1029. The fact that every wild animal of the earth symbolizes our lower capacities of intellect and will, coming from those higher ones, again is established by earlier demonstrations concerning the symbolism of a wild animal [§§45, 46, 246, 908].
Each of us has deep capacities and shallow capacities. The deeper ones are rational thoughts (symbolized by the bird) and feelings (symbolized by the beast). The shallower ones are learned facts and sensual pleasures (symbolized by the wild animals of the earth).
The bird, beast, and wild animal do not literally mean a bird, beast, or wild animal but a living quality in a person who has been reborn. Anyone can see this or figure it out by considering that God cannot enter into a pact with brute animals, even though it says, "I am setting up a pact with every living soul that is with you: bird, beast, and wild animal of the earth with you." He can enter into a pact only with human beings, whose deeper and shallower capacities are portrayed by those creatures.
