998. About little stars
Sometimes evil and black spirits approach with an abundance of stars, indeed, even displaying a whole starry sky. I had always considered this to be a sign of understanding, because stars depict the intelligent, but from these black spirits I saw, and being so instructed, realized, that stars also symbolize the insane. The difference is that when they portray the insane, they are twinkling and shifting out of their places, while when they portray understanding, they are fixed. In brightness and magnitude, the two types of stars hardly differ. 1748, 25 February.
998. CONCERNING LITTLE STARS
Sometimes evil and black spirits approach with a multitude of stars. Indeed they even present to view the starry heaven, which I had always considered to be an indication of the understanding, because stars represent intelligences. But from these black spirits I perceived, and being thus instructed, I knew that stars also signify insanities. There is this difference, however, that when they represent insanities, they twinkle, and move from their places, but when they represent intellectual things, they are fixed. As to their light and their size, they scarcely differ. 1748, Feb. 25.
998. De stellulis
Quandoque mali et nigri spiritus cum copia stellarum alluunt, imo etiam videndum praebent coelum stelliferum, quod arbitratus semper indicium intellectus fuisse, quia stellae repraesentant intelligentias; sed ab iis nigris spiritibus percepi, et sic cognovi instructus, quod etiam significent insanias, sed differentia est, quod dum insanias 1
repraesentent sint vibratiles, et e locis suis mobiles, at vero cum intellectualia, tunc fixae sint; quoad lucem et magnitudinem vix differunt. 1748, 25 Febr.
Footnotes:
1. In the Manuscript insaniae in insanias emendatum