THE ETERNAL CYCLE

　SPRING always receives special mention from Silver Birch. In all the years that he has manifested, he has never failed to draw attention to the healing properties that accompany nature's own resurrection story. Here are the words he used at one sitting:

　"This is the time of the year which makes my heart rejoice and makes me want to utter pæans of praise, for it is now that your world takes on great beauty, although the fullness will not yet be reached. It is in the awakening, in the abundant signs of rising, growing, unfolding life that we see evidence that the Great Spirit rules the universe. On every hand, flower, leaf and bush pay tribute to the constancy of natural law; can we not the more easily see and recognise that the Great Spirit has equally made provision for each one of us and that in our own lives these laws will not fail us?

　"This is the reason why Spring should enable you to sound a note of optimism and confidence and to be completely satisfied that the fact of your birth is proof that your life is directed by love and wisdom which seek to use you in the service of those who require your help. Let your hearts and spirits rejoice in what is not a miracle, although it seems so, but an expression of the natural law which has not failed throughout all the centuries and will not fail through centuries which are yet to unfold their tale among the denizens of earth."

　the guide was asked about the health of one of his earthly friends and replied: "You cannot ignore the requirements of nature. You are in a physical world, although you are spirituar beings, but your spirit can express itself only through the vehicle which you provide and that vehicle, being made of matter, has to conform to certain material requirements. It must have exer-cise, food, growth, shelter, light, air and a certain amount of attention. If it gets tired it must be rested; if some organs or functions become impaired they must be rectified. You cannot be indifferent to the physical requirements of your body without paying the price.

　"You can take all the medicines from the doctors, but these can never be substitutes for that which the Great Spirit has provided. They will alleviate, they will act as palliatives, but they cannot really cure. They can deaden and soften and stimulate where neces-sary, but your body wants that which nature will freely give it. That is why I always urge upon you that when Springtime comes you must take advantage of it.

　"All the new life, which is to express itself, brings with it the greatest recuperative forces. It must be so. And if you will add that to your own store you will recharge your batteries. Your vitality, which perforce must become lower during the time of winter, will be increased. If you are wise, and add generously to the stock, then you should have a sufficient store to maintain you through the autumn and winter when life, so far as the physical phenomena of nature are concerned, goes to sleep and into retirement. So fill your beings with what the Great Spirit freely and lavishly desires to bestow on you."

　"Why is it that so many brilliant men simply cannot under-stand it?" inquired a sitter.

　"You can have brilliance of brain without an understanding mind. 'Except ye become as little children.' Many great truths are simple and are thus instinctively perceived by those who are simple in heart and who require no complicated system to follow. There is a danger that where you have brilliance of brain there is a tendency to move away from simple truth because it no longer appeals. The brain does not get enough exercise when a fact is too simple. If it is complicated then the brain gets exercise and if it is a brilliant one it thinks this is what it requires. What must be obvious is that the more healthy your body the more it is in accord with the requirements of natural law."

　“And the better your brain functions," put in the questioner.

　"Yes, and the more easily the spirit expresses itself. Otherwise you force upon it endless difficulties. A healthy body is easier for the mind and the spirit to manifest through than an unhealthy one, because, after all, it is only through the body that spirit can be made manifest on earth. You look at the animal kingdom and see how automatically when the sun shines the cats begin to lie in its healing warm rays, moving their position as the sun changes. They understand the simple truth which is instinctive to their beings.  

　"Man, unfortunately, through processes of civilisation, be-comes more and more artificial. Too much smoking, drinking, stimulantsーall these are wrong. The body does not really require them if it is living according to the dictates of natural law. If it is not, then of course it must have these stimulants, otherwise you have no appetites."

　The subject was changed as one member asked, "Are you really satisfied with the way things are going these days as far as our movement is concerned?"

　"I am never satisfied. I am happy wherever I see truth spread-ing. But your organised movement is passing through a difficult an unattractive phase. The original incentives, which first attracted by their brilliant lustre, have become tarnished and there is not enough direction. The greatest efforts should always be made, in my judgment, in giving truth to those who have it not, and to those who have it, they should be taught how to in-crease their capacity to receive more truth. Going out into the highways and byways still is the necessary task.

