Bridge Over Troubled Water

A challenge to the many evils of modern life, and ways and means to combat them

Guest article by Eve Bennett

Introduction by Occult Mysteries

There will be some readers who think that this article deals with subjects that have little to do with Occult Science. We beg to differ. The loss of freedom, the climate change hoax; the warped obsession with gender identity; the sexualisation of children; the ugliness and disharmony that passes for modern art and music; the sleaze, dishonesty and corruption that is now endemic in public and private life and many similar evils, are matters that should concern all seekers after Truth. Especially should they concern those upon the path to the Light. One of the main objectives of Occult Science is to expose evil in whatever form it may appear. When that evil would banish all goodness from the world, destroy faith in God and threaten to turn this Earth into a hell worse than anything Gustave Doré depicted in his illustrations of incidents from the Bible, it is right to expose and challenge it. This Eve Bennett has done consummately well in this article, the second of her valuable contributions to the website.

But this article is not another depressing misery-fest full of complaints that is short on solutions. On the contrary, Eve reminds us of the many simple ways in which we can find the strength, hope and courage to combat evil and allow goodness to shine forth. For make no mistake, we are at war. A war of Good against evil as she writes at the end of her article, quoting St Paul. Such testing times bring out the very worst in humanity, but also the best, demonstrating that good will always triumph over evil, no matter how long it may take, or what bitter lessons are learned along the way.

A timely Inspiration

There are many different opinions about, and reactions to, the troubling times we live in. Some people cannot believe the rapidity with which all that our parents and grandparents valued and trusted is being swept away. Others bury their heads in the sand and hope that the present evils will vanish like a bad dream. There are those who feel angry and hurt that goodness is draining away from communities drop by drop; as the nourishing and sustaining water of morality ceases to flow. Yet others may feel an inner urge to try and improve the lives of those around them. Meanwhile, some struggle to find the strength to face everyday life or to even get out of bed, seeing no glimmer of hope upon the horizon. Then again there are those who see nothing wrong with the world and wish to continue on their self-righteous path of assured destruction. My hope is that this article can appeal to every type of reader, for it is not written to instil fear or add to the endless pronouncements of 'doom and gloom' hurled at us from every conceivable direction. Nor do I wish to evoke bitterness in the hearts and minds of my good readers. No, I wish to achieve the exact opposite; that we may open our hearts to something far bigger, far greater, with more potency and power than evil could ever comprehend: Light. That is the weapon the forces of darkness fear more than any other. The light that illumines dark corners and exposes evil in high and in low places. If we look back through history at those wiser than us, we can remind ourselves that meaning and spiritual growth are found in surprising and simple ways, and these are the most potent. Even during the dark night of material wickedness, we can still find the golden Light of Truth and Goodness. That Light may well be closer than we imagine. But to find it, we must first learn to recognise its opposite — darkness.

The inspiration for this article was the wonderful song Bridge over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel. On first hearing it I immediately recognised that it has the potency and power to invoke feelings of love and charity. It struck me that it is an open invitation to find deeper meaning in everyday life; a melodic prayer and a reminder to serve others during times of crises, despair and turmoil. It is a call to brotherly love, but not the sentimental kind popularised by the #MeToo 'feelings first' movement, but rather a superior type of love that transcends the human ego. I frequently think of the well-known verse from the Bible: "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Matthew 22:39). I will be the first to admit that over the years I struggled to grasp the inner message of this succinctly beautiful commandment. At first glance, I assumed it meant the mawkish kind of love that asks us to love every personality, whether that of a bank robber, a nosey neighbour, a cunning politician, machete-wielding murderer or a passive-aggressive GP pushing a 'safe and effective vaccine' that has maimed and killed millions.

With maturer reflection I have come to understand that this is not what Jesus meant. Whilst it is important to be charitable and non-judgemental towards others, if we look deeper, we may realise that it is a reminder to recognise that within each man or woman dwells something beyond the mere human personality; something divine and holy. What the authors of this website call the Higher Mind or Self and others the soul or individuality. It is this light within us that can recognise and love the light within others. This is something that the personality — what the authors of this website call the lower mind or self, cannot do. It sees only the appearance of people which is often a very poor guide to what they are really like. For these reasons I think it is rather naïve and somewhat immature to believe that we can like, let alone love everybody based solely upon their personality. It is this realisation that inspired me to write about the murky and troubled waters of modernity. This water itself is a mirror; for the troubles reflected in it show us what we haven't yet mastered or learned. May we be the bridge for those suffering and in need; a pillar of strength, whether it is to lend a kindly ear, utter an encouraging word, or perform some act of charity and good-will.

