Ancient Thought in Modern Dress. Section XII. Scientific and Esoteric Evidence for, and Objections to, the Modern Nebular Theory. Section XIII. Forces—Modes of Motion or Intelligences? Section XIV. Gods, Monads and Atoms. Section XV. Cyclic Evolution and Karma. Section XVI. The Zodiac and its Antiquity. Section XVII. Summary of the Position. Footnotes [Cover Art] [Transcriber’s Note: The above cover image was produced by the submitter at Distributed Proofreaders, and is being placed into the public domain.] This Work I Dedicate to all True Theosophists, In every Country, And of every Race, For they called it forth, and for them it was recorded. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. The author—the writer, rather—feels it necessary to apologize for the long delay which has occurred in the appearance of this work. It has been occasioned by ill‐health and the magnitude of the undertaking. Even the two volumes now issued do not complete the scheme, nor do these treat exhaustively of the subjects dealt with in them. A large quantity of material has already been prepared, dealing with the history of Occultism as contained in the lives of the great Adepts of the Âryan Race, and showing the bearing of Occult Philosophy upon the conduct of life, as it is and as it ought to be. Should the present volumes meet with a favourable reception, no effort will be spared to carry out the scheme of the work in its entirety. This scheme, it must be added, was not in contemplation when the preparation of the work was first announced. As originally announced, it was intended that _The Secret Doctrine_ should be an amended and enlarged version of _Isis Unveiled_. It was, however, soon found that the explanations which could be added to those already put before the world, in the last‐named and other works dealing with Esoteric Science, were such as to require a different method of treatment; and consequently the present volumes do not contain, in all, twenty pages extracted from _Isis Unveiled_. The author does not feel it necessary to ask the indulgence of her readers and critics for the many defects of literary style, and the imperfect English which may be found in these pages. She is a foreigner, and her knowledge of the language was acquired late in life. The English tongue is employed because it offers the most widely‐diffused medium for conveying the truths which it had become her duty to place before the world.