Occult science in medicine

by Franz Hartmann

II. Astronomia.

“Astronomy” means the knowledge of the stars, and to the conception of the modern mind it is the science of “celestial bodies,” such as are seen at night on the sky; but to the ancient philosophers all visible things were the symbols and representations of invisible powers, thoughts and ideas, and the expression “Astronomy,” as used by Paracelsus, is, therefore, something quite different from the science of the star-gazers, and refers to the various states of the mind existing in the macrocosm of nature as well as in the microcosm of man. “The very word “celestial” or “heavenly,” refers to something superior to our grossly material nature, and an idea of what are the “stars” with which ancient astronomy and astrology deal, may be formed by studying the signification of the planets referred to in the previous chapter on the Constitution of Man.

The Astronomy of Paracelsus, therefore, does not deal with corporeal, material, visible, cosmic bodies; but with virtutes (virtues) or powers and semina (germs), or essences, all of which are spiritual and substantial; because a power without substance is inconceivable; “power and substance,” “matter and force” being convertible terms, states of one unity, divided only in our conception of the modes of its manifestation. A “star”, in fact, means a state, and a “fixed star” a fixed state of a power in nature; or as it is called in Sanscrit, a Tattwa, which means a state of That or Being, and as all Being is a manifestation of Life or Consciousness, the “stars” are certain states of that universal Life or All-consciousness, in other words, states of the Mind.

“You should know that the constellations of the planets and stars on the sky, with all the firmament, do not cause the growth of our body, our colour, appearance, or behaviour; and have nothing to do with our virtues and qualities. Such an idea is ridiculous; the motion of Saturn interferes with nobody’s life, and makes it neither longer nor shorter, and, even if there had never been a planet called “Saturn” on the sky, there would be people born having saturnine natures. For all that the planet Mars is of a fiery nature, Nero was not its child, and although they are of the same nature (the same kind of energy being manifested in either of them) neither one of them received it from the other.” (“De Ente Astrorum,” Paramirum C. I. 2.)

Perhaps it will not be out of place, for the purpose of facilitating a comprehension of what Paracelsus meant by the term “Astronomy,” to take a glance at the Indian teaching in regard to the Tattwas.

According to these doctrines, the Universe is a manifestation of That (existence or being), manifesting itself as Life (Prana) within the universal Akâsa (primordial matter, which, for all practical purposes, may be regarded as the “cosmic ether” of space). Prana manifests itself upon the various planes of existence in various Tattwas or forms of existence, corresponding to the principles in the constitution of man enumerated above. Of these seven Tattwas five are manifested, corresponding to the five senses of the human body, and they are called as follows:—[13]

1. Akasa Tattwa; the one element forming the substantial basis of the other four, and corresponding to that which upon the physical plane becomes ultimately manifested as audible sound.

2. Vayou Tattwa; representing the principle which renders possible the sensation of feeling or “touch,” upon all planes of existence.

3. Taijas Tattwa; that form of existence which represents that state which manifests itself upon all planes as Light.

4. Apas Tattwa; that principle which renders possible the sensation of taste upon all planes of existence.

5. Prithivi Tattwa; that principle which renders possible the sensation of smell upon all planes of existence.

Words are altogether insufficient to give an idea on which to form a conception of things which are beyond our intellectual comprehension as long as they do not live in our own consciousness; but we may look upon the seven Tattwas as represented by seven modes of vibrations of a cosmic ether, differing from each other not only quantitatively, but qualitatively, so that, for instance, Akasa Tattwa has a circular, Vayou Tattwa a spiral movement, etc.; but such a conception is quite inadequate, as we have to do with living forces, with states of the universal life or consciousness, manifesting themselves not only as the causes of the five modes of perception on the physical plane, but also upon the higher planes; enabling man, for instance, not only to feel the touch of an object upon the physical plane, but to feel with his astral sense the presence of an object upon the astral plane, and in his heart the touch of a spiritual power; to see not only physical light with the eyes of his body, but things in the astral light with his astral organs of seeing; to see intellectual truths and ideas with the eye of his intellect in the light of his intellect, and spiritual things with the eye of the spirit. In fact, everything that exists is a manifestation of Tattwas, or “vibrations of ether;” stationary in its aspect as “matter,” progressive in its aspect as “force;” matter is latent energy, force is active substance;[14] everything is life, consciousness, intelligence, dormant or active according to the conditions existing upon the plane upon which it becomes manifest; every substance is mind, and the forms which we see are only the symbols of the thoughts represented therein.

It is not our purpose within the narrow limits of this work to enter into a deeper investigation of this most interesting, sublime, and elevating science, which has been discussed at length in H. P. Blavatsky’s “Secret Doctrine”; we merely touch upon these points for the purpose of calling attention to it, as it represents an aspect and conception of nature immeasurably higher than the one represented by popular science, and therefore attainable only to those whose aspirations reach beyond this grossly material plane.

The “Secret Doctrine” informs us that in the course of evolution, this our planet has only attained its Kâmarupa or animal form of existence, and that the next higher state of Manas (mind) has hardly begun to become developed. This may be the reason why the science of mind is at present in its infancy, and grasped only by those gifted spirits who, like Paracelsus and others of his kind, by nobility of character and spirituality have outstripped the rest of mankind in higher knowledge; forming, so to say, the vanguard of the army, as it proceeds into the regions of the—not absolutely unknowable—but the unknown.

Modern astronomy teaches the science of the bodies of the planets and stars; the Astronomy of Paracelsus speaks of the spiritual forces represented by those planets, the counterparts of which exist in the constitution of man and as every force in nature acts upon its corresponding element in the nature of man, these universal forces produce certain effects upon those elements in man which exist upon the corresponding plane. Thus for instance it requires no argument to prove that the sun is the source of heat and light and life upon this planet, and that the physical body of man as well as that of the earth receives these energies from the radiations coming from the physical body of the sun; this being the corporeal visible centre of a power existing universally, and whose sphere of activity reaches as far as the limits of our solar system. We all live and have our being physically within the sphere of activity and consequently within the physical elements of the sun; in a similar sense we live and have our being spiritually in the spiritual body and substance of Love, and as the sun of the physical world shines upon our body; so the light of divine wisdom is all around us and ready to penetrate into our soul. Thus Paracelsus teaches that the moon corresponds to the astral body of man, and has certain effects upon it, causing certain states which may ultimately become outwardly manifested as certain moral or physical diseases, and similar correspondencies might be shown to exist between the universal powers represented by the visible planets and the corresponding elements existing in the constitution of man; but however important and interesting this subject may be it finds very little attention on the part of popular medical science, which is far too busy in investigating outward effects of a phenomenal character to find time for attending to that which produces all such phenomena and appearances.[15]

If the Astronomy of Paracelsus were understood, it would be found that man, far from creating his own thoughts, merely remodels the ideas that flow into his mind; that “thought-transference,” far from being a strange and rare occurrence, is as common as the transference of heat; that owing to the oneness of humanity we all feel and think within each other and act out each other’s thoughts. We would know better the real causes of crimes, insanity and disease, and find them to be controvertible terms. We might then perhaps also modify our views regarding the supposed free will and the amount of responsibility of man, and know that the power of will is not a myth, and witchcraft and sorcery no more impossible than the magic action of true love.