The Qabalah’s Tree of Life is a glyph that represents, simultaneously, two directions: the flow of the Divine from Above to Below, and the Path of Return to Source, Below to Above, for those on spiritual journeys of enlightenment. It is a glyph that represents all of creation and all the energies of creation.
The Tree of Life is comprised of ten circles called Sephiroth and the 22 paths that connect them. The Paths are subjective, and allocated to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet as well as the 22 Major Arcana of the Tarot. The 10 Spheres are objective and are considered emmanations of the Divine. They are allocated to the First Swirlings, the Zodiac, the six visible planets, the Moon and the Earth.
Virgo is represented on the Tree of Life through its associated Tarot Card, which is The Hermit card. The Hebrew letter for this path is Yod, which means hand. It’s numerical value is 10, it is a simple letter - its “gift” is Sexual Love. The Yod is considered to be the graphic root of the entire Hebrew Alphabet, and as such can correspond to the idea of Sperm. It is considered phallic and representative of the “Male-Fire which rushes out to meet the Female-Water”.* However it is generally agreed that “sexual love” in this case, as the Path is located in the domain of Yetzirah, it refers to the self-contained and self-sustaining relationship we all have with our divine counterparts - our Higher Selves.
The path of Yod resides in the Ethical Triad of the Higher Self. The 20th Path of Key 9, The Hermit, connects Tiphareth to Chesed. It represents the first point of awareness of the Higher Self of the Supreme Spiritual Self. Pathworking on the Hermit card will “manifest situations where we must leave worldly cares behind, leaving the security of the ego and our assumed importance of our earthly endeavors. This […] opens the individual to many opportunities for healing and illumination.” **
PSALM PRAYER for the 20th PATH••
“Thy hands have made me and fashioned me;
teach me thy law.
So that those who revere thee may see and rejoice,
because I have rejoiced in thy word.
I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right and that thou in thy faithfulness has humbled me.
Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be my comfort according to thy word to thy servant.
Let thy tender mercies come to me that I may live;
for I have been taught thy law.
Let the wicked be ashamed, for they have humbled me unjustly but I have meditated in thy precepts.
Let those who reverence thee turn unto me,
and those who have known thy testimonies,
Let my heart meditate in thy statutes that I be not ashamed.”
See The ALCHEMY of the sign of VIRGO for an ancient Chakra activation mediation.
* Qabalistic Tarot, by Robert Yang
** Pathworking, A Qabala Guide to Empowerment and Initiation, by Ted Andrews
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