The Empress — III

The Halloween Tarot - A twist on the traditional earth mother. Abundance and fertility of the mind, body, and spirit. Motherhood, nurturing, passion. - by Karin Lee, Art by Kipling West

Some key themes having to do with the third trump, The Empress are: motherhood, nurturing, fertility, abundance, pregnancy, wealth, creativity, and generosity. 

We could view this Halloween Tarot version of The Empress as a look behind the pretty mask of The Empress. What exactly does it mean to be the very definition of femininity, to be the place of fertility and abundance? It is downright exhausting finally. It is a labor of love. But on the bad days you might sit on your chase with a vacant crazed look in your eye, mindlessly stroking a(your?) cat, involuntarily twitching every now and then, wondering how much more you can take of giving before you go completely batsh🦇t insane. 

And no one even asked if this "created to be a bride" bride wanted a monster husband, or, particularly *that* monster husband. Nope. But she was automatically and immediately condemned for rejecting her would be role. Give a girl some time to adjust! It is an important decision! Should she just be impressed that this nameless monster is the only other reanimated corpse on the planet? He who, by the way, has already rather ungracefully stomped his way into some pretty serious ill repute? 

Impress (v.1) is 

from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + premere "to press, hold fast, cover, crowd, compress" (from PIE root *per- (4) "to strike"). [OE]

When a seed is planted it is impressed into the earth. In the fertile place of impression a plant grows. Because the seed takes root there and is growing there, another plant cannot, and is not growing in that same place. This is the predicament of the one who is the place of fertility, the one who is impressed upon, the one who gestates and gives birth. There is a decision to choose and discriminate, or to be open and allow. Being seeded, growing and nurturing from ones own substance is taxing and takes time and energy. There is an equal investment of the earth whether she produces a weed or briar, or a lettuce or a rose. The feminine power of fertility is impressive, but being receptive is not without consequence. 

In this respect the absolutely insane abundance of types of species and different habitats the earth allows for and gives time and space to, which allows for them to evolve and grow upon her body is amazing. The earth is the epitome of generosity. The earth is a heroic but underrated time spell of fecundity. 

Shaddowscapes Tarot, artwork by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

We humans are beneficiaries of this great mother. Where else do we see any place for us in the universe to grow and thrive in such richness? There is nowhere. And perhaps this is a problem. It is too  easy to take our fundamental roots, supports, and primal foundations for granted when they are doing an excellent job. The earth could make quite an impression by kicking us ingrates out. If she acted with such authority we might call her Empress Earth.

Empress is the feminine form of Emperor, from Old French empereor, from Latin imperatorum(nominative imperator), from imperare meaning "to command".  An emperor rules an empire, a word which is also from Latin imperare, which is from an assimilated form of in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + parare "to order, prepare" (from PIE root *pere-(1) "to produce, procure"). So, we could say that an empire is a place that is in order. It is a place ordered to the end of production and procurement of a certain civilized lifestyle. 

Tarot de Marsailles 

So, a male ruler or commander of an empire is called an emperor, and a ruler of an empire of the female gender is called an empress, however, the symbolic functionality of The Empress trump does not so much speak to a position of her being in command, or being a female version of Emperor, but rather it speaks to her nature as being the epitome of abundance and fertility. Therefore she is more of an Impress, in this sense, than an Empress.

With the number 3 (III) we get movement. It is not just a point or a line between two points, it is a trend, a direction, area, growth.  If a person sees their reflection in a mirror, the reflection is a single image. The two are one. However, if another mirror introduced, the images become infinite. This is the magic of generation, like a flower that is fertilized and goes to seed. The Empress is the empire, the place, the space where fruiting takes place and is allowed to flourish. 

Universal Waite Tarot

More and bigger isn't always better however, there has to be a balance between creative potential and control. The health of an empire isn't determined by how vast it is. It needs to be big enough, but not too big, i.e., it needs to be balanced.

The Empress is associated with the sign of Libra "balance, pair of scales" which is a Venus ruled sign. Astrologically Venus has to do things related to attraction, love, relationship, harmony, art, and beauty.

Spolia Tarot - Artwork by Jen May

Venus is from Latin venus meaning "love, sexual desire; loveliness, beauty, charm; a beloved object." Venus was the Roman Goddess of love, sex, beauty, desire and fertility. Venus is related by PIE root *wen- (1) meaning "to desire, strive for," to other interesting words such as "venerate, venereal, venison, venom, wean, win, wont". 

The symbol for Venus is depicted in some versions of The Empress. It is a cross with a circle on top of it.

