VISIO QUARTA, cap. XXII
The Firmament Mapped Upon the Human Head
The seven planets are arranged across the human head at equal intervals — the highest planet at the crown, the moon at the brow, the sun in the middle — mirroring their order in the firmament, with the whole firmament likened to a rounded vessel from which the sun pours its radiance like wine from a bowl.
From the uppermost top of the brain's vessel down to the farthest edge of a person's brow, seven places are marked off from one another at equal intervals, through which the seven planets, spaced at equal distances from each other in the firmament, are assigned signs — so that at the uppermost top the highest planet is noted, and at the farthest edge of the brow the moon is displayed, and in the middle space the sun is shown, while the remaining planets are marked on each side of this place — two above, and likewise two below — in the same position, and set at the same distance from one another and from the boundary of the sun's and the other planets' place, since these spaces in a person's head differ from one another by equal measure, just as those planets in the firmament are distant by equal measure of space. And at the top of the head the highest planet is signed, because it has a wider circle of revolution than the others; but the brow is assigned the moon, since just as modesty is noted in a person's brow, so too in the moon — which appears openly like a brow — the seasons and their qualities are distinguished. In the middle of these, however, the sun is placed, since it is, as it were, the prince of the others, holding above itself the protection of two planets like a shield against the fire above; and below itself it supports the sustenance of two others, both its own and the moon's. But the higher the highest planet stands in its own degree above the sun, the lower the moon in the circuit of its orbit differs from it, while the others hold equal spaces between themselves, as was said above. Therefore the upper and lower part of the firmament is like a round, turned vessel, and in its upper roundness the sun is placed; it passes through the firmament above and below, and sends forth its splendor, just as wine is poured from a bowl.
The Seven Gifts Woven Through a Soul's Work
The planetary arrangement signifies that the soul should honor the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit with equal devotion across every action — expanding in wisdom at the outset, contracting in holy fear at the close, and adorning itself with strength, understanding, counsel, knowledge, and piety in between, so that each virtue joins the next and every good work is completed in uprightness.
These things signify that the soul, in the human body, from the beginning of its works to their completion, ought to reverence the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit with equal devotion — so that at the start of its work it seeks wisdom, and at its end holds fear, and in the middle places strength, fortifying itself in heavenly things with understanding and counsel, and surrounding itself in earthly things with knowledge and piety, which must be embraced with equal devotion as aids to itself. Therefore care must be given to it — that is, to the soul — so that at the outset it wisely expands itself, but at the last timidly, with modesty, draws itself together; and between these it adorns itself with strength, along with the beauty of understanding and counsel, and also equips itself with knowledge and piety, as was said above. And each of these joins with the next, as every good work is brought to completion in uprightness.
Wisdom, Strength, and Fear Soaking the Soul
The spirits of wisdom, strength, and the fear of the Lord soak the soul so that it walks wisely in true strength and directs itself through all seven gifts toward the Creator, while the rational soul and the body's five senses work in equal measure as one whole person bringing every good thing to light.
For the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of strength, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord soak the human soul in this way: so that it walks wisely in true strength, holds to the fear of the Lord within that strength, and also, with an equal devotion, directs itself through the other five gifts of this kind toward the supreme Creator. For the rational motion of the soul and the work of the body with its five senses — which is to say, the whole person — are measured equally: the soul does not move the body more than it can act, nor does the body act more than it is moved by the soul, nor do the distinct senses separate from one another. But they hold together in a higher strength, and as a whole person, in things both high and low, they bring every good thing to light.12
The Brain as Sun and the Body's Inner Firmament
The human brain, divided into three cells and supplying sensation to the whole body, holds the place of the sun — surveying and strengthening the three parts of the world — and kindles the moon with its own fire.
Because the human brain, divided into three cells and supplying sensuality to the whole body, holds the place of the sun — which, as it surveys the three parts of the world, strengthens everything on earth either by tempering it or by warming it — and also kindles the moon with its own fire.
