London, England — 16 July 1676
Fiery object, a globe of light
Spiritual writer Jane Lead witnessed an object in the sky that she took to be “the eye of God.” She wrote “This Morning…there appeared to me an Azure blue Firmament, so Oriental as nothing of this, in this Visible Orb could parallel with it. Out of the midst hereof was a most wonderful Eye, which I saw Sparkling, as with Flaming Streams from it. Which I am not able to Figure out, after that manner, in which it did present it self unto me. But according to this Form it was, as much as I am able to give an account of it, it was thus, or after this manner. There was a Flaming Eye in the midst of a Circle, and round about it a Rainbow with all variety of Colours, and beyond the Rainbow in the Firmament, innumerable Stars all attending this Flaming Eye.” Jane’s style is as difficult and archaic as that of any 17 century mystic, but what she seems to be describing is a luminous or fiery (“sparkling…flaming”) lenticular (“eyeshaped”) object that flew over London on a sunny day (“the blue firmament”). The object emitted rays or jets (“flaming streams”) and seemed to move within a wider rainbowcolored circle, perhaps accompanied by smaller objects which looked like stars. Her drawing shows an oval or eye-like thing emitting five shafts of flame or light, enclosed by a thick circle surrounded by stars. The circle’s interior is labeled “The Globe of Light,” suggesting something more substantial than a mere ‘ring’ or ‘rainbow.’ th Fig. 27: Jane Lead’s vision
Source: John Morton, The Natural History of Northamptonshire; with some account of the antiquities (London, 1712), 348. Case: W246