SCIENTIFIC NOTES. ANY Theosophists are familiar with the statement in The Secret MANY Doctrine (Vol. I. p. 541) that the sun is a great magnet. It is therefore interesting to learn that recent scientific discoveries tend to confirm this teaching. Prof. George E. Hale, of Mount Wilson Solar Observatory, has lately secured photographs of the spectral lines of sunlight which, according to Dr. Zeeman (the highest authority on such a matter), appear to be decisive evidence that sunspots are strong magnetic fields (Nature, vol. 78, p. 369, August 20th 1908). The deduction drawn by Zeeman from Prof. Hale's experiments is that in the centre of a sunspot there is a magnetic intensity of 6,000 to 10,000 units which is roughly about one hundred thousand times as great as the magnetic field of the earth, and, as the sun's mass is about three hundred thousands times that of the earth, it would seem that the magnetic fields of the two bodies have a ratio of the same order as their masses, which rather lends color to the idea that the force of gravity may have its basis in magnetism, and that the teachings of The Secret Doctrine in this respect may shortly be proved correct. Dr. Zeeman, in reviewing what he describes as Prof. Hale's splendid discovery, thinks it will eventually throw light on several outstanding problems of science. It is well known that the variation of the earth's magnetism increases and decreases with the number of sunspots, and this discovery may ultimately give an explanation of this, but there will still remain the question as to what causes the marked variation of the number of sunspots. The cycle of sunspot variation passes though its phases in about eleven years on the average, and so far astronomers are quite at a loss to account for this. A recent investigation of Prof. Schuster (Nature, vol. 73, p. 378), however, throws a faint glimmering of light on the matter. For he finds that the somewhat irregular sunspot variations can be decomposed into three or more regular periods of 11.125, 8.344 and 4.768 years and these periods have a common multiple of 33.375 years thus: 1 × 33.375 × 33.375 It will interest Theosophists to note that these simple ratios of one-third, one-fourth, and one-seventh are well known musical ratios, and may possibly be one of the keys to the music of the spheres. The larger cycle of 33'375 years corresponds rather closely with what is known as the Brüchner weather cycle in which it is found that the character of the weather in each year roughly repeats itself every 33 or 34 years. It is therefore a cycle of recognised cosmic significance which may affect other things besides the weather, and since the history of the Theosophical Society passes through a critical phase every eleven years, or once in every sunspot period, one wonders if the larger period of 33 years may not in a similar way stamp its effects upon our movement. From November 17th, 1875, when the Theosophical Society was founded to April 3rd, 1909, is exactly 33-375 so that we are just at the close of the first of these great cycles in the Society's history and the next Convention at Adyar will be the last embraced by this period. The first eleven years of the new cycle will carry the twentieth century into and out of its teens, and, if I mistake not, there is some prophecy by H.P.B. that this period would be marked by discoveries that would prove the truth of The Secret Doctrine. It is further of interest to note that in April, 1909, when the new cycle commences, our President will be about commencing an important tour in the West, when she is expected to visit both Europe and America. Let us hope that in this new cycle the Blessings of the Masters may be upon the Society and the Society's President, as it was upon the two Founders thirty-three years ago. G. E. SUTCLIFFE. CHURCH CONGRESS. The Church Congress, which opened on the 6th of October, was this year held at Manchester. A more than usually vital interest was given to its discussions by this fact, for not only is Manchester the birth-place of the great contest between Capital and Labor, but it is to-day in the grip of what promises to be a prolonged industrial struggle. The route of the opening procession was lined by crowds of the unemployed, whose faces, in too many cases, bore traces of the privations they are now experiencing. It could not but be apparent to all thoughtful onlookers that the Church of England is face to face with a necessity more urgent than the remodelling and readjustment of creed or rubric, the poignant necessity of taking the lead in the questions that affect not the spiritual only but also the moral and physical welfare of the Nation, and of upholdin the Standard of her Master amid the turmoil of passion and self interest which ever tends in human society to obscure the higher issues involved. There were throughout the Congress evidences that the speakers were alive to this necessity, the Bishop of Manchester, in his Presidential address, dealing at considerable length with the question of Social Improvement. A crowded audience listened to what was universally