By Shannon Anderson

I have chosen to explore the metaphor of EDEN, also known as the Garden of Eden.

Reverse Speech Metaphor Dictionary defines the Garden of Eden as the beginning of life; the foundation stone for the Psyche; the place where the life-force is born; the place of beginning; the Architect of the unconscious; one meets self in the Garden; one goes to the Garden for energy; a place of renewal.

According to the Sumerian text E = home and den = life. One may interpret this to mean that Eden is our original home where life begins and transforms on a deep unconscious structural level and this description/ definition corresponds to the Reverse Speech Metaphor Dictionary as it describes Eden as the place of origin of our psyche.

The Smiths Bible Dictionary defines Eden as “The first residence of man, called in the Septuagint Paradise. The latter is a word of Persian origin and describes an extensive tract of pleasure land somewhat like an English park and the use of it suggests a wide view of man’s abode more than a garden. The description of Eden is found in the Bible Genesis 2:8-14.

Bible Study Tools – Salem Communications

8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east in Eden: and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first Pichon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is Gold. 12 The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and the onyx are also there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third is Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth is the Euphrates.

This description may add more detail to the bounty of food and water offered in the garden that may mean wisdom for the conscious self and in relation to” the head waters or rivers” may be correlation to the four levels of our consciousness, if each river is a different part of the psyche or landscape of the fertile areas of the mind. This could add detail in working with writing Metawalks but speaks not directly in correlation with the metaphor dictionary.

Dictionaries – Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines Eden as “The Garden in which our first parents dwelt. (Genesis 2:8-17) It’s the region where streams abound, where they divide and reunite, where alone in the Mesopotamian tract can be found the phenomenon of a single river parting into four arms, each of which is or has been a river of consequence.

The river of consequence may be directly related to our beliefs and patterns, therefore consequences may be altered in this delightful place of the mind.

Klein’s Hebrew Etymological Dictionary says the name of Eden is the region in which lays Paradise. The name is usually described as the “place of delight” additionally as a place that is well watered throughout.

Genesis 2:15

And the LORD God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and keep it.

Joseph Campbell – “The Power of Myth”

Refers to Eden as “dreamtime paradise” no time – no birth – no death – no life

Garden of Eden mythology – Wikipedia

The story of Eden echoes the Mesopotamian myth of a king, as a primordial man, who is placed in a divine garden to guard the tree of life. In the Hebrew Bible, Adam and Eve are depicted as walking around the Garden of Eden naked due to their innocence.

Carl Jung in the” The Garden of Eden: A Myth of Transformation of Consciousness” by Arthur George

The biblical story of Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis Chapter 2-3)

According to Jung this myth is the foundational to our western culture and has influenced out upbringing and psychology of all of us, whether we realize it or not. Joseph Campbell concluded, “This story yields it meaning only to a psychological interpretation” (2001 p 50) Carl Jung had written that, “cosmogonic myths are, at bottom symbols for the coming of consciousness “. Literature about the Eden story taking such a psychological approach is scant due to the traditional and problematic tensions and gaps between academia disciplines. According to Jun in “The Mythology of Eden”.

The story as told, Yahweh warns Adam (before Eve was created) not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, or he will die that very day. In many religions and mythologies, including the Canaanite – Israelite religion, sacred trees were thought of as conduits for connecting with the divine, and directly experiencing the divine. Whereas the Eden story’s author insisted upon a covenant or contract, relationship between the divine (Yahweh) on the one hand and the human (earthly, profane nondivine) sphere on the other. One way to experience the divine was to partake in the fruit or other produce of the sacred tree or plant, then imbibing the essence of the divinity immanent within the tree. Eve, was tempted by the serpent to eat the “forbidden fruit”. She decided to eat it for various reasons, but mainly she desired wisdom (Genesis 3:6) This purpose was realized immediately after Eve and Adam ate the fruit as, “the eyes of both were opened”. (Genesis 3:7) and Yahweh remarked, to other divine beings, “See the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:22) The knowledge / wisdom acquired by Adam and Eve and their transformation relate to the psyche. In the biblical world chaos was typically symbolized by a serpent, so in the Eden story, the serpent appears before Eve indicating that chaos had entered the Garden and Eves mind. Her dialogue with the serpent represents this manifestation of chaos within herself and inner turmoil. In normative terms, chaos is viewed as bad (evil), while creation is (good). God had created the ordered cosmos from chaos, the cosmos in this respect has a teleological nature, which should be respected, maintained and furthered. According to Jung – Given that evil is a form of chaos and good a manifestation of the divinely created order of creation, the knowledge of good and evil is nothing less than a godlike knowledge of how the universe works in terms of chaos and order, both at the cosmic level and at the human moral level of good and evil. This understanding was an insight into how the human psyche works. In considering the relevance of the Eden Story in todays world involves conscious application of the knowledge of good and evil and involves, at least in part, “ego-consciousness” repressing and supressing contents of our unconscious; therefore, would also serve as a foundational place to travel to alter, transform and heal supressed emotions or traumatic memories and with this a fertile area of the mind in which to alter programming and habitual patterns therefore this learning from Carl Jung supports the definition researched thus far in regards to the metaphor dictionary most.

