Six Theosophic Points, and Other Writings
7. We find good and evil, and we find in all things the centrum naturae or the torture-chamber. But we find especially the spirit of the great world in two sources, viz. in heat and cold.
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Here, by cold we understand the centre of the sour sharp fierceness, and by heat the principle of fire, and yet they have but one origin from one another.
8. Fire arises from the fierceness of the cold, and cold from the centrum naturae, viz. from the sour sharp anguish, where the sourness (astringency) contracts so strongly into itself and makes substance. As we are to know that in the motion of the Father at creation it has made earth and stones, although there was no matter for this, but only His own being, which is generated in two principles, viz. in the light-world and world of death, in two desires.
9. That which the fierceness attained in the motion became shaped into the terrestrial globe. And we find therein a diversity of things, evil and good; and it often happens that from the worst may be made the best, because the centrum naturae is therein. If it be brought into fire, the pure child of the eternal Essence may be extracted from it; when it is liberated from death, as is to be seen in gold.
10. In this world, however, we cannot attain the eternal fire, and therefore also can develop nothing from this principle. That is want of the eternal fire, which we do not reach but in imagination only, by which a man has power to lead life out of death and bring it into the divine substantiality. This can be done only in man; but what is outside of man belongs to God, and remains unto the renovation, to the end of this time.
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11. And thus we give j^ou to understand the nature and property of the principles. The first Principle lies in the fire of the will, and is a cause of the two others, also of life and understanding; and is an upholding of Nature, as weU as of all the properties of the Father.
12. The second Principle lies in light, as in the fire of desire. This desire makes substance from the property of the first principle.
13. The first and second principle are Father and Son in eternity. One dwells in the other, and yet each retains its property. There is no mixing in the essence; but one receives the other in desire, and the light dwells in the fire's desire, so that the fire's property gives its desire to the light, and the light to the fire.
14. Thus there is one being and not two, but two properties, whereof one is not the other, nor eternally can become so. As the spirit's property cannot be fire and hght, and yet proceeds from fire out of light, and could not subsist either from fire or from light alone. Fire alone can not give it, neither could light, but the two give it. It is the life of both, and is one being only, but three properties, whereof one is not the other, as is to be seen in fire, light and air.
15. The third Principle has just these properties. It has also fire, light and spirit, that is, air; and is in all particulars like to the eternal Being. But it has a beginning, and proceeds from the Eternal ; it is a manifestation of the Eternal, an awakening, image and similitude of the Eternal. It is not the
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Eternal; but an essence has arisen in the eternal Desire, which has manifested itself therein and brought itself into a being like the Eternal.
16. Reason says: God has made this world out of nothing. Answer : There was certainly for that no substance or matter that were outwardly palpable; but there was such a form in the eternal power in the will.
7. We find good and evil, and we find in all things the centrum naturae or the torture-chamber. But we find especially the spirit of the great world in two sources, viz. in heat and cold.
p. 33
Here, by cold we understand the centre of the sour sharp fierceness, and by heat the principle of fire, and yet they have but one origin from one another.
8. Fire arises from the fierceness of the cold, and cold from the centrum naturae, viz. from the sour sharp anguish, where the sourness (astringency) contracts so strongly into itself and makes substance. As we are to know that in the motion of the Father at creation it has made earth and stones, although there was no matter for this, but only His own being, which is generated in two principles, viz. in the light-world and world of death, in two desires.
9. That which the fierceness attained in the motion became shaped into the terrestrial globe. And we find therein a diversity of things, evil and good; and it often happens that from the worst may be made the best, because the centrum naturae is therein. If it be brought into fire, the pure child of the eternal Essence may be extracted from it; when it is liberated from death, as is to be seen in gold.
10. In this world, however, we cannot attain the eternal fire, and therefore also can develop nothing from this principle. That is want of the eternal fire, which we do not reach but in imagination only, by which a man has power to lead life out of death and bring it into the divine substantiality. This can be done only in man; but what is outside of man belongs to God, and remains unto the renovation, to the end of this time.
p. 34
11. And thus we give j^ou to understand the nature and property of the principles. The first Principle lies in the fire of the will, and is a cause of the two others, also of life and understanding; and is an upholding of Nature, as weU as of all the properties of the Father.
12. The second Principle lies in light, as in the fire of desire. This desire makes substance from the property of the first principle.
13. The first and second principle are Father and Son in eternity. One dwells in the other, and yet each retains its property. There is no mixing in the essence; but one receives the other in desire, and the light dwells in the fire's desire, so that the fire's property gives its desire to the light, and the light to the fire.
14. Thus there is one being and not two, but two properties, whereof one is not the other, nor eternally can become so. As the spirit's property cannot be fire and hght, and yet proceeds from fire out of light, and could not subsist either from fire or from light alone. Fire alone can not give it, neither could light, but the two give it. It is the life of both, and is one being only, but three properties, whereof one is not the other, as is to be seen in fire, light and air.
15. The third Principle has just these properties. It has also fire, light and spirit, that is, air; and is in all particulars like to the eternal Being. But it has a beginning, and proceeds from the Eternal ; it is a manifestation of the Eternal, an awakening, image and similitude of the Eternal. It is not the
p. 35
Eternal; but an essence has arisen in the eternal Desire, which has manifested itself therein and brought itself into a being like the Eternal.
16. Reason says: God has made this world out of nothing. Answer : There was certainly for that no substance or matter that were outwardly palpable; but there was such a form in the eternal power in the will.
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