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Friday 2 January 2009

The Path of Teth

The Path of Justice, like the Path of The Empress (Path 4 - Daleth) which is above it on the Cabbalistic Tree, runs between the Pillar of Justice (Force) and the Pillar of Mercy (Form). It shares the turbulent energies of that earlier path, especially the Goddess energies of Binah (Sephira 3) which are channelled to it via Chesed (Sephira 4).

So, the Path of Justice is a path of creation and destruction - of initiation, insemination and gestation. But, because it is lower down the Cabbalistic Tree, its energies are more closely linked to our world and to our individual lives.

The Goddess on this path appears as Themis, the Titan daughter of Uranus (Sky) and Gaea (Earth). Themis was protectress of the infant Zeus, who later relied on her for wise guidance. Her own children governed the seasons, the clouds, wise legislation, justice, peace and fate. She assisted at the difficult birth of the twins, Apollo and Artemis, and made Apollo a gift of the Oracle at Delphi which had belonged to her mother, Gaea. On earth, Themis governs justice, peace and social harmony, and she is shown on the Traditional Tarot card of Justice, card 8, with a sword and balanced scales.

The number for this path is 9, and the Hebrew letter for this path is Teth, meaning 'snake'. Both are closely linked with the Goddess's powers.

Teth, the serpent, also represents fundamental, concealed power. It is Form hidden in Matter; Spirit in Body; the animal energies in the rational human; the Snake in the Garden of Eden. Teth is powerfully sexual and it is both destructive and generative - it devours in order to create anew. It is Good and Evil. It is Nature, the Uroborus, the snake devouring its tail and (like 9) returning always to itself. It is the driving force of life which shapes the pattern of evolution and holds all potential for growth. (Source: Zeta.org)