The Magus/Book 1/Part 2/Chapter 32

THE Sun and Moon have obtained the adminiftration of ruling the heavens, and all bodies under the heavens. The Sun is the lord of all elementary, virtues; and the Moon, by virtue of the Sun, is miftrefs of generation, increafe or decreaſe. Albumfar fays, that by the Sun and Moon, life is infufed into all things; which Orpheus calls the enlivening eyes of Heaven. The Sun giveth light to all things of itſelf, and gives it plentifully, not only to all things in heaven and air, but earth and deep. Whatever good we have, Jamblicus fays, we have it from the Sun alone; or from it through other things. Heraclitus calls the Sun, the fountain of celeftial light; and many of the Platonifts placed the foul of the world chiefly in the Sun, as that which, filling the whole globe of the Sun, doth fend forth its rays on all fides, as it were a fpirit through all things, diftributing life, fenfe, and motion to the univerfe. Hence the antient naturalifts called the Sun the very heart of Heaven; and the Chaldeans put it as the middle of the Planets. The Egyptians alfo placed it in the middle of the world, viz. between the two fives of the world; i. e. above the Sun they place five planets, and under him, the Moon and four elements. For it is, amongſt the other ftars, the image and ftatue of the great Prince of both worlds, viz. terreftrial and celeftial; the true light, and the moft exact image of God himfelf: whofe effence reſembles the Father---light, the Son---heat, the Holy Ghoft. So that the Platonifts have nothing to hold forth the divine effence more manifeftly by than this. The Sun difpofes even the very fpirit and mind of man, which Homer fays, and is approved by Ariftotle, that there are in the mind fuch like motions as the Sun, the prince and moderator of the planets, brings to us every day; but the Moon, the neareft to the earth, the receptacle of all the heavenly influences, by the fwiftnefs of her courfe, is joined to the Sun, and the other planets and ftars, every month; and receiving the beams and influences of all the other planets and ftars, as a conception, bringing them forth to the inferior world, as being next to itſelf; for all the ​ftars have influence on it, being the laft receiver, which afterwards communicates the influence of all the fuperiors to thefe inferiors, and pours them forth on the earth; and it more manifeftly difpofes thefe inferiors than others. Therefore her motion is to be obferved before the others, as the parent of all conceptions, which it diverfely iffues forth in thefe inferiors, according to the diverfe complexion, motion, fituation, and different afpects to the planets and other ftars; and though it receives powers from all the ftars, yet eſpecially from the Sun, as oft as it is in conjunction with the fame, it is repleniſhed with vivifying virtue; and, according to the afpect thereof, it borrows its complexion. From it the heavenly bodies begin that feries of things which Plato calls the golden chain; by which every thing and caufe, being linked one to another, do depend on the fuperior, even until it may be brought unto the fupreme caufe of all, from which all things depend; hence it is, that, without the Moon intermediating, we cannot at any time attract the power of the fuperiors; therefore, to obtain the virtue of any ftar, take the ftone and herb of that planet, when the Moon fortunately comes under, or has a good afpect on, that ſtar.