For the mind being God, male and female, life and light, brought forth his word, another mind or workman; which by being God of the fire, and of the spirit, fashioned and formed seven other governors, which in their circles contain the tangible world, whose government or disposition is called fate or destiny.

It straightway came forth, or exalted itself from the downward elements of God, The word of God, into the clean and pure workmanship of nature, and was united to the workman, mind, for it was con-substantial; and so the downward born elements of nature were left without reason, that they might be the only matter.

But the workman, mind, together with the word, containing the circles, and spinning them about, turned round as a wheel, his own workmanship; and suffered them to be turned from an indefinite beginning to an indeterminable end., for the always begin where they end.

And the circulation or running round of these, as the mind wills, out of the lower or downward-born elements, brought forth unreasonable or brutish creatures, for they had no reason, the air flying things and the water such as swim.

and the Earth and the water were separated, one from the other as the mind willed; and the Earth brought forth from herself, such living creatures as she had, four-footed and creeping beasts, wild and tame.

But the father of all things, the mind being life and light, brought forth man like unto himself, whom he loved as his proper birth; for he was all beauteous, having the image of his father.

-HermÈS TRISMEGISTUS