LotR -- Book 3 - Chapter 11 - The Palantír

[Kuruharan]

I've always understood the Light (as opposed to light) to be the Secret Fire, & so Saruman's breaking of it is a blasphemous rather than a 'scientific' act.

To continue my path of providing a counterpoint to everything, I think that light is its own order of creation (for lack of a better way of explaining it). I think that it is something that would be strongly attached to the good and not especially malleable to evil. However, it remains a created thing below Eru. However, this is obviously an opinion that I cannot prove.

All Holiness has its origin in Eru not in any of His subordinates.

Well, I agree with this to a certain extent. (It would be hard to flatly disagree with this statement and keep any mooring in the text). However...

The Light of the Trees is called 'Holy' which I think relates it to Eru rather than the Valar.

I think that the Valar have been gifted by Eru for the task that they accepted. As part of this they have certain sanctifying power within the confines of Ea. This they can do with the power they have been given inside creation. So while the Valar can render things holy, this does not mean that the object receives a part of the Secret Fire.

Besides, if they could produce the Light themselves why not just conjure up some more...The point is that the Light is limited & grows less & less from the Lamps to the Trees to the Sun & Moon. That implies that the Valar didn't have an endless supply - they couldn't just 'manufacture' it.

This is a very good point.

Perhaps the Valar were given a finite supply of power in order to bring about all the Music and then their task is done. This could mean that it is not given to them to do the same thing twice. It would also explain how the Valar grow weary of the world.