The Empress[detail]

It is also used as a symbol for "woman" or female gender classification, and the cross mounted by a circle shape looks somewhat human in form. It can also symbolize the coming together or incarnation of "spirit" (the circle), into "matter" (the cross). 

In ancient Egypt a similar looking symbol was called the ankh. 

Ankh triplicity, indicates plurality - life +++

The form itself was made into physical objects that were used as protective amulets, in magical spells, and funerary practices. The ankh indicated a vivifying force or "breath of life",  and was used as a hieroglyph representing the word, '-n-ḫ which had the meaning "life", "live", "nourish". Also, interestingly the word ankh was used for "mirror" during the Middle Kingdom, and handheld mirrors (of the polished bronze type) and mirror boxes were sometimes ankh shaped.

Egyptian Mirror Box from the Tomb of Tutankhamun c. 1333-1323 BCE.

"The association of the ankh with the mirror was no chance occurrence. The Egyptians believed that the afterlife was a mirror image of life on earth and mirrors were thought to contain magical properties." The Ankh, worldhistory.org

Mirrors, as pointed out previously, have magical generative powers when reflecting each other. It is nice to imagine each individual person as a mirror. We are all mirrors to each other. But by the nature of reflecting, it is from a place of reception and femininity that we mirror the other. It is a place of humbleness, yet a humbleness with the potential to be strength, like Christ crucified... and resurrected.

The anointed one(Chi Rho), i.e., Christ, assuming in humility the place of the ankh/mirror/feminine/life, Anastasis - symbolic representation of the resurrection of Christ. Panel from a Roman lidless sarcophagus, c.350 CE. 

The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar . . . When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. He said to me, "This water flows toward the Eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Ez 47:1,7-9

It is only when we truly see ourselves that we can fix ourselves. Without a mirror we can walk around with mustard on our face or lettuce in our teeth and never be the wiser. But it is all too easy to condemn the messenger because it doesn't feel good to see our own flaws and shadow selves. It is much easier to project and cast off our own unpleasant traits onto our mirrors and maybe slap a big old scarlet letter on her at the same time. Ahhh! Isn't it good to be one of the elite, the righteous! 

Execution of Ann Hibbins on Boston Common in 1656, Scetch by F.T. Merril, published 1886

The earliest examples of mirrors found in human history are black mirrors made of polished obsidian. However, obsidian is also used to create blades. Obsidian blades are some of the sharpest blades on the planet. The truth can hurt, but the origin of the pain doesn't go away when it is deflected as if it were an attack, it just ends up hurting someone else instead. And in the end death still awaits, and the dues will be paid. You might as well learn to look in the mirror and grow from the process.

Jean Peuget de la Serre, London 1639, The British Museum

And it is true that the consequence of bringing forth life is, in the end, to also be bringing death. If there was no mother, no earth, no life, there would not be anything to die. However, given the nature of the cycle (kyklos "circle"), which is that of nurturing, holding, keeping a place for, gestating, and regenerating, then, when there is death, there is also new life; a new day. This is the magic and mystery of The Empress and the manifestation of abundance. It is not about forcing, seizing, taking control, winners vs. losers, or good vs. evil. It is about allowing and giving the universe a place to flow into. It takes a special person to do that: The Empress. So, love your mother/mirror. And just as importantly, BE a loving mother/mirror. And this goes for everyone, man and woman alike. She is life.

There's no better time to embrace your shadow and conquer death! Look in the mirror and live abundantly! Even if what you see is a bit spooky! Happy Halloween! Happy Samhain! 

Art by Ailis O'Reilly, ailis_art, instagram.com, ailisartwork.com

Tyet Knot

    Tyet, Amulet, Ancient Egyptian Faience, Amarna

There is some mystery surrounding the origin and meaning of the ancient Egyptian tyet symbol, according to egyptologists. The meaning of the hieroglyph is rendered as "welfare" and "life". Sometimes it is called "the Knot / Buckle / Girdle of Isis," and it indeed looks like a looped and knotted piece of cloth. The arms of the tyet, rather than extending outward like the similar ankh (also with meaning “life”), hang down the sides in a rather relaxed fashion, as a ribbon tied in a long looping bow might do. Definitely very feminine and yin looking in nature. 

The Tyet looks like a draping garment which is reminiscent of the feminine form. Tyets ("life") are feminine in nature. Just as the woman in the garden of Eden was called Eve / Chavvah / Havva ("life").

Red Carnelian Tit / Tyet (Isis knot) amulet, ca. 1550-1275 BCE, The Met

Since the tyet was associated with the goddess and in the later kingdoms with Isis, we have a clue as to in what sense "life" is meant. The feminine association with "life" is the earth goddess, Eve, abundance and bringing forth of life from the fertile earth / ground / adamah*, Gaia, blood, and and life from the womb. 

