344 ROSICRUCIANCOSMO-CONCEPTION
period of gestation, it will be observed that it passes through
the mineral and plant stages only, and is born when it
reaches the animal stage. This is because the Life ensouling
such an ovum passed through its mineral evolution in the
Sun Period, its plant life in the Moon Period, and is now
forced to stop at the animal stage in the Earth Period.
On the other hand, the Life which uses the human ovum
had its mineral existence in the Saturn Period, its plant
existence in the Sun Period, passed the animal stage in the
Moon P eriod, has still s ome scop e for Epigenes is after it has
reached the animal stage and therefore goes on to the
human—nor does it stop there. The father and mother give
the substance of their bodies for the building of the child's
body, but, particularly in the higher races, Epigenesis makes
it possible to add something which makes the child different
from the parents.
Where Epigenesis is inactive in the individual, family,
nation, or Race—there evolution ceases and degeneration
commences.
A LIVING SOUL?
Thus the two Creation stories harmonize very well.
One deals with Form, which was built up through
mineral, plant and animal and reached the humanlast.
The other tells us that Life which now ensouls human
forms was manifested anterior to the Life which ensouls the
forms of the other kingdoms.
One of these accounts of Creation would not have been
sufficient. There are important particulars hidden behind the
narrative of man's creation, in the second chapter; the verse
reads: “Then Jehovah formed man from the dust of the
Earth, and blew into his nostrils the breath [nephesh], and