The majority of people are more or less the slaves of heredity, environment, etc., and manifest very little Freedom.  They are swayed by the opinions, customs and thoughts of the outside world, and also by their emotions, feelings, moods, etc.  They manifest no Mastery, worthy of the name.  They indignantly repudiate this assertion, saying, “Why, I certainly am free to act and do as I please—­I do just what I want to do,” but they fail to explain whence arise the “want to” and “as I please.”  What makes them “want to” do one thing in preference to another; what makes them “please” to do this, and not do that?  Is there no “because” to their “pleasing” and “Wanting”?  The Master can change these “pleases” and “wants” into others at the opposite end of the mental pole.  He is able to “Will to will,” instead of to will because some feeling, mood, emotion, or environmental suggestion arouses a tendency or desire within him so to do.

The majority of people are carried along like the falling stone, obedient to environment, outside influences and internal moods, desires, etc., not to speak of the desires and wills of others stronger than themselves, heredity, environment, and suggestion, carrying them along without resistance on their part, or the exercise of the Will.  Moved like the pawns on the checkerboard of life, they play their parts and are laid aside after the game is over.  But the Masters, knowing the rules of the game, rise above the plane of material life, and placing themselves in touch with the higher powers of their nature, dominate their own moods, characters, qualities, and polarity, as well as the environment surrounding them and thus become Movers in the game, instead of Pawns-Causes instead of Effects.  The Masters do not escape the Causation of the higher planes, but fall in with the higher laws, and thus master circumstances on the lower plane.  They thus form a conscious part of the Law, instead of being mere blind instruments.  While they Serve on the Higher Planes, they Rule on the Material Plane.

But, on higher and on lower, the Law is always in operation.  There is no such thing as Chance.  The blind goddess has been abolished by Reason.  We are able to see now, with eyes made clear by knowledge, that everything is governed by Universal Law-that the infinite number of laws are but manifestations of the One Great Law-the law which is the all.  It is true indeed that not a sparrow drops unnoticed by the Mind of the Al—­that even the hairs on our head are numbered—­as the scriptures have said There is nothing outside of Law; nothing that happens contrary to it.  And yet, do not make the mistake of supposing that Man is but a blind automaton-far from that.  The Hermetic Teachings are that Man may use Law to overcome laws, and that the higher will always prevail against the lower, until at last he has reached the stage in which he seeks refuge in the law itself, and laughs the phenomenal laws to scorn.  Are you able to grasp the inner meaning of this?