The Occultist is one who intelligently and continuously applies himself to the understanding of the

hidden forces in nature and to the laws of the interior world, to the end that he may consciously
cooperate with nature and the spiritual intelligences in the production of effects of service to himself
and to his fellow-beings. This entails upon him a close study of the mystery and power of sound,
number, colour, form; the psychological laws underlying all expression of faculty; the laws of sympathy
and antipathy; the law of vibration; of spiritual and natural affinity; the law of periodicity, of cosmic
energy, planetary action; occult correspondences, etc. To these labours he must bring a natural gift of
understanding, an unusual degree of patience and devotion, and a keen perception of natural facts. The
Medium, or natural sensitive, is one who holds himself in negative relations to the interior worlds, and
submits himself to the operation of influences proceeding from things and persons, as well as to that of
discarnate intelligences. The medium cultivates an unusual degree of responsiveness to environment
and to the emanations (atomic, magnetic or psychic) and suggestions of other persons. The phenomena
developed by this process of mediumism include automatism (temporary loss of control over the motor
nerves), as in the phenomena of involuntary speech and automatic writing; hypercesthesia, as in the
function of clairvoyance, clairaudience, psychometry, etc.; trance, with its attendant phenomena of
unconscious cerebration, obsession, and a variety of physical effects of a supernormal character. In its
highest manifestation, following upon the "crucifying of the flesh," the subjugation of the passions, and
a process of intense religious aspiration, mediumism is frequently followed by spiritual revelation and
spontaneous prophecy. "But this sort cometh not but by fasting and prayer."