What are these Aphelia of the planets, and how does their symbolism attach to us as humans? The Aphelion of a planet is that point in its orbit, or imaginary orbit—for we have already disposed of the elliptical theory—where it is at its greatest distance from the Sun. And if these planets severally correspond with certain principles of our human constitution, they may be said to have greater play and to be in a condition to exert more of their own natures at such times than at others, and proportionately less at other points in their orbits, and least when in perihelion. For then those principles and planets are enslaved to the Sun and answer most fully to his all-embracing and compelling influence. A soul that is in its most perfect condition of physical manifestation may be said to be in its perihelion, whereas one that has shaken free to some extent from the gravitational pull of the sun of this nether world, and has winged its way into the outer regions of space, is to that extent in a condition of temporary liberation. One is almost tempted by this analogy to revert to the symbolism of the elliptical orbit, and to place in its empty focus another luminary or Spiritual Sun, such as that conceived by Swedenborg, and to say that these liberated souls are answering to the gravitational pull of that luminary. The idea is fascinating, both astronomically and symbolically, and since the kenofocus of the ellipse is not under lease to any of our scientific theorists, I will place my Spiritual Sun in that centre of the empyrean and complete my figure, as already exhibited in a preceding chapter. Now we see what comes of rummaging in a lumber-room. All sorts of suggestions and possibilities, yet nothing perhaps that anybody would be willing to bring back into daily use. These musty, time-worn and out-of-date notions that nobody takes much note of may some day claim the attention of a Ben Hassam or somebody with a nose for things of value, and a scramble for priority will be the result. But alas! they have no market value. Planets, principles, orbits, aphelia, and nodes, they are all merely symbols in the everlasting Book of Life. CHAPTER XXI THE LAW OF VIBRATIONS In my _Kabala_ I have shown that in the contest between Chance of the haphazard sort which is merely speculative, and that because it is grounded in ignorance, and Law which proceeds by method because it is based on cosmic principles, the latter wins an easy victory, not once but always. I showed that the divisions of the day and night that we call Planetary Hours, whether they be artificial or not, have a certain security from the fact that they are founded on the cosmic order of planetary velocities. It was also shown that certain numbers answered to the several planets, and that these numbers bore a definite relationship to sound vibrations.