PHILOSOPHY TO THE ATHENIANS.

...of the nymphs and sea monsters. The Earth has been coagulated into a land, which is supported not by the other elements, but by the Pillars of Archaltis Archaltis: In Paracelsian cosmology, these are the invisible spiritual pillars or foundations that uphold the physical world., and these are the Great Works of God original: "Magnalia Dei". The Earth serves as a chest for the plants that nourish themselves from the soil: and such Separation The process of "Separation" is the central theme here, describing how the distinct forms of nature were distilled out of the primordial "Great Mystery." was the beginning of all creatures, and the first distribution of all these things and others.

The Twelfth Text.

A

Once the elements were separated into their own essences and divided from one another—each to its own place, one without harm to the other—then the second Separation occurred after the first, proceeding out of the elements themselves. When everything was thus contained within the Fire, it was transformed into the Heavens; one part served as a "chest" or container, while the other part grew out of this, just as a flower shoots out from a stem. In this way, the stars, planets, and everything that touches the whole Firmament The sphere of the stars and heavens. grew. This happened out of the element of Fire—not in the same way a stem grows from the earth with its flowers, for the stem grows from the earth—but rather, the stars were born from the heavens solely through Separation, just as silver flowers An alchemical reference to the way silver crystallizes into tree-like or flower-like shapes, known as the "Tree of Diana." rise and separate themselves. Therefore, all Firmaments are separated from the Fire; and before the Firmament was separated from the Fire, it was all a single element of Fire. Just as in winter a tree is merely a tree, but in summer, when it separates from itself that which is to be separated, it gives forth leaves, fruit, and blossoms—for that is its "harvest" time to separate itself. In the same way, there was a "harvest" in the separation of the Great Mystery original: "Mysterium Magnum", which could no longer contain itself; this is to be understood similarly in all things.

The Thirteenth Text.

B

And after the separation of the elements, the second Separation out of the Air was distributed at the same time and moment as the Fire: for all Air is predestined Meaning it has a pre-ordained purpose or path within the divine plan. into all elements. It is not that it exists in the other elements as a mixture—that is not the case—but rather it takes up a variety of roles in all elements and possesses them, yet it does not possess that which was already possessed. Also, no mixture of the elements remained together; rather, each element exists in its own free will, entirely "unmarried" to any other element. Thus, as soon as this element [Air] was separated from the others out of the Great Mystery, there were immediately divided out of it the Fates, Impressions, Incantations, Superstitions, Wicked Spells, Dreams, Divinations, Sorceries, Visions, Apparitions, Fata-Cesten, Melusines original: "Melosiniæ"; water-spirits or spirits who take on human form., Spirits, Stone-Dwellers original: "Diemeæ", Tree-Dwellers original: "Durdales", and Earth-Pore-Dwellers original: "Neufareni". And after such separation, each of the aforementioned was assigned its own seat and its essence was predestined; this is why they are invisible, yet they can be felt by us. For no more subtle element was created by the highest Secrets original: "Arcanen" than the Air. The Diemeæ live in hard stones, for they were separated into the void along with the Air. The Durdales live in the trees, for their separation occurred within the substance of such things. The Neufareni live in the "air of the earth," that is, in the pores of the Earth original: "poris Terræ". The Melusines enter into human blood, for their separation in the Air occurred within bodies and flesh. The Spirits were separated into the Air that exists within the Chaos In this context, "Chaos" likely refers to the atmosphere or the vast, unformed space between the elements.. All others dwell and exist in the particular essence of the Air, each in the place where it was assigned and divided from the element of Air, and yet it must remain within that element and cannot change it.

The Fourteenth Text.

C

And in the separation of the elements, the Water was set apart to its own place and end, as it was predestined in the Secret Plan original: "Arcano". In this, everything that was in its elemental power and property was separated during the first division; and thus the Water was divided into many special mysteries original: "specialia Mysteria", all of which took their Mother from the element of Water. Some parts in this separation were ordained to become fish, and those in many forms. Some parts became animals with flesh, some became salt, some became sea-plants—such as corals, Trina, and Citrones. Some parts became sea monsters, following a course contrary to the nature of all elements. Some parts became Nymphs, some Sirens, some Drames, some Lorind, some Nelder These terms refer to various classes of elemental spirits or mythological creatures specific to the author's folklore and cosmology.; some became rational creatures who are endowed with an Eternal part in their bodies and reproduce themselves. Some are subject to total death, while others are yet to be separated in time. For the perfect separation of the element of Water has not yet fully occurred; rather, it comes into the "great harvest," where every year new growths must spring forth in the Water element. And such separation occurred at the same moment as the separation of the other elements in a "day's work" and through the movement of Sequestration original: "Sequestrierung"; the act of setting apart or withdrawing.. And so every thing that is in the water was created and revealed in that hour through a separation.

The Fifteenth Text.

And in the same way, when the element of Earth original: "Terræ" was separated from the others, the earthly separation also occurred—that is, the separation of all things that are in the earth or spring forth from it. For the four elements were all equal in their first creation within the Great Mystery; they were also divided equally and in a single moment. Likewise, they were also divided into one another in their second division, which is then called the "elemental divisions." And in such elemental division, out of the element of Earth, there were separated the sensible and the insensible, the eternal and the non-eternal, and each came into its essence and free will...