(2) 'The wind is without body, the cloud, lightning, and thunder are without body (without hands, feet, &c.) Now as these, arising from this heavenly ether (space), appear in their own form, as soon as they have approached the highest light,

(2) This thunder is honey for all things, and all things are honey for this thunder. This shining, immortal Person who is in thunder, and, with reference to oneself, this shining, immortal Person who is in sound and in tone— he is just this Soul, this Immortal, this Brahma, this All.

(137) the Lights, Flame or Flash, which in the Twinkling of an Eye or Moment shines into all the Powers, even as the sun does in the whole World, is the Holy Ghost, which goes forth from the Clarity or Brightness of the Son of God, and is the Flash of Lightning and Sharpness; for the Son is generated in the Midst or Center of the other Qualities, and is catched by the other Qualities. Understand this high Thing rightly.

(145) For when the Flash rises up in the Center, one sees through and through, but cannot well apprehend or lay hold on it; for it happens to such a one as when there is a Tempest of Lightning, where the Flash of Fire opens itself, and suddenly vanishes. [See v. 79.]

(6) But the fact that they are named winds denotes their rapid action, passing almost instantaneously to all things, and their transporting movement in passing from above to below, and again from below to above, their elevating the second to the height above, and moving the first to a common and provident advance of the inferior Orders. But perhaps some one would say that the appellation of wind, to the aerial spirit, also denotes the Divine likeness of the Heavenly Minds; for this also bears a likeness and type of the supremely Divine energy (as we have demonstrated more fully in the symbolic theology, in our explanation of the four elements) in accordance with the moving and life-producing, and the rapid and resistless development of Nature, and the Hiddenness of the moving sources and terminations to us unknown and invisible. For He says, "Thou knowest not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth." But also the Word of God attributes to them the appearance of a cloud, signifying, through this, that the holy minds are filled super-mundanely with the hidden Light, receiving the first manifestation without boasting over it as such, which they distribute ungrudgingly to the second, as a secondary manifestation, and in proportion to capacity; yea, further, that the productive, and life-producing, and increasing, and perfecting power is enshrined in them, after the fashion of the intelligible production of showers, which summons the receptive womb of the earth, by fruitful rains, to the life-giving pangs of birth.

(136) But that it goes likewise through the dark Way or Passage, it signifies, that the Spirit goes forth also through the Darkness, which is yet in a quiet Rest, and generates it to be Light, if it holds still, and does not kindle the Fire. Note.

(25) I can liken it to nothing else but to a Thunder-clap, when the fierce Fire first falls down, so that it dazzles the Sighs; that fierce Fire is like the Manner of the Conjunction of these two. Now observe, Now

(119) But that the bitter Spirit lies still, and neither hears nor comprehends, or apprehends the Work of the Spirit, it signifies, that the bitter Wrath-fire, which exists in the Flash of Fire, at the Time of the Birth or Geniture of the Light, and still also does so, is not awakened by the Light, also does not comprehend it, but lies captive, imprisoned in the outermost Birth or Geniture, and must give Leave to the Spirit of Light to do its Work in Nature, how it pleases, and yet can neither see, hear, nor comprehend the Work of the Light. [See v. 98.]

(20) And if you open the Eyes of your Mind, you will see that Fire is in Water, as may be seen in a Storm of Lightening, and yet it is no durable Fire, though it be true Fire, which sets Houses on Fire, and burns them. So also you may see that there goes forth from it a mighty forcible Air, and that they are in one another; and besides, you see that Water is generated in the Storm.

(148) As to the Soul, I see it very well, but the Firmament of the Heaven is between, in which the Soul hides itself, and there receives its Rays from the Light of God; and in that Respect it goes through the Firmament of Heaven as a Tempest of Lightening, but very gently, in a most amiable and pleasant Delight and Joy.

(42) And the Element remains hidden to the Anger and Fierceness [or Wrath,] and stands in Paradise; and the fierce Wrath goes still out from the Element; and therefore God has captivated the Devils with the Element in the fierce Wrath, and he keeps them [in] with the Element; and the fierce Wrath cannot [touch or] comprehend it, like the Fire and the Light; for the Light is neither hot nor cold, but the fierce Wrath is hot; and the one holds the other, and the one generates the other.

