OF THINGS, CHAPTER II.

For the sake of Freedom, the Will overshadows itself with the essence of Desire; for it is Desire that creates essence The author uses "essence" or "being" (Wesen) to describe the first step toward physical manifestation., and not the Will. Since the Will must therefore stand in darkness with its desire, this constitutes its Opposition. Thus, it creates within itself another will to go out from the darkness back into Freedom—as if into the Nothing—and yet it cannot reach Freedom outside of itself. For Desire goes out from itself and creates Torment and Darkness.

Therefore, the Will (understand here the secondary or created will) must go into itself. Yet there is no separation, for within itself, before the Desire, is Freedom as the Nothing. However, the Will cannot be a Nothing, for it desires to manifest itself within the Nothing. Yet no manifestation can occur except through the essence of Desire.

The more the re-captured Will desires manifestation, the more and the more severely the Desire draws into itself. Within itself, it creates three forms:

1. Desire, which is Astringency original: "Herbe." This refers to a sharp, contracting, or harsh quality that pulls inward., and it produces Hardness, for it is an enclosing, from which Coldness originates.
2. The Drawing The internal tension or attraction. creates the Sting or Stirring within the hardness—an enmity against the astringent, contracted hardness. This Drawing is the second form, and a cause of Movement and Life.
3. It moves within the Astringency and Hardness, which the Hardness, as the enclos- ing