Path nineteen is that of Teth whichis the path of the serpent ... there is no other path on the tree of life which forms a more intense polarity or carries stronger energy flows. The symbols of the Path of Teth are symbols of power, and its tests are the tests of power too. Power too is the prizes to be gained then the path's lessons are learned.Esoteric Title --- 'the daughter of the flaming sword'
Tarot Correspondence --- Strength
Path Text --- 'the 19th path is the intelligence of the secret of all the activities of the spiritual beings, and is so called because of the influence which is diffused by it from the most high, exalted and sublime glory.'
Mythological Principle --- meeting with the other self
Experiences of the path --- fire, sunlight, energy, solar symbols, rituals of initiation & purification, tests of strength & will.
Entities of the path --- Initiating priests & priestesses
The nineteenth path located between Chesed (Jupiter) and Geburah (Mars) contains the nature of both of these sephira ... the primary creative & destructive powers of the universe; the possibility of conflict always exists, and the spectacular levels of energy on this path connecting to amplify the stresses of this interaction to the flashpoint. The final step into conflict, however, is never taken. The perfect order of Chesed and the perfect discipline of Geburah combine into perfect control.
The nineteenth path directs vast energies with small movements and subtle shifts, backed by constant vigilance and a thorough knowledge of the issues involved. Here where powers blaze from pillar to pillar at the very edge of the abyss, there can be no room nor potential for error.
At first glance, the nineteenth path appears to have little to do with Tipareth (the Sun, the heart) since it has no direct contact with that sephira. However a study of the tree of life will show the relationship: Tipareth is the sephira which brings Chesed & Geburah into harmony, establishing a polarity between these opposing forces. But before there can be polarity there must be contact --- and the Path of Teth is where the contact takes place. The Nineteenth path can be seen as a kind of first image of Tipareth ... mirroring the mighty force for harmony, which blossoms further down the tree.
The mythological principle of 'meeting of the other self' suggests the type of struggle which ends not so much in a conquest by one opponent over another, but in a kind of union. Gilgamesh & the beast-man Enkidu are an example of this principle ... they wrestled each other to a standstill and then became brothers. The opponents in these type of myths often represent the dawning awareness that the barrier between self and other, the comfortable inside and the unknown world outside ... is itself an illusion ... that which we experience and what we ultimately are not two but one.
Teth, the serpent, also represents fundamental, concealed power. It is Form hidden in Matter; Spirit in Body; the animal energies in the rational human; the Snake in the Garden of Eden. Teth is powerfully sexual and it is both destructive and generative - it devours in order to create anew. It is Good and Evil. It is Nature, the Uroborus, the snake devouring its tail and (like 9) returning always to itself. It is the driving force of life which shapes the pattern of evolution and holds all potential for growth.
The Path of Teth: Qabbalistic Attributes