　Take the vital factor of mediumship, which is the whole basis and foundation for the movent of what is called Spiritual-Ism. Is it to be seen at its best? Is the spirit of service a paramount idea among the majority of those who possess psychic gifts? Do they realise that theirs indeed is a sacred office and that they should approach it with reverence? There are some who do. there are, alas, many who do not.

　"It is only among the older ones, speaking generally, that the desire for service exists in the form which I like best. Too many, alas, are less concerned with utilising their gifts to comfort mourners and to help the needy. They are too often interested in themselves. That is a phase which I hope will pass."

　Later a member expressed the view that there were many things she did not understand about Spiritualism. "I find it so perplexing," she said.

　"It is not possible in one incarnation on earth to have all the knowledge," answered Silver Birch.

　"But the fact that we have some and do so little, I find it absolutely perplexing," she said.

　"Knowledge, that is the unshakable foundation, and where you meet with perplexity and cannot find the answer, hold on to the knowledge which proves that the Great Spirit does rule wisely and well, and what seems difficult now will be made clear. That is not an evasion."

　"I know," said the sitter. "We are responsible people and we are responsible for all we do. It is perplexing that we cannot progress through knowledge."

　The guide answered: "There are laws within laws. There are laws that control the individual as well as those that control the growth of life, as well as those which are responsible for the evo-lution of the country and the race. All these work within one another. Unless you have the key, which is infinite wisdom, you cannot always see that there is perfect harmony throughout

the whole framework. But there is."

　"What I find very difficult to understand." continued the sitter, "is the relationship of guides to the people that they guide and their friends. There does not seem to be the understanding and the co-operation that one fondly imagines. The time comes when so many things are so hard to understand."

　"There is a limitation to anything that the most evolved guide can do in your world. It is a limitation imposed by natural law, by circumstance and by free will. There is also a combination of factors which determines the precise amount of guidance that can be available at any moment. But what you do not know, and I cannot prove to you, is the unseen guidance that you getーhow you are given ideas and inspiration and help in ways that are not revealed through mediums. These are intricate, difficult opera-tions to perform and remember always that we are dependent on such fine and delicate vibrations for our results. And then you can have the exercise of free will which upsets it all."

　"And surprise even you?"

　"We cannot always know because our vision is not constant. It is in flashes, dependent upon certain processes where we can become en rapport with certain events. You can pick up a tele-scope, focus it accurately and see, but sometimes when all is prepared, one puff of cloud will come and you will see nothing. It is like that, you can get the focus right, the vision clear, and then a blur. There is a tiny movement and the whole focus is distorted. You can use, when know how, the equivalent of an organ of sight in our world and by making all the adjustments, get glimpses, but this is a very difficult operation.

　What we can do is to follow a pattern, because we know the end to be attained, and within that pattern work with balance, tension, stress, adjustment all the time. It is like a game of chess. Sometimes if the wrong move is made we have to bring out the other pieces which counteract that. Sometimes we can influence all the right moves to be made for a little while. It is a very complicated matter. The regulation of spirit power in a material world where you are dealing with vibrations or radia-tions at two extreme rates causes a large number of adjustments constantly to be made. But the end is certain though the means are not always clear. That is why I often say, 'Wait, it is not the end of the story.'

　"The laws work themselves outーthey must do. And they cannot always follow the line that you would like. I know the

task that I have to fulfil. I know the task that all of you have to fulfil in your earthly life. I am conscious that you will fulfil it. It is not an accident; it is part of a plan. You cannot understand the plan because you can see it only through physical eyes and measure it only with physical measurement. I, however, see it from a totally different aspect. While recognising all your material problems, and participating in them, I know funda-mentally what is to be achieved.

　"When the balance is struck, it will be found that the Great Spirit does not err. The intelligence behind the universe is per-fect. Let there be no mistake about that. The Great Spirit does not err, neither can the Great Spirit be deceived. The laws will work inexorably in every case."