That is the whole secret.  That is what makes man strong, powerful, able to grasp heaven and earth in his hands.  Do not fancy it is easily done.  Do not be deluded into the idea that the religious or the virtuous man does it!  Not so.  They do no more than fix a standard, a routine, a law, by which they hold the animal in check.  The god is compelled to serve him in a certain way, and does so, pleasing him with the beliefs and cherished fantasies of the religious, with the lofty sense of personal pride which makes the joy of the virtuous.  These special and canonized vices are things too low and base to be possible to the pure animal, whose only inspirer is Nature herself, always fresh as the dawn.  The god in man, degraded, is a thing unspeakable in its infamous power of production.

The animal in man, elevated, is a thing unimaginable in its great powers of service and of strength.

You forget, you who let your animal self live on, merely checked and held within certain bounds, that it is a great force, an integral portion of the animal life of the world you live in.  With it you can sway men, and influence the very world itself, more or less perceptibly according to your strength.  The god, given his right place, will so inspire and guide this extraordinary creature, so educate and develope it, so force it into action and recognition of its kind, that it will make you tremble when you recognise the power that has awakened within you.  The animal in yourself will then be a king among the animals of the world.

This is the secret of the old-world magicians who made Nature serve them and work miracles every day for their convenience.  This is the secret of the coming race which Lord Lytton foreshadowed for us.

But this power can only be attained by giving the god the sovereignty.  Make your animal ruler over yourself, and he will never rule others.

EPILOGUE

Secreted and hidden in the heart of the world and in the heart of man is the light which can illumine all life, the future and the past.  Shall we not search for it?  Surely some must do so.  And then perhaps those will add what is needed to this poor fragment of thought.

THROUGH THE GATES OF GOLD

From The Path, March, 1887

The most notable book for guidance in Mysticism which has appeared since Light on the Path was written has just been published under the significant title of Through the Gates of Gold.  Though the author’s name is withheld, the occult student will quickly discern that it must proceed from a very high source.  In certain respects the book may be regarded as a commentary on Light on the Path.  The reader would do well to bear this in mind.  Many things in that book will be made clear by the reading of this one, and one will be constantly reminded of that work, which has already become a classic in our literature. Through the Gates of Gold is a work to be kept constantly at hand for reference and study.  It will surely take rank as one of the standard books of Theosophy.