the six enneads-第29章

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t；　for　example；　bring　a　man　such　and　such　a　brother；　father；　son；　or　wife；　give　him　a　stroke　of　good　fortune　at　a　particular　moment；　or　make　him　generalissimo　or　king？　　　　　Next；　suppose　the　stars　to　have　life　and　mind　and　to　be　effective　by　deliberate　purpose。　　　　　In　that　case；　what　have　they　suffered　from　us　that　they　should；　in　free　will；　do　us　hurt；　they　who　are　established　in　a　divine　place；　themselves　divine？　There　is　nothing　in　their　nature　of　what　makes　men　base；　nor　can　our　weal　or　woe　bring　them　the　slightest　good　or　ill。　　　　　3。　Possibly；　however；　they　act　not　by　choice　but　under　stress　of　their　several　positions　and　collective　figures？　　　　　But　if　position　and　figure　determined　their　action　each　several　one　would　necessarily　cause　identical　effects　with　every　other　on　entering　any　given　place　or　pattern。　　　　　And　that　raises　the　question　what　effect　for　good　or　bad　can　be　produced　upon　any　one　of　them　by　its　transit　in　the　parallel　of　this　or　that　section　of　the　Zodiac　circle…　for　they　are　not　in　the　Zodiacal　figure　itself　but　considerably　beneath　it　especially　since；　whatever　point　they　touch；　they　are　always　in　the　heavens。　　　　　It　is　absurd　to　think　that　the　particular　grouping　under　which　a　star　passes　can　modify　either　its　character　or　its　earthward　influences。　And　can　we　imagine　it　altered　by　its　own　progression　as　it　rises；　stands　at　centre；　declines？　Exultant　when　at　centre；　dejected　or　enfeebled　in　declension；　some　raging　as　they　rise　and　growing　benignant　as　they　set；　while　declension　brings　out　the　best　in　one　among　them；　surely　this　cannot　be？　　　　　We　must　not　forget　that　invariably　every　star；　considered　in　itself；　is　at　centre　with　regard　to　some　one　given　group　and　in　decline　with　regard　to　another　and　vice　versa；　and；　very　certainly；　it　is　not　at　once　happy　and　sad；　angry　and　kindly。　There　is　no　reasonable　escape　in　representing　some　of　them　as　glad　in　their　setting；　others　in　their　rising：　they　would　still　be　grieving　and　glad　at　one　and　the　same　time。　　　　　Further；　why　should　any　distress　of　theirs　work　harm　to　us？　　　　　No：　we　cannot　think　of　them　as　grieving　at　all　or　as　being　cheerful　upon　occasions：　they　must　be　continuously　serene；　happy　in　the　good　they　enjoy　and　the　Vision　before　them。　Each　lives　its　own　free　life；　each　finds　its　Good　in　its　own　Act；　and　this　Act　is　not　directed　towards　us。　　　　　Like　the　birds　of　augury；　the　living　beings　of　the　heavens；　having　no　lot　or　part　with　us；　may　serve　incidentally　to　foreshow　the　future；　but　they　have　absolutely　no　main　function　in　our　regard。　　　　　4。　It　is　again　not　in　reason　that　a　particular　star　should　be　gladdened　by　seeing　this　or　that　other　while；　in　a　second　couple；　such　an　aspect　is　distressing：　what　enmities　can　affect　such　beings？　what　causes　of　enmity　can　there　be　among　them？　　　　　And　why　should　there　be　any　difference　as　a　given　star　sees　certain　others　from　the　corner　of　a　triangle　or　in　opposition　or　at　the　angle　of　a　square？　　　　　Why；　again；　should　it　see　its　fellow　from　some　one　given　position　and　yet；　in　the　next　Zodiacal　figure；　not　see　it；　though　the　two　are　actually　nearer？　　　　　And；　the　cardinal　question；　by　what　conceivable　process　could　they　affect　what　is　attributed　to　them？　How　explain　either　the　action　of　any　single　star　independently　or；　still　more　perplexing；　the　effect　of　their　combined　intentions？　　　　　We　cannot　think　of　them　entering　into　compromises；　each　renouncing　something　of　its　efficiency　and　their　final　action　in　our　regard　amounting　to　a　concerted　plan。　　　　　No　one　star　would　suppress　the　contribution　of　another；　nor　would　star　yield　to　star　and　shape　its　conduct　under　suasion。　　　　　