Chapter 2, Physical level. Extended Commentary

Reviewing the exercise for chapter 2, physical level: Conscious pour
breathing.  
     Bardon says, "Sit comfortably in an arm chair or lie down on a
sofa, and relax all your muscles.  Try to think that, with each
inspiration, not only your lungs are breathing, i.e., inhaling air, but
the whole body is doing so.  Be firmly convinced that, together with
your lungs, simultaneously each single pore of your body receives
vital power and conveys it to the body.  You ought to feel like a dry
sponge which, when dipped into water, sucks it in greedily.  You
must have the same feeling when breathing in."  
 
Though Bardon's exercise is straightforward and clear, there are
countless ways we can explore and expand on it. We are, after all,
working with the universal life force and vitality which animate all
organic life.  This life force is extremely resilient and adaptable.  It
is
wondrous and in many ways mysterious.  No doubt, different
approaches to working with it will suit different individuals. 
     In this section, I am seeking to follow Bardon's way of thinking. I
offer the following images, meditations, and procedures as a means
for exploring the exercise further.  I will mention some suggestions
from different spirits of the earthzone later on.  
     The overall goal of this section is to gain a rich and powerful
sense of balance, equilibrium, strength, and resilience in your health
and vitality.  

Part I.  Pour Breathing

Let us turn again to pour breathing.  Some individuals may find it
difficult to get a sense of energy moving through the skin of the
body.  From the point of view of physiology, the skin can be
considered an organ of the body in its own right.  Among other
things, the exercise for brushing and rubbing the skin from chapter
one serves to raise our awareness of our skin.
   The following method might be helpful to some individuals who
are having trouble with pour breathing.  In chapter 5 of Initiation
into Hermetics, Bardon mentions, "The instructions of the fifth step
shall show us how to transplant the consciousness into the center of
any form, beginning with the tiniest atom to the highest universe." 
Also, in Bardon's book on quabbalah, he talks about condensing
various colors of light which fill the entire universe into a small dot
inside of the body.  In Bardon's system, large amounts of energy as
well as consciousness can enter very small spaces.
   We apply this concept to pour breathing by starting with one pour
at a time.  Concentrate your mind on a very small dot the size of a
pin prick on the tip of your index finger.  Hold this concentration in
your mind for several minutes.  Next, take a deep breath and as you
do so notice the sensation of your body becoming energized as you
inhale.  Repeat this deep breathing several times until you can recall
clearly the way your body feels when it gets a large supply of
oxygen. 
    Relax.  Breathe normal and concentrate again on one precise
point on the tip of your finger.  Imagine also that your body is
completely hollow and empty inside.  Now as you inhale, imagine
that vital energy is flowing through this tiny dot on the tip of your
finger and completely filling the inside of your body.  
   We are putting together the tactile sensation of one specific dot on
our finger with the feeling of vital energy flowing through the dot
and also the sensation of the body being filled with a deep breath. 
As you exhale, reverse the process expelling the accumulated energy
inside your body through this dot. There is no need to hurry with
this exercise.  Stay with it until it feels comfortable and easy to do.
    Next, perform the same exercise one after the other on each of
the fingers of your hand.  Do the same with the other hand. Add the
points together by first breathing through the points at the tip of the
fingers on one hand and then the other hand.  Do also the same
exercise with the toes of both feet and then do the hands and feet all
at once.
     Some individuals may find that it helps to add movement to the
breathing process.  For example, stand and extend your arms in 
front of your body, palms facing down, elbows slightly bent and
fingers slightly separated.  As you inhale through your finger tips,
slowly drop your elbows down and lower your body by bending
your knees.  As you exhale, extend your hands out and stand up
straight again.  Later on, produce the same sensations without the
movement.
   Return now to one hand.  Increase the number of points you are
concentrating on until they cover your entire hand.  Extend the
concentration on pour breathing to your forearm, then your upper
arm, both arms at once, and gradually over the surface of your
entire body.  The idea is to get the mind to carry over from what
you accomplish with one point to the entire surface of your body.  
    Obviously, the more you are aware of your body, the easier these
exercises become  One individual said her hands were extremely
sensitive after playing the base viola for years.  The vibration of the
instrument and the mental concentration on her hand eventually
created a capacity for clairfeeling.  
    When I raced sailboats, I had a ferocious concentration on my
hands because I used them to hold the tiller.  And through the wood
of the tiller I could sense the momentum of the sailboat, wind shifts,
and waves striking the hull.  My mind went through my hand to the
tiller and to all parts of the sailboat as well as the elements of nature
interacting with the sailboat.  By training as a magician, I notice that
my mind goes through my hand to connect to whatever I am
concentrating on.
    In a similar manner, in this exercise we are gradually learning to
connect our minds to our skin so it embodies the ability to draw in
and expel energy.  Over a period of time, return again and again to
concentrating on specific points on the surface of your body.  Take
that sensation of breathing through one point and extend it to a
larger part of your body.  
    Taoists sometimes breath through key acupuncture points on the
hands and the feet.  In Mantak Chia's book, Bone Marrow Nei
Kung, he also has the student breathe in through the tips of the
fingers.  From there, the student learns to breathe vital energy into
the bone structure of the entire body with the goal of rejuvenating
bone marrow and blood.
   I would also note that students of acupuncture spend thousands of
hours over years learning the precise way to insert needles into the
hundreds of acupuncture points on the body for medical purposes. 
Each point has its own name, location on a meridian, influence on
the four five elements, and relation to relieving different symptoms
and illnesses.  The skin is well worth our attention for it is full of
magick and power. 
   