According to the novel by Laverne Harrell Clark – “Keepers of the Earth”

Eden is the primordial place in our psyche where the suppression and repression of the unconscious takes place and, in a place, to experience direct divinity which resulted in the elevations of Adam and Eves consciousness. It is the place where we may Endeavor to transform the human psyche to a higher-level elevation. This is also congruent to the Reverse Speech Dictionary definition

A Course in Miracles Chapter 2,3.pg 17

The Garden of Eden, or the pre-separation condition, was a state of mind in which nothing was needed. When Adam listened to the “lies of the serpent” all he heard was untruth. You do not have to continue to believe what is not true unless you choose to do so.

the Great Arcanum Gnostic Teaching – 52; Mystical Paths_7:13 YouTube Channel

The Garden of Eden, paradise of perfection is symbolic of formed man in his image.

Genesis 2:8 Jehovah Elohim planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man who he had formed. In the beginning God creates, Elohim creates.

Elohim EL=God EOAH=Goddess.

Jehovah JE=male HOVA= female

Adam=male/Phallus Eve=female/Uterus

Eden is a paradise of perfection. Androgynous, containing both masqueline and feminine aspects of the one in perfect balance. Eden is symbolic of the innocence and happiness that was once the natural state of humanity. The humanity of Eden was pure knowing only goodness and virtue and as reflections of God, humanity embodied the seven virtues of the soul. Altruism, Right Action, Chastity, Humility, Love, Temperance and Happiness for others.

The Foundation or Garden of Eden, the two trees. The Tree of Life symbolizes the structure of the soul, free to eat and feed themselves with the science of life, fully illuminated consciousness. The science of the tree of life is a map of the universe and the human soul. Man know thyself and it might know the universe and its Gods. Possessing an illumined tree of life means ones inner senses are freely opened and active providing a direct relationship to God. Abiding in a state of perfection with an awakened consciousness is the science of God. The Tree of Knowledge,” and Jehovah Elohim commanded the man, saying of every tree of the Garden you are free to eat, but as for the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you must not eat of it; for in that day you eat of it you shall surely die (spiritually)”. Genesis 2-16-17

Knowledge in Greek translation is Gnosis and in Hebrew, Daath translated to “Hidden Sphere” Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son, relates to sexuality or the orgasm. The three primary forces or the universal symbol of the trinity represented in the pyramid that refers to the mother, EVE, the father, ADAM and the holy spirit, ORGASM. Thus, the fire in Eve became inverted and the seven sins of lust, pride, gluttony, hate, anger, greed and laziness became poison to the soul causing spiritual death, or the fall of man. This could be why the so many “sexual “phrases appear in reverse speech because it is the vital energy that we seek when not directly in reference to the sexual act. The father, the son and the holy spirit came after the separation and left the feminine aspect out. If the perfectly created ONE was androgynous, containing both anima and animus, perfectly created by God, then the discard or misconception of the feminine aspect, has therefore creating the pain, suffering and imbalance of the our psyche and our modern civilization. Eden exists within every soul that is united with God. Expelling the light of God within expels the soul from Eden and creates a great emptiness. To replace the void created by this disconnection with God mankind created civilizations, ideas and religions left with only a trace of the divine inside.

The Gnostic view of Eden appears to be the closest correlation to mapping the metaphoric nature of Eden and The Garden and the symbols in our psyche that lay within its clearings and meadows. If the Eden of Adam and Eve never really existed in the physical 3D world then it is truly the metaphors of the myth that we are to understand and integrate, not the literal meaning therefore it truly is only a metaphor for the birth of hu-man being. On a personal level, my experience of my first round of session work, traveling to and encountering the garden was truly a delight. I am excited to learn more about the architecture and deeper understandings held in that paradise within.

