Orange

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Significant Specimen

The 'Valencia' cultivar (Citrus x Sinensis 'Valencia') is a hybridization between the Pomelo and the Mandarin Orange, and was created by William Wolfskill in the mid-19th century. It is a thin-skinned, late season cultivar popular in America for Juicing, and is typically ripe in July.

In general, the Orange has a significant history in the Americas, as outlined in 'Orange Empire: California and the Fruits of Eden'- especially in the positioning of California as a Paradisical Eden. Additonally, with the 'Valencia' cultivar being originally hybridized in Santa Ana, in the L.A. Basin of Southern California (being located just south of Los Angeles and its Riverside subsect of my birth), they are further connected to my own American ancestry. Thus making the 'Valencia' cultivar itself (and the Orange in general) the perfect representative of the Fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil within my personal craft.

⇝ There is no actual consensus on what the "Forbidden Fruit" actually was; in Christian tradition, it's universally considered an Apple. In Islamic tradition, it's considered either Wheat or Barley. In Jewish tradition it's possibly a Fig, a Grape Vine, the Etrog, Wheat, or some kind of Nut.

⇝ There are already extant Jewish connections of The Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil to the Etrog- which is considered the most beautiful Citrus in Jewish tradition, and plays a central part of Jewish rituals at certain points. There is also the extant use of the modern Orange in certain traditional Jewish rituals in the modern day (such as on the Seder plate, to represent the MOGAI community); as well as the general historical connection of the Jewish people to Citrus in regards to its global cultivation, production, hybridization, and more; this itself is both another religious connection, and another Ancestral connection at the same time.

⇝ The sharing of knowledge has powerful parallels with the sharing of orange sections- especially when combined with the modern romanticism of sharing Orange sections as an act of love. This parallels my own Gnosis of Adam and Chava's portion of Genesis is really a story about the highest form of Love.

⇝ Oranges have historical socio-economic connections with power, wealth, abundance, and economy- as well as spiritual and magical associations with wealth and solar powers. Additional personal gnostic connections have been made between tutelage, sovereignty, and the sharing of knowledge; additional mythopoetic connections have also been made between Chava's active Solar components and Queenship, and the Orange.

Oranges are thus the dual natured symbol of knowledge and tutelage. July 1, Midsummer, is the coronation of the Lady of the Well as the Great Veiled Queen at the zenith of her power and glory. Thus, July 1, Midsummer, is the natural month for the brightest association of Oranges.

'Orange Empire: California and the Fruits of Eden' by Doug Sackman