
of ,god1 in the form of a ,new ,gospel  
of ,interpretation1 so potent in its    

logic and so luminous in its exposition 
as to indicate the ,logos ,himself as   
its source1 and the ,woman ,intuition1  
clothed with the ,sun of full           
illumination1 as its revealer4  ,we saw1
 too1 that with this ,woman thus        
rehabilitated1 ,god's ,two              
,witnesses1--who have so long lain dead 
in the streets of that great city       
wherein the ,lord1 the divinity in man1 
is ever systematically crucified2 the   
city of the world's system as fashioned 
and controlled by an ecclesiasticism    
shrouded in the threefold veil of       
,blood1 ,idolatry1 and the ,curse of    
,eve1--will rise and stand on their     
feet1 and ascend to the heaven of their 
proper supremacy1 vice ,lucifer deposed 
and fallen4 ,and in them ,lucifer       
himself will regain his lost estate1    
vindicating his title to be called the  
,light-bearer1 the bright and morning   
star1 the herald and bringer-in of the  
perfect day of the ,lord ,god4 ,for1 as 
the ,intellect1 he is the heir of all   

things1 if only he be begotten of the   
,spirit1 and be no bastard engendered of
 the ,sense-,nature4  ,for--as we had   
come to learn--,god's ,two ,witnesses in
 man are ever the ,intellect and the    
,intuition1 when duly unfolded and      
united in a pure spirit4 ,under such    
conditions the ,shiloh comes1 and       
mounted on them man rides triumphant as 
king into the holy city of his own      
regenerate nature4 ,but divorced from   
her1 the ,intuition1 and--leagued with  
the ,sense-,nature--knowing matter only 
and the body1 the ,intellect becomes    
prince of devils in man1 the maker of   
men into fiends1 and of the earth into a
 hell4 ,wherefore his fall from the     
heaven of his power1 on the advent of   
that whole ,humanity1 of whom it is     
said1 the ,man is not without the       
,woman1 nor the ,woman without the ,man1
 in the ,lord1 the humanity of intellect
 and intuition combined1 has ever been  
exultingly hailed in anticipation by all
 true seers and prophets4  ,the chief   

points of the doctrine1 the prospect of 
the restoration of which has thus been  
the sustaining hope of the percipient   
faithful in all ages1 may be summarised 
as follows3--  ,the doctrine which1     
first and foremost1 it is the purpose of
 the ,bible to affirm1 and of the       
,christ to demonstrate1 and in which    
reason entirely concurs1 is no other    
than that of the divine potentialities  
of man1 belonging to him in virtue of   
the nature of his constituent           
principles1 the force and the substance 
of existence4 ,these are the duality of 
the heavens which ,god is said to       
create1 meaning to put forth from       
,himself1 in the beginning1 and of the  
mutual interaction of which all things  
are the product1 varying according to   
the plane of operation1 alike for       
creation and redemption1 generation and 
regeneration4 ,and that which ,jesus    
really affirmed in the memorable but    
little understood words1 ,ye must be    
born again1 or from above1 of ,water and

 the ,spirit1 was both the possibility  
and the necessity to all men of         
realising the potential divinity        
belonging to them in virtue of the      
divinity of their constituent           
principles4 ,and in affirming this ,he  
affirmed both the necessity and the     
possibility to every man of being born  
exactly as ,he ,himself1 as typical man 
regenerate1 is said to have been born1  
of ,virgin ,mary and ,holy ,ghost1 and  
also ,his own identity in kind with all 
other men4 ,and ,he affirmed1 moreover1 
the utter falsity of that               
priest-constructed system1 which1       
ignoring ,regeneration1 insists on      
,substitution1 as the means of          
salvation4 ,for ,virgin ,mary1 and ,holy
 ,ghost1 are but the mystical synonyms  
with ,water and the ,spirit1 the        
substance and force1 or soul and spirit1
 of which1 man is constituted1 in their 
divine because pure condition1 the      
product of which in man is the new      
regenerate selfhood called1 as by ,st   

,paul1 the ,christ within4 ,begotten in 
man as matrix1 of the pure ,spirit and  
,substance which are ,god1 this new     
selfhood is son at once of ,god and of  
man2 and in him ,god and man are        
reconciled or at-oned4 ,and that man is 
said to be saved by his blood1 is       
because the blood of ,god is pure       
spirit1 and it is the pure spirit in the
 man that saves him2 and that he is     
called the only-begotten ,son of ,god1  
is not because ,god begets no other of  
his kind1 but because ,god1 as ,god1    
begets directly none of any other kind4 
,this1 then1 as we came to learn1 and to
 recognise as having learned it in our  
own long-past lives1 is the doctrine    
which ,jesus came to teach and to       
demonstrate in ,his own person4 ,matter 
is spirit1 being spiritual substance1   
projected by force of the divine ,will  
into conditions and limitations1 and    
made exteriorly cognisable4 ,and being  
spirit it can revert to the condition of
 spirit4 ,in virtue of the divinity of  

his constituent principles1 man has     
within himself the seed of his own      
regeneration1 and the power to          
effectuate it4 ,he has in him1 this is  
to say1 the potentiality of divinity    
realisable at will4 ,and the secret and 
method of the achievement1 which is no  
other than the secret and method of     
,christ1 is inward purification and     
unfoldment1 the unfoldment of the       
capacities1 mental1 moral1 and          
spiritual1 of his nature1 of which      
inward purification is the first and    
essential condition4 ,thus is the       
,finding of ,christ the realisation of  
the ,ideal1 and ,christ is for every man
 the summit of his own evolution4       
,stated in terms of modern science1 but 
correcting its aberrations1 the doctrine
 of ,christ is in this wise4 ,evolution 
is the manifestation of inherency4      
,owing to the divinity of the           
constituent principles of existence1 its
 ,force and its ,substance1 both of     
which are ,god1 the inherency of        

existence is divine4 ,wherefore1 as the 
manifestation of a divine inherency1    
evolution is accomplished only by the   
attainment of divinity2 and the cause of
 evolution is the tendency of substance 
to revert from its secondary and created
 condition of matter1 to its original   
and divine condition of pure spirit4    
,wherefore evolution is definable as the
 process of the individuation of ,deity 
in and through ,humanity4  ,such is the 
genesis of the ,christ in man4 ,and he  
is called a ,christ who1 having         
accomplished this process in himself1   
returns into the earth-life when he has 
no need to do so for his own sake1 out  
of pure love to redeem1 by showing to   
others their own equal divine           
potentialities and the method of the    
realisation thereof4  ,this method      
consists in love1 love of perfection1   
which is ,god1 for its own sake1 and    
love for others4 ,the process is        
entirely interior to the individual4 ,it
 consists in the sacrifice of the lower 

nature to the higher in himself1 and of 
himself for others in love4 ,that which 
directly saves the man is not the love  
of another for the man1 but the love    
which he has in himself4 ,all that can  
be done by another is to kindle this    
love in him4  ,the philosophy of this   
doctrine of salvation by love was       
formulated for us as follows3--,it is   
love which is the centripetal power of  
the universe2 it is by love that all    
creation returns into the bosom of ,god4
 ,the force which projected all things  
is will1 and will is the centrifugal    
power of the universe4 ,will alone could
 not overcome the evil which results    
from the limitations of matter2 but it  
shall be overcome in the end by         
sympathy1 which is the knowledge of ,god
 in others1--the recognition of the     
omnipresent ,self4 ,this is love4 ,and  
it is with the children of the spirit1  
the servants of love1 that the dragon of
 matter makes war#ga4  ,in making the   
means of salvation extraneous to the    

individual1 ,sacerdotalism has defrauded
 man of his ,saviour1 making the first  
and personal coming of ,christ of none  
effect4 ,hence the necessity for the    
second and spiritual coming represented 
by the ,new ,gospel of ,interpretation  
as was foretold3--the coming which was  
to be in the clouds of the heaven of    
man's restored understanding2 the       
,hermes within4  ,but the process of    
regeneration is a prolonged one1        
extending over many earth-lives2 and so 
also is the prior process of evolution1 
whereby man reaches the stage at which  
he is amenable to regeneration4         
,wherefore regeneration has for its     
corollary reincarnation4 ,to tell man   
that he must be born again spiritually1 
and deny him the requisite opportunities
 of experience1 which must be acquired  
while in the body--seeing that          
regeneration is from out of the         
body--would be to mock him4  ,this      
doctrine of a multiplicity of           
earth-lives is implicit and sometimes   

explicit in the ,bible4 ,the notion that
 the ,hebrews had no belief in a future 
state because of the failure of         
commentators to discover it in their    
,scriptures1 is altogether futile4 ,the 
permanence of the ,ego was a matter of  
course with them1 saving only the       
,sadducees4 ,and the ,bible contemplates
 the persistence of the individual soul 
through all the manifold stages of its  
evolution1 from the ,adam stage to the  
,christ stage1 saying1 as by ,st ,paul1 
,as in ,adam all die1 so in ,christ     
shall all be made alive4 ,but the       
,christ insisted on by him was not ,he  
,who is after the flesh1 not the man    
,jesus1 who was but the vehicle of the  
,christ1 but the ,christ within both    
,jesus and all other regenerate men4    
,for1 as a highly illuminated follower  
of the ,gnosis1 ,st ,paul was one who   
after the way which his orthodox        
accusers called heresy1 worshipped the  
,god of his fathers1 believing all      
things which are according to the law1  

and are written in the prophets4        
,rejecting the doctrine of regeneration1
 and with it that of reincarnation1 in  
favour of substitution1 the orthodoxy   
which claims to be ,christianity has    
practically rejected both the doctrine  
of ,st ,paul and that of ,jesus as      
declared to ,nicodemus4 ,and1 as ,st    
,paul implies1 the mystery of iniquity  
was working even already in his days to 
annul the gospel of ,christ by          
substituting ,jesus as the object of    
worship1 and ,his physical              
blood-shedding as the means of          
salvation4 ,and ,christendom1 yielding  
to sacerdotal dictation1 has to this day
 accepted a doctrine which at once      
dishonours ,god and robs men of their   
equal divine potentialities with ,jesus1
 thus preferring ,barabbas4 ,professing 
to rest its faith on the ,bible1 it has 
accepted the presentation of religion   
which the ,bible persistently condemns1 
that of the priests1 and rejected that  
on which the ,bible emphatically        

insists1 that of the prophets4 ,that ,st
 ,paul employed sacerdotal modes of     
expression was in order to spiritualise 
them4 ,he was a mystic of mystics4      
,nevertheless the dogmas of the ,church 
contain the truth1 but this is not as   
the ,church has propounded them4        
,and--to cite two crucial instances--so 
far from the ,church's supreme dogmas1  
the ,immaculate ,conception and the     
,assumption of the ,blessed ,virgin1    
having any personal or physical         
reference1 they are prophecies of the   
method of redemption for every          
individual soul4 ,for1 as the ,new      
,gospel of ,interpretation explicitly   
declares1 restoring the ,gnosis         
persistently rejected by the builders of
 the orthodoxies1       ,the ,immaculate
 ,conception is none other than the     
prophecy of the      means whereby the  
universe shall at last be redeemed4     
,maria--the      sea of limitless       
space--,maria the ,virgin1 born herself 
immaculate      and without spot1 of the

 womb of the ages1 shall in the fulness 
of      time bring forth the perfect    
man1 who shall redeem the race4 ,he is  
not one man1 but ten thousand times ten 
thousand1 the ,son of ,man1      who    
shall overcome the limitations of       
matter1 and the evil which is      the  
result of the materialisation of        
spirit#gb4       ,by the doctrine of the
 ,immaculate ,conception of the ,blessed
 ,virgin      ,mary we are secretly     
enlightened concerning the generation of
 the      soul1 who is begotten in the  
womb of matter1 and yet from the first  
instant of her being is pure and        
incorrupt4444 ,as the ,immaculate       
,conception is the foundation of the    
mysteries1 so is the ,assumption        
their crown4       ,for the entire      
object and end of kosmic evolution is   
precisely this      triumph and         
apotheosis of the soul4 ,in the mystery 
presented by      this dogma1 we behold 
the consummation of the whole scheme of 
creation--the perpetuation and          