Gustave Doré — The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones — engraving on copper, 1866

Darkness ascending

Dark times are upon us. Mocking laughter is heard in dreams as the demons begin slowly rising from the putrid, murky depths of the Underworld. Grinning owlishly with razor sharp, yellowed teeth; gloating at the wickedness spreading and permeating throughout our once smiling Earth. The demonic forces bathe in the growing fear of mindless men and women, and rejoice in the anger of the righteous, both whipped into a feverish frenzy by the propaganda pounded into every ear, assaulting every eye. An incessant stream of sugar-coated lies, bone-chilling fear and burning hatred. And so the demon drums rattle, the heavy cymbals clash together in clamorous cacophony. Inverted melodies assault the ears of God's lost children, vacuous words infused with greed, lust and malice sweep between the electronic chords. A dull, repetitive racket thoroughly in tune with the modern world, celebrating our spiritual demise. Divine Music, once derived from the Heavens, is now replaced with the raucous, mocking laughter of demons rising up from the lowest regions of Hell.

Observe the brainless hordes bowing before the 'creative wonder' of modern art, shuffling past pictures devoid of beauty, truth or meaning. Or else their soulless eyes gawp at the 'originality' of a pile of soiled bed sheets or a dead sheep in a glass tank. Art once held a mirror up to shining Heaven, now it reflects the dystopian dreams of sordid earth. Meanwhile, true art such as we find in the masterpieces of the Renaissance by Michelangelo and other masters, suffers the indignity of having tomato soup hurled at it by attention-seeking climate warriors. Fame, fortune and riches are sought at the cost of one's own soul, no matter how many of our brothers and sisters are trampled upon to get the desired results. Inane scribblings are now mistaken for literary talent. Discordant noise masquerading as music is applauded by those who contort their bodies in unnatural shapes; zonked-out zombies gyrating to the throbbing beat of the lower realms. Welcome to the twenty-first century! Behold the strutting shadows of wickedness proudly displaying their mutilated bodies; the rotten fruit of the insane ideology of 'gender identity.' A goatish cult that bewilders our children, subverting their God-given purity with foetid fantasies and perverted desires. Everywhere the emblems of goodness are mocked and inverted to pander to the sordid pleasures of the flesh while the spirit within weeps bitter tears for the loss of innocence and the love of God. Men and women are treated as mere commodities and objects of sensual gratification, the lowest of whom dress in satanic costumes, filling themselves with chemical injectables in the hope it will prolong their miserable lives.

Meanwhile, the hungry mouths of the poor gape wide for the millions of tons of food that is thrown away every day. Murder and suicide are now commonplace occurrences; lives snatched early, along with chances for growth, love and memories, leaving loved ones in dismay and grief. Our statesmen and police are more concerned with upsetting the feelings of narcissistic virtue signallers than protecting people and property, much to the delight of criminals, who lick their dry lips with glee at the thought of pilfering the goods of those already on the breadline. Governments around the world lock citizens in their own homes, telling them repeatedly to fear the outside world, enforcing oxygen-depriving face masks on little children. Above our heads the skies glitter with deadly chemicals. Sweet birdsong is silenced by the slicing blades of massive wind turbines. A verdant landscape once glowing with fields of golden wheat is blighted by acres of ugly glass panels made in China to catch the sun that rarely shines. I could go on listing all the evils that seek to rob us of the freedom, goodness and wisdom given to us by our Creator, but I would be preaching to the choir. Or, at least I hope so, for I cannot imagine that anyone reading this approves of the devilries I have enumerated or the Satanic agenda behind them.

