Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

Understanding Biblical Symbolism


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WOMAN

A symbol of the emotion-nature of the soul, which is to be transmuted from the astral to the buddhic state.

"And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And the man said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." - GENESIS. ii. 21-3.

And the Love-Wisdom within the soul caused a state of latency to overtake the mind (man), so that it was for a time unable to carry on its activities. And on the mind plane, one of the higher sub-planes (rib) was specifically selected in accordance with the Divine scheme, as the abode of the higher soul related to buddhi, and thereon was the emotion-nature (woman) evolved; and this new factor was brought into relation with the lower mind. And the mind acknowledges the better half of itself to be now of its own substance, and recognises in mind-emotion that which is apparently dual within the mind itself.

"Auharmazd spoke to Mashya (man) and Mashyoi (woman): You are man, you are the ancestry of the world, and you are created perfect in devotion by me; perform devotedly the duty of the law, think good thoughts, speak good words, do good deeds, and worship no demons.' Both of them first thought this, that one of them should please the other, as he is a man for him; and the first deed done by them was this, when they went out they washed themselves thoroughly." - Bundahis, Ch. XV. 6, 7.

“The Supreme uttered its commands to the evolving Soul through the mind (man) and emotion (woman) nature. 'Keep true to the ideals within you fulfil the law of your own evolution recognize the three-fold nature, spiritual, ethical, and expressive, under-lying your activities: and bow down before no unworthy object.' Originally, mind and emotion were not in conflict, for desire had not entered in. The first process which was undergone within thein was the instinctive, automatic, fulfilling of their Own true natures lawfully and rightfully. They acknowledged unconsciously the Supreme source of their being. They acted truthfully (washed) in accordance with the Divine Law of growth at this stage of involution on the buddhi-manasic plane, prior to the fall.

"The woman was the first to sacrifice to the daêvas " - Zoroastrian System.

The emotion-element in the soul is the first to be implicated through desire (daêvas); just as signified in the Genesis story.

"Let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection. But I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness. For Adam was first formed, then Eve; and Adam was not beguiled, but the woman being beguiled hath fallen into transgression; but she shall be saved through the child-bearing, if they continue in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety." - 1 TIM. ii. 11-15.

This symbolical Divine utterance has no erroneous reference to persons of different sexes. It teaches indisputable truth, as does all sacred scripture. The emotion-nature (woman) must be subject to the dictates of the reasoning mind (man), or truth, justice, equity, peace, mercy, are suppressed in the soul. The emotion-nature must assert itself in an orderly manner, but it is not its function to teach and lead. The mind (Adam) has first place, and functionally is not affected by motives either from above or from below. On the other hand the emotions (Eve) are functionally affected by the Spirit above and by desire below. The salvation of the emotion-nature is effected by its turning to the Holy Spirit, and through purification (virginity) bringing forth the Christ in the mind, whereby both mind and emotion are freed from desire, and the consciousness rises to higher planes.

See Also

ADAM (Lower)
ANDROMEDA
BONES
BREASTS
CHURCH
CHILD
CONCEPTION (child)
DIVORCE
EPIMETHEUS
EVE
FALL OF MAN
FLESH
HEEL
HUSBAND
LAW ZOROASTER
Male-FEMALE
MAN
MAN AND WIFE
MAN WITHOUT WOMAN
MARRIAGE
PANDORA
PERSEPHONE
PRODIGAL
QUALITIES
RIB
SERPENT (Subtil)
VACH
VIRGIN MARY
WASHED
WATER (Higher)
WIFE