Mystery of Sex Polarity - 5. SEX IN ANIMAL LIFE - William Walker Atkinson

The Mystery of Sex: or Sex Polarity - 5. SEX IN ANIMAL LIFE - William Walker AtkinsonWilliam Walker Atkinson's *The Mystery of Sex: or Sex Polarity* (1909), part of his Arcane Teaching series, explores the universal principle of sex as a fundamental cosmic force rooted in **polarity**—the law of opposites that drives creation, attraction, and manifestation across all planes of existence. Chapter 5, titled "Sex in Animal Life," builds on the preceding discussions of sex in plant life and the evolutionary progression of the sex principle. Here, Atkinson shifts focus to the animal kingdom, where sex manifests with greater intensity, instinctual drive, emotional charge, and conscious elements compared to the more mechanical processes in plants. He presents sex not merely as biological reproduction but as a dynamic expression of universal polarity, where masculine and feminine forces attract, unite, and generate new life, reflecting the same cosmic laws seen in higher realms.In this chapter, Atkinson emphasizes that animal life marks a significant evolutionary step in the expression of sex. While plants exhibit sex primarily through pollination and fertilization—often passive and dependent on external agents like wind, insects, or water—animals display a more active, individualized, and passionate form. The sex principle becomes "more pronounced, instinctual, and emotionally charged." Attraction governs mating behaviors, often involving elaborate displays, rivalries, and pursuits that demonstrate the magnetic pull of polarity. Males and females embody opposing yet complementary poles: one typically active, assertive, and seeking (masculine), the other receptive, selective, and nurturing (feminine). This duality mirrors the broader Arcane Teaching that everything in the universe operates through opposites—positive and negative, giving and receiving—which unite to produce creation.Atkinson draws on observations from natural history to illustrate how sex in animals reveals deeper occult truths. He describes the intense seasonal urges that drive animals to mate, often overriding other instincts like self-preservation. Birds provide striking examples: males engage in vibrant plumage displays, elaborate songs, dances, and aerial acrobatics to captivate females. These performances are not random but manifestations of an innate "charming" or fascinating power, akin to mental influence or mentative induction. The female, in response, may enter a state of quivering submission or fascination, her will temporarily yielded to the attractive force. This process echoes the serpent charming its prey or the hypnotic gaze in lower forms, but here it serves reproduction rather than predation.Among mammals, Atkinson notes even more complex behaviors. Males compete fiercely—through combats, roars, or displays of strength—to win access to females, embodying the assertive masculine pole. The victors embody vitality and polarity strength, ensuring the propagation of robust offspring. Females, in turn, exercise discrimination, selecting mates that best embody complementary qualities. This selective process underscores the law of attraction in action: like attracts like on energetic levels, but opposites unite for creation. Atkinson ties this to the universal "Law of Love," where desire and polarity create a magnetic bond that transcends mere physicality.The author highlights how animal sex involves rudimentary mental and emotional elements. While not reaching human self-consciousness, animals exhibit instinctual intelligence in courtship—planning, persistence, and adaptation. Some species show monogamous tendencies or pair-bonding, hinting at evolving emotional depth. Atkinson contrasts this with lower forms: in insects or fish, sex may be brief and impersonal (e.g., external fertilization in spawning), but in higher animals like birds and mammals, it becomes intimate, prolonged, and charged with passion. This progression illustrates evolution's role in refining the sex principle—from diffuse and mechanical in plants to directed and vital in animals—preparing the ground for its highest expression in humanity.A key theme is the conservation and direction of sexual energy. Atkinson warns against waste or perversion, viewing sex as a sacred creative force. In animals, nature enforces balance through seasonal cycles and instinctual restraints, preventing excess. Males expend tremendous energy in mating rituals and fights, channeling vitality into reproduction rather than dissipation. This natural regulation serves as a model for higher beings: sex should be purposeful, harmonious, and aligned with cosmic law, not indulgent or uncontrolled.Atkinson connects animal sex to broader occult principles, such as mentative fascination. He references phenomena like birds "charming" each other or serpents mesmerizing prey, suggesting these stem from the same mind-power underlying human personal magnetism. In mating, this force...