Gustave Doré — An angel leading the Crusaders to Jerusalem — engraving on copper, 1868

The Violet Mirror of Life

I explained in my previous article that we reap the fruits of our previous actions and deeds from past incarnations. This truth can be easily forgotten during times of hardship; and especially during these dark times, when what seems like a punishment can often feel 'out of kilter' with our past deeds and actions, or unduly harsh or undeserved. The detailed prophecies recounted in chapter 39 of The Book of Sa-Heti make for grim reading. They plainly show the perils that are to come, many of which are already upon us, during the Kali Yuga or Black Age. This is the last of the four Ages described in the classical Hindu text known as the Vishnu Purâna. The Kali Yuga is said to have begun in 3102 B.C., and lasts for 432,000 years. We are at a critical point in the evolutionary cycles of our planet which will determine whether humanity will turn to the light or the darkness. The great 19th century occultist, H. P. Blavatsky, had a great deal to say about this pivotal period in human history. "Each of the root-races have their own cycles, thus the Fourth Sub-Race of the Atlanteans was in its Kali-Yuga when destroyed, whereas the Fifth was in its Satya or Krita-Yuga." The Satya or Krita Yuga is the 'Golden Age' so many mystics long for. The authors of this website describe these different ages in their article on Occult evolutionary cycles. Madame Blavatsky also says that what is known among occultists as our present Fifth Aryan Race "is now in its Kali-Yuga..." while the various 'family' races as she terms them — the countless offshoots of the primary race — "are in their own special cycles."

She goes on to explain that: "Humanity is on the descending pathway of its cycle. The rear-guard of the 5th [our present] race is crossing slowly the apex of its evolution and will soon find itself having passed the turning point...As every sub-race and nation have their cycles and stages of developmental evolution repeated on a smaller scale, it must be the more so in the case of a Root-Race. Our race then has, as a Root-race, crossed the equatorial line and is cycling onward on the Spiritual side; but some of our sub-races still find themselves on the shadowy descending arc of their respective national cycles; while others again — the oldest — having crossed their crucial point, which alone decides whether a race, a nation, or a tribe will live or perish, are at the apex of spiritual development as sub-races." This explains why different cultures and nations are not experiencing the Black Age in the same ways, for each Root-Race has seven sub-races which in turn spawn countless 'family' races which all overlap in time, so that one can be experiencing a mini 'Golden Age' while the other is suffering under a localised 'Black Age'. More importantly, it is when this apex is reached that humanity is faced with the great Choice: whether to turn to the light or the darkness. If the latter, then the race is doomed to perish; so speaks the Ancient Wisdom revived by Blavatsky and others. Hence it is crucial for those of us who walk the path to the Light to recognise the importance of bringing goodness, truth, love and light forth with all our might. In fact, we ought to see it as our sacred duty to mankind, to help bring it back from the cliff-edge on which it totters, threatening to fall into perdition and annihilation.

The Fourth Root Race — the Atlantean — turned to the darkness when it reached the apex of its material evolution as you can read on this website as well as in The Secret Doctrine. The innate psychic powers possessed by every Atlantean from birth were turned to evil purposes in the end which resulted in many terrible wars that ultimately led to their extinction and the destruction of their island continent. According to Blavatsky, "this form of 'derided Magic' was practised in such ungodly ways by the Atlantean Sorcerers that it has since become necessary for the subsequent [our present Fifth Root] Race to draw a thick veil over the practices which were used to obtain so-called magical effects on the psychic and on the physical planes." This helps to explain why the great occult truths continue to be so heavily veiled during our current times, for if they were to fall into the hands of the unworthy or unready, the results would be disastrous, not only for the present generation of nations, but all those to come.

The past actions of individuals, nations and races, as well as lessons that remain unlearned, form our present Earthly conditions and circumstances. The evils of the past, when viewed objectively, are like a Saturnian teacher, and show us in no uncertain terms, the effects that our Godless and hedonistic culture, selfishness and materialism have produced, and how they have negatively impacted the evolution of man. This mirror is not pleasant to look into, for, as Blavatsky taught, mankind is today paying the price for the past misuse of Spiritual knowledge and power. It is tempting to limit our sense of responsibility to our own individual reincarnations, and the personal lessons we may need to learn in them, forgetting that we too, are part of the collective reincarnation cycles of nations and races. The Universal Law of Cause and Effect doesn't just apply to individuals, but to every race, and nation too. The bloody history of this Earth alone teaches us — or should — that thousands, nay millions of years can go by and still the actions of man remain the same. His vices and weaknesses do not alter, but only evolve and adapt to the times, conditions and surroundings he finds himself in.