I recently viewed a video from Santos Bonacci, from Australia, MrAstrology on YouTube, on the symmetry of the letters in our alphabet and their correlation to the ancient symbology on runes and their relation to the English and other languages and got a greater understanding on the spellings we cast with our words in relation to how we create our reality of being. He believes that Eden resides in the right brain hemisphere where seeds are planted in the garden of consciousness and all is Atum, Adam or Atom. Interesting science he conveys and may be the cornerstone of Eden in the physical realm within our very brain.

the Great Arcanum Gnostic Teaching – 52; Mystical Paths_7:13 YouTube Channel

A Course in Miracles Chapter 2,3.pg 17

“Keepers of the Earth” by Laverne Harrell

Carl Jung: ” The Garden of Eden: A Myth of Transformation of Consciousness” by Arthur George

Joseph Campbell – “The Power of Myth”

Garden of Eden mythology – Wikipedia

Bible Study Tools – Salem Communications

Dictionaries – Easton’s Bible Dictionary

The Smiths Bible Dictionary

Klein’s Hebrew Etymological Dictionary

All is Atum – Santos Bonacci – YouTube Channel Mr Astrology

By Charmaine Graves

Reverse Speech Metaphor Dictionary, THUNDER: a symbol of power and presence; to release power; to speak with strength and conviction

Thunder in Mythology

In many cultures, Thunder, has a rich and dominant place in history and mythology. Due to the power of its sound, and the accompanying lightening bolts that both destroyed the land and lit up the sky.

There are not only gods, but kings, marshalls, generals, lords, demons, and all sorts of personifications of Thunder, which are found across the planet. And often, the chief deities or spiritual representations of the gods found in most ancient cultures, will include a personification of Thunder.

Thunder often shows up, through cultural personifications, as a metaphor for power, attention, sharpening of awareness, and causing a fear that aligns, and animates or invigorates.

We find this fearsome and aligning quality of thunder, in cultural myths throughout the Mediterranean, North and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe and so on. Every ancient culture has something to say about thunder. Myths and beliefs abound in history, surrounding how Thunder has bestowed, been called upon, or can be appeased or regarded. And about what it can do, has done in the past, as a personified consciousness.

In these beliefs, we find Thunder is rich in metaphoric meaning.

Native American Thunder Symbolism

Closest to home, North American indigenous myths and spirituality has a rich Thunder history. Being responsible for creating the sound of thunder, we find in the indigenous North American legendary creature called the Thunderbird. As a courier from another realm, this large bird like spirit, it brings justice, power and glory.

There are also tales of Thunder beings, who visit from their sky-home,

There are many other Thunder gods and spirits, some positive and some bringers of death. Many tribes believed that the voice of thunder was the power behind the floods, wind, or drought, and also the rains and renewal of life – in this case, the source of life-giving, or death-bringing circumstances. Lightening, in some tribes, was considered as being the flash of the Thunder’s eyes.

It is also believed that the native drums contain the power and connection to the thunder, and when ceremoniously beaten, can create a link to the world of the spirit and a voice straight to the creator’s ear.

Our derived metaphors are of power, justice, renewal or defeat.

Hindu Tradition

Thunder is believed to be a symbol of the voice of god, or a heavenly voice. For example, in the Upanishads, Brammah speaks through thunder, uttering “da, da, da” .. and this becomes, for those in the Hindu tradition, a lessons from the original god, creator of the plethora of hindu deities born from the one original space. The DA DA DA, considered the voice of God, through thunder, represents God alerting man, instructing man, and continually re-structuring man into compassionate order. Three words, all beginning with “da” the sound of thunder, are “Datta,” “Dayadhvam,” and “Damyata.” In direct translation, they mean “give,” “compassion,” and “control.”

This Da Da Da, becomes is a constant reminder, through the sound of thunder to earthly beings to remember to practice restraint, charity and compassion, and that the gods above are overseeing, and alerting man with the reminder, or warning, of thunder. God warns, man comes into alignment or humble submission, and reforms and lack of compassion, to move forward in goodness.

Also in the Hindu tradition, the famous sanskrit texts called the Vedas, presents Indra, their God of Thunder. He announces himself with the boom of thunder, it’s an awakening call to stand and march against the enemy. It’s an empowering sound, accompanied by thunderbolts (lightening), a metaphor often closely related to thunder.

In hinduism, Thunder (and accompaningy lightening) represent divine communication and instruction from God – awareness or opening of the mind, and the subsequent defeat of darkness. The metaphors for Thunder being very connected to the a teaching god prodding each person higher in their spiritual life. Thunder reminding, serving as a wakeup call, and a defeat of an enemy of ignorance and evil.

