THE

I-WORD

MAY 1913

AMADODA NABANGANE

Yimaphi imibala, izinsimbi kanye namatshe kuthiwe amaplanethi ayisikhombisa?

Kunemibala eyisikhombisa ku-spectrum yelanga, obomvu, osawolintshi, ophuzi, oluhlaza okotshani, oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, we-indigo, o-violet. Lokhu ukuhlukaniswa komsebe wokukhanya kwelanga ngeprism futhi njengoba kubonakala endaweni engaphezulu. Le mibala eyisikhombisa ingase ibuyiselwe phakathi nendawo futhi ibe umsebe wokukhanya. Imibala kuthiwa ihambisana namaplanethi ayisikhombisa, i-mars, ilanga, i-mercury, i-saturn, i-jupiter, i-venus, i-moon. Kanjalo nezinsimbi eziyisikhombisa, insimbi, igolide, imercury, umthofu, ithini, ithusi, isiliva. Imibala, izinsimbi namaplanethi kuthiwa ayahambelana futhi ahlobene. Amatshe, igarnethi, i-amethiste, itshe legazi, idayimane, isimaragidu, i-agathe, irubi, isardonyx, isafire, i-opal, itopazi, iturquoise, kufanele axhunywe nezinyanga eziyishumi nambili; ngayinye kuthiwa inamathonya athile lapho igqokwe ngezinsuku ezithile, kodwa ikakhulukazi phakathi nenyanga okungeyayo. Ababhali ngezihloko zemilingo banikeze izigaba ezahlukene kanye nemibhalo ehambisana nemibala, izinsimbi namaplanethi. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yikuphi ukuhlukaniswa okutholwayo, isisusa sinquma ukuthi yimiphi imithetho nezindlela okufanele zilandelwe ukuze kutholwe izinzuzo ngokugqoka, ngokwehlukana noma ngokuhlangene, imibala, izinsimbi namatshe.

Ingabe ukugqokwa kwemibala, izinsimbi namatshe kufanele kunqunywe isici salowo mhlaba ongaphansi kwalowo ogqokile wazalwa?

Uma umuntu ekholelwa ekusebenzeni kokholo; uma enokholo; uma engafuni ukulimaza abanye ngokugqoka imibala, izinsimbi namatshe—Yebo. Uma ekubheka njengomkhuba ohlekisayo, nokho ezama ukubona ukuthi kusebenza kanjani; uma ekholelwa emandleni emibala, izinsimbi namatshe futhi angawagqoka ngento engaba nethonya elingafanele noma elibi kunoma ubani—Cha.

Unemibala, izinsimbi namatshe noma yiziphi izimfanelo ezikhethekile, futhi zingagqokelwa kanjani ngaphandle kokubheka amaplanethi?

Imibala, izinsimbi namatshe anezindinganiso ezikhethekile, ezinhle noma ezimbi. Kodwa amandla ombala ngamunye, izinsimbi namatshe kunqunywa ubunjalo bemvelaphi yawo, indlela yokulungiswa kwawo, noma ithonya elinikezwa kuwo. Umuntu othambekele ekuhlekeni usulu umcabango wokuthi imibala inezindinganiso ezithile nokuthi izoveza imiphumela ethile, uyoba nesizathu sokushintsha imibono yakhe uma egqoke ijazi elibomvu phambi kwenkunzi.

Umuntu ohlola uzibuthe ngeke abheke njengephupho nje noma inkolelo-ze isitatimende sokuthi izinsimbi ezithile zinezici zokulumba. Akekho ongangabazi ukuthi kukhona intelezi eyinqaba amatshe abenayo kubantu kuyo yonke iminyaka. Ngaphandle kwezinhloso zezomnotho noma zokuhlobisa imibala inemiphumela ethile emizweni yabantu. Kuvame ukuphawulwa ukuthi lapho abanye abantu bengena ezimeni ezithile zengqondo noma ezingokomzwelo, babona imibala ethile ewumsuka wesimo sabo. Isibonelo: izigebengu ezivume icala zithi zabona kubomvu ngaphambi nje kokuthunywa kwazo ukubulala. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, labo abanikezwa izikhathi zokuzindla, bathi babona umbala ophuzi noma osagolide lapho bedlulela esimweni sokuphumula esizolile noma sokulangazelela okunenjongo.

