Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

NET OF THE UNDERWORLD, OR OF THE "UNITER OF THE EARTH"

A symbol of the astral mechanism of sensation and desire which unites the individuality with the lower nature (earth); at first enmeshing the soul, but afterwards becoming a means of development.

"The name of the Temple of Thoth at Khemennu, or the City of Eight, was Het Abtit, or the 'House of the Net,' -a very curious expression. From Ch. CLIII. of the Ritual, however, we learn that there was a mysterious Net which, as Budge says, was supposed to exist in the Underworld, and that the deceased regarded it with horror and detestation. Every part of it-its poles, and ropes, and weights, and small cords, and hooks -had names which he was obliged to learn if he wished to escape from it, and make use of it to catch food for himself, instead of being caught by those who laid snares.' Interpreting this from the mystical standpoint of the doctrine of Re-birth, or the rising from the dead,- that is to say, of the spiritual resurrection of those who had died to the darkness of their lower natures and had become alive to the Light of the spiritual life, ... I would venture to suggest that this Net was the symbol of a certain condition of the inner nature which shut in the man into the limitations of the conventional life of the world, and shut him off from the memory of his true self. The poles, ropes, weights, small cords, and hooks were symbols of the anatomy and physiology, so to say, of the invisible 'body,' or 'envelope of the soul. The normal man was enmeshed in this engine of Fate; the man who received the Mind inverted this Net, so to speak, transmuted and transformed it, so that he could catch food for himself. Come ye after me and I will make you fishers of men.' The food with which the Christ' nourishes his 'body' is supplied by men. Thus in a prayer in this chapter of the Ritual we read: Hail thou "God who lookest behind thee," thou “ God who hast gained the mastery over thine heart," I go a fishing with the cordage [? net] of the "Uniter of the earth," and of him that maketh a way through the earth.'” - G. R. S. MEAD, T. G. Hermes, Vol. I. pp. 58, 59.

To the above excellent interpretation may be added:-The "city of eight" refers to the dual nature of the quaternary centralized by the higher mind (Thoth). The higher mind contains the causal-body (house of the net) from which the individuality (deceased) lowers the astral mechanism (net), while abhorring the illusions of the lower planes, which obscure the Self within. The ego is enmeshed in the mechanism of nature, but when the Spirit (Mind) begins to direct through the mind, the mechanism is made a means of evolution through the acquirement by it of facts (fish) and knowledge (food). The causal-body, or “Christ-body," is nourished by truth and love, the bread from heaven," bestowed in response to the aspirations of the personality.

"This one deity (Isvara) spreads out his net in many modes for every one in this field of illusion, and draws it in again." - Svetas. Upanishad, V.

"As Apep was a monster of the deep, to make use of nets in his capture was a wise decision on the part of the friends of Afu-Rā. Having taken up their positions for attacking Apep, the men with the harpoons work the rope which is attached to Aai, the goddesses and the apes shake out their rope nets over their heads, and recite their spells, and the men who know the proper words of power, shake out their nets and recite the formulæ which shall have the effect of throwing Apep and Sessi into the state of stupe-faction wherein it will be easy to slay them." - BUDGE, Egypt. Heaven and Hell, Vol. I. p. 185.

See Also

AFU-RĀ
AKERU
APE
APEP
BIRTH OF BUDDHA
BOAT (Sektet)
BONES
CAUSAL-BODY
DEFUNCT
EARTH, PRIMORDIAL
FISH
FOOD
ISVARA
RE-BIRTH
SEKHET-HETEP
THOTH