CHAPTER VII.

Touching the Distribution of all Astrology into the Seven Governors of the World, and their Operations and Offices, as well in the Macrocosm as in the Microcosm.

THE whole shop of Nature, with all her sorts of sciences and actions, is ordained and distributed into Seven chief members, Kingdoms or Dominions according to the Seven Astras of the Planets; of the Sun, of the Moon, of Mercury, of Venus, of Mars, of Jupiter, of Saturn. who are the Governors of all natural things extant in the whole frame of the World by the four Elements.

But the Light of Nature, which we call Astrology, is nothing else than the very life, vigour, virtue, action and operation of the whole world, in things, which proceed and come forth from the Soul of the World, or the Spirit of the Firmament; whose seat is in the body of the Sun. For there the Soul of the World, or the Spirit of the Macrocosm dwells, as the Soul of the Microcosm in the heart, and in the sun it is most potent, whence it diffuseth his virtues, actions and powers, out of itself ever and anon into the other six Planets,— the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. And, moreover, in all the other Stars, being throughout the whole stelliferous chaos.

By this only Soul the whole World lives, is governed, agitated and moved, as a body by its spirit.

The Sun is the heart and light of the World. In this heart, I say the Soul inhabits, which illuminates all and every the Planets and Stars upwards above itself, and downwards beneath itself, as well in the day as in the night time, and disperses its power into all and singular bodies, as well the superior things to the utmost superficies of the frame, as also the inferior things even to the inward centre in the earth.

Yea, the Sun by his virtue passeth through all corporeals like unto glass, and operates in them without any impediment.

The power and working of the Sun. — So his force penetrates the whole body of the sea as glass, without any obstacle, even to the lowest bottom thereof; so the whole body of the earth, full of pores on every side, is passable to the Sun, even to the inward point of its Circle. So the Sun fills the sphere of Air; also the spheres of Heaven, and enters into views, and possesseth with his power all the Angels of all the regions and parts of the World, as the Soul doth the body of the Microcosm; and not only the Chaos and the bodies of Elements, but also all the generations and substances of all things whencesoever existing, as well subtle as gross, as well light as heavy, as well soft as hard; metals, mountains, hills, gems, rocks, stones, wood, and whatsoever is, everywhere, so as it reacheth to the very centre of the earth; neither is his force and operation wanting, or deficient there. For all bodies though never so great, gross, thick, are altogether as glass to the penetrative power of the Sun, and although our eyes do not so expressly know and see this present ingressive, penetrating, subtle and active power of the Sun in all things, but the gross bodies always are and remain in our eyes gross, dark and shady, yet in respect of the Sun, and to the virtue of the Sun, after their manner, all things are diaphanous and perspicuous, and penetrable. Which solar virtue thrusts forth and produces all things hid in the earth: and, also, the air is such, that with the very virtue of the Sun, it doth essentially enter into all bodies, penetrate and fill all things. Life is Fire. —For fire is the life of things; no fire can burn, that is, live without air, wheresoever therefore there is life, or fire, or the virtue of the Sun, there also is air. The World a great Creature—Now the whole greater World, as to its soul and body, with all the creatures that are therein, is one Creature by itself, and one animal, and lives like an animal, having in itself its vital Spirit, endued with a Sevenfold operation, or diffused into the seven Planets, into all the Stars, and into all the elements, and all vegetables, minerals and animals generated of elements. The element of Fire hath his shop or seat in the body of the Sun, Planets and all the Stars; in that fire the Phoenix of the world, or Soul of the world, dwells, which operates all things, and is the Light of Nature, the Vulcan of Heaven, the Archeus of Nature.

The Air is its respiration and balsam, the Water is its blood, the Earth is its flesh. In like manner also it is in the Minor World, or Man, who, as to his soul and body (the form excepted) in all things answers to the Major World, as a son to his father, because taken out of him, and placed in him.

In the heart, is the seat or habitation of the soul of the little world, or the Siderian Spirit, whose virtue, life, motion, nature, force, operation, ever and anon by going forth, diffuseth itself into the other six principal members of the Microcosm, — the Brain, the Liver, the Lungs, the Gall, the Spleen, the Reins, and from thence into the whole body, and all the muscles, veins, nerves, parts and extremities of the whole Microcosm ; and so, that only Soul, resident in the Heart, carries, governs, agitates, leads, moves the whole body, according to the nature and propriety of these Seven principal members; by which the body performs all his works, as well artificial and subtle, as simple and rude.

As the soul of the Macrocosm, labouring in the Seven Governors of his body, and the rest of the stars, produceth all created things.

Therefore, as to the concordance of these seven Governors, Planets, Stars, or Virtues in the Major and Minor Worlds, it is certain that

And as to the Elements,

For in the Flesh of the Microcosm lieth hid the essence, nature and propriety of all vegetables springing out of the Earth, compacted and dispersed throughout the whole body.

In the Blood doth exist the essence, nature and propriety of all minerals and metals bred of Water, dispersed throughout the whole region of the blood.

In the Respiration, whose seat is in the Lungs, the Bowels, and the Veins, and all pores, muscles, etc., is the essence, nature and propriety of all the airy creatures, dispersed through the whole body.

In the Heat dwells the essence, nature, force, operation, and propriety of all the Stars, and constellations of stars, dispersed through the whole body.

Moreover, as to the concordance of either Light, as well in the Major as in the Minor World, thus it is.

Also, the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil, which is evident only to Magians. —Whatsoever things man living on earth hath found out, first theoretically, by speculating, meditating, searching and inquiring,, excogitating, from within in his heart and after by his free Will or desire produceth, endeavours, attempts, institutes, handles, operates and transfers to practice in whatsoever kind of Sciences, Arts, Faculties, (Theology excepted, which is not a human invention) studies, handy works, labours and negotiations, whether they be referred to good or evil, —all these comprehended under one name, are called the Light of Nature, or Astrology, or Natural Wisdom, arising from the Natural Heaven, or Firmament and Stars. That wisdom and that light are in the Soul of Man, dwelling and working in the heart, which, if it be exalted in its power given to it, and created in it, can do the same, and more, than the soul of Nature in the Macrocosm, whose seat is in the Sun; because Man the Microcosm is the quintessence, extracted from the Macrocosm.

But, seeing all and singular Sciences, Arts, Faculties, Orders, States, kinds of Life and Studies flourishing amongst men on the earth, arise and proceed from an internal invisible Heaven, Firmament, Star and Light of Nature, in the Microcosm, which is extracted from the Light, Heaven, Firmament, and Star of the Macrocosm, and hath its singular anatomy, distribution and conveniency to the offices and operations of the Seven Governors of the World without, we, as the order of those Governors extant in the Firmament of Heaven is exposed to our eyes, will first of all handle Saturn, occupying the supreme sphere; to wit, what is the theory and practice of his Heaven, Star, or constellation, with his adjunct stars in the Macrocosm; that is, what is his condition, nature, propriety, virtue and inclination, what Science, what Art, and Industry, what Order, what Study, what Fortune, what good and what evil men draw and handle from him on the earth.

Whereby it will appear that Saturn is not only without a man in the Major World, but also in man, with all the legion and inclination of the adjunct stars.

Then, how the whole Astrology, —that is, the nature, propriety and operation of this Planet—ought to be Theologized, by the exercise of the Sabbath.