As　for　the　fancy　that　while　one　is　glad　when　it　enters　another's　region；　the　second　is　vexed　when　in　its　turn　it　occupies　the　place　of　the　first；　surely　this　is　like　starting　with　the　supposition　of　two　friends　and　then　going　on　to　talk　of　one　being　attracted　to　the　other　who；　however；　abhors　the　first。　　　　　5。　When　they　tell　us　that　a　certain　cold　star　is　more　benevolent　to　us　in　proportion　as　it　is　further　away；　they　clearly　make　its　harmful　influence　depend　upon　the　coldness　of　its　nature；　and　yet　it　ought　to　be　beneficent　to　us　when　it　is　in　the　opposed　Zodiacal　figures。　　　　　When　the　cold　planet；　we　are　told；　is　in　opposition　to　the　cold；　both　become　meanacing：　but　the　natural　effect　would　be　a　compromise。　　　　　And　we　are　asked　to　believe　that　one　of　them　is　happy　by　day　and　grows　kindly　under　the　warmth；　while　another；　of　a　fiery　nature；　is　most　cheerful　by　night…　as　if　it　were　not　always　day　to　them；　light　to　them；　and　as　if　the　first　one　could　be　darkened　by　night　at　that　great　distance　above　the　earth's　shadow。　　　　　Then　there　is　the　notion　that　the　moon；　in　conjunction　with　a　certain　star；　is　softened　at　her　full　but　is　malignant　in　the　same　conjunction　when　her　light　has　waned；　yet；　if　anything　of　this　order　could　be　admitted；　the　very　opposite　would　be　the　case。　For　when　she　is　full　to　us　she　must　be　dark　on　the　further　hemisphere；　that　is　to　that　star　which　stands　above　her；　and　when　dark　to　us　she　is　full　to　that　other　star；　upon　which　only　then；　on　the　contrary；　does　she　look　with　her　light。　To　the　moon　itself；　in　fact；　it　can　make　no　difference　in　what　aspect　she　stands；　for　she　is　always　lit　on　the　upper　or　on　the　under　half：　to　the　other　star；　the　warmth　from　the　moon；　of　which　they　speak；　might　make　a　difference；　but　that　warmth　would　reach　it　precisely　when　the　moon　is　without　light　to　us；　at　its　darkest　to　us　it　is　full　to　that　other；　and　therefore　beneficent。　The　darkness　of　the　moon　to　us　is　of　moment　to　the　earth；　but　brings　no　trouble　to　the　planet　above。　That　planet；　it　is　alleged；　can　give　no　help　on　account　of　its　remoteness　and　therefore　seems　less　well　disposed；　but　the　moon　at　its　full　suffices　to　the　lower　realm　so　that　the　distance　of　the　other　is　of　no　importance。　When　the　moon；　though　dark　to　us；　is　in　aspect　with　the　Fiery　Star　she　is　held　to　be　favourable：　the　reason　alleged　is　that　the　force　of　Mars　is　all…sufficient　since　it　contains　more　fire　than　it　needs。　　　　　The　truth　is　that　while　the　material　emanations　from　the　living　beings　of　the　heavenly　system　are　of　various　degrees　of　warmth…　planet　differing　from　planet　in　this　respect…　no　cold　comes　from　them：　the　nature　of　the　space　in　which　they　have　their　being　is　voucher　for　that。　　　　　The　star　known　as　Jupiter　includes　a　due　measure　of　fire　＇and　warmth＇；　in　this　resembling　the　Morning…star　and　therefore　seeming　to　be　in　alliance　with　it。　In　aspect　with　what　is　known　as　the　Fiery　Star；　Jupiter　is　beneficent　by　virtue　of　the　mixing　of　influences：　in　aspect　with　Saturn　unfriendly　by　dint　of　distance。　Mercury；　it　would　seem；　is　indifferent　whatever　stars　it　be　in　aspect　with；　for　it　adopts　any　and　every　character。　　　　　But　all　the　stars　are　serviceable　to　the　Universe；　and　therefore　can　stand　to　each　other　only　as　the　service　of　the　Universe　demands；　in　a　harmony　like　that　observed　in　the　members　of　any　one　animal　form。　They　exist　essentially　for　the　purpose　of　the　Universe；　just　as　the　gall　exists　for　the　purposes　of　the　body　as　a　whole　not　less　than　for　its　own　immediate　function：　it　is　to　be　the　inciter　of　the　animal　spirits　but　without　allowing　the　entire　organism　a