Chapter 5 (part 4)

107 The realm which formerly was governed by Lucifer embraced our earth and the whole depth of the starry sky. The realms of Michael and Uriel are equal in extent to the former, and exist beyond the starry sky. "What Boehme says about the extent of the kingdoms of Michael and Uriel is not to be taken in an external terrestrial sense. The realm of Lucifer before his rebellion was immaterial like the others, and only afterwards descended into materiality and terrestrial relations to space." ( Hamberger .) "The whole locality of this world, the depth of the earth and above the earth, up to the sky and the created heaven itself, which we see with our eyes, but which, nevertheless, we cannot comprehend with our senses—all this space is one kingdom, wherein Lucifer was the ruler before his fall; but the other two kingdoms, that of Michael and Uriel, exist beyond the created heaven (space) and are equal to the former realm." ( Aurora , vii. 7.) "The angels are God's instruments in governing the world, and as such they not only glorify the celestial nature wherein they rule, but they also dominate over the terrestrial world and its individual regions." They rule the world according to the principle of divine wisdom which is manifested in and through them, and not, like man, according to their notions or smartness or policy. They execute the will of God, and not any will of their own. "God the eternal One rules all things by means of the activity of the angels. The power and the action is of God; but they are His instruments." ( Theosophical Questions , vi. 7.) "That which the angels will and desire is brought into images and forms by means of their thoughts." ( Theosophical Questions , vi. 9.) They are full of the will of divinity, and therefore their thoughts are rendered effective by that will, and do p. 108 not vanish like the superficial fancies of man, fed by his imaginary self-will. "Whenever the celestial melody of the angels begins to sound, there are arising within the divine sal-nitre various worlds of growths, figures, and magnificent colours." ( Aurora , xii. 24.) "Each country has its princely guardian spirit, with its legions. Likewise there are angels governing the four elements—fire, water, air, and earth." ( Mysterium , viii. 9.) If man knew the beauties of the spiritual world by which he is surrounded, and which he may see when he awakens from the dream of external life by becoming self-conscious in the spirit, his interest in the affairs of this mundane existence would be diminished to a considerable extent. Such a knowledge, however, is only attainable to those who are capable of entering the interior state, and has nothing to do with the dreams of the visionary who revels among the products of his own fancy. St. Martin says: "There" (in the higher world) "it is not like in our dark dwelling-place, wherein sounds can only be compared with sounds, colours with colours, and a substance only with that which is directly related to it. There all things are more closely related with each other. There the light is sounding; melody produces light; colours have motions, because they are living, and the objects are all at once sounding, transparent, moving, and can penetrate each other." The belief in guardian angels is not a fable. Man is surrounded by good and by evil, self-conscious and invisible powers, which may influence him for good or for evil. His soul is the battle-field where the combat between devils and angels takes place, and he is free to side with the one or the other, as is beautifully described in the "Bhagavad Gita." The evil influences are easily attracted if we merely remain passive to their power; but p.