"THE ARCADIANS."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16007, 25 February 1914, Page 2

"THE ARCADIANS."

INTERPRETED BY AN OCCULTIST.

By most theatregoers "Tho Arcadians," which was first produced in Dunedin a few years ago by the Meynell and Gunn Proprietary, and is to be staged again this week by tho J. C. Williamson Company, is regarded merely as a delightful fantasy. Viewed and interpreted, however, by an occultist the production has serious and profound significance, as will bo seen from the following, which has been handed to us as the meaning placed by a local student; of the occult upon the experiences of a principal character, who is supposed to be liimself telling his story:—

"I—Mr Smith—have passed out of the body and I find myself in the 'Never Never Land '—as set out in ' Peter Pan,' that land of 'light' which lies nearest this earth, and arriving' there I find all so beautiful, so ' Arcadian' in its loveliness, and yet so real, that I cannot but wonder and strive to understand. Gradually the great Light dawns upon me, bringing up in bold relief not the few good deeds which I havo done while in the body, but those many things which I 'ought to have done,' and I become stirred, and then moved to regrets at the many lost opportunities and the lies I have told.

"Under the loving guidance of the dwellers in Arcadia, I perceive the need of bathing in the well of truth, and thereafter drinking from the water of life. As a result ray eyes are- opened in real earnest, and I at last perceive what the world really is, and especially that part with whioh I was so closely connected —London, —and my heart yearns to attempt something in the direction of doing somo of those tna»y things -which I now so olearly realise I left undone while in tho body. " Lovely in Arcadia—and lovely are tho Arcadians in their world of love. Plow gracious they are, and how full of love and sacrifice. I wonder if man, in the body, ever will understand? "As soon as ' Time' —the psychological moment —conies round my desires, in tho cause of Truth, press upon me more and more, and two of my now much loved brothers in Arcadia, well versed in a knowledge of tho pathway bet-worn our land nnd that of the world, readily undertake to accompany me and aid me in my desires —tho uplifting and purifying of that portion of the earth which only so recently had boon my home.

" I observe my Arcadian friends are not very sanguine of success, but my desires arc not quenchablo, and we set out in company. Arriving at London, what is my surprise to "find that my now much loved and hallowed companions am possessed of considerable powers beyond those I possess, and can and do tell me many of those things which arc about to corne to pass— oven such insignificant things the horse which must win the race. They tell me 'Tho Douce wins. . How do you know? Because we perceive it in the Astral! Therefore ' The Deuce' must win, and win lie does.

■' This opens my eyes still further to the ' powers' that l>e, and encourages me the more in the direction of influencing _ the mind of man towards higher aspirations. Naturally I to work —from our unseen realm—with those in the body nearest and dearest to mo, and -also following the profession I best understood when in the body. " Together we make effort, and eventually succeed in influencing them by means of inspiration in the direction we desire. That is, to beautify their restaurant, elevate it, nnd run it' on strictly Arcadian lines. At first all goes well, and I almost feel elated with the result, when to my horror I discover that, working so much amongst the contaminating influences of the children of earth, I am, despite my best effort, drawn back, as it were, into my former failings and pursuits. This I notice more when not directly overshadowed by my Arcadian guides. Can it be that the influences of earth are luring and enticing me back to the old old foolish path? I dare not even suggest this to my guides. I fear to do so lest they insist on returning to Arcadia, for to-day I find myself drawn into the old net again amongst my old gambling and card-playing associates. In sheer desperation I try to cover up my innermost feelings, but without avail, for my Arcadian friends see the difficulty in which I am placed. I am forced to perceive how fruitless is such an errand on my part, against such material darkness as exists, and together we are forced to retire to Arcadia, saying as we go, 'We have tried to establish truth in England, and have failed. .

'" Ominous words surely, and yet how true! And what do they portend '! Each one must answer thie question for himself. Here aro the inspirational ministers from tho other world using all the ' unseen' powers—and therefore in reality the more real—in the occult world, to try and open man's eyes to their influence. Not long ago we had similar efforts made manifest from the Never Never Land as instanced through Peter Pan, and just prior to that eimilar efforts were made in When Knighta ■were Bold—all efforts on the part of the ministering angels—just men made perfect— to point out to man the way, to show him how real and lasting is the unseen, and how temporal and fleeting is the seen. How lovely and how pure is all in Arcadia or the Never Never Land, where all our little ones become bright littloi angels! Angela who come back, and back again, in their endeavour to show man how wanting in lovolinese and purity is the downward path leading to all vicesj which, when tho body is oast off, cling to him despite his bravest effort, and bring forth from him cry after cry of regret and pain when all too late. Is it that man never will onen his oyes?"

Such is an occultist's interpretation of all these uplifting and hallowed plays of our day, for " time " has declared the cycle to be at hand when the spirit shall declare His power.