The Occult Student

Hints and tips for the sincere seeker after Truth on the path to the Light

Introduction

When we began this website more than seven years ago it consisted of our occult studies course, a few book reviews, one page of inspirational quotations and another of external links. Not much is it? Yet it is upon this modest foundation that we have continued to build our edifice of occult knowledge and truth, brick by brick, culminating in our present website comprising well over 170 articles, short stories and several complete occult and philosophical books.

Our work may also be regarded as the trunk of a tree, and our many articles the branches which stretch out from it in all directions, ever tending upwards to the Sun of Wisdom which was, and remains, the guiding Star of our labours on behalf of all sincere seekers after Truth. We could not have done any of this if we did not have a clear plan in our minds from the outset. So in this article we are once again extending the branches of our tree to tell you more about the occult student and occult studies. In our customary afterword we discuss one short quotation about the Path to the Light to uncover the hidden meanings it contains.

Occultism and the occult student

What is an occult student? The obvious answer is someone who studies and may or may not practise Occultism. But what is Occultism? The dictionary tells us it is "belief in or study of the action or influence of supernatural or supernormal powers." The Encyclopædia Britannica defines it as "various theories and practices involving a belief in and knowledge or use of supernatural forces or beings." There is not much wrong with either of these definitions though we would question the use of the word 'supernatural' in this context which, at least in the popular mind, implies something beyond or above the Laws of Nature. Whilst it is true that Occultism deals with forces and conditions as yet unknown to material science this does not mean that they defy the Laws of Nature. Unknown does not mean unnatural, much less supernatural. For this reason we prefer the word 'supernormal', for something can be natural without being normal in the sense of the ordinary or commonplace.

What about the 'occult'? Is this the same as Occultism? It may be. The word, as we point out on our homepage, simply means hidden; something which is not generally known. Doctors call blood that cannot be seen by the naked eye 'occult'. Astronomers say a planet or star is 'occulted' when it is hidden from view by another body passing in front of it. It is ironic that witchcraft and black magic—which are what most people associate with the word 'occult'—are now out in the open! Indeed, thanks to the many movies, videos, books and websites that deal with spells, rituals, witches, wizards, werewolves, vampires and demons, the average person, and even more so—the 'edgy', troubled teenager—knows far more about these subjects than their parents and grandparents did. This begs the question of whether they should be considered 'occult' at all. Semantics aside, the point we wish to make is that Occultism—and to some extent the 'occult'—is simply the study of that which is not generally known. This at once brings such subjects as metaphysics, esoteric philosophy, and even astrology and theology within its compass when they deal with matters which may be regarded as more or less unknown or supernormal.

We discuss what the 'occult' is and isn't in our Occult Faq, so will not repeat ourselves here, except to emphasise the point made earlier that the popular conception which associates the word with all that is evil is entirely wrong. Let us repeat: Occultism is the study of that which is hidden or unknown. To make this even clearer it should be obvious to all thinking occult students that any particular fact, property, law, quality or force must fall into one of three categories, and three categories only.

Known to both occultists and scientists. The circulation of blood in the human body is an example of this.
Now only known to occultists, but of such a nature that it may be understood later on by science. Telepathy and psychometry are examples of this.
Known only to occultists, because it is of such a nature that it cannot be discovered by any of the present methods of science. The existence of the Spiritual Life Force in all living things is an example of this.

So we have now answered the question we posed earlier. An occult student is someone who studies the hidden laws and forces of Nature. He or she may also employ the knowledge acquired to produce supernormal—but not supernatural—phenomena, and then we are in the realm of practical Magic. But Magic again is simply the employment of the hidden laws and forces of Nature. There is nothing remotely 'supernatural' about such practises as hypnosis and suggestion, though the laws behind it and the forces it employs remain largely unknown. The same applies to natural healing, clairvoyance, clairaudience, divination, and a host of other supernormal powers which are relegated to the realm of make-believe and superstition by those who know no better.

Occult study

So much for the occult student, what of study? We, and several of our contributors, have discussed this at length in many previous articles (see full list at the bottom of the sidebar). Consequently, we will confine ourselves to emphasising the most important points. It should be obvious to all that nothing worthwhile can be achieved in life without effort. Yet many students seem to think this doesn't apply to occult study! One might as well expect to master the intricacies of particle physics in between TV breaks! Of all the excuses we've heard for avoiding serious study over the years, not enough time is by far the most common. If we drop our studies whenever work or relationships become difficult, hoping to pick them up again when we have "more time" and "things get easier," we will invariably find that things don't get easier and that there is never enough time. This constitutes a self-fulfilling prophecy which will always come true!