glorification of the individual         
human ego4 ,the grave--the material and 
astral consciousness1 cannot      retain
 the immaculate ,mother of ,god4 ,she   
rises into the heavens2      she assumes
 divinity4444 ,from end to end the      
mystery of the soul's                   
evolution--the history1 that is1 of     
humanity and of the kosmic              
drama--is contained and enacted in the  
cultus of the ,blessed ,virgin          
,mary4 ,the acts and the glories of     
,mary are the one supreme subject       
of the holy mysteries#gc4               
,allegory of stupendous significance6   
exclaimed the seeress's      illuminator
 when imparting to her the mystery of   
the ,immaculate      ,conception4       
,allegory of stupendous significance6   
with which the      ,church of ,god has 
so long been familiar1 but which yet    
never      penetrated its understanding1
 like the holy fire which enveloped     
the sacred ,bush1 but which nevertheless
 the ,bush withstood and                

resisted#aj4  ,that such failure has    
been the rule and not the exception is  
the plea for the ,new ,gospel of        
,interpretation4 ,for lack of           
comprehension of its own symbols the    
,church has fallen into the disastrous  
errors of mistaking the man ,jesus for  
the ,christ within every man1 and ,mary 
the mother of ,jesus for ,virgin ,mary  
the mother of that ,christ1 committing  
in both instances idolatry by preferring
 the form to the substance1 persons to  
principles1 and blinding men to the     
essential truth implied4  ,,footnotes3  
#fe ,a4,k4 was preparing for her second 
,doctorat1 and ,e4,m4 was elaborating   
out of his own consciousness a key to   
the interpretation especially of the    
initial chapters of ,genesis4 7,life    
,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #bfd47  #ff ,on the 
#dth ,june1 #ahgh4 7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4  
,i4 p4 #bfe47  #fg ,e4,m4 says3--,her   
notes1 of course1 disappeared with her  
dream1 and she had to reproduce it from 
memory4 ,but this was abnormally        

enhanced1 for she said that the words   
presented themselves again to her as she
 wrote1 and stood out luminously to     
view4 7,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #bfi47 
#fh ,that is the outer sense and lower  
reason4  #fi ,the illumination in       
question was received by ,a4,k4 in      
,paris on the night of the #beth ,july1 
#ahgg1 and was written down under       
trance4 ,further portions are given on  
pp4 #aeh1 #aei1 #afa4 ,it is given in   
full in ,the ,life of ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4  
pp4 #bjb-bjc4  #gj ,see further on this 
most important subject ,the ,bible's    
,own ,account of ,itself1 by ,e4,m41 the
 only complete edition of which is      
published by ,the ,ruskin ,press1       
,ruskin ,house1 ,stafford ,street1      
,birmingham4 ,s4,h4,h4  #ga ,from the   
exposition concerning the dogma of the  
,immaculate ,conception1 referred to on 
p4 #aea4  #gb ,from the exposition      
concerning the dogma of the ,immaculate 
,conception1 referred to on p4 #aea4    
#gc ,from the exposition concerning the 

,christian ,mysteries given in full in  
,the ,life of ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 pp4    
#ii-ajj4     ,,chapter ,,vi4  ,,the     
,,exemplification4   ,this chapter will 
be devoted to some examples of the      
recovered ,gnosis1 bearing chiefly upon 
the supreme doctrine of ,regeneration4  
,as with all else received by the       
,seeress1 they are the product of       
intuitional memory regained under divine
 illumination occurring mostly in sleep4
 ,and here ,i will take occasion to     
state explicitly and positively1 that   
the states1 whether of sleep or of      
trance1 in which her faculty was        
exercised1 were all natural and         
spontaneous1 being induced by the       
,spirit itself2 and that in no case were
 artificial means employed by either of 
us1 whether drugs1 mesmerism1 hypnotism1
 crystal-gazing1 or any other of the    
devices ordinarily used to induce       
abnormal states of consciousness or     
promote enhancement of faculty4 ,our    
work was to be a real work1 done not    

only by us but in us1 and we had from   
the first a profound instinctive        
distrust of results obtained by such    
artificial stimulation4  ,nor was any   
change even of a word ever made in the  
teachings received4 ,they came one and  
all in the finished perfection in which 
they are put forth1 coming down as the  
holy city from the heaven of the upper  
and the within1 and incapable of        
improvement4 ,the following are the     
examples proposed3--  7#a7 ,concerning  
,holy ,writ4       ,all ,scriptures     
which are the true ,word of ,god1 have a
 dual      interpretation1 the          
intellectual and the intuitional1 the   
apparent      and the hidden4       ,for
 nothing can come forth from ,god save  
that which is fruitful4       ,as is the
 nature of ,god1 so is the ,word of     
,god's mouth4       ,the letter alone is
 barren2 the spirit and the letter give 
life4       ,but that ,scripture is the 
more excellent1 which is exceeding      
fruitful and brings forth abundant      

signification4       ,for ,god is able  
to say many things in one1 as the       
perfect ovary      contains many seeds  
in its chalice4       ,therefore there  
are in the ,scriptures of ,god's ,word  
certain      writings which1 as richly  
yielding trees1 bear more abundantly    
than      others in the self-same holy  
garden4       ,and one of the most      
excellent is the history of the         
generation of      the heavens and the  
earth4       ,for therein is contained  
in order a genealogy1 which has four    
heads1 as a stream divided into four    
branches1 a word exceeding      rich4   
,and the first of these generations is  
that of the ,gods4       ,the second is 
that of the kingdom of heaven4          
,the third is that of the visible world4
       ,and the fourth is that of the   
,church of ,christ4  7#b7 ,concerning   
the ,mystery of ,redemption4       ,all 
things in heaven and in earth are of    
,god1 both the invisible      and the   
visible4       ,such as is the          

invisible1 is the visible also1 for     
there is no      boundary line betwixt  
spirit and matter4       ,matter is     
spirit made exteriorly cognisable by the
 force of the      ,divine ,word4       
,and when ,god shall resume all things  
by love1 the material shall be          
resolved into the spiritual1 and there  
shall be a new heaven and a      new    
earth4       ,not that matter shall be  
destroyed1 for it came forth from ,god1 
and      is of ,god indestructible and  
eternal4       ,but it shall be indrawn 
and resolved into its true self4        
,it shall put off corruption1 and remain
 incorruptible4       ,it shall put off 
mortality1 and remain immortal4         
,so that nothing be lost of the ,divine 
substance4       ,it was material       
entity3 it shall be spiritual entity4   
,for there is nothing which can go out  
from the presence of ,god4       ,this  
is the doctrine of the resurrection of  
the dead3 that is1 the                  
transfiguration of the body4       ,for 

the body1 which is matter1 is but the   
manifestation of spirit3      and the   
,word of ,god shall transmute it into   
its inner being4       ,the will of ,god
 is the alchemic crucible3 and the dross
 which is      cast therein is matter4  
,and the dross shall become pure gold1  
seven times refined2 even      perfect  
spirit4       ,it shall leave behind it 
nothing3 but shall be transformed into  
the      ,divine image4       ,for it is
 not a new substance3 but its alchemic  
polarity is      changed1 and it is     
converted4       ,but except it were    
gold in its true nature1 it could not be
 resumed      into the aspect of gold4  
,and except matter were spirit1 it could
 not revert to spirit4       ,to make   
gold1 the alchemist must have gold4     
,but he knows that to be gold which     
others take to be dross4       ,cast    
thyself into the will of ,god1 and thou 
shalt become as ,god4       ,for thou   
art ,god1 if thy will be the ,divine    
,will4       ,this is the great secret3 

it is the mystery of ,redemption4  7#c7 
,concerning ,sin and ,death4       ,as  
is the outer so is the inner3 ,he that  
worketh is ,one4       ,as the small is1
 so is the great3 there is one law4     
,nothing is small and nothing is great  
in the ,divine ,economy4       ,if thou 
wouldst understand the method of the    
world's corruption1      and the        
condition to which sin hath reduced the 
work of ,god1       ,meditate upon the  
aspect of a corpse2 and consider the    
method of      the putrefaction of its  
tissues and humours4       ,for the     
secret of death is the same1 whether of 
the outer or of the      inner4         
,the body dieth when the central will of
 its system no longer      bindeth in   
obedience the elements of its substance4
       ,every cell is a living entity1  
whether of vegetable or of animal       
potency4       ,in the healthy body     
every cell is polarised in subjection to
 the      central will1 the ,adonai of  
the physical system4       ,health1     

therefore1 is order1 obedience1 and     
government4       ,but wherever disease 
is1 there is disunion1 rebellion1 and   
insubordination4       ,and the deeper  
the seat of the confusion1 the more     
dangerous the      malady1 and the      
harder to quell it4       ,that which is
 superficial may be more easily healed2 
or1 if need      be1 the disorderly     
elements may be rooted out1 and the body
 shall      be whole and at unity again4
       ,but if the disobedient molecules
 corrupt each other continually1        
and the perversity spread1 and the      
rebellious tracts multiply their        
elements2 the whole body shall fall into
 dissolution1 which is      death4      
,for the central will that should       
dominate all the kingdom of the         
body1 is no longer obeyed2 and every    
element is become its own      ruler1   
and hath a divergent will of its own4   
,so that the poles of the cells incline 
in divers directions2 and      the      
binding power which is the life of the  

body1 is dissolved and      destroyed4  
,and when dissolution is complete1 then 
follow corruption and      putrefaction4
       ,now1 that which is true of the  
physical1 is true likewise of its       
prototype4       ,the whole world is    
full of revolt2 and every element hath a
 will      divergent from ,god4         
,whereas there ought to be but one will1
 attracting and ruling the      whole   
man4       ,but there is no longer      
,brotherhood among you2 nor order1 nor  
mutual      sustenance4       ,every    
cell is its own arbiter2 and every      
member is become a sect4       ,ye are  
not bound one to another3 ye have       
confounded your offices1      and       
abandoned your functions4       ,ye have
 reversed the direction of your magnetic
 currents3 ye are      fallen into      
confusion1 and have given place to the  
spirit of      misrule4       ,your     
wills are many and diverse2 and every   
one of you is an      anarchy4       ,a 
house that is divided against itself1   

falleth4       ,o wretched man2 who     
shall deliver you from this body of     
,death8  7#d7 ,concerning the ,twelve   
,gates of ,regeneration4       ,now1 the
 ,kingdom of ,god is within us2 that is1
 it is interior1      invisible1 mystic1
 spiritual4       ,there is a power by  
means of which the ,outer may be        
absorbed into      the ,inner4          
,there is a power by means of which     
,matter may be ingested into its        
original ,substance4       ,he who      
possesses this power is ,christ1 and ,he
 has the devil under      foot4         
,for ,he reduces chaos to order1 and    
indraws the external to the      centre4
       ,he has learnt that ,matter is   
illusion1 and that ,spirit alone is     
real4       ,he has found ,his own      
,central ,point2 and all power is given 
unto ,him      in heaven and on earth4  
,now1 the ,central ,point is the number 
,thirteen3 it is the number of      the 
,marriage of the ,son of ,god4          
,and all the members of the microcosm   

are bidden to the banquet of      the   
marriage4       ,but if there chance to 
be even one among them which has not on 
a      wedding garment1       ,such a   
one is a ,traitor1 and the microcosm is 
found divided against      itself4      
,and that it may be wholly regenerate1  
it is necessary that ,judas be      cast
 out4       ,now the members of the     
microcosm are ,twelve3 of the ,senses   
three1      of the ,mind three1 of the  
,heart three1 and of the ,conscience    
three4       ,for of the ,body there are
 four elements2 and the sign of the four
      is ,sense1 in the which are three 
,gates1       ,the gate of the ,eye1 the
 gate of the ,ear1 and the gate of the  
,touch#gd4       ,renounce vanity1 and  
be poor3 renounce praise1 and be humble3
      renounce luxury1 and be chaste4   
,offer unto ,god a pure oblation3 let   
the fire of the altar search      thee1 
and prove thy fortitude4       ,cleanse 
thy sight1 thine hands1 and thy feet3   
carry the censer of      thy worship    

