ful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well.... (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel.) Benjamin means (son of right hand, or power). This expresses the unparalleled power of those born in the sign my (Virgo) in their strong will. Hebrew scholars will see that the first letter of the great cabalistic name (Yahveh, or Yhvh), usually translated Jehovah, is in itself the symbol of the right hand, in the attitude of pointing out the way. Virgo belongs to the digestive function and intuitive faculty, whose office is to take care of its own body by nourishing it, from which source is derived all sustenance and physical stength; therefore power of selfpreservation and maintenance, are the leading characteristics of the sign Virgo. Again, in Genesis XLIV, Jacob generalized the life and character of each of the twelve sons under a prophetic phase of expression, which can be easily followed, and will be found very interesting. Moses, who was a master and prophet to the twelve tribes of Israel in the wilderness, repeated, before he died, another prophecy in Deuteronomy XXXIII. This chapter is wholly an expression of the divine order that will obtain, when the prayer that Jesus taught us will have been answered; namely, when the kingdom of God has come on earth. The prophet Ezekiel again foresaw the ultimate order of this system, and his whole prophecy is relative thereto from the first to the last, especially from chapter XL to XLVIII inclusive. Again, this system is brought to light throughout the book of Revelation, and especially pictured in the description of the holy city in chapter XXI. (See diagram). This shows the twelve gates of the Temple, with the name of the corresponding tribe and sign to which they belong also the twelve foundations with the names of the twelve apostles of Jesus. The letters N., S., E., W., indicate the four points of the the compass. The circle is squared by the perfect law of God in its triune relation; first, or outer circle, the physical body; second, the soul; third, and innermost, the spiritual. This being squared by the perfect law, is a perfection of the effort made by Solomon to carry out the injunction given to Moses: "See that thou make all things after the pattern shown thee in the mount.... The pattern of the heavens.' It is very evident that Jesus, when he came, took up the same line of scientific prophecy, and worked in accordance with the metaphysics of this system, for he chose twelve men as apostles, representatives of the twelve signs of the zodiac, he standing as the central sun, whose spiritual and intellectual light was to flow out through them into the twelve departments of humanity. So important was it considered by the disciples that this order should be kept up, that after the death of Judas, they chose Matthias to take his place as one of the twelve. As the tribes of Israel were each an expression, or representative, of a distinct sign of the zodiac, or twelve departments of the heavens, and as each person in a general sense belongs to one of those tribes, we give in tabulated form the sign of each, and also for the benefit of those who have not had an opportunity of following THE ESOTERIC from the first, the period of each sign, from which persons may determine, by the date of their nativity, to which of the twelve tribes they belong. Reuben, (Libra) from Sept. 23 to Oct. 23. Levi, (Sagittarius) from Nov. 22 to Dec. 21. A. GENEVIEVE PAYSON. LO! NOW THE BLESSED COMFORTER HAS COME! JOHN XV, 26. Lo, now the blessed Comforter has come! Foretold by Christ of old; The message that he brings to all mankind His presence in the hearts of men appears The waves of peace kiss every shore, CHORUS. Hail, O hail, the Comforter sublime! When Love shall rule the hearts of men, Lo, now the blessed Comforter has come ! O, may his blessings greet and ever blend May Peace inhabit all the realms of earth, Creation's rhythmic ebb and flow, CHORUS. Hail, O hail, the Comforter sublime! Hail, O hail, the Comforter divine! The angels usher in the gladsome time The future holds in store, When Love shall rule the hearts of men, EVA A. H. BARNES IN THE ASTRAL. BY MAURICE ST. CLAIRE. CHAPTER VI. A Strange Power. "PASSION must be rooted out, or true progress will cease!" A unique, not to say noble sentiment. May I inquire if the remark is original, Mr. Lang?" With disgust plainly marked upon my face, I turned and found Mrs. Milveux within a few feet of the garden chair upon which I sat. The tennis court near by was full of gay young people whose sport had been going on during the perusal of my letter, but I little thought that my presence among the shrubbery had been noticed. Mrs. Milveux's tone and manner nettled me beyond description, for it seemed to me that she had taken advantage of my absorption in the Captain's interesting missive, and had, unnoticed, read a portion it. So decidedly mean an act aroused my deepest contempt, and words, hot with anger, sprung to my lips, but something in the woman's manner checked my impulsiveness. I suddenly realized, from her flushed cheeks, and peculiar bearing, that Mrs. Milveux had taken too much wine. "Since you quote so freely from my letter, you surely have no reason to inquire the author's name. Could you not read it along with the rest?" "Ah, do not assign to me the injustice which those words imply," she said, with a touch of real feeling; "I have not been guilty of so small a thing as that. You