THE

शब्द

GHOSTS कि कुनै पनि पुरुष छैन

(जारी)

Treasure Located by Elementals

PRECIOUS stones may be found upon the same principle. In locating them the elemental follows the request of the one who has a seal commanding the aid of the ghost. Those to whom no magical assistance is given from the possession of an object with an elemental seal, and who, nevertheless, locate mines, find treasures or precious stones, make their finds by that in their human elemental which is attracted by and corresponds to the elementals of the metals or of the stones.

Making One’s Self Invisible

The power of making one’s self invisible is exercised when an elemental, usually a fire elemental, is called upon to do the will of the possessor of the seal. The manner in which this is done is that the elemental deflects the light rays which emanate from the person who wishes to be invisible, or the elemental deflects or cuts off the line of vision of the beholders, so that they cannot see the possessor. In either case, the light rays emanating from the possessor are disconnected from the line of vision of the beholder, and so it is impossible for him to see the person commanding the elemental.

Naturalness of Magical Phenomena

That a magical object protects the wearer from danger is no more unnatural than that a metal rod protects a barn against bolts of lightning. A proper metal rod will lead the lightning off and conduct it into the ground. A wire will conduct an electric current and transmit the voice of a person over great distances. This, in its way, is as magical as the transmission of messages without any instruments, or the sending of an electric current without wires to conduct it, which feats can be done by magical means. The difference is that we now commonly know how the telephone and telegraph operate, and know of other electrical manifestations, while the power of seals binding elementals is not generally known though a seal works upon the same kind of ghosts as are used in physics applied to ordinary commercial uses.

Why Magical Operations Fail

The failure of a seal to work is due to the ignorance or inexperience of the maker in the selection of the material he uses, to ignorance of the sympathy and antipathy between the material he uses and the ghosts he would seal, or to his inability to impart the power of binding or sealing. If electricians had not the information and experience of physics, they would meet with as many failures in their enterprises to produce wireless telegraphy, or give light, heat or power.

Conditions of Success

The elementals will not work upon a mere order or the mere wish unless they are bound to and by the seal. Success depends upon the making of the seal and its endowment with the magical power to bind elementals to obedience. The factors in the making of a seal are the materials used, the time of the making, and the purpose and the power of the maker of the seal.

The material used must be of the element or elements of the ghosts who are to serve, or of the element opposite to that of the influences which are to be kept away. Some seals have a combination of both protecting and aggressive qualities. The material out of which seals are made may be soil, clay, aqueous or igneous stones, crystals, precious stones, wood, herbs; or materials of animal growth, like bone, ivory, hair; or combinations of some of these materials. Metals are quite often used in making seals, because metals represent in compact form the element of which they are the precipitation. The attention of elementals is easily compelled through metals, which are therefore a good means of communication. A metal such as silver will attract the water ghosts and repel the fire ghosts; yet it may be made to act against the water ghosts. By combinations of metals, ghosts of different elements may be related and bound together. Stones, among them diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, garnets, opals, crystals, attract elementals to a greater degree than many other substances. So such a stone can be readily used as talisman to reach that element to which the stone belongs, but the magician must know how to set a particular seal on it, and must further know how to seal the elemental to the stone.

Sometimes the material is used in its primitive state. Sometimes it must, before being used, be treated and carefully prepared by baking, by drying in the sun, by exposure to the light of the moon in certain phases, by washing, melting, tempering, fusing. When the material is secured and prepared, then comes the making of the seal. The time and season are not always, but they are usually, essential in making the seal.

Invoking Elemental Rulers

One of the rulers or subordinate rulers of an element may be invoked and the aid of that ruler secured if the appropriate ritual is performed at the proper time; or a special ghost of the protecting element may be created by the maker of the seal. A creation rite must be observed if a ghost is to be created. An invocation rite must be followed when the aid and protection of one of the rulers of an element is sought. Whatever may be the formula of the creation rite, the success of the creation will depend upon the knowledge of the creator and his powers of will and imagination. In the invocation rite, the rights and power of the elemental ruler have to be acknowledged, and some compact with him or her made to receive the desired aid. The ghost will keep its part in the compact to the degree and often more strictly than does the human. Should the supplicant for protection or other favor deliberately break the compact or fail to keep an important vow or term, then the ghost will bring upon him disaster and disgrace.

When the aid of an elemental ruler is sought, a ceremony is performed in a temple or a place devoted to the ruler, or else at a place selected and temporarily consecrated for the purpose. Then the endowment rite follows. The endowment rite is a ceremony at which the ruler of the element bestows upon the seal the power solicited, and thereby binds an elemental or an elemental influence to the seal. This is done by drawing upon the material the name of the ruler, or the signs or symbols of the compact, accompanied by or without chants to the elemental powers, and with appropriate incense-burning, perfumes, and libations.

During this rite the operator gives a portion of his elemental ghost, which is put into and fused with the seal. The part of the human elemental which he gives is a part belonging to the element which is to be propitiated, and is imparted as easily as a loadstone imparts magnetism to a piece of soft iron. The operator seldom knows that he is imparting a portion of his own ghost into the seal, but he does so impart it nevertheless. It is on account of this part of his elemental which goes into the seal that any failure may react on him.

The act of imparting is done by breathing or by giving a portion of the blood or other fluid of his body, by rubbing the seal with his hand, or by magnetic passes and pronouncing a name over it, or by gazing on it fixedly and seeing into the seal that which he wills, or by incorporating into the seal a piece of metal or other material which he has carried for some time on his person for that purpose.

During these rites the ruler appealed to will give evidence of his or her presence by appearing in a form, human or otherwise, or by speech or by signs, and show his pleasure and consent. The rites may be simple or ornate. But in the performance of them, all of the lines are laid which will enable those influences which are called upon, to act under the seal.

(फेरि जारी राखौंला)