BOOK REVIEWS.

VIBRATION THE LAW OF LIFE. By W. H. Williams. Cloth, $1.25. The Temple Publishing Co., 34 Masonic Temple, Denver, Colorado.

A very interesting and unique work. In his introduction the author says that the purpose of the book is "to mark out a clear, direct path according to nature's law, accessible to every child of earth." His evident object is to express his thought simply and clearly, and in this he is signally successful; his style is easy and the language so plain and forceful that a child may grasp the thought. The book is full of valuable suggestions on points vital to the health and well-being of the individual, particularly in relation to the nervous and mental system. His remarks and instructions in regard to breathing are especially good. His theory is that to understand the law of universal motion is to gain control of the vital force of the universe. He holds the breath to be an exemplification of the character of this motion, and therefore the importance of right breathing.

By means of a sensitized organism he has sensed the great transmutative energies, whose spiral path is an ever-ascending one, and, from this standpoint of sensation, he gives a method by which the life currents are to be energized, and through “polarity,” “spinning around," are to be carried upward. It is rather a severe ordeal, but would doubtless have its effect upon the life forces. He has gained but a broken and imperfect glimpse of conditions that belong to the approaching age of the transmutative energies, the age of the fulfillment of Christ's mission. "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly;" and in spiral, transmutative energies, this life is ever ascending into the presence of the great white central light.

LECTURES ON MYSTICISM AND NATURE WORSHIP. Second Series. By C. H. A. Bjerregaard. Cloth, 133 pp. M. R. Kent, publishers, 198 Custom House Place, Chicago, Ill.

This is a delightful book. The author gives us the result of wide reading and some effective thinking. He is particularly happy in his perception of, and approach to, what he denominates "Nature Worship; he does certainly draw very near to nature,-but, in the light of higher revelation, the term "Nature Worship" is an unfortunate one. As these lectures embrace a variety of subjects, we can probably best enlighten our readers as to their nature by giving the contents of the work:

Music and Numbers. Idealism.

"Preface.-Uplift of Heart and Address. First Lecture.-Motto. Pilgrims of the Infinite. The Fourth World. Vision of the Sephiroth. The Presence of the Woods. The Kabbalistic worlds and forces. Dionysius on how to unite. Second Lecture.-Motto. Cry for Freedom. Heart and Soul-life. Faith. Jacobi. Appeal for spiritual life. Third Lecture.-Motto. Fourth Lecture.-Motto. History in the Heavens. The Universal Ministry. Fifth Lecture.-Motto. of Jesus. Value of the Bible compared to Oriental logue, Lord's Prayer and Sermon on the Mount. Farmer on Greenacre. Sixth Lecture.-Motto. ture worship. Influence of the stars. Freedom. Lecture.-Motto. Invocation. Nature worship. Cycles and Historical Development. Eighth Lecture. Love. Ninth Meeting.— Questions and Remarks. Excursion to Mt. Salvat. Appendix to Lectures on Nature worship and Love. Epilogue."

Lawlessness and Occultism. Universal Ministry. Religion Philosophy. Yogas. DecaEmblems and Symbols. Miss Invocation. The Human. NaMerged in the Beloved. Seventh Pine trees and cones. Vortex.

THE DEGREES OF THE ZODIAC SYMBOLIZED. By Charubel. To which is added THE THEORETICAL VALUE OF THE DEGREES OF THE ZODIAC. By H. S. Green. Nichols & Co., publishers, 23 Oxford St., W. London, Eng. Sold by Esoteric Publishing Co.

The preface to this little work contains the following summary of its contents: "The two writers whose work is here found have approached the subject from different points of view, and each is responsible only for that portion of the book to which his name is attached.

'Charubel,' who is a born seer and normal clairvoyant, has used his psychic faculty to ascertain the nature and influence of each degree of the zodiac, and the record is here presented for the use of the practical astrologer. Whatever credit is due for this belongs to 'Charubel' alone, for he has attacked and accomplished his task unaided. What he has recorded is original with himself and is not copied from any author, ancient or modern.

The second part of the book consists of an essay by another and independent writer who has approached the same subject from the theoretical point of view only."

