Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

Understanding Global Symbolism


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BIBLE VERSES

GENESIS 1:24

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so."

Inner Meaning

In DOASAM symbolism, Genesis 1:24 marks the emergence of the formative powers of the physical-psychic nature.

Where the previous verses dealt with the astral waters (desire, emotion) and the fowl (thought-forms), this verse introduces the earth as an active generative principle.

"Earth" represents the lower mind and physical plane, the densest level of manifestation.

When the earth "brings forth," it signifies the solidification of inner forces into concrete tendencies, habits, and structures.

This is the moment when the soul's inner life begins to express itself in definite patterns of behavior.

Symbolic Breakdown

The Earth
Symbolizes the lower nature:
- the physical body
- the instinctual mind
- the habitual patterns of the personality
- the concrete, structured aspect of consciousness

The earth "bringing forth" means the outer life now reflects the inner life.

Living Creature After His Kind
Represents the fixed tendencies that arise from the lower nature:
- ingrained habits
- instinctual reactions
- patterned behaviors
- karmic dispositions

Each "after his kind" means that every inner state produces its own corresponding outer expression.

Cattle
Symbolize the domesticated forces of the personality:
- manageable desires
- disciplined habits
- constructive instincts
These are the parts of the lower nature that can be guided and used.

Creeping Thing
Represents the small, subtle, often unconscious impulses:
- fleeting thoughts
- minor desires
- automatic reactions
- unnoticed emotional movements

These "creep" because they operate beneath conscious awareness.

Beast of the Earth
Symbolizes the stronger, more primal forces:
- survival instincts
- powerful emotions
- deep-seated drives
- the raw energies of the lower self

These must eventually be mastered by the higher nature.

Esoteric Interpretation

Genesis 1:24 describes the crystallization of the soul's inner forces into the structures of the personality.

- The astral (waters) has produced desire.
- The mental (fowl) has produced thought.
- Now the physical-psychic (earth) produces habit, instinct, and behavior.

This is the stage where consciousness becomes embodied, where inner tendencies take on outer form.

In DOASAM, this verse marks the birth of the lower self, the personality that the Soul must eventually purify, educate, and transform.

Comparative Symbolism

Jungian Psychology
- "Cattle" = domesticated instincts
- "Creeping things" = unconscious complexes
- "Beasts" = primal archetypal drives

Judaism
Earth as the realm of action (asiyah) - where inner intention becomes outer deed.

Christianity
The verse reflects the formation of the natural man, whose instincts must be redeemed and elevated.

Hinduism
Parallels the emergence of tamas and rajas-the dense and active qualities of prakriti that shape embodied life.

 

See Also

BIBLE VERSES

GENESIS 1:1
GENESIS 1:2
GENESIS 1:3
GENESIS 1:4
GENESIS 1:5
GENESIS 1:6
GENESIS 1:7
GENESIS 1:8
GENESIS 1:9
GENESIS 1:10
GENESIS 1:11
GENESIS 1:12
GENESIS 1:13
GENESIS 1:14
GENESIS 1:15
GENESIS 1:16
GENESIS 1:17
GENESIS 1:18
GENESIS 1:19
GENESIS 1:20
GENESIS 1:21
GENESIS 1:22
GENESIS 1:23
GENESIS 1:24
GENESIS 1:25
GENESIS 1:26
GENESIS 1:27
GENESIS 1:28
GENESIS 1:29
GENESIS 1:30
GENESIS 1:31