Let us speak plainly. There are only 24 hours in every day. No one gets one second more or less than anyone else. It is the use we make of these seconds that counts. We can choose to devote time to occult study, meditation and spiritual matters, or we can spend it playing with our mobile phone, down the pub or working our selves to death. The choice is ours. Earthly life is one long series of tests and trials, ups and downs, and no one can escape them. Poor health, financial losses and relationship problems affect us all. The wise learn from these difficulties and make time work for them.

Most of us have heard the saying "a busy man has time for everything," but few stop to think what this means. At first glance it seems like a contradiction. How can a busy man possibly take on any extra responsibilities? The answer, as usual, is simple, and therefore not obvious. There are many ways in which a busy man makes time work for him, but foremost among them are delegation, concentration and prioritisation. We can delegate any work to others we don't have to do ourselves. We can concentrate fully on each task, calmly ignoring all distractions. We can decide which things must be done now, which need not, and calmly complete each task before moving on to the next. The opposite to this method is doing a bit here and a bit there and never fully completing anything, whilst rushing around like the proverbial headless chicken and complaining to all and sundry of 'not having enough time'!

The student who learns the art of delegation, concentration and prioritisation will find that 'time' magically expands to allow him to conduct all his activities in an efficient, calm and masterly manner. The foolish, the inept and the lazy will waste every minute of every hour and sink under their own self-imposed burdens. If we wished to be unkind (which we hope we can never be accused of by our readers), then we might add that the excuse of 'not enough time' really means that we place a lower value on the particular thing, task or person we say we do not have enough time for!

As we have stated in many of our articles, Occultism is a practical science, by means of which we not only learn the fundamental laws and truths of the Universe, but employ them to improve our own life and that of others. We cannot do this merely by reading books, much less watching videos or listening to podcasts by some armchair occultist. We need to develop the powers now regarded as 'supernatural' which are latent in us all. The popular fads of 'Mindfulness', 'Positive Affirmation' and the 'Law of Attraction' employ these powers mostly unconsciously and accidentally whereas the practical occultist employs them consciously and deliberately. Despite these developments in what we might call 'consciousness training' we in the West still have much to learn about both the use and the study of the mind from the East, where meditation has been practised in a disciplined and structured way for thousands of years.

Rembrandt van Rijn — Philosopher in Meditation — oil on canvas, 1632

Meditation and Contemplation

At some point in their occult studies every student will come up against a mental barrier to further progress. A kind of impenetrable fog descends; what previously made perfect sense now gives way to confusion, frustration and incomprehension. Many stumble at this point and either give up their studies altogether or find a simpler path, sadly often one that leads away from the Light into twilight or even the darkness. Those who are made of sterner stuff will reach the realisation that the fault lies in them, not in their studies. The absolute necessity of pondering deeply on one thing at a time before moving on to the next will dawn upon them. The tool to facilitate this vital mental exercise is—you've guessed it—Meditation! We discussed this important subject in the penultimate article in our Occult Studies Course when we suggested a safe meditation exercise. If you have not read it we suggest you do so if you wish to reap the greatest possible benefit from this article.

Together with the realisation of our shortcomings will come understanding of the truth that "of the making of many books there is no end," as we read in Ecclesiastes 12:12. We quote this verse at the very beginning of our Occult Books section but have never received a single comment or question about it. Does that mean our readers understand what is meant? We'd like to think so! On the other hand, every day we receive emails from readers who are studying dozens of books simultaneously. Others recommend links to online sources with thousands of occult books available for download. No wonder so many occult students suffer from mental indigestion! We long ago stopped counting how many occult books—not reprints of old ones, but new works—were published each year, but it runs into many thousands.

It is for this reason that the student should aim to know internally, as part of himself, a few of those books which stand out as flaming torches of wisdom in a sea of muddy mediocrity and tedious repetition. Less is definitely more in this case! After having carefully read them with one's full attention, the student should strive to get that inner understanding which can only be achieved by meditation and contemplation. We would point out that these two words are not synonymous, though often treated as such. Meditation is seeking; contemplation is SEEING. What do we mean by that? Do we mean 'seeing' with our physical eyes or with our mind's eye, or both? No, we mean neither of these things. Let us explain. Meditation—at least in the early stages and for the beginner—is to a large extent an intellectual exercise. And intellect, as we discuss in our occult studies course, is primarily a function of the lower self or mind.

