The herald., 1896-05-11
Theosophy

Ghosts, Elementals and Other People.
was the subject on which Stanley Fitz-
| patrick spoke at Odd Fellows hall yes
terday morning. These airy and un-
substantial beings were handled by the
lecturer in a way to make one feel that
| they were very real. The speaker af-
1rmed that specters and apparitions are
no more than reflections thrown upon
the astral light an invisible region sur
rounding the earth as does the air or
ether, which are recognized by science,
though the former is not. This astral
| light. said the speaker, acts as a mirror
| or sensitized plate upon which Is mir
rored or photographed everything on
| the earth plane; every word, act and
even thought. This is that book in
| which the recording angel writes. See
| ing upon this astral plane is the most
| common kind of clairvoyance; and 1t Is
| the pictured forms of those long dead
| or still living which the spiritualistic
medium mistakes for spirits of the de-
parted. There is no such thing as empty
| space, for every inch is literally swarm
ing with living entities. These are
sometimes termed nature spirits. or ell
| ementalS. In the course of evolution
there are seven Kingdoms, though mod
| ern science takes account of only four.
But the deeper occult science, the only
science absolutely true and reliable,
numerates three elemental Kingdoms
before the mineral stage is reached.
At the beginning Of evolution nature
commences her operations by evolving
| the most airy and unsubstantial form,
| the most rare and subtitle primordial ell
ements. AS her aim Is to reach the plane
of physical matter, she steadily works
| In that direction. In this way the three
| elementary kingdoms are gone through
before the lowest material kingdom (the
mineraD is reached. These elmentals
! pass on through the vegetable and ami
| NAL until they reach the human king
| dom. Thus the lower or animal soul OF
| man is slowly evolved through count
| less ages But as yet 1t is not immortal
| and can only become SO by effecting
| a union with the higher, or divine, ego,
which is the Christ in man.
The speaker dwelt at length upon the
phenomena of the seance room explain
| ing how the credulous were deluded in
| to believing they were meeting spirits.
| when in reality these forms were only
astral corpses, or senseless shells; or at
best earthbound souls who are too
grossly material or wicked to pass on
| to realms beyond the earth sphere.
Such practices the lecturer denounced
| as only evil and bringing mental and
| moral debasement to those who indulge
| In them 1t Is these astral forms and
| depraved souls that are the guides"
| and controls" of mediums who obtain
| money from the ignorant and credulous
| by giving them messages from these
| creatures. This is the sorcery and ne
| cromancy which has been forbidden as
| evil and unholy among all nations.
Mrs. l.. f. Weiersmuller lectured to
! good audience last night at Odd Fellows
hall on the subject of Death and After.
| The speaker said in part;
When the process of death takes place
and the human being Is departing from.
life, the whole of his earthly career it's
acts, motives and thoughts pass before
fol yicio =
this solemn moment, when the man Is
being judged by his higher self, intense
agony is often caused by the thought
lessness and the selfishness of the
| mourners at his bedside. 1t is within the
experience of those habitually attending
the sick to have often heard the patient
piteously appealing to his beloved ones
about him to let him go and not detain
him with their clinging thoughts and af-
1ectionS. If this appeal is not regarded
the whole process of death is prolonged
and painfully added to.
When the man has quilted his physi-
cal frame, has "shuffled off this mortal
COLL the principle of vitality at the
same time returns to the ocean of life
from whence it came. The eidolon or
etnereal body, the counterpart of the
physical, at once begins to disintegrate
Ihe human being is now clothed III his
desire body, the principle of lust, greed
from which the spiritual man proceeds
gradually to withdraw himself; this is
what is called the second death. When
tnls mas been accomplished, the spirit
uai man, the true, immortal Ego, having
Withdrawn from the personality all that
was pure and undefiled, goes to enioy a
period or heaven or Devachan. the nec-
essary rest after the crucifxion in the
flesh. The desire body which has been
left behind in the state calIedKama-
Loka, which corresponds to the purga-
tory OF the Catholics and the hades of
the Greeks. is in reality no entitv hut
only shell, which, however, can be GAL
vanlzed into the appearance of life
through the magnetism of medium
Ihe case, however, is otherwise with
one VINO dies before his allotted time. as
Ior instance, an executed criminal or
sulcloe; the second death, under these
ceLrcuHlstances, does not take place until
tnat PERIOD arrives when the man would
nave died in the normal course of
events. During all this time he 10 tor-
mented with the raging thirst for phv.
slcal sensation, which cannot he prat-
ined. as he has been deprived Of his
body. Vi Ills
nature. in her exactitude of Justice
does not cause the victim of accident
10 suiIer In this way; according to her
Inercltul and just decree. the unfortu
nate victim is in dreamless swoon
until the time arrives for the separa-
tion or the higher and lower princin1es
previously spoken of. Theosophv' or
the wisdom religion. thus enables us to
explain the anomalies of spiritualism
ana the intercourse with the departed
~ ~ aiso enables us to understand the