Izinsimbi zinokubaluleka kokusebenzelana nemimoya kanye nenani, kanye nokusetshenziswa okuvamile lapho zifakwa khona, kanjalo namatshe. Kodwa lezi zindinganiso kufanele zifundwe futhi zifundwe. Izinzwa kufanele ziziqaphele ngaphambi kokuba amanani azo asetshenziswe ngokungokoqobo futhi ngaphandle kwengozi emzimbeni nasekucabangeni. Ukufunda nokuqeqeshwa kuyadingeka ukuze kutholwe ulwazi lwamagugu emimoya nokusetshenziswa kwezinsimbi njengesayensi ye-metallurgy. Lowo oqagela noma onemibono ngemibala, izinsimbi namatshe, izinzwa zakhe zangaphakathi zingakavulwa, ongeke aziqeqeshe izinzwa zakhe futhi aqondise ingqondo yakhe, angenza ngokukholwa okuyimpumputhe futhi athole imiphumela ethile, kodwa uyojabula futhi athonywe. ukuhleka usulu—futhi uyohlala eyimpumputhe.

Umuntu angakwazi ukugqoka imibala, izinsimbi noma amatshe ngaphandle kokubheka amaplanethi lapho enalawo mandla azalwa ulwazi, futhi aphakeme kunanoma yiliphi ithonya lemibala, izinsimbi noma amatshe. Ukholo oluqinile nolungenakunyakaziswa lokuthi awekho amandla angaphandle angamlimaza, luyikhambi lanoma yiliphi ithonya elivela ezintweni ezibonakalayo. Lokhu kukholwa namandla kuvela esisusa esifanele, emcabangweni olungile, esimweni sengqondo esifanele. Uma umuntu enalezi, imibala, izinsimbi namatshe, namathonya awo eplanethi angeke abe nethonya elibi kuye. Kodwa-ke, mhlawumbe, akadingi ukuwagqoka.

Yiziphi izinhlamvu noma izinombolo ezifakiwe noma ezinikezwe amaplanethi?

Izinhlamvu, izinombolo, amagama, izimpawu, ama-sigels, kuye kwabizwa ngokuhlukahluka kumaplanethi ngababhali bezinkanyezi, i-alchemy kanye nemilingo, futhi ama-akhawunti ahlukahlukene kanye nokusetshenziswa kungatholakala ezincwadini ezikhuluma nalezi zihloko. Akukho simangalo esinikezwa ulwazi olunjalo, noma ilungelo lokuludlulisela. Alukho ulwazi lokulumba oluphathelene nezinhlamvu namagama “amaplanethi” olungadluliselwa ngokuqondile ngezincwadi noma amafomu abhaliwe. Izincwadi zinganikeza ukwaziswa okuningi, kodwa azikwazi ukudlulisela ulwazi. Ulwazi kumele lutholwe ngomzamo womuntu ngamunye. Ulwazi lutholwa ngokubeka imiphumela yesipiliyoni ngendlela engcono kakhulu. Ulwazi lwezinhlamvu, izinombolo namagama luzofika ngokuhlola nokuhlaziya kanye nokucabanga ngezingxenye nezinhlobo zezinhlamvu nezinhlanganisela zazo. Kulowo okuthambekela kwakhe kwengqondo kuhlangothini lwemilingo lwezinhlamvu, izinombolo, namagama, kuhle ukucabanga nokukhuluma ngazo, kodwa angazami ukusebenzisa le mibono kuze kube yilapho inkolelo-mbono ithola indawo yokuqiniseka. Isiqiniseko asikwazi ukuzuzwa ngokwenza ithiyori kanye nokuzilolonga ngezinhlamvu, izinombolo, amagama, imibala, izinsimbi noma amatshe. Ukuqiniseka ngalokhu kufika kuphela ngekhono nokulawula izakhi noma amandla okuyizimpawu zangaphandle, futhi ezimelelwa izifiso, izinkanuko nemizwelo ngaphakathi kuye. Abaningi abangaba ama-alchemists kanye nezangoma baye badabuka ngoba bazamile ukufeza emhlabeni ngaphandle, okufanele kwenziwe emhlabeni ngaphakathi.

Imibala ebonakalayo iwukubonakaliswa kwezimo zengqondo nemizwelo. Izinsimbi yizimvula noma ukuqina kwezinto ezingabonakali lapho umoya we-elementi ngayinye uxhumeke futhi usebenza ngazo. Kungashiwo okufanayo ngamatshe. Izinsimbi namatshe zikazibuthe noma zikagesi. Lapho lezi zihamba khona, i-elementi noma amandla axhumene nazo angase adonswe futhi asebenze, njengoba amandla kazibuthe esebenza ngensimbi, noma njengoba amandla kagesi enziwa ngocingo lwethusi. Ukugqokwa kwemibala, izinsimbi noma amatshe kungase kuvuse futhi kujabulise lokho okungaphakathi, okuhambisana nesici noma amandla angaphandle, futhi kungase kubangele lezo zakhi noma amandla ukuthi asebenze ngezinzwa zazo ezincwadini zazo ezingaphakathi. Ngokulawula okungaphakathi kuphela lokho ngaphandle okungalawulwa.

Umngani [HW Percival]