Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

CAVE, OR CAVERN 

A symbol of the lower quaternary or lower nature of the soul-dark and gloomy, because devoid of the light of Truth.

“Far back in the inner chamber of the Cavern of Night sits Light (Phanes), and in the midst Night, who delivers prophetic judgment to the gods, and at the mouth is Adrastia." - HERMIAS, Phædr., p. 148.

The Divine illumination is only in the adytum, holy of holies, or higher nature of the soul. In the midst is buddhi, under the guise of folly and ignorance, who yields up the transmuted results of effort and aspiration, under the law of karma (Adrastia).

“The Persians, mystically signifying the descent of the soul into the sublunary regions, and its regression thence, initiate the candidate in a place which they call a cavern.... A cave, according to Zoroaster, being an image of the world which was made by Mithra. - PORPHYRY, Cave of the Nymphs, VI.

Mithra, like Zeus or Jesus, is said to have been born, or brought up, in a cave, which signifies the Redeemer entering the lower nature of the soul. "In the Zuni cosmogony, men, as in so many other myths, originally lived in the dark places of the earth in four caverns. Like the children of Uranus and Gaea, they murmured at the darkness.' - A. LANG, Myth. Rit. and Rel., Vol. II. p. 62.

The four caverns signify the four lower planes on which the progeny of Spirit (Uranus) and Matter (Gaea) are emanated. The same idea is to be seen in the Maori myth of Rangi (Spirit) and Papa (matter),—their children found themselves in darkness, ruled by great mother Night.

"Now was Loke taken without any chance of respite. The Asar conducted him into a cave." - Prose Edda.

Now the desire-nature (Loke) is captured by the mind (Thor), through the varied experiences which have been collected. And these are now organised in the young soul (cave).  

See Also

ADRASTIA
BIRTH OF JESUS
DIONYSUS
HIDING PLACE
LOKE
MITHRA
NIGHT
PHANES
RANGI
ROCK (spiritual)
VIRGIN MARY