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THE

WORD

APRIL 1910


Copyright 1910 by H. W. PERCIVAL

MOMENTS WITH FRIENDS

Is darkness the absence of light, or is it something separate in itself and which takes the place of light. If they are distinct and separate, what is darkness and what is light?

Darkness is not “the absence of light.” Light is not darkness. Darkness is something in itself, not light. Darkness may for a while take the place of light and obscure light, but light will dispel darkness. Light will eventually overcome darkness by the raising of and causing darkness to become light. The light and darkness which we perceive through the senses are not light and darkness in themselves, though that which we perceive as light and dark have their origin in the true light and in darkness. As a thing, darkness is homogeneous substance, which is the root, basis or background of all manifestation as matter. In its original state, it is quiet and is the same throughout itself. It is unconscious, unintelligent and undisturbed. Light is the power which comes from the intelligences who have passed through the evolutions and are above or beyond manifestation. When intelligences direct their light power on unconditioned and homogeneous substance, which is darkness, that portion of substance or darkness, and on which light is directed, springs into activity. With the beginning of activity, the substance which was one becomes dual. In action darkness or substance is no longer substance, but is dual. This duality of substance or darkness is known as spirit-matter. Spirit and matter are the two opposites of the one thing, which is substance in origin, but spirit-matter in action. The units into which substance is thus divided as spirit-matter, as well as the manifesting spirit-matter as a whole, have impressed upon them and it the origin of their root parent and also the cause of their action or manifestation. Substance is the root and parent of every indivisible unit particle of the manifesting mass as well as of the mass as a whole. Light is the cause of the manifestation and of the action in each unit as well as of the manifesting mass as a whole. So that in each indivisible unit, as well as throughout the manifesting mass as a whole is represented: the root parent as substance and the acting power as light. In each unit called spirit-matter there is potentially the parent, substance, and the power, light. Substance is represented by that portion of the indivisible unit which is called matter, and light is represented by the other side or portion of the same indivisible unit called spirit. All universes or manifestations are called out of the unfathomed substance or darkness into manifestation by the light power of intelligences, and this light keeps the spirit-matter thus called into action continuously in action throughout its period of manifestation. During the period of the manifestation the light which is present in manifestation with darkness is the cause of that which we call light. The matter which is manifesting is the cause of what we call darkness. Light and darkness seem ever in conflict and seem to give place to each other throughout manifestation. Day and night, waking and sleeping, life and death, are the opposites or reverse sides of the same thing. These opposites act alternately in short or long periods, until darkness is turned into light. Each seems to the other as the undesirable though each is to the other a necessity. Man has in him darkness and the light power. To man the senses are his darkness and his mind is his light. But this is not usually so considered. To the senses the mind seems as darkness. To the mind the senses are darkness. That which to the senses seems to come from the sun, we call sunlight. To the mind the senses and that which they call light is as darkness when it, the mind, is illuminated by the light power of its parent intelligence. The sunlight and the intelligent perception of it may come to us even while the mind is immersed in and in conflict with the darkness; then we shall see the sunlight as a reflection or symbol of the real light. Darkness gives place to and is changed into permanent light as it is overcome by perceptions and by actions of the mind. When our minds have won in the conflict with darkness we shall perceive the true light which shines in the darkness even though darkness now knows it not.

 

What is radium and how is it possible for it to throw off continuously a great energy without any apparent waste and loss of its own power and body, and what is the source of its great radioactivity?

It is supposed that the writer of the question is familiar with the scientific statements concerning the recent discovery of radium, such as its being extracted from pitchblende, its discovery by Madame Curie, its light power, the effect of its action on other bodies, its scarcity and the difficulties attending its production.

Radium is a physical state of matter through which force and matter finer than physical are manifested to the senses. Radium is physical matter in contact with other matter and forces usually speculated about as being hypothetical. Ether and these forces are states of matter finer than the physical and they act on or through what is called physical matter, whether the physical matter is a diamond or a molecule of hydrogen. Were it not for ethereal or hypothetical matter acting through the physical matter there would be no change or decomposition of physical matter. The action of finer through gross matter causes the “chemical” combinations and changes of the matter in ordinary use and as dealt with by chemists.

Radium is physical matter which is acted directly upon or through by astral matter without a third factor and without being perceptibly changed by the action of astral matter. Other physical matter is acted on by astral matter, but in lesser degree than radium. Generally, the results of the action of the astral on other physical matter are not perceptible because physical matter cannot offer the contact and resistance to astral matter which is offered by radium, and most other matter is not so directly in contact with astral matter as is radium. Infinitesimal and imperceptible particles of radium are present in all matter. But thus far pitchblende seems to be the source from which they may be collected in the greatest amount, little though it is. When the particles called radium are compacted into one mass, astral matter acts directly on and through it in a quality and power apparent to the senses.

The radio-activity of radium is not, as is now supposed, due to its generating or throwing off from itself particles of its own body. The physical matter of which radium is composed does not furnish the radio-activity or other power which manifests through it. Radium is not a force, but a medium of force. (Matter is twofold and exists on different planes. On each plane it is matter when it is passive and force when it is active. So physical matter is passive matter and force is active matter. Astral matter is passive astral matter and force on the astral plane is active astral matter.) Radium is the body through which astral matter manifests. Radium is matter of the physical world; radio-activity is astral matter from the astral world which becomes visible by means of physical radium. The astral world is around and through the physical world, and, as its matter is finer, it is in and through gross physical matter, as science says that ether is in and through a crowbar, or as it is known that electricity acts in and through water. Like a candle which gives light, radium emits light or energy. But unlike the candle, it is not burnt out in giving the light. Like a generator or an electric wire which seems to generate heat or light or power, radium seems to generate or throw off energy; and so it does, perhaps. But the light or other power which seems to be generated is not furnished by the wire. It is known that the power of electricity does not originate in a dynamo or in an electric wire. It is also known that the electricity which manifests as heat or light or power is directed along the wire. In a similar manner, that quality or force known as radio-activity manifests through radium from a source which is at present unknown to science. But the source is not radium any more than the source of electricity is a dynamo or a wire. The particles of its body are thrown off and burnt out or used up in a less degree than the particles of a dynamo or electric wire by the action of electrical energy. The source of that which is manifested through radium is the same as the source of the manifestations of electricity. Both come from the same source. The difference between the manifestation of electricity as heat, light or power and that which is manifested through physical radium is in the medium of manifestation and not in electricity or radio-activity. The particles of which are composed the dynamo, generator or wire, are not of the same quality as the particles of which radium is made up. Astral matter and the forces which act in astral matter act directly on radium without any other factor or mediation. The current which plays through an electric wire is made manifest by other factors, such as batteries, magnets, generators, dynamos, steam and fuel. None of these factors are required by radium because it is directly in contact with and itself allows astral matter to manifest through or about it, the radium.

It is known that the electric current does not go through the wire, but around the wire. It will also be found that in a similar manner the radio-activity is not in the radium, but around or about the radium. Electricians have tried and are still trying to devise some means by which electric energy can be made to manifest and directed without the use of steam or fuel or galvanic action. Radium suggests and illustrates how this may be done.

A Friend [H. W. Percival]