into the courts of the ,lord2 and let   
thy vows be unto      the ,most ,high4  
,and for the magnetic man#ge there are  
four elements3 and the      covering of 
the four is mind1 in the which are three
 gates2       ,the gate of desire1 the  
gate of labour1 and the gate of         
illumination4       ,renounce the world1
 and aspire heavenward3 labour not for  
the meat      which perishes1 but ask of
 ,god thy daily bread3 beware of        
wandering      doctrines1 and let the   
,word of the ,lord be thy light4        
,also of the soul there are four        
elements3 and the seat of the four      
is the heart1 whereof likewise there are
 three gates2       ,the gate of        
obedience1 the gate of prayer1 and the  
gate of      discernment4               
,renounce thine own will1 and let the   
law of ,god only be within      thee3   
renounce doubt3 pray always and faint   
not3 be pure of heart      also1 and    
thou shalt see ,god4       ,and within  
the soul is the ,spirit3 and the ,spirit

 is ,one1 yet has      it likewise three
 elements4       ,and these are the     
gates of the oracle of ,god1 which is   
the ark of      the covenant2       ,the
 rod1 the host#gf1 and the law3         
,the force which solves1 and transmutes1
 and divines3 the bread of      heaven  
which is the substance of all things and
 the food of angels2      the table of  
the law1 which is the will of ,god1     
written with the      finger of the     
,lord4       ,if these three be within  
thy spirit1 then shall the ,spirit of   
,god      be within thee4       ,and the
 glory shall be upon the propitiatory1  
in the holy place of      thy prayer4   
,these are the twelve gates of          
regeneration3 through which if a man    
enter he shall have right to the tree of
 life4       ,for the number of that    
,tree is ,thirteen4       ,it may happen
 to a man to have three1 to another     
five1 to another      seven1 to another 
ten4       ,but until a man have twelve1
 he is not master over the last enemy4  

7#e7 ,concerning the ,passage of the    
,soul#gg4       ,evoi1 ,father ,iacchos1
 ,lord ,god of ,egypt3 initiate thy     
servants in      the halls of thy       
,temple2       ,upon whose walls are the
 forms of every creature3 of every beast
 of      the earth1 and of every fowl of
 the air2       ,the lynx1 and the lion1
 and the bull3 the ibis and the serpent3
 the      scorpion and every flying     
thing4       ,and the columns thereof   
are human shapes2 having the heads of   
eagles and the hoofs of the ox4         
,all these are of thy kingdom3 they are 
the chambers of ordeal1 and      the    
houses of the initiation of the soul4   
,for the soul passeth from form to form2
 and the mansions of her      pilgrimage
 are manifold4       ,thou callest her  
from the deep1 and from the secret      
places of the      earth2 from the dust 
of the ground1 and from the herb of the 
field4       ,thou coverest her         
nakedness with an apron of fig-leaves2  
thou      clothest her with the skins of

 beasts4       ,thou art from of old1 ,o
 soul of man2 yea1 thou art from the    
everlasting4       ,thou puttest off thy
 bodies as raiment2 and as vesture dost 
thou      fold them up4       ,they     
perish1 but thou remainest3 the wind    
rendeth and scattereth      them2 and   
the place of them shall no more be      
known4       ,for the wind is the       
,spirit of ,god in man1 which bloweth   
where it      listeth1 and thou hearest 
the sound thereof1 but canst not tell   
whence it cometh1 nor whither it shall  
go4       ,even so is the spirit of man1
 which cometh from afar off and         
tarrieth not1 but passeth away to a     
place thou knowest not4  7#f7           
,concerning the ,mystic ,exodus#gg4     
,evoi1 ,iacchos1 ,lord of the ,sphinx2  
who linkest the lowest to the           
highest2 the loins of the wild beast to 
the head and breast of the      woman4  
,thou holdest the chalice of divination3
 all the forms of nature are            
reflected therein4       ,thou turnest  

man to destruction3 then thou sayest1   
,come again1 ye      children of my     
hand4       ,yea1 blessed and holy art  
thou1 ,o ,master of ,earth3 ,lord of the
      cross and the tree of salvation4  
,vine of ,god1 whose blood redeemeth2   
bread of heaven1 broken on the          
altar of death4       ,there is corn in 
,egypt2 go thou down into her1 ,o my    
soul1 with joy4       ,for in the       
kingdom of the ,body1 thou shalt eat the
 bread of thine      initiation4        
,but beware lest thou become subject to 
the flesh1 and a bond-slave      in the 
land of thy sojourn4       ,serve not   
the idols of ,egypt2 and let not the    
senses be thy      taskmasters4         
,for they will bow thy neck to their    
yoke2 they will bitterly      oppress   
the ,israel of ,god4       ,an evil time
 shall come upon thee2 and the ,lord    
shall smite ,egypt      with plagues for
 thy sake4       ,thy body shall be     
broken on the wheel of ,god2 thy flesh  
shall see      trouble and the worm4    

,thy house shall be smitten with        
grievous plagues2 blood1 and            
pestilence1 and great darkness2 fire    
shall devour thy goods2 and      thou   
shalt be a prey to the locust and       
creeping thing4       ,thy glory shall  
be brought down to the dust2 hail and   
storm shall      smite thine harvest2   
yea1 thy beloved and thy first-born     
shall the      hand of the ,lord        
destroy2       ,until the body let the  
soul go free2 that she may serve the    
,lord      ,god4       ,arise in the    
night1 ,o soul1 and fly1 lest thou be   
consumed in      ,egypt4       ,the     
angel of the understanding shall know   
thee for his elect1 if      thou offer  
unto ,god a reasonable faith4           
,savour thy reason with learning1 with  
labour1 and with obedience4       ,let  
the rod of thy desire be in thy right   
hand3 put the sandals of      ,hermes on
 thy feet2 and gird thy loins with      
strength4       ,then shalt thou pass   
through the waters of cleansing1 which  

is the      first death in the body4    
,the waters shall be a wall unto thee on
 thy right hand and on thy      left4   
,and ,hermes the ,redeemer shall go     
before thee2 for he is thy cloud      of
 darkness by day1 and thy pillar of fire
 by night4       ,all the horsemen of   
,egypt and the chariots thereof2 her    
princes1      her counsellors1 and her  
mighty men3       ,these shall pursue   
thee1 ,o soul1 that fliest2 and shall   
seek to      bring thee back into       
bondage4       ,fly for thy life2 fear  
not the deep2 stretch out thy rod over  
the      sea2 and lift thy desire unto  
,god4       ,thou hast learnt wisdom in 
,egypt2 thou has spoiled the ,egyptians2
      thou hast carried away their fine 
gold and their precious things4         
,thou hast enriched thyself in the body2
 but the body shall not hold      thee2 
neither shall the waters of the deep    
swallow thee up4       ,thou shalt wash 
thy robes in the sea of regeneration2   
the blood of      atonement shall redeem

 thee to ,god4       ,this is thy chrism
 and anointing1 ,o soul2 this is the    
first death2      thou art the ,israel  
of the ,lord1       ,who hath redeemed  
thee from the dominion of the body2 and 
hath      called thee from the grave1   
and from the house of bondage1          
,unto the way of the cross1 and to the  
path in the midst of the                
wilderness2       ,where are the adder  
and the serpent1 the mirage and the     
burning      sand4       ,for the feet  
of the saint are set in the way of the  
desert4       ,but be thou of good      
courage1 and fail thou not2 then shall  
thy      raiment endure1 and thy sandals
 shall not wax old upon thee4       ,and
 thy desire shall heal thy diseases2 it 
shall bring streams for      thee out of
 the stony rock2 it shall lead thee to  
,paradise4       ,evoi1 ,father         
,iacchos1 ,jehovah-,nissi#gh2 ,lord of  
the garden and of      the vineyard2    
,initiator and lawgiver2 ,god of the    
cloud and of the mount4       ,evoi1    

,father ,iacchos2 out of ,egypt has thou
 called thy ,son4  ,to vindicate the    
suppressed mysteries of the             
pre-,christian churches by disclosing   
them as the true origines of            
,christianity1 and to replace the false 
doctrine of the exclusive divinity of   
one man by the true doctrine of the     
potential divinity of all men1--these   
are among the foremost objects of the   
,new ,gospel of ,interpretation4 ,and it
 is especially in order to reinforce the
 last named1 that it has restored the   
following hymn in celebration of the    
supreme results of regeneration1 which  
formed part of the ritual of the greater
 mysteries of the ,greeks4 ,it is       
addressed to the first of the ,holy     
,seven1 the ,spirit of ,wisdom1 as      
represented by his angel1 the angel of  
the sun1 even that light which ,adonai  
created on the first day1 whose name is1
 in the ,hebrew1 ,uriel1 and in the     
,greek1 ,phoibos1 the ,bright ,one of   
,god4 ,breathing both the ,spirit and   

the letter of the ,bible1 from ,genesis 
to the ,apocalypse1 the hymns1 of which 
this is one1 indicate unmistakeably the 
identity in source and substance of the 
,hebrew and the ,christian with the     
other sacred mysteries of antiquity1 and
 the derivation of the later through the
 earlier from their common source in the
 world celestial when once again they   
have been restored4 ,and they supply    
also the motive which led the           
,christians to destroy the second       
,alexandrian library1 showing that      
motive to have been the desire to       
conceal1 first1 the derivation of the   
,christian presentment from its         
predecessors1 and next1 the perversion  
of their doctrine in the interests of an
 unscrupulous sacerdocy4         99     
99       99       99       99  ,taken in
 connection with its fellow-hymns1      
similarly recovered1 to others of the   
,holy ,seven1 the hymn to ,phoibos      
throws a flood of light on the creative 
week of ,genesis1 showing it to be no   

mere proem to ,scripture1 or concerned  
with the world physical merely1 but an  
integral portion of ,scripture1 being an
 epitome of eternal verities ever in    
process1 and appertaining both to       
,creation and to ,redemption4 ,the ,hymn
 to ,her who is mystically the fourth1  
but really the third of the ,gods1 the  
,spirit of ,counsel of ,isaiah1 is      
especially notable for its solution of  
the problem of the inversion of the     
order of the third and fourth days of   
creation4 ,these hymns1 moreover1 show  
indubitably that the order of the solar 
system was no secret to the hierophants 
of the sacred mysteries of antiquity4   
7#g7 ,hymn to ,phoibos1 the ,first of   
the ,gods4       ,strong art thou and   
adorable1 ,phoibos ,apollo1 who bearest 
life and      healing on thy wings1 who 
crownest the year with thy bounty1 and  
givest the spirit of thy divinity to the
 fruits and precious things      of all 
the worlds4       ,where were the bread 
of the initiation of the ,sons of ,god1 

except      thou bring the corn to ear2 
or the wine of their mystical chalice1  
except thou bless the vintage8          
,many are the angels who serve in the   
courts of the spheres of      heaven3   
but thou1 ,master of ,light and of      
,life1 art followed by the      ,christs
 of ,god4       ,and thy sign is the    
sign of the ,son of ,man in heaven1 and 
of the      ,just made perfect2         
,whose path is as a shining light1      
shining more and more unto the          
innermost glory of the day of the ,lord 
,god4       ,thy banner is blood-red1   
and thy symbol is a milk-white lamb1 and
      thy crown is of pure gold4        
,they who reign with thee are the       
,hierophants of the celestial           
mysteries2 for their will is the will of
 ,god1 and they know as they      are   
known4       ,these are the sons of the 
innermost sphere2 the ,saviours of men1 
the ,anointed of ,god4       ,and their 
name is ,christ ,jesus1 in the day of   
their initiation4       ,and before them

