My Library

A student of occultism will have little^difficulty in decidirtg vthat would be the effect of such a definite and long-continued stream of thought; our knightly monk created an artificial elemental of immense power and resourcefulness for its own particular object, and accumulated within it a store of force Vhich would enable it to carry out’his wishes £or an indefinite period. An elemental is a perfect storage-batter}-—one from which there is practically no leakage; and when we remember what its original strength must have been, and how comparatively rarely it would 1)e called upon to put it forth, we shall scarcely wonder that even now it exhibits unimpaired •vitality, and still warns the direct descendants of the old crusader of their approaching doom by repeating in their ears the strange wailing music which was the dirge of a young and Valiant soldier seven hundred years ago in * Palestine.
2. Elementals formed consciously. • Since such results as have been described above have been achieved by the thought-force of men who were entirely in the dark as to what they were doing, it will readily be imagined that a magician who understands the subject, and can see exactly what effect he is producing, may wield imfnense power along these lines. As a matter of fact, occultists of both the white and dark schools frequently use artificial elementals in their work, and few tasks are beyond the powers of such creatures when scientifically