Robert Fludd stratifies this chart into three basic
sections representing a cause, an effect and a consequence - the cause being God
and His spiritual world, the effect being the created world and, in this
context, the
consequence being the effect upon incarnated mankind. The uppermost section
presents at its center the incomprehensible, indescribable Deity flanked by His
ten primary ideas expressed by the corresponding Hebrew names of God,
Angelic Orders, Numbers, Chief Angels and Etheric Planetary Spheres in complete accord
with the Sephirothic Kabbalistic Order. The Deity is symbolized as an
eternal ever-present, all penetrating Light perpetually radiating its
resplendent brilliance into the darkness having the Tetragrammaton
(Hebrew four letter word meaning Jehovah) in its center, distinguishing
this Light from all others. It should be noted that the Etheric Planetary
Spheres and the planets of the solar system are not, and therefore cannot be
dealt with as though they were one and the same. The physical planets are
named after and are analogous to those named in the Etheric. These
correspondences correlate exactly to
the Key to the True Kabbalah
and
the
Practice of Magical Evocation by Franz Bardon.
This preface, if you will, establishes God as the Prime
Mover, His order supreme; the Guiding Cause of all that follows below. The
connection between God and the Sun (sphere) in the Kabbalistic Order is
further exemplified in the center of the chart by the Sun receiving the
Light from God. In the New Revelation writing Jakob Lorber describes the
importance of the Sun to spiritual development in the work; The Spiritual
Sun. This is further emphasized by the excerpt from Psalm 19, “In
the Sun hath He set His tabernacle.” By these interrelated symbols the true
Kabbalah and Christianity are married and in complete accord with each
other. Furthermore, there is a physical Sun, which is visible to anyone on
Earth and a corresponding Spiritual Sun which in the relevant work of Jakob
Lorber is the "Heaven" of the afterlife which is often referred to
Biblically.
To the left and right, in the etheric darkness above
the hemispheric vault of the Earth’s atmosphere are two charts. They are
placed here deliberately to show that affects that the radiance originating
from above the Earth have and that planetary aspects, can and do actively
effect the general weather and some meteorological phenomena of the Earth.
If these aspects are known and can be anticipated an accurate
prognostication can be made because of it. The chart on the left offers
specific effects caused by planetary conjunctions, oppositions, and squares
upon the Earth’s weather within the four seasons indicated as V – Spring, AE
– Summer, A – Autumn, and H - Winter.
To the right is a circular chart showing planetary
aspects enabling one to generally predict weather.
The words; “Opening of the great gates of heaven” are
in the outer circle. Under these words there are various astronomical
aspects well known to astrologers - astronomers that produce rainfall when
present.
These are, the Moon is passing out of conjunction,
square, or opposition with the Sun, Jupiter , or Mars and directly transits
Saturn, Mercury, or Venus or Vice versa. Astrologers predict abundant rain
and possible flooding under these aspects.
The next circle shows the opening of the “lesser doors
of heaven” by which aspects consequentially produce rainfall. These were
kept secret that the astrologers seldom divulged, because this information
could be very useful.
The central portion of the chart shows the Sun and Moon
tracking across the vault of the sky from the Eastern Sunrise to the Western
Sunset. Within this vault the meteorological phenomena precipitate from the
starry heaven of space through the three strata of atmosphere and onto the
physical Earth as a result of planetary and stellar alignment and their
emitted “specifica,” light reflecting in the layers of the atmosphere,
emissions from the Earth itself, the “breath” of the Earth (winds) and the
effects by unseen beings that Fludd refers to as good angels, bad angels and
demons.
In the outermost crescent of the hemisphere are unusual
flame like lights, meteors, comets and glittering scintilla. Some of the
signatures of these comets are described as auspiciously reddish, dark or
silvery-blue, others are more favorable in their pinkish or splendid light.
Again, these are described in detail by Jakob Lorber in his
Earth and
Moon, some as having been projected or borne out of the Earth
itself. Some of course are comets from outer space with known periodic
orbits. The composition of these and their emitted radiance makes their
effects generally detrimental and only rarely beneficial.
Below these in the next crescent are depicted various
types of precipitation - some common, some unusual. Among the most common
are rains, snow, thunder and lightening, trembling lights within clouds and
winds. Among the less frequent and often destructive are extreme thunder
with lightening bolts, hail, sudden strong wind gusts, hurricanes and
disruptive whirlwinds (what might be referred to as tornados at present).
The rarest grouping being described as “monstrous showers” to more
literally emphasize that they are extremely out of the ordinary. These
include frogs, blood, and stones (fish have also been known to fall from
the sky – Biblical fire and brimstone) falling from the sky. (These
come as a result of “specifica” maturing prematurely in the atmosphere - see
Lorber;
Earth and Moon).
