Chapter XV. The Purpose of Queen Tera - Page 2

"thought"; and the roll of papyrus that of "abstraction". Thus we get the word "mer", love, in its abstract, general, and fullest sense. This is the hekau which can command the Upper World.'

Margaret's face was a glory as she said in a deep, low, ringing tone:

'Oh, but it is true. How the old wonder-workers guessed at almighty Truth!' Then a hot blush swept her face, and her eyes fell. Her father smiled at her lovingly as he resumed:

'The symbolization of the word on the reverse is simpler, though the meaning is more abstruse. The first symbol means "men", "abiding", and the second, "ab", "the heart". So that we get "abiding of heart", or in our own language "patience". And this is the hekau to control the Lower World!'

He closed the box, and motioning us to remain as we were, he went back to his room to replace the Jewel in the safe. When he had returned and resumed his seat, he went

on:

"That Jewel, with its mystic words, and which Queen Tera held under her hand in her sarcophagus, was to be an important factor--probably the most important--in the working out of the act of her resurrection. From the first, I seemed by a sort of instinct to realize this. I kept the Jewel within my great safe, whence none could extract it; not even Queen Tera herself with her astral body.'

'Her "astral body?" What is that, Father? What does it mean?' There was a keenness in Margaret's voice as she asked the question which surprised me a little; but Trelawny smiled a sort of indulgent parental smile, which came through his grim solemnity like sunshine through a rifted cloud, as he spoke:

'The astral body, which is a part of Buddhist belief, long subsequent to the time I speak of, and which is an accepted fact of modern mysticism, had its rise in Ancient Egypt; at least, so far as we know. It is that the gifted individual can at will, quick as thought itself, transfer his body whithersoever he chooses, by the dissolution and reincarnation of particles. In the ancient belief there were several parts of a human being. You may as well know them; so that you will understand matters relative to them or dependent on them as they occur.

'First there is the "Ka", or "Double", which, as Doctor Budge explains, may be defined as- "an abstract individuality of personality" which was imbued with all the characteristic attributes of the individual it represented, and possessed an absolutely independent existence. It was free to move from place to place upon the earth at will; and it could enter into heaven and hold converse with the gods. Then there was the "Ba", or "soul", which dwelt in the "Ka", and had the power of becoming corporeal or incorporeal at will; "it had both substance and form.... It had power to