European Gods of Thunder

Zeus in Greek mythology, Thor in Norse mythology need no introduction as our familiar and most well-known Gods of thunder. Zeus being the Greek god, connecting the power of thunder to metaphors of order, law and justice. While Thor’s Thunder style metaphors connect more to being honourable and noble in war, and to bestow blessings of safety and fertility (for example he was called upon at weddings, crop rituals, etc.)

In Slavic Pagan mythology, Perun, a God of thunder is again found as being the highest of gods. Similar to Zeus and Thor, and other ancient gods, Thunder is a mark of the highest spiritual position in a pantheon of personifications of the divine nature. Perun likewise shows up with weapons of war (axe, hammer, arrows) and his name means to “strike” and “slay”. Fire, the eagle, and the oak tree as other common representations of Perun, all lend to metaphor themes that are shared with other Thunder gods.

African Religion, Shango the Thunder God

Shango, or Chango, is a warrior king, an Orisha or spirit manifestation of the supreme God, according to the Nigerian yorbua tribe. Shango has also made his way, and his power known, within some Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Brazilian sects, from the dispersed african-influenced religions.

His name is derived from Shan (to strike violently), and Go (to bewilder).

When thunder is heard, it is taught in this tradition, that one must respect Shango with a call and a salute to this Thunder God, acknowledging him as a powerful face of the Divine. Fear, respect, and turning towards the personification of thunder is seen here once again.

“Changó (Shangó) is the owner of fire, lightening, thunder, and war, but he is also the patron of music, drumming, and dancing. He represents male beauty and virility, passion and power.”

Here we see the metaphors of Thunder are again very masculine, but also have a feminine aspect of creative dance and music.

Thunder in Scripture

Thunder is often spoken of in the bible. Jesus’ disciples James and John for example, were called the Sons of Thunder. In some translations, Sons of Thunder was translated instead as Quivering Main – and this shows some historical understanding of the resonance of “Thunder” meaning shaking or quivering as a metaphor. (Mark 3:17).

Thunder was also used in reference, in the Old Testament, to the Voice of God (Psalms 18:13, Job 37:2). And when God spoke, or sent thunder, people were afraid and submissive. Contributing to the metaphoric meaning of Thunder as a shock, and organizing factor, and display of authoritative power.

Thunder in Divination

IChing

In the ancient Chinese divination technique, the iChing, the text for a reading that includes “Thunder” again shows thunder as a shocking and organizing burst. In this case, iChing reading number 51 – translated as The Arousing, or Shock, or Thunder – tells of a violent energy that “arouses terror”. The symbol is Thunder, and the text speaks of bursting forth, causing fear, trembling, then also laughter.

IChing or the Book of Changes, is a well-known text to accompany the divination – a way to interpret and instrict those seeking predictions of the future, and how to step ethically on their path. Considered a book of wisdom, it was used as a manual for Chinese rulers. The advice, which reveals great metaphorical content regarding, says this about thunder, when it shows up in a prediction:

There is a “shock that comes from the manifestation of God within the depths of the earth makes man afraid, but this fear of God is good, for joy and merriment can follow upon it. When a man has learned within his heart what fear and trembling mean, he is safeguarded against any terror produced by outside influences. Let the thunder roll and spread terror a hundred miles around: he remains so composed and reverent in spirit that the sacrificial rite is not interrupted. This is the spirit that must animate leaders and rulers of men-a profound inner seriousness from which all terrors glance off harmlessly.¹

Tarot

The Tower Card, is a prediction that focuses more on lightening, but the two often go hand and hand, and interpretations vary whether or not The Tower card symbolism includes the sound, along with the bolt, or not. It’s worth briefly noting however, that the Tower, hit by lightning, is a symbol for “sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, awakening.” ²

1 The I Ching or Book of Changes, translation by Hellmut Wilhelm and Cary F. Baynes

2 The Rider-Waite Tarot Deck, by Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith, 1975

Dreams

“Thunder Dream Symbol – Thunder is a tool of the gods to wreak havoc on the population of the earth. It is not only a symbol of divine intervention, but also of divine judgment..”³

Cledonism

Cledonism was popular among the ancient Greeks, and not much is known, and is not a practice in modern day. But we find, in Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus hears thunder after asking for a sign and takes this as a mark of approval from Zeus. Again, God speaking, announcing, from a bold sound from the heavens. Cledonism was a form of divination that took into consideration many natural elements, and Zeus being the God of Thunder, it was expected that his voice would answer through thunder.