*"ground / dust / earth / soil," from Hb., adom "to be red"; same as adam; dam "blood"; the creature God made in his own image and likeness was made from the red/blood, i.e., fertile soil.

The Empress, Shaddowscapes tarot, pregnancy, fertility, motherhood, sensuality, nurturing, femininity, nature harmony, art

The symbol is also sometimes connected to or called "the blood of Isis." Some say that the tyet may have been a representation of some sort of menstrual cloth because of its association with red carnelian (dSr "red" in ancient Egyptian similar to dSrw "blood"), menstruation, and usage as protective amulet for pregnancy, but I don't personally think this fits with its origins. If the tyet is associated with fertility and life, and menstruation/pregnancy are also associated with fertility and life, then it is reasonable that the two would be associated. This does not mean that the tyet was originally supposed to be a representation of a menstrual cloth, or even a yoni or womb. I'm more inclined to think that the reference to blood has to do with blood's association with "life" and bringing forth of, and sustaining of life (wellfare). 

Isis was a goddess who was responsible for the resurrection of her husband Osiris (god of fertility, agriculture, the dead, resurrection, life*). Isis along with her sister, Nephtys gathered together the missing and scattered pieces of Osiris' dismembered body. Osiris was then resurrected long enough for Isis to become pregnant with Osiris' son, Horus. Osiris is often associated with and even depicted as the Djed pillar. The djed and tyet are often seen together in artwork. 

[*so similar associations as the earth goddesses, such as Demeter / Ceres, the mother earth goddess, goddess of agriculture, grain, crops, fertility, and her daughter Persephone / Proserpina "Queen of the Underworld/Dead.]

 

Detail of the upper margin of the sarcophagus of the last native Egyptian pharaoh  Nectanebo II (30th dynasty reign, c. 360-343 BCE)

The Djed / Tet pillar was used as a hieroglyph for the spoken word, as well as a symbol and concept in and of itself, it had the meaning "stability, continuity, regeneration". It is commonly said to represent the backbone of Osiris. It is an enigmatic symbol in origin, like the Tyet. When discussing the meaning of the tyet and djed, it is important to note, that they are two of the more ancient of Egyptian symbols which remained popular throughout the duration of the ancient Egyptian culture. The origins of the tyet are much older than many of the representations, descriptions and usage that we have from the later time periods.

The Tjet [Tyet] is thought to date from the Predynastic period and was a popular decorative symbol by the third dynasty (Old Kingdom), often appearing alongside the Ankh and the Djed . . . By the New Kingdom it was associated with Isis perhaps due to to its frequent association with the Djed . . . Thus the Djed may have represented the masculine power, while the Tjet represented the feminine power. . . Ancient Egypt Online/Tjet(Tyet), ancientegyptonline.co.uk

Ancient Egypt was rich in symbolism. Not only was the language written with an hieroglyphic system that is pictorial, but the religious iconography and every day use of amulets contained copious amounts of archetypal information available to the unread masses as well as to the scholars. Here the saying was never more true, "A picture says a thousand words." Considering that hieroglyphic written language wasn't in usage until c. 3200 BC and the origin of the Tyet and Djed were sometime during the Predynastic period, the words tyet and djed were spoken words before they were written phonetically.

One idea regarding the origin of the word tjt [one common transliteration of Egyptian hieroglyphic word, or also t_t], known as tyet, could be that it might have originated as a form of the word dd, i.e., djed, but with the feminine ending -t. This is just some freeform speculation, but not without some logical basis.

The word for this so called "Knot of Isis" is rendered in English sometimes as tyet, tjet, tiet, tet, tit, tet, that, thet. I have seen it pronounced with a long I, as tie-et, or with a long E, as teet. Since we must transliterate and transcribe the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic language, which was written without vowels, linguists only speculate as to how the words were pronounced. So we have many different spellings and pronunciations in English of the possible pronunciations of the ancient Egyptian words. Often in transcriptions from Egyptian hieroglyphs to English, either a t or a d are used to spell the same word, such as tuat or duat, meaning “underworld” depending on who is doing the translation and what system they are using. 

The name of the god Thoth, for example, is also sometimes written as Djehuti, Tehuti, Techu, Tetu, and has equally wildly varied pronunciations. And djed, the so called Pillar of Osiris, is sometimes written as tet. 