(100) Against which the Wrath, with its Snarling in the astringent and bitter Quality, at the hinder Gums in the Hollow on the Tongue, struggles, and keeps its Right to itself, and keeps its Seat in its Place, and lets the meek Spirit come forth from the Heart, through it, and thunders with its snarling after it, and so helps to form or frame the Word, yet with its thundering cannot get away from its Seat, but abides in its hollow Hole, as a captive Prisoner, and looks terribly. This is a great Mystery.

(80) But when the Mouth opened to speak, that is, when the seven Spirits had incorporated or compacted the Word together in their Will, and sent it through the Tone into the Salitter of God, then it was no otherwise, than if there went a fiery Thunder-bolt into God’s Nature; or as a fierce Serpent, which tyrannizes, raves, and rages, as if it would tear and rend Nature all to Pieces.

(5) [Thereon] out of the Light [...] a Holy Word (Logos) descended on that Nature. And upwards to the height from the Moist Nature leaped forth pure Fire; light was it, swift and active too. The Air, too, being light, followed after the Fire; from out of the Earth-and-Water rising up to Fire so that it seemed to hang therefrom. But Earth-and-Water stayed so mingled with each other, that Earth from Water no one could discern. Yet were they moved to hear by reason of the Spirit-Word (Logos) pervading them.

(1) Iximiprus saith:—I testify that the beginning of all things is a Certain Nature, which is perpetual, coequalling all things, and that the visible natures, with their births and decay, are times wherein the ends to which that nature brings them are beheld and summoned.* Now, I instruct you that the stars are igneous, and are kept within bounds by the air. If the humidity and density of the air did not exist to separate the flames of the sun from living things, then the Sun would consume all creatures. But God has provided the separating air, lest that which He has created should be burnt up. Do you not observe that the Sun when it rises in the heaven overcomes the air by its heat, and that the warmth penetrates from the upper to the lower parts of the air? If, then, the air did not presently breathe forth those winds whereby creatures are generated, the i Sun by its heat would certainly destroy all that lives. But the Sun is kept in check by the air, which thus conquers because it unites the heat of the Sun to its own heat, and the humidity of water to its own humidity. Have you not remarked how tenuous water.

is drawn up into the air by the action of the heat of the Sun, which thus helps the water against itself? If the water did not nourish the air by such tenuous moisture, assuredly the Sun would overcome the air. The fire, therefore, extracts moisture from the water, by means of which the air conquers the fire itself. Thus, fire and water are enemies between which there is no consanguinity, for the fire is hot and dry, but the water is cold and moist.. The air, which is warm and moist, joins these together by its concording medium; between the humidity of water and the heat of fire the air is thus placed to establish peace. And lock ye all how there shall arise a spirit from the tenuous vapour of the air, because the heat being joined to the humour, there necessarily issues something tenuous, which will become a wind. For the heat of the Sun extracts something tenuous out of the air, which also becomes spirit and life to all creatures. All this, however, is disposed in such manner by the will of God, and a coruscation appears when the heat of the Sun touches and breaks up a cloud.

The Turba saith:—Well hast thou described the fire, even as thou knowest concerning it, and thou hast believed the word of thy brother.

(128) But it could not be; for the Bar or Bolt of the Wrath lies before it: For even the whole or universal Nature of the astral Birth in this World cannot comprehend the Light of God, and therefore the Heart of God is hidden and concealed, which however dwells in all Places, and comprehends all.

(74) Neither can the Wrath take hold of it or apprehend it, but the Wrath remains in the Terror or Crack of the Fire-flash, and makes the Mobility in the dead Body of the Earth and the Water.

(4) 'The red colour of the lightning is the colour of fire, the white of water, the black of earth. Thus vanishes what we call the lightning, as a mere variety, being a name, arising from speech. What is true are the three colours.

(102) Thou know st Him not. Now He appears as fire, Dread force; as water now; and now as gloom; And in the beasts is dimly shadowed forth, In wind, and cloud, in lightning, thunder, rain; And minister to Him the seas and rocks, Each fountain and the water's floods and streams.

(66) Behold, when God said, Let there be Light, then the Light in the Powers of Nature, or the seven Spirits of God, rose up, and the Firmament of Heaven, which stands in the Word, in the Heart of the Water, between the astral and outermost Birth or Geniture, was closed or shut up, by or with the Word and Heart of the Water, and the astral Birth is the Place of the Parting-mark or Limit, which stands half in Heaven, and half in the Wrath.