H.P.  Blavatsky translates this word as Be-ness, which seems to be another way of expressing the same idea.  The mystic incantation familiar to all students of the Upanishads, Om, bhur, Om, Bhwar, Om, Svar,” is an assertion of the existence of the Divine Self in all the three worlds or Lokas.  Loka is generally translated as a place; the letters suggest to me that a place or world is only a hardening or crystalization of Fire or Light.  In Bhur Loka the crystalization of the primordial element of Fire leaves only one principle active, the life principle generally called Prana.  Bhur Loka then is the place where life is active; we have B, life, and R, movement, to suggest this.  In the word Bhuvar a new letter, V, is inserted:  this letter, as I have said, corresponds to the Astral world, so the Bhuvar Loka is the place where both the Astral and Life principles are active.  It is more difficult to translate Svar Loka:  there is some significance attached here to the letter S, which I cannot grasp.  It might mean that this world contains the germs of Astral life; but this does not appear sufficiently distinctive, Svar Loka is generally known as Devachan, and the whole incantation would mean that the Deity is present throughout the Pranic, Astral and Devachanic worlds.  It is interesting to note what is said in the Glossary by H.P.B., about these three words (p. 367):  they are said to be “lit by and born of fire,” and to possess creative powers.  The repetition of them with the proper accent should awaken in the occultist the powers which correspond to the three worlds.  I think by these examples that the student will be able to get closer to the true significance of incantation; those who understand the occult meaning of the colours attached to the letters will be able to penetrate deeper than others into these mysteries.

I may here say something about the general philosophy of incantation.  There is said to be in nature a homogenous sound or tone which everywhere stirs up the molecules into activity.  This is the “Word” which St. John says was in the beginning (the plane of causation); in another sense it is the Akasa of occult science, the element of sound, it is the Pythagorean “music of the spheres.”  The universe is built up, moulded and sustained by this element which is everywhere present, though inaudible by most men at this stage of evolution.  It is not sound by the physical ears, but deep in the heart sometimes may be heard “the mystic sounds of the Akasic heights.”  The word Aum represents this homogeneous sound, it stirs up a power which is latent in it called the Yajna.  The Glossary says that this “is one of the forms of Akasa within which the mystic word calls it into existence:”  it is a bridge by means of which the soul can cross over to the world of the Immortals.  It is this which is alluded to in the Nada-Bindu Upanishad.  “The mind becoming insensible to the external impressions, becomes one with the sound, as milk with