42、要知道,灵人根本看不见世上的太阳,或来自它的任何光。这太阳的光对灵人和天使来说如同黑暗。灵人在世时曾见过这太阳,但只保留对它的概念,把它设想为一个暗斑,并且这暗斑在后面相当远的一段路程处,略高于头部那个层面。太阳系之内的星球照着相对于太阳的固定位置而显现。水星在后面,靠右一点;金星在左边,靠后一点;火星在左前方;木星也在左前方,只是距离更远;土星在正前方相当长的距离处;月球在左边相当高的位置;每颗行星的卫星都在它的左边。这就是灵人和天使所设想的这些星球的位置;灵人还在他们星球附近,但在它之外显现。然而,水星灵尤其不在一个固定方向或一段固定距离处显现;他们时而在前面,时而在左边,时而靠后一点。原因在于,他们被允许周游宇宙,以获取知识。
42. It is important to know that the sun of our world and the light that comes from it are not in any way visible to any spirit. The light of our sun is like dense darkness to spirits and angels. Our sun remains in the consciousness of spirits only as a result of what they had seen when they were in the world and is presented to them as an image of something dark, at a considerable distance behind them, a little above the level of the head.
The planets in our solar system are seen by them in fixed positions with reference to the sun: Mercury appears behind and a little to the right; Venus appears to the left and a little behind; Mars appears out in front to the left; Jupiter too appears out in front and to the left, but farther away; Saturn appears straight ahead at a considerable distance; and our moon appears fairly high up to the left. The satellites of other planets, too, appear to the left of their planet. That is how the locations of the planets appear in the conceptions of the angels and spirits [from our earth]. The spirits from a given planet appear near their planet but outside it. 1
As for the spirits from Mercury in specific, though, they do not appear in one particular region or at one particular distance, but are sometimes in front, sometimes to the left, sometimes a little toward the back. This is because they are allowed to roam around the universe acquiring knowledge.
Footnotes:
1. This passage describes the various bodies of our solar system and their satellites in a static arrangement seen by angels and spirits in the spiritual world. Two key facts about the spiritual world as Swedenborg describes it must be taken into account in interpreting the description here.
1. The directional system in the spiritual world is established by the spiritual sun, which is the location of the Lord in the sight of angels. That sun does not rise or set as on earth, but occupies a constant position in the sky. In accordance with this constant position, in heaven . . . they call “east” where the Lord is seen as the sun. West is in the opposite direction, south in heaven on the right, and north on the left. This holds true wherever people turn their faces and their bodies. So in heaven, all the directions are determined on the basis of the east. (Heaven and Hell 141)
Since angels and spirits always face the Lord and the spiritual sun, east is always in front of them, west is always behind them, south is always to their right, and north is always to their left. The positioning of the various bodies of the solar system are therefore described in the current section not according to a fixed directional system independent of the observer, as it would be on earth, but rather in relation to the observer and the observer’s constant orientation toward the spiritual sun. (For more on the directional system of the spiritual world, see Heaven and Hell 141-153.)
2. Here and elsewhere in Other Planets, Swedenborg describes the positions of the components of the solar system from the perspective of an observer standing in our planet’s region in the spiritual world. Compare, for example, Other Planets 86, 105, and 138, where our planet is used as a reference point in describing the directions in which other planets are seen. The combined effect of these two determining factors is that the directions in this section are given relative to the body of the observer-who in this case is an angel or spirit from our planet standing in our planet’s region of the spiritual world and facing the spiritual sun. (Swedenborg’s statement here that in the spiritual world the planets of our solar system are seen “in fixed positions with reference to the sun” does not refer to the planets being in the specified directions from the sun, but rather to the sun’s role in determining the directions for everyone in the spiritual world.) In the description, the world’s sun, Mercury, and Venus are located behind the observer; the remaining planets known at that time are located in front of the observer; and Earth’s moon is located to the left of the observer. The satellites of those planets that have them are similarly seen to the left of their respective planets. For a schematic representation of this information, see figure 2. [LSW]
42. It needs to be known that no spirit is able to see the sun of the world at all, or any light from it. The light of that sun is to spirits and angels like thick darkness. Spirits merely retain an idea of that sun from seeing it when in the world, and it is envisaged as a dark patch, behind and a long way off, in height slightly above head-level. The planets belonging to the solar system are to be seen in fixed positions relative to the sun. Mercury is behind, a little to the right; Venus to the left, a little behind; Mars in front to the left; Jupiter likewise to the left and in front, but further away; Saturn right in front at a very great distance. The moon is on the left, fairly high up; and the satellites of each planet are to the left of it. That is how spirits envisage their planets; and the spirits are to be seen in the vicinity of their own planet, but outside it. However, the spirits of Mercury in particular are not to be seen in a fixed direction or at a fixed distance; they appear now in front, now to the left, now a little behind. The reason is that they are allowed to travel around the universe to acquire knowledge.
42. It is to be known that the sun of the world does not appear to any spirit, nor anything of light thence. The light of that sun is as dense as thick darkness to spirits and angels. That sun remains only in the perception with spirits from having seen it during their abode in the world, and is presented to them in idea as somewhat darkish, and this behind at a considerable distance, in an altitude a little above the plane of the head. The planets which are within the system of that sun appear according to a determinate situation in respect to the sun; Mercury behind, a little towards the right; the planet Venus to the left, a little backwards; the planet Mars to the left in front; the planet Jupiter in like manner to the left in front, but at a greater distance; the planet Saturn directly in front, at a considerable distance; the Moon to the left, at a considerable height: the satellites also to the left in respect to their planet. Such is the situation of those planets in the ideas of spirits and angels; spirits also appear near their planets, but out of them. As to what particularly concerns the spirits of Mercury, they do not appear in any certain quarter, or at any certain distance, but sometimes in front, sometimes to the left, sometimes a little to the back; the reason is, because they are allowed to wander through the universe to procure for themselves knowledges.
42. Sciendum est, quod Sol mundi prorsus non appareat alicui spiritui, nec aliquid lucis inde; lux illius solis est spiritibus et angelis sicut densa caligo: sol ille solum in perceptione apud spiritus ex illo viso cum fuerunt in mundo, remanet, et sistitur illis in idea sicut caliginosum quid, et hoc a tergo ad insignem distantiam, altitudine paulo supra planum Capitis. Planetae, qui intra Solis illius mundum sunt, apparent secundum certum situm respective ad solem; Mercurius a tergo paulo versus dextrum; Planeta Veneris ad sinistrum paulo retro; Planeta Martis ad sinistrum antrorsum; Planeta Jovis similiter ad sinistrum antrorsum sed ad majorem distantiam; Planeta Saturni prorsus antrorsum ad insignem: distantiam; Luna ad sinistrum satis alte: Satellites etiam ad sinistrum respective ad suum Planetam. Talis est situs Planetarum illorum in ideis spirituum et angelorum: et quoque spiritus apparent juxta suum Planetam, extra illum. Quod autem Spiritus Mercurii in specie attinet illi non apparent ad certam plagam, nec ad certam distantiam, sed apparent nunc antrorsum, nunc sinistrorsum nunc paulo ad tergum; causa est, quia licet illis pervagari Universum ad comparandum sibi cognitiones.