61. Now, when heaven, earth, and the elements were thus formed, then the fiery tincture was as shining light, and was a firmament, called heaven: for this world had no other light: And then God suffered the centre of nature to open itself in the created substantiality, (for this whole Principle became but one body), and there brake forth it heart, [viz. the heart of this Principle] with its own proper will and faculties out of the essences; that is, the sun and the stars are its essences, and the six planets are the spirits at the centre of the heart, and the sun is their heart: all just as the Deity hath been from eternity.
62. Thus there came a true life and understanding, with reason and perception, yet a bestial one, into the outward tincture and the air-spirit, and so the great wonders stood there manifest; for God had manifested himself in a figurative form: And you see that it is true; do but consider what we have written before concerning the centre of nature, and so on, to the light of the Majesty, and concerning the Number Three, and you will find here in this world a figurative similitude [of Him].
Consider of the Planets.
63. Saturn, the first and highest, is astringent, cold, dusky, and maketh the desiring and attracting: for it is the sharpness. If you will have a right understanding of this, you must transpose the planets. (See figure on next page)
64. First, take the uppermost [planet] and unto it the nethermost, for in the wheel everywhere is uppermost and undermost, understand in the Wheel of Life, and it wheeleth the upper part undermost when it turneth round; which is only to be understood concerning fond conceited men, and beasts, with whom the wheel of nature falleth a turning; for the Cross stayeth it. Therefore observe well: Saturn attracteth the Moon, which is beneath, and causeth in the matrix of the creature the corporising, viz. that there be flesh; for Saturn and the Moon make sulphur [or corporeity].
65. Now Saturn desireth only to shut up, it seizeth upon and holdeth fast; as [in turning] liquor into a sulphur. But Saturn hath not sul; for sul is from the liberty,- but Saturn hath a willing, and the will hath sul, for it originally proceedeth out of the Majesty.
66. Consider now, beneath Saturn standeth Jupiter, which is proceeded out of the virtue of Sol [or the sun] as the heart of Saturn, (else there would be no desiring, no Saturn); for nature desireth only the heart and Sol [or the sun]; yet Jupiter is not Sol, but is the brain.
67. And observe it, the wheel of nature windeth itself from without inwards into itself; for the Deity dwelleth innermost in itself, and hath such a figure [as is here shown] . Not that it can be delineated; it is only a natural similitude; Even as God pourtrayeth [represented or revealeth]
himself in the figure of this world. For God is everywhere total and perfect, and dwelleth thus in himself.
68. Observe; The outward wheel is the Zodiac, with the constellations, and then the seven planets follow to Sol, after Sol standeth Fire, after Fire Tincture, after Tincture Majesty, after Majesty the Number Three, with the Cross.
69. And observe it, the desiring goeth inwards into itself towards the Heart, which is God, as you may conceive by such a figure: for the Regeneration goeth also into itself to the Heart of God.
70. Observe it also well, for it is the centre [or the ground] of the outward birth. In the eighth circumference [next] after the zodiac is the globe of the earth; after that, right against it, about on the wheel is Saturn, and going about the wheel, there is the Moon, and again about on the wheel is Jupiter, and again about on the wheel is Mercury, and about again is Mars, and then Venus, and Sol in the midst, and after Sol, the Fire which Sol affordeth, and after- the fire the other world, viz. the Heavenly Tincture, and after the Heavenly Tincture the Number Three, viz. the eternal Heart, and that is the eternal centre of nature, and in the eternal centre is the whole power of the Majesty of God throughout, held or shut up by nothing, and is of no substance or nature [imaginable], even as the shining of the sun.
61. Now, when heaven, earth, and the elements were thus formed, then the fiery tincture was as shining light, and was a firmament, called heaven: for this world had no other light: And then God suffered the centre of nature to open itself in the created substantiality, (for this whole Principle became but one body), and there brake forth it heart, [viz. the heart of this Principle] with its own proper will and faculties out of the essences; that is, the sun and the stars are its essences, and the six planets are the spirits at the centre of the heart, and the sun is their heart: all just as the Deity has been from eternity.
62. Thus there came a true life and understanding, with reason and perception, yet a bestial one, into the outward tincture and the air-spirit, and so the great wonders stood there manifest; for God had manifested himself in a figurative form: And you see that it is true; do but consider what we have written before concerning the centre of nature, and so on, to the light of the Majesty, and concerning the Number Three, and you will find here in this world a figurative similitude [of Him].
Consider of the Planets.
63. Saturn, the first and highest, is astringent, cold, dusky, and makes the desiring and attracting: for it is the sharpness. If you will have a right understanding of this, you must transpose the planets. (See figure on next page)
64. First, take the uppermost [planet] and unto it the nethermost, for in the wheel everywhere is uppermost and undermost, understand in the Wheel of Life, and it wheels the upper part undermost when it turns round; which is only to be understood concerning fond conceited men, and beasts, with whom the wheel of nature falls a turning; for the Cross stays it. Therefore observe well: Saturn attracts the Moon, which is beneath, and causes in the matrix of the creature the corporising, viz. that there be flesh; for Saturn and the Moon make sulphur [or corporeity].
65. Now Saturn desires only to shut up, it seizes upon and holds fast; as [in turning] liquor into a sulphur. But Saturn has not sul; for sul is from the liberty,- but Saturn has a willing, and the will has sul, for it originally proceeds out of the Majesty.
66. Consider now, beneath Saturn stands Jupiter, which is proceeded out of the virtue of Sol [or the sun] as the heart of Saturn, (else there would be no desiring, no Saturn); for nature desires only the heart and Sol [or the sun]; yet Jupiter is not Sol, but is the brain.
67. And observe it, the wheel of nature winds itself from without inwards into itself; for the Deity dwells innermost in itself, and has such a figure [as is here shown] . Not that it can be delineated; it is only a natural similitude; Even as God pourtrays [represented or reveals]
himself in the figure of this world. For God is everywhere total and perfect, and dwells thus in himself.
68. Observe; The outward wheel is the Zodiac, with the constellations, and then the seven planets follow to Sol, after Sol stands Fire, after Fire Tincture, after Tincture Majesty, after Majesty the Number Three, with the Cross.
69. And observe it, the desiring goes inwards into itself towards the Heart, which is God, as you may conceive by such a figure: for the Regeneration goes also into itself to the Heart of God.
70. Observe it also well, for it is the centre [or the ground] of the outward birth. In the eighth circumference [next] after the zodiac is the globe of the earth; after that, right against it, about on the wheel is Saturn, and going about the wheel, there is the Moon, and again about on the wheel is Jupiter, and again about on the wheel is Mercury, and about again is Mars, and then Venus, and Sol in the midst, and after Sol, the Fire which Sol affords, and after- the fire the other world, viz. the Heavenly Tincture, and after the Heavenly Tincture the Number Three, viz. the eternal Heart, and that is the eternal centre of nature, and in the eternal centre is the whole power of the Majesty of God throughout, held or shut up by nothing, and is of no substance or nature [imaginable], even as the shining of the sun.
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