The Inextinguishable flame of Courage

It is a mistake to think that the present evils which menace mankind, and indeed the wickedness of many human beings, are new. They are not. Those of you who have read An Egyptian Enigma by Occult Mysteries will know that there were periods in the past just as dark, if not darker than the times we are living through today. More recently, we have the example of the 5th century B.C., Greek philosopher Socrates to show us that human behaviour has not changed much, if at all, in 2,400 years. More importantly, his life shows us what the inextinguishable flame of courage can achieve when combined with great love and wisdom. This, and the other two examples I shall cite, demonstrate the immense power and sacrifice that it takes to remain steadfast in times when evil is in the ascendant and it seems as if all light and goodness has departed from the world.

Socrates was arrested, tried, and ultimately executed for the 'crime' of attempting to free the minds of others. Especially did he exhort his auditors to challenge accepted authorities and prevailing attitudes and beliefs. In this, he was millennia ahead of his time. He was rewarded for his efforts by being accused of being a "corrupter of the youth of Athens." His crime subsisted in teaching young people to think for themselves, to question the status quo, expose wrong doing in high places and discover the wisdom of truth. He was also accused of criticising the Athenian democracy. In this he was certainly guilty since the city-state of Athens was about as 'democratic' as this country is today! Following the custom of the time, Socrates was allowed to choose his preferred punishment and offered to pay a fine equal to one-fifth of his entire property. This was not accepted by the state prosecutor, who proposed the death sentence instead. This was ultimately passed by a majority of the jury at Socrates' trial. His students pleaded with him to flee Athens, but being a man of moral character, he would not break the law. He knew that if he was allowed to live, he could never stay silent or desist from continuing to question things. He always retained his faith in God and understood that if he were to 'die', that he would simply be going 'home'. The second charge of Impiety brought against him was not an accusation of atheism. The prosecution knew perfectly well that Socrates was a devout believer in God. The problem was that his god was not the same as the god recognised and worshipped by the Athenian State!

In Plato's The Apology of Socrates we may read: "Some one will say: And are you not ashamed, Socrates, of a course of life which is likely to bring you to an untimely end? To him I may fairly answer: There you are mistaken: a man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether in doing anything he is doing right or wrong — acting the part of a good man or of a bad." When questioned about his teachings, he answered: "This confounded Socrates, they say; this villainous misleader of youth! — and then if somebody asks them, Why, what evil does he practise or teach? they do not know, and cannot tell; but in order that they may not appear to be at a loss, they repeat the ready-made charges which are used against all philosophers about teaching things up in the clouds and under the earth, and having no gods, and making the worse appear the better cause; for they do not like to confess that their pretence of knowledge has been detected — which is the truth; and as they are numerous and ambitious and energetic, and are drawn up in battle array and have persuasive tongues, they have filled your ears with their loud and inveterate calumnies." This is eerily similar to the response that many free-thinkers receive today from the non-thinking masses and their evil masters. This shows that 'Thought Crime' is not a modern phenomenon. The only difference between Socrates' times and our own is that we are 'governed' by a different set of scoundrels. When his last moments came and his students wept, he turned to them and said: "what are you doing, you strange people?" proving once again that he knew the illusory nature of earthly life and understood what lies beyond.

My second example is someone in whom the inextinguishable flame of Courage burned especially brightly. "By all accounts stunningly beautiful, dazzlingly brilliant, yet always modest and kind, in an age when women were but chattel, she was history's first female mathematician, as well as the first female astronomer, inventor, and natural philosopher." So wrote Sir Harold Kroto, English chemist and Nobel Prize winner, about the 4th century B.C., Neoplatonic philosopher Hypatia. As you can read in the second of Occult Mysteries' three articles on Esoteric Philosophy, Hypatia was brutally murdered by the early Church for heresy. Let us once again turn to that fearless champion of free-speech, Madame Blavatsky, for more information. In volume II of Isis Unveiled she writes: "At the beginning of the fourth century crowds began gathering at the door of the academy where the learned and unfortunate Hypatia expounded the doctrines of the divine Plato and Plotinus, and thereby impeded the progress of Christian proselytism. It was precisely the teachings of this Pagan philosopher [Plato], which had been so freely borrowed by the Christians to give a finishing touch to their otherwise incomprehensible scheme, that had seduced so many into joining the new religion; and now the Platonic light began shining so inconveniently bright upon the pious patchwork...But there was a still greater peril. Hypatia had studied under Plutarch, the head of the Athenian school, and had learned all the secrets of theurgy [magic]. While she lived to instruct the multitude, no divine miracles could be produced before one who could divulge the natural causes by which they took place. Her doom was sealed by Cyril, whose eloquence she eclipsed, and whose authority, built on degrading superstitions, had to yield before hers, which was erected on the rock of immutable natural law."

