The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-21
SEVEN FOLD MAN.
TheOsophic Lecture on Septenary
Principles.

Red Mems Hall, 800 Post street. was more
than filled last night to hear the lecture by
Miss Marie A. Walsh before the Theo-
sophical Society on the "Septenary Prin-
ciples of Man."
The lecture was preceded by reading Of
the objects of the society, which is body
of students bound together by common
ethical idea This bond is a belief in the
brotherhood of man, and an active desire
for its realization.
Of the three avowed objects of the So
ciety that is the first and principal one, and
is thus officially stated "To form nu-
cleus of brotherhood of humanity without
distinction of race. creed, sex, caste or
color"
The other two objects relate to the
studies pursued, which are the literatures,
Oriental nations, the occult forces of nature
and the latent powers in man. The pur-
suit Of these studies, however. is not essen
tial to membership and is optional.
Theosophy is not. as ordinarily under
stood, a religion or a philosophy. 1t is the
essential truths underlying all religions
and PHILOSOPHERS. The society, as such,
puts forth no theories, no creed or dogma
for acceptance and claims no allegiance to
nor exercises authority.
Miss Walsh prefaced her lecture with
statement of the multitude of examples of
the association of seven objects or parts, as
the seven colors in the prism, seven days
in the week, etc. Continuing she said:
There has been considerable misunder-
standing as to what soul is. Some think
that soul and spirit are one and the same.
In that they are mistaken, The soul is
body or vehicle of attenuated matter for
the spirit. The soul is like the ether, which
you all have heard so much about and
know so little. 1t is infinitely finer than
air.
substance, this soul or, or as we call it, this
astral body Spirit is the universal energy
and its sway extends wherever ether pre-
walls and that is throughout infinity.
81 In the early ages of Greek philosophy a
sage formulated this maxim, Man Know
Thyself.' 1t was not original with him, for
it had been the keynote of India's teach
ings ages before the birth of that Greek
philosopher. Since that day The saying
has been craven on temples, uttered in
every tongue. inscribed in books, it has left
its impress everywhere save in the intel
leet, and the profound utterance might as
well have been left unsaid. Man has
studied everything save himself.
The body is not the real man. You all
say no TO such proposition, yet, let your
friend die, you do not act as If it was the
mind or the soul that you loved and wor-
oulDfeu dS 1Uu lOllOW bilHb
body to its grave. The body is only an
instrument through which the real man is
expressing himself.
''In the inventors mind was conceived the
form or idea of the telegraph machine, and
that idea is imperishable. Every machine
in the universe might be instantaneously
destroyed, but the idea would yet remain
to the world. Which do you call the real
machine, the idea, which is imperishable?
or the material, which may be taken
away?
I'm the universal mind the idea of man
was censured, and that man was as he now
is. He was sent forth, and the astral, the
ether, took form and man stood In ethereal
iZed form. The coarser development, the
corporal body, is a later temple.
when the body dies and the astral
body disntegrates, yet Is the real man
there, only he is no longer Imprisoned in
the material. That man is then complete
in the form of him who said Let us make
man after our image
THUS is the body the rough form of the
etherelized or astral form, which is the
vehicle of the sixth principle, or spiritual
soul. The vitality, or second principle. is
inhaled to be again exhaled in other forms
at death, and the astral fingers near the
body, fading as the body fades into dust
until it disappears.
besides, there is an animal soul, which
the Indians call Karma-ruma desire form),
which represents the amount of animal or
passionate life of the body, and human
soul, which is link between the spiritual
and animal souls and is represented by the
intellect.
The highest quality in man is the alma
or supreme ray, and it is interchangeable in its
quality as it goes through aons of ages.
while the other parts are undergoing per-
fection. To recapitulate, the seven parts of
man are: 1, body; 2, vitality; 3, astral
body; 4, animal soul; 8, human soul; 6,
spiritual soul; z, alma or supreme ray.