The Magic of the Middle Ages

by Viktor Rydberg

The Scale of the Holy Tetrad. (Table I.)

From which is found the Correspondences to the Four Elements.

The World of Archetypes and Bliss.	וחוה				God’s name (Jehovah) in four letters.
	Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones.	Dominions, Powers, Empires.	Principalities, Archangels, Angels.	Saints, Martyrs, Confessors.	The four triplicities of the celestial hierarchy.
	Michael.	Raphael.	Gabriel.	Uriel.	Four angels, guardians of the four card. points.
	Seraph.	Cherub.	Tharsis.	Ariel.	Angels presiding over the elements.
The Celestial World.	Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.	Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.	Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.	Taurus, Virgo, Capra.	The four triplicities of the Zodiac.
	Mars, Sun.	Jupiter, Venus.	Saturn, Mercury.	Fixed Stars, Moon.	The stars and planets as related to the elements.
	Light.	Transparency.	Activity.	Firmness.	Four qualities of the celestial elements.
The Elementary World.	Fire.	Air.	Water.	Earth.	The four elements.
	Warmth.	Humidity.	Coldness.	Aridity.	The four qualities of the elements.
	Summer.	Spring.	Winter.	Autumn.	The four seasons.
	East.	West.	North.	South.	The four card. points.
	Animals.	Herbs.	Metals.	Stones.	Four kinds of mixed bodies.
	Walking.	Flying.	Swimming.	Crawling.	Four kinds of animals.
	Germ.	Flower.	Leaves.	Root.	The parts of the plants as related to the elements.
	Gold, Iron.	Copper, Tin.	Quicksilver.	Lead, Silver.	Metals corresponding to the elements.
	Shining and Burning.	Light and Transparent.	Clear and Hard.	Heavy and Opaque.	Stones corresponding to the elements.
Microcosmos.	Faith.	Science.	Opinion.	Experience.	Four principles of judging.
	Choleric.	Sanguinic.	Phlegmatic.	Melancholic.	Temperaments.
Hell.	Samael.	Azazael.	Azael.	Mehazael.	Princes of the evil spirits raging in the elements.
	Oriens.	Paymon.	Egyn.	Amaimon.	The demons presiding over the four card. points.

“Here you see one of the nets which magic has stretched from the Empyrean down into the abyss. For each of the sacred numbers there is a separate scale of the same kind: ‘The universe,’ says Pythagoras, ‘is founded upon numbers,’ and Boethius asserts that ‘Every thing created in the beginning of time was formed according to the relations of certain numbers, which were lying as types in the mind of the Creator.’ It is consequently a settled fact with us that numbers contain greater and more effective forces than material things; for the former are not a mixture of substances, but may, as purely formal entities, stand in immediate connection with the ideas of divine reason. This is recognized also by the fathers: by Hieronymus, Augustine, Ambrosius, Athanasius, Bede, and others, and underlies these words in the book of Revelation: ‘Let him who hath understanding count the number of the beast.’ Those varied and relatively discordant objects which form a unity in the same world, are arranged side by side in the scale; whereas those things which in different groups or different worlds correspond to one another, form the ascending and descending series.

“Do not forget that correspondence also implies reciprocal activity! Thus, for instance, the letter ה in the holy name of God indicates a power which is infused into the successive orders of Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones, and which is imparted through them to the constellations Leo and Sagittarius, and to the two wandering luminaries Mars and the Sun. These angels and stars all pour down into the elementary world the abundance of their power, which produces there fire and heat, and the germs of animal organisms, and kindles in man reason and faith, in order to meet finally in the lowest region, its opposites: cold, destruction, irrationality, unbelief, represented by the names of fallen angel-princes. I will now show you another table which is an introduction to the study of Astrology and treats more in detail of certain parts of the preceding, showing how things in the elementary world and microcosm are subject to the planets. In showing this to you I will remind you of the verse:

‘Astra regunt hominem; sed regit astra Deus.’
(The stars guide man; but God guides the stars.)

(Table II.)

	MOON.	MERCURY.	VENUS.	SUN.	MARS.	JUPITER.	SATURN.
Elements.	Earth, Water.	Water.	Air, Water.	Fire.	Fire.	Air.	Earth, Water.
Microcosmos	White juices.	Mixed juices.	Slimy juices.	Blood and vital power.	Acid juices.	Vegetative juices.	Gall.
Animals.	Sociable and changeable.	Cunning and rapid.	Beautiful with strong sexual instinct.	Bold and courageous.	Beasts of prey.	Sagacious and gentle.	Crawling and nocturnal.
Plants.	Selenotrope, Palm, Hyssop, Rosemary, etc.	Little short leaves and many colored flowers.	Spices and fruit-trees.	Pine, Laurel, Vine, Heliotrope, Lotus, etc.	Burning, poisonous, and stinging.	Oak, Beech, Poplar, Cereals, etc.	Cypress and those of a gloomy aspect or foul odor.
Metals.	Silver.	Quicksilver, Tin, Bismuth.	Silver.	Gold.	Iron and sulphuric metals.	Gold, Silver, Tin.	Lead.
Stones.	All white stones and pearls.	Many colored.	Carnelian, Lazuli, etc.	Topaz, Ruby, Carbuncle, etc.	Diamond, Jasper, Amethyst, Magnet.	Green and air-colored.	Onyx and all brown clays.