TO THE KEPLERIAN APPENDIX

B 3

...from that soul of the world original: "mundi anima" these things proceed, inasmuch as it is accustomed to swim and act abundantly in its aerial vehicle, which serves as a passive medium best suited for its actions. This is even more the case if a likeness of itself rains down from the heavens; indeed, this influence is stronger and more diverse in its action when it is fortified by two views and radiations forming an angle in the air (which is the common receptacle of celestial inflows). And then the earth itself, which continually exhales a magnetic force, receives that spirit and sometimes retains it for a long time, insofar as all its empty pores are filled with air. It retains this spirit like a seed in a woman’s womb, where, according to the powers of the influences, various things are procreated in the womb of the earth—and indeed upon its surface. Do we not see even in marble, the hardest and firmest part of the earth, that the air itself, burdened with moist influences, penetrates that compact body? And that its internal salt, dissolved by this moisture, emits copious "sweats"—signs of future rains? Do we not sometimes see the earth itself as if choked and submerged by an abundance of rain, laboring as if from dropsy A historical term for edema or swelling; here, Fludd treats the earth like a living body suffering from an excess of fluid.? From where comes such a great quantity of water, if not from the air, since the earth cannot give more than it has? Nor does it proceed from the sea, because its size is not diminished. To produce Noah’s flood, not only was the abyss of the earth dilated, but the cataracts and windows of heaven were also opened. Moreover, we have shown in our Macrocosmic Treatise Fludd refers to his own massive work, Utriusque Cosmi ... Historia (The History of the Two Worlds). that clouds and rains are produced from the condensation of the air.

We conclude, therefore, that in the lower realm of the world, air is the spirit of life, whose soul is fire, and consequently, it is the immediate receptor of whatever celestial influences and radiations there may be, which it afterward pours into the bowels of the earth. And hence the wiser Philosophers did not foolishly make fire and air the acting elements, while water and earth are the passive ones. Thus, it would be a grave error to believe that the passive elements act upon the active ones more than the active upon the passive. Truly, these angles of radiation are not "mathematical," as the Author Fludd refers to Kepler as "the Author." wishes, but physical, resembling corporeal or truly substantial pyramids; insofar as two lights possess the aerial spirit from the base all the way to the cone, not otherwise than we see in the flame of a fire or a candle. We say, therefore, that in the beginning the Spirit of the Lord, which was the soul of the whole, moved and was carried over the waters, and not in the darkness or the earth A paraphrase of Genesis 1:2: "The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.". From this, it is probable that the angles of the visible rays were made in the air, and not in the earth. We shall examine his opinions concerning the earth a little further below; but for now, let us proceed to the natures and harmonies of the radiations.

I perceive that he exceeds the limits of the ancient Philosophers in the number of radiations, so that he might drag the business of his "aspects" In astrology, an "aspect" is the angle between planets as seen from Earth. by the hair, as it were, toward the intent of his Harmony. The ancients recognized only the Conjunction, Sextile, Square, Trine, and Opposition. He adds the Semisextile, Quintile, Biquintile, and Quincunx; indeed, even the Decile, Tredecile, Bisextile, and Trisextile; so that he seems to establish more radiations than there are integral parts in his Archetypal Zodiac, to which, according to his opinion, these aspects are dedicated and assigned. But he said this so that he might make a comparison between the regular mathematical bodies and these radiations, so that in this way he might attribute to them the same harmonic proportions and consonances that he assigned to the others.

He gives the Diapason The "Diapason" is the musical interval of an Octave (2:1)., therefore, to the aspect of Opposition. This, it seems to me, is incongruously done; because the Diapason is the most complete, most perfect, and most consonant of all harmonies. Yet, it is proven by the effect how lethal and violent the actions of this aspect are here on earth; for in the opposition of the Moon with the Sun—and indeed of other planets, especially the malefic ones Fludd is referring to Saturn and Mars, traditionally considered "malefic" or ill-omened planets in astrology.—we perceive the greatest danger of disease to be imminent, and the bells in the churches are by no means silent—which is common knowledge in places suffering from the plague. Hence, this aspect should be estimated as a place of dissonance and antipathy rather than the most perfect consonance and sympathy. The other consonances, when compared to the aspects and subjected to proper examination, will have no better flavor. Indeed, we do not think that Astrologers need more than five radiations; for from their diligent observation, the greater changes of the world may be elicited. It would be too scrupulous to track and consider fractions and minutiae in which the discrepancy of things is so small and obscure, when it is certain that those meanings are included and contained within the major ones.

But truly, to descend to his opinions about the earth, on page 158, he says: Since the rays of the Planets always meet in the earth, rains then fall more readily if the rays of two Planets make angles of 60 degrees rather than 59 or 63. I respond that the rays of the Planets meet first in the air, where they receive their mixtures, and not in the earth. Hence, clouds are generated in the air before rain falls into the womb of the earth for the sake of bringing about fertility; nor does the vapor of a cloud arise from the earth. On page 160, he says: There must be a Soul which, warned and as if excited by an aspect, stirs up meteors and tempests, etc. It follows, therefore, that this soul, which stirs the air according to the prescribed aspect, is here on earth. We respond that there is not any peculiar soul—and much less one belonging to the earth, which is most friendly to rest and consequently contrary to the action of a soul—but rather a single Soul of the World, which, swimming invisibly in the elements and the aerial spirit as if in its own vehicle, brings about alterations. For just as man, the microcosm, has only a single soul to direct his body, so also the Macrocosm is governed by that single divine spirit, which was carried over the waters, exhibiting a fiery power to them universally. For the soul of the air—which is no more divided from that of the Sun than a ray is from its body—produces various effects by celestial instinct, no differently than the heaven does by an Archetypal, divine, and ideal influence; for the word "heaven" corresponds to both the air and the ether. On page 160, he says: Since the matter of rains, winds, mists, thunders, and chasms is elicited at the time of the aspects...