On the Mysteries (De Mysteriis) (1570) - Page 21

and heroes are composed of the properties of the extremes The "extremes" refers to the Gods (the highest) and Souls (the lowest) of the celestial hierarchy described on the previous page., namely of the gods and souls; however, in demons there is more of the divine, whereas in heroes there is more of the human.

How the actions of the higher beings are distinguished from one another.

The Gods hold the highest rank of all beings, while souls hold the lowest. The Gods are capable of all things, united in a single moment; souls, on the contrary, are neither capable of all things, nor can they act in a single moment, nor are they united. The Gods act and care for all things without being inclined original: non inclinati; meaning the gods do not lose their divine nature or become "bent" toward the material world when they govern it toward them; souls act with a certain inclination and turning toward the things they govern. The Gods are the primary causes; souls depend perpetually upon the divine will. The Gods, with the swiftest vigor, grasp their innermost ends together with their beginnings This suggests that divine action is non-linear and instantaneous, seeing the result and the cause as one.; souls proceed from one thing to another, moving from the imperfect toward the perfect. The Gods cannot be comprehended by any measure or form; souls are held back and overcome by inclination, habit, and individual will. Furthermore, souls are touched by a desire for lower things and by a familiarity with the material, and they contract certain qualities from those associations.

Concerning the Intellect and the Soul.

The Intellect, the maker opifex: the Demiurge or craftsman of the universe who shapes matter according to divine forms of all things, is always present most fully to all the gods through a single act remaining within itself. The Soul is a participant in the intellect, but in a way that is more divisible and multiform The soul "divides" the unity of the intellect into many different thoughts and expressions..