Jacob Boehme's Aurora
Chapter 1: Of Searching out the Divine Being in Nature: Of both the Qualities, the Good and the Evil.
THOUGH Flesh and Blood is not able to conceive and apprehend the Being of God or the Divine Being, but the Spirit when it is enlightened and kindled from God,
yet if we will speak of God, and say what He is, then,
- I. We must diligently consider the Powers in Nature.
- II. Also the whole Creation, Heaven and Earth.
- III. The Stars, the Elements, and Creatures, which had their Descent from thence; also the holy Angels, Devils, and Men; moreover, Heaven and Hell.
Of the Two Qualities in One.
In this Consideration are found Two Qualities, a Good one and an Evil one; which are in one another as One Thing, in this World in all Powers, in the Stars and the Elements, as also in all the Creatures; and no Creature in the Flesh, in the natural Life, can subsist, unless it contains the Two Qualities.
Now here we must consider, what the Word QUALITY means, or is. A Quality is the Mobility, boiling, springing, and driving of a Thing.
Of Heat.
As, for Example, Heat, which burns, consumes, and drives forth all, whatsoever comes into it, which is not of the same Property; and again, it enlightens and warms all cold, wet, and dark Things; it compacts and hardens soft Things.
Of Light and Fierceness.
It contains likewise two other Kinds in it, namely, 1. Light, and, 2. Fierceness; of which take Notice, the Light or the Heart of the Heat is in itself a pleasant joyful Glance or Lustre, a Power of Life, an Enlightening and Glance of what is far off, and is a Source of the heavenly Kingdom of Joy.
For it makes all Things in this World living and moving, all Flesh, Trees, Leaves, and Grass, grow in this World, in the Power of the Light, and have their Life therein, viz. in the Good.
Again, it contains also a Fierceness or Wrath which burns, confuses, and spoils; this Wrath or Fierceness springs, drives, and elevates itself in the Light, and makes the Light moveable.
It wrestles and fights together in its two-fold Source, as one Thing: It is also one Thing, but it has a double Source: The Light subsists in God without Heat, but it does not subsist so in Nature.
For all Qualities in Nature are one in another as one Quality, in that Manner, as God is all, and as all Things descend and come forth from him: For God is the Heart or Fountain of Nature, from him comes all.
Now the Heat reigns and predominates in all Powers in Nature, and warms all, and is one Source or Spring in all; for if it was not so, the Water would be too cold, and the Earth would be congealed, and there would be no Air.
The Heat is predominant in all, in Trees, Herbs, and Grass, and makes the Water moveable, so that, through the Waters springing out of the Earth, there grow Herbs and Grass; and it is therefore called a Quality, because it operates, moves, and boils in all, and elevates all.
But the Light in the Heat gives Power to all Qualities, so that all grow pleasant and joyful: Heat without Light avails not the other Qualities, but is a Perdition to the Good, an evil Source or Spring; for all is spoiled in the Fierceness or Wrath of the Heat. Thus the Light in the Heat is a quick Spring or living Fountain; into which the Holy Ghost enters, but not into the Fierceness of Wrath.
Yet the Heat makes the Light moveable, so that it springs and drives forth; as is seen in Winter, when the Light of the Sun is likewise upon the Earth, but the hot Rays of the Sun cannot reach into the Earth, and that is the Reason why no Fruit grows in Winter.
Of the Qualification of the Cold Quality.
Cold is a Quality also as well as Heat; it qualifies or operates in all Creatures, whatsoever come forth in Nature, and in all whatsoever move therein, in Men, Beasts, Fowls, Fishes, Worms, Leaves, and Grass. And
Heat is set in Opposition to it, and qualifies in it, as if it was one and the same Thing; but it opposes the Fierceness or Rage of the Heat, and allays the Heat.
It contains also two Sorts or Species in it, which are to be observed, viz. It mitigates the Heat, and makes all Things pleasant, and is in all Creatures a Quality of Life; for no Creature can subsist without Cold; for it is a springing driving Mobility in every Thing.
The other Kind of Species is Fierceness; for where it gets Power, it suppresses all, and spoils all, even as the Heat does; no Life could subsist in it, if the Heat did not hinder it. The Fierceness of Cold is a Destruction to every Life, and the House of Death, even as the Hot Fierceness also is.
Of the Qualification of the Air and the Water.
Air has its Original from Heat and Cold; for Heat and Cold work powerfully, and replenish all, whereby is caused a lively and stirring Motion; but when Cold allays or mitigates the Heat, then both their Qualities are rarefied and made thin; and the bitter Quality draws them together, so that they become dewy.
Now these Two Qualities wrestle continually one with another, the Heat consumes the Water, and the Cold condenses or crowds the Air. Now Air is a Cause and the Spirit of every Life and Motion in the World, whether it be in Flesh, or in any of the Vegetables; all whatever is, has its Life from the Air, and Nothing whatsoever can subsist without Air, that moves and is in this World.
