VISIO SECUNDA, cap. XXXIV
Wisdom's Rays Illuminate the Virtues
Rays from the Spirit of Wisdom flow into fortitude, trust, and faith, guiding the believer away from presumption and the devil's snares.
But from the middle of the sign of the highest and first planet — the one that appears marked over the head of this same image — certain rays, as it were, go forth, one of which descends to the sign of the sun; this means that from the desirable and preeminent gift of the Spirit of Wisdom, there proceed all the powers that transcend the full depth of human understanding, and from these the holy breathing forth descends to the sign of the sun, that is, to the Spirit of Fortitude, joining itself to it, so that in the believer the fortitude of holiness may advance wisely, and not foolishly presume to do what it cannot carry through. But one ray shines toward the right foot of the Crab's head, which proceeds from the head of the Leopard, signifying that in the saving of souls the revealed breathing forth of the Spirit of Wisdom spreads itself out toward the upright walk of trust, which rises from the fear of the Lord, shielding it so that it trusts in God with the fear of the Lord, and does not treat his mercy as though it were trivial. Another ray stretches toward the right horn of the Stag's head, which also goes out from the same head of the Leopard, because in chastisement the breathing forth of righteousness shows itself, extending to the fortitude of faith, which also rises from the fear of the Lord, guiding it onto the straight path so that it may turn away from the devil's snares, since the devil does not stop punishing a person for the sake of ignorance of the truth.
Understanding's Outpouring Strengthens Patience and Justice
From the Spirit of Understanding, rays reach fortitude, patience, and righteous justice, teaching discernment in service, even-minded endurance, and patient submission to divine correction.
From the middle of the sign of the second planet, another ray bends down over the sign of the sun, signifying that from the abundant fullness of the Spirit of Understanding there flows an outpouring of insight, which also reaches to the Spirit of Fortitude, making clear in this too that every believer should understand with discernment that they must serve their Creator with a courageous heart and renounce the devil. And another ray goes out to the head of the Lamb, which comes from the sign of the Lion's head, so that a person may walk prosperously toward the Creator; the breathing forth from the Spirit of Understanding extends to the patience that proceeds from God's judgment, showing that when a person imitates patience, they should bear both prosperity and hardship with an even mind. And another ray is directed toward the aforementioned line, which stretches in the firmament from the beginning of the eastern part of the aforementioned wheel, as it were toward the end of its western part, toward its northern region, with the Lamb's head placed above it there, which goes out from the sign of the Bear's head; this is so that every believer may avoid what is harmful to their soul, since the breathing forth coming again from the Spirit of Understanding reaches to the righteousness of justice — which, from the beginning of good deeds established in the power of God, separates the devil's snares from righteous works all to the end of those deeds — and patience extends itself to the one assisting from above, which is produced from bodily hardship, warning the person that when God's judgment itself corrects them, they should endure that correction patiently, so that they may not be struck more severely.
Counsel Directs Fortitude and Prudent Discipline
The Spirit of Counsel sends a ray to fortitude for ordered ascent to God, and another to prudence, warning against undisciplined bodily penance that leads to foolish contrition.
The sign of the third planet also stretches from its middle, like a single ray, toward the sign of the sun, which represents the Spirit of Counsel directing its own breathing forth from its power to the Spirit of Fortitude; for although these gifts of the Holy Spirit bear different names, they lead a person to blessedness with one and the same purpose and work, and so the Spirit of Counsel tempers fortitude, in order that a person may rise up to God well and in an ordered way. But yet another ray is directed to the head of the Serpent, which proceeds from the sign of the Lion's head, because in the prosperity of true salvation the Spirit of Counsel spreads its own breathing forth to the prudence that advances from God's judgment, intimating that a person should prudently discipline their body, so that if they disturb it without discernment, they may not, overcome by a foolish contrition, give way under the strain.
Counsel's Second Ray: Foresight Against Despair
The Spirit of Counsel again breathes toward upright justice and heavenly prudence, teaching the God-fearing to take foresight so they do not fall into despair but prudently evade judgment through good inspiration.
But it extends another ray toward the aforementioned line, in the direction of the serpent's head, which emerges from the sign of the bear's head — so that a person might not fall into adversity of soul. The Spirit of Counsel once again turns its own outbreathing toward the uprightness of justice, with the prudence that appears from above, which is stretched out from bodily tribulation, teaching a person who fears the judgment of God, instructing them to take foresight so that, fearing that judgment beyond measure, they do not fall into despair, but so that, through the counsel of a good inspiration, they might prudently evade it.12
A Question About the Sun's Rays
A brief interrogative asks why the sun appears to send out more rays than the other planets and what this signifies.