 every knee shall bow1 of things in     
heaven and of      things on earth4     
,they are come out of great tribulation1
 and are set down for ever      at the  
right hand of ,god4       ,and the      
,lamb1 which is in the midst of the     
seven spheres1 shall      give them to  
drink of the river of living water4     
,and they shall eat of the tree of life1
 which is in the centre of      the     
garden of the kingdom of ,god4          
,these are thine1 ,o ,mighty ,master of 
,light2 and this is the dominion        
which the ,word of ,god appointed thee  
in the beginning3       ,in the day when
 ,god created the light of all the      
worlds1 and      divided the light from 
the darkness4       ,and ,god called the
 light ,phoibos1 and the darkness ,god  
called      ,python4       ,now the     
darkness was before the light1 as the   
night forerunneth the      dawn4        
,these are the evening and the morning  
of the first cycle of the               
,mysteries4       ,and the glory of that

 cycle is as the glory of seven days2   
and they      who dwell therein are     
seven times refined2       ,who have    
purged the garment of the flesh in the  
living waters2       ,and have          
transmuted both body and soul into      
spirit1 and are become      pure        
virgins4       ,for they were           
constrained by love to abandon the outer
 elements1      and to seek the         
innermost which is undivided1 even the  
,wisdom of      ,god4       ,and wisdom 
and love are one4  ,in view of the      
restoration of the ,gods to recognition 
by the ,new ,gospel of ,interpretation1 
it must be explained that the doctrines 
of ,monotheism and ,polytheism are not  
necessarily incompatible4 ,this has     
already been shown in ,chapter ,,iv41 in
 the utterance commencing--,in the bosom
 of the ,eternal were all the ,gods     
comprehended1 as the seven spirits of   
the prism contained in the ,invisible   
,light4 ,for as light is one though its 
rays are seven and each ray is light1 so

 is ,god one though ,his spirits are    
seven and each spirit is ,god4  ,and yet
 further4 ,the deities recognised under 
various names or by various peoples are 
not necessarily different ,gods1 but may
 be either the same ,god or different   
modes or aspects of the same ,god4      
,notably is this the case with the ,gods
 of the ,hebrews1 the ,greeks1 and the  
,christians4 ,for while by the term     
,elohim is denoted the two principles1  
masculine and feminine1 of ,force and   
,substance1 which constitute ,original  
,being1 by ,jehovah or ,yahveh1 ,adonai 
and ,shaddai1 is denoted the resultant  
of the interaction of these two         
principles as ,father and ,mother1 who  
is called therefore their word1         
expression1 and ,son4 ,by the ,holy     
,ghost is denoted the same two          
principles in activity1 having          
procession from the ,father-,mother     
through the ,son1 to be the constituent 
principles of creation1 being ,deity    
dynamic as distinguished from ,deity    

static4 ,by the ,seven ,spirits of      
,god--as by the seven great ,gods of the
 ,greeks1--are denoted the seven        
potencies into which ,deity             
differentiates on emerging as ,holy     
,ghost from the prism constituted of    
,father1 ,mother1 and ,son1 which are to
 each other as the force1 substance1 and
 phenomenon of which every manifest     
entity consists4 ,for ,every entity that
 is manifest1 is manifest by the        
evolution of its trinity4 ,and by       
,christ is denoted the ultimate issue of
 such procession of ,deity into         
manifestation1 namely1 divinity         
individuated by means of its passage    
through matter1 and elaborated by       
co-operation of the ,seven ,spirits of  
,god1 into a perfected spiritual ,ego1  
who is at once ,god and man1 and        
subsists under two modes--the           
microcosmic or individual1 and the      
macrocosmic or universal1 and who is    
always in process of increase1 because1 
in manifestation1 the ,father is greater

 than the ,son2 and the manifest never  
exhausts the unmanifest4  ,now the      
process of the ,christ is by            
regeneration1 and of this1 as has been  
said1 reincarnation is the condition4   
,the ,new ,gospel of ,interpretation    
contains an utterance of ,jesus on this 
subject which will fitly conclude this  
series of examples4 ,it was recovered by
 ,mary under illumination early in      
#ahhj1 and consequently when we had not 
fully come to realise the actuality of  
the doctrine and the possibility of the 
recovery of the memories of past lives4 
,hence she sought from her illuminators 
confirmation of the genuineness of the  
experience1 when she was distinctly and 
positively assured that the incident had
 actually occurred1 and that she had    
borne part in it1 though no record of it
 survives4 ,such is the extrinsic       
testimony on which it rests4 ,we found  
the intrinsic no less satisfactory1     
whether as regards the substance or the 
form4  7#h7 ,concerning the previous    

lines of ,jesus1 and ,reincarnation4    
,this morning between sleeping and      
waking ,i saw myself1 together      with
 many other persons1 walking with ,jesus
 in the fields round      about         
,jerusalem1 and while ,he was speaking  
to us1 a man approached1      who looked
 very earnestly upon ,him4 ,and ,jesus  
turned to us and      said1 ,this man   
whom you see approaching is a seer4 ,he 
can behold      the past lives of a man 
by looking into his face4 ,then1 the man
      being come up to us1 ,jesus took  
him by the hand and said1 ,what         
readest thou8 ,and the man answered1 ,i 
see ,thy past1 ,lord ,jesus1      and   
the ways by which ,thou hast come4 ,and 
,jesus said to him1 ,say      on4 ,so   
the man told ,jesus that he could see   
,him in the past for      many long ages
 back4 ,but of all that he named1 ,i    
remember but one      incarnation1 or1  
perhaps1 one only struck me1 and that   
was ,isaac4      ,and as the man went on
 speaking1 and enumerating the          

incarnations      he saw1 ,jesus waved  
,his right hand twice or thrice before  
his eyes1      and said1 ,it is enough1 
as though ,he wished him not to reveal  
further4 ,then ,i stepped forward from  
the rest and said1 ,lord1 if1      as   
thou hast taught us1 the woman is the   
highest form of humanity1      and the  
last to be assumed1 how comes it that   
,thou1 the ,christ1 art      still in   
the lower form of man8 ,why comest ,thou
 not to lead the      perfect life1 and 
to save the world as woman8 ,for surely 
,thou has      attained to womanhood4   
,and ,jesus answered1 ,i have attained  
to      womanhood1 as thou sayest2 and  
already have ,i taken the form of woman4
 ,but there are three      conditions   
under which the soul returns to the     
man's form2 and they      are these3--  
#ast4 ,when the work which the ,spirit  
proposes to accomplish is of a          
nature unsuitable to the female form4   
#bnd4 ,when the ,spirit has failed to   
acquire1 in the degree      necessary to

 perfection1 certain special attributes 
of the male      character4       #crd4 
,when the ,spirit has transgressed1 and 
gone back in the path      of           
perfection1 by degrading the womanhood  
it had attained4       ,in the first of 
these cases the return to the male form 
is outward      and superficial only4   
,this is my case4 ,i am a woman in all  
save the      body4 ,but had ,my body   
been a woman's1 ,i could not have led   
the life      necessary to the work ,i  
have to perform4 ,i could not have trod 
the      rough ways of the earth1 nor   
have gone about from city to city       
preaching1 nor have fasted on the       
mountains1 nor have fulfilled ,my       
mission of poverty and labour4          
,therefore am ,i--a woman--clothed in   
a man's body that ,i may be enabled to  
do the work set before ,me4       ,the  
second case is that of a soul who1      
having been a woman perhaps      many   
times1 has acquired more aptly and      
readily the higher      qualities of    

womanhood than the lower qualities of   
manhood4 ,such a      soul is lacking in
 energy1 in resoluteness1 in that       
particular      attribute of the ,spirit
 which the prophet ascribes to the ,lord
 when      he says1 ',the ,lord is a    
,man of war4' ,therefore the soul is put
 back      into a man's form to acquire 
the qualities yet lacking4       ,the   
third case is that of the backslider1   
who1 having nearly      attained        
perfection1--perhaps even touched       
it1--degrades and soils      his white  
robe1 and is put back into the lower    
form again4 ,these      are the common  
cases2 for there are few women who are  
worthy to be      women#gi4  7#i7       
,concerning the ,work of ,power4        
,you have asked me if the ,work of      
,power is a difficult one1 and if       
it is open to all4       ,it is open to 
all potentially and eventually1 but not 
actually and      in the present4 ,in   
order to regain power and the           
resurrection1 a      man must be a      

,hierarch2 that is to say1 he must have 
attained the      magical age of        
thirty-three4 ,this age is attained by  
having      accomplished the ,twelve    
,labours1 passed the ,twelve ,gates1    
overcome      the ,five ,senses1 and    
obtained dominion over the ,four        
,spirits of the      elements4 ,he must 
have been born ,immaculate1 baptised    
with ,water      and ,fire1 tempted in  
the ,wilderness1 crucified and buried4  
,he must      have borne ,five ,wounds  
on the ,cross1 and he must have answered
 the      riddle of the ,sphinx4 ,when  
this is accomplished he is free of      
matter1 and will never again have a     
phenomenal body4       ,who shall attain
 to this perfection8 ,the ,man who is   
without fear      and without           
concupiscence2 who has courage to be    
absolutely poor      and absolutely     
chaste4 ,when it is all one to you      
whether you have      gold or whether   
you have none1 whether you have a house 
and lands      or whether you have them 

not1 whether you have worldly reputation
      or whether you are an             
outcast1--then you are voluntarily poor4
 ,it      is not necessary to have      
nothing1 but it is necessary to care for
      nothing4 ,when it is all one to   
you whether you have a wife or          
husband1 or whether you are celibate1   
then you are free from                  
concupiscence4 ,it is not necessary to  
be a virgin2 it is necessary      to set
 no value on the flesh4 ,there is       
nothing so difficult to      attain as  
this equilibrium4 ,who is he who can    
part with his goods      without regret8
 ,who is he who is never consumed by the
 desires of      the flesh8 ,but when   
you have ceased both to wish to retain  
and to      burn1 then you have the     
remedy in your own hands1 and the remedy
 is      a hard and a sharp one1 and a  
terrible ordeal4 ,nevertheless1 be not  
afraid4 ,deny the five senses1 and above
 all the taste and the      touch4 ,the 
power is within you if you will to      

attain it4 ,the ,two      ,seats        
are vacant at the ,celestial ,table1 if 
you will put on ,christ4 ,eat      no   
dead thing4 ,drink no fermented drink4  
,make living elements of      all the   
elements of your body4 ,mortify the     
members of earth4 ,take      your food  
full of life1 and let not the touch of  
death pass upon      it4 ,you understand
 me1 but you shrink4 ,remember that     
without      self-immolation1 there is  
no power over death4 ,deny the touch4   
,seek      no bodily pleasure in sexual 
communion2 let desire be magnetic and   
soulic4 ,if you indulge the body1 you   
perpetuate the body1 and the      end of
 the body is corruption4 ,you understand
 me again1 but you      shrink4         
,remember that without self-denial and  
restraint there is no      power over   
death4 ,deny the taste first1 and it    
will become easier      to deny the     
touch4 ,for to be a virgin is the crown 
of discipline4 ,i      have shown you   
the excellent way1 and it is the ,via   