As our ability to meditate grows so intellect gradually gives way to intuition, which is a function of the Higher Self or mind. The main difference between intellect and intuition is this: intellectual knowledge is the fruit of analysis based on so-called 'logical' deduction and speculation; intuitional knowledge reaches us in a sudden flash of instant illumination. Some refer to this as a 'light-bulb' moment. Intuition neither needs nor requires rational 'proof' to support or justify its conclusions. It does not deal in doubts or queries or indulge in debunking or debating. When the voice of intuition speaks reason totters on its throne and falls. . . .silent. It is a voice of sweetness and peace whose coming fills the mind with Light and expands the heart with joy no words can describe. When that happens we behold the naked truth, unadorned and pure. This is SEEING; this is Contemplation.

Having now defined what meditation and contemplation are and the difference between them, the student should now be in a better position to succeed. It goes without saying that meditation must be preceded by complete relaxation of mind and body, only then can we hope to gain anything from our efforts. It is best to begin with a simple shape, such as visualising, say, a yellow triangle, or a blue circle, or a single raindrop, or a letter of the alphabet. Those who are not able to visualise well and are more susceptible to sound can think of a single note sustained by a piano, organ or violin, the wind sighing in a tree; falling rain. Those with a developed sense of smell may try to recall a particular scent, such as a freshly cut orange, a rose, hyacinth or other familiar flower. Others again—though this is not so simple—might choose a single word such as Love or Peace as a useful starting point for meditation. The important thing—the vital first step if you like—is to acquire the technique. From that point of view it doesn't matter what you choose to meditate on so long as you fix your whole attention upon it.

When the mind is fixed on a single idea or object steadfastly by the will, all the ripples of the mind will be reduced to a single ripple by the mere fact and effort of the concentration. The exclusion of all other thoughts and ideas will induce that Inner Stillness without which success is impossible. Once that has been achieved the mind will identify itself with and become the chosen symbol, and ideas connected with it will begin to flow into the consciousness. Some students may see related pictures—visual representations of the symbol if a letter or word was chosen. Others, having chosen a shape, may receive thoughts connected with it that explain or amplify its meaning.

At first there will be a sort of groping in the dark; a feeling of being held back by the senses. This is where a powerful will is needed to keep out all intruders, whether thoughts, or messages from the world via the senses, and to reduce all thought and feeling to the subject of the meditation. But it must be exercised peacefully and calmly. It is no good clenching one's teeth and mentally shouting "I will block out all thoughts—all distractions." This is not relaxation. It is stress and strain and will lead to frustration and failure. But if the student remains relaxed in mind and body, sooner or later a vague sensibility will arise, followed by its formulation as a definite idea, something new, but definitely pertaining to the symbol, explaining and identifying it; then perhaps an idea expressible in words. All these stages are analogous to an intellectual process; indeed, the exercise brings ideas not already present into our waking consciousness.

Once a measure of success has been achieved in this way, the student should find little difficulty in repeating the method with another symbol. But having once begun with a symbol, stick to it resolutely for that session to the exclusion of all else. Do not change it, nor be drawn off into sidetracks; this is important! With regular and consistent practice the student will learn how to extract the full meaning from any symbol. You may well ask at this point how long all this takes. We are tempted to ask you "how long is a piece of string?" It all depends on your innate abilities and effort! But six months is not too long a time in which to acquire the basic technique.

Here we must sound a note of caution. Until the student is quite certain that he can meditate on any symbol, object or subject he might choose whilst successfully excluding all distractions, sticking to one only might become a habit which ties him to it, without which he could do little. So after the method we have described has been well and truly established, the student may with great advantage combine symbols, such as a triangle and a square (with the former set above the latter), or a triangle inside a circle, or two interlaced triangles forming a six-pointed star.

Hint and tips

As promised, we will now conclude this article with a few hints and tips, as well as 'do's' and 'don'ts'. Whether the student works entirely on their own or within the curriculum of an established occult order, group or school, the qualities and qualifications needed to progress upon the path are the same. Success depends on a wide variety of many different factors, some of which we discussed in the afterword to the final article in our series of Astral Conversations. If you have not read it now is the time to do so if you wish to benefit fully from these concluding remarks. Even if you have read it we still suggest you revisit it to refresh your mind on what makes a good or bad occult student.