(Thoth and Horus supporting djed pillar) Mummy Case of Nespanetjerenpere [detail], 22nd- early 25th Dynasty, c. 945-712 BCE, Brooklyn Museum, NYC

This confusion arises because, not only do we not know how the words sounded when spoken by a person during this ancient period, when people try to pronounce even the same words, or try to translate words there is much variation in accent and vowel usage. . . you say tomato, I say tomato . . . And there are sounds made in certain languages that other languages do not have and are hard for non natives speakers to pronounce. . . So, for example, tell an English speaking person to write a word as they hear it spoken you will get different spellings. Is the Hebrew word written as, Eve (from the Greek) in English translations of the bible, Havvah / Hawwah, or Chavvah / Chawwah? And good luck if the person who is doing the translation speaks yet another language and hears the word third, forth or fifth hand. When trying to understand the story of history we are forever playing a vast game of "telephone" but with many more factors involved even, so, given the fact that the tyet is a very ancient symbol which may have been spoken before it was ever written, it is not surprising if something akin to djed-et, or tet-et, morphed into tyet or tit.

There are examples like this especially in the early dynasties, of male Egyptian deities having female counterparts with the same name feminized, such as Amun [jmn] / Amunet [jmnt], both meaning "the Hidden One". Nu / Naunet, meaning "primordial waters". Kekui / Kekuit, "primordial darkness". Allso the ancient Egyptian word for “wife, woman” is hmt, from hm “incarnation”, with the -t ending. This is interesting because hm is like the English pronoun for a male, "him", so woman, then, is him-et. This is also similar to the words male and female, man and woman, and as in the book of Genesis, from the Hebrew, is [ish] / issa [ishshah] "man/woman".

Then ha'adam (the man) said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called issah (woman), because she was taken out of ish (man)." Genesis 2:23

The Djed had the meaning of stability, and with stability we have security, and security is welfare and life, that is, Tyet. 

Detail of the outermost golden shrine of Tutankhamun, 18th dynasty, Valley of the Kings. Egyptian Museum, Cairo

The Djed and Tyet were both often represented with similar pillar like trunks, and associated with the masculine (god / Osiris) and feminine (goddess / Isis) principles.

What if tyet was actually tet-et, but was then contracted by usage? This does happen sometimes, such as with the word "messenger" in English.

[messenger] With unetymological -n- inserted by c. 1300 for no apparent reason except that people liked to say it that way. . . [OE]

The Djed first appeared in the Predynastic period (c. 6000-3150 BC). It was thought to be made originally with stalks or sheaves of reeds. When grain or stalks are ready to be harvested, they are cut and tied, so my question is, "Did the tyet tie it? Did the tyet make the pillar tight?" Namely, were the stalks which made the djed / tet fastened by something which was then called tyet or tet-et? In this case the tyet securing the stalks under the heads is literally a neck tie/necktie [which is fitting considering that tyet amulets were usually placed on the neck of the deceased, therefore were neck tyets. Perhaps placed at the neck because the neck is where the spine/backbone connects with the head?]. In this way the Djed and Tyet would have been the cause of the stability of the pillar together.


    Sheaves of Reeds like Pillars

A knot/tie secures, and is for security. Single stalks alone are not stable like a pillar without being tied in bunches. In this way the union of the masculine and feminine, and the equal importance of each is apparent.

It is true that the two are not depicted as part of the same single structure in the images shown above (however, sometimes the Djed is depicted combined with the Ankh as below), but this doesn't necessarily mean that they were never used in rituals in this way, i.e., as some sort of combined djed/tyet pillar.

Isis and Nepthys with djed, ankh, sun disk, raised arms, from Book of the Dead of Ani, British Museum, London, facsimile 1890; original c. 1300 BCE

There is a long tradition of pillars being used in fertility rituals, often decorated / tied with ribbons / cloth, such as May Poles. We can not have fecudity without both the masculine and feminine present, and at some point joined.

Raising of the Maypole, similar to the raising of the Djed. Djed Adorned with Tyet?

In the Predynastic Period[*before it was even associated with Osiris] it [the djed] may have originally been a representation of a fertility pole upon which sheaves of grain were suspended at festivals. This pole may have been a feature of early fertility rituals which eventually came to be associated with the god who made the land fertile [*firstly Ptah, later assumed by Atum, Sokar and Osiris]. . . the Djed Pillar festival was held annually at which an actual djed pillar was built and raised by the local priesthood on the first day of the harvest season. Raising the pillar may have originally symbolized the grains raising from the earth, but in time came to represent the god Osiris returning from the dead. -Ancient History Encyclopedia https://www.ancient.eu/Djed/

The Djed, meaning “stability," is only stable (and not scattered like Osiris' body) because Isis “knit/tied" Osiris back together after he was killed. She was the cause of “life”, and of his “welfare". 

The tyet symbol was used as a funerary amulet to protect the deceased in the journey to the afterlife.

