Celestial Influences on Men, Animals, and Plants (from Liber divinorum operum)

This circular illumination features a central disk divided into quadrants, surrounded by an inner ring containing humans interacting with trees and animals. The outer ring consists of a wavy band representing water or ether, bordered by a series of disembodied heads—including human, bestial, and mythological forms—that exhale rays of influence toward the center. The composition is balanced and radial, emphasizing the macrocosmic connection between the celestial energies at the edge and the natural world in the interior.

This image is a quintessential example of Hildegard of Bingen's visionary cosmology, illustrating the concept of the 'viriditas' or greening power of God flowing through the cosmos into the terrestrial sphere. It reflects the 12th-century belief in the profound correspondence between celestial spheres and the physical health and growth of the living world.