According to Swedenborg, for something to be cast down or cast out generally refers to a rather dramatic move from a higher spiritual state to a lower one. In most cases it’s used in reference to evil desires or false thinking – or people spreading evil desires and false thinking – being removed and banished, even condemned to hell. Some uses are more moderate, though, and sometimes – when Moses casts down his rod in performing a miracle, for example – it means the sudden inflowing of the divine into the natural world.
Passages from Swedenborg
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 552
552. It was cast to the earth, and its angels were cast out with it. This symbolically means that they were cast into the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, from which a direct conjunction is formed with people on earth.
The earth to which the dragon is said to have been cast means the world of spirits, because this world lies directly under the heavens, and when anyone is cast out of heaven, he does not sink immediately into hell, but onto the land in this world that is the nearest one beneath. For this world is midway between heaven and hell, being situated below the heavens and above the hells.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 1175
1175. And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried out, weeping and mourning.- That this signifies grief, and confession that by a life according to that religion and its doctrine they were damned, is evident from the signification of casting dust upon their heads, which denotes mourning on account of damnation. – That this is on account of life according to that religion and its doctrine, follows as a consequence; – and from the signification of crying out, weeping and mourning, which denotes a state of grief on account of those things, to cry out having reference to doctrine, while to weep and mourn signify grief of soul and heart, as above (n. 1164). The reason why casting dust upon the head denotes mourning on account of damnation, is, because by dust is signified what is damned, and head the man himself. Dust signifies what is damned, because the hells are beneath and the heavens above; and from the hells an exhalation of falsity from evil arises perpetually, consequently the dust over them signifies what is damned, concerning which see also above (n. 742). On account of this signification of dust it was usual in the representative church tocast dust upon the head, when any one had committed evil, and repented, for by that means they testified their repentance.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 1181
1181. Verse 21. And one strong angel took up a stone as it were a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall Babylon be cast down, that great city, and shall be found no more.
“And one strong angel took up a stone, as it were a great millstone, and cast it into the sea,” signifies all the confirmations of their doctrine from the Word cast down into hell with them; “saying, Thus with violence shall Babylon be cast down, that great city, and shall not be found any more,” signifies the total destruction of that doctrine and religion, and that they shall not rise again.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2657
2657. ‘Cast out this servant-girl, and her son’ means that what belonged to the merely human rational was to be banished. This is clear from the meaning of ‘casting out’ as banishing; from the meaning of ‘servant-girl’ as the affection for rational concepts and for factual knowledge, and so as the good belonging to these, dealt with in 2567; and from the meaning of ‘son’ as the truth belonging to that rational, dealt with in 264, 489, 533, 1147. But it is apparent good and apparent truth that go with this first or merely human rational. Consequently ‘cast out this servant-girl, and her son’ means that to be banished were the things belonging to the merely human rational.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 497
497. And cast it upon the earth.- That this signifies influx into the lower parts where those were who had to be separated and removed, is evident from the signification of casting down the censer filled with the fire of the altar, as denoting the influx of Divine Love out of the heavens, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of the earth, as denoting the lower parts, where those were who had to be separated and removed from each other.
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 835
835. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. This symbolically means that all of them were cast as they were into the hell where their loves of falsity and accompanying lusts for evil are found.
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 252
252. And cast their crowns before the throne. This symbolizes their acknowledgment that their wisdom comes from Him alone.
That a crown symbolizes wisdom may be seen in nos. 189 and 235 above. Therefore to cast their crowns before the throne means, symbolically, to acknowledge that their wisdom is not their own, but is attributable to the Lord in them.
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 872
872. 20:14 Then Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire. This symbolically means that the impious at heart, who in themselves were devils and satanic spirits, and yet in outward appearances seemed to be people of the church, were cast down into hell among spirits who were caught up in a love of evil and so in a love of falsity according with evil.
Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 6693
6693. Saying, Every son that is born, ye shall cast him forth into the river. That this signifies that they should immerse in falsities all truths which appear, is evident from the signification of “son,” as being truth (see n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373); and from the signification of “river,” as being things that belong to intelligence (n. 108, 109, 2702, 3051), here in the opposite sense, things contrary, thus falsities. That “to cast forth” denotes to immerse is manifest.
Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 6948
6948. And He said, Cast it to the earth. That this signifies the influx of the power of the Lord’s Divine natural into the sensuous, is evident from the signification of a “rod,” as being power in the natural, and when it is said of the Lord, as being the power proceeding from his Divine natural (of which just above, n. 6947) from the signification of “casting,” or “sending forth,” as being proceeding, thus influx; and from the signification of “the earth” as being man’s external (n. 82, 913, 1411, 1733), here his sensuous and corporeal, which are the outermosts, because the rod became a serpent, and by a “serpent” is signified the sensuous and corporeal man.