,dolorosa4      ,judge whether the      
resurrection be worth the passion2      
whether the      kingdom be worth the   
obedience2 whether the power be worth   
the      suffering4 ,when the time of   
your calling comes1 you will no longer  
hesitate4       ,when a man has attained
 power over his body1 the process of    
ordeal      is no longer necessary4 ,the
 ,initiate is under a vow2 the ,hierarch
      is free4 ,jesus1 therefore1 came  
eating and drinking2 for all things     
were lawful to ,him4 ,he had undergone1 
and had freed ,his will4 ,for      the  
object of the trial and the vow is      
polarisation4 ,when the fixed      is   
volatilised1 the ,magian is free4 ,but  
before ,christ was ,christ ,he      was 
subject2 and ,his initiation lasted     
thirty years4 ,all things are           
lawful to the ,hierarch2 for he knows   
the nature and value of      all#hj4    
,this chapter may appropriately         
terminate with a few remarks in reply to
 the inevitable question1 why our       

country and language were selected as   
the place and tongue of the new         
revelation in preference to all others4 
,it is1 as we were enabled to see1      
because the ,british people are         
recognised in the celestial world1 as   
possessing that peculiar quality of soul
 which1 in spite of their many and      
grievous limitations1 has made them to  
be the foremost witness among the       
nations to ,god and the ,conscience1 in 
such wise as to constitute them the     
counterpart of ,israel in the modern    
world4 ,others besides ourselves have   
recognised this characteristic4 ,said   
,milton1 speaking of a crisis which1    
momentous as it was1 pales in presence  
of that which now is1 seeing that       
,religion itself as ,religion was not   
menaced then as in our time--  ,now once
 again1 by all concurrence of signs1 and
 by the general instinct of devout and  
holy men1 as they daily and solemnly    
express their thoughts1 ,god is         
beginning to devise some new and great  

period in ,his ,church1 even to the     
reforming of ,reformation itself4 ,what 
does ,he then1 but address ,himself to  
,his servants1 and--as ,his manner      
is--first to ,his ,englishmen4  ,to     
which we may add in reference to the    
present1 ,and having by the hands of    
,his ,intellectualists1 beaten down the 
false interpretation of ,his holy ,word1
 accomplishing the work of destruction1 
is about by the hands of ,his           
,intuitionalists1 to establish the true 
interpretation1 accomplishing the work  
of re-construction4  ,nor are there     
wanting specific historical facts       
pointing in the same direction4 ,to     
,britain it was given by a timely act of
 revolt against a domination at once    
foreign and sacerdotal1 to rescue the   
letter of ,scripture from suppression   
and virtual extinction at the hands of  
an order bent only on exalting itself at
 whatever cost to truth and humanity4   
,meanwhile1 for three centuries and a   
half--period suggestive of the mystical 

time1 times1 and half a time1--,britain 
has faithfully and lovingly1 albeit     
unintelligently and mistakenly1 guarded 
and cherished the letter thus rescued1  
even to the erecting of it into a       
fetish4 ,and it may well be that she has
 now1 for her guerdon1 been further     
commissioned to be the recipient and    
minister of its interpretation4         
,moreover1 as ,mistress of the ,sea1 the
 especial symbol of the ,soul1 she has a
 prescriptive claim to be the vehicle of
 the latest and crowning message to     
earth1 of which the ,soul herself is at 
once the source1 the subject1 and the   
object4  ,nor are the universality of   
her language and the grandeur of her    
literature elements to be left out of   
consideration4 ,all things point to her 
language as destined to become1         
practically1 the language of the world2 
and hence its peculiar fitness to be the
 vehicle of that eternal gospel which it
 is declared should1 at the end of the  
age1 be proclaimed unto them that dwell 

on the earth1 even unto every nation1   
and tribe1 and tongue1 and people4      
,,footnotes3  #gd ,taste and smell being
 modes of touch4 ,e4,m4  #ge ,i4e41 the 
astral and mental part of man1 which is 
accounted a person or system in itself4 
,e4,m4  #gf ,the ,sacramental bread     
called by the ,hebrews showbread4  #gg  
,see note on p4 #abb1 ante4  #gh ,the   
names ,nyssa1 ,nysa1 ,nysas1 and ,nissi 
are identical with each other1 and also 
with ,sinai1 ,sion1 and those of other  
sacred mounts4 ,for they all are names  
for the ,mount of ,regeneration1 the    
mount or holy hill of the ,lord1 within 
the man1 to be on which is to be in the 
,spirit4 ,the river ,hiddekel has the   
like import4 ,it is the river of the    
soul1 herself fluidic and called ,maria 
7waters71 which1 as the receptacle of   
the divine nucleus1 winds about and     
encompasses the ,spirit4 ,thus ,daniel  
is said to be on ,hiddekel when under   
divine illumination4 7,the ,life of     
,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #dei47  #gi ,a4,k4  

was distinctly and positively assured   
that the incident then shown to her was 
one that actually occurred1 and that she
 had borne part of it though no record  
of it survives4 ,s4,h4,h4  #hj ,this    
instruction is taken from ,the ,life of 
,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #dbd-dbe4          
,,chapter ,,vii4  ,,the ,,promulgation  
,,and ,,recognition4   ,as will readily 
be imagined1 the interest was intense   
with which we watched the progress of   
our work1 in order to see whether the   
crucial event of its promulgation would 
coincide with the date prophesied for   
the turning point between the outgoing  
and the incoming dispensations4 ,the    
predictions covered a period of six     
years1 namely from #ahgf to #ahha       
inclusive4 ,in this period was to be    
laid the foundation of a universal      
kingdom of justice and knowledge1 which 
should constitute the reign of ,michael1
 and spring from a new illumination1 one
 feature of which was to be the return  
of the ,gods in #ahgf4 ,it was in the   

autumn of this year that they first came
 to us1 and the intimation was given us 
that the reign of ,michael was then     
actually commencing2 we having no       
knowledge either of the meaning or of   
the fact of such predictions4 ,for1     
while the ,bible references to ,michael 
were altogether unintelligible to us1 we
 had not learnt to refer the event to   
any assignable period4 ,the fulfilment  
of this prediction disposed us to attach
 value to those which pointed to the    
year #ahha as that in which our         
work--supposing our estimate of its     
significance to be correct--ought to see
 the light4 ,for our illuminators       
observed silence respecting times and   
seasons1 contenting themselves with     
bringing under our notice the books     
containing the predictions1 the         
application being left to our own       
perspicacity4 ,we were powerless to     
influence events1 even had we desired to
 do so4 ,we could but work steadily on1 
as we did1 without haste1 without rest1 

until my colleague had finished her     
university course and obtained her      
diploma4 ,this she accomplished in the  
summer of #ahhj1 soon after which we    
returned to ,england2 and in the summer 
of #ahha we delivered in ,london1 to a  
private audience1 the lectures which    
constituted the first promulgation of   
our work4 ,these were published in the  
following winter under the title of ,the
 ,perfect ,way1 or the ,finding of      
,christ1 our excellent friend at ,paris 
faithfully fulfilling the mission she   
had accepted in relation to us and our  
work#ha4 ,thus were fulfilled exactly   
all the predictions respecting the      
dates1 the character1 and the manner of 
our work4  ,there were many other       
coincidences of a kind so remarkable as 
to make us feel that to ascribe them to 
accident would require a larger measure 
of credulity than to ascribe them to    
design4 ,among the most striking were   
those which concerned ,mary's names1 and
 which were in this wise4  ,when first  

the significance of the ,apocalyptic    
utterance concerning the river          
,euphrates and the kings of the ,east   
was flashed on my mind1 ,i asked her if 
she knew that she was mentioned1 even to
 her very name1 in the book of          
,revelation4 ,to which she replied1     
smiling1 that she had known it for some 
time1 but which of her names did ,i     
mean8 ,i said that ,i meant her married 
surname1 which fitted exactly a way made
 for kings across a river1 by the drying
 up of its waters1 namely a king's ford2
 the ,kings of the ,east1 meaning those 
principles in man whereby he has        
knowledge of divine things--the ,east   
being the mystical expression for the   
place of the dawn of spiritual light1   
such as that of which she was the       
revealer4 ,while the ,euphrates means1  
in the ,apocalypse as in ,genesis1 the  
highest principle in the fourfold kosmos
 of man1 the ,spirit or ,will#hb4 ,only 
when this principle in man is dried up1 
or sublimated by being made one with the

 divine ,will1 is man accessible to the 
divine knowledges brought by the ,kings 
of the ,east4 ,as the channel by which  
these knowledges were being restored to 
the world1 she was the kings' ford      
implied4 ,she then told me1 what ,i had 
not yet observed1 that her baptismal and
 maiden names were equally appropriate1 
as the ,latin for the acceptable year of
 the ,lord1 or good time1 announced as  
to follow the restoration of the        
knowledges brought by the ,kings of the 
,east1 is--allowing for difference of   
gender--,annus ,bonus4 ,the coincidence 
of names did not end here1 for we       
shortly afterwards1 in the course of our
 researches1 came upon an old prophecy  
declaring that the initials of the      
,messenger of the new ,avatar1 due at   
this time1 would be ,a4,k46  ,she       
further identified the ,kings of the    
,east as functions of the three         
principles in man1 the ,spirit1 the     
,soul1 and the ,mind2 being             
respectively1 right aspiration1 which is

 of the ,spirit2 right perception1 which
 is of the ,soul2 and right judgment1   
which is of the ,mind2 the combination  
of which is the necessary and sufficient
 condition of divine knowledge4  ,had we
 been sanguine of a favourable reception
 of our book by the press at            
large--which we were not--our           
disappointment would have been great4   
,but we were by no means prepared either
 for the gross misrepresentation and    
even vulgar ribaldry with which it was  
treated by the few organs in the        
literary press which noticed it at all1 
or for the complete neglect of it by    
that portion of the press which         
especially concerns itself with         
religious exegesis4 ,in no instance was 
any attempt made to exhibit its plan1   
purpose1 and real nature1 or any        
recognition accorded to its luminous    
solutions of the profound problems dealt
 with4 ,the very claim to have          
experiential knowledge of things        
spiritual was accounted an offence2 and 

it seemed as if the word had gone forth 
to adopt towards it an attitude which   
should effectually restrain the public  
from making its acquaintance1 even      
though it met absolutely the need       
recognised on all hands as the world's  
supreme need1 and vindicated its claim  
thereto by the presentation of teachings
 avowedly of divine derivation and      
demonstrating their divinity by their   
intrinsic character to all who are in   
the smallest degree spiritually         
percipient4 ,to this day that attitude  
has never been abandoned or relaxed2 and
 notwithstanding the assiduous          
endeavours made to counteract its       
influence1 the whole mass of our people1
 saving only a few select circles1 have 
yet to learn that the longed-for ,new   
,gospel of ,interpretation has actually 
been vouchsafed1 having been for years  
in their midst waiting but to be        
recognised of them1--a light shining in 
darkness and the darkness comprehending 
it not#hc4  ,in compliance with the     

injunctions of our illuminators1 we had 
withheld our names from our first       
edition1 in order to secure for it a    
judgment unbiased by any personal       
element4 ,but though we ourselves thus  
escaped the opprobrium attaching to our 
book1 ,mary was at first inclined to    
repent of having exposed her pearls to  
such profanation2 and was only reassured
 by the suggestion that it showed how   
desperate was the need for precisely the
 change our work was designed to        
accomplish1 and how exactly was         
fulfilled the prophecy which foretold   
the wrath of the dragon and his angels  
at the advent of the ,woman ,intuition1 
their destined destroyer1 and the       
consequent shortness of their own time4 
,we knew of course better than to regard
 such criticism as being in any sense a 
measure of our work4 ,for us it was1    
like criticism in general1 a measure not
 of the thing criticised but of the     
critics themselves4 ,and these1 in our  
case1 but truly represented the         

condition of the age1 and knew not what 
they were doing4  ,such is the reason   
why so many will hear for the first time
 from this book that a ,new ,gospel of  
,interpretation has been received4 ,to  
turn to the other and compensating side4
 ,with those who were specially         
qualified to judge1 it was far          
otherwise4 ,and among the most notable  
of the recognitions received from this  
quarter was the weighty utterance which 
appears in the preface to the second and
 succeeding editions1 coming from that  
veteran student of the ,divine ,science1
 the friend1 disciple1 and literary heir
 of the renowned ,kabalist and magian1  
the late ,abbe ,constant 7,eliphas      
,levi71 namely1 ,baron ,spedalieri of   
,marseilles1 who though then an entire  
stranger to us1 wrote to us as          
follows--for ,i think it may with       
advantage be reproduced here3--         
,as with the corresponding ,scriptures  
of the past1 the appeal on      behalf  
of your book is1 really1 to miracles1   

but with the      difference that in    
your case they are intellectual ones1   
and      incapable of simulation1 being 
miracles of interpretation4 ,and they   
have the further distinction of doing no
 violence to common sense      by       
infringing the possibilities of ,nature2
 while they are in      complete accord 
with all mystical traditions1 and       
especially with      the great ,mother  
of these1 the ,kabala4 ,that miracles   
such as ,i am      describing are to be 
found in ,the ,perfect ,way1 in kind and
 number      unexampled1 they who are   
the best qualified to judge will be the 
most ready to affirm4       ,and here1  
apropos of these renowned ,scriptures1  
permit me to      offer you some remarks
 on the ,kabala as we have it4 ,it is my
      opinion--       7#a7 ,that this   
tradition is far from being genuine1 and
 such as it      was on its original    
emergence from the sanctuaries4         
7#b7 ,that when ,guillaume ,postel--of  
excellent memory--and his      brother  

