16. Diagnosis Of The Nature Of An Attack-b

A garment recently and habitually worn, a lock of hair, a piece of jewellery, all these can be made to serve provided they are properly preserved. Crystalline substances, such as precious stones, hold magnetism better than anything else; metals are also good, whether precious or otherwise. A pocket knife, for instance, will hold magnetism well. Wood holds it badly, and so do paper, wool, cotton and artificial silk, especially the latter. Silk and linen are good. India-rubber is useless. Glass depends for its holding powers upon its form. If it is cut so that it will refract light it can be very good; if it is flat and purely transparent, like a window pane, it is almost useless. Stone is fair. Earthenware poor. An elaborate article is not as good as a simple article. For instance, a marquise ring is not as good as a signet ring. Letters are apt to be misleading because they often contain nearly as much of the magnetism of the recipient as of the writer. Some psychics can work from a photograph, but this method is not, strictly speaking, psychometry, for the mental image evoked by the photograph is used to pick up the corresponding image in the reflecting ether. Great care should be used in taking a psychometric specimen, for it is readily contaminated by the magnetism of anyone who handles it, who is in proximity to it, or who even thinks about it concentratedly. For instance, if while packing up such a specimen for sending off you are brooding over the problem it presents and working out your own theory, the psychometrist may pick up your thought-form instead of reading the conditions of the person to whom the object belongs. The materials which are used for packing should also be free from magnetism. I knew of a case wherein the psychic said that a certain trinket belonged either to a nurse or to someone who had to do with hospitals. As a matter of fact, it belonged to neither, but had been packed in surgical cotton-wool. When packing up a psychometric specimen, do it as expeditiously and with as little handling as possible. Take a piece of “virgin” black or white silk (not coloured), large enough to serve as a wrapper. Throw it over the article and bundle it up rapidly, handling it through the silk. In the occult sense, “virgin” means something that has never been used for any other purpose. For instance, you should not use part of an old dress or a cushion-cover. An article which does not lend itself to handling by this method can be picked up with sugar-tongs or the points of a pair of scissors and laid on the square of silk in which it is to be wrapped. Pack the wrapped article in a wooden box, being sure that any padding which is used is also virgin. The report of a single psychometrist should not be relied upon. Specimens should be sent to two at least. It is also well when sending specimens, and especially when sending a birth-hour for a horoscope, not to allow the name to be known lest gossip should be spread about. Astrologers are much too fond of handing round charts and discussing them. I have known some very unfortunate things come about in this way. A horoscope from someone who understands the nature of the work in hand is of great value, for the position of the planets in the heavenly houses not only serves as an aid to diagnosis but is a very important guide to treatment. It is best therefore to explain to the astrologer the nature of the case, and the kind of information that is wanted, so that he can examine the chart accordingly. A horoscope is to an occult therapist what an X-ray photograph is to a doctor.