The symbol ♀ is the astrological and alchemical glyph for the planet Venus. Its form derives from the hand mirror of the goddess Venus (Aphrodite), with the circle representing the mirror’s face and the cross its handle. In Latin, the planet is named after the goddess of love, beauty, and desire; the symbol itself is a direct pictogram of her attribute.

Position on the Tree of Life

At the current scale step—Path 22, the twenty‑second path of the Tree of Life (corresponding to the Hebrew letter Tav and the Tarot card The Universe)—the symbol ♀ appears as the planetary ruler of the column designated CXXXVII. This placement links the glyph to the terminal sphere Malkuth and the material world, where Venusian influence governs the final stage of manifestation.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

In astrology, ♀ represents the planet Venus: the ruler of Taurus and Libra, exaltation in Pisces, and the significator of love, harmony, art, and sensual pleasure. Its cycle through the zodiac spans approximately 225 days, and it is the brightest planet in the night sky after the Moon. In alchemy, the symbol also stands for copper, the metal sacred to Venus, and for the feminine principle of attraction and receptivity.

Historical context

The glyph ♀ appears in Greek papyri as early as the 2nd century CE, used by astrologers to denote the planet. The mirror shape was explicitly linked to the goddess by the 4th‑century commentator Servius. Medieval and Renaissance alchemists adopted the same sign for copper, and it entered standard astrological notation through the works of Ptolemy and later Islamic astronomers. In the Hermetic tradition, ♀ is associated with the sephirah Netzach (Victory) on the Tree of Life, though in this table it is assigned to Path 22, emphasizing its role as a bridge between the supernal and the mundane.

In Liber 777, the symbol ♀ occupies the cell for Path 22 in the row “Planets ruling Col. CXXXVII.” This single glyph thus condenses the entire Venusian current—its astrological, alchemical, and mythological dimensions—into a precise operative key for the magician working at that step.