Part II. Working with the Etheric Body

The previous section emphasizes lung and pour breathing.  There
are a great many applications of this basic ability.  In Part II, I will
review four applications or ways we can work with the energy
which is produced.  Point 4 is rather extensive since it greatly
expands on our exploration of the four elements in regard to
attaining magical equilibrium.  

1. A Natural Rejuvenating Elixir

"The alchemist will recognize that the human body represents a
genuine Athanor in which the most perfect alchemistic process, the
great work or the preparation of the `philosopher's stone,'  is visibly
performed."  Franz Bardon 

We are practicing breathing in life force through your lungs and all
the pours of our body.  As we do so, it is possible to sense our body
becoming charged with a luminous, healing, and rejuvenating
energy which brings perfect health and harmony.  
    This energy is the essence of life and an elixir--a quintessence in
its own right.  It is cool, serene, and calm and yet also energizing,
dynamic, and radiant. It is soft, flowing, soothing, and healing yet
also enduring and strong to the extent that it fully resists any
negative or deteriorating influence.  It is balanced, harmonious, and
present evenly throughout the entire body and yet it is completely
malleable--it can change its qualities to reflect any specific vibration
or energy which is required to sustain health and equilibrium within
the body. 
   Alchemy attempts to produce through natural means an elixir or
philosopher's stone which embodies the quintessence of nature's
energies.  Nature is itself striving to evolve toward perfection.  The
alchemist strives to bring about that perfection of nature's energies
within his laboratory.  
   Most students practicing lung and pour breathing over a period of
time will experience a general increase in their health and vitality. 
But there is more available in this exercise.  The human body is a
microcosm reflecting within it all the energies of nature as well as
the larger universe.  As we inhale life force through all the pours of
our body, we are also converting that life force into an elixir or
quintessence.  In the beginning, there are several things to
emphasize to enhance this process.
   First, develop a really clear image and sensation of your body
being completely hollow and empty inside.  This empty space, like a
hermetically seal flask used in alchemical experiments, enables a
mixing and fusing of the energies we place within it. As we inhale
through our pours, we are inhaling the specific vital qualities of the
different surfaces and parts of our bodies.  This energy spreads
everywhere inside of us like a perfect mixture. 
   Though we imagine our body empty inside, the energy we inhale
penetrates and vibrates within every internal organ but it does not
get trapped within them.  It continues on and spreads throughout the
entire body.  Consequently, there is a mixing of all the different
energies within the body which, again, is like mixing and drawing
together in small measure all the different energies within nature and
the greater universe.
   Think of and visualize the body in this way--as a magical
container designed to blend the energies of nature and the body in a
perfect manner.  By concentrating on the empty space within the
body, we are evoking the presence of akasha which penetrates
everywhere through space in an even manner and without any
boundaries or barriers interfering with its movement. 
   By looking for, sensing, and imagining an elixir being produced
through pour breathing--a luminous, rejuvenating, and healing
energy, we are also reproducing the action of akasha in regard to
time.  Akasha suspends the time between this moment and that time
when we will develop a perfect body, immortal, indestructible, and
eternal.  In this section, then, the task during pour breathing is to
sense a pure, luminous, soft, serene, radiant, harmonious, cool,
soothing, healing, enduring, and dynamic energy being produced
within us. 
    What I am emphasizing here is not at all unusual or original. 
Again, in Mantak Chia's writings about Taoist practice, the
individual at the very beginning learns to gather and to draw into
one ball of energy the different external and internal energies of the
body.  These are then circulated through the different points of the
spine and also the internal organs so that this ball of vitality turns
into a kind of elixir.  
   There is however a slightly different emphasis between Taoist
goals and those of a magician.  The Taoist pursues all means which
lead to longevity and which strengthen the endurance of the life
force.  The elixir I am emphasizing is equally useful for reproducing
the enlightened mind which Buddhists pursue, the omnipresent, all-
embracing love which Christians see Christ as embodying, and also
the absolute power which is more characteristic of a Quabbalistic,
spheric magician.  Even at this level, we can begin to incorporate
each of these paths and ideals into our own breathing practice
should we desire to do so. .

