im," which is literally "the
Breathing of God"; and similarly, the ancient religious books of India,
make the "Swara" or Great Breath the commencement of all life and
energy. The word "rouah" in Genesis is remarkable. According to
rabbinical teaching, each letter of the Hebrew alphabet has a certain
symbolic significance, and when examined in this manner, the root from
which this word is derived conveys the idea of Expansive Movement. It is
the opposite of the word "hoshech," translated "darkness" in the same
passage of our Bible, which is similarly derived from a root conveying
the idea of Hardening and Compressing. It is the same idea that is
personified in the Zendavesta, the sacred book of the ancient Persians,
under the names of Ormuzd, the Spirit of Light; and Ahriman, the Spirit
of Darkness; and similarly in the old Assyrian myth of the struggle
between the Sun-God and Tiamat, the goddess of darkness.

This conception of conflict between two opposite principles, Light and
Darkness, Compression and Expansion, will be found to underlie all the
ancient religions of the world, and it is conspicuous throughout our own
Scriptures. But it should be borne in mind that the oppositeness of
their nature does not necessarily mean conflict. The two principles of
Expansion and Contraction are not necessarily destructive; on the
contrary they are necessary correlatives to one another. Expansion alone
cannot produce form; cohesion must also be present. It is the regulated
balance between them that results in Creation. In the old legend, if I
remember rightly, the conflict is ended by Tiamat marrying her former
opponent. They were never really enemies, but there was a
misunderstanding between them, or rather there was a misunderstanding on
the part of Tiamat so long as she did not perceive the true character of
the Spirit of Light, and that their relation to one another was that of
co-operation and not of opposition. Thus also St. John tells us that
"the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not"
(John i, 5). It is this want of comprehension that is at the root of all
the trouble.

The reader should note, however, that I am here speaking of that
Primeval Substance, which necessarily has no light in itself, because
there is as yet no vibration in it, for there can be no light without
vibration. We must not make the mistake of supposing that Matter is evil
in itself: it is our misconception of it that makes it