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Trees of the Garden

Writer's picture: Peter Duchemin, PhdPeter Duchemin, Phd


From the perspective of the Qabalistic tree, the Empress energy establishes a mode of fullness and interconnection that allows us, for the first time in this process, to consider the whole - as a whole. There are several ways of approaching this. One is famously the superposition of the Ankh - the symbol of life, and also the symbol of Venus (or closely akin thereto) - onto the tree such that it connects all 10 sephiroth as shown. This explores how love, Venus, is the key to achieving complete interconnection of the forces of our universe as we encounter it. As Venus is the Empress' sign, so too is wholeness the Empress' function.




Another mode of approach is to recognize that path of the Empress falls on the third, and topmost horizontal "girder" of the tree. The lowest rung is the Tower signifying a breakthrough out of blindness. The middle rung is Strength, suggesting the acquisition and radiance of power. The top rung is the Empress suggesting Love, acceptance and inclusion. When these three rungs are simultaneously active, the adept is prepared to make a significant contribution to the spiritual welfare of humanity and its larger context. The three Hebrew Letters Peh (80), Teth (9), and Daleth (4), which are assigned to these paths, add up to the total value of 93, which is the equivalent in Greek isopsephy (numerology, sortof) of the words "Agape", universal Love, and "Thelema", will. It will be noted that the true Thelemite operates on these three planes as one.





Finally, we can observe the lightning flash - as we did before - but note that the trump numbers that fall on these path are: 0, 3, 2, 8, 11, 13, 16, 19, and 21. These numbers also add up to 93. The implication of this is that in the Empress, there is a union of Love and Will that is so intense that they become one. This is the Edenic state. To truly access this state, as discussed in the week of the Lovers, we must learn to undo the oppositions as we have internalized them and discover how to transcend them. This is achieved through meditation and practice, but it might be said that while the Lovers acts as the pathway into Eden, the Empress represents Eden herself - the state of nature.


Those who stabilize a practice on this level are reconnecting to the edenic, primordial consciousness. Wholeness of a fundamental level is the message of the Empress.


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