20. The Thaumaturgec

Insufflation is one of the most important practices of occult medicine, because it is a perfect sign of the transmission of life. To inspire, as a fact, means to breathe upon some person or thing, and we know already, by the one doctrine of Hermes, that the virtue of things has created words, that there is an exact proportion between ideas and speech, which is the first form and verbal realization of ideas. The breath attracts or repels accordingly as it is warm or cold. The warm breathing corresponds to positive and the cold breathing to negative electricity. Electrical and nervous animals fear cold breathing, and the experiment may be made upon a cat whose familiarities are importunate. By fixedly regarding a lion or tiger and blowing in their face, they would be so stupefied as to be forced to retreat before us. Warm and prolonged insufflation recruits the circulation of the blood, cures rheumatic and gouty pains, restores the balance of the humours and dispels lassitude. When the operator is sympathetic and good, it acts as a universal sedative. Cold insufflation soothes pains occasioned by congestions and fluidic accumulations. The two breathings must therefore be used alternately, observing the polarity of the human organism and acting in a contrary manner upon the poles, which must be subjected successively to an opposite magnetism. Thus to cure an inflamed eye, the one which is not affected must be subjected to a warm and gentle insufflation, cold insufflation being practised upon the suffering member at the same distance and in the same proportion. Magnetic passes have a similar effect to insufflations, and are a real breathing by transpiration and radiation of the interior air, which is phosphorescent with vital light. Slow passes constitute a warm breathing which fortifies and raises the spirits; swift passes are a cold breathing of dispersive nature, neutralizing tendencies to congestion. The warm insufflation should be performed transversely, or from below upward; the cold insufflation is more effective when directed downward from above. We breathe not only by means of mouth and nostrils; the universal porousness of our body is a true respiratory apparatus, inadequate undoubtedly but most useful to life and health. The extremities of the fingers, where all nerves terminate, diffuse or attract the Astral Light accordingly as we will. Magnetic passes without contact are a simple and slight insufflation; contact adds sympathetic and equilibrating impression to breathing; it is good and even necessary, to prevent hallucinations at the early stages of somnambulism for it is a communion of Physical reality which admonishes the brain and recalls wandering imagination; it must not, however, be too prolonged when the object is merely to magnetize. Absolute and prolonged contact is useful when the design is incubation or massage rather than magnetism properly so called. We have given some examples of incubation from the most revered book of the Christians; they all refer to the cure of apparently obstinate lethargies, as we are led to term resurrections. Massage is still resorted to largely in the East, where it is practised with great success at the public baths. It is entirely a system of frictions, traction and pressures, practised slowly along the whole extent of members and muscles, the result being renewed equilibrium in the forces, a feeling of complete repose and well-being, with a sensible restoration of activity and vigour. The whole power of the occult physician is in the consciousness of his will, while the whole art consists in exciting the faith of his patient. “If you have faith,” said the Master, “all things are possible to him who believes.” The subject must be dominated by expression, tone, gesture; confidence must be inspired by a fatherly manner and cheerfulness stimulated by seasonable and sprightly talk.