Hypatia was murdered in 414 B.C. Exactly fifteen hundred years later, in 1914; the World War of the Christian nations began. One could ask if there is a connection between the two, as this would be further proof of the past deeds of one sect or creed passing down to later generations as I mentioned earlier. Despite the best (or worst) efforts of Cyril, the 'holy' Christian Bishop of Alexandria to silence her, Hypatia continued to teach until almost her last breath. Minutes after she had dismissed her final class, she was dragged from her chariot by the Christian mob. As Occult Mysteries write in their article about this wonderful woman: "They stripped her naked and dragged her into a nearby Church. Shaking herself free from her tormentors, she rose for one moment to her full height, snow-white against the dark horde of merciless monks surrounding her. Her lips opened to speak, but no word came forth. For in that moment their leader struck her down, and the dark mass closed over her quivering flesh. They dragged her body into the street and tore it to pieces before making a bonfire of what remained."

My final example of the power of indomitable courage in the face of adversity is the writer and clairvoyant Joan Grant (1907-1989). Joan lived through both World Wars and had horrific clairvoyant visions of the Great War during her childhood, many of which she relates in her autobiography Far Memory. During one such vision, she found herself on a battlefield in northern France. "I remember crawling through a sea of mud with blood trickling out of my mouth and ears. I remembered lying in a shell-hole on top of a putrefying corpse with my arm blown off at the elbow. I remembered hanging on rusty barbed-wire and trying to cram the slimy purple snakes of my guts into a hole in my belly." Such are the horrors Joan witnessed almost every night as ten-year-old girl. During the Second World War she created a haven for displaced friends and their children in her house deep in the hills of the Welsh borders. Here, she used her psychic abilities to recall the past lives of her guests to help them resolve past traumas. She was also able to recall her own past lives, notably those in Ancient Egypt. The transcripts of these memories were later published for all to read. Despite what Joan and others living at the time had to endure in the way of air raids, food shortages and the ever-present threat of invasion, she was able to put her unique gifts to practical use to give comfort to the bereaved, courage to the fearful and hope to the despairing. She not only lifted the spirits of the living, but those of the dead too, as you can read in 'Dying to live!' — the Afterword to Occult Mysteries' article about the 'War on Death'.

These examples serve to show that during all times and places, Occultists, free-thinkers and Mystics have always faced persecution, suffering, ridicule and bigotry. Yet, without their brave and selfless work on behalf of us all, evil would long ago have triumphed over goodness in this world. Courage and Hope will reveal themselves during times of crises in the most unexpected ways.

Joseph Parker — Illumination on the Mountain Top — oil on canvas. 1972

Conclusion

Having seen just why we are living through such dark times, and how history and indeed human behaviour, repeats itself in cycles of light and dark, good and evil, I want to highlight the most important point: It is not where we have been that matters, but where we are going. It matters not the wrongs we have committed, the hurt caused, or the plethora of mistakes we have made along the highways and byways of life. What really matters is what we do now, to plant good seeds for the future. No effort we make now, however small, is ever wasted. Every little act of kindness, forbearance and compassion adds up. The cultivation of patience, persistence, charity, and endurance is cumulative. Nor do good deeds and acts of courage have to be extravagant or heroic. For example, if we give an encouraging word to someone, we may lighten their whole day. This, in turn, may ignite, inspire and brighten the day of those around them. Like an insignificant little pebble thrown into a lake sends out ripples in all directions, so do good and noble actions spread to an infinite distance, producing positive effects we never dreamed of. You may say this is easier said than done, for modern life requires so much of us that we can often feel as if we are drowning under a deluge of incessant demands. This is where prayer can help. A simple but powerful act of prayer is potent, and something that each one of us can do, several times a day for the good of others. By prayer I don't mean the kind so many people mumble in church, but a plea from the heart such as John Temple describes in his wonderful article on the Power of Prayer. This is just one of the many ways we can fight the new 'Scientific Satan' who, with all his false promises, traps and snares, threatens to drag us all down to hell.

