The herald., 1896-01-20
Theosophical

A lecture was delivered at the Odd Fell
lows hall last evening on the subject OF
Cyclic Law. under the auspices of the The
osophical society. The lecturer, Mr.. Lead
er, said:
The law of cycles is the periodical recur-
renee of tendencies, occurrences, circum-
stances and surroundings, and applies to
every entity in the universe, from the
atom to solar system.
One might speak of day and night as the
unit of cycles, as it corresponds to the
gradual birth, growth, maturity and decay
of world or system, as it also does TO
mantle night, of course, corresponding
to the subjective side, or period OF nom
manifestation.
We see this law manifesting itself all
through nature; for example, the tree
sends out lis shoots and leaves in the
spring, and in the autumn they fall, but
the tree still remains. and during the win
ter appears dead. This, however, is only
appearance, for in the following spring the
same process is gone through. Meanwhile
the tree gradually attains it's maturity. So
it is with man. The leaves correspond to
the personal life. and the tree to the rein
carnating Ego, who goes through his vari-
Gus cycles of life on this earth in the physi-
cal bodies of the personality.
The law of periodicity, as science calls
it, works in spiral, like the thread of a
come back TO the same spot where we were
some time before. but in reality we have
got one rung higher up. This law might
also be compared to the waves of the sea,
which advance and retire to make way for
the next; all the time, however, the tide is
advancing or retiring. as humanity in its
civilizations progress and then die away to
make room for o.her civilizations, the
Egos composing these being the same
under different personalities.
Now, when wave bears us along on its
crest and has spent its force it begins to
fall back, then is the time for the exercise
of our free will in order to avoid being
drawn back by the receding wave we must
then make great effort to get ON to the
new wave, or cycle, and so keep up our
progress, just as we make new resolutions
at the beginning of the new year. which is
a new cycle.
We must watch our mental and moral
states and we shall find that periodically
we go through the same temptations and
have the same tendencies as before. If we
anticipate these periods by a strong effort
during the upward arc of the cyc)", we
shall acquire certain momentum that
will help us on the downward arc or half
of the cycle.
The effect of the heavenly bodies on this
earth and its denizens is easily to be no.
ticed with regard to the moon and its in
fiuences on tides, diseases. periods of ges-
tation, etc., and with regard to the sun in
the seasons and growth of the vegetable
kingdom. Science tells us that without
the sun this earth would be lifeless
corpse. The same effects are produced by
the planets in various degrees and modes.
Cyclic law is marked by the great clock
of the universe, the zodiac.
Astronomy is dry intellect, the soul of
which is astrology, and has been believed
in from archaic ages. The Bible is full of
astrology. What were the twelve tribes,
the twelve Patriarchs but references to the
zodiac and cyclic law?
Modern science has practically proved
astrology a true science by the spectre
scope.
Men and women of the present day are
apt to think that there was no high civilizs-
ton before the nineteenth century. Cum
powder, the acme of civilization, has been
shown to have been used by the Chinese
for blasting purposes centuries before our
Christian era. In the museum of Alexan-
dria Draper says there was steam engine
which was invented about 100 B. G. We
will not say anything about the lost arts of
ancient Egypt, such as the cement of the
pyramids, the colors of Luxor, malleabie
glass, etc.
The strata of coal deposits prove as
many as 80 to 100 submersions of the
earth's surface and its subsequent upris-
ing.
DR.. Grail and Professor Gicke allow the
probability of mans existence in Europe
as far back as 10000 years.
We are now at the bottom of cycle and
evidently in transitory state, it therefore
behooves all of us to strive earnestly and
take every advantage of our movement
upwards; and true development lies in the
line of altruism, not trolleys; in humani-
taranism, not war.