Some of these phenomena are attributed, in addition to
implied strictly physical effects, to the actions of good angels, bad angels
and malicious demons also described in great detail by Lorber.
In the lower crescent representing the lower atmosphere
closest to the Earth surface are depicted, in addition to the effects
produced by reflected light and fine precipitates out of moisture, are the
twelve winds. The atmospheric effects produced due to reflected light, light
passing through atmospheric humidity, rains or mists, the lens like effect
of the atmosphere on light and cloud formation are colorations and
magnifications of Sun and Moon, parallel light shafts from the Sun shining
through clouds and the like. The very familiar circular and arch shaped
rainbows due to light refraction are described as are halos around the Sun,
Moon and other stars, the sunlight refracted through the atmosphere
producing reddishness in the evening sky.
The very common appearances of the Moon in the sky in
the morning sky and reflections of the Sun itself in the sky are also shown.
These phenomena are primarily light produced and may be one reason why Fludd
has named this chart in Latin as CATOPTRUM METEOROGRAPHICUM. Catoptrics is
the study of phenomena produced by reflected light and/or rays of various
types being acted upon for the purpose of divination.
Such apparent low cloud formations called “goats,”
shooting or flying stars, the very fine precipitate that produces dew and
frost borne out of the very finest vapors of the lower atmosphere are shown.
It is also very possible that in the lower atmosphere observed at the Earth
surface that various types of mirages such as temples appearing in the sky
due to reflection are very possible.
In many of these phenomena importance is placed on the
position or point of view of the observer in order to observe some of these
projected effects. This positioning is referred to as “aspect.” For
instance, in order to see a rainbow the observer must have the Sun shining
behind him in order for the refracted colors of the rainbow to be projected
in front of him. The observer must be between the Sun and the rainbow.
There is also and explanation for the effect of light
shining against the darkness of space to produce the familiar cerulean or
very dark blue of the sky.
The twelve winds from all points of the compass are of
particular interest as they can bring good and bad influences with them
depending upon their direction and the lands they traverse before arriving
at their ultimate destination. Although the principles of the character
inherent in the directional origin of the specific winds are made, the
reference to the southern or African winds make the effects of these winds
described specifically relative to Europe.
The lowest portion of the chart is divided into three
portions. In the central portion a man is reclining on the Earth. By
incarnating, Man has no choice but to bear the weight of effects causes from
the Spiritual world, the effects of the astral world and consequences of
upon the physical and, therefore is at the very bottom of the chart. Out of
his mouth he utters the statement: “Man is the perfection and end of all the
creatures in the world.” This statement is of immense significance yet is
not explained by Robert Fludd in this chart. Here the writings of Jakob
Lorber are of immeasurable value. What is being uttered means that all of
the “material spirit substance,” out of which the mineral, vegetable and
animal kingdom are composed, goes through a progression from the mineral,
vegetable and animal kingdoms culminating in the human being where it can be
potentially perfected and made freer. To be clear - this is NOT “the
evolution of species.” In the human being the progression of physical matter
does end in the vessel made in the image of God for the salvation of both
the human being and the physical matter.
Flanking the recumbent man are two explanations: on the
left, one of astronomical phenomena sent by good angelic beings to be
beneficial to mankind, and on the right, other astronomical phenomena sent
by malevolent angels as a scourge to mankind.
The benevolent angels send favorable winds, rains, dew
(which is a benevolent manna to plant and animal life on Earth as opposed
to the bad dew which has the opposite effect), Tornados/hurricanes, cold,
ice, clouds, rains and lightening. Whereas the malevolent angels bring fiery
whirlwinds with and without demons, furious winds, rains, springs, thunder
and lightening, and hail.
What ever is of malevolent origin is sometimes sent to
punish the Earthly inhabitants in the listed extreme Biblical precipitates
of Sulphur and Brimstone but in the more everyday occurrences like rains and
snow the unseen spiritual activities that bring them about is to balance out
unseen evils by the angels that oversee and maintain the Earth.
Each statement made in these two lower left and right
panels are supported by Biblical sources indicating where similar events
have taken place in the context of the consequence of human behaviour,
spiritual justice and the consequent Heavenly Will (FIAT).
In conclusion Robert Fludd proves that he is no fool.
He shows that his thinking is clear and sound and, devoid of usual
superstition borne out of pure ignorance or baseless theory of his time. His
explanations of atmospheric phenomenon is scientific but he also emphasizes
the over riding guidance of Divine Providence in all things. The guidance of
Divine Providence is shown to be very structured, orderly, rational and
completely contained within true Kabbalistic and Christian teachings. It is
presented in a manner that few if any are capable of disputing.
Again, all of the observations, conclusions
and axioms laid down by Robert Fludd are completely substantiated by the
Holy Bible, Franz Bardon and Jakob Lorber with mathematical preciseness.
Franz Bardon
and
Jakob Lorber go even further to explain our existence in
details not before written.