admitted to be a statesmanlike summary of those causes which have led to the most pressing of the social problems confronting the nation at the present moment. During the Congress, Meetings were also held for the consideration of such important subjects as "The Moral Problems of Industry and Commerce," "The Conditions of Factory Life," and "The Method of dealing with Poverty." In a debate on "Socialism," opened by the Archbishop of Melbourne, the speaker struck the same note as that sounded by our President in her recent utterances with regard to New Zealand and Australia; dwelling upon the need for a deeper recognition of the spiritual underlying the material, and of the Ideal behind the actual he urged that the ideal of the Christ:"I am among you as he that serveth" should be more widely inculcated than at present. As was the case at the Congress of 1907, the awakening among the great Religions of the East was dwelt upon, the Bishop of South Tokio laying stress upon the fact that a movement of which Christendom was hardly aware, but which he characterised as "the religious invasion of the West by the East," was now in process and might in time be prolific of " portentous results"! "The Education and Care of the Young,' ""Canon Law," and the "Dearth of Clergy" also came within the scope of the Congress; but the subject which raised the most discussion was that of Biblical Criticism. Professor Burkitt gave an exceedingly able paper in which (although he discarded much in the teachings of S. Paul which the further insight given by Theosophy enables the student to retain) he maintained the position (which is again one taken by Mrs. Besant,) that the days of external authority in matters of religion are gone by"whether the authorlty be Pope, book or creed." He finely put it that the true mission of criticism is to destroy ancient forms in order that the living Truth embodied in them may be free to express itself in higher ones; and concluded by the opinion that the real danger of the churches is not criticism from without, but the inward lukewarmness, and disloyalty to the spirit of the Master. On the whole it may be gathered that the note of the Congress I was a vivid realisation both of the opportunities lying before the Anglican Communion and of the possibility of failure in carrying them out. The Bishop of Gloucester quoted in a sermon the saying of Cecil Rhodes: "The Church of England doesn't interest me ! as exactly describing the attitude of men of the world in general. Comment is needless further than to say that when one of her chief dignitaries can dare to make in public such an admission, it may be taken as indicating that the Spirit of true Self-knowledge, which regenerates, constrains and compels, is once more moving on the face. of the waters. E. M. G. UNIVERSAL LOVE. If it was given me to ask one blessing, To crave one gift from the great powers above, Sometimes the wrongs of earth seem so appalling, We need a sense of universal justice, To lift our life to where it soars and sings; To see all life as Love-all men as Kings. X. THEOSOPHY IN MANY LANDS. RUSSIA, The third Russian Theosophical Convention was held in Kief. It opened on the morning of the 21st August, with a Te Deum in the old Russian temple of Sophia. At 2 P.M, the business meeting began. Mlle. Nina de Gernet was elected President of the Convention, with Mr. Nicolos Pissareff (delegate of Kaluga) Vice-President. During two days the rules were discussed and worked out. At last they were unanimously passed, to be submitted for confirmation to the President of the T.S., and, if possible, to be legalised by the Government. The first Council was elected : Anna Kamensky, Margaret Kamensky, Cecile Helmboldt, Konstantin Kudriawtzeff, Dmitry Stranden, Anna Tilossofoff, Helene Pokroosky, for three years. This was done in order to begin the work at once, without convoking a new Convention, when the Society is legalised. The third day the Convention discussed the situation of Russian members attached to foreign Sections and accepted the proposal of Anna Kamensky to ask the President of the T. S. to allow such old members to remain in foreign Sections, on entering our Section with a consultative voice, or to be members with all rights here, remaining in foreign Sections with a consultative voice. Mlle. de Gernet made a speech on the work and mission of the Slavs and suggested some work on Russian lines. Papers on H. P. B. (Preface to the Voice of the Silence) by Helena Pissareff, on the Upanishats by Mr. Radetsky, on Job's trials by Mme. Olga Forsch, on Enthusiasm and Fanaticism by Anna Kamensky were read. The Convention was closed by some words from Anna Kamensky, who spoke of the importance of the step taken, and of the deep spiritual work that ought to be done in every theosophical centre to help the movement. She suggested that such earnest work could be done only if it were carried on in harmony with occult laws, the law of silence, the law of rhythm, and the law of love, which govern such work. The Convention rose with a general feeling of brotherly affection and enthusiasm. |