Pomegranate

[Whyan]

Wondering what more they might hold the symbolism for?


Some times ago, I was browsing around in the children book fair and read something interesting; Persephone used Pomegranate's crushed juice wiping on the forehead of the underworld dweller and freed them.

Then I remembered an old folk tale from Tibet, a ferocious children-eating creature is fed with Pomegranate, and the delicious pulp and juice of the fruit satiate and substitute for the hunger of flesh and blood of human children. From then on he stopped feasting on human children and instead help them, and deified.

In Tarot, we see how repeatedly Pomegranate is used as part of the images. And so is in many painting from older days

While in Taoism energy work practice, somehow it's not suggestible to be consumed for certain reason.


Well, just curious on how wide this Pomegranate is used, wondering what in more depth might symbolize?

[Celtaur]

This is something I wondered as well a while back because of it's use in the tarot, in which I have the Rider Waite deck where it is used. The High Priestess has a drape behind her with pomegranates on it, laid out in the pattern of the Tree of Life. Interesting too is that it is seen by some Jewish historians as the forbidden fruit on the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden of course. Considering the pomegranates are used in the tarot card mentioned above to form the Tree of Life, it is a curious thing the symbolism. Possible this points to the duality of the temple columns of Jachin and Boaz, with the High Priestess being the equilibrium? Pomegranates symbolize fertility from my understanding, fertility pointing again to the union, the hidden and the mysterious manifestation of life, consciousness...

[Echo]

At Rosh Hashana a pomegranate was part of a blessing.

"May it be Your will O Lord our God and the God of Our Fathers, that our good deeds will increase like the seeds of the pomegranate."

However, it is generally seen as a fertility symbol.. and by extension, as a symbol of eternity and rebirth, the multitude of seeds encased within the fruit.

[Haruth]

At Rosh Hashana a pomegranate was part of a blessing.

Yes - the tradition is that the pomegranate contains the same number of seeds as there are commandments in the Torah. In this way, I seem to remember it being associated with righteousness.

Persephone used Pomegranate's crushed juice wiping on the forehead of the underworld dweller and freed them

Interesting, I don't remember that part of the myth, but it was by eating the pomegranate seeds offered by Hades that she was trapped in the underworld in the first place (1 month for each seed?)

Certain Muslim traditions believe that the pomegranate was the fruit Eve tempted Adam with in Eden.

[Echo]

Yes, thats the Persephone myth as i know it too, haruth. It is used much in pathworking for the 32nd path.

[EyeCanBlackStars]

Is it me or is this the fruit that most closely resembles flesh?

It's probably the brightest red one would find in a fruit, I guess, so it could pick up the context associated with bright ruby red.

[Whyan]

^
I think because it resemble flesh, the child-eating demon after having taste on Pomegranate keep having the fruit as substitute for food, no longer feasting on children.

I'm wondering it has anything to do with Taoism's certain dietary principle to absent from Pomegranate being an embodiment of the earthly or something like that.

Interesting, I don't remember that part of the myth, but it was by eating the pomegranate seeds offered by Hades that she was trapped in the underworld in the first place (1 month for each seed?)

Neither do I, until I read that illustrated story book, then found the act (of wiping the juice to forehead of the underworld dweller) interesting.

[Steavis]

In Greecian myth, the pomegranate was the fruit of the dead. I believe that it was how Hades was able to keep Persephone as his wife, for she ate six pomegranate seeds...

[EyeCanBlackStars]

The origin of the word is apple with many seeds. Apple I think having to do with descending from Eden, descending into flesh from heaven?

[brifae]

Its amazing how much it looks like a heart.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bo...ranat_bild.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...icelli_060.jpg