Why should the sun among them seem to send out more rays than the rest, and what do they — or its rays — signify?
Read the original Latin
Quod autem a medio signi summi primique planetae, qui super caput ejusdem imaginis signatus apparet, velut radii quidam exeunt, quorum unus ad signum solis descendit, hoc est quod ab exoptabili praecellentique dono Spiritus sapientiae, totam altitudinem intellectus hominis transgredientis virtutes prodeunt, ex quibus exspiratio sancta ad signum solis, id est ad Spiritum fortitudinis descendit, illi se associans, quatenus in fideli homine fortitudo sanctitatis sapienter incedat, ne insipienter praesumat hoc facere quod complere non possit. Sed unus ad dextrum pedem capitis cancri, quod a capite leopardi procedit radiat, ostendens quod in salute animarum exspiratio Spiritus sapientiae propalata, ad rectum incessum fiduciae, quae a timore Domini exsurgit, se dilatat, illam muniens ita ut cum timore Domini in Deum confidat, nec frivole misericordiam ipsius velut pro nihilo habeat. Unus vero ad dextrum cornu cervini capitis, quod etiam ab eodem capite leopardi exit se tendit, quia in castigatione exspiratio rectitudinis se demonstrans, ad fortitudinem fidei, quae etiam a timore Domini oritur, se expandit, illam ad rectam viam ducens, quatenus a diabolicis artibus se avertat, cum hominem pro ignorantia veritatis castigare non cessat. A medio quoque signi planetae secundi, ut radius quidam super signum solis se declinat, significans quod ex abundanti plenitudine spiritus intellectus effusio intelligentiae ad spiritum quoque fortitudinis accedit, in hoc etiam manifestans, ut quilibet fidelis homo subtiliter intelligat, forti animo se Creatori suo servire debere, ac diabolo abrenuntiare. Atque alius ad caput agni, quod a signo capitis leonis venit, egreditur, quoniam ut homo ad Creatorem suum prospere incedat, exspiratio de spiritu intellectus ad patientiam quae ex judicio Dei procedit, extenditur, ostendens quod cum homo patientiam imitatur, prosperitatem et tribulationem aequo animo ferre debeat. Et alius ad praedictam lineam, quae in firmamento principio orientalis partis praefatae rotae velut ad finem occidentalis partis ipsius, versus septentrionalem ejus plagam extenditur, capite agni illic superius posito, quod a signo capitis ursi exit, dirigitur; quia ut quilibet fidelis contraria animae suae devitet, exspiratio iterum a spiritu intellectus veniens ad rectitudinem justitiae quae ab exordio bonorum factorum in virtute Dei manentium usque ad finem ipsorum diabolicas insidias de justis operibus segregans, patientia illi a sursum assistenti, quae de corporali tribulatione producitur, se extendit, hominem monens ut cum judicium Dei ipsum castigat, castigationem illam patienter sufferat, ne acrius feriatur. Signum etiam tertii planetae a medio sui quasi radium unum ad signum solis extendit, quod designat spiritum consilii a virtute sua exspirationem ad spiritum fortitudinis dirigere, quia quamvis haec dona Spiritus sancti diversa nomina habeant, uno tamen studio et opere hominem ad beatitudinem perducunt, sicque spiritus consilii fortitudinem temperat, ut homo ad Deum bene et ordinate se erigat. Alium autem ad caput serpentis, quod a signo capitis leonis procedit, dirigit, quoniam in prosperitate verae salutis spiritus consilii exspirationem suam ad prudentiam, quae ex judicio Dei progreditur, dilatat, innuens quatenus homo prudenter corpus suum castiget, ne si illud sine discretione turbaverit, victus per stultam contritionem in labore succumbat.
Sed alium ad praefatam lineam versus caput serpentis, quod a signo capitis ursi egreditur, prolongat, quia ne homo adversitatem animae incidat, praedictus spiritus consilii exspirationem suam iterum ad rectitudinem justitiae prudentia superius apparente, quae de corporali tribulatione extenditur, se convertit, hominem qui judicium Dei metuit, per hoc docens ut provideat, ne supramodum illud timens, in desperationem cadat, sed ut prudenter per consilium bonae inspirationis illud evadat.
Quare sol medius eorum plures quam caeteri radios emittere videatur, et vel quid ipse vel radii ejus significent.
Notes
- 1 ↩The term rendered 'outbreathing' (exspiratio) is a rare, technical term in Hildegard's visionary vocabulary; precise sense uncertain — it may denote an emanation, inspiration, or outflowing of spirit.
- 2 ↩The phrase adversitatem animae is ambiguous between 'adversity of the soul' (genitive) and 'adversity to the soul' (dative); the genitive reading is preferred here.
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