86 ROSICRUCIANCOSMO-CONCEPTION
length of plant or tree.
Man is represented by the upper limb; his is theinverted
plant. The plant takes its food through the root. Man takes
his food through the head. The plant stretches its generative
organs towards the sun. Man, the inverted plant, turns his
towards the center of the earth. The plant is sustained by the
spiritual currents of the group-spirit in the center of the
earth, which enter into it by way of the root. Later it will be
shown that the highest spiritual influence comes to man
from the sun, which sends its rays through man, the inverted
plant, from the head downwards. The plant inhales the
poisonous carbon-dioxide exhaled by man and exhales the
life-giving oxygen used by him.
The animal, which is symbolized by the horizontal limb
of the cross, is between the plant and the man. Its spine is in
a horizontal position and through it play the currents of the
animal group-spirit which encircle the Earth. No animal can
be made to remain constantly upright, because in that case
the currents of the group-spirit could not guide it, and if it
were not sufficiently individualized to endure the spiritual
currents which enter the vertical human spine, it would die.
It is necessary that a vehicle for the expression of an
individual Ego shall have three things—an upright walk, that
it may come into touch with the currents just mentioned; an
upright larynx, for only such a larynx is capable of speech
(parrots and starlings are examples of this effect of the
upright larynx); and, owing to the solar currents, it must
have warm blood. The latter is of the utmost importance to
the Ego, which will be logically explained and illustrated
later. These requisites are simply mentioned here as the last
words on the status of the four kingdoms in relation to each
other and to the Worlds.