THE VIRTUES
The inexperienced in wisdom and virtue, ever occupied with feasting and such, are carried downward, and there, as is fitting, they wander their whole life long, neither ever looking upward to the truth above them nor rising toward it, nor tasting pure and lasting pleasures. Like cattle, always looking downward with their heads bent toward the ground and the banquet tables, they feed, fatten, and fornicate. In order to increase their possessions they kick and butt with horns and hoofs of steel and kill each other, insatiable as they are.
Plato
The virtues come from God. They are most noble gifts with which the Creator invested the human spirit. Hence the virtues are eternal, and do not change. They belong to the abilities of the spirit which are the ‘talent’ entrusted to it, which it is to ‘make the most of’, that is to say, it is to make use of its abilities so that they will bring blessing (interest).
But man was not immediately equipped with ready-made virtues; he himself must see to it that they awaken and blossom. For this purpose he again needs corresponding radiations from the Universe, which help him to do so.
The starting points of these radiations are to be found in the highest heights of the Primordial Spiritual Realm. They are female and male ideal figures, prototypes for all humanity, each of whom personifies one virtue. They send their radiations to the parts of Creation that lie below them, where they are received by many mediators and passed on all the way down to Subsequent Creation, which is described as the World, and which consists of various kinds of matter. Our earth is also a part of this.
For every virtue, for all noble qualities, indeed for absolutely everything that moves a human being inwardly, if only it is pure, these ‘radiating helps’ give stimulus, animation and strengthening, whether they be, for example: faithfulness, truthfulness, grace, modesty, diligence, heroism, courage, skill, fulfilment of duty, wisdom, humility or compassion.
The ancient peoples knew the mediators