You possess your blood, Isis, you possess your power. Isis, you possess your magic, Isis. The amulet is protection for this Great One, which will drive off anyone who would perform a criminal act against him. - Spell 156, Book of the Dead

In this way it is fitting that the symbol[tyet] would be represented as separate from the backbone of the god, for they were in fact separated by death, and Osiris did not fare well until he was reunited by his wife and his welfare restored. So too, when one is in death the "life" represented by the tyet would offer support, and enable stability. 

This goddess figurine is from Predynastic Egypt (6000-3100 BC). Figurines such as this were often used as mortuary objects. Paleolithic goddess images are often depicted as mother goddess figurines, shown and pregnant, with full figures, or sometimes like this, with raised arms as in the example below.


Female Figurine, Predynastic Egypt (6000-3150 BCE), by Brooklyn Museum 

Here the goddess is tall and pillarlike. 

This pottery [below] is from the same time period. It depicts masculine and feminine looking figures atop (next to?) a reed boat (?) with pillar/ladder type structures. There are many examples of pottery from the period with these same motifs repeated. The raised pillar/ladder looking objects are a common feature. It isn't clear what they are depicting but perhaps it is possible they are depicting some sort of bound reed structure, so in that way similar to the djed. From the looks of the images on the pottery it seems possible that the symbolism may not have been completely separate from the notion of the djed pillar and the tyet. 

Naqada II pottery, late predynastic period (3100-2950 BCE)

It doesn't appear that the goddess with raised arms statuettes were popularly produced after this period of time. However, during the period of the Ancient Egyptian Kingdoms, over the next few millennia, various goddesses, including Isis are portrayed with outstretched arms, donning feathered wings.

Seated Isis (her throne crown identifies her) with outstretched winged arms

One of the most intriguing mysteries of prehistoric Egypt is the transition from Paleolithic to Neolithic life, represented by the transformation from hunting and gathering to sedentary farming. We know very little about how and why this exchange occurred. Predynastic Period in Ancient Egypt, ancient.eu

Could there have been a shift over time, as the civilizations moved from the Paleolithic hunter gatherer societies to agricultural societies, in how this divine feminine counterpart was portrayed? As the civilizations of the Mediterranean shifted towards more patriarchal societies, as seen at the time of the ancient Greek civilization and the Roman Empire, the interpretations, representations, and roles of the goddesses would have been adapted or shifted to fit these ideologies over time, and this, not even necessarily consciously.

Here, in this depiction of the raising of the djed, Isis is seen assisting the pharaoh. She is depicted next to the pillar, like the tyet, rather than on top of it or as part of it. At the center is the djed pictured with the Double Plumed crown and sundisk of Amun-Re.


Ancient bass relief showing Pharaoh Seti I[1323-1279 BCE, 19th dynasty] raising the Djed column with Isis. West wall Osiris hall. Temple of Abydos, el Balyana, Egypt

The phallic / yonic attributes of the djed and tyet are also commonly pointed out along with the other symbolism, but this could be a secondary correspondence by nature of the objects. The djed and tyet as symbols are rich in meaning and importance even without any phallic consideration, as they represent the body of the god who dies and is then resurrected, and his wife. The djed is Osiris' backbone, not his boner. The two are by nature representative of the masculine/yang and the feminine / yin respectively (and by masculine and feminine is not meant gendered men and women. Each individual is an expression of both masculine and feminine principle even if engendered in a specific body polarity of male or female); the djed being: erect, hard/stable, straight, possessing copious seed (as stalks), and the tyet: relaxed and receptive looking with what could be considered yonic and womblike shapes. The loop itself is feminine in the sense that it is a hole which can be penetrated. 

However, if we are going to relate the symbols to their phallic meaning, it is powerful symbolism as well. The feminine is penetrated but not injured by the penetration (sexual act), and the feminine bleeds without a wound (menstruation / childbirth), this can be seen as a type of magic which the feminine possesses, whereas, when the masculine is penetrated and bleeds it is injured and dies. 

Christ Crucified (c. 1632) by Diego Valazquez. Museo del Prado, Madrid

When the feminine submits to the masculine it is seeded and able to produce new life. But in order for the masculine to be fruitful, it is necessary that it submits to a kind of death, or actual death.

Truly, truly, I say unto you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth (feminine) and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24 

It was only when the masculine, as the son of God, Jesus gave himself / submitted to the cross and died, that he then was raised to new life, and gave life to the world, in the form of being the cause for the resurrection of the many, enabled by their being transformed into and one with God, as the Egyptians trusted in resurrection remembering and identifying with the death and resurrection of Osiris. 