2.  Breathing Energy Directly in and out of the Etheric Body

Introduction to the Etheric Body

In using the phrase, "etheric body," I am describing the vibratory
field of energy or vital life force which penetrates through and also
derives its life from the physical body.  This field of vital energy is
not identical with the biochemical or physiological processes of the
physical body.  It is more subtle.  In the following brief essay, I will
discuss the etheric body as it is approached from several traditions  
    Western medical doctors can detect and accurately locate the
classical acupuncture points using only scientific instruments.  There
is a measurable electro-magnetic shift in the vibration of an
acupuncture point as compared to the surrounding surface of the
skin.  This acupuncture point and the energy being measured has a
correlation to the activity of the etheric body.  But, for the most
part, the etheric body is not yet directly subject to scientific
instruments of measurement and detection. 
   Bardon points out that if you concentrate on an internal organ or
part of your body, there is an increase in blood circulation to that
part.  There is, for example, an increase in temperature due to the
dilation of blood vessels.  There are changes in electrical impulses
which are also easily measured, for example, by an ohmmeter.  
   But again, there measurable changes are not the etheric body itself
which is more subtle.  If you breathe into your hand and feel a
strong pressure, some of what you feel is from increased blood
circulation and change in temperature.  But, if you are sensitive,
beneath these more obvious sensations you can sense the vital
energy moving within the etheric body. 
     Blood stays in the arteries and veins of your body.  The vital
energy you produce in pour breathing will move anywhere you want
it to. Consequently, with practice, you can get the vital energy
compressed into your right hand to move, for example, down and
into to your left foot. You can also get it to move into another
individual's body who is next to you or on the other side of the
planet. 
    Generally speaking, when an individual is healthy, all the internal
organs of the body produce more vital energy than is necessary for
the functioning of that organ.  This surplus charge of energy can be
consciously refined and fused with other body energies.  It can be
circulated through the body to increase the strength and harmony of
the etheric body. 
    Some individuals have a natural flair for working with vital
energy and healing others with it.  As I mention elsewhere, one
Taoist student discovered that any internal Taoist meditation or
circulation of chi she did in her body she could just as easily
reproduce in someone else's body as well.  Finding it easy to
imagine herself within another's body, she could work with that
individual's energy as easily as her own. 
    When most individual's die, the vital energy associated with the
physical body rapidly dissolves since it is dependent on the
biochemistry and physiological processes of the physical body.  The
deceased then enters the astral plane where he or she resides within
an astral body which slowly deteriorates and which may be abandon
quickly or at a later point, e.g., when the individual chooses to
incarnate again.  That is the idea anyway.
   Having worked for a lifetime with their mental bodies, some high
Buddhist adepts have a practice in which they preserve the qualities
of their mental bodies when they reincarnate.  They may even
describe when and where they will be reborn again going into great
detail giving names and specific descriptions of their location.  One
such Tibetan lama consciously decided to adopt an astral body more
suited for working with Westerners.  Running a monastery with
thousands of monks under him in Tibet required a powerful and
