Mystery of Sex Polarity - 4. SEX IN PLANT LIFE - William Walker Atkinson

The Mystery of Sex; or, Sex Polarity - 4. SEX IN PLANT LIFE - William Walker AtkinsonIn William Walker Atkinson's *The Mystery of Sex; or, Sex Polarity* (1909), a concise yet profound supplementary volume to his Arcane Teaching series, Chapter IV, titled "Sex in Plant Life," serves as a foundational exploration of the universal principle of sex. Atkinson, writing under his characteristic blend of occult philosophy and emerging scientific observation, extends the Hermetic and Rosicrucian idea of polarity—the dynamic interplay of masculine and feminine forces—beyond human or even animal realms. He argues that **sex is not merely a biological accident of higher organisms but a cosmic law manifesting at every level of existence**, from the inorganic to the organic, and nowhere is this more elegantly illustrated than in the seemingly simple world of plants.Atkinson begins by reminding readers of the core thesis: the ancient esoteric schools unanimously affirmed the **universality of sex** as an expression of the great Law of Polarity. Everything in the cosmos exhibits this duality—positive and negative, active and receptive, projective and conceptional. In the plant kingdom, this manifests in ways that are both subtle and overt, often overlooked by those who view plants as passive or asexual. He posits that the plant world provides one of the clearest demonstrations of sex polarity in action, stripped of the complexities and cultural overlays found in animal and human life.The chapter delves into the reproductive processes of plants, emphasizing that the flower itself is the primary sexual organ—or rather, the combined sexual organs—of the plant. In many species, the flower houses both **male** (stamens, producing pollen containing the male gametes or "sperm" elements) and **female** (pistil, with the ovary containing ovules or egg elements) structures. This hermaphroditic arrangement in numerous plants underscores Atkinson's point: polarity exists even within a single organism, where the plant embodies both poles of the sex principle. Yet, in other species, nature separates these poles into distinct male and female individuals (dioecious plants), or even into separate flowers on the same plant (monoecious but unisexual flowers). This variation illustrates the evolutionary refinement of sex differentiation, a theme Atkinson ties to broader cosmic progression.A key focus is the mechanism of pollination, which Atkinson describes as a vivid enactment of **sexual attraction and union**. Pollen, the male element, must reach the stigma of the pistil, the receptive female surface, for fertilization to occur. He highlights the ingenious adaptations that facilitate this: bright colors, sweet scents, and nectar in flowers serve as attractants, drawing insects (or wind, in some cases) as unwitting agents of transfer. Bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators are drawn by these sensory invitations, carrying pollen from one flower to another. Atkinson interprets this not as mere mechanical chance but as evidence of an underlying **law of love**—a magnetic pull between complementary polarities. The insect, responding to the flower's allure, becomes the bridge for the union of male and female principles, resulting in the seed that carries forward life.He draws analogies to higher forms, noting how this process mirrors the attraction between opposites in animal mating. The flower's fragrance and color are akin to secondary sexual characteristics that signal readiness and desirability. In cross-pollination (xenogamy), where pollen from one plant fertilizes another, Atkinson sees a higher expression of vitality, producing stronger offspring—echoing eugenic ideas of the era blended with occult views on regeneration. Self-pollination, while functional, is presented as a lower or more primitive mode, sufficient for survival but less ideal for evolutionary advancement.Atkinson also touches on the role of environment and adaptation. Wind-pollinated plants (anemophilous), like grasses and many trees, produce vast quantities of lightweight pollen without showy flowers, relying on sheer volume and air currents rather than targeted attraction. In contrast, insect-pollinated (entomophilous) species invest in elaborate displays. This diversity, he argues, reveals nature's intelligence in deploying the sex principle efficiently across contexts. He may reference primitive plants like algae or ferns, where reproduction involves motile sperm swimming to egg cells in water, as a transitional stage showing sex's aquatic origins before land adaptation refined it through pollen.Throughout, Atkinson weaves in philosophical reflection. The plant's sexual act is creative, not indulgent; it serves procreation and the continuation of the species, aligning with the cosmic purpose of manifestation. There is no "sensual lust" here—only pure, functional polarity driving growth and renewal. The seed produced is the fruit of this ...