Thus, this submission of the masculine can be seen as a kind of blessing. It is a hard passageway, yet the result is new life / fruitfulness / movement. It is a pathway out of the frozeness of death and hell. Together the masculine and the feminine, in proper balance and union, create a ladder/pillar to heaven. 

It just so happens, however that it is more difficult for the masculine to submit than for the feminine, because the polarity of high is . . . low.

For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain. Job 24:24

This is why it is said of wisdom,

. . . Compared with the light [masculine] she is found to be superior, for it is succeeded by the night, but against wisdom [feminine], evil does not prevail. Wisdom 7:29-30

This "superiority" seems to be in the sense that when there is movement of the yin / night it moves to light, which is generally pleasant and seen as the good, but when there is movement of the day / yang, it is overcome by the darkness of the cycle which is viewed as adversity or evil. But Jesus, as all men/women/humankind do, submitted to a mater (latin "mother') to be born in to matter (earth). And there is no doubt this is difficult. Yet the benefit we receive from this submission, i.e., being nailed to the wheel of the zodiac in birth, so to speak, is great. 

Even though it is easy for the feminine to be mistreated by abuse of power of the masculine, a woman rightfully possesses the sexual agency to either allow the masculine to penetrate the passage to the womb (place of the fertile blood) or not. She is the gatekeeper of this feminine power, and authority over this allowing of the masculine aspect to merge with the feminine. Thus the feminine is the gatekeeper of the masculine's power to create (without a fertile place to put the seed, no new life). With out this fertile earth, a place for the seed to fall, the masculine cannot have offspring physically/metaphorically/spiritually or otherwise. 

So what can we say when the masculine principle is stuck or not fruitful? Obviously it needs to work with the fertile territory of the feminine principle. This is especially true of logic (masculine) and intuition (feminine). When there is no answer, logic is stuck/not fruitful, then intuitive exploring is necessary to provide new and fertile ground to plant the seeds (ideas) of logic in and see what grows from them. Things become stagnant and stale, i.e., dead when the breath of life is withheld. This is an alchemical principle as well, the sacred marriage of the masculine and feminine elements. It is for this reason that the differences and dignity of these polarities need to be honored. Without them working together the world and everything in it physically and mentally dies, or is good as dead.

Hieronymous Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights[detail], 1490-1510, Museo del Prado, Madrid, Album Cover, Dead Can Dance, photo by Julie O.

The sexual manifestations of male and female are only physical representations of these complex concepts or realities. The All / God is the unity of the yin and yang. God is both masculine and feminine and thus creation reflects this. Nor is any one thing ever purely only masculine or feminine. As the symbolism of the yin and yang shows. They are swirling, and in each other. The yin is in the yang and the yang is in the yin in an unceasing dance. 

Yin/Yang, by Wesley Stupar (my brother), @WesleytheArch

Through physical manifestations of the yin and yang such as a person's sex, we are taught / given example about the notion of the masculine and the feminine; we are taught about God by seeing clear examples of this duality. There are countless examples of yang and yin, but no one thing is purely either male / yang or female / yin. 

God created man (the adam) male and female, as is seen on the level of the work of procreation. For it takes a man and a female biology acting together to make a baby, yet that is just one level of the masculine and feminine principles in action. On other levels individuals are/act in varying degrees of, and manifestations of masculine and feminine. This is what it means to be created both male and female in the image of God. If a man was wholly masculine and a woman wholly feminine, not only is this impossible, they would not contain a complete image of God. 

But . . . getting back to the tyet as a piece of cloth. In that way (and if it was tied on the pillar) it could be called a garment. Garment is "any article of clothing"(reduced from garnement, early 14c.), from the French garnement, from garnir "fit out, provide, adorn", from a Germanic source, from PIE root *wer- (4) “ to cover." And cover means “to protect or defend from harm”, from same PIE root *wer- (4). So to cover is to provide welfare and secure life. The goddess used her power to cover the deceased with her protection, as symbolized by the tyet placed on the neck. 

A length of cloth or chord can be also used as a girdle / belt to secure the clothing upon a body.

Rope Cincture with Tassels

Tiet is translated as “life”, “welfare", so it is interesting that this sounds like diet. A good diet provides for ones welfare. Diet is ultimately from Latin dieta “prescribed way of life," from Greek diaita, originally "way of life, regimine, dwelling". . . Just as the garb/garment of a priest is part of his dieta [prescribed way of life], parts of which resemble a tiet.

Also djed / tet, when pronounced can sound like “jet”. Jet(v.) is "to sprout or spurt forth, shoot out", ultimately from PIE root *ye- "to throw, impel." The djed having to do with agricultural symbolism and growth could be said to be something sprouting forth, and when raised, the djed juts ("jut" from same root as "jet") upward. 

OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launch, Sept. 8, 2016

This jet propulsion rocket spacecraft, OSIRIS-REx is in the shape of a pillar as it takes off, so it is not unlike like Osiris as the djed, aye? Rockets raise us to the heavens. And GUESS WHAT? The OSIRIS-REx's return capsule is set to return to Earth September 24, 2023 [update!], How exciting! Its retrieval (welfare) is dependent upon its parachute to bring it to a soft landing. Parachutes are made out of strong cloth and connected / tied with chords. So, is it Isis, as this cloth tie parachute, who is responsible for OSIRIS-REx's safe return?

Isis Wings Dance Garment, might double as a parachute

As is above, so is below . . .

P.S. Interestingly enough, too, the name for red ochre in ancient Egypt was "ded", dd, so not unlike djed, also dd. If a tyet was ever painted red, it would be dd (ochre) in color, and ochre (dd) is red. The tyet might even be painted with ochre, so it would be literally dd. Ochre red, blood=red. Fertility / life are associated with the red / blood earth, so, perhaps life=Tyet=red=ded=dd=Djed=Tet. 
Ochre is "ded", and without red / blood you're dead.

A Rose by Any Other Name

O! be some other a name: What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, if he were not Romeo called... -Romeo and Juliet, Act II, scene II

Garden Rose, photo by Julie O. /chthonickore

That may be true in one sense, but what if the name change was to a word not so flattering, such as Romeo to Gollum or rose to lacerator (because of the thorns)? Does a name affect its object, or the object its name? It is most likely that both do to a certain extent. 

The word rose comes from Latin rosa, probably from Greek rhodon "rose"(Aeolic / Lesbic dialect wrodon), probably ultimately from or related to the Iranian root *vrda- . Vard is "rose", from OIran. *urda. So, in these cases, a rose by another name is, in fact, still a rose, even if it has another name. Rose is a rosa, is a rhodon, is a vard.

   Not a Rose - photo by Julie O. /chthonickore  

What if we called a rose "orchid" instead? Would it smell as sweet? 


Orchid is from Latin orchis, meaning a kind of orchid, from Greek orkhis "orchid", literally "testicle", from PIE *orghi-, the standard root for "testicle". Named after the shape of the roots.

I dub thee "testicle", you're welcome.

I suppose roses would still smell good if they were called orchids(some orchids smell good), but perhaps the reputation of the flower would be tarnished in some way if we actually named it "testicle". . . Give your sweetheart two dozen testes for Valentine's Day? Humm, probably not. 

Of course there is some reason for an orchid to be called "orchid", and not for a rose to be called "orchid". Words have histories. Sometimes those stories are hidden, as in the case of orchid(which in this case is fortunate), but they are not usually completely arbitrary. 

Maybe Juliet should thank her lucky stars that she wasn't named after a flower since she is so willing to be flippant. Perhaps she might have been named Rose herself, and what if we then changed her name to Orchid instead? Orchids are very beautiful. They would probably make a great namesake if only they were named after something less. . . hairy.

               Some Hairy Coconuts 

Testicle or Testis comes from Latin testis "testicle". It is usually said to derive its meaning from testis "witness", "presumably because it 'bears witness to male virility' [Barnhart]"Online Etymological Dictionary, as one suggested meanings. In the Greek there is a similar connection, parastatai is "testicles" and parastates is "one that stands by". 

But Buck thinks Greek parastatai "testicles" has wrongly been associated with the legal sense of parastates "supporter, defender" and suggests instead parastatai in the sense of twin "supporting pillars, props of a mast," etc. - Online Etymology Dictionary, testis (n.)

Interesting, let's get back to that in a second. But first... 

There is also another interesting theory. And perhaps there might be truth in both. 

OED, meanwhile points to Wald's suggestion of a connection between testis and testa "pot, shell, etc." - Online Etymology Dictionary, testis (n.)

Testum / Testa is "pot, shell" in Latin. Testicles are sometimes called nuts, and they do resemble walnut shells.

Walnuts

The Ancient Egyptian goddess Nut / Nuit (Nwt), the goddess of the sky was sometimes depicted with a pot crown / headdress. 

Nut, (image )Wikipedia

                                                                  

Nut the goddess of the sky has a testum for her crown. And this is what is said of Nut.

Her arms and legs were imagined to be the pillars of the sky. and hands and feet were thought to touch the four cardinal points at the horizon. -thekeep.org, Nut, Sky Goddess, Mother of the Gods

It is even reasonable to think that a transliteration of some form of chet spoken aloud could come out to something sounding like "testa / is", even though it doesn't look that way on the surface. 

