Earths In Our Solar System Which Are Called Planets, and Earths In The Starry Heaven Their Inhabitants, And The Spirits And Angels There

by Emanuel Swedenborg

72. With reference specially to the presence of spirits with the inhabitants of the earth Jupiter, there are spirits who chastise, spirits who instruct, and spirits who govern them. The spirits who chastise apply themselves to the left side, and incline themselves towards the back; and when there, they draw out of the man's memory all the things that he has done or thought: this is easy for spirits to do, for when they come to a man they enter into all his memory[^j]. If they find he has done evil, or has thought evil, they reprove him, and also chastise him with pain in the joints of his feet or hands, or with pain about the region of the belly; this, too, spirits can do skilfully when it is permitted. When such spirits come to a man, they inspire him with a horror accompanied by fear, by which the man is made aware of their coming. Fear may be excited in any person by evil spirits on their approach, especially by those who, during their life in the world, had been robbers. In order that I might know how these spirits act when they come to a man of their own earth, it was permitted that such a spirit should approach me. When he was near, horror accompanied by fear manifestly seized hold of me; yet it was not inwardly that I shuddered, but outwardly, because I knew it was a spirit of such a character. He also came in sight, and he appeared as a dark cloud, in which were wandering stars; wandering stars signify falsities, but fixed stars signify truths. He applied himself to my left side towards the back; and he also began to reprove me for deeds and thoughts which he drew out of my memory, and on which he put a wrong construction; but he was checked by the angels. When he apperceived that he was with one who was not a man of his own earth, he began to speak to me, saying, that when he comes to a man, he knows all things in general and particular that the man has done and thought, and that he severely reproves him, and also chastises him with various pains. At yet another time such a chastising spirit came to me, and applied himself to my left side below the middle of the body, as the former spirit had done; he also wanted to punish me; but he, too, was restrained by the angels. He showed me, however, the kinds of punishments which they are permitted to inflict on the men of their earth, if they do evil, or harbour the intention of doing it. These were, besides the pain of the joints, a painful contraction about the middle of the belly, which is felt like compression by a tight belt; a deprivation of respiration at times even to suffocation; also a prohibition to eat anything but bread for a time; and, lastly, the threat of death, if they do not discontinue doing such things, with the deprivation, at the same time, of conjugial, parental, and social joy; grief on this account is then also insinuated.

73. The spirits who instruct also apply themselves to their left side, but more in front. They, too, reprove, but mildly, and then teach them how they ought to live. They also appear dark, yet not, like the former, as clouds, but as if clothed with sackcloth. These are called Instructors, but the former, Chastisers When these spirits are present, angelic spirits are also present, sitting at the head, which they fill in a peculiar manner: their presence there is also perceived as a gentle breathing, for they fear lest their approach and influx should cause man to perceive the least pain or anxiety. They govern both the chastising and the instructing spirits; the chastisers, lest they treat the man more hardly than is permitted by the Lord, and the instructors, that they may teach the truth. While the chastising spirit was with me, angelic spirits were also present, and kept my face continually cheerful and smiling, the region about the lips prominent, and my mouth slightly open. This the angels easily effect by means of influx, when the Lord permits. They said that they induce such a countenance on the inhabitants of their earth, when they are present with them.

74. If a man, after chastisement and instruction, again does evil, or thinks to do evil, and does not restrain himself in accordance with the precepts of truth, he is more severely punished when the chastising spirit returns; but the angelic spirits moderate the punishment according to the intention in the deeds, and the will in the thoughts. From these facts it may appear, that their angels who sit at the head have a kind of judicial power over man, since they permit, moderate, restrain, and influence. It was said, however, that it is not they who judge, but that the Lord alone is Judge, and that all things which they enjoin on the chastising and instructing spirits inflow into them from Him, and that it appears as if it were from them.

75. Spirits there speak with man, but man in his turn does not speak with the spirits, except the words, when instructed, that he will do so no more. Nor is he allowed to tell any one that a spirit has spoken to him; if he does so, he is punished afterwards. Those spirits of Jupiter, when they were with me, at first supposed that they were with a man of their own earth; but when I in my turn spoke with them, and also when I thought of publishing what passed between us, and so relating it to others, then, because they were not allowed to chastise or instruct me, they discovered that they were with a stranger.