Read the original Latin
A superiori etiam summitate vasis cerebri usque ad ultimam extremitatem frontis hominis, septem loca aequali mensura a se discernuntur, per quae septem planetae aequali spatio a se in firmamento distantes, signati sunt, ita ut in praedicta summitate summus planeta notetur, et in praedicta frontis extremitate luna ostendatur, et in medio spatio istorum sol demonstretur, reliquis planetis ex utraque parte loci hujus scilicet duobus superius, duobus quoque inferius in eumdem locum notatis, et a se, et a termino loci solis et aliorum planetarum pari mensura a se distantibus, quoniam spatia haec in capite hominis aequali mensura a se differunt, sicut et planetae isti in firmamento aequa mensura spatiorum a se distant. Et in summitate capitis summus planeta signatur, quia ipse aliis ampliorem circulum circuitionis habet; fronti autem luna imponitur, quoniam ut in fronte hominis verecundia notatur, ita etiam in luna, quae in aperto velut frons apparet, tempora et qualitates temporum discernuntur. In medio autem horum sol locatur, quoniam ipse quasi princeps aliorum est, super se planetarum duorum defensionem, velut scutum contra superiorem ignem habens; sub se vero aliorum duorum substentationem tam sui quam lunae retinens. Sed quanto spatio summus planeta in superiori gradu suo a sole distat, tanto etiam luna in infimo gradu circuitus sui ab ipso differt, aliis aequalia spatia, ut supra dictum est, inter se habentibus. Superior itaque et inferior pars firmamenti, ut crater tornatilis rotunda est, in superiorique rotunditate sol positus est, qui idem firmamentum superius inferiusque pertransit, splendoremque suum emittit, velut et vinum de cratere funditur. Haec autem designant quoniam anima in humano corpore ab incoeptione operum suorum usque ad finitionem eorum septem dona sancti Spiritus aequali studio venerari debet, ita ut in initio operationis suae sapientiam adeat, et in fine ejus timorem habeat, et ut in medio illius fortitudinem ponat, intellectu et consilio in coelestibus se muniens, scientia quoque et pietate in terrenis se circumdans, quae pari devotione illi in auxilium sui amplectenda sunt. Proinde curandum illi, id est animae, ut primitus sapienter se dilatet, in ultimo autem timide cum verecundia se constringat, et inter haec fortitudine se cum decore intellectus et consilii exornet, atque etiam scientia et pietate, ut supra dictum est, se communiat. Et unumquodque istorum alii se conjungit, quodlibet opus bonum in honestate perficiendo.
Spiritus enim sapientiae, spiritus quoque fortitudinis, ac spiritus timoris Domini, animam hominis hoc modo imbuunt, ut in vera fortitudine sapienter incedat, et in illa timorem habeat, et etiam in aliis ejusmodi quinque donis aequo animo ad supernum Creatorem se contineat. Motus enim rationalis animae, et opus corporis cum quinque sensibus ejus, quod totus homo est, parem modum habent, quoniam anima corpus non plus movet quam illud operari potest, nec corpus plus operatur quam per animam movetur, nec discreti sensus ab invicem se separant; sed in alta fortitudine ad invicem se continent, et totum hominem, tam in superioribus quam in inferioribus, ad quaelibet bona elucidant.
Quia cerebrum hominis, tribus divisum cellulis, et sensualitatem toti subministrans corpori, vicem solis obtineat, qui tres mundi partes perlustrans, omnia quae in terris sunt temperando vel fovendo confortat, et etiam igne suo lunam accendit.
Notes
- 1 ↩'in alta fortitudine' ('in a higher strength') may refer to a unifying divine fortitude or to the integrative power of the soul; the rendering preserves the ambiguity.
- 2 ↩'elucidant' is a rare verb meaning 'bring to light / make clear'; rendered actively as 'bring every good thing to light' to capture the cooperative sense of soul and body working toward good.
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