dominating presence  But foreseeing that he would one day work
with Westerners,  he changed his personality for his next incarnation
so it would be more appealing to Western values and standards.  He
chose a personality which was warm, inviting, and empathic. 
   On the other hand, descriptions in the Bardon system of spirits
and of cosmic letters occasionally refer to the "immortality of the
astral body."  That is, the actual personality of the individual with its
unique combination of the four elements retains its strength and
does not deteriorate unless the individual should choose to make a
change.  The immortality of the astral body is often a consciously
stated goal in some Taoist practices.  A master once referred to
making a house in which you live when you die, namely, an
immortal astral body. 
   But there is more going in magick than this.  There is also the
conscious effort to build a powerful etheric body.  The 24 elemental
beings Bardon describes in his second book not only have extremely
powerful astral bodies.  They have powerful though non-physical
etheric bodies which give them a heightened magical means for
interacting with nature and the physical world when they choose to
do so. 
    The mummies of the Egyptian Pharaohs were often placed within
pyramids.  This, along wtih the mummification process and rituals,
was an attempt to enable an astral immortality by preserving an
etheric matrix on the physical plane.  The physical mummy serves as
a kind of battery or device for accumulating energy which then
circulates to the departed soul.  Similarly, the Chinese fung sui
masters are concerned about the direction and placement of your
ancestors bones.  Ancestor worship may act to keep alive and to
preserve the astral matrix of the departed soul.  Consequently, there
is also a return circulation of energy which moves through the bones
of the departed soul to the descendants.  In fung sui, the alignment
of those bones influences the flow of energy. 
    Also in some schools of Taoism as in a few other religions there
is a conscious attempt to preserve not only the astral body but also
the etheric body of departed masters such as the eight immortals and
other masters of a specific lineage.  Whether the departed soul has
any tie to this astral-etheric shell is irrelevant to the practice.  The
practitioners hope to gain a shaktipat or transference of energy from
the master to those who are present during a ritual of evocation.  
     The Bardon spirits of the earthzone, by contrast, do not maintain
physical, etheric, astral, or mental bodies.  They preside without
form within an akashic state of awareness.  They are free to assume
any form they wish and do so to represent themselves in a visible
manner during an evocation by a magician.  All 360 of them are
quite capable of manifesting on the mental, astral, and physical
planes should they desire to do so.  In other words, they have
mastered the three lower planes and can produce a mental, astral,
and physical vehicle of manifestation at will. 
     In our basic practice here, there is nothing going on so
mysterious or occult.  If you can strengthen and energize your
etheric body while you are alive, it kicks in automatically whenever
you need extra energy.  It preserves your harmony and equilibrium
in the same way that having flexible and strong muscles gives you an
edge in undertaking physical tasks.  
    Some athletes have fabulous physical bodies but once they retire
from their sport and begin another career, there is no need for them
to maintain such a high level of conditioning.  Arnold
Schwarzeneger, the former world champion weight lifter, may still
keep in shape but not while he is shooting a movie such as
Terminator as part of his new career as an actor.  Similarly, a well-
developed magician may choose to maintain his etheric matrix when
he dies or let go of it depending on his purpose.
    
