5. The reason why celestial things endure beyond terrestrial
animals and elements has been thus stated by Plato[225]: "Divine
animals were formed by the divinity Himself, while the animals
here below were formed by the divinities, His offspring." What the
divinity (Himself) does could not possibly perish. This implies the
existence, below the demiurge (Intelligence), of the celestial Soul,
with our souls.[208] From the celestial Soul derives and flows an
apparent-form-of-an-image,[209] which forms terrestrial animals. This
inferior soul imitates her intelligible principle (the celestial Soul),
without, however, being able to resemble her completely--because she
employs elements which are less good (than the celestial elements);
because the place where she operates with them is less good (than
heaven)--and because the materials that she organizes could not remain
united. Consequently, terrestrial animals could not last for ever. For
the same reason this soul does not dominate terrestrial bodies with as
much power (as the celestial Soul dominates celestial things), because
each of them is governed by another (human) soul.