Electricity, The Spiritual Fluid

[e=mc2]

Years and years ago as I was making my way through the "Journal of Discourses," I found a most remarkable essay by Parley P. Pratt, "Spiritual Communication," (April 7, 1853) wherein he noted that the dead are not really dead as if they have ceased to exist, but are rather "organized intelligences" made of element we call "Spirit." (JD Vol. 2: p. 8f). Electricity he calls a "subtle fluid or spiritual element is endowed with the powers of locomotion in a far greater degree than the more gross or solid elements of nature."

In the Kabbalah this "electricity" is "cosmic electricity, the universal life principle, the conscious energy which takes form as all things, and builds everything from within." (Paul Foster Case, "Tarot: Wisdom of the Ages," p. 103) Whether we recognize it or not, all of our actions and activities are spiritual, in the literal sense of Spirit, as the "Cosmic Life Breath." (Case, p. 104). We are a literal part of the Eternal as Joseph Smith taught us, which we label as "Children of Heavenly Father." We take that truly in its fullest sense. We are part of the Divine family. Lotterhand says one function of the Tarot Card symbolisms is to get us to "understand the perfection in ourselves," so that "we can appreciate the perfection that exists in others." (Jason Lotterhand, "Thursday Night Tarot," Newcastle Publishing, 1989: 135).

In the astonishingly powerful articulated book on the Tarot cards, "Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism," it describes the idea of the fusion of opinions of men and women in conversation as "the fusion of opinions that truth lights up. Con-versation - the process of together - versing, (flowing together). (Element Books, 1985: 276). This is what the Zohar so masterfully shows us happening is the rabbis conversing, coming together and learning together. The force at work here, this work of fusing, enlightening, etc., is called by the ancients "The Virgin." It is the Strength Card shown in the Tarot as a woman closing the mouth of a red lion. In some interpretations she is opening the mouth. This power, this electric fluid of energy (electric because of the antagonism of opposites), is shown as life which "represents the fusion of polarities." (p. 277). The Virgin Is the perfect vehicle for the fusion of polarities of human/God as the Virgin Mother bore the Christ child. This produces life through love. It is a harmony, a cooperation with the Divine.

The reason this is so interesting is because Nibley in the "Message of J.S. Papyri" mentioned that the temples were POWERhouses. (2nd ed., pp. 264fffff) The maat stones CAPTURE the suns ENERGY (which is electricity, life, etc., no?) This is properly known as the House of Life. The Kabbalah Tree of Life is a model of the ultimate House of Life, the Cosmos, of which Nibley contends the temple is a scale model of, that is a model of the universe where we get our bearings.The temple HUMMED with energy (Nibley, "Message," p. 265) Light was made to penetrate the darkness. Light is electricity, activity, vibration, motion, life as opposed to darkness, inert, no energy, etc. It gets things going. This is why God first said let there be light and then started to create. ounced "Meod Tov," Very Good. And all things created IN the light or maybe even with the light was pron

This was part of the point of Christ's descensus (Nibley, p. 274) into the darkness of death and hell. Everything is given this life force as the Tarot would label it. Our own D&C 88 says this light of Christ is in all things, through all things, and is the reason that life exists. Nibley shows that this light is not the only thing given, but also the breath of life is given. The breath of life is given just at sunrise in the Egyptian rites. Notice the bright yellow sun color of the entire background of the Tarot Card "Strength" where the virgin is with the lion.

The Tarot, as I contend, is the Medieval version in pictorial form of the Endowment. Though the authority was lost through the Apostasy, the ideas were handed down, and though they lost their literacy, the knowledge was kept by the ancients through art, in the medium they could understand. Leonora Leet shows that the ancient Hebrew prophetess, Marie Habraer handed down much Jewish Kabbalistic esoteric knowledge, as well as alchemical information which was thought to have originated much later in the Medieval ages, and it was kept through time, though more underground than anywhere, see her "Universal Kabbalah," Inner Traditions, 2004: 6-10.

The temple as powerhouse is shown by the Tarot High Priestess, who is the entrance to the temple! Could this be the Old Testament Asherah in the Temple of Solomon? We know according to Raphael Patai, Mark S. Smith, and other Jewish and Christian scholars that the Asherah was worshipped in Solomon's temple in antiquity. Notice in the symbolism her robe begins flowing into water (which is the water on all the other cards which shows water as it travels through the card deck!) as the "Waters of Life." The Waters of Life anciently flowed under the temple, and according to John Lundquist, will be restored as the desert is made to blossom as a rose. Incidentally, Israel is called the rose in the opening of the Zohar (see Daniel Matt's very scholarly edition of the Zohar, Vol. 1). As we study the many traditions we have inherited, whether the Egyptian, Hebrew, Christian, or Hermetic Medieval views, we see echoes all over the place of the same ideas, namely we are divine and the Divine Plan of God will not fail.

I think that is worth pondering a bit...

[BCSpace]

I recall some tests in which dying persons were placed on very sensitive scales to see if their weight changed at the time of death. I don't think anything came of it.

I also sometimes like to hypothesize that our "eyes" are refined enough now to see "spirit" or "intelligence" in the form of exotic particles or dark matter. We just don't know how to recognize it yet.

[Eguzkitanedan]

I recall some tests in which dying persons were placed on very sensitive scales to see if their weight changed at the time of death. I don't think anything came of it.

Supposedly a human soul had the same weight of a big toe. There was a book out not too long ago about the guy that did that. Can't remember his name.

[Chris Smith]

Wow, Kerry. I'm not quite sure how all that fits together, but kudos on your esoteric eclecticism. On a less arcane note, Ben Franklin, William Watson, and Joseph Priestley championed a fluid theory of electricity. Given their celebrity status in the US, I suspect it was an American commonplace well into the 19th c. Electricity was only just beginning to be systematically studied, and so must have seemed thoroughly mysterious-- spiritual, even.

[William Schryver]

Kerry,

I don't mean to be picky, but God would not have said "Meod tov." At least not if He was speaking Hebrew. He would have said "Tov meod." (Good very.) Hebrew's funny that way.

As for the idea of our spiritual energy being equated with electricity, I can only note that my amperage has decreased considerably with each passing teenager. By the time I finish with the fourth and final one, I don't think I'll have enough left to light an LED.

[e=mc2]

Good points Wil. My wattage is way down with this glorious bloom of youth I have acquired through the last few decades as well....

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

I am an Electrician, and teach Electrical theory at a local college. Trust me electricity can animate someone, cause them to cuss, throw things, etc. Well that's just me.

[e=mc2]

That's shocking Pa pa, absolutely shocking I tells ya!

[Olavarria]

Doctrine and Covenants 131:7-8

7) There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes;

8} We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter.

You might be on to something Kerry. As far as I know matter is nothing more than hyper-condensed energy. So is energy hyper condensed spirit?