It is vitally important for us not to betray what we know to be right, true and good, even when unfair demands are made upon us or temptations are placed in our path. The phrase "selling your soul" will be familiar to many of us, but what does it really mean? Simply that virtues such as wisdom, love, goodness, honesty, loyalty, charity, compassion, generosity, self-control and moderation should not be bartered for thirty pieces of silver. Whatever we may think we may lose by not sticking to our moral imperatives, is nothing compared to the damage we do to our spiritual health by turning our backs on virtue. This is not my opinion, though I firmly hold it, but the voice of all the wise men and women of the past. Jesus tells us: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36). By 'soul' of course he meant the destruction of the Higher Mind, as we can read in the final, moving chapters of Symphonie Fantastique when Iambus loses his soul.

It is important not to allow our emotions to overrule our critical faculties. This is a favourite tool used by the dark forces which, via social media, television, news and advertising, manipulate our thinking, directing it into negative channels. We should always try to see things from every possible angle, not just from our own, limited perspective or that of the media. If we remember each day, that living by what is true, good and right in our hearts is the only concept that really matters, then we can achieve a lot more than we may think; for it is when we begin to live in alignment with our Spiritual values that our true calling may begin to present itself. Progress can be made in leaps and bounds; we can face each new day with a vitality and courage that may have been latent within us; we will no longer be led by fear, but by love and faith. We must remind ourselves that we are never truly alone, for that is another illusion imposed upon us by the dark forces. Regardless of what unfamiliar or difficult circumstances we may find ourselves in, there are always opportunities to live in freedom and truth if we remember to turn to the Light.

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit..."

(Ephesians 6:12-18).

These verses from the New Testament sum up all that I have tried to say in this article.

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Division: the illusion of Separation

Afterword by the Author

In this Afterword, I wish to discuss one of the greatest weapons used by the forces of darkness: DIVISION. It is plain for all to see that the world is increasingly more fractured, fragmented and divided than ever before. We can all sense the unrest building within our communities. Once thriving, trusting neighbourly relations are everywhere replaced with raised eyebrows and suspicion.

Our thoughts and actions are monitored and recorded by increasingly invasive, censorious and restrictive technology, purely for 'training and quality purposes', of course. Whose 'training' and 'quality' exactly? Not yours and mine, that's for sure. Unless it is to 'train' us to be more obedient and compliant, and so improve the 'quality' of the new technology used to enslave us.

Some might say: "so what? If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." But is this true? Have the electronic eyes which watch us reduced crime? Have they made the streets safer? Or has modern technology perhaps allowed the State to intrude ever further into our private lives, telling us what to do, what to eat and drink, and increasingly what to believe, say and think?

Every day we are incited by emotive headlines to be angry or upset about something or someone. Most of us are well aware of the saying "divide and conquer." But how many are aware that this weapon has been used throughout history by those in 'authority' to cunningly trick us into mistrusting one another? To divide families, communities, nations and races?

Rather than searching out the true causes of divisions among families, communities, nations and races, we are encouraged to lay the blame on "right wing thugs," or other bogeymen. Always, the appeal is to our feelings; to our likes, dislikes, preconceptions and prejudices, never to our critical thinking. By this I mean the higher part of us that knows there is little or no difference between human beings.

This is the part of us that looks beneath the surface of things and people. It recognises that the issues we are faced with as human beings, are not only similar, but often overlap. To condemn this or that religion, ideology or culture because it espouses things we do not like, is to fall into the trap of divisiveness.

What divides us is at best skin-deep, such as cultural differences, political views and affiliations, wealth and poverty, social status, religious beliefs and the like. All such differences belong to our personality — the lower mind — they do not touch the higher and better part of us — the Higher Mind.

Let us strive to cultivate that better part of us. Let us develop compassion, not feed indifference; to look for what unites us, not what divides us; to see the bigger picture, not focus on petty details. Let us cast aside the vapid labels used to divide people, such as 'left or right', 'black or white', 'gay or straight', 'Christian or Muslim', 'man or woman', 'rich or poor', 'vaccinated or unvaccinated', and the many other worthless imprecatory labels used to incite hatred and separation.

The forces of darkness arrayed against us and the human tools they use to further their evil designs rely upon our base lower emotions to cloud our better judgement. They want to keep us in ignorance that anything exists beyond these divisive 'polar opposites'. They want us to 'cancel' those who dare to hold a different viewpoint or opinion, even if many of their other beliefs are the same as ours.

If we were to sit down with these opposing groups we would find that they often criticise and blame each other for the same societal ills, such as the repression of free speech and the right to bodily autonomy. While the same moral questions and problems concern these groups, there is little or no agreement between them about how to address or solve them.