Brontomancy

Also ancient, and as far as we know, no longer used as a divination tool, Brontomancy was used in ancient Greece, and more exclusively used thunder alone, as a form of divination. Bronto + -mancy; from the ancient greek word brontḗ (thunder) and manteí (prophecy).⁴

The way this worked, was through an analysis of the characteristics of the sound of thunder. Depending on intensity, duration, distance, volume, the type of rumble, the direction the thunder was coming from, even the day of the week it occurred – all of these factors indicated something specific. And together, a skilled practitioner would make predictions. Predictions were both general and specific: detecting good or bad omens, or whether happy or disastrous themes were active. Predictions included learning if an educated man would die, or a harlot was near, or there would be plenty of grain for the people.

3 Dream Dictionary, 2016, by Stephen Klein

4 http://www.occultopedia.com/b/brontomancy.htm

Thunder for the ancient Greeks, especially for those of this belief system, was very much a voice, both of warning and celebration. Permission from the gods to rejoice, or instruction to be wary and look out for evil.

Thunder in Literature

A few references here below show a foreboding and god-like quality to Thunder. Often time in poetry and literature, themes of weather set the stage and create imagery that suggests and contributes to the theme the writer is wanting to express. Storms and lightning and thunder are often present in stormy emotional or challenging situations.

The calm after the storm is often a time of restructuring and rebuilding as well. In many creative works, various insights and new ways of being often surface after a storm.

Thunder Mutters, by the famous English poet, John Clare

Thunder is John Clare’s poem is getting ready; “Ready to burst slow sails the pitch black cloud”.

Emily Dickinson’s, A Thunderstorm

‘The wind begun to rock the Grass’, and describes the chaos that a storm wreaks upon the world. She personifies thunder in a powerful way: ‘The Dust did scoop itself like Hands / And threw away the Road.’

Augusta Webster, a Victorian poet in the 1800s, wrote Circe, about storms, with thunder as her hint of hope. She says of thunder: and low dull thunder rolls along the beach: there will be storm at last, storm, glorious storm. And she writes,

let the storm break up the sluggish beauty. And she longs to experience “change and growth”, and “subtle joy”, the rumble of the thunder on the beach gives her hope of the change to come.

W. H. Davies wrote a poem celebrating the benefit of thunder, called Leisure. He uses thunder as a metaphor for the mind’s dark and wild mood. And this helps him, he appreciates the destruction and movement thunder causes as it helps him as a writer, with “raining down words”. Thunder is a stimulus for his creative surge.

T. S. Eliot, in his famous poem The Waste Land, has a section called, What the Thunder Said. Like in the vedic scriptures, to Eliot, Thunder says Da Da Da (see Thunder in Hinduism above), and he interpreted thunders voice as “giving”, “sympathizing” and “controlling”.

We also see Jean Toomer, focusing on more of the positive effect of storms, writes a poem called Storm Ending. of thunder, He speaks of thunder as blossoming, flourishing, and thunder as part of the rejuvenating rain that falls down on the land. He begins with thunder blossoming “gorgeously above our heads” and concludes his poem, “Dripping rain like golden honey; And the sweet earth flying from the thunder.”

Examples of thunder in literature are vast, on final example here is from a book called, “Sound of Thunder”, where thunder is used as a symbol for a dinosaurs steps (a warning to man), and also the protagonists gun (destructive capacity of man not heading natural danger, but rather wanting to battle). Warning steps, and warning shots, and an ominous and foreboding symbol of both man and beast readying for battle.

The Science of Thunder

Thunder can be likened to a sonic boom – its a sonic shock wave. Interestly created by lightning and the rapid expansion that impacts the cooler air (faster than sound would normally travel). While the historic expression hints that thunder comes first chronologically – “Thunder and lightning”, not “LIghtening and thunder” – it is the lightning that creates the thunder.

Often we hear thunder before looking around to see. Sound being more pervasive that the flashes of light which may not immediately be in view. Often then, hearing thunder becomes, more often, a first indication a storm is imminent. Our 1st alert to the heavens moving. And as our ear hear, and understanding often comes more from earing, the metaphor of Thunder as a voice that alerts, instructs and promotes order, is fitting.

Reverse Speech Thunder Metaphor

The Metaphor in Reverse Speech becomes a succinct summary of the metaphors found throughout history, related to thunder as a voice, and one of power, both in instruction and action or consequence.

Reverse Speech Metaphor Dictionary: THUNDER: a symbol of power and presence; to release power; to speak with strength and conviction