preaching, discourse, doctrine, speech, also the word." When we remember that the Dog star belongs peculiarly to August, that month represented by the Lion, and called by the Egyptians Thoth, we see that it was not without reason that the hound so keen on the scent is here pictured. Sirius disappears from our sky about the last of May, but it tracks the earth round to its ripening time in the sign of the Lion. Dies Canicularis it is indeed. Astronomers now affirm that Sirius is receding from us. We take this as a happy augury of man's progress, for the hound does not fail to reach cover in advance of the hunter.

Baron Bunsen puts the following words into the mouth of one of Egypt's priests.

"Four times ten years I've watched the sky for Sirius' heavenly birth,
Then when the first of Thoth returned to the warm fruit-bearing earth,
And now what lacked hath been fulfilled, the mystic year complete,
When Sothis with his morning strength the rising sun shall greet,
Now doth the great world-year begin, new centuries are told;
What long my heart believed, make not my fleshly eye behold,
He said; and in the East he saw the morning's long gray lines,
Day's harbinger; and in the sky the mounting Sirius shines."
[To be continued.]

If there be no reasons to suppose that we have existed before that period at which our existence apparently commences, then there are no grounds for supposing that we shall continue to exist after our existence has apparently ceased.

Shelley.

THE ZODIACAL CONSTELLATIONS.

Virgo. (my)

It has been suggested that we describe and point out the place of Gemini in this paper and in the following numbers give the constellations which are associated with the signs of each month. A moment's thought will convince the reader of the impracticability of this method. The Sun is now in Gemini, (May 20th to June 20th,) and as his light is rather detrimental to star gazing, we must consider those sections of the heavens devoid of sunlight.

Last month we gave the place of Leo, but as the diagram was far from satisfactory we have prepared another, and have added other stars whose places may be quickly found if due attention is given to the directions.

Fifth magnitude and less are represented by points, thus: .

(CB) Corona or the Northern Crown.

(B) Bootes, the Herdsman.

(UM) Ursa Major, the Great Bear.

(V)

A

Sn

Virgo. (L) Leo. (BH) Berenices Hair.

Arcturus. S Spica. D Denebola. R Regulus.
Saturn, the planet. Sk The Sickle, in Leo.

West,

a The bear's head; b the fore feet; c, c the hind feet; d the dipper. Those letters enclosed with parentheses indicate constellations.

Arcturus, Spica and Denebola will be quickly recognized by facing the South in the early evening hours of May and June. These stars are the most prominent ones now in view, and their positions once fixed will enable the observer to more readily locate the others.

Virgo may be identified by aid of the four stars from 5 to 10 degrees apart in form of a square and occupying a central position in this constellation. It may also be known from Spica, the brilliant first magnitude star.

By holding the map above the head and looking up to it, the positions will be more easily understood.

Those of our readers who are practicing Psychitic sight may test their powers by numbering the stars which the unassisted eye can locate within the "square" of Virgo.

It may be interesting to know that Arcturus is moving earthward at the rate of 55 miles per second. This fact is determined by aid of that great adjunct to Astronomical study, the spectroscope.

We trust that the knowledge of these facts will not alarm our readers, as to the safety of our planet. True, were Arcturus to collide with the earth the result would be most grave, for the brilliant star is many times larger than our Sun and carries with it a powerful retinue of worlds far surpassing our own Solar System.

But there isn't the slightest cause for fear from this quarter. Were Arcturus to travel with the velocity of light, (186,000 miles per second) for the next 100 years, he would still be too far away to harm us.

This star will not always move towards us, however. He is governed by the same law that swings the earth around the Sun every 365 days, and the time will come when Arcturus will have completed his journey earthward and responding to the power at the centre of his orbit will swerve from his path leading toward our system and will commence his return cycle. C. H. M.

BRANCH AND NUCLEUS WORK.

To Branch Presidents:

It is apparent, from the many letters received from branch members, that subjects of a spiritual or psychical nature will be most generally acceptable for your study and investigation.

We therefore urge that at each weekly session you name a subject for discussion at the following meeting and require every member to advance an idea or give an extract upon the selected theme.

The society at Boston has taken up the subject of Re-incarnation as the first question which its members will consider.

At its regular meeting, Friday evening, May 9th, this subject was discussed by nearly every member present, and a more satisfactory, interesting session has not been holden for months.

The same theme will be resumed at the next meeting. While we would advise that every branch take Re-incarnation as its subject for the next four meetings, yet, if preferable, you may select something else.

Any one of the following questions open up a vast field of research, and would prove of great interest if properly studied, namely: Theosophy, Magic, Mental Healing, Psychology, Mesmerism, ThoughtTransference, etc.

