7: The Seven Classical Planets

THE 7 PLANETS, ANGELS & METALS The forces of the holy number seven The seven planetary levels

1. ☉ Sun – Illumination
2. ☽ Moon – Emotion and intuition
3. ☿ Mercury – Communication, knowledge
4. ♀ Venus – Love and beauty
5. ♂ Mars – Strength and action
6. ♃ Jupiter – Expansion and wisdom
7. ♄ Saturn – Discipline and limitation

"There are seven cities, seven metals, seven days, and the number seven; seven letters, seven words in order meet, seven times, and as many places; seven herbs, seven arts, and seven stones. Divide seven by three, and thou shalt be wise. No one will then strive to precipitate the half. In brief, all will proceed favourably in this number."

— The Sophic Hydrolith, The Hermetic Museum, Vol. I, by Arthur Edward Waite, c. 1893

☿ Mercury. Wisdom ; i.e., the knowledge of the soul that realises the truth, and which has nothing to do with the action of the intellect, that consists in collecting and comparing ideas. "All things are hidden within all things. One of them is their concealer, and at the same time their body and vehicle, external, visible, and movable. All things are revealed within this vehicle, for it is a corporified spirit; but the spirit thereof has no name." Translated into modern language this means: "Mercury represents divine wisdom. The whole of Nature is a vehicle and visible manifestation of the wisdom of God ; but God Himself cannot be described. He is the universal life, the root of all consciousness and knowledge, and the will of divine wisdom."

♃ Jupiter. Universal primordial substance and power. "Within the body of Jupiter are contained all the other six metals in a spiritual state, each always still deeper hidden and more remote than the one that precedes." This means that, of all the seven principles, each contains the other six either actively or potentially. Thus, even within a stone or an oyster there is a hidden spark of divinity, such as may become conscious and mani- fest in the constitution of man.

Mars. Universal energy. The will. "Mars, owing to its combative energy, is enabled to gain glory and to assume the place of the king. Care will have to be taken that he does not become captured. We must see how we can raise him up and combine ☉ and ☾ with ♄ in the place of Mars." This indicates that we should seek to attain a powerful will, but avoid letting that will become subservient to matter ♄. This is done by combining our imagination (☾) with wisdom (☉).4.

Venus. Love, identical with Knowledge ; because true love is the spiritual recognition of the true self. "The six other metals have formed a corruptible external body with the quality of Venus ; but all combustible things can be changed by the power of fire." This is to say that human love is at present bound up with many impurities, but when the true fire of love awakens, these impurities will bum away and leave us in possession of unadulterated wisdom.

♄ Saturn. The Life-principle. Saturn says: "My six brothers have relegated me and expelled me from the spiritual kingdom. They have forced me to live in a corruptible form. I have to submit to be that which they refuse to be. My body is attracted to the earth, so that everything I embrace becomes earthly ; but it would not be well for the world to know all the virtue hidden in me and all that I may accomplish." This means that the human mind (Manas) is the connecting-link between spirit and matter. If the inquisitive scientist were to know the divine life within his own constitution, and could develop it before he has attained innocence and virtue, he would become an incarnate devil instead of a god.

Luna — Moon. Imagination. "The principal thing to know in regard to Luna is its origin. It is the seventh metal, containing the six others in a spiritual state, and it is externally corporeal and material." This goes to show that Luna, in its external aspect, means matter with its phenomena, which are always illusive as long as we do not know their true origin. If we wish to gain absolute knowledge of all things in Nature, we must attain the knowledge of God.

Sol — Sun. The Life, or Wisdom. "It is pure fire, and has within itself all the other six metals (principles)." Everything that exists is a manifestation and product of the one life in the universe, from which all things receive their vitality and powers ; " for that which is visible is merely the vehicle, but the element therein is a spirit, and lives in all things as the soul lives in the body. This is the prima materia of the elements, invisible and in- comprehensible, but nevertheless present in all ; for 'prima materia is nothing else than the life itself in all creatures. That which is without life is no longer an element, but within the ultima materia, wherein is contained neither virtue nor energy " (Philosophia ad Athenienses vol. viii).

