Six Theosophic Points, and Other Writings
37. But fire must have a genetrix to its origin and life, and here it appears in two lives and sources. And they are rightly called two principles, although there is only one; but it is a twofold source in one being, and is in respect of the source regarded as two beings, as is to be seen in fire and light.
38. We now consider Desire, and find that it is a stern attraction, hke an eternal elevation or motion. For it draws itself into itself, and makes itself pregnant, so that from the thin freedom where there is nothing a darkness is produced. For the desiring will becomes by the drawing-in thick and full, although there is nothing but darkness.
39. The first will would now be free from thep. 23 darkness, for it desires light, and yet cannot thus attain it. For the greater the desire is for freedom, the greater becomes the attraction and the sting of the essences, which take their rise in the drawing or desire.
40. Thus the will draws the more strongly into itself, and its pregnancy becomes the greater, and yet the darkness cannot comprehend the centre of the word or heart of the ternary; for this centre is a degree deeper in itself, and yet is a band.
41. But the first will, in which the gestation of Nature takes place, is deeper still than the centre of the word, for it arises from the eternal Unground or Nothing; and thus the centre of the heart is shut up in the midst, the first will of the Father labouring to the birth of fire.
42. Now, we are to understand that in the stern attraction a very unyielding substance and being is produced. And so then substance from eternity has its origin; for the drawing gives sting, and the drawn gives hardness, matter from nothing, a substance and essentiality. The sting of the drawing dwells now in this essentiality, pierces and breaks; and all this from the desiring will which draws.
43. And here we are to recognize two forms of Nature, viz. sour (astringent), that is Desire, and then the sting, which makes in the desire a breaking and piercing, whence feeling arises, that is, bitter, and is the second form of Nature, a cause and origin of the essences in Nature.
44. Now the first will is not satisfied with this,p. 24 nor set at rest, but is brought thereby into a very gi*eat anguish; for it desires freedom in light, and yet, however, there is no brightness in freedom. Then it falls into terrible anguish, and so uplifts the desire for freedom, that the anguish, as a dj^ing or sinking down through death, introduces its will into freedom out of the breaking, piercing and powerful attracting.
45. Here, then, we understand the will in two ways: One, which rises in fierceness to generation of the wrath-fire ; the other, which imaginates after the centre of the word, and, passing out of the anguish, as through a dying, sinks into the free life ; and thus brings with it a life out of the torment of anguish into freedom, so that the eternal Unground is recognized as a life, and from the Nothing an eternal life springs.
46. Seeing then the first movement of the will rises to the birth of fire, we recognize it as the first nature, viz. the Father's nature in fierce wrath; and the other entrance of the will into freedom, into the centre of the heart, we recognize as the Divine Nature, as the life in light, in the power of the Deity.
47. It is now clear what the first will to fire operates and effects, viz. stern, hard, bitter, and great anguish, which is the third form of Nature; for anguish is as the centre where life and will eternally take their rise. For the will would be free from the great anguish, and yet cannot. It would flee, and yet is held by the sourness (astringency) ; and the greater the will for flight becomes,p. 25 the greater becomes the bitter sting of the essences and plurality.
37. But fire must have a genetrix to its origin and life, and here it appears in two lives and sources. And they are rightly called two principles, although there is only one; but it is a twofold source in one being, and is in respect of the source regarded as two beings, as is to be seen in fire and light.
38. We now consider Desire, and find that it is a stern attraction, hke an eternal elevation or motion. For it draws itself into itself, and makes itself pregnant, so that from the thin freedom where there is nothing a darkness is produced. For the desiring will becomes by the drawing-in thick and full, although there is nothing but darkness.
39. The first will would now be free from thep. 23 darkness, for it desires light, and yet cannot thus attain it. For the greater the desire is for freedom, the greater becomes the attraction and the sting of the essences, which take their rise in the drawing or desire.
40. Thus the will draws the more strongly into itself, and its pregnancy becomes the greater, and yet the darkness cannot comprehend the centre of the word or heart of the ternary; for this centre is a degree deeper in itself, and yet is a band.
41. But the first will, in which the gestation of Nature takes place, is deeper still than the centre of the word, for it arises from the eternal Unground or Nothing; and thus the centre of the heart is shut up in the midst, the first will of the Father labouring to the birth of fire.
42. Now, we are to understand that in the stern attraction a very unyielding substance and being is produced. And so then substance from eternity has its origin; for the drawing gives sting, and the drawn gives hardness, matter from nothing, a substance and essentiality. The sting of the drawing dwells now in this essentiality, pierces and breaks; and all this from the desiring will which draws.
43. And here we are to recognize two forms of Nature, viz. sour (astringent), that is Desire, and then the sting, which makes in the desire a breaking and piercing, whence feeling arises, that is, bitter, and is the second form of Nature, a cause and origin of the essences in Nature.
44. Now the first will is not satisfied with this,p. 24 nor set at rest, but is brought thereby into a very gi*eat anguish; for it desires freedom in light, and yet, however, there is no brightness in freedom. Then it falls into terrible anguish, and so uplifts the desire for freedom, that the anguish, as a dj^ing or sinking down through death, introduces its will into freedom out of the breaking, piercing and powerful attracting.
45. Here, then, we understand the will in two ways: One, which rises in fierceness to generation of the wrath-fire ; the other, which imaginates after the centre of the word, and, passing out of the anguish, as through a dying, sinks into the free life ; and thus brings with it a life out of the torment of anguish into freedom, so that the eternal Unground is recognized as a life, and from the Nothing an eternal life springs.
46. Seeing then the first movement of the will rises to the birth of fire, we recognize it as the first nature, viz. the Father's nature in fierce wrath; and the other entrance of the will into freedom, into the centre of the heart, we recognize as the Divine Nature, as the life in light, in the power of the Deity.
47. It is now clear what the first will to fire operates and effects, viz. stern, hard, bitter, and great anguish, which is the third form of Nature; for anguish is as the centre where life and will eternally take their rise. For the will would be free from the great anguish, and yet cannot. It would flee, and yet is held by the sourness (astringency) ; and the greater the will for flight becomes,p. 25 the greater becomes the bitter sting of the essences and plurality.
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