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86 THE TREE OF LIFE
In some way, incomprehensible to our finite understanding, the
negative and passive energy homogeneously scattered throughout
space became enlivened, forming itself into primeval active centres
which, with the passing of aeons of time, expanded and gradually
evolved into the cosmos. With these centres, the first manifestations,
there sprang from the latent homogeneity a heterogeneous
group of divine entities or cosmic Intelligent forces who became
the architects and builders of the universe. From their own
individual spiritual essence, lesser hierarchies were born, and these
in turn emanated or created from themselves yet other groups
until eventually the human souls came into being, the reflected
offspring of the blessed Gods. These intelligent forces have been
variously named Gods, Daimons, Universal Essences, Dhyan
Chohans, Aeons, Teletarchae and many other names. They all imply
the same fundamental idea of conscious (though not necessarily
self-conscious, intellectual) centres of force, wisdom, and intelligence
who emanate or create, in one wav or another, from themselves the
manifested finite universe.
By the Egyptian Theurgists these cosmic forces or Gods were
very closely studied, and their attributes carefully observed and
recorded in the form of parables, allegories, myths, and legends.
Even in the conventional pictographs of their deities, each of the
emblems has a high significance which is at once profound in implication
as it is simply eloquent in description of the characteristics of
the God. For instance, a blue Plume carried in the hand of one of
the Gods, or else surmounting the headdress, implied Truth, Steadfastness
and Uprightness ; whereas a Sceptre was intended to convey
the idea that such a God carried with him supreme authority and
sovereignty. Each separate symbol and sigil born by the God on
some part of his person was a clue to his inherent nature. The
myths and legends passed down to posterity by the Egyptian priests
concerning the Gods were not mere idle inventions by ignorant
though imaginative men who, having nothing else better to do,
occupied themselves in story telling and in weaving pleasant and
unpleasant fictions about the figments of their minds. On the
contrary, so far from being puerile, in each one of these legends and
pictorial descriptions of the Gods is concealed a wealth of transcendental
knowledge for whomsoever has the ability to perceive it.
With so astute a race of people as the Egyptians, a people
who evolved a hardy civilization whose remains stand as noble