CHAPTER XIII.

GENDER.

The great Seventh Hermetic Principle–the Principle of Gender–embodies the truth that there is Gender manifested in everything–that the Masculine and Feminine principles are ever present and active in all phases of phenomena, on each and every plane of life. At this point we think it well to call your attention to the fact that Gender, in its Hermetic sense, and Sex in the ordinarily accepted use of the term, are not the same. The word "Gender" is derived from the Latin root meaning "to beget; to procreate; to generate; to create; to produce."

A moment’s consideration will show you that the word has a much broader and more general meaning than the term "Sex," the latter referring to the physical distinctions between male and female living things. Sex is merely a manifestation of Gender on a certain plane of the Great Physical Plane–the plane of organic life. We wish to impress this distinction upon your minds, for the reason that certain writers, who have acquired a smattering of the Hermetic Philosophy, have sought to identify this Seventh Hermetic Principle with wild and fanciful, and often reprehensible, theories and teachings regarding Sex.

The office of Gender is solely that of creating, producing, generating, etc., and its manifestations are visible on every plane of phenomena. It is somewhat difficult to produce proofs of this along scientific lines, for the reason that science has not as yet recognized this Principle as of universal application. But still some proofs are forthcoming from scientific sources. In the first place, we find a distinct manifestation of the Principle of Gender among the corpuscles, ions, or electrons, which constitute the basis of Matter as science now knows the latter, and which by forming certain combinations form the Atom, which until lately was regarded as final and indivisible.

The latest word of science is that the atom is composed of a multitude of corpuscles, electrons, or ions (the various names being applied by different authorities) revolving around each other and vibrating at a high degree and intensity. But the accompanying statement is made that the formation of the atom is really due to the clustering of negative corpuscles around a positive one–the positive corpuscles seeming to exert a certain influence upon the negative corpuscles, causing the latter to assume certain combinations and thus "create" or "generate" an atom. This is in line with the most ancient Hermetic Teachings, which have always identified the Masculine principle of Gender with the "Positive," and the Feminine with the "Negative" Poles of Electricity (so-called).

Now a word at this point regarding this identification. The public mind has formed an

entirely erroneous impression regarding the qualities of the so-called 'Negative" pole of

electrified or magnetized Matter. The terms Positive and Negative are very wrongly applied

to this phenomenon by science. The word Positive means something real and strong, as

compared with a Negative unreality or weakness. Nothing is further from the real facts of

electrical phenomena. The so-called Negative pole of the battery is really the pole in and by

which the generation or production of new forms and energies is manifested. There is

nothing "negative" about it. The best scientific authorities now use the word "Cathode" in

place of "Negative," the word Cathode coming from the Greek root meaning "descent; the

path of generation, etc." From the Cathode pole emerge the swarm of electrons or

corpuscles; from the same pole emerge those wonderful "rays" which have revolutionized

scientific conceptions during the past decade. The Cathode pole is the Mother of all of the

strange phenomena which have rendered useless the old text-books, and which have

caused many long accepted theories to be relegated to the scrap-pile of scientific

speculation. The Cathode, or Negative Pole, is the Mother Principle of Electrical

Phenomena, and of the finest forms of matter as yet known to science. So you see we are

justified in refusing to use the term "Negative" in our consideration of the subject, and in

insisting upon substituting the word "Feminine" for the old term. The facts of the case bear

us out in this, without taking the Hermetic Teachings into consideration. And so we shall use

the word "Feminine" in the place of "Negative" in speaking of that pole of activity.

The latest scientific teachings are that the creative corpuscles or electrons are Feminine

(science says "they are composed of negative electricity–we say they are composed of

Feminine energy).

A Feminine corpuscle becomes detached from, or rather leaves, a Masculine corpuscle,

and starts on a new career. It actively seeks a union with a Masculine corpuscle, being

urged thereto by the natural impulse to create new forms of Matter or Energy. One writer

goes so far as to use the term "it at once seeks, of its own volition, a union," etc. This

detachment and uniting form the basis of the greater part of the activities of the chemical

world. When the Feminine corpuscle unites with a Masculine corpuscle, a certain process is

begun. The Feminine particles vibrate rapidly under the influence of the Masculine energy,

and circle rapidly around the latter. The result is the birth of a new atom. This new atom is

really composed of a union of the Masculine and Feminine electrons, or corpuscles, but

when the union is formed the atom is a separate thing, having certain properties, but no

longer manifesting the property of free electricity. The process of detachment or separation

of the Feminine electrons is called "ionization." These electrons, or corpuscles, are the most

active workers in Nature's field. Arising from their unions, or combinations, manifest the

varied phenomena of light, heat, electricity, magnetism, attraction, repulsion, chemical

affinity and the reverse, and similar phenomena. And all this arises from the operation of the

Principle of Gender on the plane of Energy.

The part of the Masculine principle seems to be that of directing a certain inherent energy

toward the Feminine principle, and thus starting into activity the creative processes. But the

Feminine principle is the one always doing the active creative work–and this is so on all

planes. And yet, each principle is incapable of operative energy without the assistance of the

other. In some of the forms of life, the two principles are combined in one organism. For that

matter, everything in the organic world manifests both genders–there is always the

Masculine present in the Feminine form, and the Feminine form. The Hermetic Teachings

include much regarding the operation of the two principles of Gender in the production and

manifestation of various forms of energy, etc., but we do not deem it expedient to go into

detail regarding the same at this point, because we are unable to back up the same with

scientific proof, for the reason that science has not as yet progressed thus far. But the

example we have given you of the phenomena of the electrons or corpuscles will show you

that science is on the right path, and will also give you a general idea of the underlying

principles.

Some leading scientific investigators have announced their belief that in the formation of

crystals there was to be found something that corresponded to "sex-activity," which is

another straw showing the direction the scientific winds are blowing. And each year will bring

other facts to corroborate the correctness of the Hermetic Principle of Gender. It will be

found that Gender is in constant operation and manifestation in the field of inorganic matter,

and in the field of Energy or Force. Electricity is now generally regarded as the "Something"

into which all other forms of energy seem to melt or dissolve. The "Electrical Theory of the

Universe" is the latest scientific doctrine, and is growing rapidly in popularity and general

acceptance. And it thus follows that if we are able to discover in the phenomena of

electricity–even at the very root and source of its manifestations–a clear and unmistakable

evidence of the presence of Gender and its activities, we are justified in asking you to

believe that science at last has offered proofs of the existence in all universal phenomena of

that great Hermetic Principle–the Principle of Gender.

It is not necessary to take up your time with the well known phenomena of the "attraction

and repulsion" of the atoms; chemical affinity; the "loves and hates" of the atomic particles;

the attraction or cohesion between the molecules of matter. These facts are too well known

to need extended comment from us. But, have you ever considered that all of these things

are manifestations of the Gender Principle?

Can you not see that the phenomena is "on all fours" with that of the corpuscles or

electrons? And more than this, can you not see the reasonableness of the Hermetic

Teachings which assert that the very Law of Gravitation–that strange attraction by reason of

which all particles and bodies of matter in the universe tend toward each other–is but

another manifestation of the Principle of Gender, which operates in the direction of attracting

the Masculine to the Feminine energies, and vice versa? We cannot offer you scientific proof

of this at this time–but examine the phenomena in the light of the Hermetic Teachings on the

subject, and see if you have not a better working hypothesis than any offered by physical

science. Submit all physical phenomena to the test, and you will discern the Principle of

Gender ever in evidence.

Let us now pass on to a consideration of the operation of the Principle on the Mental

Plane. Many interesting features are there awaiting examination.

MENTAL GENDER.