We see similar divisions between men and women, one sex claiming they do not need the other or are superior or inferior to the other. These questions are as old as man but have never been as divisive as they are today. In some parts of the world women have rights and freedoms denied to their sisters elsewhere. Men are denigrated for 'toxic masculinity' in the West, while the very same characteristic is praised as a virtue in many Eastern countries.

What these divisions really undermine is the simple fact, so often ignored or denied, that Nature intended men and women to compliment and complete each other. This fact is based on the Universal Hermetic Law of Polarity described in considerable depth by the authors of this website in their series of articles on the true teachings of the Egyptian Sage, Hermes Trismegistus.

Women, unless their innate virtues have been corrupted, are by Nature nurturers, and men, protectors. Of course, there are strong, warrior-like women, and compassionate and sensitive men, and an uncountable myriad of combinations in between, proving that each sex possesses some characteristics of the other. In other words, we are all a combination of Male and Female to a varying degree; no man is fully masculine and no woman is fully feminine.

The same truths apply to the divisions between Muslims and Christians which have led to so much strife throughout history. We see it today in the murder of innocent men, women and children at the hands of fanatical Muslims. Yet, anyone who takes the trouble to honestly examine the teachings of Mohammad and Jesus will find there are very few differences between them, and none that should cause Muslims to hate, persecute or murder Christians, or vice versa.

As ever, it is the wrong interpretations placed upon the pure teachings of the teacher by his followers that give rise to divisions, strife and bloodshed. Then we get the Spanish Inquisition, the violent schisms between the various churches, and in Islam the dire enmity between the Shia and Sunni sects.

As Occult Mysteries wrote in their excellent summary of Mohammed and his teachings, "The Koran, like all other holy books, including the Bible, has had the same fate among the different classes of men among whom it has been disseminated. It has been the cause of the Highest inspiration to some and the lowest superstition and criminality among others, as we see only too clearly today, when the Prophet's words are twisted to support the ideologies of fanatics and further their evil designs." This is true.

Another interesting quote can be found in the Influence of Islam in Medieval Europe by the Anglican priest and Scottish historian William Montgomery Watt (1909-2006). "The war of light and darkness sounds well, but in this post-Freudian world, men realise that the darkness ascribed to one’s enemies is a projection of the darkness in oneself that is not fully admitted. So, in this way, the distorted image of Islam is to be regarded as a projection of the shadow side of European Man."

Whether Watt was right or wrong is not for me to say, but it is only fair to point out that Islam is not unique in having shed the blood of countless, innocent human beings. The many historical facts patiently assembled by Madame Blavatsky in Isis Unveiled prove that, in her own words: "there has never been a religion in the annals of the world with such a bloody record as Christianity. All the rest, including the traditional fierce fights of the 'chosen people' with their next of kin, the idolatrous tribes of Israel, pale before the murderous fanaticism of the alleged followers of Christ."

Given what I said in my article about the foul murder of the Greek philosopher Hypatia by a fanatical mob of Christian monks, Blavatsky was right. It's interesting that she says 'alleged' followers, because it is always these later converts, and not the founder of the religion or his close and loyal disciples, who turn a message of Light and Love into a battle-cry of darkness and hate, as the authors of this website explain only too clearly in their investigation of 'How peace leads to war.'

I have not written any of this to single out or attack any particular religion but simply to reiterate that what we are witnessing today are the fruits of previous deeds. Fruits, as I said earlier, Occult Science teaches us affect sub-races, peoples and nations in many different ways, depending upon where they are in their individual evolutionary cycle.

What we see in others is a reflection of what is in us. This is the reason why the attitudes, beliefs, virtues and vices of two or more opposing factions are really quite similar. The differences between them, as I said earlier, are skin-deep. What each side sees are their own beliefs, prejudices, preconceptions and insecurities reflected back at them, as in a distorting mirror.

Once we recognise this truth, it becomes clear that the similarities in the various 'divisions' within society which together make up the collective external world, are only a reflection of our own strengths and weaknesses in the aggregate. From this it follows that the more we focus on the shortcomings within ourselves or our fellowmen and women, the more will these grow ever stronger, until eventually they snuff out the flame of goodness entirely.

If we wish to counter this tendency we must nurture the good qualities within us. We must water the seeds of forbearance, charity and patience in those who lack the strength to cultivate these virtues for themselves. Let us strive with all of our might to rise above our lower natures and instincts that we may see the good, or God in our fellow brothers and sisters and not the bad or the devil.