Chet / Heth is a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Chet is a guttural letter. The sound is produced at the back of the throat and sounds something like "eight/h-ate". In fact it is sometimes represented in English by the letter H, as in Hanukkah, rather than Ch as in Chanukah, and it, in fact represents the number 8 in gematria.[It is even reasonable to think that a transliteration of some form of chet spoken aloud could come out to something sounding like "testa/is" to Latin speakers, even though it doesn't look that way on the surface. Things like that happen all the time when languages collide.]

Heth / Chet

Chet has very much to do with the meaning "life", as in chayyim, also, chaim, hayim, Haim. As you can see the letter has some resemblance to an 8 or a ladder, and also pillars or a gate written in script. Could these be like witnesses? And witnesses that have to do with giving life, as are testicles, the twins of the male reproductive system?

Chet looks a lot like the symbol for Gemini. Gemini is from Latin "twins". The, so called, silver Gate(G8 / G-eight / G-chet) of the heavens, or the Gate of Man. This gate lies between Taurus, the bull, and Gemini. 

♊️

       Gemini Astrological Symbol

                                                         

Also, speaking of the goddess Nut again, 

Far underneath her lay the earth god, Geb. . . She was also described as a cow goddess, taking on some of the attributes of Hathor. Geb was described as the 'Bull of Nut' in the Pyramid texts. As as a great, solar cow, she was thought to have carried Ra up into the heavens on her back(*as a ladder/stairway to heaven), after he retired from his rule on earth . . . At other times, she was just portrayed as a woman wearing her sign - a particular design of an Egyptian pot on her head... " -thekeep.org, Nut, Sky Goddess, Mother of the Gods,*my addition

So, Nut is associated with this cow of heaven. As the goddess in this form she is said to be supported by the eight Heh gods... or the Heh eight... Chet gods, huh?

 Heavenly Cow, from Tomb of Seti I

Which makes me wonder... If Nut had her testa (pots) knocked off her head, would she be Nut-ered (Neutered)? Think about it. If no one was watching there wouldn't be any testis (witness).

Nut was, in fact, also associated with the Maqet, a ladder symbol, as well, which looks very similar to the pictograph chet.

As a goddess of the dead, in the Old Kingdom it was believed that the deceased could climb up to her after death. Utterance 474 of the Pyramid texts state that, "N. goes therewith to his mother Nut; N. climbs upon her, in this her name of 'Ladder'". Maqet(m3qt) was the ancient Egyptian word for 'ladder'. -thekeep.org, Nut, Sky Goddess, Mother of the Gods

And where does this ladder take you? To the heavens after you finish your earthly life. It carries you to the next and new life. 

Nut is also associated with the sacred tree, "Lady of the Sycamore". The Sycamore, then, was a Nut tree.

   Tree Goddess in Sennedjem's Tomb at Luxor 

"The Osiris Ani saith:- Hail, thou Sycamore tree of the goddess Nut!..." The Book of the Dead(The Book of Coming Forth by Day)

In Hebrew mysticism (Kabbala) there is the "Tree of Life" or Etz haChayim, also the known as the 10 Sephirot. So like Nut, the tree (etz) being of chayim also calls to mind the ladder (maqet) as the letter chet, in chayim. 

Remember when Adam and Eve were cast out of heaven, their way to the tree of life was cut off. You might say their Nut was taken away, or their Nut(s) were cut off from them. They were chastised. Castigated. Castrated from heaven even, maybe we could say chastated or casticised.

After Sending them out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:24, NLT

But in Jacob's dream he saw a ladder to heaven (Nut), and with God above it. So in his case he had his Nut's back (for the angels to ascend and descend upon). 

And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! Genesis 28:12  NASB

Sometimes the traditions of the Tree of Life and the World Tree merge. And, similarly to Nut, as the pillar of the heavens and cardinal points on the zodiac, the world tree is associated with the axis-mundi (world axis), or cosmic axis, and is the immovable center pillar of the universe, around which the zodiac travels.

 Nut as depicted as the Sky / Heavens

So, I guess we could say that, in a sense, the testicles could be seen as nuts on the tree of life, and the witnesses (testis) at the Gate of Man? So the testicles are at the stairway to heaven? ..."Cuz you know sometimes words have two meanings... Ooh, it makes me wonder." -Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin 

When you think about it like that though, maybe an orchid should be proud that it's named after its testicles, amirite? Heh, who would have thought that "orchid" could pack such meaning? Thats really Nuts!

O! be some other name: What's in a name? That which we call a testicle by any other name would be as hairy. So Romeo would, if he were not Romeo called...

Hmm, nah.  I think we should stay with rose, ... orchid even.