Dearly beloved friends and companions:
On this occasion we enter into this engraving that was made in Antwerp ─Belgium─ in the year 1624.
It was entitled…
…ANGEL CHAINED TO THE WORLD
To enter into the study of our engraving we must, first of all, see the central figure of it, composed of an angelic creature that wants to ascend to the heavens but is tied to the Earth by a chain that holds one of its ankles, and this chain, likewise, is attached to a globe on which a cross shines. It is obvious that the angel wants to ascend to the heavens and precisely there in the heavens another angelic entity is waiting for him with open arms.
What does this mean?
When we try to explore the meaning of this image we find that there are two possible explanations, namely:
- Our central figure angel can symbolize a fallen angel who wants to return to his heavenly abode.
- It could also be an angel who cannot ascend to his divine homeland until he finishes completing his mission on Earth.
It should be noted that the globe of our topic has always symbolized, in many engravings and paintings, the mercurial chaos, without which our ascension to the heavens of Consciousness is impossible.
To work with the MERCURIAL CHAOS it is necessary to know the mysteries of the cross, which is why it appears on that hermetic globe. Such a cross represents the union of the generating lingam with the receiving yoni. This is the famous key enclosed in the Arcanum A.Z.F. of the millenary Gnosis.
A little further into the background of this artistic work you can see a child who with his left hand holds an instrument that has the shape of a T. This instrument, in turn, has a string that is attached to a bird that wants to fly but the string prevents it from doing so. The bird that wants to fly symbolizes our mercurial waters, the volatile element of the medieval alchemists. It is impossible to return to the angelic state if we do not work with this mercurial matter –this is what Gnosis tells us–.
On the other hand, the instrument that the child holds and that has the shape of a T reminds us of the Tau cross of the ancient Egyptians, which symbolizes, equally, the crossing of the two male and female powers. Needless to say, in this ordinary world of our days, the instrument held by the child acts as a resting place for the bird that, tired of trying to fly, has no choice but to return to its owner. Obviously, this tells us that, indeed, we need to keep our Mercury ─symbolized by the bird─ with us. This is what the child who points with the index finger of his right hand both to the bird and to the instrument he carries in his left hand tries to emphasize.
Undoubtedly, the divine forces await the return of souls to their original starting point, and that is what we see high above when we observe another angel waiting for the liberation of that other one in chains.
This engraving is accompanied by a Latin phrase that reads as follows:
“Coarctor autem é duobus; desiderium habens dissolvi et esse cum Christo. ─Ad Philipensis 1:23-24─.”
Translation: ‘For I feel drawn to both these things, having a desire to depart and be with Christ. Which –being with Christ– is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.’
This is part of verse 1:23 from Saint Paul to the Philippians.
I now add a few sentences to be reflected upon:
“Do you want to stop belonging to the number of slaves? Break your chains and cast off all fear and all spite from yourself.”
Epictetus
“Liberation can only be achieved by the perception of the identity of the individual spirit with the Universal Spirit of life.”
Lao-Tzu
“Freedom is the greatest good.”
Ovid
“No one can be free without first having learned to liberate others.”
Rabindranath Tagore
“Freedom does not precede duty, but is a consequence of it.”
Kant
NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM.
─’New order of the ages’─.
Kwen Khan Khu
