The Fish is a creature of the waters, a symbol of life, fertility, and the hidden depths of the unconscious. In Hebrew, the word for fish is dag (דג), which is also the name of the 24th Path on the Tree of Life, connecting Netzach (Victory) to Yesod (Foundation).

Position on the Tree of Life

Path 24, the Fish, is the fourth path on the Tree of Life, linking the seventh Sephirah, Netzach (Victory), to the ninth Sephirah, Yesod (Foundation). This path represents the flow of creative energy and emotional vitality from the sphere of instinct and desire (Netzach) down to the foundation of the psyche (Yesod). It is a path of imagination, dreams, and the raw material of the subconscious.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

In the system of Liber 777, the Fish corresponds to the planet Jupiter, the great benefic, ruler of expansion, wisdom, and mercy. This association aligns with the fish as a symbol of abundance and spiritual nourishment, as seen in the Christian ichthys and the Hindu Matsya avatar of Vishnu. The fish also carries a strong lunar connection, as it swims in the waters of the Moon (Yesod), the realm of reflection and emotion.

Historical context

The Fish has been a potent symbol across cultures and millennia. In ancient Mesopotamia, the god Ea (Enki) was often depicted as a fish or a half-fish being, representing wisdom and the fresh waters of creation. In Greek mythology, the fish was sacred to Aphrodite and Eros, who were said to have transformed into fish to escape Typhon. The zodiac sign Pisces, the Fishes, is the final sign of the zodiac, representing the dissolution of the self into the cosmic ocean. In the Hebrew Bible, the fish is a symbol of blessing and multiplication, as in the story of Jonah and the great fish, and in the New Testament, the fish becomes a secret symbol of Christ (Ichthys) and his followers. In alchemy, the fish represents the prima materia, the undifferentiated substance from which the Philosopher's Stone is made, swimming in the waters of the unconscious.

In the context of Liber 777, the Fish appears at Path 24, a step that bridges the emotional and foundational spheres. It is a reminder of the deep, fertile, and often mysterious currents that underlie conscious thought and action.