Apart from determination, patience and courage—which we discuss in several of our articles and stories—there are a number of qualities which we would consider to be absolutely essential. At the top of the list we would put Compassion, for as we may read in the Bible, "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:2). The dictionary tells us that Charity is: "benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity." What is this if not compassion? In Goethe's Faust, the eponymous scholar refutes the allegation of pride hurled against him with the moving words: "Why have I sought my path with fervent care if not in hope to bring my brothers there?" The compassionate student is tolerant of the faults and weaknesses of others precisely because he recognises them in himself. He does not condemn, much less judge, knowing that at some point in the past he has been just as ignorant, foolish, dogmatic, bigoted or fanatical. On the contrary, the compassionate student looks only for the good in others, seeking to draw it out with kind words and deeds and ignores the bad. But he does so without subscribing to the modern fallacy that the criminal is not responsible for his offences because his upbringing, or illness, or some other vapid excuse made him the way he is. This is mawkish sentimentality not wise compassion. Another vital skill the student needs to succeed is the ability to concentrate. We will now give you a simple exercise which, with minor modifications, anyone may practise almost anywhere at any time. It is taken from The Quest of Ruru by J Michaud PhD, in which we may read:

One day his Master gave Ruru a great Test, and, placing in his hands a cup filled to the brim with water, he ordered him to go to the lotus pool, walk ten times round it without spilling a single drop, and return to the hermitage. He also told Ruru that if he failed: then his stay with Narāda would end, for the failure would prove that Ruru lacked the necessary concentration for the higher Occult Studies and Initiations. Aghast at the difficulty of the task, and terrified lest he should fail, Ruru commenced the Test, and, focusing all his will-power on the trial, compelling his hands and feet to obey him to the end, he completed the circuit successfully. When he returned to his Master after a long time, without a single drop being spilt, Narāda asked him: "Did you notice how lovely the lotuses looked in the pool today as you walked around it?"

"Nay, Master, indeed I did not, for I was too intent on avoiding the spilling of a drop of water, lest you should dismiss me."

Narāda replied: "Because your whole attention was fixed upon your task, it was impossible for you to notice aught else. In the same manner you must in future practice the concentration and other exercises I will give you; for unless you turn your mind away from all outward contemplation you cannot have any intuition of Truth. Once you have learnt to do this, your intuition can never again be entangled in the web of illusion; and the worlds of Actuality will be open to you for ever. This is my first lesson for leading you to the Path of Salvation."

The minor modifications we mentioned earlier are using a glass for the water and substituting your back yard or garden for the lotus pool. Our third tip is physical and mental cleanliness. There is more in the old adage that 'cleanliness is next to godliness' than most people realise. Devout Muslims, as many of you may know, practise ritual purification before prayer, as do orthodox Jews and the adherents of many other faiths. The student who does not keep him or herself clean without is in danger of becoming dirty within. We would like to tell you a short story in connection with this.

There was once a small boy who was dressed in his Sunday best by his mother, because she wanted to take him to visit a relative. As it was a fine day, the lad waited by the garden gate while his mother got herself ready. As he stood there, along came a ragged urchin who beheld the boy in all his finery and scornfully called him a sissy. Of course, the lad was not going to stand for that, so he opened the gate, rushed out, and punched the urchin on the nose. The urchin retaliated and in a very short time, the boy had his nice suit torn, his face blackened and there was a hole in his trousers at the knee which was bleeding profusely, causing still further havoc to his appearance.

Then the urchin ran away, and as the boy stood there, still sobbing with rage, along came an ice-cream van. The boy, forgetting the mess he was in, went indoors to ask his mother for money to buy some ice-cream. She gave him one look, and said; "Just look at you! You're in no condition to ask for anything; go away and don't come near me until you're clean and respectable again!" Long afterwards that little boy realised the great lesson his Mother had taught him. When we ask God for help we should first take a good, hard look at ourselves, for we may not be in a condition to ask Him for anything. Let us first cleanse ourselves inwardly from our own faults, and come to our Lord in a clean condition, for to approach Him in any other way shows lack of respect at best, which will be noted!

