the six enneads-第25章

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e　kind　happens　in　the　case　of　our　bodies：　the　unspatial　movement　of　the　Soul…　in　happiness；　for　instance；　or　at　the　idea　of　some　pleasant　event…　sets　up　a　spatial　movement　in　the　body：　the　Soul；　attaining　in　its　own　region　some　good　which　increases　its　sense　of　life；　moves　towards　what　pleases　it；　and　so；　by　force　of　the　union　established　in　the　order　of　nature；　it　moves　the　body；　in　the　body's　region；　that　is　in　space。　　　　　As　for　that　phase　of　the　Soul　in　which　sensation　is　vested；　it；　too；　takes　its　good　from　the　Supreme　above　itself　and　moves；　rejoicingly；　in　quest　of　it：　and　since　the　object　of　its　desire　is　everywhere；　it　too　ranges　always　through　the　entire　scope　of　the　universe。　　　　　The　Intellectual…Principle　has　no　such　progress　in　any　region；　its　movement　is　a　stationary　act；　for　it　turns　upon　itself。　　　　　And　this　is　why　the　All；　circling　as　it　does；　is　at　the　same　time　at　rest。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THIRD　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ARE　THE　STARS　CAUSES？

　　　　1。　That　the　circuit　of　the　stars　indicates　definite　events　to　come　but　without　being　the　cause　direct　of　all　that　happens；　has　been　elsewhere　affirmed；　and　proved　by　some　modicum　of　argument：　but　the　subject　demands　more　precise　and　detailed　investigation　for　to　take　the　one　view　rather　than　the　other　is　of　no　small　moment。　　　　　The　belief　is　that　the　planets　in　their　courses　actually　produce　not　merely　such　conditions　as　poverty；　wealth；　health　and　sickness　but　even　ugliness　and　beauty　and；　gravest　of　all；　vices　and　virtue　and　the　very　acts　that　spring　from　these　qualities；　the　definite　doings　of　each　moment　of　virtue　or　vice。　We　are　to　suppose　the　stars　to　be　annoyed　with　men…　and　upon　matters　in　which　men；　moulded　to　what　they　are　by　the　stars　themselves；　can　surely　do　them　no　wrong。　　　　　They　will　be　distributing　what　pass　for　their　good　gifts；　not　out　of　kindness　towards　the　recipients　but　as　they　themselves　are　affected　pleasantly　or　disagreeably　at　the　various　points　of　their　course；　so　that　they　must　be　supposed　to　change　their　plans　as　they　stand　at　their　zeniths　or　are　declining。　　　　　More　absurdly　still；　some　of　them　are　supposed　to　be　malicious　and　others　to　be　helpful；　and　yet　the　evil　stars　will　bestow　favours　and　the　benevolent　act　harshly：　further；　their　action　alters　as　they　see　each　other　or　not；　so　that；　after　all；　they　possess　no　definite　nature　but　vary　according　to　their　angles　of　aspect；　a　star　is　kindly　when　it　sees　one　of　its　fellows　but　changes　at　sight　of　another：　and　there　is　even　a　distinction　to　be　made　in　the　seeing　as　it　occurs　in　this　figure　or　in　that。　Lastly；　all　acting　together；　the　fused　influence　is　different　again　from　that　of　each　single　star；　just　as　the　blending　of　distinct　fluids　gives　a　mixture　unlike　any　of　them。　　　　　Since　these　opinions　and　others　of　the　same　order　are　prevalent；　it　will　be　well　to　examine　them　carefully　one　by　one；　beginning　with　the　fundamental　question：　　　　　2。　Are　these　planets　to　be　thought　of　as　soulless　or　unsouled？　　　　　Suppose　them；　first；　to　be　without　Soul。　　　　　In　that　case　they　can　purvey　only　heat　or　cold…　if　cold　from　the　stars　can　be　thought　of…　that　is　to　say；　any　communication　from　them　will　affect　only　our　bodily　nature；　since　all　they　have　to　communicate　to　us　is　merely　corporeal。　This　implies　that　no　considerable　change　can　be　caused　in　the　bodies　affected　since　emanations　merely　corporeal　cannot　differ　greatly　from　star　to　star；　and　must；　moreover；　blend　upon　earth　into　one　collective　resultant：　at　most　the　differences　would　be　such　as　depend　upon　local　position；　upon　nearness　or　farness　with　regard　to　the　centre　of　influence。　This　reasoning；　of　course；　is　as　valid　of　any　cold　emanation　there　may　be　as　of　the　warm。　　　　　Now；　what　is　there　in　such　corporeal　action　to　account　for　the　various　classes　and　kinds　of　men；　learned　and　illiterate；　scholars　as　against　orators；　musicians　as　against　people　of　other　professions？　Can　a　power　merely　physical　make　rich　or　poor？　Can　it　bring　about　such　conditions　as　in　no　sense　depend　upon　the　interaction　of　corporeal　elements？　Could　it；　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