,hermetists of the later middle age--the
 ,abbot ,trithemius      and            
others--predicted that these sacred     
books of the ,hebrews should      become
 known and understood at the end of the 
era1 and specified      the present time
 for that event1 they did not mean that 
such      knowledge should be limited to
 the mere divulgement of these          
particular ,scriptures1 but that it     
would have for its base a new           
illumination1 which should eliminate    
from      them all that has been        
ignorantly or wilfully introduced1 and  
should re-unite that great tradition    
with its source by restoring      it in 
all its purity4       7#c7 ,that this   
illumination has just been accomplished1
 and has      been manifested in ,the   
,perfect ,way4 ,for in this book we find
 all      that there is of truth in the 
,kabala1 supplemented by new            
intuitions1 such as present a body of   
doctrine at once complete1              
homogeneous1 logical and inexpungnable4 

,since the whole tradition thus finds   
itself recovered or restored      to its
 original purity1 the prophecies of     
,postel and his      fellow-,hermetists 
are accomplished2 and ,i consider that  
from      henceforth the study of the   
,kabala will be but an object of        
curiosity and erudition1 like that of   
,hebrew antiquities4       ,humanity has
 always and everywhere asked itself     
these three      supreme questions3     
,whence come we8 ,what are we8 ,whither 
go we8 ,now1      these questions at    
length find an answer1 complete1        
satisfactory1      and consolatory1 in  
,the ,perfect ,way#hd4  ,he subsequently
 wrote3--       ,if the ,scriptures of  
the future are to be1 as ,i firmly      
believe      they will be1 those which  
best interpret the ,scriptures of the   
past1 these writings will assuredly hold
 the foremost place among      them#he4 
,for those who are unacquainted with the
 ,kabala1 its origin1 nature1 and       
intent1 it will be well to state that it

 represents the transcendental and      
esoteric doctrine of the ,hebrews1 as   
handed down from the remotest times4 ,in
 recognition of its divine origin1 the  
,rabbins describe it as having been     
communicated by ,god1 first1 to ,adam in
 ,paradise1 and1 next1 to ,moses on     
,sinai4 ,by which expressions they      
implied that its doctrine was due to the
 highest possible illumination4  ,it was
 also in recognition of this element in 
our book that ,mr4 ,mac,gregor ,mathers 
dedicated his learned work1 ,the ,kabala
 ,unveiled1 to us1 saying--       ,i    
have much pleasure in dedicating this   
work to the authors of      ,the        
,perfect ,way1 as they have in that     
excellent and wonderful      book       
touched so much on the doctrines of the 
,kabala1 and laid such      value on its
 teachings4 ,the ,perfect ,way is one of
 the most deeply      occult works that 
has been written for centuries4  ,as the
 foregoing testimonies represent the    
consensus of the ,kabalists1            

,hermetists1 and other great ancient    
schools of spiritual science in the     
,west1 so the following represents the  
consensus of the corresponding schools  
of the ,east4 ,as will be seen1 it      
involves a coincidence so notable as to 
point to a source transcending the human
 and terrestrial1 as that of the great  
spiritual revival which our age is      
witnessing4 ,that coincidence is in this
 wise3--  ,within two years of the      
commencement of our collaboration in the
 work which proved to be that of the    
restoration of the ,gnosis of the       
,west--the divine doctrine of which1 as 
we had come to learn1 ,christ was the   
personal demonstration1 and the religion
 called after ,him ought to have been   
the expression2 a collaboration was     
commenced which had for its end the like
 exposition in regard to the religious  
systems of the ,east4 ,this is the      
collaboration1 also of a woman and a    
man1 which had its issue in the         
,theosophical ,society4 ,the two pairs  

of collaborators worked simultaneously  
through the succeeding years in entire  
ignorance of each other and their work1 
until the commencement of the           
publication of our results in #ahha1 at 
which time the ,theosophical ,society   
was still so far from having completed  
the system of its doctrine1 that neither
 of its two now fundamental tenets had  
yet been recognised by it1 the tenets1  
namely1 of ,reincarnation and           
,karma--its chief text-book1 the ,isis  
,unveiled of its foundress1 not         
containing them4 ,we1 on the contrary1  
had both of these doctrines1 having     
derived them1 as already stated herein1 
directly from celestial sources and     
wholly independently of human authority 
and tradition1 of spiritualism1 and of  
our own prepossessions4  ,it was clear1 
both by this fact and by the avowals of 
the parties concerned1 that up to this  
time the chiefs of the ,theosophical    
,society had been unable to obtain from 
those whom they claimed as their masters

 more than a very meagre instalment of  
their doctrine4 ,but after the arrival  
of our book in ,india this state of     
things was changed4 ,it was then        
declared on behalf of the masters that  
we had obtained1 from original and      
independent sources1 a system of        
doctrine substantially identical with   
that of which they had for ages been1 as
 they supposed1 in exclusive possession1
 but had never been permitted to        
divulge1 as it had always been reserved 
for initiates4 ,the revelation of it    
through us1 we were further informed1   
had forced the hands of the masters1 by 
showing them that the time had come when
 secrecy was no longer possible1 and    
compelling them1 if only in vindication 
of their own claims1 to relax their rule
 of silence in regard to their          
mysteries4  ,the coincidence between    
their doctrine and ours comprised sundry
 particulars the most recondite1        
including--besides the two great tenets 
already named--the multiplicity of      

principles in the human system1 and     
their separation and respective         
conditions after death1--a subject lying
 outside the cognisance of              
,spiritualism4 ,among other points of   
agreement was that of their recognition 
of the great antiquity of the soul of   
,mary1 whom they pronounced to be the   
greatest natural mystic of the present  
day1 and countless ages ahead of the    
great majority of mankind1 the foremost 
of whom--the most civilised--belong to  
the last race of the fourth round1 while
 she belongs to the first race of the   
fifth round4  ,in presence of these and 
other proofs of the possession by the   
,eastern occultists1 of knowledges which
 we had obtained directly at first hand 
from celestial sources1 we could not but
 pay respectful heed to the claims of   
the representatives of the ,theosophical
 ,society1 and welcome any token which  
might indicate it as a destined         
fellow-agent in the great spiritual     
revival of the age4 ,so might it        

constitute1 with ,spiritualism and the  
work represented by us1 a threefold     
power for accomplishing the promotion   
predicted for this era1 of the          
consciousness of the race to a level    
which should transcend any yet reached  
by it as a race4 ,with ,spiritualism to 
represent the phenomenal and personal1  
,theosophy the philosophical and occult1
 and our own work the mystical and      
divine1 every region of man's higher    
nature would find its due recognition   
and unfoldment4 ,meanwhile1 the organ of
 the ,society in ,india thus expressed  
itself respecting ,the ,perfect ,way3-- 
,a grand book1 keen of insight and      
eloquent in exposition2 an      upheaval
 of true spirituality4444 ,we regard its
 authors as having      produced one of 
the most--perhaps the most--important   
and      spirit-stirring of appeals to  
the highest instincts of mankind        
which modern ,european literature has   
evolved#hf4  ,we had a yet further      
warrant1 derived from ,scripture itself1

 for looking to the ,theosophical       
,society as possibly a divinely         
appointed factor in the spiritual       
evolution of the time4 ,the unsealing of
 the ,world's ,bibles was upon us1 and  
not of that of ,christendom only4 ,and  
we saw in the following saying of ,jesus
 an obvious allusion to the present     
epoch1 ,in those days many shall come   
from the ,east1 and the ,west1 and the  
,north1 and the ,south1 and shall sit   
down with ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 
in the kingdom of heaven4 ,not that the 
terms ,east1 ,west1 ,north1 and ,south1 
denoted for us the quarters of the      
physical globe4 ,we had learnt to       
understand them in their mystical sense1
 wherein they denote the various human  
temperaments1 the intuitional1 the      
traditional1 the intellectual1 and the  
emotional1 all of which would find      
satisfaction in the doctrine then to be 
recovered4 ,it was in the terms         
,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 that the  
significance of the utterance lay for   

us2 these being in one aspect the       
,hebrew equivalents for ,brahma1 ,isis1 
and ,iacchos1 and denoting the mysteries
 respectively of ,india1 ,egypt1 and    
,greece1 of the ,spirit1 the ,soul1 and 
the ,body1 and therein of the whole     
,man4 ,for these mysteries together     
comprised the perfect doctrine of       
,existence1 called also in ,scripture   
the ,word of ,god1 the ,law and the     
,prophets1 and the ,theou ,sophia1      
,wisdom of ,god1 and hidden ,wisdom1 of 
which the ,christ1 as the typical ,man  
regenerate1 is the fulfilment and       
personal demonstration4 ,this is to say1
 they constituted that ,gnosis1 or      
,knowledge1 with the taking away and    
withholdment of the key of which ,jesus 
so bitterly reproached1 in the          
,ecclesiasticism of ,his time1 that of  
all time1 and1 therefore1 that knowledge
 to the restoration of which1 in our    
day1 through the faculty by means of    
which it was originally obtained and can
 alone be discerned1 the prophecies one 

and all pointed1 as to mark and to make 
the time of the end of the adulterous1  
because idolatrous1 generation1 hitherto
 in possession in the ,church1 and to   
introduce the kingdom of ,god with      
power4  ,having warrant so high for     
anticipating the restoration at this    
time of the faculties and knowledges    
represented by the various movements in 
question1 and knowing also1 if only by  
the example of ourselves1 that the      
divinity of a mission is not invalidated
 by the limitations1 real or supposed1  
of its instruments1 but that these must 
be educated by experience1 and in such  
sense perfected through suffering to be 
fitted for their appointed tasks2--we   
had no doubt as to the attitude it was  
our duty to maintain towards all        
candidates for a share in that which we 
recognised as the greatest of all the   
endeavours yet made by the human soul to
 regain her long-lost rightful dominion 
over the minds and hearts of men1       
leaving it to time to determine that    

which was of divine appointment1 and    
that which was not4  ,it will have been 
observed that ,i have used the terms    
mystical and occult in such wise as to  
imply a distinction between them4 ,it is
 important to the purpose of this book  
to define and emphasise that            
distinction4 ,the instructions received 
by us from our illuminators were        
explicit and positive on this point4    
,this is because they refer to two      
different domains of man's system4      
,occultism deals with transcendental    
physics1 and is of the intellectual1    
belonging to science4 ,mysticism deals  
with transcendental metaphysics1 and is 
of the spiritual1 belonging to religion4
 ,occultism1 therefore1 has for its     
domain the region which1 lying between  
the body and the soul1 is interior to   
the body but exterior to the soul2 while
 ,mysticism has for its domain the      
region which1 comprising the soul and   
the spirit1 is interior to the soul1 and
 belongs to the divine4 ,of course1 the 

terms themselves1 which are respectively
 the ,latin and the ,greek for the same 
thing1 and mean hidden from the outer   
senses and also from non-initiates1 do  
not imply such distinction1 but they    
have come by usage to be thus referable4
  ,the following citations are from the 
teachings received by us in this        
connection4 ,they account for the       
scientific part of the training imposed 
on us4       ,the science of the        
,mysteries can be understood only by one
 who has      studied the physical      
sciences1 because it is the climax and  
crown      of all these1 and must be    
learned last and not first4 ,unless thou
      understand the physical           
sciences1 thou canst not comprehend the 
doctrine of ,vehicles1      which is the
 basic doctrine of occult science4 ',if 
thou understood      not earthly things1
 how shall ,i make thee understand      
heavenly      things8' ,wherefore1 get  
knowledge1 and be greedy of knowledge1  
ever      more and more4 ,it is idle for

 thee to seek the inner chamber1 until  
thou hast passed through the outer4     
,this1 also1 is another reason      why 
occult science cannot be unveiled to the
 horde4 ,to the      unlearned no truth 
can be demonstrated4 ,theosophy is the  
royal      science#hg2 if thou would    
reach the king's presence chamber1 there
      is no way save through the outer  
rooms and galleries of the              
palace#hh4       ,the adept or occultist
 is1 at best1 a religious scientist2 he 
is      not a 'saint4' ,if occultism    
were all1 and held the key of heaven1   
there would be no need of ',christ4'    
,but occultism1 although it      holds  
the 'power1' holds neither the 'kingdom'
 nor the 'glory1' for      these are of 
,christ4 ,the adept knows not the       
kingdom of heaven1 and      'the least  
in this kingdom are greater than he4'   
',desire first the kingdom of ,god and  
,god's righteousness2 and      all these
 things shall be added unto you4' ,as   
,jesus said of      ,prometheus#hi1     