Our fourth tip is to get into the habit of regular introspection and self-examination. This will cause all mental and bodily pains to cease, for you will dwell in Light and Life when you have thoroughly examined all your faults and weaknesses and conquered them. This leads naturally to our fifth hint: arranging your thoughts and desires methodically, so that the light of Truth may illuminate them. This brings freedom, and with freedom comes happiness and contentment. Our final suggestion concerns the meditation method discussed earlier. When meditating upon a subject, trace it right back to its first source and cause, and bring it into relation with all other things. One thought will lead to another until the complete picture stands before you. This brings complete knowledge and this knowledge will be complete in itself. Now a few 'do's' and 'don'ts' as promised.

Raphael — Detail from Scuola di Atene (School of Athens) — fresco in the Vatican, 1509-1511

Do's and Don'ts

DO dwell constantly on Peace, Beauty, Love and Truth; that is, on all elevating and positive things. If you can do this the negative conditions which depress and sadden all of us from time to time will wither and die for lack of nourishment.

DO LAUGH at life and especially at yourself. Laughter is the best tonic we know for invigorating both mind and body. Within the Higher Realms laughter reigns supreme and makes heavenly music, bestrewing yet brighter light all around, as you can read in Vision 6 of The Golden Star by J Michaud PhD.

DO make all your friends feel that there is something good in them and encourage them to let it out.

DO forget the sorrows and mistakes of the past. Always look towards the future when you will reach your heavenly Home and have done with the illusions of earth for ever.

DO HAVE FAITH in God that all that happens to you is for your ultimate good. If you do this sorrows and disappointments will lose much of their power over you.

And now a few 'don'ts'.

DON'T DOUBT. The occult student must never doubt. Doubt is a negative condition that will obstruct the way to liberation and prevent the entry of truth.

DON'T BE JEALOUS. The jealous person becomes a prisoner of their lack of goodwill and understanding. Lacking confidence in their own ability to achieve the same success or wealth as those they envy they unwittingly draw even greater misfortune and failure towards themselves.

DON'T BE ANGRY. If you are angered by someone or something, suspect yourself first. For what we see in others is usually a reflection of what is in us.

DON'T HATE. Those who give way to hatred will lose all Peace and Happiness. When they have lost these blessings they will thirst in vain for Love. Without Love they will slowly die inside for want of the rays of that kindly Sun of Goodwill that should shine from the hearts of all men and women.

One final tip. The most important attribute the occult student should seek to acquire is Wisdom. For as we may read in The Quest of Ruru, "Wisdom is always the best friend in every exigency; more even than valour, for this slays itself in the end." As Wisdom is the greatest virtue, so is ignorance the worst vice which can only be overcome by right thinking and right action—which are Wisdom.

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The Path

In this afterword we will examine a short passage taken from the unpublished writings of H. P. Blavatsky, to discover the hidden truths it contains.

"There is a road, steep and thorny, beset with perils of every kind, but yet a road, and it leads to the very heart of the Universe. I can tell you how to find those who will show you the secret gateway that opens inward only, and closes fast behind the neophyte for evermore. There is no danger that dauntless courage cannot conquer; there is no trial that spotless purity cannot pass through; there is no difficulty that strong intellect cannot surmount. For those who win onwards there is reward past all telling—the power to bless and save humanity; for those who fail, there are other lives in which success may come."

We shall endeavour to show that there are several occult truths concealed in this remarkable passage which, so far as we are aware, have never been identified or explained before. Let us begin with the first line which, on the face of it, seems self-explanatory: "There is a road, steep and thorny, beset with perils of every kind, but yet a road, and it leads to the very heart of the Universe." It is the very simplicity of these few, carefully chosen words that belie the hidden sense behind them.

The road is 'steep'; therefore it leads to the heights, it is a Spiritual Path, not a material one. This is obvious, you may say, but you'd be surprised how many so-called 'occultists' consider the left-hand-path or 'LHP' as it is more commonly known, to be an equally valid road to liberation and enlightenment as we discuss in our Occult Faq. The LHP, as its practitioners will tell you, is concerned with serving self, not others. Moreover, it is an easy path as the Bible tells us, "for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" (Matthew 7:13).

Blavatsky wisely left the 'perils' on Right-hand path unspecified. Had she spelled out even a tenth of them she would have quickly lost the few loyal pupils she had, for even the most promising of them would have taken to their heels in sheer terror. You may think we exaggerate, but if you are far advanced upon the path to the Light you will know we write the truth, and if you are not, we commend the words attributed to Jesus, in the Gospel of Mark: "Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with?" (Mark 10:38).