Combining Pour Breathing with the Etheric Body.  
  
The purpose of this exercise is to learn to imagine and then sense
the etheric body.  We do this so that it becomes easier to develop
the etheric body and to increase our level of vitality.
   Later on, when Bardon discusses the mental body, he has the
student visualize a picture of himself standing in front of him.  The
student then places his consciousness within this image. In learning
to project the astral body, the student transfers his breathing directly
into the mental body which again is seen as being independent of
the physical body.  
   In this exercise, we imagine the etheric body to be slightly larger
and overlapping our physical body.  Similar to working with the
astral body, in this exercise we imagine the etheric body is drawing
in and expelling energy directly from the air.  Though we continue
the lung and pour breathing, we imagine that the etheric body is also
breathing by itself.  
    
3.  Strengthening the Etheric Body

The etheric body is not woven together by muscle, bone, tendon,
and sinew and yet we can strengthen it through many different
methods.  In this section, I will mention two approaches.  
     (1).  First, concentrate again on the image and feeling of your
etheric body.  Now imagine that every part of the etheric body is
connected equally to every other part and every point to every other
point.  The idea is to produce a strong feeling of cohesion and
interconnection within the etheric body.
  There are many ways of approaching this in a concrete manner. 
One such method derives from Taoist practice.  Both in Jin Shin
Jyitsu and in Mantak Chia's work, the Tu Mo and Jen Mo meridians
are combined to form the main central meridian.  This enables one
circular flow of vital energy around the outside of the body. 
Mantak Chia goes into detail on this meditation practice in his book,
Awakening Healing Energy through the Tao.  Mary Burmeister, the
Jin Shin Jyitsu master, has a similar method which is done through
application of the individual's hands rather than through meditation.  
   Similarly, in many Taoist practices, meditating on the meridians is
used as a means for becoming conscious of and connecting the
energy flows of vitality through the body.  Dr. Stephen Thomas
Chang in his book, The Complete Book of Acupuncture, Celestial
Arts, 1976, gives a brief description,  p. 48, of The Around the
World Massage, "Using the bulb of the thumb or index and middle
fingers, gently massage the entire length of each of the main
meridians in the direction of the energy flow along the meridian."
[The sequence is lung, large intestine, stomach, spleen-pancreas,
heart, small intestine, bladder, kidney, heart constrictor, triple
heater, gall bladder, and liver.]
    After becoming competent in the previous exercise, he suggests
meditating on the meridians.  "...focus all your attention on the lung
meridian.  Trace the path of the lung meridian with your index and
middle finger paying close attention to the concurrent subjective
feelings that arise as a result of this procedure.  Mentally follow the
flow of energy as it descends along the lung meridian and then
repeat the same procedure along the large intestine meridian which
has an ascending flow of energy.  Massaging the entire length of all
twelve of the main meridians will eventually enable one to sense the
most minute energy fluctuation along the meridian circuit. 
Ultimately, one will be able to willfully direct the energy flow along
any one of the meridians.  Becoming consciously aware of the
circulation of energy within the body will confer longevity of life,
for this ability will enable one to maintain a state of energy balance
under any and all circumstances."  
   If you want a very detailed book showing the acupuncture points
and meridians, you might consider the Anatomical Atlas of Chinese
Acupuncture Points, Shandong Science and Technology Press,
distributed by Pergamon Press.  There are of course many books on
this topic and you can find those which suit your needs.  
     I recall being in one class where the teacher had the students
quickly trace the lines of the twelve main meridians over the surface
of the entire body in about two minutes time.  Once you have the
meridian paths memorized, it is pretty easy to trace them with your
fingers.  Dr. Chang is suggesting, however, that the student slow
down and meditate deeply on the energy flow through each of the
meridians.  In Mantak Chia's system, there is an emphasis on what is
called the "extra meridians."  These meridians, such as the Tu Mo
and Jen Mo, are more suited for gathering and circulating surplus
energy through the body. 
   There are a variety of ways to meditate and work with the energy
of the meridians.  If you were to try Chang's method of meditation
on the meridians, relax and sink your mind slowly into the meridian. 
Try to feel the energy flowing through the meridian and then
connect the meridian in your mind with the corresponding internal
organ.  The particular energy of the meridian and its corresponding
organ have a similar vibration since they are closely related. 
   Many students will have no interest in the complexities of Chinese
meridians and meditations.  I mention the above example to
illustrate a system which teaches how to direct and strengthen the
movement of vital energy within the etheric body.  In its defense, I
would point out that the Chinese system of acupuncture and
meridians is part of the curriculum in every medical school in
mainland China. The more simple but abstract method I suggest of
meditating on all parts of the body being interconnected is more of
an akashic meditation.  
     (2)  In this meditation, we concentrate on each part of the body
offering balance and support to every other part. You can proceed,
for example, by concentrating on a part of your body such as your
hand.  You sense that the energy of your hand supports every other
part of your body as well as your whole body.  And every other part
of your body and your whole body support the energy of your hand. 
You continue on working with all parts of your body. 
    This is kind of like a focusing technique which I describe in detail
under the section of my web page on Methods in Transpersonal
Psychology.  In that system, the individual will consciously focus his
attention on one specific area of the body which is in some way
restricted or blocked.  In doing this, the individual also imagines the
rest of the body offering its support by being open and receptive to
the blocked area.  In other words, the energy of the whole body is
available to any area of need. 