',take no thought for to-morrow4 ,behold
 the lilies      of the field and the   
birds of the air1 and trust ,god as     
these1' ,for      the saint has faith2  
the adept has knowledge4 ,if the adepts 
in      occultism or in physical science
 could suffice to man1 ,i would have    
committed no message to you4 ,but the   
two are not in opposition4      ,all    
things are yours1 even the kingdom and  
the power1 but the glory      is to     
,god4 ,do not be ignorant of their      
teaching1 for ,i would have      you    
know all4 ,take1 therefore1 every means 
to know4 ,this knowledge      is of man1
 and cometh from the mind4 ,go1         
therefore1 to man to learn      it4 ',if
 you will be perfect1 learn also of     
these4' ',yet the wisdom      which is  
from above1 is above all4' ,for one man 
may begin from      within1 that is1    
with wisdom1 and wisdom is one with     
love4 ,blessed      is the man who      
chooseth wisdom1 for she leaveneth all  
things4 ,and      another man may begin 

from without1 and that which is without 
is      power4 ,to such there shall be a
 thorn in the flesh#ij4 ,for it is      
hard in such case to attain to the      
within4 ,but if a man be first      wise
 inwardly1 he shall the more easily have
 this also added unto      him4 ,for he 
is born again and is free4 ,whereas at a
 great price      must the adept buy    
freedom4 ,nevertheless1 ,i bid you      
seek2--and in      this also you shall  
find4 ,but ,i have shown you a more     
excellent way      than theirs4 ,yet    
both ,ishmael and ,isaac are sons of one
 father1 and      of all her children is
 ,wisdom justified4 ,so neither are they
 wrong1      nor are you led astray4    
,the goal is the same2 but their way is 
harder than yours4 ,they take the       
kingdom by violence1 if they take       
it1 and by much toil and agony of the   
flesh4 ,but from the time of            
,christ within you1 the kingdom is open 
to the sons of ,god4 ,receive      what 
you can receive2 ,i would have you know 

all things4 ,and if you      have served
 seven years for wisdom1 count it not   
loss to serve      seven years for power
 also4 ,for if ,rachel bear the best    
beloved1      ,leah hath many sons1 and 
is exceeding fruitful4 ,but her eye is  
not      single2 she looketh two ways1  
and seeketh not that which is above     
only4 ,but to you ,rachel is given      
first1 and perchance her beauty      may
 suffice4 ,i say not1 let it suffice2 it
 is better to know all      things1 for 
if you know not all1 how can you judge  
all8 ,for as a      man heareth1 so must
 he judge4 ,will you therefore be       
regenerate in      the without1 as well 
as in the within8 ,for they are renewed 
in the      body1 but you in the soul4  
,it is well to be baptised into ,john's 
baptism1 if a man receive also the ,holy
 ,ghost4 ,but some know not so      much
 as that there is any ,holy ,ghost4 ,yet
 ,jesus also1 being ,himself            
regenerate in the spirit1 sought unto   
the ,baptism of ,john1 for thus      it 

became ,him to fulfil ,himself in all   
things4 ,and having      fulfilled1     
behold1 the ',dove' descended on ,him4  
,if then you will be      perfect1 seek 
both that which is within and that which
 is without2      and the circle of     
being1 which is the 'wheel of life1'    
shall be      complete in you4  ,the    
,scriptural allusions in this teaching1 
which was received by ,mary under       
illumination occurring in sleep1 proved 
to be on the lines of the ,kabala4      
,there were sundry other tokens of      
recognition which are entitled to       
reproduction here1 as showing to how    
wide a range of educated and intelligent
 opinion within the pale of             
,christianity our work appeals4 ,their  
value is due to their representing a    
class of minds which1 while possessed of
 the ordinary ecclesiastical training1  
are not restricted to the knowledge     
thereby acquired4 ,for1 seeing that such
 training means little1 if anything1    
more than the mechanical learning of    

what other men have said who1           
themselves1 had no real knowledge1 the  
opinions1 expressed on the strength of  
it1 are neither educated nor            
intelligent1 but adoptive only and      
perfunctory1 and represent learning     
without insight4 ,and as such precisely 
are the opinions which constitute       
ecclesiastical orthodoxy1 the judgment  
of the representatives of that orthodoxy
 on our work possesses no more real     
value than did that of ,caiaphas and his
 coadjutors on ,jesus and ,his work#ia4 
,denouncing ,him as a blasphemer1 they  
were themselves blasphemers4 ,and       
inasmuch as they were types of the      
votaries of ecclesiastical orthodoxy of 
all time1 it is obvious that the only   
new revelation--if any--which would find
 acceptance at their hands1 would be one
 that confirmed and reinforced their    
errors1 instead of exposing and         
correcting them4 ,proceeding1 as was    
declared by ,jesus1 from their father1  
the devil1 a priest-constructed system  

ever prefers ,barabbas to               
,christ2--prefers1 that is1 a system    
which defrauds--hence the force of the  
term robber as applied to ,barabbas--man
 of the divine potentialities which     
,christ came to reveal to him by        
demonstrating them in ,his own person1  
together with the manner of their       
realisation4  ,not that all who bear the
 title of ,ecclesiastics come under this
 condemnation4 ,in every age of the     
,church there have been those who1 while
 holding office in it1 have not         
consented to the ,scarlet ,woman of     
,sacerdotalism4 ,and never was there a  
time when the proportion of these was   
larger1 or when their sense of the need 
of a ,new ,gospel of ,interpretation was
 more keen and urgent than now3 so      
intolerable to multitudes of the clergy 
of all sections of the ,church has      
become the antagonism recognised by them
 as subsisting between the traditional  
and official presentation of religion   
and their own clear perceptions of      

goodness and truth#ib4  ,the testimonies
 which remain to be added are valuable  
as coming from men who1 while possessed 
of ecclesiastical training1 have been   
taught also of the ,spirit1 and1 adding 
to tradition intuition1 and to learning 
insight1 have in themselves the witness 
to that which they utter4  ,a           
distinguished ,french ecclesiastic1 the 
,abbe ,roca1 writing in ,l',aurore1 says
 of our books--       ,these books seem 
to me to be the chosen organs of the    
,divine      ,feminine 7i4e4 the        
interpretative7 ,principle1 in view of  
the      new revelation of ,revelation4 
,by which it will be seen that he shared
 ,cardinal ,newman's expectation        
referred to in the introduction2 and    
accepted as realised the forecast of    
,joseph de ,maistre when he said        
,religion and ,science1 in virtue of    
their natural affinity1 will meet in the
 brain of some man of genius--perhaps of
 more than one--and the world will get  
what it needs and cries for1 not a new  

religion1 but the revelation of         
,revelation4 ,as the event shows1 for   
the brain of some man1 he should have   
said the mind and soul of a woman4  ,the
 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,john ,pulsford1 author of  
,the ,supremacy of ,man1 ,quiet ,hours1 
,morgenrothe1 and other works           
distinguished for the depth of their    
piety and insight1 thus wrote to me on  
the publication of ,clothed with the    
,sun--       ,i cannot tell you with    
what thankfulness and pleasure ,i have  
read      ,clothed with the ,sun4 ,it is
 impossible for a spiritually           
intelligent reader to doubt that these  
teachings were received from      within
 the astral veil4 ,they are full of the 
concentrated and      compact wisdom of 
the ,holy ,heavens and of ,god4 ,if     
,christians knew      their own         
religion1 they would find in these      
priceless records our      ,lord ,christ
 and ,his vital process abundantly      
illustrated and      confirmed4 ,the    
regret is that so few1 comparatively1   

who read the      book1 will be aware of
 the tithe of its pearls4 ,but that such
      communications are possible1 and  
are permitted to be given to the        
world1 is a sign1 and a most promising  
sign of our age4       ,it is no little 
joy to me to feel that ,i am so much    
more in      sympathy with ,god's       
daughter1 the ,seeress1 than ,i         
supposed4 ,the      testimony is so     
clearly above1 and distinct from1 aught 
that is      derived from the occult    
powers of the universe1 rather than from
      the ,supreme ,spirit and          
,father-,mother of our ,spirits4        
,another notable student of spiritual   
science1 a ,priest1 writing in ,light of
 #bast ,october1 #ahhb1 after describing
 ,the ,perfect ,way as that most        
wonderful of all books which has        
appeared since the beginning of the     
,christian ,era1 said3--,it is a book   
that no student can be without if he    
will know the truth on these matters4   
,it furnishes us with a master-key to   

the phenomena which so perplex the minds
 of enquirers1 and gives a system1 the  
like of which has not been seen for     
eighteen centuries4 ,the late ,rev4     
,john ,manners1 a man venerable of years
 and mature of spirit1 and deeply versed
 in the sciences of both worlds1        
declared of these illuminations1 the    
,great ,i ,am speaks in every line of   
them4 ,only the ,logos ,himself could be
 their source4 ,lady ,caithness1 already
 referred to1 upon receiving a copy of  
,the ,perfect ,way1 wrote3 ,i have got  
another ,bible1 the most complete       
,revelation1 certainly1 that has yet    
been given to man on this planet#ic4    
,and a ,parsee scholar1 a native of     
,india1 wrote3 ,the ,perfect ,way has   
made me a much nobler man--a man of     
tranquility and calmness1 due to the    
knowledge of the philosophy of ,being   
imbibed by me from it1 and for which my 
mind was fortunately prepared#id4       
99       99       99       99       99  
,as stated in the preface1 this present 

book is intended but as an epitome and  
instalment of the far larger book in    
course of preparation4 ,for1 as with the
 old ,gospel of ,manifestation1 so with 
the ,new ,gospel of ,interpretation1 the
 excusable hyperbole is no less         
appropriate to it1--,i suppose that even
 the world itself could not contain the 
books which might be written4  ,for the 
human soul is a theme as inexhaustible  
as it is paramount4 ,and1 as never in   
the world's history have the need and   
the desire for the knowledge of it been 
so urgent as they now are1 so never in  
the world's history has there been a    
revelation of it comparable with that   
which has been vouchsafed in our day1   
and is contained in the narrative1 the  
completion of which1 and this alone1    
will enable me to depart in peace1      
having no apprehension of after         
disquietude on the score of having left 
unaccomplished a portion so important of
 the task committed to me4   ,,the      
,,end4   ,illustration  ,,footnotes3    