Water also springs in every living and moving Creature in this World; in the Water consists the Body of every Thing, as the Spirit consists in the Air, be it in Vegetables or in Flesh. And
Now in these two Qualities two other Species or Kinds are to be observed, viz. a living and a dead Operation. The Air is a living Quality, if it is temperate or moderate in a Thing, and the Holy Ghost reigns in the Calmness or Meekness of the Air, and all the Creatures rejoice therein.
But there is a Fierceness or Wrath also in it, so that it kills and destroys by its terrible Disturbance. But the Qualification takes its Original from the fierce Disturbance or Elevation, so that it moves and drives in every Creature, from whence Life has its Original and exists; and therefore both of them must be in this Life.
The Water also contains a fierce deadly Spring, for it kills and consumes; and so all Things that have a Life and Being must rot and perish in the Water.
Thus is Heat and Cold a Cause and Original of Water and Air, in which every Thing acts and stands; every Life and Mobility stands therein. Of this I shall write more plainly, when I speak of the Creation of the Stars.
Of the Influences of the other Qualities in the Three Elements, Fire, Air, and Water.
Of the Bitter Quality.
The Bitter Quality is the Heart in every Life; for as it draws together the Water in the Air, and also dissipates the same, so that it becomes separable; so also in other Creatures, and in Vegetables of the Earth. For Leaves and Grass have their green Colour from the bitter Quality.
Now if the bitter Quality dwells meekly and gently in any Creature, then is it the Heart or Joy therein; for it dissipates all other evil Influences, and is the Beginning or Cause of Joy or of Laughing.
For being moved, it causes the Creature to tremble and be joyful, and raises it up in its whole Body; for it is the Glimpse or Ray of the heavenly Joyfulness, an Elevation of the Spirit, a Spirit and Power or Virtue in all Vegetables, and the Mother of Life.
The Holy Ghost moves and drives vehemently in this Quality, for it is a Part of the heavenly Joyfulness, as I shall demonstrate afterwards.
But it contains yet another Species or Kind, namely, Fierceness or Wrath, which is the very House of Death, a Corruption of all Good, a Perdition and Destruction of the Life in the Flesh.
For if it be elevated too much in any Creature, and be inflamed in Heat, then Flesh and Spirit separate, and the Creature loses its Life, and must die; for it moves and kindles the Element of Fire; for in the great Heat and Bitterness no Flesh can subsist.
Of the Sweet Quality.
The Sweet Quality is set opposite to the Bitter, and is a gracious pleasant Quality, a refreshing of Life, an allaying of Fierceness, it makes all pleasant and friendly in every Creature, it makes the Vegetables of the Earth fragrant and of good Taste, affording fair, yellow, white, and ruddy Colours.
It is a Glimpse and Source of Meekness, of Pleasure, of heavenly Joyfulness, a House or Mansion of the Holy Ghost, a Qualification of Love and Mercy, a Joy of Life.
But it contains also a fierce or wrathful Source, a Source of Death and Corruption. For if it is kindled in the bitter Quality in the Element of Water, then it breeds Diseases, and the Plague or Pestilence, and Corruption of the Flesh.
But if it is kindled in the Heat and Bitterness, then it infects the Element of Air, whereby is engendered a sudden spreading Plague, and sudden Death.
Of the Sour Quality.
The Sour Quality is set opposite to the Bitter and Sweet, and is a good Temper to all, a refreshing and cooling when the bitter and sweet Qualities are elevated too much; it is a longing Delight in the Taste, a Pleasure of Life, a stirring, boiling, flowing Joy in every Thing; a Desire, Longing, and Lust of Joyfulness, a still Joy or Habitation of the Spirit; thus it is a Temperature to all living and moving Creatures.
It contains also a Source of Evil and Corruption: For if it is too much elevated, or stirs too much in any Thing, so that it is inflamed, then it engenders Sadness and Melancholy.
In the Water it causes a Stink, Putrifieds, and Rankness, a Forgetfulness of all Good, a Sadness of Life, a House of Death, a Beginning of Sorrow, and an End of Joy.
Of the Astringent and Salish Quality.
The Salish Quality is a good Temperature in the bitter, sweet, and sour, making every Thing pleasant; it opposes the rising of the bitter Quality, as also of the sweet and sour, lest they should be inflamed: it is a sharp Quality, a Delight in the Taste, a Source of Life and Joy.
It contains also Fierceness and Corruption: Being inflamed in the Fire, it engenders a hard, tearing, and stony Nature, a fierce, wrathful Source, a Destruction of Life, whereby the Stone or Gravel is engendered, causing great Pain and Torment.