76. There are two signs which appear to those spirits when they are with man (homo). They see an old man (vir) with a white face; this is a sign to speak only what is true, and to do only what is just. They also see a face in a window; this is a sign to them to depart. This old man has also appeared to me; and a face has also appeared in a window, on seeing which those spirits immediately departed from me.

77. Besides the spirits who have already been mentioned, there are spirits who urge contrary things. They consist of those who, during their life in the world, had been banished from the society of others because they were evil. When they approach there appears as it were a flying fire, which descends near the face. They place themselves beneath at the posterior parts of the man, and from thence they speak towards the higher parts. They say things that are contrary to what the instructor-spirit teaches from the angels, namely, that men should not live according to instruction, but according to their own inclination, and in licentiousness, with other similar things. They generally come after the other spirits have departed; but the people there know who and what those spirits are, and therefore pay no attention to them. Still, they learn in this way what evil is, and thereby what good is; for by means of evil one learns what good is, inasmuch as the quality of good is known from its opposite. Every perception of a thing is according to reflection relative to its differences from things that are contrary in various ways and degrees.

78. The chastising and instructing spirits do not come to those who call themselves saints and mediatory lords, and who have been treated of above (at no. 70), as they do to others on that earth, because they do not suffer themselves to be instructed and are not amended by discipline; they are inflexible, because they act from the love of self. Spirits say they know such by their coldness, and that when they apperceive the cold they depart from them.

79. Among the spirits of Jupiter there are also some whom they call chimney-sweepers, because they appear in garments like those of chimney-sweepers, and with the face smeared with soot; who and of what character they are I am also permitted to describe. One such spirit came to me, and anxiously entreated me to intercede for him, that he might come into heaven. He said he did not know that he had done evil, only that he had rebuked the inhabitants of the earth: he added that, after rebuking, he had instructed them. He applied himself to my left side under the elbow, and spoke as if with a double voice; he could also excite pity. But I could only say in reply that I could not render him any assistance, and that this was possible for the Lord alone; nor could I intercede for him, because I did not know whether it would be of any use; but that if he were worthy he might have hope. He was then sent amongst some well-disposed spirits who were from his own earth; but they said that he could not be in their company, because he was not of the same character. But as he still importuned with intense desire to be let into heaven, he was sent into a society of well-disposed spirits of this Earth; but they, too, said that he could not be with them. In the light of heaven he was also of a black colour, but he said that he was not of a black, but of a murrhine colour. I was told that of such a character at first are the spirits who afterwards are received amongst those who constitute the province of the SEMINAL VESICLES in the Grand Man or Heaven; for in those vesicles the semen is collected, and is enclosed in a covering of suitable matter fit to preserve the prolific quality of the seed from being dissipated but which may be put off in the neck of the uterus, so that what is reserved within may be serviceable for conception, or the impregnation of the ovulum. Hence, also, that seminal matter has an endeavour, and as it were a burning desire, to put itself off, and leave the semen to perform its use. Something similar to this appeared with that spirit. He again came to me in mean raiment, and again said that he had an ardent desire to enter heaven, and that he now apperceived that he was such that he could go there. It was then given me to tell him that perhaps this was a sign that he would soon be received. The angels then told him to cast off his raiment, which, from the ardency of his desire, he did with a quickness that could scarcely be surpassed. By this was represented the character of the desires of those who are in the province to which the seminal vesicles correspond. It was said that such spirits, when prepared for heaven, are stripped of their own garments, and clothed with new shining garments, and become angels. They were likened to caterpillars, which, having passed through their vile state, are changed into chrysalides and then into butterflies, when they are given other clothing, and also wings of a blue or yellow, a silver or golden colour. Then, too, they are given the freedom to fly in the open air as in their heaven, to celebrate their marriages, and lay their eggs, and so provide for the propagation of their kind; then also there are given to them sweet and pleasant food which they suck from the juices and odours of the various flowers.