The benefit to be derived from a faithful consideration of these matters will be simply inestimable. Each member delegated to speak upon a subject should be as thoroughly prepared as possible, and the President should require in some degree, the observance of parliamentary rules.

Our branches throughout the land may soon become a power which will be felt and respected if this plan is embraced, and a proper amount of attention given it.

Those who wish to continue the Nucleus- Work as set forth in the circular may do so, but for the present no instructions can be given from this office. The editor of THE ESOTERIC is already overburdened and cannot attend to correspondence.

All letters and reports to Teacher of the Nuclei, are filed and will be entered in a correct manner upon the Nucleus Record Book for future reference and classification. But in the meantime our branches must not remain idle. Hold regular weekly meetings and increase your membership just as rapidly as possible.

Make your sessions of so great an interest that your members will be proud to invite friends and acquaintances to come and listen. You will soon be holding public meetings and will have developed able speakers upon subjects which heretofore have been sealed books to all the world. Keep a careful record of all phenomena which may occur, and cause your secretary to be faithful in his minutes of each meeting.

Now to work! The field is open it is almost unoccupied.

Our branches may soon wield a power for good of which you little dream. Individual effort is all that is needed to make our movement the most productive of good which this age has seen.

Remember that this course is useful and necessary and will afford the stepping-stone to greater truths and higher attainments.

We shall require no more monthly dues until additional private instructions are issued.

Branches which have not paid up to May 1st will please do so at their earliest convenience.

TWELVE MANNER OF GENII.

THE GENIUS OF (CANCER).

NOTE. This article was sent us for publication nearly a year ago. It was mislaid, and although search has been made for it upon several occasions, we have never been able to find it until recently.

Many of our "Cancer" friends were deeply disappointed at its non-appearance. We are very glad to present it herewith. (Ed.)

This includes all persons born between June 21st and July 22nd.

In the prophetic account of the origin of this nature Genesis xxx, 20. "Leah said God hath induced me with a good dowery; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun" i. e. Dwelling at home. This indicates the anxious care of the mother nature, which predominates in this genius. It is the motherly nature whether in male or female which cares for home, family, and especially for one's own children. When we take into consideration all that is necessary to the care of a family, then we can see in these natures the endowment in that direction, this applies not only to food and clothing, but it discriminates as to what is the proper food,

clothing, and even the right medicine when ill. On account of the state of maturity of our age many, especially ladies, have outgrown the domestic proclivities, and are inclined to look upon the world as their object of care, and therefore are not inclined to the domestic sphere of usefulness, and not having defined in their own minds what their Genii would have them do, they try public life, such as writers, teachers of some new system in which their minds become interested, and sometimes run to great extremes and idiosyncrasies.

The Genii of Cancer is the head of the great family of humanity, and its office is to care for the physical well-being of the race, such as education in every department relative to the social, famalistic and medical. This Genii is really the fabled "goddess Hygeia."

are.

When persons first begin to be conscious of their admonitions, they are made to know many things of which they can give no account, and as this office and function is nearest the earth-sphere of action, the consciousness of the unknown increases very rapidly without much previous preparation, they at once become conscious or partially so, that they are in some way allied to the head of the human family, (for they really do belong to the head of the trinity of that department) but being ignorant of these laws, quickly accept as a fact, that they personally are to be that head, not knowing that there are many thousand who are as much so as they This is not to be wondered at, for the Genii of all are one body in the heavens, and their consciousness is of one person, and when the thought reaches the individual, (which in reality are only as one molecule in the body) it is that of I. I am the head, etc., and they feel that they must and will, sooner or later, be recognized as such. Thus the ego gets control of them, and through ignorance of their true position are self deceived, and refuse to take their TRULY humble position in the grand body and stand alone. They expect, through some supernatural power, or through obtaining some superior ability, that the people will recognize them as their head and many times as their savior; but they are usually too discreet to say this, until they are so thoroughly deceived that their minds are really unbalanced.

Thus while they have the ability to be of great service to this incoming age, they always hold themself separate and never accomplish anything of any importance. This however must be remembered as applicable. wholly to those coming into consciousness of the spiritual, for prior to that time they are usually very practical and successful in business prevalent is this condition with all persons born in this sign that in our wide sphere of acquaintances we have not found one per cent who are not thus self-deceived, therefore, we have so largely dwelt on this point in the Cancer nature.

so

In the more perfect ultimate of these natures, their Genii brings them to a consciousness of the "divine sophia" the former and preserver of all, as shown in "The Seven Creative Principles." The Divine Mother gathers the substance of the Divine Father; forms it into an organism; and binds it and holds it for service on earth. So these persons when they have overcome "selfishness" (in the form of egotism) "hate" and "passion" then they will cease to hold merely the individual self, but will accept their position in the body as the mother who willingly gives her substance to her babe to nourish it, so will these draw down the divine substance