120 ROSICRUCIANCOSMO-CONCEPTION
musician, for poetry is the soul's expression of its innermost
feelings in words which are ordered according to the same
laws of harmony and rhythm that govern the outpouring of
the spirit in music. In addition, the poet finds a wonderful
inspiration in the pictures and colors which are the chief
characteristics of the Desire World. Thence he will draw the
material for use in his next incarnation. In like manner does
the author accumulate material and faculty. The
philanthropist works out his altruistic plans for the
upliftment of man. If he failed in one life, he will see the
reason for it in the first heaven and will there learn how to
overcome the obstacles and avoid the errors that made his
plan impracticable.
In time a point is reached where the result of the pain
and suffering incident to purgation, together with the joy
extracted from the good actions of the past life, have been
built into the seed atom of the desire body. Together these
constitute what we call conscience, that impelling force
which warns us against evil as productive of pain and
inclines us toward good as productive of happiness and joy.
Then man leaves his desire body to disintegrate, as he left
his dense body and vital body. He takes with him the forces
only of the seed atom, which are to form the nucleus of
future desire bodies, as it was the persistent particle of his
past vehicles of feeling.
As stated above, the forces of the seed atom are
withdrawn. To the materialist force and matter are
inseparable. The occultist knows differently. To him they
are not two entirely distinct and separate concepts, but the
two poles of one spirit.
Matter is crystallized spirit.
Force is the same spirit not yet crystallized.