Cosmological Diagram of the World Soul

This black-and-white print features a circular geocentric model filled with astronomical notations and Greek/Latin labels. A central, stylized head looking toward the center represents the human or universal intellect, positioned near a cross within a sphere. Radiant beams descend from a winged eye at the top, piercing the planetary spheres to influence the material world below, where a small scroll and architectural diagrams are positioned. The composition is bounded by Greek letters and symbolic monograms in the four corners, creating a structured, mathematical representation of the Hermetic and Neoplatonic cosmos.

This diagram appears in Athanasius Kircher’s 'Oedipus Aegyptiacus' (1652-1654), a massive encyclopedia attempting to synthesize ancient Egyptian wisdom with Christian theology and natural philosophy. It illustrates the concept of the 'Anima Mundi' or World Soul, reflecting Kircher's belief in the interpenetration of the divine intellect with material reality.