Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 10293

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10293. And onycha. That this signifies the affection of interior natural truth, is evident from the signification of "fragrant onycha," as being the affection of natural truth. By "onycha" is signified this truth, and by "fragrant," the perceptivity of what is grateful, which is from the affection of truth, thus there is signified the affection itself. It is said "fragrant onycha" because this expression is used both before and after the enumeration of these spices in these words: "take to thee fragrant spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, things fragrant." That it is the affection of truth in the natural which is signified by "onycha," is because it is mentioned in the second place; for the spices are mentioned in order, according to the truths with man, from most external to inmost; hence by "stacte" is signified the affection of sensuous truth, which is truth most external; by "onycha," the affection of natural truth, which is interior truth in the natural man; by "galbanum," an affection of truth still more interior, which is interior truth in the spiritual or internal man; and by "frankincense," inmost truth in the internal man, which is spiritual good-in like manner as was signified by the spices from which the oil of anointing was prepared, which were best myrrh, aromatic cinnamon, aromatic calamus, and cassia (that these spices signified truths in such an order, see n. 10252, 10254, 10256, 10258). But the difference is that those truths which are signified by the spices of the oil of anointing, belong to the celestial class, while these truths which are signified by the spices of the incense, belong to the spiritual class (of which distinction see above, n. 10254, 10291).


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