The Natural Sun
Announcements about our sun and its natural conditions
- Chapter 43 -
The fifth part of equatorial belts - corresponding to Saturn. Land and people
Regarding the fifth equator, I need only reveal to you that it corresponds in the northerly and southerly belt to the now familiar planet Saturn of which you have already glimpsed a substantial part and we shall therefore also deal with the equator more quickly than with the previous one.
2
Regarding this belt, it too is separated from the previous one by a high mountain chain. But big offshoots from this chain then run right across the entire belt width of over four thousand miles. On its northernmost part it has a water belt of uneven width and many inlets into the land with an occasional land penetration of up to two to three thousand miles depth. The northern coast of this sea then runs on in a fairly straight line, bordered by fairly steep mountain walls.
3
This is also the case with the corresponding southern belt, except in a reverse direction, on account of which the northern part is inhabitable land, criss-crossed by the many mountain chains with the water belt only following along the southern part of the land, evincing enormous inlets into the inhabitable land.
4
We shall only treat the northern belt however and with its conditions take in the southern ones, as it were.
5
What kind of terrain therefore do we find upon this northern belt? Just take a look at Saturn and you shall see the type of land upon this belt.
6
Here, the Living Tree, the Funnell Tree, the Mirror Tree, the Wall Tree and Miscellaneous Tree, as well as the Pyramid Tree are at home. All these are to be found here except on a grander, more exalted, beautiful and fiery scale than upon the planet Saturn.
7
All shrubs and plants can also be found here on a more exotic scale than upon Saturn. Even the Ship Plant is there and is used the same way as upon Saturn; for upon this belt, seafaring commences.
8
Regarding animals, just the benign ones are found here but not the immense Mud and some other rather vicious animals, nor great Fish and Birds, nor various crustaceans. All other animals however are domiciled upon this belt, even a big Cow and a big Sheep of the mountain dwellers. But, as said, everything is more ennobled and gentler than upon the planet.
9
If you want to glimpse the conditions upon this belt with one blow, as it were, then betake yourselves to the planet's mountain inhabitants and there you will get to know all social, domestic, state and religious conditions.
10
Here too temples of worship are built and timekeeping is carried on nearly in the same manner as upon the planet with the difference that these equatorial people determine time by the sun's revolution around its axis, recognizing its completion by certain changes in the Zodiac upon the horizon. This revolution, of about twenty-nine terrestrial days duration, is then divide into seven time-spans.
11
This Zenith time is usually one of celebration upon the equator just as it is on Saturn. The seventh day is one of festivities and is celebrated upon the planet.
12
The dwellings, clothing and food of the mountain people upon this belt are exactly the same as it is upon the planet.
13
Man too, both male and female resemble those of the planet except for size. In this respect the inhabitants of the belt are about a third smaller than on the planet.
14
They are of an exceedingly gentle nature, fearing nothing so much as emotional upsets and for that reason even shy away from too much love.
15
For this reason things run so quietly upon this belt that with all the fullness of life some of you might think: here undoubtedly death has set up its quarters; but far from it. The inhabitants are exceedingly happy amongst themselves and of good cheer. They are also great friends of sound and delight for hours at a time by your measure, in the endearing song of their song birds. They themselves however are no more singers and musicians than the Saturnians.
16
They fellowship with the spirits and not infrequently with Myself, even more so than their planetary brethren.
17
They are exceedingly chaste and take note of their exceptionally beautiful women only in the heart.
18
Procreation is as on the planet; their willpower is considerably stronger than the planetary inhabitants, wherefore they are able to call up even seedless plants from the ground and have dominion over all animals.
19
These equatorial people too, through their will can at times take to the air and walk on water for short distances in an emergency, not however venturing on lengthy distances, saying: this is a miracle which men should draw into service only in extremity and none should make it habitual. For the Spirit of God Himself only resorts to miraculous work when His endless wisdom judges it desirable; at other times everything must abide within eternal order. Wherefore they don't wager constant applications of their willpower but only in emergencies.
20
This sums up the substantial differences between the planetary and equatorial populations, everything else being exactly the same.
21
It goes without saying that the inhabitants of this belt mostly inhabit the mountains as the plateaus are usually left to the animals.
22
Concerning the so-called "domestic servant" (a Saturian animal), he is domiciled here also, but no longer as an animal but a somewhat subservient human race, relating to this belt's inhabitants as some wild Negro tribes relate on Earth. But they are not predetermined as servants of the actual inhabitants but as the plains people instructed by the true inhabitants in such fashion as to learn true living and to be raised up to equality with the true people, for which their lifestyle then is the same as that of the main inhabitants, with the only difference in procreation, in that this subordinate human race procreates through a type of intercourse, which however is still far less sensual than with yourselves.
23
That however tells you everything about this equatorial belt and we therewith conclude with this fifth northerly and southerly belt simultaneously and shall move to the sixth belt next time.