Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

Understanding Biblical Symbolism


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URANUS AND GAEA

 Symbols of Spirit and Matter, the prime factors in the process of Involution.

"Now Heaven (Uranus) used to hide his children from the light in the hollows of earth (Gaea) which both she and they resented. The children conspired against their father, and their mother assisted them by producing iron, with which she bade them avenge their wrongs. But fear fell upon them all except Cronus, who determined to deliver his mother from Heaven's embraces. So when Heaven approached his wife, Cronus, armed with a sickle of iron, mutilated him. Thus Heaven and Earth were divorced; but Oceanus clung to his father." - JOHN RHYS, Hibbert Lectures, P. 111.

Upon referring to Hesiod's Theogony (166-192), it will be seen that this story is a variation of the world-wide symbolism of the separation of Spirit and Matter at the commencement of the process of evolution. Matter, it is to be understood, has, through the preceding process of involution, been thoroughly impregnated with the seeds of all qualities and forms which are afterwards to be evolved. The symbol of emasculation is therefore used to denote the cessation of involution when its time is fulfilled.

Spirit (Heaven) is said to hide in Matter (Earth) his progeny of the essential conditions of manifestation, which, as it were, resent their state of latency, and are eager to see the light of life. Upon the dawn of mind (iron), brought forth of Matter, the means for separation of Spirit and Matter appear, for the mental plane is midway between the higher and lower natures. Then it is that cyclic Time (Cronus) is said to effect the termination of the process of involution. Mind becoming active in the multiplicity of ideas presented to it (jagged iron sickle), begins, through desire, to reverse the life currents outwardly, and so stop their course inwardly. Thus Spirit and Matter were separated in order that beings should be formed between them, and natural phenomena should appear. But the Spirit of Truth (Oceanus) was obscured, for evolution commences in ignorance and error.

 

See Also

CRONUS OR SATURN
EARTH, PRIMORDIAL
EVOLUTION
FOAM
GE
HEAVEN AND EARTH
IRON
INVOLUTION
MATTER (FEMININE)
OCEANUS
POSEIDON
PRAGÂPATI (Relaxed)
PROTOTYPES
RANGI
RHEA (Goddess)
SEPARATION OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
SEX PRINCIPLE
SICKLE
SPARK
SPIRIT
TITANS
VENUS
ZAGREUS
ZEUS, SON OF CRONUS