The Plant Kingdom

The plant kingdom, known in some philosophies as the vegetable kingdom, is one of five kingdoms of nature. It includes all forms and types of plant life beginning with the least evolved plants. These five kingdoms are- mineral kingdom, plant kingdom, animal kingdom, human kingdom and the soul kingdom. Like all of nature’s kingdoms, the plant kingdom has its own particular note or tone, can be divided into seven groups based on the seven primary color rays, and is a manifestation of the One Life.

Not having evolved to the point of having an individual identity and consciousness, plants form part of a group-soul, or group consciousness. Plant consciousness demonstrates the beginning of feeling and dim sensations of well-being or discomfort in response to exterior stimulation. The wind and some insects benefit and aid the plant kingdom. Plants respond positively to love, praise, and harmonious music, and negatively to discordant emotions and sounds. Like animals and humans, plants are unfolding consciousness on physical, etheric, and astral levels, but unlike humans and animals, are incapable of thought.

Perhaps not surprisingly, of the seven major color rays, the green ray of beauty and harmony, along with its sub-rays, is the ray most attuned to the plant kingdom. Some authors refer to the green ray, which is at the center of the color spectrum, as the fourth ray. The green devas inhabiting the etheric plane work with magnetization to assist and protect all types of plants and numerous sacred spots on earth. The plant kingdom transmits and transforms vital pranic energy, making it available to the forms of life on earth.

In the late 1800’s, the famous physical medium Mrs. Samuel Guppy was an instrument for apporting large quantities of living fruit, vegetables, nuts and flowers in hundreds of seances, many times upon request. These included- lemons, pears, onions, potatoes, dates, almonds, two kinds of grapes, filberts, bananas, walnuts, peaches, oranges, figs, apples, a six- foot sunflower with earth around the roots, twenty prickly cactus at one sitting, tulips, ferns, chrysanthemums, Chinese primroses, and stinging nettles.

The vision of the prophet Enoch contains esoteric symbols in the form of mystical plants. Located on a mountain were Alva Trees that were full like almond trees and produced a perfumed fruit. The Tree of Heavenly Odor had an unceasing fragrance, and bark, leaves and flowers that never withered. It’s fruit resembled a palm cluster. A third kind of tree seen by Enoch produced sweet-smelling frankincense and myrrh. Olives and vines bearing fruit are also mentioned in the Book of Enoch.

Major Arcana plant kingdom symbolism can vary widely with different Tarot card decks. The Major Arcanas of both the Rider-Waite and the Universal Waite Tarot decks each hold fifteen cards with detailed and colorful plant symbols showing trees, flowers, fruit, grass, grain or laurel leaves. The Knapp-Hall Tarot deck Major Arcana has more cards with plant symbolism than these other two decks, but with fewer groups and less precise images.

Rider-Waite and Universal Waite Tarot deck plant symbols- red and white roses, white lily, pomegranate, green leaves, laurel wreath, wheat, coniferous and deciduous trees, shoreline plants, sunflowers, green grass, a tree with light- red fruit, a tree with fiery fruit, a bunch of grapes, yellow flowers with long green leaves, palm trees, wreath of vine leaves.