The lightning's power and thunder's will I guard And keep them safe within the cosmic life, Till Saturn turns toward the soul once more. MARIA: I feel the blessedness of stars endure, And in the stream of time I enter it. I'll live and work within its kindly sway With this soul-being long since knit to mine. LUNA: I will protect thy work in spirit here, That thou mayst reap the fruits in life on earth. JOHANNES' SOUL: Within my soul's domain--I see this star! It pours forth kindness--beams forth blessedness-- In cosmic ether floating--this soul star-- But there--in yon faint light--another star-- Its note is faint,--yet will I list thereto. (With the last words appears the spirit of Johannes' youth. Figure like an angel's; silvery sheen.) THE SPIRIT OF JOHANNES' YOUTH: I feed with life the being of thy wish, My breath will pour into thy youthful aims Enlightening strength, when worlds are tempting thee Within which I can guide thee joyfully. If thou shouldst lose me in thyself, I must Then offer up myself as sacrifice, A being reft of being, to the shades. O blossom of my being,--leave me not. LUCIFER: He never will forsake thee--I behold Deep in his nature longings after light Which do not follow up the other soul. And when the radiance, which is born of them, Takes root and grows deep down within his soul, It must bear fruit; nor will he be content To throw this fruit away in yonder realm Where love, divorced from beauty, reigns alone. Slow curtain SCENE 7 A temple somewhat Egyptian in appearance. A place of initiation in the far-distant past in this Earth's third stage of post-Atlantean civilisation. A conversation between the hierophant, otherwise Capesius, the keeper of the temple, otherwise Felix Balde or Joseph Keane and a mystic, otherwise Dame Balde or Dame Keane. HIEROPHANT: Are all the preparations duly made, My keeper of the temple, to the end Our holy rite may serve both gods and men? KEEPER: So far as human forethought can provide All hath been well prepared; a holy breath Hath filled the temple now for many days. HIEROPHANT: My mystic, as the royal counsellor, A priest hath been selected unto whom This very day our secret wisdom's store Is with all holiness to be revealed. Hast thou then so prepared him by thy tests That he is now entirely given o'er To wisdom set apart from earthly cares, And shuts his ear to all but spirit-lore? A different counsellor would do us harm. MYSTIC: The tests were given as the law ordains, The masters found them adequate; I think Our mystic hath but little natural taste For earthly cares; his soul is set upon His spirit-progress and development Of self; in spirit trance he oft is seen. 'Tis not too much to say he revels in The union of the spirit with his soul.