The face, however, when not veiled by auric flames is distinctly human in appearance. Quite non-human, however, is its expression, whilst the upward-slanting eyes seem to be lit with a kind of unholy  delight in the destructive power of their element. The face is triangular, chin and ears being pointed, and the head surrounded and outlined by flickering, orange-red flamelets, through which shoot flashing tongues of fire. Salamanders vary in height from two or three feet to the great colossi of fire-power who are the Fire Lords associated with the sun. The description which follows, although not of Lesser but of Greater Gods, and included here for the sake of continuity in the study of the four elements and their denizens, is taken from the Introduction to and Chapter IV of my book, The Angelic Hosts.'

I seemed to be standing with him (the angel teacher referred to in the Introduction to the present book) submerged in a sea of fire, which was homogeneous and all pervasive, yet translucent and transparent. I seemed also to see the sunflower formation of the fire aspect of the Solar Deity and His System, as if the angel and I were standing on one of the petals. Though the distances and dimensions of this fire world were so colossal as to be physically incomprehensible and beyond measure, yet at this level they were well within my grasp, and the fact that I was standing completely submerged in a veritable cataract of flame as it rushed past and swirled about me, did not prevent me from seeing the whole of it and its shape, as if I were also looking down upon it from above. I could trace its source in the sun and see its limits where the tip of a petal touched the Ring-Pass-Not, or edge, of the System. I was not able to discover the relation of the physical sun to the fiery sun, but the relative size and luminosity were such that the physical sun would be almost lost in its fiery counterpart.

Under the angel's guidance I moved about within this world of fire but, however great the distance we covered, the same aspect always presented itself. Whether we rose or fell in the sea of fire, or crossed a wide area of flame, the System continued to appear like a sunflower presenting its full face towards us. Contradictory though this may sound, it will be intelligible to those who are familiar with the idea of the fourth dimension. At the fire-level, however, the apparent directions of space, or characteristics revealed by superphysical cognition, are more than four.

The appearance of the solar Fire Lords was glorious and awe-inspiring. Their stature must be gigantic. Though they did not approach the size of the main petals themselves, as they stood like an inner corona round the central fiery heart of the flower they were large enough to be noticeable from points near the outer edge of the System. When we approached the center, they were seen to be solar colossi, and at one of our resting places a single Fire Lord completely filled the field of vision. Their forms were definitely human, though every cell in their bodies resembled a roaring furnace, while flames leapt and played about them continuously. I was not able to see their faces with any distinctness and their eyes were shaded from my view-perhaps by a merciful providence-but I received the impression, of beauty quite as strongly as I received that of power. Their beauty was not so much that of shape and form, though their bodies are inexpressibly beautiful. Rather does it belong to the abstract ideal of beauty which they embody.

In the fire-world I perceived beauty in the abstract as a living power, equally potent with fire, and realized that as there is a fire aspect of God, so is there a beauty aspect, equal to that of fire in its regenerating, transforming and destructive effects, equally glorious, equally terrible, equally dangerous to him who gazes upon its naked power. I begin to appreciate the truth of the saying that no man may see God and live. Man may climb the heights of the spiritual mountain and the beauty of God may transfigure him, but unless he is prepared for its resistless power, he may be utterly destroyed. (Only as far as his personal individuality is concerned, The Holy Christ Self is immortal as is his I AM Presence, invincible and eternal). In the world of fire there seems to be a highly organized system whereby such dangers are made as remote as possible. The illimitable power, glory and beauty of the Solar Deity pass through the Elohim Hierarchy, which serves as a transformer to reduce and temper them so that forms are built instead of destroyed and dwellers at lower levels are not blinded by their awful might.

The Elohim of Fire dwell amidst these forces and direct the play of the fiery, solar energies according to the Will of that supreme Lord of Fire who is the Source of their existence. They are the Gods of Fire, the Elohim of Flame, the spiritual regenerators of the System. Living embodiments of fire-power, they are Vice-regents of the Supreme Ruler, of whom both Solar System and Lords of Fire are expressions. All golden and flame like" they resemble gigantic men built of flame, in the hand of each a spear and on the head a golden crown of living fire. Flames shoot forth from them on every side. Every change of consciousness sends forth tongues of flame, each gesture a flood of fire.