#ha ,the ,french edition1 subsequently  
issued at ,paris1 is also due to her    
zeal and generosity4 ,see p4 #acg1 ante4
  #hb ,for the meaning of the ,four     
,rivers of ,eden see ,p4 ,w41 vi4 par4  
#f4 ,see note on p4 #agb1 ante as to    
meaning of river ,hiddekel4  #hc ,this  
indictment is as true to-day as it was  
twelve years ago1 when the above passage
 was written4 ,s4,h4,h4  #hd ,cited from
 the preface to the second and          
succeeding editions of ,the ,p4 ,w4  #he
 ,cited from ,the ,life of ,a4,k4 ,vol4 
,,ii4 p4 #aee4  #hf ,the ,theosophist1  
,may1 #ahhb4  #hg ,the term ,theosophy  
is here used in its ,pauline and ancient
 sense of the science of the realisation
 of man's potential divinity2--the      
process1 that is1 of the ,christ4--#a   
,cor4 ii4 #g4 ,e4,m4  #hh ,from an      
address given on the #agth ,july1 #ahhc1
 by ,a4,k4 to the ,theosophical         
,society1 a full report of which is     
given in ,the ,life of ,a4,k4 ,vol4     
,,ii4 pp4 #abd-abh4  #hi ,a term which  

signifies forethought4 ,the remonstrance
 is against undue anxiety and alarm on  
the soul's behalf while in the path of  
duty1 as implying distrust of the divine
 sufficiency4 ,e4,m4  #ij ,meaning that 
in such case the flesh itself is the    
impediment4  #ia ,in a letter on ,the   
,church and the ,bible1 in the ,agnostic
 ,journal of #eth ,january1 #ahie1      
,e4,m4 says3--  ,among the fallacies to 
be discarded is the fallacy which       
consists in believing that the ,church1 
so vehemently denounced in its own      
sacred books for its manifold1 grievous1
 and fatal perversions of the truth     
contained in those books1 and so        
ignorant as to be unaware either of the 
source or of the meaning of its own     
dogmas1 must understand its doctrines   
better than ,i understand them1 whose   
high privilege it is to have been one of
 the two recipients of the ,new ,gospel 
of ,interpretation1 which has been      
vouchsafed expressly to correct those   
perversions1 and who not only have that 

gospel by heart1 but who know absolutely
 by my own soul's experience--as also   
did my colleague--the truth of every    
word of it4 7,a long extract from this  
letter1 including the above1 is printed 
in the appendix to ,b4,o4,a4,i4 p4 #hc47
 ,s4,h4,h4  #ib ,see also ,e4,m4's      
remarks to the same effect in the       
,statement ,e4,c4,u4 pp4 #aj-aa4  #ic   
,see ,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 pp4       
#eb-ec4  #id ,see ,life ,a4,k4 ,vol4    
,,ii4 p4 #bda4     ,,scriptures ,,of    
,,the ,,future4   ,books rapidly coming 
into use in the ,roman1 ,greek and      
,anglican communions as the text-books  
which represent the prophesied          
restoration of the ,ancient ,esoteric   
doctrine which1 by interpreting the     
mysteries of religion1 should reconcile 
faith and reason1 religion and science1 
and accomplish the downfall of that     
sacerdotal system1 which--making the    
word of ,god of none effect by its      
traditions--has hitherto usurped the    
name and perverted the truth of         

,christianity4 ,their standpoint is that
 ,christian doctrines1 when rightly     
understood1 are necessary and           
self-evident truths1 recognisable as    
founded in and representing the actual  
nature of existence1 incapable of being 
conceived of as otherwise1 and          
constituting a system of thought at once
 scientific1 philosophic and religious1 
absolutely inexpugnable1 and            
satisfactory to man's highest           
aspirations1 intellectual1 moral and    
spiritual4  ,the ,perfect ,way2 or ,the 
,finding of ,christ4 ,by ,anna          
,kingsford and ,edward ,maitland4 ,third
 ,english ,edition1 ,price #fs4 net4    
,the ,life of ,anna ,kingsford2 by      
,edward ,maitland4 ,a new edition in    
preparation4  ,the ,new ,gospel of      
,interpretation2 being an ,abstract of  
the doctrine and ,statement of the      
objects of ,the ,esoteric ,christian    
,union1 founded by ,edward ,maitland1   
,nov41 #ahia4  ,the ,story of ,anna     
,kingsford and ,edward ,maitland1 and of

 ,the ,new ,gospel of ,interpretation2  
by ,edward ,maitland4 ,third and        
enlarged ,edition1 #bbh pp41 edited by  
,samuel ,hopgood ,hart1 ,cloth ,gilt1   
,back and ,side2 ,price #cs4 #f;d4 net2 
,post ,free #cs4 #aj;d4 ,the ,ruskin    
,press1 ,stafford ,street1 ,birmingham4 
,the ,bible's ,own ,account of ,itself2 
by ,edward ,maitland4 ,second ,edition1 
edited by ,saml4 ,hopgood ,hart1        
complete1 with ,appendix4 ,crown #hvo4  
#if pp41 ,stiff ,paper ,covers1 ,price  
#f;d42 ,post ,free #g;d12 or in ,cloth  
,covers1 ,gilt1 #as4 #f;d4 net2 ,post   
,free #as4 #h;d4 ,the ,ruskin ,press1   
,birmingham4  ,all the above ,works may 
be obtained from  ,,the ,,ruskin        
,,press1 ,,stafford ,,street1           
,,birmingham4  7,postages in addition to
 the above ,prices47  ,some ,testimonies
 of notable profiolents in religious    
science4       ,if the ,scriptures of   
the future are to be1 as ,i firmly      
believe      they will be1 those which  
best interpret the ,scriptures of the   

past1 these writings will assuredly hold
 the foremost place among      them4444 
,they present a body of doctrine at once
 complete1      homogeneous1 logical and
 inexpugnable1 in which the three       
supreme      questions1 ,whence come we8
 ,what are we8 ,whither go we8 at length
      find an answer1 complete1         
satisfactory1 and consolatory4--,,baron 
,,spedalieri 7,the ,kabalist74       ,it
 is impossible for a spiritually        
intelligent reader to doubt      that   
these teachings were received from      
within the astral veil4      ,they are  
full of the concentrated and compact    
wisdom of the ,holy      ,heavens and of
 ,god4 ,if ,christians knew their own   
religion1 they      would find in these 
priceless records our ,lord ,christ and 
,his vital      process abundantly      
illustrated and confirmed4 ,that such   
communications are possible1 and are    
permitted to be given to the      world1
 in a sign1 and a most promising sign1  
of our age4--,,rev4 ,,dr4      ,,john   

,,pulsford4     ,,the ,,bible',s ,,own  
,,account ,,of ,,itself4  ,by ,,edward  
,,maitland 7,b4,a41 ,cantab7   ,author  
of ,the ,keys of the ,creeds1 ,the      
,story of the ,new ,gospel of           
,interpretation1 ,the ,life of ,anna    
,kingsford1 etc42 and ,joint ,writer    
with ,dr4 ,anna ,kingsford of ,the      
,perfect ,way1 etc4  ,,edited ,,by      
,,samuel ,,hopgood ,,hart4  ,second     
,edition1 7,complete7 with ,appendix1   
,,price ,,sixpence4  ,or in ,cloth      
,covers1 gilt1 ,one ,shilling and       
,sixpence4  ,now there come out of the  
darkness and the storm which shall arise
 upon the earth1 two dragons4 ,and they 
fight and tear each other1 until there  
arises a star1 a fountain of light1 a   
queen1 who is ,esther4--,the ,vision of 
,mordecai1 as interpreted in ,clothed   
with the ,sun1 ,i41 ,,ix4  ,,birmingham3
 ,the ,ruskin ,press1 ,stafford ,st41   
and all ,booksellers4   ,,some ,,press  
,,opinions  ,,of  ,the ,story of ,anna  
,kingsford and ,edward ,maitland and of 

,the ,new ,gospel of ,interpretation4   
,literary ,world--,a strangely          
interesting book--very curious--few who 
have any sympathy with mental phenomena 
of the 'occult' kind will fail to read  
it with sustained interest4  ,light--,a 
psychic history of umblemished veracity 
and astounding facts--supremely         
interesting--'full of beauty and perfect
 simplicity of purpose'--and showing    
that the 'fig-tree of the inward        
understanding is no longer barren1 but  
has budded and blossomed and borne      
fruit4'  ,church ,bells1 #bgth ,april1  
#ahid--,mr4 ,maitland has written a     
fascinating book4  ,the ,gentleman's    
,journal1 ,march1 #ahid--,nothing ,mr4  
,maitland writes would ,i like to       
miss--,i never study his searching and  
striking pages without profit4          
,agnostic ,journal--,a fascinating      
volume--the history of a work calculated
 to effect a fundamental revolution in  
religion--told in language which leaves 
nothing to be desired4  ,the            

,illustrated ,church ,news1 #cast       
,march1 #ahid--,this work is to         
,christians of real interest2 for it    
enables them to study ,gnosticism alive 
and vigorous in the nineteenth century4 
,brighouse ,gazette--,one of those      
really great books associated with the  
names of ,anna ,kingsford and ,edward   
,maitland4  ,the ,unknown ,world--,there
 is no man now known to be living in    
,england who has had such an abundant   
transcendental experience4              
,,religion ,,and ,,mental ,,phenomena4  
,from the ,christian ,union4   ,whatever
 may be said in favour or disfavour of  
,mr4 ,edward ,maitland's ,story of the  
,new ,gospel of ,interpretation1 it is  
one of the most remarkable and most     
fascinating books on mental-visional    
perceptions of ,divine ,revelation that 
has appeared at any time4 ,it is a book 
that carries the reader away from the   
materialistic to the mystical and       
spiritual4 ,the author claims to bring  
to the old revelation a new             

interpretation1 or more correctly1 to   
restore the original and spiritual      
interpretation which has been lost      
through literalism4 ,according to the   
narrative1 the two persons concerned    
were for some years in reception of     
revelations which convinced them that   
they had been enabled to tap a boundless
 reservoir of wisdom and knowledge      
before the method and source were       
declared to them4444 ,at length it was  
made clear to them that the knowledges  
they had acquired were due to           
intuitional recollection occuring under 
,divine illumination4 ,inborn knowledge 
and the perception of things--these are 
the sources of ,revelation4 ,the soul of
 the man instructeth him1 having already
 learned by experience4 ,intuition is   
inborn experience1 that which the soul  
knoweth of old and of former lives4 ,the
 ordinary mind will doubtless be ready  
to pronounce it to be strange mental    
phenomena1 and nothing more4 ,but surely
 mental phenomena of an extraordinary   

character must have an extraordinary use
 and purpose4 ,and so few persons know  
enough of the psyhic powers latent in   
man1 to be able to believe in the       
reality of these manifestations4444 ,the
 nature of the results is such as to    
negative all materialistic explanations4
 ,for the knowledges recovered are real1
 solving problems in the profoundest    
domains of theology1 hitherto given up  
as mysteries hopeless of solution4 ,and 
they are being thus recognised far and  
wide by the profoundest students of     
spiritual science4444 ,judge the story  
of the ,new ,gospel of ,interpretation  
in what light we may1 it has in it all  
the evidences of a marvellous work in   
its mental and spiritual conception1    
exposition1 interpretation1             
illustration1 and ,divine communication4
 ,it stands out conspicuously as a      
fuller development of ,biblical truth1  
such as ,cardinal ,newman must have     
anticipated when he said that he saw no 
hope for religion1 save in a new        

,revelation4  ,,the ,,ruskin ,,press4   
,,stafford ,,street1 ,,birmingham1      
,,printers4          99       99        
99       99       99  ,transcribers     
notes3  ,maintained original spelling   
and punctuation4  ,silently corrected   
obvious typesetting errors4