THE German press has recently attempted
in numerous editorials to solve what seems a mystery to the ordinary and
sceptical public. They feel that they are evidently betrayed by one of
their own camp--a materialist of exact science. Treating at length of
the new theories of Dr. Rudolph Falb--the editor of the Leipzig "popular
astronomical journal," the Sirius--they are struck with the
faultless accuracy of his scientific prognostications, or rather to be
plain, his meteorological and cosmological predictions. The fact is, that
the latter have been shown by the sequence of events, to be less scientific
conjectures than infallible prophecies Basing himself upon some peculiar
combinations and upon a method of his own, which, as he says, he has worked
out after long years of researches and labour, Dr. Falb is now enabled
to foretell months and even years in advance every earthquake, remarkable
storm, or inundation. Thus, for example, he foretold last year's earthquake
at Zagrel. At the beginning of 1868 he prophesied that an earthquake would
occur on August 13, in Peru, and it did take place on that very day. In
May 1869 he published a scientific work entitled The Elementary Theory
of Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions, in which, among other prophecies,
he foretold violent earthquakes at Marseilles, at Utach, along the shores
of the Austrian possessions in the Adriatic Sea, in Columbia and the Crimea,
which five months later--in October--actually took place. In 1873, he
predicted the earthquake in Northern Italy, at Belluno, which event occurred
in the very presence of Dr. Falb, who had gone there to witness it himself,
so sure was he of its taking place. In I 874, he notified to the world
the then unforeseen and quite unexpected eruptions of Etna; and notwithstanding
the chaff of his colleagues in science, who told him there was no reason
to expect such a geological disturbance, he went to Sicily and was able
to take his desired notes on the spot, when it did happen. He also prognosticated
the violent storms and winds between the 23rd and the 26th of February
1877, in Italy, and that prediction was also corroborated by fact. Soon
after that, Dr. Falb went to Chile, to observe the volcanic eruptions
in the Andes which he had expected and predicted two years before and--he
did observe them. Immediately upon his return, in 1875, appeared his most
remarkable work known as Thoughts on, and Investigations of, the Causes
of Volcanic Eruptions--and which was immediately translated into Spanish
and published at Valparaiso in 1877. After the predicted event at Zagrel
had taken place, Dr. Falb was immediately invited to lecture in that city,
where he delivered several remarkable discourses in which he once more
warned the inhabitants of other forthcoming smaller earthquakes which,
as is well known, did take place. The fact is that as was recently remarked
by the Novoye Vremya, he has really "worked out something, knows something additional to what other people know, and is
better acquainted with these mysterious phenomena of our globe than any
other specialist the world over."
What is then his wonderful theory and new combinations? To give an adequate
idea of them would require a volume of comments and explanations. All
we can add is, that Falb has said all he could say upon the subject
in a huge work of his, called Die Umwälrungen, im Welt All, in three volumes. In Vol. I, he treats of the revolutions in the stellar
world; in Vol. II, of the revolutions in the regions of clouds, or of
the meteorological phenomena; and in Vol. III of the revolutions in the
bosom of the earth, or earthquakes. According to Dr. Falb's theory our Universum is neither limitless nor eternal, but is limited
to a certain time and circumscribed within a certain space. He views the
mechanical construction of our planetary system and its phenomena in quite
a different light than the rest of the men of science. "He is very
original, and very interesting (eccentric) in some respects, though we
cannot trust him in everything"--seems the unanimous opinion of the
press. Evidently, the doctor is too much of a man of science to be treated
as a "visionary" or a "hallucinated enthusiast"; and
so he is cautiously chaffed. Another less learned mortal would
surely be, were he to expound the undeniably occult and cabalistic notions
upon the Cosmos that he does. Therefore, while passing over his theories
in silence as if to avoid being compromised in the propagation of his
"heretical" views, the papers generally add.--"We send
the reader who may be curious to fathom the doctrines of Dr. Rudolph Falb
to the latest work of this remarkable man and prophet." Some add
to the information given the fact that Dr. Falb's theory carries Eback
the "Universal" deluge to 4000 years B.C.,
and presages another one for about the year 6,500 of the Christian era.
It appears that the theories and teaching of Dr. Falb are no new thing
in this department of science, as two hundred years ago, the theory was
propounded by a Peruvian named Jorie Baliri, and about a century ago by
an Italian called Toaldo. We have, therefore, a certain right to infer
that Dr. Falb's views are cabalistic, or rather those of the mediaeval
Christian mystics and fire-philosophers, both Baliri and Toaldo having
been practitioners of the "secret sciences." At the same time--though
we have not yet been so fortunate as to have read his work--that calculation
of his, in reference to the Noachian deluge and the period of 6500 A.D
allotted for its recurrence, shows to us as plain as figures can speak
that the learned doctor accepts for our globe the "Heliacal,"
Great year, or cycle of six sars, at the close and turning point
of which our planet, is always subjected to a thorough physical revolution.
This teaching has been propounded from time immemorial and comes to us
from Chaldea through Berosus, an astrologer at the temple of Belus at
Babylon. Chaldea, as is well known, was the one universal centre of magic,
from which radiated the rays of occult learning into every other country
where the mysteries were enacted and taught. According to this teaching,--believed
in by Aristotle if we may credit Censorinus--the "great year"
consists of 21,000 odd, years (the latter varying) or six Chaldean sars consisting of 3,500 years each. These two decimillenniums are naturally
halved, the first period of 10,500 years bringing us to the top of the
cycle and a minor cataclysm; the latter decimillennium to a terrible and
universal geological convulsion. During these 21,000 years the polar and
equatorial climates gradually exchange places, "the former moving
slowly towards the line and the tropical zone: . . . replacing the forbidding
wastes of the icy poles. This change of climate is necessarily attended
by cataclysms, earthquakes and other cosmical throes. As the beds of the
ocean are displaced, at the end of every decimillennium and about one neros (600 years) a semi-universal deluge like the legendary Bible
flood is brought about" (see Isis Unveiled, Vol. I, pp. 30-31).
It now remains to be seen how far Dr. Falb's theory and the old antediluvian
teaching mentioned by the author of Isis Unveiled agree. At all
events, as the latter work antedated by three years, his Die Umwälrungen
im Welt All which was published in 1881 (but two months ago), the
theory was not borrowed from the Leipzig astronomer's work. We may add
that the constant verification of such geological and meteorological predictions
besides its scientific value is of the utmost philosophical importance
to the student of theosophy. For it shows: (a) that there are few
secrets in nature absolutely inaccessible to man's endeavours to snatch
them from her bosom; and (b) that Nature's workshop is one vast
clock-work guided by immutable laws in which there is no room for the
caprices of special providence. Yet he, who has fathomed the ultimate
secrets of the Proteus-nature--which changes but is ever the same--can,
without disturbing the LAW, avail himself of the yet unknown correlations
of natural Force to produce effects which would seem miraculous
and impossible, but to those who are unacquainted with their causes. "The law which moulds the tear also rounds the planet."
There exists a wealth of chemic force--in heat, light, electricity and
magnetism--the possibilities of whose mechanical motions are far from
being all understood. Why then should the theosophist who believes
in natural (though occult) law be regarded as either a charlatan
or a credulous fool in his endeavours to fathom its secrets? Is it only
because following the traditions of ancient men of science the methods
he has chosen differ from those of modern learning?
Theosophist, May, 1881 |