Fragment from the book: "The life of Philippus Theophrastus Bombast of Hohenheim known by the name of Paracelsus, c. 1896 by Hartmann, Franz"

"The “Seven Planets” are the Seven Principles which constitute the universe, and which are at least “potentially” contained in everything. Paracelsus speaks of them in a very mystical language, as follows: “There are seven elementary powers or principles — four lower ones belonging to mortal and changeable things, and a trinity of celestial power, which is also called the quinta essentia. The four elements lower principles can in no way interfere with the quinta essentia. The heavenly and the hellish power is not obedient to the four elementary powers, but each section stands for itself.” (De Mercurio, vol. vi, p. 378) This goes to show that to the spiritual kingdom belongs a state of consciousness different from the lower states of consciousness, and having nothing in common with them. Spirituality is, therefore, not to be considered as a state of high intellectual development, but it is an awakening to an entirely different and higher state of consciousness, which may take place in persons of high intellectual development, but far oftener in those who are unsophisticated and of a simple mind." "What does material science know about things of the soul? Chemistry is a science which deals with the chemical combination, separation, and recombination of physical substances. Alchemy deals with the purification and combination of astral elements, and with the development of lower forms and lower states into higher ones. By chemistry we may purify physical substances from all foreign elements, and divest them of physical impurities, but their own element will not be changed. By alchemy we raise a principle into a higher and purer state of development. The processes in Nature by which combinations and decompositions of matter take place, such as putrefaction, caused by the contact of a substance with air, and the chemical combinations of two or more substances coming into contact with each other, are chemical processes. The growth of a tree out of a seed, the evolution of worlds, the development of precious metals out of an apparently worthless matrix, the growth of a fœtus, the development of an animal or a human being, &c., are alchemical processes, because life itself enters into these processes, as a factor, and they would not take place without the action of life. Planets are states of mind, and as the mind has a higher and a lower aspect, consequently each planet has its two aspects correspondingly. Mercury in its higher aspect is the symbol of wisdom, in its lower aspect that of the intellect. Jupiter in its higher aspect represents majesty, in its lower aspect energy. Mars represents spiritual power, but also in its lower aspect strength of passion, &c. Venus in its higher aspect is divine love, identical with self-knowledge; in its lower aspect, desire. Saturn is the life in the universe, and in another aspect it represents matter. The Sun is the fountain of all life. The Central spiritual sun is the symbol of spiritual life and immortality, the physical sun the source of vitality. The Moon in its higher aspect represents spiritual substance, the glorified soul; in its lower aspect it is the symbol of imagination and fancy." — "Paracelsus", c. 1902 by Franz Hartmann

“Planets are states of mind, and as the mind has a higher and a lower aspect, consequently each planet has its two aspects correspondingly. Mercury in its higher aspect is the symbol of wisdom, in its lower aspect that of the intellect. Jupiter in its higher aspect represents majesty, in its lower aspect energy. Mars represents spiritual power, but also in its lower aspect strength of passion, &c. Venus in its higher aspect is divine love, identical with self-knowledge; in its lower aspect, desire. Saturn is the life in the universe, and in another aspect it represents matter. The Sun is the fountain of all life. The [Central] spiritual sun is the symbol of spiritual life and immortality, the physical sun the source of vitality. The Moon in its higher aspect represents spiritual substance, the glorified soul; in its lower aspect it is the symbol of imagination and fancy.”

— Paracelsus, c. 1902 by Franz Hartmann

"In the journey of afterlife, when the lower nature has returned to the brutishness, the higher struggles again to regain its spiritual estate. It ascends the seven Rings upon which sit the Seven Governors and returns to each their lower powers in this manner: Upon the first ring sits the Moon, and to it is returned the ability to increase and diminish. Upon the second ring sits Mercury, and to it are returned machinations, deceit, and craftiness. Upon the third ring sits Venus, and to it are returned the lusts and passions. Upon the fourth ring sits the Sun, and to this Lord are returned ambitions. Upon the fifth ring sits Mars, and to it are returned rashness and profane boldness. Upon the sixth ring sits Jupiter, and to it are returned the sense of accumulation and riches. And upon the seventh ring sits Saturn, at the Gate of Chaos, and to it are returned falsehood and evil plotting. "Then, being naked of all the accumulations of the seven Rings, the soul comes to the Eighth Sphere, namely, the ring of the fixed stars. Here, freed of all illusion, it dwells in the Light and sings praises to the Father in a voice which only the pure of spirit may understand. Behold, O Hermes, there is a great mystery in the Eighth Sphere, for the Milky Way is the seed-ground of souls, and from it they drop into the Rings, and to the Milky Way they return again from the wheels of Saturn. But some cannot climb the seven-runged ladder of the Rings. So they wander in darkness below and are swept into eternity with the illusion of sense and earthiness. _Manly P. Hall

ת ר פ כ ד ג ב Beth, Gimel, Daleth, Kaph, Peh, Resch, Thaw

7 - Double letters

• planets
• days of the week
• openings of head

1. The Moon
• Gabriel
• Silver
• Mercury
• Raphael
• Quicksilver
• Venus
• Anael
• Copper
• The Sun
• Michael
• Gold
• Mars
• Kamael
• Iron
• Jupiter
• Sachiel
• Tin
• Saturn
• Tzapkiel
• Lead

7 Lamps

The “seven lamps” of Revelation 4:5 and Zechariah’s vision are often interpreted esoterically as the seven planetary powers.

