On The Geometrical And Other. Symbols.

is potentially , or by constitutional possibility , twofold —human and divine , or soul and spirit , as Plato and many others of the ¦ ancients tell us , and as the doctrines of the Druids , the Brahmins , the Buddhists , the Egyptian hierophants , and indeed all other ancient religionists indicate—a fact which I have already endeavoured to show forth in the articles on " Bird and

Wing Symbols " in the Builder of 16 th October , 1858 , and 15 th January , 1859 . The ordinary waking life of the human soul and body , and the waking life of the divine Spirit of entrancement , duriug which the body is dead to the waking soul-life of the flesh , or human nature , as any corpse in its coffin—far more dead to all sense and all painthereforeis this " voluntary

, , death" than it is in that depraved similitude of , aud imperfect substitute for , entrancement or ecstacy , called sleep , —are two antitheses , yet images of each other , or , as it were , sexual counterparts , just as the positive and the negative electrical states of a body are two antithetical or reversed states of the one bod y ,

with the neutral state of sleep , as it were , between them . * The awakened , or " invoked " Spirit of entrancement or ecstacy , therefore , though the counterpart , is the complete reversal of the ordinary waking life , and its onl y full and perfect rest ; and to this life of ordinary waking , it may be said to be not only

sleep , but more than sleep , or beyond sleep , —a deeper repose than the alternative and shadowy state of sleep ; beyond whose fantastic dream veil it lies normall y dormant ; hence , however , the strange association of the magical and oracular waking Spirit of entrancement with dreams , visions , and other phenomena in

which the ancient magicians , whether Chaldean , Egyptian , or Indian , ever dealt ; and without a philosophical or seientieal understanding of which Spirit their magical and mystical symbols cannot be explained . The cross in its various forms , whether Greek , Egyptian , St . Andrew ' s , or Maltese , is not the only form in which angles have been symbolically com-

On The Geometrical And Other. Symbols.

bined—as , indeed , the hexalpha itself at the outset indicated . By far the most extensive and curious collection of angular aud other geometrical symbols ever brought under notice probably , or at least that I have ever seen , are described , with diagramatic illustrations , in the ArcluBologiavol . 30 in two letters " On certain

, , Marks discoverable on the Stones of various Buildings erected in the Middle Ages . " The letters are signed " George Godwin , jun ., " and were addressed , in 1843 , to Sir Henry Ellis , E . R . S ., the Secretary , at that time , to the Society of Antiquaries . In these letters the attention of antiquaries and archaeologists appears to

have been for the first time drawn to the general and interesting subject of Masons' marks , and their connexion with the craft and mystery of Ereemasonry . At the close of au article such as this , however , I cannot do justice to the importance of these and other associate symbols , and must reserve them , therefore , to the openiug of another communication , which I hope I shall have your permission to lay before your readers .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

" HIE SniUT 01 ? MASONRY . Some verses were shown to me about the Spirit of Masonry , where can I obtain a copy of them ?—A . U . K . THE SPIRIT OP MASOXET . When the Temple of Solomon , gorgeous and bright , Its glories display'd on Jerusalem ' s height , Both Gentile and Jew on the edifice gazed

, Its beauties admired ,. and its architect praised . Its strength , t ' was predicted , would baffle old Time , And win praise for the Craft through each age and each clime ; Even foemen , whilst viewing , their quarrels forgot , For the " Spirit of Masonry " hallow'd the spot . Where now are its pillars , its roof-tree , its walls ? They are dustlike the scultures of Pharoah ' s proud halls

, p ; . But the spirit which rear'd them shall know no decay , Establish'd in strength doth it flourish to-day ; And , even as then , it now reconciles foes , And a balm on the waters of trouble still throws ; And better , far better , the world would be found , Did the " Spirit of Masonry " further abound . Tis a irit of 'tis a irit of love

sp peace , sp , With prudence and wisdom it blendeth the dove ; It links in one cable the rich and the poor , To the lowly and lofty it opens one door . One breath of its atmosphere lulls to repose The demon of discord , its rancour and woes ; For anger will scatter like chaff to the wind , Where the "Spirit of Masonry ' s" truly enshrined .

CHINESE SriKITUALISM . Bro . Matthew Cooke some weeks ago favoured us with some notes , and amongst the rest au oriental custom , practised by the Druses , of distributing wine placed in a bowl amongst lighted tapers . This fraternity claim that there are numberless Druses in China—music is one of the avowed pursuits of the Akkals—and it is probable

thefollowing rites are identical with the before-named . " Theusual way of communicating in China with the higher supernatural powers is by writing supplications or thanksgivings on red or gold tissue paper , and then burning the paper , the idea being that the characters upon it ar & thus oonveyed into a spiritual form They are then refreshed by the burning of more paper and bthe

y pour ing out of wine , which they are thus supposed spiritually to drink Whenever a question is put , the paper is burned and wine is poured out These operations go on till shortly after midnight , when , according to Chinese physical science , the yung , or male principle of