This does not mean we should compromise our moral principles, much less abandon what we know to be true and condone evil. But it does mean that we should tip the balance of our thinking to focus on good and not evil. This reminds me of a profound saying by Shakespeare. "There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so."

These wise words come from Hamlet, Act 2, scene 2. I take this to mean that we, and only we, have control of our thinking. It is up to us to choose whether we see things in a positive or a negative light. This obeys another Hermetic Law, the first and most important of them, that of Mentalism, which is described in the articles about the teaches of Hermes I mentioned earlier.

In essence, this law states that evil can be influenced by good if there is the slightest spark of goodness in the evil thing, person or condition. This there must be, for as we saw earlier when discussing the amount of masculinity or femininity in men and women, good must be present in evil to some degree, and vice versa, or it would not be possible for either to exist.

We are not the judges of mankind, and as such, we must also not judge our own misdeeds unduly. For as I have said previously, if we are only focused on the mutually assured destruction of our 'opponent', we are ignoring the darkness lurking behind, sniggering at humanity for attacking itself, rather than seeking to diffuse and disarm the dark forces that want to keep us forever divided and separated.

St. Paul refers to this in his letter to the Romans. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple" (Romans 16:17-18). How true these words are today, and how well they expose the deceitful webs spun by the smooth tongues of false prophets — the so-called 'leaders' and 'experts' of our modern world.

Each one of us is on a very distinct and unique path of evolution. No two human beings will ever be at exactly the same stage on their individual path. What unites us is that we are all God's children. For this reason and the reasons I've mentioned in this Afterword, the illusion of Division is the biggest threat mankind faces.

Although we should not to judge our fellowmen and women, neither should we stand idly by in the face of evil. Instead, we must find the courage and compassion to fight for what is right, whilst sparing a thought for those who cannot distinguish truth from falsehood. We must strive to find the balance between showing love and kindness, whilst vigorously eradicating ignorance.

These seeming contradictions were well understood by H. P. Blavatsky. When questioned as to what to do when we hear bad words said about others, she answered, "you must demand proofs of the assertion and hear both sides impartially before you permit the accusation to go unchallenged. You have no right to believe in evil, until you get undeniable proof of the correctness of the statement."

When she was asked what one should do if proof of evil has been provided, she replied: "Pity and forbearance, charity and long-suffering ought to be always there to prompt us to excuse our sinning brethren, and to pass the gentlest sentence to those who err. We ought never to forget what is due to the shortcomings and infirmities of human nature." When she was further asked if one ought to forgive in this instance, she replied, "in every case, especially he who is sinned against."

Those who insist on regarding Blavatsky as a 'fraud' at best and a devil-worshipping racist at worst might wish to be reminded that in answering the question if one ought to forgive in the above instance, with the words, "in every case, especially he who is sinned against," she was repeating the advice of Jesus to his disciples.

"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22). But Blavatsky's detractors may counter this by quoting Shakespeare, who wrote: "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. An evil soul producing holy witness Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, A goodly apple rotten at the heart" (The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, scene 3).

The only answer to that calumny is to examine the life of Madame Blavatsky as it has been recorded by her many biographers, several of whom had no great liking for her as a person or respect for her teachings. But none of them called her 'a villain with a smiling cheek' or 'a goodly apple rotten at the heart'. For those who remain unconvinced that she was one of the wisest teachers ever to grace this Earth, here is what she had to say in answer to the question of what one must do if, by forgiving those who sin against us, we run the risk injuring others or allowing others to be injured.

Blavatsky replied: " His duty, that which his conscience and higher nature suggests to him; but only after mature deliberation. Justice consists in doing no injury to any living being; but justice commands us also never to allow injury to be done to the many, or even to one innocent person, by allowing the guilty one to go unchecked." In saying this, she demonstrates that whilst we must always strive to forgive and show compassion, we must not stand idly by and allow injury to another living being or evil to go unchallenged.

I would like to conclude this Afterword with a final quote from Madame Blavatsky. "Every mean and selfish thought sends us backward and not forward, while every noble thought and every unselfish deed are stepping-stones to the higher and more glorious planes of being. If this life were all, then in many respects it would indeed be poor and mean; but regarded as a preparation for the next sphere of existence, it may be used as a golden gate through which we may pass, not selfishly and alone, but in company with our fellows, to the palaces which lie beyond."

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