no substance or matter that were outwardly pal-
pable ; but there was such a form in the eternal
power in the will.
17. The creation of this world was brought about
by an awakening of the Will-spirit. The inner
will, which exists within in itself, has stirred up its
own nature, as the centre, which, passing out of
itself, is desirous of the light which is pressing forth
from the centre. Thus the centre has seized out
of itself a being in desire; that is, it has seized
or made for itself being in its own imagination
in desire, and has also laid hold of the light's
nature.
18. It has with the beginning laid hold of the
Eternal; and therefore the beings of this world
must enter by figure again into the Eternal, for
they have been apprehended in the Eternal. But
whatever was made or seized from the beginning
in desire, that returns into its aether as into the
nothing, merely into the mirror of imagination again.
That is not of the Eternal, but is and belongs to
the eternal Magic in desire. Like as a fire swallows
up and consumes a substance whereof nothing
remains, but becomes again as it was when as yet
it was no substance.
19. And thus we give you to understand what
this world's existence is. Nothing else than a
coagulated smoke from the eternal aether, which
thus has a fulfilment like the Eternal. It shuts
itself in a centrum of a substance, and finally con-
sumes itself again; and returns again into the
eternal Magic, and is but for a while a wonder as a