Heaven and Hell (Harley) n. 97

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97. For the same reason these members, organs and viscera have a like significance in the Word, for everything there has a meaning in accordance with correspondences. Thus the "head" signifies intelligence and wisdom, the "breast" charity, the "loins" conjugial love, the "arms" and "hands" the power of truth, the "feet" what is natural, the "eyes" understanding, the "nostrils" perception, the "ears" obedience, the "kidneys" the examination of truth; and so on.# Hence also, in common speech, it is usual to say of one who is intelligent and wise that he has a head, of one who is in charity that he is a bosom friend, of one who has perception that he is keen-scented, of one who is in intelligence that he is sharp-sighted, of one who is powerful that he is long-handed, of one who wills from love, that it is done from the heart. These and many other sayings in man's speech are from correspondences. For such things are from the spiritual world although man does not know it. # In the Word the "breast" signifies charity (n. 3934, 10081, 10087). The "loins" and organs of generation signify conjugial love (n. 3021, 4280, 4462, 5050-5052). The "arms" and "hands" signify the power of truth (n. 878, 3095, 4931-4937, 6947, 7205, 10019). The "feet" signify the natural (n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952). The "eye" signifies understanding (n. 2701, 4403-4421, 4523-4534, 6923, 9051, 10569). The "nostrils" signify perception (n. 3577, 4624, 4625, 4748, 5621, 8286, 10054, 10292). The "ears" signify obedience (n. 2542, 3869, 4523, 4653, 5017, 7216, 8361, 8990, 9311, 9397, 10061). The "kidneys" signify the scrutiny and correction of truth (n. 5380-5386, 10032).


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