11. After the astrum 2) are the four elements, which also have their original out of this fountain; which also have their spiration [or outbreathing] out of themselves; they also speak forth their properties out of themselves, and they are as a body of the stars. For they speak or breathe forth from themselves a corporeal essence; and the stars do breathe forth a spiritual essence out of themselves: and this twofold essence rules mutually in the visible world, as body and soul.
1 Or by, or with. 2 Next the stars.
12. And we give you this rightly to understand: In each element there lies a whole astrum; the fire has a whole astrum in itself; and also the air, water, and earth, but it is not manifest in them. Therefore God has enclosed [or encircled] the place of this world with a manifest astrum, that it might enkindle the other astrum in the four elements, that the manifest astrum might work in the hidden mystery, viz. in the astrum of the four elements, and procreate wonders. For so a wonderful figure and property may be produced out of a thing, which otherwise is impossible for nature to do, in its own [naked] self.
13. Also we are to know, that there is an astrum in the divine magic, which is the fountain of the eternal mind of the abyss, whence nature and all essences are arisen. Likewise there is an astrum in the manifest heavenly world, and also an astrum in the dark hellish world.
And these astrums 1) are but one only astrum, but they are severised into distinct degrees and principles; that which in the outward world is open and manifest in the figure, the same is manifest in power in the spiritual world, and not in forms.
1 Or constellations.
14. And we understand, that the Verbum Fiat on the fourth day moved the fourth property of nature, viz. the fifth essence, and opened it out of the sulphureous property out of the fire-flagrat, viz. out of the third property. And thus an astrum became manifest in the air, which are the visible stars; and an astrum in the fire, which is the rational life of all creatures; and an astrum in the water, which is the vegetative life; and an astrum in the earth, which is the wrathful earthly life.
15. The fiery [astrum] gives soul; and the airy, spirit; the watery affords the mansion of the soul and the spirit, viz. blood, wherein the tincture of the fire and light dwells; and the earthly gives flesh. And every of the four astrums gives a spirit and body according to its property. Only, God has thus associated one unto another, that the one might be manifest in the other, and be jointly together one body; like as all the four elements are only one element, but they divide themselves into four properties according to the centre of nature.
16. Therefore astrums do procreate out of themselves their officer, viz. the outward nature, that is, the soul of the outward world, as a constantly enduring mind; wherein lies the omnipotency, as a manifest Great Mystery. In this officer God has awakened and raised a king, or as I might set it down by way of similitude, a nature-god, with six councillors, which are his assistants;
that is, the sun, with the other six planetic stars, which were spoken forth out of the seven properties out of the place of Sol; and in the speaking were introduced into a rolling sphere, according to the property of the eternal generation in the centre of nature. And this was opened in seven degrees out of the birth; where the first degree of the motion in the light of nature,
(from the inward spiritual fire-and-light- world), was the sun, which receives its lustre from the tincture of the inward fire-and-lightworld: it stands as an opened punctum to the fire-world. See Threefold Life of Man, ch. 4: pars. 16-49.
11. After the astrum 2) are the four elements, which also have their original out of this fountain; which also have their spiration [or outbreathing] out of themselves; they also speak forth their properties out of themselves, and they are as a body of the stars. For they speak or breathe forth from themselves a corporeal essence; and the stars do breathe forth a spiritual essence out of themselves: and this twofold essence rules mutually in the visible world, as body and soul.
1 Or by, or with. 2 Next the stars.
12. And we give you this rightly to understand: In each element there lies a whole astrum; the fire has a whole astrum in itself; and also the air, water, and earth, but it is not manifest in them. Therefore God has enclosed [or encircled] the place of this world with a manifest astrum, that it might enkindle the other astrum in the four elements, that the manifest astrum might work in the hidden mystery, viz. in the astrum of the four elements, and procreate wonders. For so a wonderful figure and property may be produced out of a thing, which otherwise is impossible for nature to do, in its own [naked] self.
13. Also we are to know, that there is an astrum in the divine magic, which is the fountain of the eternal mind of the abyss, whence nature and all essences are arisen. Likewise there is an astrum in the manifest heavenly world, and also an astrum in the dark hellish world.
And these astrums 1) are but one only astrum, but they are severised into distinct degrees and principles; that which in the outward world is open and manifest in the figure, the same is manifest in power in the spiritual world, and not in forms.
1 Or constellations.
14. And we understand, that the Verbum Fiat on the fourth day moved the fourth property of nature, viz. the fifth essence, and opened it out of the sulphureous property out of the fire-flagrat, viz. out of the third property. And thus an astrum became manifest in the air, which are the visible stars; and an astrum in the fire, which is the rational life of all creatures; and an astrum in the water, which is the vegetative life; and an astrum in the earth, which is the wrathful earthly life.
15. The fiery [astrum] gives soul; and the airy, spirit; the watery affords the mansion of the soul and the spirit, viz. blood, wherein the tincture of the fire and light dwells; and the earthly gives flesh. And every of the four astrums gives a spirit and body according to its property. Only, God has thus associated one unto another, that the one might be manifest in the other, and be jointly together one body; like as all the four elements are only one element, but they divide themselves into four properties according to the centre of nature.
16. Therefore astrums do procreate out of themselves their officer, viz. the outward nature, that is, the soul of the outward world, as a constantly enduring mind; wherein lies the omnipotency, as a manifest Great Mystery. In this officer God has awakened and raised a king, or as I might set it down by way of similitude, a nature-god, with six councillors, which are his assistants;
that is, the sun, with the other six planetic stars, which were spoken forth out of the seven properties out of the place of Sol; and in the speaking were introduced into a rolling sphere, according to the property of the eternal generation in the centre of nature. And this was opened in seven degrees out of the birth; where the first degree of the motion in the light of nature,
(from the inward spiritual fire-and-light- world), was the sun, which receives its lustre from the tincture of the inward fire-and-lightworld: it stands as an opened punctum to the fire-world. See Threefold Life of Man, ch. 4: pars. 16-49.
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