were so absorbed in your billetdoux that you did not realize that you read aloud the last few lines, omitting, however, to name the writer." "Excuse my unjust remark, I beg of you," I said, hastily extending my hand which she graciously accepted, as she took the proffered seat at my side. 66 Yes, passion, and love for the material, must be killed, if we would gain the heights of spiritual attainment, but I sometimes doubt if, when the end is really found, there do not still linger in the breast, vain longings for that which was spruned as gross and material in our younger days. There are days in my life when I feel that, could I have that companionship of true affection for which my whole being yearns, I would willingly surrender all the knowledge of occultism which, since a child, I have possessed." I surveyed her with wonder, and questioned with myself as to how much of this assertion was due to the effects of the wine which now, more than ever, I saw was the partial cause of her unusual manner. I remarked at length that I had never heard that she was interested in occult studies. "No one knows it here," she replied, 66 even Fantine is unaware of the extent of my knowledge in this direction, but I assure you that few people have gone into the subject deeper, and few can produce more striking proof of their knowledge, than your humble servant." Mrs. Milveux was getting positively silly. The wine was evidently doing its work. "Let me give you a slight exhibition of my accomplishment," she continued, with a smile which had in it an element of demoniac will-power and persistence. "I will mentally desire that you perform an act which you are wholly unaccustomed to do. If I succeed, you will surely be candid in admitting that I am in possession of powers not known to people in general?" She fixed her eyes upon me, and immediately my thoughts flew back to some remote period in the dim past when I had looked into those same depths before; what wonderful eyes! And what power they exerted upon me! I was so lost in their contemplation that I scarcely knew what she said, when at last I heard her voice. "A stubborn subject, Mr. Lang; I thought to have had an effect sufficiently pronounced to cause you to execute a certain commission for me, but evidently your powers of resistance are well-developed. Now there is Miss Orvis whom I have many times made to do my bidding perfectly of late. I'll try again." The person mentioned was at this moment engaged in a game of tennis on the lawn near by. A bright little lady of twenty summers, with light blue eyes, golden hair, - in fact a veritable fairy, whose movements in the exercise of the sport, were as graceful as those of the swan in its natural element. A good mesmeric subject surely. "I'll send her to ask Fantine to join in the sport," said Mrs. Milveux. Miss Darcet never played tennis, nor in any way associated with the gay revelers in their enjoyments, and I saw at once that such a proceeding on the part of Miss Örvis would be most extraordinary. 66 No sooner had Mrs. Milveux bent her gaze upon the players than Miss Orvis was heard to exclaim, "Excuse me just a moment, please; I can't endure to allow Miss Darcet to sacrifice all this enjoyment; I'm going to bring her out here bodily, if she won't come of her own accord." With a laugh she ran lightly across the lawn, and disappeared from view, soon returning with the remark; "The bird has flown; gone for a stroll, the aunt says." I looked at Mrs. Milveux for an explanation of the words in reference to herself. "I mentally told Miss Orvis that Fantine had gone out. The lady will doubtless declare that she saw me just now in the hotel parlor. Perhaps she did, who knows?" and again the disagreeable smile flitted across her face. "I feel the powers' very forcibly this afternoon," she continued. "It seems to me that you need but express a wish, and the execution of that wish will be immediate." Owing to her manner, such feelings of repugnance filled me that no room was left for curiosity to be gratified, and I resolved to encourage this display by no act of mine. This proved no barrier to her, however, for she seemed determined to force upon me full proof of her wonderful knowledge of the unseen. "Come with me a little nearer the lawn," she said. We had been sitting near enough the players to clearly hear their voices, although ourselves concealed from them by the shrubbery. We now took a seat directly upon the edge of the open ground and were easily seen by all, as was shown by their speedy recognition of our approach. "Miss Orvis was doubtless mistaken in her supposition that she saw Mrs. Milveux in the parlor," I heard someone say, quite near us. I wondered that Miss Orvis failed to see that Mrs. Milveux's immediate presence gave peculiar coloring to her statement of a few moments since. "Miss Orvis and Mr. Sayles are very devoted to each other, Mr. Lang; I understand that they are engaged, and that the saying 'The course of true love' etc., is not in the least applicable to their case. Yesterday Mr. Sayles was unexpectedly called away, and gave Miss Orvis no definite explanation. This, however, is of no moment to her, for she fully trusts him. He returned at noon, and I wish you to look closely at them now, and mark how devoted, and how perfectly in harmony with each other, they seem. Soon I'll work such a change in her angelic face that you'll scarcely believe her the same person that she seems at present." |