The Chakras as an Example of Internal Support

Another example of the internal support which occurs within the
body relates to the system of the seven chakras.   There are a great
many books about the seven chakras but let me just mention a few
points on how they support each other.  The heart chakra is known
for its harmony and compassion.  Those with strong hearts like to
resolve conflicts.  They have high empathy.  They are sensitive to
others' feelings. 
  The third chakra in the solar plexus region, by contrast, establishes
a direct connection between oneself and others. It is forceful,
assertive, and commanding.  The heart chakra needs the lower third
chakra in order to avoid feeling vulnerable and unable to
communicate itself.  The third chakra presents the force of
personality and charm an individual needs to win other's over to its
position.  And the third chakra needs the heart's harmony otherwise
it becomes manipulative and injures others' feelings.  By the way,
the individuals who gain the most experience in life are those with
this combination of strong third and four chakras. 
     The throat chakra is know for its creativity.  It embodies great
determination, adaptability, and ingenuity.  The throat chakra is
balanced by the second chakra in the belly below the navel.  The
second chakra deals with sexuality, sensuality, and also with those
feelings and intuitions which guide a person in sensing what makes
for happiness and affection.  It has a great sense of what is natural
and of what preserves your energy as an individual.  
   If a highly creative individual in the throat chakra can maintain an
equally developed second chakra, he can keep his creativity from
becoming rigid, artificial, compulsive, and haphazard.  This is
because he will know when to withdraw from activity and renew
himself in natural ways.  And if the second chakra person can
develop his throat chakra, his life will not only be natural and
flowing.  There will be productivity and interaction with exciting and
creative individuals. Those with strong second chakras are
sometimes so relaxed and content, they fail to exercise initiative and
to take charge of their lives.
   The sixth chakra or third eye is known for its psychic power.  It
offers an individual a combination of detachment, profound
intuition, and spiritual purpose but it also burns up a great deal of
vital energy when it is being used.  Consequently, many spiritually
gifted and psychic individuals limit their use of the third eye to a
very narrow range of activities lest they become exhausted or suffer
nervous tension.  
  The third eye, however, is balanced by developing in equal
measure the first chakra at the base of the spine or above the
perineum.  This lower chakra contains the life force of nature and a
profound sense of being grounded both within the material world
and within the physical body.  When a psychic or spiritual
practitioner has his third eye balanced by his first chakra, he is down
to earth, practical, and hard working.  He rarely suffers from that
fuzzy, other worldly and self-doubt you can often find in the eyes of
spiritual adventurers. 
   Similarly, the first chakra individual who has a strong third eye
does not get stuck in a physical situation or bogged down by his
routines.  He can sense in advance when a change is coming and he
is ready to work with it when it arrives.  The seventh chakra, the
crown chakra, depends on the lower six chakras to express its
visions.  And yet it also interacts with the six.  It presides over them
acting as a higher aspect of conscience prodding and warning an
individual when it is time to grow and to belong to a greater whole.
   Following the chakras as a meditation, you feel that the two parts
of your body relating to the chakras are connected and supporting
each other.  You imagine that the love in your heart is present in and
supports the activities of your personality.  And the forceful,
assertive side of your third chakra is present and helps express the
more tender and empathic feelings of your heart.
   Similarly, your sexuality, sensuality, and need to express affection
in your second chakra supports your throat chakra so your creativity
remains natural, wholesome, and healthy.  And, in reverse, your
creativity and adaptability keep finding for you new and challenging
ways to express your inner feelings. 
   With the third eye and the lowest chakra, you imagine that all the
surplus vital energy in your body is available to your higher
intuition, to support and empower it, whenever you wish to meditate
and seek spiritual guidance.  At the same time, you guard your life
force and protect your health.  You do not burn yourself out or
become exhausted by excessive spiritual or psychic activity.  Instead,
you contemplate your life and activities to make sure everything is
ordered and is fulfilled in the right way. 
    In summary, the first meditation on strengthening the etheric
body emphasized each part and point being joined to every other so
the etheric body is sensed as being one interconnected whole. In this
second meditation, we emphasize the nurturing aspect of the etheric
body.  When there is a weakness or disturbance of vital energy, the
whole etheric body offers its strength and harmony.  

Note: the next section will cover:

4.  Gathering the Five Elements through Breathing

This section has three parts. The first is a meditation reminding us
of the interaction and presence of the five elements within our
bodies.  The second is an exploration and integration of the vital
energy which animates each of the 12 signs of the zodiac as they
manifest in human behavior.  After becoming thorougly familiar
with the first two meditations, we proceed to the thrid meditation
which reminds us that the life force we breathe in with each breath
has universal aspects.  Within the vitality of the air are the four
aspects of Divine Providence--immortality, cossmic wisdom and
enlightenment, absolute power, and all-embracing, cosmic love.

To be continued.