The Forty Questions of the Soul
9. And the outward spirit (viz. the air), and the whole outward Principle, with the stars and elements, did cleave to the inward, and the outward spirit breathed its life 5 in the same manner with the soul, through the nostrils into the heart, into the outward heart, into the 6 earthly flesh, which was not then so earthy, for it came from the matrix, from the 7 seeking, from which the earth became corporeal.
10. And thus the Holy Ghost was carried upon the chariot of the soul, upon the inward majestic will, and moved upon the water: for the water comprehended him not, and therefore he moved upon it, and in it, it is all one; and the soul burned out from the blood of the heart, as a light doth from a candle, and went through all the three Principles, as a king through his dominions.
1 Note. — The hour when Christ was hanged on the cross. Matt, xxvii. 45. Mark xv. 33.
2 Or kingly.
3 Trinity, or Number Three.
4 Or of growing essences.
5 at the same time.
6 Adam's first flesh.
7 drawing, or longing.
11. And it could rule powerfully over the outward Principle, if its will were entered again into the Heart of God, into the Word of the Lord.
12. But the l source of the wrath also insinuated itself with the breathing in, viz. with the original of the soul.
13. So that the soul could not remain God's image, unless it remained in humility and obedience, and yielded its will into Gods will (wherein it was an angel, and the child of God), or else it was * very 2 difficult for a creature 3 to rule such two Principles, as the wrathful and the outward are; the outward being also born out of the wrathful.
14. Therefore its temptation was not the mere biting of an apple, nor did it continue only for some few hours, but forty days, just so long as Christ was tempted in the wilderness, and that also by all the three Principles; and so were the children of Israel in the wilderness, while Moses was forty days in the mount, when they stood not, but made a calf.
1 Or property.
2 Or dangerous.
3 to overpower.
* "very difficult" (eitel Fdhrlichkeit), "dangerous," or "sheer risk." St Martin translates, un danger eminent.
THE FIFTH QUESTION
How is the Soul peculiarly fashioned, and what is its Form?
1. WHEN a twig groweth out of a tree, the form of it is like the tree; indeed it is not the stock and the root, but yet the form of it is like the tree: so also when a mother bringeth forth a child, it is an image of her.
2. And this cannot be otherwise; for there is nothing else that can make it otherwise, unless it belongeth to the turba, which many times awakeneth a monster according to the spirit of this world, according to its * inceptive maker, as in the
2 menstrua, the Fiat maketh a 3 menstruous monster in the turba.
3. So we must understand that the soul is in the form of a round globe, according to the eye of God, through which the cross goeth, and which divideth itself into two parts, viz. into two eyes, standing back to back, as we have made the figure before with two 4 rainbows, the cross going through them both, and with one point reaching upwards in the midst between the bows, which 5 resembleth a sprouting through the fire, through the anguish as through death, and yet it is no death, but a
6 going forth out of itself into another source; standing thus in the midst between the two bows, as a sprout springing out of the cross.
2 Mond signifieth the earthly matrix of the elementary macrocosm, in the microcosm, wherein 1 the imagination, or longing, or lusting of a woman with child,
3 maketh a mond monstrum, a moon monster, monstrum lunare, or a lust-monster; such a child, as is deformed by the mother's wanting of her longing.
'3E
5 Or signifieth.
6 an exit.
4. And the arm of the cross at the right hand, signifieth the spirit of the soul, which entereth into the Majesty of the light, and clotheth the soul (viz. the centre) with divine essentiality.
5. The arm at the left hand of the cross signifieth its original in the fire, and containeth in it the first Principle, and so belongeth to the Father, and standeth in the original eye, in the strong and eager power, as a lord and ruler over nature.
9. And the outward spirit (viz. the air), and the whole outward Principle, with the stars and elements, did cleave to the inward, and the outward spirit breathed its life 5 in the same manner with the soul, through the nostrils into the heart, into the outward heart, into the 6 earthly flesh, which was not then so earthy, for it came from the matrix, from the 7 seeking, from which the earth became corporeal.
10. And thus the Holy Ghost was carried upon the chariot of the soul, upon the inward majestic will, and moved upon the water: for the water comprehended him not, and therefore he moved upon it, and in it, it is all one; and the soul burned out from the blood of the heart, as a light does from a candle, and went through all the three Principles, as a king through his dominions.
1 Note. — The hour when Christ was hanged on the cross. Matt, xxvii. 45. Mark xv. 33.
2 Or kingly.
3 Trinity, or Number Three.
4 Or of growing essences.
5 at the same time.
6 Adam's first flesh.
7 drawing, or longing.
11. And it could rule powerfully over the outward Principle, if its will were entered again into the Heart of God, into the Word of the Lord.
12. But the l source of the wrath also insinuated itself with the breathing in, viz. with the original of the soul.
13. So that the soul could not remain God's image, unless it remained in humility and obedience, and yielded its will into Gods will (wherein it was an angel, and the child of God), or else it was * very 2 difficult for a creature 3 to rule such two Principles, as the wrathful and the outward are; the outward being also born out of the wrathful.
14. Therefore its temptation was not the mere biting of an apple, nor did it continue only for some few hours, but forty days, just so long as Christ was tempted in the wilderness, and that also by all the three Principles; and so were the children of Israel in the wilderness, while Moses was forty days in the mount, when they stood not, but made a calf.
1 Or property.
2 Or dangerous.
3 to overpower.
* "very difficult" (eitel Fdhrlichkeit), "dangerous," or "sheer risk." St Martin translates, un danger eminent.
THE FIFTH QUESTION
How is the Soul peculiarly fashioned, and what is its Form?
1. WHEN a twig grows out of a tree, the form of it is like the tree; indeed it is not the stock and the root, but yet the form of it is like the tree: so also when a mother brings forth a child, it is an image of her.
2. And this cannot be otherwise; for there is nothing else that can make it otherwise, unless it belongs to the turba, which many times awakens a monster according to the spirit of this world, according to its * inceptive maker, as in the
2 menstrua, the Fiat makes a 3 menstruous monster in the turba.
3. So we must understand that the soul is in the form of a round globe, according to the eye of God, through which the cross goes, and which divids itself into two parts, viz. into two eyes, standing back to back, as we have made the figure before with two 4 rainbows, the cross going through them both, and with one point reaching upwards in the midst between the bows, which 5 resembls a sprouting through the fire, through the anguish as through death, and yet it is no death, but a
6 going forth out of itself into another source; standing thus in the midst between the two bows, as a sprout springing out of the cross.
2 Mond signifies the earthly matrix of the elementary macrocosm, in the microcosm, wherein 1 the imagination, or longing, or lusting of a woman with child,
3 makes a mond monstrum, a moon monster, monstrum lunare, or a lust-monster; such a child, as is deformed by the mother's wanting of her longing.
'3E
5 Or signifies.
6 an exit.
4. And the arm of the cross at the right hand, signifies the spirit of the soul, which enters into the Majesty of the light, and clothes the soul (viz. the centre) with divine essentiality.
5. The arm at the left hand of the cross signifies its original in the fire, and contains in it the first Principle, and so belongs to the Father, and stands in the original eye, in the strong and eager power, as a lord and ruler over nature.
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