Only the most advanced Hermetists are able to grasp the Inner Teachings regarding the state of existence, and the powers manifested on the Spiritual Planes.  The phenomena is so much higher than that of the Mental Planes that a confusion of ideas would surely result from an attempt to describe the same.  Only those whose minds have been carefully trained along the lines of the Hermetic Philosophy for years—­yes, those who have brought with them from other incarnations the knowledge acquired previously—­can comprehend just what is meant by the Teaching regarding these Spiritual Planes.  And much of these Inner Teachings is held by the Hermetists as being too sacred, important and even dangerous for general public dissemination.  The intelligent student may recognize what we mean by this when we state that the meaning of “Spirit” as used by the Hermetists is akin to “Living Power”; “Animated Force;” “Inner Essence;” “Essence of Life,” etc., which meaning must not be confounded with that usually and commonly employed in connection with the term, i.e., “religious; ecclesiastical; spiritual; ethereal; holy,” etc., etc.  To occultists the word “Spirit” is used in the sense of “The Animating Principle,” carrying with it the idea of Power, Living Energy, Mystic Force, etc.  And occultists know that that which is known to them as “Spiritual Power” may be employed for evil as well as good ends (in accordance with the Principle of Polarity), a fact which has been recognized by the majority of religions in their conceptions of Satan, Beelzebub, the Devil, Lucifer, Fallen Angels, etc.  And so the knowledge regarding these Planes has been kept in the Holy of Holies in all Esoteric Fraternities and Occult Orders,—­in the Secret Chamber of the Temple.  But this may be said here, that those who have attained high spiritual powers and have misused them, have a terrible fate in store for them, and the swing of the pendulum of Rhythm will inevitably swing them back to the furthest extreme of Material existence, from which point they must retrace their steps Spiritward, along the weary rounds of The Path, but always with the added torture of having always with them a lingering memory of the heights from which they fell owing to their evil actions.  The legends of the Fallen Angels have a basis in actual facts, as all advanced occultists know.  The striving for selfish power on the Spiritual Planes inevitably results in the selfish soul losing its spiritual balance and falling back as far as it had previously risen.  But to even such a soul, the opportunity of a return is given—­and such souls make the return journey, paying the terrible penalty according to the invariable Law.