88. But now the four forms cannot subsist in the fire: for they have substantiality, and the fire desireth substantiality (for the fire itself subsisteth not, if it have not fuel to feed upon), which substantiality desireth meekness, and that about on the wheel is Venus: for it is the meekness of the outward nature, and maketh love; for it is that which the other five forms desire: for every form windeth itself inwards and desireth the Liberty of God, which is meek stillness, and as nothing, and yet is All: and if they have the meekness, which also maketh water [to be], then the water is thick, and is like a duskiness which desireth light, and becometh pregnant with it, so that the meekness, viz. Venus, hath a lustre of its own above all the stars in the firmament; for the desiring catcheth the light.
89. Now the light is without substance, and only still and meek, which desireth life and spirit, and yet can produce no life nor spirit out of the water and meekness; therefore Venus desireth with its meekness and light the heart; that is, the power and virtue of all forms, and so it catcheth the heart, which about on the wheel, in the point, is the Sun, which is the heart of all the six forms, and they are the forms of their heart, which together is a life. Now, if that were unsteadfast, it would pass away [or move about], so often as the wheel windeth once about; and though it would be long, it would endure but a seculum age, or term of twenty-nine years.
90. Now the seven forms desire fire, [being the eighth number, and the eighth number desireth a life,] which may continue, for the heart is not alive without fire, and [therefore] the heart catcheth hold of the fire: and that fire is fierce and consuming, and consumeth all the seven forms of the centre, with their substantiality.
[The Heart standeth between two Worlds.]
91. Thus the heart is in anguish, vexed within and without, for it hath nothing more in the substantial life outwardly; though it seeketh, yet it findeth nothing, and yet seeketh with anxious longing, and penetrateth through all forms, and seeketh mitigation of the fire, and yet cannot so find it either.
92. Thus all the six forms of the heart receive the virtue of the sun: for it penetrateth mightily into all the six forms, and seeketh rest and ease, and if it find not that, then it presseth in itself forth from itself through the fire, and desireth the eternal liberty, and attaineth the liberty through desiring, and yet cannot be free, for the sharpness of the fire is in its desiring. But the liberty attracteth itself in the desiring in the fire; for the desiring presseth into it [viz. the liberty].
93. Thus the liberty sharpeneth itself in the fire, and appeareth through the fire as a flash [of lightning], that is, the glance and shining of the sun, and that sharpened liberty desireth its eternal delight, viz. its meek still virtue, and presseth inwardly into itself into the virtue: and that eternal virtue in the liberty is the eternal Word, and that Word is generated out of the eternal Heart, and in the Heart is the Cross of the Number Three, and is the end of nature; and in the end is the virtue and glance of the liberty, which is generated out of the eternal centre, out of the Heart upon the Cross, and is called the divine Majesty of the eternal substance [or essence].
94. Now consider, as the outward desiring of the outward nature goeth inwards into itself towards the eternal Heart, which is God, (for the outward nature longeth again after the substance of the liberty, to be as it was before the creation, that it might be delivered from the vanity, viz. the fierce wrath), so also the inward heart longeth after the outward nature, and would fain manifest itself outwardly in figurative similitudes [resemblances], thus the inward desireth the outward for a figure, and the inward catcheth the outward in its desiring.
88. But now the four forms cannot subsist in the fire: for they have substantiality, and the fire desires substantiality (for the fire itself subsists not, if it have not fuel to feed upon), which substantiality desires meekness, and that about on the wheel is Venus: for it is the meekness of the outward nature, and makes love; for it is that which the other five forms desire: for every form winds itself inwards and desires the Liberty of God, which is meek stillness, and as nothing, and yet is All: and if they have the meekness, which also makes water [to be], then the water is thick, and is like a duskiness which desires light, and becomes pregnant with it, so that the meekness, viz. Venus, has a lustre of its own above all the stars in the firmament; for the desiring catches the light.
89. Now the light is without substance, and only still and meek, which desires life and spirit, and yet can produce no life nor spirit out of the water and meekness; therefore Venus desires with its meekness and light the heart; that is, the power and virtue of all forms, and so it catches the heart, which about on the wheel, in the point, is the Sun, which is the heart of all the six forms, and they are the forms of their heart, which together is a life. Now, if that were unsteadfast, it would pass away [or move about], so often as the wheel winds once about; and though it would be long, it would endure but a seculum age, or term of twenty-nine years.
90. Now the seven forms desire fire, [being the eighth number, and the eighth number desires a life,] which may continue, for the heart is not alive without fire, and [therefore] the heart catches hold of the fire: and that fire is fierce and consuming, and consums all the seven forms of the centre, with their substantiality.
[The Heart stands between two Worlds.]
91. Thus the heart is in anguish, vexed within and without, for it has nothing more in the substantial life outwardly; though it seeks, yet it finds nothing, and yet seeks with anxious longing, and penetrats through all forms, and seeks mitigation of the fire, and yet cannot so find it either.
92. Thus all the six forms of the heart receive the virtue of the sun: for it penetrats mightily into all the six forms, and seeks rest and ease, and if it find not that, then it presses in itself forth from itself through the fire, and desires the eternal liberty, and attains the liberty through desiring, and yet cannot be free, for the sharpness of the fire is in its desiring. But the liberty attracts itself in the desiring in the fire; for the desiring presses into it [viz. the liberty].
93. Thus the liberty sharpens itself in the fire, and appears through the fire as a flash [of lightning], that is, the glance and shining of the sun, and that sharpened liberty desires its eternal delight, viz. its meek still virtue, and presses inwardly into itself into the virtue: and that eternal virtue in the liberty is the eternal Word, and that Word is generated out of the eternal Heart, and in the Heart is the Cross of the Number Three, and is the end of nature; and in the end is the virtue and glance of the liberty, which is generated out of the eternal centre, out of the Heart upon the Cross, and is called the divine Majesty of the eternal substance [or essence].
94. Now consider, as the outward desiring of the outward nature goes inwards into itself towards the eternal Heart, which is God, (for the outward nature longs again after the substance of the liberty, to be as it was before the creation, that it might be delivered from the vanity, viz. the fierce wrath), so also the inward heart longs after the outward nature, and would fain manifest itself outwardly in figurative similitudes [resemblances], thus the inward desires the outward for a figure, and the inward catches the outward in its desiring.
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