1 Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither is thy beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee?
The thoughts of Peace always seek Spirit with the Soul.
2 My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
The garden symbolizes pure spiritual energies, or the Pure Soul. Spices symbolizes imperishable "flesh" that lies within the perishable. They are the same spiritual energies symbolizes by the gardens. Lilies are the returning Spiritual Consciousness (or Second Coming of the Messiah). Gathering lilies symbolizes the process of Spiritual Purification. This passage, thus, says that the Spirit is fed by the purification of the Soul.
3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
The Soul truly belongs to Spirit, as she is Spirit's energy. The Spirit also belongs to the Soul, for this energy created her. The Spirit is made strong (or feeds) through the purification of the Soul.
4 Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
Tirzah means Delight; Pleasure; Pleasantness; Pleasing; Favorable; Loving; Kindness; Graciousness; Benevolence; Inclination; Desire; Will. The inclination of the Soul and Mind toward Delight, but in the External World, instead of delighting in the Spiritual, Inner one. Jerusalem means City of Peace and symbolizes the Inner Peace that comes through Spiritual Consciousness. The "army with banners" symbolizes the many forces that, originate from, and through the process of spiritual purification, returning to Spirit.
5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.
A flock of goats represent thoughts or Resistance and Opposition. Gilead means, in Hebrew, mound of witness; massive witness; enduring rock; rock of time; great endurance. It symbolizes the Intuition and Conscience. Turning away the eyes means to ignore. The Soul is the seat of both the conscience and the intuition. When she has become corrupted by thoughts of Resistance and Oppression, we must ignore her until the work of Spiritual Purification cleanses her.
6 Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.
Metaphysically, Teeth refer to the analyzing and assimilation of ideas. Sheep refer to the pure, creative life force. Thus, this passage says that, at this stage of development, we receive pure Inspiration from Spirit and is analyzing and assimilating those ideas for our benefit.
7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.
Pomegranates symbolize Righteousness, temples are a symbol of regeneration and locks of hair are a symbol of the outer expression of strength. This passage is saying that the Righteousness of Spirit is constantly expressed through physical strength and regeneration.
8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.
Metaphysically, queens symbolize the governing thoughts of the Soul. Concubines are the animal instincts and Virgins are the pure, spiritual thoughts. At this stage of development, the pure, spiritual thoughts (those thoughts that are focused on Spirit) are too numerous to count, so they are "without number".
9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
The Dove symbolizes Peace of Mind and Confidence in Divine Law. It is a state of Meditation. The Soul is, ultimately, only one pure energy. Daughters represent exalted ideas. Queens are the governing thoughts and concubines are the animal instincts. All of these are part of the Soul and, when the Soul is pure, they all empower her.
10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?
Morning always symbolizes the awakening of a new phase of Consciousness. The Moon is Personal Intelligence or the Intellect. The Sun is Spiritual Intelligence. An army is always a collection of ideas. So, in this new phase of Consciousness, the Soul is in perfect harmony with the ideas of both the Intellect and Spirit.
11 I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded.
The garden is always the pure forces of the Soul. These forces are symbolized by the nuts and fruits of the valley. Pomegranates symbolize Righteousness. Thus, here, the Soul is being examined through introspective consciousness to make certain that she has Creative Power in harmony with Spirit.
12 Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.
Chariots always symbolize vehicles of Transformation. Amminadib, in Hebrew, means people of liberality; people of willing generosity; my people is abundance. They symbolize true, spiritual thoughts that are from a generous and broad human mind. Thus, the individual, at this stage of Spiritual Awakening, has a soul that encourages an open mind and thoughts that are spiritual in nature.