It is a pamphlet of 121 pages whose verity and usefulness must be shown by practical application; we are not astrologers and therefore are not judges of its merit. "Charubel" has discovered the characteristics of the different degrees of the zodiac by clairvoyance: our experience has proved that, unless a person has reached such attainments as to know how to look into the astral and see what is really there, he will merely see that which he himself unconsciously formulates, whether it exists or not. As to "Charubel's" attainments we know nothing, but the practical astrologer would do well to possess this little volume and prove its truth or error. It would be strange if there were not some important truths in it. THE LAW OF CORRESPONDENCES APPLIED TO HEALING. A Course of Seven Practical Lessons. By W. J. Colville. Leatherette, 121 pp. F. M. Harley Publishing Co., Chicago, Ill.

In the author's preface to this work we read that "the aim of this little book is to help people to help themselves and others, not to evade consequences or shirk responsibilities, but to so govern their thinking, speaking and acting, that through the constant sowing of good seed, and naught other, harvests of good and pleasant fruit may be inevitably secured through conscious, intelligent co-operation with universal order."

Mr. Colville's writings are well known, and are much appreciated by many of the Christian Science, Spiritualistic, and Theosophic societies. The work before us is characteristic of the man-words, good words, nicely arranged, but their practical usefulness we fail to discover.

No. 7. THE THREE CHURCHES. Paper, 396 pp., 50 cents; cloth, $1.00. By W. A. Redding, Navarre, Dickinson Co., Kans.

In a brief notice of this book, its author says: "No. 7, The Three Churches, shows what the Bible says about the three kinds of people, who would be on earth at these times and that each would call themselves by a name; and that only one of them would be the real Church of God. This No. 7 book shows who these three are and that the third one is just now forming into the real church, which the New Testament calls the Elect, which are to be picked out and to overcome death and rule the earth 1,00 years. Is. LXV. 20-20. But these three churches are not any three of the denominations now calling themselves churches. It is an entirely different dividing of the world into three groups named in the book." Mr. Redding has presented quite a number of interesting and suggestive thoughts. Among the most interesting-to us, at least-is that of our Israelitish origin. The author is an independent thinker and it is impossible for us to give any adequate idea of his line of thought in this work. Every page contains statements that are comparatively new and striking, and that are presented in his own peculiar way,

without any effort to "tone down," which makes them interesting to some and unpleasantly abrupt to others. Yet we feel that Mr. Redding has his own sphere of work and he is doing it faithfully; therefore we are happy to recommend this work to the attention of the public.

TALES OF TRUST. Paper, 382 pp., 50 cents. By H. L. Hastings, 47 and 49 Cornhill, Boston, Mass.

Stories of Christian life, answers to prayer, and happenings which seem strangely in accordance with prayers. Its object is undoubtedly to create faith in God. The last issue of this magazine gave one of these tales, entitled "Sarah Taylor's Dream," which gives a clearer idea of the nature of this book than can be conveyed in a brief review.

UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD. By Nellie E. Dashiell. Price 50 cents. For sale by The Coming Light Publishing Co., 621 O'Farrell St., San Francisco, Cal. A poem in an elegant brochure of 16 pages, beautifully illustrated. The conception of this poem, both in its thought and in its artistic embellishment, is exceedingly happy and beautifully executed. The brook, to which human life is compared, teaches its lesson:

"And ever it sings, as it waters the valley;
And beckons and calls, as it flows to the sea;

'Tis compassion ye need, all its forces to rally,
If indeed ye would set bound humanity free."

The author very prettily follows the text of the brook along lines of patriotism and humanitarianism.

THE EVOLUTION OF WOMAN: An Inquiry into the Dogma of Her Inferiority to Man. By Eliza Burt Gamble. Cloth, 350 pp. G. P. Putnam's Sons. 27 W. Twenty-Third St., New York City. This work, which evinces much study and research, is an able effort to prove. the superiority of woman to man. Many quotations, taken verbatim from scientific authorities, are used by the writer to establish her position; and, to the superficial thinker, she has made out her case. But many of her arguments could be as legitimately used to prove that the earth is superior to all things that grow upon it, or to prove that animals are superior to men; also that the lower races, particularly the African, are superior to the white man. As, for example, the following extract:-The conclusion is unavoidable that the individual which must nourish and protect the germ, and by processes carried on within her own body provide nourishment for the young during its pre-natal existence, and sometimes for years after birth, must have the more highly specialized organization, and must, therefore, represent the higher stage of development. Indeed, it is admitted by the scientists that the advance from the egg-layers to the milk-givers indicates one of the most important steps in the entire line of development; and yet the peculiar specialization of structure necessary for its accomplishment was for the most part carried on within the female organization." This argument tends equally to prove that the earth is superior to man; for in it are found greater complication, varieties, and supporting facilities than can be found in the human body. It supports all things that live upon it, while the female simply nourishes and supports her own kind. The author proceeds to show that, from her earliest development. the female possesses a keener appreciation of beauty, bright colors, and song, than the male. This is also true of the African race; they can be entirely charmed, especially the young, by music and bright colors. Whoever is acquainted with the Southern pickaninny, as the negro child is called, can but be impressed with its superior keenness of perception, power and ability to serve, as compared to the white child. This fact might be used in connection with the superior development of intelligence in the female of the lower forms of animal life, and with the earlier development of the individual woman.

