The genuine System and Method of Hindu Magic, and Spirit Invocation advocated and given in the following pages of "THE BOOK OF DEATH" is the Hindu manner of Teaching Invocations, which of course, makes it ancient and unique. In OCCULTISM, that is to say the Science, Power and Knowledge of the Secret of the control of the Spiritual Forces of the Astral World, there has always been two great schools, the one Great in.Good, the other in Evil, as referred to in the beginning of this Volume. The former depends on the Knowledge and Invocation of the Good and Powerful Spirits; the latter on the peculiar method of Invocation of the Evil Spirits. The former is termed Sacred or True Spiritism, as opposed to the latter, or Black Art. The Invocation of Good and Friendly Spirits is the system taught by the true Adept, as also are the Ceremonies of Pact with Evil Spirits for their submission. However, the system of Hindu Teachings, taught in "THE BOOK OF DEATH AND HINDU SPIRITISM" is based on the following laws and conception: (1) That the Good Spirits, Angelic Forces and Rulers of the Astral World are far superior in power to the Evil Forces which are the fallen spirits of Darkness. (2) That these latter as a means of their redemption must be reincarnated again. (This idea is to be found also in True Occultism or as it is frequently and perhaps more correctly written.

Zabino.) (3) As a consequence of this doctrine, all ordinary material effects and phenomena are produced by the labor of the Lower Spirits under the command usually of the Good. (4) That consequently whenever the Evil Spirits can escape from the control of the Good, there is no evil that they will not work by way of vengence. (5) That therefore, sooner than obey man, they will try to make him their servant, by inducing him to conclude Pacts and Agreements with them. (6) That to further this project they will use every means that offers to obsess him. (7) That in order to become an Adept, therefore, and dominate them, the greatest possible firmness of will, purity of soul and intent, and power of self-control is necessary. (8) That this is only to be attained by self-abnegation on every plane. (9) That man therefore is the middle nature and natural controller between the Good and the Evil Spirits and that, therefore, to each man is attached naturally both by a Guadrian Angel and a Malevolent Spirit, and also certain Spirits that may become Familiar, so that with him it rests to give the victory unto which he will. (10) That, therefore, in order to control and make service of the Lower and Evil, the knowledge of the Higher and Good is requisite (i. e. in the language of the Theosophy of the present day, the knowledge of the Higher Self).

From this it results that the teachings propounded in this work is by purity and self-denial to obtain the knowledge of and conversation with one's Guardian Angel, so that thereby and thereafter we may obtain the power of suppressing the Evil Spirits whenever they desire to do us injury.

This, then, is the system of Hindu Spiritism as taught by the Hindu Adept to his Disciple and elaborated down to the smallest points.

A Good Spirit, if attracted into an assembly of good persons would endeavor to excite their ideas toward good, while an Evil Spirit attracted among evil-minded persons would incite them mentally to crime. Among how many criminals is not their only excuse that "they thought they kept hearing something telling them to commit the crime." Yet these suggestions would not always arise from Elementals alone, but frequently from the depraved Astral remnants of deceased evil persons, or Earth-bound Spirits.

Evil Spirits, on the other hand, are far more powerful than Elementals, for their action for Evil is parallel to that of the Good Spirits for Good; and their malignancy is far more terrible than that of the Evil Elementals, for not being, like them, subjected to the limits of certain currents, their spheie of operation extends over a far greater area; while the Evil they commit is never irrational or mechanical, but worked with full consciousness and intent

The necessity of the invocation of the Divine and Angelic Forces or Good Spirits to control the Evil Spirits is invariably insisted upon in the operation of Invocations described and taught in all my published works. So that it is not so much, as I have said before, this circumstance, as the mode of its development by oar study and preparation, which is not unusual; while strain the thorough and complete classification of the Spirits with their officers, and of the effects to be produced by their services, is not to be found elsewhere.