Perhaps the most enigmatical of the statements in this first sentence is the reference to the 'very heart of the Universe'. Unless the reader has thoroughly studied Isis Unveiled and The Secret Doctrine this may mean anything or nothing to them. Let us say that the 'heart' is Love and that Love is God and leave it at that. To say more would be to prejudice the reader in favour of our own ideas which, although they may well be correct, are no substitute for one's own intuition. So let us move on to the next line.

"I can tell you how to find those who will show you the secret gateway that opens inward only, and closes fast behind the neophyte for evermore." This has several meanings. Only the most literally-minded would think the 'secret gateway' is an actual physical portal, or worse, the so-called 'third eye' which some lunatics attempt to 'open' by drilling holes in their heads! Some readers might suggest the gateway that 'opens inward only' must be Inner Peace, and we would not disagree with them. Might it be one of the once secret Chakras, now hijacked by all and sundry for their own questionable purposes? Perhaps.

Blavatsky does not say. She simply calls it 'the secret gateway'. Is this the strait gate and narrow way Jesus refers to in the Gospel narratives attributed to him? Yes. Does it perhaps also refer to the flames which guard the spiritual paradise called the 'World of Astral Fire' in The Golden Star? Yes again. You see, it is the same with this statement by Blavatsky as with every other genuine occult teaching. It can be interpreted in many ways, each of which is correct but not necessarily complete. We cannot emphasise this important point often enough.

Before leaving this sentence we would draw the reader's attention to the words 'closes fast behind the neophyte for evermore'. This too, has several meanings. It refers to the fact that once our feet are firmly on the Path there is no going back. We can try to return to our old ways, but as the Neophyte Glyndon in Bulwer-Lytton's occult novel Zanoni discovers, there is no peace, no hiding place for those who have once tasted the mysterious 'elixir'. Another meaning is that occultism is, in the main, a solitary pursuit, for no one can do our questing for us. 'Evermore' is significant too, for the terminus of the Path is so far away that to the sore-footed pilgrim it seems like an Eternity. With that sobering thought we must leave the second line and pass on to the third.

"There is no danger that dauntless courage cannot conquer; there is no trial that spotless purity cannot pass through; there is no difficulty that strong intellect cannot surmount." At first glance this appears to be telling us the same thing in three different ways; that the Path is hard, very hard. Let us look a little closer. And let us use one of the keys we have given you time and time again in our articles—the key of lower self or body, Higher Self and Divine Soul; the three main parts that make up man on earth. No lower self is ever brave. Foolhardy often, rash and reckless certainly, but never courageous. Courage is a quality of the Higher Self which girds up the sinews of the body and makes the lower self capable of acts of heroism which astonish us.

Likewise, no lower self is naturally pure. How can it be? It is of the earth, earthy, born from the mud of matter. You might object that many animals bathe regularly (unlike many humans!). Elephants are especially fond of water and hate to be dirty. This is true of many birds too and we've all seen a cat meticulously washing its paws. So why do we say that the lower self is not naturally—that is by or through Nature—pure? It is an animal no less than an elephant or a cat. True, but neither of these admirable creatures possesses a Higher Self, only a lower self with its intelligence and inherited instinct. It is this latter quality that compels an elephant to bathe and a cat to lick its paws.

Now, it is true that man has instincts too—which differ but little from those of animals—so he ought to behave the same. He often does, but not always. Why is that? Because he has a Higher Self. But, you will object again, isn't the Higher Self good? How can it be the cause of impurity in us? It can't, but the combination of the two selves can. Let us use an analogy to explain this seeming paradox by comparing the intellectual abilities of the lower self to that of a naughty, lazy and thoroughly selfish six-year-old.

Now—let us introduce our six-year-old to a worldly-wise and altogether much cleverer 13-year-old. Let us suppose the teenager is led by the child into all sorts of mischief, lending it his or her superior knowledge and intellect in the commission of crimes which would turn any responsible parent's hair grey. Now, do you not agree that our delinquent six-year-old is made much worse by the addition of the extra intellectual capabilities of the teenager? In the process of 'supercharging' the child's mental capacity, their good instincts, which in an animal, would guide its actions, have been largely if not completely overcome.

