The Inner Life

self-hood of an Initiate may project itself into devachan (heaven), but the dweller in devachan cannot go again to earth till it be born again therein. Indeed! why does the soul leave earth after the grave? It is because in devachan it must assimilate the fruits of its past active earth life. . . .

It lies in the power of all forceful mediumistic natures (generally) belonging to the sect called “Spiritualists” to do likewise (project themselves to the realm of the departed). These media can also recall the departed, but at what dread cost to the Ego, and reacting upon the medium to the latter! I say no process of Nature as ordered by our Heavenly Father may be lightly interrupted; every such act carries a penalty proportionate to the undertaking of the culprit; never light, and often of fearful weight.

Had I remained to see, I would have seen Gwauxln, Son of the Solitude, go forth in his own astral shape, after retiring his own corporeal body in his secret chamber, that no harm might come to it while he was away. And the astral shell of Zailm would have I seen go with him to the Incalithlon (the Temple), and there would I have seen the Rai cause it to pass into the flame of the Unfed Light burning on the Altar. But of all men on earth only the trained eyes of a Son of the Solitude could have seen what then happened. The “shell” emerged from that Light nevermore.

What was this shell? Why destroy it? So that it might not go forth in the earth and impress sensitives and mediums. Others might have resulted much trouble, for was not this astral of mine faithfully repeating my final words ere I parted company with it, when it said to Gwauxln, “I am not dead.” It was even then like all other shells, its double composite nature only holding together during the limited period it could draw sustaining magnetism from my recently closed earthly correspondence.

In some cases such sustenance is sufficient for ages, in others for centuries, years, days, or even minutes—according to the earthward-turning or the spirit-turning sympathies of the deceased. The astral is only vivified force, bearing the image in all respects of its Ego, the I Am. Even prophecies made by “returned spirits,” prophecies which perhaps came true after years,