If time and space permitted, nearly all the arguments used in this book could be turned in similar directions, but we are not disposed to depreciate the author's work, for even a more elaborate book might be written to prove the superiority of woman to man, and contain nothing but truth. Each peculiarly feminine function and faculty is indeed superior to the same function or faculty as possessed by man: and the reverse proposition is also true,-every function peculiarly belonging to the masculine nature is superior to the same function as exercised by woman, for man and woman are supplementary, the one to the other. The primary forces of nature-electricity and magnetism-must be in exact balance, or the result is a storm of the active destructive energy instead of the creative. And so with man and woman; the two great bodies of humanity must stand to each other as exact equivalents, otherwise creation would be impossible. If some one, possessing as much ability and research as the author of this book, would write a volume in support of man's superiority to woman, and would use similar methods to establish his position, and if the two works could be bound between the same covers, they would form a very complete volume. There would be one difficulty, however, in doing this.-man's superiority exists mainly in relation to the realm of mind, and scientists know so little of the laws and phenomena of that realm that it would be more difficult to bring forward as satisfactory evidences of man's superior position than to produce those which so readily appear in proof of that of woman.

The fact that they are born of the same parents and under the same general conditions in every way, seems to us indisputable proof that there is no real superiority in either case. Our friends who are taking one side or the other in this matter should see, at the very foundation of all thought upon the subject, the absolute evidence of the impossibility of the superiority of one of the sexes to the other. A mind sufficiently balanced to follow out the two lines of thought impartially would do the world important service by giving it a work in which the superiority of each sex stood one against that of the other, showing that beautiful harmony in accordance with which nature has made each sex the complement of the other. We are approaching a period of the earth's development in which it is necessary that the harmony and unity of the two be recognized, and this equality and harmony will be known and understood.

EDITORIAL.

A number of our subscribers have asked us to republish "Washington's Vision," which appeared in THE ESOTERIC some years ago: we take pleasure in announcing that our friend and subscriber, J. George Heid, an analytical chemist and assayer, has reproduced this vision from THE ESOTERIC, and, in connection with his business card, he offers to send it address. Mr. Heid's address is, No. 4506 Blair Avenue, St. Louis, Mo.

to any

Our review department is getting to be a burden: our Magazine is small, and so many books are coming in that the constantly increasing amount of space taken up in reviewing them makes it necessary to discontinue that department of the Magazine. And that our friends may have due notice we will say,

that after our September issue, there will be no more book reviews, unless we wish to bring some book especially to the notice of our readers.

There are many people, reading along Esoteric lines, who think that they have been living the life for years, and who in reality know very little about Esoteric teaching, or the life. A mental indolence that is deplorable exists among nearly all classes of readers; they take up one or two points in the teaching and carry those along more or less completely, and they think they are in possession of all the system embodies, when in reality they have very little-almost nothing. This fact is partially due to the amount of literature that floods the land, and to the number of teachers, found everywhere, who have and present but one idea. We remember how, in the early part of our teaching, people would come to one lecture with the idea of taking the measure of what we had-actually thinking that in a single lecture they could get a complete grasp of

all we had.

The real facts in relation to the Esoteric teaching are, that it embodies such a great multitude and variety of ideas, and all so new to the common habit of the public mind and life, that no one can be a true follower of its principles without giving his entire mind and life to the work; and, even then, none but a perfectly balanced mind will gain an adequate conception of what the system involves. In illustration of our position we point to the series of apparent contradictions involved in the understanding and application of the principles of Esoteric life. We teach the necessity of the most absorbing spirit of devotion, and also that, in connection with this devotion, there must be present a spirit of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. To most minds, loving and confiding devotion to God seems at variance with the mental activities attendant upon the acquisition of knowledge and understanding. But the loving devotion should be directed toward obtaining divine knowledge, knowing-power.

Again, we teach that the conventional ideas of right and