The Complete Theosophical Works of Jakob Böhme

Preliminary Report concerning the Figure.

Just as the whole Holy Scripture—which flowed from God’s mouth through his holy teachers, prophets, and apostles—consists almost entirely of figures, hidden prophetic speeches, riddles, and stories (besides the single instructional purpose of repentance and godliness), in which the wonders of Divine Wisdom truly appear, such that they recount the past, prefigure the present, and indicate the future; yet they do so in such a way that neither coarse, fleshly reason nor self-conceited, "wise-in-its-own-eyes" reason can understand or guess such things at the first approach. For in this way, the hiddenness of Divine Wisdom remains in its dignity, and only the wise and understanding heart is given cause to dig and search for wisdom. Just as externally the beautiful and shining gold, as the noblest body or essence of all nature, is dug out of the dark and coarse earth, according to Solomon’s proverb, Proverbs 3:14. Proverbs 3:14: "For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold."

So one finds in these writings of Divine Revelation such a depth and wealth of wisdom, before which all reason sinks away; one should only consider the Philosophical Sphere Also known as the "Philosophical Globe," a diagram representing Böhme's view of the universe. or the "Wonder-Eye of Eternity" in the Forty Questions Referring to Böhme's 1620 work, Forty Questions on the Soul., page 272; likewise the "Wheel of Nature" in the Threefold Life Referring to The High and Deep Searching of the Threefold Life of Man, 1620., page 153; and then the secret interpretation of the "End of Times" in the Mysterium Magnum Böhme's massive commentary on Genesis, 1623., page 241. This is without even mentioning what remains wrapped up here and there within the writings.

From these, we have, through Divine Grace, glimpsed the ideal form of this spirit—as the gift of revelation for this time—and presented it to the lovers of wisdom for further reflection in the first figure on the title page of all his works. An interpretation of this is as impossible to provide in this brevity as it is unnecessary to set down, because it is explained abundantly everywhere throughout the writings; we direct the reader there, having paved the way with the listed citations through all treatises, chapters, and verses.

However, to touch upon it only slightly, we wish to remind the reader of what the author discusses everywhere regarding the two eternal principles of the Dark-world and Light-world: that they indeed form a sphere in Eternity original: "Æternität", and yet in their properties stand as if separated and back-to-back against one another.

The black half-circle on the left is the Principle of the dark world; the subtle one on the right is the light world. The middle one, like a clock-gear, is the outer Mystery of the creation of this world, or the Third Principle. The 7 circles around it, where the 7th at the top appears as a shining sun [appears]...