"The seven candlesticks with lighted candles we have no doubt were introduced by Moses as a representative type of the Seven Glorious Ones ’’ — ix. the seven stars of the Little Bear, originally in Stellar Mythos. We have at the present time the same in use amongst the Christian Churches representing the mystic seven, which are the prototypes of the Seven Glorious Ones. Also the 7 Pole Stars each in turn represented The One — and these became the origin of the 7 Powers, 7 Great Princes, etc.

Nothing can be plainer more definite or more convincing than this:

Revelation ii. 28. — I will give him the Morning Star.

Revelation i. 16. — And he had in his right hand seven stars.

Revelation i. 20. — Mystery of the seven stars — and seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. The seven candlesticks are the seven churches.

Revelation hi. i. — Seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

Revelation iv. 5. — ^There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

In furnishing the Ark of testimony according to the pattern seen in the Mount, instructions are given for the Lampstand to be made with Six branches giving out of the Candlestick. But it is added : ''Thou shalt make the lamps thereof seven’' — Ex. xxv.

This therefore was a figure of six encircling the one that was a fixture in the centre — i.e. The Seven Pole Stars."

"“These are the seven ordered realms,” he said, “ruled by the seven stars that guide the fate assigned by the gods. The seven spheres turn in wondrous ways, each receiving from Heaven its proper force, and thus all things move in constant order. These spheres are adorned by stars, bright and pure beyond telling; and from the northern wind comes their cold clarity. Man does not imagine,” he told me, “how great the power and virtue God pours into them, ever and always. For every heaven has its own intelligence, its own motion, and its own nature, and the sphere does not move without its influence."

"The Ideas of all things, which the divine Mind contains, the inferior gods are said to serve; the gifts of those gods, the daemons are said to serve. For from the highest to the lowest, all things go through intermediaries in such a way that the Ideas, which are conceived by the divine Mind, bestow their gifts upon men through the mediation of the gods and the daemons. Of these gifts seven are preeminent: acuity of contemplation, power of governing, animosity, clarity of the senses, ardor in love, subtlety in interpreting, and fecundity in procreating. The power of these gifts God first contains in Himself. Then He distributes the power of these gifts to the seven gods who move the seven planets (and are called angels by us). He does this in such a way that each god receives one gift in preference to the others. The gods then pass on the gifts to the seven classes of daemons which are subject to them, one gift to each class in particular. The daemons transfer them to men. Certainly God infuses these gifts into souls as soon as they are born from Him. As they fall from the Milky Way, through Cancer, into the body, they are wrapped in a special transparent astral body; swathed in this wrapping, they are then enclosed in earthly bodies. For the order of nature requires that the perfectly pure soul is not able to descend into this most impure body until the soul receives a certain mediating and pure covering. This covering, since it is coarser than the soul, but purer and finer than the body, is regarded by the Platonists as the most appropriate link between the soul and its earthly body. And hence it happens that the souls of the planets reinforce and strengthen in our souls (and their bodies in our bodies) the powers of those seven gifts which are given to use by God from the very beginning and continuously thereafter. For the same purpose there is an equal number of kinds of daemons which stand midway between the heavenly beings and men. The gift of contemplation Saturn strengthens by means of Saturnian daemons. The power of governing and ruling Jupiter strengthens with the help of Jovian daemons. Greatness of soul, Mars, through Martian daemons. Clarity of the senses and of opinion (whence comes prophecy), the Sun, with the help of Solar daemons. Love, Venus inspires through Venerean daemons. Skill in speaking and interpretation, Mercury promotes, through the influence of Mercurial daemons. Finally, Luna encourages the function of procreation with the assistance of Lunar daemons. The planets distribute the powers for these gifts to all men, but especially to those over whom they have domination because of the disposition of the heavens at their conception and at their birth. Since these gifts are divinely infused in us, they are obviously virtuous. Nevertheless they can sometimes seem sinful in us on account of abuse; this is obvious in our exercise of governance, animosity, love, and procreation. The instinct of love (lest we digress too far) we have received from the supreme God, and from Venus, who is called a goddess, and from Venerean daemons. Since it descends from God, it must be called a god; since it is strengthened by daemons, it must be called a daemon. Therefore it is rightly called by Agathon a god, by Diotima a daemon, a Venerean daemon, as I say."

• Marsilio Ficino; Commentary On Plato's Symposium. Speech VI, Chapter 4: On the seven gifts which are bestowed upon men by God through intermediary spirits

Images from 'Heidelberg University Library, Cod. Pal. germ. 291 - 'Iatromathematical Household Book'; prayers and reflections, etc.’