< Spiritualism and Theosophy (continued from page 11-12) >
against the familiars of the circle as his agents for the ruin of souls. There appeared in France, within the past few years a series of books by the Chevalier des Mousseaux, highly applauded by the Catholic prelates, especially designed to collate the most striking proof of the demoniac agency in the phenomena. They are all valuable repositories of psychic facts, one especially, Les Moeurs et Pratiques des Demons, which every student of Occultism should read. The industrious author, of course, convinces no one but Catholics as to bis premiss, but his facts are most welcome and suggestive. Though there is never a grain of religious orthodoxy in me, and I do not in the least sympathise with the demoniacal theory, yet I find, after learning what I have of Asiatic psychological science, that the Catholics are much nearer right in recognising and warning against the dangers of mediumship, than the Protestants in blindly denying the reality of the phenomena. Mediumship is a peril indeed, and the last thing I could wish would be to see one whom I was interested in become one. The Hindus—who have known these phenomena from time immemorial—give the most appropriate name of bhuta-dak, or demons’ post, to these unfortunates. I do sincerely hope that sooner or later the experience of India in this matter will be studied, and if mediumship is to be encouraged at all, it shall be under such protective restrictions as the ancient sybils enjoyed in the temples, under the watchful care of initiated priests. This is not the language of a Spiritualist, nor am I one. In the reality of the phenomena and the existence of the psychic force I do most unreservedly believe, but here my concurrence with the Spiritualists ends. For more than twenty years I was of their opinion, and shared with Mr. Owen and Mr. Wallace the conviction that the phenomena could not be attributed to any other agency than that of the departed ones. I could not understand how the intelligence behind the manifestations could be otherwise accounted for, especially that shown in such cases as I have mentioned where the facts related were unknown to any one at. the seance and only verified long afterwards in distant countries. But until meeting Madame Blavatsky at the Eddys’ I had not even heard of Asiatic occultism as a science. The tales of travellers and the stories of the Arabian Nights I set down to fanciful exaggeration, and all that was printed about Indian jugglers and the powers of ascetics seemed but accounts of successful prestidigitation. I can now look back to that meeting as the most fortunate event of my life, for it made light shine in all the dark places and sent me out on a mission to help to revive Aryan occult science which grows more absorbingly interesting with every day. It is my happiness to not only help to enlarge the boundaries of Western science by showing where the secrets of nature and of man may be experimentally studied, and to give Ango-Indians a greater respect for the subject nation they rule over, but also to aid in kindling in the bosoms of Indian youth a proper reverence for their glorious ancestry and a desire to imitate them in their noble achievements in science and philosophy. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the sole cause of our coming to India; this explains our affectionate relations with the people, our respect for their real Yogis. Each of you looks forward to the day when you will return to your English homes; our home is here, and here we mean to end our days.
<Untitled> (The “historical controls”...)
The “historical controls” published weekly in the new spiritualistic journal, The Herald of Progress (New- castle), present an interesting problem to those Spiritualists who are studying the question of spirit identity.
The public rights and liberties are flourishing with a vengeance at the spiritualistic establishment at 38, Great Russell Street. At the Council meeting last Tuesday, the reporters were by special resolution ordered out of the room.
A suggestion has been made to us that until a centre has been formed in London, in which Spiritualists who wish to live in harmony can meet, knots of friends might with advantage baud themselves into small clubs, and hold purely social meetings once or twice a week.
Mr. Roden Noel narrates in another column, how the interior of a closed book-slate was fractured somewhat during a manifestation. It does not follow that this was necessarily the result of an external blow, for slates in the hands of Henry Slade and other mediums have sometimes exploded as if by the action of some inter-atomic force.
On Wednesday evening, after this number of The Spiritualist was in type, we received a communication from the Council at 38, Great Russell Street, threatening Mr. Harrison with consequences unless he answers some alleged charges; this he will be most happy to do in writing, if when they are sent him, there seems to be any colourable reason for an answer. We should like to see this matter publicly sifted.
Defend the Good: —If you saw two people, one innocent man starving to death while another was enjoying stolen fruits, would you let the good man starve while you brought the sinner to justice? Or would you save the starving man and let the sinner escape? The latter course would seem the more humane, but the former I assure you is the more popular, even with would be preachers of the Christian faith, who also justify their neglect of the starving man because he was found in company with a thief. They forget One who died in such company, promising the repentant one the joys of Paradise.—Ella Dietz.
Erratum.—In the letter of Lux, printed December 31st, the words “animal kingdom were suitable,” should have been “vegetable kingdom were suitable.”
Editor's notes
- ↑ The “historical controls”... by unknown author, London Spiritualist, No. 438, January 14, 1881, p. 13
Sources
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London Spiritualist, No. 438, January 14, 1881, p. 13