Main Keys to reading the Garden of Eden

As a brief summary: to approach the Garden of Eden in Dante’s Purgatorio as an anagogical/spiritual reading, the following images are essential:

The Tree: The relationship between Human-Divine, or your Soul and God. It is discovered withered, but blossoms with leaves and flowers (manifestations).

The Carro: Perception of Reality, and Nature of Reality. The source principle of dual perception and churning unity of two asymmetrical dimensions (e.g. spirit/matter, soul/God, earthly/heavenly, Love/Wisdom, etc.)

Beatrice: Your inner spiritual life and soul. As well as reflection or portal to Divine Light and Wisdom. She functions as both growing inner capacity, and sometimes pure reflection.

These three elements are crucial for understanding the Vision of Beatrice in Canto 32, and for reading Paradiso. As well as for grasping the overall theme of Eden: to rebirth the soul, and restoring the relationship with God. Without this, Paradiso becomes external allegory – rather than internal reality and growing experience.

For more in-depth studies, we have 20 essays/posts here:
Anagogical Study of Garden of Eden

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