On the Sun and Light

it makes things manifest; and by its approach and retreat in turn, it creates the four seasons of the year. Regions too far removed from the Sun are likewise removed from life. Spring is indeed the best of times, since it begins with Aries The Ram, the first sign of the zodiac, the kingdom of the Sun; but Autumn is the worst, since it takes its beginning from Libra The Scales, the fall of the Sun. Finally, a daytime birth is commonly considered better than a nighttime one; the former is judged chiefly by the Sun, while the latter is judged by the Moon as if by a mirror of the Sun. They divide the celestial figure at birth into twelve parts. Since they assign the ninth part to the Sun and the third to the Moon, they certainly name the former "God" and the latter "Goddess." They believe these signify all the best things: wisdom, faith, religion, and eternal glory. For the Sun signifies all these things, as well as all truth, prophecy, and kingship. Added to this is the fact that as the Sun ascends to the middle of the sky, it wonderfully nourishes the vital and animal spirits within us. But as it descends, both spirits are weakened. For this reason David The Biblical King David, the trumpet of Almighty God, rising at dawn to the lyre and songs, and meanwhile crying out: It is vain for you to rise before the light original: "Vanum est vobis ante lucem surgere"; a reference to Psalm 127:2, declares that the Sun coming toward us brings all good things with it, and that our spirits, being awakened and illuminated, are wonderfully called back to sublime things. I pass over the fact that the Sun, as they say, like a Prophet original: "Vates", by its approach [brings] prophecies...