Mystery of Sex Polarity - 10. REGENERATION - William Walker Atkinson

The Mystery of Sex; or, Sex Polarity - 10. REGENERATION - William Walker AtkinsonThe chapter titled "Regeneration" serves as the culminating and most profound section in William Walker Atkinson's *The Mystery of Sex; or, Sex Polarity* (1909), a compact yet esoteric work often published as a supplementary pamphlet to his broader *Arcane Teachings* series. In this final chapter, Atkinson shifts from the book's earlier explorations of sex as a universal cosmic principle—manifesting in plants, animals, humans, and even metaphysical laws of polarity and attraction—to its highest application: the deliberate **regeneration** of the individual through the conscious mastery, conservation, and transmutation of sexual energy. Here, sex is no longer merely generative (procreative) but regenerative, a pathway to physical vitality, mental clarity, spiritual awakening, and ultimate self-mastery.Atkinson opens by recapping the core thesis threading through the entire book: sex polarity is not confined to biological reproduction or carnal indulgence but is a fundamental cosmic force of opposites—positive and negative, masculine and feminine, projective and receptive—that drives all creation, manifestation, and evolution. In earlier chapters, he traces this principle from its crude expressions in primitive life forms to its refined manifestations in human consciousness. By chapter 10, he argues that humanity stands at a pivotal evolutionary juncture where sex can either dissipate life force through excess and misuse or be redirected inward for profound renewal.**Regeneration**, in Atkinson's view, is the alchemical reversal of ordinary generative expenditure. In ordinary human life, sexual energy is primarily outward-directed toward procreation or pleasure, resulting in a net loss of vital essence. This depletion manifests as aging, fatigue, diminished mental acuity, emotional instability, and spiritual stagnation. The regenerate individual, however, learns to conserve this primal creative force—often symbolized in esoteric traditions as the "life seed" or vital fluid—and redirect it upward through the body's subtle channels. This process revivifies the organism on multiple levels: bodily tissues are rejuvenated, the nervous system is strengthened, the mind gains luminous clarity, and the spirit attains higher states of awareness and unity.Atkinson draws heavily on ancient occult wisdom, implying influences from Hermetic, Yogic, Tantric, and Western alchemical traditions (though he presents it in his characteristic New Thought style—practical, accessible, and stripped of excessive dogma). He emphasizes that true regeneration is not ascetic denial but intelligent mastery. Celibacy or continence is not an end in itself but a means to prevent wasteful scattering of the life-force. When conserved, this energy undergoes transmutation: it ascends from the lower centers (associated with physical desire) to nourish higher centers (linked to creativity, intuition, and spiritual insight). The result is a "rebirth" or renewal that mirrors nature's cycles of death and rebirth but applied consciously to the human being.Physically, regeneration combats the wear and tear of time. Atkinson describes how conserved sexual vitality acts as an inner elixir, revitalizing glands, improving circulation, enhancing muscular tone, and bolstering immunity. He hints at correlations between sexual excess and premature aging or disease, contrasting this with the vigor observed in certain ascetics, mystics, and high-achieving individuals who intuitively or deliberately practiced conservation. Mentally, the chapter posits that scattered sexual energy fragments attention and willpower; conserved, it sharpens focus, boosts creativity, and amplifies magnetic personal power—echoing Atkinson's recurring theme of mental transmutation in works like *The Arcane Formulas*.Spiritually, regeneration represents the pinnacle of sex polarity's mystery. The individual achieves inner union of masculine and feminine principles—the alchemical "chemical wedding"—resulting in androgynous wholeness. No longer dependent on external polarity (a partner) for completion, the regenerate person embodies self-sufficient creative power. This state aligns with higher laws of attraction: the balanced, vitalized being naturally draws harmonious conditions, opportunities, and relationships without lustful grasping. Atkinson connects this to cosmic evolution: just as the universe regenerates through cyclic renewal, so too can the microcosm (human) participate consciously in eternal life processes.Practical guidance, though veiled (as was common in esoteric writing of the era to avoid misuse), includes mental discipline, visualization of energy ascent, controlled breathing, and cultivation of higher emotions like love and aspiration over base desire. Atkinson warns against fanaticism: forced suppression breeds imbalance, while wise conservation liberates. He ...