MEDICINE 309 



and in the Microcosm and Macrocosm all things stand in 

 intimate sympathetic relationship with each other, for all 

 are the children of one universal father." ^ 



Not only is Man a compendium of invisible forces, 

 having grown into corporeal shape ; every animal, plant, 

 and mineral is a corporified principle, a materialised 

 power, or a combination of such ; and the Astronomy of 

 Paracelsus includes, therefore, not merely a knowledge 

 of the " stars," but also a knowledge of Zoology, Botany, 

 and Mineralogy. " What is Mars but the principle of 

 Iron, which is found universally distributed in Nature 

 and in the constitution of man ? What is Venus but 

 the power which excites the Vasa Spermatica in men and 

 in animals ? What is Melissa but a power which exists 

 in the astral light and finds its material expression in the 

 herb Melissa, which grows in our gardens ? What are the 

 animals but the personifications of those characters which 

 they represent? Everything is an expression of the 

 principle of life in a material form, and the life is the 

 real thing; the external form is merely the house or 

 Corpus in which it resides " {De Pestilitate), 



Signatures 



" All natural forms bear their signatures, which indicate 

 their true nature. Minerals, vegetables, and animals re- 

 main true to their nature, and their forms indicate their 

 character. Man, who has become unnatural, is the only 

 being whose character often belies his form, because, 

 while his character may have changed into that of an 

 animal, his form has retained the human shape. If 

 such men could re-enter the Limbics of Nature and 

 be bom again in forms which correspond to their true 



* We ought not to forget that each planet corresponds to a certain 

 state of the mind. Thus h represents a melancholy, S a fiery temper, 

 d a dreamy disposition, 11 ambition and pride, ^ intelligence, 9 love 

 and desire, wisdom. 







