GENESIS 1:20
"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven."
Inner Meaning
In DOASAM symbolism, this verse marks the
emergence of self-moving life from the astral depths.
The "waters" represent the astral plane, the field of emotion,
desire, and psychic movement.
When the waters "bring forth abundantly," it signifies the awakening
of the soul's formative powers within the lower nature.
Two orders of life appear:
- "Moving creature that hath life" - the first
stirrings of desire-impulse within the astral field.
- "Fowl that may fly above the earth" - the rising
of thought-forms that begin to lift consciousness upward.
This is the moment when the lower and higher currents of the soul
begin to differentiate.
Symbolic Breakdown
Waters
The astral plane - the emotional and psychic matrix from which all
lower forms of consciousness arise.
Bring Forth Abundantly
The natural productivity of the astral principle.
When stirred by the Divine Will, it generates:
- impulses
- desires
- images
- emotional currents
- psychic forms
These are the "moving creatures."
Moving Creature That Hath Life
Represents the first organized motions of desire.
These are not yet rational or moral; they are the raw energies that
later become passions, instincts, and motivations.
Fowl That Fly Above the Earth
Symbolize thought-forms - the rising of mind from emotion.
They "fly above the earth" because thought lifts consciousness above
the physical plane.
Open Firmament of Heaven
The mental plane, clear and expansive, where thought begins to take
shape and direction.
Esoteric Interpretation
Genesis 1:20 describes the birth of the psychic
and mental nature within the human constitution.
- From the astral waters arise the desire-forces that animate the
personality.
- From these same waters arise the thought-forms that begin to lift
the soul toward the higher planes.
- The verse marks the transition from pure emotional life to
incipient mental life, the first upward movement of consciousness.
This is the beginning of the soul's capacity to aspire, imagine, and
rise.
Comparative Symbolism
Jungian Psychology
The "moving creatures" correspond to the autonomous contents of the
unconscious - instinctual drives and emotional energies.
The "fowl" represent emerging ideas and intuitions rising from the
unconscious into awareness.
Judaism
Waters symbolize chaos and potential, while the birds represent
ruach, the movement of spirit over the depths.
Christianity
The verse prefigures the distinction between flesh (desire) and
spirit (aspiration) - the two movements within the soul.
Hinduism
The waters correspond to kama-manas, the emotional-mental field.
The birds represent vrittis (thought-waves) rising toward buddhi.
|