176 PARACELSUS 



likewise. The elements themselves are invisible ; that 

 which is visible belongs merely to the external form. 

 The Arcanum of Man — i.e., the real inner man — is in- 

 visible ; that which we see of him is not an essential part of 

 his constitution, but merely his external corporeal form." ^ 



" The things which we see are not the active prin- 

 ciples, but merely the corpus containing them ; the visible 

 forms are merely external expressions of invisible prin- 

 ciples. Forms are, so to say, the vehicles of powers, and 

 they may be visible or invisible. The invisible air and 

 the ether of space, or a perfectly clear and, therefore, 

 invisible crystal, are just as much corporeal as the solid 

 earth, a piece of wood, or a rock. Each of these cor- 

 poreal things has its own particular life and inhabitants 

 (micro-organisms) ; we walk about in the air, although 

 the air is corporeal ; fishes swim about in the water, and 

 the yolk of an Qgg rests in the albumen without sinking 

 to the bottom of the shell. The yolk represents the 

 Earth, and the white represents the invisible surround- 

 ings of the Earth, and the invisible part acts upon the 

 visible one, but only the philosopher perceives the way in 

 which that action takes place." 



" All the influences of the terrestrial and the astral 

 world converge upon man, but how can a physician 

 recognise the manner in which they act and prevent or 

 cure the diseases which are caused by that action, if 

 he is not acquainted with the influences existing in 

 the astral plane? The star-gazer knows only the ex- 

 ternal visible heaven ; but the true astronomer knows 

 two heavens, the external visible and the internal in- 

 visible one. There is not a single invisible power in 



^ Recent experiments go to prove that sensation may be externalised. 

 Thus, for instance, a man may surround himself with an invisible shell or 

 aura by projecting his own odic emanations to a certain distance from his 

 body; so that, while his body becomes insensible to pain, the pain will be 

 felt when the aura around him is touched. This goes to show that sensa- 

 tion exists in the odic aura (Prana), and not in the phyj^ical form. (Com- 

 pare E. Du Prelj Die 89/mpathe(isc?^e Kurmethodc. ) 



