8/3/2019 Aries 22: The gate to the garden of desire

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S t a r l i n g H u n t e r 2 0 1 1 1

Aries 22: The gate to the garden of desireThe word gate has two dist inct senses. The

f irst and most common is a struct ure that can be

swung, drawn, or lowered to block an entrance

or passageway. 1 I t descends from the Old

En g l i sh geat . A second sense of the word

concerns paths and ways themselves, e .g . a

particular way of act ing or do ing; manner and a

path or way. 2 This sense descends from the

Indo-European (IE) root ghe- which means to release , let go; to be

released, go . 3 Among i ts paronyms are the words anchorite , chore ,

gauntlet , go , heir , heredity , an d gait (a particular way or manner of

moving on foot) , a homonym of gate.

The word garden descends from the IE root gher-1 which means to

grasp, enclose . 4 Among i ts paronyms are carol , choir , cohort , court ,

courtesy , curtsy , garth , gird, hangar, orchard , an d yard.

Th e ba s e o f t h e w o r d desire descends from the IE root sweid-1 whichm ean s t o sh i n e .

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Among i ts paronyms are the words s iderea l , consider ,a nd swidden ( a n a r e a c l e a r e d f o r t e m p o r a r y c u l t i v a t i o n by c u t t i ng a nd

burning the vegetat ion) . More proximally desire descends from the Lat indesiderare which is comprised of the pref ix de-, which means out of ,r e m o v e d f r o m , a nd t h e o p p o s i t e o f p l u s t h e ba s e s idus o r s ider m e a ni ng

star . L i teral ly , then the word means star - l ike or from the stars .

THEMES: One integrating theme concerns RELIGION an d SPIRITUAL

PRACTICE , particularly of the ascetic or renouncing variety . Recal l that

the paronyms of gate includes anchorite , a person who has retired into

1h t t p : / / e d u c a t i o n . y a h o o . c o m / r e f e r e n c e / d i c t i o n a r y / e n t r y / g a t e 2h t t p : / / e d u c a t i o n . y a h o o . c o m / r e f e r e n c e / d i c t i o n a r y / e n t r y / g a t e _ 2 3W a t k i n s , C . ( 2 0 0 0 ) , T h e A m e r i c a n H e r i t a g e D i c t i o n a r y o f I n d o E u r o p e a n R o o t s , p . 2 8 4W a t k i n s , C . ( 2 0 0 0 ) , T h e A m e r i c a n H e r i t a g e D i c t i o n a r y o f I n d o E u r o p e a n R o o t s , p . 3 0 5W a t k i n s , C . ( 2 0 0 0 ) , T h e A m e r i c a n H e r i t a g e D i c t i o n a r y o f I n d o E u r o p e a n R o o t s , p . 8 8

8/3/2019 Aries 22: The gate to the garden of desire

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