9215. 'It is his clothing for his skin' means that they also clothe relatively external things. This is clear from the meaning of 'clothing' as the sensory level in general or things on that level, as above; and from the meaning of 'skin' as that which is relatively external, which also clothes more internal things but still exists within those on the sensory level. What 'the skin' means, and who exactly correspond to the skin in the next life, see 3540, 5552-5559, 8977, 8980. The natural degree of the human mind has a rather internal level, a relatively external or middle level, and an outermost level. The more internal level of the natural is in contact with heaven; the middle or relatively external level is in contact on one side with the more internal, and through this with heaven, and on the other side with the outermost, and through this with the world, see 4009, 4570, 5118, 5126, 5497, 5649, 5707. The outermost level of the natural is that of the senses, which is meant here by 'clothing'. This level receives impressions of objects in the world and thereby serves more internal things. It is called 'his only covering' because it is the last and lowest and so is general to all, the relatively external or middle level of the natural being the one meant by 'skin'. From this it is evident that 'his clothing for his skin' means that the sensory level also clothes relatively external things. The fact that the sensory level is the last and lowest of a person's life, and so is a general covering, see 4009, 5077, 5125, 5128, 5767, 5774, 6201, 6313, 7442, 7693.

7743. It has been mentioned already that the inhabitants of Mars are governed by celestial love. They are the ones who were represented by the flaming object that acquired a beautiful sparkle from variations in its colour, and also by the bird with similar colourings. The fact that at the present day a large number of them are beginning to depart from that celestial love, to love knowledge alone, and to suppose that heavenly life lies solely in such knowledge, was represented by the bird when it had turned to stone. For the bird means spiritual life, and its being turned into stone means a life of knowledge but no love, which is not spiritual life any longer but a life cold as stone which nothing from heaven can enter. And their continuing to believe that the Lord is with them, as He is with those there whose lives are governed by celestial love, was meant and demonstrated by the spirit who rose up from below and wished to take the bird away.

7743a The bird of stone was also a representation of inhabitants of that planet who use a strange method to transform the life of their thoughts and affections into a virtual absence of life. What I have seen and heard about this follows below.