FROM Time's beginning, in all places and under all conditions, the spirit of man, which is a ray of the Divine Light, has ever been seeking the source of its being, ever striving to find an open door in its prison-house of matter, by which it can escape; it may not do so finally until the task for which it came to earth is finished, and that portion of matter which forms its prison house has been redeemed or raised to its original condition. Mystics in all ages have sought, and many have found, a key to open the door to temporary freedom, through spiritual ecstasy or intoxication of the soul ; the Wine that can thus intoxicate is the Wine of Christ (His life or blood) ; when a soul is able to drink this Wine and return at will to his prison-house, it is possible to so refine his earthly vehicles that they may be drawn up as it were, to partake of the spiritual ecstasy, until the whole body of the man is redeemed, and his earthly task finished.

This key to freedom cannot be bought, but must be patiently worked for and diligently sought, sometimes through sorrow and bitter pain, and oftimes it means that in the search a man must leave everything dear to him, and journey through the desert alone ; few are prepared thus to search.

Thousands seek to find the way through intoxication of the mind, and millions more through intoxication of the body ; and although by such artificial means as alcohol or drugs, the door can for the moment be opened, the effect upon the soul is disastrous, as by this means it is dragged downwards to partake of the body's intoxication and every time this happens the matter of the body and vehicles of the spirit become coarser and coarser until the whole is in danger of disintegration.

But more harmful to man's soul because more subtle, is Psychic intoxication which to-day is causing untold suffering to thousands of human beings. The astral world whence this intoxication comes is full of the subtlest deceptions. There are many disembodied entities there that are longing for a chance to enter a physical body by turning out its lawful tenant, in order that they may gratify their desire for physical life; and these will not scruple to use even spiritual means in order to lure them to do so. Beware of this intoxication, for verily of all it is the most deadly.

Alas ! these unfortunate victims of artificial intoxication are unable to realise that what their souls are craving is the Wine of the Christ, their vision has become distorted and they see all things upside down. The need of these unhappy ones for compassion is great.

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