In other words the presence of a Higher Self in man seems to make him behave worse than an animal would or does. The saying 'as bad as an animal' should really be dropped in favour of 'as worse as a man', for no animal is capable of the infinite cruelty and wickedness of mankind at its worst. This is especially evident in the most primitive types of humanity, and we don't mean savage native tribes but the far more 'primitive' drunken, violent savages that infest our town centres on a weekend!

So now you know the simple—but not obvious—reason the lower self is not naturally pure. It can become so—externally and inwardly—only if the Higher Self takes a hand in its development as you can read in Erika Hahn's enigmatical tale The Shadow that turned. Now you also know the reason why men and women behave as they do, and why even the best of them can exhibit uncharacteristic cruelty and coldness which astonishes those who know them. This is why the lower self needs the 'strong intellect' Blavatsky mentions, for without it, it is incapable of responding to the wise guidance of its better half.

So, to recap, courage is a quality of the Higher Self that conquers all obstacles on the Path. Purity, both moral and physical, is instilled in the lower self by the Higher. But the quality itself comes from the Divine Soul, for that alone is truly pure, having never mixed with matter, dwelling in pure Spirit. It is this purity of mind and body which allows the neophyte to pass through all the trials and tests life throws at us. Intellect, on the other hand, as we saw in our discussion of intelligence in our occult studies course, is a quality of the evolved lower self; a natural development of animal intelligence and instinct.

So in this third line of Blavatsky's discourse on the Path we find the three principles of man perfectly described, albeit in a concealed manner. Which brings us to the fourth and final line. "For those who win onwards there is reward past all telling—the power to bless and save humanity; for those who fail, there are other lives in which success may come." This is largely self-explanatory. For it is those who are far advanced upon the Path who can raise up their fellowmen and women to a realisation of their heritage as sons and daughters of God.

The words 'for those who fail...' remind us of the moving parable of the Prodigal Son. Has not every seeker failed in the past? Are not many of us failing now and will we not fail again in the future, over and over again, until all our lessons are well and truly learnt? Bitter lessons! "Earned in thoughtless play of long-lost ages; learned with scalding tears, that flood despairing eyes in agony, and deep regret," as we may read in The Golden Star. Blavatsky knew this better than most and was filled with forgiveness, understanding and compassion for the weakness of mankind because of that knowledge.

But there is a further aspect to this passage, the key to which is to be found in another of Blavatsky's writings, The Voice of the Silence. In it we may read that: "Thou canst not travel on the Path before thou hast become that Path itself." Few will realise how great a Truth is contained in these words. A truth which even fewer can understand, especially those who wildly twitter, flicker and flutter, squirming in their turbulent desire to walk the Path and reach freedom, power, and the fulfilment of every wish their wandering minds can conceive. But the whirlpools of life hold them fast, and in the end they are hurled back again to the place from whence they thought the Path began, and they are bewildered and confused and seek in vain for someone or something to blame for their failure.

Those who are still held in thrall by material goods are not of the Path, for they are as material in every way as the Path is Spiritual. These prisoners will find a thousand excuses for not doing what they ought to do with courage and determination, for they are weak and miserable and lack that Faith which marks the one who is on the Path and is the Path himself or herself. We discussed many of these excuses in previous articles (see the further reading list at the end of this afterword), so we shall not repeat ourselves, except to say that the one thing the lower self knows how to do really well, is make excuses for its own ineptitude!

By saying the seeker must become the Path Blavatsky is telling us that every part of us must be dedicated to the work of liberation and enlightenment. The opposite approach is that adopted by those who attend church religiously every Sunday but hearken to the sermons of the devil the rest of the week!

In other words, body, lower self and Higher Self must all work together with a will if we are to become the Path and reach our journey's end. But we must be careful here not to fall into the trap of either fanaticism or asceticism. The man or woman who is so 'good and pure' that all the worlds above them shudder with dismay is far from the Path. So are the tight-lipped, hard-eyed bigots, ever spreading scandal and casting aspersions upon the really good, who are forever beyond the understanding of such pious, mealy-mouthed hypocrites.

The ascetic who despises their own body and goes to the most extraordinary lengths to 'subdue' it by indulging in all sorts of weird and wonderful 'religious' practises in the hope of achieving 'enlightenment' is not on the Path either. Between such extremes we find every possible combination of 'swings' to the material and spiritual and back again. The panacea for all extremes is Peace Within; may that blessing be yours, dear reader!

occult mysteries