CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

...fire is attributed to them [the ears of grain], for the reason mentioned in section 5071, because they are consequently burned up. For there are two origins of heat, just as there are two origins of light. One origin of heat is from the sun of the world, and the other origin of heat is from the sun of heaven, who is the Lord. It is well known that the sun of the world pours heat into its world and into everything within it; however, it is not so well known that the Sun of heaven infuses heat into the entire heaven. Yet this can be known if one simply reflects on the heat that is within a person—the heat that has nothing in common with the heat of the world, which is called "vital heat" original: calor, qui vitalis vocatur. From this, it could be known that this heat is of a different nature than the heat of the world: specifically, that the former is alive, while the latter is not alive at all. Because that [vital] heat is alive, it kindles a person's inner parts—namely, their will and understanding—and gives them the ability to desire, love, and be affected by things.

Consequently, desires, loves, and affections are spiritual heats, and they are also called such. That they are heats is clearly evident, for heat breathes out abundantly from living bodies, even in the greatest cold; also, when desires and affections increase, the body grows warm in that same degree. This is the heat meant in the Word term: "the Word"; the author's term for the Bible by "scorching heat," "fire," and "flame." In its genuine sense, it refers to heavenly and spiritual love, but in the opposite sense, it refers to bodily and worldly love. From this, it is clear that here, "to be scorched by the east wind" original: exuri euro signifies being consumed by the fire of lusts. When this is attributed to scientific knowledges term: "scientifics" (scientificis); in this context, factual or external information stored in the memory, which are the "thin ears of grain," it signifies that they are full of lusts.

That the Eurus or East Wind signifies things belonging to lusts and the resulting fantasies is evident from various places in the Word where it is named, such as in David:

"He caused the East Wind original: Eurum to go forth in the heavens, and by his power he brought in the south wind; and he rained down flesh upon them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea."
Psalm 78:26-27. That the "flesh" which that wind brought signifies lusts original: concupiscentiæ, and the "winged birds" signify the resulting fantasies, is clear from Moses (Numbers 11:31 to 35). There, the place where the people were struck with a plague because of eating the flesh was called "the graves of lust" original: sepulchra concupiscentiæ; Hebrew: Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had lusted. In Ezekiel:
"Behold, the Vine is planted; will it prosper? Won't it completely wither when the East Wind original: Ventus orientalis touches it? It will wither in the garden beds where it grew."
17:10. And in the same book:
"The Vine was plucked up in anger, cast down to the ground, and the East Wind dried up its fruit; its strong branches were broken off and withered; fire consumed each one. For fire has gone out from a rod of its branches and devoured its fruit, so that there is no strong branch in it, no scepter for ruling."
19:12, 14. Here, the "east wind" stands for things belonging to lusts. In Isaiah:
"He stayed his rough wind in the day of the east wind."
27:8. In Hosea:
"The East Wind shall come, the wind of Jehovah coming up from the desert; and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up; he shall plunder the treasure of every precious vessel."
13:15. Here also, the "east wind" stands for things belonging to lusts. Similarly in Jeremiah:
"Like an east wind I will scatter them before the enemy."
18:17. In David:
"By the East Wind you break the ships of Tarshish."
Psalm 48:8. In Isaiah:
"You have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with the East Wind original: Euro and are diviners."